Weekend Project - Bunting

Whats better than balloons, streamers, tinsel and tacky decorations?? Whats handmade with love and care and can be used year after year?? BUNTING of course!!

I think using bunting to celebrate special occasions is a great tradition to start! I'm going to make each of the kids their own special ones for their birthdays, as well as a Christmas one...maybe Valentines, Easter, Halloween.... oh the possibilities are endless!!!!

Making bunting is something that I find really therapeutic. Maybe it's because of the repetition? Not sure really, but it's something that I enjoy, so I thought I would share it as a Weekend Project for you to try too.

So firstly - gather your fabric supplies. Either co-ordinated or random, or make it all from the same piece, it's up to you. You'll also need some Bias Binding Tape or ribbon or something to string it all together, Plus a sewing machine and your usual sewing supplies.

 

Then, I like to make a stencil. This makes it easier to keep all the pieces the same size. Empty cereal boxes come in really handy for stencil making! My stencil is about 18cm across the top, and measures about 23cm from the top to the point.

 

You then need to fold your fabric in half, with the pattern facing in, and pin together. Then either trace around the stencil or pin it on and cut out. Do this until you have your desired amount of 'flags' in each of your chosen fabric.

 

Stitch around each set of flags leaving minimal seam around the edge. I leave the top of the flag unstitched as this will be sewn later. Then cut any extra fabric off, so the stitching is as close to the edge as possible.

 

Turn the flags in the right way ensuring you have a good point at the end. I like to use a knitting needle to poke it all out.

 

Then iron your flags flat and order them how you would like them hung.

 

 

I use Bias Binding Tape along the top of my bunting. I fold it in half and iron it flat. Then I slip the top of each of the flags into the fold and pin down. You could easily run a length of ribbon across the top if you didn't have the Bias Tape.

 

 

Then sew it all together!

 

 

And there you have it! A funky new bunting to hang around the house or to use for a special occasion!

 

Why not try one for yourself this weekend! - or if you would prefer head over to my Etsy Store where I have some for sale!!

Birthday time!!

Happy Birthday to my little bub!! One already! This year has gone so fast!!

So my cake turned out really brilliantly...haha...well in the end it did.......

I kinda had a few issues with the first attempt of the cake. It rose up beautifully....nice and round and high...that was until I turned it out onto the cooling rack - that's when disaster struck and it fell into about 5 different pieces! As you can imagine my heart sunk! I had to start again! I even got up early, wrote myself a list, had the cake in the oven by 8.30 am. I thought I was on top of things..... Then I couldn't do anything until my hubby got back from the shop with more eggs. So what else to do? Well get creative with my disaster of course!! I turned it into cake balls!

 

So I just rolled the cake into balls - hoping like crazy that they would stay together. Then I coated them in pink icing and rolled them into pink and white coconut!

 

They were a big hit at the party! No body would ever have been any wiser except for my clever boys showing everyone the photos of my disaster - they thought it was hilarious!

 

 



So once the cake was made onto the rest of the party preparations! Putting up the bunting, and the rest of the food. Making party food is always heaps of fun - the fairy bread, popcorn, fruit kebabs - YUM. I always like to have fruit on offer. It really does surprise you that the fruit plate is generally one of the first to be eaten! I was working in a kindy last year, and made a point of always having a plate of fruit at class parties. Watermelon, strawberries and grapes are always popular!

And due to such hot day yesterday, we had some bottles of water as well as soft drink and fruit juice.

In the end our little girls party was great. Even with the heat, the disaster cake and the stress of party planning, we had a really fun day!

Happy Birthday Bub!

On my dining table today......

Well I've run out of room on my sewing table, so I've spread my projects (some would call mess) to the dining table.
Yes there are scissors, material, ribbon, and triangle shapes every where.
I think I'm getting a bit carried away.... Today I am working on more bunting, but this time Christmas Bunting.
I know it's only October, but Christmas will be here before we know it!!
So back to it I go! Sew, sew, sew!!