All Things Mum

Be Hue to Your School Coat/Dress

2012-01-25T16:51:00.001+11:00

What do you think? Does it look a little boxy?

I tried it on yesterday and took a few pics. It's a little itchy inside. It just fits me across the chest.

I like the side view. It has tabs on the sleeves so it can be folded up.

I like that it's light. Perfect for Autumn/Fall/Spring.

Here's my mother pose. I have tights on underneath.
Would you wear it with jeans? I don't know.
I will wear this when she starts Kindy next week.
Sob. My little girl is reaching a major milestone.

Til then. Be good to yourselves.

Modcloth addict

2012-01-17T10:48:00.001+11:00

Wow, the dress arrived yesterday and I love it. It's my favourite dusty pink colour.

The jersey knit is really comfy and the medium size was perfect for my 5' 2" frame. The lace is really cute and it will be perfect for a party/dinner occassion. It's not dressy enough for a wedding though but perfect for a pre-wedding party, which, for the Europeans, is typically held for related families a week before the actual wedding and is child-friendly.

This is a better pic of how the bodice fits. It's a bit darker in colour than what you see here.

I'm not sure if the lace will fray so I might have to pick up some fray check in the near future.

I'm always worried about how I look in dresses (esp. those I've not tried on) but this was really flattering.

I've been eating well and even with no exercise my tummy isn't bulging as it use to. Gosh, we're so wicked to our body images aren't we? We all have something we don't like about our bodies. Mine is my tummy but I remind myself that my tummy has held 4 beautiful, precious babes and I'm darn proud of it.

I'm so addicted to Modcloth that I bought this wool blend dress as it was on sale. I saw it being used over a dress like a cardi and it looks adorable.The weather down here is a bit all over the place, like four seasons in one day. Yesterday it started off cold, then it became sunny and warm and then much cooler in the evening. We need to think about clothes we can layer to accommodate with the weather. I'm so excited and I hope this dress is really nice.

We had family over yesterday so I made this lovely Raspberry and Almond cake. Initially I had the frozen raspberries since Christmas but never got around to making a cake so it was perfect timing since I also had the sour cream and almond meal. It was a bit time consuming but nothing my kitchen processor could not handle for me. The berries did sink to the bottom but it did turn out lovely. I only wish I had the flaked almonds as per the recipe.

So it turns out the Built by Wendy top will also act as an art smock top for the eldest and I'm going to have a crack at a plain top today from my Japanese Overlockbook. Fingers crossed.

Simplicity 3835 Built by Wendy

2012-01-10T15:45:00.000+11:00

The pattern that I won arrived from the States yesterday. I was even more excited once I checked up on Flickr already made tops and decided to make a muslin since it would probably require tweaking. Ladies on-line had raved about it including Amanda Soule.

I traced out the pieces onto a cheap roll of interfacing I bought from Spotlight.

This is a size 12 (the largest available to me) in a white cotton and finished by lunch.

It would have been faster had I not been cleaning up this mess. She loves zinc cream.

Fortunately for me it comes off easily using baby wipes and having timber flooring is a must. My 5year old who helped me clean is a blessing. God I loved her as she cleaned up the floor.

Where were we? Oh yeah. The top. It turns out the size 12 just fits. I need a bit more bust room and at the back. The sleeves were ok as well but I'm not a big fan of an elasticised neckline. It reminds me of an art smock. I will have to make it a bit roomier and pick a nice light cotton that will go with my jeans/skirts/shorts. Summer has decided to make an appearance so I'll be needing a lot more summery tops.

Stay tuned.

Into the New Year

2012-01-07T08:54:00.002+11:00

I am sad that Christmas and New Years is over as we had lots of fun this season.

Above is a really yummy and easy Rocky Road I made using Frys Turkish Delights, rice bubbles, dessicated coconut, marshmallows, milk choc, dark choc and white chocolate for the top. Mmmmmmmm.

What was rather cool is that the white chocolate turned out a beige colour because I was too lazy to use another bowl to melt the chocolate so the milk choc coloured the white chocolate as I stirred. It looks really good and tastes even better.

I even did this small piece of sewing. After I saw it on Make it and Love it I knew I had to make my own knit skirt from a spare large mens t-shirt. After not using instructions the first time it didn't work out on the overlocker so I gathered the skirt and then sewed on the waistband using my Janome sewing machine and then overlocked the edges. It turned out fine and it's so soft and comfy. Great for around the home or beach! I think I could even make a few more for the girls.

This was the setting at mums for Xmas. My sister went all out with the decorations.

It was magical. There were tealights on the table, flowers in little vases, flowers in big vases and orchids hanging from lanterns. Xmas is always fun at mums.

This absolutely delicious appetizer was made by my youngest sis: Queen of entrees.

It's a delectable mouthful of salmon, avocado, prawn and real caviar. Heaven I tell you. I ate about 3 of them, ok maybe 4.

Don't ask me why it's blurry but I ordered this dress from Modcloth yesterday.
I knew it was a Had to Have It now dress! I hope it arrives before a wedding in Feb ( an e-mail sent already states that it has been sent) and it had better fit. Fingers crossed.
You can see the actual dress here.

In other news we bought our eldest her first school uniform. She'll be attending Kindergarten this year. Sob.
I should be happy that she's growing up. I mean I am. I hope the school really helps her to shine this year.

So onwards and upwards everyone. Take care of yourselves this holiday.

Christmas Makings

2011-12-24T16:16:00.002+11:00

This year I decided to tackle a few cookies. I had made a shortbread version and we ate them all.

This chocolate one was featured in the Coles Christmas cooking brochure and it looked very good and I had most of the ingredients on hand. Even hubby got into the action and was helping to cut out shapes. They came out rather nice but not as chocolatey as I would have liked. I will have to track down a better recipe next year. I did like that it was a white chocolate icing too.

Some nights I get to sit at my sewing table while they're all asleep and I fiddle around.

I decided to iron up the hem and do some hand-sewing (which I dislike). But that meant that this Oliver + S

blouse got made-up and finished in time for Christmas mass. It's really cute but man, there's a lot of buttons at the back. I would have prefered a zipped version.

The children got into the decorations and the tree is a mess but what-evs.

Here is the littlest adorning decorations fashioned by his sister from a headband. I had worn it across my neck which was rather fetching if I must say. Lol.

These simple cushions (there's one camouflaged in the back) were made up from some Ikea pillowcases I hardly use. I love love love the floral print and it has a really soft cotton feel. A very quick project because I lopped off one end of the pillowcase and sewed in an invisible zipper late at night. I will have to post more about invisible zips because I became much more of an expert this time around and I have some things I learned to share.

Anyway, have a very Merry Christmas and thankyou so much for stopping by. Please be safe these holidays and may you be blessed this wonderful season.

Tis the Season to be Jolly

2011-12-17T16:42:00.002+11:00

This year I wanted to go on a Christmas House Lights trip. Hubby wasn't really interested but caved in and drove us around after I got the older two ready. The young ones were asleep hence the scruffiness.

Anyhoo.... I picked a few addresses from our local paper and went to this amazing house who won the competition. It was awesome. So many lights, so many things to seeeeeeee.

You know even a well dressed house will amaze children and adults alike. The kids adored it.

The main house even had their own Santa and he took a few pics with the kids. I think I even like these ones better than the one we took at the mall. Elijah isn't even crying. What a good baby.

They had three windows dressed up like this. It was so cool. There were houses with lights lit up inside and little moving ornaments. Like.Wow. We moved onto a nearby street (how I love you gps) and saw a few more houses before the kids were sleepy and yeah, I was too.

Can you tell i am into the Spirit this year? Why not? I'm not heavily pregnant or carrying a newborn this time, Yay! AND to top it off, today I found out I am the winner of one of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaways.

I won and chose the Built by Wendy Simplicity pattern from Jmday.

Now that's something to be jolly about.

Baby's Bib

2011-12-13T09:49:00.001+11:00

Each Monday I get to go shopping and leave a few little ones with daddy.

It's nice to have that time to grocery shop but it still takes a few hours with some browsing of my own inbetween. It's nice to have a bit of one on one time with Miss 5 as she's usually tagging along.

She even packed the grocery bags into the trolley at Woolworths for me which impressed the checkout chick and mother next to me. Start them young I say and you'll have them doing these things for you for a while.

So I normally take a list with me and sometimes the list is still on the fridge.

I told hubby I needed some bibs for baby and he said "Why don't you make them?" I did try before when I had my first son but they didn't turn out nice. I did try to find the right set at the shops because I like to have a plastic backing and for them to be a good size. This boy drools like a fountain. There were none that were suitable and within a decent price range.

So last night I traced out one of his big bibs and trawled through my stash to find the elusive PUL I've been stashing for many years now. I bought it when I had my first with the intention of making cloth nappies but that never eventuated. Now I have enough PUL to make about 6 bibs! Yay.

I cut out the blue flannel and just used one piece of PUL for the back. I bound it with white bias and sewed velcro to the tops. Voila! one very nice bib.

I think he likes it too.

December

2011-12-09T17:14:00.001+11:00

Well the tree and the lights across the back wall are up so we're just about ready for the Season.

Two yeara ago I put up the lights by walking barefoot and pregnant on the t.v unit! Crazy huh.

This year I put it all up and the lights didn't work. Wth?

Back to Kmart for new set of icicle lights and back up on the unit again. We got a new star as well.

This year I left the teachers' presents as last minute. I had some spare wine bottles from a wedding in the cupboard and Little Miss going to Kindergarten Next Year made up these ThankYou cards with my help. I stuck a little ribbon in the back to 'hang' the card on the wine bottle. Genius, I know ; )

There's also a big box of Cadbury Favourites in the pack too. The cards have a cute little poem about teachers in it and I'm sure her teachers will adore it.

The littliest turned 6months old yesterday. Wow, how.time.flies!!!!

He thinks sleeping through isn't his cup of tea so I am yet to enjoy a decent night's sleep.

He loves his food though and we're starting with potato and mushy stuff. No teeth yet.

I've made some Ottobre pants but the zipper pull flew off and I can't get it back in the teeth.

Did you know Ottore patterns Do Not Include a Seam Allowance? I found that out the hard way. At least I used some cheap fabric before starting on a nice denim.

It's suppose to rain all December so I might need pants this Christmas Day. I'm sussing out the shops but (so funny) I picked up this nice singlet which turned out to be a crop top. What??? Where's the rest of it? Young fashion. Where am I suppose to find something decent? Perhaps Target.

We shall seeeeeee.....

Shopping for Christmas

2011-12-02T13:30:00.001+11:00

I really enjoy the Christmas season. We took the annual Santa pic and it turned out smaller than the past few years so we were disappointed. The older kids put on a fake smile and the other little ones didn't even smile. I opted for the cheapest set we could buy and perhaps would have liked to be more picky about taking a better picture. They're not really helpful at those photo places. At least it was like having a family photo and we can update our wallet pics again. I put this smaller one in my new diary, which I got from K-mart again this year for a budget price of $4.

I'm pretty sure my kids can't read my blog so I will go ahead and tell you that we've splurged on them this Christmas. I didn't want to get them any old toy that they'll play with for a day and then have it left on the floor for me to stumble over. I wanted them to have something which would lean to the educational side so I decided we would get them a LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet (breath) ,... each! If we were to only buy one I'd never hear the end of their arguing.

They already love the iPod, which we don't have, so they are really going to love this gadget/toy/whatever. I just hope they get to learn things and it goes to good use instead of just gaming. Target seemed to have the cheapest price so after I dropped the kids off at preschool/daycare I went up with the other two littlies and got the last pink one and one green one. That way they'll know which one belongs to whom.

Our local shopping centre were also giving free tote bags for every reciept of more than $10 in the centre so I came home with two of these cool bags which are made of hessian and lined with some kind of plastic adhesive inside. They fit a lot of my groceries in and I'll keep them in the car so I don't leave them at home.

I did some more Christmas sale shopping at Cotton On Kids, picked up some jeans and bought this cute bag. The proceeds will go towards their charitable work. Yay.

This gorgeous dress is for my niece and it's an Origami dress from Myer. Just beautiful and at 25% off it was only $29.95.

Lastly I picked up a skirt for myself. This is from Temt and was $13 (with 30% off storewide). I should be able to pair it up with a Cotton on blue polkadot knit singlet and Target black slingbacks.
I love finding a good bargain and when the kids are behaving it makes for a stress-free shopping experience.

I hope you're finding your own bargains too. Time for me to tidy up the sewing room so I can get a move on with making a few things for Christmas like an iPad case, pants for my little boy who's growing up too fast, and totes for teachers. But perhaps first, finding out what that darn smell is coming from the back kitchen.

Toodles.

One for the boys

2011-11-16T15:53:00.002+11:00

My almost 4yr old son hardly has any shorts to sleep in so it was about time I get off my butt and make him a pair. I tell you if I didn't know how easy and fast it would be I'd have started these a few years ago! I don't actually have any pyjama patterns I liked so I used a shorts/pants pattern from the Japanese book that I have. I have no idea what the name of it is though. I just know I have not made anything from it yet, until now. It is pattern number 44.

I found this beautiful knit fabric at Spotlight. It is called Toybox and perfectly soft and not too thin. You know how it is, when you make something out of knit and the fabric seems to be way too light. This is not the case. It's beautiful to work with. I cut out the largest size from the book which is 100cms. The boy is about 102cms so I was hoping it wouldn't be too small. It turned out perfectly. I used my overlocker to do all the seams and I used my new stretch twin needle to hem up the bottom legs and waist. It looks so much more professional when you do it this way.

It took me a while to find the page on how to sew it up but it's easy once you do it a few times. I am normally a ninny who sews up the side seams instead of the butt/crotch pieces.

The front and back views. Sorry for the blurriness. So hard to get a boy to stand still!

Here are the finished shorts. I really love the way they turned out. I will be making many more of these for this summer. We had a few days of blistering heat and today it's windy and about to rain. It's not exactly time to put away the quilts and coats just yet.

What are you up to?

Distracted

2011-11-09T16:39:00.001+11:00

Well Spring has made a late entrance around these parts of Sydney. This weather has been crazy I tell you. It's been cold, rainy and sunny all in one day!

We have been feeling the heat so much so today that I really wanted to make this wrap dress that I've been talking about forever. I've used the pattern before for my maternity top.
It's not finished yet. I have only put the bodice together and skirt. I wanted to see if I could make a simple dress, omitting the top panel. I don't think it's working out.

The bodice JUST fits. I'm holding it together in the pic above. After some reading the fabric you're meant to use is anything stretchy like knits. However, I had this lovely synthetic thing I picked up when Spotlight had their 30% off storewide. I think it really suits me and drapes over my bumpy pokey bits. It's rather low cut too, lucky I am wearing a singlet underneath. I am suppose to put facings on the edges rather than folding the edges under twice and that is why it is probably more open.

The problem I see is that I haven't cut out the front wrap panel so that's why I currently have trouble wearing it. See there are no zips so unless I plan to put in a side zip I need to cut out a top front panel.

~~I'm going to think about it a bit more........~~
I've decided to stick to the instructions and put in facings and make it a proper wrap dress. That means it won't be finished any time soon. I need to buy some facings (bias binding).

In other news I also recieved these in the mail: (squeal!!!)

I'm incredibly excited!!! The first is Overlock Sewing which contains simple items such as a skirt, t-shirt and cardigan. The second is Simple Chic. Both were from yesasia and they were free shipping.
I can't wait to get started on something else but I must finish the other unfinished projects around here.

Almost finished blouse.

2011-11-05T09:00:00.000+11:00

I have this friend whom I met from Playgroup. She's awesome and we are similar in our tastes and dilemmas. She comes over and we have fun playdates with her two girls.
Turns out she likes sewing too so yesterday I showed her my stash of patterns and got her into Japanese Pattern books. This sounds like trouble... he he.

She also inspired me to take some time out and sew. So I did. The babies slept and I sewed, and sewed. There were no bathroom or food breaks.
I just sewed until one of them woke up. I felt really good. More inspired. I wished I could have kept going.

I am excited. These are parts of the Oliver + S Puppet Show Blouse. I've had them cut up for a while now.

I've been cooking too, from Apples for Jam. We made Tessa's Banana Bread and we gobbled it up. There are no pics to show. I tried the Lentil and Sausages but the kids only liked the chicken sausages. We might try some cookies as we start gearing up for Christmas. Ahhh, it will be just around the corner in no time!

Back in the Game

2011-10-25T17:38:00.001+11:00

One of my favourite go to blogs is Cakies by Ruby Ellen Bratcher.

She inspired me with her homeschooling, talent and living life through the lesson of the Lord.

Amen to that. She also has 4 beautiful children and a doting husband.

She made me want to buy those Saltwater shoes her girls wear so much that I scoured the net and ordered some from Ten Tall Trees. However, our dollar was going down by that time so I lost a few bucks in the deal. Good news for you though that our dollar is above parity right now so you can grab yourself a great pair of shoes!!!

Fast forward two weeks (ish) later and they arrived! I got the girls to try them on and they are actually the perfect size. I was going to buy their size 6 and 10 respectively but decided to go a size up (thinking they're larger in size). My girls wear those UK sizes so I bought the 7 and 11.

White (leather) Saltwater Sweet Hearts.

Pink Fuchsia (leather) Saltwaters

Spot the baby.

My new appliance taking up even more room on my kitchen bench.

I've been wanting one for a while so when I saw the box at Aldi with a discounted sticker on it I told hubby I had to have it. He said ok. The guy scanned it and it scanned at the wrong price so I told him it was meant to be $39.99 and he changed it. Phew. I made pizza dough with it this morning. I learned to be careful once the dough climbed up the dough hook cos it took me some time to fish it out of the hook inserts.

My happy little bunch. Things are on the up and up around here.

I've joined a basketball team on Sunday arvo's and hubster looks after the young to while I am pounding the court with my lead legs. First game back I thought I was going to fall over but since then I am now keeping up a bit more. I average two points per game which is great in my books. And then the other day while shooting a few hoops at mums I noticed something. WTH? I am a left-handed shooter! When did that happen? No wonder hardly any shots were going in. Up and up I tell you!

Posts that make me emotional today:

Chris losing her baby girl. I've been a long time fan of her blog and to read this breaks my heart.
The blog community is amazing. Read about the healing quilt. It makes me want to make my posts more meaningful, inspiring, ... healing.

Well, we've had lots of funny weather this month. Yesterday we had a heat wave and last night I had the fans on. Then it rained. It rained all on my washing. Oh well. Serves me right for being ~~lazy~~ busy.

Lord give me strength.

Hair Square Hair Accessories

2011-10-21T16:03:00.000+11:00

As a mother of young girls I am always in need of hair accessories.My 5yr old has long hair and my 2yr old has curly hair that requires taming. Lots of taming.
Otherwise there will be clunks of food dried up in their tresses if I fail to tie their hair back.
So last week I went to K-mart and went to buy a few clips for them.
She instantly picked out the Hair Square flower clips.

However, when I opened them at home, to my dismay, there was one missing blue flower clip.
I was very much disappointed as I like to get what I pay for and I count all my pennies.
So, what's a girl to but write a letter. I actually wrote a quick e-mail and presto, they responded pretty quickly. Of course they apologised and would replace the packet.

In the mail the next day I recieved my replacement box along with some other goodies to try.
How awesome is that?!! ! I was so happy. Now that's fantastic customer service.

Here is my 5yr old wearing the Hair Square Flower Clips and little bands.
The only annoying thing about the clips is that they tend to trap strands of her hair in the gap between the glue and flower piece. So I have to either carefully release it or pull out the clip with a few strands attached. I might have to hot glue the gaps for future use. I like the little tubes they come in. There are cute little fairies on the front which all little girls love.

I'll be trying the metal free hair bands soon and will report on those too.

If you have any good hair ties you can recommend please share them here.

Stay tuned for some more product reviews.

Decorating... it's just not my thing

2011-10-17T19:25:00.000+11:00

In my mind I had grand plans for decorating his Christening.

However, let's just say not even a fraction came to fruition as I left things majorly last minute.

At least the pom poms came together the night before. I also made a 3m bunting but should have made heaps more for our shelter.

One of them now hangs in the kids room along with the light lanterns.
I wasn't able to decorate the night before because hubby wanted to wash down
the walls the morning of the party. THE MORNING for goodness sake.
And where was I come morning, well prepping my pretty self of course.
Along with curling the 5yr olds hair (which I've never done before).

I am glad to say that the Christening went well and the party was nice.

I was run of my feet though and it was not as organised as I'd liked it to be.

Still there is a lot to say of extremely helpful family members and those who are not so much.

You know the kind. You have them your ranks too, yes?

Here's my happy bunch clean at church and then totally dirty by lunch, lol.
A few pointers I'd like to add about party planning.

* Actually have a plan. Write it down. Write shopping lists and actually buy things in advance. The dollar stores are magical places.

* On the day have your make-up, hair and stuff done locally. You don't want to spend you precious minutes driving from suburb to suburb.

* Try, try, try prep things the night before! Decorate and have tables and chairs out that evening for the next day!!!!

* Have someone with photography skills take the photo's. A budding 12yr old nephew does not suffice. You will regret it later, I promise you.

* Most of all. Have fun!!!!!!!!

Mwah.

Planning and Milestones

2011-10-08T10:37:00.000+11:00

This little cherub turned 4 months young today. He's a fussy little thing but I love kissing him to bits.

Life has been really hectic since his arrival. There are days when I truly feel I cannot do a single thing and other days when a bit is done and the world is alright.

This 5 year old requested earrings so I obliged. I was more nervous than she was.

I forked out the cash to have them both done at the same time. One skinny guy and one medium sized guy were at both sides of her. Both looked a bit scary as they had tattoo's down their arms and a collection of piercings in their ears. I suppose it is the sign of a true professional in his field, yes? I always tell myself not to

judge others. I could have done them at the GP which would bring the cost down by half but I wanted it both ears done together as I was scared she'd freak out.

Just as they were getting ready she looked a bit worried and told me she didn't want them anymore. Too late for that. I told her it would be quick and she'd be ok so SNAP! Both ears were done and she didn't even flinch. She didn't cry and I was so very proud of her. When we got home I was a little saddened to announce that my little girl now has earrings. A sign of her growing up, well to me anyway.

Hey, I made bread last week! A friend came over for home-made pizza so I prepared two batches of dough. We only used one batch for the kids so I decided to let this one rise a second time and glazed it with milk and egg. Into the oven and 45mins later we had bread. It was a bit chewy but lovely. I have bought a pizza stone to try some more bread things from the 5mins a Day Artisan Bread book.

Thankyou for your advice and suggestions re party planning. We still have Elijah's Christening next Saturday. I've been scouring the internets for ideas and trying to keep the costs low. How great is this site? I decided to go with Martha Stewart Pom Poms and a bunting. I wanted lanterns but they can get a bit expensive.

I did find this cute lantern light decoration from Typo. It comes with fairy lights but I haven't decided where to hang it yet. I have selected a bunch of fabrics for a bunting and will have to get around to that this week.

My local two dollar asian store is awesome! I found his bombonieres there and will go back for this gorgeous flower cake stand.

This is a bargain dress I picked up from Millers (not just for older ladies).

They are having a 50% off sale right now so the mid length dress was only $20.

Sorry for the bad photo. I'll take another one of me wearing it one day.

For now we have a party to get ready for.

Stay tuned.

3 months ago...

2011-09-11T23:25:00.003+10:00

3months ago I gave birth to this precious little boy.

It wasn't a long labour but perhaps a little longer than the last two labours I had.

Right now he is snuggled next to me as I have some time of my own. He loves to smile at me and talks ALOT. It's mainly cooing sounds but it's too cute. He's also started to giggle when he's tickled. Sometimes I wish he wasn't my last but other times I just can't wait for him to grow up.

I have always loved the look of canvas prints and when I recieved my very own canvas from Bags of Love in the UK, I was really surprised how lovely it turned out. The picture of Elijah was printed on a very thick and durable canvas wrapped around a wooden frame. I chose this print as it was a lovely black and white photo I took recently but obviously I needed more light and photography skills. I really like how his features are so clear on the print and not grainy. We haven't put it up on a wall yet but I will do it this week.

Check out the Bags of Love site and you will find lots of inspiration for personal gifts and memories that you can print of your loved ones. I do like those personalised purses too (see linky to the right) but they have a whole range of items you can choose from. With christmas on it's way I'm sure you'll be able to tick this off the list and have pressies ready by then.

Ok, I've decided to draw the Giveaway winner since I have planned to go to the post office on Wednesday.

True Random decided that comment #3 by Dansie has won the tutu! So please e-mail me with your address and I will pack up the tutu for you. Congrats on starting your own blog too.

Nighty night all. Must.Sleep.....

Princess Party and a Tutu skirt Giveaway

2011-09-05T09:51:00.002+10:00

Tiara cake

We had a few days of celebrating for a special little (not little anymore) firstborn who turned 5.

Quite honestly I am not a party planner. I think of things to add to lists and hope they don't get forgotten come party day. First we had cupcakes at Preschool. Fairy sprinkles for girls and choclette sprinkles for the boys. These were already in my pantry but if they weren't we'd have boring cupcakes cos I'd forgotten to buy any type of sprinkles at all. I ruined the first batch of icing with melted butter and luckily hubby was already out so he picked up a box of icing mix for me which was just enough for 24 cupcakes.

Trifle Cups

Then we had dinner at mums and my sister made lots of little desserts and cupcakes. The chocolate custard filled cupcakes were a hit. Lastly on Sunday she shared the Fathers Day celebrations with the whole family and we had a Tiara cake made up for her. I made the trifle cups and felt so very happy that they too turned out. The icing I sprinkled on top melted by the time we served it though.

My Oliver + S Little Things to Sew book arrived just in time for me to make the tutu skirts.

I was really worried about not having enough tulle and gees, if you calculate it, 5yds of tulle can get pretty pricey. I'll spare you the details but after getting a bit confused over the directions I managed to get my head around it and cut out enough pieces to make two skirts.

I love how it's constructed so it's reversible and non-scratchy. I used a double layer of mushroom, white, pink and pink with lovehearts tulle. It came out really lovely and the ribbon is my favourite colour, dusty pink. The Mettler thread was the perfect match as you need to do topstitching.

My daughter loved the skirt and kept it on all night. My niece, ahh, not so much. She had it on for all of 2mins and then took it off so she could run around. I was a bit deflated after making all the effort during the day to make hers. Oh well, kids will be kids. So guess what, I'll be giving it away to one lucky reader.

The skirt measures 16" long and 22" wide which wraps around and ties at the back.

Just leave a comment about your party planning tips and I'll draw out a winner by Friday or when I have enough comments, lol. I'll be resting as I've picked up a throat infection and I'm all partied out.

Kids Room

2011-08-27T10:13:00.000+10:00

This is the childrens bedroom. They have two Soho single beds and I just bought this new bookshelf for them from here when it had $2 shipping! It came flat packed two days later. I un-earthed it from the box while the baby was asleep and set it up with a screwdriver. It would have taken me only 20mins if I wasn't fussy about how the front looked and I had to take the sides and top apart to fix it up. The construction and materials are very good except for the backing. It's a light panel and the screws they give you come through if you're not careful (like me). Probably best to nail in the back so you don't chip off a bit of the shelving from the inside.

It's a very sturdy bookshelf and I love that it has those baskets for their toys. I might cover one side of the baskets with decorator fabric if I get bored enough. I like that it makes it a bit harder for the almost 2yr old to pull out everything like she does. It's not even her room the crazy little girl.
I love it even though hubby is not happy I spent the money. There was nothing wrong with the last one.
Well, yeah, I didn't like the other one (which came from council pick-up) and we never had any books in it.

Husbands.... you can't live with them..... that is all.

The Loot

2011-08-18T15:45:00.001+10:00

When Spotlight had their recent 30% all floor stock I was so glad that hubby was on his way home from work. Something about network issues, whatever... I was going shopping!
I didn't think I'd be very long but it turns out a small kerfuffle at the check-out delayed me coming home earlier than anticipated. More about that later.

I came home with two bags of things I really liked/wanted/had to have.
The first being two balls of Panda 4ply Regal in grey so I could actually start knitting a cardigan for the little baby. I've been adoring Corrie's knitted baby items each time she loads something up and I am itching to get something knitted up.

As soon as I spotted this Fat Quarter bundle it was Love.at.first.Sight.
I grabbed a trolley as soon as got in the doors and popped this baby in.
Aren't they fantastic! It turned out to be $20 for the pack (after discount).

This is the rest of my stash. I'm not showing you the little things I also purchased like thread, new scissors, etc. There's some ribbon for a tulle skirt for Little Miss turning 5.

A cute pink vintage looking fabric for another Little Miss turning 2.

A lovely soft purple rayon for a Spring wrap for myself. I just hope I bought enough yardage (metres)

and some loveheart and pink tulle for said skirt.

While waiting for her to scan my items I glanced at the monitor. Some things came up as bit more expensive than I'd hoped. I wondered if they show you the discount price during checkout or not. After the young girl tallied up my items (with a few I removed from the trolley and asked Miss Four to place them back in a basket) she mumbled an amount to me. I handed her $150 in cash and she said "You've only given me $150, it's $240" and we peered at the reciept together. "$240, that can't be right " I actually said aloud. Luckily I was leaning against the counter or I would have slid right off.

I asked if I could pay some with direct debit. She said "Yes, sure. But I need to void this now and do it all over again." I said "Ok" and hurried around to the other side of the counter not wanting to show my embarassment.

There was a big line now of customers waiting and only two attendants, one of them being the young lady with me who was rescanning each item. I actually put back a few items, maybe about 5 that weren't so urgent and when she told me the total this time it was only $147. Really? After only putting back a few items. Surely something was astray before. Nevertheless, I paid cash. If they had a better check-out method they would have saved so much more time. I was happy now and quickly left.

Hubby called me along the way to make sure I was on my way. Apparently he did need to work from home and the young ones were crying.

I'm almost glad I have a time limit while I am out otherwise who knows what I would have brought home with me? Do you have a story like this? I'd love to hear about it.

But for now I am so enjoying reading this blog by another Kim: allconsuming.

There are so many things which ring true for me from her words. Especially the 4 vs 2.

She's hilarious. Just what I need each day.

Catch ya.

Eating Pie

2011-08-15T22:50:00.000+10:00

Hubby came in and said "She's pulled apart your sewing machine."

I thought "What? It can't be pulled apart."

I went to see and discovered that she's twisted my threads on my overlocker. It was a little amusing.

I haven't fixed it yet but I am sure it won't take me long to fix. She is my 21mth old toddler.

I've had to deal with things like these since I cannot supervise the children while breastfeeding the baby.

Such activities include my son playing with the baby powder or squeezing out 3/4 of the baby bath lotion into the baby bath do not surprise me anymore. They do test my patience though.

Most days I daydream about sewing up something. When I do find a little time to myself I am a bit too confused as where to start. Should I pull out a pattern? What's in my stash that would go with it?
I wanted to make this Oliver + S pattern for a while now. It looks cute. Spring is not far away. We've enjoyed a few preview days where the sun dances on your skin. Inviting you to take your cardigan off.

Meanwhile the chillyness of the evenings still males your body want comfort food. So tonight I found

a recipe for apple pie from Best Recipes and I made it. It looked delicious and it was the first time I ever tried making shortcrust pastry. It turned out pretty good even if it a bit crumbly. I had no time to cool down the cooked grannysmith apple filling and I never drained it so it came out nice and filling in the pie but it tasted a little tart. Must add more sugar next time.

The days seem really quick. Has it been 2months since I've given birth? Time sure flies.

I expected life to be tougher. Surely He's answered my prayers and given me strength to get through it.

No, I don't meal plan or plan anything. I'm more fly off the seat of my bum and last minute meals kinda gal.

Many celebrations coming up though and Little Miss turning big old 5!!! I'm thinking Princess Castle cake.

Needless to ay life sure is busy. Still enough time for shopping tomorrow ; )

Good things

2011-07-31T15:15:00.001+10:00

He's a keeper that man of mine. Whilst I went out shopping he prepared this for lunch.

I have missed eating fresh seafood while being pregnant, amongst other things like cold feta.

This was yummy and quite filling.

This cute little face but my what a handful it is to take care of him sometimes.

At least there are smiles of appreciation.

A spot of sewing. Lincraft had 40% off so I decided to pick up a quilt cover for hubby's bed.

They only had Queen size available. Do they hide the sizes you're after when they have sales?

I picked up the Queen set for $18 and took off 15cms from each side to make it to fit a double bed. Now the dimensions are 180 x 210. Sweet!!!

I've been doing so much shopping as of late. It's a bit mental actually. Draining both mind and wallet.

I've been to Costco.. twice! One day with sis in law and the next hubby.

The afternoon session was less packed than the day session. It's quite the hype right now.

Unfortunately that is all that it is.

I know my prices. The supermarket sales are better or the same as Costco grocery items.

For eg. they sell Sorbent 2ply, 48 rolls at $21.99. You can get roughly same at Coles for Quilton 3ply ($10/ 20 rolls)

I did however, find some bargains. Levi 501 buttonfly jeans for men for $46, Cold Power Advanced with Cuddly 9kg tub $34.95 (coupon special), Dons ham at $10/kg (you have to slice it at home), Lee Kum Kee Prem Soy Sauce 1.5ltrs $7 (or something like that), Steggles Breast Fillet $8/kg (coupon special).

You really have to know your prices otherwise you'll be paying more for some items. Their milk was a few cents cheaper as the TipTop/Sunblest bread but their fresh veg were expensive except the big plastic box of mixed lettuce.I was surprised and happy to see that many Australian owned companies supplied bulk items to them (Steggles, Lilydale, TipTop. Sunblest etc)

The disadvantages of Costco is having to be a member and if you take two guests with you the items must be paid by the member. It's a huge warehouse and you can spend a good few hours there checking out each corner and calculating prices in your head. Plus there were other trolleys to avoid and long checkout queues.

I must say it was good for us to buy in bulk and with some party occasions coming up it's worth buying their mud cake $21.99 for a massive pizza size one. The downside is having to pay membership if you're not sharing it with family and the car park can be annoying if it's busy.

Enough shopping for me for now. I am so over it......

Baked

2011-07-13T14:25:00.000+10:00

This morning the clouds came over and it felt and looked really Wintery.

I decided it was a good day to bake so after my morning cuppa I measured out two batches of dough and left them to prove.

The first batch was made into pizza's and a Lebanese Za'atar bread. Yumm.

The second batch was made into Spinach, Feta and Mushroom pull-apart.

Halfway through I realised I had some of that thick yoghurt I made recently which would be superb in the mix. The pull-apart Recipe from Taste.com.au. I love that site and go there frequently.

Still adoring his big brown eyes. He is feeding better and sleeping a bit better for me at night now as well.
A bit predictable with no earlier than me getting to bed around midnight. Wake up for first feed around 3am, sleep not long after, wake up at 4am realising the light is left on, turn it off, get comfy in bed then wake up around 6am - 7am for next feed. My circadian rhythm is use to it now so I'm not really that tired if I can sleep in til 8am with hubby at home. He goes back to work on Friday so I'll be flying solo then. (Cringe)

Recieved - some new fabric recently and haven't decided what to make from them yet.
Want - this sweet necklace by Toni. She has free shipping for a short time only.
Happy to be home right now and taking each day as it comes. Trying to get into some sort of routine and meal planning but no chance of that in the foreseeable future. Perhaps once the kids are back at preschool/daycare.

Hope you're all doing fine.

Beige

2011-06-30T12:13:00.005+10:00

How to cure post-natal blues: Retail therapy. Thankyou K-mart.
I bought some coffee mugs, $2 each
Face washers for baby's bath time, $2 pack of 4
Book stand $4
Oven roaster (not pictured) $14.75 = one happy mummy (Priceless)

They had mugs in other striped colours but I figured I should stick to one colour instead of mixing. There was a beautiful turquoise striped one but it was too summery for me right now.

This is the cute book stand. I struggle to read recipes properly so to have this is really handy.

I can just pop a recipe book on it and cook away.

Plus it was super cheap so I could not pass it up.

My adorable little man who was 3weeks yesterday.

Sheeesh how time flies. I would like to say he's a perfect little fellow but he does not like to be put down half the time but luckily I sewed up another sling to keep him snuggled next to me.

The sling is made from a single bed flat sheet cut in half lengthways.

Really, what do people do with bed sheets? I have quite a collection and I hardly use them.

I was thinking of making fitted sheets with them but not sure if they are big enough for my kids single beds. Perhaps they could be used to line market bags or other projects.

Ok, time to make some lunch. Have a nice day.

Nothing but the Truth

2011-06-20T12:20:00.004+10:00

12 days since he entered this world. Wow. It feels like much longer.
The first week is really the hardest. I am full of hormones, full of ups and downs.
I am Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. One moment sweet, the next moody and angry.
It's time to get out into the sunshine I think. I've been cooped up inside for too long.

Right now my son has carried in a chestfull of toilet paper.
His dad is going to be sooooo upset at him. It doesn't make me happier either.
The baby is on my lap snoozing after a good breastfeed. Thankfully I have this part under control. It's not as painful to feed anymore and he's putting on weight so yay for me and him.

We're having rice paper rolls for lunch. I can't wait cos it's yummy and mum gave me a jar of her chilli dipping sauce. It's the next best thing to slice bread.

Speaking of slice bread I am thinking of buying a bread maker.
Should I? We go through a loaf and a half a week on slice bread. If I made our own we could save money and I would know what goes into our bread. Do you have any thoughts on this? I'd love to hear it.

Best get going and try to enjoy the sunshine today.

This little light of mine. I've gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
I love how he's clutching onto my shirt.

Our newest little member.

2011-06-10T12:13:00.004+10:00

Baby Elijah arrived in the wee hours of the morning on the 8th June after a much anticipated labour. A day before his due date, mind you but a quick labour was very promising.

At 4.20am he was pushed out and I have enjoyed every second after that (not so much before, lol) No stitches for mummy even for this big 4.04kg baby! The heaviest of my now complete brood of babies. He is doing very well and I feel pretty good as well.
We are completely over the moon and getting on with... life.

Thanks for dropping by.

Yes, still waiting.

2011-06-01T20:00:00.003+10:00

Today is our first day of Winter. I am still baking baby number 4. I will be 39 weeks tomorrow.
I was 39weeks when lil J was born (pictured above).
I feel pretty big but feeling like bub is quite low and getting kicks right in the middle up high.
I am hoping that there will be something happening tomorrow.
In the meantime there was lots of nesting: i.e. cleaning and washing.
We attended a wedding a few Sundays ago and gee it was lovely. The food was great and best of all we too all the kids with us. The only shoes I had which fit my feet were heels and I totally regret it. Anyway, it was fun being barefoot and pregnant at the reception.

I cut up a turtle neck top for Miss 4.5 but have procrastinated in finishing it. I want to double the fabric as the knit is rather light and not warm enough for our cold weather.
I've only got around to making some dresses for her naked Barbie dolls, lol.

So watch this space because I'm sure it will be rather eventful once our last baby makes his entry into this world.

Hugs and kisses,
Kim

S

Another Nursing Top

2011-05-08T16:40:00.005+10:00

image from my camera

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful mummies out there!

My morning started with a kiss from hubby before he left for work.
Not long after the kids woke up and we had breakfast. I got them ready for church.
As I finished dressing I went into the kitchen to find my eldest (4.5yr old girl) apologising for spilling the beetroot container! She had stained her white fancy dress and some of the floor with beetroot juice. I had left the container on the bench but I did recall having a lid on it.
She apologised, saying she was trying to help me clean. God Bless her.
I rinsed her dress and popped it into the dryer so she could still wear it out.

She gave me the present (a little pink led torch) from her preschool stall along with some other items made at school. I had tears in my eyes. It was my first official present made by her and I was full of emotion. We hung them up on the wall in fron tof my sewing table.

Church was good and I didn't even worry when my youngest girl popped the lid off her sipper cup and spilled cold water down her top and half of the bottom of my jeans. Luckily my nephew found the spare clothes I had in the nappy bag and we were ok for the rest of church.
After a nice Sunday lunch with the in-laws and some pregnancy talks with my sis in law it's time to just rest at home before another dinner outing at my mums. I just hope it's not as eventful as this morning but with kids you can never tell what's going to happen.

I am just so thankful to be a mother and even though days can be hard I cherish the moments where I think "wow, these are my kids and I gave birth to them: Me, three times I gave birth!!!" I am proud in my own eyes and having that extra bit of praise from friends or family can really brighten up my outlook on life. So please, don't be shy and give another mother some hugs, kisses and kind words for a job that IS hard as it looks!!!!!!! XOX

p.s I also made another one of these nursing tops in my spare (ahem) time i.e while the kids and hubby were all asleep!

The material is a kind of spandex with, I think, polyester? I had originally planned it to be a wrap dress hence why I had about 2 metres of it. I used the same process as the other nursing top using New Look 6697. For the pieces covering my belly I just placed an existing maternity top on top of the material and cut out a bigger rectangle. It's actually tighter around my belly while the other top was loose so I won't be comfy in this until I give birth or lose some belly.

I entered my Pomegranate top in Made by Rae's Spring Top Sew-a-long Contest so please vote for me if you make it there!

Here's to a wonderful Mothers Day.

Pomegranate Top

2011-04-26T09:53:00.010+10:00

Yesterday I took to the sewing machine. I let the kids run wild (they actually weren't that bad) while my littlest slept. I was thinking about thrifting some big mens shirts but I tried that the other day and it just didn't work out. So I went through my stash and found this lovely knit I got from Spotlight a while ago which was waiting for me to make up my mind and cut it up. I had a metre of it and I remember it was on sale. I'm not really into red/coral colours but once I tried it on I really love it on me. You can't see the white detail properly but it really adds a great detail to it and doesn't have any over-powering coral colour.

What I really wanted was to make a top that I could still wear post-natal, therefore breastfeeding friendly. I chose Simplicity's New Look 6697 because it's perfect for knits and I figured I could wing it on the belly and back piece. I will end up making a Spring dress later on.

I used the bodice pieces (view C) for this and it was perfect for a nursing/maternity top.

This is what I ended up with and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

I initially cut out a size 14 (38" bust) and it was too big so I went down to size 12.

It was still loose and gaped a bit too much for my liking so I pulled the wrap pieces across, pinned them and sewed them to where I liked so the front and back bodice pieces didn't necessarily sit flat, if you know what I mean.

The bottom panels were made using the pattern piece of the Front Skirt.

I had two rectangle pieces for the bottom panels. For the front piece I gathered it first to allow the fullness of my preggy belly. Then I lay both pieces together and I cut them out both the same size as the skirt piece except I left the length about 45cms. I didn't bother to measure the length really but when I put it over my belly I made sure it covered it with a bit more length. So I sewed my bottom panels together which created a little skirt (if you like). You can adjust the gathers as you need so it fits.

I enlisted the help of hubby to pin the bodice and bottom panel pieces together.

What I should have done was wear it inside out though cos he said he wasn't good at pinning and he was right, lol. At least he tried. The bodice piece was quite long so I ended up chopping off quite a good portion of the botom part. If you can see from the picture on the pattern the skirt part sits rather low. So fit your bodice first and then start on the bottom.

33weeks

After the kids were put to bed I spent another hour and a half finishing the top.

It would have been finished in an hour if I hadn't pinned it incorrectly and ended up with a wrong side and right side together! Arghhhh.

* So I unpicked carefully and then lay both pieces the right way out. Then I flipped the skirt over the bodice so right sides were together and pinned again. The great thing about knits is that even if the bodice was smaller than the front panel you just stretch out the bodice to fit it.

*Notes: When you sew the front bodice make sure you sew on the seam where you have gathered. If you sew over or under it you can end up with either yucky pleats or you can see the basting stitch or stay-stitch (depending how you've secured the gather).

* I also stretched the fabric as I sewed so that when you wear it you aren't ripping out the stitches ( you know that horrible tearing noise you hear when you're pulling it over you)

* I was meant to have some binding on hand but I didn't so I just doubled over the edges (1/4" twice) and sewed them down. I think they look fine for the bodice. I overlocked the edge of the bottom hemline and then folded up 1cm and stay stitched it 1/4" from the edge. Strangely enough the length was pretty much straight and perfect so I didn't need to cut or measure the bottom.

There's some light blue knit fabric I have in my stash which I think will be another nursing top in the near future now that I have finally made a top I am very happy with. I shall be buying more knits in the future.

I hope you all had a great Easter! We sure did and I am still eating chocolate!

Cheerio and keep on sewing!

Bloomin'

2011-04-19T07:48:00.007+10:00

I love walking into my bathroom and seeing these roses from our front garden.

Father in law had pruned them a while ago and now they are coming back so beautifully.

They were just from Bunnings and I think I picked a good variety.

There's an exquisite yellow one with red along the edges. It's actually fallen over in the vase but I have since taped it back up. It also has the sweetest perfume.

So there I am with my almost 33wk belly and counting down the weeks.

Soon I hope to count down days and pull out the winter gear for this baby.

I've never had a winter baby before so it will definately be one of my many challenges.

I still can't believe I am carrying a baby again and everyone says they forget I am pregnant. I guess they are use to me just getting through each day as though it were a breeze. Truly, I tell you, it is not.

I'm better at planning though so when some of the kids are asleep (esp. the youngest) I can pull out the mop and clean my kitchen and bathroom. When they're awake I can vacumn even though they can't hear the t.v for a while. I've culled down lots of toys in the lounge so there is less tidying up. I try to fold in my laundry and put it away the same day or next morning.

I am looking forward to being at stay at home mum full-time again although I am aware of the sleepless nights soon to come (not that I get un-interrupted sleep!) I am .going to rely on a weekly milk and bread delivery from Aussie Farmers Direct so I don't have to worry about starving my children. I am going to take each day as I can and get help from able and single sisters!!! There's nothing like accepting help even if it is a little. A little goes a long way.

I have been sewing in between my busy days. Friends ask me where do I get time? I MAKE time. There is always time in the day to sew or craft. If you have time to go to the toilet you have time to sew/craft/create. It might be the same amount of time but there is time. For me anyway.

I did end up making these flat front pants using the MADE tutorial.

They fit my 3yr old perfectly and came in handy over the Palm Sunday weekend when I had no pants for him to wear. I might even try and squeeze in another pair for the Easter weekend but not sure on the fabric to use. The linen looks lovely but I don't have any with me at the moment.

There he is trying to sing on the mic at the birthday and gave us all a laugh.

You gotta love boys and I am truly looking forward to little baby boy cuddles come June.

I've also sewed up some quick cushions but haven't got around to photographing them.

One is a really cute bambi one with a button closure at the back. Seriously I don't enjoy doing zippers on cushions cos I always muck it up somehow.

Anyway, back to the hum dum of kids, working and looking forward to easter treats!

Hope you're enjoying your time too.

One hour skirt

2011-04-09T08:33:00.003+10:00

After reading the post on MADE about super simple skirts for little girls I knew it was something I could do in the short amount of time I had available.

I even found this remnant in my stash from the baby quilt I made last year.

The primary colours were just perfect and I feel so happy when I see it.

So I took to work on my rectangular piece. I used the full width of the material which was 112cm and chopped the length to 60cms. I even dragged out the iron and ironed my seams! Wowzah!

Here she is the next morning adorning it for preschool.

It does look slightly long but that's fine, she will wear it through Autumn and still fit into it 6mths from now (our summer). I love that it will go with just about any colour top as well.

I think post baby I will even make one for myself!

My Space

2011-04-01T16:19:00.006+11:00

Ever since I saw the desk on Grosgrain I knew that I had to have that desk. Co-incidentally a week later I was in the vicinity of Ikea during a surprise birthday lunch and seconded my youngest sister to help me grab that desk. Luckily I bought the 1.5mtr Vika Amon desk because it just fit in the back of my car with it sticking over the top of one of the toddler seats in the second row. I was actually considering getting the 2metre length desktop which I would not have been able to take home with me. I was so anxious to get this desk together that I decided to do it myself with the cordless drill. I knew I was either going to stuff it up or at least try to get it done and it was actually easier than I thought. Those Ikea people are clever I tell you. I was more than thrilled when I turned it the right way up and adored the huge desk space for my sewing/crafting/anything! I have been doing some knitting as well. This is the Heirloom Baby Hat from The Purl Bee. I didn't have a proper marker and found one of my cheap earrings in my bag so that would have to do in it's place. I am learning how to do stripes for the first time and hope it turns out ok. On the cooking front I made thick yoghurt! It's so easy. You buy a tub of Greek yoghurt, you empty it into a cotton bag (or un-used baby pillowcase as seen here) and add a tsp of salt. Leave it to drain over night in a strainer of some sort (mine is an empty ricotta bowl) which sits in another bowl so that the fluid drains (mine was a perfect fit Pyrex bowl). The next morning you should find that most of the liquid has drained away and inside the bag you will have nice thick Labneh. Turn the bag inside out and keep the yoghurt in a airtight container. It should keep for a few days if it lasts that long. I must run, lots of little children crying out for my attention.

Repurposed - The bag that was a skirt.

2011-03-22T17:20:00.006+11:00

* Please bear with me as I learn to use my new camera. It arrived yesterday and I haven't got use to the settings yet. You will see that the pictures look different and the brighter ones haven't captured the exact colour of this denim bag. The top picture is how the bag actually looks. It's a beautiful dark denim with white embroidered flowers.

I had this skirt around for so many years. It was an A-line skirt given to me from one of my sisters and I have lost interest in wearing it, esp. since it is way too small for my waist.
The other night in the midst of my pregnancy insomnia I thought "why don't I use the material for something else?"

So today I placed a tote bag template just under the waist and cut it out.
I then decided to be extremely clever and used a pocket from a pair of jeans (which I will never get into unless some miracle brings me back to a size 8 in the near future) as a mobile phone holder inside the bag. Since it was already lined I used my serger to serge around the edge and then created a strap using the remnant of the said skirt. I used some interfacing in the strap.

See the pocket. It fits my mobile fine even if the top peeps out a little.

Obviously, I still have to figure out why it's not focusing when using the 10sec count down.

I really like this bag. It's the perfect size. It will fit an A4 book and will be great for a few essentials when I go shopping. I feel so happy each time I see it.

So, go and rummage through your old clothes. You know, the ones you are saving for that "one day that will never come" and make yourself a tote bag. It's the easiest and fun repurposing project ever!

Celebrating the Boy : Basic Pants

2011-02-19T13:59:00.010+11:00

I am so excited that I am following and joining in the fun this month.

Dana of MADE and Rae of Made by Rae are Celebrating the Boy this month with lots of great giveaways, tutorials and guest blogs all about boys.

Last night I printed out the pattern for the Basic Pants and today I thoroughly enjoyed sewing it.

I must say this free pattern is by far the best pattern for boys pants that I have come across. The construction really comes along so easily using Dana's method of sewing the front pieces at the crotch and back pieces at the crotch, then placing them right sides together and sewing the rest. They fit my 3yr old son really well. You may like to add a bit more room in the crotch if they wear a nappy and add a bit more width to the waist.

I made enlarged the pattern for Little Miss 4 and I think it turned out really well.

This is a beautiful birdy voile I picked up in the remnant section at Spotlight and was just enough to make her a pair of pants with some scraps left over. It's perfect for our night time summers where it can get a bit cooler, if we're lucky.

I couldn't just stop there and whipped up some pants for the youngest one who hates having blankets on her at night. It's a cute little blue gingham with cherries on it.

So while I have you here I may as well share our news... we're expecting a boy this June! We're over the moon and thank God for this wonderful blessing. I am really looking forward to having baby cuddles and touching those tiny toes and fingers again. Gee listen to me, sooo clucky!

Anyway, while we are sweltering in this Australian summer inside with the air-con on I am making a day mixed with chores, sewing and eating. What else is there to do?

Hope you're having fun-filled times too.

Maternity Shorts or a Comedy of Errors

2011-02-12T15:46:00.007+11:00

This is my first pair of low waisted maternity shorts I made myself.

I even drafted the pattern myself after I couldn't source a Kwik Sew shorts pattern that I wanted. I copied the front and back sections from a decent pair of black shorts I owned and transferred that to this lovely dark slub denim from Spotlight which was only $12/mtr. I bought 1.5mtrs but only needed about 1mtr. While hubby had the kids at his brothers I quickly cleaned and then got to cutting/sewing my pieces up.

First up I had chalked out my front and back pieces on the denim while I lay them out on the floor.

I made the error of not folding the fabric so I would get a front and back piece.

I get a bit confused with laying out patterns and since this was my own.... I was waiting for my first error.

So when I sewed the fronts and backs together I had identical pieces, instead of a left piece and right piece. See below for the correct pieces when sewn together (fronts to backs at inner leg seam and outer leg seam)

I think I will just use the extra wrong piece to make Miss 4 a pair of shorts.

Anyway, moving right along, I flipped my pattern and cut up an alternate piece. I managed to get my two pieces sewn together correctly at the crotch and they turned out a bit roomy. I had to leave it at that for a few days because hubby had come home by then. Mummy duties take over somehow once he comes home. I don't know how that works out.

A few days later I was itching to finish off these plain shorts and I put in two darts at the back and then took in the sides with my overlocker. Well that was a plain old bad idea because when I pinned in the spandex covered elastic waistband it was well short of room (excuse the pun).

I had to un-pick my darts and shorten the waistband. The end result meant that they are a bit more fitted around the waist than I'd liked but a lesson learned. I should have measured the waistband first and made the waist part of the shorts accordingly.

I decided to overlock the denim so it wouldn't fray and while I did this I also managed to nip a folded part of the front piece and now there's a 8cm sewn line just below the waist but you can only tell if you look close at it so I'll be wearing long maternity tops with these shorts.

Still they look pretty good and I am happy with this experiment.

Better than paying $20 for a pair of maternity shorts.

For my next pair I'd like to make a cuffed version maybe from the Burda website).

I like this one by Nikkishell but cos I can't have any waistbands it's a bit un-necessary.

I really like the colour of the denim though. It's a rather dark denim and my camera just won't take the correct colour of it. Time for a new camera, methinks.

This is my lonely cushion. I made it last month in a bid to freshen up our lounge and get rid of old cushions. I love the colour. It's Tiles in Dusty Blue from Robert Kaufmans Metro Living range from Hawthorne Threads. I knew I would love it. I plan to make another one for the other side and replace two other old cushions.

Someone else loves it too and it's extra comfy with a new insert (46cm insert, $4.50 Spotlight)
This little babe is now walking so I don't really have a little baby anymore : (

She's too cute for words though. Look at the cheeky smile.

Miss 4 started preschool last week! She's sitting tentatively at her desk and while it was a very quiet first day (of two days) she is enjoying it now that she had more friends and recieved a Busy Bee award for packing up her things (yes, mummy has trained her well!)
A big relief for us as we were worried she wasn't enjoying the 'school' experience.

Pre-school here is the year before they start Kindergarten or their very first year of full-time school.

I am grateful for Preschool and my two good friends whom I had Yum-cha with the other day.

It was very therapeutic as I don't get out to play much so I felt a little bit grown-up and not tied with the kids even though I did have two of them with me and so did they.

Is this what mummies do? I guess so and good for them for doing so and looking after themselves.

After all, Dr Phil says you have to look after your children's mummy!

Baby Change Table Set

2011-01-31T14:29:00.003+11:00

I've been wanting to cover the change mat for the longest time.
As I cleaned out some things today I found this Bubba Boo flat sheet for the cot which I rarely used and thought it would make a great fabric to use for the change mat.
All I did was lay the change mat on top of one side, flipped the fabric over to cover it and cut out one big rectangle.

The back of it is secured by some cheap sticky velcro.
I don't recommend it to anyone as it sticks to your needle and is icky!

Then it occurred to me that I could use the left over piece to make a matching pillow case cover.
The cuff part was already done so all I needed to do was sew two sides together to make a simple case. I think it has come out terrific and it didn't take that much time at all.

So if you have a spare flat sheet that you don't use, go ahead and cut it up.
The possibilities are endless.

The halfway mark

2011-01-29T11:40:00.003+11:00

I still forget it's the beginning of the year. It's been a good start to the year with the birth
of my nephew and he's such a good baby. I think formula feeds have something to do with his 3-4hr sleeps. I've never had very sleepy babies.
This is me at 20weeks. I eat everything in sight and my back is starting to hurt. I'm getting baby kicks and we should be finding out the sex next week.
I can't believe I am pregnant with our fourth but I couldn't be happier or glad that I am pregnant now than later. I don't think I could cope if it was later.

In the meantime I made up this disappearing 9 patch block as part of the
Quilts for Queensland that Corrie of Retromummy has organised.
I'm not very good at preparing so the spare charm squares came in handy.
I'm not sure about my other blocks. I can't get my head around inches. I need a ruler with inches I think. Every block tutorial I've come across only has inches in measurements.
I am too pregnant to concentrate on these things.

I found this recipe for apple and cinnamon scrolls instead from Kidspot.

It's very easy. I love scrolls and these came out really yummy. I even used two plain granny smiths that I stewed in a pot with a bit of sugar and that was fine. Even Little Miss 4 stated she liked the apple bit. Wow! Bonus points for mummy then. Hubby liked them too and I beamed with pride as I told him I made them from scratch. I didn't let them prove for the second time after I rolled them up and they still came out fine. Next time I'll make up a double batch as these didn't last very long. Maybe I could make themn with ham and cheese?

If you have a good ham and cheese scroll recipe please let me know!

Why is it that when you start cleaning there seems to be more mess than when you started?

I'm sorting out my fabric stash into quilting, clothing and other categories.

I do have some fabric coming my way to make up some cushions so that should be my next entry.

In the meanwhile I'll be sorting out things as well as sorting out things in my head.

As part of a new goal for this year I want to be a better parent. A smarter parent who is less angry and frustrated. So I've been reading Steve Biddulphs book The Secrets of Happy Children. It's very good and has some great ideas on how to make life less stressful and how to deal with your kids. I wish he would write a book about The Secrets of Happy Parents! That would include getting more cuddles from hubby and cuddling the kids which in turn equates to less troublesome behaviour. I've been implementing some one-on-one time with them so the kids don't muck up too much.

I hope you're taking some time out to be a good mummy, wife etc and don't be so hard on yourself. It is a tough job but a bit of personal time for you and with the kiddies will make a big difference. Life could be worse so enjoy the good times and learn from the bad times.

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T14:14:00.005+11:00

What a year it was. Ups and downs that's for sure.
I like happy endings and that's what we had.

Mr Trouble turned 3 and we had cake on New Years Day.

Miss 4 had an accident with her cousins fire sparkle stick and burnt the side of her eye on Christmas Day. Luckily after some ice, paw paw cream and then vitamin E cream it has healed up nicely and the scab has fallen off leaving just the pink scar which I hope will fade in time.

Nothing makes you feel like the worst parent when your child has an accident that could have been avoided. You've been there, right?

We celebrated Mr 3's Birth Day by going to the beach for the first time since having our first baby. Hubby stayed in the shade while I played in the water with the kids and had a helping hand with a nephew. It was a perfect day and it really made my whole year.
Miss J really enjoyed the water too and kept screaming each time it came up around her waist.

It was funny and cute.

I made these pyjama shorts for him today using a very big mens shirt that I knew hubby would never wear. He wouldn't let me take a photo so this is the best you're getting for now.

I used the sides of the shirt as the side leg seams and sewed the two pieces together to form shorts. I also used the bottom of the shirt as the bottom of the legs. I am quite happy the way they turned out and will see if I can make some more for him to wear at home.

Happy New Year everyone. I am off to put him to sleep so I can rest too.

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to some new projects this year, especially with a little one due in June!

Flower Sugar

2010-12-23T14:37:00.004+11:00

You know you want it. Retromummy Corrie is having a terrific giveaway of Flower Sugar fat quarters. Just imagine having these at home.
I know I wouldn't want to cut into them but I am in serious need of new cushions, summer totes, clutches and all things pretty.

So head on over there now and get your entry in before New Years!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

A Messenger Bag

2010-12-17T17:21:00.003+11:00

This is my first ever Messenger Bag and I am thrilled with it.
I was up last night after they were all in bed trying to pick out the best fabric in my stash for this project but I only picked out this lovely corduroy this morning.

I used the fabulous tutorial from Fishsticks and Fries.

The only moderation I made was to make it a bit smaller as it's for a young niece.

However, it's still quite big. But I am quite happy that it fits an A4 folder so they can even use it to lug around school books etc.

Here it is next to the A4 folder. The dimensions for the bag was a 39.5cm square.

I didn't even realise I had cut out a perfect square when making this up. I could not find the pattern for the flap though so I cut the width the same as the bag and length to 3/4 of the bag front. I used 1cm seam allowance for the sides and 1/4" for top stitching.

I was considering using some webbing for the straps and when I couldn't find it I just ended up biting the bullet and making it using my own dimensions so it would be 4cm wide.

I had some times when I didn't think I'd make it... all my measuring devices seemed to be hiding when I needed them and my walking foot, well, walked off somewhere but I did end up using it and don't regret the 10mins I spent looking for it.

So, what are you still doing here? Go and make one. You will LOVE it.

You could do it standing on your head ; )

Buying - Yes - Crafting - No

2010-12-14T17:58:00.006+11:00

I admit it. I love pink and it's variations.

I was never into pink as a girl but now I love it.

I had to get these from Spotlight.

99c for the top two and $5 for a 20m roll of the ric rac. Awesome.

I bought the light blue dotty panel to make Little Miss Four her own apron and gloves.

She loves to help me cook. I couldn't leave the store without the butterfly fq to cover a pillow for her bed. The scissors ended up being 50c! She can use them for crafting.

She starts Preschool next year. Phew.

I trawled the net for tutorials on how to make a cot sheet and I'll be making one for her.

In my garden : I was rather curious about this certain plant and I pulled it out and to my joy it was a carrot! So I am growing carrots too! It's way too small right now and I am hoping by some miracle that they grow to a decent size. We've already picked two more cucumbers and I see another on the way. This is the best planting season I've had.... ever!

I love my mum but she didn't teach me much about home economics.

I wish she'd taught me that if you fold your laundry as you take it off the line it saves you an incredible amount of time later when you need to pack and sort it! Most of it is wrinkle free when you take it off the line anyway.

Why I only figured it out this past week I do not know but at least now I know and now YOU KNOW. So do it. You will thank your lucky stars!

So HA! Here's to a great Christmas.

Too little time

2010-12-04T13:01:00.003+11:00

If you're stuck for some stocking stuffers or gifts for Xmas I think
this Pink Diary is terrific. I spotted the National Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Diary (what a mouthful) at Target the other day and bought it for myself.

It's a Week to Opening on A5 so it's perfect for me to check out my schedule for the week.
Especially now that I am back to working part-time.
I've already pencilled in some apppointments and scheduled ultrasound.

The great thing about going back to work is working near a fabric store so I can pop down at lunch and pick up a few goodies. I love this soft cotton dobby. I'm not sure if it will turn into a dress or top yet but it was too good to pass up at $5 a metre. I also picked up interfacing for $2.40/mtr and some rope to make these irresistable on the go baby change sacks.

This week's been quite hectic and full of emotion.
I must admit that at times being a full-time mother is quite isolating, frustrating and darn impossible on some days. Luckily I've forced myself to whip up some desserts to wash away those hardships. I pulled the recipe for this yummy chocolate self saucing pudding from the Junior Masterchef website. It's missing the hazelnuts but everyone loved it. Even hubby really liked it.

I am thinking about Charlie/Reversible bags for the impossible to buy for nieces.
Whether or not I get around to making any is another question.
I don't know how mums of 3 do it and I take my hat off to them. It's hard work finding your own personal time or maybe I am just not looking hard enough? lol.

Have a crafty weekend,
Kim XO

Little Pouches - Gift idea

2010-11-24T14:02:00.004+11:00

I'm pretty sure I am getting better at making zippered pouches.
This lovely number took two days to do, only because I had other things to look after.
It's made of a pretty Flower Sugar fabric I bought from Sarah and Quilt Fabric Delights a while ago. I never got around to using it and I'm glad I decided to cut into it.

I'm loving how the zipper ends have come out too. I figured you do have to sew right through them to make them look neat. I think the grey zipper works fabulously with the white, pink and blue.

Inserting the zip is pretty easy too. Just make sure you keep the raw edges in line with the zipper edge and keep your seam allowance consistent and you'll be right.
I made this pouch using my own pattern. I did screw up one part where I didn't box the corners correctly so I had to snip off some more of the edge and re-sew.
Luckily I made it quite big so it came out a decent size.

Little Miss 4 has already stashed it up with some cool things.
I'm thinking you could make some pencil pouches for little ones or perhaps even an emergency first-aid kit for an on-the-go mumma. I can't wait to make more.

I am really in love with these pouches that Jo has made over at Jelly Baby Blog.
She has done a wonderful job on the Mumma bags. What a fabulous Xmas gift idea.

I hope you're up to Xmas crafting.

It's beginning to look alot like...

2010-11-18T21:27:00.004+11:00

I put up the Christmas tree yesterday. There was a big mess of toys strewn all over the floor but I've culled most of the toys (or hidden them out of view).
Gee, we've accumulated alot of toys in the past few years. It's time for me to let go.
We're bound to get more this Christmas anyway.

What I would like in my stocking this year is some yummy fabric.
Lucky that there are lovely bloggers who are willing to give some of them away.
One of my favourite blogs is by Corrie of Retromummy. She is giving away a fat quarter set of Rosalie Quinlan's Broderie. How cool would that be?

I would be making some much needed cushions and try making some camera cases and purses.

The one I made below was from this tutorial by Sew-Mad Mama. I made it a bit too wide but it's fine and it will do. I now have a great appreciation for crafters who sew these small objects. I find I don't do a great job.

Babies are a cryin'
I gotta get going.

Ciao for now.

Have you seen my cucumber?

2010-11-15T14:29:00.005+11:00

I've been admiring the greenery of our vegie 'bath'.
In actual fact it's an old iron bath that hubby filled with dirt and I've been pottering about trying to see if I can't grow something .... anything... without killing it.
I wasn't successful last year but I am trying harder this time around. I've even detected what the weeds look like and pick them out daily.

While the kids were at day care I planted whatever seeds I had on hand.
You can see tomato trees above. I am thinking about re-potting them individually so I can stake them. They are looking pretty healthy but whether or not they fruit is the big question.

That's a cucumber plant in the corner. I had picked up a pot from Franklins (of all places) as I was curious. I split it and they were looking good until one of them decided to stop growing.

But lookey here! My pride and joy. See that cucumber?! It sprouted and grew and grew!
Hubby hasn't seen it since it was a wee one but he's going to be mighty impressed! Or jealous : )

This is the plant tht won't be killed by me. My ever loyal Gerbera pot.
Each year it sits out in the full sun with grass and weeds and I hardly give it a drink, yet every spring it grows plentiful happy fuschia gerberas for me. What a best friend, lol.

These are my snow pea sprouts from above. They are lovely and high and cling onto watever is growing around them. I can't wait to see if they grow something edible too.

So my news, dear friends, is that I am also sprouting something inside me.
I am about 10weeks pregnant with our fourth, yes, 4th baby.
To be honest I wasn't planning on another so soon but it was destined and I am going smooth sailing so far. A bit of nausea but mostly some tiredness. I am happy at least to have our last child baking and then concentrate on raising the best children that I can.

I log off now and thinking about making some little purses for my nieces for Christmas.
I hope you're doing some crafting too.

Cheers, Kim

Fixing : Canon IXUS 70 mode

2010-11-12T11:50:00.007+11:00

My apologies for the blurry pics but my phone camera doesn't do macro very well, even though these were taken with the macro setting.
The other day before we went to the farm my little, let's say "destroyer" of a son, took out the camera and managed to break the slider which switches the modes of the camera from shoot, video and playback. It worked but was permanently on review/playback and I couldn't take any pictures.

Today I decided to open it up and see if I could fix it. Who needs a man, really?
After scouring the internets for a while there wasn't any information that was helpful so I stumbled through this myself. It was easy and I didn't electrocute myself.
I thought I'd post this to help others with this dilemma.

Upside down pic of the camera with staple hanging out of the piece you need to 'switch'

It's actually very simple. Using a small screwdriver take out the side screws and the bottom. I was not successful in using a bigger screwdriver to loosen the bottom hence why I was not able to open the back case properly. Caveat: You should use something small otherwise you'll mush up the cross on the screws and may not be able to turn the screw at all.

Anyway, once open you should be able to see the silver rectangular piece on the board (opposite to where the slider is on the case) You can use something tiny, I used a single staple, to push the black slider inside the rectangular piece to the top. It's hard to see but look closely. If you slide it up to the top it puts your camera in picture/shoot mode. That's it! Voila, test it by turning the power on and see if the lens pops up. You've just kinda fixed the mode.

The only other issue is that you can't change modes once you close it up again but you can set the shortcut button to go to video mode so that helps a little. It only leaves you with no playback so you'll just have to keep taking pictures.

Hope this helps!

Little Pleasures

2010-11-05T09:37:00.003+11:00

Today I woke up and felt like scones. 3 cups of flour later here are the left overs.
Some of them rose like the leaning tower of Pisa. I didn't place them close enough together.
But they tasted good and were not as flat as I use to make them.
I figured that if I just patted them down with my hand (instead of using a rolling pin as if I were making pizza dough) then I'd end up with luscious fluffy scones. Turns out I was right.
I used the recipe from Taste. Very good recipe.

Yesterday I couldn't walk past this cute little handbag. Black is boring so I opted for this Slate colour. Strandbags had 25% the Cabrelli brand and this was a much needed little thing. I had one given to me but it frustrated me to find my mobile.
Hopefully this one won't swallow up everything in it. For $22 bucks, it's a good investment, yes?

Then I finished up some invisible hems for my sis in law's friend at work.
I must say I am getting better at this and it hardly shows on the outside.
It's a little tricky getting the 'catch' right but if you move your needle into the position instead of the slider on the foot it's much easier.

There's some other news on our front as well but I might wait a little longer to reveal.
I wonder if you can guess...

Anyway, we're enjoying our new car though. It's a nice big Kluger and the kids don't want to leave when they are watching their movie on the dvd player.

Hope you're having some little pleasures too.

The Skirt

2010-10-17T16:06:00.002+11:00

This is a skirt. That was a pair of jeans.

I originally cut it up to make a skirt for my 4yr old but decided it might be too thick for her twirly tastes.

So I sewed up the seams and whacked on a stretchy spandex material on top.

It's now a maternity skirt.

Don't mind my belly.

This is how it looks from the front (duh)

I love how the stripes conceal my pot belly.

This is how it looks with a top.

My sister is pregnant so I will be making up some more of these for her this summer.

So if you don't have plans for some old jeans then this is a good idea.

It's a terrific money saver.

Here's the tutorial for a maternity skirt.

Another "1"

2010-10-17T11:38:00.002+11:00

I can't believe it. She's 1.
It's been a whirlwind of a week/month.
I had no time to make a cake, esp. one that would be big enough to feed a crowd.
So we opted for store bought and we gathered in celebration of this wonderful milestone.

She can't say mummy just yet but she has only just mastered crawling and can pull herself up on the couch. She certainly knows her name and cries as soon as she sees me.
Having only two teeth doesn't stop her from eating everything in sight.

I'm enjoying a Sunday at home after church. We normally have it at the in-laws but they are
going on a bus trip to Mary McKillop's church. Very exciting stuff.
If you haven't heard, Australia will get their very first saint today at the Vatican.
It's really special. The thought of even dragging my kids out to the city makes me cringe and shrivel into a ball. We will watch the event from the comfort of home.

I've been banned from buying fabric, notions or anything on-line.
You see we've just purchased a new car. It's not new new but it's new for us and BIG
and lovely. More pics of this to come when I drive the baby home next week.
But in a week where I was a bit depressed and our dollar was bouncing high I bought an Oliver + S Jumprope dress pattern. Apparently, it's going out of print so I had to have it in the large size for my girls. My spirits will be lifted when it arrives just like the car but still, you know, material things don't equate to true happiness.

It's like having a good bar of chocolate. Which, yeah is a good idea right now.
I'll be doing some sewing today. I promise.

A Spot of Sewing

2010-10-01T14:53:00.004+10:00

It really annoys me when the girl wakes me up early in the morning because "the sun is up, mummy!"

So I decided once and for all that I should spend some time making these easy peasy curtains for their room. I got the spotty curtain material when Spotlight had their 50% off sale.

If you wanted to go all out there are some cute lattice ones in this post by Caitlin Wilson.

I wish our dollar was much stronger as I would have ordered them up in a second.

Still I am very happy with these curtains and hubby put the rods up for me.

They have cute little train ends. Also, sourced from the Spotlight sale at $10!
Sorry about the bad lighting, it's hard to take a shot of it while the sun is shining in right behind the window.

She still wakes up early but I make her stay in bed with me until my eyelids pry themselves open.

Since I have also been watching what I eat I opted out of the choc cake and made this Best Banana Cake from Kirsty at Kootoyoo. It seriously rocks. My kids love it which is a mega bonus.

Now I am just waiting for my circulars to arrive so I can get a start on a Cassia pattern for my almost 1 year old. Where did the time go?

Until then I am waiting for my sew-jo to come back because nothing is appealing to me right now.

I am just going to leave the clutch giveaway open until someone/anyone puts up their hand for one. First in first serve,

Adios.

Giveaway: Dolce or Birdie Clutch.

2010-09-15T14:16:00.011+10:00

I've been sewing this week and it feels really good.
First up I finally made some pillowcases for our new pillows.

They were made in Marilyn Grey Dolce by Tanya Whelan.

I really love the colour and I am glad I didn't add a cuff to them.

They are simple and great just the way they are. I just added a white linen to the underside and put in a small cuff to close up the side opening.

Then I made my first purse/pouch/clutch thingy using the Noodlehead tutorial.
It's got a gathered front and you just sew on a band on top. I did learn a few things and as easy as they were meant to be they still took me a day to finish up the way I liked.

These are going to be perfect for stashing some tissues in my handbag and my phone which I can never find when it rings.

The first I made using a Windham fabric called Full Bloom. The one above is Dolce as well. They both have a charcoal linen main fabric.

I broke two needles in the process, yes two!
One of them hit the metal piece of the zipper and the second was caught when it went under and bent from god knows what. So I tried to be a lot more careful in the whole experience.

What is happening with my camera? The zipper is a dusty pink. Mmmmmm.

It was hard to figure out how to make those nice zipper ends appear nice after I sewed up both sides. The first time I missed the bit in the instructions where it says to sew up to the zipper ends and NOT THROUGH them. Huh, how does that work? They are not perfect and that is what still annoys me. It was also hard to keep everything straight when sewing pieces together so I had to use my rotary cutter to keep my fabrics lined up. They are a bit wonky still.

Never to leave something alone I decided to be a bit more creative and added a lacy touch to the second pouch I made. I think it looks more dainty. I love the little bird on the front. The band was a 9cm wide strip that was folded in on the edges instead of one bigger piece sewn together and with the seam hidden in the centre. I just despise ironing. The insides have a nice grey floral lining and the raw edges are hidden! Yay for that and fat quarters.

In celebration of getting a bit of my sew-jo back I would like to make one of these for a lovely reader. Just don't worry if it comes out a bit wonky, it's a designers touch ; )

You just need to let me know which fabric you would like on the band in your comment.

The Dolce or the Birdie? You can choose to have the lace or without the lace if you want the birdie.

That being said, I think I will be off tomorrow to get some more needles and zippers.

Clutchy giveaway will close Friday 24th Sept so I can start sewing.

All entries from anywhere are open.

This giveaway will be featured on Giveaway Scout, an on-line giveaway search engine!

Au revoir!

My Creative Space

2010-09-09T15:33:00.004+10:00

I held my breath and ... I cut into it!
Dolce by Tanya Whelan has long been a favourite of mine so when I got this Marilyn Grey I knew it was for something very cool.
We bought new pillows so I decided that this fabric would look great as pillow cases.
I was thinking of getting a matching panel for the cases but then when it came in I didn't like the way it looked if I were to make a cuff for it.
I can't wait to get them finished and have only cut out the pieces.

In other news I made these yummy Mars Bar Slices for a party.
They were a huge hit (even if I used dark chocolate for the topping, hence the milk chocolate lattices I piped on top).

I also made my favourite and very easy Beef Stir-fry with Hokkien noodle.
I recieved lovely comments about this too.
I think people believe that Asian people are born with stir-fry skills but seriously you can learn it very easily. The method is to brown your meat first in hot oil in batches.
Then remove and fry your vegies in a little stock and steam them on the wok for a minute or two. Then add your meat back in the wok and add your soy sauce, oyster sauce and salt and pepper. That's it! Enjoy your healthy stir-fry.

That's about as creative I got this week. More spaces at Kirst's.

If you're busy like me please take time to SLOW DOWN.
I watched an Oprah program today where this lady had one change in her busy schedule and she left her two year old in the car by accident, where she passed away due to heat stroke, and they found her 8 hrs later. It was a heart-breaking story and she was so brave to share it with everyone.

Please, please, please take your time to be WITH your children and be mindful of them.
If I can reach out to one person this post would have been really worth it.

God Bless.

Turning Pages

2010-09-06T20:50:00.003+10:00

This little darling turned 4 recently.

She embraced the world 4 years ago a day before the Father's Day weekend.

I remember just wanting her out so I could rest but I never got any!

Right now just watching her flourish into a little being feels pretty good and this mothering business is settling in my bones.

I love that the cardigan matches her dress and it fits her now since being so-called blocked.

She tells everyone that "Mummy knitted this and she dyed it"

My heart glows each time I hear the words coming out of her mouth.

Speaking of parenting I won a book pack from The Bub Hub by simply writing up a review.

I'm so incredibly thrilled! I hope there might be some really good reading coming my way.

This Father's Day weekend was a pretty emotional one.

We all went to the cemetary and shed tears for a little angel with her parents.

We all went to the airport and I cried when saying farewell to parents-in-law.

I think after becoming a mother I am so much more of an emotional torrent ready to burst my tear ducts as soon as anything remotely sad comes my way.

With that being said I enjoyed and bathed in the love and bonding of family this weekend.

It's so good for the soul. So nourishing. It's so easy to be distracted into putting our efforts into other insignificant chores. I decided to drag the littlies out to be with family and it was worth it.

Moments too good to be missed.

I hope you all had a good weekend too.

Mauve-a-licious

2010-08-28T14:00:00.005+10:00

My recent trip to the craft store saw me bring home some:

zips, ric rac, interlock, buttons and some dye.

I've never ever done any dye-ing before so I read up on a few posts about it.

Most of it sounded pretty straight forward. Heat up some water, dissolve the dye and add the fabric. I normally feel very apprehensive before starting anything and therefore procrastinate every single project before I actually get started. This time I thought I'd bite the bullet after a few days of seeing the dye on my table.

Here's what I did with the dye : Rit Dye : Colour Mauve.

I pre-washed her cardigan in warm water and rinsed it in hot (no softener!)

Then I dissolved the RIT dye in 2 cups of boiling water into a 2ltr bucket.

I added 3/4 cup of salt (it said 1 cup but I was running out) and added 1 tablespoon of Radiant laundry detergent (as per the instructions on the packet).

After more swirling I boiled more hot water and filled up the bucket almost half way.

You want the water to cover the item but not wash out the dye colour.

Then I dumped in the wet cardigan and swished away. I initially thought I was suppose to swish for 30mins but after reading it again it said "until you get desired colour" up to 30mins.

Ahhh, well, that makes more sense.

At first it was a deep purple colour and looked rather lovely. I wanted a pinkish hue though. I swished for about 10mins though, checked on the roast, swished again and then ran some hot water to rinse it out in the sink.

It says to rinse until water runs clear but I doubt that would happen and wanted to save water so I rinsed until it was a light purple colour (the water).

I took it out and decided to dry it on an old canvas apron and use pins to lightly block it into shape. I warn you that this is NOT the way to BLOCK. This is my way of blocking on the fly.

A proper way is from this tutorial from Alicia Paulson. She makes it look so much more fun and professional.

So, I left it to dry in the shade and I keep peeking on it every now and again admiring the colour in the lace work. It's more of a purple than pinkish-mauve colour on the packet.

However I like it and it goes with this dress I just bought for her.

I could see that there was a slight colour variation where the different coloured wool was used. It seemed that the difference in beige-ness of the wool did affect the way the dye took to the original colour. It's a design feature (thanks Cherri). A mark of a mama-made item.

So now I just have to crochet a little beige flower and add some pearl buttons and it shall be revealed. In time for a Spring birthday. Yay.

Rumpus House

2010-08-23T13:33:00.007+10:00

I went into work a few weeks ago and told my boss that I was coming back to work.
He was fine with it as I have made a career out of having my babies and working part-time.
Plus I work in government so they have to allow me back.

I told my team leader that the house is a mess because well, we don't have a Rumpus Room.
"Oh it's a Rumpus House" he said. We laughed as we both have kids and know what it is like.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with the term but a Rumpus room is just for the kids to play and let loose without cluttering up the rest of the house. A Playroom if you will.

So I sat here at my desk with a slightly bashed up laptop thinking about how time slips away most of the day. How my stomach turned at the thought of dealing with people and managers at work again but how lovely it is to bring in some much needed income and have some time away to think about other things than dirty nappies, laundry, cleaning, cooking and dust.
I am currently awaiting an old summer edition of Ottobre and plan to buy some zips for a gathered clutch.

I decided that I didn't like the junk that [we]hubby is storing in the computer/craft room so I moved it around and took some down. I'm not sure where to put the rest. I don't have storage boxes and our garage is rather full. Hmmmm. Maybe it wasn't a good plan after all. I am sure I am one of the 9/10 people who don't know how to pack up and organise. I need an Ikea person to sort the room out.

Well that made my head hurt so I made brownies instead. Thanks Betty Crocker. You rock!

This Fudge Choc Chip Brownie rocks! It's chewy in the middle and the chocolate taste is fantastic. Next time I will make up two boxes instead of just the one.

This fabulous dish was last night's dinner. It's from the recent Australian Good Food magazine. All it is is spinach, toasted pine nuts, cream, seasoning, tinned tomatoes, chicken and mushies. Yummm. The kids didn't really go for it but trust me, it was deeee-lish.

Well my little baby is growing up so fast. She is 10months already!

She is commando crawling and eating everything I put in her mouth. Not bad for someone who only has two bottom teeth. We all love to cuddle her and kiss her until we are satisfied which really never happens. She is still waiting for something mama-made. Bad mummy!

I'm going to test out some Red Velvet Cupcakes for a Holy Communion this Sunday so I'll let you know how that pans out. If they are good I'll have to make some for Little Miss turning 4 in September!!!

Hope your life is full of fun, craft and love too.

Better with a flower

2010-08-09T10:58:00.005+10:00

While there is about 5 spare minutes in my household I am sharing the almost finished product.

This cardigan is based on EZ's February Baby Sweater. It's the cutest design doing the blog round. I am only about 5 yrs behind or something.

Anyway, I had a lot of assistance with getting notes for sizing as I made this up to fit my almost 4 yr old. It just fits her with no growing room so Baby J will get a wear out of this next winter at least. It should have had an extra lace repeat across the back for it last through a growth spurt.

My Ravelry notes are here.

I am saying it's almost finished because I really need to dye this.

As per my previous post I had to use a different colour as I couldn't find the same colour when I ran out of yarn. I used almost 4 balls to make this up. There's some left to make cute crochet flowers.

It does look better with a crochet flower though however, I was going to dye this pink so I'll need a crochet flower in it's original colour.

But it still needs blocking and a dye job.

I really loved kniting this although I was rather impatient.

After a few inches of the lace repeat I understood how it worked out and knew where I had gone wrong as I was going along. You do need to concentrate or you'll muck up the lace pattern. I knit the sleeves in the round with dpns and they were fiddly and I didn't count my rows so one sleeve is probably a bit longer than the other. I also forgot that you have to knit a knit row where you would have a purl round (when knitting the in the round) so the left sleeve is wierder than the right. I don't think it's noticeable though. At least she may get some spring time wear from this. I can't wait to make it in a baby jacket though so looking forward to that.

Next up I have decided on a baby jacket which will be sewed up. Love instant gratification.

My time's up. Must head off and finish a few house chores.

Ooooh I must get my hands on this jewellery kit at etelage. They're located in Newtown and right near All Buttons Great and Small so I think I'll have to make a trip there this month.

Catch ya later.

My Happy Mail

2010-07-27T10:20:00.006+10:00

You know I-am-so-glad my husband isn't home when the postie knocks on my door.
My lovely parcel arrived today from Hawthorne Threads (US). They were sooo speedy as I ordered this a week ago. I love how they used tissue paper to wrap up the fabric and didn't add an additional invoice paper.

I was inspired by the iPod cases that Janelle Wind created and the fabric that she used.
So I decided I needed to have some Meadowsweet at home.

I also decided I had to have some pink unicorns, some flowery diamonds and something for the boy.

I hope to use this for something wearable for the boy. It's quite a decent size print of trucks so I hope to applique some shirts and make some shorts for spring/summer. What is it about boys clothes that I find challenging? Perhaps it is just a matter of using more cotton knits and jersey.

There isn't much I like to make during Winter unfortunately. I do enjoy some aspects of Winter but I really prefer Spring and warmer weather.

So there was my splurge this month. Phew, I got away with it again. Hee hee.

Back to the knitting needles...

The Knitty Gritty

2010-07-22T19:02:00.007+10:00

The following post contains a few pictures, some cute, some not so much. Some kinda blurry.
Crafty admiration and lovely comments are advised.

This is the progress of the cardigan/sweater I am knitting for Miss Almost 4.
I am becoming aware that I am running out of wool. I only have three balls of the Baby Layette.
At least I think so, I am onto the second ball already.

Unless of course she is happy to wear it as a bolero?

I really thought it was going to come out much bigger. From the notes I used with Soulemama's February Girl Sweater (adapted from the Baby Sweater) she made it to fit her daughter who is size 5. Hmmmm. I will have to finish this for her before Winter is over so that she can still wear it otherwise the baby gets it next Winter. It does fit nicely in the back but I am not finished so I am hoping it won't stretch out too much.

I did pop over to Spotlight to source more balls of wool but only saw two balls of this one left.

Here it is next to the original. Can you tell there is a slight colour difference?

Yup, that's because it IS a different colour. The original is #08 and the new one is #15.

My one is slightly lighter in colour. A whitish beige, if you will.
I figure maybe I could dye the cardigan once finished? She does lean towards pink.

Oh hey, I got some lucky mail and I won afat qtr of this cute Japanese small scale fabric from Kelani Fabric Obsession. I'm thinking a kids pencil case or diary/notebook cover.

I did get around scratching my sewing itch and made my boy this pair of what us Aussies like to call Trackies or TrackyDaks. Slang for track pants.

I used New Look 6931 pattern in size T3 and although a bit long in the waist to crotch area the rest were fine for his 2.5yr old legs. I really love them and I should have made them earlier.

Ok, now I have really used up my precious personal time and I have to put the baby to sleep!

A Knitting Project

2010-07-14T10:07:00.004+10:00

Sound the trumpets, I've started my first knitted garment!

I decided to go ahead with the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman but upsize it for my almost 4yr old girl. I'm using notes from various sources on Ravelry including Soulemama's, and hoping it will turn out well enough to wear.
Yes, I'm still in my jammies, it's cold here you know. See that chubby wubby hand in the picture? She's now very good at grabbing everything, even with her eyes closed.

I cast on 60 stitches, am using Addi Turbo's: size 4mm 80cm circular needles.
I am also using my very small stash of wool. I think this is Baby Layette 4ply I picked up from Spotlight ages ago.

The pattern calls for garter stitch (the purly bumps you can see curled up) but I prefer the look of stockinette which is the knit stitch in the front of the work. There's something about purl knitting which I do not enjoy.

Anyhoo, I also used her Make 1 increase, which is essentially a backwards loop hooked onto the needle creating an extra stitch. I love doing it this way. I found (later on) that this creates little eyelet holes though. I do like the look of it so I am leaving my increases that way. I have read that you can do a knit front and back (kfb) increase which doesn't leave holes.
The scary part is when I will be starting the separation for body and sleeve.

Wish me luck, I have no idea what I am really doing from here-on out.

If you have any tips please let me know.

Blogger with no make-up

2010-07-09T09:07:00.003+10:00

I am a blogger. This is me. On many days. It's mid-morning.
No make-up. Just plain 'ol me. I read a post about Bloggers with No Make-up a while ago and it's stuck in my head. We see other blogs with perfect pictures, perfect rooms, perfect families, perfect crafts. While it is enviable I believe that there are moments where it's not perfect.
Where there are messy floors, messy kitchens, messy kids and messy moments.
Yup, that's life and believe me, it's good to realise that once in a while. Good not to get caught up in perfectionism or the want of.

I haven't had much time-out for myself these days so I am getting more frustrated and the lists of things I want to do are piling up in my head. I found that crocheting allows me a little time to be creative but it definately works better when a little hand isn't grabbing at the wool.

On the sewing front I haven't been able to cut out any pattern yet. There's something holding me back. It's like I almost don't want to complete a project if that makes any sense?

Do you have days like this???

I'm sure I am in need of therapy but well, I just have to hug my kids a little more today and get things going.

I hope to be back with something soon.

The Not Happenings

2010-06-29T15:05:00.005+10:00

For some reason I thought I could teach myself crochet, in one weekend!
But I've become stuck. Hindered by impatience, bad wobbly web crochet instructional videos, being half-focused, chores and children. You know. You are nodding right now.

So I've figured out how to chain, slip stitch and double treble. What I lack is how to count, good tutorials and time. I know I made a few mistakes above and then Baby J decided to yank on the yarn and I gave up. I did find this nice tutorial on the flower I want to make. It's called the Tawashi flower. I didn't know if Round 1 means you start with this or you do the magic ring and then start it. Hmmmmm. I'm dying to know. I might have to ask the Ravelry gods tonight.

On the other hand I have this little gem to deal with. Along with my other two, yes I know I still have other two toddlers but the cute factor on this one is too good not to share.

Oh and it's tax season down here too. That means lots of June sales and bargains.
I, um I mean, we decided to get us a new printer. Our last one still works but the cartridge is so expensive and it's about 5years old. Hubster went to the store and brought home the Canon MP560. It's really great. It's a 5-in-1 inkjet so it's still affordable. It even has auto-duplex, cos we need to sav paper right. It looks really snazzy and it works wirelessly! So I can print out my tutorials and recipes from the loungeroom where my laptop is to the hobby room. Yippeee. I love technology.

If you're looking for a cheaper option the MP530 works just as well. I got that one for mums house. Anyway, back to the daily grind. If you have any great crochet flower tutorials I'd love to know.

More on Knits

2010-06-26T14:18:00.005+10:00

I finished the beanie! Woo hoo what an adventure that was.
I tried circulars and double-pointed needles for the first time.
I wish I'd watched the knittingtipsbyjudy video's on youtube.
She had some great tips and showed you what to do with those loose ends.
Anyway, the beanie came out a little bit 'pointy' so maybe it requires some blocking?
It fits her 3.5yr old head quite well but I wish it would stretch slightly bigger so it's a teeny bit looser. We like it very much though.

I went to my local library which is conveniently located just in the opposite room to our playgroup. I grabbed all the kids and with a baby in the sling and one arm grabbing hold of my run-a-way 2yr old boy I snatched up the only knitting book I could find.
It seemed to be quite a good investment when I perused through it at home.

Even though it looks very daggy and outdated it was printed in the early 80's, I found really great information on shaping, colourwork and even this pattern which I've been long admiring on the net lately.

See those baby jackets? The first one is a Baby Coat and the blue one is the Lacy Baby Jacket.

Doesn't it resemble the Elizabeth Zimmermann February Baby Sweater?
I was so happy when I found out. What luck! I scanned it and printed the instructions out.
The only thing is it's not seamless and is knit in pieces. Unlike the baby sweater which is practically seamless and knit from the top down.

Decisions, decisions... I guess I am really just looking for measurements so I might just go ahead with the top down version and cross my fingers.

There seems to be a theme among some other blog members who are finding it hard to find a balance in life with children, blogging and sanity. I must say parenting is the toughest job around.
I do find myself failing to compose myself in stressful situations. I mean, when your 3y.o tells you the hundredth time she doesn't want to go to school what can you do? I've resorted to sleeping in my sons bed once I hear him calling out to me. It's just not worth bed hopping anymore. Baby J co-sleeps with her dad now so we'll jsut have to see how it goes once Winter is over and my room is no longer an ice box. I just love my sleep and it's hard to compromise on something that's just going to do me in.

A happy parent is a better parent, don't you think?

Oh and do you like the new template? I saw it and just applied the changes. Instant satisfaction.

What's on your plate these days?

Gettin' Knitty Wit' it

2010-06-22T14:53:00.004+10:00

I finally made a start with the Little Girl's Prism Beanie.
I was having a bit of trouble with the pattern from Lincraft and now I know why.
I'm not a beginner knitter nor an experienced knitter but I know my knits from purls and have even done cables before. So I was stumped when my single knit ridges were all over the place.
After some help from Ravelry members it was deemed that the pattern needed to be corrected.

In order to achieve this type of ribbing it is simply a K1, P1 (knit one, purl one) pattern repeat.
Simple as that. The instructions say to do that for the first row and the second row is K2, P1. Whaaat? Go figure. Don't they have pattern testers at Lincraft?
Anyway, the Prism yarn is luscious and soft. I adore it.

Needless to say I am so in love with my new Addi Turbo's I bought from The Thread Room that I cast on another set to knit up the February Girl Sweater (rav link) for my almost 4yr old.
Let's just say I have great expectations of myself with the cardigan as I've never knit a cardigan or any article of clothing for that matter. We'll just see how this one pans out.

We don't celebrate Father's Day here until September. By that time we will be celebrating Little Miss' 4th birthday. Wow. Time flies. I did find this good Red Velvet Cupcake recipe that seems to be all the rave but I've lost it now.

Ahhh well. I shall be back to show you the finished beanie.

Blissful Blessings

2010-06-15T08:59:00.006+10:00

Over the weekend we celebrated a great blessing.
Baby J had her christening and in her true style she was fussing most of the way through it.
She did manage to stay quiet while the priest walked her around the altar.
My kids don't do well during their christenings. There's just too much fuss going on for their own liking. We don't get many good photo's either. However, I managed to snatch some really lovely ones during quiet time.

The gorgeous headband is a creation of Grace Designs. Rosalind worked with me to design the prettiest headband which made her look all too beautiful.
My sister in law found her a christening dress so I didn't need to make her one.
Which was rather fortunate as I was sick before and left a lot of things to the last minute.

We had a cheeky priest who was quite funny and good with Baby J.
She cried when the water was poured on her head. I took this snap with the camera held high as I could not get close enough. There were many other cameras there too.

I just love girls in dresses and hers was adorable.
The cake man made blocks to spell out her name in an arch along the front and I was really pleased. It had a yummy white forest filling. We sang Happy Christening to You!
No, that's not me holding her. It's her Godmother.

All in all it was a fun night with family. One that we will cherish for many years to come.

Pattern Space

2010-06-10T16:31:00.004+10:00

My kitchen table.
The only space which is sort of clear and wide enough to place fabric.

I picked up some lovely charcoal linen today and set to work on arranging the pattern pieces for a shirt for the boy. It was hard to find the right fabric but luckily Baby J had fallen asleep.
Probably bored from waiting for me to pick up a bolt which was taking far too long.
When she woke though she was too cute, smiling at the lovely ladies in the store.

Thoughts: Linen. Shirting. Linen. Crinkly. Shirty.. Ugly... White... Messy.. Hmmmm.
Charcoal it is.

As with all Japanese patterns you must not forget to include your seam allowances.

The standard is 1cm but there are places where they will trick you and add a little more if you're not paying attention. So I chalked in my lines, making a few mistakes here and there but it's chalk so it's all good. You know.

Some really cute curtain fabric for the kids room. It was a bargain at $6 a metre.
Could not pass it up but it came in wonderful colourway range: green, pink, blue, red?
Can't wait to get this one going!

Hoppity hop to more spaces!

Rolled Hem Riot

2010-06-08T08:38:00.008+10:00

A hat trick: three littlies asleep at the same time.
I armed myself with some tools of the trade and snuck into the sewing room.
I did some rolled hems for the first time. Excuse the cloudy day, late afternoon pictures.

I just bought this sewing and knitting gauge. Oh my, what a great little tool and it was so cheap.
At $1.60 it was well worth the tiny investment. It even allows you to do scallops! (perhaps more on that later). Hemming and buttonholing will never be the same again.

I went to work on the lining of my silk dress. I know it's winter here and all but I am going to wear it this weekend for Baby J's christening. I had my sister pin up the hem for me the other day. Tips: When someone is taking up hems for you look straight ahead and keep your posture upright. You should also wear the shoes you intend to wear with the outfit.

So I ended up cutting about 5 inches off, as that is where I wanted the hem to finish and chalked the points along the hem so I knew where to cut off the fabric. There is no seam allowance included but you need to have the cutter in use in order for the fabric to roll under. Hence, rolled hemming? See, it pays to read your manual. *wink*

I also made the necessary adjustments on the overlocker for rolled hemming. This includes removing the chaining finger and setting the stitch length and differential feed to 1.0.

I did a test run on the scrap I cut off to adjust the tensions.

They ended up being 3 : 3 : 5 = needle, upper looper, lower looper.

The cutter was adjusted so there was just enough fabric to roll into the underside and be hidden in the stitches. You can't see it on the underside. If there was too much fabric it would look bulky and if there wasn't enough you can see the cut edge of the fabric in the underside of your stitches.

Once I got going it went pretty smoothly and I was in sewing heaven.

I really enjoyed doing this and can see lots of ruffles this winter and spring.

Now, for the actual silk dress. Ummm, I think I shall take a deep breath and use my straight stitch instead on the hem.

Have you done much rolled hemming? I'd love to see your projects.

My Creative Space

2010-06-03T16:12:00.005+10:00

The kids went to daycare.
I went shopping. I bought goodies. I rejoiced in kid-free time but of course, it all went by too quickly.

At Lincraft I found some chambray to make a shirt for my Little Man. There wasn't anything else that looked even remotely available for shirt making. I was much disappointed.

However, their lace range is quite extensive. I found this beautiful guipure lace.
If you can't pronounce it, then certainly it is special!

I also found a free beanie pattern for my 3yr old. I bought the yarn in the world's greatest colour. Isn't there a pink gene in most little girls???

They had a shocking non-existant amount of circular needles in stock so I will have to make this one up with two needles. Unless I make it to Spotlight in a few weeks. By then the cold of Winter would have set in really good and I will be too cold to venture out.

Anyway, more creative spaces at Kootooyoo!

Coasters

2010-05-26T11:12:00.003+10:00

I love these coasters I made. Very quick and easy.
They are made using charm squares from the Odyssea by Momo for Moda fabrics.

I think I could have made a dozen if time permitted. I am saving some of the prints to make matching placemats. There's a tutorial coming up on Pink Penguin on the 27th that I am just
itching to try. You know Ayumi's stuff rocks.

At this moment my three kids are on the rug watching t.v while there's lots of rain happening outside. It's a bit chilly and all I can think about are cardigans, knitting and maybe some sewing of jackets; oh and shopping lists...

I'm going to leave you with a link to this re-fashioned t-shirt to shrug tutorial I found this morning. It looks super cool. I am thinking I need to re-fashion an old cardi to match our season.

Good day.

Stardust Baby Shoes

2010-05-24T10:48:00.003+10:00

Aren't these the cutest little baby shoes? I made them

They are from the popular Stardust Cloth Shoe pattern.

I made them in a few hours in the afternoon while hubby was minding the little one.

I only used one layer of that super cool Vilene S320 on the sole, heel and top.

I didn't get time to embellish the top as we were going to my mums for dinner.

The pink polkadot is quilting cotton from Spotlight and I used a beige wool flannel for the lining and soles.

They fit her 7mth old feet perfectly; no growing room however :(

Be sure to make a pair if you have a cute little bub to make them for.
Ít's so easy and the pattern is very good.

She is often found snuggling into me and falling asleep in the sling.

It's very comfortable and although she is getting heavier it's so lovely to feel her close to me.

I'm sure she feels the same. They do grow up so quick so I am cherishing every little moment I can.

Hope you are all well. I'm battling a bit of a sore throat and aching body bits right now.

I don't like the cold and flu season that comes with the onset of Winter down here.

Anyhoo, onwards and upwards (?) with life.

For now

2010-05-14T07:20:00.003+10:00

Here's a not so great pic of Little Man wearing his toddler backpack.

As you can see it's pretty roomy. Enough to lug a spare set of clothes and a lunchbox.

The added 1 inch to make it taller turned out to be a good decision.

It may look a little bulky from this side but really it's not.

It's very lightweight and I kinda wished that I used two layers of interfacing on the front and back panels as well. It will stand on it's own and it looks too cute hanging from a chair or shelf.

Happy Belated Mother's Day everyone.

My sister got me these beauties. Every time I walk past the smell of the lilies devour me.

I pause... sniff.. smile and think happy thoughts.

The kids have new beds so they have me bed hopping at night.

Sometimes it's my girl and sometimes the boy. Other times it's the baby.

All this night waking is frazzling me out a little but I keep going.

Sometimes all it takes is a little patience, a little cuddle and a bit of play-time to make a world of difference.

My next project might be a little blouse for Little Miss since the weather is much colder these evenings. Can you believe we are already starting flu season?

It's time to rug up and maybe even start a knitting project that I've been procrastinating about.

I would love to go to any of these classes but it's too pricey right now.

I'll just have to depend on my trusty piece of technology: the internet.

Ciao for now.

Fini: Toddler Backpack

2010-05-05T16:32:00.005+10:00

{TRUMPETS!} Hurrah, the boy's Toddler Backpack is completed. It's just in time for daycare tomorrow. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to actually have another finished product.

Back View

I wanted to keep the back simple so I used the middle of the fabric.

Side View

I used the part of the train station that was chopped off from the front panel.

I love the little stripes going down the bottom.

Other Side View

The train with some cute trees and lamp post.

I was getting a bit worried after pinning it altogether because it was rather thick at the seams. I was wondering how on earth I could fit it under the foot and sew it without too many mistakes.

It all turned out and I only had to un-pick and re-sew some piping in a few places where I had either not sewn in enough or too much (at the corner). I figured the best way was to go all the way to the curve and if it was too bulky I could stop and then re-insert the bag at a better angle which worked out better than trying for one long seam. I would say that if you didn't want to worry about this you could baste by hand the middle loop panel to the panel that you were working on and then sew it properly. I hope that makes sense.

In any case the only adjustment I actually made to the pattern was to make this taller by about 3cms (seam allowance included) and it was the perfect size for my 2.4yr old.

I used linen in a biscuit colour (from Kelani) for the piping, straps and quilted bottom.

I used a double layer of S320 Vilene on the zipper and side panels which maybe was not necessary. One layer of it would have been enough with the wadding and front fabric.

Tomorrow I shall take a picture of him sporting his new bag.

If you do ever want to make a toddler bag I recommend the Made by Rae Toddler Backpack pattern.

It's so easy to sew up and makes a cute little bag.

Part Two: Straps, Quilting and Piping.

2010-05-04T12:02:00.004+10:00

The toddler backpack is coming along really nicely.
I am just loving the piping detail and by adding an extra layer of interfacing to the zipper and side panels it's going to be quite sturdy.

My only disappointment is how big the zipper panels were which meant you had to trim off about 1.5cms on either side to match the side panels. This is included in the instructions later on but I thought it should have been sized better in the templates. I would say to match the width of the side panels when cutting the zipper panels. I lost some pretty designs on the zipper pieces but it still turned out well.

Also, the straps ended up being too wide to fit through the 25mm strap adjusters so I decided to add an extra piece of nylon which is then sewed into the straps instead. This worked out quite nicely.

Here is some more piping added to the back panel. I wish I had a smaller zipper foot as the side of it kept pushing my piping out which made sewing it in place harder. I had to keep angling the bag to stop this from happening.

I quilted the bottom piece as well and added a thin layer of interfacing to stabilise it.

I also decided to line the front and back panels with an extra layer of calico. Gees, I hope it's not going to be too thick in the end.

Now all I need to do is attach the sides to the base and then sew it to the back panel.

Then add the front panel and we're done!

So maybe one more (baby) sleep to go!

Part One: Front Panel and Piping

2010-04-30T11:30:00.007+10:00

I made piping. Really. From scratch.
I had to because Lincraft didn't have any. The Gods were smiling on me because I guessed all of the calculations. I tried to understand the charts for bias making but the Imperials were doing my head in.

Here's the math in metric terms:
A 30cm square will make around 3mtrs of 3cm wide bias binding. More than enough of the 90" required. Remarkable that continuous binding method.

I used my zipper foot to sew in the piping cord. I don't know why but I chopped off the length I needed instead of just finishing the rest of the cord and bias. I won't do that next time.

Here 'tis pinned onto the front panel. See how you get nice rounded edges.
The dog and cat are pleased.

This is the front panel. I had to chop some of the train station to include the train in the clouds.
It has a layer of H640 wadding and S320 to give it some body and firmness.
I do recommend using a Rajah cloth because I scorched the crap out of a pillow case ironing the wadding and Vilene to the back.

Next up - Part Two: Zipper and side panels

My Creative Space

2010-04-23T15:45:00.005+10:00

I thought I'd play along with this week's Creative Space at Kirsty's.
On my table are the beginnings of the Toddler Bag I spoke about on my previous post.
I am preparing all the little pieces I need. I went to Lincraft and I was quite disappointed with the selection but it was closer to home than Spotlight in the time I was "toddlerless".

Below:
* freshly arrived fabric from Kelani
* Vilene S320 from Nicole M Design

I really love the little train in the clouds. Sometimes that is where my head is at.
In the clouds or in a place that is magical and contains lots of good coffee, sewing and crafting time.

I've also started thrifting some nylon straps for the two bags I am making.
It only just occurred to me today that I may have some laying around attached to un-used bags.
I've already used some old stiff paper to print out the paper pattern and hope to use up things in my stash.

Before I go, don't forget to visit Betz White for the start of great Earth Day giveaways.

I hope that you guys have a great weekend and lest we forget the ANZAC's this Sunday.
God Bless.

The Plan

2010-04-20T22:40:00.007+10:00

They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

That being said I have a list of things that I am GOING to sew. You heard me say it here.
Well, that's my plan anyway.

All Aboard Navy

Project 1

Toddler Backpack for my Little Man who started day care one day a week and loves it.
This is the Made by Rae pattern which I bought today. I've seen some great bags made up in this pattern and it's a bargain at $6US.
Gotta love how our dollar is going strong against the greenback.

Hunky Dory Cream

Project Two

Same backpack for Little Miss who will cry the house down if she doesn't get a new bag either.
I really love the pinks and musky colours in the picture.

It took me half a day to pick out the perfect fabric on-line at Kelani. I just didn't want to buy something that I wasn't going to be happy with and I have a budget to consider. That being said I am hoping that I have enough in my stash to make up the rest of the bag but I'm sure I need to find nice piping and medium interfacing to use on the bags.

I'm so excited and hubby seems to like the pattern too. He should be because he wasn't happy with the purple (girly?) Dora "Backpack" character bag that Little Man was taking to daycare, hence my plans to make him a suitable "boyish one" ... (men).

Now I'm just so anxious to get started but I'm not going to rush them. They will definately be a labour of love.

Stay tuned.

New Kicks

2010-04-16T15:43:00.003+10:00

I got me some new kicks. Converse All Stars low cut.
I've been wanting a pair of these since forever.
Of course the price always set me back until today. A store was 'closing down' and had them 30% off. So glad there was one in my size too.

Woo hooo.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

2010-04-10T15:58:00.004+10:00

My baby is back! Oh how I missed my Janome while it was gone for two days!
I must have really jinxed myself after my last post because while I was fixing those hems on the jeans I managed to bend the tip of the denim needle. I just knew something was up.

I searched around for a good service place. There weren't any nearby and I could just imagine myself : three kids in tow and a sewing machine strapped to my chest or something.
Luckily I came across this guy who did free pick-up and delivery.

A quick call to Jimmy Shimizu assured me that my machine was going to be in good hands.
Jimmy use to be a head-technician for Janome. How could I go wrong!

Upon the return of my beloved machine he let me know that I had a faulty needle plate which caused the thread to get caught and jam up.
I had half a clue of what was going on, the rest was a collaboration of impatience, swearing and inexperience amongst other things.
He also mentioned that I should have the dial 'thinga-majig' on 3 so the pressure foot tension will grab the fabric.
Oh, so that's why my fabric was going to the left. Ha ha. Darn kids. It was them.
I departed with my $85 and was relieved knowing that it was good as new. I will endeavour to look after my machine a lot more.

I should read revisit my manual.

So, I have a small stash of clothes ready to be refashioned. I can't wait!

Hpoe you are enjoying your weekend.

Lists of things to do.

2010-04-07T09:29:00.006+10:00

Ruffled Shoes by Apachesprincess

I found this tutorial yesterday (pictured) and I want to have a go at it.

I just need to find some ballet flats first.
Isn't it just the cutest? AND I already have my hot glue gun ready.

I was doing a spot of sewing yesterday but I was sewing dolls clothes.

A Dora doll to be exact. The skirt was easy but I stuffed up the blouse by sewing the puffed sleeve upside down. Haa haaa. I figure if I don't try I won't learn.

You have GOT to go here. Erin has really great pictures and instructions on how to sew children's clothes. Sooooo awesome for a intermediate sewer like me. How gorgeous are those dresses!

Aside: I think my header is a bit too big. I don't have time to fix it yet.

I have a list of things that I would love to sew up but it's getting cold here so I'll be thinking about pinafores, leggings, knits.... it's endless.

Oh, back to the point about my sewing... I have come to the conclusion that my machine needs a tune-up. It's been with me for 5 yrs now and even though it's relatively new it just doesn't perform the way I want it to. My fabric keeps sliding to the left and I would like the piece of mind to have it looked at. That way, I can only blame myself for sewing mishaps.

I've become the family 'alterations' expert since parading my sewing items.

I don't mind it but they have to look after my kids while I sew.

Truth be told I don't always do a terrific job but the jobs usually come in the "I have to wear it tomorrow" type of urgency. Plus I can't sew up a hole.. do you know how to repair holes??

Hubby is home tomorrow so we're all going to drop the kids at daycare together.

How cool is that going to be.

Ciao for now.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T09:07:00.004+10:00

Happy Easter! I hope yours was great and filled with choc bunnies.

I made a chocolate mud cake which turned out not too bad.

We've got a little stash of bunnies. They're delicious.

Looky here. Some goodies I bought recently on sale:

hot glue gun, bobbins, ribbon and all-purpose thread.

The kids went psycho so I had to leave Spotlight before I could grab any fabric :(

I'm going to try some new patterns for Winter as it's getting rather chilly here.

Might stick to kiddy sewing for a bit.

I don't want to sound like a broken record but I really do want to have another go at knitting a cardigan or something for the baby. I am just terrible at counting rows so I really must use my row counter. Knitting is so therapeutic.

The kids will be starting daycare this week so I hope it all goes well.

It means more time for me at home if only baby J will sleep longer than her cat naps.

Signing off for now.

So I Sewed

2010-03-30T11:46:00.004+11:00

Did you know that you can work up a sweat sewing?
I really did with this one yesterday. My back started hurting and the room was quite warm.
Anyway, after trying this on it really didn't turn out as planned.
This is a top from the Sweet Dress Recipe Japanese book.

Things I learned from this experience:

DON'T use quilting weight fabric as it doesn't drape very nicely
The sizing is actually quite 'roomy' and I used the largest size
I don't like using elastic but it does allow for ease of pulling on and off
It didn't need the invisible zipper (see point above)

I didn't have any nice voile or drapey fabric on hand so I used this green leaf quilt weight cotton.

It made it very billowy and I didn't like the elastic casing that is used on the collar and the sleeves. If you extend the length it could have turned into a long dress.

The models in the books make it look so good.

I also pulled the elastic out of the sleeves and left them as is. I felt quite uncomfortable with the feel of it. I will really need to pull in the sides if I decide to wear this during winter. It would be nice over a long sleeve top though.

And because those pics were boring, here's one of my girls being crazy.

Make sure you head on over to Stitchbird for her fabric giveaway.

You won't want to miss out on this one!

No... we're not cooking.

2010-03-26T16:47:00.003+11:00

This is pattern marking/tracing.

In particular a Japanese pattern.

I don't enjoy tracing Japanese patterns solely for the fact that I find it hard to actually find the right piece to be traced and my tracing looks like my 3.5yr old did it.

But this time around I used a ruler, some extra wide Glad Baking Paper and traced a pattern for a singlet top for myself.

It's also useful to copy the actual Japanese markings so you can recognise the symbols on the instructions. Above is the pattern piece for pages 14, 31 and labelled 'front' piece.

I hope to finish it soon. Not tonight, I have to shop but maybe by Sunday.

A moment to pause

2010-03-18T16:54:00.002+11:00

We have been tragically hit with really devastating news in the family.
It involves a newborn baby so dear to us who is still in NICU where she will spend her few moments left here on earth. She will be with our heavenly father.
She is a true angel and she will live in our hearts forever.
We pray for her and thank her for the gift of love she renewed in us and our families.

Where to start?

2010-03-13T13:29:00.002+11:00

I have a lot of things I want to sew. I just don't have enough time.
So, at least this week I decided to fix the broken invisible zipper on my favourite denim skirt.
That's the finished product above. Boring isn't it. But I was quite proud to say that I fixed it and I can now wear it again.

I sit at my table inspired by my little Japanese book for little kids.
I love the simplicity of this boys shirt. I am definately making one for him this Easter.

How cute is this little blouse for a 6month old? I'll definately try to get one of these too.
You gotta think big to make things happen, right?
Think positive.

While I'm at it, I will daydream about these tops for me.
They are from the Sweet Dress Recipe book that I bought last time.

Cherri - Thanks for the advice about the baking paper.
I bought some that came in extra wide to 38cms so I'll let you all know how that goes.

Time for a cuppa.

Little Inspirations

2010-03-05T11:03:00.004+11:00

After a morning coffee. Beds unmade, dirty dishes, unclean floors. For the moment.
There was a happy moment. There were smiles. There was some inspiration.
An urge to keep going with the day and to try to make it as positive as possible.

Look what I can grow. I got this chilli plant from my mum in law.

Beautiful tomato plants from little seeds.
Hubby planted these. So maybe I can't call them mine.

Lettuce sprouting also from seedlings planted months ago.

And I have no idea what these tall tree looking things are but their seeds have floated around my garden and have come to nestle in our tub of plants. My Lebanese neighbour picked a whole bunch from the park next door and uses them in a salad.

I'm sad to report that there hasn't been much sewing or crafting. Spotlight were out of tracing paper and I really need it for my Japanese patterns. I jus haven't had a moment to myself these days and I can't wait til I get the toddlers off to day care for one day so I can get something crafty done.

My 3.5yr old is sucking out my energy every day. My 2yr old has only wee'd in the toilet once since we've begun toilet training and my little baby... well is still very little and very clingy.

But I get on with the daily grind and know that times like these won't last very long.

Our fasting of meat this Lent is going very well. I thought it would be hard but really it is not.

I made blue swimmer crab last week. Sooo easy. Just boil them in a big pot. Serve with jasmine rice and chilli sauce. Deee-lish.

I read this wonderful quote from AfricanKelli who saw it on a bumper sticker:

'Faith is a journey, not a guilt trip'

I love reading her blog. It gives me inspiration. I hope you find something inspiring today.

Cooking for the Family

2010-02-24T13:27:00.003+11:00

How happy was I when my mail came in this morning!

I had ordered these books online last week and couldn't wait til they arrived.

See, I've been wanting to get my hands on some really good recipes.

I just don't have the luxury of visiting the library without bringing the troup with me and having my son pull out every-single-book off the shelf just because,well , he could.

So using the trusty internet and some online searching I bought these two lovelies from Social Club Books.

I really enjoyed making the broccoli soup from Amanda Soule and she quoted the recipe from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. I have longed for this book but the price just held me back.

However, how could I not go past the $20 I spent to get this book. Yes, only $20.

What a bargain and this book is FILLED with recipes I tell you. It's so THICK.

I also decided to buy Five a Day which is written so that you can incorporate vegies and fruits in your family diet. So important these days. It is a spiral book so really easy to use and has tabbed sections for kids, desserts etc.

Since it is the season of Lent I have got hubby on board to not eat meat this whole Lent season.

NO MEAT. Sounds like a mean feat but so far it's turning out really well. I was so sick of eating meat every night and I've already lost 2kgs. 1kg of it must be water weight though. Hehe. I say this because I'm forever munching on chocolate, bread or something sugary to compensate.

Anyway, it must be good for the environment too, yes?

Sorry for no sewing items this post. I've got some precious material awaiting a shirt for Little Man so I think that is definately coming up.

Cheerio.

Life... 4months later

2010-02-12T14:33:00.003+11:00

Where did the time go?

In perspective... she's such a small thing (on my baby quilt) but a big part of our lives.
4months ago I was so blessed to have given birth to her.

I can say that I wouldn't be the same without her.
She's definately tested my limits as a parent. In the end, love wins.
It should. It's a great feeling to cherish someone and be loved unconditionally.

Happy Valentines for tomorrow. Hug your kids and get spoiled by your partner. You deserve it.

I Heart Sewing

2010-02-08T13:44:00.003+11:00

Are you getting ready for Valentines? We don't celebrate it around here.
But, I did find this cute heart pot holder pattern from the Martha Stewart website.
Isn't it cute?

I made it using some linen and cotton in my stash. This was the only binding I had at the ready so I used it. I think it went really well. Except...
that I didn't read the instructions properly and it really requires more batting. I only used one layer of Insul-Bright without any extra batting. Hmmmm... next time I'll get it right.

I got around finishing this little ribbon taggie blanket for Baby J.
She's absolutely drooling everywhere these days so it will be put to good use.
I've got heaps of charm squares so next up it'll be a few playing blocks.

For now, taking it one day at a time.

Rootote Sale 40% off

2010-01-29T13:23:00.006+11:00

I've been eye-ing these bags since forever. Waiting patiently for the right time.

Today was THE day. They are having an extra 40% off everything sale. Irresistable, right? Get in quick for this Christmas!

So I bought these two. $10.50 each! Flat rate shipping in Aus $6.

Shhhhhhh... he doesn't know yet! .......

A moment in time

2010-01-28T14:04:00.007+11:00

Some days are like this upside down smile. Schedules thrown out the window.

Messy floors and tables. Loud noisy kids. Oh gosh, the noise. General blahness.

But we find a moment to be happy. We capture this moment.

We find beauty in nature. Roses from our front yard.

Baby J snuggles close to me. She likes to sleep like this when the day is worn and weary.

I don't blame her. She gets lots of cuddles and kisses from mummy.
I'm going to make a ribbon blanket for her, now that she loves to suck her thumb.

I hope you're capturing the moment too,

Australia Day

2010-01-26T15:03:00.007+11:00

Image from Sydney Morning Herald by Jessie Du.

Happy AUSTRALIA DAY !
I took the kids down to Parramatta Park to celebrate but just like a typical Aussie summer it got way too hot to bear. We stayed a good hour or so before heading back home. We're talking about 35 degrees celsius or 95 Fahrenheit.

Today is a good day to reflect about life in Oz. My family are living in this really great multiculturally rich country. The people are so nice, relaxed, and even though I was not born here, I'm proud to have an Aussie accent and to be Australian. We're truly blessed here. The opportunities are endless and life would be a struggle had we not migrated here as refugees in the late 70's. I do call Australia home.
I love our laid back lifestyle and the general friendliness of most people here. We shouldn't take it for granted. Oi oi oi!

So I hope you're having a good day where ever you are. As we say here 'Slip, Slop, Slap'
(slip on a shirt, slop on a hat and slap on some sunscreen) and take it easy.

P.S Badskirt is having an Australia Day Sale week!

A shirred summer dress

2010-01-20T11:55:00.008+11:00

It's been a good summer and Little Miss isn't short on dresses. However, I just wanted to make her a proper dress now that I learned how to shir on my Janome.
It was rather distressing before when I had no idea why it wasn't working.

I took this fabric out of my stash and cut using the whole width (selv to selv) to the length I needed for her. It wrapped around her twice so I knew it was enough width to shir and sew up a tube.

Oh how I love my rotary cutter. I used it to cut the straps. My sis bought one for me a looong time ago when she went to a craft show. Hubby used it to put our wedding pictures up in a frame and blunted the blade. I tried to use it since then but just thought that it wasn't a good cutter. Now I know better. I have seen the light.

Last week I was at Spotlight so I picked up a new blade. It was a revelation when I used it. OMG. Like Wow. I saw perfect straight lines! Fireworks went off in my head. (I've always been melodramatic) The possibilities!!!

Here's a tutorial from the Purl Bee on Rotary Cutting. I definately needed it. I had wonky lines at first but I am much better now.

I've somehow misplaced my camera. I remember letting Little Miss take a few pics with it and then took it back from her. I've no idea where it is now so I've had to take pics with my mobile phone instead. I used Photoshop to play around with my pictures but I'm not that good.

I just used a few actions from Pioneer Woman. She's the best.

I managed to unpick the cushion cover so will start again today. See y'all later.

Why I Blog

2010-01-18T13:22:00.004+11:00

Since having kids I've been more of an emotional person. I cry about babies, lost children, death, basically anything related to sad stories about people. Real people. The devastation in Haiti has made life perspectives more pertinent. I cry at least once a day. LMAO.

I watched Dr Phil today and I shed tears. I related to mums who talked about how it is hard to be a stay at home mum or even mums who have to work and leave their children in day care. We all sacrifice a part of ourselves and sometimes more to do what we can for our family. I wonder, when will I stop feeling guilty about not doing enough, when will I stop comparing other mums to myself, when will it get easier?

I do know that I love this blog, I need this blog and this blog community.
So, thanks so much for stopping by. It means very much.

This week I learned about how (not) to grow maggots in your garbage bin.. ewwwww, and I have started knitting a baby bolero for Baby J. I screwed up sewing up another cushion cos I thought I'd wing it and not use instructions! LOL. I've posted on ravelry twice to ask novice questions about the pattern. Ravelry members are just so cool and because it's worldwide I don't have to wait until the next am for an answer! I read Ruby's birth story and I cried then too. What a great story. I watched The Lovely Bones and The Time Travellers Wife. The latter excellent! (insert crying here!) The first, umm. It was at times frustrating, scary and ok. I didn't like the ending.

On a plus side I've decided that maybe a routine would work around here. Let's say I put at least two of my kids to sleep during the day. Silence is golden. Truly.

Must go. I need to unravel my head and decide what else I can do around here.
Hope you are all well.

Nuby Giveaway

2010-01-14T09:40:00.003+11:00

I always love reading reviews about about things for children.
Hip Little One provides heaps of information and reviews about all sorts of baby products.

I especially love that Nuby products don't contain BPA, the harmful chemical they use in making some plastic things. I just prefer to be very careful when it comes to my children's health.

Head on over there to enter in the giveaway.

A cushion

2010-01-13T14:25:00.003+11:00

I've been inspired by all these tutorials on zippers and cushions that I decided to give it a go.
I had this fabric left over from my sister's Amy Butler Sling and I think it looks fabulous as a cushion. The old cover was tearing anyway so I re-used the zipper for this one.
I can't wait to make more of them. I said I was going to write a tutorial but I found this one from Mildly Crafty so there isn't any point re-inventing the wheel. I didn't box my corners though.

Down here we've been sweltering in the heat and I really wish I had a chance to shop for some sale fabric for a summer dress. I should really visit the local op (charity) shop. My other problem is that most patterns are not really breastfeeding friendly so it looks like easy tops and shorts are the way to go. I had a 20min chance to play with my overlocker and I really enjoyed using both needles. Now if only I had something already traced and cut out to sew : (

Baby J is now coo-ing and gurgling to me. She turned 3months already! I just wish she would sleep in longer blocks during the day so I can craft. I bought two patterns for her and one of them is a christening outfit so I'll be investing in some beautiful fabric for that.

For now it's time to chillax and take it easy. See instructions below...

Twinkle twinkle in uncle's pool.

We are always mindful about premature ageing here!
She still fits the dress I made from the skirt last year. Woo hooo.

Hope you're nice and toasty warm or ict cool wherever you are.