I had a fabulous morning today. A gorgeous parcel from Retro Mummy arrived & I whipped up a very cute dress for Zoe (not the RM fabric, some other stuff). I also decided that bias binding was my friend. For BB (bias binding) had helped me make a quick and easy dress and looked neat and lovely! I’m afraid I didn’t get a photo soon enough…

The BB ran. Really really badly. Bright pink on a white floral print kinda bad. I realised when Zoe’s chest was tinted pink after dribbling her pineapple. I took the dress off her and rinsed it in cold water. Oh my gosh! SOOOOO much dye ran out, and continues to do so. Hmph! This is the last time I buy old bias binding at the op shop.

Guaranteed Fast Colour??? I think NOT. Then if I wasn’t already feeling sad enough, I prewashed some of the cute fabric that had arrived. Cream fabric washed with pale brown fabric? NOT a good idea. TWO colour running incidents in one day. Not happy. I hope I’ve learned my lesson.

1. Sleep in til at least 8am

2. Ask to do crafting (”swafting”) ~Zoe

3. Be happy to eat all your boring pasta lunch

4. Ask to watch 80s Carebears ~Tate

I don’t even mind that Zoe hasn’t tried on her reversible kimono dress yet.

Lovely Selina is running a Vintage Sheet Swap! Go and visit her blog to join in. I have some lovely vintage sheets to cut into fat quarters (eg. 10 fqs). I’ll send them off to Selina and recieve 10 different Fat Quarters back! Fun fun fun, except the cutting part, which I don’t enjoy so much.

Off to enjoy the day… it is a sunshine day, my favourite!

Oh boy, November already. Even the local op shops have their christmas gear out already, which means I need to explain to the little ones that santa is still a while away yet. It also means my dubious but effective parenting technique is nearing the end of it’s run for the year….

What is this technique? I hear you ask. Perhaps your parents used it too, mine did… it is the myth of SANTA’S BLACKBIRDS. Oh yes, santa has blackbirds everywhere. Spies that watch little children, monitoring their behaviour and then reporting back to the big man himself. Now the birds need not be black, Zoe believes that any bird could be one of santa’s. Tate on the other hand, like I did as a youngster, suspects the miners that constantly hang around our place pestering the cat. Here are a few examples of the ’santa’s blackbirds technique’ in use…Zoe won’t get into her car seat? ”Uh Oh, I just saw one of santa’s blackbirds flying over, he is checking on you” *young girl gets into car seat*. Tate refusing to get changed into pyjamas and it is getting late? “Oh dear, I think I just saw one of santa’s blackbirds peeking in the window”. Works a treat, go ahead and try it if you need to!

Now, I made a mermaid tail on Monday night. I used THIS TUTORIAL from craftzine. I was attracted by the word ‘easy’, and easy it was! I bought some shiny fabric at spotlight and all the other bits and pieces I had on hand. I also bought a hot glue gun, oh my gosh!!! why didn’t I buy one YEARS ago? Here is the tail, ‘modelled’ by Zoe. It is a little big for her, I have made it for big cousin Emily (we are off to her 5 year old party on the weekend ).

Please note the very special jewel embellishment on the waistband…. oh yes, I have a hot glue gun! I made the crochet top/dress too… long & boring story to that one.

Here is the tail I’ve half made for Zoe, the first thing she said when seeing Emily’s one was “where’s mine?”. Bless.

Nighty night, let’s hope I can stop coughing and get some sleep. Back tomorrow with some awesome books to show and something that needs a little ‘design*spongeing’.

xoxo

Well my creative space is very very messy. But here’s a little snippet… a pattern picked up today at the oppy, which has inspired me to make a little pinny for a brand new baby girl. The pattern is for a 6 month size, which is pretty sensible. I’ve seen this baby’s wardrobe and it is rather extensive in the smaller sizes!

Because it looked pretty, a tin of rick rack. That gold might come in handy for a christmas project, now I just need to think of one.

And now for my next give-away… this size 2 reversible pinnie.

Some of the fabric is a little bit vintage, as is the pattern.  I will do the buttons, and I’ll make a matching headband before I post it

Just leave a comment on this post before Midnight on Monday to be in the draw.

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo                     xoxo

I definitely fell off the blogtoberfest wagon yesterday. I did actually take a photo for ‘my place & yours’ but I think I accidentally deleted it. Last night a bib making urge hit me. Was it cluckiness? stash busting? the need for an easy project? I’m not sure. But today I finished 6 little bibs.

I love the rabbits the best. I loved it when Zoe said ‘like Willa!’ Good spotting. The bibs are coming with me to kindergym tomorrow, to distribute to the new babies.

If you’re the first/only person to leave a comment before tomorrow morning you can choose one for me to send you. absolutely FREE!

xoxo

I’m feeling some blogtoberfest fatigue now. The novelty of posting every day is wearing thin. The sun is shining brightly, beckoning me outside. My large pile of ‘to-do’ sewing is calling to me gently. As I look above me right now our resident ‘computer room’ daddy long legs is wrapping another fly. ick. I know where I’d rather be.

During my craft room cleaning (oh, please don’t laugh) I discovered a little almost-finished softie. He took no time at all to sew and stuff. I FINISHED SOMETHING. Here he is… basic? yuh huh! I’m thinking of ripping him open and adding a bell.

And because we can never have too many photos of miss Zoe… here she is modelling her delightful new pants (or should I say, looking at a lamb’s ear leaf). Thanks G!

I’m REALLY digging that pocket fabric…

xoxo

An exciting title? Perhaps not. A quick and easy project? Yep. So last night I decided to make my lovely guest a shower cap (she didn’t own one, but wanted to…).  I got stuck part way through due to a lack of pins. My heavily laden pincushion hasn’t turned up since the move. Um, I haven’t unpacked all my crafty gear, and just quietly there is no way I can fit it all in the sewing room. ANYWAY, a trip to a local town for coffee and a play in the park turned up an OPEN op shop (on a SUNDAY!!). With a 10 cent bag of pins just waiting for me (and a couple of lovely garments)

I used the pattern from Hoppo Bumpo to make the circle. But I didn’t use the tutorial, I think I will next time though, because hers looks better! Here’s how it turned out…

So I whipped up another to add to the ‘prize pool’. In other words, this is the other bit of the give away, to go with the kimono fabrics. I made the give away shower cap in japanese fabric, here it is modelled by T.

Don’t worry, I tried it on for size So the give away for this week looks like this… tune in on Tuesday when I announce the winner and present the next give away.

xoxo

Today wasn’t really a lazy day for me. We went to gymnastics and got busy literally jumping through hoops. We also went to the hairdressers! I thought the appointment was for the kids, but when we got there they were expecting me. Who am I to argue? So I’m now sporting a cute little fringe and hair that looks bigger than ever. It must be the layering and air drying (I wasn’t hanging around with kids in tow for a hollywood blow wave!).

Someone who most definitely IS lazy though, is our cat. Yep, thats not a trick of the light, he only has one eye. He lost the other at about 1 year old, a fight with a car It doesn’t worry Indi though, he manages just fine, and has mastered the talent of drinking from the toilet. ew. To his merit though, Indi is endlessly patient with children, gently lashing out (claws in) only when pushed to the limit. His very best friend is Zoe. She is responsible for feeding him (with assistance), opens the door to let him in and out at his whim, and lets him sleep on her bed. Well, she is asleep when it happens, but isn’t mildly allergic like the rest of us.

In my wanderings today I came across the Lazy Days sew-a-long happening this week via One Crafty Mumma. If you haven’t heard of the lazy days skirt pattern its a simple & free pattern from Oliver & S. A great first project for a new seamstress. I think a lazy day skirt is on the cards for me tomorrow, I’d like to make a biggie one for me too!  I have actually plugged in my sewing machine and overlocker. I’ve begun a cute dress for Z. Only problem is the armhole bias binding, I thought using a wide bias I had would be OK, but it isn’t being very nice… Maybe a photo tomorrow if you promise not to look too closely at the armholes OK, I’m off to watch gossip girl on DVD… and wish for long hair like Serena.

xoxo

Well I’m happy to report that my sewing mojo is coming back. Although I’m yet to plug in the machine (gasp!), there is a growing pile of garments awaiting their time with the needle. A couple of tops requiring straps, a woman’s skirt being refashioned into a dress for Zoe, a doona cover waiting to be made from gorgeous vintage fabrics, the list goes on. To add to the list I cut out these two using the ’Reversible Kimono Dress’ pattern from Manimina. I really love the vintage sheet one.

Gee, I need to iron them! I’m cutting out a third dress this morning. I don’t like my chances of sewing tonight, because something more exciting is happening… WE PICK UP OUR CARAVAN!

The giveaway this week is in two parts, I’ll add something else to the parcel over the weekend, and draw the winner on Tuesday (when I’ll begin another giveaway). To be in the running just leave a comment on this blog before midnight Monday the 19th. Get another entry by mentioning this giveaway on your blog

First up, a selection of 7 vintage kimono fabrics. The pieces vary in size, but I’m sure a crafter will come up with a use!

Check out all the giveaways happening as part of Blogtoberfest over at Curlypops … where I should add this!

I nervously await your comments    

xoxo

I finished something!

I found these half finished cord trousers in my sewing gear. I began them about a year ago, so I suspected they might be a bit small for my growing lad. Soooo, I added a  cuff in japanese turtle fabric. And a little pocket I made up as I went along. I didn’t expect the cuffs to be folded up, but I overestimated his leg length… he was asleep at the time. Anyway, I’m glad I did, because they look cute and are going to fit him for yonks. My mum found the soft cord at an op shop, yay Mum!

And this? This is my cafe buddy. Chino for her + Latte for me =  a happy morning.