The Tuesday Afternoon Club. June report.

There have been so many wonderful ideas shared and The Swap Party as well over at The Tuesday Afternoon Club.  Now and then I have a post here for the ladies without Facebook.  This gives us an extra dose of hand made goodness!

Firstly we have Cookie.  I am excited about this one.  This tiered skirt is very like a skirt both my girls loved when they were little.

Best of all Cookie made it from some fabric from sheets she got for 25c each from the thrift store.  And she would have miles of fabric for other projects!    Now here is the pattern which you can make in any size...

Here's the formula for the skirt. Measure the waist at the natural waistline. Multiply that measurement by 1.5. for the second tier multiply the original waist measurement by 2. For the third tier multiply by 2.5. Next decide how long you want the skirt to be from you waist down. Divide that number by 3 in  order to get the length of each tier. Now add about an inch to the width of each tier  to allow for seam allowance. 

1st tier -- see the side seam and then turn under the top to make a casing, leaving space to put the elastic in later. For the girls I would probably use elastic that's about 3/8  inch wide. So make the casing accordingly. For myself I use 1 inch non-rolling elastic and make the casing 1 1/4 inches.

2nd tier-- sew side seam and then gather at the top and pin to the bottom of the first tier placing the gathers evenly.

3rd tier--see the side seam. Turn up the bottom hem about 1/4 inch, press and then fold over itself. Stitch up on the machine. Hem done.  Gather the top and attach to the bottom of second tier. 

Cut elastic same size as waist measurement and run it through the casing. Overlap it and see down. Close the casing.  It's finished!!!.

Thank you so much Cookie!  I will be making these up for the girls.  They will love them! 

Next Cookie made bowl cosies. They are so good as they both keep a bowl of food warmer and stop you burning your hands.  The solution too when you are having a bowl of soup on the couch or sick in bed.

Beautiful gift bags, cards and gift boxes...

The box is filled with homemade fudge! 

And Dandelion Honey! 

Cookie you always come up with so many beautiful things.

Jen in NS worked on knitted projects.  Her knitting is so divine my Aunt went to great lengths to get her hands on some!  In the end mittens travelled from Nova Scotia to South Australia!  

Look at this wonderful work.   It all looks so warm and cozy.  Just divine Jen.

Chloe made the cutest Easter little cakes.  

She found good packaging boxes in the cheap shop which made them look wonderful for gifts.

Clare made bubble bath and filled gorgeous containers from the op shop.  How lovely it looks!  Clare your photo looks like it is straight out of a magazine!

So many lovely ideas!  I hope I have not forgotten anyone... it has been just ages since I did one of these posts.  As it is this is late in the day.  I had a day going in to town for supplies.  I started feeding lambs and the calf at 7am and then next thing I needed to bath the little lamb she was in such a serious mess.  I have never bathed a sheep before.  It didn't do a lot for me getting out the door on time!  Anyway she didn't seem to mind at all and wagged her tail even.  And it turns out sheep shake off water exactly the same as dogs do when they do that big shake after a bath!  Lucky I was not dressed yet just in my dressing gown.  Now the worlds grubbiest lamb is white as snow!   So this is how my day went and here I am posting late!

I hope your week is going well!   If you are able come over to the Facebook group and see what everyone has been making plus some op shop finds!   We are almost mid year now.  I am on track for Christmas and Birthdays provided I keep going at the same pace!

See you on Friday! xxx

A pretty and easy crochet edge.

A few ladies have asked for a tutorial on this crochet edge.  This will maybe suit beginners as I cannot read patterns!  I learn mainly by watching you tube videos and I get on very well with Attic24 where she writes the instructions up with photos and I seem to be able to follow fairly well.

This is the edge I am working on sets of hand towels right now.  I really am doing a bulk lot!  I copied it from a lovely bath mat my sister in law gave me.

It is VERY easy.  If you can do chain and a double crochet you are set that is all you need.

The first row I work through the fabric you are working with.  Towels tend to have a border so I use this as my straight line to follow.   I just guess the spacing.  Some people use a ruler and a fade out pen to mark spaces.   You need a crochet hook small enough that it will go through the fabric ok.  Towels are good as they are quite soft to work through.  If you do not want to do this you could work your first row with the yarn and a darning needle and work a blanket stitch.  This would be about the same in appearance too.

The ply you use is up to you... on pillowcases I have used quite a fine yarn and various cotton and silky textures.  Same with handkerchiefs.  On a towel or face washer I use five ply mostly and cotton. Obviously thicker yarns will give a chunkier edging.  A fine yarn will look a little more delicate and lace like.

The second row you work six chains then secure your chain into every third stitch on your foundation row.  This creates a row of arches... 

A few arches before the end of the row I will weigh up the spacing and make adjustments so they will look pretty even yet end perfectly on the last stitch.  I call this creativity! 

So now you have a nice row of arches.  Turn your work and crochet three chain. 

Now into the first arch and under the row of chain crochet three double crochets.  Then do one chain and three double crochets into the next arch and so on... you have groups of three DC in each arch and a chain between each set.

At the end of a row I crochet 3 chain and secure it into the end of the last row to kind of finish off the row neatly.  

Now turn your work and crochet three chain.   This row we are working three double crochet into the first space between the groups below.  This is the space made by that one chain between each group.  So do three double crochet in under that gap... then one chain and three more double crochet all in that one space.   You can see below...

After your second group of three work three chain... stretch those chain right over and skip the next space and go into the alternate space... you are completely missing a whole space.  Now repeat and work 3 dc, one chain and 3 dc into that space... then three chain, skip over the next gap and go into the flooding one... all the way to the end.

It can happen that you have a funny number and need to end your row with a half rather than full set of DC.  If that happens don't worry!
I think this is a case of you will see what I mean when you get there!  At the end secure your arch down with a single crochet to finish, work this into the last stitch below.

Now turn your work and work three single crochet.

The final row... into each space between your groups of three (the single crochet you did last row is the gap between your groups of three) this is where you will now work five double crochet, one chain and five double crochet all into that one space.  After your two groups of five then secure the arch you just created by going under the chain space below and working one single crochet.  Then go straight to the next gap and work five double crochet, one chain and five double crochet.  You can see in the picture you are just working straight on top of the row below only with more stitches.  

When you get to the end secure to the row below to finish it off neatly. 

This is really nice on hand towels and very quick.  It would be nice on the opening end of a pillowcase... the ends of a fleecy or wool scarf, even along a curtain for your kitchen window.

This was an earlier post on some ideas with Crochet edgings... Crochet edgings and things to make 
over with them.   This post also shows how to work a foundation stitch plus an edging I used to do at one time!

I am not sure but it might have been Cookie who worked a pretty edging around the bottom of a cardigan or sweater.   This could also lengthen a skirt.

If you have trouble following me don't give up there are countless easy crochet edging tutorials on you tube where you can follow along.   I was very daunted by patterns until I realised I can do the stitches it is all in the order.  As you can see I am no perfectionist.  My motto is get going and keep practising!

I know quite a few of you have recently taken up crochet and can now do an edging.  So a multi row edging would be the perfect next thing to try!

I hope this helps someone! xxx

The Tuesday Afternoon Club, 29th January 2019.

The Tuesday Afternoon Club is taking place here and over on the Facebook group as well.   We have almost four hundred members over there!  The crafts and work is just so inspiring.  Here we have a get together also for those would wish to do it here instead.

Firstly we have Kelsey.  She has been busy!!  

Kelsey made a friend beautiful baby gifts.  We have burp cloths and a scrunch tab toy...

To make the scrunch in the toy Kelsey uses a cereal bag between the material.  It works perfectly! 

Even the packaging is handmade and beautiful...

Kelsey canned oranges and orange jelly...

Look at that glorious colour!

Now she has the peels soaking away in almond oil, olive oil, vodka and vinegar ready for projects to make cleaning and beautiful products! 

Another gift made was tags for a friend.  How gorgeous these are...

Kelsey also made cards from a calendar a family member was throwing away.  They are great cards and suitable for men which is handy as I find men the hardest group to make things for!

Veggies were harvested from the garden!  The carrots are from seeds I sent to Kelsey... look at them now!!

Kelsey's husband also helped her with her craft room.  He made her some drawers to store all her ribbons in.  Now this is another area organised.  They look wonderful...

Kelsey you have been extremely industries!!  It is all a joy to see!

Tanya has been sidelined with a leg injury!  But still she crafts on!  She made lavender sachets using a pattern that Kelsey gave her!

Also marble mazes.  I had not heard of these but it is like a puzzle and for a child who can push the marble along the pattern to get to the end.  Clever!  Kids would love this!

And beautiful bookmarks...

Tanya I hope your leg is improving.  You always do beautiful work, thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Jen in NC produced beautiful knitting...

She made cards and also knitted Aran Mitts that looks so warm...

I love the little birds carrying their envelopes!!!   Jens knitting is next level to me.  Just amazing. 

Also Jen made napkins and a matching heat pad.  Then she made napkin rings from some left over wool fabric she had made a skirt with.

Just beautiful.  What gorgeous gifts.  Thank you so much!

Clare sent me a beautiful letter and amazing photos.  She grew all these giant sunflowers!  This is what remains...

Even now these are stunning to me!!  Look at the size of some of them!  Full of sunflower seeds.  How my chickens and parrot would like these!  She is making up envelopes to give away and sell her seeds...

I have  a new goal for next year. Thanks to Jane I grew some beautiful sunflowers this year but I know I had them too closet the house so they got too much shade.  I will save some o the seeds and go crazy next year and plant whole rows of them!   That wheelbarrow load of sunflower heads would feed my bird gang for weeks!  Thank you Clare you have inspired me very much!  Clare is also very industrious and takes every opportunity to get ahead.  

I just love that there is so much variety.  Thank you so much for sharing your projects. The next Tuesday Afternoon Club should be here in a fortnight.  If you would like to post here then email me your pictures at brinkzi21@hotmail.com 

If you would like to join the Facebook group then join here at The Tuesday Afternoon Club.  There are too many entries over there to count, so many ideas, patterns, tips and lots of encouragement.

We are almost at the end of January!   But we have made a wonderful start to the year.  Our present cupboards will be full at this rate and it is so much fun to do what we can and learn new skills!!  xxx

Ideas from the Christmas markets!

I have been to three country town markets now and found them just wonderful!  So much fun!  The last one was an evening Christmas market.  These are all small country towns.   So many people are making and producing beautiful things!

Whether you want to craft or produce something for gifts or to sell (or both) new ideas,  packaging and pricing are all something to look at.   Quite a few Bluebirds started small businesses this year.  Having multiple income streams is a good idea. There are so many options!

Firstly, I think everyone can do something.  We don't wake up with skills, most of us have to learn and practise!  I have seen several friends go from unable to crochet (for instance) to being good enough to sell items within a few months!  Whatever it is we can work on it!   Next I think we might have materials on hand or natural resources just sitting there!!  All we need is the idea to go with it!
Ages ago I wrote several posts and we covered all kinds of things from how to decide what to make to finding time to get it all done.  You can find these posts here:

A Gift and a new week Part 1.

A Gift and a new week Part 2.

A Gift and a new week Part 3.

A Gift and a new week Part 4.

Sometimes you are sitting on a gold mine and don't even know it.  Maybe you have a natural talent for something and you don't know that as you never tried it!

The other day I saw that Anthropologie was selling small bunches of sticks tied with twine. I heard they were $42 and they sold old.  Wondering if this was true I went and had a browse on Anthropologie and found even better!!!  FAKE sticks... Birch... set of three sticks for $38.   If you don't believe me go over to see!   So it seems like if you have sticks or birch you have a resource!

Last week I walked past a florist with Harper.  So we had a bit of a nosey.   There was a bucket of gum nuts.   I have a tree of these exact same gum nuts out the front.

This had no price but next to it was a bucket of what seemed like odd bits and pieces all of which I have in the garden...

There were dried gum leaves...

And a wreath made of dried gum leaves...

You can see the prices.   It turns out pine cones are big money too.  

There is a lady with an ETSY shop and she just sells natural elements like gum nuts and so on.  It is amazing and she gets great reviews. So she made a business of stuff she can pick around her.

At the markets bunches of native flowers wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string sold fast.

There were a lot of candles with beautiful packaging i.e. gorgeous crystal containers with lids and lovely scents.   Some of these were stunning.  It make me thing to always buy the crystal containers at the op shop... when I have enough I will have a candle making day.  Most were charging $35 and up.

Cooking... there were queues at most of the cooking stalls.   One lady was well know by locals.  She was famous for her sausage rolls.   She also had gluten free slices.  I bought gf lemon slice from her.  It was so beautiful.  So now I am a local I know her too and next time will buy that slice again.  I was told my nephew ordered 100 sausage rolls from her and kept a supply in his freezer!   She was doing a roaring trade.

Essential oils, roller bottles, diffusers were all doing well.  The ladies on these stalls knew their stuff too and I tried things and learned things. This helped me plot some new essential oil gifts to make. 

Essential oil jewellery was doing well.  I bought a bracelet with lava beads in it.  These absorb your oil and both release the scent and being next to your skin your body absorbs it.  I have one I wear all the time.   If you are in Australia this girl Bare Feet Heart is gorgeous and was surrounded by curly haired little children.  She makes the most stunning essential oil necklaces. 

There were potted succulents, lavenders, rosemary trained in heart shapes, many plants.

Gorgeous labels for your pantry, drink bottles etc and you could order any words, any colour, any script.  I ordered small gold script to go on essential oil roller bottles...

Beautiful hand made children's clothes.

One I could see was selling well was handmade baby things.  She had bibs smartly themed in country designs i.e. cows, sheep, even John Deere tractors etc.   Genius.  Appeal to your customers! 

Hand made soaps, bubble bars, bath bombs etc.   Many were divine.  The cheapest bar of soap I saw was $7.  Most had deals i.e. buy 4 and get one free or something like that.  

A girl was selling her handmade jewellery and she packaged it using a shell from her beach.  I admired this as she could have spend a lot of boxes or something yet her shell made it stunning and 

charming and was free.  Clever girl.

Cards... beautiful hand made cards and tags.   

Scrunchies and bows.  Yes scrunchies are back.  Big time.  

Macrame.  Same as above, yes,  that is back too.  While you do your macrame you wear a scrunchies in your hair!   I lived through both of these before so can't quite get enthused.

One was very clever.... play doh in buckets, with sparkles, coloured sand and coloured rice in buckets.  She set up a little station kids could try it.  The coloured rice was gorgeous.  Her buckets all stacked up in pretty colours and sparkles.  Was all selling like mad.

Another was seedlings, fresh veggies and relishes, jams etc.  These people are known to locals from a local farm.  Everyone said their relish was amazing and people are always repeat customers once you try.   They had gift packs i.e. five jars stylishly lined up on a long skinny butting board all wrapped as a Christmas gift.  They were selling fast.

A stall with chocolates, nuts, apricot balls etc also packaged beautifully in gift sets for Christmas.  All the work done for you.   

Gingerbread houses.  Beautifully hand made and decorated.  Lovely.

Sprouting kits and packs of the seeds.  These looks really good!

A lady from vineyard was selling wreaths and hanging baskets all made from the vines.  They were beautiful.  Some hanging baskets she had filled with succulents. 

Anything environmental was big i.e. stainless steel pegs,  shopping bags,  produce bags,  natural cleaning products, drink bottles, reusable  coffee cups,  straws etc. 

We had so much fun on Friday night.   The market was in a town hall and the gardens around it were beautiful.  We sat out there in the evening and ate dinner.  Even the drive was beautiful as the road was lined with huge gum trees and it was just gorgeous. 

I am starting to write down my craft plans for the new year.  And saving up supplies!  

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday! xxx

Catching up on Show and Tell. Last one!

I had to have just one more!! Things too beautiful not to show!

First we have Lorraine.  Her Grand daughter is crazy about Unicorns.  Lorraine made this gorgeous card for her...

Inspiration for all the card makers amongst us! 

And this pillowcase...

What a beautiful present! 

Loraine also made a gift for her caravanning friends..

I am sure they loved it!!  Both gifts were exactly what the recipient LOVES.  This is a sure way to gift making success.   Just lovely Lorraine! 

And now to Jen in NS.  She was busy crafting for her annual Church fundraiser.

She made cards,  pot holders (which I love) and kitchen towels...

Crochet pot holders,  heat pads,  coasters...

And socks and mittens! 

I would want to buy all this.  More I want to make it.   When I see gifts that I know I would love to receive then I know this is what I should be making!

Thank you both for posting your photos!   

After so many amazing hand made items I am feeling excited to start off a new year.  We are going to start in January with a big challenge to get as much made week by week as we can.   It seems to be encouraging to have someone to report to and share what we have done so this is what we are going to do!  We are going to join Alison and Rebecca and get together every second Tuesday.   What we will be able to do will be amazing.  If you missed Alison and Rebecca their story was posted just last week.  Getting together regularly helped them achieve an enormous amount!

I hope your week is going well!  xxx

Catching up with Show and Tell, Part 6.

Our Show and Tell has caught us up a lot with what many of us have been making.  We also touched on lots of things i.e. making things can fill the present cupboard but also save money, be fun, help others, help charity and so much more!  This year I have noticed quite a few of us have launched small businesses to bring in an income as well... or expanded on ones already up and running.  Increasing your skills gives you lots of options and options are good!

I am turning this post over to Kelsey as she achieved her goal of starting an Etsy shop and her story is really encouraging and I hope it helps others!  

   I have loved crafting since I was a little girl. I would often have projects scattered across the kitchen table as I kept my friends and relatives supplied with handmade cards, pictures and magnets for their refrigerators, paper chains, painted rocks, you name it!  As a young teen, I learned to knit and sew.  Unfortunately when I got older, crafting was pushed aside, and by the time I got married I felt it didn't have a place among my more "practical" homemaking duties. It wasn't until I discovered Annabel's blog that I realized how wrong I was!

    As I became a regular Bluebirds reader (and after devouring all of her past posts!), I saw all of the beautiful things Annabel made for her home and loved ones and how beautifully they were presented.  When she started the Christmas Challenge and Show and Tell, I was further inspired with the photos and stories from ladies all across the world sharing things they had created. Everyone was using their diverse talents to bless others with homemade gifts and build up their homes. It was all beautiful and practical, and a regular part of their homemaking. I knew I needed to start crafting again.

    I began making my own cards and gifts and sending pictures in for Show and Tell. Everyone was so encouraging with their comments on my work, and friends were saying how they loved receiving my handmade gifts, wrapping and all!  The more I made, the more my confidence grew and a few people would say, "You could sell these!"  After a while, I really began to consider it.

    With our move to the ranch, my husband starting a new career, and then having a baby, I knew I couldn't commit to selling at markets and fairs, time-wise or cost-wise.  I didn't have a lot of space for inventory, or funds for big start up costs, and my schedule was always changing as our son grew.  I needed to be flexible, knowing that my home and family would always be my top priority.  I began to dream of an Etsy store.  This would allow me to make things as my time and budget allowed, and if I needed to, I could walk away from it for a while. I also wouldn't need to leave my home, which was huge for me! I did lots of research, praying, and discussing it with my husband. I decided it was really something I wanted to pursue and I started the process of opening Spring Creek Loft (named by my husband after setting up my wonderful crafting space in our previously unused loft!)

    Plans were pushed back several times as different circumstances came up.  I also had my doubts about whether my work was good enough to sell, if people would want to buy it, if I really had the time, if I could handle the taxes and business aspect of it, etc. I felt my photography and computer skills were lacking, too. With all of these disheartening thoughts, I was reminded of the servant in the Bible, who through fear, buried the talent his master gave him instead of increasing it and prospering. I also thought of the Proverbs 31 woman, who through her skills and industry, blessed and prospered her household with things she made and even sold.  She did all of this without fear.  With this in mind along with so much encouragement from family and friends, I didn't give up.  Annabel talks often about learning new things.  I decided I would take whatever obstacles I faced one at a time and learn from them.  After months of research, creating inventory, taking photos, ordering shipping supplies, and putting the final touches on my page, I finally opened my Etsy shop in September 2018! It is a dream come true!

    In researching opening an Etsy store, one recurring piece of advice was that you have to love what you do, and I truly do.  My theme at Spring Creek Loft comes from the very thing that inspired me to start crafting again--gift giving!  I sell cards, tags, gift card envelopes, clothes pins, jar toppers, and recipe cards.  Soon I hope to add gift bag sets.  All of my products reflect my lifestyle and things I enjoy, such as flowers, gardening, country living, hand-written letters, cooking, baking, and crafting. Each of my products is a labor of love. Early in the morning, late at night, and during nap time, I am up in the loft happily crafting away.  It has been a blessing to me and hopefully it is to others as well.

    I would like to thank Annabel and everyone who has encouraged me over the years with their kindness, encouragement, and friendship. You have been a big influence and help in many areas of my life, and my Etsy goal wouldn't have been accomplished without all of your support and lovely comments.  Thank you so much!!

Well done Kelsey! Your story is very encouraging!  I love your Scripture quotes.  I think of the Proverbs verse about how a skilled workman will come to know Kings!  Skills give you options!  We must work on our skills.   No one falls out of bed and is a skilled craftsman on day one.  All skills need practice and work.  I often hear someone say they are no good at this or that... yet in truth they tried it once or twice.   While we all will have natural gifts and talents leaning more in some directions these will still take practice and work work work!

With Christmas coming I wanted to have a post with some of our Etsy shops and other businesses.  It has also become too expensive to post internationally so now I choose my gifts from the country they are going to and postage becomes a non issue!   Please someone tell me you have a business in New Zealand.... I have no one selling that I know in NZ!  

Kelsey's store is called  Spring Creek Loft which you can find here.  Already a lot of Bluebirds have supported her and helped her! 

If you have a business (and I can think of many of you who do!) please post your details and link in comments.  Over on Facebook which is here you can also share a link, photos and anything about your store or business.... so we will have a little Bluebirds business directory.  I am hoping we all might do some Christmas shopping this way and also like and promote each others pages etc.

Thank you Kelsey!  Thank you everyone for a great Show and Tell! xxx