fabrication

Baby Quilt Part II

2010-08-22T20:46:00.000+12:00

It's finished! This weekend has been full of creative happenings in our house, mostly involving ripping of lath and plaster from the walls in Thomas's room, and then gibbing it, but somewhere in between all the dust and mess and mayhem I managed to finish Flossy's quilt (Flossy being the name we've given to this bubs while in utero). Ever since I've been walking around like someone who won the lottery and keeps checking their ticket just to be sure - I keep taking a quick look at the quilt to make sure it's as lovely as I remember. And it is. Ok, so my quilting lines aren't perfectly straight and my stitch lengths are a bit all over the place (teething problems with my new walking foot I think), but I don't care. It is handmade afterall, and by definition that means it has to have a few little imperfections.

When it came to quilting, I was always going to do the diagonal lines across the squares like I've done, but I was hoping to do something a little bit more elaborate round the edges. I had even gone to the trouble to search the internet for simple floral quilting designs and thought I'd found something that would work. That was, of course, until I realised that quilting is tricky, especially when you have that much bulk trying to get through the machine. So, in the end I decided not to risk mucking it up and haven't done any quilting around the edge at all. Simplicity has won out in this case, and I actually think the quilt is the better for it. But did you know that you can send your quilt top away to get professionally quilted, and that you can buy special quilting machines with long arms? I learnt that and all sorts of other stuff while trawling the internet for quilting designs. Brilliant!

And, of course You Tube was invaluable when it came to sewing on my binding. I had downloaded printed instructions from Heather Bailey's blog but after having read through them a few times I was still confused so decided to see what videos I could find instead. And voila, I found this one and it was perfect (although I did opt for 2.5" wide strips as per Healther's directions, rather than the 2" ones suggested in the video). Taught me everything I needed to know in less than 10 minutes. If only the hand stitching had been as quick!

Baby Quilt Part I

2010-08-19T19:48:00.000+12:00

As promised, here is the first installment on the baby quilt I'm making for the much anticipated Martin Baby #2. As you can probably tell from the colours we've been told that the baby is going to be a girl, so I hope they're right!

This is the top all pieced together and I'm really pleased with the result. I wanted to go for fresh, clean colours that weren't too baby-ish, and in terms of design the main principle was that it had to be simple since I'd never patchworked before, and not too contrived looking either. I got the design idea from etsy where there are literally hundreds of quilts for sale, and I just made it to fit the dimensions I wanted. Each of the large squares is 5 inches x 5 inches and the small yellow squares are 1 inch x 1 inch. The border is 4.5 inches wide I think. Anyway, all up the quilt is about 1m x 1.5m, so it'll be plenty big enough for a cot, and will still look good on a single bed.

I realised that cutting accurately was the key, so after watching several videos on You Tube on how to patchwork I went out and bought myself a patchwork ruler. What a brilliant invention! Bascially it's just a clear ruler with lots of different markings on it (I went for an imperial rather than metric one), but it allows you to cut lovely straight, square or angled lines. I already had the pizza-type cutter and the cutting board so I was all set then. Apart from the fabrics ...

I had the loveliest time going through my stash and picking out all those favourite fabrics that I've been collecting but waiting to use on that special project, and then I visited just about every patchwork shop in Christchurch looking for the right fabrics to coordinate with them. What fun! I was very restrained, but still managed to end up with lots of left-overs. I think this new baby will be wearing dresses that coordinate with her quilt for years until I've managed to use them all up! Anyway, for the backing fabric I decided on a Heather Bailey fabric called Church Flowers. The colours are beautiful and work perfectly with the top, plus because it's not plain hopefully it will mean any little imperfections when I come to the quilting will be hidden. For the binding I've decided on a stripe, also by Heather Bailey called Slim Dandy. Both fabrics are from her Nicey Jane collection.

I had thought all my decisions about this quilt were made, but that was until I went shopping for the inner. Who knew there were so many different options?! ... polyester (not recommended for babies under 12 months), cotton, cotton/bamboo, wool, the list goes on. I ended up going for cotton, simply because it's machine washable and I'm all for that! I'm going to use 2 layers though as I want a bit of weight in the quilt and since the batting it so wide I don't have to buy extra to allow for this. Now I just need to pin it all together (using the rather expensive but apparently invaluable quilters safety pins), quilt it, and sew on the binding. Time to do some more how-to videos watching on You Tube. Until next time ...

Time for a SALE!

2010-08-12T13:51:00.000+12:00

Hello everyone. Well, I haven't lived up to my promise of posting blogs more regularly than I have been lately, but nevermind. Here's a post that will hopefully make everyone's day ... Fabrication is have a super sale, with 10% - 35% off everything. That makes for some very nice pricing, especially when you realise those discounts are off already low everyday prices. So, get shopping because stock is very limited and once it's gone it's gone....

.... And, I want EVERYTHING gone because I've decided that I'm going to take a break from Fabrication for a while.Come the 27th of August my shop will be closing. At this stage I'm not sure whether it will be a temporary or permanent thing - I'm just playing that by ear. But, I would like to very genuinely thank everyone who has supported Fabrication, whether it be by reading this blog, buying from the online store, or buying at one of the market's we've been at. Your support has been very much appreciated and has made for some very happy times.

Unfortunately for me at the moment time is something which I don't have too much of, and with another baby on the way (due Dec 19) I suspect life is going to get even more hectic! I do hope to kept blogging though as I can't imagine I'll suddenly stop making things just because I'm not selling the fabrics anymore. In fact, my current project is a quilt for the new baby ... stay tuned for a post on that.

Another Baby Dress

2010-07-24T14:04:00.000+12:00

Hello everyone. It's been absolutely ages since I last posted anything worthwhile here, so apologies. I have been feeling as if I have lost my sewing/creative mojo as it were over these past months. I'm not sure whether it's the dreadful weather (although you would think that need to be inside all the time would inspire rather than impede creativity), my inability to focus on one thing at the moment, or just a lack of motivation, but whatever it is/was it has left me feeling a little bereft. Luckily, new things are on the horizon, including a new baby daughter due any day to a very good friend of mine, and this seems to have been just the thing I needed to get back behind my sewing machine with some degree of enthusiam.

I have had these prints in my stash for ages, but love them so much that I have been saving them for a very special project (and one that didn't take too much fabric, as my supply was very limited!), but finally I had just the use for them - a baby dress. The pattern is a bit of a mish-mash ... I used the do up at the front idea from this dress I made previously, and the rest I took from a pattern book on making a baby layette my aunty gave me. I think it dates back from the early 1970s which meant some of the sewing terminology was foreign to me, so I decided to ditch the instructions and just go for it myself. Dresses like this are pretty simple, so it wasn't hard to muddle my way through. I absolutely adore the result ... now little miss bubs just needs to come out with a complexion that suits red and we'll be sitting pretty.

Feeling blue? How about grey?

2010-06-06T21:48:00.000+12:00

All this horrible rainy weather is the perfect excuse to stay indoors, dust off the sewing machine, and get creative. And, I have just the fabrics for you ... two new lovely designs from the Leanika collection by Dena Designs, both in bluey-grey hues which match this wintery weather perfectly. The fabric on the left is Jardin and the one on the right is Paisley and both of them are available from the Fabrication store. Happy shopping!

More new fabrics - from Art Gallery Quilts this time ...

2010-05-22T14:10:00.000+12:00

Four new fabrics from Art Gallery Quilts arrived this week. All four coordinate beautifully together and are from the Sugar collection. I've just loaded in my shop so if you love them get in quick because quantities are limited!

Fridge magnets

2010-05-14T19:49:00.000+12:00

I'm a bit of a hoarder. Not of everything mind you ... my house isn't full of piles of newspapers and miscellaneous stacks of crap, but I'm definitely a hoarder when it comes to fabric. I'll make something and keep every last little scrap of off-cut, thinking that maybe one day it'll come in handy. Well, for some of my scraps, that day arrived last weekend when my niece and I decided to get crafty by making some fridge magnets.

Veeky's at that great age (nearly 8) where she's into making stuff, has a good grip on how to use a pair of scissors, and can concentrate for long enough to get through a task. So, we made the most of it and made A LOT of magnets. These are really easy, you just need some fabric scraps, felt, magnets (we used self-adhesive magnetic strip that you can just cut up), a pair of pinking shears and your regular old sewing scissors. Oh, and a sewing machine of course.

I got the idea for making magnets from my friend Jo who gave Thomas some for Christmas. They were a big hit with him, so Veeky and I made him some more, plus lots for Veeky's sisters, Mum, Dad, aunty and grandparents. So why don't you give making some a go? They make a fabulous present and are a great way to get a little person you know involved in something crafty (because you can never start to young!). Plus, you can try out all those crazy stitches on your machine that you've never had a chance to use before.

p.s. sorry for the lack of posts lately ... things have been a bit hectic around here and my sewing time seems to be the first thing that goes out the window!

It's twins! Time for bibs!

2010-05-01T15:02:00.000+12:00

My close friend very recently had twin boys and all her pain and agony at carrying them for 9 months was fully understood when they emerged at 7lb 5oz and 8lb 1oz (sorry, when it comes to babies it's pounds and ounces for me, none of this kg palava!). I know, talk about whoppers! Absolutely gorgeous whoppers though - I visited them in hospital and almost had to wipe up the drool. There's nothing quite like a new born baby ...

... Anyway, my friend's first child was rather spewy when she was tiny due to terrible reflux. Not wanting to tempt fate, but aware of the role that genes have in this sort of thing, I thought a good present for the new baby boys would be bibs, and lots of them. So, I got to making some from the David Walker fabrics in my shop. All the fabrics were from his Oh Boy! collection and the small prints worked really well.

One fat quarter made 2 bibs, so this was a great use of fabric. I then used towelling for the back and edged them in bias binding (more dramas using the awful stuff, so don't look too closely at the pics!). Then I just used domes to hold them together. Despite knowing for many months that the twins were arriving I of course left my run right to the last minute, but luckily these were quick to make and I managed to make all 6 bibs in a couple of hours. Why don't you give something like this a go?

Lilly-Dee Designs

2010-04-22T21:00:00.000+12:00

One of my favourite things about receiving a fabric order from my shop is imagining what the fabrics are going to be used for. This is especially so when I get an order for a fat quarter bundle (a random selection of four fat quarters). Sometimes my customers write me a wee note to let me know what their favourite colour is, or more often what their least favourite colour is, but usually I have no idea so I just go about imagining what my customer might like and send them off what takes my fancy that day. I'm pretty sure I don't always get it right, but that's the fun of ordering in this lucky dip fashion. So, what do you do with your fabric? Do you turn it into clothes, cushions, bags or simply store it up for a project that will come along one day? I'd love to know.

One customer of mine who has let me know what she does with her fabric is Helen from Lilly-Dee Designs. She has a small business making gorgeous soft toys for kids, based right here in NZ, and she sent me some pictures of a couple of the toys she made using fabrics a recent order. I think you'll agree that these guys are very cute and a great gift idea. So, if you're in the market for something handmade and just perfect for a little person in your life, check out Helen's website: http://www.lilly-deedesigns.yolasite.com/. Her prices are extremely reasonable and she makes to order. What more could you want?!

Don't forget ... Stash reHash is this Sunday!

2010-04-16T21:48:00.000+12:00

Hi everyone, just a quick reminder that Stash reHash is on this Sunday, 18 April from 11am - 2pm. Come prepared with an empty shopping bag, lots of cash (no eftpos facilities on site sorry), an eye for a bargain and your elbows ready to give other fabricaholics a gentle nudge out of the way if they get a bit bolshy.

I'll be there with all my new fabrics, plus some treasures from Nana's stash ... get in early so you don't miss out!

Here's what else you need to know:

Sunday 18th April 2010
11am - 2pm
at the Scottish Society Hall
corner of Edgeware and Caledonian Roads
St Albans, Christchurch.

There'll be dozens of stall-holders including Arthritis NZ selling a huge variety of fabric (new, old, designer, vintage, retro and for dressmaking, crafts, interiors and upholstery), buttons, yarn, haberdashery, patterns, vintage textiles, embroidery and other craft supplies.

Oven Mitt

2010-04-07T09:19:00.000+12:00

I made this oven mitt for my Nana. It was supposed to be a Christmas gift but it's somewhat late - hopefully she'll be forgiving over my relaxed schedule when it comes to making promised items for family! Anyway, her criteria was that the wanted a single mitt design rather than oven gloves, and she wanted it in navy. Unfortunately I didn't have any navy fabric (plus navy is rather boring don't you think?) so I've made this one in Narrow Stripe in Blue for the top and Circle Pane in Blue for the Bottom. I did use navy for the trim though, so hopefully she'll forgive me for digressing from her wishes.

I used a Cath Kidston pattern which I found on the internet here. To be honest, it's a bit hard to follow and it didn't have a scale, but I muddled through. I made my oven glove 70cm long, with the hand pockets 20cm long each and I made the whole thing 20cm wide. Using those measurements, I got away with 0.25m of each of the exterior fabrics (note - cut as a strip rather than as a fat quarter). I also used 0.25m of wool batting, 0.25m of some special heat reflective stuff (not sure exactly what it's called, but just ask at your local fabric store - I don't stock it sorry!), and about 2m of 25mm wide bias binding. The Cath Kidston pattern doesn't call for the heat reflective stuff, but I'd definitely recommend it because there's nothing worse than burning yourself on hot dishes. If you wanted to do that you wouldn't bother to wear an oven mitt now would you?!

Now, it all seemed straight forward enough, but never having worked with bias binding before (should I be admitting that?) I did find this somewhat challenging. Firstly I bought the wrong sized bias binding and had to go back and get some more as the smaller stuff just wouldn't fit over all the layers. Then, because of all the layers my machine had a bit of a hissy fit and kept choking on the bobbin. And then, to top it all off, I struggled with the very act of sewing the bias binding on using a nice straight topstitch, so it's a bit all over the place. Oh well, despite the end product being less perfect than I usually accept, it's turned out ok and will be functional enough. And, since Nana is nearly blind I don't think she'll be inspecting it for its imperfections! Thank goodness!

New fabrics just in time for Easter

2010-03-29T20:23:00.000+13:00

Three new fabrics just in and all from the divine Riley Blake, this time from the Summer Song collection. Taking it from the top we have Summer Flowers, Trees, and Summer Stripe, all in the pink colourway. Perfect timing for anyone wanting to get creative over the Easter break. Hooray for long weekends!

Oh, and speaking of long weekends, the Fabrication shop will be closed over Easter. You can still purchase online, but orders won't be posted until Tuesday.

A dilemma resolved

2010-03-28T19:48:00.000+13:00

So, I know it's sometimes hard to tell what goes with what, especially when it comes to fabrics and you're thinking about buying them online (like from my shop). Problem is, it's sometimes tricky even when you've got all the fabrics staring you in the face. More often than not though, when this happens it isn't deciding which fabrics compliment each other that's the hard bit, it's deciding which one works best when you've got more than one to choose from.

Take, for example, this divine fabric above called Autumn Floral (so named by me because it only came with a horrible number for a name, and that's not very helpful is it?!) from the Wa Nouveau collection. I loved it the minute I set eyes on it and instantly wanted to turn it into a bag. Problem is, the kind of bag that I wanted to turn it into required at least a second complimentary fabric to go with it to make the band and handles, and ideally also a third for the lining. Here beginneth my dilemma - when I started looking, I actually had too many choices. I had decided early on that I wanted to make the handle and band out of dark denim that I already had on hand, both for strength and because it looks lovely with this fabric, so that was fairly simple. But, when I started looking through my fabrics for a lining fabric I had not one, not two, not even three, but four very reasonable and lovely options.

As you can see from the pictures, each fabric combination certainly has its merits. For example (in order of the photos), I love the way the Floral Drop in Azure not only ties in the colours, but how the small flowers mirror the shape of the larger flowers in the Autumn Floral fabric. But, I also love the way the Green Stripe (also from the Wa Nouveau collection) livens up the colours in the Autumn Floral, and the way the Botanica Dots fabric is soft and subtle in its tonings. In the end, however, I went with the Simple Stripe in Frost. This surprised me a bit actually - it certainly wasn't the first fabric I picked up and thought of as an option, but it works because it draws out the lighter blues in the Autumn Floral (despite looking a bit insipid in the pic above). The main reason I chose it though - it is light coloured, so when you open the bag and are searching for your keys you don't need to shine a torch in there to find them. Remember that ladies - bags with light coloured linings make for less time rummaging around in the bottom of your purse!

On dressing gowns ...

2010-03-14T12:20:00.000+13:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love my dressing gown. I think I inherited this love from my mother, who has always worn one (well, for as long as I can remember anyway). I certainly know that it didn't come from my dad. He finds them loathesome and wouldn't be caught dead in one ... although I do remember one Christmas back in the early '80s when my grandma made my dad and two younger brothers matching "man-robes". Basically they were just bits of orange towelling that covered the bottom and not a lot else - a bit like tool-belts actually. I distinctly remember a photo of the three males in our family all lined up in front of the Christmas tree in their matching orange attire. I think that may have been the one and only time the "man-robes" were worn. Probably a good thing too as they didn't leave much to the imagination!

My love of dressing gowns started in my early teens. You know that time of life where the weekends are made for sleeping-in and catching up with friends, and when you think it's entirely appropriate to still be walking around in your pjs at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Well, I'm a bit cold-blooded and I grew up in a large and very cold old villa (think ice on the inside of the windows in winter, no joke!), so it wasn't enough for me just to wear my pjs around the house. I needed a dressing gown, and it wasn't long until I got one. Dark green candlewick it was too. It weighed a ton but wearing it felt just about as good as still being snuggled up under layers and layers of wool blankets in bed. Of course it looked awful. The colour did absolutely nothing for me, and I'm pretty sure that candlewick is generally only used for bedspreads for a reason. Add to that the fact that it was full length and you've got yourself one very unattractive piece of attire. Still, it came with me to university (that candlewick is very hard-wearing!) and when it did eventually get threadbare I replaced it with a slightly more modern version. This time a white, knee-length dessing gown that showed up all the stains from where I'd drop my breakfast on it. While not as good as the first, I was still loyally devoted to it and was with me for the better part of 4 years I'd say.

Eventually, however, that one wore out too and I'm now onto my third dressing gown, a full-length, light blue, completely 100% man-made creation that is very snuggly. A little too snuggly at times actually. Being altogether absent of any natural fibres its lack of breathability does mean it has the tendency to make me overheat and perspire very unglamorously now and then. I would like to say that that's its only flaw, but there is another - I look like the cookie monster in it. Still, it serves me well when I'm up in the night or doing all those jobs a mother does before she has her morning shower, so I love it regardless.

Now, having for so many years started my day off by getting out of bed and immediately putting on my dressing gown, I decided that Thomas needed to experience the joy of this too. No more running around in just pjs on these increasingly cold mornings for him! Luckily in the pile of Mum's old patterns I found one for a kids robe in just the right size, so I was all set. I bought some navy polar fleece and let Thomas choose some fun lion buttons and got to sewing. After struggling to understand the pattern's instructions (who writes these things?), realising my automatic button-holer couldn't handle the fabric, and running out of the right coloured cotton more than once I finally finished. The result was gorgeous - warm, snuggly and very cute. I couldn't wait for Thomas to try it out!

Unfortunately, it appears that Thomas does not share my love of dressing gowns. He won't wear it, or at least not for any length of time. Even the lion buttons aren't enough to make him look favourably on it. I'm not entirely sure what it is he dislikes about it - it could be the collar (I think it's a bit tickly about his chin), or the fact that he's the opposite to me and never seems to feel the cold so doesn't need it, or maybe he just takes after his granddad. Either way, I think it's been relegated to the back of the bedroom door for eternity. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to resign myself to the fact that dressing gowns just aren't for everyone, and especially not my little Mr T.

Thank you

2010-03-11T20:13:00.000+13:00

This post is a very special thank you to everyone who took the time to complete my recent survey. I had a marvellous response, received some great feedback, and hopefully this blog and my fabrication shop will improve as a result of it. And, congratulations to Sarah P who won the prize draw and now has some lovely new fabric!

I just wanted to comment on a few things that came up ...

Firstly, I support kiwi-made and use a NZ company to host my fabrication shop, called Smallfish. They offer a great service for a relatively low price, which means I didn't have to spend thousands (literally) getting myself online. But, because the website is run off a template format it does have it's limitations, like you can't save your order, and the pics on the front page don't act as links, and setting a variable postage rate becomes a bit tricky, hence the standard $5 postage charge (personally I think this is pretty reasonable - no matter how much you buy I wrap your fabric so it's like getting a present, I courier your precious package, and my prices are low to compensate for the need to pay for the postage [which is probably still less than you'd spend running about town in your car]). I feel your frustration on these things though, so thanks for telling me - it's very helpful feedback and I will certainly pass it on to the team at Smallfish. Like me, they are continually trying to improve their offering so I'm sure they'll be delighted to hear your thoughts.

But, there are a few things which you commented on which can be done ... for example, you can enlarge pictures of the fabrics simply by clicking on them. This will also allow you to see the other pictures of the same fabric so you can click through those as well. And, if you want to see the picture and the info at the same time right from the start, simply click on the "more info" button just below the picture. Also, I now sell all orders of 1 unit (or 0.25m) as a fat quarter, unless specially requested otherwise. And, if you want a fat quarter bundle but can't handle the thought of it being completely my choice as to what you get, you can indicate your preference for the type of colours/patterns you want by giving me some instructions at the checkout. While you can't pick exactly what fabrics you'd like, this is kind of the point - it's a lucky dip and everyone knows they're great fun!

Finally, I know that buying fabric online is a bit tricky sometimes. I do my best to capture the colours as accurately as possible, but I know there's nothing like touching and feeling what you're about to buy. I love the idea someone had of being able to move the pics around so you could compare fabrics - unfortunately I don't think the team at smallfish can run to this modification, but remember that I am always more than happy to send you out samples if you need to see before you buy, or you can always email me with questions on what fabrics coordinate well together. In general I'd say the fabrics look better in real life than they do online, and there is nothing like receiving a parcel in the mail, so go on, be brave, and make the purchase. If you're really not happy with what you've bought then just let me know and I'll see what I can do, but I'm pretty sure you won't regret it! And, even after all that, if you're still not brave enough, the good news is that I'm back at Stash reHash in April and on the 21st of March I'll be at the St Patrick's school fair (check out this post for more details). And, since the response to having an open day was so overwhelmingly positive I'll be organising one of these too. Watch this space for details...

So, thanks again for taking the time to help me out. It's been great to hear from you all!
A x

To market, to market part II

2010-03-07T21:35:00.000+13:00

Exciting news all you Canterbury residents - Fabrication is going to be entering the real world for 2 upcoming markets, the St Patrick's school fair this month and Stash reHash next. Here are all the details of both:

St Patrick's School Fair

Sunday 21st of March

11:30am - 3:30pm

Cnr Idris and Jeffreys Road

Bryndwr

Christchurch

On wet or fine!

AND

Stash reHash

Sunday 18 April 2010

11am - 2pm

Scottish Society Hall

Cnr Edgeware and Caledonian Roads

St Albans

Christchurch

It would be lovely to see you, so please come along and support two great local events.

Baby Dress

2010-03-06T15:06:00.000+13:00

One of my good friends has just had her second baby, a wee girl! Since little baby girls are so cute (and since I don't have one of my own to dress) I decided I'd take this opportunity to make something gorgeous and small and girlie - what else but a beautiful dress?!

Having never made clothes for a small human of the female variety before I decided that a pattern was a definite must, so off I went in search of the perfect dress for a newborn. As all mothers know, any baby clothes must:

Open at the front (never, ever, buy or make clothes for babies that open at the back! They're a complete nightmare to try and get on and off since bubs is all floppy and they can't sit them up while you dress them. Little babies lying face down while you struggle to get their clothes on is not ideal!)
Must be long enough to cover them up and keep them snuggly. There's nothing worse than a baby getting passed around in gorgeous clothes only to spend the whole time pulling the outfit down to cover their nappy or keep them warm.
Must be super cute. That way, at least those nosey people who you don't know from a bar of salt but just have to pop their head into the pram for a look can comment on the clothes, even if the baby doesn't meet with their approval.

Luckily I stumbled across New Look pattern 6903. It met all my criteria and worked perfectly with the fabrics types I had in mind. Being an autumn baby, I wanted to use a narrow soft cordouroy as the main fabric (mainly for warmth) and I wanted to use the Wa Nouveau Small Floral I have in stock as an accent. I found the perfect shade of cordouroy to match the floral, and then I just covered some buttons using the floral fabric. (If you've never covered your own buttons before you should really give it a go - it's a piece of cake and all you need is a wee kit which you can get at most fabric shops that sell accessories. I think a kit will set you back about $5, so it's as cheap as chips). I used 1m of the cordouroy and a fat quarter for the rest, although I did deviate from the pattern when it came to the hem - I wasn't so into the frills, so went for a plain hem out of the coordinating floral rather than going with gathered cordouroy, and didn't bother with a pocket or an applique, as I thought the dress was gorgeous enough without it. Hopefully bubs and her mummy will agree!

Wedding bells

2010-03-01T21:23:00.000+13:00

This summer we've been lucky enough to have been invited to five weddings, and of those we've been able to go to four. They were each quite different, but every one was absolutely lovely. So much romance, so much great food, so much fun choosing what to wear ...

... Speaking of what to wear, I had the task of making flowergirl dresses for my three nieces for one wedding, and the sashes for the flowergirls' dresses at my friend's wedding.

The flowergirl dresses were lovely simple white dresses with a plain bodice and panelled skirts, made using the Simplicity pattern 5641, style B. Instead of having a sash at the front the dresses had a sash at the back instead, made of ribbon in blue to match the bride's theme.

For the sashes, my friend wanted to incorporate both the tones of purple used in her bridesmaid dresses, but despite hunting all over town for the perfect ribbon we couldn't find anything. So, we did what all good DIY sewers do and made it up instead. For the main band of the sash I used a slightly stretchy dark purple (aubergine I suppose you could say) fabric and then I sewed three strips of light mauve ribbon on the darker fabric to make the ties. The effect was exactly what we were after and perfectly tied in the bridesmaid's colours. Unfortunately by late in the day when I took the photo above Olivia's sash had loosened off a bit and fallen down slightly, but you get the idea.

Win 1m of your favourite fabric from fabrication.co.nz!

2010-02-23T22:08:00.000+13:00

I'm conducting a survey. Why? Because I'd love to know what you like (and don't) about the fabrication.co.nz website (and this blog too).

My survey is very quick - it's just 11 questions and will take no more than 3 minutes of your time. And, the best thing is, if you do help me out by letting me know what you think you'll go in the draw to win 1m of your favourite fabric from fabrication.co.nz. That's right, if you win the draw then you get to choose 1m of the fabric of your choice from me. In fact, I might even be so kind as to let you choose 0.5m each of 2 fabrics, or 0.25m each of 4 fabrics if you really can't make up your mind, but anyway, you get the gist. Answer the survey, go in the draw to win stuff.

And, it's all a piece of cake really. To complete the survey you just need to click on the link below:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A95YJDSH6

It's all very self explantory, so you can't go wrong. There's just lots of ticking boxes, with the odd space to comment if you want to. Just please be honest. If you hate the site, tell me. If you love it, tell me. If you think I waffle (which I'm pretty sure I am right now), tell me. I don't care if you've never bought anything from fabrication.co.nz, or you're my best customer, I'd just love to hear from you either way, so please click on the link above and let me know what you think.

Thanks! A x

It's a good week ... more fabrics!

2010-02-22T21:06:00.000+13:00

Lucky me ... another delivery today. Two more fabrics waiting on my doorstep when I got up this morning. This must be how my customers feel when their fabrics get dropped off by the courier. Today I got two fabrics from the Wildwood range by Erin McMorris: the floral is called Sophie's Garden and the beautiful coordinate is called Buttons. More delightful goodness from the team at Free Spirit, and just in time for the beautiful (and hot!) end of summer.

Three times as nice

2010-02-17T19:40:00.000+13:00

This week three new fabrics have arrived in at fabrication.co.nz, two from the delicious Wa Nouveau collection by Hokkoh of Japan, and one called Babushka by Kokka. All three are lovely - I'm eyeing up the Autumn Floral for a handbag design I've been working on, and think I'll use the Babushka fabric to make something for my friend who is expecting her baby girl to arrive any day. As for the Small Floral, well, something will come to me ...

As usual, all fabrics are available for purchase at fabrication.co.nz so now all you have to do is decide what you're going to make.

Purple

2010-02-05T13:12:00.000+13:00

When I was about 7 my favourite colour in all the world was purple. I was particularly fond of that middle of the range soft type of purple, and distinctly remember having a nice purple outift - a purple sweatshirt (my favourite), and matching purple socks and headband. All sounds a bit cringe-worthy now, but hey, I was only 7. And, goodness knows I've made far worse fashion faux pas than that in my time!

After quite a few years where purple didn't really feature in my life I've noticed I'm trending back towards it. I'm not sure how much of that is just because it is becoming a bit more of an "in" colour, but regardless I'm happy about it. The pictures above are a random selection of purple things from around my house (actually, mostly from the garden, which shows that nature loves it too!) - I hope you'll enjoy looking at them as much as I do.

Summer PJs

2010-01-31T20:19:00.000+13:00

A few posts back I mentioned that I had received a shipment of fabrics from David Walker's Oh Boy! collection. It's full of really cute prints for boys featuring dinosaurs, vehicles, stripes, circles and great colours. I also mentioned that I wanted to make Thomas some pjs out of one of the fabrics.

Well, my list of sewing projects is about as long as my arm at the moment, and it seems to be growing each day, so my lovely Mum took one thing off my list and made Thomas these very cute summer pjs, using Animals Allover in White. All I had to do was make the button holes and sew on the buttons. I'd never used the buttonhole function on my sewing machine before, but since it was all automatic it was really quite fun. Must try it again sometime, or maybe I should get Thomas to do it since he seems magnetically attracted to the dials on my sewing machine...

Anyway, these pjs took just over 1m of fabric to make, and are a large size 2 I would have said. I think Mum used a pattern, but I'm not sure of its details. Still, I'm sure any of the major pattern brands would have something similar.

A tee pee for Thomas

2010-01-27T14:18:00.000+13:00

We live in a very small house that is in need of a lot of work. Ever since we moved in last March I have been dying to do up Thomas's room so that he has somewhere lovely to sleep and hang out doing boy stuff. Unfortunately other things, like rotten weatherboards, the fabrication suite and the garden, have taken up any spare time we have for renovating and we haven't gotten to his room yet.

So, to make up for it I wanted to give Thomas a Christmas present that would go some way towards brightening up his room and making his space a bit more toddler friendly. And since his favourite game still seems to be peek-a-boo I decided that a tee pee would be the perfect thing. He could hide in it, read books in it when he gets older, and generally have a wee space of his own.

I had seen a pattern for one ages ago in a Your Home & Garden magazine but of course when I went to look for it in my stack of mags I couldn't find it. Luckily, the lovely Fiona at YH&G was more than happy to email me a copy of the pattern so I set to work.

The tee pee takes quite a bit of fabric (just over 4m in total - I used curtain/upholstery fabric from Fabric House here in Christchurch) and you also need a few other bits and bobs, like dowel rods, some ribbon and a few beads, but it is very easy to make. Basically you just cut out your triange-shaped sides, stitch them together, add your strips for the poles and whack a hem around the top and bottom and you're done.

And, the result is fabulous - a tee pee that fits one small person very easily (at a pinch you can almost fit one small person and his mummy and daddy, or as in the bottom photo, his Gran and Great Aunty), it's portable, easy to erect, and is a great play hut for inside or out. Today we finally had some sun so I moved it outside for him. Unfortunately the wind meant that playtime was quite short lived because it kept blowing over (luckily not while Thomas was in it though!)

The only problem now is keeping hold of our pillows, cushions and visitors - they all seem to be dragged into the tee pee for a lie down and a story!

It's all gibberish to me!

2010-01-17T23:37:00.000+13:00

Hi friends of the fabrication blog, I'm back! It feels like an eternity since I last sat at my computer tippy-tapping away on the keys writing a post, but actually it's only been a month. Still, far too long. I have blog post ideas coming out my ears, but finding the time to post them is the trouble at the moment. What with Christmas, New Year, family arriving home from overseas for a very much anticipated wedding, painting our shed, and doing all those other bits and bobs that you do on holiday I just haven't found the time. But, since I'm back at work tomorrow after a lovely break I thought it about time that I put an end to my absence and let you all know that I'm still here.

So, tonight I just wanted to let you know about my friend Lauren who has started up a wee enterprise called "Gibberish". She makes fabulous hand screen printed tea towels and cushion covers with quirky sayings on them like the ones in the pic above. She's very talented and lovely to boot, so I just wanted to spread the word on her products. They are very reasonably priced (only $10 for a huge tea towel) so if you're interested then please flick Lauren an email at gibberishgifts@yahoo.co.nz, I'm sure she'd love to hear from you.

A x

p.s. Just arrived in stock are some gorgeous japanese fabrics by Hokkoh from their Wa Nouveau collection. Check them out at the fabrication.co.nz shop now.

To market, to market ...

2009-12-16T21:33:00.000+13:00

I received an email today from a lovely lady I met at Stash reHash inviting me to have a stall at a local school's fair next March. As you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled with the invitation - how lovely that someone would hunt me down and ask me to join their fair! Anyway, pending any unforseen double-bookings I'm pretty sure that I'll be there. More details on that to come once I've confirmed ...

But, it made me wonder about what other fairs / markets there are out there that I could be taking my wares along to. I had already decided that next year I want to attend more markets, especially after the fun I had at Stash reHash, but I have to confess to being a bit in the dark as to what options are out there. Given I'll probably only be selling fabrics (but maybe the odd bit and bob that I've made too) I don't want to go along to just any old market and find that either people aren't interested in sewing, or they only want to buy rubbish at bargain basement prices. I guess that was why Stash reHash was so good - hundreds of fabricaholics all in one room - the perfect target audience.

Anyway, I would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions of good markets / fairs that you've been to in the past and think a Fabrication stall would do well at. And, don't feel you have to limit your suggestions to Christchurch or Canterbury markets - I love a good roadtrip, so I'm happy to travel around the spectacular South Island. So, if you know of any markets or fairs that you think might be up my alley, please don't be shy, just either post a comment, or if you can't be bothered with the signing in palava, then email me at annie@fabrication.co.nz. Thanks!

Finally, something for the boys!

2009-12-13T22:17:00.000+13:00

Anyone who has boys knows that the fashion world just does not cater for them, and sadly, more often than not neither does the fabric world. But, David's Walker's Oh Boy! collection puts an end to that. This collection for little boys is just gorgeous ... beautiful summer colours and not a skull or cross bones in sight! I have had a couple of fabrics from this collection in for a while (Transport in Gold, Wheels in Brown and Animals in Green) but finally with the arrival of a new shipment on Friday I've got the rest of the fabrics that I ordered. There are dinosaurs, bears, monkeys, cars, trucks, trains and all those things that boys love, plus a stripe, and they're all available now at fabrication.co.nz.

My mind has been in creative overdrive trying to decide what to make with these prints, but I've settled on some summer pjs for Thomas, not only because the weather is finally starting to warm up here and it's getting too hot for flannelette, but mainly because his wee wrists are so chubby that I have a very hard time getting his current pjs over them. Now I just have to decide which of the new fabrics to make them from (no mean feat!) and find the time, something I'm sorely lacking at the moment ...

Day 12: Mini Photo Album

2009-12-06T11:50:00.000+13:00

Today, for the last day of Fabrication's Twelve Days of Christmas, I thought I'd do something nice and simple, since the days until Christmas are ticking away, but also something that is a perfect present for just about anyone - a mini photo album.

I took the idea from Amy Butler's book Little Stitches for Little Ones. This book is full of totally gorgeous presents for babies and new parents. I developed a love affair with it the first time I saw it - all the beautiful projects, the stunning fabrics, the cute babies! Anyway, I just had to have it and it's been a wonderful purchase. Everything I have made out of it has been a hit, so if you're looking for a great craft book and you know lots of people having babies, this one is for you.

I've made my brag book for Thomas rather than to give away (so I didn't put a love heart applique on the front cover like the pattern called for), since I've been a very remiss mother and despite having more photos of him than we know what to do with, I've never managed to get them printed and put into an album. So, I thought I'd rectify that a tiny bit by putting this book together for him, full of all his favourite people. I used David Walker's Transport in Gold for the covers which is very cute and goes with the boy theme. Hopefully he'll like it! And, since he's too little to care yet, he won't notice that I didn't always do the best job of making sure the photos on both sides of the card were in exactly the same place, so my stitching is a little bit off on the reverse pictures ... oh well, if it's perfect it's not handmade ...

So, that's it, Fabrication's Twelve Days of Christmas is over for 2009! Thanks to everyone who's been following this blog and for all the comments and emails. It's so nice to know that people are reading this and enjoying the daily posts. Think I'll take a bit of a break for a couple of days now ... see you all again soon, and Merry Christmas!

Day 11: Matroyshka Doll

2009-12-05T13:01:00.000+13:00

I have always been in love with Matroyshka Dolls and have long dreamed of having a set. The reason I haven't yet is because I have this romantic notion that if I'm going to get some they should be the genuine article, bought in Russia of course. However, given I'm unlikely to get to Russia anytime soon I decided that I'd make myself a stuffed Matroyshka Doll instead, based on some on the front of a card I bought recently.

I made my Matroyshka Doll using Lecien's Pale Spots as the base fabric, then used Jennifer Paganelli's Marie in Sky for the scarf and Tania Wheelan's Picnic Damask in Red for the apron. I wanted my doll to be able to stand by herself, so I made her with a base and filled the bottom of her with rice, and I interfaced the front, back and bottom so she'd keep her shape. Her face and hair are made from felt and I drew on her features using fabric paint. Unfortunately while she was sitting out in the sun waiting for her face paint to dry she fell from a great height and smudged her makeup. Luckly felt is very forgiving and I was able to tidy her up a bit. She was great fun to make so I think I'll have to make a few more, decreasing in size of course, and given the way Thomas has taken to her I think he'll be needing a set of his own too...

As you can see from the photos above, dolls and other handmade toys make fantastic gifts for kids and they are so much nicer than something made of plastic. If you're looking for inspiration, check out the gorgeous Melly & Me patterns. Thomas got given a lovingly handmade Mrs Perkins the Giraffe for Christmas last year and he took to it like he has the Matroyshka doll. Melly & Me patterns are available in NZ from lots of fabric stores (unfortunately though not from Fabrication just yet), and are a great way to use up scraps of fabric, or even better, they're a great excuse to go out and buy some more.

Day 10: Christmas Stocking

2009-12-04T16:35:00.000+13:00

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas with Christmas Stockings and all the pressies that go inside them.

In my family, it is still very much a Christmas tradition to hang your stocking on Christmas Eve and see what delights it holds the next morning, despite us all being adults. Mum, er, I mean Mrs Claus, tried to do away with stockings some years ago, but there was such an uproar that she had to reinstate them. I'm sure she wonders what kind of children she raised when, being all in our late twenties and early thirties, we still need to have a stocking to delve into on Christmas morning.

Anyway, stockings are a great gift to give to a new member of the family, or just to have on show at Christmas time. I've made this stocking using Lecien's Dotty in Red as the base fabric, with Joel Dewberry's Architect in Sky as the trim. Then I just added some gorgeous ribbon as the finishing touch and it's all ready to be filled with treats come December the 25th.

Day 9: Goodie Jars

2009-12-03T06:42:00.000+13:00

Day 9 of Fabrication's Twelve Days of Christmas ideas is for those of you who don't have the time or inclination to get out the sewing machine, but still want to make a lovely gift using beautiful fabric. Yes - it is possible!

Simply gather together some old glass jars, take off the labels, fill with goodies (lollies, jam, biscuits ...) cut yourself out some circles of fabric using pinking shears (or "peaking" shears as my sister calls them, because they make wee peaks), tie up with a ribbon, add a gift tag and you're done. Use any beautiful fabrics you like, or stick with the traditional Christmas colours of red and green like I have, using Apples in Green and Apples in Red, plus some Floral Drop in Tarragon.

As the saying goes, this idea is an oldie but a goodie. So get making your own goodie jars and you have a wonderful gift for just about anyone.

Day 8: Diary Cover

2009-12-02T09:05:00.000+13:00

Today's idea for Day 8 is a diary cover. It seems to me that most diaries are just plain old ugly and are in need of a serious facelift, so that's just what I've done for my 2010 work diary. It was a horrendous maroon colour and was sort-of padded (very odd!), so I decided that it needed a makeover. I used Jennifer Paganelli's Sally in Fuschia from her Pretty Please collection for the cover and teamed it up with some coordinating ribbon.

Now, there are a couple of ways to make a diary (or any book) cover. You can either make a pocket type like I've done, or you can get yourself some good craft glue and simply stick the fabric onto the outside. Either method is perfectly fine, but with the pocket type option you'll need to do some sewing. The advantage with this though is that your cover is removable, and you can add a few embellishments. For example, I added some ribbon, included a page marker (also from ribbon) and made a pocket on the front cover to slip my business card into (there's nothing like a bit of shameless self-promotion!).

If you go for the cut and stick option then you'll need to make sure that the outside of the diary is an ok surface to stick onto (i.e. this method probably won't work if you're trying to stick fabric to a shiny or plasticy surface), and you may still want to zig zag or somehow tidy the raw edges of your fabric, or else they may fray. Other than that, it's just like covering your school books in Duraseal.

So, if you know someone who loves to be organised, or someone who needs to be, why not give them a covered diary for Christmas and get their 2010 off to a gorgeous start.

Day 7: Pillow Cases

2009-12-01T07:01:00.000+13:00

Everyone loves sleeping, so why not make it even more enjoyable by giving someone you love a pair of pretty pillow cases?

Rather than making the pillow cases themselves, cheat like I did and just buy some, then all you do is add a strip of fabric and some ribbon to each end of the pillow case and you have yourself some designer bed linen. For my pillowcases I've used Jennifer Paganelli's Marie in Butter, and I got some gorgeous coordinating ribbon from the Warehouse.

I added the strips of fabric to the wrong side of the pillow case. This gives you the option of having plain as well as pretty (although with pillow cases this lovely I'm not sure why you'd want plain), but you do need to be careful when sewing on your fabric - you don't want to catch the inside flap, otherwise you won't be able to tuck it over your pillow. I'd also suggest that if you're going to add 100% cotton fabric to your pillow case that you use 100% cotton pillowcases, and prewash both first. Also, make sure that if you're adding ribbon like I did that it's washable.

If you want to take this idea further, why not add a matching trim to a flat sheet? Or make a cot linen set for a friend about to have a baby?

Day 6: Needle Book

2009-11-30T07:23:00.000+13:00

My friend Jo has very kindly made today's Christmas idea - this fabulous little Needle Book. She got the pattern from Cath Kidston's new book Sew! and has been churning them out flat-stick ever since. Apparently all you need to make one is some fabric, a bit of felt and some cardboard. Jo made this Needle Book using Amy Butler's Happy Dots in Linen. I think you'll agree that it is just gorgeous and the perfect compliment to Day 2's Pincushion.

Day 5: Coin Purse

2009-11-29T07:46:00.000+13:00

Every girl needs a coin purse that doubles as a make-up bag. Luckily, that's just what I've come up with for Day 5 of the Fabrication Twelve Days of Christmas. This gorgeous little purse is made out of Art Gallery Quilts Colour Splash in Purple - I love the colours and the print is the perfect size for this type of thing. I've just lined this one with a coordinating purple cotton fabric but you could always use a waterproof fabric if you are wanting to use it for toiletries. Or, if you're really wanting to go for the coin purse look instead you could just as easily put one of those lovely old-fashioned looking clasps on it instead of a zip.

Day 4: Tea Cosy

2009-11-28T07:29:00.000+13:00

I'm not really sure if too many people still use teapots these days, but regardless every teapot could do with a tea cosy. This tea cosy is a piece of cake to make, is fully reversible and turns your boring old teapot into a fashion statement.

I made this tea cosy for my ad in the December issue of Your Home and Garden (you can read more about that in my earlier blog on it here). All you need is some fabric (I used Circle Pane in Gold by Dena Designs for the outside and Candy Stripe in Berry by Annette Tatum for the inside) some ribbon and some stuffing. Basically you just make two double-sided rectangles (each 28cm wide x 22cm high), stuff them, thread some ribbon through and you're done.

This is the perfect present for that tea drinker in your life - not only will it keep their tea warm, but it'll brighten up their kitchen at the same time.

Day 3: Christmas Tree Decorations

2009-11-27T12:04:00.000+13:00

Gone are the days or boring old Christmas decorations that could only be red, green, silver or gold. Today, Christmas decorations are a chance to have fun and can be as colourful as you like. Good thing, because I just love these gorgeous, bright decorations lovingly made by my big sis, Janey using three fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli's "Pretty Please" collection: Ann Flower Mural in Blue, Jackie in Blue and Marie in Sky and a fourth fabric, Circle Pane in Green, by Dena Designs.

To make them you need some cardboard, a bit of padding (not strictly necessary, but used here), fabric for covering them and ribbons for hanging and embellishment. Then you just cut whatever shapes you like from the cardboard, stick some padding on top, cover with fabric and then whipstitch around the edge to hold them all together. Voila, you're done!

And, if you don't need any decorations yourself, box some up and give them away as a lovely Christmas present that will get used for years to come.

Day 2: Pincushion

2009-11-26T22:32:00.000+13:00

Yesterday for Day 1 of the Fabrication Twelve Days of Christmas I made a couple of cushions. Today, I thought I'd do a minature version made especially for pins. Yip, you guessed it, a pincushion. Why? Well, I found a great free pattern, you can have never have too many places to put your pins, and it was quick and easy. Oh, and they look really great too. Perfect!

So there are absolutely loads of places on the internet where you can get free patterns, and Heather Bailey's blog is one of them. If you don't know already, Heather is a fabric designer (her fabrics are printed under the Free Spirit label) and she also has her own patterns, paper range, and is generally one of those super-talented arty-farty types.

Anyway, to make the pincusion above I used Heather's Square Deal pincusion pattern and the very vintage feeling Floral Drop in Tarragon and Lodge Lattice in Goldenrod fabrics by Joel Dewberry. I just love the freshness of the greens and yellows in these fabrics.

Not only is a pincushion a great present for anyone already into sewing, but if you know someone who you think might just love sewing but hasn't gotten around to giving it a go yet, why not make them up a sewing kit for Christmas? Start with a pincushion like the one I've made, add some pins, a Fat Quarter Bundle, a tape measure, some scissors and you've got the perfect little gift.

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 1: Cushions

2009-11-25T12:53:00.000+13:00

Eek, it's the 25th of November already, and that means it's only one month until Christmas! So, now's the time to get cracking on making those gorgeous handmade presents that everyone loves so much.

Over the next twelve days I'm going to be putting up a new present and/or decorating idea each day in Fabrication's very own Twelve Days of Christmas. Hopefully you'll find something here to inspire you into making your own Christmas gifts. Every single idea will be quick and easy to make (honestly - no more than an hour, I promise!), and will feature some of the gorgeous fabrics available now at fabrication.co.nz.

Today, being Day 1 of the Twelve Days of Christmas, is traditionally supposed to be a partridge in a pear tree, or in the Kiwi version a pukeko in a ponga tree. I can't quite run to either of those, but how about a couple of cushions on a green chair instead?

Cushions are a fabulous idea for anyone. They are super easy to make and are such a simple way to brighten up a room. Here I've made a couple of cushions - one a standard sized couch cushion (45cm x 45cm) which took 0.5m of fabric, and a smaller one approx 41cm wide x 23cm high, which used a fat quarter for the main body of the cushion and a scrap of fabric for the stripe.

For the larger cushion I used Amy Butler's Park Fountains in Fuschia from her Midwest Modern II collection. I wanted to be able to wash my cusion cover, but couldn't be bothered with inserting a zip, so just used some velcro on the back instead. And, instead of doing a proper edging around the cushion I just topstiched right around the cushion about 1cm in from the edge. It looks just as good and is easy peasy!

For the smaller cushion I used Annette Tatum's Honey Comb in Pink as the base fabric and then just attached a strip of another Annette Tatum fabric, this time Diamond in Ribbon down one side for a bit of embellishment.

You can either stuff the cushions with pre-made cushion inners like I did (these are available lots of places, in NZ try Spotlight or the Warehouse) or stuff with loose polyfill.

So go on, make a cusion or two, tie them up with a ribbon, and you've got yourself a gorgeous present for someone you love this Christmas.

Creating order from chaos

2009-11-22T21:02:00.000+13:00

I'm lucky - I have a sewing room that's all mine (well, except that is when it's being used as a third bedroom when guests some to stay, but that's another story ...).

My sewing room (or the Fabrication Suite as it's lovingly known in this house) used to be a man's workshop tacked on the back of the garage. When I first saw it it was filled with dust, spiders and decades of cobwebs, and was rather unsightly. But, I knew it had potential and it was one of the main reasons why I fell in love with our house before we bought it. This dream of having a sewing room away from the prying fingers of a one year old, where I could drop pins and know that they wouldn't find their way into Thomas's mouth, where I could shut the door on my sewing chaos and no-one would see, where I could be alone ... it was perfect! So perfect I was blinded by it and managed to miss all the flaws with our house to be, like the rotten weatherboards, the kitchen with no benchspace, the lack of insulation ... ah well, hindsight is 20:20 they say.

Anyway, transforming the dingy workshop was our first project when we moved in back in March. We put in a new window, reclad the outside, insulated, gibbed, painted, carpeted and decorated, and now it's my haven. I love it. Ok, so there are still a few things to do, like hem the curtains and finish paining the desk, but it's pretty much there.

It does have one problem though. It gets rather untidy. You know how it is, you're working away, sewing and cutting and pinning and all the while the loose threads and offcuts and all those other bits and bobs start to creep out of their homes and suddenly all is chaos. Now, while I'm not precious about mess (I'm very good at just closing the door and thinking "I'll get to that later"), I do like to have a good clean up now and then. Usually it's when I can no longer find my sewing machine for all the clutter, or someone is coming to stay.

Today was one of those clean up days (spurred on by not being able to find my desk, rather than the imminent arrival of guests). It might sound weird, but I think having a good clean up is for me almost as therapeutic as making the mess in the first place. All that order and free space. It makes one think that one should do it more often! It'll never happen though - there is just too little time to sew, let alone clean up afterwards everytime. Still, it's a nice dream ...

Ok, just one more week then

2009-11-16T22:11:00.001+13:00

Yip, that's right, the fabrication pre-Christmas sale has been extended. Everything is on sale for 1 more week, but this time it really must end, so come the 20th of November it'll all be over. Get in while you can - fabrics are up to 30% off, so it's bargains galore around here!

And the winner is ...

2009-11-15T21:18:00.000+13:00

Thanks to everyone who signed up to the Fabrication mailing list at Stash reHash last Sunday. On offer was a fabulous $30 fabric pack for the lucky person whose email address got pulled out of the hat (well, actually, whose lucky number came up on the random number generator I found on the web).

The winner was number 47, Sheina of Belfast, Christchurch. Sheina chose the lovely (and very last bit) of Ink and Spindle fabric and some of the gorgeous Amy Butler Garden Maze in Red. Congratulations Sheina - I hope you'll enjoy your fabrics!

Exhausted but delighted!

2009-11-08T20:19:00.001+13:00

Today was Stash reHash, and what a day it was. So much fun, so many people, and lots and lots of sales! It was fabulous, but very exhausting. Apparently there were people lined up around the block waiting for the doors to open at 11am, and when they did there was literally a stampede of women (and a few poor men that had been dragged along) jostling for all the best bargain fabrics, new and old. The picture above shows me just before the mayhem began. The pic below shows just how many people had streamed through the doors in literally the first 30 seconds!

My wonderful sister Jane helped me get my stall together for my first ever market. We spent the half the week and most of the weekend making fat quarter bundles, designing the layout of the fabrication stall, and of course gossiping as we went. It was great fun, but it did seem like a lot of work for a 3 hour market. It all paid off today though, and I'm so glad that we did put so much effort in, including mocking up the stall on our back lawn yesterday (see pics below - even Thomas was in on the act). We certainly seemed to be rewarded for it by the number of sales we made.

Unfortunately, though, Jane had to work today, so it was my trusty best friend Mary to the rescue. I literally couldn't have done without her today. She was a fabulous assistant and helped make the event a huge success. Here she is looking lovely behind a stack of fabrics.

Today was a huge confidence boost for me. After a few slow weeks on the site it proves that I'm on the right track with this fabric thing. There are lots of you out there that love the fabrics I love and want to buy them as well. And now, so many more people know about fabrication, so hopefully that will lead to more sales, more cashflow to buy more stock, and more beautiful fabrics filling NZ. So, to everyone who purchased something from fabrication today, thank you!!!

And finally, an extra special thanks to Deidre who organised the event. She has put a huge amount of time and effort into making Stash reHash the huge success that it was for all stall holders and shoppers. She deserves a medal for doing such a great job of getting the event promoted on a tiny marketing budget. I can only hope that she is on as much of a high as I am after the event and wants to do it all again. Fabrication will definitely be in if she does!

Two days to go ...

2009-10-30T16:04:00.000+13:00

... Until Fabrication's first ever sale. Just in time for the pre-Christmas creative season, you'll find up to 30% off all fabrics and 20% off everything else. But, it's for 2 weeks only, starting Sunday 1 November, so check it out!

Pretty Please ...

2009-10-28T21:08:00.000+13:00

A few new fabrics are starting to trickle in. Of course, I'd love a flood of new fabrics, but apparently trickles rather than floods are the way of the fabric business.

Anyway, this week I received 5 new fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli's gorgeous "Pretty Please" collection, and an Amy Butler fabric, Trailing Cherry from her Midwest Modern II collection. More of both to come (hopefully soon!), and as always, you can check them all out at http://www.fabrication.co.nz/.

Ad time!

2009-10-16T11:14:00.001+13:00

So, as some as you may have seen, I have been advertising in the directory section of NZ's Your Home and Garden magazine. I am an avid reader of this mag and love the way it offers gorgeous interiors and gardens, without all the stiffness (and massive budgets). So, when I set up http://www.fabrication.co.nz/ I instantly thought of advertising here. My first ad came out in the September issue, and this week I had to send in my pics for the Dec issue.

In the past my ads have just featured some of my current fabrics, but this time I wanted to show what you can do with the fabrics I sell. So, I spent last weekend making aprons (see my last post) and a tea-cosy (made with Dena Designs Circle Pane in Gold and on the reverse Annette Tatum's Candy Stripe in Berry) . Then I got my super-talented big sis (also modelling the apron) to help me with styling, and voila! We were going for a fresh, summery feel - hopefully we've managed to capture that.

Keep your eye out for the Dec issue of Your Home and Garden. It goes on sale mid-Nov.

Aprons for Nana

2009-10-12T19:40:00.000+13:00

My Nana, who is 85 and makes the best cream sponge, needed some new aprons, so I spent last weekend sewing a few for her. I cut the pattern off an existing apron she had which she loves the fit of, but which was nearly worn through, so it was definitely time for some new ones. She was right, the fit is fabulous, so I think I'll be making some for myself next.

Anyway, I made three aprons - the dark blue one is from fabric which she already had. It has a slight waterproof feeling texture to the outside, so will be great for those messy baking jobs. The other two I made from fabrics available at my online fabric store, www.fabrication.co.nz/. The light blue and red one is made with two stunning Joel Dewberry fabrics, Architect and Lodge Lattice, while the stripey one is made with David Walker fabric, Narrow Stripe and an Amy Butler fabric, Garden Maze, for the pocket and straps, which coordinates with it perfectly. I put a bigger pocket on the stripey apron, just because I love the Amy Butler fabric so much I wanted to be able to see it, but the other two just have a small pocket. I'm not entirely sure I've got this pocket in the same place as Nana had hers on her old apron, but hopefully it'll be near enough.

These aprons are easy peasy to make, and only take a metre of fabric (and you'll have some left over), so if you'd like the pattern just get in touch - I'm sure Nana wouldn't mind me sharing it with you.

fabrication.co.nz will be at Stash Rehash!

2009-09-29T20:43:00.000+13:00

So, fabrication.co.nz is an online fabric store, but it gets a bit lonely sometimes so I'm hitting the market scene and have booked a stall at Christchurch's Stash Rehash...

When: Sunday 8th November 2009, 11am - 2pm

Where: Scottish Society Hall, St Albans, Christchurch

What to bring: Cash (no eftpos facilities available sorry!)

More info: check out the Stash Rehash blog

I'd love to see you there, so if you're in Christchurch I hope you can make it!

Sewing 101: Make a toddler sunhat

2009-09-21T20:01:00.000+12:00

After getting in some cute fabrics for little boys in at my fabrication shop, I wanted to make Thomas something out of it. I loved this gorgeous green animal print from David Walker's Oh Boy! collection, and thought it looked great with a spotty fabric already in my hoard. With that in mind, and with summer fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to make Thomas a sunhat. I looked around on the web for a good (free!) sunhat pattern, but couldn't find anything, so ended up just making up my own pattern. It's fully reversible and really easy, and it seemed silly to keep it to myself, so thought I'd post it here as my first Sewing 101 tutorial. Enjoy!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

For a 50cm approx diameter hat (approx 12 mths) you'll need:

0.5m of 110cm wide fabric for the outer*
0.5m of 110cm wide fabric for the lining*
0.2m of firm iron-on interfacing
coordinating cotton.

(*You could probably get away with 0.3m of both the outer and lining fabrics if you're very careful cutting the pattern out, but I always recommend getting a bit extra, esp if you have to match a pattern or don't mind having some left over which you can put to good use later on.)

IMPORTANT STUFF:

A 1cm seam allowance is included in all measurements.
Cut carefully! If you cut your pattern out carefully with all pieces exactly the same size it will make it that much easier to sew.
Always backstitch at the start and end of each seam. This stops the stitching from coming undone.

STEP 1: CUT OUT THE PATTERN

a. Place all pattern pieces on the fabric so that the <------> marks are parallel with the selvedge.
b. Using the outlines above (note these are not to scale, but just to give you a rough idea of the shapes you'll need) cut 6 x crown pieces from the outer fabric and 6 x from the lining. For a 50cm hat you'll want each crown piece to be 10.5cm wide and 15.5cm high.

c. Cut 2 x brim from the outer, 2 x brim from the lining and 2 x brim from the interfacing. The brim should be 52cm around the upper edge and 8cm deep.

d. You can adjust the measurements and/or seam allowance to adjust the size, but just remember that as you have 6 crown pieces, a small change in the size can make a big difference to the eventual size of the hat.

STEP 2: MAKE THE CROWN

a. Pin 2 outer crown pieces right sides together down a long edge. Sew, then press seam allowance open.

b. Repeat step 2a to attach a third outer crown piece to one unstitched long edge, making sure the seam allowance from step 2a is open. This makes the first 3-panel crown section.

c. Repeat steps 2a and 2b to make the second 3-panel crown section.

d. Join the two 3-panel crown sections by placing them right sides together, matching them carefully at the top. Pin in place and then sew across the matched edges. Press the seam allowance open.
e. Repeat steps 2a to 2d with crown lining.

f. With outer crown turned right side out and lining crown with seams to outside still, place the outer crown over the lining crown. Match the centre top of each crown (stick a pin through to find the centre of each) and panel seams. Pin carefully in place. You want to be really careful with this step, as you're about to sew the lining and outer together and you want your seams to be as neat on the inside as on the outside (although if I tell the truth I didn't quite manage to do this myself!).

g. Topstitch down each side of the six panel seams, starting at the cut edge and going up and over the crown. This joins your lining and outer crown pieces together and gives a nice finished look.

STEP 3: MAKE AND ATTACH THE BRIM

a. Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the outer fabric. (When attaching iron-on interfacing, it's best to press and hold the iron on the fabric rather than running the iron over it.) When I made Thomas's hat I used interfacing on both the outer and lining of the brim, so that's what you'll see in the photos. This was probably overkill though, so for these instructions I recommend only attaching it to the outer brim.

b. With right sides together, pin and sew the two short edges of the outer fabric to create a circle when open. Press seam allowances open.

c. Repeat step 3b with lining of brim.

d. Now you want to attach the outer and lining brim pieces to the crown. To do this, turn your crown piece upside down, right side out. Place the top edge of the outer brim right sides together with the crown (i.e. so the outer brim is on the outside of the crown), and match the side seams of the brim with opposite panel seams. Then do the same with the lining brim, placing it inside the crown, right sides together with the crown lining. Again, match the side seams. Then, ease the brim around the crown and pin in place. Hopefully your brim and crown should be the same size and it should match up easily. If not, you might want to tweak your brim size by adjusting the seam allowance so that it does. (I haven't allowed for this in the fabric, etc, but if you wanted to add a strap so that your wee one keeps their hat on this is the time to do it - insert it so that it attaches at the brim side seams.)

e. Sew right around the pinned seam.

f. Trim the seam allowance to 1/2cm and cut into it every 2-3cm all the way around, being careful not to clip your stitching. This will just help the curved seam sit flat.

g. Turn the brim right sides out and press along the stitched edge, pulling the brim taut.

Almost there .... you just need to finish the brim and you're done ....

h. Pin and press the seam allowance of the remaining open brim edges in and under towards each other. Topstitch together to close.

h. Finally, topstitch along the top edge of the brim close to where it joins the crown to give your hat that finished, professional look.

j. You're done! Congratulations! I hope your little one keeps their hat on longer than Thomas does ...

Mary Poppins Overnighter

2009-08-31T20:08:00.000+12:00

My Aunty recently had a triple bypass and after her surgery my parents went up to visit her and help her out during her recovery. As a wee present for Mum I thought I'd make her an overnight bag so that she had some lovely hand luggage to take with her on the plane. I'd seen a pattern for a Mary Poppins Overnighter in a book from the library which I had been wanting to try out for a while, so I set to...

First, I chose the fabric. I wanted something luxurious looking, so I decided on a gorgeous fabric by Tania Wheelan called Picnic Damask (available on fabrication.co.nz, just click here), and inkeeping with the luxurious theme I chose a regal looking blue for the inside. The pattern called for plastic tubing to go inside the handles so I took a trip down memory lane and found myself at Para Rubber buying a metre of see-through hose. (My parents owned a Para store when I was a teenager, and I worked in it every weekend - that smell is something you can never forget. Oh, the number of times I cut plastic hose or counted it out during a stock-take!). Finally, all that was left to do was make up the bag.

As always, I completely underestimated how long it would take me. Not only did it take me a while to get my head around the pattern (I'm not sure about you, but I always find reading a new pattern and figuring out exactly what they mean to be a bit of a challenge!), but I'm also somewhat of a perfectionist so I tend to spend a lot of time unpicking slightly imperfect stitching. Needless to say making this bag was no different. But, I got there in the end (I think it took me three evenings to make rather than the one I had thought it would) and I hope you'll agree that the finished product was worth the effort.

Much to my delight, Mum has decided to use the bag more as a handbag than as hand luggage - she never seems to be without these days. But, after talking with her the other day about what works and what doesn't with the bag, we decided that it could do with a couple of minor modifications:

It needs a pocket or two. While the bag is surprisingly tardis-like (it definitely holds everything you need for a night or two away, including toiletries and a spare pair of shoes), it could do with some pockets so that you can have those all important items like your phone, plane tickets or magazine at the ready.
It needs a longer zip. The pattern only required a 35cm zip, but it could really do with being at least another 10cm longer so that it's easier to get into.

Do that, and it would be a near-perfect accessory for any girls' weekend.

New fabrics just in time for spring ...

2009-08-26T19:34:00.000+12:00

Finally, my long awaited order has arrived, and fabrication.co.nz has some gorgeous new stock (or at least it will have once it goes up - you blog followers get to see it a day or two early!).

There's nothing like the excitement of opening a new box full of fabrics - I'm like a kid at Christmas, and it reinforces how much I love doing this. My imagination kicks into overdrive and I'm dreaming of all the great things I could whip up on my sewing machine. I think Thomas might get something fun this time - one of the fabrics just in is a gorgeous green on green kids print with elephants and bears and crocodiles on it (it's the bottom fabric in the picture below). I'm not sure what I'll make him out of it yet, but it's just so nice to have something for wee boys. They definitely miss out most of the time!

I've gone for a wide range of colours with this order. Lots of beautiful, bright, happy, spring time colours, as well as some deep reds and warmer tones in the fabrics from Joel Dewberry. The Joel Dewberry fabrics (see pic 2 below) would make stunning luggage, or be gorgeous as big cushions. The fabrics are a very structured look for the most part, so would suit something that shows them off.

Well, enough talk. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Happy shopping!

Annie x

The very first post ...

2009-08-16T20:54:00.000+12:00

Hi, and welcome to the fabrication.co.nz blog!

Here you'll find regular updates on what's happening in the world of fabrication.co.nz, like new stock just in, or stock arriving soon, current projects, and maybe even a few how-to lessons.

But, for this first blog I thought I'd tell you a bit about myself, and how fabrication.co.nz came about. So, here's a run down on me...

My name is Annie and I'm 30 years old and I'm married to Greg (32, a geologist and a wonderful husband and dad) and we have one son, Thomas who's 14 months old. We all live in a little 2 bedroom house in Christchurch that needs a lot of work but comes with lots of potential and a huge section, just perfect for little boys to run around in and to grow lots of veges.

After growing up in Ashburton and then going on to Otago Uni to study English and Economics, Greg and I moved to Wellington where I worked for the Treasury as a policy analyst for about 4 years. It was a great job and Wellington was such a fun place to live in our 20s, but when we decided it was time to think about a family we couldn't resist the temptation to move back to the South Island to be closer to our families and enjoy the slower pace of life down here. So far it has been a great decision.

Since having Thomas life has changed a bit. For a start, I'm a mum now and that really has changed the way I view the world. The smaller things mean more, and for me I discovered that I have a strong (but previously largely repressed) creative side that needs indulging. I've always been more of a numbers girl (I still work 3 days a week at Deloitte in their Corporate Finance team) but the more creative things I worked on the more I realised I needed to keep on creating. So, I decided that I needed a way to balance these two sides of me. And, when I was constantly struggling to find the kind of fabrics that I wanted to indulge my love of sewing the way to create that balance, fabrication.co.nz, was born. Now I get to work with gorgeous fabrics all day, plus I have the admin side of running a business to keep my brain busy. So far, it's been perfect (although it does mean a lot of late nights!).

I decided on the name fabrication for my business for a couple of reasons, but mainly because I love the way it incorporates the word fabric with the act of creating something out of that fabric. For me, one of the most exciting parts of buying a new piece of fabric is dreaming of all the hundreds of uses that it could be put to (but if you're like me, finding the time to actually turn the material into something is the hard bit, and so you end up with a box or a room or a house full of fabric, of possibility really). It's this idea that I wanted to capture with the name of my business, and I hope I've done that.

Well, there's lots more I could tell you, but this will have to do for now. Thanks for reading my first blog - I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me and that you'll visit again in the future.