Raindrops keep falling on my head...

I love nights like tonight. It's pouring with rain and I'm nice and cozy in my little house with my little boy all tucked up in bed. The sound of rain on our iron roof is extra soothing after all this stinking, sticky heat. I can think again.

We've been co-sleeping since Remy was born and now it's time he moved into his cot. He's spent a little time in there already but has recently developed this habit of screaming whenever I take him near it. Hrm. Definitely a signal that there are some tough and yell-ish times ahead.

I saw this fabulous post on Wisecraft, and some of the comments after the post mentioned how useful these little rice pillows are for babies moving into their own beds.

It took me about a tenth of a second from reading those comments to pulling material out of my stash to make one.

And here it is:

And here's Remy test driving it:

Sorry, it's a bit blurry because he was rolling about like a clown. Notice those bags under his eyes? I have matching ones.

A couple of Remy's wee baby friends are also having some trouble sleeping so I'm going to whip up a few for them too. On those ones I'm going to add a little something extra. You know, because more is more.

And the winners are...(down at the bottom of the page)

So please send me your address (glenbervierose[at]gmail[dot]com) and I'll pop your prezzie in the post!

I know there have been quite a few links lately and not a whole lotta crafting buuuuuuuuuut, well, you know how it is. You go have a baby and all of a sudden you have no time. And when you do have time all you want to do is sit down and have a cup of tea and stare into space.

So here's another link. I'm considering getting rid of my Facebook account for this.

Oh yeah. And I forgot to say when I was going to do the draw for my 100 posts. I think we'll try and attempt it tomorrow. I'll see if Remy fancies it in the morning.

Oh! How linktastic!

You know the annoying thing about the interwebs? There are so many great crafty blogs out there that I end up reading about what other people are making, thus taking up valuable time that I could use to make stuff myself. But, sheesh, I got rid of the telly so there is no way on god's green Earth I'm going on an internet diet.

I read something insane like 80 blogs on a regular basis. Not all crafty-related but mostly they are about creativity of one type of other. Oh! That reminds me - have you guys got onto Bloglines yet? If you read more than about 10 blogs a day, this site is invaluable. It lets you know when blogs are updated - no more fury at the favourite blogger whose site you check every day but who only updates once a month - and it's just as thrilling as getting new, fun email.

Some of the places in that long list of 80 blogs that I hang out at include:

BettyNinga's blog is full of ninga goodness. And I love her introduction: Being a ninga is all about being crafty. Inspired.

My blog doppelganger and general object of envy is over here at Tales of the Red-Headed Devil Child and her Geeky Mother. I'm very proud to say that she cyber-stalked me and invited me to lunch. And she's going to knit me some tiny little pants soon for the gorgeous daughter of a friend! Yay!

I want to buy every single thing over at HeartFelt. Ahh, to have a life like Jannelle and the talent she has to find these little clothes and improve them outtasight.

Dooce.com. I found this site via Wanda Harland (another all-time favourite) and I love it. The photos are fab and the woman is HILARIOUS.

I seem to have run out of steam. So tired. Golly, yes, it's past my bedtime. More linktastic links coming your way the next time I feel the urge.

Why? How come? WHY?

This man is a frickin genius.

Favourite so far: Why can't I cook my sister?

Sometimes things aren't made the way you'd expect...

We are living in a material world

It's been a remarkably crappy day in our house today. Literally. Is there nothing more fascinating to a 7 month old boy than his own poo?

I'll spare you the details.

I had to walk to The Terrace this morning (a jaunty 2 hour return trip) and on the way I had to pass many, many of the old shops that I used to haunt when I had a job where they paid me what now seems like an outrageous sum of money. Oh, such good times were had back then. Shopping, purchasing, spending, accumulating...

As much as I would like to be stoic about being poor, there are some days when it's impossible. Like the days when the cutest little winter t-bar heels stare at me through open shop doors or when this season's cropped and fitted jackets call to me through the glass. Sigh.

All of this, of course, is just an excuse to post this:

100 posts! Oh the excitement!

Well folks, this is my 100th post. It doesn't seem to have taken me long to get here, but then I start to think about how wee Remy was when I started this blog and then I start thinking that time goes by so fast and I really can't keep up anymore.

To celebrate 100, I have three smallish pieces of vintage fabric to give away (I think they're a bit bigger than a fat quarter). And this is what they look like:

All rosy goodness.

Just leave a comment with 'Yes please', Remy will pick three lucky comments and then I'll pop them in the post. Easy.

Come on lurkers! You know you want to!

And to the lovely friends who have wanted to post but got all flustered when asked to login, I've changed the comments so you can post anonymously.

Where the crafty things are

Ooo, it's all been a bit quiet on this blog of late.

And it's all been a bit quiet on the sewing front in this house of late. I put the blame firmly on the kid. Sheesh that kid needs a lot of stuff done for him - cooking, bathing, washing - LAZY. That's what he is.

The couture jacket is on hold for the moment. The pink silk lining was fraying like a mad thing, so much so that I can't use it. Maybe there was something I needed to do first to prevent the fraying? So I need to find a new lining but I'm having trouble matching it. I've also tried not matching it in that crazy mixed up juxtaposition kind of way but that's not working either. I'll keep working on it though - it's not destined for the pile of unfinished messes - it's been good fun so far.

I'm still sewing my new labels in the jackets and they're looking cute.

In breaking news, we bit the bullet and got rid of telly. It's been lovely. The energy in the house has changed. Lovely.

Photo Post: Sunday Funday at the park

 

 

 

 

Oh, it's just all working out so well

I've been blathering on for a while about needing to get labels sorted for my jackets, and now that I'm on an eight week countdown to getting the jackets in shops I've been feeling extra (self-inflicted) pressure.

I was wandering about in my least favourite fabric shop - in my defence, they have a sale on - when I stumbled across quilting fabric with black letters on a white spotty background. And there were my labels.


Parenthetically, the shop advertised the material as 'on sale' for $10 per metre. All their quilting fabric is $10 per metre when not on sale. Growl. Fair Trading Act anyone?

So, this is how they look:

I'm in love! The trouble is that they take ages because I hand applique them but, as the saying goes, beauty is pain.

Photo swap

Megan, over at the Scent of Water, is holding a photo swap and I'm taking part. Fun!

The theme is 'simplicity' and this is the image I sent to my gal:


I saw the roll of twine and started thinking of "my favourite things" from The Sound of Music, and the blue satin sashes and the brown paper packages tied up with string, and walah! A photo was born.

I sent the tiniest little print of the photo. I wanted it to be like a keepsake, you know, like the pebble kept in a drawer, like the dried flower in a book. A simple item that warms the heart.

Photo post: Remy with apple

The only thing better than a cup of tea is another cup of tea

 

It was a funny old day in our house today. Remy has started crying whenever he realises that I'm going to put him to bed. Hrrrmm. Quite a problem when he needs at least two naps a day...

So, not a lot got done.

I'm going to Craft2.0 in March - yipee! - so I really need to get on with sewing little people's clothes.

Babies, huh? No respect for deadlines.

Corpse Brides

My darling dear friend Natalie is getting married in January - Hurrah! - and I'm going to be a bridesmaid for her.

She sent me some links to some stunning frocks she's considering for her big day. One of the links she sent me was this - the Vera Wang website. On it is a video of the runway of the spring/summer collection.

It's shocking. So, so shockingly bad. Not the bridal gowns - those are mostly very pretty and it's nice to see some movement away from boring old strapless A-lines - but the make-up and hair on the models. They look like the walking dead.

Don't get me wrong - I like runway shows that are exciting and unexpected, those that juxtaposition pretty, flouncy clothes with loud delicious punk music or minimalist, tightly structured clothes with gorgeous floral backdrops. This show attempts those things with the ugly hair and make-up with the pretty dresses but it just doesn't hit the mark. It's just plain old weird and mismatched.

Sunday; family fun day

 

 

 

Pretty thing

Ooooh, I'm very close to 100 posts and I've noticed that other crafty types tend to have a giveaway with their first 100. What, oh what, shall I do?

So, the jacket I'm using couture sewing techniques on. It's not as far along as I'd hoped because there is a little person in my house who appears to despise sleeping. It's how I imagine living with Margret Thatcher would be - you know, she of four hours sleep a night - but possibly a little more fun.

I'm using a black velvet (I think it may even be crushed velvet - let's call it trashy chic), with a border print as the outer and a pink patterned silk as the inner.


Both fabrics are a blerdy nightmare to sew because they're both slippery little beggars, so hand sewing them is probably faster and easier than doing it at the machine. That, and my machine would chew them up and spit them out - anything that's not a medium weight cotton gets badly treated by my machine.

Also, the pink silk is fraying like crazy. I'm not sure yet how to deal with that. Might have to consider zigzagging it with the machine...


I've surprised myself by bothering with basting before I sew. When I'm using the machine I almost never baste. As it turns out, it's a very handy thing to do. You'd never guess but it actually helps keep the material in exactly the right place for when the permanent stitching starts! I know. Shocking.


I've done something a little silly though. I forgot to plan the closing. And it's going to be difficult because there's all that lovely pattern on the front that I don't want interrupted by buttons or buttonholes. Really should have thought this through.

Couture goodness coming your way

I'm working on a little velvet and silk jacket and I'm using couture techniques, most for the first time. I'm teaching myself from a book so it's taking me a while...but there will be photos tomorrow of the beginning stages.

Wohoo! Go couture kids' clothes!

I'm sick of putting 'frou frou' into the titles of my posts. Will anyone notice if I stop?

Yay for thrift store adventures!

Generally, I've only found utter crap it this particular shop, and it seems to be frequented by men in long, heavy woolen trench coats (this is in the middle of summer by the way), but today I found these:




Four soup bowls. I dream about turning up to Antiques Roadshow with them, and finding out they're worth a squillion dollars and saying, 'oh, the value doesn't matter. I'll never sell them. You see, my cat just loves having his biscuits from them'.

Minisnap, where have you been all my life? I need your FrouFrouOsity in my life.

1. Martha rocks.

2. So it reasons that anyone she likes also rocks.

3. She likes Oy Vey.

4. Oy Vey definitely rocks.

5. Oy Vey likes Minisnap.

6. Now I like Minisnap.

7. Thanks Martha and Oy Vey. You guys ROCK.

Frou frou advice for life and sewing.

Eliminate the "shouldas" from your sewing life. Has a project descended into that abyss from which it shall never emerge? Write. It. Off. Don't let it hang around your sewing room like some Dickensian ghost. Give it away, cut it into quilt squares, mash it up for papermaking, hold an unfinished-object-swap with all your sewing friends, heck, throw it out or burn it if you have to -- I don't care what you do with it, but once you get to the point where thinking of it makes you feel guilty and self-flagellating, it is not a "unfinished project" but a curséd albatross. Sewing is no longer something people need to do to survive on the frontier [if you ARE on the frontier, pls ignore this part]; it's a FUN HOBBY. Vigorously expunge the parts that aren't fun. So you screwed up. So what? Bury the evidence, deny, deny, deny, and move ON.

Thanks A Dress A Day. You've just lifted about 6 weights off my shoulders. I'm off to start the bonfire now.

What's going on in the world frou frou?

John Campbell is not wearing a tie tonight. I repeat, JOHN CAMPBELL IS NOT WEARING A TIE TONIGHT.

Is this the first horse of the apocalypse?

Frou frou comes in different forms; being stalked by Nikki is one of them

I've been fortunate to be stalked by the wonderfully entertaining Nikki. Ahhh, such good times over lunch at the Matterhorn. And it was a lovely reprieve from my sleepless haze.

I even got to check out her latest batch of knitting - gorgeous! And we agreed that even though I want to steal the lovely Hannah to play dress-ups and tea parties, I won't.

I popped into the best fabric shop in Welly on my way home and picked up some stunners (spending twice my fabric budget; oops, but I blame it all on Remy!).

This is silk. Rather Hundertwasser, yes?


This is some crazy velvety something with a border print. I've started cutting this one for a little winter jacket. I've got some black and white silk for the lining.


I know I'm a more is more kinda girl but this one is, um, 'more' even for me. At least the colours are restrained. I'm thinking girls' dresses, possibly with sashes. Hahaha! Like that? One minute I'm saying the fabric is too much; the next I'm making dresses with SASHES, because, obviously, sashes are never too much.


This one will be the lining for another hoodie, this time a winter one with a black cashmere outer. Yum!

Bananas and chocolate; froufrouish goodness

Banana cake with chocolate ganache. Mmmm, yeah.

Couture techniques on kids' clothing is uber frou frou

As I've said before, I plan to use more couture techniques this year, and I'm starting with matching the pattern on fabrics at the seams (does that make sense? My brain is such mush at the moment but this isn't a poor me post, no, no, no!).

For my first attempt I'm going to use the Zambesi fabric I bought yesterday and some black cashmere wool blend to make a winter kids' jacket.

These are the blocks I made for my kids' jackets:

The only one that needs to be on a fold is the back block so all I have to do is get the centre of the fabric lined up with the fold. Easy!

I'll just do the arms so that they have the same pattern on each. Pretty easy because no one will see inside the arms (unless they are very tricksy customers who turn the jacket inside out before they buy it, and I'm not sure I want customers who are going to be tricksy).

Not so easy is the hood. I want to make it look like there is just the one piece instead of two, so I have to cut the fabric in two but match the pattern in the middle remembering to add the seam allowance.

This is what I have so far (Tama the cat is providing moral support). I'm about to cut. Wish me luck!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...