Craft Blog

I love the way the crafting community on the internet takes an idea and just runs with it. One simple tutorial can evolve into so many different imaginings as each crafter gives their twist on an original idea.

(And maybe I’m also a little biased on this one because it’s so exciting to find a sewing project for boys!)

My Little Gems put up the original tutorial for this wonderful Car Caddy tutorial.

Jamie from The Crafting Chicks added ric-rac for the road lines.

Homemade By Jill added freezer stencilled numbers to the little ‘garages’.

And finally it shows up in my google reader with Suzanne’s version for her grandsons featuring some of my favourite David Walker fabric!

I love that although they’re all the same basic idea, each crafter has put her own stamp on her version, and I’m sure all of the little boys that received them were over the moon.

Lets just ignore the gigantic gap between posts, okay? Between being completely swept off my feet with my new sewing biz taking off a LOT quicker than I had planned for, running around looking after the boys and working hard on finding mental stability despite everything that has been thrown at our little world in the last six months.

Anyway! Onto markets. This Sunday marks my sixth market in the last few months, and I am slowly learning the tips and tricks of the trade. I am selling handmade baby accessories, toys and most importantly, quilts, and, although I will be the first to admit that I am certainly no expert, as each market goes by I learn something new.

A few of the tips I’ve picked up:

• Different markets sell different things – I’ve been doing two markets on a regular basis now, one Artists market dedicated to handmade crafts, and a “Mums and Bubs” market, selling both new and used baby and child goods. I’ve found that the buyers at these markets are very different, at the Artists markets most people are buying gifts for others, so I’ve presented some of what is on my stall wrapped up nicely with a ribbon around it ready for gifting. At the Mums and Bub’s market, it’s usually parents browsing the stall, who are after practical items, so I make sure to stock up on bibs and clothing before the day.
• Good presentation and height is key – laying out your goods flat on the table makes it look like a jumble sale, you want your crafts to look good, to look like something that someone is more than happy to spend money on. Add different layers of heights (I use garden trellis at the back of the table), add some cute props and group like things together to make your table seem more inviting and more cohesive.
• Label prices clearly – if people have to ask you the price of something, it’s likely that they won’t bother. Have your pieces labeled clearly to avoid putting people off.
• Be prepared to be handed two $50 notes within the first half hour – this happens without fail, people get some money from the ATM and then turn up at the markets and empty your float. My items range from $3.50 to $18 (not including any quilts, which aren’t generally impulse buys at $100+), I have a float of $150 and always keep a few more $20s stashed in my purse just incase. One way to get around having to have too many different coins is to price everything in whole dollars.
• Get ready the night before – I lay out my clothes, pack the car and have my bag waiting by the door so I can just get up and go. My brain isn’t functioning early enough in the morning to be able to remember everything, so I have a checklist I go through the night before to make sure I have all I need – float, chair, bags, etc.

My most important tip is to not be afraid, my mother in law has been nagging me for years now to start selling some of my stuff at local markets, and I’ve put it off, and put it off, until one day something clicked, and within a few weeks I was a regular stall holder at two different markets and, much to my surprise, really enjoying it! The first time was nerve wracking, but now I spend all week looking forward to getting out, showing off my skills and having a good chat to lots of people.

If you want more tips on selling your hand crafts at markets, check out The Contemporary Handmade Alliance who are doing a series this week on exactly that – and they’re far more detailed and in the know than I am!

And if you’re feeling nosey feel free to check out my goodies at the Aisling Milis facebook page.

The last month has consisted of:

• A visit from my globetrotting mum… with three days notice.
• Custom quilts, custom slings, custom everything and me spending far too long bent over my sewing machine.
• Preparation for my first ever market.
• Disappointment on the lack of attendees to my first ever market.
• My youngest (FINALLY!) learning to walk.

Throw all this in with running around like a madwoman after a three year old and a 20month year old who’s suddenly discovered his legs, dealing with psych visits, hospital visits, attempting (hah!) to keep my house clean and having two years worth of gossip to catch up with from my mum, and CraftBlog has once again been pushed to the back burner.

(sorry CB, please forgive me!)

Now things have calmed down a bit and I am getting back into the swing of things, with the aid of my handy dandy new daily routine, that goes something like: Wake up, make the kids breakfast, check emails, WRITE ON CRAFTBLOG BEFORE I ARRANGE FOR SOMEONE TO BREAK YOU KNEECAPS, make the kids lunch…. and so on. I’m hoping this tactic should work!

So what have you all been up to during my month long unplanned sabbatical?

Backdated post to make up for how slack I’ve been, sorry to anyone on the RSS feed!

I’m all about quilts this week.

This is Emma, I’ve always been terrible at naming my quilts so I figured I need to come up with a standard system for them, I figure each one of them is almost like a child to me, so I wanted to give them proper names and then developed a way to select the names. I explained how I was chosing them to my husband and he announced that I was now officially on crack. I like how I’m doing it, even if it is a little bit insane

Emma measures 1m x 1m, I love this size, it’s really verstile, playmat, baby blanket, lap quilt etc. She’s stippled all over and backed with dot minky. Unfortunately she’s up for sale, so as much as I love her, I can’t keep her!

A big pompom flower to hang over my bedside table, I still need to make one up for Dan’s side of the bed. It looks awesome, best $2 I ever spent on home decoration. I followed this tutorial on Martha Stewart Weddings.

A quicky pouch to keep the kids bits and pieces in my handbag, they’re at an age where they don’t have enough stuff to warrant a dedicated bag, so this is just to keep nappies and snacks so they don’t end up in the bottom of my bag getting squished. I bought this fabric almost two years ago from a Japanese website and only ordered half a yard, this was the first time I’d cut into it, I tend to really hang on to fabrics I love.

And another quilt – “Charlie”, with a matching pillowcase. This is cot/toddler bed size and I love the colour combination, it’s nice and gender neutral which I always like (three times of being on “team green” during a pregnancy and you become really aware of the lack of gender neutral stuff for babies and toddlers). Again, stippled, but with a pieced back this time.

Charlie has already been sold, before I even have my store up properly, which makes me very happy, I hope she enjoys her new home in the states.

Are we already at the end of week twelve? This year is flying by.

This week has mostly been spent sorting out the garage. I was doing great until I got so angry at all the shit we have (seriously, four big boxes of computer cables – why???) that I copped a strop and haven’t touched another box since Thursday. Unfortunately for me, that’s where my craft space is, so I had to clean that up a bit so I could actually get something done over the weekend.

First up, we have bunnies for the boys’ Easter baskets. They really don’t need chocolate, so I’ve been thinking of other things to gift them on Easter Sunday. Rabbits and a couple of HotWheels cars seemed to be the way to go, I might also pick up a cheap book for each of them as well.

These were made using Betz White’s fabulous tutorial that I stumbled onto whilst I was writing the bunny softie round up. I LOVE the pattern and the finished bunnies. They take about ten minutes each to make up and they look so cute. They were both made from old fleece jumpers that belonged to Dan (though he recognised the shade of brown and had a minor tantrum that he never said I could hack up that jumper, I clearly remember the conversation, it was three years ago whilst we were packing up to move from our little 2 bed unit – but I digress…) they’re also stuffed with scraps, so they’re very green little bunnies.

I finally got round to making each of the boys a set of midseason PJs. We live in the coldest house in the world so these won’t be used for too long before the big fleecy all in one PJs get pulled out. But they’re so cute I’m tempted to make up several more sets just so I can see them in bright colourful pants all the time.

Little Conman ended up with a keyboard print, teamed with a black long sleeve T with the “Ctrl” “Alt” and “Delete” buttons appliqued onto it.

Declan got chili peppers, I picked the fabric whilst he was asleep and didn’t think he’d be that into it, but he’s convinced that they’re carrots, and so thinks that the set is fabulous.

Grand total spent on craft this week was $5. That was four photo frames, a belt buckle and two zips from a local op shop.

This week – more work on that damned cross stitch. A set of bunnies for my niece and nephew and this awesome grocery bag.

What’s on your to do list this week?

Part three of Bunny Week – like Shark Week, but with lower production values and less teeth!

I’m now totally inspired to have a Craft Blog Shark Week, I wonder if I could find enough shark themed crafts to do it…hmmm.

Today we’re focusing on the crocheted rabbits, perfect for slipping into Easter baskets or hiding around your house, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting visitor like the rabbit of Caerbannog.

1. Roly Poly Rabbits from Suncatcher Crafts – Remember Weebles? Put a plastic egg weighted with silly putty or blu tac in these before sewing them up and you have your own homemade Weeble!
2. Lavender Bunny by Rhea – Floppy ears are an instant way to win me over, this little bun looks so sad I just want to take her home.
3. Bunny Bo by Tamie – Tiny and very cute, another awesome pattern from Roxy Craft.
4. Snuggle Bunny by Stormy – I really like the variegated yarn used on the pink bunny here, who says rabbits can only be white and grey?! You can even use some self striping yarn and create your own breed.
5. Teacup Bunnies from Roman Sock – Very simple and great looking pattern, especially with the mohair yarn, check out her tutorial for brushed crochet to achieve the same effect.
6. Rabbit Keyring from Coats and Clark – This little guy reminds me of the white rabbit in Alice In Wonderland, in his very dapper pink jacket and pants, I’d actually be tempted to paint a button to look like a pocket watch and attach it to him.
7. String Bean Bunny from CraftBits – The great thing about amigurumi, is that once you’ve mastered the crochet spiral, then you’ve pretty much got everything down, this is all using the same basic shape, just with slight differences in the number of stitches.
8. Love Bunnies on Ravelry – it’s not too late for Valentines decorations right? I love these little pink and red buns, looking very happy together!

If crochet doesn’t butter your muffin, check out the knitted bunny patterns round up, and the sewn bunny patterns from earlier in the week.

Time for part two of our easter rabbit patterns, this time for the knitters!

1. Knitted Bunny by Jackie – Awesome pattern for beginner knitters, it’s a square of stockinette stitch sewn in just the right way to create the bunny shape.
2. Knitted Bunny Booties from Woman’s Weekly – Good old WW brings out another great pattern, these are sized for 3 month and 6 month old babes.
3. Honey Bunny by Yvonne – A more traditional rabbit in a sweet little dress, this would look fabulous dressed up with some crocheted flowers on the skirt and some cute vintage buttons on the straps.
4. Bunny Pyjama Bag from CraftBits – Probably one of the few projects I could justify using that super soft but super annoying to knit with “fairy floss” type of yarn, this bunny looks very sweet, and is a great way to store PJs.
5. Bunny from Berroco – I’m a little torn on this one, is it a bunny or a kangaroo? Berroco says it’s a rabbit, the pouch says otherwise though. Whichever it is, I think the world needs more blue and pink animals
6. Knitted Rabbit by Susan – Love this very zen and mellow looking bunny. The lack of attachments (buttons, eyes, etc) make it great for kiddies too.
7. Sugar Bunny by Raynor – There was a distinct lack of floppy eared rabbit patterns when I was looking around, I really like this sweet little bun, the ears add so much character.
8. Bunny Beanie from Noe Knit – Okay, I admit it, I squeed, and then I got stroppy because the pattern only goes up to 6 months, so Connor is about 12 months too big. Of course, he would never keep it on, but that’s what superglue was invented for!

Tune in tomorrow for bunnies for the crochetters!

And if you’re like me and completely incompetent at knitting, see yesterday’s post for the sewn bunnies.

Easter is coming, which means we all have an excuse to make bunny plushies to stuff into Easter baskets. Below are some of my favourite bunny patterns and tutorials for you to sew up.

1. Wabbit by Yoonie – Great twist on the more traditional rabbits you’d find in Easter hampers, I can really see this softie becoming my son’s favourite very quickly.
2. Chibi Bunny by My Little Mochi – Awesome details with the embroidery, and I really like the touch of colour added with the printed cotton on the bottom, the pattern is also included for a kitten in a similar style.
3. Recycled Bunny by Kayte – Big blanket stitch and the naive styling to this stuffed bunny give it lots of charm.
4. Kwoozy Rabbit and Carrot by Kwoozy – Every rabbit needs a carrot, right? This pattern also features food for your bunny. Again I love the use of bright prints!
5. Cashmere Bunny by Betz White – Made from recycled sweaters this is a great way to use up those thrifted jumpers you’ve been saving, I also love the needle felted heart on the bum.
6. Tippy The Snow Bunny by Q. D. Patooties – With autumn now officially on its way in Australia, you can welcome in the cooler weather with this winter themed bun.
7. Revoluzzzionary Easter Bunny by Suse – Two options with the pattern, one simple bunny and one a little bit more advanced with the addition of limbs.
8. Hazelnut Felt Bunny by Jacqui – Very reminiscent of Beatrix Potter and more traditional bunny softies, if you’re looking for a more vintage bunny in your basket, this may be more your style.

Keep an eye out tomorrow for knitted bunnies!

This is my first ever year celebrating Easter, my husband has asked if we can do something to mark it (he grew up celebrating Easter, I didn’t) now that the kids are a little older, we’re having a nice lunch and baskets on Easter morning, I don’t want to fill them with chocolate so I’m looking for some crafty inspiration. Do you bother with Easter at all, and if so, what’s on your crafty to do list?

Bit of a mixed few days this week.

It started off well with my finished quilt, even if I did have a little helper during the photography of it

It went a little downhill when I had a brainsnap during picking fabric for some new pyjama pants. Somehow when I did my calculations I only worked it out based on one leg, and picked a print that I only owned one yard of. So when I realised my mistake there was no way to undo it, so, necessity being the mother of invention, I made two tone pants, black cotton one side, and a Michael Miller guitar print on the other leg.

Lets not even get started on how hard it is to take a photo whilst you’re in midair.

A tutorial for basic pant construction will be going up this week, so keep your eyes out for it.

I finally decoupaged the letters for the boys’ rooms. I’ve had these almost two years now, just sitting around waiting for me to do something, they’re finally up and they look very cute. There are a million tutorials out there already for this, so I won’t bother adding to them, but if you want to follow one, this tutorial is pretty much exactly what I did.

I made cupcakes to celebrate Connor’s 18 month birthday, and to put a positive spin on it being 1 month since Robyn’s death, and also her due date. I have no idea what went wrong, but all but one of them spilled over the side of the cases and ended up all over the baking tray, I pulled them out of their wrappers, smothered them in icing and ate them anyway, but still have no idea why they grew so big so fast, it was a box mix so I think I’ll just blame Coles.

My run of bad crafts eased up with yesterday’s painted photo frames, now the paint is completely dry they look excellent. Now to print off the final picture and choose which wall they’re going up on.

I also started on the first test for a cross stitch pattern I’ve been working on, and made a birthday crown for Connor that was way too small for his big head, I’m hoping next week will be a little more successful!

I also want to start keeping a weekly tally of how much I’m spending on craft tools and supplies, I figure it will either make me feel super proud that I hardly spend anything, or I’ll be absolutely shocked at how much money goes into it. The total expenditure this week was $18, that’s 8 photo frames, 20 zips, 3 spoons, an embroidery hoop, some Aida, cotton embroidery thread and a pack of cross stitch needles.

This week, it’s time to sort out the kid’s midseason PJs, I’m going to continue purging the garage/craftroom and also make up a cushion for a friend’s little girl who turns three this week, as well as write up the tutorial for pant construction and continue working on my cross stitch.

How has your week been in crafting?

Digital photography is an awesome thing, I have gig upon gig of photos stored in hard drives and dead laptops, the not so awesome thing is that I am completely crap at printing off any photos. I printed my first photos this Christmas as a gift to my mother in law, I have no photos of the boys on display around my house, if it wasn’t for the obstacle course of toys that resides in my front room you wouldn’t even know they existed.

On a mission to change that, I picked up some 50c frames from one of the local opshops this morning (I also bought 20 zips at 10c a pop, and some cutlery to make some garden markers!) and set about making them over with some black acrylic paint.

Like so.

Then the unmistakable crash of Declan’s door being slammed shattered the peaceful silence of the napping house. He saw what I was doing and immediately wanted to do the same, of course.

Moments later, there was shouting from Connor’s room, Declan’s dramatic door slam had woken him up, so I picked him up, carried him out into the kitchen, and of course, monkey number two wanted to get stuck into some painting as well.

Thank god for cheap IKEA frames

And so, we have our finished products. I still need to print out a picture of Connor to fill the big frame, but when that’s done they’ll be hung in our kitchen and my home will stop looking like I’m trying to keep my kids a secret.

Declan and Connor’s frames will go up on the wall behind my sewing machine, in amongst my mini-quilts, pretty pictures and random bits of inspiration.