temporary stone art

Even sitting on a riverside enjoying a little sunshine while the kids are playing in the cold water, one can do a little temporary art with all the different pebbles and stones around.

My darling thinks it is possible to catch witches (like me?) in a stone circle like that!

:-)

Bon weekend,
Jane

Flowers in the rain

What a relaxing afternoon: My sister in law and me sitting on the patio, having a cup of tea, talking about everything and nothing and each of us doodling along the way. This is mine:

by Janelostinideas

It's reflecting a bit the conditions we had lately: the flowers are blooming, but it is raining a lot.

Hopefully we will get a dry weekend, as we are expecting some more guests.

Bon weekend,
Jane

Doudou

A new baby has been born and I want to visit her and her mom in hospital. I needed a little something for the baby and hadn't anything for girls on stock. 

Yesterday I made some cuddling cloth's, in french they are called doudou. (I made a test one before, you remember?). I like them a lot. The colorful fabric has been a leftover piece from a blanket I made some years ago. This is why it is smaller (25x25cm) and the one with the red cocks is 30x30cm.  

For the backside I took soft moleton fabric. If I am sewing for baby's I use only cotton and no synthetic fabrics. The only problem with moleton is, that after some washing it might loose it's softness, but you never know before. I already tried a lot of different qualities.

A bientôt,
Jane

Picking raspberries

Raspberries - what tastes more like summer?

I love picking berries - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants and blackberries ... But for some of them you need your both hands to pick and you have to stay upright (for example for blackberries and raspberries - and I have lots of them!). So either you have to bend down all the time to put the berries into an container what is for a person, who has often back pain, not very convenient, or you invent something. Last summer I made myself a bag that I can fix in front of my belly and where I can easily put in all the fruits collected.

Maybe it is looking a bit funny, but it is so useful!

There is one strap around the neck and one around the waist to hold it stable even when leaning forward. The outer fabric is jeans and inside it's oil cloth, that is easy to clean when you have smashed a fruit.

Normally I put a 1 liter ice box inside. This is enough for berries. If for example I want to pick cherries or plums I could use the bag without any other container.

Hmmmmm, for today's tea time there are raspberries with whipped cream! 

A bientôt,
Jane

upcycling a boys shirt

I jazzed up a simple blue long sleeve shirt of my son yesterday. 

I printed the pattern on freezer-paper, cut out the letters and forms and ironed it on the shirt. The painting has been done in 2 minutes. Ready! 

This is the first time I used that technique and I am thrilled. So easy and a very clean and professional finish! Will be done again!

A bientôt,
Jane, qui veut aussi partir "into the blue", parce-que ici il pleut sans arrêt!

late-night money pouch

Tip: If you remember around 10pm that your son needs to take a little money to his one week outdoor-camp and that you don't have a money pouch that would be accepted by a boy and you decide to quickly sew one, than you should always choose a pattern you already know, or one with a good explanation and size details! You should not try to invent your own pattern! Because then you will need a lot of time, ripping up useless seams and making a knot in your tired brain while thinking how to put together all parts and still be able to turn it...

Anyway, the result is not that bad and my eldest agreed to use it :-)

It is about 8 by 10 cm and on the backside is a loop to fix it to a belt. Inside you have a zipper closed pocket for money and a compartment that will for now host a paper with address and name and so on and some band-aids.

I forgot a strap, to be able to use it with a carabiner too, this will be in the advanced pattern, if I am upgrading it a bit for future pouches...

A bientôt,
Jane

a little skirt

The summer didn't really returned, but at least we are having acceptable temperatures and a little sunshine, so I wore my new skirt today for a photo in the garden.

I had only 40cm of this fabric and used it all up to make the skirt. This is why it is not as wide as I would have liked it, but the jersey is very stretchy, so no problems at all to move and not tight around the hips. In the waist it is only slightly folded.

The fabric is very light (unfortunately a lot of polyester), but you can squeeze is in any luggage corner and get it out without any crinkles. I guess it will go on camping trip with me this summer. The hole skirt is so small it would fit into a water glass. But why would you put it into one?

A bientôt,
Jane

Elastic bracelets

For today I had planned to make some photos of the new skirt I sewed yesterday, but it is raining since tonight and I don't feel like standing in a skirt for hot summer days and a small top in the dripping garden to get a picture. 

Instead I had a very calm and relaxing morning with my boys on the sofa. We have been reading, playing, breakfasting and also handcrafting. The "rainbow loom bracelets" fever is high at the boys school, as it is everywhere. My boys wanted to do them as well and we got a bunch of elastics, but no loom. Until today we have been only able to make the simple ones (but even the younger can do) and basic fishtail ones with a normal crochet hook. I think the fishtail is the nicest pattern, but still quite fiddly to do.

My darling likes to surf on instructibles.com and he gave me a link for Loom techniques. I found this link and made this little helper today in 5 minutes of time.

Much easier and different to the 4-side-fishtail we made before. Very fast my elder son and me finished two bracelets. He can do all by himself, but it is me who made the beginning. 

His arm is now a bit overly decorated, but he will give at least one away on a birthday party this afternoon.

Personally I am not so much fan of elastic jewelry, but I think it is great that this way even very cool boys, who would normally never do needlework, are training their manual and fine motor skills. 

A bientôt,
Jane