{Paper Heart Garland}

A dear friend of mine had her wedding day recently. She saw my heart garland I made for my valentines day dinner for my husband and asked if I would make something for her special day to give it a handmade touch. I have to admit I made it up as I went and I was over the moon with the result.
The couple are a beautiful couple and are both sickly talented in so many areas, especially musically. The groom proposed to her after singing her a song in front of friends. He even gave the wedding guests an encore of it in addition to serenading the bride in front of us all in a truely tearful moment that moved us all!

So, to personalise this decoration I went to an Op-shop (Vinnies) and found some old sheet music and got to work (silently appologising to those who took to the time to write the music).

I gently pulled the staples out and folded the papers back along the crease. Then I cut strips of paper from the fold to the open side about 3cm wide making a V shape. To make the double heart shape you need to cut half the strips a few cms shorter (this allows the inside heart to be smaller and fit inside the outside one.

Slip the strips inside each other so the folds are snug and staple together. (bottom left hand and centre pictures).

Then fold the top stips around to make the heart shape and so that they are all aligned and staple the four of them together. (bottom picture right hand side)

WALLAH!


I repeated this many times over and then gently placed them into a box to transport to the wedding. Then using some gorgeous rustic twine (think it came from bunnings) I stickly taped them onto the string and created a bunting effect. This formed a banner the bride walked under as she stepped onto the red carpet of the isle and then we moved it to drape on the cake table for the reception. I loved the way it turned out and glad it added a little something extra to a friends' special day.

{the only shot of the hearts I have at the ceremony, and will have to get some clearer ones when the photos come out from the fantastic 1tree}
{Thanks to 1tree Photography for these photos - you are very talented indeed!}

Lauren x

Vintage Sewing History Made My Day :)

This year I finally fulfilled my new years resolution (that I have made for about 5 years now) and took the plunge to learn to sew. I hadn't ever had much exposure to it and I have loved adding this to another avenue to express myself. Today I inherited two items that are very special to me!

As my grandfather has had an operation recently, I went for a trip with my boys and my Mum to see my Amazing Grandparents to see how they were and I bought some of my recent sewing projects to show and tell (I can't show all of them on here yet ;).

When I told Grandma that I would love to get my own machine one day (soon - hopefully) she offered me to 'permanently loan' her old machine. I had never seen it and then she bought it out for me to see. I was quite taken by the solid timber case, but my heart fluttered when she lifted the lid. It was a vintage black, sleek Singer machine. I was flawed and fell in love!!!



It still has a lot of origional feet and paper work in their boxes too. I have to do some googling to figure it out. If I can't figure it out, I may just take it to my sewing group on Thursday and ask the many 100's of years of combined sewing experience!


Then, when I got home, I was getting something from the garage and came across an empty old wooden sewing box. As this house we are in (as some may know) is my husbands grandmothers house, I asked my mother-in-law if she who's it was. She said it was her mothers and that I am welcome to use it. It has lots of space to put all the little things that I have been collecting over the past year or so ;)




So now I have two items that on top of their inherit beauty, hold sentimental value coming from grandmothers on mine and my husbands side.

Now I can't wait to set up my new craft room/ study in our new place in about 5 weeks and get everything orgasnised!!!! YAY!

Lauren x