Dulcet Handmade

Buntings and banners

2014-03-18T06:26:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. We moved to Gold Coast and it took us some time to settle down.
This doesn't mean though, that I don't have a lot of stuff to show you. So here are some of my latest buntings and banners.

Enjoy!

*****

Have a lovely week,

Another waldorf doll and a small surpise for a sweet little girl

2013-12-22T03:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I have so many things to show you, which I made the last few months. But I rarely have the time to update my blog lately. We are moving right after the holidays to sunny and warm Gold Coast. So, you could imagine my house full of empty and not-so-empty boxes in every room. I love the excitement that comes with every big move (this will be our third so far :-) ), although I have a hard time leaving the amazing people we met in each corner of the world we lived. We will miss you all, dear friends, and we hope we will have a lot of opportunities to be toghether again, share our lives at least for a while and make some amazing memories!

I have to stop writing about our move now, otherwise I will get too emotional.

So, of all the things that wait to be published, today I chose to show you a Waldorf doll I made for a sweet little girl, named Yana. Her mother asked me if I could make the doll as a Christmas present and I was so thrilled to do it! She chose all the fabrics and had some ideas about the dress, so I tried to follow all of her wishes and I think everything came together perfectly.

The dress has small buttons on the back, so the doll can be undressed. The wings are attached with small clear buttons too, so they can be detached and reattached too.

The doll is about 40cm high, made with bamboo jersey for the body, filled with 100% wool, and cotton and tulle for the dress.

When Yana's mom came to me with the fabrics, she was so excited, that she brought a lot more fabrics than needed for the dress. She had bought different types of tulle for the skirt and decided to leave me all of them, so I could come up with whatever I thought suits the best. Well, I ended up using some of the tulle, but a lot of it was left, so I just couldn't stop myself and make a little surprise for Yana and her mom. I came up with the idea to make a tulle tutu and a matching headband for Yana.

I just loved the surprise and excitement I saw in Yana's mom eyes, when I gave her the present. She absolutely loved it and Yana looked so cute in it! This was my real reward. I just love making and seeing people happy! :-)

Merry Christmas, my dear friends!

Lots of love,

Hairclip holder

2013-12-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends!

Here is my last creation - a hairclip holder. I wanted to make one of those for a long time and the first one I made for my daughter, of course. She was so happy to have it. She chose all the colours, so I just had to follow her wish.

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,

Broken leg and some cast-covers

2013-11-07T03:35:00.001-08:00

Hello my friends!

As I promised you yesterday, I'll share with you what happened last week: my daughter Karina broke her left leg.

We were at a friend's house and she was jumping on the big trampoline they have in the backyard. She loves it!
But this time, a minute after she started, she slipped and fell badly on the leg. It all happened so fast and we didn't even realise right away that her leg was broken.

We spent the whole day in the ER of Sutherland Hospital. They put a cast on her leg and now it's immobilised for the next three weeks. Since the accident was a week ago, the yesterday's X-ray showed that her bone already started to heal and it just need some more time to heal completely.
So, it's good news - she will heal fast and have no side effects from the broken bone while growing.

In the meantime, I decided to make something for her - something that might make having her leg covered in a cast a bit easier.
I asked her what's her favourite colour and the answer was: "Rainbow!"
So, I went to buy some rainbow fabric and made this cast cover for her leg:

Of course, she loved it! It makes having the cast a bit more cheerful, which is always good for a 5-year old.

So then I thought, I could make a few of those for the hospital. During our stay in the ER, we met Dr. Matthew White from the orthopedic department, who actually put the cast on her leg. He was so kind and understanding, and had such a wonderful smile on his face the whole time. He made our stay a bit easier and I am so thankful for that. So, I decided to give him a personal Thank you card and leave him a few cast covers that might put a smile on other children's faces, going through a similar injury.

I really hope those covers make other kids happy too. It's not an easy thing to go through, but at least I tried to make it a bit less stressful for them.

Have a great week, everyone!

Love,

My recent felt creations

2013-11-06T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I am glad to welcome you again to my blog.
Last week I was pretty busy and didn't have a lot of time for sewing. But I'll share with you more details on that in my next post.

In the meantime, I would like to show you something I was making last month.
I got very insiped by all the felt creations I saw on internet, so I decided to try and make some for my daughter and my friends.

I made these brooches for my mother and my mother in law:

This one is made from 100% hand dyed wool felt

These brooches I made for five very special women: my daughter's educators at The Point Preschool. It was my way of expressing my gratitude towards them for being such amazing people and wonderful professionals. Thank you!

This hair clip was a special gift for
the daughter of one of the educators at the preschool

This headband I made with lots of love for a sweet little baby girl - daughter of one of my good friends - Alex. Welcome to our world, Alex!

And these hairclips were just pure pleasure to create for my daughter, who always loves a pretty surprise from me :-)

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Love,

Baby Waldorf-inspired dolls

2013-10-15T03:48:00.003-07:00

Hello everyone!

Just a quick update from me.
I made these baby Waldorf-inspired dolls couple of months ago. They are around 20cm tall and perfect for a baby toy. Can be washed on a gentle cycle and hang to dry. Made from cotton and bamboo fabrics.

Hope you enjoyed them!

Lots of love,

Waldorf dolls

2013-10-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, my dear friends!

I haven't shared with you in a long time, so I have some things waiting for me to show you.
Couple of months ago, I had the chance to try the creamy bamboo jersey, which I thought would be perfect to use for the skin of my Waldorf inspired dolls.
So I created this one for my dear friend Claudia and her shop:

It's 32cm tall and has something special inside: a small pink fabric heart.

I love the symbolism of "giving life" to the doll, so all my dolls come with a small heart, which can be seen through their fair skin. :)

The dress is made from 100% organic cotton fabric.

Since I worked with the bamboo for the first time, I had no idea how stretchy it would be, compared to the cotton I was using before. When I cut the pattern, the head turned out to be too small for the body, after being filled. I don't like trowing away fabrics, so I decided to try a new pattern and create another doll. This is how this one was born:

It is 30cm tall and her arms and feet are slightly bended at the elbows and knees. Her hair is made from Mohair&Wool blend.

Thank you for sharing my passion again!

Sewing or knitting basket

2013-08-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, my dear friends!

Today I want to share with you something that I made quite a while ago.

The idea was to use the same dollhouse pattern, that I already had, but change the way the house opens.

So now the whole roof can be opened and the walls are stitched together.

Inside, I made some convenient pockets for needles, scissors, etc.

It closes with buttons, so I think it could be quite comfortable to use as a knitting basket. No need to chase the ball of yarn around you - it's all packed in the basket :-)

Hope you enjoy it, and if for some reason decide that you want one - let me know :-)

Lots of love,

Bamboo sling wraps

2013-08-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Lately I don't have a lot of time to update the blog and a few things I've made, are still waiting to be published.

One of them is these super soft bamboo jersey sling wraps.

I've used a lot of different styles and fabric slings. I've made quite a few for me and my babies. :-) But I have to be honest - the bamboo sling is just incredible. So soft and comfortable - I just loved having it next to my skin. It has some stretch across the width, which makes it so much easier to wrap comfortably around the baby, especially if you are new to the idea.

I don't have to mention all the benefits that come with carrying the baby next to your skin and close to your heart. I've experienced them fully with my last two children and I would recommend it to every parent.

I also made some instructions on how to do the front wrap cross carry and how to position the baby inside the already wrapped around you sling.

Dimensions: 55cm x 5m.

EcoFabrics.com.au is the place where you can find the bamboo slings. They come with a storage bag and a complete instructions sheet.

Or, if you have your own ideas about the perfect sling for you and your baby - I would be more than happy to create it for you :-)

Have a lovely week,

Mathilda's market and a new range small size dollhouses

2013-08-10T04:13:00.001-07:00

Hello, my friends!

I had a great day today, helping a dear friend of mine, taking part at Mathilda's Market - Sydney.

Galia is the owner of the online store "Eco Products 4 You" and I am so grateful that she welcomed me to be part of the market.

Along with her range of baby and kids toys and accessories, we offered my handmade modern cloth nappies and two of my newest creations: smaller size dollhouses.

I was so happy to see people's interest and the smiles of children and parents noticing and asking about them. I am definitely making more of these in the future, as I think they were a great success today.

The measurements of these smaller size dollhouses are: 15x10 x 15cm height
I think they are more suitable for kids to carry along, due to their compact size.
The walls, inside and out are made out of felt, with a soft plastic insert to hold their shape. So they can be cleaned with a damp cloth if needed.

The inside of the house is free of decorations on purpose, so that the kids could run their imagination and change their own setting each time they decide so. Maybe I should think of making some 3D felt furniture and even small size dolls in the future.

I hope the kids who have those two will enjoy them and have lots of fun imaginative play!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lots of love,

Waldorf doll for a very special little girl

2013-07-12T06:01:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Last week, we had an amazing family vacation, which also allowed us to visit some dear friends. We had such a good time with them! I hope the future will bring us even more time together!

There was a birthday girl in one of the families, so a month ago, her mother asked me to make a special gift for her: a Waldorf doll. She wanted to escape the predominant pink for girls on the market, so I thought bright green and red would be a nice combination.

So here is the fairy doll, custom made for a very special little girl.
Happy Birthday, my dear! All the best to you and your family and a lot of joy together!

Have a great weekend!

A quick update

2013-06-16T04:18:00.001-07:00

Hello my dear friends!

Just a quick update from me on what I was bussy with, the last few weeks.

I made two full nappy sets: 5 covers, 20 soakers and 5 boosters included in each one.
Lately I make the soakers from hemp/cotton blend only and I am very happy with the results. They absorb as much, but don't need stripping, as they never get that bad smell like the synthetics. I use them for my son almost a year already and have never had to strip them.

Soakers:

Boosters:

And a new color swim-nappy:

I also made my first breastfeeding pads:

Some cloth pads:

And a few zipper-closed wetbags:

Have a great week!

Lots of love,

Rhapsody raspberry

2013-05-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Two weeks ago, a very dear friend of mine asked me to make a whole nappy set for her baby daughter. I love sewing for little girls and because I love my friend even more, I wanted to surprise her with something special.
So, when I saw this gorgeous Rhapsody raspberry print at the EcoFabrics store, I had to make a nappy with it.

I think it turned out really interesting and cute.
I hope they use it as long as needed and make some really great outfits, playing with the pattern.

Wouldn't you love to have such a nappy for your daughter? :)

Have a great week, everyone!

Lots of love,

Dollhouses and some exciting news!

2013-04-23T06:31:00.001-07:00

Hello, my dear friends!

Thank you so much for the interest and the kinds words I receive from you! Thanks for believing in me and my passion for sewing!

I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful circle of people, who wholeheartedly support me!

Today I would like to present you my last two creations, ordered by sweet Claudia, the owner of Eco Fabrics.

I don't have the words to express how much we share the same passion with her. I can only hope we continue working together in the future.

Three weeks ago Claudia asked me to make two dollhouses, and my immediate thought was to use the amazing fabrics from her store. They are all 100% certified organic cotton, with some of the most wonderful designer prints I've ever seen.

So let me present you first, the dollhouse made for a very special little girl, who still has no idea this would be her birthday present:

You can see more detailed photos of this house in the Toys section.

And here is the other dollhouse, which will be the sample in Claudia's store:

Again, you can see more photos of this one in the Toys section.

I am so happy to announce that all my handmade creations can already be purchased from EcoFabrics' store, located at:

Shop 503 Port Hacking South Road,

Caringbah, NSW 2229

If you go to the store, you can actually get to choose your own fabrics for the dollhouse from all the fabrics available there and believe me, it won't be an easy decision! They are just amazing!

And today I have another announcement to make.

A workshop on making a dollhouse (or a knitting/sewing basket) like these will be available in the EcoFabrics store. It will be my absolute pleasure to teach it and share my passion wth you!

If you are interested in participating in such a workshop, please contact me at dulcethandmade@gmail.com.

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Maria

Two-rows snaps closure

2013-04-06T03:19:00.001-07:00

Recently a lady asked me if I can make nappy covers with two rows of snaps for closure. So I decided to try and test them on my son first.
The two rows of snaps do give a better fit around the waist but there a few more snaps to deal with when changing the nappy.
Depending on the fabric used - I think the two rows benefit the thinner(1mil) PUL, giving a better fit.
Here are some photos of my son wearing a two-row snaps cover made from the thinner PUL.

Swim nappy

2013-04-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

I made this swim nappy for a sweet little girl who loves to swim with her mom. It doesn't need any absorbent parts, so I decided to change the original cloth nappy pattern a bit to achieve a better fit. Of course, I made one for my son first, just to test it, and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the result and the fit. I'm so glad I had a similar feedback from my client too.

The nappy is made from PUL and suedecloth.

The Point Preschool Sustainability Expo

2013-03-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, March 16, 2013, was a very special day for me and Dulcet Handmade.

I was part of an amazing event, organised by my daughter's preschool: The Point Preschool's 7th Sustainability Expo.

Just speaking about the preschool itself will take me hours to explain how much I love it. I love the people who make it work with such passion, their welcoming, warm care and deep understanding for the children. My daughter feels so happy going there and cannot wait for the next day of preschool to start.

I was so thrilled when Catherine (the director of the preschool) asked me to join the Expo. This was my first opportunity to be part of such an event and I am so grateful that they gave me the chance to do it.

My son Martin and me behind Dulcet Handmade's table

A lot of people came and visit my stall at the expo. I made some amazing new friends.

Claudia from Eco Fabrics:

Cheryl from Velvet Moon Designs:

Even though I didn't have a lot of time walking around, I managed to take some photos of the preschool's veggie patch and a few other wonderful stalls:

The kids had fun with Lydia - one of the wonderful educators at The Point Preschool:

It was such an amazing day for me. I had a lot of fun and learned so much!

Thanks to everyone who made this Sustainability Expo possible!

I wish you continue growing and supporting this wonderful idea!

Snap-in soakers

2013-03-05T20:26:00.002-08:00

Snap-in soakers allow the soaker to stay firmly attached to the cover. It's easier to put on the baby, especially when he loves moving around while nappy-changing :-)

Wetbags

2013-02-02T01:12:00.005-08:00

Waterproof reusable wetbags are available in different sizes. Suitable for cloth pads or cloth nappies:

Nappy covers are now available in snaps closure and one-size

2013-02-02T00:50:00.000-08:00

Nappy covers are now available in snaps closure:

Here you can see how any cotton printed fabric can be used as the outer layer of the cover (over the PUL, to keep it waterproof).

Covers are also available in one-size variety:

Small setting:

Medium setting:

Large setting:

Cloth nappies

2012-10-16T03:28:00.000-07:00

2-Piece or Pocket Cloth Nappies

When I was researching cloth nappies more than a year ago, I found a lot of different styles on the market.

I wanted something easy to use, easy to maintain and reasonably priced.

After purchasing and trying some of the brands with the best reputation, I decided I would try to make them myself. My goal was to end up with a trim, well-fitting and comfortable nappy for baby, with a natural fiber fabric next to baby’s skin.

The 2-piece nappy style appealed to me for the reason that I needed only 4-5 shell covers and 15 to 20 soakers/inserts.

I found the Little Green Bear pattern a very good and trim fit. Thank you, LGB, for sharing your great work!

Soakers/Inserts

The soakers have two visible layers on the outside and one hidden microfiber layer inside.

The first layer – the back of the soaker - is made from PUL. It is waterproof and keeps the shell cover clean, dry and easy to reuse with each nappy change.

The second layer – it is the thickest, with three layers of very absorbent microfiber attached to two layers of hemp and cotton blend (55% Hemp, 45% Cotton Fleece Knit). Hemp has four times the durability and absorption of cotton and also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

The first and second layers are attached fully to one another to prevent the microfiber touching the baby’s skin, which is not recommended. Microfiber is used for it’s good absorbency but can be omitted and replaced with more hemp, cotton or bamboo blend layers.

The third layer is the top, made from two hemp/cotton blend layers. It is not attached fully to the other two to allow the soaker to dry more easily.

Created in this way, there is all natural fiber next to the baby’s skin, which was one of my original goals.

Boosters

Boosters add absorbency to the soakers/inserts when needed, as nighttime. Boosters can be made out of microfiber, sandwiched between hemp, bamboo, cotton blend natural fiber layers.

Of course, again, microfiber can be omitted and replaced with all natural fibers.

Fitted nappies

Fitted nappies can be made, using the same pattern, from all natural fabrics. Hidden microfiber can be added for better absorbency or replaced with all natural fabrics, which would make the nappy a little bulkier.

Stay-dry liners

Stay-dry liners can be made from suedecloth which I find more superior than microfleece. I could either sew them fully to the top soaker layer or make them separate.

Covers/Pockets

The covers/pockets are made out of PUL on the outside (the waterproof fabric) and suedecloth or microfleece on the inside. These are all synthetic fabrics but keep the moisture away very well. My baby is not sensitive to them and I have never had any problem using those. They are the most commonly used in nappy making.

I made the covers in a way that they can be used either as covers or pockets. This means I can either put the soaker/insert directly next to baby’s skin and use them only to hold the piece in place, or stuff them with the soaker/insert, using the pocket opening and use them as stay-dry pocket nappies.

The difference between the two methods is that in using them as a 2-piece nappy, you don’t need to change the cover as long as it is not very wet or soiled and could reuse it, changing only the soaker. The PUL backing of the soakers keeps the inside of the covers clean and dry.

When using them as pocket nappies, you will need to change everything each time you change the nappy. This is because the pocket cover will be soiled even if you don’t feel it wet next to your hand. When used in this way you will need more pocket covers, therefore, one for every nappy change.

I sometimes use them as pockets when I decide I want to have the benefit of the stay-dry inside of the pocket cover. It keeps my baby’s skin perfectly dry.

When using them as covers, just lay the soaker piece inside.

The covers have an additional loop piece on the inside of the wings used for closure, so that when washing them their hooks do not stick or catch any other clothing.

Maintenance

The covers and soakers/inserts can be washed with the regular wash, up to 60°C water temperature. Stripping might be necessary, depending on your washing machine. I found that with different washing machines I need more or less stripping.

Covers and stay-dry liners don’t need a lot of drying time and PUL fabrics are usually advised not to be dried in a tumble-dryer as the laminated part of the fabric can be damaged by the high heat.

In my experience, after more than a year of regular use of one cycle in the thumble-dryer, my covers have no damage.

Sizes

Small – newborn to 6kg

Medium – 5kg to 12kg

Large – 9kg to 16kg

Sizes of the soakers/insert will be cut according to the size of the covers.

Colours

Solid or printed, laminated fabrics come not only as the one you see on the photos, but in a Minky or even denim variety.

The possibilities here are endless. By using either just the PUL as a top layer of the cover, or adding another cotton printed fabric layer on top of it, I can create the nappy as unique and special as the baby wearing it.

Whatever your preferences are, I would love to create the best nappy for your baby that both of you will love and enjoy!