All in a day's work!

There were some dramas, this blog post was meant to be posted last night but something terrible happened - my laptop died. Thankfully we were able to operate and and saved the hard drive so I have my precious favourites and pictures, but, yes sadly, my laptop is dead.
There were some photos I really wanted - photos for this very blog entry.. and now they're back to being available (as the hard drive hangs haphazardly out of the handy husband's computer) and here we go.

As I've said, I'm on holidays, and being on holidays is a little more quiet as the children are off for a few hours, allowing me to sew - and to listen to loud music the contains swear words and, of course, to combine both things. I set about making another skirt across the last two days, it would've taken me about a couple of hours all up, but it was a lot of work for Me Of Little Attention Span so it took me two days of lazy work.

Pattern from 1983

Oma gave me this pattern, it included the skirts and the tops - yet to make the top.. knit scares me. But I set to work making a multi-panel gored skirt.. it involved a lot of cutting, 25 panels to be precise.

It is important to listen to Eminem while you cut fabric, donchaknow.

And once they were all cut, I admired them.

And then I got to sewing them. I decided to do it methodically. I cut in layers of 2, so I just sewed them all, then I sewed another 2 to another 2 (does that make sense?) and in the end I had my one lone ranger, number 25, to secure on either end.

 

This was more time consuming than I could ever anticipate. I had to sew 25 straight lines. I actually think I'm a bit of an expert in sewing straight lines now because I did it - a lot. I did it so much that I got to the point where I could put my foot to the floor and zip it through like some kind of ... person who can sew fast.

Doing the waistband was a bit of a worry, I don't think I did it right as it doesn't have the right amount of stretch, but that's okay, still fits. I'll have to look up on how to properly attach elastic with a zig-zag, I did a lot of stitch lengthening and what-not.

I have to say- I think my 'pin cushion' is ingenious. :D

And then it was done! And I love it. Cobey approves too, in fact the next day he made sure that I was wearing "the skirt" because "It is just so beautiful."

I have to agree, it's very spring!

Holidays!

No, not holidays in the going away sense, but holidays in the Not Going To Work sense. :D I love these holidays, I don't have to rush out the door, I don't have to wake the kids up and be on their backs about getting dressed so we can leave before 7.30. All I have to do is lay their clothes out, wait for them to get around to getting dressed and then we can head out, drop them at day care (Oh yes, I am the type of mummy that drops them off even though I'm staying home) and them come back home and just chill out.

Or sew, sew without having to say "Eva, don't fiddle with that knob while I'm sewing!" (The stitch selector) or "Cobey, quit sticking my pins into the couch!" (Ouch!) And not to mention Eva's just worked out that I step on the foot peddle to make it go.. yup.

So anyway, it's holidays and I can sew. By the end of this fortnight break I will make myself at least one item of clothing to wear, it's looking to be a skirt since 1) I like skirts and 2) I have some beautiful material with which I shall make the skirt from. I actually found some more material in my stash so I can make two skirts! I'm tossing up if I just start with your basic elastic gathered waist skirt, or to add a gathered fringe to the bottom - I'll see how it goes!
I'd like to make a circle neck shirt as well, but I think I actually have to source a pattern for that one, stay tuned.

Oh, also yesterday Oma gave me a bunch of sewing magazines and a couple of skirt patterns (Gored skirts... acutally I could make one of those... hmmmmmmmm) and in the mags included some bag mags, I'll have to go through them!

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit titchy to start sewing now, so I might (finally) cut up my skirt material and get going on this venture. I'm a bit excited about making something *for me*!

But it looked so easy!

I've been busy this last week, between friends visiting, work and signing up for a TAFE course, I've been a bit flat-strapped. I have made a few things in the mean time though, just quickly which I'll have to share a bit later.

On the weekend, however, a friend came over for- what is colloquially known as- a stitch 'n' bitch. We have been wanting to get together and do this since I got the sewing machine.. this is the second time it was arranged, the first time we all had last-minute commitments and this time two of us four were busy (One was cuddling her brand new, less than a day old bubba! tch! excuses, excuses) but that didn't stop Sharon and I from setting the machines up and knocking up a "quick" craft.

We weren't sure exactly what to craft, I had my eye on Martha Stewart's Reversible Purse, it looked pretty easy and it was something I had wanted to do. So we got to it, cutting, ironing, talking and yada yada.

It was fun!

We did take some action shots, why not..

Two hands for beginners...

But then the trouble started. I've looked at so many other blog links for people who have completed this and they all say it's a snap, easy, no problems... so how did Sharon and I get it so wrong? How did we spend 2 hours - yes, two-freaking-hours - on one step.. the step being the armholes.. it just was not working for us, I even tried some other way then was forced to unpick the lot.. it was not pleasing either of us at all.
Eventually, after a few tantrums, we did it.. both of us ending up with a less than perfect result... only aesthetics, a few wrinkles near the bottom of each handle.. but still.. it shouldn't have been that hard.

 

In the end these were our bags. They're cute - not perfect and pretty annoying that they took us so long! I took mine out the next day for a road test, it fitted my phone, keys and purse just nicely- and enough room for a couple of other small things stashed- and it hung nicely on my wrist. I will have to try this one again - maybe one of the other online tutes which doesn't have the funny J bit where the handle meets the bag? We seem to be blaming that. I'll redo and report!

The (not so) Incy Wincy Spider.

Incy Wincy, Itsy Bitsy.. what do you know it as? I was brought up (I'm sure) with the Incy Wincy Spider but I often see the Itsy Bitsy Spider hanging about. And sometimes he goes up the water spout and sometimes the garden spout! Tsk! Can't keep up!

When I'm not chasing after my children I'm working at a primary school as a teacher aide. I love my job immensely, I love every bit of it- the relationships I form with the kids as I watch them grow, the staff at my work are just these wonderful people, so smart and dedicated to the cause of educating children, we're all very passionate about it. I love educating children and educating myself in the process- kids can teach you so much!

Another part about my work that I love is being a kid again. Nearly all aspects of my work involves me getting in touch with my inner-kid- whether it's joining in conversations with them and understanding the trends and slang and then relating with something from when I was a girl, or getting into their heads and realising just how a child thinks and why they learn the way they do. Then there's the very obvious 'being a kid again' aspect of my job. Dress ups.

You can't avoid dress ups with a school job and it's one of those work requirements I particularly love. Our theme coming up in a week or so is Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes. I tossed up a bit of Cat & The Fiddle, I even thought about fashioning a spoon and coming with a dish to run away with, my next thought moved to the Incy Wincy Spider - can't be too hard, 4 more 'legs' and I'm done. I googled a bit to find the easiest way to do it and I found this. Thank you, Martha Stewart. So today I set about it. I made a quick black A-Line skirt with an elastic waist, taped two coat hangers together and then onto a hook, (Husbando wouldn't be a sport and wear it to make this process easier) then used some white yarn to turn it into a web, which was a bit  fiddly and time consuming but I'm pleased with the end result.

I love the actual Incy Wincy Spider I made as well. Can't wait for our dress up day!

More about Birthdays!

This is the most important birthday post thought - because it's about me! *snort* No, really.

I haven't had a lot of either sew or update in the last week due to the birthday month that is May. This 'round of birthdays includes my own AND my daughters, both on the same day - today! My sister is up from Tasmania which puts a dint in the sewing time while I spend some much missed time with her, however I couldn't let the day go without sewing Eva something. I've been dying to make myself a skirt but I decided to do as Mythbusters does and small-scale test first and after finding a Minnie Mouse skirt for Eva I knew I had the best material sitting in my stash for a matching skirt.

I made her a tiered skirt, there are a few tutes around but I liked the no-nonsense of the indietutes skirt. Worked perfectly (if not for a bit of swearing when I was trying to spread out the gathers a bit more) and I'm very much in love with it! I can't wait to get my hands on some material to make me one too!

Now, to be honest it's probably a bit too long to be a 2 year old's skirt, and I know the top tier is a weeny bit bigger than it should be, but it was very sweet. It's very much the kind of skirt that I'm always in.. And Eva loves it so that's that!

Here's a photo to show the length (although it'd slipped down a bit) with Poppy (My dad) I haven't perfected the art of finding a nice place and snapping until I get a beautiful, flawless photo ;) Or maybe she has perfected the art of being a 2 year old and not standing still for a photo?

Happy Birthday, Moo.

Memories of Memories.

I've been sewing up a storm this weekend! I have a few friends who are pregnant and two are due... well any day now! How exciting! Not only does this mean new babies to sniff and to sew for, but also big sisters (3 in total!) needing gifts for just being them! More about those later, however.

Today I sat down with my husband's Nana and we were talking about various things crafty - see this was at a card making party and I spend most of my time at those things sighing, moaning about how bad I am at crafts and furrowing my brow until someone feels sorry for me and gives me step-by-steps. And while that all happens someone tries to reassure me that I AM creative in some way and "Don't you look at your own sewing?". Today it was Nana who was telling me this, and then she complimented me on how good I'm getting and she mentioned the polo shirt that Cobey was wearing- which I'd repurposed from an adult polo. She asked if I was enjoying sewing, I nodded enthusiastically and then pulled out my phone to show her some snaps of Eva's tunic dress of last weekend - I looked back to her and she was smiling back.. she told me how she used to make all her kids' clothes and how seeing my enthusiasm and making my kids' clothes brought back memories of the pride she felt when her kids would put them on.

She even shared with me that her son (My husband's dad) was the one who first boasted of my polo-job, and said "Remember how you used to make our clothes."

It makes it worth it, the sewing, the swearing at the cursed machine, the pain of picking up a pin the wrong way - so worth it, not for just the pride of making something that usable- but for the memories I'm creating for my children and for the memories I'm evoking from others. So very worth it.

Turning two.

My darling daughter is due to turn two in 3 short weeks. Where have the last two years gone? Every mother says that - growing up too quick etc; and it's so true. I remember like yesterday walking out of the hospital with my 4 hour old snuggled in my arms, wearing a pink Bonds wondersuit, smelling that wonderful, fresh smell that you can only indulge in when holding the newest of new babies. I'm sure that was yesterday.. or maybe lst week at a stretch.. nope, it was 101 weeks ago. 101 short, short weeks.

Today we had a birthday party, not only for her but for two of her friends who were born around the same time - one of her friends is actually a mere 3 hours younger than her, while the other friend is 8 days older. We held the party early for a few reasons, the main one being that Sibi's mum is due to have another baby in the next few weeks! It was a great day for it too, lovely warm autumn in Brisbane, the sun was shining, the grass was soft and the company was great.

On Thursday night, starting at about 10pm, I made Eva the dress she'd wear for the party - I was very happy with how it turned out! She loves it too and was quite put off by me taking it off her to have a bath this evening.

The fabric had been given to me by a parent at the school I work at when she heard I had a sewing machine! I felt bad as it'd been sitting in my material-hoard without a project to do with it. When I found the tute I straight away knew that this would be the material to use! The tute is, of course, the 20 minute Tunic Jumper (or dress as I'd say in Australian) from Little Bean Workshop.

I can see myself making a few more of these! Not least for a birthday that's coming up soon (Another! I know!)