Tickly Tag Toys

Who's that peaking out from inside my crochet bag?

One of three new friends for my little treasures.

The remnants of the skirt I sewed for myself were begging me to make a few things for my new tribe of three little girls. They were inspired by other toys I've seen around and also my little Eee's love of all things tickly. She tickles her nose and lips with any tag she can find although her teddy (with his shaggy, taggy tail) is her favourite friend.

The taggy friends are in great use as ticklers and in playing games of hide'n'seek.

Sewing for Me

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

Using fabric from the lovely Mezzanine Collection designed by Patty Young for Michael Miller I have managed to find time to sew something for myself this special Spring of mine. It is actually a practise run of this pattern which I plan to use for some other fabric I've been admiring for a long while. Perhaps that one might be finished by Christmas...we'll see.

I've been called 'the pink lady' more than once and I do love pink, along with my girls. What hope did they have but to fall in love with pink. It is almost the only colour they see, they are dressed in it so often. However this is the only patterned pink skirt I own. I do have a very old bright pink skirt but lately I've been wearing black and white, as well as a blue and white skirt most often. When it happens to be cool enough to wear skirts. It's still been very, very cool down here. As I speak however, we are heating up for a week of temperatures reaching 30degC and above so lots of lovely skirt wearing will be happening this week for me and my girls. They'll be pleased to finally be allowed to wear their skirts and dresses without shirts underneath them to keep them warm.

And because we are moving and I am trying to ensure our storage solutions for toys etc. are adequate, I have sewn a drawstring bag to hold our wooden alphabet puzzle. I am very happy with the way it has turned out, the little tiny stitches on the alphabet letters adding to the bubbly fabric. I enjoyed the few minutes I had to sit down quietly, resting, healing and allowing my fingers to stitch tiny stiches again. Remember these!

Water Bottle Carriers

I have been completing and commencing numerous sewing projects. I am attributing this to the lovely nesting phase I am now in. Although it is curious that I am organising things around our home to make life easier for us now, rather than really making anything for the new baby.

However I know these new water bottle carriers will make life so much easier for me when my arms become full with baby again - even though I use my sling with my little ones all the time. I have already found it so handy to be able to whip my water bottle over my shoulder to carry it out and about. The girls are also more keen to carry their own bottles. They did so previously, however there have been some drops and some ensuing dents in their stainless steel water bottles so the carriers work wonders for them also.

I really am so very pleased with these and my design of them, they have turned out just as I intended. So very happy :)

And of course there is one for my Generous Gentleman as well. He really enjoys using it which I am super stoked about as it is not often that I am able to sew anything specifically for him. I particularly like the way his has turned out and am really glad I saved that lovely Haigh's ribbon as it sets his off beautifully. Yes I was even allowed to decorate his slightly... so so pleased.

There are many other projects coming to completion in our home - some spring skirt making, cushion covers, bag holders, repurposing face washers for use in the laundry with some stitching and velcro, storage bag making, beach bag making, crochet ripple blanket commencement. Indeed I have been spending more time 'doing' than sitting and reading and writing about them. So let's wait and see how many I get to write about here.

Furthermore I am wondering how many more will actually reach completion with only about 10 or 11 days until our new birth day.

The Cutest Little Chef

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.

There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff

These little eyes are keenly watching her Daddy as he prepares a full cooked breakfast for us all on the weekend. You see he really truly is a very Generous Gentleman. I get to sit down nursing my growing bump while he prepares food and...wait for it...cleans up the greasy mess afterwards. I know, I am truly blessed.

I know she is learning so much as she perches herself on her pink stool by her pink Daddy in her pink pajamas with her pink apron and her pink chef's hat perched upon her head.

I know one day she'll be keen to be preparing meals for her loved ones also. She's also been known to don her apron and hat to assist us with pizza making at lunch time. Ah bliss, me and my growing girls preparing our lunch together. It's what I always dreamed of, although it is perhaps a little more challenging that my dreams would have had me believe in my younger years.

I made this little outfit for my little pink three year old for her birthday. Well that was the intention at least. Halfway through stitching it I sent my machine off for a service which lasted longer than I'd hoped. The sewing machine needed more repairs than planned as it is a 20 year old Pfaff machine, made in Germany, which the technician convinced me would be better off being repaired than my buying a new computerised one made in China. I agreed. And I love it...all over again...it is like new!!

So it is a little late in coming, but that doesn't matter does it!

My source: Kid's Apron and Chef Hat

Two Warm Woollen Hats Completed

Do you remember way back when I was making preparations for a warm woollen hat or two? Actually in finding this link I've discovered it was only just over a month ago, so I'm not doing too badly. They are now complete! My motivation has been the fact that this month is the last of winter. August is often our coldest month so I thought my lassies would enjoy being able to keep their heads warm. It appears to be working as once the hat is on, it doesn't seem to come off toooo easily. It really does keep little heads very cosy.

Ess particularly enjoys keeping her head warm. Although she does not like having her photo taken, as usual. Even when I try to snap a shot or two while she's playing the penny whistle.

The embroidery you saw me working on recently is now complete and very prettily adorning this pair of sweet bonnets.

Little Eee very much enjoyed playing model for me while I snapped away happily and we now have some delightful shots of a little sweetie wearing her new bonnet.

My result is quite different from the White Melton Hat in Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More. It is much more romantic and feminine yet still worn by my girls in a very carefree manner.

Wool Embroidery

Needlepoint: the delicious art of filling in holes with wool.

~Carole Berman and Jennifer Lazarus

The winds of motivation were sent to me recently from the warm summer days of southern Germany. The winds took a little while to arrive, yet today I have noticed that motivation has come. The day has been a little warmer, warm enough to sit in our front room, usually chilled by cold winds blowing down the hill. As I sat with my children, watching them play, and joining in on occasion, I noticed those warm woollen hats sitting partly made ready to be embellished with a little more wool embroidery.

At the same time I went through my stash of fabric to find some pieces for other projects I have been inspired to commence for little Eee's birthday at the end of next month. I have completed a number of things which have been waiting for me since my lack of creativity during my first trimester and also our first term of homeschooling. Such a sense of satisfaction I feel. I just hope that my surge of motivation doesn't leave me with too many more unfinished projects.

It has been nice however, to sit in the sun this morning looking out over to the hills with my hand to stitching while my girls play together. Sometimes I like to join them, however I notice how much the games change when I do. On occasion it is nice just to sit quietly and let their own creativity emerge, just between the two of them. Little Eee's playing is certainly moving from imitative play to imaginative play these days which leaves lots of room for fun and games with her big sister as they imagine scenes, reenact stories, become fairies and princesses and babes and mothers and all the games that little girls adore.

For me...just a couple of forget-me-nots to go methinks.

Thankyou Nina for your inspiration on the warm breeze.

Preparations for a Warm Woollen Hat or two

I'm making preparations for some sewing to adorn and warm my two lassies.

Here's some completed cutting out and browsing books to plan some embroidery before too much stitching together is complete and the hat become awkward to hold and embroider.

The book lying there on the right is:

The holidays we are enjoying now should afford me time to finish them...now just searching for the motivation.

Farewelling Friends

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels

We have spent some time these last days farewelling some good friends.

It is a little hard to say Goodbye when a friend is moving to another country and you are not quite sure that you will ever see them again. England is a very very long way away. It is even harder to explain to your little ones just what is going on, and what it all means.

The daughter of the family has been Ess' best friend since they met at age 2. They were born only a week apart, exactly. Now they are 6 years we mums hope their friendship continues.

So we sent them off with this little letter tote I made from fabric in my stash. It contains some postcards we made, some notelets and a few pictures Ess has drawn for her best friend.

This one just breaks my heart.

"The Blanket"

Inspired by SouleMama's Beach Blanket to Go in her recent book:

I had been planning to piece together some old sheeting in blue, white and yellow with a sweet print for an outdoor blanket, so when I found this lovely rich blue mohair/wool rug in the local Sally's Boutique (salvo's/thrift store) for 50c I whipped it up and set to work.

It took only a day from beginning to end, admittedly my Dad has been visiting and his presence helped with the routine of school, sleep, walk and play of my little girls. So I sneaked in a few moments to myself behind the machine. Yet still, much was done with my little Eee by my side, oh so carefully helping me with pinning and snipping.

In combination with our 'treasures bags' which I have just completed, also inspired by Amanda Blake Soule in her abovementioned book, I anticipate that Autumn will bring much treasure hunting and seeking and enjoying the outdoors.

"The Blanket" has already seen much scrabbling and rolling, hiding and peeking, as well as warming some old knees in the cool of the evening before this new heat set in today (38degC). Our poor old Pa, being from Queensland, isn't used to the cool breezes a summer's day can bring in southern Australia. So I am glad the blanket has been put to many uses already.

Ess' Summer Sundress

Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.
~Francis Thompson

Do you recognise that little Babushka-style scarf? Ess enjoys wearing hers with her summer sundress. I used the White Cotton and Flower Print Sundress pattern from Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More and fabric from my stash. It is a lovely simple pattern and Ess has worn it each day after school since I made it. She is not certain she will ever wear another dress. She loves it so.

I enjoyed adding some freehand embroidery detail to the neckline of this dress with some lazy daisy stitches. Doesn't the thread match beautifully! This I found in an old box full of embroidery I half completed in my younger years. I wonder whether I'll get back to it, or whether it will indeed be passed down to Ess, much like it was passed down to me.

Despite the time the embroidery took, I still completed the dress in only half a day.

I had hoped to take some lovely carefree photos of my girl happily twirling around the yard in gay abandon. Alas, Ess' gay abandon was within the solace of her books this afternoon, her very favourite past-time. A very apt one for a school-weary lass.

Lacy Babushka-Style Scarf

I love sewing and have plenty of material witnesses. ~Author Unknown

Some pretty lace here...

pretty fabric in the shape of a triangle...

and a cute curly haired wearer.

This is a little something I whipped up this morning with, and for, little Eee. We actually made a pair of them. Over the weekend I sewed a little summer sundress for Ess and this scarf matches it perfectly. I hope she'll model it for me this afternoon as she has declared she will be putting her new dress on straight after school.

My weekend was unplanned, spontaneous and very enjoyable. At 9am on Saturday, my Generous Gentleman said, "let's go down to The Blueberry Patch and to Goolwa for lunch". So we did. On Sunday I woke with the intention of relaxing. I started flicking through a recent book purchase and thinking 'I could make that with this fabric' and 'this would look lovely in this'.

Soon thereafter I was looking through the stash of fabric my Dad brought with him from home - some beautiful fabrics from which I made my own clothing in my late teens and early twenties. Now it is delightful to use for my children. The result of that is lots of cut fabric and ideas in my head about what next to make for my girls to wear as they grow and seasons change. It is still warm so the sundress was first to reach completion but I am dying to finish some sweet little woollen hats using the 'White Melton Hat' pattern and a few of my own ideas of course. Can anyone fill me in a little more on what melton cloth is?

Finally, enjoy this little piece of beauty. Such a pretty pink lillium. Not what I expected to find at The Blueberry Patch, yet under the shade of their beautiful green willows, on a lawn of green, we sat to enjoy our blueberry ice creams and the sweet little garden.

My Little Pink Bag and ensuing pretty scarves

Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,

The days pass quickly when I am sewing.

~Author Unknown

Do you remember this rectangle of fabric which I pieced together ages ago using a simple method of Alicia Paulson's?

I have wanted to make a bag with it as the lightweight interfacing makes it nice and sturdy. However which type of bag? It begged for something more, something prettier, than a simple tote, perhaps a drawstring??

However I became creative with my rectangle as I sat with it. A pleat here, a few more there. A fold this way, a matching one on the other side and there was the bag taking shape.

Now, as it turned out not to be a drawstring bag, I needed to devise some sort handle.

So with a crochet hook in hand and some inspiration on a style of crochet from Juliane, I began to hook.

Before long this pretty handle was ready to be fastened to the bag with a few decorative buttons.

and a little lavender bag was popped inside to ensure a sweet fragrance lingered.

The handle looked so much like a scarf according to Ess, that I set about making another longer piece of work so she could have an alternative scarf for her lovely Bella.

Pretty soon there were scarfs all around. The top one was made by Juliane and was my inspiration.

I think Bella wears hers beautifully, don't you. This is exactly the way my precious Ess adorned her.

Now I'm contemplating more little scarves and I'm knitting some leg warmers in the middle of summer. Crazy, I know! Although I heard today that we are expecting lower than average temperatures in the next few months. No-one could complain about that during heatwave season :)