handmade dresses. x

Shhhhhhhh can you here them, those cheeky girls of mine?

They're sitting around, many years into the future and they're laughing at me. With love of course. Well I hope so anyway.

'Do you remember those hand made dresses Mum used to make us out of her little scraps of fabric', they'll ask one another. 'Remember how sometimes she got so into her sewing that she forgot to make us dinner til late? Or how her clothes were always covered in over locker threads? Remember when we used to come into the sewing room to ask her a question and she'd warn us not to get burnt on the iron or step on her pins? And how she claimed to be allergic to t'shirts with words on them? Remember how there were always dresses in various stages of completion hanging from coat hangers on hooks all around the house?  And how she was always kntting at school assemblies? Do you remember how she used to snip at the long threads hanging from our hems in public? Or how she never threw any clothes out but chopped them up and made them into new clothes instead? Do you remember the look on her face when we chose to wear her dresses above all the others in our cupboards? Do you remember the photo shoots for her blog!'

I wonder if they'll dress their own little girls in their old mama made dresses I've put away for them, or if they'll only want new.

I wonder if they'll make and sew things themselves.

I wonder what crazy tricks a sewing machine will be able to do by then.

I wonder what they'll do and where they'll be and who they'll be.

I wonder how long this little chicklet will be happy to wear these mixy-matchy-patchy dresses I create.

I certainly love making them for her.

Do you think your kids will giggle about your ways one day?
What do you think they'll say?

I hope you have the most gorgeous weekend.
Have you got anything exciting planned?
I'm hoping to be very productive and get a big chunk crossed off my list.
Fingers crossed.

Ciao. x

This time.

Yesterday afternoon, just after I made this dress and took these photos, we got a call about a bushfire that was burning seven kilometers away and threatening to head in our direction.

All of a sudden the last three years and one day disappeared and I felt exactly like I did last time we had a bushfire here. And then I looked around and realised everything was the same. This time, like last time, I had a pot of jam on the stove and lots of fruit in crates all over the floor. This time, like last time, I knew I had to get the washing off the line immediately so Bren could start the fire sprinklers. This time, like last time, I looked around at our home completely surrounded by forest and wondered who in their right mind would live somewhere like this? This time, like last time, I grabbed long clothes, sensible shoes, computers, cameras, chargers and baskets of crochet and kissed Bren goodbye and drove off to get the girls from school. This time, like last time, there was the familiar look of panic in some people's faces, the oblivious couples sipping wine outside cafes, the sound of sirens from every direction and the looooooooong queues at the petrol station. This time like last time I bought strange and random things from the petrol station after filling up. And this time like last time I tried to stay calm while answering a bazillion little kid questions while keeping an ear on the fire wireless and an eye on the CFA website.

BUT last time I didn't write a blog, I wasn't on the twitter or instagram or ravelry.

This time my afternoon was filled with emails and texts and tweets and ravmails and instagram messages. It sounds mushy but this time I totally felt comfort in my part of the online community. People were watching and cared.

I often wonder about my need to write a blog. I wonder why I feel the need to write about what I make and think rather than just going about my business of doing it.

Yesterday reminded me of the social in social media. Of the community. Of the feeling that we are all in this together.

Thank you.

Luckily yesterday's fire was contained after a few hours. In the heat and gusty winds of the next few days we are crossing our fingers and wishing for a safe and boring weekend.

Who would have ever thought safe and boring sounded so good?

So have you had a moment when you felt the social in social media? The community in the online community?
Do you find it comforting?
Do you remember why you blog?

Do you like my new dress? I made it from a piece of fabric Michelle sent me and some vintage lace scraps I hoard. After I finished it and tried it on I discovered it is see-through but luckily it fits and looks good with a black slip underneath.

Have a safe and boring weekend out there.

Bye! xx

Crocheting up my scraps.

The problem.

The problem with my plan to crochet a queen sized granny blanket that uses up all my straggly half balls of yarn, is that I'm about a quarter of the way through and I've already finished the good colours.

My intention was to neaten up my stash. But in the process I've used up all the brights and all that's left is the greens, pinks and blues. Don't get me wrong, I do like those colours a lot, but the blanket is starting to look a bit flat, and that is not the random, stripey look I was going for.

The solution.

So I went out and bought some more wool.

And then I had to buy a new/old basket to put it all in.

Of course.

So now I am all sorted.

I wonder if I'll have to crochet a use up all my scraps blanket to use up all my scraps from this use up all my scraps blanket when I've finished it. Get it? Good.

So, I'm wondering, what do you do with all your woolly/fabric/paper/haberdashery scraps?
Do you have a special basket/bag/box/drawer?
Do you devise special plans/projects to use them all up?
Do you give them away? Hoard them? Check them out?
Do you love the look of a wool filled basket as much as I do?

See ya later hot potata! x

For Indi...just because...

Because the sheet I need for the quilt backing is still in the washing machine.

Because I have a gazillion things to sew for the caravan and this is not one of them.

Because Miss Pepper is playing quietly alone in the other room.

Because I am the queen of procrastination.

Because the scraps in my bin looked way too cute to chuck out.

Because I haven't made you a pillow case or doona cover yet and you haven't complained.

Because I hate the vampire t'shirt you currently uses as a hottie cover.

Because I made one recently for The Hottie Challenge and still had the pattern.

Because it often feels like I have no idea when it comes to the parenting of a 10 year old girl.

Because you let me hold your hand all the way to school today.

Because life sometimes looks complicated for a ten year old girl.

Because I adore you and think you are so ace!

I hope you like it. x

And my super duper brooch package arrived.

Aren't I a lucky duck!

Thanks Flaming Nora!

Thanks Susie.

See ya later hot potata! x

Twirling.

I've just gotten back from a whirl wind, 26 hour trip to Melbourne. I had a ball catching up with lots of crafty bloggy girlies, walking the city streets, hanging out with the parentals and drinking lots of great coffee.

Before I go and get changed into my Farmer Kate clothes I thought you might like to see the new skirt I made last Thursday.

I made it from some of the fabric scraps Michelle sent me. I didn't have enough of either the grey or the red to make an entire skirt so I mixed and matched. Like the red skirt it has a zipper fastener, a lined facing, three layers and a couple of darts.

It is very full, almost tutu like and pretty short and boy is it fun to wear. After my Mum and a couple of my bossy sisters assured me that I am not too old to wear such a skirt I decided to make some more and wear them often.

This skirt makes me feel happy and twirly and dancy.

It doesn't make me want to stack wood, or comb lice out of hair, or deal with crate loads of apples and pears and persimmons, or make dinner and play Uno though, so I'd better go and get changed. Jeans and a hoodie here I come.

Have fun y'all.

10 things about pants.

1) I wear pants every day. I always wear a dress or skirt over the top though to cover my bum. Sometimes I wear tights but I don't love tights because they remind me of the itchy ones I used to have to wear to school.

2) I hate trying on pants in shops. I don't even look at pants in shops. The pants that end up living in my wardrobe/floordrobe have been handed down to me, I have had for ever and ever or are one of the two pairs of jeans I have bought in the last five years.

3) The other day a man popped in to buy eggs. It was the weekend and I was home alone with the girls and I went out to the cool room in the shed and got him his eggs. Later on I was told that I had a big hole in the bum of my jammie pants and he would have seen that I had black knickers on.

4) My sewing idol and friend Kath says that her favourite thing to sew is pants.

5) I dress my girls (well the ones that let me choose their clothes) in pants and skirts and dresses every day. I love this look on kids and it is so practical too.

6) I made these pants this morning to use up some of the smaller scraps in my basket and to try to make some bottoms as fun as the tops and dresses I've been sewing. I think they'd look great with a dress over the top. Something colourful or even a denim pini.

7) I don't like any of the words that mean pants. I don't like the word trousers, or slacks or pantaloons or bottoms.

8) I will never make or buy a pair of day time pants without a pocket or something on the bum. Except leggings. Leggings are ok without bum pockets. But whatever you do, please don't get me started on jeggings.

9) Part of the reason for making these pants today was to use up some of the smaller pieces of Michelle's scraps. Check out her blog to see what she made from the fabric before it became my scraps.

10) I loved making these pants but the fit was a bit of a question mark. I have made lots of dresses and skirts and can pretty easily work out how to size them, but pants are a bit of an unknown. In the end I made some and had to wait until the girls got home from school to see who they fitted. Jazzy! Size 6/7.

I hope you've got some fancy pants to wear this weekend and somewhere fun to wear them to.

See ya. ♥♥♥♥

ps. They're in my shop.

pp. 10 beanie things here.

Shallow.

I had a bit of an emotionally full on morning this morning.

Well, actually this story begins when a friend of mine was having an emotionally full on morning this morning. My part of it came when I got her baby to look after for a couple of hours.

Usually these days when I am lucky enough to hold someone else's baby it involves lots of sitting around and cuddling and drinking tea. Not this time though. This time we were at bush kinder and so there was lots of walking and sitting and climbing and dancing.

Miss Pepper didn't mind sharing me at all. In fact watching how independant and grown up my baby is was an enormous emotional moment in itself.

And then there was this baby. There was the juggling of my bags, the ache in my shoulder after a while, the entertaining her and letting her pull at me and chew my hair, the smell of her...you get the picture. It was all so familiar and delicious and yet for me it is all gone.

Eventually her Mama came to take her off me. Eventually I let go. And then, thank goodness, Miss Pepper came and grabbed my hand and we skipped up the road.

Are you ok? My Farmer Boy asked me at lunch when I told him of my morning. I think I probably could have crumbled into a messy heap right now I replied, but I have just picked up two packages from the post office this morning and so I'm ok.

I think I'm a bit shallow like that.

Package one was crammed full of Michelle's fabric scraps. Eeeeeeep!!! Lucky me and thank you so much Michelle. One woman's scraps are definitely another woman's treasures.

I realised that I know nothing about fabric though when Michelle wrote that she is particularly excited to see what I am going to make with the voile. Hmmmm which one exactly is the voile?? I must say that I'm particularly excited to have some of the denim apple fabric Michelle once made herself a gorgeous skirt out of.

Package two was three bundles of wool from Kate. Some delicious greeny wool she dyed up for me and some of her gorgeous blue sock wool. Thanks Kate, I love, love, love them.

So you see I'm ok. I have gorgeous new bits and pieces to play with, the sun is out, my washing is drying on the line and my grape jelly is bubbling away on the stove.

Deep breath...

Ciao, ciao. XX

Their scrappy space! (How to Solvy)

A few days ago I was trying to get some sewing done and my girls were playing on the floor behind me, rummaging around in my rubbish bin and my scraps drawer. They wanted me to sew this and pin that and I wanted them to be a bit more self sufficient.

Then I had a brain wave!

Last year at a craft night at Jodie's house, she gave me a packet of this stuff called Solvy. I vaguely remember her talking about it being some sort of water soluble stabiliser, but couldn't remember the exact details. After a bit of googling around they (we) got to work.

We laid out a strip of Solvy on the carpet and then they rummaged around and covered it with scraps of all shapes and sizes. They tried to make sure that each bit was touching another bit, and that there weren't many gaps.

Then they laid another bit of Solvy on top and made a sandwich.

At this stage we pinned and pinned and pinned the layers together.

And then I lowered the feed dogs on Nina Bernina and sewed and stitched and doodled and drew all over every bit of the length. They stood behind me telling me what to draw...a spiral...a flower...my name...

Then they took the stitched length to the sink where they washed it. At this stage the Solvy became jelly like and then dissolved like magic. They helped it along a bit in the beginning with a paint brush but soon realised they didn't have to be so gentle. Then they squished and wrung the water onto every bit.

And then we hung it on the line to dry.

And admired their art work.

This gorgeous scarf was made entirely from scraps!

It has been worn non stop since it was dry.

We have two more in various stages of completion and a couple of orders from teachers.

This is such a great kiddy craft activity. I highly recommend it.

What's going on in your space today?

I hope your day is a happy, scrappy one!

My creative space.

For this week's creative space I considered giving you a tour through the jumble of half made projects that are currently sitting on and around my sewing table, but I think that will only make me feel bad. It seems these days if I don't start and finish a project in the same sitting, then it gets left behind in the rush to start the new thing.

So I have decided to show you the rubbish bin that sits next to my sewing table instead.

I know, exciting huh!

The truth is though that I give this bin and its contents a lot of creative thought.

What goes in the bin?

How small does a scrap have to be to be unusable? To me? To a smaller creative person?

Broken needles and over locker threads are rubbish for sure, but what about empty cotton spools, selvages and bits of sewing that didn't turn out right?

The other thing is that often I judge what sort of week I've had by how full my rubbish bin is.

I try to empty my bin once a week on a Thursday. If I get to emptying day and there isn't much rubbish in the bin, it probably means I haven't sewn much that week. But if by Thursday the bin is full, then the world must have been kind to me and given me a few sewing opportunities.

And finally, when I'm walking with my bin to the outside bin to empty it of its contents, I like to reminisce over all the different bits of fabric and the projects they became or will hopefully become.

To check out some actual creating head on over to Kirsty's.

And big thanks to Gypsy for the gorgeous background fabric.

My creative space.

Just outside our bathroom window there is a wisteria bush that has been doing the autumnal thing and changing colours from green to red to orange and now yellow. I look at the wisteria each time I visit the bathroom. I notice the colours of the leaves and their shapes, and I think about how the willowy fronds would make a great basket.

But I am usually in a hurry to get out of the bathroom and I forget about the wisteria as soon as I leave the room.

But yesterday afternoon when Pepper was in the bath I decided it was time to capture the beauty of the bush before it loses its leaves.

I got some textas and some paper and drew it.

Then when I'd drawn enough, I cut the shapes from scraps of the tablecloth dress.

Not wanting to lose the leaf shapes I had cut out, I stuck them onto a pair of half made pants I had in my sewing pile.

Then I stitched a few of the leaves in place.

Blue and brown is a new colour combination for me and I love it.

When I get a spare moment I'll stitch the rest of the leaves on, then I'll sew a waistband casing, thread in some elastic, hem the bottoms and maybe add a frill.

Don't you love it when inspiration comes from somewhere unexpected and takes you on a new direction?

Check out the other creative spaces over at Kirsty's.

My creative space.

My creative space this week, like last week, is all about cooler weather wardrobes for my girls.

I am in the middle of making the Uptown Girl jacket from Make it Perfect.

Mostly I make up my own patterns as I go along, but this week with all the pin cushion stuff going on I needed to be told what to do.

The pattern is for a reversible jacket and so far I have made the front and the back twice, one plain and one patterned. Next to come are the sleeves and hood and then sewing it all together.

If all goes to plan, I'll crochet a trim for the plain cord side. Something that goes up one side, around the hood and down the other side.

For someone who doesn't really like sewing from a pattern, this is a great one and I highly recommend it so far. It even has made me giggle with descriptions of pattern pieces like front bottom and back bottom!

And then there are the gorgeous scraps.

Sometimes its just so hard to chuck them out.

To check out today's other creative spaces, click on over to Kirsty's.