Snowy Sunday

Who doesn't have to drink coffee while sewing?? I do, litres of the stuff. I had a lovely day completing a project that I have been trying to finish for weeks, a baby blanket for the little man featured here....

I have had a great weekend. Friday and Saturday where great sewing days and I got quite a bit of sorting out done..

First I needed to have a cleanup, dear husband bought me a little gift.. I had been complaining for a while (not like me! - ha ha) about the lack of drawer space, so he got me a little trolley and it is fabulous, I feel like a hairdresser, it has all my vitals and I can have it beside me no matter which machine I am using.... Love it....

So onto the blanket for little Rory. I chose the brown birdsfeather and then which check??? Oh go I procrastinate.... I went for the bottom one in the end..

First I digitised his name into an applique and got that bit on the go..

Then a bit of a squareup. and start on the edging.

Fold over the edges and mitre the corners, then stitch down ..

Today is another story. It is freezing. There is no other description than wintry. I am trying to decide on some designs to make up for summer and I just cant wrap my head around the whole concept. So onto Plan B. The kids are driving me insane. They are sick of being indoors, so a quick phone call to the tourist information centre and ask if it had been snowing up in the Grampians. The answer was a delightful 'YES, It still is!!!".

That was it, dish up the homemade soup, scoff down a banana each, Hubby grabbed a cooler bag full of snacks, I grabbed the coats and the girls got their gloves. Off we went in search of "very rare snow" as Miss 6.5 pointed out.

The ambient temp on the car said 3 degrees as we made the 10km climb to the car park.

We were passing cars coming down covered in snow, then it began snowing on the car as we drove.. Awesome!!!

The kids were so excited they would hardly wait to put on the winter woollies. It was amazing.

Miss P was so thrilled to have the biggest snowball, she waited just for the right moment and planted it on dad when he wasn't looking!!! Cheeky bugger..

We didn't stay long as it was bloody freezing.....

Peace and tranquility nearly..

Its back to school and kinder and i am wandering around like a lost sheep, no arguments to moderate, No constant requests for food and drinks (Mister 2 helps himself to the bananas).. It is that long since I felt any kind of creative urge, I think it might have up and moved out!!

The only crafty thing I have done in the last fortnight is I have made a series of canvas paintings for Miss 4.5. I used to pictures from her doona and made 3 small paintings to hang on her wall.

The inspiration came from her bed linen. We have a princess, a unicorn and a castle.

I sat last night glued to the couch while watching Project Runway Australia. I love this show.. The judges got it so wrong last night. I mean who in their right mind would wear boardshorts and a mesh top to a bar??? Not sure why you would wear a trenchcoat to the beach either??? And the frocker sure did make a shocker.. I cant wait until they get a chance to shine in their chosen style, Ooh I love it...

A little tiny visitor!!!

During the week we had a visitor, I tiny little visitor ( His mum came too, I'm totally dry!)
4 weeks old and only just 7lb... Oh how nice to have cuddles without the sleepless nights that go with ownership... It has lead to many questions since. "Where does the baby come out?? Does it hurt?" My reply. The doctor helps, You dont need to worry about that until you get married sweetie!!!

Busy mummy far from yummy..

Oh I feel so exhausted just from keeping 3 kids entertained, distracted, disciplined and educated. It is very hard work. As I am sure many of you know... and some more than only 3.
Why is it that they always whinge and whine about utter starvation whilst unpacking the groceries ffrom the car? Why is it that they cannot wait till all bags are in the kitchen before telling you what it is they need to eat or they are going to die? And why is it that they insist (chuck a tantrum) on eating something before it even gets to the pantry shelf? especially when they only had the weetbix wiped from their faces 2 minutes before going to the supermarket?? (it is only a minute drive each way!!) I can so remember doing the same (whinging) when I was little..except back then parents(mothers) werent dragged off the police station if they left 3 kids sitting in the carpark for an hour or so while your mum did the monthly(yes thats true!) grocery shop...Think think think, what would I have liked my mum to do when I saw those choccy biccys and tried so hard to convince her to let me eat one before I died????
PLAN _ next time shopping, buy extra packet of something, give to kids to hold on the way home and let them cut loose as soon as I get home, put groceries away in peace, all happy!!

enough mummy talk...........

Here are a few shots of the pattern I have drafted off for the chocolate linen dress I mentioned in the previous post. All I have to do is the hem and it is all done, but here are the design shots.. I bought this handy little bendable tape measure/ruler a while ago and it has definitely been worth the money. I have used it here to add the 1cm seam allowances to the pattern, and I get the exact curve I need.

I feel so slack about not posting lately but it truly reflects the spare time in life.. I'm one of those anal people (is that ok to admit?) that cannot relax and do something for myself unless all household duties are finished and the image of spotlessness is achieved.. Yeah, yeah call me Mrs Windex, my husband does. Perhaps I need some shock treatment, or worse....(Call me a shrink). I constantly (whilst windexing) think of a quote I read somewhere on a crafty blog sidebar about 'a clean house was a sign of a wasted life' or something to that effect in a more crafty orientated way, true yes, but it has become a bit of an obsession for me.. (OOOh that hurt, better read my Dr Phil book and see if that is at all normal??)

So I will attempt to sew, more, very soon. I need to finish the brown dress and this little pinafore for miss 4.5... I only need make the shoulder straps and take up the hem, or rolled hem it on the overlocker?? wait and see. Is it a good or bad thing when you start to send unused fabric to St Vinnies? the yellow garbage bag in the photo is all unwanted fabric and I am thinking, enough stashing, more sewing..

I love crafty pressies

I had the joy of attending a garage sale today, It was called "100's of rolls of fabrics". It sure was...a fabric shop closed down and I got a real bargain.. I got this little gem for only $7 per metre... I love a bargain.. I think I would like to make some Christmas stockings for the kids. I have seen some yummy ones around. At least I am planning ahead.. Then planning and doing are a far cry from each other.

For my birthday, my dear mother bought me these two dressmakers squares..She was shaking her head at me using a little 20cm square trying to mark out my bag last week and decided it would be more appreciated than perfume or the like..

You know its only since I have had children of my own that I can really relate to my mother and understand where she is coming from. 2006 was a very unifying year for my mother and I. She underwent a 23hour operation to remove cancer and her soft palate and cheekbone. She nearly lost an eye and had no teeth for 12 months. She had a piece of bone taken from her pelvis to create a new cheekbone and upper jaw. And a muscle from her leg to make a new roof of her mouth, it is amazing what doctors can do these days but it was the scariest week of my life.

She has had a long battle recovering from surgery, radiotherapy and having people look at her funny. She is my inspiration. She is the bravest person and despite all the obstacles she has faced in the last 18 months she has still got compassion for me when I have a shitty day. And a lot of people including me admire her for her strength of character, and perhaps her broad mind.

So yes I love my mum, she has given me many gifts - life, the skills to sew, and much much more. Now these little beauties will help me enjoy my special time..

Next job is to get dear husband to make a hook to hang them on so the kids do not try to use them as "Boomerangs!!!"

I also scored this great 3mtr tape measure today at the garage sale..I have never seen one. I spend most of my weekend wearing my tape measure around my neck so I best be sure not to trip.. (I don't understand why kids that have been in bed for half an hour decide they are hungry??) Out here in the sticks it is very smokey...the farmers are all burning off and the smell reminds me of camping I love it...(Better go and put Mister 2 back in bed again!!!, why can they eat more weetbix at bedtime than they can for breakfast??) and why do husband always have a job that needs doing somewhere between 6.00 and 9.00??

Go with the inspiration...

Thanks Fiona for the tips at the Stitches and Craft.. I made my first necklace today while trying to be quiet so Master2 would find his way to the land of sleep...

It was good fun actually, procrastinating over which button next to the last one & whether or not to balance it up each side of centre... I made a loop at the back to thread a large button through for the closure at the back.

Miss 4.5 won 5th prize in the Easter raffle at Kinder today and was into it straight away..

Amongst all the Easter hype, I have been doing a little bit of sewing, I have had to prise myself away from the computer, all those new blogs to browse, the stitches and craft seems to have been a real popular meeting spot... It has made me realise that is very normal to enjoy sharing the pleasure of craft with others who enjoy the bit of pride it brings to your day.

I drafted a pattern off a old pair of wide legged linen pants the girls have had. I want to make them a few sizes up.. What was meant to be a size 4 ended up a 6, but too short. Bugger. So I made a contrasting hem facing and now they look just fine. I must have been running short of chocolate or coffee when measuring the old pants....