Latex Is A Tricky Thing To Sew (the post also known as: Luckily Christmas Happiness Was Not Dependent On My Sewing Prowess)

Remember these? Remember how I was going to whip up some customised washing up gloves for my husband? I was to be the creator, Santa was to be the courier. Couture gloves. He would have been the fashionista up to his elbows in washing up bubbles. The Sartorialist may have snuck some photos of his hot dishpan hands.

Who needs instructions I say? I've got eight sewing lessons under my belt. Who needs to ask for help? No, not I said the little Red Hen.

Apparently latex is difficult to work with. I now know this.

Apparently this project wasn't as simple as I was thinking it might be. But Cath made it look so darn simple. Hmph and a belated bah humbug! I was going to whip these up for every kitchen-lovin' person I knew. They would have been the talk of the kitchen.

Apparently we've now got one heck of a messy glove with black and white gingham trim, and the other lies next to it, dormant.

And apparently I should have looked to see if there were instructions before I embarked on this festive (festy?) project. There are instructions, simple, effective instructions.

Thank goodness the weight of Christmas joy was not resting on my creative shoulders. Otherwise, there would have been a whole lotta tears. Enough to fill the sink.

Hoppo Bumpo Is My Homegirl

So last night was the first night of the rest of my life. Or at least, the first night of sewing classes. Either way, I was nervous, as I am when I start something new, butterflies brewing in my stomach, it felt like first-day-of-school jitters!

I arrived at 7pm with a young girl, her mother and her brother. She would have been around 16. I realised then that the night ahead could be filled with teenie boppers, and I decided right then and there that I was just going to deal with being an almost 30 year old novice sewer. I had to be ok with it.

Then a couple of women my age turned up. Phew! I didn't have to pretend I knew who the Jonas Brothers were. Or what shade of chapstick I was going to wear so it didn't clash with my braces. Or who I was going to pash at the back of the school oval the next day, like, like, ok? Something like that.

I pulled out my pattern (big ups to Hoppo Bumpo who hooked me up with the right pattern - Simplicity 8493 - kids pjs - awwww yeah!). Thank goodness for this recommendation. Hoppo Bumpo is the goods. This pattern was right up my alley - and a good starting point. The Doctor and I had fun choosing some fabrics (though where I'm more prone to spots and yachts, he's more prone to diggers and dumptrucks - yikes!). We settled on a selection with the pattern in my hot little hand.

Back to the class - it was when I was cutting out my pattern that I decided that I was going to ask questions. Loads of questions. I wasn't to care if people ogled me thinking 'jeepers' this kidult is only just learning to sew' - nope. Not me. I was above that. I was starting out. I had let it be known. I've revved a sewing machine to sew myself some scrunchies back in the day, but that's the extent of it. Ok, ok, I'll confess again - my sister used to do my school sewing projects when she came home from uni, ok?

So pattern cut, fabric cut. Pants sewn, pants overlocked, and the teacher tells me that next week I will be finishing the pjs altogether. A little disappointing for The Doctor who thought he was getting them today (though I gently tried to warn him that mummy was wearing an L-plate for a reason). He also tried to tell me that he should come with me to sewing. And when that wasn't working, he told me that 'Daddy and I can be your teachers mummy, you don't have to go.'

Yes.. And how would that be for my mental health. Not so good. But sewing class - awww yeah, strictly for the hardcore. And Hoppo Bumpo is my homegirl.

Eggies

Noah and I are embarking on some Easter projects. Eggies to be precise.

On Friday we started with some foam eggs. After hearing the words 'Easter eggs', I think Noah decided to check if they were the real deal, and took a bite into one. Sadly for him, I don't think it was nearly as exciting as he was anticipating, the foamy goodness. He didn't go back for seconds!

I primed the foam eggs with some PVA glue and water beforehand. Once that was dry we went hammer and tongs and painted them (with the same paint we're using for Scout's little canvases). Once the paint was almost dry, Noah got to work decorating them, how he saw fit. Here are two examples of his handiwork, with a bit of help from me!! Half way through he decides he's finished, or even one dot later - and he's onto the next gig, so I tried to work some mummy magic. Pretty cute collaborative work, I took my direction from him, egg-cellent. No apologies - pun definitely intended.

This week we'll start working on some other Easter projects to keep the creativity running thick!

So while we undertook this small fry project, I had itchy fingers to do something for myself. I've been aching to do something, but the thing is - I am not exactly a dab hand at crafting, sewing or anything visually creative. But after talking Matt into giving me Jenny Hart's 'Sublime Stitching' for Christmas, I have finally come to the point where I can procrastinate no longer. I had to get stitching. So I stocked up on some candy coloured floss, as well as some beautiful hues my sister had given me for my birthday (in my too-good-to-use embroidery hoke tote that she made for me - hahaah, Choc, I had to use that, it makes me laugh).

Slowly I am stitching my way through the stitch lesson. I have to say, I am not crazy for chain stitch. Mine is completely messy - but you have to start somewhere!

Here goes my novice embroidery. Be prepared for clumsy stitches, loose links, and who knows what else. But at least I am trying!

NB - Further to my spiel on eggies, I've just seen that there are lots of great Easter ideas over at Kids Craft Weekly. Sign up if you haven't already!