SaySewMinette

Blue Blouse

2011-10-23T21:48:00.000+02:00

I took an old dress shirt of my dad and made this pretty blouse for Emese. I found the idea and tutorial for it here. Making clothes for little girls are so fast and easy and fun! Loving it! Some more coming!

Cutie Skirt

2011-10-15T18:07:00.000+02:00

I found this tutorial for the cutest high waist skirt and couldn't resist making it for Emese. It's brilliantly easy to make, and so so cute! Emese looks like a little ladybug, haha!

Bunny Dolls

2011-10-15T17:58:00.000+02:00

Emese had a first play-date with her friend Cleo and I had some time to quickly make two bunny dolls. I was inspired by my friend Calli's creations http://myfoursisters.blogspot.com/2011/08/aaw-cute.html which I love love love! Sorry the pics are not best, but you get the idea!

Fairy Cute

2011-09-10T12:00:00.000+02:00

I was invited to a costume party in a real medieval castle. Baby sitter (daddy) had to work last minute and so I had no choice but to take Emese with me. My costume was planned and ready, but I had to quickly conjure something up for Emese. First thing that popped into my mind as easy and simple was fairy wings... with no time to go and look for an easy tutorial I had to improvise. And I have to say that it turned out very cute. For the most part Emese wasn't aware of the wings on her back, and when she was she wanted to pull it off... she'll still learn that it's a treat to be a little fairy... But they are still in tact and here for her to play with when she's ready.

Owls

2011-09-01T18:26:00.000+02:00

These there little owls came to stay with us... Emese loves them and keeps making the baby sign language sign for it. Sooo cute! I should try to put up a little video...

Tiny slippers

2011-08-29T12:01:00.000+02:00

Made some slippers for Emese but they are too small... (that's what happens when you work on projects while baby is asleep and you can't measure little feet or compare shoe sizes...). So I'll have to make some more soon, getting ready for cold winter times!

Furry Pillows

2011-08-26T15:45:00.000+02:00

We finally got Emese a little Emese-size chair (which she loves to sit and read on, or just slouch on, or sometimes stands on...) so I made a little cushion to match her big play-pillow.

Pebble Flower

2011-08-21T15:37:00.000+02:00

Here's a felt flower I made after founding a tutorial. I found a little grey pebble and thought it would work nicely for the center.

flowers

2011-08-19T13:00:00.000+02:00

I found a few tutorials on how to make some fabric flowers and made a few to put on Emese's jersey's. It makes such a huge difference, turning something ordinary into cute and pretty. Gonna make some more to decorate other things too...

Emese's birthday Cakes

2011-05-30T09:05:00.000+02:00

Emese turned 1 on 28/05/2011. Here are some pics of the cakes that I made... YUM! A two-tier fondant cake, some cupcakes and cake pops.

UPDATE: Squares, Dots & Hearts...

2011-05-11T21:13:00.000+02:00

Two posts ago I added the three little custom made canvasses... well I upped it a bit by adding some ladybugs and felt flowers and a heart... it looks great hanging next to the big tree!

Baobab Buttons

2011-05-05T09:55:00.000+02:00

This is my most treasured creation thus far... probably because I spent soooo many hours on it, but it's just beautiful also! It is also the biggest quilt project that I've worked on. It hangs proudly in my parents dining room in their house in Mosselbaai. I saw a picture of a quilt like this and fell in love and decided to make one myself.

The background is made of mostly african fabrics with some complementary colors added. The Baobab tree is completely made up of buttons, all light-white-cream-ish. And yes, I counted them.... there is 786 of them! Phew! [Thank goodness for sewing machines that can sew buttons... I started buttoning by hand but soon (probably after about 5 buttons) decided to go for the fast and easy way.] And as always, my lappies-guru Ronel helped me with the quilting, thanks.

I Love my tree! There's so much symbolism in it but I'll spare you the sentimental details since I made it as a gift for my parents. They know!

Squares, Dots & Hearts...

2011-04-28T12:49:00.000+02:00

Got three little canvasses, some matching dotted fabrics, a clock, a staple gun and a glue gun... hmmm, what shall I make...

It is not so clear in the picture, but the clock is fitted in the white dotted canvas. I'll try to find a ladybug and/or a nice flower to put on the other canvas(es)... These will go up on a wall in Emese's red/Hungarian room.

complex handbag

2010-09-27T20:55:00.000+02:00

Someone said: "A woman's mind is as complex as the contents of her handbag..." Actually, it was a man who said that... I wonder if my husband will agree. (Luckily my personality will take it as a compliment.) Anyway, here's a little purse organiser that I made that fits into your handbag. It has lots of little pockets for EVERYTHING! In theory it should keep your handbag organised, and when you want to switch handbags, then simply take it out and put it in the other. Saves you having to throw everything out and reorganize the new bag... I can do with one of these! I made this for a friend for her birthday, and still want to make one for myself. (I always do that.... make something for someone else that I want to keep for myself.... I should start making things double from the beginning.)

Where's the remote...!!!

2010-09-27T20:34:00.000+02:00

This is a fun way to keep remotes and other TV-watching accessories (like tissues when watching a tear-jerker movie) in one place close at hand. I sewed the pockets of a pair of my husband's old trousers onto a piece of denim fabric. It tucks into the inside of the couch to stay in place. It works great!

peanut butter cupcakes...

2010-09-19T22:43:00.000+02:00

My husband pulled out a recipe book and asked me to bake these peanut butter cupcakes. I love peanut butter, but the thought of something drenched and baked with peanut butter is not really something that gets my taste buds going. I always thought it would be too much, well, peanut buttery…. But since he asked I thought I’d give it a go, and I’m glad I did! These are goooooood! Glad he asked. Yum!

Quilting for friends

2010-08-30T14:20:00.000+02:00

Here are two quilts that I made for two friends. In both cases I had some fabrics that I though suited their personalities very well, so I decided to put it together in a quilt for each. Special thanks again to my ‘lappies-guru’ for helping me do the quilting on these.

This quilt is actually a baby-quilt… the ‘veggie-tale-quilt’, because it’s made from fabrics with all sorts of vegetables on them (very random though, who ever decided to print fabrics with fruit and vegetables on it.) But it’s wholesome and fun, which is what my friend Calli is like. This quilt is for her fresh new cute and pretty baby boy, Langlan, born only a week and 3 days ago. And there’s a matching little doll that goes with the quilt. When I made the quilt they didn't know if she's having a boy or a girl....well, phew....!!!

I made this ‘Laura-quilt’ keeping in mind that she ALWAYS wears something with either stripes or dots or both, but mostly dots. So I used complementing IKEA fabrics to fill up the rest of the quilt so that your eyes don’t go dizzy from looking at too many dots. (Don’t worry Laura, you don’t make us dizzy with your dots, we like it!)

WAVE YOUR FLAG!

2010-08-21T16:08:00.000+02:00

This blog entry is dedicated to all the little ones in our family, the new generation! WJ, Rian, Connor, Emese and Carle (and more to come hopefully). I made flags for each of you with your name printed on.

I got the idea when listening to coca-cola’s world cup song, ‘Waving Flag’ by K’naan (NOTE: the world cup version, not the other version!) What a great and fun song. Anyway, the chorus was really the inspiration:

When I get older, I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom, just like a waving flag, so wave your flag, now wave your flag.

So this is my inspiration for the little ones to wave their flags. We love you, we are watching you as you grow, and we anticipate your hopeful future.

Nursing Nerves

2010-08-13T16:12:00.000+02:00

Just a short post to show off my nursing cover…
I made this cover to use when breastfeeding in public. I’d never seen or heard of it before, but came across it while searching the Internet for all sorts of baby-stuff. What a relief! I thought I would have to stay home FOREVER because I did not intend to feed in public, but YAY!, now I can go everywhere and feed discreetly. Some people even think she’s just sleeping and I’m covering her up…
These are so easy to make so I made a few more.

from shirt to sleeping-bag

2010-08-10T10:59:00.000+02:00

I had two old white blouses that I used to wear a lot. Even though their days were numbered, I didn’t just want to throw or give them away, so I decided to make it into something for my daughter.

I traced a sleeping bag onto the blouses and then sewed it together to fit my 10-week-old girl. It's perfect. The one blouse was a bit short so I simply sewed a strip of fabric on the bottom to lengthen it.

Even though she’s only 10 weeks old, she has a mean kick and often kicks herself open in the night. Well now she’ll have at least another layer over her. I’ll have to get something a bit warmer for the winter though…

Flagging Prayers

2010-08-02T14:28:00.000+02:00

I have a friend who is 39 weeks pregnant, and moving countries a month or so after her baby will be born. We had to come up with something alternative because a traditional baby-shower is out of the question… so we showered her with our prayers and blessings. I made prayer flags with everyone’s messages on individual flags that she will hang up in the bedroom to look at as she pushes and shouts. The idea is that it will encourage her in the whole birth process. We’ll see how that goes. And afterward she can hang it up in the baby room. It looks kinda fun and festive. Hope it will lighten the hard work you are about to do, Calli. Be blessed!

Diaper Bag - DONE!

2010-05-27T18:31:00.000+02:00

It took me a day and a half, and here it is. My diaper bag. Or rather, Szaszi's Baby-Bag. My husband do not want to walk around with a bag that looks like it belongs to me, so I made this bag to look like a man-bag too. But since we are having a girl he'll have to be happy with the polka dot details inside the bag... I'm pretty chuffed with it, and I'm happy to say, so is he.

2010-05-24T18:17:00.000+02:00

Oh Baby!

I’m two days away from my due date (26 May 2010), and I figured that I needed to get some baby-stuff that I made on my blog before my girl comes and I run out of time… so here’s a few pictures of what I’ve been doing for the last few months.

I covered a notice board using blocks of fabric that I really liked and thought I’d use for making stuff for the baby. Don’t know how useful the notice board will be in the room… I haven’t used all the fabrics yet, but I did make a diaper-stacker, a klamboe (or mosquito net) and crib bumpers from those fabrics. The bumpers are reversible in different fabrics. I also made a fitted sheet for my stroller.

My favourite item is the diaper changing station. I only finished it yesterday… glad I got it done in time. It folds up into a sort of clutch bag and there’s space for a few diapers, some ointments and wipes. I used burgundy pleather for the outside of the bag and a piece of a vinyl table cloth for the diaper changing area that I can just wipe clean. I can hook it onto the stroller or I can simply throw it into my diaper bag (which I still have to make…)

I’ve had a great pregnancy and I can’t believe that the time has now finally come to meet my baby girl. I’ve had so much fun making things, and I have a lot of things on my mind that I still want to make, but we’ll see if I get to that….

Sister-Sister

2010-03-12T13:23:00.000+01:00

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

I have two sisters who I only get to see about once a year because they live on another continent. We are far enough apart in age that for the last 7 years and the coming 10 years big things happened and will continue to happen like starting a career, getting married and having children. I so miss being able to share these things with them and being there to support them physically. And I’m sure they feel the same way, so we share the same amount of sadness and feelings of guilt. (But I would like to believe that in some way, by feeling the same, we cancel these feelings out…) Wishful thinking!

Anyway, my one sister got the brains, the other got the looks, and I am proud to have creativity. So I get to make beautiful things that they can ooooh!! and aaaah!! about.

Here I made little portraits of the three of us for each of them. (Whoops, I see that on Lidell’s portrait her necklace is standing up instead of lying down…). I’m working on a little portrait of my brother also to send to them at some point. Then the picture will be complete.

I love being one of four children and I keep saying that I’ll have four of my own. Well, I’m only on my way with number 1 now. Let’s see how far I get.

Winds of Change

2010-03-12T12:33:00.000+01:00

I made a little wall portrait to symbolize a lot of (if not ALL) the emotions and changes I’m experiencing spiritually, mentally and physically these days as I am anticipating my baby girl's arrival. It is mostly positive. I’m having a really great pregnancy without any sickness or cravings (or whatever other complications some women experience). I love the feeling of my baby moving around my belly and I think that I will miss it…. Though I’m sure that it will most definitely not compare to finally holding her in my arms.

Even though I realize that there will be a lot of things that I have to give up (maybe only temporarily), I know that the same wind that is blowing it (and my firm grasp on it) away will also bring new things to hold on to… beautiful things, precious things… This wind is warm and full of anticipation. It is comforting. When the time is right, just when my hands are finally empty, it will be filled again.

So come, Wind, and blow away all my fears and all the control that I want to have on my life and the way I live. Come blow Your soft breeze of Life and Hope and Surrender….

Today I am 29 weeks and 2 days pregnant with 75 more days to go to D-day. Here is a small picture taken today especially for my friend who’s been asking for one… (She’s far-far away and also pregnant with her first child…)

African Women

2010-03-05T11:56:00.000+01:00

I recently joined a workshop by Elaine Barnard where we were encouraged to use many different techniques and materials in creating beautiful little hand quilted pieces in a theme of “African Women”. I was really inspired by Elaine and her depth of creativity… there really is no boundaries to what you can do and with what you can work. For a quick look at some of her work, see http://www.fibreworksart.com/Barnard.html.

So here are three pieces that I made. I actually had myself and 2 other friends in mind when creating these (they know who they are) and gave it to them as gifts.

“Baby on the Back” was my little secret… I always wanted to have children, but at the time of making this piece my husband and I were actually secretly trying to get pregnant. Fortunately it didn’t take long and I am now 6 months pregnant with our first child. It’s a girl!!!

“African Secrets” is a bag made for a diary. This African woman has been through much but can still look the world square in the face and continue to live a fulfilled life.

“African Dreams” suggests that the fruit of your life’s accomplishments will always continue to pave a way for more dreams and success.

I love being African!

Christmas Quilts

2009-12-25T14:07:00.000+01:00

I'm currently working on clearing my 'playground' to make space for my first child who is on the way. So I pulled out all my old denims and some matching fabrics and ventured on to making my first quilt. I had enough denim that I thought I'd make two matching quilts for my 4 nephews for Christmas.

My 4 nephews are two brothers in South Africa and two brothers in Romania, aged one and three. The two in South Africa relates directly to me, and the two in Romania to my husband. The four boys have never met, but hopefully one day we will be able to arrange a get-together. I live in the Netherlands, so my job is to let let both sides know that we love them even though we may only see them once a year.

I called up my 'lappies-guru' and asked how and what about starting a quilt, and before long I got started. I must say that I am very pleased with the end result. So much so that I almost thought of keeping the quilts for myself. But I love those boys too much! (Thanks for helping, R!)

I made little matching 'messenger' dolls for each boy. They are named Georgio, Pringle, Blue and Ridge. (They get their names from the name of the denim or shirt that they are made from). On the back of each is a pocket (the original pocket of the denim or shirt) in which I placed a personal message for each boy. Georgio and Pringle went to South Africa, and Blue and Ridge will soon go to Romania.

We love you boys! Don't forget about us!

can't have your cake and eat it too....

2009-10-18T14:42:00.000+02:00

I recently baked a wedding cake (or wedding cakeS) for someone who saw my previous post "a first with fondant". She liked the photo of my birthday cake and asked me to bake for her wedding. Wow, what an opportunity and what a challenge. I was basically given a blank canvas with the only request that there must be some purple in it. Again, wow, what an opportunity and what a challenge. After thinking, searching, googling and shopping around for ideas, tools and equipment I figured out what I wanted to do, and so here it is! Two chocolate cakes of each 3 layers and a cupcake tower for the children. I'm very chuffed with myself for pulling this off. Even though I did not get to eat from this cake, I'd say that this bride definitely had her cake and ate it too... as should any bride on her special day!

2009-09-25T11:22:00.000+02:00

SUNFLOWER

"Every Friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also. He attracts and follows." - Jean Paul Richter

I hosted an evening last night where friends could come over and paint. Together with my painter-friend Elmien, we bought canvasses and paints, and collected all our paintbrushes and painting equipment. After a quick explanation of colours and techniques Elmien started splashing paint onto her canvas and whuala! a Masterpiece! It's so inspiring to watch someone do that.

Everyone got started on their sunflower or paprika that was laid out on the table and then five more masterpieces were created. I always love seeing how people interpret art in their own way. They are looking at the same object and yet the final product comes out completely different for each one. It's unique!

Thanks for coming everyone! Let's do that again soon.

Beary-Special

2009-09-20T16:06:00.000+02:00

I made this little Bear for a friend who gave birth to their first child.... it's a girl! There is actually nothing 'girly' about this bear (... did not think about that until it was almost finished...) but I did try to add a few different textures for the little girl to discover. The tummy and ears are furry-soft, the nose is made from smooth leather, the nose tip and eyes are hard buttons, and the body is from rough felt.

And just for in case her parents forget who's little bear this is, I embroidered her name on the back....

welcome to this world, Natasha!

a First with Fondant

2009-08-31T09:16:00.000+02:00

My fondant Birthday/Wedding cake...

These are some pictures of my first attempts at baking and decorating a cake with some fondant icing. I think it went OK ...at least I can say that we are still friends with the person that I baked the first cake for.... they survived! (I wanted to actually bake a cake for my 30th birthday so I had a first attempt on my guinea pig friend... )

My birthday cake was a two-tier, 5 layered chocolate cake, very pretty and very lekker, and I realised that it looked like the wedding cake I never had... so I guess I can check down two to-do's now...

The process of layering the marzipan and fondant
and tucking it all tight

Paul's birthday cake.
(with Hungarian birthday wishes)

This is it...!

2009-08-27T16:48:00.000+02:00

Finally a blog... I am overcoming all my fears, all my misconceptions, all my laziness and all my worries about what people will think and just doing it, just writing it, just posting it and just showing it for what it is... my handwork. I love it! I'm proud of it! I'm sharing it! I hope you will enjoy it, be inspired by it and maybe even ask me for it.

What is it? Well, it's many things: a bag, a dress, a quilt, a tea box, a painting, a stool, it's a smell and a taste... It's colorful, it's textured, it's shaped. It's imagined, it's dreamed up, it's restored. It's my time, my heart and my passion. (My husband very poetically calls it "colors filled with African shadows".)

Where did it all begin? In the living room of Ariesstraat 4, van Riebeekpark, South Africa. As a little girl I used to sit and watch my grandmother and mother as they sewed sweatsuits and dresses for me and my sister. When I got a chance at the machine, I would design and sew clothes for my barbie dolls. The encouragement and freedom to try things opened the door of creativity which is today a source of joy and relaxation. So thank you mamma and ouma! You gave me a platform on which I feel safe and secure to dare and take chances, to play and have fun, to create and to give.