Hmmmm ...not quite right ....

It started as an idea - a vision,
followed by a drawing,
followed by a pile of fabric,
followed by a pile of rectangles
which were layed out on the carpet...
then switched around & swapped ...
then dragged the Mr in for some feedback...
switched some more, cut some more,
stood and stared, bit my bottom lip and frowned.
Why doesn't it look like my vision ?
I think the purple has to go?
Maybe it needs some plain ?
I've packed it up and put it away.
I don't think we're friends yet.
Bummer.

The Beginnings of Quilt No. 5

A new toy

I'm a basic kind of sewer.
(hmm, should that be sewing person rather than plumping poop pipe?!?!?!)
When a dressmaker friend mentioned a "gather foot" my jaw dropped. "Really?? Can you buy those ?? What, no two rows of big stitches and mind numbing fiddling as you pull the gathers and space them out ?????"
I did the happy dance - how cool! And this is it.
It does look a little Steam Punk but eventually (after fiddling, screwing, unscrewing, swearing, breaking a needle and swearing some more) it fits and works! One skirt for the eldest girl hot off the press (Yep, that is an elastic waist - what can I say, I'm lazy).

And she refused to model it as she had more pressing things to do ... apparently. Hmm I wonder if she'll wear it ????

And a little story to share... I introduced a very clever girlfriend (who sews like a dream) to Amitie during the week. Whilst we were dawdling around oohing and aahing and making plans for many bolts of fabric, her husband called. She told him she was with me in a fabric shop. He scoffed and said "phew! better a fabric shop than a shoe shop." Ha! He has no idea!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.

Jenny

Quilt number 4 - done

All finished and waiting to be delivered to the most scrumptious little nephew.

I popped into Amitie on Thursday intending to buy plain blue for the binding but Jenny convinced me to try something else. After pulling out a couple she found the blue checks and I looked at her in disbelief. She folded it over on the bias and "bingo!" it was perfect. I nearly fainted when she said suggested doing the binding on the bias but it was so simple (with her tips) and really effective. - Thanks Jenny & Judy, you're awesome!

And because it was a Thursday at Amitie, this clever cookie just happened to be there teaching a class.
And I haven't shared with you that I was lucky enough to win a giveaway of some lovely fabric from this lovely lady the other week. Check it out here. Thanks Andi - you are also in the awesome chick category!

Now what will I do for number 5 ???

(I finished it 2 days ago and am a bit lost without one to play with - is this the begining of a quilting addiction .......)

The not so naughty skirt

It is out of the naughty corner and finished.

But...

you know when you first hold the bolt of fabric in your hand and get the image in your head (and inside your head you're jumping around going "this is just fabulous darrrling!", "yes, it will be stunning, amazing, divine, sophisticated yet practical, the beginning of the new you!")-or maybe that's just me?

and you make it and,

hmmmm,

it is OK, nice, fine but just not quite as "fabulous darrrling" as you had anticipated ....

(And yes, its Melbourne so there is a lot of black - this is my attempt at introducing colour into my wardrobe!)

Aaaaah ... and the routine returned

Today is Tuesday

Today two kids are at school and one is at a long kinder session.

Today I am going to:

• enjoy a quiet cuppa


• listen to any music I want to


• eat chocolate covered raspberries that the lovely Mr delivered from a Sydney trip last night (must leave some for the him & the kids, must leave some for him and the kids, must leave...)


• pull out the naughty skirt and try to make it fit me


• try to work through the pile of half done sewing things that is growing in the cupboard (so I don't feel guilty about starting something else)


• probably dance and jump around like a looney because of the sugar rush ... or maybe just because I can.
  

Aaah ....

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