Monday, December 17, 2012

Christmas in the making!


Crochet granny covered baubles for teachers gifts


Craftapalooza happening on the dining table!
No eating here folks!


One of the many Christmas skirts I have been making using Anna Maria Horner's
"Bo Peep" pattern.




Yep! Another pillowcase dress, this wee one is for 
my friend's grandaughter (how can one of my lifetime friends be a Grandmother, sheeeesh!!?) 




Sunday, December 9, 2012

Time to wrap the gifts!


First the tissue paper



then the brown paper and wash tape


Some bakers twin, snazzy ribbons, paper doilies and handmade clay tokens (Thanks Miss Muggins
for the idea and link to Christina's tutorial!)

 Voila! Pretty traditional looking Christmas gifts, maybe even looking a little French!


Saturday, December 8, 2012

Let the Baking begin!


Martha kicked the baking off with her gingerbread men and shapes- she always does
a great job in this department!


Then the "Big" one of Christmas baking - the Christmas Cake!
The fruit for this cake soaked for 10 days in brandy and today I baked the cake!
Slowly, slowly, I have enough mixture for 2 cakes! Bonus!  
The aromas were divine and had the family drooling for an early taste - bad luck peoples!
These babies are waiting for Christmas!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Rocking around the christmas tree or trimming the home fo rthe festive season


Shortly after the excitement of Miss M turning 9, we launched headlong into
Christmas!!!


It was kid #2's turn to top the tree.


Shocking picture i know - no matter how much I played around the lighting was just
awful. The new LED lights give a cold glow rather than the old warm ones - still getting used to it.


A traditional red and white theme is happening this year
maybe with a little scandinavia thrown in!


This little corner is always being decorated to fit with the festival, so handy a corner it is!


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Getting ready for Christmas!

Christmas making is going full power over here.
We are going for a more traditional type of Christmas, making
as much as possible ourselves.


here is Martha making paper chains


I made two more pillow case dresses for gifts and used up some
more of the stash! I bought this fabric for $1.99 p/mt from IKEA  6 years 
ago. It's a lovely crisp cotton, meant for home furnishings but worked beautifully 
for clothing - it has been made into painting smocks for school fetes, table cloths, wrap skirts and
now dresses and finally I have exhausted the huge stash of it I had! 


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Home Project : Spiffy up for Christmas

Two years ago you might recall me going on a "white" bender, when I painted sooooo much of our stuff and house white. Well the saga continues and I am still loving white!
My dining room chairs which are antique, where brown with an olive green "leatherette" kind of seat cover - when a previous owner must of given them a make over!


Well after two years the seat covers needed some more help thanks to grubby fingers belonging to my husband's progeny (they are his when they are grubby!)


Thanks to my previous career as a Visual Merchandiser (window dresser) I have recovered many things, so I am a dab hand with a staple gun - even the poor quality one that I currently own. Note to self : do not let Mr G aka Miser Meany buy the staple gun! 


In keeping with my challenge to "reduce the stash", I turned to a very large bolt of red and ivory ticking that I have had for many years - it just never seems to get smaller! 

And ta da! Within an hour I have all six chair seats recovered.

Very nice and fresh I think. 
Good job Miss Prudence, now on with the next job



Monday, December 3, 2012

Happy Birthday Miss M

Beautiful daughter you are now nine.
How fine!


It feels so "yesterday" when I was carrying you in my arms, 
nibbling on your chubby arms and toes, 





How fast the years have flown!


And here you are on the December 1, a beautiful, bright
carefree girl. I love how you look, sound and laugh.
You were the final piece to our family puzzle and 
you bring sunshine to us every day.


So enjoy your rainbow pancakes and pink breakfast.
You have another big year ahead, you'll need your strength!


As you told me last week - Seven was heaven, Eight was great
and Nine will be fine!
Happy Birthday Moo Moo, my little Ladybird,
your mummy loves you to the moon and back!




Friday, November 30, 2012

Sew more of the stash has gone!

Every year I make some of these "pillowcase" dresses, my mum 
loves them as my Nan made them for all of the kids in our family and Nan's mum 
used to make them for her too to go to the beach in (this always makes me smile and 
think of the blog I once read warning reader "never to copy HER design" - it was a 
pillowcase dress! That is like saying you invented the drawstring bag!") 
Anyhow, this year's model is a wee bit more speccie as I have added a swishy big 
frill!!  This one is for Miss M.


Here is Miss M in her new PJ's made from some lovely 
voile I had in the stash. 

Again I added a frill - I am just ruffle crazy at the moment!
Time to invest in a ruffle foot methinks!


The cheapo basic Singer machine is doing ok! 
2013 I think will see me install a newbie though and 
now I just can't imagine sewing without using an 
overlocker. 


Here is Miss Smiley, clearly not into modelling that day!


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Pink theme for beautiful Birthday Girl


On the weekend we celebrated Miss 9's upcoming birthday. 


The theme was pink - a crafters dream!


Most was handmade, homemade!
Table runners, bunting, party bags full of feminine loot!


A 1975 Holly Hobbie cake tin was used for the cake,
tissue paper balls, Cath Kidson party ware...oh so lovely!



Vintage style cupcakes! Remember having these ballerinas gracing 
birthday cakes in the 1970s?




Tea cups!


And a beautiful birthday girl! 

Monday, November 26, 2012

oh my GOD!!!!

I went to post some pics, bu thten i was told i had used all my quota for photos!!!! Has this happe to you ?  Please let me know!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Sewing, sewing, sewing!!

I haven't been sewing for ages. Recently I dug out my overlocker and the very, very basic Singer sewing machine I bought for Martha to play on as my beloved old Janome has been put out to pasture after 20 years of faithful service.  

I didn't really want to, but I have some things to sew for Miss M's upcoming "Pink" birthday party. So I have made an array of pretty pink things and then I looked at my stash.  There is was, bursting out of containers and shelves and I asked myself this very important question that every crafter needs to ask oneself "are you a sewer or a collector of fabric?" 

Good question! So I have decided to be a sewer not a fabric collector and I am sewing. I found some gorgeous fruity prints "waiting for something special" - well it is special time! 
I knocked up a pretty sundress for Miss M using the tried and true "pillow case" style my nan used to make me and her mum used to make her and her sisters to go to the beach in the 1920's. This year's version is spectacular! I added a big frill on the bottom and voila! Gorgeous dress! In fact I have dug out some more fabric to make 2 more like this for upcoming birthdays....Pictures to come of this.

Then I found some lovely navy fabric emblazoned with cherries and blossoms, I found a pattern and made this little button through peasant style frock.  Now with some lovely vintage styled patterned voile I  am making Miss M some lovely cool PJ's - oh I can't stop!!

My camera is out of charge so I will leave you with this pic from my IPhone of the cherry dress - sorry about the quality : )