Friday, July 30, 2010

Courtesy of KID independent

Cloth Nappies http://kidindependent.com/category/so-crafty/Modern Cloth Nappies

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making your own Modern Cloth Nappies {but thought it was too tricky to attempt} then this post is for you! According to Jodie at Nappies Covered, making a nappy is super easy. If you can sew a relatively straight line you can sew a nappy.

The first place to start is with a MCN pattern {you can get these free from Nappies Covered}. If you opt for a nappy sewing kit, rather than purchasing all your materials separately, you will be sent a printed copy of a nappy pattern ready to use. For those wanting a professional tried and tested pattern you can also purchase patterns by Chloe Toes.

The second step is knowing which fabrics to choose. This can be a touch daunting when you’re first starting out, so here is a guide to point you in the right direction. If you’d like to read more about Modern Cloth Nappies {including the who, what, where and why} along with a glossary of common terms, please click here.

Modern Cloth Nappies - Fabrics and Accessories

Up next, choosing your materials…

Absorbent Fabric / Absorbent Layer
Bamboo Fabric {made from 15% organic cotton and 85% bamboo} is a beautiful, naturally soft fabric which is highly absorbent, antibacterial and antifungal. Bamboo is used to make the absorbent part of your nappy which is generally called the ‘booster’, ‘soaker’ or ‘pad’.

Waterproof Fabric / Nappy Outer
PUL fabric is used as the outer part of the nappy. The term PUL refers to the waterproof laminate that is applied to the fabric {however, in general, people refer to the whole piece of fabric PUL}. As the outside of the nappy is the part that you see the most, there are a huge range of prints and plains available so that you can make your nappies look stylish and fun.

Inner Nappy Fabric
Microfleece, minky and suedecloth are polyester fabrics that are human-made. These fabrics are made from recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthanlate). These fabrics are known as ‘wicking’ fabrics, as they will not absorb moisture, but will wick the liquid through to the absorbent layer below.

Modern Cloth Nappies PUL Fabric

Notions
Notions are the wonderful bits that allow you to fasten your nappies. Hook and Loop Fasteners (Velcro™) are a sew on method, whereas Snap Pliers allow you to professionally apply Kam Snaps.

….and that’s it! Now all you need is a sewing machine and a positive attitude! Creating a designer wardrobe of nappies is easy, enjoyable and not to mention addictive! The best part is choosing the outer fabrics. There are so many combinations possible; pastels, brights, retro, funky, playful and more! Why not give it a try?


Wednesday, July 28, 2010


I am trying to think of a design for a new tattoo. I love the idea of something to do with peacocks and their beautiful colours, their so graceful. A feather perhaps. It's very rare I see any tattoos I like but here are a few, then i'll draw up my own design. I did that with a little dragon I had on my shoulder that i got when I was 16, I designed a shell and although I wouldv'e liked more detail I'm happy with it.




Spur Design! Spur is a multi media graphic design studio which has also launched a great little shop with original prints and art from Joyce Hesselberth, David Plunkert and their studio.

Sponsor spotlight :: spur design

Sponsor spotlight :: spur design

Kup Kup

New bird collages by kup kup land... I would love to have a go at one of these but wow there's a lot of work there.



Made a few things today, the green skirt is the same as Stevie's grey one. I love them, they're just sweet and casual.
My wild tribe logo on the back pocket.
Another smock, the first of my reversible.
Back button
Stevie modelling in front of her wall. It makes a great back drop.

A beautiful afternoon at Somers beach, it's magic there. Tried a spot of fishing but no luck, just had a really nice time.

Stevie's gorgeous smile

This was taken by Stevie, pretty talented for a 4 year old. Even adding a cute little blur in top corner from her finger.
I had just finished making this hoodie for Loch. A great test to see if I made it well is to wear it to the beach and it survived!! It was the first attempt so I was pretty happy with it. It's got a big pocket in the front so he can always take a favourite car or certain puppy with him.

Inspiring kids rooms.

just an idea...

Stairslide
this is such a clever idea ... building a slide next to the stairs ... i found the image via this nice blog, the seventy tree, and just had to post it immediately and have no idea who's house this is, but I hope you like it as much as I do!


Mollysroom

Artisticlivingspaces_circus

..Kate Dixon blog..boys circus theme.. Bed looks great.
..artistic living spaces..

BEN&TATJANA8276-lr


Retrovilla_mette

Retro Villa via Bloesem, Please click here to read a bit more about Mette Helena Rasmussen is the founder of Retro Villa and she also works as a freelance interior stylist.


Some inspiring kids rooms



Just an outfit I made for my girlfriend Jamie, her little girl turned one. I got the pattern from 'Carefree Clothes for Girls'. She ordered it at the bookshop so I would make that for her and it's been the best book. I'm making lots of little apron tops and pants but i've changed them a bit and am making them reversible. There really sweet, i'm trying to get lots done while Mike's home because he's usually away at work so gotta make the most of it.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Red elephant

Elephant1Great idea to spunk up a chest of drawers. Found at Bloesem.


A special day at the beach. Some days are just so peaceful and I could just sit and stare for hours watching my little family. And it's so nice to have Mike home!
Just found the most amazing woman and husband together with their beautiful children. Truly an incredible story of strength and support and brings tears to my eyes. Niedialques

It's the astounding story and life of Nie ... Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson, who a little over one year ago returned from an almost fatal plane crash ...

Nienie

Stephanie, a mum of four and wife to Mr. Nielson writes her journal with so much love. It's an inspiration to see the beauty in their life that they treasure so dearly and I could never imagine what they have gone through and we keep our prayers going for you to continue this road to recovery. It puts life in perspective.

..Nie Dialoques..

Ann Wood paper mache boat pattern

paper mache boat pattern

And instructions. Epic instructions. They just go on and on.

boatsgroup

What you will need:
download pattern here
large cereal box
scissors
scotch tape
ruler
exacto knife
newspaper- 2 colors
wall paper paste
paint brushes
paint
skewers. dowels or twigs
string
heavy duty thread
needles – various sizes
fabric
buttons
glue

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(click thumbnails for larger images)

Download the pattern here and cut it out on the dotted line – the solid lines are for scoring - there are little triangles on one end – you can fold those back to trace the line onto your cardboard and poke your pencil through the tip of the V on the pattern to mark your cardboard.

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Use a ruler to draw the lines as shown on the pattern. I’ve highlighted the lines to score in red. Use the BACK of your exacto knife to score the lines in red and then gently bend the boat into shape……

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Bring the edges together and secure with lots of scotch tape – they shouldn’t overlap but just meet and last tape the front tips together.

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Trim any excess so the back edge is smooth and now you should have a little boat shape. Cut a strip of cardboard that’s about 1 ” by 3″.

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Bend that strip into a little triangle shape that fits inside your boat and tape it in , just a little closer to the front (bow ) than the back (stern), this will hold your mast. You’re ready to paper mache – I recommend 2 layers using different papers – so you can see when a layer is complete. You don’t have to let the boat dry between layers but I like to. I start with the inside of the boat closing up the little triangle space – you don’t have to fill it – just close it up.

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Notes on paper mache – I find it easiest to do the edges first and the smaller the pieces of paper the smoother and stronger the finished result. I use golden harvest wheat paste. Add your second layer of paper, let it dry completely then paint it. I used a mixture of latex and water color.

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Now you’re ready for the mast and yard ( part that attaches to the sail) . There are a number of things you can use – dowels , skewers, twigs – today I’m using a bamboo skewer for the mast and an 1/8 inch dowel for the yard. I have painted both. Poke a little hole with your exacto knife and insert your mast ( insert the pointy end of the skewer), secure it with glue and trim the top to the desired length – this will depend on the size of your boat ( if you have made the pattern larger or smaller) – my mast is 9 inches tall and my yard is 12 inches long. Use your exacto knife to cut a little notch in your mast about an inch and 1/2 from the top.

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The notch will help the button you’re going to tie on stay in place. Tie the button as tightly as you can with your string and secure with a dab of glue. Place the boat on a large piece of paper and lay the yard in place – we’re going to make the pattern for the sail. Hold the yard in place but slide the boat out and draw a triangle shape for your sail.

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I like to make a note on the pattern to remind me which side the mast goes on. Cut out your sail. embellish as desired and use a heavy duty thread to sew it to the yard.

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Poke holes in the boat for attaching buttons for the rigging. This is a pain in the ass and you need to use something very sharp, I used a really big embroidery needle. You can use as many buttons as you like. I like to have lots of rigging options so I used 4. Once the buttons are on lay the sail on the mast and find the best spot to attach.

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Add a length of about 4 inches to the sail where you would like it to attach to the mast and just wind the string around the button on the mast. Attach several inches of string to the bottom corners of the sail and wind those around the buttons on the boat. Tie a loop of string the the mast for hanging, secure it with glue and tie an extra piece of string around to make sure it stays there.

papermacheboat8

That’s it!

Love these, I would love to make lots and lots of these and hang them in groups all around the house. This was from http://www.annwoodhandmade.com/ and there are lots of craft projects to try out so go have a look and give them a go.