Thank you lovely Lisa

I arrived home last week to find a surprise parcel from the lovely Lisa Inside was a lovely appliqued vest and shoes for the hopefully-soon-to-be born baby and a little puch for me to store a couple of nappies and some wipes in (in a lovely denim and red spot combo). The tag was very cute too, although I don't think you can see it too well in this photo but it was a hand drawn picture. How very generous for her to send us such a fab gift.

Lisa makes and sell fantastic bags and pouches too so you should check out her blog as well as her madeit and etsy stores.

Thank you Lisa!

Thank you Aimee (my EB secret santa)

I took part in this year's Essential Baby sewing group secret santa. I duly sent off my parcel last week and received these goodies in return from Aimee. A table runner and placemats along with a Christmassy scented candle. My favourite colour is red and I'm also a bit partial to blue so the gifts were just perfect and will look lovely on my outdoor table (when it stops raining that is).

I hope my secret santa likes what I sent her...merry christmas!

A very belated thank you

Many moons ago I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on Pink Lizzy's blog. The prize was a gorgeous Oliver and S bubble dress for Maddie. I have been meaning to take a photo everytime she wears it and post it here as a thank you but for some (pregnant?) reason I always seem to forget...and then she spills something down it! Anyway, Maddie chose to wear the dress to our mother's group xmas party today and I remembered to take a pic before we left the house, typically though she kept it nice and clean all day.

So here she is wearing the dress. I have had so many compliments on it and Maddie loves it so a HUGE thank you to Pink Lizzy.

More Christmas sewing...and a birthday present

Here's some more Christmas sewing...

A toolbelt and tools for Maddie's friend Angus (twin brother to Clementine who will receive the tiara in my previous post)....a clutch bag and heat bag for my mother's group secret santa...a little top appliqued with an embroidered rocking horse (my first attempt at embroidery and I'm quite pleased) for my friend's little girl and a two pocket tote bag using denim and Amy Butler's daisy chain fabric for my friend Katrina's birthday (mummy to Angus and Clementine).

That's pretty much all the sewing that I had to get done for Christmas and before the baby arrives. I have ongoing projects but I'm glad I've managed to get all my presents done.

Christmas sewing...part 1

I've been trying to do a bit of sewing for Christmas presents. I haven't got through as much as I'd been hoping but then I think I'm always a bit ambitious about what I can achieve! Anyway, I managed to do an Amy Butler nappy bag for my sister (who doesn't actually have kids but likes big bags) and a felt tiara and ribbony wristbands for one of Maddie's friends. I've also made Maddie a santa sack but it's not really that exciting so haven't gotten around to taking a pic. I was going to applique her name on the front but the fabric's really nice and I wouldn't decide what fabric to put with it so have just left it plain...I might add to it next year.

Anyway, here are a few pics of the bag and tiara:

EB Secret Santa

Two posts in one day...must be a record for me.

I have signed up for the EB secret santa swap within my sewing buddy group. As part of it I needed to respond to some questions and blog my answers so here goes:

Would you like something handmade as a gift?
Yes please

Do you have a favourite Christmas Colour?
Red is my favourite colour generally and I guess that’s Christmassy. I also like silver and white.

Do you decorate the whole house or just a part of it?
Just parts of it, probably the living room, Maddie’s room and a wreath on the front door.

Do you have any Christmas Traditions?
I always used to make paper chains as a child and that is something that I would like to start doing with Maddie and we always had a small present on the tree for the day that it comes down.

What sizes are your children?
Maddie is 2 and a half so a size 2-3. I'm also due a boy bub on Xmas Eve who I'm hoping will be pretty small...

Do you like quick projects or things that take a little longer?
Both, but generally I do quick projects.

Is there anything that you like to collect?
Little boxes and sewing stuff!

Is there anything you don't like/ don't need?
I can't think of anything that I don't like and seeing as I have only been sewing for a relatively short time I don't have a huge stsh of sewing things yet.

Birthday Boy shorts

I made these shorts for Maddie's friend Sebastian, who turned 3 recently. We went to his party on the weekend and all the kids seemed to have lots of fun (and sugar)!

I used a Burda pattern that all my EB sewing group friends have been using recently. I used a lightweight denim for the pockets and some fabric from Spool, which I had in my stash for the main part. I appliqued a top with a surfboard motif to go with it.




Anyway, I'm pleased with how they turned out and now M would like some too but in pink apparently! I have some cupcake fabric which I might use for hers.

Flipsy Skirt

I really don't get round to blogging enough do I...probably because I never seem to have time to sew at the moment! Anyway, here is the Make it Perfect Flipsy Skirt and appliqued top that I made for M. She is very pleased with it (as am I). The reverse is the same cream and green polka dot that I used for the elephant body.




Next on my list is a foldaway playmat using Michael Miller's Merryville Tot Town fabric. Hopefully I'll get it finished next week.

Amy Butler nappy bag...pratice run

I bought some lovely (but rather expensive) Amy Butler fabric to make the Amy Butler bag but decided to do a practice run first...here are the results.

I'm really pleased with it, although I did forget to sew the bottle pockets in and I didn't bother to make the changing mat . It was a pretty easy pattern to follow so I'm looking forward to making another one in the 'real' fabric this time. It's a useful desig too as it's really roomy and has lots of pockets.

Lovely Lisa

A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway on Lisa's blog, one of my EB sewing friends and I won - lucky me!!! I decided that I would rather selfishly like something for myself and told Lisa that my favourite colour is red.

Today, I became the lucky recipient of this rather gorgeous pleated bag. Maddie also took a liking to it but I have firmly laid my claim on it. Isn't it fab, I have included a front shot and a close up of Lisa's personal sewing labels, which are also rather fab!

I must be on a lucky streak as I was also the chosen winner of Pink Lizzy's blog giveaway. This time I was a bit less selfish and chose a bubble dress for Maddie.

I think I may have to do a blog giveaway at some point to pay back some of my good luck.

Long time no blog

It seems like ages since I've been able to get around to doing some sewing but I thought I'd blog a taggie blanket and dungaree and t-shirt set, both of which were made for birthday presents a few weeks ago.

I'm going to make Maddie a couple of easy skirts this week seeing as the weather seems to be getting a bit nicer so hopefully I'll be back to blog them soon!

Crayon roll

OK, not too exciting but I knocked out this crayon roll for M's friend Lachie last night. She's staying over at his on Friday night so that we can have a night away in Daylesford for our anniversary and hubby's bday. It's the first time I've left her over night so I'm both nervous and excited at the prospect!

Olympic distraction

I think the Olympics might distract me from my sewing for a while so bear with me....I'll be back soon!

Vintage style apron

I finished this apron from my Bend the Rules Sewing book last night. It was a present for a work friend who kindly volunteered to babysit the other night so D and I could go out. I got the green fabric from an op shop a while ago for 50c and the rest was offcuts I had lying around. My other work colleague said that she would gladly babysit if she could have an apron in return!

Bias Binding is ugh!

Well I couldn't sleep one night so I started and finished a quilt for M's doll, George. As you can see from the pic, M has decided that it's suitable for her to use too. I made it using some squares left over from a play mat that I am making for the baby, a bit of yellow cotton and some blue fleecy material.

I've also just finished a kimono for one of the carers at M's daycare who is about to have a little girl. Although I'm pretty pleased with the outcome it did give me the title for the post. I'm finding bias binding so fiddly and annoying...completely ugh! It does look good once it's done though. M was very annoyed that this wasn't for her so I've promised that my next project will be a top for her.

This promise was a bit of a fib because I've already started my next project, which is a vintage style apron for a friend who offered her babysitting services so that we could have a night out on Saturday.

The most exciting news today is that one of my EB sewing friends randomly selected me to be the recipient of a gift to be made by her. How exciting and generous! Here's a link to Lisa's inspiring blog.

Sweet Wee Jacket

I'm on a bit of a roll today. I was going to make a baby kimono but instead I made this little jacket for M. It's from the 'Bend the rules sewing' book again and I added a bit of an embellishment which means that M will co-ordinate with the bag I made from the same fabrics! I'm really pleased as it's the first time I've sewn with jersey and the first time I've applied bias binding. I found the binding quite fiddly but I think it'll get easier with practice.

The pics aren't the greatest but you'll get the idea!

Staying up late watching the Tour de France...GO CADEL!

Bag Challenge

Well, I finished by bag for the EB challenge today. It's the Artsy Clutch from my Bend the Rules Sewing book. It's a pretty simple design and only took me an hour or so to do it but I'm pleased with how it's turned out. It's definitely given me confidence to try something a bit more complex next time. Challenges are great motivators and I'd definitely participate in another.




I went on a late(ish) night trip to SL last night. Going without M is so much easier and more enjoyable. I actually had time to have a proper look around rather than just adopt my 'smash and grab' tactics when she's with me. I bought loads, including some pretty fabrics to run up some summer pieces for M:





Next on my 'to do' list is to make a baby kimono for a friend's soon-to-arrive bub and seeing as I'm on a bit of a roll I might make a start today...

Hey big spender

Well, I don't seem to have done very well with keeping this blog up to date or adding any pics as promised! My excuse is that we went on holiday to Palm Cove for a week....which was lovely.

I have discovered there are lots of good internet shopping websites for sewing bits and bobs and have been busy spending money on them, after all it's not real money when you just punch in your card number online...is it?

Anyway, I found a lovely site call Etsy, where everything is handmade and bought some lovely orange/blue fat quarters and fabric covered buttons. The nice button lady even threw in a couple of freebies. Then when we were on holiday I bought the apple buttons and the blue fat quarters I picked up at my local sewing shop. I've also been buying other bits from Etsy but they're not sewing or craft related so decided not to blog them. It's also a good website for being inspired about things I could make myself one day. Here's a pic of my purchases:

I also realised that I haven't been taking pics of any of the things that I've been making before I've been giving them away. I took photos today of a couple fo things; a bib, knitted hat and M's crayon roll. The latter didn't go too well becuase I could sew the ric rac in properly so it's all a bit crooked. M seems to like it though. Actually I can't find the pic of the crayon roll so I'll try and add that later. Anyway, here are those pics:

I've also signed up for the EB Newbie Sewers bag challenge. This means that I have to make a bag by 15th August...the clock is ticking! Not sure what I'll do but think I'll stick to something simple.

Other than that I'm making a summer dress for M and also a maternity skirt for myself and perhaps some easy trousers too. Just need to go shopping for some nice fabric....

1950s housewife aspirations

I have a new hobby - sewing (with a bit of knitting thrown in)! It seems that I am trying to turn myself into a 1950s domestic goddess...and mostly failing! Of course, if this really was the 1950s then I wouldn't have a blog to keep everyone posted on my progress.

I have been trying to sew for the last year and mostly frustrating myself with my lack of success. I finally bought a new sewing machine a couple of weeks ago and now my sewing has been revolutionised.

So far I have made the following:
Little turtle softie for my midwife's new baby
Baby bib either as a gift or for when Pip pops out later in the year
Some toy beanbags given to M's friend Grace as she took a liking to them
Some corduroy trousers for M
A crayon roll for M to take on the plane when we go away on Sunday
A knitted hat for a friend's new baby

Projects in progress:
A baby blanket for Carolyn and Barney who are about to have a baby
A jumper to go with the hat above
A cardy for M

Hope to post more soon...with pictures once I have taken some!