Five to go!!!

I have been churning out these blocks like crazy, well feels like crazy. Seeing Dad tomorrow, so much to do and so little time, but I really want to be able to give it to him then.

I haven't done any special sort of lay out, just grabbed the one on top and laid it out. I love it! Adele was lying over it and talking about all the different fabrics, what they were for, how much she liked (or disliked) them. Perfect, just how I wanted it to be. As a complete quilt it doesn't look as girlie as I thought it would so pleased with that too. Tomorrow I should have a completed quilt to show you, cross fingers!

Tx

A little bit more

I am in love with this quilt, the process, everything. So I now have 10 completed blocks, another 7 tubes to be cut and shock horror no more strips. There is going to be a whole lot of cutting tomorrow. My parents get home tomorrow and since this is going to be for my dad I need to get cracking, well even more cracking. I am not 100% sure when I will see them but I can be pretty sure it will be in the next few days, so really it needs to be completed like.... Now!

Been a great weekend, caught up with friends so there was more cheesecake brownie, wine and talking. Oh and I also made green tomato chutney and banana cake. Was a very productive weekend for sure.

We were meant to head away today for a night but the kids a sick again, just a cold nothing serious but school is back next week and we really hope they get better.

To

Ruffle, ruffle and more ruffle

I got a text today inviting Adele to a birthday party... tomorrow! I was out visiting a friend at the time and there was no way I was going to be able to get to the shops before the event. The only fabric I had left of any real length was left overs from Adele's birthday dress. Thankfully the party is another wee girls. And thankfully it is a very good friend of Adele's. When I told her what I was planning on making she was very exciting and said that they could be matching at HER birthday party. Which of course then reminded me it's her birthday next weekend.

I made a wee ruffle skirt. I have them sorted now and can whip one up pretty easy with no pattern. I love them so much, really girlie. I had one growing up and it was my all time favourite skirt. It puts my in touch with my childhood.

I have just put the finishing touchs on it and now need to wrap it, might be Christmas wrapping, oh well!

Tx

My Scrappy trip Round the World

I feel like the last person, who quilts, in the world to make one of these. My blog feed is filled with every ones go of their "trip".

I have really been wanting to make one, but I have the cut out one, but I am just not feeling it. So I have buried it under other fabrics so I can't see it and started one. It is amazing, addictive and awesome!!!!! I spent the afternoon cutting strips from scraps. Some lovely person had put on pinterest how many strips you need to make three different sized quilts. I am going with a 72" by 68" quilt. I think I am going to make it for my Dad. It is going to be a rather girlie quilt but the scraps are all from different projects for the kids. Since two girls, lots of girl fabrics and colours. But I think he will still like it. I think he likes things like that, its always hard to tell with men. Either he will love it or the kids can use it when they go to stay. Either way it will get a bunch of use.

My new block I used too many similar value fabrics so with my second I tried to get a bit more variety. I just want to make blocks all night. I also happen to love 2.5 inch squares, always have and I think I always will so this is perfect for me. All ready planning other colour combinations whilst I pierce this one. I should be exercising, but I want to sew.

Right, dinner and sewing or exercise then dinner?

Tx

Birthday Dress

Feels like we have just finished Christmas and now we are getting ready for Adeles birthday. All comes round very quick!

When I went and did the pattern swap I gained McCall's M6271. It is meant to be an easy pattern but I don't think it is. It is well explained and easy enough to follow. But there are lots of steps and I am pretty sure unless you had done a few of the steps in other patterns you might be a bit confused. I certainly wouldn't recomend this as a dress/top to make as a first attempt.

I changed it a little. My friend had made one for her daughter so I had seen a finished one. I made the neck straps a bit shorter. I also didn't put on the waist tie. I was going to put one on, but I thought it would start to look a little bit like her Christmas dress. Also this is meant to be the top and it is still quite dress length. I am planning to get a pair of white leggings to go under it.

I am still not 100% convienced with the fabric. It certainly looks much nicer now that it is finished. It was a bit of a pressure buy. I wanted to get her fabric but with all the post christmas sales a lot of the nicer fabrics were gone. I brought this on a whim, I guess floro's are all the rage so I guess she is fashionable. That said I do love the style of the dress. If she didn't have 100 dresses and outfits already I would make another one. Instead I will just have to wait for Greta to get a bit bigger and make her one. The under side of the bubble dress is the stripes as well. So a lot of bright pink!

I brought my first Japanese sewing book and I think I love every pattern. The only bummer is they don't include seam allowances in the patterns so I must remember that when I go to cut. MUST REMEMBER!! I also brought some voile to make one of the tunics so I am very excited!

Chocolate Cheese Cake Brownie

A friend of mine is having baby number three, any day now. Any day as in might cancel today as she is having the baby right now. So far I haven't heard anything but you never know!!

And as we all know, once that baby is out so are tasty, naughty treats. As the act of a friend I am sacrificing myself to share cheesecake brownie with her. It is a huge sacrifice, but one I am willing to make. Actually to be fair, this recipe isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Plus cheesecake is usually so rich you don't want a massive piece so shouldn't be to bad to the old diet. Notice I said massive, of course I will do a huge piece ;)

Last night I cut out Adele's birthday dress. I picked fabric that was a bit out there. It is very floro bright, so very "in" at the moment. I hope she likes it. We picked it together and at the time she said she likes it.

I am in a quilting conundrum at the moment. I cut one out ages and ages ago, but I really want to have a go at a "Scrappy Trip Round the World". They look so cool and since I have been making clothing for the last little while I have heaps of scraps I could use. A real "first world problem".

I need a shower, best get on to it. Only a couple of hours till my friend is here and the house is STILL a mess.

Tx

New Pants

I love these pants. I made them as gifts for new babies a few years back, Adele was too big for the largest size when I brought the book. Yes, I was very gutted.

They come from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings. The quick change pants. Fully lined and super cute. Since they are lined they can be made a bit long and rolled so a perfect excuse to use another piece of funky fabric. I used Heather Bailey Pop Garden, ivory. It is very floral and bright, Blair said she looks like a hippie.

We are still at Blair's parents, so been making my way through my to do list. Made Greta a couple of bibs too from the left overs of Adele Christmas dress fabric. She dribbles a whole lot more than the others so need loads of bibs.

Any way the pants, easy to make with lots of room for a nappy, even a cloth nappy I think.

So home tomorrow but the kids are staying on for a couple of nights, well the big kids. Greta, of course needs to be with me. But still, will be a whole heap easier and quieter with just the one.

Tax

Sweet Red Onion Relish

I was out and about, browsing through town with no kids. Looking in a book store, at fancy books. Not kids books. When the Women's Weekly Classic Preserves jumped out at me. So I had to buy it. Like breathing, it had to be done!

I love it, the photos are so lovely and the recipes look delish.

We are over at Blairs parents and when ever I come over I seem to take over the kitchen and bake, preserve or something. Having that extra set of eyes to look after the kids helps and I can work with the hot jars and elements.

Last night I made a chocolate zucchini cake. My attempt to get more vegetables into the kids and me. So far they seem to like it.

Today I made A relish. Smells so yummy but I don't have jars so I will just have to buy some fancy ones. Bummer :)

A top for Greta

I was part of a pattern swap a while back. Whilst I did use my own book, it was another's comment on how cool a top was that spurred me into making it. I had always liked it but I guess getting peer approval or something. Positive peer pressure.

It is from "Cute Clothes for Kids" by Rob Merrett. I do like this book but the only thing I don't like is the patterns are grouped into baby, toddlers and children and there is a couple in each size. So this top can only be made for 3, 6 and 9 month old. But I think it would look awesome for Adele too.

The pattern called for the back to have a zip, but I thought since Greta is still mostly on her back a zip would be uncomfortable so I have put on a couple of buttons just at the top, sewn up the back bar a small bit so it can still fit over her head. I like my improvements but my sewing of this top is a bit cruddy. I was rushing, for no reason either and the finishing is a bit off. But I am still happy with it. To be fair she wont wear it a whole lot anyway, they grown too fast. It is really long, a bit more like a dress, so come winter with a merino long sleeve and a pair of leggings she can still wear it.

I brought this fabric on line. I have thrown away the sleeve with the information, all I have left is "for Freespirit". I really love it. I think it would have looked great in a skirt for me! But I only had a half yard of each fabric so that was never going to happen. I can always get more anyway. Matchy matchy!!

The neck line looks really uneven but it isn't. Did I say I love the fabric??

 

Tx

New Shorts

Adele has grown a bit since last year. When she pulled on her shorts from last summer, well there was very little left to the imagination. I had a few half yard bits of fabric I had ordered before Christmas so I put them all out and said she could pick two fabrics. Lucky she did pick co-ordinating fabrics, I sort of paired them together and hope she would get the idea.

Its funny how you get an idea about what you think they will like and then they completely throw you but picking something else. Everything I have at the moment is floral, but quite a range of colours so when she picked a slightly muted earthy tones I was surprised. I really like it, I would love shorts like these.

The fabric is Riley Blake's Indian Summer range. I got it on special from Donna's. So the two pairs of shorts cost $10 plus elastic.Pretty pleased! I used the New Look pattern 6473 and instead on doing a plain straight leg I cut a two inch strip, folded it in half and gathered it. Makes them super girlie.

Doing our best super model poses. Ryan was directing the photo shoot. Not sure how he knew what poses to strike.

Merry Christmas and All that Jazz

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, hope you have all had a great holiday.

Christmas was brilliant, ate waaay to much. Kids had a blast opening their presents. The homemade outfits appeared to be a hit. Adele loves her birdie dress and it is pretty much being worn, washed, worn, washed. Greta is as pleased as a four month old can be and dribbling on it with much appreciation and Ryan tells me he loves his shorts too. But I think that is so I will hurry up and fix the elastic, it was a bit big round his waist.

I haven't done any thing since the Christmas rush. I relaxed (as much as you can with three kids) and made the most of having a lot of adventures.And maybe ate a whole heap more!

Today I pulled fabric and patterns and came up with my plan of what I am planning on making over the next few days. To start with I made myself a skirt. I used my Modkids pattern, the Madeline. But instead of making it with the ruffle or stuff, I used used the bias cut base skirt and put the knit waist band on. The joys of the mummy tummy. Doing it this way makes it so much more comfortable and no yucky muffin top, which I think is here to stay. Very big sad face.

I used a nice summer looking, vintage looking floral fabric and teamed it with a lovely pale pink merino I had. I had all of it in my stash so no trips to spotlight was required. Means it's a free skirt?

I had a metre and it just fitted on. I did have to use a tiny bit of selvage, but it didn't effect it at all.

A crafty friend is coming to visit tomorrow so I felt I needed something to show. I think it will do the trick. It is such an easy skirt, maybe 30 mins from start to finish, barely worthy of a blog post.