6 months ago I was posting cryptic statements on Facebook about how I was working on a large project that required lots of super-wide-calico, (2.4m or 95″wide) and a fair bit of calculations involving Pythagorean theorem. Now I can finally reveal the result, Ta-Da! This is my project that is published in the current “Australian Homespun – The Kids Issue” (No.113; Vol.13 No.10) as “My Treehouse Adventures”. The third project that I have had published in Homespun, (all in the annual Kids Issue) this one was by far the most challenging.
I made 3 different scale-card-models, and then kept sewing and unpicking a prototype made of old sheets, until I got the structure right. I designed the appliques in Illustrator, and kept printing them out and pinning the paper versions onto the prototype until the scale and placement were pleasing. Eventually I felt ready to sew up the real thing.
I am particularly proud of the “Tree-Window” on the tent which has a rather nifty construction. I took these photos on a grey old day in May, after rearranging our Lounge room, and co-opting Amelia to be the “kid” in the photo, as no one else was home. The instructions I sent to the magazine ran to 11 solid pages of text, and 24 diagrams. Thank goodness they have a good technical editor, who was able to cut them down somewhat, (and was also reportedly impressed with my instructions and diagrams 
).
I am really proud of this project, and would be thrilled to see any versions of it made using my instructions. My kids loved playing inside it before it was sent interstate (for photography), and can’t wait for it to come home. So go forth and buy this year’s “Kids Issue” of Australian Homespun, and don’t forget to email me a finished picture or two.