Night Shift

I have a love/hate relationship with Stef's night shift. I love the evenings to myself when I can do what I want, chat to a friend, sew, surf the net, watch a chick flick... I hate that I have to do dinner, dishes, bath and bed for Amelia by myself after a long day with her. I love having the bed to myself but hate not having him in the bed with me. I find weekends a struggle as there isn't the activity distraction a weekday brings and our usual haunts are busier with weekend crowds. Saturday and Sunday night shift are the worst as he is asleep all day Sunday. Sunday is a family day and I don't like rocking up to friends places unless we have been invited. Sunday in between night shifts is becoming commonly known as pyjama day! Thankfully it doesn't come around that often and after a hectic week and hardly a day at home this month today was declared as such, she set about doing her 'stories' (playing) and I hit the Janome!!

So - the dress pattern bought from here we made view D with short sleeves. I made the bodice and the skirt a few weeks back, again while Stef slept but Amelia was at school that afternoon. I have been very proud of this as it reminds me of something but I can't remember what, perhaps I had something like it as a young girl.

Amelia and I were in a discussion over the length of the sleeves, a very hot discussion! She wanted long (because the pattern has long sleeves) but the fabric is a lightish weight cotton and would need something underneath it and I wanted short because I made it quite big and think it will fit her next summer.

We talked about the sleeves this morning. I put a sleeve on her arm and asked her how short I was allowed to make the sleeve, she put her finger on her elbow, I figured that was a good compromise so ran with it! I need to add some buttons to the front and the pleat on the sleeves but it is done! A proud moment for me... I didn't make the hem very deep but the skirt looks quite a lot shorter.

Then I was persuaded to start the dressing gown I cut out so long ago! I bought the pattern in the same order as the dress pattern. A funny story to tell with the micro fleece, it has been such a long time since I have done any real sewing without anything other than plain safe cotton. Micro fleece has a pile and I forgot about this and cut the whole pattern out upside down! I managed to cut it all out right way up with the pile going the right way but was short enough fabric for one sleeve... So I made a rush order to the lovely ladies from here and bingo, 8 days later my parcel arrived!

This pattern was very involved and did require my full attention and I had to read one part of the instructions aloud SEVERAL times to get them but we got there in the end. Just the button holes to do which are scaring me a little! I think Amelia's favourite thing are the heart pockets. This has a very deep hem as I hope she will get a few winters out of it!

Night Shift, there is good and bad... But mostly I love the fabric allowance, I mean, penalty rates!

On a bit of a roll

So coming home from the expo I was determined to at least get a skirt for me cut out. Taking FULL advantage of Amelia being busy with her fairy rose circle in the garden and Stef keeping an eye on her while he did some 'stuff' outside I not only cut, but sewed, ironed and completed said skirt!

I do like it, especially the ruffles on the bottom and I am amazed at how quickly it came together but it is almost too long and I don't know if I should have perhaps made a smaller size. I am not a huge fan of wearing skirts but forcing myself to get out of pants and I will keep making them until I find one that works for me!

Craft Expo - Homebush

Well, I wasn't going to go, then I was, then I wasn't, then I did and I sort of had a great time! I didn't manage to completely escape Amelia but it would have been Stef's Mum's birthday today and while the Polish tradition is more to celebrate name days rather than birthdays I sort of suggested that Amelia could come with me giving Stef a bit of time to go and visit his parents. He hasn't been to see them since his Dad's funeral so I didn't mind Amelia coming with me, for a little while anyway.

I knew she would either be bored rigid, be blown away, be touching everything or be a real pain in the butt! Thankfully she was none of the above and all of the above. We were both blown away by the quilts on display, she took an active interest in the things I looked at, she was in awe of the people and the things on display. She chatted to the ladies (and men) at the stands, paying extrodinary attention to the lady on the Better Homes and Gardens stand and managed to talk me into buying more than I wanted to... I really didn't want ANOTHER cross stitch but this one was just too cute and she is Digger Digger Dog mad, this might curb her desire until we get a 'real' one! I also found a plastic thread organiser with a blade incorporated into it for $5 so I thought that might come in handy if I ever get to go on a plane and need a project to take with me... Can't take scissors any more but apparently you can take this! Amelia decided that she would like to go home with Daddy so he popped in picked her up and emptied his wallet about an hour after dropping us off.

I also bought some buttons to go on 'the dress' but think they are a little small and some pom pom trim to go with a blue fabric that will be a summer dress.









And inspired by one of Lisa's purchases I spied this panel and a certain 5 year old space mad boy sprung to mind! I have never made a quilt, no idea on size, what to do or even how to start but drawing from all the inspiration I saw today I am sure I can do something, whether it will be complete for his 6th birthday in July or not is another story, I can always get an extra 5 months on the project and make it for Christmas! Thankfully Lisa had also mentioned that there were fat quarters for $3.50 (not the $6 most palces had them for) and remembering the lost black and gold fabric that has quite a story to it that would be a perfect backing or border or something I figured I'd give it a go... stay tuned!

After I had walked up and down every isle several times and spent pretty much all I had to spend I decided I was done and started walking home as Stef and Amelia had just sat down to lunch. Managed to get over half way. Pleased I got in some me time and some exercise, it has been a great day!

I also bumped into a lady who sold me the rotary cutter and board from the Rosehill Stitches and Craft show which is pretty amazing considering the amount of people that were there and the amount of booths that were there!

Fabric order number 2

Here is a picture of the fabric I ordered in my 2nd order. Micro fleece in pink and white from Michael Miller for a dressing gown for Madam, the Kaffe Fasset for Mum's yoga bag with the pale blue shot cotton to line it and the Oriental for JT's bag

The micro fleece is OH so soft! I think that might be my next project as the mornings have a real nip in them now.

New shopping trip and completed projects!

So fabric spree number deux and no photo of the stash (it has been a busy week...)

But, this time I went shopping with specific projects in mind. I actually just needed 46inches of one fabric to complete a skirt but that fabric had been discontinued and I really didn't want to miss out on it so I am just fortunate I have some lovely sewing friends I managed to coerse into helping me put an order together! 43 yards of order!

So, my mum and my neighbour both do yoga and have both had recent birthdays and have both dipped out on pressies due to lack of time, ideas and finances. While I was searching a website, not sure which one, I came across this pattern which I declared perfect, and their birthdays were just the excuse I needed to make them!

Mum is a bit of a plain Jane with fabric so I chose the stripey fabric which I think is a Kaffe Fasset (and I managed to match the stripes, quite proud of that!), and my neighbour has Japanese connections so I took these on board when I was searching the site for fabrics. Mums is lined with a simple pale blue shot cotton and JT's with a slightly heavier cotton I was given with a massive fabric order ages ago at Spotlight - it is faded and was in the remnent bin. As the Oriental fabric is quite light it gives the bag a bit more structure but it made it quite thick to sew in places.

I hope I have got the fabrics right! Well I know one is as I gave JT her's yesterday and she was thrilled! Isn't the green flowery oriental fabric divine! She has 2 boys so something pink and slightly girlie is in order I think!


The pattern is quite easy to follow, although I did have to read some of the steps aloud v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y to understand them! I made these parallel (as in at the same time) and I think all up it took me about an hour and a half to finish the 2 of them, with numerous interruptions! I have a few other friends who do yoga and I have a funny feeling there may be a few more of these go through the sewing machine before the month is out!

I've been shopping!

Actually I have had 2 shopping sprees since my last post! It is insane that it is cheaper to buy fabric in America, have it shipped and even with the exchange rate it is cheaper than buying it here. But it's true. Add to that patterns for $2.99 (on special) and I am one happy little vegemite!

I don't know the names of each of the fabrics but I bought this lot from here
There is some of the Pillow and Maxfield Whimsy
some flannel (which is SO soft and super cute!)
there is some voile which is so light and silky smooth
and some cotton.








Some of it has projects allocated and some I just bought because it was nice, who needs a reason? Right?

And I bought some patterns as well. I can't believe I paid nearly $20AUD each at Spotlight for two of these and I paid $2.99USD for each patter from here












I have made a skirt for me which I don't think I have photographed. It came out okay but I regret not making it a little bit longer. I can't wait to start the winter nighties for young lady!





And I have been making this for Amelia, it obviously isn't finished yet as there is some debate over the sleeve length... She wants long but I want short! The fabric is quite light, too light for a proper winter dress. And I made a size 7 which is a little big on her.

There is a bit of a puff of chest with this dress, it really is lovely! And I did the contrast without instructions, there aren't any on the pattern (or at least I couldn't find them)

I think I am going to have to make a second dress with long sleeves out of her next favourite fabric and keep my fingers crossed I can get away with popping short sleeves on this one! I know it is easy to wear a skivvy under a dress but we have a few fashion faux pas going on, I really don't want add another round to the daily getting dressed battle...