Small Projects completed, large ones to come...

I have been sewing so much! Having no day job has freed me up to focus on projects of all scales. I don't have photos yet of the big ones, but I can tell you that last night when my major costume commission hit the stage, the general incredulity and delight from people who didn't realise I had made it was very satisfying!

On a much smaller scale, it is my job to make the winners' sashes for DIY Burleskiwi held in Wellington on 6 June, and DIY Burleskoala held in September in Sydney.  As last year I completely forgot about 'koala until 2 weeks before, it was a scary rush to make and dispatch to Aus at an eye watering cost of $85.

I wanted to make the rosette, but there was so little time, Debbie made it and put 2026 on it by accident, so THIS year, I made the 2025 rosette. If that makes sense? but when I sent her a photo she said I should remake the 2026 one to match my new 2025 one...so anyway I made two. These rosettes are for the second place getters. And Debbie makes the 'kiwi one so no wonder she put 26 on the 'koala one! 

Two koala rosettes for 2025 and 2026

I made both sashes back to back, kiwi first. A NZ company called Nutex does a wonderful range of Kiwiana and Australiana fabrics, and we've fallen into the practice of using these prints as the base. The Aus one has different animals in floral circlets tossed across it. The NZ one is ferns. My primary requirement having learned the hard way, is to find a fairly low constrast fabric so the lettering pops.

I then use wool mix felt and steamaseam to make and attach the lettering, going over them with free motion machine stitching to ensure they never come away. 

After that I dive into my enormous collection of rhinestones and bling them up. 

Two sashes for 2026, 'koala and 'kiwi respectively.

Below are short videos of each sash that capture the sparkle better. Please excuse the footage of my dinner that night, it was sweet and sour sausages on rice, for the curious, one of MrC's specialties. :)

I made a tutorial about making bunting and adding felt lettering back in October 2013, and the other little project I completed lately was a string of bunting with a baby's name on it. Except I bought the bunting from the "no longer my" shop, which I had made back in 2013!! That was fun! I made a big pile of baby bunting back then but rather overdid it. Nine apple green letters spelled out her name. I won't post a pic as I am big on baby anonymity. Result!! 

The only change is I can't work out how to flip the lettering so I traced through the printout with a sharpie to make the reverse templates.

Let me know if you give it a go?