Just found this great idea at loobylu. It's the' Every Day in May Challenge' to “commit to create something every day in the month of May. I love it. I decided to start May a day early. I have been wanting to make this little purse that I found in Cynthia Treen's book 'Last-minute Fabric Gifts' for some time now. Before I show you my first creation in the 'Every Day in May Challenge' let me set the facts straight.

• I hate using the sewing machine so I hand sew everything

• I find sewing zippers rather challenging
  

I'm quite happy with this attempt but can see it needs a little improvement ( it's a bit wonky in places). Perhaps I'll make another one.

Years ago, when I started learning Spanish, I was told if I spent 5 minutes a day reading I would be able to read fluently within a year. I took the challenge and read almost every day. Now I read Spanish novels!

And even if I don't get very far in this challenge, at least I have my purse(s)!

Holiday sewing classes

The results of this weeks sewing classes...


The light pink, dark pink, and the purple fringed bags are the beginners projects. Girls who have been coming longer made "Floyd" - he's the fella in the middle (green or pink) - the picture doesn't show him off so well but I'll put him up in a later post. The bags made of strips of material sewn together were made by the girls who have been coming to classes for longer still.



These girls made Gulla'allah the Koala - Gulla'allah is how my youngest daughter used to pronounce the word 'koala' when she was little - a tutorial for Gulla'allah is being published in an up-coming edition of Mixtapezine.


This group mostly made cushions embroidered with their names. When I started teaching, my classes were after school craft. We did craft, cooking, sewing, a bit of everything. After a while I began giving classes in the school holidays. At first, I did morning classes. Now the kids come for the whole day. And sew and sew. These kids, mostly girls, just love to sew. Now the classes are mostly sewing. And because some of the girls have been coming back year after year I'm always working out new projects that are more challenging.

And this is the latest....



Inspired by the cover and bags in this book...



I love Japanese craft books. I find them very inspiring and am lucky that Kinokuniya have a branch in Sydney with shelves and shelves of these craft books.

Years ago when my kids were little I used to take them to arts and craft classes in the holidays. Usually the classes were pretty disappointing.With a bit of encouragement from a friend I started teaching my own after-school craft classes. That was 17 years ago. I'm still teaching except now I take holiday workshops and focus mainly on sewing.

I have 2 classes next week so I've been busy cutting out and preparing all the materials.I usually have 5 or 6 different projects being made in the same class to cater for different ages and abilities.

When I'm not preparing for classes I'm designing new projects.Some of the girls have been coming to classes for the past 3 or 4 years.

Meet Raul, he comes to sewing classes regularly.



This little fellow is easy to make and popular with the girls. He's usually such a smiley chap but just wasn't in a smiley mood today.

Beginnings

April 14, 2009

Beginnings are always hard or perhaps it's just the unknown. This blog has been turning around in my mind for a long time but not getting anywhere. Too many paths to follow, too many thoughts to hold. The only way to begin was to begin.
This blog is for mums and their kids. Mostly, it's craft and sewing projects for kids. The rest.. well I'm not quite sure.

This pouch is one of the activities I do in my sewing workshops in the school holidays.It's a simple project that can be made with kids from about 6 years of age.What's really fun about this pouch though is what's inside.

It's my version of a traveling O's and X's pouch.Or tic tac toe or whatever other names it's called.
Hope you enjoy my first post(anyone out there?) and I hope to post at least once a week.
If your in the US and have the April edition of Family Fun magazine look at page 24,the marble fun house is my idea!