Really Very Pretty

I've recently just finished making the Doctor's quilt. It took such a long time, and I have such immense respect for those who make things with their hands.

Which is why I love this Kantha range that's new-ish to Freedom. Hand made in India, no two pieces are the same. There are throws, cushions and bolsters. I love the look of them layered all together, the nuances in each piece, the stories that those stitches can tell. Plus they are perfect for Winter, for layering onto your couch, or over the end of your bed. There's nothing I love more than snuggling under the blankets - layers and layers of them, whereas Matt protests, I feel like I am in my cocoon.

In fact, our bedding is a constant tussle with us. A bone of contention in our marriage. I pile them high, Matt prefers just a doona. I like an old school bed. Matt likes just a doona. I like bunkering down under 87 layers. Matt likes just a doona.

Someone talk some sense into the man.



Papa Can You Hear Me?

I don't really know why this post is named what it is. But it is what it is.

We can however time travel, back, back to a place when I was about nine. It was the school holidays and my sisters and I - as a treat - were allowed to hire videos. Can you believe?! It was a highlight for us. I remember watching Mannequin many, many times. It is a rare talent indeed that I can still quote great sections of that quality film.

And this particular holidays I am talking about - we watched Yentl. And clearly we were impressed, because soon after my grandparents, Mars and Gramps, gave me a cat for my birthday - and Babs was such a hit - I called that cat Yentl. I am very sure with some persuasion from my two older sisters.

Enough of that. We're no closer to knowing why I named this post. Or what the crux of the post is. But it was a good story. Wasn't it?

By the way - many years ago I blogged about making a quilt for the Doctor. Well with a lot of help from my sister - this week the binding is being stitched on, and that sucker will be finished. It's only taken five and a half years. Gold star. Top of the class.

Everybody's Doing It

Ok peeps, so listen up - we now have three drop off points throughout Australia.

Here it is:

SYDNEY
Calico & Ivy
10 Birchgrove Road
Balmain, NSW 2041

PERTH
Calico & Ivy
10 Glyde Street
Mosman Park, WA 6012

BRISBANE
(lovely Danielle) @
Hello Owl
43 Miles Street
Bald Hills, Qld 4036

EDIT:: (New drop off location)
ADELAIDE
Nest Studio
147 Magill Road
Stepney, SA 5069
(Thursday to Saturday: 11am - 3pm)

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What can you do? Donate a handmade or new soft toy for donation to a child in Japan.
Why? A soft toy can say so much, plus they're a great comfort to children who have been traumatised and who have nothing. A cuddle with a soft toy can bring a sense of comfort to someone in need.
How? Stitch one with love, or choose one with your heart. All donated toys will be sent to Save the Children in Japan for distribution.
When? Now! Time is of the essence.
Who? Who's doing it? Amy @ Badskirt. Lisa @ The Red Thread. Cath @ Chunky Chooky. Cindy @ Bug & Pop. Anna @ Hey Bubbles. Kelly Louise @ A-tisket, A-tasket. Jess @ Teddy Bear's Wednesday. SpectacularFairyWren. June @ I Sew Cute.
What else? The girls at Calico & Ivy Balmain are available to help if you need some guidance with stitching your own softie.

Can you help bring a little joy to a little person?

Sew Hot Right Now

Remember when my good friend had her baby months ago? Yes. Well me too. And I am still on the go slow to make her a quilt. Not intentionally slowly, it's just the way I craft. Slow x slow. Slow cubed. Slow to the power of infinity. SLOoOOoooW!

It's pink. And why the heck not? I love pink!

I'm using one of Lisa Tilse's lovely panels in the middle, which I am still working on - it's such a pretty design, Lisa is all sorts of awesome.

Sorry about the crummy quality of the image. It's the best I could do in the time that I had. FORGIVE ME!

Yo! Yo! Yo! It's Time To Glow To Sew!

What the heck have I been up to?

I'll tell you what. Despite having the appearance of having everything together - I don't!

Juggling work and family life is a circus act I tell you, and right now I'm riding on a unicycle across a wobbly tightrope over the top of very hungry lions. I know you dig it.

And it is for this very reason that this is the sum total of my sewing for my friend's baby who was born two weeks ago. Man I better put the pedal to the metal and get a-sewing, because this baby is going to grow grow grow before we know and all she'll have to show from me is this wonky little square-ish thing.

Why Hello There!

I never reported back and told you that the Doctor was accepted into the out-of-area school we applied for. Yep. I had an interview with the principal. It was, to me, more nerve-wracking than a job interview. Tomorrow we go for Kindergarten Orientation, which is both exciting and a little sad. It's a bittersweet symphony.

Today is a jolly good day folks. Not only is it my sisters birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA! but one of my best, and long-time friends gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

Me, being crazy like a fox, commenced sewing just a few short hours after I learnt this awesome and exciting news. I'll show some pics when I have got more than a couple of pieces sewn together, but oh baby, it's PINKalicious.

Winners (courtesy of the Random Number Generator) of the Lego DUPLO are:

- 9 - Two Tuesdays

- 5 - Spectacular Fairy Wren

- 18 - Jovana

I tried to do a screen grab but of course Blogger won't come to the party.

Please email me with your name, address, and mobile number! Thanks to everyone for entering.

Really Super Things

I was speaking with Angela at Kid Style File a while ago. Her family were struck down by the lurgies. She suggested drinking Charlie's Lemonade, heating it slightly and adding some honey. I will tell you right now I am probably the only person in the world that hates lemon and honey. Meh!

But Charlie's Lemonade with honey is really super fantastic. Thank you Angela for that great tip!

And today the postman knocked at my door. I was standing in the kitchen at the time in a spencer top and pyjama pants. I hid my top half behind the door and was greeted with our very polite postman bowing at me! He presented me with a parcel from one of my all time favourite cronies - Sal from GEORGIE LOVE!

I was lucky enough to win this book - Simple Softies for Beginners via Sal's giveaway - and I am suitably CHUFFED! This book is right up my alley folks - it's aimed at beginner's and kids from the age of 5. That really says something about my crafting capability, right?

I've sat down today with each of the smalls to discover which of the softies they like. The Doctor is into Hop Skip Jump's dino. Tiny is into Hop Skip Jump's Cat-Face Cushion.

Let le sewing begin. And prepare to laugh at the outcomes.

Getting Stuffed

Today I had the incredible idea that I would make the smalls a bunny each for Easter. I'd been looking on the internet for colouring-in stencils for kids, and stumbled across the perfect bunny to stitch.

So here is my prototype. Pretty darn wonky, but the Doctor already lays claim to him.

Ignore the dishevelled ear. Ignore the pure wonkiness and uneveness. He could be cute. If you squint your eyes really tight. He could be. And we could be heroes.

The funniest thing is, my mother-in-law misheard me and thought I was making our real-life rabbit a stuffed bunny.. I mean I have done some kooky things, but.. well, I don't even adore the real-life rabbit. He ate my handbag for goodness sakes. He ate my favourite handbag. My handbag that even had its own name (Keith Richards). And the damn rabbit ate it. He's not getting anything from his mate at Easter. Nothin'.

Dinosaur Bags & Runch

The Doctor's dino infatuation is in full swing. He was telling me about his woes in life. Such as the fact that he didn't have a box to store his ever-growing collection of dinosaurs. I offered to make him a bag, which, if you're a long-time reader, you'll know - big mistake-io. Firstly, I am so slow at sewing, and he's already been asking why I haven't made it yet. Why haven't I made it yet? Because I am in the midst of stitching myself a badge that reads: Slow Stitcher. But I'm so slow I haven't even started on that yet. I have a backlog people.

So I'd better be popping Tiny into bed and get stitching because the small-big boy will be asking, no doubt, once again.

And here's where my lunch comes in. Fresh bread toasted with dijon (oh dijon how I love thee, let me count the ways!) and ham. Over-sized salad with Dutch carrots. I've only just cottoned on to how great the Dutchies are. Big carrots, we are O-V-E-R!

Tiny likes to runch with me. This year, we'll runch together. It's part of my 2010 plan. No more skipping lunch.

And now I'll just wait for my sisters to pay me out about the lunch post. Yep, you're right. I. Have. Nothing. To. Tell. You.

PS - Georgie Love has a super giveaway. Get over there!

PPS - I think the way I wrote my post about Where I'm At may have been a little inadvertently deceptive. I am back to goal weight, but it was starting to creep again, my muffin top was rising. Hence the huge salad above.

Here's Something I Prepared Earlier

And guess what, I found my camera. And my ironing mojo (it rolls around as often as the Haley's Comet). And a whole pile of stuff I had hidden in the ironing basket (when I was 'cleaning up' - clearly I use that term loosely).

So here's the thing I prepared earlier.

Since I shook off the shackles of my sewing classes early last year, things are going along well. Slowly, but well. I don't measure anything, I just sew. And the non-measuring thing only really (at the moment) lends itself to me sewing cushions. So pretty soon our home might be abundant with cushions, it is breeding season after all. Once I get my confidence up, I might try a pattern, but for now, I sew with reckless abandon.

This is my pin-k cushion. I am yet to handsew up the side seam. Lucky for me it was pelvic floors and not procrastination at the top of my resolution chart (you can thank Mel at From Little Things for reminding me).

We just watched 'State of Play' (if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour, if only for Russell's bob. Ok the movie is pretty darn good too). Have you seen any good movies these holidays? The boys are off to see 'The Fantastic Mr Fox' this evening. Feeling more than a wee bit envious. I love Wes Anderson. I love Roald Dahl. And I don't mind a wee bit of fox action either.

Ends

Yesterday was the Doctor's end of year Christmas concert/sing-a-long at pre-school. I signed up to bake cupcakes, foolishly so, why did I commit to making so many cupcakes so early in the morning. I know better next year (just jokes, I love making and baking cupcakes, a little patty pan of joy in each one).

In the lead up to the concert the Doctor had very animatedly demonstrated his moves. The lyrics. It was big stylie exciting in our house. I was excited, and also feeling a bit sad. I still can't quite pinpoint it, but I felt that stinging of tears whenever I thought of it.

Is it because my big boy was finishing his first year of pre-school?

I don't know, but yesterday was so exciting for him. Three of his grandparents came to watch him, along with Matt, Tiny and I. There was standing room only. It was a sell out.

On another front, my Mum was a little shocked to see Tiny wearing an outfit she had made for her. It's pictured above. My Mum said 'But it's pyjamas!' Trust me Mum, too pretty for PJs, all that work is too pretty to be hidden in the darkness. Plus, Tiny digs the whole ensemble, she doesn't want to take it off!

Blogtoberfest Day 29: The Big SNAP-ple

I've been waiting. And now I have the perfect reason to move to NYC.

A sewing class with the delectable Jenny Gordy? Much better than being rapped over the knuckles by a cranky old lady.

I wonder if Matt will visit on weekends...?

image via

Stuff That

Here's a little something I've been working on for le husbande. He keeps using our couch cushions in bed for reading. I keep taking them back. He keeps taking them. And that's how the story goes folks. So in the interests of non-family warring, I'm making him a cush. Because you know how I like cush's. The centre is a vintage napkin I found at a church sale, onceuponatime.

Hopefully later this week I will take it over to my sister and she can put the back on upside down again.

Scrap Dancing

While I've been telling you I haven't found any discarded goodness recently, I've realised I have unwittingly lied. I have found discarded goodness of another kind.

Recently, while visiting a fabric shop, I discovered a garbage bin full of scrap fabric. Just strips. Tossed away without a second thought.

By now you should absolutely know that I know no shame. Waste not want not, right?! So I dutifully retrieved all the decent sized strips and even some smaller ones. And I've been adding them to the Doctor's cushion which is slowly, slowly, ever so slowly coming together. See here?

The smaller scraps are for the Doctor's crafting. To stick on cards. Or wherever he wants.

Now I can stop whining about not finding any garbage. Here ends my blog for today.

Stuff That Mummies Do

It was a cold and blustery Winter morning. The rain was coming in steadily. It was cold. It was blustery. It was bunkering down weather. It was toe-freezing weather. Certainly not the time to be galavanting around town. Absolutely not the time to go swimming. But as a dedicated Mama, she packed all the stuff ready to roll and arrived, for once, promptly at 9am.

And there starts my story for today. Swimming. In Winter. Yuck. Walking into that aquatic centre is humid and stinky and - it's cold outside, and there's the mother who wants to tell me her daughter's at home quarantined with swine flu. And there's me steadily sliding down the bench away from her, a metre per minute - I'd give Thorpey a run for his money.

The Doctor went swimming. Tiny sat sidelined and ate yet another banana. Another sandwich. Everything in sight. Then we went home. In the rain. Quel surprise!

We then went to the Doctor. I know how to have a good time. Four year old immunisations. Yeeehaaaaar. Told you I knew how to have a good time.

And then home again, home again jiggedy jig. Do I have anything of interest to share with you? Do I? Do I? Ergh. In case you're interested, I mopped the floors. This is no mean feat. You can now eat off them. But anything of interest?

Well I was interested in building a gold mine with the Doctor while Tiny slept. We built some platforms, we shunted the trains around the track. We brought the animals out for a walk. It was fun to spend that time with him. Shut away from the computer, the TV, the phone - everything, and just hang. I love when we do that.

Danger Mouse

Remember that show from when you were small? Amazing! Astounding! Danger Mouse! What kind of mouse couldn't be cool wearing an eye patch?

Well today my cheeky little mouse decided to be Danger Mouse. Tiny has taken to, with great aplomb, going into rooms and closing doors. She thinks it's a super great joke. This morning she was in the bathroom, and was calling out, 'til her Mama dutifully rescued her.

Shortly after she went into her room. Disappeared for a while, didn't she? Uh-huh.

Then she started calling out sounding a little distressed. Fear not, I wasn't far away. She was testing out her independence. I knew she'd closed her bedroom door and snuck in there to get into mischief. Hand on the door knob, turn, and the door does not open. What does one do in this situation? Just what does one do? Try the door knob again. No cigar. Clearly the door knob has fallen off (as it has become prone to do) and now I can't open it. Ergh.

Start breathing a little heavier. What to do, what to do. Window is closed. Not skinny enough to slide down a small space between staircase and room. Thankfully at this time my father-in-law walked in.

I had by this called Matt (on the phone) and subsequently hung up on him when my FIL walked in. I cried out for help.

He came to the rescue with a hammer and smashed a window to release Tiny. Phew. We smashed the window MacGyver stylie. (Did you watch Lawrence Leung 'Choose Your Own Adventure' on the ABC? GOLD!)

Tiny's foray into locking herself into rooms. Hmm. That's certainly not the injection of excitement I've been looking for.

PS - I quit my sewing classes today. Ole!

Merci Beaucoup - From Me To You

Hey Gang!

Thanks for the confidence boost yesterday. It made me realise that sewing shouldn't be about symmetry, but sewing for the fun, for the creation, and for the experience.

So while I didn't resume sewing yesterday, I was still a little tainted by the whole evening, I did think more about my objective. Today, I just thought - heck, both smalls are a-sleeping, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and get into it.

I finally decided on a sort of (very, very) vague 'log cabin'. Now don't get your knickers in a knot, I know it's not traditional stylie. Nor do I even suggest you can see this interpretation. It's just going to be a little hotch-potch pulled together cushion. I'm not terribly good at the construction part (or any part to be honest), but it's my first one and I'm flying solo. However, my favourite cheer squad leader has been telling me 'you're doing great sewing Mummy', and 'you're sewing really fast, aren't you Mama?'. I mean, who wouldn't want to make something for someone who encourages you with such positive affirmations? I could be convinced to make him anything if he keeps that up. Even a Percy cushion.

PottyMouthMama of The Symmetrical Sewing

I had grand plans for sewing class last night. Grand plans. I thought I'd be coming back here today and showing you at least the front of my cushion for the Doctor.

Instead I came home early and ate cake.

It all started when I turned up with my fabric, and my idea in my head. It's a no-brainer for me. I have the idea, I just don't have the expertise to execute it. But given my sewing teacher's wealth of knowledge, I thought we'd whizz up the cush in under no time.

She pulled out her special folder of pattern ideas. Here's where I should have seen trouble. Trouble with a capital T. Maybe even underlined. There was nothing in this folder that replicated even closely what I had in my head.

I got a piece of paper, drew what she was proposing and realised it definitely wasn't compatible with what I wanted. So when she went away, I started cutting, and as I cut I fiddled around with the layout. I spent quite a hefty amount of time moving things around. Everyone else was a little concerned that I hadn't done anything except move fabric around - but you know peeps, it ain't a competition, and I'm just here to do my own thing.

So I finally got to a layout I started to like. My sewing teacher was on the approach. Her deft hands swiftly rearranged the entire layout, while telling me that "unless it was symmetrical it wasn't going to work". Dots in the corners. Animal prints in the middle. Block colours to break it up. Here's me having a nervous breakdown of sorts.

I'm not assertive. Gosh, I know I need to learn to be, but sometimes I don't want to offend. So in my gentle way, I tried to back out from this arrangement with an - 'I've left some of my fabrics at home so maybe I'll just wait 'til next week to go further'.

Would she have a bar of it? Uh uh.

She started pulling fabrics out of her stash to go with mine. These included a hideous egg yolk yellow that made my head hurt. Some other random bits. And a block of Percy the engine.

I knew someone small (ie the Doctor) would LOVE that block. But really, it wasn't working with the aesthetic I had in mind. I have saved all my bits of fabric. My Japanese buys. My naughty little purchases. I've saved them for something special. Percy - sorry - but it wasn't working. My sewing teacher was shocked.

It was at this point I realised what I needed.

Cake. (And more to the point Stephanie Alexander's Orange cake. Who knew 250g of butter and 1.5 cups of caster sugar could taste so darn good? Ok I did.)

I packed up, feigned tiredness and left. In a jiffy. Before any more of my fabrics could be tainted with Percy-ness. So this is what I have done. Or rather, haven't done. Cut up some fabric. Ta-dah!

Just like Cinderella, I wish a Fairy Godmother would come and tap her magic wand over my head and make me a stellar seamstress. A supreme stitcher. Or maybe I could just dive in and remember, it's just fabric, innit?

A Crazy Outta Control To-Do List

Do you ever have days where your to-do list is just not going to-get-done? Today is one of those days.

- Wake up

- Prep morning tea & lunch for the Doctor

- Drop the Doctor off to pre-school

- Fruit & veg shopping
- Vaccuum

- Mop

- Breathe

- Get a flat tyre fixed

- Fruit & veg still sitting on floor in kitchen - unpack it now girlfriend!

- Cook dinner (for tomorrow night)
- Tidy the Doctor's room

- Change bed linen

- Washing

- Somewhere in here, get some work done

- Play with Tiny

- I won't continue in case you click away

Do you ever feel as though you agree to take on too much, and then feel like you're suffering in order to make everyone happy? Well that's me right now. I think I need to cut back and learn to say no. I think if I did that, the boulder currently resting on my shoulders could roll off. And that would be an ace thing indeedy.

And tonight friends, sewing restarts. I decided to go back. It's a good excuse for me to ensure I have some 'me time'. And I'm not going to stress about it this term. It's going to be easy sewing. Just learning some techniques me thinks. And my teacher promised she'd teach me how to smock. Coolio. I think tonight I might start work on a cushion for the Doctor. I promised him yonks ago, but never got to it. I've been trawling my copy of 'Bend the Rules' for inspiration. Inspiration-a-go-go.

Today for your viewing pleasure, a little bit of eye candy in the form of the Doctor's scarf I've been working on. And some fabrics I'm thinking of including in his cush.

To Sew, Or Not To Sew

I am in two minds peeps. Sewing resumes tonight, but I don't know if I can be bothered - not just for tonight, but re-committing for the entire term. Bad, isn't it? I am feeling a little stressed about it. But then, I could continue building on my newfound sewing skills. Or stay at home and enjoy some hand sewing. What to do, what to do?

I went op shopping. Kind of a way to forget the thoughts. Sew or not to sew. Op shop or not to op shop. Well that last one is a noooo brainer!

I found a few cute things. In particular, this Humpty Dumpty mug kept in the 'special' cabinet. And the little glass jar.

And an ace vintage men's David Jones trench in classic navy with a zip out wool liner. Pity it was too small for Matt.

Sew.. To sew or not to sew?