Wednesday, November 30, 2011

bring a plate


Its that time of year, when we all like to get together to celebrate the year that was and have a little last horrah! before we move on to next year and whatever exciting things it will bring.

Inevitably for some of those shindigs a 'plate' of something is called for.  I usually go the baking route. You know, some gingerbread, a slice, cupcakes etc.  This time round I decided to keep it simple.  Also I wanted some 'real' food as the party coincides with dinner time.  So Miss B and I prepared these plates for her Pre-school concert/Chistmas party this evening.
a mixed variety here -
cheese and cabanossi, cucumber and cabanossi, black olive and cabanossi and cucumber and cheese

Basil, feta and cherry tomato - very Christmassy!

Don't they look purty!!!
I'm feeling hungry already.............

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

puffball skirt - making children's clothes


Here are the details of the Puffball skirt I made for Miss B to wear to her Orientation Day. 

Miss B has been rather apprehensive about starting school next year, so as a sweetener and to add some excitement to the whole Orientation Day proceedings I gave her my copy of making children's clothes by Emma Hardy and asked her to pick out something she wanted me to make for her.  I also let her pick the fabric, which we got from Jack's Textiles (love that shop).  For the lining I used a piece of plain teal cotton I had in my stash.

The skirt was very easy to make, the instructions in the book are clear and easy to follow.  And a first for me, the waistband was one of those which is elastised only at the back, but has buttonholes in the elastic with a button fixed at each side to allow you to tighten or loosen the waistband as necessary - you know what I'm talking about, alot of kids clothes from Big W have it.

My only issue with the pattern was that the waistband pattern piece was too small and I didn't realise until the skirt was all sewn together and I got Miss B to try it on.  We just managed to pull it up over her hips.  I wanted her to be able to wear the skirt more than once or twice so I unpicked it and made a bigger waistband.



She loves it and happily wore it to Orientation, which got off to a shaky start but ended extremely well.  Miss B seems now to have embraced or at least accepted the fact she will be starting school next year. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

On-the-Go Art Satchels now available at Shorties!!!!


That's right folks, just in time for Christmas shopping.  I took my wares into Shorties at Newtown today, hoping that I might sell afew  - Celia loved them so much she bought all my stock!!!
I just realised I didn't even get a photo of them all.  The one's above are just some of the Art Satchel's you will find at Shorties.
I personally make each and every Art Satchel myself, and no two are identical.

There is currently only one available in my Etsy shop.  Find it here

Miss A
Miss B

I did a little photo shoot the other day, both my girls got right into it.  They really wanted to be involved.
See the skirt Miss B is wearing, I made that for her to wear to Orientation Day for "big school" last week.  Hopefully I'll post more details about that and lots of other things I've been making soon.

No time for chatting now though, better get sewing................


Saturday, November 12, 2011

you know that sinking feeling

you get when your computer dies?  I mean really dies, like you are told that it's gonna cost thousands to retrieve anything off the hard drive.  In other words everything is lost forever.

Do you know that tightness you get in the pit of your stomach when you realise you haven't backed up any photo's to the external hard drive for the last six or so months (because you didn't know you could set up the computer to do it for you automatically - double d'oh).

Do you know that complete and utter feeling of dispair and desperation when it dawns on you that
every. single. pattern.,
both free and bought, crochet and sewing, that you have very concienciously and systematically filed on your desktop just waiting for that day when you'll have the time to make them are
gone
gone
gone
f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Half glass full - slate clean, start again. 
Probably never would have gotten to them anyway..............