tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23550297007332518292024-03-12T18:15:17.471-07:00Mrs MonkeySewing + Knitting + Upcyclingviolainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-37694163510210019552015-01-29T14:19:00.003-08:002015-01-29T14:19:32.576-08:00Change of address...<strong>This blog doesn't get many visits. At all. So I have made the decision to close it, and just go back to what I used to do, which is to present my original French text with its English translation on the same page. So if you are still interested in following what I do, please come and visit us </strong><a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/"><strong>at Mrs Monkey's</strong></a><strong>! </strong><br />
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<strong>See you there! </strong><br />
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<strong>Violaine xxx</strong>violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-10819886368273481992015-01-09T13:48:00.003-08:002015-01-09T13:48:42.101-08:00What made me happy in December...<div style="text-align: center;">
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The tacky charm of a seaside resort in winter</div>
Slowly getting into the festive spirit<br />
The mini monley's first Christmas: tasting the turkey, and the wrapping paper, and everything else as well!<br />
He's sitting himself up, he's standing, he's letting go with one hand... freedom is not far away!<br />
A quick trip to France, great moments and great food shared in excellent company<br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-86742836780434114512014-12-01T10:51:00.000-08:002014-12-01T13:49:51.160-08:00What made me happy in November...<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
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<em>*Ok, I have to admit, i didn't take any photos in November (well, none worth showing here anyway)... With darkness setting in at 4pm and work, it's getting a bit complicated to get out during daylight hours, so I hope you will forgive me for using those old images to liven up this post a little !*</em><br />
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Getting on the train with mini monkey for the very first time to go and meet an old friend<br />
A long week end with Crazy Papy and Mamibel<br />
Starting work again, and finding out that it can be done!<br />
Catching up with my lovely colleagues<br />
Daddy monkey doing a great job looking after MM<br />
A little boy crawling on all fours<br />
Booking a sunny Holiday for 2015<br />
And looking forward to catching up with the family soon!<br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #008000; font-size: 18pt;" style="color: green; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-84282660680596893112014-11-25T13:33:00.001-08:002014-11-25T13:35:27.071-08:00Puerpuerium asymetrical baby cardigan : the knit that makes you happy<div style="text-align: center;">
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*Warning : This is a happy knit*</div>
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Violette was born at the end of June in a colourful international family, a bit like ours (or so I like to think). I had spotted the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puerperium-cardigan" target="_blank" title="Puerpuerium sur Ravelry">Puerpuerium</a> cardigan a little while ago via this <a href="http://wolvesinlondon.com/2014/05/14/for-the-love-of-knit/" target="_blank" title="Wolves in London">blog</a> and was patiently waiting for the right opportunity to arise. That square neckline, those short sleeves, that pretty buttonband, my needles were itching to get going!</div>
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I wasn't disappointed. The original Puerpuerium pattern (newborn size with short sleeves) is available as a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puerperium-cardigan" target="_blank" title="Puerpuerium sur Ravelry">free</a> download on Ravelry, in English, French, Dutch, German and Italian. I opted for the complete version : "<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beyond-puerperium" target="_blank" title="Beyond Puerpuerium">Beyond Puerpuerium</a>". For only $5,50 you get a PDF pattern which includes instructions from birth to 2 years, for 3 yarn weights and with several variations (sleeve length, contrasting buttonband, etc...). The pattern is extremely detailed and easy to follow, it is just a doddle. The cardigan is knitted in one piece, so no assembly required at the end (which is great for me, as this is my least favourite job when knitting). And I just loved knitting blindly without understanding where this was all going, until all of a sudden I had a fully formed cardigan on my needles! Magic! It was also my first time using the <em>kfb</em> stitch, and I have to say that I love it: easy, neat, pretty... perfect! The only thing I haven't enjoyed about this pattern was knitting the sleeves in the round, on very small circular needles... very fiddly, and the edges aren't very neat. Next time I might try using double pointed needles.</div>
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I actually tackled the so-called "expert" version of the pattern, with contrasting buttonband. And I also threw some stripes in, just for fun (well, mainly so I could use leftove yarn, but it doesn't sound so exciting!). I have to admit there was nothing requiring any kind of expertise, but I thank Kelly Brooker the author of the pattern for flattering my ego and making me believe I was an "expert"!! </div>
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The icing on the cake was that I got to use my KAM snapper plier for the first time. It's my new favourite toy, everything is getting "snapped" around here at the moment!<br />
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And the glitter dusting on the icing on the cake has to be the pic of the gorgeous Violette sporting her new cardigan that her mum sent me!!! Total cuteness alert!!! <br />
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/09/48/1051834/100258375_o.jpg" name="IMG_100258375" target="_blank"><img alt="violette" border="0" class="nonealign width300" src="http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/09/48/1051834/100258375.jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></div>
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So there you are, Puerpuerium makes you happy!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="color: teal;">***</span></strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-49804308425883850812014-11-01T16:04:00.003-07:002014-11-01T16:04:52.273-07:00What made me happy in October...<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/10/01/30686661.html"> Lire ce message en français</a></div>
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The mini monkey's food adventures<br />
A rather nice birthday party<br />
Some dear friends from far away<br />
Some lovely crisp sunny days by the sea<br />
The last ice-cream of the year (and maybe the last one altogether, as we have found out that the mini monkey is alllergic to dairy!)<br />
A lovely photo shoot in the park, autumn leaves, a surprise guest on a branch that I had come back for, and the wise old lady looking over us...<br />
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Today, our mini monkey is 6 months old!<br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-73460379356317816382014-10-30T14:54:00.000-07:002014-10-30T14:54:39.361-07:00Tessuti Libby A-line skirt in psychedelic-ethnic fabric<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/10/17/30781791.html">Lire ce message en français</a><br />
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Warning: this post isn't particularly seasonal... it dates back from the sweet time of flip flops and bare legs! Seems ages away now, so I thought I'd better write this one up before it starts to snow.</div>
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So these last few months my waistline has remained quite far removed from my usual UK size 8-10("You'll see, a month after giving birth you'll be back to wearing your pre-baby clothes" said one of my colleagues... really!! I actually PUT ON weight after my baby was born! I blame all the lovely people who kept bringing us chocolate :) ), and when summer came, I was starting to get fed up with wearing the same black and shapeless clothes, and only being able to do my fly up half way. It wasn't very glam, or comfortable, or self-esteem enhancing!</div>
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Having neither the inclination nor the means to entirely renew the contents of my wardrobe (It was a case of carrying on believing that one day I eventually would manage to shed those extra inches!), I needed a quick, easy and cheap sewing project that would jazz up all that boring black.</div>
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<img alt="IMG_5188" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" src="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/75/62/1051834/99576500.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;">Thank you daddy Monkey for the photos. You will of course recognise the cobbles of the Place de l'Etoile in Paris! And apologies for the display of lily-white legs...</span></div>
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Whilst wandering on the sewing blogosphere I had come across <a href="http://boodogg.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/french-noir-deux-libby-skirt.html" target="_blank">Boo Dogg's pretty A-line skirt</a>. It was made with 2/3 of a yard of fabric, and from a free pattern. Perfect!</div>
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As for the print, I did hesitate rather a lot. I just couldn't decide if it was the colourful ethnic print I'd always dreamt of, or if it was just completely over the top. But then it was reduced in the sale and good quality material (a nice stretch cotton canvas, easy to sew but friendly on the waistline) so I eventually went for it.</div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Technical info</span>:<br />
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<strong>You need</strong>:<br />
* <a href="http://www.tessuti-shop.com/collections/free-sewing-patterns/products/libby-a-line-skirt-pattern" target="_blank" title="Tessuti - patron gratuit Libby">Tessuti's free Libby A-line skirt PDF pattern </a>- short version (the pattern includes a knee length and maxi option, and is also available to purchase as a printed pack or download for free in a copyshop-ready version)<br />
* 65 cm of cotton fabric, with a little bit of weight to it to hold the A shape<br />
* 20 cm invisible zip<br />
* fusible interfacing (I used scraps, you only need very little as it is for the waist facings)<br />
* thread, sewing machine, universal needle, bias for the hem if you wish to use it<br />
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<strong>Time needed: </strong>1 afternoon (or 2 nap times !)<br />
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<strong>Cost</strong>: 65 cm of fabric, £6 a metre in the sale => £4, zip around £2, thread and bias £1, so a total of around £7<br />
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<strong>Eco credential:</strong> PDF pattern printed on recycled paper (OK, it's a bit of a far stretch but that will do for today!)<br />
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<img alt="IMG_5767" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" src="http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/13/53/1051834/99576624.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></div>
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Tessuti's pattern is a joy to sew with: it has 4 pieces (front, back, and 2 waist facings), 2 darts on the back, an invisible side zip, and very comprehensive and detailed explanations, illustrated with photos. Quick and easy, just what the doctor ordered. I cut an australian size 12 according to the measurements table given with the pattern, using my waist measurement. I considered cutting a size 10 at the bottom, and I should have: having put more weight around the waist than the hips it fits lovely at the top but is VERY A-line at the bottom. Nevermind! I also opted to use bias binding for the hem, as the skirt seemed quite short when I tried it on before hemming it, probably because I have to wear the waist quite high. In the end I am happy with the length as it came out. This pattern is perfect, the final garment is easy to wear and comfortable, and I highly recommend it. I am probably going to have to sew another one soon, just because it is soooo satisfying!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;">Trying to be quick and finish before the little one woke up I didn't read all the instructions properly, hence the double topstitching at the waist, and the not-so-invisible zip... all entirely my fault, and nothing to do with the pattern!</span></div>
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Of course, as soon as the skirt was done, those extra few inches started to disappear and it is now too big! Typical... Anyway, it has motivated me to start sewing for myself again :) However I'm still not sure about that print... Maybe one day I will embrace understatement, which might allow me to wear the stuff I make more than once!</div>
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<span style="color: #d81226; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-15245349760536038482014-10-16T08:46:00.000-07:002014-10-16T08:46:17.208-07:00Autumn, jeans season #2: jeans playmat DIY<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIS5XHwU_Qv0dqou7l9698v0ar9V3a6UbHQCyTW7Vwr3aJohm3T4EHsKnEz_RqLIBsksDVYNZXetp6cpJ-t2uBjcrOFZRk88yK2TQH5dKkjQw-3ONc2RQe2Pkbbwp2DKmC09gjxFJXkI/s1600/DIY+en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIS5XHwU_Qv0dqou7l9698v0ar9V3a6UbHQCyTW7Vwr3aJohm3T4EHsKnEz_RqLIBsksDVYNZXetp6cpJ-t2uBjcrOFZRk88yK2TQH5dKkjQw-3ONc2RQe2Pkbbwp2DKmC09gjxFJXkI/s1600/DIY+en.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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OK, I cheated... it was meant to be jeans month, but it's going to be jeans season, just because I am sooooooo slow...!<br />
So here is our second installment in jeans season then, the playmat DIY.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>You need</strong></span> :<br />
* An 18x18 cm piece of card, to use as a template<br />
* 3-4 pairs of old jeans (even better if they are different colours)<br />
* A few scraps of other fabrics (to make it more interesting to touch, choose fabrics which have different textures)<br />
* A piece of thick/upholstery fabric cut to the size of your intended mat, for the back<br />
* A piece of thick wadding cut to the size of your intended mat<br />
* Thread, needle, pins, sewing machine<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Hw to proceed</strong></span><strong> :</strong><br />
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Start by opening up the jeans by cutting them along the seams shown on the illustration below, then cut out some square patches using the card template. The squares are 18x18 and include a 1 cm (3/8") seam allowance. Once the squares are sewn together, they should therefore measure 16x16 cm. The number of squares required will vary according to the dimensions you intend to give your mat (mine is 144x96 cm so I needed 54 squares to make up 9 rows of 6). You can also use some squares cut out in the other fabrics to add a bit of variety in colour and texture.</div>
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If you want to include pockets, do take care to cut them out AROUND the existing stitching (even if this gives you a bigger square, this will be rectified whilst assembling) so as to stop them from falling apart.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/11/97/1051834/99269870_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269870" target="_blank"><img alt="jean1" border="0" class="nonealign width150" src="http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/11/97/1051834/99269870.to_resize_150x3000.jpg" /></a><a class="cboxElement" href="http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/16/60/1051834/99269871_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269871" target="_blank"><img alt="jean2" border="0" class="nonealign width150" src="http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/16/60/1051834/99269871.to_resize_150x3000.jpg" height="168" style="height: 196px; width: 151px;" /></a><a class="cboxElement" href="http://p9.storage.canalblog.com/98/68/1051834/99269874_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269874" target="_blank"><img alt="jean3" border="0" class="nonealign width150" src="http://p9.storage.canalblog.com/98/68/1051834/99269874.to_resize_150x3000.jpg" height="175" style="height: 202px; width: 167px;" /></a></div>
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Position the squares on the floor next to each other to find a pattern that works for you. I find it looks more interesting if you alternate the weave of the jeans fabric (one horizontal, one vertical, see illustration below) and add in other fabrics randomly for a mosaic effect.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/74/26/1051834/99269875_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269875" target="_blank"><img alt="jean4" border="0" class="nonealign width300" src="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/74/26/1051834/99269875.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p2.storage.canalblog.com/26/70/1051834/99396294_o.jpg" name="IMG_99396294" target="_blank"><img alt="IMG_4373" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p2.storage.canalblog.com/26/70/1051834/99396294.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://p3.storage.canalblog.com/34/82/1051834/99395963_o.jpg" name="IMG_99395963" target="_blank"></a>Assemble the squares into strips of the required length by placing them right sides together and sewing them on one side using a jeans needle on your machine and some good quality thread (I am rather partial to Gütterman "sew all") with a 3/8" seam allowance. Then join the strips together using the same technique.</div>
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If you use stretchy fabric like Minkee, it is probably better to baste these squares into place or to use fusible facing to avoid the patches stretching and ruining your straight lines (see dodgy seams in previous post!).</div>
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If you are using jeans pockets, now is the time to align them properly and to make the excess fabric and unwanted stitching disappear into the seam allowance.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p6.storage.canalblog.com/61/89/1051834/99269883_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269883" target="_blank"><img alt="jean5" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p6.storage.canalblog.com/61/89/1051834/99269883.jpg" height="116" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/00/18/1051834/99269885_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269885" target="_blank"><img alt="jean6" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/00/18/1051834/99269885.jpg" height="101" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/73/56/1051834/99269886_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269886" target="_blank"><img alt="jean7" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/73/56/1051834/99269886.jpg" height="193" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p8.storage.canalblog.com/88/93/1051834/99269887_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269887" target="_blank"><img alt="jean8" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p8.storage.canalblog.com/88/93/1051834/99269887.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the patchwork front is done, all that is left to do is to assemble it to the backing fabric and to the wadding. Place the large piece of backing fabric on the floor, right side up, then the patchwork jeans, wrong side up, and then the wadding (see picture if this makes no sense at all, I struggle to even understand myself sometimes!!) and pin into place. Sew all layers together with a 3/8" seam allowance, leaving a 10" opening to allow for turning out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFx2UUTUzvCrA7SpSg1sV4lvoWyeRZdfXMMsFCiW-m_FZSFCYU3UUW7tANyWhb2Rp-FhKj17DlOsjhg-rseNI1sE7w5WirSecKDc6jL8RO80U5aoITlO_5PiHnatG0fXH6GxFqKVhsyU/s1600/jean9+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFx2UUTUzvCrA7SpSg1sV4lvoWyeRZdfXMMsFCiW-m_FZSFCYU3UUW7tANyWhb2Rp-FhKj17DlOsjhg-rseNI1sE7w5WirSecKDc6jL8RO80U5aoITlO_5PiHnatG0fXH6GxFqKVhsyU/s1600/jean9+uk.jpg" height="457" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/76/53/1051834/99269889_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269889" target="_blank"></a>Once all is stitched, recut the seam allowances and round the angles, then turn right side out. Finish your mat by closing the side opening with an invisible stitch.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/45/09/1051834/99269890_o.jpg" name="IMG_99269890" target="_blank"><img alt="jean10" border="0" class="nonealign width450" src="http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/45/09/1051834/99269890.jpg" height="121" width="400" /></a></div>
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There you are !</div>
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Please send me any comments or questions you may have, and I would love to see your mats! <br />
See you soon my little monkeys !</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-31659774207302986822014-10-01T04:14:00.002-07:002014-10-01T04:19:20.578-07:00What made me happy in September...<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/10/01/30684678.html">Lire ce message en français</a></div>
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<br />
A few warm sunny days<br />
A stroll with my mum in the place where my parents got married<br />
Mr Monkey on his bike Under the Arc de Triomphe<br />
Knitting in the park, finishing some WIPs and re-starting others<br />
The leaves falling, that smell of autumn in the air<br />
Finding vegetables in the garden that I never knew I had planted<br />
Buying myself an ice-cream, because it is 5 pm, that the sun is shining, that the kiosk is open and that I have got just enough money in my purse<br />
A very successful first day at nursery<br />
Trying to make the old brain work again, and finding out that I actually quite enjoy it!<br />
Re-descovering Oxford with Mr Monkey and our mini lad<br />
An exciting new haberdashery and fabric shop opening in Ipswich...<br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">***</span></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/10/01/30684678.html">Lire ce message en français</a></div>
violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-17028142269211364582014-09-03T03:38:00.000-07:002014-10-16T08:47:04.638-07:00September, jeans month #1 : the playmat<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/08/15/30419164.html">Lire ce message en français</a><br />
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Since I have become a crazy crafter, I often get given old clothes and unwanted scraps of fabric to fuel my habit. This is how I came to have a few very worn pairs of jeans in my stash, patiently awaiting their time to shine. So when the mini monkey started to want to move around (a lot), they seemed like the perfect material to make him a sturdy playmat, which could survive all the rolling around and large amount of dribble!!</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://p3.storage.canalblog.com/31/55/1051834/98206256_o.jpg" name="IMG_98206256" target="_blank"><img alt="IMG_4378" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" src="http://p3.storage.canalblog.com/31/55/1051834/98206256.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><br />
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Making the most of nap times and of a kind offer of Mr Monkey to babysit for the day, I managed to cut out some squares in the laid out jeans, as well as in some scraps of canvas, oilcloth and Minky. These were then all joined up to make up a mosaic to the required dimensions.</div>
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I thought it would take forever but once all the squares were cut out it came together surprisingly quickly. I just added a layer of thick wadding and a large piece of upholstery fabric for the back, and it was ready for testing by the mini monkey. He seemed to like it, as he fell asleep on it pretty much instantly !!</div>
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<span style="color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;">Technical details</span></div>
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<span style="color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><strong>Completion time</strong> : 3-4 hours</span></div>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><strong>Cost</strong> : old jeans - free, fabric scraps - next to nothing, wadding : £3.95 a metre, but you could also use an old quilt or duvet, backing fabric - an old scrap from Ikea purchased ages ago for £3.50 a metre, but you could certainly use an old bed sheet or curtain</span></div>
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<span style="color: #003366;">TOTAL : about £12 for my mat which measures 1 x 1.70 m, but you could get away with spending a lot less if you only used recycled materials</span></div>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><strong>Eco credentials</strong> : upcycling of old jeans that would otherwise have ended in landfill, and non-purchase of a brand new playmat made in China!</span></div>
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I have to admit I am rather pleased with some of my corners ! OK, I am cheating as I chose not to show you any of the dodgy ones, but that's allowed, isn't it?!</div>
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I intentionally alternated the weave of the jean fabric to give a bit of rhythm to the pattern, and left a couple of pockets for my mini monkey to hide his little treasures in!</div>
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The next post will be a quick DIY of the mat, in case you own a few pairs of old jeans that you don't know what to do with! See you soon my little monkeys! </div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="license"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" style="border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This work by <span property="cc:attributionName" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#">Mrs Monkey</span> is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>.
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-27066415413975200242014-09-01T14:02:00.000-07:002014-09-01T14:08:17.619-07:00What made me happy in August...<div style="text-align: center;">
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A ray of sunshine on a too early morning<br />
A whole day of sewing, thanks to a hands-on dad<br />
A picnic on the beach<br />
Some friends coming to stay<br />
The first harvest from the garden<br />
A "pilgrimage" in the north of France<br />
An al fresco drink with some old school friends<br />
A croissant on a bench on the day a first tooth appears<br />
Family reunions, birthdays...<br />
Friends, aunties, uncles, grannies, grandads and big mamies!!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/09/01/30511531.html">Lire ce message en français</a></div>
violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-13485862232446284572014-08-04T01:44:00.001-07:002014-08-04T01:48:00.730-07:00The cat-cushion<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/08/04/30341521.html">Lire ce message en français</a></div>
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A little while ago a little Elliot was born to some dear friends of mine. His parents both being very creative, the present had to be a little bit quirky, and most definitely homemade!<br />
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As you may know I don't have a lot of free time of late, so it had to be a quick and easy project. This idea of a cat-cushion had entered my mind after spotting this Catnap fabric by Lizzy House on <a href="http://fabricrehab.co.uk/" target="_blank" title="Fabricrehab">Fabricrehab</a>... I had noticed that Elliot's mum had liked the print when I showed it on fb, so at least I wasn't taking too many chances with the fabric... Ok, I hear you say, a cat-cushion made with cat-fabric it really isn't the idea of century, so no, it isn't, but I quite liked it, and it allowed me to work in small 10-minute sessions (cutting out - changing a nappy - sewing the piping on - feeding - assembling - burping - i think you get the jist !) so that was a bonus. First post-baby sew, very pleased indeed!</div>
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Love these little grinning heads!</div>
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But you know what made me grin like a Cheshire cat? It was getting this great photo of Elliot with his newly-adopted cushion... doesn't he make you melt?!!</div>
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PS : feel free to pin images of this projects if you like, but please don't "pin" the baby! Many thanks...</div>
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And soon to come in the animal cushion series, the monkey-cushion using monkey fabric ! ;) <br />
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<span style="color: #cccc7a; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/08/04/30341521.html">Lire ce message en français</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="license"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" style="border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>
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This work by <a href="http://mrsmonkeyiscrafty.blogspot.co.uk/" property="cc:attributionName" rel="cc:attributionURL" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#">Mrs Monkey</a> is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>.
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-70736941783572195662014-08-01T06:44:00.001-07:002014-08-04T01:51:33.669-07:00What made me happy in July...<div style="text-align: center;">
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Reading blogs with a cup of tea and my little one on my knee<br />
My son finding his thumb (meaning I am no longer his "human dummy", hurray to that!!)<br />
A few hours without baby to go for a wander in the countryside<br />
Pancakes for breakfast<br />
Some birthday mug cakes, shared with good friends<br />
Loads of crafty presents<br />
Trying out my new photo lens<br />
A passport reaching us just on time to go and visit the grand parents in France<br />
Enjoying my mum's garden and its lovely flowers...<br />
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This month it has been a year since I qualified as a nurse and moved to the UK. What a difference a year makes !! :)<br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/08/01/30345393.html">Lire ce message en français</a></div>
violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-27334249492067889702014-07-25T07:19:00.001-07:002014-08-04T01:52:15.721-07:00Grand (re) opening of the monkey shop!<div style="text-align: center;">
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*The monkey shop is (re) opening !*</div>
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It had been rather neglected of late, but I came across these few bits and bobs and thought it was time to stack the shelves up a bit. So it's back in business, and there is also 20% off everything with the code MONKEYBLOG until 10th of august, as well as the standard FREE P&P to the UK. Please share with anyone who might be interested ! The monkey shop on Etsy is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MrsMonkeyIsCrafty?ref=si_shop" target="_blank">over here</a>...</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-78862519624967743612014-07-07T07:13:00.000-07:002014-08-04T01:53:31.295-07:00Milky Monkey<div style="text-align: center;">
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My son likes his milk. Alright, it's not actually that unusual for a nine week old baby, but believe me, he has got an appetite ! This means that he spends most of his time attached to his mother, who can't really do anything else than sit and feed him for most of the day... Of course I am delighted and feel very lucky that breastfeeding is going well, but I find my new role as "milk bar" (nice phrase invented by a friend who knows very well what she is talking about, having given birth for the second time last week!) rather draining, both physically and mentally.<br />
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So I felt I needed to do something to get this frustration out of me and try and stay sane, and this little crafty project did just that !</div>
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Mr Monkey calls our son the "milkaholic", based on the level of excitement that he gets into when he feeds, and on the contented bloated look he has after he has finished ! This got me thinking, and a few days later this trio of babygros was born.<br />
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I acquired some sets of stamps and a box of textile paints, and stamped away during one of the mini monkey's naps. I found it to be a very therapeutic activity: quick, you get an immediate result, and my son now has some personalised gear whilst I feel like I have used up all this negative energy! I added a couple of home made stamps cut out into rubbers to the bought ones to finalise the look with a few shapes.</div>
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As far as costs are concerned: a very affordable little project, it takes a little bit of investment to start with but I'm sure I will get my money's worth out of these purchases. I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0015XYV6A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">a set of stamps</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006F992C2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">some textile paints</a> for a total of around £17 and I firmly intend to get a lot of use out of them! It took all of three drops of paint to print the three bodysuits so I'm sure the paints will go a long way. The shirts were bought for £4,50 for a pack of three, so nothing too outrageous there either, and they can be found in most supermarkets for around that price (got mine from Boots).</div>
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And here is proof that this mini monkey has got quite an appetite: look at all those rolls !!!</div>
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There you go, I can now feed my mini milkaholic and giggle away to myself ! Does that make me a bad mother ? ;) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">***</span> </strong></span></div>
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This work by <a href="http://mrsmonkeyiscrafty.blogspot.co.uk/" property="cc:attributionName" rel="cc:attributionURL" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#">Mrs Monkey</a> is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-50522834538283734932014-07-01T06:15:00.007-07:002014-08-04T01:54:30.607-07:00What made me happy in June...<div style="text-align: center;">
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The first strawberries from the garden<br />
A ray of sunshine coming in through the window<br />
Being able to hang the laundry to dry outside (no, I haven't suddenly become a laundry addict, but I find that my son's multicoloured nappies look rather pretty against the bright blue sky !)<br />
A tiny hand, a big smile...<br />
The tomatoes and nasturtium planted from seed a couple of months ago which are now finally in bloom<br />
Afternoon tea with my mum and grandmas who crossed the channel to come and see us<br />
And the first barbecue of the year !<br />
Thinking about it, what really made me happy in June is all this sunshine... long may it last !<br />
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Well there you go, it seems to be quite a popular activity for craft bloggers these days (<a href="http://www.felicie-a-paris.fr/" target="_blank">Félicie à Paris</a>, <a href="http://annelison.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anne Lison</a>, <a href="http://barnabecafe.canalblog.com/" target="_blank">Barnabé aime le café</a>, <a href="http://zugalerie.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Zü</a>, <a href="http://zugalerie.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Julypouce tricote</a>, <a href="http://www.vanillaandlace.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Vanilla & Lace</a>, are only a few of the blogs whose owners have given birth in recent months, so producing offsprings is clearly the thing to do at the moment!), so I haven't tried to be original and have delivered a mini monkey in 2014. Since the 1st of may the big belly seen in <a href="http://mrsmonkeyiscrafty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-curtain-dress.html" target="_blank">this post</a> has (partly !) disappeared, and the mini monkey has arrived ! Which will explain the lack of activity on this page recently...</div>
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The strange thing is, before he was born I had lots of time but absolutely no motivation or energy to sew, knit or make stuff, and since he has been here I have LOADS of ideas but virtually no time to do anything !</div>
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Our days our filled with mindless and repetitive acticities : feeding, changing nappies, trying to eat and have a rest in between, and starting again... Doing the laundry and the washing up has become a luxury (and I therefore enjoy it !! Who would have thought it!). To sum things up, I have never been so busy doing nothing. As I am breastfeeding, I spend hours on end sat on the sofa, one arm busy holding up my ever-hungry son, so I have one arm left with which to click. This is how I have been able to spend the last 6 weeks indirectly feeling creative whilst wandering from blog to blog. I have also spent rather a lot of time <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/CraftyMrsMonkey/" target="_blank">pinning on Pinterest</a>, another one-armed activity I have been able to indulge in to satisfy my need for all things hand made and pretty.</div>
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In the end, this time of imposed idleness has led me to reflect on where to go with this blog, which I have never really found satisfactory so far. The values which are important to me and which have led me to try and make the stuff that I could easily go out and buy are : hatred for waste, a slightly eco-conscious tendancy, and a tight budget / tight purse strings (depending on how you see things). I feel this isn't really obvious enough in the posts so far, so from now on I will try and analyse projects a bit more and highlight how much they cost to make. As I really love a good DIY or free pattern (being tight, as I am!), I intend to carry on using them, but I'll also try and publish a few DIY of my own over here in an attempt to contribute a bit more. There might even be a book or pattern review from time to time, or even, who knows, a recipe? And of course if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see here please get in touch, this page is yours my little monkeys!</div>
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Also, I found out I rather enjoyed blogs where the authors weren't afraid of writing a bit about themselves. Inevitably it is linked to what appears on their blog, and I am sorry if it bores you, but I figured it might actually be quite therapeutic to share a bit more of myself here ! Don't worry, I won't be offended if you decide to skip a few paragraphs.</div>
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And because becoming a mother is THE thing to do at the moment, I was particularly interested in reading all the new mummy-bloggers' accounts of their experiences. So you have the super mums who share their birth story along with countless beautiful photos of them looking stunning and fresh as a daisy throughout (<a href="http://www.vanillaandlace.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/becks-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Vanilla & Lace</a>) or who manage to stay creative whilst cradling a newborn in their arms (<a href="http://alisaburke.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/make-time-to-do-what-you-love-no-matter.html" target="_blank">Alisa Burke</a>), as for me, I particularly enjoyed <a href="http://www.felicie-a-paris.fr/2014/05/25/la-jupe-ethnico-memerisante/" target="_blank">Mathilde's account from Félicie à Paris</a>, it is in French but sums up quite accurately my experience of motherhood as a great life-changing but not always very glamourous job! And like her I hope to be able to gradually manage to make the most of every little moment of freedom to make stuff, and show it to you here.</div>
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PS : I would like to thank my son for having a nice long sleep this morning, thus enabling me to translate this whole message in one go ! Amazing. I think I've got a nappy to change now...</div>
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PPS : All my apologies for this (very) long message, I promise not to make a habit of it !</div>
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<strong><span style="color: teal; font-size: 18pt;">***</span></strong></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-15746924276854163902014-04-24T04:10:00.000-07:002014-08-04T01:55:12.895-07:00The little ones #4 : Alexia<div style="text-align: center;">
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Alexia is my little goddaughter and she has just turned one (how time flies...)! It was the perfect opportunity to make her a personalised bunting to hang up in the room that she shares with her brother, to decorate her side of the room. It is such a simple make: I had a bit of fun with some girly fabric from my stash, a little bit of felt, one metre of bias binding and a button. Happy birthday Alexia !</div>
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<span style="color: #d62847; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-15684913661309033442014-04-15T13:44:00.000-07:002014-04-15T13:44:46.941-07:00The curtain dress<div style="text-align: center;">
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The curtain dress ? This is the name given to it by Mr Monkey, always an expert in compliments... ! OK, it was made using lightweight upholstery fabric from Ikea (another 20 metre roll bought for 10 euros some years ago), but maybe that's a slight exageration ? Luckily I have some lovely friends who cheered me up by telling me they thought I had got it from Monsoon ! Alright, they were probably only being polite but it did help, especially as this big-bellied figure isn't the easiest to dress !</div>
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The pattern is from a book by Anna Maria Horner presented in the previous post, and it works as a maternity/ breastfeeding dress, which can also be adapted into a tunic, and has sleeveless and sleeved versions, so it is quite versatile. I found the fit pretty good, the pattern counts many pieces but the explanations are very detailed and clear so it comes together fine. I do like the crossed front, although I prefer to tie it at the back.</div>
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The breast feeding version has a modesty panel at the front which I am sure will be appreciated in a few weeks !</div>
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<span style="color: teal; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">So, what do you think of the curtain dress my little monkeys ?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: teal; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-59665154694939418422014-04-01T14:39:00.001-07:002014-04-01T14:41:32.149-07:00The spring bag<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hmmm, spring... The bright colours, the smell of fresh leaves, when the sun and warmth return it never fails to bring a smile. So I felt quite inspired by a competition to create a spring bag, unfortunately it was based in France and not open to UK residents. However, it felt like the perfect opportunity to motivate myself and sew a colourful, greenery-smelling bag for my soon to arrive spring baby !</div>
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The two blue fabrics are from <a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/" target="_blank">Ikea</a> (got the turquoise one ages ago, 10 euros for a roll of 20 metres : bargain !!) and the green one I think is from <a href="http://www.cousette.com/" target="_blank">Cousette</a>.</div>
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The pattern is from this book by <a href="http://annamariahorner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anna Maria Horner</a> which has loads of great projects for babies and mums-to-be. The patterns are rather complex and have a many different pièces (24 in the case of this bag... lots of cutting time!) but I thought it was time for a challenge and to try my hand at something a bit more elaborate. So I gathered a few fabrics from my stash, and here is the result... It doesn't really smell of greenery but I quite like my colourful spring changing bag !</div>
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A little bonus photo to celebrate the return of the sunshine :) !!!<br />
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<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/04/01/29565353.html">Read this post in English</a></div>
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<span style="color: #333399; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-55369972007838721582014-03-24T06:39:00.001-07:002014-03-24T06:39:54.075-07:00Furniture upcycling # 2: the display cabinet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is another G Plan charity shop piece, this time it was updated using paint and wallpaper. Much quicker than painting all those triangles (previous post), and (hopefully) still quite effective! The most complicated bit was cutting the wallpaper to size and aligning it in the centre. Luckily, the pattern is quite forgiving and hides most of the mistakes... !</div>
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BEFORE... ...AFTER !<a href="http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/76/29/1051834/94834144_o.jpg" name="IMG_94834144" target="_blank"></a></div>
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The book I was telling you about in the previous post is this one : Furniture Makeovers by Barbara Blair. It is a mine of useful information for anyone who would like to have a go at upcycling furniture, and there are also many ideas of styles and designs you could go for. Warmly recommended !</div>
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<span style="color: #cc99ff;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><img alt="barb blair" border="0" class="nonealign width300" src="http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/40/00/1051834/94836129.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc99ff;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">***</span></strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-43672337579478977622014-03-17T11:18:00.000-07:002014-03-17T11:18:01.829-07:00Furniture upcycling # 1 : the TV unit<div style="text-align: center;">
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When we moved into our new place, we were missing something to pop the TV on. Rather than spending loads of money on something new and uninspiring, I lived up to my reputation of being quite stingy and found something old, ugly and cheap from the charity shop !</div>
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So after sanding this orange G Plan horror I was able to start painting. The drawer took rather a long time, and a LOT of masking tape !!The result is far from perfect (as you can see on the close ups...)but if you don't look too closely it looks OK, and never fails to get comments from guests. And it is practical and cheap, so for a first attempt I am reasonably satisfied. I let you be the judge of the final result... </div>
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OK, it's quite ugly with all the household appliances on it, should have taken the pictures before it fulfilled its destiny as a TV unit...</div>
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For the techniques used (and a bit of inspiration too!) I used Barabara Blair's Furniture Makeovers book. More détails, as well as an other furniture project, in an upcoming post!</div>
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<a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2014/03/17/29459327.html">Read this post in English</a></div>
violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-42244475135698471412014-02-25T04:29:00.000-08:002014-02-25T04:33:05.389-08:00The little ones # 3 : Léna<div style="text-align: center;">
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This little reversible baby kimono was sewn for Léna, my cousin's daughter, who was born at the end of november. It is a very simple project, from a <a href="http://www.marieclaireidees.com/,un-kimono-pour-bebe-reversible,2610342,118520.asp" target="_blank">free pattern</a> (in French) found on the <a href="http://www.marieclaireidees.com/" target="_blank">Marie-Claire Idées</a> website. </div>
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An afternoon of sewing, 2 half yards of fabric, two buttons, and there you have it! Super simple and effective, a very pleasant crafty make. You just sew two identical garments and join them together, tucking the seams in.</div>
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The dotty fabric, already used <a href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2013/06/17/27453397.html" target="_blank">here</a>, comes from <a href="http://www.cousette.com/" target="_blank">Cousette</a>, and the butterfly fabric is from the Arras market.<br />
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<span style="color: #b54a52; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-85267204943938755202014-02-19T12:01:00.002-08:002014-02-25T04:30:29.683-08:00The little ones # 2 : Juliette<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
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For the little Juliette I knitted a small jumper with an intarsia pattern, found in the n° 67 <a href="http://www.phildar.com/" target="_blank">Phildar</a> catalogue (I love this pattern book, everything is so quirky and colourful!). <br />
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The pattern has a boy and a girl version and is meant to be knitted in Phil Thalassa (n°4 needles) from Phildar. I chose the girly one in size 6 months, and adapted it to Rowan 4 ply cotton (n° 3 needles), bought from <a data-mce-href="http://www.blacksheepwools.com/" href="http://www.blacksheepwools.com/" target="_blank" title="Black Sheep Wools">Black Sheep Wools</a> a few years ago.</div>
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I was Lucky enough to have a week's Holiday which allowed me to knit pretty intensively : the jumper was finished on the return flight! I really enjoyed this knit, but next time I try intarsia I will make myself some smaller yarn bobins because there were quite a few knots along the way!<br />
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<span style="color: #f0416b; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span><br />
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-10474720260369939392014-02-13T03:58:00.000-08:002014-02-25T04:31:08.289-08:00The little ones # 1 : Camille<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a data-mce-href="http://storage.canalblog.com/63/03/1051834/93796968_o.jpg" href="http://storage.canalblog.com/63/03/1051834/93796968_o.jpg" name="IMG_93796968" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="IMG_1830" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" data-mce-src="http://storage.canalblog.com/63/03/1051834/93796968.jpg" src="http://storage.canalblog.com/63/03/1051834/93796968.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the end of 2013 there have been quite a few new arrivals! The first one was the little Camille, so I made him a little shrink plastic hanging decoration on the theme of clouds (some inside information having revealed that his bedroom already counted a few clouds, so I thought it would fit in OK).</div>
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The shrink plastic used for this project is of the brand Polyshrink, and it needs sanding before you draw on it, so has a slightly rough finish once baked. It also seems to shrink a little bit less than the brand I used before so the pieces come out fairly big, which I found to look quite nice in the end (in my very humble opinion !). I also invested in a new hole punch which allows to punch much more precisely, therefore reducing the risk of ruining a piece when punching a hole too close to the edge (that's happened a fait few times in the past !)... All this to say I am not forgetting about the shrink plastic DIY I have been promising you for ages, I WILL get round to doing it soon (ish) !<br />
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<a data-mce-href="http://storage.canalblog.com/59/30/1051834/93797019_o.jpg" href="http://storage.canalblog.com/59/30/1051834/93797019_o.jpg" name="IMG_93797019" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="IMG_1833" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" data-mce-src="http://storage.canalblog.com/59/30/1051834/93797019.jpg" src="http://storage.canalblog.com/59/30/1051834/93797019.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #993300; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">See you soon with the second episode of 2013's little ones !</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #993300; font-size: 18pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2355029700733251829.post-47888471576253926002014-02-10T06:18:00.002-08:002014-02-25T04:31:52.624-08:00Mr Monkey's washbag<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a data-mce-href="http://storage.canalblog.com/51/32/1051834/93719776_o.jpg" href="http://storage.canalblog.com/51/32/1051834/93719776_o.jpg" name="IMG_93719776" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="IMG_0997" border="0" class="widthadapted nonealign" data-mce-src="http://storage.canalblog.com/51/32/1051834/93719776.jpg" src="http://storage.canalblog.com/51/32/1051834/93719776.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mr Monkey had asked me to make him a washbag that would be "exactly the same" as his previous one (which is black faux leather, yuk !!) but this time using the monkey waxed fabric that I got from <a data-mce-href="http://www.mapetitemercerie.com/" href="http://www.mapetitemercerie.com/" target="_blank" title="MPM">Ma Petite Mercerie</a>, already used <a data-mce-href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2013/01/15/26122488.html" href="http://mrsmonkey.canalblog.com/archives/2013/01/15/26122488.html" target="_blank" title="mini trousse monkey">here</a>. So I applied myself to reproducing the bag including every detail, the pockets, the handle, etc... The result is far from perfect but Mr Monkey has deemed it satisfactory and has officially adopted it, so all is well !</div>
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Robert Kaufman waxed monkey fabric, grey waxed fabric from <a data-mce-href="http://www.lescarollaises.com/" href="http://www.lescarollaises.com/" target="_blank" title="Les Carollaises">Les Carollaises</a>, trims from the Arras market, and the whole thing has been made more rigid with some thick backing fabric from <a data-mce-href="http://www.franklinsgroup.com/fgl/" href="http://www.franklinsgroup.com/fgl/" target="_blank" title="Franklins">Franklins</a> Ipswich.</div>
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The pictures were taken on a sunny day in Ipswich... let's say that was a long time ago !!<br />
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<span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: 18pt;" style="font-size: 18pt;">***</span></strong></span></div>
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violainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906901656134914139noreply@blogger.com0