The Sewing Sisterhood

Monday, September 24, 2012

What's On!

Items are going up on The Sewing Sisterhoood's Facebook page for the Spring Showcase! Check them out, so far we have quilts, soft toys, homewares, children's clothing and accessories, baby wear and accessories, and women's accessories, with more to come this week including nappies/pull ups, mug rugs and candles. Also this week on the blog here will have a number of posts featuring the different items in depth.

It has been a busy time for M's Cute Bottoms and M's Cute Creations, there has been a new addition to the family. The long awaited embroidery machine has finally made it's way home! Keep your eyes on both pages for some great new creations.

Its time again where M's Cute Bottoms and M's Cute Creations are off to market. The Mummy Tree Markets at Morningside are on this Sunday from 9am to 1pm and is located on Col Gardner Drive which is off Lytton Road. This market will see the new release for Cute Bottoms of embroidered nappies, Christmas nappies and new pull up prints. There will also be new releases for Cute Creations - beautiful spring dresses, skirts and shorts. Hope to see you at market, so please stop by and say hello.

It's head down, tail up at My Obsession Designs HQ this week. They will be joining M's Cute Bottoms at The Mummy Tree Markets this Sunday 30th. Come down to River Park Place (Morningside) for a spot of early Christmas shopping. Mention this blog post to receive 10% off your order on the day.

Following a busy day at the markets, My Obsession Designs will be featured again in this month's WAHM Market. This month there will be an equal showing of items for boys and girls. The market opens from 8pm (AEST) and will be open for 48 hours only.

Leigh from Sakurako has been a very busy girl lately! As well as the Showcase quilt, Leigh has also finished off a brand new baby boy quilt and matching taggy toy. The Hushabye Boy quilt is a cradle size quilt measuring approx 83cm x 90cm and is also suitable for bassinet, pram or floor play use. The top is pieced using Tula Pink for Moda "Hushabye" fabric which is now out of print and getting difficult to find. The back is a gorgeous embroidered fleece. The matching taggy toy is made out of the same Hushabye fabric, with white ribbon 'taggy' claws and a co-ordinating aqua minky back. Hushabye boy is now available via the Sakurako Facebook page.

Three Little Chickens has a busy weekend coming up! Jodie is at the Rotary Market this Sunday at the Hub, Ropes Crossing. Then on public holiday Monday Jodie is at the Kiama Seaside Markets. There will be a great selection of boys summer beach shorts, girls skirts and dresses, and some Christmas outfits too.

There is also a great giveaway on the Three Little Chickens Facebook page to celebrate 300 likers, simply comment on your favourite item and you can be in the running to purchase a Millie Skirt or a pair of Beach Shorts for just $1! The giveaway finishes at 8pm tonight so get in quickly!

Monday, September 17, 2012

What's On!

Exciting news from The Sewing Sisterhood up first this week - The Sewing Sisterhood is having its first ever showcase and market night with the theme of "Spring" on October 1st. Items will start to be listed with photos and full details on the Facebook page this Friday, with in depth coverage here on the blog from next week so keep your eyes peeled! There will be a selection of items for sale - boys and girls clothing, soft toys, homewares and quilts, jewellery and accessories, and candles.

While very excited about the upcoming Sewing Sisterhood Spring Showcase, Handmade by 3 Little B’s has been working on some exclusive “I LOVE PARIS IN SPRING” flutter dresses. This is a popular style for Handmade By 3 Little B’s and each dress comes with a large fabric rosette set on brooch pin, that can be worn on the dress or in a hair accessory. To see more, make sure you visit Handmade By 3 Little B’s on Facebook.

End of September is fast approaching at Ohana Trends. All proceeds at the end of September will be calcuated and donated to Heart Kids. Thank you to everyone for your support so far, we have raised $140 and counting.

There are two new softies being released shortly - one for the boys and one for the girls. There are new kids on the block, one loves to surf and the other loves to rock! And this little girl loves to wear red and make goodies for Grandma. Christmas is on its way again soon, there will be Christmas material hearts up in an album shortly too as well as some other Christmas goodies for all the good girls and boy!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Meet the Maker - Sakurako, Kat & Bee, Minkie Baby

This week we are introducing you to the extremely talented Leigh. I have admired Leigh's creativity and high quality work for a number of years, have a look at her work and you'll see why!

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Leigh, married to Elliot and mother of two boys, Oliver is 4.5 and Henry is almost 2. Our third child is due in November. I make quilts – mostly baby/children’s quilts – under my Sakurako brand and I also make beaded jewellery and other accessories which I sell with my sister Karah under the Kat & Bee brand.

Other than sewing, what do you do?

I’m trained in fine art – printmaking, and have exhibited, but its very difficult to work with acid etching, oil based inks and turps with small children underfoot which is why I now focus on other creative endeavours. I also enjoy baking, general crafts and the odd stamping/cardmaking social night with friends. I run Minkie Baby selling cloth nappies of my own design. I used to sew these myself but couldn’t keep up with demand so they are now manufactured offshore.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I’m a very visual person so pin a lot of images and blog posts of quilts I like on Pinterest – either design wise or fabric wise. When planning out a quilt I often start a new Pinterest board and pin fabrics I think will co-ordinate in order to see them together. My style is quite modern – I use a lot of white (and if I don’t use white then I will use another solid), I like my quilt designs to be simple/not fussy, and I really don’t do batiks, blenders or ditzy florals. I like to let the fabric designs shine and I feel that quite often the individual fabrics are lost with traditional fussy quilting styles.

What does sewing, crafting and handmade mean to you?

For me it’s very much a creative outlet. I make things because I enjoy making them, and I like to use fabrics I find aesthetically pleasing. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of making high quality items by hand.

Who is your favourite fabric or pattern designer?

I buy a lot of Riley Blake, for children especially they have a lot of lovely fabrics which aren’t twee or washed out. I follow Elizabeth Hartman’s blog (Oh Frannson!) and have her books, her guide to quilting is an excellent resource.

Who has been your greatest influence?

Probably my mother, and both my grandmothers. Mum sewed a lot when we were young, and made a lot of our clothing. She’s had a crack at almost any craft you can think of. She also makes quilts (though she gets me to stipple them for her!). My Omi could sew and crochet and my Nana enjoyed knitting. So I grew up surrounded by women who created and crafted.

Where would you like to be in five years?

In a bigger house with an organised creative space! (I’m just about to lose my study/sewing room so #3 has somewhere to sleep). I’d like for Minkie Baby nappies to be stocked by other retailers, and I’d like for Sakurako to be plugging along. I’m happy for Sakurako to stay at hobby-level – the enjoyment I get from it I suspect would be greatly diminished if I had to work to tight deadlines or be entirely dictated by the customer. I do plan on introducing semi-custom slots once #3 is out of the newborn phase and things have settled down – by that I mean that I liaise with the customer to design and create a quilt which both they and I are pleased with aesthetically. But we will see how we go.

What handmade possession do you love most?

Well… I’m quite proud of the single bed quilt I made for Oliver, which he adores. But in terms of things made by others, I have a crocheted baby shawl from when I was very small which is very carefully packed away. I also have a little cardigan knitted by my Nana which both boys have worn, its quite special because my aunty kept it aside after Nana passed away for when I had children of my own.

I have a beautiful necklace and handbag I got give in last years TSS Kris Kringle which I love and use all the time.