Oh Christmas dress, Oh Christmas dress...

How ever gold are your stars...
Sorry, lame attempt at being funny (I promise I wont do it again!)

Here is the Christmas dress I made for Emily. I laid awake in bed thinking of something quick and simple to make (as you do) and this is what I came up with. I originally made this one and then I altered the pattern. Much quicker and easier. I love the fabric on this one. It's a light weight cotton, almost like a muslin/cheese cloth and there are gold metallic stars on it. I am thinking of putting either a gold or a white sash around the waist. Not too sure yet and time is running away from me!


So that's the dress.. Emily LOVES it. She wants to wear it all the time. It's her 'Frismas' (Christmas in Emily language) dress..

It's nearly Christmas!

Things are just going way too fast for my liking this year. It's nearly Christmas!! Can you believe it! I've nearly finished all my shopping but I still have to make a few things, handbags, pencil rolls maybe some pj's.

My youngest son turned 12 today.. They are all growing up. Unfortunately as they grow older so do I and boy do I feel it these days. Everything clicks and creaks as I move.. the few grey hairs that I've had since I was about 16 have multiplied rapidly. Long gone are the days where I would colour my hair just for a change or because I liked the colour.. Now it is necessary to colour to cover the grey patches. It would be nice if the grey would limit itself to an inconspicuous part of my head but noooooo.. it tends to attach itself to the front hairline or where my hair will naturally part itself... ARRGHHHHH!!!

I've been sewing. I wanted to make Emily a dress to wear for Christmas (although I don't know why.. It's always too hot for her to wear anything. The last 3 Christmas's she spent the day in a nappy and that's it! Anyway, I set about drafting up a pattern that I had in my head.. nothing flash, infact quite simple but it's lovely all the same. I will do it differently when I make the 'real' one. I made a practise one out of an old thrifted sheet.

Sorry the pics aren't the best.. I took them in a hurry..

This is what I get everytime I bring the camera out.. She will run away with her hands covering her face or hide somewhere or put cushions over her head.. I need to hire another child so I can get some decent pics LOL!

CHRISTMAS TREE.
I know it's only November but I just couldn't wait.. We put our Christmas tree up on the weekend. Emily is really getting into Christmas this year which is lovely. There are countless "Ooooooooh's" and "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh's" as we walk through the shopping centre and look at all the Christmas displays.

Notice all the red decorations at the bottom?? Emily has to have everything colour coordinated. She took all the red decorations and hung them on the tree.. LOL! Later on all the silver ones made their way together too.. It looks pretty sparse in these pics but once we spread the decorations out (again.. several times a day!) it looks much better..
Putting the star on the top of the tree was like an honour when I was growing up. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy seeing my very own daughter do the same thing with her Daddy as I used to do with mine. I have very fond memories of my Daddy holding me up (sometimes it was a very long way.. especially if we had a 'real live' tree that year!) while I carefully put the star on top.

This is not the best photo but I love it anyway. It's got a warmness (is that a word?!?) about it. She was in awe of the lights on the tree. I love the way her face lights up when she sees the lights on. It's so innocent and so... what's the word... Oh, I don't know.. it's just BEAUTIFUL and it truly makes my heart melt.

Random things.

Hello,

What has been happening here in 'Lollieland'?... Well, my 'baby' turned 14 this week!! 14! Can you believe it? He is nearly a 'man' LOL! (not that he acts like it sometimes.. Sometimes I think his nearly 3 yr old sister is more mature than him LOL). I do have to say though how very proud I am of him. He is polite, generous and well mannered. Not too mention good looking ;).. I get many compliments about what a lovely, well mannered boy he is.. makes my heart go all squishy!!

I started up a new shop here.

No other sewing happening just yet. I would like to get some clothes made for Emily. I also want to get some Christmas presents made too.

DH came home with this today...


Awwwwwww.. isn't he/she just the sweetest thing you've ever seen! Apparently it was being attacked and the mother didn't want anything to do with it so DH bought it home and called someone from some organisation (can't think of who at the moment!) and they came and picked it up. Emily was most upset that the man was taking the duck away but we tried to explain to her that he was taking it to back to it's family.. I think he said it was a Wood Duck.. I don't know.. whatever it is it is so cute...

What else? I can't think straight at the moment.. I am surprised that I have managed to post this much!! I will leave this for now and try to update a bit more soon..

Pooh!

What do you give a 13yr old girl who LOVES Winnie The Pooh? A Pooh bag and a Pooh pillow of course!

Back of pillow with embroidered birthday message.

Close up of embroidery.

Bag and cushion.

Time for a change.

I thought I'd give my blob a facelift. Like it? Still not too sure on a few things but it looks ok for now.

Not much has been happening. My boys have gone to USA for nearly 3 weeks with my parents for a holiday. Lucky them! I can't wait to have them home... not long now, only a few more sleeps.

Dh and I went op shopping the other day (I am not sure who is worse, DH or I!!).. He loves looking through things looking for a bargain.. suits me fine! I do too!! On the day there was a sign up saying sheets $2 so I picked up a couple that I liked. When I got home I realised that one was a Sheridan sheet (another one! That's 3 that I have picked up in my op shopping travels.) I love Sheridan sheets.. they are so soft and beautiful and soft.. did I mention they were soft?? The other one is the same as my banner! (Yep, I scanned my fabric for my banner LOL).. I think Clair had some fabric the same ages ago.. or something very similar anyway.. Not many patterns caught my fancy (shock horror!).. I have 2 nappy boxes FULL of patterns at the moment.. Can I admit on here that I have a slight addiction for patterns?? You wont tell anyone will you?

I've been sewing too. I made a top for myself. I tried to copy a top that I had bought awhile ago. Didn't turn out too bad.. looks nothing like the original though LOL!! I also made Emily a top as well but that just didn't turn out the way I had planned.. After unpicking the bias binding several times I got it to fit (it's only 'just' too big) but then the rest of the top looked like a tent so I fixed that up with a few rows of shirring.. I will try to blog it one day.. if she ever stands still!!

Speaking of the little darling.. She is at the most adorable yet patience testing age.. thankfully the patience testing doesn't happen too often. She is singing full songs/nursery rhymes on her own without prompting. She attempts to dress herself.. her speech is so clear. I have people comment on how clear her vocabulary is. I'm so proud of my baby girl..

Well that's about it from me for now. Hello to you all out there. Please take a moment and post a comment, even if it's just to say HI!.. It really makes my day (I don't get out much LOL!).

Lots been happening..

Hello!

Long time no type! I've been busy, busy, BUSY! I joined a gym a few months ago so have been trying to get there several times a week, add to that running the house, organising kids and chasing after/playing with a nearly 3yr old and there is barely any time left in the day! The ladies at my gym let me know that on their 'open day' they let members come in and 'advertise' their business etc and asked if I wanted to hold a stall. I jumped at the opportunity! So off home I went with ideas running through my head and only 3 weeks to pull it all together... Lots of late nights later and these are some of the things I had put together..

I sold a few things and got another order so I am happy with that. You can see these things for sale here.

Where am I?

Hmm.. where do I start?? I've been around. Not doing much.. well, yes I have been doing much but I can't, for the life of me, think of what I have been doing! I know it involves no sewing (Boo Hoo!!!) and no other creativeness (unless you call coming up with interesting meals to cook each night 'creativeness'!!)..

DD has completely dropped her day sleeps. That's when I used to sew/get creative. I would have 3 hours of peace to just potter around with my machine. But alas, that is to be no more.. by the end of the day playing, entertaining, cleaning etc etc.. I am far too tired to start on any projects and I am lucky to see past 9pm (lately it's been 8:30pm). I just about collapse into bed and sleep fitfully until morning just to start the whole routine all over again *sigh*.

I have put up a pair of pants in my shop that I made awhile ago. I did intend for DD to wear them but she had a growth spurt before that day to come around (typical LOL!)

Oh how I long to be able to sit and sew for hours.. that is just a distant memory for me.

Ooooh, but I did get some bargains at a car boot sale the other day. A lady had some patterns in a box and I asked her how much for 4 of them and she said, "nothing!" Cool! 4 patterns for free!!!

Oh yeah, we also went to Carrara Markets and I found the most amazing stall.. It had buttons, BUTTONS, BUTTONS!!! Oh how I love buttons. I remember sitting in my Nan's sewing rooms sorting through her button jar, which I later 'inherited'. It had a smell to it. Not offensive but an 'old' kind of smell.. I used to love opening the jar and just inhaling the sweet, plasticy(?) scent.. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Ooops, off track.. markets, that's right.. there were millions of them. They were in little containers according to colour/size/style etc.. and there was also a HUGE plastic tub FULL of buttons!! I stuck my hand in through the middle of the tub just to be sure the buttons weren't just stuck all around the inside of the tub to make it look like it was full LOL!! I could have easily spend an hour there. Unfortunately, the rest of the family don't share my love of buttons so we moved right along..

That is just about it for me. I am staying up way past my bedtime tonight! It's after nine and I am still not a pumpkin!! Better head off to dreamland now and get prepared for yet another day.. Pop in and say hello.. it brightens my day when I get a new comment :)

Funky Flower Pants!!!

I love this fabric. It is a lightweight drill (I think).. I love the colours and flowers.. I love the style of the pants.. When I made them they were the perfect fit. I was waiting for the cooler weather to hit so she could get to wear them. Finally when she gets the opportunity to wear them I find that she has had a growth spurt and they are now too short!!! NOOOOOOO!!!! I will most likely put them up for sale in my shop soon..



(no, she wasn't in trouble in this photo LOL.. she was either not co-operating or playing hide and seek!!)

Chocolate and Strawberry.

Time for me to do a catch up post. I have made a few things but keep forgetting to blog about them (tsk tsk!!) Here is a cross over top that I made. I think a few of my sewing friends have made it too. I have had the pattern for ages but couldn't find the fabric that was just right for it.. anyway, I eventually found this gorgeous fabric and whipped up this top the following evening. It was so quick to make. The binding gets a little fiddly but once you get started it's easy to finish up. I LOVE pink and brown (can't ever say no to pink!!).. I call it 'chocolate and strawberry' colours LOL..

I have no idea why she was posing like this.. LOL!!


Again, no idea why she flaps her arms about when the camera comes out LOL..


Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and well wishes about Emily's arm. She is fine now. Plaster came off on Friday and she is madly flapping her arms around so I don't think there is any permanent damage..

My poor baby has a 'fling' on her arm!!!

My baby has an injury! :(... Poor little princess has a strained elbow muscle. She will have the plaster on for a few days. It is mainly to make her a bit more comfortable because when she moves it it hurts.



So, that is what's been happening here.. Not much sewing happening.. A certain 2.5yr old has dropped her day sleeps now so I only get to sew at night and lately I haven't had the energy to do that.. I've got heaps I want to do but no time to do it.. Better sign off now..

Girls weekend away...

I have just been on a girls weekend away. It was so much fun. The location and good friends makes for a perfect time!! I must admit, staying up until 4:30 in the morning and getting up at 7:30am does not do great things for me for the rest of the week... I made these bags to give to each of my friends to take home as a memento of our weekend together. It was tedious but fun to make them. I had a bit of a production line happening LOL. The girls loved them! I would love to make one for myself but I don't think I could face making another for awhile LOL.. Everyone else made or bought something to add to our 'goodie bag'.. I will take a photo of what I received and post it later... These are the bags I made..



On the weekend away our friends parents took us on a champagne cruise on their yacht. It was absolutely gorgeous! The weather was perfect! Here is a photo that I took whilst out on the yacht.. Not the best pic but I like it anyway!

It's swap time!!!

Today I received my pincushion swap parcel from the lovely Michelle/Toffle. Inside was a gorgeous teapot pincushion, a mug carrier bag and a box of tea!

Thank you so much Michelle!!!






And here is what the lovely teapot pincushion will replace...


LOL!! Although it is quite horrid to look at it has some sentimental value to me. It was my late Grandmother's pincushion. I don't think I could ever get rid of it but I do think it is about due for retirement.

Now that Joy/Jgal has received her swap from me I will post the photos here...

Teacup pincushion, Ladybug pincushion, Ring pincushion, Sewing machine pincushion, Wheat and lavender heat bag and a box of Lindt chocolates!..


Sewing machine pincushion. I am quite happy with this pincushion as I drafted it myself (not all that hard to do though LOL!!). After a few failed attempts I finally came up with a way to make it work. I haven't seen anything like it around before (probably is but in my sheltered little world I have not seen one LOL!) I am always trying to put pins into my pincushion as I am sewing but it feels like I am chasing it across my table because it slips/falls over etc so this way I can just pin them on this as I am sewing!


Teacup & saucer pin cushion.


Ladybug pin cushion.


Ring pincushion.

I'm on an 'uploading' roll!!!

Here are the cord pants that I made the other day. I decided that I didn't want to put elastic all the way around as I usually do so I did a flat front instead. Of course I only decided this AFTER I had sewn the legs together so I didn't make allowances for that and they turned out too big around the waist. I put in a pleat on each leg which bought them in just enough.. they look great on.. Simple but more 'dressy' than my usual style.. I will make more of these I think..

FRONT


BACK


Here is the crocheted jacket that I made awhile ago.. I got around to getting some toggles and putting them on. I love it!! In the process of making another...

Tracksuit pants..

I have been sewing.. I'm just really slack at uploading pics! Here is a pair of trackpants that I made using a piece of fleece that I picked up at an op shop ages ago. I forgot I had it actually.



I also made a pair of cord pants. I love how they turned out. No pics just yet.. Will try to get that done in the next couple of days..

Winter PJ's.

Here is a pair of PJ's that I have been working on. The colour isn't coming out right on the photo but it is a hot pink flannelette with white spots . I got all tricky and added some white trim to the cuffs and collar. I think it finishes it off nicely! There are a few flaws (nothing major) but still fully usable so I will put them in my shop at a reduced price. I'm very happy with how they turned out and I will be making some for Emily in her size.. You can see them for sale here



Close up of cuff.