Measurements June 2009

about to make princess dresses for the girls ;)

Emelia
waist - 54cm
chest - 59.5cm
height - 114cm

Aurora
waist - 53cm
chest - 55cm
height - 95.5cm *

* rora has grown 3cm in the past 4 (gluten free months) and 5.5cm in the past 6 months since her diagnosis!!!!!

New Ironing Board Cover

this was the "quick" project i started yesterday as a warm up to making ryan's school pants. somehow this "quick" project took me 24 frustrating hours.

I was going to use this tutorial to do it but due to the knots in the string in my cover i couldn't lay it flat, then it turned out after i'd cut the edges off (without measuring, which is probably not advisable) that my cover was so old - around 12 years (it doesn't get used much) that it was all twisted out of shape so it made a very badly shaped template.

so i couldn't do it the way the tutorial said to. so, forgetting that i'd cut 1.5" off the outside of the cover i made a channel and put a cord in, tried to get it on the board and of course not even close.

so in the end i cut the cord out of the old edge, fitted it to the new cover and then attached a nice wide elastic all the way around it. if i was a professional ironer it wouldn't be good enough but given i only ever iron when sewing and now the occasional school uniform, it's fine. and won't need doing for another 12 years i hope ;p

New Pj's

As I'm not working at the moment (I was on an 18 month contract and have not had luck finding a new job, other than 3 hours tutoring at University) we can't afford to buy the kids the new pyjamas they need for winter, so i decided it would be easy enough to make them some :)

little did i know how hard the pattern pieces would be to trace off! there were so many pieces with lines so close together and i felt like i was going to go cross eyed tracing off the pieces. i swear it took longer to trace than to sew ;) luckily most ottobre patterns aren't that hard!!


i used 2 fabrics from my stash (thank goodness for my stash) to make them, using design #20 from winter 04/2005. they are pretty big on him but will at least last next year that way too ;)

Emelia's library bag

she thinks it's soooo beautiful and even wanted to take it for news so she could show everyone how beautiful it is LOL

the iron on butterfly and letters were from lincraft. the fabric was from my stash and was a pink ribbon (breast cancer) design i got at spotlight a few years ago. i used a decorative stitch to add extra prettiness ;)

Mum's birthday present

Mum's "handbag" is a calico bag. i decided for her birthday I would make her something prettier.

i bought 2 fat quarters of Moda fabric and made this bag. it was a little smaller than I'd planned but still worked out OK. only problem was mum wants to make a shoulder strap for it (i thought she only ever carried it by the handles) and there's barely enough fabric to make one.

i did little drawstrings on the sides so that when she's only got her purse / keys / phone she can make the bag a bit smaller.

Heights - March 09

Ryan - 118cm (5y 10m)
Emelia - 112.5cm (4y 6m)
Aurora - 94cm (3y 1w) *





* Rora was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in December 08, and as it causes malabsorption her growth had been stunted (we thought she was just shorter like our mothers and sisters) but since she has been on a gluten free diet she has grown more than 2 cm and put on more than 2 kg!!! she seems to be growing as i look at her!

interesting links

i know, i have barely been doing anything...

but i have some links i've found and want to keep...

Pencil Roll Tutorial

Picnic Roll

Map Lamp

Finished and Fun in the sun!

well i didn't get my kaftan finished til the day before leaving but it was perfect for taking! I wore it down to the pool everytime i went, not just for the dress up night ;)

here are the pictures i promised :D


oh and i had a FABULOUS weekend!!!

another challenge

in 2 weeks i'm off to the gold coast for a child free weekend - and i CAN'T WAIT!!!!

anyway for our first night (cocktails by the pool ;p) we have a theme of dressing for the year we were born... lucky me, a 69 girl! i could have gone as an astronaut but thought it might be a bit hot LOL thought about being a hippy but then i was looking at a book i had borrowed from the library on western fashion for the past 1000 years and the picture of the late 60's was of a lady in a kaftan and tight 7/8 pants. i decided that was perfect for lounging by the pool!!

mum reminded me i had a pattern - simplicity 4067 but i discovered that i had bought it in the wrong size! aagh! so i had to resize it all by multiple sizes and i didn't do such a great job, but then again i have no idea what i'm doing lol i also lengthened it. unfortunately i didn't have enough of the matching material to make any pants, but i figure for the pool i don't really need them (and tbh the sleeves will make me hot and i would be even hotter in pants)

the top has come out a bit big, and the bottom, while it is big enough for my pear shape, is not big enough in the right spots because i'm so short between the waist and shoulders (and very long from waist to crotch). never mind, i'll remember that for next time, if there is a next time ;)

i am really really struggling sewing it too - the fabric i'm using is a very very light cotton - maybe a muslin or a battiste or something like that... anyway, on both my sewing machine and my overlocker, i have to stretch the **** out of it otherwise the stitching gathers as i sew / overlock. it's driving me a bit crazy but i'm nearly finished now....

tomorrow i need to get mum to help me sew some trim on to make it look really 60's (unfortunately the trim was $6 pm so i don't have enough to go around the sleeves and hem as well as the neck :(). i also am going to make a headscarf to wear, tied at the side of my face of course lol like the headscarf in the orange version here . hmmmm my kaftan is definitely not as big as the originals lol

i have just realised that i should have big puffy hair too, but i'm going to be swimming so not sure there's any point... lol

i did buy big sunglasses too ;)

ok, i will post a pic tomorrow once i have it finished!

Car Organiser

well, the state of my car is disgraceful (i meant to clean and tidy it this weekend but it just didn't happen) and i'm sick of having stuff everywhere. so I googled ideas for making your own car organisers. i found this blog which had a great tute and i set to work.

i used a piece of corduroy which i had bought to make pants for ryan, but as he is my denim addict (will rarely wear anything else) i decided to sacrifice it to the cause - plus it matched our gorgeous (*snort*) beige interior LOL it was the perfect size to get 2 organisers out of, with the tiniest bit of fiddling (if you look closely the drink pocket has the wale of the cord the opposite way - totally intentional! lol)


i was a little over enthusiastic with how much extra fabric i included in the pockets, but now it's perfect for that notepad and tissues lol
the cord wasn't too thick to sew, though a layer of thinner would have been easier.

i had originally planned to have elastic run around the headrest and across the base of the seat, so it was mostly out of sight, but decided that probably wasn't the best option. so we do have unsightly white elastic down the front seats but i'm not really that bothered - i think the benefits outway the aesthetics.

next week i'll do one for the other side, i ran out of time as it took a little longer than i expected!

in other news i spent the past few weeks tidying and organising my sewing area, it's mostly done now and looking heaps better! just gotta sort out my fabrics and find something better to store all my overlocker and sewing threads in - what do you use?

12x12" canvas prints $29.98 at big w

community service announcement lol

see here for further details http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/6544

Disco Queen!

Emelia is having a disco party next weekend so i decided to make her (and hopefully rory) a disco shirt to wear! it seemed like such a simple idea...

it could have been worse but gosh this fabric was hard to sew! i couldn't get the tension on either my sewing machine or my overlocker right and it was impossible to get straight hems and edges with the sequins. i also made a few little mistakes but hopefully no one will notice.

Pattern is Ottobre 2/2005, Design 11. as Emelia is 110cm tall i made a size 116 but it is really too big. I'd rather big than small and she may need to wear a long sleeve shirt under it next week anyway if the weather's cold! I've done this one before too, loved it then!

WIP

looking for more sewing blogs to read?

try this!



thanks to the very talented teri from mermaids on whose blog i found it :)

i am no knitter

unfortunately :(

i wish i was. some day i'll take the time to watch some youtube movies and teach myself how to do it properly - i think my main problem is how i hold the needles and yarn.

anyway, despite not being a knitter i do enjoy doing it. knitting is less forgiving of people who aren't good at following instructions though... that's why i generally sew or crochet lol

it's made worse by the fact that i only knit at night after the kids are in bed, when i'm tired and not good at concentrating, and wanting to go to bed myself!

i started a project for emelia and i am really enjoying it so far - except for the errors! ack! it's a lacy shrug and while the lace pattern is easy to do it's also easy to stuff up (if geoff talks to me for instance lol) and i honestly have NO idea how to undo it because of the way the lace is made lol. i just messed up the rib cuffs because i thought i'd dropped some stitches, picked them up, and then discovered that i hadn't dropped them at all!! aaagh!!

anyway, i will keep soldiering on...

by the way, i have started keeping track of my projects over at ravelry if you're a member there :)

6 things meme

thanks S :)

1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

1. S is amazing - she is not only very well respected at her job, which she does full time (by hours if not technically) but she is also a fabulous mum to 3 and another on the way, as well as trying for the simple life and doing things like growing her own vegies, keeping chooks etc etc

2. see above lol

3. (1) at the moment i wish my children would all run away for a good half hour. i am tired and want some quiet time to myself lol
(2) i get dyshydrotic excema when i'm stressed, mostly only my hands, but sometimes on my toes or elbows. i usually don't notice it until i've scratched enough to be annoying.
(3) i have no willpower
(4) i spent the morning at ryan's preschool for the first time. i have much admiration for preschool teachers lol i was exhausted and i didn't even do much!
(5) i'm wondering how old i'll be when i feel my nose stud is no longer appropriate?

4. i tag
Mands, who is a single mum to 2 gorgeous girls and still finds time to quilt!
Bec, who i just bought some yummy soap from and have forgotten to let her know it's arrived
joey, who only learned to knit a year or two ago and is incredible with the needles!
and 3 women who make the most gorgeous kids clothes for sale - ingrid, milly and tina - go check them out!

5. will have to do this over the weekend - gotta go make dinner!

6. will do :D

rory's hat finally finished!!

it just barely fits :-0 (my kids have such huge heads lol)

i worked out the issue with the ottobre pattern and it's mainly that it tells you to start each row with 3 chain and count that as a double (treble) crochet - but that's actually incorrect, you shouldn't count it as part (on most rows lol)

the new and the old...

well i managed to get one page done before i needed to finish (it's above) - and i found a whole heap of old pages needing to go into albums, including a few which i think i have never photographed before! i wanted to share my two faves of my gorgeous little boy (who is now 5!), they're down below :)

some card making....

last month i went to my first stampin up party - thanks to hannah and nicola! i bought just a few basics to make birthday cards so that when we need them we can quickly make them instead of having to spend $5+ on buying them!!!

here was my first attempt this morning - i would have kept playing with it but it was for Hannah and she arrived to drop some stuff off before i had a chance to do anymore lol

considering colour combinations