Bondville: Chantal Vincent art, cards and stamps

Bondville: Chantal Vincent art, cards and stamps

Children's Deco.... Something special for the wall

Searching for fun things for Rowan's room 

See my cushion featured in 'Shop4Kids'

At home in Nanna and Poppa's big house

Cookoo inspired heaven!
 

Woodland fawn print in Aqua

I have been slowly creating a room for Rowan in the big house as we have fondly nicknamed Nan and Poppa's house and over the last 6 months I have been rummaging through op shops and auction houses, thumbing through magazines and surfing the net looking for fun things to decorate his room in a style that is quirky and bright that I am hoping he will love.

On a trip to Japan I found these fabulously retro printed fabrics just like little flour sacks, with cute little 50's style pictures.   Cushions covers perfect!   One for Rowan's room!  And a big surprise they were featured in the latest children's style bible Shop4Kids.  These fun, safe and comfy cushions are now available at my online store Rowantree Designs .  They have been such a hit. I know of a few lurking happily around a some little people's rooms in the inner west of Sydney.

Whilst thumbing through Shop4Kids I spied this Oh so cute Nordic inspired clock designed by 

Jo Melrose.  Jo is a designer and artist from Melbourne and Jo creates beautifully designed laser cut clocks wall hangings, prints and recycled greeting cards all in eco friendly materials.  I just fell in love with this cookoo inspired clock and Jo is happy to custom color....hmmm.. definitely turquoise.  Boys love turquoise don't they!  I could not resist the purchase of this little fawn print for Mathilda. 

Laurie's Surprise Sewing Room

Today we have an extraordinary sewing room to share with you from one of our readers, Laurie Guidry. Lucky Laurie attended our February School of Art Fashion earlier this month, and when she returned home, she had a beautifully redecorated and organized sewing room! Drool over her space with us - it is sure to be a bustling hive of inspiration and creativity for Laurie from now on.


Laurie tells us:

When I went to School of Art Fashion in Huntsville, my niece and her mom, my sister-in-law, completely redecorated and organized my sewing room. What I had before was a jumbled mess of hand-me down furniture, stacks and stacks of fabric, boxes of mixed up laces and other trims. Add to that my patterns, my Sew Beautiful magazines and Martha Pullen books and what I had was one huge mess!!

When I got home, I felt like I was on one of those decorating TV shows and had won! I love my room. It is a beautiful soothing color and all of my fabrics folded and color sorted look like an amazing piece of art. My niece is very gifted in design and my sister-in-law is the organization queen. What a blessed month February was. A full week with all of my sewing family at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion, then to come home to such a beautiful sewing studio. It doesn't get much better than that!! I wonder if I go to Huntsville again this summer is the design & organization fairies will come and redo the rest of my home....probably not, but it's a fun thought.

Enjoy your gorgeous space, Laurie – and happy sewing!

Do you have a beautiful sewing room you'd like to share with us? Send your pictures to blog@sewbeautifulmag.com.

Baby Designer Style. Lovely little cardi's and vintage inspired smocks

Lovely Little Cardi's

Two very cute cardigans in Coral and Rose

LOVE the Moss Stitch detail and the pocket is heavenly cute!  One of my vintage inspired fabrics for the cooler months ahead.

I could not wait to share with you Rowantree Designs new range of gorgeous 100% cotton cardigans for baby's and toddlers.  The cardigan is a style must have for Autumn /Winter. Don't you just love the Moss Stitch trim and heavenly cute little pocket.  I have styled it here with the ever so sweet little Hazy Jane smock dress, which is one of my favourite little dresses and is available in sizes 00 to 2 years. 




Cardigans arrive late March, sorry I could not get them here before the Paddington Mathilda's Market, but they will be available online as soon as they hit my studio.


I am madly working on my Autumn/winter collection and I can't wait until my fabric arrives and clears customs, which should be early next week.  The Rowantree Baby collection has a definite Oliver Twist feel, think, little urchin smock dress with pearl and covered buttons and hand dyed coton lace.


OOh gush gush, I just love designing baby clothes.

A Bed Time Story

Visiting family in New Zealand last year I first saw the Miyo Baby Hammock in action.  One very tired and cranky baby was gently lulled to sleep in only minutes.  Not only did I love the idea of a baby gently swinging to sleep so cozily, I fell in love with the architecturally designed wooden hanging stand.  What a beautiful piece for any nursery and home.  Thank you Sarah and Gregory and the gifted Miyo team for perfecting this beautiful sleeping space for babies.

To my great surprise when I was setting up my Rowantree Design shop front at Mathilda's Market at the Paddington Town Hall last year.  I spotted the Hammocks being set up a few stops down.  I was so excited as we were expecting  baby Rowan and this would be the perfect sleeping space for him in our home.  The lovely and chatty Emma, the Australian distributor for the product  was happy to answer all our questions.  My hubby was too excited as himself a Kiwi was very chuffed to be purchasing a product designed in New Zealand.


As I sit here in my home office, Rowan is gently sleeping in his Myio Baby Hammock.  He sleeps more soundly and longer, and I am very comfortable knowing that he is cool, snug and safe.

Available in Australia at 'Counting Sheep Co'.

Sweet Dreams

MiGi Pinwheel Scatter Rug

How excited was I today when I was scrolling through one of my favourite blogs 'Everything Turquoise' I spotted my favourite handsome hound sitting on the MiGi Pinwheel Scatter Rug. 

If you're a turquoise lover like me this  is a blogsite to keep your eye on!

Pattern Preview: Kari Mecca's "More Sewing with Whimsy" Ladies Pattern

Kari Mecca fans, listen up: the More Sewing with Whimsy companion pattern for women is here and available in the shop! We are super excited to share this new addition to the Sew Beautiful Pattern Collection. It is available in sizes 4-24 and includes both sleeved and sleeveless versions of a round yoke top, a sleeveless square yoke top and two "bottoms" patterns - one of which can be adapted for 4 different lengths, from shorts to long pants. (The pattern is also available in preteen sizes 10-16!)

If you love the look of Kari's Whimsy Stick trims, flowers and other embellishment techniques but have no children to sew for (or just want to use some whimsy on yourself!), this pattern is made for you. It reflects the signature style and design possibilities seen in the More Sewing with Whimsy book and the - but in an adult (or preteen) size.
All of the top patterns can also be made as dresses! We think they would be great for spring and summer in light cotton prints, maybe cinched at the waist with a ribbon or small belt.
Here are all of the the pattern options:



Snag your copy of the pattern in the store for $12.00. Don't forget to grab a set of Whimsy Sticks and a copy of More Sewing with Whimsy to add some Kari Mecca style to your new creations!

Valentine Inspirations

When I think of Valentine's day I think love, Paris with it's very own symbol of love the Eiffel Tower, hearts, all objects in shades of pink and red, I think of love letters and poems written with such heartfelt emotion and desire. 

One of my favourite love quotes from the movie 'When Harry met Sally'  always drives me to mush!

"I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible"

 My Valentine purchases and thoughts in images.

Vintage buttons I found in my studio

Dreaming of Paris and here we are

Valentine's card to write your love messages in

I love these nature inspried cards I didn't know which one to choose so I gave him both produced by 'Earth Greetings' these cards are eco-friendly and are made from post consumer recycled paper. Check out this beautiful range of cards and other beautiful paper things

Vivienne Westwood  Mini Me shoes for Tots! Ooh La La!

I purchased a pair of these stunning little bubble gum smelling shoes which available in different colours at Space Furniture 

Vintage Charm Bracelet. Designs by Chastity

I purchased this little darling for Baby Matilda on Etsy

Shoes for Baby Holly

Tickle me pink! I found these precious little Japanese inspired softies on Madeit perfect for Baby Holly

Ah!  Sweet William

This beautiful artwork is a Valentine's present to me.  I found it on Lovely Sweet William blog spot isn't it divine.  So special, dreamy and full of love.

I have bought other prints and illustrations from Sweet William at various markets in Melbourne and in Sydney, I just can't find the wall space to hang them.  I love to give them as gifts!

Happy Valentine's Day

Animal Alphabet

I love these catch up days when the sun is hiding away behind the clouds.   While the man of the house loves tinkering down on the boat, I get the chance to spend time thinking about new designs for my Rowantree collection, making homemade pasta and peeking around on the net looking for gorgeous and different object de art for children.


Today I found Petit Collage  an online store with a line of modern baby and child wall decor and accessories, with a vintage twist.  A distinct collection of hand-made collages on wood, prints on wood and bamboo mobiles all handcrafted in a sustainable manner from the best quality, most eco- friendly materials available.  Come on, you gotta love that!  And this poster is perfect for Rowan's room.

Animal Alphabet

This is an original 3 color screen print hand-pulled in Oakland California on uncoated 100% recycled post consumer recycled paper.

Giraffe with Baby

Limited edition collage using vintage printed paper.  Oh so cute!

Petite Owl on Canvas

Quirky vintage inspired illustrated books

Owl Mobile

How could I resist this beautiful piece.  A very happy owl family.  My thinking is to frame this mobile on a white matt in a white frame.  Watch this space to see the finished product.  Can't wait for it to arrive!

The Carosel quilt.

Sleeping  peacefully, dreaming of magical horses on the carosel!

How could I resist this. 

Giveaway Winner!

I'm excited to announce that the winner of this week's giveaway contest is......

Libby Leatherwood!

Congratulations, Libby. You will receive a copy of Precious Baby Daygowns, Round Yoke Collection; a package of Floriani Heat N Sta Fusible Fleece; and a can of Sulky KK2000. Enjoy! Be on the lookout for an email from us so that we can get your mailing address and send your prize to you asap.

Thanks so much to everyone for their congratulations, compliments and contest entries!

Dachshund Fun

I don't know anybody who can resist a dachsund.  I love to watch those little legs seemingly going much faster than the body.  Last trip to Tokyo I snapped up a beautiful piece of slub linen fabric with perfect little dachshunds, in tones of tans and blacks happily frollicking over the piece of fabric.  Keeping that is mind I visited one of my favourite toy stores last weekend, Monkey Puzzle in Summer Hill, and what was in the window.  You got it, a fabulously cheeky dachshund pull along toy.  I know it is only February but it is never too early to start Christmns shopping for your first grandchild.  
This handsome hound is a Vilac toy which are known for their classic look and feel, they are smoothly rounded wooden toys, with high gloss lacquered finish.  Vilac toys are timeless and have such durability I know that this handsome hound will be in Rowan's toy box for years.

A very celebrated Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara designed this handsome hound.

Inspired by this little hound. I went straight to my fabric stash and pulled out my fabulous piece of dachshund printed linen and happily made boys shorts for the rest of the afternoon.  Although I don't have them on my Rowantree site please feel free to give me a call and check to see if I have them in your size.

Just the dashingist dachshund pants I ever seen!

Shannon's Elephant Diaper Stacker

I'm excited to share that there is a new Sew Beautiful baby on the way! I am 29 weeks pregnant with our first baby - a little girl. I have been having a blast planning her nursery and decided on a gray/yellow theme, with little elephants all over. Since my husband and I plan on having more children in the future, we are trying to keep things somewhat neutral so that if we end up with a little boy, reusing our nursery won't be an issue. I have been bargain shopping for the big things and sewing what I can to piece together a room I love, so picking out fabric and making my own accent pieces has been lots of fun for me.

One of my favorite projects so far has been this diaper stacker; I just love how it turned out and I was thrilled that we had a pattern on hand here at work I could use: the "Fancy Trims Diaper Stacker" from our book, Precious Baby Daygowns, Round Yoke Collection. I picked this pattern above many others I had seen because of its simple lines; I knew it would be easy to adapt to our nursery's style. (Below is a picture of the original diaper stacker from the book.)

And now for the giveaway! Since I had so much fun with this project, I want to give away a copy of the Precious Baby Daygowns, Round Yoke Collection book so you can make your own! I will throw in a package of Floriani Heat N Sta Fusible Fleece and a can of Sulky KK2000 as well, since I found both of these products to be extremely helpful when stitching this up. To enter, just leave a comment on this post -- and don't forget to include your email address so that I can contact the winner! Entries will remain open until this Wednesday, February 11, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. CST. Sorry, but the giveaway has ended!

The biggest changes I made are as follows:

• The pattern called for 5 different fabrics, but I used only 2.
• I did not use any decorative trims.
  
• I did not piece the front top yoke piece as in the original; rather, I used one solid piece for both the front and back. I also omitted the ribbon rose and created my own elephant appliqué instead. (Let me know if any of you would be interested in having the elephant appliqué template and I will create one to share with you.)
  
• I added lining fabric to the front, side and back panels, whereas the original instructions did not call for lining. (I snuck a peek at the actual original diaper stacker, and the fabrics used were just a bit thicker and more opaque than mine. I wanted the same or more stability for my version, so I just cut lining pieces to match the front, side and back panels and adhered them together with Sulky KK2000 during construction. The result was exactly what I wanted - nice firm seams and non-transparent panels!)
• I did not use any water-soluble or invisible thread as called for in the instructions. Instead, I hand-whipped the back of every binding strip with my regular sewing thread.
  
• I used a piece of cardboard covered with fabric for inside bottom instead of plastic canvas.
• I made a mistake when cutting my front pocket pieces to size, so they are about one inch shorter than the instructions and the original call for - whoops! But the result is extremely similar and the pockets are still plenty large.
  

So with those adaptations in mind, here is an adjusted supplies list if you'd like to make a diaper stacker similar to mine:

• 1-1/2 yard Fabric A (yellow floral print; I used a Robert Kaufman print)
• 1 yard Fabric B (gray elephant print; I used a Japanese import fabric)
• 1 yard lining fabric (I used white drapery lining fabric I had in my stash)
• Fusible fleece (two 16" x 10" pieces)
• Steam a Seam 2 (about 6" x 6")
• Cardboard (13" x 9")
• Sulky KK2000
• Fabric glue
  
• One child's padded hanger
• Basic sewing supplies

And here are adjusted cutting instructions:

From Fabric A, cut the following:

• Two front panels, 7"W x 21"L
• One back panel, 14"W x 21"L
• Two side panels, 10"W x 21"L
• One bottom block, 14"W x 10"L
• One scrap piece of fabric for elephant appliqué, about 6" square
  
• One scrap piece to cover cardboard piece, at least 14"W x 11"L
  

From Fabric B, cut the following:

• Two yoke blocks, 16"W x 10"L
• Two pockets, 7"W x 9"L
• Two center front bindings, 1-3/4"W x 21"L
• Two bias strips for pockets, 1-3/4"W x 7"
• Two bias strips for hanger opening, 1-1/2"W x 5"L
  

From Fusible Fleece, cut the following:

• Two yoke blocks, 16"W x 10"L

From Lining Fabric, cut the following:

• Two front panels, 7"W x 21"L
• One back panel, 14"W x 21"L
• Two side panels, 10"W x 21"L

CONSTRUCTION NOTES:

1. Because you will be using one piece of fabric for the front yoke rather than piecing the yoke together, you will omit steps 1-3 under the very first set of construction directions for the Yoke. Instead, you will first create the elephant appliqué following Steam a Seam 2 instructions. Iron the appliqué onto the center of your front yoke piece and stitch around the raw edges with a small zigzag. (I also stitched an ear shape with the same small zigzag.) Then, fuse the front yoke piece onto a piece of fusible fleece and continue on to step 4, quilting over the top of your appliqué. NOTE: You could also appliqué piece after quilting for a different look.
2. Instead of stitching-in-the-ditch or using invisible thread, hand-whipstitch the back of all binding pieces.
3. Before sewing the major panel pieces together, adhere the front, side and back panel pieces to their matching lining pieces with Sulky KK2000 and treat each as one piece.
4. Instead of inserting plastic canvas into base as in step 20, trim cardboard base to size if needed and cover with fabric and secure on back with fabric glue (I used Fabri-Tac glue). Let dry and insert into bottom of diaper stacker.
5. Omit the "Yoke Embellishment" section. Insert padded hanger to yoke and hang for use!

Again, I am giving away a copy of the Precious Baby Daygowns, Round Yoke Collection book, where you can find this patter, as well as a package of Floriani Heat N Sta Fusible Fleece and a can of Sulky KK2000 so that you can create your own sweet diaper stacker. TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY, just leave a comment on this post -- and don't forget to include your email address so that I can contact the winner! Entries will remain open until this Wednesday, February 11, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. CST. Sorry, but the giveaway has ended!

Judy's Embroidered Swirly Tree

I got the best surprise forwarded to me in my email inbox yesterday - SB reader Judy Gresham had sent us a picture of her version of my swirly tree embroidery from Issue #133! In my "Seasonal Swirls" article, we gave readers the hand embroidery template for this tree design (the original is pictured below). Judy put her own twist on the tree as a gift for her mother by adding a sweet red bird in the branches along with a partial poem by Whittier. Judy tells us:

I thought you might be interested in how I used your design. You will see I added a red bird (she loves birds and I thought it would make it pop the piece). I used overdyed yarn for my tree because I like the variations it provides and stitched on linen.

You can find the hand embroidery template for this tree on the pullout centerfold of Issue #133; back issues are available on our website. A machine embroidered version (pictured below) is also available on our website for purchase and download.
Judy, thank you so much for sharing your creation with us! It turned out beautifully.

Have you put your own twist on a project from SB? We want to see it! Send us pictures of your projects to blog@sewbeautifulmag.com.