Time to turn 2013 around!

It has been a rather unsettling start to 2013 for my family and those we love dearly.  Battles with illness, lost loved ones, relationship breakdowns, school bullying, forced business closures and so much more sadness.  I have felt recently that there hasn't been much joy so far in 2013, so now it is time for it all to turn around!  I strongly believe that out of every sadness and every disappointment there is a way to make a positive, even if it is a small one in comparison.
One event this year has touched my family in a way I never want them to experience again, the loss of a son, a grand-son, a nephew, a cousin, and at only the age of 3 months old.  My dear friends lost their son Lachlan  as a result of Spinal Muscular Atrophy - SMA (find out more about SMA here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_muscular_atrophy and here: http://www.smaaustralia.org.au/ )
The first thoughts that came to my mind after hearing the news of Lachlan's diagnosis was " What is SMA?: and then "Why haven't I heard about it before if it is actually the most common genetic cause of death for infants?" and that is where I now choose to make a positive from such heartbreak.  Everyone that I know will now be aware of SMA and they may pass the knowledge onto their families and friends, who in turn pass it on further down the line.   Positive number 1: Creating Awareness.  This is not enough though, not for all those families that have lost their sons and daughters.  There needs to be help for those families, there needs to be testing widely available and discussed during early pregnancy and there needs to be funding for research programs.  Positive number 2: Fund-raising and more fundraising
Having raised over $1800 earlier in the year for the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Association of Australia through an on-line auction involving many generous businesses from across Australia, I intend to keep on raising more funds with the release of the Lachie Lion PDF Sewing Pattern through Little Sew & Sews.  Lachie the Lion has been designed in conjunction with Moogie&Me and will be a long-term fundraiser for SMA Australia.  Proceeds from the sale of the pattern and from Moogie&Me's Lachie Lion print will be donated to SMA Australia in a continued effort to raise awareness of SMA and funds for research and support programs.



You can find the Lachie Lion PDF Sewing Pattern available for purchase here: http://littlesewandsews.bigcartel.com/product/pdf-sewing-pattern-lachie-lion-plush-photo-tutorial-e-file-proceeds-to-sma-australia

If you would like to support SMA Australia by donating money, please consider donating through Lachlan's Legacy here: http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/lachlanslegacy

If you don't sew but would love a Lachie Lion made for someone special, please email me at littlesewandsews@hotmail.com for further information

New Products Coming to Hero Nation

Congratulations to Candra, who was the only person to pick that the Ninja's function was a pyjama keeper!
Candra wins one for her little Hero Nation fan :)




Limited Edition 'I Am Ninja' Military caps have now been released.  Featuring either red or blue background  Ninja trim, these hats are also fully adjustable making them fit approx 53-64cm head circumference, small enough for Master Tornado to wear right through to an adult size head! RRP: $24.95 ea
Purchase the caps here.


COMING UP NEXT ... Ninja Hoodies just in time for winter and the official release of the Ninja PJ Keeper.

Hero Nation is now LAUNCHED - and a giveaway!

It has been a work in progress for many a month, an idea seeded from my very own Little Sew & Sews designs, but finally HERO NATION is officially out in the big wide world!  Hero Nation aims to bring a bit of character style to the wardrobes and bedrooms of dudes and dudettes around the globe.  Opening collections include In Your (Ninja) or (Hero) Face tees and also some stylish limited edition creations in the I Am Ninja fabric range.  Designed for sizes 4 through to 10, but smaller and bigger sizes will be considered upon request.

To keep up to date with all the new ranges coming to Hero Nation makes sure you visit the Facebook page here - become a liker, make sure it shows in your newsfeed!


COMPETITION TIME!  (This competition has now closed and all identifying email addresses have been removed from the comments)

I have one of these Ninja 'items' (RRP: $29.95) to give to a Hero Nation Facebook fan! To enter you need to do the following:

1.  Be a Hero Nation Facebook 'liker' (like the page here)
2. Comment on this blog post with what you think the item's FUNCTION is (yes, it is a Ninja, but a ninja what?) - also make sure you include your full name (as per your Facebook profile) and email address (use this way of writing it if you are concerned about having your email addy in public-- myname (at) hotmail (dot) com ) - All comments will be hidden from public view at the conclusion of the competition and will not be used for anything other than this competition.

Simple! That is all you have to do!  GOOD LUCK

COMPETITION CLOSES AT 5pm PERTH TIME Tuesday 7 May, 2013.  A winner will be randomly drawn from all answers deemed to be correct* and fulfil the requirements as above.  The winner will be contacted via email and announced on this blog soon after.
* If no correct answers are received a winner will be drawn at random from all valid entries.

Cuggly Friends Softie Tutorial - Bunny

Want to make your very own Cuggly Friend Bunny?  Simply download the pattern template by clicking here, print it out on standard A4 paper (no page scaling), cut it out and then follow the steps below.  The file now downloads as a PDF so you will need Adobe to view it.

NB: This is a FREE tutorial for personal use only.  Please do not sell your finished products on any scale.  If you have any trouble downloading the template please comment on this blog with what browser you are using and I will sort out any issues.

REQUIREMENTS:

White fleece - 28cm x 19cm plus scrap for a tail
Printed cotton - 28cm x 19cm plus 8cm x 6cm for inner ears
Vliesofix (or alternative) 8cm x 6cm for inner ears plus scrap for attaching tail (optional)
Embroidery Thread - black and pink
Ribbon for neck bow (optional)
Red Prismacolor pencil (or alternative) - optional for 'rosy' cheeks
Air or water erase marker

STEP ONE: Preparation
Cut one body piece from fleece and one from the printed cotton.  Cut a round tail from fleece to a size as desired (mine is approximately 4cm diameter)
Following manufacturers instructions affix your Vliesofix (or alternative) to the back of the inner ears cotton.  TRACE around the inner ear template twice onto the paper side of the Vliesofix and cut them out.

STEP TWO:  Adding the Inner Ears and Tail

Remove the paper from the inner ear pieces and position on the fleece body where desired.  Following manufacturer's instructions iron the pieces into place.  Blanket, zig-zag or satin stitch around the edge of the inner ears.

Repeat for the tail by positioning the fleece tail where desired on the right side of the printed cotton body piece.

STEP THREE: Face embroidery

Carefully trace on the face embroidery as per template (or as desired, don't feel the need to do the same as me, have fun with your features!) with air or water erasable marker.  Satin stitch the two eyes in black embroidery thread (I use 3 strands) and the nose/mouth in pink. 

STEP FOUR: Sewing

Pin the front and back body pieces right sides together.  Starting at the inside of one leg sew around the body pieces using a small stitch and 1/4 inch seam allowance, remembering to back-stitch at beginning and end.  Stop sewing at the end of the second leg, leaving the area between the legs open for turning/stuffing (refer to photo below showing the area to leave open).   Carefully snip into corners and around curves avoiding snipping through the seam.  

HINT: I have shown two different turning gap options on the photo below.  Between the legs gives a nicer finish, but the outside of the leg allows for a bit more room for turning.

STEP FIVE: Turning & StuffingGently turn the bunny right side out through the turning gap, poking out arms, legs and ears.  Using small amounts of stuffing, gently stuff the bunny as desired, starting with the ears, head, arms, legs and finishing off stuffing the tummy section.  Using a ladder stitch close the turning/stuffing gap.

STEP SIX: Decorating

Tie a ribbon around the bunny's neck and put a little colour on the cheeks.

All finished!   Please feel free to share any photos of your Bunnies on my Facebook page here, or email them to me at littlesewandsews@hotmail.com and I will share them here on the blog.

2013: Sneak Peek of a new Little Sew & Sews range

2013 is going to be a massive year for Little Sew & Sews and I thought I would share a little taste of what is to come in the way of sewing patterns/tutorials.

Meet 'Bunny', the first of a new series of Little Sew & Sews softies called 'Cuggly Friends'.  'Bunny' will be available for FREE as a pattern/tutorial here on this blog within the next few weeks so stay tuned to my Facebook page for release details.   The Cuggly Friends range will have softies designed for beginner sewers through to more complicated designs for the 'not-so-beginner' sewers and tutorials for little extras for your Cuggly Friends will be available in the future too.