Reflections…

Hmm… I don’t post a lot about me and I kind of like being a little bit elusive but this is my blog so tonight it’s a little more of a personal one – just thoughts and reflections… (have you noticed how much I like to abuse the use of … suspension points?☺)

It’s about a year now since I left the workforce and a career to stay at home with my girls and be a SAHM… trading briefs, court appearances and researching case law for changing nappies (diapers), playgroup sessions and googling the effects of all sorts of supposedly non-edible household substances (yep, my youngest does love to eat EVERYTHING… mascara, bonjella, coins… I don’t think I’m a bad mum surely some of you out there have a little one who even under supervision seems to find, hide then eat whatever they can get their cheeky little hands on – I do feed her you know!)

It was a little daunting at first leaving the security of an income and job that I’d been doing for close to ten years .

There are many days that it feels like a lifetime away … almost the life of a different person. But then again I guess I am a different person now…

I once received a state commendation for successfully negotiating an armed hostage/siege situation… now I negotiate toy equity and lolly aisle tantrums whilst sometimes feeling like I am being held to ransom!

I used to go to work and argue bail oppositions and make sentencing submissions… now I direct and govern the ‘naughty spot’ and make attempts to explain behaviour and consequence to a 3 year old (my little one [almost two] year old is just being introduced to the ‘spot’)…

We have some pretty crazy, crazy days… I don’t know how I fit work in before? Sometimes I look around and it feels like I haven’t made a dent in the laundry pile, the kitchen dishes and there seems to be a mocking kind of layer of dust about… kind of overwhelming at times…

But in amongst all that I have two beautiful, exuberant, fun-loving and healthy young girls who can bring a smile, not only to my mouth and eyes but to my heart and soul with the littlest of innocent gestures… they allow me to share their day giving me a first hand peek into life through the eyes of a child… to listen to the pure joy and innocence of made up songs in a language unknown to adults but understood by children…

For all the hard days, the days where I feel like I’m being sent crazy (for the bazillionth time) and the days where everything seems to be a little much… it’s nice to just reflect, realise and acknowledge how lucky I am and how a simple smile, cuddle or “I love you” from the two most precious little people in my world is worth more than a lifetime of the worst days… I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Cheers

And the winner is…

First things first… THANK YOU to everyone that reads my blog, is a follower – both old and new – and to everyone that entered.

We managed to reach 311 followers (51 new followers during the giveaway promotion) WOO HOO… that meant there were an additional 5 prizes added to the winners booty!

With 45 entries and random.org the winner is…………..

Comment number 27 was Lesli from Put a Little Umbrella in Your Drink!

Congratulations… This is what you’ve won (see photo at top of post too):

1x One of a kind Ribbon & Chain Necklace

1x Baby/Toddler Denim & Lace headband

1x Singed Ribbon Brooch

5 1/2 yards of double fold Michael Miller ‘Kaleidoscope’ bias

1 length of fabric bunting in your colour theme choice (no picture available yet – will be custom made)

1 canvas to co ordinate with bunting (no picture available yet – will be custom made)

So, Lesli drop me an email with a suggestion of colour and/or theme you’d like your bunting in together with your mailing address! I hope you ♥LOVE♥ your prizes!

Thanks again to everyone that entered and all my followers – you all are truly the reason that I love blogging and am inspired to continually do and share projects and little tid bits of life…

I hope you all continue to follow along, stop by from time to time, leave me a comment here and there and if you ever have a question or anything don’t hesitate to ask…

Cheers

Continually Biased… and a giveaway update

Okay, I hope you’ve checked out my progressive follower giveaway… it’s open until the 12th April and I’ve just finished making the ribbon flower brooch to add to the winner’s prize for reaching 280 followers.

Here it is:



I made this using the technique I detailed in this tutorial but I used a grosgrain ribbon and added a sheer organza ribbon petal behind the grosgrain ribbon petals then mounted the finished flower onto a felt disc and a brooch pin. I love red and blue together and love how this flower turned out… and some lucky person will be taking away this brooch together with the Ribbon and Chain Necklace, a baby/toddler Denim & Lace Flower headband and because I’ve also reached another 10 followers there is another prize I’m adding at the end of this post!

Now onto this post…

Well, I am a little biased… over bias that is! I love making unique bias tape to co-ordinate with other fabrics and a few weeks ago now that led me to my newest ‘toy’… The Simplicity Bias Tape Maker…





I first heard about this machine on another blog whilst I was idly hopping about and filling some time a couple of months ago – unfortunately I cannot recall the actual blog but am ever so thankful to them for introducing another gadget to my  must have wish list.


So, finally I now have one! Woo Hoo… and now I’ll show you all how I make my continuous bias using this machine (continuous bias tutorials have been done on many sites before and I certainly didn’t come up with this method of continuous bias but it is my most favourite way to make oodles and oodles of bias without much wastage of fabric and I thought I’d share it with you today and also show off the machine).



I used a rectangle of this fabulous Michael Miller ‘Kaleidoscope Stripe’ fabric approximately 15” x 22”.

Always, wash and press your fabric beforehand.

Cut across the length of the rectangle on a 45degree angle as shown below:



Take the piece on the left hand side and place it on the right hand side as pictured:



Turn the right hand side over as if flipping a book page so that the right sides of the fabric are facing like shown:




Using a shorter stitch length (I used 1.5) sew a seam as indicated by the red line in the above picture from one asterisk to the other.



Press the seam open.



Mark diagonal lines with disappearing fabric pen as shown above with the dashed lines. The width of the lines will be dependant on the final width you want your tape to be. My single fold bias tape will be 1” wide so I marked along the top and bottom edges every 2  3/4 inches, then joined the corresponding top and bottom marks.



Now, fold the fabric over like shown below so that the lines you’ve marked sit one over leaving a row at the start and finish not joining up to another row.



With right sides together sew along the edges you’ve just lined up. When I line them up I match them up just slightly off the lines so that the lines actually cross over each other at the point where the stitches will be. This will create a tube shape.



Press the seam open and now you’re ready to start cutting the continuous strip…

...and yes these scissors are in desparate need of a clean - and a sharpen for that matter!

And cutting… and cutting…



I did see a blog where they used a rotary cutter to cut the strips but I don’t think I’m quite that co-ordinated and I would just end up cutting through other layers – it really doesn’t take that long to cut once you get going!

Now, the fun part… the bias tape machine!



So simple to use… it has a heat setting much like an iron, simply turn it on and begin getting ready whilst the plates heat up.



Wind your continuous strip onto the provided spool…



Place the spool onto the holder, over the guide arm and feed the end through the bias tip. All different size tips can be bought for the machine… I tend to use the 1” and 1/2” tips the most.



The heat plate easily locks and unlocks and has an auto roller to the left of it to feed and pull the fabric from the tip, across the plate and out the other side.



Take the fabric from the tip across the heat plates, far enough over to have the roller ‘grip’ the strip. Once the green light is lit the machine is ready to go…

Hit the ‘run’ button and sit back and admire the machine do all the work for you – whilst not getting your fingers anywhere near an iron steam jet, any risk of burns or fiddling around with manual bias tips etc. This little gem can press 12 feet of bias in 60 seconds… LOVE IT!!!



Now, because I’m a little lazy – and this machine seems to do just as good a job as I would with an iron, I then attach the 1/2” tip, rewind the single fold bias onto the spool…



…and feed it through the top of the tip and let the machine press my single fold into double fold just as quickly!

And the result…



Lots of lovely double fold bias tape – I just love how vertical striped fabric look on the bias… from my original rectangle of fabric this yielded just over 5 1/2 yards of bias tape… and the REALLY good news?



This gorgeous bundle of bias tape has just been added to the winners prize for my follower giveaway! So, if you haven’t entered… why not? You’ve just over a day or so left to enter and the current follower situation is 292 followers… if it reaches 300 before competition end ANOTHER prize will be added! Presently the odds are pretty good with relatively low entries – so head over, check it out, follow along and leave me a comment – I love reading them!

Oh, and for any fellow Australian's wondering where you can get such a machine (I know I asked at all the major retailers... Spotlight, Lincraft etc... and no one knew what I was talking about! I've found you can purchase this fantastic machine and all the different tips, extra spools etc at this fab store - Stitch This  (they do online sales and can post...) tell them The Quick Unpick sent you (for no other reason than it's sometimes nice to know how your customers heard about you!)

Cheers xo

Linking up with the fab party over at:

A tiered ruffle refashion…

I'm not sure if ruffles are still the 'in' thing for us big girls but I know that ruffles NEVER go out of fashion for little girls. They are just so perfect for little princesses who love all things girly (and my little ones are no exception)!


This is my latest refashion... a large "Country Road" branded tiered ruffle top:

It was a $2.00 thrift shop find that really didn't suit me but was perfect for refashioning into a gorgeous ruffled size 3T girls dress... here's a peek at the finished dress:

And now here's how to achieve it with a similar top if you like!

MATERIALS:

1 large tiered ruffle top ($2.00)
contrasting/matching ribbon ($2.00 a roll)
1 dress zipper (.99c)
button for covering
Usual notions - thread scissors etc

(optional headband - band, ribbon and button for covering)


HOW TO:



Big Little Miss M really was TRYING to look happy (it doesn't help that I had the
camera setting wrong and she looks all pasty!)
but trying on the before would have to be her least favourite part
of my refashioning escapades!!!


Determine how much size you will need to take off each side - either by having your little one try it on and then marking/pinning or by using an existing garment in the size you want.

Cut the top - be sure to cut the ruffles separate to the tiers as the tiers should be cut straight whilst the ruffles will be on an outward angle to follow the grain/print. I found it easier to mark my cutting lines with disappearing fabric pen as a guide.

 *I cut the back of the top with an extra 1/2" allowance on the sides to account for the zipper which I was going to put in the back.

Leave the shoulders in tact, flip top inside out and unpick about 1/4" from the side edge of each ruffle and sew each front ruffle to the corresponding back ruffle with right sides together - do not sew the under tiers at this point.

I then cut two lengths of ribbon to create ties for the back waist of the dress. Insert the ribbon between the front and back layers when they are right sides together as shown.


Pin and sew the side seams from armpit to hem catching only the top 1/4" of each ruffle and then pulling it to the inside of the garment. This is so that the ruffles remain free from the side seams except at the very top where they attach to the under tier (hmmm... I hope that makes sense - feel free to email me with any Q's).

I used a 7" dress zipper... I marked the centre back of the garment with disappearing ink to indicate zipper placement.

Cut the opening straight down the centre and then unpicked about 1/4" of top seam to allow me to fold the lining and the outer fabric in and under.

Press and then sandwich the zipper in between the two layers. I then pinned the zipper and used a tacking stitch to hold the zip in place.

To tack, I removed the presser foot and lowered the presser foot arm directly onto the centre of the zip.

I set the stitch to the widest possible zigzag - needs to be wider than the zip teeth to catch the fabric either side -  and reduced the stitch length to the shortest possible and every inch and a half or so tacked down the zipper so that I could remove the pins and use a zipper foot to sew the zip in place.

Use excess tiers and ruffles from one side  - which will have a nice curved upper hem that was originally from the lower portion of the arm cycle to create a ruffled kind of bib front to bring in and reduce the original neck opening (There is a seam running down the centre of this panel however the print and slightly crinkled fabric hides the seam well - if you cannot use the excess fabric because there is not enough or the seam is too obvious you could use a contrasting fabric to make a couple of rows of short ruffles)..

I reduced each under tier on the excess portion by half so that the three new 'bib' type ruffles were closer spaced and used a rolled hem on the ruffle edges.

Pin wrong sides of extra piece one side of the original neckline - again ensuring the ruffle tiers are not sewn with this seam but pulled aside so that they will hang freely and then repeat with the other side.

I then topstiched around the added piece to keep neaten and help hold the seams to the inside.

Then to add a little embellishment and use up some of my ribbon stash (remember the post about all that ribbon - well I did say I'd try and use up some of my 'bargain' ribbon buys) so, a ribbon flower it was!

TO MAKE FLOWER:

Cut approx 13 pieces of ribbon - I cut mine about 1 1/2" long but it depends how big or small a flower you want, same with the amount of petals.

Cut each into a long petal shape.

Use a flame to gently melt and seal all edges of each petal - only enough to melt it as if it's too melted it will crack and break when you bend them.

Fold the base of each petal as shown and thread onto cotton.

After threading all the petals go through the first petal again and pull tightly so all petals are bunched together and tie off in a knot.

Cover a button with an offcut of fabric and push button shank into centre of petals. Fan petals out and sew button to the dress - I also sewed in a circular pattern around the button just catching each petal in the fold to secure it better.

Woo Hoo... Just in time for a victory dance ♪♫♪

I also made a headband with a matching flower and excess fabric....

And after a few more random shots of the girls it was time for some yummy home baked cookies...

I love comments and I'd love to know what you think (oh and I really love new followers... be sure to say hi if you're new and let me now how you found The Quick Unpick). You can find other tutorials under the tutorials tab at the top of the page - I'd love it if you had the time to stick around and have a relax and a read... and why not enter my follower giveaway while you're here!

Cheers and I hope you'll come back soon!



Will be linking (and progressively adding to this list) at these fab linky parties:
Jembellish - A round tuit
I ♥heart♥ naptime
Simple Home Life
Paisly Passions
Tea Rose Home
Sugar and Dots
Its Fun to Craft
Its a Hodgepodge Life
Chic on a Shoestring
Under the Table and Dreaming
Funky Junk Interiors
Sew Chatty
Craftomania
The Girl Creative
Crafts Keep me Sane
Craftaholics Anonymous
Sew Happy Geek