bunting is back baby!

Just in time for a bit of pre or post Christmas crafting :: make your own bunting panels are back in five colours ...

Happy week before Christmas madness!

red bunting flags

Remember the stencil-cut bunting flags I screenprinted a while ago? Well, they've been sewn up into (my last two) bunting flags for the bunting swap ...

I did one flag as it was - printed in red. The other was a "misprint" that I thought I might overstitch the printing "imperfections" with the variegated thread I got last week. Typically, I like this one more than the real print - it's got texture, colour and personality!

Wishing you a  creative week! (Reminder ~ you have until midnight tonight to enter my Liberty Book of Home Sewing Giveaway)

bunting satisfaction

At last, I have finished (redone) my bunting flags for the swap ...

This time, I stuck to my sewing instincts and used strips of my Verano fabric, which still gives the patchwork effect I was after, but is less complicated and "busy". I love the colour combination of crimson, navy and sea green ~ I'm thinking about doing a larger scale quilt in these fabrics. Now I have to get these babies into some envelopes and mail them to their new homes ... only a tad late!

Much more creativity here today.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my blogtoberfest giveaway for a chance to win The Liberty Book of Home Sewing ~ go here to enter!

trial, error and going against my sewing instinct

I've finally had time to sew something ~ hooray! I signed up for the bunting swap a while ago and the bunting flags are due to be posted this week, so this was my priority project. I like using these swaps to experiment a bit. I had an idea a while ago about using patchwork, so I started where I always do ~ cutting and sewing strips of fabric (loving these colours together) ...

I'm with Tania about loving the back of patchwork tops ...

Then I thought I might cut these into strips, crossways ...

This is where things start to go a little pear shaped ~ I joined the strips together, creating a tiny patchwork ...

It looks OK, but I think the back looks fab!

So I keep going ... cutting out the bunting template ...

I even join up the offcuts to make another bunting flag, back them and here they are ...

I don't love them, but I don't hate them. My sewing instinct told me to just stick with the strips ~ I think that would have resulted in a better outcome. Still, I enjoyed sewing these, and sometimes you need to do things a little differently every now and again. It was a small amount of fabric (from my new Verano range - available here) and about an hour's work, so not a total waste. I think I will try this again but with the strips ~ I have a new idea in my head.

Happy sewing!

bunting swap!!

As you know, I LOVE BUNTING, so when I saw this swap popping up around the place yesterday, I signed up immediately.

The details and how to sign up are all over at the Squiggly Rainbow blog, but the basic idea is that you make (and then receive) as many individual bunting triangles (or other shapes) as you like. You don't have to make a whole string of them, you could just make one if you like. I've signed up for 5 ~ I'm looking forward to experimenting with some different ideas and seeing what happens!


Happy bunting making!

monday discount day ...

A crafty way to start your week ~ $10 Make-your-own-bunting panels in my shop today only (these are normally $15). Enjoy ....

Have a great Monday!

birthday craft

Mr Yardage is celebrating a birthday, so yesterday, Little Mister and I got busy with some paint ...

... he made an original work of art gift, and I abstract painted on a couple of sheets of cardboard so that I could later chop them up and make some festive bunting ...

Triangles chopped and attached to some embroidery cotton with staples - not ideal, but it worked. It's amazing what you can do with limited supplies! We're ready to celebrate!

new stockist ... jellywares

Jodie from Jellywares in Cobar, NSW, is the latest stockist of Yardage Design fabric and bunting panels.

We actually lived in Cobar for a few years (about 10 years ago). I loved my time there, and still stay in touch with friends we made. I am so thrilled that the town now has a gorgeous shop like Jellywares selling wonderful handmade and home-grown products and produce. You can check out Jodie's excellent blog here.

new stockist ... funky fabrix

You can now buy my {exclaim} hand printed fabric and bunting panels at the totally lovely Funky Fabrix shop (and online) in Brisbane.

When my Little Mister was born (4 years ago), I was constantly buying fabric on ebay from Funky Fabrix - they had/have the best range of boys fabric around. Since then, they have grown and now have a real life as well as a virtual shopfront. I would never have dreamed that a few years down the track that I would be designing fabric that would be available there too. I'm chuffed!

Thanks to Shona for liking my wares, and hooray for my first stockist in Queensland! The Funky Fabrix blog is here.

printing + misprinting

I am very happy to be back in the studio and printing again after a lovely break over January. I find screen printing very relaxing. In fact, I think you have to be relaxed to do it well. The few times I've been distracted, cranky, or anxious and then tried to print ... disaster! You need to flow, so that the ink can flow too - even pressure, even speed.

However, mistakes still happen even when you are as relaxed as can be. Like this one from the other day - I was a bit heavy-handed with the flooding between prints, so the next print had a little ink bleeding in places ...

I don't make too many mistakes these days, but I'm a perfectionist, so if a print doesn't meet the high standards of the Quality Assurance Department (me), it goes in the "misprint" pile. Some of you may have been recipients of a misprint when you've ordered from my shop. This happens occasionally when I have misprints fit for giving away, especially to those who have placed a large order, or to people I know might just like them. I much prefer to give them away than do nothing with them at all.

More creativity over at Kootoyoo!

red

Experimenting in the sewing room with a red bunting panel ...

... and adding a splash of red to the kitchen with gorgeous Waratahs ...

Have a great Monday!

folded + stacked

Can you tell it's been a week of getting things sorted out here at Yardage Design HQ ... lots of printing, folding, packaging - generally restocking after a very busy couple of months. There are some new things on the horizon to make way for, and something for all of you as my one year blogiversary nears. In the mean time ...

... Make your own Bunting Flags craft panels now fully stocked and back in the shop.

a new toy

This is my new bias binder maker ... I tried it out yesterday for the first time ...

Three steps - cut (a strip of fabric - either on the bias or not), thread (through the gadget), and iron (as the fabric comes out of the gadget). Too easy! I think I'm going to use it to make some colourful binding for my bunting. Have a great Tuesday!

friday in the studio

Lots of printing going on here in gloomy, wet Melbourne today. A new colour way for the vintage tram roll menu tea towel (will be in the shop next week) ...

... and a hallway full of bunting panels (sorry about the gloomy light - please send sunshine from your place if you can spare it!) ...

Have a lovely weekend where-ever you are!

P.S. How cool is the new and improved preview function for new posts - much better!

win a bunting panel!

I met Annabel from Earthgirl Fabrics at the Stitches & Craft Show, and now she stocks my fabric and craft panels in her lovely online shop ... yay!

To celebrate the launch, she's having a bunting panel giveaway over at her blog - you can read about it and enter here. Entries close on Sunday (13th June). Good luck!

my creative space ... bunting

Yesterday, my creative space was covered in bunting triangles ...

I love fabric bunting, but I wanted an easy option, so I created this (rather large) craft panel ...

It is hand screen printed on 100% cotton in red, blue, green and pink ...

These new craft panels will be available at the Melbourne Stitches and Craft Show next week! You will be able to buy them in my online shop after the show. They are also for sale at Craft Victoria. Let me know what other colours you'd like to see this panel printed in too!
For more creative spaces, visit Kootoyoo.