Seraphym Handmade

Beginnings

2016-06-23T10:26:00.002+10:00

Thanks to all who have stumbled upon this blog over the years. I am truly thankful for all of your love and support.

This is a new beginning for Seraphym Handmade, and like me, it has evolved and grown from what this blog once was and sought to achieve.

So the blog will remain for now, but will no longer be updated or maintained.

see you around elsewhere,

ORGANIC FLORA - An Adults Coloring Book by Seraphym Art

2015-07-09T13:39:00.003+10:00

So I've been a little pre-occupied lately with all this Drawing, Sewing, and Wedding planning. It's been crazy! Plus it's school holidays so I'm trying to get all the creative time I can in now before it's back to the paperwork of Doom!!! Duh Duh Duh.

If you play along on Instagram, I've been busy drawing up my new Colouring Book, Organic Flora. I'm now happy to announce that I have finished the book and it's available now on Etsy in both digital and hard copy formats :)

To celebrate the occasion, I'm giving away a digital copy over at Instagram.

Here's a sneak peek at the pages!

Grab a copy in the Etsy Art Shop Here

Hand painted Pencil Cases and Pouches using Fabric Medium

2015-06-26T20:47:00.000+10:00

I like to think of myself as an uber organised person, when really I just love stationery, which makes you look uber organised. My love of stationery had lead to me making my own personalized, hand painted, binder folders... remember this one?

To complement my hand painted binder, I make the awesomest pencil case to go in it. The grommets (rings) make it nice and easy to clip in, as well as slide and flip over when I'm using it.

So being me, I took it a step further and got to painting some fabric. I found some Linen and Canvas fabric at my local shop as well as some Fabric Medium.

If you haven't heard of Fabric medium before, it is a liquid you add to your regular acrylic paints which turns them into fabric paint! It's awesome to have handy if you don't do a lot of fabric painting, but you also do a bit of regular painting and have paint on hand. It's easy to set with heat (just iron) and it's completely washable. Score!

So here is the finished product and man I love them! I'm totally addicted to making them! Its one of those situations again where I want one for myself, but I'm not wasteful like that. My pencil case is perfectly fine.

I can see more pouches and casual clutch bags in my future :)

You can find these over at the Seraphym Art shop.

New Art Store on Etsy - Adult coloring pages and printable art

2015-06-07T21:28:00.000+10:00

After slowly collecting pictures in my Art folio, then playing around with the digital scans, then using them in my art classes.... I've finally decided its time to release them into the world as coloring pages in my new Etsy Shop.

I was really surprised when one of my students asked me for more of my coloring pages because she likes to color them in with her mum in front of the TV at nights together. Plus others loved to show me how they've colored them in using the color theory I've taught them in class.

Then one of my colleagues managed to get her hands on one, blow it up to A3 and color it in.

You can also find my paintings there, available as instant downloads.

If you've been playing along over at Instagram you may have seen these....

Check back to see what they become

Xoxo

Modern Sorbet Quilted Throw Pillow Cover

2015-05-16T17:51:00.000+10:00

Here's another variation of my Modern Sorbet Throw Pillow using Prima Solids and a subtly patterned white cotton.

I placed this one and the other I have made on my bed and now it makes me want two so I can put them on my bed. They're just smaller than a Euro, which is awesome because the Euro size seems way too big to use in bed.

I've used the same geometric straight line quilting again, simple because I think it looks cool and doing anything curved would distract from the curves of the drunkards path block.

Once again I've made sure the zipper can be seen!

You can find this one in the shop here, or the pattern to make your own here

Simple and Small Abstract Paintings

2015-05-11T09:00:00.000+10:00

I've been playing around with color lately. My Kiddos at work always leave left over paint in the palettes which is 'tainted' by other colours and simply can't use it.

So instead of washing it down the sink, I decided to use it to create these two paintings.

What do you think?

I've hung these in my sewing room, along with some of my other artworks. The room is a work in progress and I just really want it to be a happy and creative space - ideally an organized one too, but hey, a girl can dream!

To have a better look you can see them on Instagram @seraphymhandmade or, they're over at Nuvango Store now :)

Giveaway Day! Throw Pillow Cover by Seraphym Handmade

2015-05-06T22:01:00.002+10:00

- Giveaway Ended -

It's that time of year again over at Sew Mama Sew, It's Giveaway Day!

For those of you new to Seraphym Handmade, Welcome!

My little Blog is about my slow Handmade Life. I love Quilting, Sewing my own clothes, Painting and Photography, and this is where I share what I make.

I try to fill my life with handmade items made with love rather than mass produced 'things'. The things we make from our hands hold a greater sentimental value rather than the store bought, same goes with gifts we receive which are handmade.

All the things I make have a purpose and aren't made for the purpose of just because or to sit somewhere and be admired on a shelf (unless its my Art, then that needs to stay put!) I don't believe that things make you happy, but making them and using them sure does!

I just try to share this with the people who visit my blog through the products I make with my store and the tutorials and patterns I share to spread the knowledge and skills to make your own.

To spread the Handmade Love, I'm giving away this Throw Pillow cover. It measures 16" x 16" and is finished with an envelope flap style backing. The Abstract and Modern detail is machine applique and machine and hand bound.

All you have to do to enter is post a comment below explaining what you love most about handmade gifts!

Entries close Monday, the 11th of May, and I'll announce a winner shortly after!

Entries open worldwide! Just make sure you don't comment as anonymous, because I won't be able to contact you.

Talk soon

xoxo

Love me a good Etsy Treasury - Copper and Teal

2015-04-28T01:00:00.000+10:00

Nothing better than opening emails from Etsy with their beautifully curated finds. Of late I've been drawn to these colours, copper and teal, for quilt inspiration.

When it comes to inspiration, I think there is nothing better than seeking it out everywhere. for quilting you can get so distracted by patterns and colours and... well Pinterest essentially! So it's important to broaden your search into anything which catches your eye.

Click on the image above to see the links on Etsy

Simple DIY Scarf with Embroidered Edging

2015-04-13T23:04:00.000+10:00

I'm a big believer in making your own clothing and accessories, especially something as simple as a scarf. As a sewer I never buy anything I know I can make because I can't justify spending the usually exorbitant price thats literally just a few straight seams and some poor quality fabric.

Of course while I was at the fabric store I had a looksie at the sale table (I can't ever pass up a bargain) and came across some muslin in a subtle grey. Now I know in the USA, your muslin is what we Aussies call calico, so I have no idea what you call this fabric! If you know drop me a comment! Essentially its the fabric commonly used for baby swaddles, it's a 100% cotton, open weave and breathable fabric :)

All I needed was 1 meter (1 yard) of fabric which I cut in half and joined using a french seam to keep those pesky fraying edges away, while creating a seam which would look pretty too :)

I hemmed around the whole scarf then spent that night cuddled up under my electric blanket stitching the whole edge in a combination of blues and pinks. Bliss!

P.S Don't for get to enter the giveaway before Saturday!

Modern Sorbet - Giveaway and A New Pattern based on the Drunkard's Path

2015-04-11T17:08:00.000+10:00

I have a sewing room, I use it for sewing, sure, ironing too. When it comes to cutting and trimming I'm obviously spread out in the lounge room, there is TV there! And my sewing room is just a tad squishy. Therefore, I spend a lot of time on the floor which is hard on the knees especially on the hardwood.

I had stumbled upon so many gorgeous quilted pillows, a few I even made into throw pillows. Then I saw the gigantor floor pillows and I immediately added one of those on my mental to make list (don't even ask me how long that list is, I don't even know)

Of course many quilts and assorted projects came and went until I began trying my hand at 'Quilt Design a Day' and became obsessed with the versatility of the drunkards path blocks. An obsession began, and I can't even begin to tell you how many QDAD's I've designed using that block.

So finally, I made one of my many designs, behold! My Amazeballs floor pillow (Insert trumpets sounding here)

Isn't she perty!

I totally love it, and while it doesn't exactly match my fire engine red couch, I don't even care! (It'll match my dream couch I swear) Plus my knees and every single pokie-outie bone in my ankles and feet are really happy now.

I'd mentioned previously that I had made some pillows using zips in bright colours, but the way that I was sewing my zips in meant that that zips were protected (Ehm, hidden) by fabric flaps. I've changed that now and my brightly colored zippers are out in the open for all to see!

In typical quilty fashion the pillow is made with a fully quilted 'quilt sandwich' and bound (because that's my favourite part of the whole process)

It's quilted using multi directional straight lines in white, that way I'm not distracting from the curves.

So the pattern for this beauty is available in the Etsy Shop as well as Craftsy along with the rest of my quilting, crochet and craft patterns.

- - - This Giveaway is now Closed - - -

Congrats Kate!

And here begins the Giveaway!

Up for grabs is a copy of the pattern for 3 readers!

One winner each for followers on:

This blog
Instagram - @seraphymhandmade
Facebook - Link to the page here

What you have to do:

Simply post a comment on this blog post, the Instagram post or the Facebook post.

(You must follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you are entering through these sites)

Visit Facebook and Instagram for more ways to get bonus entries!

Competition ends Saturday April 18, at 9am, Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT +10). Winners will be posted on this Blog post, Instagram and Facebook, winners must supply an email address to receive the pattern. If no email or alternative is supplied then another winner will be drawn. Winners are drawn through a random number generator which corresponds to their post order. Entries entered after the end time will be either deleted or disregarded.

Quilt As You Go Pillow with Applique

2015-04-07T10:54:00.000+10:00

You guys know by now that I love using up my scraps and I had this idea to make a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) pillow in my head for a while.

This one measures 16"x16" and is hand appliquéd and hand quilted. I absolutely love the process of hand sewing, so calming and therapeutic!

I usually finish my pillows with an 'envelope' style back, but didn't like the way that if your envelope flaps were to small, they would poke out and you could see the pillow inside. Otherwise, if the envelope flaps were too long, it made it difficult to put the pillow inside. There was a very fine 'happy medium' that depended heavily on how bulky the pillow was.

For something different and for more of a professional finish, I've added a zipper in a pop of color! Next time, I think I'll make the zippers more visible so you can really see the color.

I Love Link-ups!

Nuvango Throw Pillows

2015-03-11T17:30:00.000+11:00

Have you noticed Nuvango has branched out and introduced T-shirts and Throw Pillows....

Look how good they look!

I don't even care about the T-shirts but I'm so tempted to buy ALL the pillows

Phew, excitement over....

But seriously, they're pretty cool...and yes I'm biased because it's my own Art.

Clicky if you wish to add them to your collection

xoxo

Unisex Baby Quilt with Elephant - A New Quilt

2015-03-10T08:00:00.000+11:00

The Elephant Baby Quilt is Finished!

42" wide x 51.5" Long (107 cm x 131cm)

I had this idea to quilt-as-you-go animal silhouettes for a while and this is how it came out. I love how quickly it comes together paired with the joy of picking out a variety of bright bold colours from my scraps. If you know me, you'd know I love using up my scraps, I simply cannot stand how much fabric is 'wasted' in the quilting process. Plus, using a mish mash of colours and patterns from your scraps bin is as much therapeutic as is the process of sewing. Plus I think it helps me practice matching patterns, colours and prints.

I traced my elephant shape onto the cotton batting in pen, then worked from the centre out in QAYG. I really tried to use more smaller strips as My QAYG grew to give more color variation.

It was then trimmed and reverse appliquéd to the flannel.

...And how cute is that backing fabric! I'm a sucker for stripes, especially for binding, and the rainbow colours are just awesome.

The front of the quilt is a soft flannelette making it extra warm and cozy, and a different texture for bubbas to explore.

This quilt is for sale in the Princess Caz Etsy Store

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

2015 so far through instagram

2015-03-09T18:41:00.000+11:00

I'm lovin' Instagram for posting. It's just so easy and doesn't involve as much as blogger. Although some things just need a full blog post.

So, here's whats been going on since we last spoke :)

I revealed this painting. A Christmas gift commission.

I gave an old ring binder new life with some of my original art and washi tape! Why? Because pretty stationery is either boring, or expensive.

I made a handy pencil case with rings allowing me to store it in my new ring binder. (If you're new here, I'm a teacher, and teachers love stationery!!! A lot!)

I've been sewing some beauties for the Princess Caz Shop

And whats been keeping me away from blogging the most is preparations for my very own special crafty event

if you don't follow on Instagram and would like to, search for @seraphymhandmade or click the link in the sidebar.

Until next time...

A bit of Photography to celebrate Spring

2014-11-25T18:27:00.000+11:00

While I'm totally time poor, I still find time to do things creative, otherwise I'll drive myself nuts! Being pre-Christmas, I can't show you the cool things I'm making as gifts!

In the meantime, here are some snaps I took to get me through writing and marking exams.

When you make a bag better than yours

2014-11-10T21:59:00.000+11:00

If you've been crafting for a while, you get to that point where people notice. And then they ask you to make things that you've made for yourself, for them. And thats great, because you love making stuff, and if you are going to make something for someone (for free) you obviously love them!

So I was in this situation recently when my sister in law needed a bag for her all of her new knitting gear, so I made her a the same bag that I use for all of my knitty and crochet stuffs.

Here's my bag

So off I went, whipped it up and this is what I made....

Oh My God it's amazing I want one for myself! Were my thoughts exactly. But I already have one. and it's in good shape and it would be wasteful to make another. Waaaaaaa!

What do you do craft people when you do this? I'm off to go make dresses that are pretty to stop me making another bag.

Pattern used was Apple Cider Tote Bag by Pink Chalk Studio.

Pink chalk didn't ask me to write this post, I just like the bag.

Koalas and a New Pattern

2014-10-03T01:09:00.003+10:00

Here is the (short) story of how my new Koala Bear Beanie Hat pattern came to be.

It's a little bit of a family tradition (well something my mother and grandmother insist on doing) to send an Australian themed gift to our international relatives when they have a baby. This time my mum turned to me to create a gift.

Well! At first she asked if I could make a quilt with a kangaroo on it, on a tight 2 week time frame and limited budget. So I was thinking "Cool, I has an idea in my head to do a simple animal silhouette quilt. The type with a plain flannel background and a patchwork animal of some sorts." I thought I could get something like that done at a stretch within the time and budget constraints. Well, here is what my mum had in mind.....

This beauty is by Quilty as Charged

That gorgeous work of art, was obviously no way near what I would get done in 2 weeks. I had a little chuckle to myself and immediately thought of this beauty which has circulated the internet.

They need to add one with a picture of me and every quilt I've ever made with the caption "what my mum thinks I whipped up this week"

Chuckles and giggles aside, we agreed that a crochet beanie would be suitable. Mum loved it (and supposedly so did the lady at the post office), I love it, lets hope mum and bub love it too!

So to celebrate the release of the new pattern, head on over to Craftsy and snap it up for $2.00 this week.

Have a lovely weekend Handmade Lovers!

Blue Checkers - A Finished Quilt.

2014-09-07T16:51:00.000+10:00

After making this bunting....

... and this quilt....

I was still totally in love with the fabric and colors, which usually isn't the case with me. As I work on a quilt or project I get sick of looking at the same old fabric. The fabrics are 'Minimalista' by Art Gallery Fabrics in Aqua, plus a few others from my stash.

So I just had to make another quilt from it...

Totally loving the orange binding and backing, It pops so well. That fabric is 100% GOTS certified organic poplin, which is so soft and smooth. Can i also mention that I'm loving the beautiful weather we've been having lately in Melbourne, which has conveniently all falling on the weekends! Spring is here, and bring on summer!!

It measures 33" x 42" or approx. 84cm x 107cm, a crib size.

As you can see I quilted it on the diagonal, giving it another linear texture and effect to complement the squares.

You can find this one now in the Princess Caz Etsy Shop.

What do you think?

New Art in the Nuvango store and 25% off

2014-08-30T20:38:00.002+10:00

Hello Lovelies!

I've added these new beauties to the Nuvango store. Don't forget to use SUMMER25 in the checkout for 25% your order

What I'm working on - WIP Craziness

2014-08-26T11:41:00.001+10:00

Being the Crafty Craftess that I am, I'm always juggling a few projects at a time. I do this because I hate to get into an Unmotivated 'funk' when I'm only working on one project. You know, that feeling of 'I really don't feel like working on 'X' right now, or I don't like this quilts layout, I need to walk away and tackle this with fresh eyes.

Well, I think I've taken this to another level of late. Cue Show and Tell of my WIP's....If you have been following along on instagram (seraphymhandmade) you may have seen glimpses of these already, but I've added in some more sneaky peaks because you're an awesome bloggy stopper by.

A painting for those late night weekends sitting on the lounge room floor while watching the latest TV show obsession

This will one day become a pillowcase, but I spent some time sitting on the heater vent hand stitching the applique.

Drawings in my sketchbook which need to be scanned and added to the Nuvango store

Some circle square crochet blocks which will one day hopefully be a throw and a tutorial!!

Some more applique. I'm still undecided as to whether to hand applique or machine at this point. This was originally going to be a pillow, but now I'm thinking it needs to be a quilt.

A quilt for the Princess Caz shop. Currently sitting in my Craft Den ready for quilting.

Some secret crochet, and by secret I mean I can't tell you what it is as yet, since it is a gift.

Phew! There are more WIP's than I originally thought.

How many WIP's do you have currently going on??

Exciting News! Seraphym Quilts are On Etsy - Princess Caz Creations

2014-08-19T14:05:00.000+10:00

Well, today is an exciting day for me. After nearly two years blogging, almost three quilting and a lifetime of sewing I am realizing my dream of selling what I make!

Presenting..... Princess Caz Creations!

If you have been following me for a while, you may have heard my quilty story, that Christmas where my mother-in-law likes to say "She created a monster". My Christmas present was all you need to start quilting minus the machine, complete with Elizabeth Hartman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork. I spend Boxing Day in the sun, reading the book cover to cover, and I had my first quilting project picked out!

My first quilt. Pattern from Elizabeth Hartman's A Practical Guide to Patchwork

Fast forward almost three years and countless quilts later and here I am, teamed up with said mother-in-law, Caz, opening our little Etsy Shop Princess Caz Creations. I'm the Princess, but not because I act like one! (Promise!) It's my little pet name because Mr. Seraphym like to tell the world he 'treats me like a princess' and if he is reading this, then yes you do sweety, all the time!!!

A baby/toddler Quilt by Caz

The shop will combine my Traditional/Modern style with Caz's cute as a button Applique detailed designs. How cute is the teddy!

The one below is a newie by me. The fabric is Minimalista by Art Gallery fabrics and Cloud Nine 100% GOTS Certified Organic backing and binding.

I tried a different technique with the binding on this one, opting instead to use the excess backing fabric, and then folding, mitering the corners, and machine stitching on the top.

To keep tabs on the goings on of Princess and Caz's quilty adventures, pop by here, or to our Facebook page

Quiltspiration

2014-08-13T21:02:00.002+10:00

I'm suffering from a 'sickness' we all know too well. That one we get when we haven't seen our sewing room or at least heard the sound of a sewing machine as nearly as much as we need to in order to stay sane. I think I've only had the time to chain piece some pre-pinned squares together. Humph! So in the little 'free time' I have at the moment, I though the best thing to do would be to swoon over some quilt inspiration.

I stumbled upon this artists Claire Kahn at Melbourne's AGIdeas last year. Amid all of the captivating graphic design, this artist obviously stood out for her geometric and 'quilty' looking designs. I don't know about you, but I can be a like a dog distracted by a cat running by when it comes to quilt inspiration. Imagine me, strolling through the Melbourne CBD lost in my thoughts, deciphering where I am in the cities gridded streets, am I going ..... QUILTSPIRATION! ooh what pretty geometric architecture, that would make an awesome quilt, "snap".... what was I doing again?

These particular artworks are 'Topographic Paper Cuts', and are layers of painted cotton rag board. Wouldn't they make an awesome modern quilt, and given the variety of colors, wouldn't date either.

Aren't they gorgeous! So, where do you find inspiration?

Nuvango Art and a Facebook page

2014-07-26T23:05:00.000+10:00

If you're one of my Instagram followers, you may have noticed that along with all the usual craftyness I get up to that drawing and art has come sneaking in. Never Fear! I'm a sewing crafty lady at heart but boy do I love to paint and make mess (at home as well as with my students at work)

This post is a little bit of gross self promotion, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I'm hoping you enjoy my crafty adventures enough to forgive me! I made sure there were pretty things to look at too.

Some of my paintings are available now on my new Nuvango Store as Canvases, prints, Cards, and best of all device skins!

Weee! How cool do they look!

(I'm just a tad excited)

I've also gone ahead and started a Facebook page for all things Seraphym, simply because I find myself spending more time there than sorting through my gigantic 'unread' list on Bloglovin'. This could be because I'm a busy bee at with the ol' day job and am lacking time for a good sit back and read time... Or possibly because it's winter and there is nothing better than cuddling under a quilt while making a new quilt, or crochet/knitted this or that.

Anywhoo, if you feel the need for a little Seraphym love on your Facebook newsfeed, clicky Here and like or follow

Chevron Ombre Quilt and a Bunting

2014-07-22T20:29:00.001+10:00

I've finally managed to get some photos of this quilt I made for my sister for her 21st birthday earlier this year. I'm glad to say she absolutely loves it, and appreciates the work that went into it, I know this because as young girls, my sister and I would spend some of our school holidays at our local quilt shop in sewing workshops. We would make Quillows, pillow cases, skirts and a range of other sewn goodies, but being a few years younger than me, her products were a bit "wonky" shall we say! We still joke about her wavy sewing lines, and the amount of times she 'broke' my sewing machine to this day.

I absolutely fell in love with the Chevron shape and love love love making HST's. The quilting is done completely by hand in a simple zigzag which mirrors the colored chevrons in a variegated embroidery floss.

I didn't follow any particular pattern for this one, I just created around 8 x 3" HST's in each color for each row, and arranged them by spreading the colors evenly avoiding too many repeats. I used 3 different prints plus the 'base' color for each row.

I also couldn't help but make her a cute Bunting for her birthday party which had temporary 'Happy Birthday' letters on each flag which came off easily after its original use and they now live above her bedroom window :)

What have you been sewing? I'd love to hear in the comments!

The Man Quilt (Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry)

2014-05-21T10:34:00.001+10:00

It's been about a year since I have completed my man quilt, and it's found it's permanent home on the lounge room couch.

It was made for 'Mr Seraphym Handmade' who, after seeing me go a little quilting crazy (obsessed) innocently asked when I would make him a quilt. And for anyone who has made a man quilt, know it can be a bit of a challenge. So it was 'on' there an then, challenge accepted! I got right to work designing.

This quilt was my first go at paper piecing and designing my own quilt from scratch. For more insight into the process, see the original post here.