Fabric Friday - Alexander Henry's The Ghastlies

I think that the Ghastlies must be one of Alexander Henry's most popular ranges, I know it is certainly one of our favourites. This year marks the 4th release for this collection with A Ghastlie Holiday which was so popular that it was reprinted with a month of its initial release. We managed to score all 4 colour ways of the Ghastlie Holidays design and a few matching co-ordinates.

We have also just restocked a few of the original (and for me the best) design, The Ghastlies. We thought it was a good time to show off all 24 Ghastlie fabrics that we currently have in stock.

Click to enlarge

Top Row

A Ghastlie Night Mold Green by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Web Mauve by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Gallery Natural by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Gallery Smoke by Alexander Henry

Ghastlie Violets Headstone by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Tapestry Smoke by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Gallery Mold Green by Alexander Henry

Middle Row

A Ghastlie Holiday Headstone by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Holiday Smoke by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Web Smoke by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Web Mist Grey by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Holiday Mauve by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Crewel Deadly Mauve by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Web Natural by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Tapestry Natural by Alexander Henry

Ghastlie Violets Black by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Family Reunion Mold Green by Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

The Ghastlies Natural by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Clover Mold Green by Alexander Henry

Ghastlie Bats Deadly Mauve by Alexander Henry

The Ghastlies Deadly Mauve by Alexander Henry

The Ghastlies Smoke by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Holiday Blood Red by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Clover Smoke by Alexander Henry

Which is your favourite Ghastlie design?

- Ky

Travelling Bunnies - AQM Melbourne

Cloud and I were in Melbourne last weekend for the AQM (Australian Quilt Market). The AQM is a wholesale trade show where retailers can source new patterns and fabrics. It is like a  very small scale version of the Housten and Portland quilt shows in the USA.

By the end of the weekend our heads were reeling from the 100's of fabrics, patterns and new gadgets we saw, luckily we took lots of photos so we can remember what we are ordering:) We are pretty excited about all the new fabrics that we are going to be stocking and best of all some of them are going start arriving in the next few weeks :D

Not these ones though, here is a sneak peeks of what is to come in the New Year, maybe if you are all good little bunnies ;)

Who are these crazy girls? 

I do believe that it is Steph from Cake Patterns and Pauline from Funky Friends Factory. 

So what do a fabric shop owner and a pattern designer do in their free time. 

They go fabric shopping of course :)

A big thank you must go out to Korina from Korina's Kreations who looked after the showroom for us while we were away.

- Ky

New Fabric in Store - 24 November

This week we have added few new Alexander Henry prints, crazy anime character prints and a new Hawaiian floral to the web store.

Top Row

Pure Muscle Royal Blue by Alexander Henry

Harajuku Anime Grey by Transpacific Textiles

Middle Row

Japanese Travelling Bear Orange by Transpacific Textiles

Constellation Navy by Alexander Henry

La Paloma Multi by Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

Hawaiian Plumeria and Hibiscus Floral Black by Transpacific Textiles

Anime Little Red Blue by Transpacific Textiles

Heavy Equipment Navy by Alexander Henry

Till next week,

- Ky

Fabric Friday - Go Wild with Animal Prints

Take a walk on the wildside with this collection of animal prints. Create your very own Bettie Page outfit with our leopard print, or a pinup style zebra head wiggle dress. For the kids we have some cute wild animal prints which would make great shorts, dresses or cushion covers.

Top Row

Medium Leopard Print by Sevenberry

Wildside White by Timeless Treasures

Middle Row

Animal Safari Green by Kokka

Zahara Black by Alexander Henry

Acacia Racoons Canyon by Free Spirit

Bottom Row

Kibali Brite by Alexander Henry

Teeny Tiny Zoo Choc by Alexander Henry

Need some more inspiration? Check out this awesome dress made by one of our customers out of the Tula Pink Acacia Racoons. Click on the photo to see the original Facebook post. 

Have you made anything out of fabric purchased from us, we'd love to see it. Pop it up on our Facebook page or send us an email, sales[@]voodoorabbit.com.au

- Ky

You Sew Girl Hobo Bag Sewing Pattern Test Drive

I actually made up this bag in early October but haven't had a chance to blog about it until now. If you came to the Brisbane October Craft and Quilt Fair you might have seen it as part of our display. I'd been wanting to make this one up for a while but as usual picking the perfect fabric was the sticking point :)

We finally decided on Echino Bloom Black for the outside of the bag, this fabric is 150m wide and non directional. To save fabric I cut out the pattern pieces perpendicular to the selvedge instead of parallel to it as per the pattern instructions. The lining is June Dot Pink, which is a fabric we purchased specifically to be used as a lining with Echino prints as the pinks used in both designs are so similar.

The final bag measures 20cm (8") tall x 30cm (11-3/4") wide x 10cm (4") deep, which I think is a good size, not too big but not so small that you can't fit anything in it. 

Difficulty

This pattern is rated for basic to intermediate sewing skills, I made the sample to shows off some of the more advanced optional features of the bag.

There is a zippered closure for the top of the bag but, if you are after a quick and easy closure option, you can use a magnetic catch or button instead. The instructions for all options are included in the pattern instructions. The zippered closure is inserted at the bottom of the facing which is 5cm below the top of the bag. If you think you will need that extra 5cm for putting stuff inside your bag then you should use the magnetic or button closure option :0)

Inside the bag lining I have added in the optional zippered pocket. I took this photo during construction as I think that it is the best zippered lining pocket I've every sewn. It is certainly the straightest :) 

On the other side of the lining I have inserted a divided pocket, which is the easier pocket option.

Interfacing

The Hobo is designed to be a soft and slouchy bag so I haven't gone overboard with creating structure with interfacing. The fabric is a 85% Cotton/15% Linen blend so it is a little heavier than quilting cotton. I have teamed this with medium weight fusible interfacing. The resulting bag doesn't stand up on its own but it contours more to the body while being worn. If you prefer a more structured bag you can do this by adding in a layer of light weight fusible wadding.

Overall this bag went together fairly quickly and easily. A good project to keep you occupied for a night or two.

If you would like to recreate this bag here is everything you will need:

• Hobo Bag Pattern by You Sew Girl
• Outer Fabric - 0.75m x Echino Bloom Black by Kokka
• Lining Fabric - 0.5m x June Dot Pink by Alexander Henry
• Flat O-Rings 52mm Silver - 2pk
• 1m x Medium Fusible Interfacing
• 45cm Zip for top closure (optional)
• 20cm Zip for lining pocket (optional)

- Ky

New in Store - 17 November

We listed a mammoth 20 new fabrics onto our web store this week! The majority of them are from Japan including new Sevenberry and Echino, Kokka. There is a also a couple from Riley Blake and Timeless Treasures. 

Click image to enlarge

Top Row

Echino ni-co Camera_b Natural by Kokka

Echino ni-co Glasses_b Natural by Kokka

Small Leopard Print by Sevenberry

Medium Leopard Print by Sevenberry

2nd Row

Echino ni-co Glasses_b Mustard by Kokka

Spon On Pindot Orange by Robert Kaufman

Zombie Apocalypse Zombie Eyes Orange by Riley Blake

Spon On Pindot Cardinal Red by Robert Kaufman

3rd Row

Echino ni-co Scooter_b Teal by Kokka

Echino Decoro Buck Teal by Kokka

Japanese Ladybug and Clover Spot Navy Blue

Echino ni-co Camera_b Green by Kokka

4th Row

Zombie Apocalypse Rules For Survival Grey by Riley Blake

Zombie Apocalypse Zombie Attack Grey by Riley Blake

Berry Toss Gingham Black by Sevenberry

Berry Toss Pindot Black by Sevenberry

Bottom Row

Japanese Hawaiian Yellow Hibiscus Floral Black

Echino Decoro Buck Black by Kokka

Tiny Cherries Black by Sevenberry

Plume Beautiful Peacock Black by Timeless Treasures

As well as the new fabric we have also received more of these popular prints including firemen and Christmas pinup boys and tattoo from Alexander Henry and Nevermore from Michael Miller Fabrics.

Click on image to enlarge

Top Row

Hurry Down the Chimney White by Alexander Henry

Tattoo Tea by Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

Nevermore Collage by Michael Miller

Ready For Action Blue by Alexander Henry

Until next week, happy sewing.

- Ky

Fabric Friday - Channel Your Inner Hipster

Cloud is headed to Melbourne tonight and is channelling her not-so-inner Hipster. She picked out most of these designs for the shop – can you see the theme happening here? She may say she hates skinny leg jeans but Cloud isn’t fooling anyone ;)

Top Row

Geekly Chic Glasses Hot Pink by Riley Blake

Echino Decoro Buck Black by Kokka

Middle Row

Echino ni-co Scooter_b Teal by Kokka

Just For Fun Staches Multi by Birch Fabrics

Echino ni-co Glasses_b Mustard by Kokka

Bottom Row

Geekly Chic Moustache Black by Riley Blake

Hipster Cats Yellow by Kokka

- Ky

New Fabric and Haberdashery in Store - 10 November

This week we have a heap of new Kokka fabrics including some from the Echino ni-co and Decoro collections. We have also added a new colour of Echino Bag Webbing and the latest design from Cake Patterns, the Espresso Leggings. 

Top Row

Echino Bag Tape 45mm Mustard

Kinder Print Black by Kokka

25cm Cylinder/Drum Lampshade Making Kit

Echino Decoro Rhino Black by Kokka

Middle Row

Echino Decoro Twin Teal by Kokka

Espresso Leggings RiFF Pattern by Cake Patterns

Echino Decoro Rhino Teal by Kokka

Echino Decoro Twin Pink by Kokka

Bottom Row

Echino Ni-co Scooter_b Natural by Kokka

Echino Decoro Rhino Purple by Kokka

Bohin Mechanical Chalk Pencil with Refills

Car Travels Sky Blue by Kokka

Till next week, Happy Sewing

- Ky

Fabric Friday - Mix and Match with Denim

Denim is a great fabric which can be used in many different types of sewing projects. Our 6oz indigo denim is similar weight to our regular cotton fabrics and is perfect for making skirts, bags and pants. It is 100% cotton with no elastaine content so it will not stretch. At $12/m and 150cm wide it is relatively inexpensive, making it a great base fabric for many projects which can then be dressed up with a more expensive feature fabric. 

Indigo coloured denim goes particularly well with fabrics that contain reds, oranges and some blues. Here are few examples of fabric combinations and projects we have made.

I'm always amazed at how well blue and orange compliment each other. I shouldn't be as they are on opposite sides of the colour wheel which makes them complementary colours. The burnt oranges in this print by Parsons Gray certainly work well with the indigo blue. 

This is my favourite combo, indigo denim with Lupe Natural by Alexander Henry. Once again it is the oranges in the Lupe print that work so well with the indigo denim. I think that the blues also complement nicely. 

These are the fabrics that I used for my Hummingbird Skirt which is currently my favourite skirt to wear :) 

Don't you think that this next combo with Sasparilla Alphabet Blocks Multi by Riley Blake Design would make the cutest pair of shorts for a little one? 

Denim is a great base fabric for a satchel bag where you can use your feature fabric on just the flap. On this small satchel we have teamed the denim with Animal Circle Canvas Red by Cosmo Textiles. Red and blue are both primary colours so they work really well together. Don't you think that the deep red of the feature print just pops against the indigo blue making a very striking bag?

On the larger tote we have used Samurai and Geisha Seafoam by Trans-Pacific Textiles for the flap, the blues and greens blend together nicely with just enough red/orange for a bit of contrast.

I'll leave you with a few more combinations that you might like to try out.

Top Row

Candy Party Handsome Pony Black by Kokka

Hot Rods Red by Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

Panda Dots Red by Cosmo Textiles

Passport Paris Map Green by Northcott

- Ky

Easy DIY Lampshade Making Kits Now Available from Voodoo Rabbit

Our two biggest requests here at Voodoo Rabbit seem to be about cushion covers and lampshades. Cushion covers are easy enough to give advice on but lampshades are a bit trickier as the adhesive backing paper and wire frames can be hard to source. When Leisa from Quirky Comforts approached us about stocking her lampshade making kits we jumped at the chance. 

This easy DIY Lampshade Making Kit has everything you need to make a professional lampshade. Simply choose your own fabric and lamp base to match your home, office or cafe interior. Everything else you require is included in the kit. 

At 20cm (7-7/8") high x 25cm (9-7/8") diameter, this lampshade is the perfect size for bedside tables, kitchens, childrens bedrooms etc. You can also turn it upside down to create a stylish pendant light over your kitchen bench (try a row of three), workbench, or as a centerpiece in a room. The finished shade fits Standard Australian lamp bases and fixtures.

I made up the sample pictured in less than an hour and was super chuffed with my efforts. The instructions are clearly written and give a professional looking finished result. The hardest part was picking the fabric so I let Cloud help with that :) The Zahara Zebras look pretty nifty and the print was the perfect size for the height of the lampshade.

Quilting cottons are perfect fabrics to use for this lampshade as they aren't too thick so let a lot of light through. Obviously the darker the fabric, the less light you get, but depending on the pattern you can achieve some funky looking effects.

You can always cover an existing lampshade with fabric but this kit is way easier! The adhesive backed paper is the same as what the professionals use and it bonds really well to the fabric making the whole process a lot less fiddly! You can also choose whether to make your shade for a pendant hanging or a lamp base so it's a lot more flexible than having to hunt for hours to find the right type to re-cover.

To recreate this lampshade you will require the following:
♥ 0.3m x Zahara Black by Alexander Henry
♥ 25cm Cylinder/Drum Lampshade Making Kit

- Ky

New Fabric In Store - November 3

Now that the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair is over we should be able to get back to regularly listing new stock on our website. This week we have added the rest of the Ghastlie Holiday and Web ranges as well as another glow-in-the-dark space fabric from the Stonehenge Out of this World series by Northcott Fabrics. Last but not least we have added to our Riley Blake Cotton Jersey Knit range.

Top Row

Stonehenge Out Of This World Glow In The Dark Planets by Northcott

Middle Row

A Ghastlie Web Mauve by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Holiday Blood Red by Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

A Ghastlie Holiday Smoke by Alexander Henry

A Ghastlie Web Smoke by Alexander Henry

Large Image

Red and Grey One Inch Stripe Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Small from Top right to Bottom Left

Solid Red Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Yellow and White One Inch Stripe Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Navy and Purple Half Inch Stripe Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Black and White Half Inch Stripe Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Solid Aqua Blue Cotton Jersey Knit by Riley Blake

Till next week, Happy Sewing

- Ky