My creative space.... Bunting!

No exciting pics I'm afraid.  I took off over the weekend so missed lots of potentially crafty time.  I have signed myself up though for Squiggly Rainbow's Bunting Swap, which I think is such a fabulous idea - make as many flags as you feel up to, post them off and recieve a variety of ones in return.  I am sure everyone will end up with quite an eclectic mix!

I, of course, am crocheting triangles for my bunting pieces.

I've been testing out a couple of different patterns to see which one I like best.  I think I might stick with the more traditional granny square pattern looking one.

I have posted here before about some fabulous crochet bunting if you want any ideas.

Hope everyone is having a creative week.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Put a bird on it!



I'm making a skirt... and I'm totally putting a bird on it!

Wordless Wedneday Love



Winning with One Charming Party

How much fun is it waking up in the morning, opening up your email and discovering you've won a little something in blogland??!!

I entered a competition over at One Charming Party to select one of their lovely party plans.  They were giving away two and I was randomly selected and won both!!!

I'm picking the art party and the superhero party.

An average art party takes on a sophisticated air when you turn the party guests’ creations into a gallery showing. This party includes:

• colorful invitations and thank you cards–print as many as you need
• step-by-step instructions for making an 8 layer rainbow cake to wow the birthday child
• 2 different cupcake toppers (choose your favorite)
• a pre-party activity to keep early guests busy before the party starts
• 5 art stations with detailed instructions for your party success
• a fantastic tutorial for making a rainbow colored flower arrangement–plus our bonus quick guide to flower care
• diy artist profiles you can print in 8 different colors, so guests can choose their favorite
• creative name tags make sure each artist gets proper credit at the gallery showing
• gorgeous photos to guide you through this party from start to finish
• 50+ pages in a downloadable pdf–sent instantly to your inbox

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a superhero party! This party includes:

• cool 3D invitations that you can read with or without 3D glasses
• invitations, thank you cards and superhero certificates–print as many as you need
• printable cake toppers to quickly transform your cake
• a simple and yummy activity to keeps guests busy as you wait for everyone to arrive
• a step-by-step tutorial for a comic book banner that will give your party some POW
• easy instructions for making a super shirt your superhero will love (ages 1-6 and two generic graphics)
• hero training with 6 activities to keep guest entertained for the whole party
• super food labels that will encourage kids to eat healthier
• our expert party tips to keep your party running smoothly
• gorgeous photos to guide you through this party from start to finish
• a resource guide to help you find all of the party supplies
• 60+ pages in a downloadable pdf–sent instantly to your inbox

Images and party descriptions were taken directly from their shop.



Things I learnt at my high school reunion...

If you get the chance to go, do. Skinny jeans, red peep toes, leopard print clutch and a silky black top is apparently all you need!

Some people never change.... and some people do.

Girls age much better than boys... hello and welcome to balding!

Wear good dancing shoes... after 3 champagnes and no food, you WILL get your rhythm on when they start playing Madonna!

Wear the name tag provided... some people you simply will not remember.

Teacher's may show up, particularly ones that still teach at your high school 20 years later.  It's possibly inappropriate to regale them with tales of how much you were in love with your drama teacher... and your maths tutor... especially when they still know them in a professional work capacity.

After 20 years, it is possible to get over high school. The girl I was most afraid of in high school didn't even come... and frankly, I was prepared for her if she did!

I am ALL class!

 

Telling all the boys that you secretly lusted after in high school that you secretly lusted after them in high school is really quite liberating.  Lining them up and forcing them to have their photo with you is possibly crossing the line.

Leave at an appropriate hour with some of your dignity still intact.

Oh, and last but by no means least...

Chris Harris is still a spunk 20 years later!

Vanity

At 36, clearly I am old.  Apparently I need glasses.  It must be all that creating I've been doing lately, straining my eyes and whatnot.

I ended up taking my script into a well know spec store, sporting green as their main decor colour choice.  I shall not mention their name, only that 'spec saving' is their mantra. 

 Can I just say that customer service is not their strong point.  I had a taste of people who answer the phone whilst pretending to serve you, people who are rude when you call them to question the whereabouts of your glasses and worse, people who eat tuna from a tin behind the counter before invading your personal space to fit your glasses!

What do you think?  Very intellectual yes?

 I ended up getting two pairs, one for my handbag and one for the sewing room, but I think these red ones are my favourites.

Are you a spec wearer?

My Creative Space....

Oh, Early Spring Sunshine in Melbourne, how I love thee! 

Matilda only has 1001 skirts already, so she was clearly in dire need for another.  This one is straight from Toni Coward's Make it Perfect book (I've totally met her...!) and it is super cute.  I love the little apron front and so did a certain young lady.



How could you not love her 'model' pose?!  Hands on the hips if you dont mind!

I made a size 4 in this which is a tad large for my little girl (she's not quite 3), but I tend to not wash my fabrics before creating (!!!!) and I do make mistakes so making the next size up tends to hide the fact that I dont quite get the whole concept of gathering by pulling threads when basting (a word I had to google to find out what it meant!).  The other thing one should always do when creating clothing is actually follow instructions like zigzag stitching the edge of the material if you dont have an overlocker.  Otherwise on it's first wash, one may end up with a skirt with a number of threads appearing from nowhere!  Oops!

I am totally making this skirt again now I know what to do.  I'm thinking they would make perfect Christmas presents for some sweet little nieces I have, maybe with a t-shirt with a sweet matching material applique.

Other creative types hang out here on Thursdays.  I think you should join us if you are feeling crafty.

Hope your enjoing the early almost Spring Sunshine wherever you are.

Reunions...go...or no?

I'm heading back to Tassie on Friday for the weekend.  Apart from squeezing in some time with my mum, dad, sisters and nieces I will be going to my high school's 20 year reunion.  I am not sure if this is a wise move or not as I have been in a quandry for weeks about dieting and what to wear in an attempt to impress people that I literally have nothing to do with anymore. 

 I, of course, have done the sneaky facebook search on people to make sure they were fatter, less successful and had married balding men and ended up with ugly babies!  Alas, no.  Everyone looks suitably happy with normal looking families.

For your amusement, here's what I won't be wearing on Saturday night....

 Yes, that is a red taffeta dress with a gigantic red bow on the arse, teamed with tasteful low heels.  And a bubble fringe.  It was 1991.  And from memory we hired this lovely number from a bridal shop for $30.

And that's not my date.  That's my dad.

 This is my date.  Andrew.... otherwise know as Bubs.

Please do not ask me why.

 I looked so impressed with it.

A taffeta explosion!  Oh girls, what were we thinking!

Looking at this picture I had a little flashback.  Phillipa (the girl in white right at the end) lived across the road from our high school and we would go to her house for lunch and watch Dirty Dancing... a lot!  I still know the entire script of that movie!

Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

Oh, Patrick, how we loved you.

Did you go to your high school reunion?  What on earth did you wear? 

What happens when you only half follow a pattern....

Since I am currently obsessed with apples, I just had to give them a try....

And when you kinda make your own adjustments to the pattern, you kinda end up with something that looks like the pattern... in two different sizes!  Hence why I only call myself a 'beginner' still as I clearly have no concept of gauges, or measuring, or following directions of any kind!

Cute though, yes?  I added the little apple pips to the pattern too.



This week I'm grateful for...

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Sonia on Pinterest

Honesty

Creativity

Sharing

Laughter


Beauty

Preparation

Visitors

Be grateful with Maxabella.

Fabric Gush!

Has anyone ever ordered fabric from Spoonflower????

Verdict???

How can I go past this without ordering some?

And it comes in a blue/green too!



My Creative Space... Ta Da!!!!

Way back then I discussed my inspiration....

...found the perfect pattern on The Royal Sisters ...

...and started making all my circles...

180 of them,

with no two the same.

Look at them all on my loungeroom floor...

Glorious, yes???

I started slowing joining them and sewing in all those ends as I went.

My aim - 15 rows, 12 in each.

Progress was a little slow.  Those pesky people I gave birth to kept getting in my way expecting some kind of parenting!

Each row though, made me love it just a litte bit more.

Are you ready for it........

Here she is...
lovingly layed out on Matilda's bed.

Hanging up on the line in the sunshine...

She appears to love it and tells me it's like a 'wainbow'!

I will not lie to you.... this was A LOT of work!  All those circles, sewing in all those ends, joining them all together one by one, realising you have joined an entire row on the wrong side of the rug and have to change your finished dimensions!!!!  Would I do it again???  Maybe if someone paid me!

The finished rug is huge.  It generously covers Matilda's single bed and is also quite weighty.  I wish I had not stuffed up my rows near the end because I think it would have been better with the extra 2 rows in length rather than in width.  I used a cotton blend yarn all brought on special from Spotlight.  Obviously I went through a lot of white - maybe 15 balls in the end.  I still have quite a bit of each of the colours left (I had 2 balls of each) and am in the process of making a matching cushion and some bunting as well.

Obviously I couldn't help myself and attempted to make a new blog header out of it!

What's in your creative space this week?

Presents!

I just had to show the beautiful picture one of my friends gave me for my birthday....

Beautifully covered buttons using Liberty fabrics, created by Mondocherry.

A simple but very cool idea don't you think?!  And of course, it is now hanging beautifully in my sewing room.



Point and Shoot: Birthday Breakfast

Sunday morning, August 14th

We normally never brave eating in public with the small people... the are just too food fussy and it ends up being more trouble than it's worth.  But since it was my birthday and we found a lovely nursery and cafe that had coco pops on their kids menu we decided to risk it!

They look sweet and innocent dont they.....

They totally aren't!!!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I got to spend some of my Sunday shopping at Chadstone on my own as a birthday treat!!!  Loved it!  Came home with a new handbag and a pair of those new Levi jeans designed for women with curves.  I bought the skinny leg version and the mirror in Myer made my arse look great... plus they were also 25% off!  Highly recommended.   I may also have bought several Peanut Butter Lindt balls which I have been sneakily eating all morning because they are tooooooooo good to share!

Play along with Point and Shoot.



The Chinese Laundry

I have rules.  On birthdays I do absolutely no housework.  In fact on lots of days I do absolutely no housework.  And because of that I end up with piles of laundry all over my house.  I rotate two clothes airers over the heating vents, I have a 'fold-ups' chair where clean clothes go to do die, and I have an ironing basket which haunts me every time I walk past it.

In my attempt to fully avoid any housework tomorrow I have turned the fold ups chair into this....

and the ironing basket into this....

(Disclaimer: I only iron my  husbands work shirts.  Everything else gets the 'shake & and fold' workout!)

And what does one watch to pass the time?

or this...



The sad thing is by tomorrow night I will not be able to walk into the laundry for fear of drowning under the mountain of dirty clothes!



This week I'm grateful for...

....finally feeling heaps better.

...having a normal week with the smalls where no-one was sick and missed kinder or school.

...lovely visitors to my blog who leave lovely comments.

...Spirited on Foxtel.  Do yourself a favour and watch it.  My girl crush has totally jumped from Asher to Claudia.

...being able to play netball for the first time in weeks.

...having really good friends.

...finally sewing in ALL of the ends on my blanket......approximately 1400 of them!

...making my own birthday cake (a lion for a Leo, which I will be sharing with my brother who manages to steal my birthday thunder every year by having his day two days before mine and which I was so proud of I attempted to turn into a new header for my blog!!!)

Go forth and be grateful with the lovely Maxabella.

My creative space...

I made these lovely ladies this week from this fabulous pattern! 

Why?  Just because really.  Do you ever feel like that?

And now because I have made one, I feel an overwhelming urge to make several more.

I even managed to make those cute faces myself!

For some reason, mine have ended up looking a little smaller than the ones in the original pattern picture.  Maybe I didn't print it properly.  I think I also need to invest in some good quality felt.  This stuff is from Spotlight and it only costs about $1 per A4 size piece and I dont think it would last very long if a small person actually wanted to play with these ladies.  Also I have just used my sewing machine cotton on those faces.  Should I praps use the proper embroidery type stuff?

Did you notice they are leaning ever so nicely against my new book I won over at The Red Thread?

I've also had a MASSIVE blanket fuck up this week.  Apologies for the language but that is exactly how I feel after all the hard work I've already done.  I was merrily doing my 14th row when it appeared I was somehow a square short.  After searching high and low I did a quick count and realised that I had added an entire row on the wrong side of my blanket!!!!  So, instead of having 12 x 15 rows, I have a nice big square 13 x 13 and some left over - I'm thinking a matching cushion?!

See all those ends up there????  Multiply my 169 squares by 8. 

1352

That's how many ends I have to sew in.  Plus a few extras for when I have run out of a white ball mid round.

Kill me now.  Because I am still not finished.

I have a row to go.  Then the edge.

Then I think I will be sick of the sight of it and want to give the jolly thing away...

Or maybe not.  I spread it out on the carpet every now and then just to get a look at all that circly granny goodness and my heart still zings!  I am hoping it will be ready for the big reveal next week!!!

Other creative peeps hang out over here every Thursday.

Do you like my faces?

I am making a softie - obviously a babushka softie with these three little faces.  The two babies tuck safely into the mumma's tummy pockets!  Cutest pattern ever!!!  My hand sewn faces leave a lot to be desired I think. 

In related face news, I spent 3 hours and $165 at the hairdresser on Saturday... and I look no different than before I went in.  Not Happy, Jan!

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This week I'm grateful for...

After the week I've had I really thought I'd struggle to be grateful this week! 

In actual fact I didn't have to think too much at all in the end.

Grateful for:



 Kss-bombing Nanny for her birthday Darren actually coming home a day earlier than expected (saving him from the impending divorce papers I was tempted to sign whilst sick and dying with sick and dying children too!) Winning a competition and ending up with a book that I've had the wants for Having easy access to doctors and drugs Friends who step up and help out when you are sick and dying on the couch - especially those who bring chocolate and kidnap my (one non-sick) child 

Having the perfect excuse to sit on the couch and work on this baby!  Just two more rows to go...



Grateful people play with Maxabella loves on Saturdays if you feel like joining in.  I think you should go and visit her anyway - she is having a special birthday today!

Winner!

image

I won Lisa's competition over at The Red Thread!  Yay for me - I was in desperate need to be cheered up after the day from hell is turning into the week from hell.  I get to choose between the two books above - I am leaning toward the sewing one although those paper owls are totally sucking me in!

Have you seen Lisa's lovely blog?  I of course am addicted to her Ooshka Babushka's and have made a couple for friends and one for Matilda.

Will do a big show and tell when it arrives!

A blatant bid for sympathy

I am sick.  I have no voice.  I am too sick to even look at the three blocks of Cadbury residing in my fridge.  I am on drugs but they haven't kicked in yet.  I am solo parenting till Friday whilst I feel like dying.  This morning I sobbed uncontrollably whilst making my children's lunches.  I should not have driven them to school, creche and kinder in my current state.  I cried on the kinder teacher's shoulder but could not tell her what was wrong because I have no voice.  On top of everything else, I am also having my period.

I will completely understand if you now wish to run screaming for the hills for fear of catching anything.  And I apologise profusely for mentioning my period.

Run down...

I totally woke up this morning completely washed out.  I could have gone back to bed and slept for a month!  I am certain I am coming down with the flu as I feel sore and achy, my throat is killing me and to top it all off, a shocking case of PMT and an absent husband for the rest of the week!

The only thing cheering me up is looking at this lovely piece of circle-y, granny goodness!  I'm up to row 11 of 15 and I can see the end in sight!



I have been trying to sew in all the ends at the end of each row but on Saturday night I was crocheting up such a storm I kinda forgot to do this.  I'm thinking now that I might just get all those lovely circles attached now and save the ends till the end.  I got a few books out of the library last week too as I'm searching for a good edge to put around this baby.  Any advice on colour (I was just going to use white) or edge pattern would be greatly appreciated.

Hope you are all having a much chirpier Monday than me!



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