Alex's Humpty Dumpty

I just wanted to show you all a little something that Alex (my husband) made for James for Christmas.
It is a Humpty Dumpty doll. He did such a great job with it! I am very proud. He made it without a pattern and just studied the character to work it all out. It was something he had been thinking about for a while, but he only made it up in the two days before Christmas. Well Done Alex!!!

James has New Pants!

Well, I took a bit of time to make James this pair of pants from the Ottobre pattern range, but I am quite happy with the outcome. Alex did not like the look of thm when I was sewing them, but agreed that they looked great when they were on him, worn with a plain navy t-shirt. He looked great.
Sorry the picture isn't great, you can't see any of the detail. But you get the idea....

Secret Santa Pressie!!

In the week before Christmas I received in the mail a present from my Secret Santa Essential Baby Sewing Group swap.
It was a very thoughtful gift from Helen of "boy" prints, anda book for James (which he LOVES by the way). I didn't manage to get a photo of the book...it got snatched off me to put with his other books. But I did get a photo of the fabrics.
Thank You Helen!!!

Singlet Dress

I have borrowed an idea from Kylie and made a singlet dress. To be honest, I don't know who it is for yet. I want it to be for Claudia (and friend of James) but she is a little girl and I don't know if she will fit the size one singlet that I used. We will see how it goes.

Christmas Tree Outfit

Ok, I am finally getting around to posting pictures of the Christmas Tree outfits that I made for James' Daycare Christmas Party.


James agreed to model one for me too.... well if he could talk he could have said no, but he didn't so it was his bad luck.

My Final Hat for the Year

Just posting a picture of my last hat for the year. This was a straw hat.


And I thought I would just show a picture of the display at the Fashion Parade last night. The photo is a bit hard to look at though. There is just too much in the picture.
The fashion parade was good - but not as good as 2 years ago (am I allowed to say that??). There were only a couple of ranges that I thought were fantastic. The others were just good. I was expecting more....

That is all for now, signing off.

My First Attempt at Ottobre

I have recently subscribed to the infamous Ottobre pattern books from Finland, and have been admiring all the lovely patterns that I would love to attempt to make.
I am pleased to say that I have completed my first dress from the books. It is a lovely little sundress for Lucy in Perth. This is a combined Christmas and Christening present (since the dress I made her as a Christening present was NEVER going to fit - what was I thinking??).

So, I hope Lucy (and her Mum, Libby) like it, and I hope it fits this time.

I would make this pattern again......now I just need a girl who will be 6 months old in the Summer months.......

My Blonde Haired Asian Son.....

I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of my beautiful son, James. Over the last 6 months he has grown some hair...the family photo of us was taken in May. So we are quite happy with the fact that he is finally growing some hair. But we just can't help having a laugh about the colour of it. Especially when Alex is carrying him through the shopping centre, and I turn back to get a look at them. He really doesn't look like either of us at the moment, but that is OK. We still love him like he is our own...haha.

Some Presents - yes, I do sew....

I have finally had a chance to sew again! Woo hoo. Just a couple of things.

A t-shirt for Jack. I asked Alex to choose the teams for this t-shirt, and they all have meaning. During the Rugby World Cup Jack's Dad (Greg) stayed with us, and Alex and Greg went to a few games one of which Ireland played in. And of course The 3 of us watched the Final between Australia and England at the Cargo Bar....those were the days. Now we both have boys, and Jack is turning 1 in a couple of weeks.


And an outfit for Amelia. I made my first tiered skirt using fabric from Reprodepot, and a matching top. I hope she likes it - it is a Christmas present.

Christmas Swap Questions

1. What's your favorite colour?
I love greens (not bottle green though - the lighter greens) and chocolate brown, for myself.

2. What's your favorite item to sew?
Anything quick and easy.

3. What items other people have made would you have loved to have done yourself?
I LOVE Candi's Ottobre dress that was in her last signature. And from the point of view of having a boy, I loved Clair's cowboy shirt that she made a while back for her DS (for something different).

4. What takes your fancy in the notions world? Rik Rack? Ribbons? Trim??
Not that I have used it, but velvet ribbon.

5. What is your fabric weakness?
I have to agree with Shibley and say Reprodepot fabrics. I just love the prints.

6. What's one thing you haven't tried but would like to?
A shirt for James, like Clair's cowboy shirt.

7. Is there any patterns that you like in particular?
Vogue

8. How long have you been sewing for?
Probably since I was about 10. Mum sews a bit, so I learnt a bit from her, and then at school.

9. What size are your kids?
James is size 1.

10. Do you like quick projects or projects that take a little longer to finish?
Quick, I get bored with the longer ones.

11. What do you hope to do with your sewing in the future? Selling/Sell more/keep as hobby etc/Design....?
I would love to sell, but need the time to sew first.

12. What is your favourite time of year?
Holiday time - whenever that is.... And I love a traditional spring (not the 'fake' spring we are having this year).

13. What is your favorite type of fabric?
100% Cotton Woven fabric, all different weights are fine.

14. What is you least favourite fabric to sew with?
Slinky knits

15. Do you have any christmas traditions?
Hmmm, lunch at my parents place, generally cause they have a pool, just in case we ever have a Christmas Day hot enough to use it. And the Christmas tree has to go up as soon as possible. I love my fake Christmas tree!

16. What frustrates you about sewing?
Simply the lack of time that I have to do it.

17. What 'style' do you dress your children in/ which shop clothes do you try to imitate?
Alex and I have worn Esprit for years, and I do like to dress James in that too (although we don't buy it from Australia). I like the new Sprout range that Myer is selling. I bought James a special outfit from Osh Kosh this year, but I find the sizes too big for him. And I LOVE the Woof by Minihaha range (on sale that is)

A Fairy Skirt for Amelia

Finally I have something new to post. I have finished a 'fairy skirt' for my niece Amelia. This is being modelled by James in the picture, pretty isn't he!
Amelia collected it today and looked gorgeous in it. I will have to get my sister to send me a photo.

The Softies I Made Have Arrived At Their New Home

Well I am pleased to hear that the softies I made have arrived at their new home - with Ellyse and Andrea!
I thought I should add the pictures to my blog, to show that have done SOME sewing over the past few weeks.

The Arrival of a Softie!

Well, I was very excited when I looked out the front window this morning and saw a parcel that had been thrown across the concrete towards the from door. Lucky it wasn't breakable. It was, infact, a SOFTIE from an ANGEL-Becci!
I have honestly never seen anything like it before, but it is such a great idea! I think that it looks a bit like a glow worm, but cuter.

I really love it and so does James. He laughed at it when he first saw it!

Family Photos

Some of the sewing girls were mentioning posting pictures of ourselves. Here is one of Alex, James and I in May. James has grown quite a bit since then.
You can also see our family portraits/baby photos taken by Lisa Barnes recently at http://www.lisabarnes.com.au/HPP006/kwan/

Leah has tagged me, and I will answer those questions when I get a bit more time. Thanks Leah!

Melbourne Cup fascinator

For one of our TAFE assignments we had to create a Melbourne Cup fascinator. I had spent a bit of time on my previous hat, so I scrimped a little on the fascinator. I made it on a headband so that I knew it would stay on my head if I ever had to wear it.
After the holidays we will be starting on our straw hat! Mine will be pink!

My 1st Stretch-Knit project

I am quite proud of myself. I have completed my first ever stretch fabric project. Hmmm, maybe I am lying there, I doubt I could have gotten through HSC Textiles without ever having sewing a knitted fabric, could I?!?!?!

Anyway, this is an achievement for me, because I have been scared of knit fabric in the past. And to add to the fact that it was knitted, it also had lycra in it!!! Scary stuff, isn't it!

These shorts are for James. There will be a matching top....sometime in the future!

Like Cass, I have just found a suitable stretch sewing stitch on my sewing machine (it is amazing what the manual can tell you!) and I am on my way! I also used my twin stretch sewing needle for the first time. I am quite excited by it all. I will try to get a picture of James wearing the pants in the sunny and warm future.

A Challenging Zipper!

Our first EB Sewing Group Challenge was "zippers", and what a challenge it was.

I have put in zippers in the past, but not for a long time. I decided to go with a fairly plain open zipper, and incorporate my fabric from Reprodepot and my iron-on clear vinyl. I made a little cosmetics case. Just what I needed!

Next time I will have to re-think the design though. The vinyl got creased when I was trying to turn it inside out - that is OK though, I don't mind the look. And next time, I will not cut the end off the zipper (the stopper) and then proceed to unzip the zipper completely!!! The zipper in the picture was acutally the 2nd zipper I used! Learn from my mistakes girls!!

A present for Christian

One of the girls from our Mothers Group is moving to Perth with her partner and their 'baby' Christian. So all the parents are going out for dinner tomorrow night to say goodbye. I thought I should make a little going away present for Christian.
I used my goldfish fabric!! I love it.
Don't look at the stitching! Does everyone who sews say that? Or is it just be being paranoid?

I've been tagged!

Ok I've been tagged - thanks Cass

These are the rules of the tag are:
List 5 weird things about yourself or your pets.
Tag 5 friends and list them.
Then, those people need to write on their blogs about 5 weird things, and state the rules, and tag 5 more people. Dont forget to let the people you tag know by posting a comment on their blog!

Ok I am tagging

http://www.gomama-sewing.blogspot.com/ Natalie
http://mizzmolly.blogspot.com/ Molly
http://toileandvelvet.blogspot.com/ Candi
http://lolliegirl.blogspot.com/ Angel
http://www.the-elston-family.blogspot.com/ Leah

1. I have only lived in 2 houses in my 29 years! My parents home (which they still live in), and the house we live in now - owned by my Mother-in-Law!!

2. I now live with my Husband, Son, and my Husbands brother and sister, while my Mother-in-Law lives next door on her own. It is a LONG story....

3. I had a dream the other night that one of James' daycarers told me that she was leaving the daycare centre. The next day she actually told me that she was leaving....spooky!

4. Some people may find this weird. I have told my son (who is almost 15 months) repeatedly that I am going to marry him when he grows up, cause I love him so much.

5. Since being pregnant with James, I am a bit scared of our cat. Now when we get up in the morning I make sure that my husband puts her out of the house. I just don't like having to get her out of the house later in the day, cause I am scared she will scratch me.

My Latest "Creation"

I made this hat for my TAFE Millinery course. I am loving the course, but I just need to be a bit more adventurous with my 'creations'. My teacher suggested that I frayed the edges to rough it up a bit....so I frayed them very neatly and evenly. Probably not what she was after!

But I have to say, I am really happy with the end result. If I am game enough one day, I will get a photo taken with it on. The angles of these photos might make it a bit difficult to see it properly.

New T-Shirt for James

I have decorated my first t-shirt for James with one of the fabrics from Reprodepot! I am very happy and so will his Dad be when he gets home and sees it tonight.

James was not so happy with being photographed though. Not because he doesn't like the camera, but because he does like it, and he just can't handle it if I don't give it to him! Tantrums are becoming more and more common these days. I thought they didn't start until they were 2!

I thought I would start by putting in some old pictures of fabric that I have recently bought.
It was from www.reprodepot.com and I LOVE it.
Still haven't been game to cut into it yet. I need to find the right time to do that.

I would live to make a little skirt for my niece with the strong pink print. And some applique some little t-shirts with the rugby jersey print and the goldfish print.

New to Blogging

Well I have joined the Blog world. I wonder if my life will change now??