Tuesday 28 July 2015

Hello, anyone out there?!

Hello there!

I'm back to blogging! Life has taken a bit of a change for what I was expecting... but I'm now back to connect with the land of Blogdom and aim to keep a log of this new life I've found myself in. I'm a new, but incredibly proud, single mother of a (nearly) 2 year old and I'm just in the process of getting my very own place that will need (in the words of the Estate Agent) 'modernisation'. 

Bear with me whilst I revamp this blog and start to lay down the foundations for a new Bundana world order.... mainly involving sewing, upcycling, dairy-free, toddler-tendering, dog walking, foraging and general admiration and replication of pretty things I see. 

It's nice to be back.

Drop me a line if anyone still fancies a crafty chat :)

Sunday 16 June 2013

I'll be back....




No, I've not turned into the Sewing Terminator; however some similarities could be drawn between me and Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Junior' midst his mock-pregnancy, namely mood, vagueness and crazy antics of late. What an awful film *shudder*

I will be back; I am currently moving country from Rep of Ireland back home to the UK. I'm back on home turf on the 22nd of June, so going crazy thinning my life into boxes, cleaning, working and generally getting ready to come home to have little lady. 

Henceforth, I have been incredibly neglectful of my blog lately. I have lots to review, tell and explain... however, my sewing gizmos and gadgets are all packed up presently and I am going to take another 2 week break from Bundana and then back to it... guns blazing, I promise you.

See you on the other side!

Bundana


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Sunday 12 May 2013

Sciatica!



I'm alive! Just sore with sciatica... I will be back blogging on Friday with my book review and some sewing I've done lately...


  • My lovely apron
  • Maternity linen trousers
  • Megan Nielsen Wrap Top


My sciatic nerve is being played with by my unborn little girl and it's particularly painful when I am sat in a position to type on my computer. Thus the radio silence of late. It has eased a little, but I am taking a small bloggy break until Friday and then aim to hit the ground running.

See you Friday!

Ouch!

Bundana

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Friday 26 April 2013

Book Review Friday - Stash Happy: Patchwork by Cynthia Schaffer







After a wonderfully relaxing trip back to the UK to see my fabulous family and funky friends; I am just catching back up with business here in Galway and have (as you will have realised) been terribly slow for the last week making and blogging. Alas readers, this is about to change... I have a new dog walking schedule (5am walks) then work for 7am and then the nights are stretching out leaving me with energy and LOTS of plans over the next few weeks for projects and blogs.

This week I'm looking at the lovely book by Cynthia Schaffer 'Stash Happy: Patchwork', Schaffer is a multi-talented lady from California who can do anything from quilting to rubber-stamping, photography to crochet. Her easy approach to projects and design is a sure sign of her expertise... as with anything in life, those who make things look easy or indeed offer the easy methods, know their stuff thoroughly and know every way of doing things and then can decide which is best to use!

Quite simply; Stash Happy: Patchwork is 128 pages of projects to aid the sewer in using all of her/ his stash- from the scraps to the unloved... there is something to do with these pieces of fabric gold.

Schaffer introduces herself and her ideas in the first few pages...


... coherently and charmingly. She explains her ethos... go with the flow! If you are anyway interested in what you're making, then you will love it. By all means, she advocates getting more information where you need it and learn as you sew but you must love what you're making. I really like her friendly tone and her ideas of where to find the fabric you could need are interesting too, it certainly extends what I thought of as my 'stash' and now I have a resource to use my 5x5cm scraps!

I really hate throwing ANY fabric away and actively and frugally cut out patterns by salvaging as much fabric as I can, I have a massive bag of tiny pieces of pretty fabric... This is my type of book.

Projects





I highly rate the projects that are displayed here- As I have recently completed my first ever quilt, I can firmly support it's art and the UTTER satisfaction of making a quilt, and its a lovely craft. However, how many quilts do you really need to make in your life? I know that you can be gifting them left, right and centre... dog mat, sofa blanket, cot blanket, picnic blanket etc... eventually you're going to run out of areas and friends to quilt for. This is why I am in utter admiration of the ideas offered here in this book.

On the picture above you will see a hint of quilt. Schaffer is giving the suggestion of quilting by a line of hexies as an accent to a plain white duvet cover rather than making the entire thing out of a hexie-fest. After 6 months of paper piecing and blanket stitching- you might just have your quilt! However, for sewing addicts who like to have a fix QUICK, the accents of hexies are a lovely idea!

Other ideas offered:
  • Boys and Girls clothes with quilting accents
  • Apron
  • Table linen
  • Ladies skirt
  • Organisers
  • Bags

All achievable, pretty and easy. None of the projects seem like they are trying to shove quilting where it doesn't belong, they are complimenting your home and life rather than hindering it and by the very fact that it is all aimed at stash busting, even better!


So, over the weekend I am going to make one of the projects that I have fallen head over heels in love with....

Retro Apron!

I am aiming for a blue kitchen and have quite recently gained a passion for baking (Tea Cake, anyone?!), so I am busting my way through my blue fabric stash and going to rustle up a lovely apron as like the one featured on this page...


Conclusion

I love this little book! It makes me happy to flick through it's pages and make something that I know would continue to make me happy. Ideal for the hoarder, thrifter and weekend sewer alike... I'd say go for it!


** All photographs copyright of Lark Publishing**



Bundana
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Saturday 20 April 2013

Book Review Friday: Junk Genius: Stylish ways to repurpose everyday objects by Juliette Goggin and Stacy Sirk



Junk Genius is the book that I am reviewing this week!

I love the idea of turning old and unwanted into new and useful, rather than just buying through ease. I am really starting to get a buzz out of looking around my life (not just in the mirror) and thinking "I made that". 

As a dressmaking enthusiast, I thought that this book would help me add to adapting my own jewellery, shoes and give me some ideas about additions to clothing. The book did do this, but not in the way that I expected... let me explain, so I'll start from the beginning....

Layout


Compromising from paper to metal to crystal and glass, the book uses what material you have managed to gain and give some inspiration using that as the basis of the upcycled object. Aesthetically pleasing and aspirational in its design.

So you have a house, you have a material and this book will guide you through the making of a variety projects from the wearable to the usable.

Less words and more visual is this books aim of direction, giving double-page spreads to illustrate ideas rather than text to talk through a technique step-by-step.

Tools of the Trade


The book lays out its 40 items of upcycling desire at the beginning, stating that if you have these 'easy to find' 40 items, then you can make anything inside the book with great ease. From old tape measures  (easy) to antique typewriter keys (not so), you can make jewellery to coffee tables.

Projects




As a seamstress, I love to see the fabric and the sewing ideas- I feel most comfortable making decisions about the suggestions and ideas with expertise, than some of the woodwork projects.

I love the Doily Curtain idea. SOOOO easy to collect, make and unique to wow your friends and neighbours! The tongue-in-cheek nod to the old ideas of presentation and using them in a new way is really exciting. Ikea told us to throw out our Doileys a few years back, now it's murdering gnomes for the sake of modernity- excuse me whilst I ignore them and just buy their cheap kilner jars! As pictured, the authors have used the Doilies as they come... but also suggest that the Doilies could be dyed into any colour. I particularly like the idea of dying the doilies into a variety of shades of the same colour, that would look really stunning in a colour-coordinated room. 

Some projects do not hit the mark... what I fail to understand is to render useful items useless. This is particularly highlighted with the suggestion of nailing antique bread pans onto a wall, vertically and placing tea lights into them... creating a wall hanging. What is wrong with the bread pan as a functional piece of kitchenalia?! I really don't like this idea as the bread pans actually are useful and wanted by a lot of people. I for one, would bake with an antique bread pan with happiness and pride.

Conclusions



I'm pregnant with a little girl, I won't be having my walls of my house unplastered- but I understand the message of seeing the beauty in the old and finding the use from it. What I know from experience is somethings are best left as a concept, with it's Instagram-type retro, cloudy, pictures... everything looks pretty, in real-life I'm sure that the novelty of exposed plasterboard walls would soon wear-off.

However, if you can look past the idea of learning to make something and just see this book as a 251 page catalogue of inspiration- then this book will serve you well... You'll be thinking differently of old canal boat painted buckets, seeing the potential in dilapidated lampshades and getting excited about broken chandeliers.





Bundana

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