Sweet Magpie

Where to find Quidditch in the Harry Potter Movies

Post author By Martha
Post date February 17, 2019
No Comments on Where to find Quidditch in the Harry Potter Movies

For those of you looking to make a Quidditch costume, I have a tip for you: not every Harry Potter movie features Quidditch. Once I got over my shock at this fact, I tracked down which films could supply some reference.

Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone

Year 1. The first encounter we have of Quidditch isn’t the game – it’s running across the Nimbus 2000 in Diagon Alley (21:30). Isn’t she a beaut? Then we see Oliver introducing Harry to Quidditch after his almost disastrous spotting by Professor McGonnogal (1:04:26). And, who can forget Harry’s first-ever Quidditch match (1:15:28)?

Freebies Harry Potter

Nimbus 2000: the symbol (free download)

Post author By Martha
Post date December 28, 2018
12 Comments on Nimbus 2000: the symbol (free download)

My friend Kim and I are working on some quidditch costumes – never mind that we’re about 15 years too late to be on trend. I’ve been doing a deep internet dive for good photos of the Nimbus 2000 since we’re both huge fans of this specific Harry Potter broom. The handle shape and visible wood grain is just spot-on. Plus the curve of those bristles is lovely. Just see:

Draco Malfoy’s Nimbus 2001, although supposedly superior in the Harry Potter books, is a lot more plain in the movies – straight handle, bulkier bristles – and not nearly as appealing:

Design House

Wall stamping. With a stamp.

Post author By Martha
Post date December 14, 2018
2 Comments on Wall stamping. With a stamp.

Our children have been growing up, as children tend to do. When our kidlets were very small I kept tiny fingers out of my projects by putting WIPs on the table, out of reach. This worked for a bit, but soon the kids could peer over the table top – what interesting goodies – or climb on chairs to reach shiny objects.

Phase two was the guest room. I’d push the bed aside to make room for whatever I was working on if it needed to be left out. What they don’t see is less of a temptation, right? Out of sight, out of mind? Sort of.

Back to the Future Design Freebies

Making the skyway sign from Back To The Future II

Post author By Martha
Post date September 27, 2018
4 Comments on Making the skyway sign from Back To The Future II

The year my father turned 70 I knew I wanted something over-the-top for his birthday gift. This is the tale of how I made a scale(ish) model of the skyway sign from Back To The Future and knocked his socks right off.

By now I’m assuming that you know I have this thing for Back To The Future (I might have mentioned it before in my sweet hoverboard costume post). But did you know that my dad gets the same grin on his face if you bring up Back To The Future?

When I was young my mom would spend a few weekends a year away at teacher’s conferences. This left 3 girls home alone with dad. Being the model parent that he is, the first thing we did Friday after school was head over to Blockbuster to rent several VHS tapes and a VCR. Crazy, right?

Back to the Future Costumes Freebies

Becoming Spike – a Back To The Future 2 costume

Post author By Martha
Post date September 3, 2018
1 Comment on Becoming Spike – a Back To The Future 2 costume

It was late February when Kim mentioned that the cast of Back To The Future would be at the Calgary Expo. I spent the evening poring over the Expo website, checking ticket prices and schedules (there might also have been a bit of squealing). Not only would the cast be there, but Doc Brown (the inestimable Christopher Lloyd) was going to posing for fan photographs with a DeLorean. I was hooked.

Herein began a 2-month race to the finish for my first con/cosplay. I’d always been a bit envious of Kim and her costumed shenanigans each spring, and now it was my turn – featuring my favorite trilogy of all time.

The next day I kicked off costume planning. After my husband Jer volunteered to dress up with me (he doesn’t even like dressing up, best husband ever) and we got the kids in on it, I knew we had a big job ahead.

The first question was who to dress up as? Marty and Jennifer from the 80s? George and Lorraine at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance? Marty’s kids from the future? Or our final choice – Griff’s gang from 2015. Jer and I have always had a thing for hoverboards and the cheesy futuristic tech in the second movie, so it was an easy sell.

Freebies Hook & Needle House

Knitting (and sewing) the Billow Pillow (+free pattern)

Post author By Martha
Post date January 26, 2018
No Comments on Knitting (and sewing) the Billow Pillow (+free pattern)

Do you ever wake up in the morning just wanting to make something? Although I hate having to get out of bed, about half an hour later, post-tea and pee break, I’m ready to create. A few weeks back I got the bug to make a knitting/sewing pattern for the Billow Pillow. And today I’d like to share it with you.

Let me take you back to last June when I was digging through all of Knit Picks’ yarn for the perfect colors to match this beautiful mixed media piece of my grandmother. My aunt made back in the ’70s and it hung in my parents’ home for years, so when I look at it I not only enjoy the simplicity but have all those lovely nostalgic feelings mixed in too. See exhibit A for my inspiration:

1:6 scale Freebies

How to make 1:6 scale bricks

Post author By Martha
Post date October 1, 2017
31 Comments on How to make 1:6 scale bricks

I’ve always had a thing for brick walls. They have so much texture, depth, personality. Brick makes everything better.

So when I thought of making a dollhouse for my daughter, my mind immediately said “brick”! I’ve watched a lot of tutorials on how to make scale bricks, from making forms out of foam core to cutting a slab of clay in the right sized rectangles. You can also laser-cut your brick pattern into MDF and just paint the bricks and grout lines. I even saw a few people recommend painting foam bricks or gluing brick-sized cutouts from egg cartons to your wall.

But I’m a sucker for authenticity, and so decided to go perhaps a little too far in the direction of laboriously handmade.

Costumes Hook & Needle

Where’s Waldo on Canada Day?

Post author By Martha
Post date July 2, 2017
No Comments on Where’s Waldo on Canada Day?

What happens when you bring a red and white striped t-shirt home? I suppose it depends on who you are. But if you’re anything like me, you immediately jump to visions of the whole family kitted out in Where’s Waldo costumes amidst a sea of red and white.

From there the daydream turns into a DIY fantasy – finding matching t-shirts would be hard, right? Maybe I should just sew all 4. After that, I’ll need to find us 4 pairs of round glasses and compile stacks of books. Should the books all be copies from Martin Handford’s Where’s Waldo series? Maybe I should knit Waldo hats for us all to match as well. Could I find us matching boots?

Design

I smell snow. And new episodes of Gilmore Girls.

Post author By Martha
Post date December 8, 2016
No Comments on I smell snow. And new episodes of Gilmore Girls.

I have a confession to make. I love watching Gilmore Girls just a little bit too much. I’ve watched all 7 seasons several times. Watching with friends, watching alone, watching with a bowl of snacks, you name it. I’ve done it.

So when Netflix announced a new season of Gilmore Girls, almost 10 years after its original run, I was excited. To say the least. I’m sure this anticipation was helped along by Netflix’s rather comprehensive (and well done) post-launch marketing campaign.

The big night found me at my friend Shauna’s house with 9 other women and 1 young gentleman (go, Ben!). The lights were low, the coffee pot was brewing, 3 kinds of pizza and 20 unhealthy snacks were scattered across the living room. We were ready.

Tags before and after

House

Our mini table makeover

I’ve always had this idea that refinishing furniture would be a fulfilling, joyous project to undertake. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t learn otherwise until my second chemical burn in fifteen minutes (boo! to paint stripper) and was too far in to bow out gracefully. So, before you start your first refinishing project, let me give you fair warning:

Refinishing furniture is a work of love. It costs more and takes longer than you think it will. It takes time, patience, and several very thick pairs of rubber gloves.

Still with me? Bravo. Splendid. Well done. We shall begin.

Before

As previously mentioned, my husband and I have produced a few children. We wanted to set up a kids’ computer on the main floor – we hear computer literacy is big these days – but didn’t have room for a full desk. My search on Varage sale found me a wooden child-sized table and chair for $10. Perfect.

The table and chair looked something like this when I got them:

The table and chair had taken a bit of a beating in the past, as well as being painted in bright primary colors. Now I have nothing against bright colors (you should come over and see my house sometime), but this 90’s retro-chic just wasn’t what I was going for.

So for my first ever furniture stripping project, I decided to tackle the table. I’ve done a fair amount of painting over the years, and figured refinishing would be a roughly equivalent amount of effort. Right? Riiiight.

Tags before and after, diy