baby bunting

Emmy is truly a delight to work with. When the day came for her maternity leave (today!) I wanted to give her something at least half as delightful as she is. Behold, baby bunting. Small bunting, for the baby room - or hers to brighten up wherever she wants.

Made from fabric swatches and samples from the local community centre, like this and these. Approx 90% reuse (from commercial excess) and 10% new bias binding. Spontaneous, creative gifts like these are the reason I like to always have some bias binding lying around.

A simple gift. From one home to another.  Congratulations, Emmy!

birthday pouch

On location at Grandma's

handmade zipper pouch

main fabric: 100% reuse of designer fabric swatch

red satin bias binding as seam finishing

Thomas Sabo red dress charm as detail on the zip

Happy birthday Fiii Fiii

blog bookmarks

What is the most rewarding form of discovery?

This weekend bookmarks will be distributed for this blog. Real bookmarks, for a virtual blog. This poses the philosophical question (and creates the social experiment): if you give someone a bookmark, will they do the same to your blog, in return?

They are, after all, made from the finest-Italian-designer-fabric-come-eco-reuse (after being de-stashed from the local community centre). Now doesn't that just push all your culturally elitist and environmentally aware buttons at once?

Where will you find them and what will become of them?

Let's find out.

Update 12th March: First drop. 

rainy afternoon: easy (no sew!) clothes line

reuse fabric scraps

occupy the kids

have a little fun

Click on picture to enlarge

Now peg them to the line and you're done. For kids (and even big kids) there is a learning process in getting the clothes looking right. Have enough scraps to allow for starting over.

The cost of this project is just $3 for the tiny pegs from Riot! Art & Craft (and there are plenty left over for other crafty things). The fabric scraps, twine, *fiskars scissors, pen and paper are all close to hand.  

*check-out the fiskars unzipped tutorial competition on BurdaStyle

a bag a day: the granola hessian bag

100% reuse

a piece of hessian and an oddment

This is the bag for shopping at the organic, biodynamic, whole food stall. And anti-logging protests.  Anywhere where the guys don't wear shoes, the women don't wear bras and dogs have lengths of rope for leads.      

The bag is big. It has a pleat centre top on each side, and a gusset. Which makes it big enough for a whole pumpkin, and then some.


But its curve hugs the waist and hip, so it never looks too bulky.

This strap is the statement piece. Its fraying edges blend with the coarse hessian.

Peace, love and mung beans xo

a bag a day: the vintage handle bag

 

100% reuse. 

That's not to say the material itself isn't new. It is! You know those fabric swatch books in decorator stores? That's what the outside of this bag is made from - two swatches.

And fabric swatch books aren't just for decorator fabrics, either. Fabric wholesalers/importers have them too for ALL types of fabric! That's what the lining is made from. Yep, another swatch.

You will find plenty of individual swatches for sale on etsy. I find mine at the local community centre.

The handles are vintage.  Aren't they great? Keep an eye out for some on an old handbag next time you're in a thrift store. They're easy to work with. You can buy them new in quilting/embroidery stores.