Sewing for the Kiddies

Hi all :) i'm sorry i haven't posted all that often recently - the truth is i am stressed for two reasons. One: my life is hectic, all. the. time. Sometimes i think that surely there will be some point where it all evens out and things are just normal...but i think it's a myth haha. I have been madly preparing for my son's party which is in 3 days [ARGH!] and my husband's birthday is also next week + father's day in 4 days and i have been working and family drama! Sigh. And then there's still the health side. I was completely 100% fine with it all until about mid this morning when i found out from the hospital that they would be giving me my test results on Friday...i know i should be relieved but it's brought up some really weird emotions...Sigh...again hehe.

BUT i have been doing some sewing...

Remember i mentioned quite a while back that my kids broke the bottom window of their bedroom door within the first week of moving into our new house? Hmmm maybe i forgot to mention it...either way they did and i have been meaning to make a curtain [i'm not replacing the glass because they will just break it again and again + it's not safe to have glass in a door near my kids]...so i made one! Don't you love the fabrics - most of which i purchased from Brenda of [Pink Castle Fabrics].

Today i also felt very motivated and made up all the party favor bags for the weekend. A big thanks to Sal of [Fat Quarters and Bobbins] who allowed me to borrow her overlocker when mine packed up over the weekend! You're the best :)

On top of letting me borrow her overlocker, Sally also came over for a Birthday sewing evening to help me out with these flags...Sally went above and beyond the call of duty by babysitting my daughter after i got a last minute call to go to the hospital for my Nanna - she cut out all the flags while i was gone, did my dishes and fed my child....one word...LEGEND! Once i got home we spent the remainder of the evening sewing the flags and tonight mum is coming over to help me turn them out, iron them and make them into a couple of super long buntings :)

i have also nearly finished hand quilting my dad's flannel Gradpa Quilt just in time for Father's Day!

Chances are that between now and the party i probably wont have much time to post [between sewing, decorating, collecting hay bales and the like hehe] but i promise to give a full account of the event soon after!

Sew Frustrating!

Last night i decided that it was imperative that i piece the backing of the flannel 'Grandpa Quilt' that i've got planned to give to my dad for father's day because i need to get started on the hand quilting seeing as father's day is less than 2 weeks away.

My plan was to use up the heaps [what i thought was heaps!] of scraps and it would be more than enough for the quilt back and even the binding too...i was wrong hehe. I only had enough for 3/4 of the backing at the most so once i realised that i just wouldn't have enough i decided to turn the smaller left overs into binding...

...So now i will need to wait until tomorrow until i can make it to the LQS to purchase some more flannel and then probably won't get to hand quilting until Saturday!!! *SiGh* Oh and i still have my son's birthday quilt to finish before his birthday which is 2 days before Father's day! ARGH!!!

Thinking productive thoughts!!

MMQG Retreat Weekend!!!

Last weekend was [finally!] retreat weekend and on Friday morning i couldn't help but get up super early to get ready to leave! Mum picked me up at 9 and after a lovely breakfast and a quick last minute stop at spotlight [for some supplies!] we headed onto Daylesford.

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on the way [and the way back actually!] we stopped here at [Mill Rose Cottage] in Ballan and i loved the range of fabric and gorgeous books that i found there. I picked up a little bit of fabric, including some Liberty for my octagon quilt. We also had a bite to eat in the adjoining cafe and the food was delicious!

After that we headed up to the retreat where we met the ladies and had a snack and a rest out on the balcony for a while before setting up the machines to begin sewing.

I must admit that the first half day/evening was not the most productive for me. I only managed to complete this spiderweb block for a friend...

...those buggers take a while!!! We had yummy pasta that Jos had made and then after dinner i made up one fan for my Gypsy Kisses quilt and then had a nice long soak in a bath before heading off to bed.

The next morning was much more productive for me - i spent the time cutting up the fabric for my Robot UFO Quilt. It took what seemed like forever! Then we decided to head into Daylesford for some shopping...

We stopped in at [Lark] and i absolutely adored everything about it...

...i now have been inspired to make one of these gorgeous little crochet garlands!

...everything was completely my style and i picked up a few item's for Brooklyn's Birthday party too...

After returning to the house i put together the Robot Quilt top and am very proud of it....

I collected some fabric for the borders on the way home and plan to have it finished by my son's birthday on the 2nd of September.

I also spent the night finishing up my dad's Grandpa Quilt that i had started a while back...

i also plan to have this one finished by father's day on the 4th of September...hand quilted and all! The backing will also be made up of all the flannel scraps [seeing as i don't think i will have any other use for them] and hand quilted using Perle thread.

On the Sunday morning i managed to complete the 52 paper pieced points for the stars of my T'was the Night Before Christmas quilt [for which the hand embroidery had been completed 2 christmas' ago!] and in between breakfast, lunch, showers and packing up managed to construct 3 of the 13.

All in all i found it to be a productive weekend and i had so much fun spending the time with both my mum and all the other wonderful ladies and friends! I can't wait for the next one - i will definitely be the first to sign up!

My Mum's Toilet - the debate continues!

After reading all the responses to my mum's [toilet tile pattern giveaway] i felt comfort knowing that i was not alone! For those who have no idea what i am talking about, i offered a prize to the person who could figure out the repeat in my mum's toilet tiling [because it haunts me at night and i'm loosing sleep over it!!!]...Mum, by the way, is just astonished by the amount of interest in her toilet tiles hehe.

There were a lot of great and truly dedicated responses but i am not 100% sold on any yet and decided that it required a wider shot which captured a larger tiled area...

So here are 3 great shots of both the toilet and laundry tiled areas...if you can see the pattern comment below - a cute hexie pouch is still on offer here! The two participants that i think are the closest so far are [Jenny] and [Mary-Anne] but you will need to prove your case on the larger photos to have me convinced :)

By the way i also saw similar tiles at a place a visit occasionally and am going to take a happy snap of them next too...hmmmmmmm tiles on the brain haha

How much, is too much?!

I am very excited because tomorrow morning i am off to my Craft Retreat with the [Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild] - YeS it is FiNaLLy here!!! YaY!!!

So i have officially packed this morning, and as i look at it all stacked up i am thinking to myself....have i packed too much?

[and yes i know i have packed so much that i couldn't even fit it all in the shot! hehe]

In my defense, this is all the clothing i have packed...

My justification is that i like to have a lot of choice and the two bottom boxes are just fabric because i am working on something scrappy so i need options lol...two whole boxes full. Then i have a heap of UFOs - robot quilt, aqua and red wonky stars, DS drunkards path, Grandpa Quilt, twas the night before Christmas quilt, gypsy kisses and crazy bento quilt...i like to have options haha. Most of them just need the tops done and some are all already cut so i don't anticipate that they will take long to assemble as well as some that are already half way there so they shouldn't take long either!

I have also packed some hand hexie sewing and some fabric to make Brookie's birthday bunting so i can cut it out while watching movies or on the way up there :) i plan to be super productive and not waste time because i have obviously got a lot that i'd like to get through!!!

I have scheduled a post relating to my mum's [toilet tiles giveaway] to go live sometime over the weekend so stay tuned!!

Party Preparations....

In less than a month my little man will officially be turning into a 'BiG BoY'!!! It's his fifth birthday...which he's been talking about for over the past 12 months - yes since before he turned 4!

Seeing as this birthday is such a big deal to him, we are throwing him an extra special birthday party at our new house and inviting all of our family and friends. Now, i enjoy putting on a good party....well lets face it, everyone knows i tend to go a little overboard [hehe] and why should this birthday be any different?! I have some very grand plans and it all starts with decoration so this morning [on my first day in a whole week of days off - eeekkkk!!!] i headed down to spotlight to pick up some supplies...

...doesn't my trolley look fabulous?!?!?! These will be an extremely long bunting that will cover the entire backyard...[told you i like to dream big!]

And last night i also learnt how to make these origami balloons using this [tutorial]....these will also be strung across the backyard as well as some of these....

which i purchased from [here] and i also purchased some plain white and aqua ones too...

and i am also learning to make tissue paper pom poms using this [tutorial] from Martha Stewart!

Do i sound a little bit like a kids at Christmas?!?! I just enjoy it soooo much! I just love to have the place looking like something out of a fairytale. As for the food, i haven't really begun thinking much about it yet but there will definitely be some mustache shaped cookies on sticks, chocolate crackles, fairy bread...and possibly some food that isn't packed with sugar haha.

As for the adults, i saw [these] which look really awesome...

and sooo easy too make too and [these]...

Mojito Popsicles!!!!

I am definitely looking forward to getting started on all the preparations and i have some fabulous friends who are always ready to lend a hand too :)

Project Re-style - on a budget!!!

Okay so for a long time i have wanted to give myself a complete style makeover. As some of you may have experienced, when you have children, it's difficult...well actually it's just about iMPoSSibLe...to get up in the morning and have time to dress the kids, hair, teeth, food, bags and out the door as well as worry about how you look in the mirror too! Now that my kids are a little older i think i deserve some 'me styling time'!

My re-style is going to include the whole shebang - hair, clothing, make-up...the works :) and i'm going to try and do it all on a very tight budget [for the most part unless, i might splurge just once or twice ;) hehe] over an undefined period of time [although i supposed it will be ongoing right?!]. Oh and i will of course share some budget styling tips to you all along the way!!! I plan to try every avenue of restyling - DIY, second hand etc etc.

So to start, i thought i would find some inspiration...

This is [Promise Tangeman]....how cool is she!!! I love her hair especially!

This is [Silje] from [little bird crafts] - no words needed

i am also very inspired by [Red Velvet]...love that outfit!

...and this bike - i can't ride yet, but she WiLL be mine!!!

and then i thought i would try and think of some things that a really great about me...

............................................

....just kidding!

I have super long hair that i have been growing for the better part of about 6 years and it's finally getting to the length that i was looking for [6 years ago!!!]

I am petite which is nice [and will mean that any clothing i make for myself will use less fabric making it even more cost effective!!! Whoop whoop!! hehe].

I am crafty [duh] so i should be able to transform some vintage finds, and even make myself some new clothing - something i have feared doing! Oh and i can make my own jewlery so thats a +

  

So where am i starting?...

My favourite colours are red and mustard, but i don't own any clothing in those colours! So i'm going to try and expand on that as well as...

by making myself this super cute vintage skirt using this [tutorial] by [Noodlehead]

AND

a supper dooper expensive hair cut hehe....once i get some $$$$!

Oh and i am totally buying this [dress]...

...and teaming it with some cute vintage mustard coloured shoes for a ball we are going to in October!

So what will my new style be?! I think it will be a mix of vintage and modern with a lot of me thrown in :)

I'm here :)

Hi everyone! I'm sorry i haven't posted! I have been in a little bit of pain so haven't been able to post as much as i'd like to :( but i have done some hand sewing because i doesn't require much movement which is great!

I've made these hexies for a mixer cover for my mum...which i promised to her for mothers day hehe better later than never...

[pardon the TeRRibLe photos btw] and i also started these DS hexies to make a pocket tissue pouch, just because :)

i am feeling better today [so far] so i am going to finish off a gift for a friend and also try and get some of the actual mixer cover going so that once the hexie flowers are done i can just attach them and it'll be finished! I also want to start on my travelling hexie kit but i know that i probably wont get the time :(

I know i haven't gotten back to everyone about my mum's [toilet tiles competition] but that's because i am going to mum's place tonight so will be taking a wider shot of the tiles - that way it will be easier for me to see if people are correct or not! So stay tuned!

Oh and did i mention that i received my scan appointment?! One week from tomorrow! But i still haven't received the time for my clinic appointment...so there'll be more waiting after that...*SiGh!* The positive is that i now have ALL next week off! YaY! My son has an appointment on Monday, my scan on Wednesday and ReTReaT on Friday! It was easier to just take the whole week off - which means.....SeWiNg TimE!! YaY!!!

Octies and Windows...

So i have officially finished my travelling hexie kit hexies! YAY!

Now i just need to find the time to actually make the kit - but first i need to decide the layout of the inside so i'm going to try and sketch it out over the weekend. Hopefully i'll have it done by Monday - i promise to post pictures for you all to see!! And possibly a tutorial if i can find the time [no promises though!].

So now i need to think about what my next train project will be...i was already thinking something different from hexies [i'm nearly all hexied out!!!] so i contacted Jo from [Possom Blossom Patchwork] who i buy ALL my papers from [cause she's totally awesome and so reasonably priced, and quick!!] and it turns out she is able to pre-cut me some 1" octagons for this project...

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Doesn't it look great?!?! I always love something a little different! I'm not quite sure which fabrics i'd like to use yet so am going to search the internet today...even though i wont actually have the money to buy anything until pay day :(

I am also planning on starting a cathedral window quilt...

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probably not with a grey background but doesn't that just look marvellous? I think i will keep a traditional white background [mainly because it is much cheaper than anything else and i'm going to need a bolt of it!!] and be using Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks Voiles for the windows...

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What do you think? I have decided that i will be joining the background squares together with a machine but folding down the sides of the windows and sewing them by hand...so there's another hand sewing project to keep me busy too!

Emotion Overload!!!!!!

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So i had a pretty full on weekend - it started really great with the sewing night and a heap of sewing on Saturday which i was pretty darn pleased about. But then on Sunday i woke up and things weren't right [i won't go into too much disgusting detail haha - just trust me] so i took myself off to the hospital because i knew it was something that really couldn't wait until Monday.

I waited for a couple of hours to be seen which was a little draining but i definitely made the best of it by sewing up 3 more rows of hexies for my travelling hexie kit! Look at how much i've done now...

Only 4 rows to go and then it'll be ready for creation! YAY!

...anyhoo, sorry i got side tracked! After all the waiting i had some tests and turns out i have been referred to see a renal doctor to find out if i have inherited 'polycystic kidney disease' from my dad. Not great. And to top it off, the doctor didn't try and reassure me that it probably wasn't...he was lovely but quite straightforward in saying that the % is quite high...SiGh!!!

So now it's a waiting game and it is driving me iNSaNe!!!! I have to wait for my CT IVP appointment to come in the mail and then i need to wait until i see the doctor until i can even find out - which could be 2 weeks away!!! On Sunday i was fine, probably even in denial, yesterday i was going crazy [i even needed to come home from work to sleep off my insanity] and today i am a little more back to normal but it's always in the back of my mind.

The disease is genetic, and runs in my family and my dad had his transplant about 3 years ago. It's about a 50% chance that i have the gene and 100% chance that i'll actually get it if i have the gene. The doctor can't really think of any other reason why someone as young, fit and healthy as me would display the symptoms that i have over the weekend. So that's been stuck in my head ever since! ARGH!

I don't exactly know why i'm blogging about this, but i think it will make me feel better to just get it out - i'm scared! Petrified even! The thought of having to sit on a dialysis machine constantly scared the s^%# out of me and even worse, what if i passed the gene to my kids?! Or if i have to have a transplant?! Or if i eventually die from it?! I just really want to know the yes or no answer so i can go on with my life!

But...

In saying all of this, i am trying to see the positives - more sewing time [all the waiting is good for something!] and i haven't had to take the stairs for 2 days!! How awesome is that?!?! I like all this ordered resting :)...that's all i've got so far haha - feel free to contribute any positives you might see to make me feel better haha!!!!

Oh and did i mention i did my tax return today and i might actually have some $$ to take away with me on the retreat if all goes to plan?! That's definitely put me in a better mood too :)

I'm off now to take my mind off things with some more hexie sewing, some cooking and a good chick flick!