omi creates

catherine & david

2011-06-07T21:50:00.000+10:00

My little sister got herself married a few weeks ago to a pretty special guy. It was the most wonderful day filled with many beautiful memories. I hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as we do (taken by my brother Ben who is more than brilliant with the camera!). Head over to his blog to check out the rest.

pa's billy-cart

2011-04-28T13:22:00.000+10:00

My Dad has made this fantastic little billy-cart for the grand kids to use when they visit. Our kids think it is just great, and had so much fun with it over the Easter break! Luke found the perfect place to trial it- an empty carpark with a gentle slope to it and the most gorgeous view. Maeve tried her hardest to ride it backwards down the hill (eyes closed) which was very funny to watch- she is a crack up that kid!

easter bonnet

2011-04-28T12:51:00.000+10:00

This was an Easter gift for our little niece Honor (who is a bit too young to be feasting on chocolate).

The velor was cut from an old hoodie, and made for a very soft bonnet!

Pattern is from Ottobre 4/10.

hot cross buns

2011-04-21T00:56:00.000+10:00

Hot cross buns were on the menu for afternoon tea today, but by the time we finished baking it was more like dinner. So dinner it was. The kids thought it was great! We are heading off for a break over the long weekend which will be very welcomed by all. We cant wait to catch up with family and friends, and celebrate the life of Jesus. Happy Easter to you all!

planting

2011-04-16T20:04:00.000+10:00

Before the rain came we spent some time outdoors tending to our pots. The tomato plants had seen better days, so we removed them, fertilised the soil, added sugar can mulch and planted some new seedlings suitable for the cooler days to come. Then we watered, watered and watered some more, just to make sure they had plenty to drink. No doubt they are now entirely saturated thanks to the latest downpour from the heavens! The cherry tomatoes we had previously planted did amazingly well, and we ate tub after tub over summer- they were rather tasty! A couple of self seeded tomato plant had popped up, so we replanted those as well. Not quiet sure if its the right season, but happy to experiment and see what happens. We also planted spinach, kale and marigolds for added prettiness. There is a little bit of room left in some pots, so we might add some herbs at a later date.
And just as we were packing away our tools, I discovered this delicate moth on the washing- isn't she pretty!

seven

2011-04-13T20:51:00.000+10:00

We celebrated Grace's 7th birthday on the weekend- with a mermaid party of course! With 18 children in the house it was somewhat hectic, but all went to plan. A big thanks to all our helpers! We normally try to keep birthday's very simple, but I am realising just how quickly the years are passing us by so decided to make this one just a little more special for her to remember. I found these graphics on etsy, which I used to make cupcake topper, tags for party bags ect, which was a bit of fun! I also managed to finish off all the mermaids for her friends just in time. We made mermaid necklaces with all the children, with sparkly jewels, pearls and 'sea weed'. They looked fantastic on!

And the morning of the birthday is always fun, isn't it? I love the delight on little faces as gifts are opened. Its lovely to see everyone enjoying the birthday celebrations!

Happy 7th Birthday Grace xx

lovely lounge & cosy cushions

2011-03-27T22:37:00.001+11:00

So here's the lounge: cleaned, repaired and slightly modified - goodbye skirt, hello legs! I am so, so happy with how it scrubbed up. We finally brought it inside today, which was just a little bit exciting. It goes kind of well with our other mismatched lounges. And you will be glad to know that I have actually been doing some sewing again - yep, I know... super exciting!! See those colourful cushions? Some were finished about six months ago, and the others I churned out this week. Piping, zips and all. And even though I chose the fabrics over a year ago, I must say they are a perfect match for this couch and really bring it to life. The fabrics are a mix of 'Nicey Jane' by Heather Bailey and 'Love' by Amy Butler.
In case anyone was wondering about the *sleeping* children on the lounge, I can assure you they are not - just happy to get in a photo any way they can!

hello autumn, hello pretty blouse

2011-03-27T21:49:00.000+11:00

We pulled some warmer clothes out of the cupboard this morning - some with sleeves, how nice! The freshness in the air is making me feel like Autumn has set in, and I'm loving it. I was probably a little over ambitious dressing the kids in layers this morning - by lunch time they had stripped off and replaced their jeans with shorts. Oh well... it was nice while it lasted.
For those of you that have been reading along here for a while (a long long while) you may remember this sweet little blouse and pretty knitted vest. The vest was knitted by my Mum and the blouse was one I made - for Grace. Its so nice to see them back in use again!

the week that was

2011-03-21T00:55:00.000+11:00

The days are passing by at such a steady pace. Sometimes I find myself wishing everything would just stop so I could surface for air. The constant rain over the weekend was welcomed by us all, for me especially. It was the perfect excuse for bunkering down indoors. Who would have thought earlier in the week we were still swimming in the pool! That's one thing I love about our climate- being able to use the pool for a good chunk of the year, even into Autumn.
The pre-loved couch has been given a lot of attention this week and is almost ready to come into the house. When the painted legs dry she can finally join us in the lounge room. We have also finished painting up the spare room (old sewing room) for Jude and are in the process of getting his furniture sorted. I think its time to move him out of the cot, so I have been working on bees waxing a lovely solid Oak bed head that I am hoping will be suitable. Will write more on that soon, but for now best be getting some rest before the new week begins...

{this moment}

2011-03-11T23:11:00.000+11:00

Joining in {this moment} with Soulemama.

Have a wonderful weekend friends x

happiness

2011-03-11T13:46:00.000+11:00

Happiness arrived on my doorstep today, thanks to Lilymeru in Japan! Lovely pieces of Liberty, which I am thinking of turning into a throw quilt for the lounge, and the floral's on the left will make something sweet for the girls room- yet to be decided. And how cute are the postage stamps, I wish they made ours as pretty as this!

pink lounge

2011-03-11T13:04:00.000+11:00

We came home from the local op shop with this gem of a lounge. Not quiet sure what I was thinking at the time "will I, won't I, arghh... I don't know". In the end we did, and I am so glad it's ours! Now the big clean up begins. I have removed the skirt from around the base (so much dust lurking in there), done some small repairs, a thorough vacuum and now moving onto cleaning the fabric. Happy to say, it is scrubbing up a lot better than I originally thought. Will let you know how it turns out!

{this moment}

2011-03-04T19:37:00.000+11:00

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2011-02-25T20:47:00.000+11:00

Joining in {this moment} at Soulemama.

group photo

2011-02-25T20:33:00.000+11:00

Finally... the group photo of the mermaids heading up to Queensland for Hope Softies. Packed in like sardines, and looking very colourful all together. For those that are curious, the pattern is from Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love. I did change the instructions slightly to accommodate sewing with felt, and that in turn cut down my sewing time quiet significantly- a big bonus when sewing in bulk. Goodbye lovely Mermaidens, I do hope you all find wonderful homes!

passing it on

2011-02-21T00:52:00.001+11:00

Let me take you back to the late 80's, I was in primary school. It would have been a hot December evening and the school hall in our little country town was packed with noisy children and parents ready to watch the end of year presentation night. I knew in advance that I was recieving the award for my class, and I was ever hopeful that the prize would be a voucher for 'Angus & Robertson'. They had done that in previous years, and I was eager to recieve the same. As the night wore on, my name was eventually called out. I couldn't have been more excited- the award for 'outstanding progress' also came with the $20 book voucher!
I probably had to wait a month or so before spending the voucher, as we lived in a very remote town and travelling to a bigger shopping center was not something we did very often. The waiting seemed to make the eventual trip, seem even more exciting.

Lovable Mini-Dolls was the book I carefully chose after making a quick bee-line to the craft/sewing section. It was one purchase I would never regret. This book was the one that I poured hours and hours of time into as a child and it helped develop my love for sewing and handicrafts.
I remember making all sorts of bugs, critters, birds, animals and people. None of which I have kept, most (or all) were gifted to friends.

Recently Grace has been showing an interest in sewing toys after watching me put together the mermaids. I pulled this book out to show her today, and instantly she was charmed. She picked out her first project, and while Jude napped we sewed together.

It felt so good, passing on a book, but more importantly passing on the skill that goes with it.

She listened intently, and to my surprise stitched away with ease. If the thread fell out of the needle, she licked the end of it and carefully threaded it back in, then continued on. "It doesn't matter if it's a bit messy to me Mum, because I am keeping it, and I don't mind... I will try my best though" she excitedly chattered as she mastered her new skill. "Now I can knit and sew!"

I stitched the face on for her, as she thought that might be a bit challenging for day one of sewing, but she stitched around all the edges and had a good go at stuffing it. We didn't get around to the hat or flowers bit, but she wasn't fussed.

It was the perfect project for a quiet Sunday afternoon, and time well spent with my precious big girl.
Love you Grace x

{this moment}

2011-02-04T20:10:00.000+11:00

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30mm for 30th

2011-02-02T00:22:00.000+11:00

Hello friends. Let me introduce you to my new favorite camera lens- the Sigma 30mm F1.4.
See, I had a rather important birthday (back in the whirlwind that was December) and my good husband decided that a fine gift for a girl with a camera would be a sweet lens for taking prettier photos. Actually... he probably just said "what do you want for your birthday darlin?" and then I replied by ordering myself the Sigma 30mm off the net. That's how we work, and it's good.

Be that as it may, this lens is a keeper. It makes photographing for me much more enjoyable. If I remember correctly, it hasn't left my camera since I ripped it out of its box. Yup, that good.
Unfortunately, I dont know all the technical camera/lens/photography jargon, so I probably cant talk it up all you would like to hear. But believe me, it's a winner.

I hope you enjoyed the photos above (taken with the Sigma 30mm F1.4 on the Canon 550D). A few firsts in there- first ripe tomatoes off our vines, first gappy grin for Grace, first family holiday to the South Coast. So many special memories made.

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2011-01-28T20:02:00.000+11:00

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Crashed out after long holiday travels.

We unpacked the car around her, she didn't move a wink.

we are australian

2011-01-26T22:32:00.000+11:00

Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie friends! And wasn't she a warm one today?
I don't know about you, but we went straight from our PJ's to our cossies and spent most the morning soaking up the sunshine and splashing in the pool. It was blissful.

Last night I came across this inspiring article that I wanted to pass onto you all. I am so glad we have people like this in this country of ours. Don Ritchie, you are my Australian Hero.

"To my fellow Australians, never be afraid to speak to those who you feel are in need.

Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear and a kind word."

~ Don Ritchie

more mermaidens

2011-01-26T10:27:00.001+11:00

A little update on the mermaidens. I got a little carried away with the felt I purchased and realised I had enough to make 25. Yes, that's twenty-five. I know. So the production line is taking a slightly longer than I originally allowed for.
It has actually worked out rather well, as I was planning on making a bunch of these to give out at Grace's 7th birthday party as well (not until April- its an 'under the sea party' she tells me). So we will send off 10 of these lovelies to Hope Softies just as soon as they are finished, and keep the rest of these for the party. It feels so good to be forward planning for once.

Here is the first Mermaiden I made for Maeve's 4th birthday. It has taken a while for her to bond with this pretty, apparently I got all the colours wrong. She wasn't pink enough. Typical. She has her eye on the Mermaidens in progress, and thinks we should send her mermaid to the flood children and keep one of the felt ones. Hmmn...
The pattern for these can be found in this amazing book.

In other mermaid news, Maeve was given the Playmobil Mermaid set for Christmas, and both girls think it is just magical. It gets played with every single day. Well worth every cent. Does any one else have little girls with mermaid love?

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2011-01-21T20:54:00.000+11:00

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Beachy fun at Bawley Point.

hope softies

2011-01-19T01:01:00.000+11:00

For those of you that like to sew, and love to help those in need, why not pop on over to mon petit poppet and join in Hope Softies. The Queensland floods have been just so devastating and so many families have lost their homes and belongings. Sewing a softie for a child that has lost most (or all) their possessions is a great way to show that you care, especially when you can't be there personally to help. Its something small we sewers can do to help bring some joy back to flood affected children! Mermaiden (above) is my first softie for the cause. The pattern came from Hillary Lang's book Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love. I have a ton of felt left over, so hopefully tomorrow I can get the production line going, and the sweat shop sewing!

home

2011-01-18T10:12:00.000+11:00

Hello. We are finally home from holidays and weekend trips, getting back into the swing of things here at home. We had the most perfect break (whooping cough aside) spending a week in a holiday house with all of my family- 15 of us now! And then a week with just the five of us on the beautiful South Coast. Last weekend we headed off again to stay with family and celebrate my gorgeous sisters engagement! Big congratulations to Catherine & Dave, we love you guys heaps and cant wait for the wedding!

2010-12-23T14:54:00.000+11:00

Wishing you all the happiest Christmas as we remember the birth of a very special baby, Jesus!

In the words of a favorite hymn:

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
~ O Holy Night

We are heading out of town for a couple of weeks, for a much needed break. So it could be a while between posts. So I hope your Christmas is a special one, and somewhere you get to spend time with loved ones and friends.
I have been sewing like mad trying to get things organised for the trip. New covers for the sleeping bags, repairs to another. I have also made a 'bed-in-a-bag' for the port-a-cot and one of the camp stretchers. They have a fitted bottom sheet and top sheet all attached to a drawstring bag (thanks to the preschool sheets for the idea!). They are going to be great, can't wait to get them into use!

I will be back sometime in the New Year, Happy Holidays!

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2010-12-18T00:55:00.000+11:00

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Schools out! Let the summer begin.

monkey

2010-12-14T21:44:00.000+11:00

Some things really do seem to take forever don't they? This guy here being one of them. Say hello to Monkey, Jude's new friend! You may remember when I was in the piecing-together-stage back here, well I am glad to say that is over. He was one tricky little monkey to stitch together! Monkey was suppose to be ready for Jude's 1st birthday, but unfortunately got rather delayed. Somewhere along the way I lost enthusiasm for the whole project. But let me say how nice it is to finally have him out of the knitting bag, outfit complete and all! He is a hit with Jude, who calls him 'eee eee'. Boy am I glad I triple stitched his limbs on! He has been swung and pulled this way and that on many occasions, and I can only imagine there is far worse to come.
Pattern is from Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague. The linen overalls were not in the book. They were made with my own simple pattern.

four

2010-12-12T15:36:00.000+11:00

Birthday celebrations were in place at our house this week for our sweet Maeve who is now 4.

Four, surely not? Yes, the big day finally arrived and she was bursting with excitement.

She loved her gifts, loved the cake, loved going out for an icecream with her friend.

But I think the most special thing was having everyone's attention for the day, she just beamed!

Four is such a delightful age, and we love everything about this Maeve of ours!

She is so sweet, kind and generous of heart, yet at the same time strong, determined and fearless.

We like to call her Maeve the Brave.

Happy birthday beautiful girl, you fill out hearts with joy xoxo

For a peek at her younger years...

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2010-12-03T21:18:00.000+11:00

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Sorry... he didn't save you any bolognese. Mess has gone to a whole new level around here!

in pots

2010-11-30T14:51:00.001+11:00

Loving these pots of ours and the tasty treasures growing inside. The Snow pea's are so crunchy and juicy, and I can't wait for the Cherry Tomatoes to finally ripen up! The Sunflower's look like they are reaching out for the sky as they shoot up the pole, overtaking the peas. Unfortunately, the big green grubs have also discovered the tomatoes, so we are out there most days pulling off as many as we can. If anyone can tell me how to get rid of these little trouble makers, I would be very glad to hear! Can I pick the tomatoes while they are still partially green, and let them ripen on a windowsill inside? Please share your gardening wisdom, I need answers!

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2010-11-19T23:08:00.002+11:00

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'Lunching with friends'

shorts

2010-11-16T22:09:00.000+11:00

New shorts for the boy, made from some pretty cheerful fabric I picked up from Spotlight last summer. It can be so hard to come by decent fabrics for little boys, so when I saw this one I had to add it to the stash. It feels so good to have finally turned it into something wearable, and at the same time made a little more room in the sewing cupboard! I have used this pattern a few times now, and really like it (Ottobre 3/2008). They did turn out a tad longer than I had planned, but at the rate this babe is growing its no issue at all. And our machine/engine loving boy highly approved of the fabric choice, which was a first! Lots of 'brrr brrr, rooom rooom' noises, excited squeals and frantic pointing with pudgy little hands. He is so lovable!

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2010-11-12T20:47:00.001+11:00

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on our feet

2010-11-11T23:37:00.001+11:00

I have a confession to make. Our shoes basket seems to be overflowing with the arrival of many pairs of Saltwater sandals. And you cant blame me, can you? They are just so simple, colourful and downright funky! Just in time for the warmer weather and beach wanderings. This is the first time I have been able to find Saltwaters for sale in Australia, so I was a little more than overjoyed when I saw them pop up in a local children's wear shop. I then found some ebay bargains, and ordered some for me and the boy from the State's, and before you knew it, the basket by the front door was full. Jude's pair (Surfer style), are his first real shoes, and when I tried them on him, he danced around in circles yelling 'Oh wow! Shzz!'. And the best bit... they fit all of us perfectly with no blisters in sight.

Happy feet, Happy days!

flashback friday

2010-11-06T07:39:00.000+11:00

The lovely Abby of Sew Much Ado was very kind to feature me this week on Flashback Friday.

Head over here to read more. Thankyou Abby!

{this moment}

2010-11-05T22:08:00.001+11:00

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Littles ones playing catch at the beach.

Izzy's new skirt

2010-11-05T22:00:00.000+11:00

I came out of bed this morning to see the girls sitting at the table fashioning a new skirt for Izzy. Held together with a hair tie and looking anything but modest. I had to have a laugh! I am sure the skirt was inspired by some we made recently for a disco party the girls were invited to. They did try and make her leggings to go with the skirt, but that was most unsuccessful!

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2010-10-29T20:13:00.001+11:00

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summer frocks

2010-10-29T00:42:00.000+11:00

After pricing summer dresses in the local children's clothes shop, I came home determined to make my own. Sure the one's in the shop were nice, but seriously overpriced for little girls. I have a stash of lovely voile's in the cupboard, so when I saw this gorgeous dress Ansia had made for her daughter, I just had to give it a go. The instructions can be found here on 'From an Igloo'. My girls are so happy with the result. Soft and floaty, feminine and twirly! Grace chose the subtle floral voile which suits her perfectly. She is steering clear of bright colour choices these days. Maeve still loves all things pink, so the checks were her choice. She looks adorable. We had such a lovely afternoon at the beach. The breeze was up, but that didn't stop the squeals of delight as the girls raced up and down the sandy slopes. Jude and I did a little shell collecting. Spring = happy days.

right now

2010-10-26T23:39:00.000+11:00

Right now I probably should be in bed... but I'm not. I am working my way through the pile of unfinished objects that crowd my sewing desk. This is a softie I knitted for Jude's 1'st birthday, but never quite got around to piecing together. I am sure the 'knitting bit' was way easier than the 'piecing together bit'. So sure. This is going to take days to complete!
See that bowl of wool on the left? That is part of a fleece I purchased from a garage sale. Straight off the back of the sheep, burs, dirt and all. I hand washed it all in small amounts, spun it on low in the washing machine (in pillow cases), and dried it in the sun. It has come up so beautifully and there is so much of it! Prefect for softies. I have two more fleeces here that need washing as well.
Will be back soon with the finished photo's!

crayons and paper

2010-10-19T21:50:00.002+11:00

The girl's conversation went something like this the other day:

Grace- "Me and Maeve never stop drawing, we love it sooo much! We never stop drawing, do we Maeve?"
Maeve- "Well.....we do stop for lunch sometimes"

And that pretty much sums it up at the moment. Two girl's in love with their crayons and paper, endlessly drawing at every possible moment. The house littered with trails of artworks to be found in one room and then the next, and so on...and so forth. Paper everywhere. They love it.

Maeve has taken to copying whatever it is that Grace is drawing and I find it interesting how her attention to detail has come along in the last two months. We went to look at some Chicken's with friends of ours recently, they were hoping to buy some new hens. We were merely dreaming. One day when we are some place bigger and quieter, yes indeed we will have chickens! For now we will just continue to dream and of course draw.

Top: 'Rooster, chick and hen' Grace 6 1/2yrs

Bottom: 'Rooster' Maeve 3 3/4yrs

Left: Grace's butterfly

Right: Maeve's butterfly

They are both big on butterflies at the moment. We have many of these drawn then cut out carefully around the house. We are trying to photograph their creations to keep a record, without having to keep all that paper! I would be interested to know how other parents keep their children's artworks. Do you file them, stick them in scrapbooks, keep only the best, bin it all? Don't forget, if you have the time it's always a nice idea to turn them into an embroidery that can be enjoyed for years to come. Remember this post and this one?

edited to say: I also forgot to mention the art wire for displaying favorite drawings. Clearing it at the beginning of every term is always a good way to keep it fresh and uncluttered.

cot bumper

2010-10-16T16:07:00.000+11:00

With the sewing machine set up in its new corner, I have been trying to tackle a few old and forgotten projects that needed finishing. A cot bumper was one of them... probably a totally useless item for a umm, err, now 15 month old (!!). Yikes, time has flown. The poor boy has been sleeping in a port-a-cot since he outgrew the bassinet, because I refused to set up the cot until I had the bumper finished. Oh the relief to pack the port-a-cot away! I feel like he had been camping out in the bedroom. His cot now has a small space in the girls room which is working out quiet well. Next job on the agenda is to paint the room that will be his and set it up. I am thinking a soft gray would be nice. Don't hold your breath friends!

green

2010-10-12T22:48:00.001+11:00

I am coming to realise how much I love this little green space of mine. Each plant is so perfect, so beautiful and uniquely created. From the Aloe to the freshly potted Tomato's, the Yucca to the pesky (yet pretty) Clover, the Lillypilli's and the butter containers full of Jacaranda seedlings (thanks Pa!). The Mother-in-law's tongue is a favorite of mine, so tall, strong and beautifully patterned. It grows perfectly with the Aloe Vera in an undercover area we have out the back. Most of our plants are in pots as we have a tiny yard. I have Nasturtiums, Strawberry plants, Lettuce's, Sunflower's and mixed wildflowers in the seedling trays. There are a few barely surviving herbs, so we might replace those next. What grows in your garden?

quilt love

2010-10-06T20:27:00.000+11:00

I feel a quilt (or two) coming on. Every time I pick up this book, I have the urge to sew quilts just like this for my girls. The colours, the triangles and size are just perfect and grab me every time. Hmm, I have piles of vintage sheets which would be ideal for this project. And how cute is Jenny in her green velour romper! I might need to make some of those too. Feeling so inspired!

laundry powder

2010-09-25T23:02:00.001+10:00

A few weeks back Maeve and I had a go at making our own Laundry Powder after being inspired by Amanda's post here. Let me just say it works a treat! I really can't stand the smell of commercial wash powders (or many man-made perfumed scents for that matter...they give me nausea and headaches), so this stuff has been a much welcomed relief for my sensitive nose/head.
We were a bit lazy and grated the soap in the food processor, which made the whole process super speedy. Maeve was a great little helper!

For those of you that live in Australia, it seems that some of the ingredients can be hard to come by so I thought I would share where I got mine:

The Borax was a tricky fella to track down. I couldn't find it anywhere, until I did a home shop through Woolworths online and they had it! None of my local Woolworths stocked it, but online did...go figure? I have also heard that some Bunnings stock Borax.

The Dr Bronners castile soap can be found at most good health or vitamin shops. If not, ask and they will probably order it in for you.

Washing soda. Well, this one is a rather long story. At first I couldn't find it in my local supermarket, but I did find 'soda crystals', which I had read about on a lot of forums and people said its the same thing as washing soda. Don't be fooled folks, its not! The soda crystals have water added and the washing soda is a dry powdery salt. Anyway, because the soda crystals were all I could at the time, I got them, and thought maybe I could pop them on a tray in the oven to dry them out and hence remove the water content. Turned out the soda crystals had a much higher water content than I thought, and pretty soon I had a deep tray of liquid boiling in the oven! This went on for ages, and in the end I stuck the tray on the hotplate to boil quicker. It eventually all dried out (I am talking hours later) and I was left scraping the powdered stuff out of the tray. The tray was completely trashed, and had to be binned. See the jar in the photo below? That how much washing soda powder I got from a full bag of soda crystals. Pathetic! And if that experiment wasn't torture enough, the next day I came across a bag of washing soda in a small grocery shop close by for half the price. Arrgghh... I couldn't believe it!! I will n-e-v-e-r be making my own again!
Now, I am sure you could use the soda crystals if that's all you can come by. But if the recipe calls for 1 cup of washing soda, you may want to substitute 3-4 cups of soda crystals.

On another note, this Laundry Powder seems to work great in both top loader and front loader machines. I have a front loader and have no issues yet. It is not too sudsy at all.

{happy washing!}

taste testing

2010-09-16T23:49:00.000+10:00

This cheeky boy of mine got into the fruit and veg delivery while I had my back turned and took a bite out of each strawberry, leaving only two untouched! I must say he enjoyed every minute of it, making sure each berry was just as delicious as the one before. We did have a good laugh, after my initial panic realising he eaten through the plastic wrap and all to get to his tucker. Since no one else was keen to eat what remained, I stewed them up with some apples and they were delicious on top of our yogurt.
While we are talking food, I have to show you the yummy lemon tart I made Luke for Fathers day. It was so so good! I even made my own pastry which wasn't half as bad as I imagined, and boy was it melt in your mouth material! We will be making this one again.

keeping warm

2010-08-30T23:21:00.000+10:00

Hello! Just popping in to say hi.
Is it true that Winter is almost over? I can hardly believe how quickly the days are racing by.
Sewing has been sadly absent around these parts, but the good news is I have relocated the sewing machine to a new area of the house. I don't have as much room as before, but I am now right near the living and office area which is perfect!
I do feel like I am cheating a bit on this post as the knit above is one I actually completed last Winter. Those of you who have been reading along for a while may remember when I started. My knitting has progressed a lot since then which is encouraging to see! There are now a few different projects in the knitting bag that I am working on...really must make the effort to finish them off.
This jumper (or 'pull-over' for you Northern Hemisphere folks) was super easy to knit, and came from a free pattern online which I can no longer find. Its basically knitted in four big 'L' shapes that you piece together with a seam running down the top of each sleeve, one down the front of the jumper and one down the back.
I wouldn't be caught dead wearing it outside the house as its pretty frumpy, but it has been the perfect jumper for around the house: so floppy, toasty warm and comfy. I do tend to put comfort ahead of style these days, and this jumper is a winner!

♥

2010-07-26T21:25:00.000+10:00

Just popping in to introduce you to my new little niece, and a first cousin for our children!

Isn't she stunning?

Miss H, we are going to have so much fun with you in the years ahead.

We love you so much already.

Tell your mum and dad they are amazing!

one

2010-07-19T23:40:00.002+10:00

It was a very special day in our house today. Big celebrations for the little man who is now one! Remember this little baby? Sadly, the first year has passed already and my baby has been replaced with a boy (a very cute one I might add, so cuddly and sweet). Mothers, hold your babies close and relish every moment, the baby years slip away ever so quickly and can never be replaced! He will still be my baby for just a bit longer I think. I need more time to kiss those soft cheeks, hold those pudgy hands and breathe deep of the scent that is Jude. I love this boy.

wordless weekend

2010-06-27T10:43:00.000+10:00

wordless weekend

2010-06-19T22:53:00.000+10:00

milo soaker

2010-06-08T22:18:00.001+10:00

Well that was an energetic photo session! Monkey boy (for some reason or another) couldn't manage to sit still for more than two second to have his photo taken. Not a great help when you are learning to use the new camera and trying to manually focus...sorry for the blurry shots, these were the best I could get!

I finally got around to finishing the knitted soaker. It came together nicely as per the picture, but didn't end up fitting quiet as snug as I would have liked. Although it looks OK in the photos, it could have done with less rise in the front and a little extra in the back. I kept having to pull it up at the back to keep it over his nappy while he was busy rocketing around the house, and the front was too bunched up. Still very cute and might work well over a bulkier night nappy. He is wearing this one over these fitted's I made for Maeve a while back. I will get them lanolised tonight and see how they go over the next few days.

Has anyone else used wool covers with their cloth nappies (diapers)?
I would love to hear what patterns you found the best and how successful you found them as a nappy cover. I made quiet a few for Grace back in the day and they were great. I found they worked the best in summer with just a shirt or dress over the top. In winter they got a bit bulky layered under thick pants and the likes.

The pattern was from 'Vintage Baby Knits' By Kristen Rengren. I knitted it in the 9-12month size, but next time would probably go smaller. The wool I used was the most softest Merino from Lincraft 'Italiano donegal merino' in 12ply. It didn't seem as chunky as your usual 12ply however. This soaker used up just over one 50g ball.

And here he is doing the bolt in his woolies...

update

2010-06-07T10:13:00.001+10:00

Life has just been flying by, so sorry once again for the long absence between posts. At the moment we are rather caught up in the every day busyness that comes with having a family, which at times can be very difficult and tiring. How can parenting be so frustrating, delightful, tiring, rewarding, emotionally draining, incredibly fun, demanding, hilarious, heart breaking and heart bursting all at the same time? I don't do the roller coaster very well. However, I do feel like one of the richest people on earth having been blessed with these three little people. I wouldn't choose to do life any other way. A little more sleep would be nice though.
Needless to say, I didn't get very far with the Kids clothes week challenge. 2 out of 7 days...hmmm will have to try a little harder next time.

We are in the middle of trying to de-clutter the house and clear a bed room for Jude. He still sleeps in with us, but I think its time he had a space of his own. We were going to put him in with the girls in their poky little room, but after trialling that for a few nights we realised that 2 poor sleepers in one room was probably not a good thing. The only room left for him is my sewing room, so I am going to have to say goodbye to that space for a while. I will still be sewing, just not as regularly. We will hopefully find a space for my machine in the office...the relocation of fabrics could prove to be a challenge!

The rain has just been bucketing down here the past few week. We have spent a ton of time indoors enjoying and enduring each others company. I have pulled all the winter woollies out of the cupboard and put them to use. Maeve and I have been baking and crafting while Grace is at school. My Maeve loves to bake and loves her aprons! The morning school run has proved to be a bit of a mission amidst the torrential downpour. The girls see it as a bit of an adventure though. I am so grateful for good friends and car pooling, so I don't have to repeat the 'adventure' in the afternoons!

Hopefully I will be back soon with photos of room changes, or maybe even a little knitting. Hope you day is a great one!

wordless weekend

2010-05-29T22:41:00.000+10:00

autumn in the Blue Mountains

2010-05-17T22:40:00.001+10:00

I thought you might enjoy a look at some photos of our time away in the Blue Mountains. It was so refreshing to get away for the quick break, beneficial for all! The girls had a wonderful time staying behind with their Grandparents. Jude loved being the only child with us for two days. We loved spending more time with him without all the usual distractions. The mountain air was so crisp and lovely. We visited antique shops, look outs, markets, cafes, and the most amazing miniature toy shop full of tiny things for dolls houses etc. I wish I had taken more photos in there so you could see how amazing it was. It was a place I remember visiting as a child on a few different occasions while we were holidaying in Blackheath. We also drove down to the Megalong Valley, which was just beautiful.

kids clothes :: day 3

2010-05-13T21:56:00.000+10:00

Well, yesterday wasn't quite as productive as I would have liked. Nothing got sewn, or even cut out for that matter. I traded in my sewing hour for a nice dinner out with my man, which was totally worth it! I will probably have to put the next few days on hold as well, as we are off the the Blue Mountains for a weekend away with only one child!
Anyway, here are some fabrics and pattern I have out to get creative with. Its easy to see what season we are coming into just by looking at the fabrics and colours I have chosen. Only 18 days till Winter!
I am thinking of Sewing the Oliver + S Sunday Brunch Jacket for Grace. I would also like to sew her a floral gathered top of some sort to go with the Jacket. Maeve seems pretty well off for clothes at the moment as I just unpacked all Graces old size 3 winter clothes. I might make Jude some pants similar to the ones I just made for Maeve, and he needs some fleecy sleep suits to wear over his pj's with the cooler weather coming. Hopefully I will report back Sunday!

kids clothes :: day 2

2010-05-12T09:50:00.000+10:00

I am back for day two of the Kids Clothes Week Challange over at elsie marley! The objective here was to make a pair of pants my 'skirts-and-dresses-only' girl would actually wear. I thought they turned out pretty cute. When I showed her this morning there was a very long pause before she finally commented, but she is happy with them...phew! The embroidered heart on the pocket was a hit.

kids clothes :: day 1

2010-05-11T22:01:00.001+10:00

Here's my first completed item of kids clothing, sewn last night and embroidered on this morning. This is part of Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge. Wow, try saying that really fast with your mouth stuffed full of biscuits. Could be messy.

Anyway, back to the shirt. This one is a baby gift and the pattern is from Ottobre 3/2010. Its the Savanni Voile tunic. Such a sweet pattern, and I am so glad it comes in Maeve's size. You will probably see more of these soon.

kids clothes week

2010-05-11T21:46:00.002+10:00

A last minute decision:

To join in the action over at Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week!

Anyone else in on the fun?

I will be off for a cup of tea soon, then sew till I drop.

And to get the ball rolling, here is a skirt I made for Grace about two weeks ago (technically cant be counted though). I didn't use a pattern, just based it off an old denim skirt she has worn to death. Seriously, you could put your finger through the fabric! This fabric is a lovely light denim I scored at the Salvo's last time I visited. I have plenty more to make something for Maeve. Now, off for that caffeine fix...

my mum

2010-05-10T00:06:00.001+10:00

This is a photo of Mum, me (10 days old) and my brother on his 2nd birthday. Taken back in the early 80's. She then went on to have another 3 children, so there are five of us. I think she is nothing short of amazing! Not a day goes by without me wondering how on earth she did what she did. I often think of her during the difficult moments with my 3, and imagine adding an extra 2 children to the mix. I always remember her as being calm and having everything under control. I am sure she would probably tell you it was anything but! She said she did all she could at the time, and trusted God to do the rest. Good advice Mum.

Here we all are 9 years later. That's me on the right sporting the awesome fringe. Mum always cut our hair. I think the first time I ever went to a hairdresser was when I was about 16. She also use to sew a lot of our clothes. The outfit I am wearing was one she made for my 8th birthday. She also made my sisters sweet little dress. She use to go to TAFE on Monday nights after my sister was born to have sewing classes. I remember her learning to sew stretch and quilts. She taught me to sew when I was five, and in later years helped me get started on knitting and crocheting. She is such an inspiration in so many ways. I am so blessed to have her.

I hope you wonderful mothers out there have had a very special day with those you love. Those in my household who I love the dearest, totally took me by surprise today by... a brand new Cannon 550D is now mine to play with! I know, pretty good hey!! Lets just say I had no idea, none whatsoever! Totally stunned and feeling very spoilt. Now I have to work out what to do with the thing. Nicer photos to come once I get my head around it all!

wordless weekend

2010-05-08T09:49:00.000+10:00

reminiscing

2010-05-07T01:15:00.000+10:00

I have just spent half the night looking through photos of the girls when they were tiny, hoping to put together a few nice ones we can print out for the walls. But no such luck. I went all soppy remembering how gorgeous they were and just spent hours flicking from one album to the next. Both these photos are of Grace, on her 1st birthday and the other at about 15mths. I could have put up hundreds more! I rarely ever print out photos, but after looking at these I must. Photos really help to jog my memory and take me back in time. I cant wait till Jude is toddling around like this!

I like...

2010-04-29T12:28:00.001+10:00

The sun was lovely and warm on the front steps this morning. A very inviting place to sit and finish off my latest embroidery. Jude sleeping, Maeve making cakes in the sandpit and me stitching. Rare quiet moments like this need to be seized while they last... I am slowly learning.

This is another one of Grace's drawings. Very special because it was one of the first sentences she wrote on her own (without copying it out of a book), that I happened to find lying around the house. The girls would love a pet. Unfortunately right now (and I can see for a very long time to come) three children is more than enough for me to cope with. So sorry kids, pets are just going to have to wait.

I have put together some photos for those of you that wanted to see how I attached the linen to the canvas.

Use a cheap art canvas to cover with your embroidery
Lay your fabric over the canvas taking care to position it so it looks balanced. Stick a few pins in to hold it in place.
Flip it over and start stitching the sides together at the back. You will need a very long piece of strong thread, and may even need to join it a few times if it runs out. If the edge of the fabric is raw it will fray easily. Just turn it under a centimeter or two so you are stitching through two layers. That should make it strong enough. You need to make sure you fabric is pulled firm so it sits nice on the front of the canvas. Mine looks like I have pulled it too tight, but my linen was super soft and needed to be pulled into place.
When your sides are done, fold the top and bottom piece of fabric towards each other taking care to fold your corners nicely so they sit flat without looking bulky.
Pin the corners in place and stitch the top and bottom edges together in the same way you stitched the sides.
The back of your canvas should look something like this. The dog one I did last week was way messier, but hey...no one will ever know!
Then if you like you can put some thread across the back so it can be hung on the wall. I cant explain exactly how I did this...goes something like this though: Knot doubled thread to one edge then knot it on the opposite edge, so it is fairly tight not loose. Take it back to the other side and repeat process so its quiet a few strands thick. Then knot along the thread to hold them all together.

And you're done!

(edited to say: alternatively, get yourself a staple gun and save yourself half the hassle. Thanks to my wise friend Lissa for the advice!)

dog and blog

2010-04-17T22:56:00.002+10:00

Remember this post? I surprised myself and actually turned that super cool drawing of Graces into an embroidery! She loves it. I love it. In fact, we all love it. If you don’t have any kids artworks to be inspired by, maybe you could try this one from Loobylu, or this one (pattern here) from Geninne’s Art blog. They are both pretty cool, and on my ‘to do list’.

And thanks for being patient with my blog. My hubby and I have put on our nerd hats this week and delved into the world of HTML. We really don’t have much idea what we are doing, so the blog has taken on some weird and wonderful looks as of late. Sorry if you happened to stop by at one of the ‘weird’ times. I think we are finally happy with the layout.

wordless weekend

2010-04-17T21:10:00.003+10:00

holidays

2010-04-14T14:34:00.017+10:00

I cant believe how much I am enjoying the school holidays. Especially considering two of the children have been unwell. No mad scrambles in the mornings or me loosing my patience over children being slow to eat breakfast, put on their shoes, do up their seat belts. Not to mention trying to decide what to put in the lunchbox. It's been so nice. Given me a chance to catch my breath one again. I have been trying a few new projects like embroidery which have been incredibly relaxing too. Having a go at turning some of Grace's drawing into embroidery's we can hang on the walls. She is very pleased that her artworks are being copied onto fabric, and watching with great intent to see the finished project. This morning we sat out the back in the sun, I watched the kids play and stitched away. We shared morning tea together and chatted and laughed over bowls of mandarins and tasty biscuits. It's so special being able to relax together as a family and enjoy each others company and silly jokes.

playtime

2010-04-14T01:03:00.001+10:00

Izzy and Lucy

2010-04-11T11:56:00.001+10:00

The dolls are finally finished: dresses, boots and all.

They have been such a fun project, but incredibly time consuming.

Lets just say I have the greatest respect for all the wonderful doll makers out there.

So many hours of sewing and deciding on fabrics ect,

but most importantly trying to create a doll that a child will fall in love with

and want to play with over and over again.

I am now dreaming up other outfit for these girls:

knitted cardigans

smocked top

chambray pants...

and the list goes on!

boots

2010-04-09T08:33:00.000+10:00

Izzy and Lucy got a new pair of leather boots last night.

Sewing leather is not as easy as it looks.

They couldn't have been done without my trust walking foot on the machine!

Loving the softness of the leather.

Loving the colours.

pretty faces

2010-04-08T11:04:00.002+10:00

Thanks for all your encouragement with the dolls!

They have come along quite nicely are are now just about finished.

I couldn't wait for them to be finished before I showed the girls,

they absolutely love them and gave them names straight away.

Say hello to Izzy (formerly know as Sara, then Judy), Maeve's doll (of course).

and Lucy, Grace's doll.

I found it so hard finding the right wool for their hair and choosing the colours for their facial features.

But in the end I am happy with how they turned out.

I wasnt sure about the colour of Lucy's hair, and was ready to redo her hair the same as Izzy's.

But as soon as I showed her to Grace, she fell in love and wouldn't let me change a thing.

The dolls are made made from a natural linen,

filled with wool stuffing.

Their hair is mohair.

We have been away for Easter (photo's are from mum and dad's house).

I finished off most of the sewing there, including their dresses yesterday.

I will update with more photos soon.

Now all that's left is to sew their leather boots!

Some of you asked about the pattern for the dolls:

Mum made a kit doll for my sister (back in the 90's?) and the girls just love to play with her when we go to visit.
Mum still had the pattern pieces (without instructions) so I based the dolls on that.

I am glad they love their new dolls as much as the original!

This is the original doll Mum made.

Sorry about the dark photos, but we left at night and I didnt get around to day light photos.

Check out those puffed sleeves!

The girls love her dress, so I copied the pattern for that too.

Will be back with more photos soon...

1am

2010-03-31T01:29:00.007+11:00

Excuse the bad lighting in the photo's... it is only 1am.

I have entered the wonderful world of doll making which is surprisingly fun,

but incredibly (crazily) time consuming.

We have a birthday coming up, and I thought leaving myself a week to make these would be ample time.

However I am coming to terms with the fact that the dolls may be bald.

They do have the prettiest of petticoats and bloomers, that must count for something?

I am still trying to work out why I spent tonight making their underwear when I should have finished embroidering their faces and giving them hair.

I never seem to be able to complete a task in logical order.

And incase you are feeling peckish at this hour of the morning,

here is a photo of the birthday cupcakes that went into school ~~today~~ yesterday.

I managed to overdose on butter cream icing, and spent the day feeling rather poorly.

Lets hope I can make it to bed before the next hour passes.

markets

2010-03-27T21:28:00.015+11:00

We've had a bit of a lazy Saturday.
Managed to venture out late morning to check out some local handmade markets for kids which was a lot of fun.
They were the Billycart Markets.
Its always nice to have a chat to the stall holders talk about handmade.
I would love to have my own stall one day, but with three little one's that idea may just have to go on hold.
My life is chaotic enough as is!

My friend Rachel was there with her stall Art Wish, selling beautifully painted reward charts for kids.
I also met Sophie from Barefoot Babies with her stunning range of children's clothing.
And I was totally inspired by the beautiful handmade horses by Calamity Bolt.
Each horse was so unique and beautifully detailed.

The girls also held their own markets on our coffee table this morning.
Beautiful artworks, handmade paper toys, paper baby blankets etc, were all on sale.
They spent well over an hour preparing stock!

How do you like the picture of the dog on the rainbow lead in the middle?
Its totally killing me with cuteness!
Might have to turn this one into an embroidery so I can enjoy it for years to come.

They spend hours drawing, cutting and sticky taping things together daily.
Grace's cutting skills are nothing short of impressive.
It means I constantly have confetti like debris strewn throughout the house (and not to mention the mash of paper pulp I keep pulling off the roof of Jude's mouth) but it is all so worth it.

If the day ever did come where I was able to have my own stall,
I know I would have two very keen helpers who would want to sell their own wares,
and probably out do their mother!

recycled dino shirt :: mini tutorial

2010-03-10T23:26:00.002+11:00

So, I know this is not exactly the best thing I have ever made...but I thought I would share the idea of how I made it with you.

The two different fabrics are both from old t-shirts. The dino print one is a newborn sized shirt that belonged to Jude, and the green was a shirt of mine.

If you are interested in making one, grab your favorite tee pattern and two old shirts, then follow along!
(If you were after a picture heavy tutorial, I apologise in advance. This is a bit of a hack job).

Cut your two shirts open down the side seams.

Place your shirt front and back pattern pieces on the larger shirt lining up the bottom of the pattern with the hem of the shirt.
This way you wont have to hem your shirt when your done (I like it , I like it!).

Then lay the sleeve pattern pieces along the bottom hem of the smaller shirt, and cut.

Sew your shirt up according to pattern direction and add some ribbing for the neckband.
The onesie tutorial will help you out if you are unsure about binding/ribbing.

Then bar tack your seams to one side (to the back looks best) on the sleeve edges, and at the bottom of the side seams on body.

So... not exactly rocket science.

But you do get a kick out of recycling two un-used shirts, and not having to bother with heming or binding edges (apart from neck).
It's amazing how much time that saves!

Enough time in fact to add a few cute patches on the front...

The dinosaurs were cut from left over fabric.

Cut a circular cardboard template to the size you want your patches (mine were 3 different sizes).

Cut your fabric 1cm wider all around than the template.

Stitch around the edge of fabric circles with a large straight stitch, then gather the circle to fit around the cardboard.
Give it a good steam iron to press into shape. Pull out your cardboard.
Add some iron on adhesive to back of patch if you like.
Something like Vliesofix, heat and bond...or equivalent.

Iron patches onto garment. Top stitch around edges to finish.

And there you have it!

One fun recycled (or is it upcycled??) tee with super cute button patches.

today

2010-03-04T13:09:00.000+11:00

Todays objective:

To find the floor in the sewing room (I kid you not)
relocate all the fabrics, sewing supplies and sewing machines strewn throughout the house, to their rightful place
claim back the dining table to be used for what it was designed for. Yes, we are all a tad sick of eating our dinner surrounded by piles of my stuff!
by the end of the day, having a room I can actually sew in

And to achieve all this with a crawling babe underfoot (yes, the boy can crawl!), will be nothing short of impresive.

Wish me luck!

['mousie' is a childhood friend of mine. Trust me, her picture is much prettier than my sewing room right now. Isn't she cute!]

tie tee

2010-02-28T21:26:00.001+11:00

Check out this little shirt!

I found the tutorial on Saltwater kids via 'Celebrate the boy' on Made, and knew I had to make one for my boy.
You could make so many fun variations with this simple pattern.
I am thinking a few long sleeved ones for winter would be really cute too.

The t-shirt pattern is one from Ottobre 3/08.

wordless weekend

2010-02-28T18:20:00.003+11:00

just for fun

2010-02-24T21:18:00.002+11:00

A few weeks back when I was tossing up ideas for the baby boy's onesie, I came up with this logo of 'the boy', which my brother helped me to polish up- thanks Tim! To cut a long story short, I decided to go with the striped onesie instead. Then later I thought some of you might like it to use it. Maybe its more your style, bold and out there rather than subtle and sweet?

So here's the PDF if you want to have a play!

You can stencil it with freezer paper (Dana's tutorial here). Or, I have even reversed the images on the second page of PDF so it can be printed onto Iron on Transfer paper, cut out and ironed directly onto garment.

I found that ironing it onto stretch wasn't the best idea, the imaged seemed to crack a little as the fabric stretched. So, one solution might be ironing it onto plain white woven fabric, then stitching it to the garment. Or you can try the reverse applique technique (which is what I've done on this outfit... don't look too close, very rough!).

don't you just want to squeeze the boy!

ok ok, enough of the photo's mum. My eyes are blinded by the light!

And a side note for those of you that live in Australia:

I have found that Spotlight now sells Freezer Paper for stenciling at the cutting counter. You can buy it by the meter, instead of having to purchase the whole roll which is just brilliant if you are only wanting to do one or two stencils!

shopping for stretch

2010-02-20T23:46:00.001+11:00

Well, thank you all for the lovely comments on the baby boy onesie tutorial (which of course can be made for little girls too!). I am so overwhelmed with the response! Please let me know if you make one. I would love to see how it turned out and hear how you went sewing with stretch.

A few of you have asked where to buy quality knits from, so I will do my best to answer.
Remember to buy knits that are mostly cotton (or bamboo) with a small percentage of lycra (or spandex, or elastometric). The lycra helps the cotton to hold its shape and wash and wear well, which is what we want for kids clothing. It also has more stretch to it and stretches in all four directions. That makes it comfy to play in, and perfect for growing in.

For those of you that live in Australia,
I have managed to find the odd decent knit at Spotlight or Lincraft, but I am finding it harder and harder recently. There are a few shops online which are great:

Crafty Mamas. They sell a quality solid coloured knit called Stella, as well as Campan stripped knits which are excellent (more here).
Bamboo Fabric Store. Here are their knits.

For the US ladies,
I cant recommend any of these stores personally, but they look like they have a fantastic range of knits:

The Fabric Fairy. Wow, good thing I don't live on your side of the world, my husband would probably cut up my credit card! They have pages and pages of cotton lycra knits.
Bunte Fabrics sell Campan knits which I am pretty sure are made in Germany by Hilco

Hopefully that's a start anyway.
Happy sewing!

baby boy onesie with binding tutorial

2010-02-19T16:52:00.005+11:00

The lovely Dana from MADE contacted me recently to see if I would help out with ‘Celebrate the boy’ month by coming up with a boy-ish sewing tutorial, and of course I said yes! Because really, there isn’t much out there in the crafty world for our wee men folk is there? So if anything I hope this tutorial and all the other amazing ones over at MADE and Made by Rae inspire you to sew and lovingly create things for your boy, nephew, grandson or friend.

A few people have asked recently how to make T-shirts and other stretch items for their children, and especially how to get the binding looking so nice. This tutorial will show you how to sew confidently with stretch fabric and hopefully you can then branch out and sew many comfy and super cute clothes for your little man. The good news is you don’t need an overlocker (serger), just a few essential tips on how to maximise the potential of your regular home sewing machine!

This summer Jude has lived in two sleeveless onesie’s that I made for him. Such a practical item of clothing for our hot Australian summer, yet so hard to buy one that fits well and luckily, so easy to sew one (or two or three) yourself! So here it is:

This pattern has been designed to fit my son who is about 7 months old, and quite a solid build). It is a slim fit on him, but looks great. So I would say it’s about a 6-month size (with growing room) to be safe. You will have to adjust to fit if you need it in a different size, based on outfits that fit your baby at home. Click here to download the free 6 month sized pattern.

Gather your supplies:

70cm good quality cotton knit with a very small percent of lycra/spandex*
4 small wooden buttons
thread
washable marker/pins
3 sets of snaps
ball point needles for your machine- this is important!

*Wash and preshrink fabric. I always dry fabric in dryer before cutting to make sure it has fully shrunk (often by about 10%) so the finished garment will retain is shape when washed in future.

Stretch stitches to use:

For sewing your seams together, the stitch in the photo below is the one I would use. It looks like a straight stitch, but has a small amount of zig zag so the fabric will stretch when worn and pulled over little heads repeatedly.

The walking foot:

If you don’t have one, don’t panic! You will still be able to make the garment. However, if you do have a walking foot it is fantastic for sewing great seams with stretch. The picture shows two fabric samples. On the right a regular foot was used and you can see the seam is bubbled or rippled looking. The sample on the left was using the walking foot and it really helps seams to sit flat (photo doesn’t do it justice). However, if you only have a regular foot, a good steam iron should sort most the wrinkles out.

Lets get started!

1. Open the PDF and print off pattern pieces making sure the pattern is to scale. Check by measuring the square, it should be 5cm x 5cm. Join the two pattern pieces together at the line where it says ‘Join here’, and trace off your front piece and back piece onto separate pieces of paper

2. Cut out your front and back pieces taking care to match up stripes (see picture), and cut on the fold.

3. Transfer markings from pattern onto fabric with a washable marker, all X’s along bottom edge and shoulder markings.

4. Cut binding pieces as measured on PDF pattern. You may want to cut them a little longer if you are concerned about your fabric not being stretchy enough.

If you are cutting the binding from garment fabric and it is striped, decide which colour in the stripe you want as binding before cutting. For example, I chose white for the binding so made sure white was showing 1-2cm from the edge of binding.

5. Pin the front neck binding to onesie front, right sides together.
Stitch about 1cm from edge (using the stitch shown at beginning of tutorial) stretching to fit as you go.
Repeat step for onesie back, joining back neck binding to onesie back.

6. Press binding flat with a light steam iron on both front and back pieces.

7. Turn binding under to wrong side of garment. I don’t bother pinning, but if you think it will help keep your binding an even width, go for it!

8. Topstitch binding in place with a medium zig zag stitch (good old regular zig zag, not the type we are sewing seams with) on right side of garment. Again, stretch slightly as you sew.

The trick here is to sew as slowly as you need to keep the topstitching straight, while folding the binding under so it looks uniformed the whole way along the edge. With practice, you will get much quicker at this!

9. Trim excess binding off back of garment, not to close to stitching though!

10. Give pieces a light steam press.

11. Join front and back pieces together at shoulder seam, matching up markings. The back piece should overlap the front.

12. Stitch them together about 1/2cm from edge to hold in place.

13. Now its time to stitch the side seams together, taking care to match stripes as you sew as well as stretch fabric slightly.

14. Take one sleeve binding and stitch ends together to form a circle.
Repeat with other sleeve binding.
Repeat with bottom edge binding.

15. Mark sleeve binding circles into ¼’s with marker, and armhole into ¼’s as well.
Mark bottom edge binding circle into 1/8’s with marker.

16. Slide the armhole onto sewing machine bed (or is that called the arm too?), and the binding over that (right sides together). See photo below.

17. Stitch together 1cm from edge, taking care to match markings as you sew.
Repeat for other armhole.

18. Follow steps 6-10 for finishing off armhole binding in the same way you finished neck bindings.

19. Stitch the bottom edge binding to bottom edge of garment matching up markings on binding with X’s along garment edge, right sides together.
Follow steps 6-10 for finishing off bottom edge binding in the same way you finished neck bindings.

20. Insert snaps in bottom edge about 3cm apart. I have a snap press, but you can use the snaps you hammer in or even buy snap tape, which you sew on.

21. Sew on your 4 wooden buttons taking care to sew them to the binding only, not the fabric underneath.

Well done, you are now finished!!

Wait…

One last step.

22. Take one beautiful chubby baby boy, dress him in his comfortable new onesie and admire those gorgeous rolls and milky skin!

and remember, boy will be boys.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial!

hearts

2010-02-13T11:28:00.000+11:00

Some Valentines love,

from our house to yours.

Lovely red felt, a piece of ric rac and a few pink buttons.

I did want to hand stitch around the hearts but you know how it goes, baby throws up, oven timer rings, phone rings, someone falls off the bike and then its school pick up time (I could go on).

Machine zig zag will have to do.

girly sewing

2010-02-12T01:00:00.003+11:00

My girls have been begging me to teach them how to sew, to let them use my real machine.

And understandably so. Their cheap little chain stitching machine chews the fabric and cant even sew a straight line without getting jammed up.

So I mustered up a whole lot of patience and prepared myself for one stressful sewing session, only to be pleasantly surprised at the fun we ended up having together!

We picked the simplest pattern I could think of, hooray for headbands.

I cut the pieces out and then they each had a turn sitting on my lap at the sewing machine.

They guided the fabric through (with a little assistance. Didn't want punctured fingers in the first lesson), lifted levers, pressed buttons, and most importantly felt like they were really sewing.

It was wonderful!

All in all, a huge success. Not too long a project, something simple, but also rewarding.

Now they each have their own headband and are thrilled to tell people they made it themselves!

for me

2010-02-11T23:18:00.004+11:00

Shirt for myself, made out of Kaffe Fassett's Planets.
I completed this one months ago, but was never entirely happy with it.
Loved the fabric, but not so sure about the style of the top.
The pattern is Simplicity 5552.
I totally reshaped the neckline trying to make it look more flattering and not so boxy, but not sure that I achieved my outcome.
I also added piping around the edge of the white yoke, which all ended up rather fiddly.
Never mind, I will have to try again.
I find it so disappointing sewing for myself!
The kids are so cute and easy to sew for, and the cut/fit is really not that essential.
sigh.
I am thinking I may need to buy a few new pattern to help me along.
How about this one or maybe this one?
Pretty sure they would look great in the Autumn wardrobe.
Now to find the time...

red

2010-02-06T23:23:00.005+11:00

anyone else partial to a bit of red?

I finally got around to covering the piano stool with a gorgeous piece of vintage red, given to me by the very creative Claire. And yes, it does entice me to sit down and play more often. Much more inviting than the grotty piece of fabric that was on there previously.
Staple guns are so much fun!

And some stunning vintage fabrics sent to me by my sister in law Amanda.
I cant wait to get-a-sewing with these!

wordless weekend

2010-02-06T21:45:00.005+11:00

(handmade food by Kylie...kids love it!)

the boy

2010-02-03T21:57:00.005+11:00

Here's something of interest for all you crafty mamas with boys!

The lovely Dana of MADE has teamed up with Rae from made by rae to make February a special month to celebrate the boy!
And here's a peek as to what the month ahead holds:

tons of Boy tutorials
Boy clothing ideas
twelve guest bloggers (one of them being me, yikes...better get my act together!)
Boy crafts
Boy bags
Baby Boy stuff
Boy giveaways
Boy design tips

So if you are wanting some great ideas for the little man in your life, head on over daily to MADE and made by rae for all the action.
To give you an idea of the boy goodness to come check out today's bag tutorial from Anna of noodlehead!
And be sure to check back here in the second half of the month for my clothing tutorial.

there she goes

2010-02-02T22:18:00.004+11:00

Off to school for the first day of many more to come, my beautiful Grace.
Everything they say about that new born baby is so true 'before you know it they will be off to school', and then they are.
30 long hour a week without my girl. I don't think it has all really sunk in yet.

She however has been counting down the sleeps, and was already dressed when I woke this morning right down to the shoes and socks, bag packed with sports uniform shoved in and the joggers on top with laces neatly tied!
And apparently the best part of the day was not having me there...I didn't quiet know whether to laugh or cry at that one, so I just had a good laugh! Hello independence.

If you had have talked to me about schooling two years ago, I would have been adamant that we were going to home school. As you can see we have somewhat changed our tune, not to say that there wont come a day when it will happen.
At the moment I am struggling to keep any order with three children, let alone get the shopping done, or the washing for that matter. So I think it would have been a poor option for my children at this time in our lives. I admire more than anything the families that can home school, I think you people are amazing (and yes, I am somewhat envious!).

We are so happy that the teachers have put Grace and all her other preschool friends from last year in the one class! Couldn't be happier for her. It will make the transition so much easier.

And these two...
Well I didn't let a tear out all day, but the thought of these two (best sisters, best friends they call themselves) spending those 30 hours apart a week, does make my heart sob.

Have I told you lately how amazing my children are?
These kids totally rock my world.

Anyway, back to the school talk...
Grace tells me she had trouble eating her lunch because the playground was too noisy!?
This may take a bit of getting use too.
Pleased to say however, she cant wait to get back there in the morning.
I am off to pack the lunchbox, contact the textbooks...and by the sounds of it, feed the baby.

wordless weekend #11

2010-02-01T08:56:00.005+11:00

my country

2010-01-26T21:50:00.006+11:00

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

-Dorothea Mackellar

Happy Australia Day!
For those of you that live in this wonderful country, we hope you managed to get out and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings.
We went to the creek for a picnic, paddle and swim, and made the most of our packet of temporary tattoo's.
Later in the afternoon we had a big slice of pavlova at the Grandparents.
Oh how good it is to be an Aussie!

hello dribbles

2010-01-26T08:07:00.005+11:00

Two more neckerchief bibs for the boy, because this kid can seriously dribble.
He has outgrown these ones here already.
I followed a simple pattern from this book, but sandwiched a layer of hemp fleece in between the two layers of fabric.
Nice and thick and very absorbent.
Not to mention super cute!

The blue and white fabric was some my youngest brother made in high school (wouldn't let mum throw it out). I think it's batik dyeing. Very effective.

wordless weekend #10

2010-01-25T00:16:00.004+11:00

summer holiday

2010-01-20T21:06:00.008+11:00

I thought you might enjoy a look at some of the photos from our summer holiday.
We had a lot of rainy days, but in between managed to fit in a few trips to the beach and other local sights. It really was a great break, and time for us to enjoy each other as a family without all the other day to day activities getting in the way. We really must do this more often!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year. Ours was a quiet one. Luke and I spent the evening playing game after game of Battleships (kids gave it to him as a Christmas gift) as we waited up for the 12 o'clock fireworks on TV. We managed to write up some goals and changes for the year ahead, but somewhere they got lost...still in my head though, now to follow them through!

festive buntings

2009-12-27T00:55:00.002+11:00

240 triangles sewn.
30+ meters of bias tape.
12 buntings later,
and my Christmas sewing is complete!
They are now all handed out, so I can finally upload photos.

They were all slightly different. Some just red and white, and others with Christmas fabric mixed in. Do you realise how difficult it is to find decent Christmas fabric? The holly print was the best I could find that matched what I already had.

We are having a lovely holiday so far.
Precious time spent with family, and plenty of steady rain which is much needed.
Just beautiful.

christmas 09

2009-12-26T13:33:00.013+11:00

Sorry again for the huge blogging pause, things around here have been so hectic!
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas yesterday, celebrating the birth of Jesus with family and friends. We certainly did, despite both the girls being unwell. Poor Grace was running a fever all day. She spent most the time lying on the couch, but still managed to enjoy the day.
Hasn't my baby boy grown! He is such a sweet little man.

I had wanted to sew the kids an outfit each for Christmas, but didn't quiet get there.
Here's the skirt I made for Grace, I ended up buying a top to go with it. Pattern is from Ottobre 1/09 with a few changes. Fabric is by Kaffe Fassett. I am so in love with his fabrics right now! Fresh, summery and gorgeous.

Here is the skirt for Maeve. Fabric is also Kaffe Fasset. The lace was some I found at the Op shop, and was a perfect match.

I also made her a top to go with it on Christmas eve (not really something to write home about, but she loved it all the same). There is a giraffe appliqued on the front.

And some new gear for Jude.
The baby essentials, plenty of cute bibs and a sleeveless bodysuit. These ones were so fun to make!

I stenciled the designs on using freezer paper. The wolf and crocodile were from this book, and the fish were my idea.

The clouds on the bodysuit were also from the same book.
This was also my first attempt at fold over elastic on a garment. It was quiet easy to do, and turned out fairly neat.

Another suit the same I made a few weeks ago and he has lived in.

envelope necks are great!

And this is a little pen and notebook wrap I made for my sister in law Kate.
I made up my own pattern for this one, to suit the notebook and pens I had.
Fabric is a beautiful natural linen, with a small piece of vintage floral fabric.

Phew! I really should update my blog more...sorry for the long post.
I have lots more to show you, but we are heading off for holidays in the morning (yay!!).
Then we will be home and getting things ready for Grace's first year at school. Lots of changes coming up.

Happy holidays and New Year to all of you!
xx

wordless weekend #9

2009-12-14T07:36:00.004+11:00

(cicada shells are considered 'treasure' around here. Especially when painted with glue and dusted with glitter)

wordless weekend #8

2009-11-30T00:47:00.004+11:00

Geninne's art

2009-11-27T13:58:00.003+11:00

Let's just say I am quietly excited about the prints I ordered off Etsy...happy (early) birthday to me!! Geninne is the talented lady behind each of these amazing artworks, and I can't wait to have them hanging on my walls.

Don't ask me how I narrowed it down to these three prints, I could have closed my eyes and clicked the mouse on any artwork and been 100% happy with my purchase.

So you really must (right now) pop on over to her blog and Etsy shop for a good dose of Ooo-ing and ahhh-ing.

Enjoy your weekend!

redondo

2009-11-25T22:46:00.004+11:00

Another skirt for a little friend of ours, this time it's the 'redondo'.

Ahh...still in love with the rolled hem my over locker so easily does.
Such a neat finish!

And here's what the skirt looks like when you lie it out flat.
One big circle. This skirt is for the girl that seriously loves to twirl.
Looks amazing in motion.

Here's another one I made a while back. Slightly different, I added frills in the seams.
And if you like this pattern you should check out Sara's version of the rainbow Redondo.
So fun!

pink

2009-11-25T21:57:00.002+11:00

This singlet is one I decorated for my youngest girl a few months back.
I have had the lace butterfly sitting in the stash for years now, so it was nice to finally put it to use. I also did a bit of beading over the butterfly and around the arm holes to pretty it up.
It's nice to have some hand sewing like this to do while watching a movie, feels like you are being slightly productive at the same time as being entertained.

The skirt was one I made up for a little friend of Maeve's.
No pattern here. Just guessed by using Maeve's measurements and it fitted well.
(thanks Libby for the fabric!)

And for some more pink love, head over to this post on Katherine's blog.

skirt to dress

2009-11-24T23:58:00.004+11:00

Here's a dress I put together last weekend, after chopping up an old skirt that belonged to my sister (Cath, remember this one?). It was so easy to do.
I cut off about a 30cm piece from the top of the skirt and turned it into the bodice. Because the skirt was lined, there was enough fabric there to line the bodice as well. I used the bodice pattern from the 'gracie' dress (how appropriate!) by Portabellopixie.

The bodice turned out pretty huge and had a serious plunge neckline going on.
And since I think little girls should be sweet and modest, I added a frill around the V neck for coverage. Looks much better!
I gathered what was left of the original skirt, and stitched it to the bodice.
And the dress was complete- easy!

Here's my pile of left over fabric, zip, tag etc...so as you can see, not much fabric went to waste.

wordless weekend #7

2009-11-08T20:10:00.001+11:00