going dotty...

Yep, but it's for a good cause!

I'm busy making some polka dot things for a swap I'm involved in.  It needs to be mailed by the end of the month, so I thought I'd better get cracking!

sneak peak

Have a neat day, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

D.

Handmade Ornament Swap; received ornaments

This is the last wee ornament to arrive... Thanks Nikki!

tutorial | Dodecahedron Christmas Ornament

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about some really neat ornaments I had been making, see below pic...Well, I've finally gotten around to taking some photo's so that you too can make one (or two...) for your tree! Excuse the quality of some of the photographs, I think I need to get some lessons from Mr. Sew-Funky over the Christmas break!

I discovered that this particular shape is actually called a dodecahedron (a bit of a mouthful to say - but good all the same!).

What you need...
Scraps of fabric
12 pentagon templates (you can get some here, just cut them out of plain paper)
thread (2 different colours - one to match the fabric, one obviously different to the fabric)
soft toy stuffing
ribbon

1. Cut out 12 templates.

2. Pin the templates to the wrong side of your chosen fabric.

3. Cut around the template leaving a 1cm seam allowance all the way around.

4. Begin tacking the fabric to the template using the different coloured thread, folding the seam allowance over the template. Do this to all 12 pentagon shapes.

5. Sew the pentagon shapes together, around two of the pentagons making two flowers. Use the matching thread.

6. Sew the two flowers together.

7. Sew up all the seams, except one.

8. Remove the templates, by undoing the tacking.
9. Turn the fabric the right way around.

10. Fill with stuffing.

11. Cut some ribbon (I think I used around 5cm). Sew up the last remaining seam, sewing in the ribbon inside the seam at the end.
12. Tah Dah!!!

Let me know if you make one... :D

Handmade Ornament Swap; owlaments & stockings winging their way home...

Yay, the little owlaments and stockings I made for the handmade swap are finally on their way to their homes. I say yay, because now I can concentrate on Christmas pressies for family and friends! :D

the wee owlaments & stockings...

the envelopes I made from an old cookbook
I had lying around (inspired by miss smith!)

It was so much fun doing this swap, thanks go out Louise from twenty cent mixture, cos' she did so well organising it all! :)

Handmade Ornament Swap; received ornaments

Wow! I feel so blessed to be a part of this swap!!

Take a look at what I've received so far, my tree is gonna look GOOD this year!

the thoroughly gorgeous robot from miss smith,
he couldn't wait to get out and visit!

I just love the envelope he came in...

then there's the angel from Helen -
she can't wait to climb to the top of my Christmas tree!

and last but not least (because she put in some of my favourite chocolate and BUTTONS!) the wonderful ornament from Jessicah! You know the way to my heart...

patched pentagram - kiwiana style

I have been having a little bit of fun making new homemade Christmas decorations - just trying to figure out which ones to use for the swap I joined. These balls made from 12 pentagrams sewed together. Very cool and fun to make. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be sending these ones out to anyone. This is only because I want to be able to post my 5 packages at the letter rate (think flatter, more two dimensional).

I'm still not sure about the chicken design, want to go a little easier on my brain... My current thinking is fabric stars with buttons as embellishments - might try to get my idea out of my head into being later on today. :)

If you would like I might post a tutorial on how to make these patched pentagram balls, just ask... :)