Going to school

Yesterday 5 years ago Amelia cut her first tooth at aged 4 months... in 2 days time she is off to school, not pre-school, big school, primary school... in a blink of an eye 5 years on it is hard to believe.

I have been sewing name labels into anything that is school related that can be sewn, taking up hems and attacking bags and raincoats with laundry markers in an attempt to keep what is hers coming home with her. One tip I was given was to sew name tapes across the toes of the socks, apparently it is the best way to keep the socks from going AWOL, not easy to do without a darning mushroom, might have to have a wee look for one next time I am at Spotlight. I figure I will be naming socks for the next few years, it will be money well spent. I am at a bit of a loss to understand though, why in Australia, in summer, kids are forced to wear closed toe shoes and socks! We always wore sandals in NZ and our summers are not the 35+ sinkers we have here... mine is not to reason why but I am still confused!

One of the big things Amelia wanted was a pencil case and not a bought one, I had to make one. She picked out the fabric from some offcuts, choosing the leftovers from her Dinosaur cushion Lisa made for her birthday. Diving into one of the many many many various storage bits that Stef's mum has filled with all manner of sewing treasures I found a chunky tooth pale pink zip which was the perfect length! Babcia was gorgeous, this was obviosuly removed from something that was either picked up at Vinnie's or sent to the rag bin as it had cotton threads on the tape. With 2 sons it was very unlikely it would be used for something for either of them! There are SO many zips in this particular case, I will be saving a lot of money on zips in coming years :-) Babcia's thrifty legacy lives on!!

She 'drew' what she wanted her pencil case to look like, I should have taken a picture of her drawing... it was beginning to resemble the most elabobrate design any seasoned quilter would be hard pressed to pull off in an afternoon. Squares and flowers and I think there was a fairy wand in there somewhere! Not going to happen, if I had more time I might have attempted a simplified version but not this afternoon in the heat and with a whopping headache.

I made this, with her help and she is pretty happy!

I printed her name off in a massive font, cut it out and used Vlisofix to attach it to the green then used my blanket stitch on the machine to secure it. Both fabrics are double thickness so the pencil case is essentially lined. And I think it will do her for a few years too! Happy Mummy, happy daughter *sigh* all good :-)

PJ Sunday

Long before the dawn had come this morning (about midday yesterday to be honest), today was declared a PJ day by Amelia and after the past few weeks of racing here there and everywhere, I wasn't going to argue! About 10 days ago we had to pack the sewing machine away when we had a friend over for a sleepover and it has been sitting lonely for all that time... With open homes happening as well there wasn't much point in dragging everything I need from one end of the house to the other. Yesterday when we returned from being out for the open home Amelia said 'I'm going to choose a movie mummy and you are going to get your sewing machine out'!

 And I did, well, I got some fabric out and some half finished projects out ready to be stitched today. Pinning binding on was about all I could cope with last night so I had 2 things ready to sew today.

First on the list was the bias binding and 'collar' and popper stud on the back of the green nightie, DONE!

Not the best shot but it was in the process of being folded and put away to wear tomorrow night.... you take what you can get!

I also put some binding on a top for me I have been working on. It isn't quite as long as I would like so I want to have a 'Disney-free' moment to get my head around how to fix it.

Ages ago I made a curtain for the glass door in our bedroom that goes through into our Sunroom.
With the house on the market we rearranged the bedroom again and this is what I see in the morning and the light in summer coming through the door is intense. I am amazed at the heat this simple $12 length of fabric from Ikea keeps out as well! While it doesn't darken the room it dulls the light which is what I wanted (and in a few weeks it won't matter because I will have a different bedroom, with a street light to worry about!). In the sunroom we have some really old daggy dodgy curtains that hung at some point in a room in Stef's parents house or rumpus room or they may have just been picked up at Vinnie's for a bargain! I hated them! We had them at Stef's villa and the day he had vertical blinds installed (as ugly as they are) it was a bit of a hooray moment for me when I put them neatly in a cupboard. Sadly they followed us here... but they served a purpose in the sunroom, keeping the light off the clothes and preventing them fading faster than some of them did. Our long term plan was to put something more permanent up outside but as we are on the move I didn't like the thought of leaving it blank so I spalshed out another $17 on some more fabric and made some curtains as well today. Shame they weren't up yesterday for the 6 parties we had through... not to worry! They are far from perfect but they will do the job.

Next on the list was a denim skirt for madam. I bought this pattern and fabric from Spotlight LAST winter!!! It looked like a pattern that would have to be concentrated on so I wanted to give it the attention it deserved but am disappointed it took so long to get around to making it. The reviews say this pattern was easy to follow, I don't know that we had the same set of instructions. I have used Burda patterns before and haven't had a problem, or perhaps I blocked it out! I am happy with the result as is Amelia who whipped it away ready to be worn proudly tomorrow. I love that she does this and am going to be sad when a home made dress doesn't cut it anymore with her!

All up I think it took me 3 hours to make this skirt, WAY too long! Lots of backing and forthing between 2 pages of instructions, but I think if I made it again, and I am sure I will whip it up in no time!

So while I haven't made a bit dent in the to do list I have crossed 3 things off. Next up is a pencil case, a dress with some gorgeous Voile we scored for $5 a meter at Spotlight, finishing Lucy's dress, making a bag to match and a duplicate for a jealous 5 year old and some winter nighties for Amelia and my God daughter Alyssa. Wonder what will get done before we move!

Christmas Presents and stitching heaven!

It has been a while... there is a good reason...

Stef's mums sewing machine hasn't been kind to me of recent months. Unfortunately the machine was in the car when they had their accident so took a mighty wollop. When I didn't use it for a few weeks the stitches were less than straight and the bottom thread would always look like a dogs breakfast. I'd get it serviced, sew for a few weeks and have to put it away for a few weeks and then I'd get it out again and off for a service it would need to go. Pouring my sob story out to a lady at the new Hobby Sew store at Top Ryde she suggested that perhaps the machine would be better off being retired from duty. With a service averaging at $80, a few of those would pay for a basic machine.

As luck would have it... my baby brother (he's 40) wanted some cymbals for his drum kit for Christmas. Mummy and Daddy like to treat us evenly so they put the same amount of money into what I would like and I decided with all the fabric I had been buying a sewing machine would be fabulous. With a special offer and free gifts for Christmas orders I went on a bit of an expidition and decided on this machine.
Limited Edtion Breast Cancer Janome 5027LE
Mum and Dad put money towards it and Stef bought the rest. What a nice husband :-)

Having a blanket stitch on the machine for applique it will make the next quilt easier. I have actually already used it on the planet panels for a gift for a special 7 year old and it was SO easy and SO fast. With the machine I got a free craft box, some lovely sharp scissors (don't sharp scissors make a difference??!!), a walking foot and a 1/4" seam foot, what a bargain! There is a good couple of hundred dollars in extra value just there!

In preparation for machines impending arrival I pre-washed  a heap of fabric and come Boxing Day with a tired kid and a weenie hang over and no desire or need to go anywhere I started cutting things out...

Amelia has been asking me for some summer nighties and we bought fabric ages ago to do it at Spotlight. I made nightie A from Simplicity 2831 for her. I tandem sewed 2 but have only finished one so far.

In these pics they need the buttons sewn on the front and a few other finishes. I am waiting on some binding to arrive for the green one but I finished the pink one yesterday...

And had to be worn to bed tonight!

I have also made this one for me a  Big Top but it was too much like a maternity top so I did a dodgy pin and tuck to make it a little more fitting. The jury is still out on what it looks like on, I might ask a friend later this week...

Fabric is from Kathy Davis Journey collection

I have also cut this out and am almost finished it, again waiting on binding. This was one of those 'good idea at the time things' where I got some paper, a favourite top, and made my own pattern up. I am stuffing up the front of it but it might come good!

From Anna Marie Horners Little Folks Voile collection

I am also in the middle of sewing a dress for my cousins daughter Lucy for her birthday in July (getting in EARLY to make sure it isn't a last minute dash like the Christmas gifts) again using this gorgeous soft voile from Anna Marie Horner. It isn't going to be easy to part with the dress but it is very sophisticated and will not look out of place in Paris at all. Lucy has dark hair and almost black eyes, she will look stunning in this dress. I hope I haven't made it too big.

Then I am not sure what I will tackle next. I have requests for more nighties (how many does a kid need, seriously!!) and I know when we do a try on of the dress Amelia will want one as well. I have a denim skirt cut out ready to sew but had some issues with getting the stitch right. I invested in some denim needles today so maybe that is the next thing to put to bed. I also want to make some things from the tutorials I found on various websites and I want, I want, I want....!!!! In a few months time when we are moved, unpacked and have NO money for anything I will get all my projects completed.

There is some fabric arriving this week for some cushion covers for the new house, and a couple of patterns too. And tucked away at the top of my cupboard is a pattern and material for Cinderella and Snow White dress ups... I am quietly looking forward to trying my hand at those... Big surprise for Amelia.

Until the next 'finished' can be posted...

Major Bummer

We had a family holiday on the weekend, a break from the rat race, time to reflect and catch our breath and try and focus on the next few months ahead of us. Invited to a friends 50th in Qld we decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and booked the holiday.

Packing is never pleasant and usually I ALWAYS put at least one days worth of clothes in 'the other suitcase/hand luggage' just in case something happens to the big case. This time I didn't. This time something did happen to the big case and 6 days on it is still missing.

Amongst the clothes, toiletries, shoes and other bits necessary to entertain a 5 year old away from home, was our camera. The camera with Amelia's 5th birthday photos on it, our day trip to Canberra with Grandma for Floriade and the photos of my latest fabric purchases and completed projects. I am SO bummed! I haven't seen either lot of photos, there hasn't been time.

The inconvenience of not having my hair brush, our tooth brushes, the melt down when Amelia realised her favourite new sandals were in the case, and Stef being without his meds for 4 days is getting to the angry point now. Looking for 3XL mens clothes, larger sized womens clothing, kids clothes that weren' blazened with advertising for the location we were holidaying in and undewear on a wet Sunday in a tourist town was not easy. Thank heavens for a somewhat decent IGA and a very expensive boutique. Stef and Amelia were fine, I sort of had to make do with the clothes I was in for the weekend until we hit Target on the way to the last day of our break. And just buying 'the basics' added about $300 to our holiday budget, not to mentin what we have had to replace since we have been home...

Surely someone didn't take the case off the carousel by mistake, there were no cases left over. Surely one of the airposrts has the case sitting in the lost property room. Surely one of the staff on the 'Baggage Blues' counter at each airport has read the emails we have been told have been sent and has looked to see if there is something that fits the VERY clear description of the case.

So, I will have to use my phone to take pictures in the meantime but the picture of the finished cushion that was the gift for the 50th we went to, sorry, you can't have one of those. Might ask my friends daughter to take one and email it to me.

This is supposed to be just for sewing updates but I am SO cross I need to vent and Facebook isn't cutting it for me at the moment!

Funky Flower Pants!

Still inspired by last weekends 'Martha' moments I whipped these up today. They are SO groovy maaan! Flower Power all the way :-)

Same pattern as the PJ bottoms and gee they look awesome in this heavy cotton/ almost denim. I think they could pass as 'jeans'. Now just a matter of persuading a certain little girl that she might like to try them on... maybe tomorrow for swimming/ school...

Oh and PS: The dressing gown is finished... chickened out of button holes (a time factor as well as skill) so we have poppers behind the buttons, it works and has been worn since I finished it last night at about 6pm, went on, removed for bath, worn to bed... think that one is a hit!

Pink Dress & PJ's

Well, what a busy few months I have had and that does not translate to being busy sewing... fundraising for pre-school getting in the way of my fun, very much so! All for a good cause sadly...

What seems like a gazillion years ago Amelia chose some 'winter pink' cord from Spotlight, and the pattern from sewingpatterns.com and has been waiting every so patiently for something to be created. With her good buddy Isabella Bella's birthday looming the pressure was on for a 'new dress' to wear!

Sadly all these projects need at the top about 2 hours max from cutting the pattern out, laying the paper pattern on the fabric, cutting it out and sewing. Oh to have 2 hours spare a day, there would be no projects outstanding!

So, we cut and pinned and sewed and tried on and reread instructions and sewed some more and tahdah! Done!



And the best thing is, she has worn it more than once and watches the empty hanger in her wardrobe and asks if she can wear the dress again!

A similar distance in time ago I bought some fabric from quilthome.com and after having had to place an emergency order for my misreading of the pattern and getting an extra half yard of a few fabrics I was set to go.

Nighties were the immediate need, nothing available in the shops in warm flanelette for a start or that was young enough or free from the blazen adornment of some Disney character. I can not abide my child being used as a billboard for these companies!! They have their fingers in enough marketing avenues as it is without it being in my home as well...

So, the original plan was 3 nighties but with my misreading the pattern and the delay in making one of the fabrics was out of stock so plan B, 2 nighties and a pair of mis matched but somewhat groovy PJ's which are right up Amelia's avenue with her wonderful sense of style :-)

So, Blue Owls, gorgeously soft and lush and warm fabric, easy to sew with and I far prefer the nightie pattern top, there was a lack of instruction with the PJ top so I 'winged' it... But the opening on the nightie is lovely, simple and easy!

But the nightie first. I made a size 7 because Amelia is a giant and I want it to last for next year as well. It is a little big and she has to pick the skirt up to walk but by gosh is it warm and toasty!













And the PJ's. The flowery fabric was not available so I chose the pink stripes and I love them! I'd like to try the top in a thinner fabric. But the pants... I LOVE the pants!












Do they work together? Meh, I don't care! They are funky and Amelia loves them!!! With a capital L!

Next, what to tackle next... I have a quilt to make, a dress to go to France before their summer runs out, another nightie to make before our winter runs out, a pinefore and I should probably make a start on my Xmas projects... yikes! I had better start magic-king those 2 hours in my day...

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!