For all of you who love Global Fabrics it's being re-named The Fabric Store. I wish they would come back to Christchurch soon.
I can remember when they first opened down here. It was so full of interesting fabric finds. I was on there doorstep quite often. In fact it was a bit of a obsession and I did my best garment sewing back then....
They have a Australian stores now too, so lucky for all you Australian sewers...I'm patiently waiting...
Making Homemade Clay
While the image was passable for the medal...When I painted on the gold paint the back cracked. Maybe it wasn't dry enough...
The Sunshine Medal
This is the 'sunshine medal' it's for a little boy who never gets first or anywhere in the running races at school...In fact he hates them so much that he never wants to participate. When he does he gets angry at himself because he is never a winner...No amount of explaining or discussion about how he is very good at other things works...He still hates the whole thing.
To make him feel more positive about school sports events I decided that we would celebrate the fact that he has participated in the running races. If he did this in a positive manner he would attend an awards ceremony when he got home (he so wanted to attend). There he would be given a special sunshine medal, an award for children who ran races with happy smiles on their faces at school sports events (I made that up).
Firstly I made him a medal certificate and laminated it. I used Custom Medal Maker to make a medal certificate like this to go with his medal.
Things you need:
1 plastic buckle
1 metre or less of ribbon
1 curtain ring
Jovi modelling clay
1 hacksaw blade
A glue gun
Acrylic gold paint
Acrylic black paint
2 Paint brushes
Water based varnish
Cookie stamp
Sewing machine
Rolling pin
Glass for cutting circle
Handy towels
To make him feel more positive about school sports events I decided that we would celebrate the fact that he has participated in the running races. If he did this in a positive manner he would attend an awards ceremony when he got home (he so wanted to attend). There he would be given a special sunshine medal, an award for children who ran races with happy smiles on their faces at school sports events (I made that up).
Firstly I made him a medal certificate and laminated it. I used Custom Medal Maker to make a medal certificate like this to go with his medal.
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| This is an example I worded it differently, using the child's name etc. |
Things you need:
1 plastic buckle
1 metre or less of ribbon
1 curtain ring
Jovi modelling clay
1 hacksaw blade
A glue gun
Acrylic gold paint
Acrylic black paint
2 Paint brushes
Water based varnish
Cookie stamp
Sewing machine
Rolling pin
Glass for cutting circle
Handy towels
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| To start with you need a belt buckle and some ribbon... |
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| Using only the blade of the hacksaw, saw the bar at each then remove it |
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| Now it's ready for inserting and gluing the clay medal onto it. I set the clay medal from underneath the buckle, not on top it was tidier that way |
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| I used an old clay cookie stamp to press into the clay to make the sunshine impression |
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| I found store bought clay was the best for neatness of shape. Though I did try making my own clay but it didn't retain the sunshine print as well... |
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| Roll the clay out to the thickness needed. Then cut out a circle shape with a glass. Next press the cookie stamp firmly onto clay circle... |
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| I tried out the stamp a few times until I got the perfect sunshine impression |
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| Dry the clay shapes. I used the oven I didn't have time to wait... |
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| Paint the hardened clay gold and then varnish when dry... |
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| When varnish is dry paint the clay medal black using a dry brush |
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| Next wipe off the excess black paint off with a handy towel or cloth. Buff then re-varnish |
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| Clay medal glued onto the buckle surround using the glue gun... |
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| A vintage brass curtain ring to glue onto the back to attach the strap to... |
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| Curtain ring glued on |
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| Now cut your ribbon to length. Sew the ribbon using a straight stitch and a zipper foot so you can stitch close to the ring |
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| The sunshine medal finished |
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| The 'sunshine medal' ceremony |
My Elna 745
My Elna overlocker has been living in the garage because it's not running well...I need to get it fixed, but there are only two Elna service agents in Christchurch. One wants you to pay $50.00 up front before they will look at the machine, the other is further away and I've never been there.
I hate the thought of paying $50.00 up front, it sort of annoys me so I haven't taken it in to be fixed yet...plus it's $130.00 for a service there. Which is a rather expensive exercise seeing my other overlocker goes elsewhere for $75.00.
Anyway I brought the Elna 745 inside and played around with it and managed to get the rolled hem going...I was so pleased, now all I have to do now is get the narrow hem working as I need to hem some fairy dresses. I wish I'd married a sewing machine mechanic (just joking).
The service can still wait a bit longer, but perhaps not too long because they might put their prices up...
I hate the thought of paying $50.00 up front, it sort of annoys me so I haven't taken it in to be fixed yet...plus it's $130.00 for a service there. Which is a rather expensive exercise seeing my other overlocker goes elsewhere for $75.00.
Anyway I brought the Elna 745 inside and played around with it and managed to get the rolled hem going...I was so pleased, now all I have to do now is get the narrow hem working as I need to hem some fairy dresses. I wish I'd married a sewing machine mechanic (just joking).
The service can still wait a bit longer, but perhaps not too long because they might put their prices up...
A Cat's Life
Actually he's modelled himself on the dog, he is like a small puppy! Maybe he should have his own cat house...
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| The dolls house demise... |
The Dolls House Bedroom
Here is the wee over pink bedroom...I papered all the walls because you could see all the screws. It was a cute wee room while it lasted (all the paper fell off). I might be able to selvage and re-use some of the paper...Anyway I'm now thinking of using the other dolls house. At least I can stick things to the surface and paint it if I want. Ahh the dolls house project continues!
The Dolls House Project
I've been working on a dolls house so I have used stuff I've had lying around the house. I didn't want to spend too much money on the decorating so I used up scrap book papers for wallpaper. Then I used up tester pots of paint for the furniture.
All my dolls house decorating went very well until it was played with. Some of the wallpaper started to peel, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed which I was going to do that day. In the mean time I managed to get bitten by something nasty so I have been out of action for the past week.
Today I thought I would glue the paper back down and put away the dolls house to only find the CAT has destroyed it...He's taken the curtains down, pictures have fallen off and ripped the wallpaper. Actually all the wallpaper is falling off...
Unfortunately all my hard work has not worked out because the paper on the walls all came off much too easily. My problem is that the surface of the shelves are a laminate, so nothing sticks too it...I sort of knew that the wallpaper would fall down because I needed to sand the surface. But if I do that it will ruin the surface for later use as a shelf.
I'll pop up some pics in the next post of how the bedroom did look...I'm still deciding what to do...I have another old dolls house in the garage...Maybe I'll do that one up and give the girls this one to take home to use.
All my dolls house decorating went very well until it was played with. Some of the wallpaper started to peel, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed which I was going to do that day. In the mean time I managed to get bitten by something nasty so I have been out of action for the past week.
Today I thought I would glue the paper back down and put away the dolls house to only find the CAT has destroyed it...He's taken the curtains down, pictures have fallen off and ripped the wallpaper. Actually all the wallpaper is falling off...
Unfortunately all my hard work has not worked out because the paper on the walls all came off much too easily. My problem is that the surface of the shelves are a laminate, so nothing sticks too it...I sort of knew that the wallpaper would fall down because I needed to sand the surface. But if I do that it will ruin the surface for later use as a shelf.
I'll pop up some pics in the next post of how the bedroom did look...I'm still deciding what to do...I have another old dolls house in the garage...Maybe I'll do that one up and give the girls this one to take home to use.
Dolls House Art
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| Easy art for the dolls house with a little help from my friend |
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| Gluing the foam board with Modge Podge |
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| Covering the glued board with fabric |
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| Putting the picture it under something heavy to keep it flat and smooth |
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| 'Cat Fabric' don't they love playing in whatever your making.... |
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| Paste a square of card to the back...This hides the fabric ends. Now it's all ready to hang in the dolls house! |
Celebrations
I'm nearly a year older, not a milestone one though! So I opened that bottle of 'Raspberry Vodka' I made from the fridge...I tried two small glasses just to see what it was like...It tastes as it should and warms your chest nicely (just like cough medicine). I enjoy the process of making it more than drinking it...I think it's a cultural thing it keeps me close to my roots...
My son thought it was rather potent and enjoyed his four glasses very much (I don't think it's that potent)...Now it's back in the fridge waiting for other celebrations.
The girls came wearing their Geranium dresses and enjoyed themselves in the garden. The older one helped her Aunty put kiwi fruit and mandarins on the pavlova...
My son thought it was rather potent and enjoyed his four glasses very much (I don't think it's that potent)...Now it's back in the fridge waiting for other celebrations.
The girls came wearing their Geranium dresses and enjoyed themselves in the garden. The older one helped her Aunty put kiwi fruit and mandarins on the pavlova...
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| It's such a lovely red colour against the blue sky... |
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| The rocking horse is being looked after by the 'Doctor'... |
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