Sock Owl Workshop
May 21, 2012
Sew It Together is just around the corner…hooray! SIT is a meet up of craft bloggers that happens every year. It’s an explosion of fabric, yarn, gossip, goodies and swaps that I wouldn’t miss for the world.
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This year it’s in Canberra on the 9th of June and I’m hosting a sock owl workshop there. I love a stitch-along and the owls can all be done by hand so they’re the perfect group activity.
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If you’re coming along to SIT I’d love you to join us! It’s a two hour workshop and includes all the materials, instructions and a copy of the pattern to take home too. More details and sign-up available in the Craft Schmaft store.
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Aside from that I just can’t wait to catch up with everyone – it can be a little isolating running a solo business but I have to say markets and meet-ups like SIT keep me sane. Are you coming along?
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P.S.I have to write a little disclaimer – I’m flying in from my sisters wedding in Bali the night before, if I’m looking a little spray tanned for a Canberra winter please don’t think I’m a freak!
Air balloon mobile pattern now in the store
April 1, 2012
After much stitching, deliberation, sewing, photographing, testing and zooszzshing (technical term) the Hot Air Ballon plush sewing pattern is done and up for sale in the Craft Schmaft store.
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This has been such a team effort and I don’t mean a team of people standing around me I mean you. Yep, this pattern is the product of inspiration from all you bloggers, testing by wonderful blog and facebook followers (Marina, Susan, Cass, Jessica, Catherine, Leah, Christine, Kyra, Emily, Bianca, Leonie and Jane), cover advice by facebook fans and encouragement from just about everywhere. You all truly do rock. Thank you so much.
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The PDF pattern is in the store and the printed version will be making it’s debut at Finders Keepers melbourne.
Up, up and away…
Olive’s balloon mobile
March 10, 2012
I went to Canberra Friday night to see my beautiful niece and deliver her very own hot air balloon mobile. I may have gotten over excited to be travelling without children and overdone it slightly on the red wine on the train to Bungendore but THAT is another story.
Lately
March 8, 2012
Oh blog I’m sorry I’ve been so slack. There was the issue of sick kiddies last week and me frantically trying to keep up with balloons and bunnies in between taking temperatures, administering antibiotics and settling arguments between the wiggles or the incredibles DVD. So. Here is a big post on what I’ve been up to lately.
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The balloons
Thank you so much to everyone who offed to test the balloon pattern, I was overwhelmed with the number of people who were keen. The test has ironed out a few wrinkles and all being well the pattern should be ready next week. Hooray! For now I’m making a mobile for my beautiful niece Olive. It’s so nice to make something in pink.
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The bunny
While the boys were sick we made bunnies together – well I did the making but Oscar did the directing of sock and fabric choices. His name is funny tummy sock bunny and I hope to have a tutorial up for him next week. Sounds like it came together quickly but let me tell you that I have been working on a bunny design for the past three Easters. The first one I designed was so hideous it was nicknamed evil bunny in this here house.
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The fabric
In other great news my spoonflower samples arrived! Hooray for being able to have your own fabric printed. I’m liking the larger size of the pinwheels design, sadly the utilise one which I thought would be a winner just isn’t right in the colour department yet. Bit more work required and hopefully we’ll have a winner.
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And now…
Well it’s a rainy old day in Sydney today and I’m on a mission to get this mobile finished for my road trip to Canberra tomorrow. I’m off to explore the handmade market, anyone else going? I’ll be solo and very up for crafting buddies to have a coffee with after hours of singing to myself in the car.
Like to test the balloon mobile?
February 19, 2012
I’m putting the finishing touches on the pattern for the balloon mobile, hooray! So now comes the moment when I ask if anyone *gulp* would like to test it out? I’ve had some wonderful twitter and facebook volunteers, if you’re interested please email me claire{at}craftschmaft{dot}com.
The balloon mobile
February 17, 2012
There’s been a flurry of sewing, stuffing, unpicking, sewing… writing notes, cutting, sewing and finally hanging the balloons together. It’s probably taken longer with all the instagram snapping I’ve been doing (sorry if I’ve flooded your news feed with pics) but I really enjoyed looking back at the progress and steps. Turns out my study turquoise wall comes in handy for photos too, phew… that colour was quite a gamble.
Meet Radcliffe
July 17, 2011
I hinted back in January that I was making a toy for Christmas in July. Ta-dah! Here he is, Radcliffe the Reindeer. He’s a pull-along sock reindeer to be exact and a full tutorial on how to make him is in this month’s Homespun magazine.
My word, doesn’t January seem like a long time ago? We’re in the midst of cold rainy days and huddling under blankets on the couch now. We’ve almost unpacked the last box from the big house move and I’m looking forward to more crafting time soon. Looking back at this lovey Mr Reindeer makes me want to get stitching all over again.
The mushroom pincushion
July 17, 2010
Hello? Sorry, I am here. It’s just that we’ve all been sick. Typical winter stuff. I should have seen it coming really. A big order to get out, a million things to do, of course the mumchkin would come down with something!
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I have managed to sneak some crafting in though. I entered a flickr scrappy pin cushion swap. Nothing like a deadline to get you going! I wanted to see if I could make a pincushion out of socks and fabric. Yes, I can tell that you’re surprised by the used of socks. I had attempted a rough sock mushroom back in January so I knew that I could get the shape but I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Lots of sketching and doodling followed..
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The first attempt kept toppling over because there wasn’t enough weight in the bottom. So I added little plastic pellets used for teddy bears to the stalk of the mushroom so it would stand up. Those things are little buggers to get in but I got there in the end.
Then I decided to add some buttons on top so it wouldn’t look quite so bare. I’m not entirely convinced about the buttons – what do you think? I mean really the pins in the top could be the little spots if you used pearl ones.
Oscar sleeping for 15 mins gave me the chance to play in the garden with my camera. Note to self that I should probably stop crawling around on the grass at 8 months pregnant.
Lots more pin cushions to be seen over at Flickr..
Sausage Roller Pattern now available
May 14, 2010
I have to confess that this softie is one of my favourites. I shouldn’t play favourites, I know, but I’m just so excited that the Sausage Roller design works – you really can pull him along. I did completely embarrass myself at stitches and craft by taking the dog for a walk in the afternoons but aside from that the pattern was a big hit at the show.
So now it’s up online available for purchase as a PDF pattern. The instructions cover how to make the pup, assemble the wheels and put the whole thing together. Just in case wheels aren’t your thing I’ve included instructions for sewing sock legs on as an alternative. Kits to go in the store over the weekend too. Phew!
It’s a boy!
April 7, 2010
The envelope has been opened and it’s a boy! Oscar is going to have a little brother come August and I have some nursery planning to do. I’m almost finished this blue owl mobile (available as kits) with robots on it which I love but I’m feeling like I need a whole new theme for this bubba. Aeroplanes and fluffy clouds are high on the list at the moment but I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make a plane out of socks… hmmm…
Hello. My name is Claire. I have a sock toy addiction. It began two years ago when I was pregnant and nesting. At first I dismissed it. I hadn't sewn in years. "Craft Schmaft" I said. Well it seems this crafty thing is here to stay. This blog brings you the delights of making sock softies, fabric finds and crafty inspiration from round the interweb.
