Wink Designs

Simple drawstring bag

This a simple project using the template from my ballet slipper charm pattern (available as a free download here).

  

This time around I used the pattern as the basis for an applique and altered the design slightly by adding some small straps across the middle - instant Mary-Janes!

 

The shoe shapes were appliqued to a coordinating square of fabric which was in turn appliqued to a larger rectangle (used as the front of a drawstring bag).

Here's the finished bag.  The method for making the bag itself is super easy-peasy and I've listed the steps in a photo gallery which you'll find in my blog sidebar.

 

Note: this is an unlined bag and more suitable for soft shoes, lingerie, pyjamas, ballet clothes etc.  If you want a bag to store or carry heavier items like toys or books you may need some reinforcement and I'd recommend you Google a tutorial for a lined bag pattern.

Wink in print

The old saying "it doesn't rain but it pours" applies here as both a book and calendar which I've had published projects in have arrived over the past week.

The book "Pretty Little Presents" you've probably read about before (Belinda and Lisa are the other Aussie girls included in the book).  My copy went AWOL in the post and the kind folks from Lark Books had to send me another one.  As a result I'm very late on the scene and you'll have to allow me my 15 minutes of fame, I'm afraid!

 

My project "Nesting Instinct" is a baby gift in the form of a little tote with Mum and baby bird softies or "taggies", as I originally called them.  They have ribbon tag legs and the Mum fits in the tote with the baby bird hanging as a little charm from the tote handle.  Here we are:

Pages are tricky to photograph well, so here's one of my original snaps:

The other publication is the "2010 Sewing Calendar".  I was approached by the editor and asked whether she could include my "Sew Simple Needle Case" and of course I said yes.  I am (quite fittingly) "Miss January 26" (Australia Day).

 

 

 

The calendar has great projects from a multitude of bloggers. There are some old faves and many which will be new to you as they were to me.

The zoo, almost....

Earlier in the week, on a glorious sunny winter day, we decided to set out for the zoo.  Big mistake.  Thousands of other parents looking for a way to occupy their children whilst on school holidays had the same idea. Car park full. No street parking visible within kilometres of the zoo.  Queues to get in a mile long.  You get the idea....

We turned back and decided to go for pizza and ice-cream instead with a promise that we'd do it again on a quieter day. The baby elephant will have to wait.

And more baby elephants below on an art tote which I don't think I ever posted.  I got a bit lazy making the ones with individual pencil pockets.  This design has a zip at the top and is big enough to throw books, pencils and other bits and pieces in together.

 

Have a great weekend one and all!

Zipetty doo-dah

Do you suffer from zip avoidance syndrome?  Here is the perfect therapy from "Dr. Nicole".  I recently ordered some of the little zippered purse kits available through her blog/website and have been merrily zipper-ing away since receiving them (which was very soon after ordering thanks to the super fast service).

Here are a couple of examples made from the Make Up Purse Kit instructions.  Fabrics in a heavier weight cotton/linen mix worked well for a bit of extra stability and I just kept it simple by lining with calico.  I know there are lots of zippered purse tutorials out there but these kits are value added.  You get a variety of zips (no need to trek to Spotlight), full sized pattern pieces (no need to measure) and excellent directions with tips on how to get those sneaky zip ends looking "just-so", how to do a nice boxed corner etc.

It's hard to stop at one and practice makes perfect, as they say.

Before wrapping up some thank-yous are due to:

• Kathryn from AussieKidsBoutique for her profile on yours truly.

• Rachel from One Pretty Thing for including my Tiny Dancer Ballet Slipper Charms pattern on her blog.  You can also see some pretty examples made by Joanie and her daughter here.

• Sew Mama Sew for linking to my Fat Quarter Baby Skirt Tutorial as part of their February Fat Quarter feature.

Mozart, Matisse & Mathilda

I'll be doing my first real bricks-and-mortar market on Sunday 22 March at Mathilda's Market, sharing a stall with Belinda.  Belinda's already started sewing (you can see some of her lovely work in her lastest post) so I thought I'd better get a move on.  However, time is tight as a new kindergarten mum and just to keep me on my toes, Miss Wink keeps mixing up her little routine.  Also, it's hard to see past the baby CDs, baby books and toys on my desk at the moment, cute as they are (!):

I've lots of half-finished WIPs hanging around (bunting and brooches, cushions and cards) but here's something I have signed off on, some new art totes:

I sold the last of my stock of art totes recently and decided to do a redesign for the new batch.  I like this style much better, it's a patchwork fronted envelope/ satchel style with more inside pockets and storage.

 

That's all for now, back to the production line!

Counting colours

School's now in and so (naturally) a crafty mother's mind turns to thoughts of cutting, pinning, tacking and sewing....  Have been indulging in a bit of camera-happy snapping around the house in an effort to get started.  Here are some textures and colours that are inspiring me:

Prints Charming meets Kaffe Fassett:

Winterwood wool felt:

Pretty butterfly tote (a gift from a lovely friend which proves that not all store-bought stuff is unimaginative):

 

Colourful Little Golden Books (Color Kittens is a big fave - the illustrations are so fabulous....).  Check out this link for those dedicated to collecting LGBs.

OK, off to do some crafting....

Tiny Dancer Ballet Slipper Charms - Free Pattern Download

I've always been a bit of a shoe fanatic as I'm sure many of you are also.  Clothes, not so much: too frequently they need to be altered to fit my petite (a.k.a. short) frame....  But shoes, aah!, the ultimate instant purchase gratification!

Anyway, somewhere during 2008 I had the urge to make some little shoes of the decorative variety.  As our household (and in particular, one excited toddler) was in the full grip of ballet fever at the time, these felt and fabric ballet slipper charms were the result.

We made a few pairs to decorate ballet bags and to give as gifts. 

It took a while to get the template and instructions down on paper but here they are now: Download Wink_tinydancer.  Drop me a line or send me a link if you make some yourselves, I'd love to see them! (I'm new to this PDF file upload thing, so let me know if you have any problems accessing the pattern and I'll email it to you....)

I hope you have all shuffled, tapped and leaped your way into 2009 with gusto.  Looking forward to sharing much more craftiness with you this year....

Red + aqua = Christmas

I'm always excited when I manage more than one post a day (it's only happened 2 or 3 times).  So there you go.  Let it be said. I'm excited.  Officially.  But now I'll get on with it because this post is mainly about pretty pictures.  Specifically red and aqua ones.  Because when it comes to Christmas, red and aqua is the new black.

 

That one is some Wink Designs Christmas packaging. (Actually, not entirely Wink Designs because I included a stamped gift tag made by Belinda.)

 

That one is my contribution to the blogmeet dinner lucky dip as outlined in my earlier post today.  (Did I mention this is my 2nd post of the day, oh yes I did! Woo hoo!)  Anyway, it's the Linen Basket pattern from the Zakka Sewing book.  (I love this book and will write more about it at a later date as I want to do several of the projects.  I got mine from "The Book Depository" but I can't get a link going there at the moment so I've linked to the Japan Craft Journal review). I added a handmade brooch of my own design.

 

That is Cee Cee hand stamping some gift tags for presents for her little mates. 

 

That one is some red and blue Mary Englebreight fabric purchased from here.  The little gift tags were made up by me from a downloadable template by etsy seller Little Brown Pen.  I love her shop, it's just brilliant!

 

And that one (finally) is a cuter than cute free embroidery pattern by the undisputed Queen of Red & Aqua, Jenny of Allsorts fame.  I also bought the little Dutch girl pattern from her etsy shop which I'm planning to do over the summer break.  (I hope to get the elvies done before Xmas....).

Posting twice a day is exhausting.  I'll go and have a lie down now.

The colour purple

I've been wanting to make a bag with a band/yoke and pleats and was thinking of either drafting a pattern myself (in a moment of craziness) or buying an Amy Butler pattern (she has a couple on that theme).

Then I spotted this Kwik Sew pattern (3526) in the discount bin at Spotlight.  A bit of a steal at $5 and worth a try I thought.

I'm really happy with the way the three fabrics from different designers came together.  The main body of the bag is a gorgeous purple-pink Junko Onishi (now sadly discontinued, I think). (Reprodepot in the US and Duckcloth here in Australia stock other Onishi prints.)  The spotted band and an inside pocket are Echino and the handles and lining are a lovely olive/sage linen from Cloth Fabric.  The fabrics are all medium weight and apart from some light interfacing fused to the back of each band piece it didn't need any other reinforcement.

For reasons which I'm sure I don't have to explain to you I left out the bow on the bag front (see pattern cover below).  I don't think I'll be making the headscarf either as a motoring holiday in the French Riviera isn't really on the cards at the moment......!!  I also adjusted the handles to my own preferred length and width and brought the lining up a bit to peep out before stitching around the top of the bag.

The bag matches my purple maternity top beautifully and is a perfect size to stash some light reading in for the hospital! (A yarn shop in Manhattan, now there's a career dream!)

Week of Frenchness

I've decided to join in the fun of a "Week of Frenchness" being featured over at Meet me at Mikes.

Here are 2 of my favourite "Frenchy" things:

1. "Bonjour Bag" - unabashedly OTT in its Frenchness (!), it has been much used for toting craft and homework to and from French lessons by my daughter and is probably the favourite thing that I've made for her to date.
2. Monsieur Camembert Clock - bought by us in a street market in Paris by an artisan who goes by the name of "Mr Camembert" and uses recycled cheese containers to make his quirky creations.  Minnie Mouse was just one of the variations....

Look out for more "Frenchy" posts to follow later in the week....