Summer

We have been going to Albany for holidays in January for years. The beaches and the scenery is amazing. Unfortunately it is usually very cold down there and last year it rained the whole time we were there. This weekend however we had amazing weather. I only pulled out warm clothes once and that was to take photos of my sister with Eva. Gemma knitted this gorgeous cardigan so we popped it on for a few minutes. Evie didn't seem to mind.

This was about the only picture I took. There is none of the beach as this time we were all in the water and the girls just loved it. Sandcastles, shells and little waves what more could they want?

We also managed to catch up with friends and go out to dinner without children (thanks Mum and Dad) and drink a few cocktails. Now back to the reality of washing clothes full of sand and thinking about what to cook for dinner, but I'm planning to a little rest later to look through these fabulous magazines Gem brought me back from Amsterdam.

Homespun Magazine

I was so excited to see the January issue of Homespun magazine in the newsagency today. In it you will find the pattern for my platypus and also a pattern to makes babies.
Thanks Homespun!
I finished the twirly skirts for the girls and I think they are happy with them. They looked happy twirling around the lawn this afternoon.

The skirts seemed to take forever - a lot longer than my normal version which involves a hem and some elastic.

Amelia was desperate to use this pink and red spot fabric so I whipped up some frilly pants. Much quicker than the skirts.

Baby Surprise Jacket

Even though there are only two little seams the thought of sewing them has meant Eva's Baby Surprise Jacket has sat unfinished with only 4 rows to knit for months. We are off to Albany this week and although the weather says it will be warm it never is in Albany. I'm sure it will be cold and drizzly and Eva will need warm clothes so I finished this last night.
Baby Surprise Jacket (pattern can be bought here)
5mm needles
Noro Kureyon (purchased here)
Colour 154
3 balls

Summer

We finally have summer weather and two little girls obsessed with swimming. Chris has been taking them to the pool each day leaving me time to sew or even just sit in peace. Eva can sit up which means much less yelling. She's not that interested in crawling. She manages to roll or slide around and get what she wants, or yell until a big sister gets it for her.

I finished this hat for a custom order today. It uses some of my favourite vintage fabric.

Next are twirly skirts. I have just been negotiating colours and fabrics. Grace loves purple and green and Amelia loves pink and red. Not my favourite combinations. I feel like I am in Project Runway trying to make the client happy and making something I like.

2009

Happy New Year! I can't believe it is 2009, last year seemed to fly past. I don't have a list of things I want to achieve for the year. My aim is to feel calm and not so stressed about things I feel I should be doing. My one big goal is to be able to run 5km without stopping. I think if I can achieve this I might achieve some other goals like, being healthier, fitter and losing weight all without stressing about each one individually. Hopefully this will also make be feel a little calmer and even a bit more organised. A huge benefit I have found of going to the gym or going walking is time to think and plan. So I will stick to my goal of trying to run 5km and hopefully I will feel a lot better for it.

My 2009 calendar from here.

I just have to share these cards. I have had them in my favourites on Etsy for quite some time and my sister and I bought some for our girls as late Christmas presents. You can find them here.

Christmas

I finished Emme's quilt just in time. I quilted in with a diamond pattern and before we left for Mum and Dad's. I sewed on the binding on Christmas Eve and had it wrapped before bedtime.

My sister planned the food this year. I was responsible for pastries and brioche for brunch. Lunch was salads and glazed ham - perfect for our summer weather.

I think the highlight of Christmas on the farm for the girls was catching yabbies in the dam or yabby lobsters as they call them. We wish they were lobsters. They weren't too bad with some chilli sauce.

I think my highlight was being outside with children in the wading pool. Here is my sister Jane and the hat I made for her.

Daisy Chain Quilt

I've just popped out of my sweatshop for a breath of fresh air. So glad Chris is on holidays so I can attempt to finish some of the Christmas sewing I wanted to do. Must remember to start next years before December, I probably should start in February. This is a quilt (hopefully it will be a finished one by tomorrow) for my niece using Amy Butler's Daisy Chain fabric.

Red Polka Dots

A needed a skirt for Christmas. I seem to have quite a collection of fabric with red spots and it is as close to wearing something 'Christmassy' as I am going to get.
Made with some help from Sew What! Skirts.

Another Simplicity 3835. A quick and easy top for warm weather which is something we have not seen this summer. More rain and grey clouds yesterday - enough to make the roof leak.

Gnome Hat

It has become all about Christmas around here. I guess that is what happens when you have little people who are obsessed with it. All my recent sewing has been for presents and I madly trying to finish dyeing some yarn for an order. So all I have to show you is a hat. I've made two for little boys whose birthdays are Christmas and Christmas Eve. Love this fabric I have been saving it for the right thing and I think it is perfect for hats.

Happy Birthday Mum

Happy Birthday Mum! She was 60 on the weekend and my sister, myself and all the little girls headed to the farm to have an afternoon tea for her.
I'd write more, but I came home with a head cold which is more than annoying this week as I had planned to make a lot of Christmas presents. So instead of sewing and playing with the girls I am lying in the middle of lego mess while Evie rolls and tries to wedge herself under furniture continually and the girls watch the tackiest Barbie DVD. I had to stop at a town half way home from the farm and promised them a new DVD if they were good and they chose that - I couldn't make them change their mind and I didn't need another 2 hours of screaming so I caved in.
So Happy Birthday Mum. I hope you and Dad have managed a rest after having a house full of crazy little girls because we will all be back this time next week!

Biscotti

Thanks for all your comments on my gnome - I am so behind on emails I'm not sure I'll ever catch up, but I do appreciate every comment and I do check and see what everyone is up to. It is sometimes a bit tricky to reply with a squirmy little slug in my arms. I forgot to explain that it was wet felted not needle felted, but that is another thing on my list I'd like to try - just a bit scared of the needles.
I love biscotti - I don't make it much as I tend to sit and eat it all. It is excellent at Christmas time as it is keeps well so can be used for presents. I found a recipe for Pistachio and Honey Biscotti yesterday and it is pretty good.

I finished the girls Clothkit Dresses and I love them! So easy and quite quick to put together and they definitely won't look like anyone else wherever they go.

Gnome

We have a great community centre on our little town that organises an activity every Monday morning and a creche for the children. Last Monday it was felting so I managed to get out of the house and get there not too late. We made little gnomes. It was fantastic - there was no easing into it and only making a flat piece or something really basic. It was straight away here is a gnome let's make one. The picture is not brilliant as somehow we have gone back to winter and outside is grey, dull and rain. The only good thing is I'm not so stressed about stepping on the snake that was out the front last week.

Break It Down

I told the girls the Nativity story the other day and then they watched more Yo Gabba Gabba (definitely everyone's favourite at the moment). I later found Amelia banging some drums singing "Break It Down Baby Jesus".
Here she is playing croquet - of course you need to wear a skirt and gumboots to play croquet.

Christmas Tree

I am not sure how many times I have been asked "How many minutes until Christmas?", but I'm sure it will drive me insane before Christmas arrives. I have just caught them sneaking out of bed to get the Father Christmas hats they discovered earlier today.
I'm hoping that the tree stays intact this year. The girls are old enough not to dismantle it everyday and Evie can't move.
We didn't really own many decorations until last year and we are slowly collecting some. My parents went to visit my sister who is living in Amsterdam and returned with the most fabulous Delft ornaments. This windmill is everyones current favourite. We actually live in a town with a Christmas shop that amazingly is open all next year. I have promised the girls we can go next week and they can choose a new decoration for the tree.

Soap and Reading

I think my soap should be cured! I will put some in the bathroom today. The back one is vanilla and the front is a mix of lavender and peppermint.
I have just started reading The China Price. I think it is going to be very interesting reading and I think it is going to make me more organised to actually finish some of the ideas I have for presents so I'm not rushing out to buy mass produced things at the last minute.

Bread and Sewing

I finally managed to take a picture of some bread before it quickly disappeared. Great bread. I don't think I could go back to eating sliced bread from the supermarket.

A few things I have finished this week. It is kind of a shock to think that Christmas is so close. I have started making piles for Christmas sewing and I hope I am not being too ambitious considering the time that is left.

Circles

I can't believe I've made perfect circles! I read through all the advice Jacquie got and thought I'd try the fusible interfacing method. I didn't actually use fusible interfacing I could picture ironing the circles to the wrong place or ironing the wrong side of the interfacing and having to clean the iron. I remember trying this method a few years ago for small flowers and circles which didn't work at all - I think they may have been too small and the facing just ripped too much trying to turn them inside out. For those wondering iI used an 18 degree ruler to cut out the pieces.
So this is what I did. I pinned it to the facing and cut it out roughly. I sewed a quarter inch seam and trimmed the facing.

I cut a slit in the interfacing and turned it inside out.

Then I ironed it and there it is - a percect circle!
The backing is just strips of cream and some of the fabric I have used in the circles. Now I just have to sew the circles on.

And just because I can - Eva. Who has finally learnt to roll onto her front - these things can be a little tricky when you have gorgeous little chubby tummy.

Hexagons

It is perfect winter quilt sewing weather here, except it is November and it is meant to be summer. I am still working on my circles, but I thought I'd test out some hexagons. I have had some Kaffe Fassett stripes in my stash for a very long time waiting to be made into his Handkerchief Corners quilt, but I think they might turn into some hexagons instead.

Thorny Mountain Devil

I have a pile of doll bodies, arms and legs on my desk I have been trying to finish. I managed one last night while thinking about other Australian animals I could try and make.

I haven't seen a Thorny Mountain Devil for years. We were always so excited when we found them as children. Finding most reptiles was an exciting thing as children (still is now) except for the poisonous kind. I am not sure this resembles a Mountain Devil much any more, but it is kind of cute and I think Mountain Devils are kind of cute.

Red Spots

The tricky think about being quite wide and not that tall is finding clothes to fit. I made some shorts yesterday. I shortened a pattern I used for pyjamas for the girls a few years ago, gathered the legs and added a band. Red spots because you can never go wrong with red spots.