i recently made these little hoops as a gift for a friend who loves jelly fish.
they were super easy. i used fusible webbing to affix the fabric to that lovely vintage linen, then blanket-stitched around the edges…
… and the legs are backstitched.
they were fun to make, and the basic idea could be used for any number of things. i think i might try some teacups next…
essie xoxox
it occurs to me that i’ve never taken a photo of the full completed scrap quilt that i posted about back in august. that’s because a certain tiny resident of this house has taken ownership of it…
if i get a chance to wrest it from her tiny yet determined clutches, i will take a photo!
essie xxx
sajee and i have a tradition of giving baked or cooked gifts to our friends and extended family at christmas. a couple of years ago we made our own chai blend, last year we went completely over the top and made boxes full of shortbread, chocolate covered puddings, and peppermint bark! this year, wepared it back a little and just chose one thing - the chocolate covered puddings.
every time sajee makes these, people rave about them. they are so moreish and rich, and they’re conveniently bite-sized too…
we like to think of nice, yet inexpensive ways to package our presents, since they need to be distributed far and wide! i really like what we came up with this year. we put a few for each family into reusable plastic containers.
a little creative use of washi tape…
… stamps…
… manila tags, brown paper, and string, resulted in a gifts that themselves looks quite like puddings!
as a consequence of this process i’ve been singing “brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my faaav-o-rite thiiiings” to myself for days.
i really like the simplicity of the tags. they have a handmade look, without taking too much time to put together - we all know how precious time is at this time of year!
essie xoxox
skulls aren’t really part of my usual aesthetic, but i think día de los muertos is a fantastic holiday. i think it’s important for us to honour and remember friends and family that we’ve lost, and if that can be done with sugar skulls, flowers, fireworks and noise, i say that beats black crepe and lilies.
in a recent craftster swap, i was partnered with someone who likes this holiday, so i thought i’d make her an embroidery of a sugar skull…
it was supposed to be a small project, but i got so into it that it ended up being a big one!
it was fun to work with brighter colours than i normally do.
these hoops are now living in california, where i hope they will be very happy.
essie xoxox
my partner’s parents were in town last weekend, and we joined them on a tour of the queen victoria market. there’s nothing like having guests from interstate to get you to make the most of your own city!
i thought i’d take the opportunity to pay special attention to the colours and textures of the market. here’s a little of what i saw…
hungry?
essie xoxox
some quilting and crafting projects require a whole lot of little pieces of different coordinating fabrics. string quilts, scrap quilts, doll clothes - the list goes on. buying heaps and heaps of fat quarters can mean you spend more than you want to, and end up with loads more fabric than you need.
that’s why my amazing scrap packs are a crafty person’s best friend! they’re perfect for adding variety to your scrappier projects, and because they come in coordinating combinations, you can be sure all the bits and pieces inside will be useful!
i’ve put a few up in the shop, along with a whole lot of new fat quarters, fat eighths, and even a couple of fat sixteenths. you’ll find prints by rosalie quinlan, alexander henry, heather ross, echino, and more!
there really are very few things i love more than good fabric…
essie xoxox
i have just GOT to show you all what i received from a wonderful craftster swapper today…
it is a fox scarf! the cruelty free kind! i am going to wear it around and pretend i am constance trentham in gosford park.
brilliant.
essie xoxox
