My budding florist...

Ok, it is school holidays.

For reasons that I won't bore you with we've spent most of it housebound (think hospitals and a spot of internal renovations of the secret lady bits - all good now, thanks for asking).

So, I admit I had to push the kids outside away from TV, etc (and yes, it did cross my mind that I could lock the door after them .....).

There was MUCH whinging and complaining (which was muffled by the glass - I was inside!)

Then, after some outside pottering and playing, my lovely biggest girl presented this beautiful masterpiece and announced that she wanted to post it to her Nan (who is now at home in country Victoria recovering from her big, get rid of that bloody, crappy, cancer stuff operation) to make sure she's feeling better.

Aaawww. Kids, gotta love em!

It's a jungle in here...

Child - "For my animal party I'm going to be a leopard!"
Mother - "But we don't have a leopard costume - how about one of the dress-ups we do have?"
Child - "No, I think I'll be a leopard. You can just make one."
Silence as kid smiles and walks off, Mother rolls eyes and proceeds to contemplate design options in head - secretly loving it! And the kid knows it.......

Little animals also need a jungle to walk through (made with some skills learnt at the machine quilting course that I did at Amitie recently -AMAZING! LOVED IT! Really not very good at it! I have so much to learn!)

15 other little animal friends came to share and were the most delightful group of 4 & 5 year olds ever.

Lots of smiles, games, cake and lollies (and Mum & Dad needing a nanna nap afterwards!)

Today ...

Yesterday:

I finished and posted 10 aprons to Kate at Loaf & Lounge in Camperdown. If you're going to the Warnambool Kids Festival pop in for a coffee on your way through!

Today is a day of beginnings...

I'm beginning ... to get organised for my machine quilting course at Amitie next week. I'm a bit nervous as the last sewing lesson was Mrs Donaldson in Year 10 (somewhere back in the mid '80's - there I'm showing my age!). Since then it's been "make it up as you go along" combined with my "read and unintentionally ignore/stuff up instructions" (which is why invisible zips and I may never be friends!).

I'm beginning ... to wonder how I'm going to manage this course around kids & bigger families ? Our mum is having big, ugly surgery in the middle of it so the extended tribe is coming for dinner the night before - right in the middle of the course. Contemplated quiting the course but group consensus was let's just have business as usual.

I'm beginning ... to consider getting the naughty skirt (as in badly behaved, not wild sexy woman - far too old and too tired for that nonsense....) out of time out.

I'm beginning ... to get excited about our school cookbook that some girls & I are putting together this year. We have lots of awesome recipes, kids artwork and lovely local businesses that are sponsoring it. I love local communities!

I'm beginning to think that my youngest is going to be late for kinder - oops!

Bye
Jenny

Goings on....

Just a quick update on a few things on the go:

Am moving on with the nephew's cot quilt. Tried some machine quilting - disaster! So unpicked all of it and am sticking with the hand quilting. I may present it to him at his 21st birthday....

Finished sister's skirt just in time - she went to Sydney for a great wedding and said skirt is now covered in red wine - apparently it was a big night.

My skirt almost done but it was a terrible fit as I didn't factor in the stretchy nature of the fabric - der! So like any sensible woman, I've thrown it back in it's bag and have sent it to "time out" for misbehaving.

The lovely Kate for The Loaf & Lounge in Camperdown (pop in if you're down that way!!) has ordered some more aprons. Thanks Kate!

Part of me is saying YAY! and part of me is saying "... oh good god not them again ...". Today is "Suck it up Princess & get on with it!" Day. So the first 10 are cut out and ready to go.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Jenny

No Pressure

My sister couldn't find the right skirt for a wedding so I said I'd whip one up for her.

I have a big mouth.

She flies out Friday lunchtime.

She will pick it up tomorrow.

I bought fabric today.

No pressure ..... Aaaargh!

Did I say that I have a big mouth?

I went to "The House Of Franke Stuart" in Hawthorn this morning. Beautiful fabric. Loved it. The little helper hated it.

The swirly, woolly stuff might be a skirt for me .....

DVD on, must go and sew up the skirt and learn to keep my mouth shut or at least give myself more time!

Another baby wrap

Not a lot of creative wonderfulness happening around here.
Lots ideas and projects in my head but not much output as the new spectacles and I become friends - which is a slow process!
I don't think we're bonding.
May have something to do with the snorts and giggles from others in the house when I wear them .... Hmmm, that and the dizzy re-focussing bits when you look up from your work. Damn being over 40!
I did manage to finish a baby wrap/throw for my little nephew, which the helper and I will deliver tomorrow.
And here is my little helper with the aftermath of her splinter. The neighbours may have thought that I was amputating a limb without anaesthetic but all is better now with the magical bandaid.

(Is it just me or does blogger take it upon itself to format in it's own way????)

Hope your day is great
Jenny

I love a tablecloth

There, I've said it!

Not everyday but somedays they are just the thing.

I love that at my house they're more than just a tablecloth.

They're kid's cubby houses inside on a wet day.

They're funky covers to hide the wet washing, hanging to dry over the heating ducts in winter.

They're ways to create a special family dinner in an instant.

They're bright, smiley fun.

Maybe other people like them too, so I've popped these in the shop.

Seeing the light ....

or getting older and this is the beginning of the end?!?!?

How much easier is it to see what you're sewing or reading when you have these !

But I have to go as I can now also see my eyebrows! Good god!

Lucky Me!

I love you, my little family!

Thankyou for a lovely Mother's Day and thankyou for taking very obvious hints (such as "Can I please have this book?!?!?") and giving me this little beauty this morning.

I love it!

Now I think I'll join Tanya and work my way through the book.

I'll try really hard to follow the instructions ... which are great by the way - Nikki's instructions are always great - I'm just not good at having my hands do what my head is reading...

Hope you & yours had a wonderful Mother's Day too.

Jenny

Quilt Number 4

Hopefully it is on his cot before he's riding his own bike!

My 2 week old nephew is just beautiful! And yes, they are tractors on his suit - his Pop would be proud!

I just want to cuddle him all day! No, I'm not clucky - I have a ferocious, strong willed and VERY determined 4 yr old to bring me back to reality. My baby shop is well and truly shut!

Hope you're having a great day

Jenny