Hoot hoot

Some lovely mail arrived from the USA today from my too-far-away friend Ellyn including this gorgeous little penguin now taking pride of place in the centre of the Christmas Tree...

Today, we had another self-imposed home day, attempting to re-charge all our batteries before a busy weekend and next week

Pattern: Sis Boom Louey Boxer Shorts

Fabric: Jewel Tones Night Owls - Espresso by Michael Miller

and of course a pair for the baby girl when she gets a bit bigger

Hoot hoot....

I love Sis Boom patterns, they are so detailed, various length/finish options, and you can download, print and start sewing straight away! so far I have the Dana Top (must blog a picture if I can stop wearing it long enough to photograph), Patricia Tunic, Baby Bubble Romper, Sophie Tunic and now the boxer shorts.

We also finished a new skirt for Isabella after her recent growth spurt...

Pattern: Two Little Banshees Half Meter Skirt (with two pleats instead of gathers)

Fabric: Willow Wren by Alexander Henry

I love all the little birds... tweet tweet

The Cat Project

A few weeks ago, I splurged on new cushions for the lounge from Country Road. Everyone loved them... except the cat. Apparently the older (larger and boring) cushions were better for laying on, so every night she would jump up next to me, look at the new cushions then give me a look of distaste, refusing to sit on them. Death stares from a cat... good times.

Luckily the older cushions were still waiting to be dropped off to rubbish, so I pulled one back out and one night Isabella and I got to work.

(As soon as the old cushion reappeared, the furry family member did not leave our side)

Isabella's picture of the cat, which I then transferred to some red and white fabric and appliquéd onto some new dark blue cotton.

The end cushion. Sat on non-stop since it appeared on the lounge, and already been through the wash a couple of times.

The cat is happy again. The death stares have stopped.

Sewing Catch Up

A couple new projects finished this week...

Pattern: Sis Boom Patricia Tunic

Fabric: Lightweight cotton from Pegs Pieces

For me, perfectly sized and light for summer bump covering

Pattern: Sis Boom Carly Bubble Romper

Fabric: Kate Honarvar for Timeless Treasures

For our little miss. I decided to attempt altering the pattern (always a great idea when starting a project at 12pm) instead of making it reversible, I finished the neckline with white binding.

Also, new fabric arrived yesterday from Quilthome, definitely one of my favourite online fabric shops. They offer a $39.95 flat rate shipping (as well as the standard $13.95 flat rate box) where you can ship as much fabric as you like for the one rate. My friend Sarah and I had over 35 yards (including 6 yards of bulky flannel) and two patterns in this box bringing the shipping to just over US$1 a yard. Oh and the Quilthome "Angels" as they are called are always happy to hear we have combined our order to make the most of the shipping rate.

Out of the (two) large boxes, my new stash now has...

For the girls, City Weekend by Oliver & S (bottom four are knits, top two are cottons)

For tops for me (from top) Amy Butler Belle, Amy Butler Love and Anna Marie Horner Little Folks Voile

11 yards of It's a Hoot for the new little Miss' bedding (there is some gorgeous pink damask on it's way that accidentally got left out of the box)

Some "hooty" fabric (according to Liam) and brown dots. The hooty fabric (Jewel Tones Night Owls - Espresso by Michael Miller) has already made it's way into a pair of boxer shorts for Liam, a pair for Bella and a pair for the little Miss. I still have a bit left and contemplating making Dean and I a pair too.. that'd be cute right, all having matching PJs?

Merry Christmas from the Princess and the Monkey

End of Year Concert

Last weekend was Bella & Liam's Daycare End of Year Concert including Bella's graduation since she is headed off to Big School next year.

The Monkey boy doing his dance

Isabella getting her Graduation Certificate. All the kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, there is going to be about 20 football/soccer players, a couple of Mums, one Dad, one Policeman, a few fairies and Isabella... she just wanted to go to big school when she grew up. Good to see she's not planning too far in advance!

Closeup of Isabella's Oliver & S Halter top from back here

Oilcloth Tote

Today in between procrastinating about doing some housework, I decided to pull out some Oilcloth I bought a couple of weeks ago from Spotlight and make a tote bag for one of my neighbours.

The end bag is about 12" x 12" x 3" deep, and while I wasn't 100% sure about the floral oilcloth, once it was matched with a dark navy interior and handles, I *think* it works at not being quite so girlie-girlie.

I have just enough fabric left to make another identical one, which I *may* give to my Mum (if I decide not to keep it). Lucky she doesn't read my blog right?!.

Note: Apparently I am unable to take a picture of anything today without this little face popping into the frame. Lucky he's cute. Of course he is semi-nude, the boy is always missing an article of clothing of some kind while we are at home. You should be grateful at least it was his top off this time, not his pants.

Sis Boom Baby Bubble Romper

We have a new neighbour, a gorgeous little girl born on Saturday. The parents didn't know if she was going to be a girl or a boy, so as soon as I knew I busted open this new pattern I purchased for a reversible Baby Bubble Romper.

Front (check out those little deers!)

Pattern: Sis Boom Baby Bubble Romper (ruffle sleeve option)

Fabric: From Remnant Warehouse

Back

Reverse yellow colour, just as pretty.

I can't wait to make my own baby girl a bunch of these, and the pattern is from premie to 24 months so I think it will be a well used pattern.

Gingko Sling Bag

Pattern: Kristen Doran Designs Sling Bag

Fabric: Ink & Spindle Gingko in Teal & Snow

Using every last centimeter of a 70x50cm piece of I&S Gingko (definitely one of my all time favourite fabrics) with some black quilting fabric (that has very tiny squares on it), a new sling bag using Kristen's pattern whipped up in no time last night.

Of course, even at the late hour it was, I had the silly idea to try and omit the binding from around the openings which involved some unpicking, tweaking, closing my eyes and sewing, but it worked. Tried and tested at the pool this morning with great success.

Speaking of The Marvelous Ms D, at Craft Group last week she mentioned needing a case for her new phone so I offered to make her one. Delving into a fabric pack from Prints Charming to select a colour I *think* suits her with some linen interior, I ended up with this...

Hope she likes it. Merry Christmas Ms D, thanks for your friendship this year.

Felt Necklaces

This afternoon a courier hand delivered to my front door the last of the supplies I needed for Christmas presents. Madly ripping open the box of felt balls, I got straight into making nine necklaces for Isabella to give to her girl friends tomorrow at their end of year graduation from daycare.

1cm & 2cm Felt Balls in "Retro"

1cm & 2cm Felt Balls in "Juicy"

Each bag of 50 balls made 3x necklaces, 2x necklaces with the large balls and seed beads as spacers and 1x necklace with the smaller balls. Isabella will be so excited to see them when she gets home this afternoon and we can wrap them up.

I also grabbed some bags of large balls to make some garlands with, which I'll be digging into this evening.

When good intentions fail...

The Monkey boy caught the train with Daddy into work this morning. After dropping Bella at daycare, I met them in the city to bring Liam home, deciding to pass by The Remnant Warehouse for some plain dark grey fabric.

That's when my good intentions failed... there was a 25% off all fabrics sign out the front. Oh and I had my boy with me who seems to like fabric shopping more than I do, picking out the fabric he likes and just taking it to the counter and asking for some for shorts.

Three fabrics on the left picked by Liam for his shorts

Dark grey fabric in the middle for a project for the Cat. (Yes you read that right, the Cat)

Gorgeous pink and bird fabrics on the right for my girls

These two came down to $3.75 a metre. I bought a "little" bit of the blue one with deers.

Lucky my to do list was getting low, Ive got plenty to keep going now!

Patty Young Maya

Pattern: Patty Young Maya (dress version)

Fabric: Patty Young Mod Blooms and Pink Knit

Already worn and loved. Snatched from the hanger when she saw me taking a photo of it to wear again today.

More Name Tags...

For two little girls starting big school next year

On the 2nd Day of Christmas...

I crossed more off my to do list today...

Fabric: Fat quarter pack of Amy Butler Love fabric and fat quarter pack of Tanya Whelan Darla fabric

Pattern: Trial and error and ended up with my own pattern

Nice big stack of 11 flexi frames for daycare carers for Christmas/Thank Yous. Love these for gifts, so versatile, sunnies/ipod/iphone etc.

Fabric: Patty Young Aqua Knit

Pattern: Oliver & S Hopscotch Top

For Isabella (again). These wear and wash so well and are super quick to make. I use a size 6 but have started adding a bit more length to the pattern for her tops since she seems to have had a mad growth spurt again.

Fabric: Anna Griffin Fiona Blue

Pattern: Burda 9793

I have lost count how many of these shorts I have made for Liam, but they are seriously so quick and easy and he has no problem getting them on and off in the bathroom. The carers at his daycare often compliment him on his groovy (and easy) shorts.

Fabric: Spotlight quilting cotton

Pattern: Oliver & S Puppet Show Shorts (out of print)

For a friend of Isabella's who doesn't like shorts, but for some reason took a liking to a pair of Isabella's using this pattern so I offered to make these up. These are going with her Christmas present and she loves purple so I hope they are a hit!

And a sneak peak at a doona/duvet cover I am working on for the kids for their new bunks. Isabella's is this orange and blue and Liam's is from the same range but red and blue. I finished the front for Isabella's and am 99% finished the front for Liam this afternoon...

Take that Christmas To Do List....

1. Present for Mum = Grocery bag holder using Lumiere De Noel fabric

1. Top for Christmas day for Isabella = Oliver & S Halter Top using Bonnie & Camille Bliss Fresh Scarlet fabric

3. Christmas Activity for the kids = Christmas Tree Stickers from Spotlight (Neat child on left, child who just randomly sticks things anywhere on right)

4. 11 flexi frame/gadget pouches all sewen for daycare carers this morning while we bunker down inside since it's been raining non-stop and we don't own a boat

I still have a few little things to do, but all are waiting for supplies to arrive so I think I'll do some more blocks for some quilts

Name Tag

Update: To the lovely Sarah who commented on this post after a bag tag for her little Riley, could you contact me with an email address?

More off the to do list today including a name tag for my big girls school bag for next year. I used some alphabet beads and coloured spacer beads on some waxed cotton cord then tied it onto a heart zipper pull. Hopefully now she will now be able to tell her bag apart from the other kids easily.

I am still in denial she is going to school, maybe I could keep her home and send the rowdy boy instead? She, of course, is super excited and well and truly ready to start. Monday, we are off to buy her uniform and then we are all ready.

PS. I have PLENTY of beads and string left if anyone would like a name tag. I am fast running out of the zipper pulls, but I have plenty of jump rings to use which can then be thread on a zipper. Just send me an email or comment below and I'd be happy to make one for your little one for Christmas for free to use up my supplies.