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Sunday 31 March 2013

Happy EASTER!

*using blogger app. Photos at bottom of post*
What a wonderful day, we were blessed with a big sleep in this morning, which was lovely after being up late sewing- I produced 8 bunny stuffies and 2 skirts (loved that they were ridiculously easy- knit yoga fold down waist skirts) and the deep coral color- LOVE! I did have boysies Easter outfits in the works but only got one suit jacket done :/ I'll save it aside until I get a chance to make the second one. finally crashied at 11:30 with a migraine and a little restless boy who woke and decided he wanted snuggles. We didn't make to church this morning, the service was too early for us but we talked about the reason we have Easter at bedtime last night with the girls, Ellary did a great job telling Tehy what she understood.
We kept chocolate to a minimum today, we had an egg hunt with one cousin, some of hubby's family came bearing chocolate gifts also. I had my family here as always also. The girls got their nails done by their aunties.
Roo has an Intolerance to lactose so he had a couple of candys instead, he did get his hands on a melted egg and ended up with some in his mouth- resulted in no day sleep for the boys today. (Roo and Juju are also the reason we didn't have dyed eggs this year- see last photo- Roo was very upset by it too apparently)
This afternoon Tehy and daddy did some gardening, pulled out all the radish, only a few were ready but hubby wanted to cull them off to make room for garlic and tomatoes! The boysies enjoyed a swing while I lazed in the hammock and Ellary attempted to rollerblade.

HAPPY EASTER ALL!
Did you enjoy your easter weekend?









Tuesday 19 March 2013

NEW CAR!!

On Saturday we went car shopping, yesterday we applied to the bank, we hadn't even seen the particular car yet! Today we became the proud new owners of a Ford Territory Ghia! I seen it at lunch time when hubby test drove it- after we bought it! Go on tell me the rules of buying a car! :) We pick  it up tomorrow after signing final papers for insurance! quick process! We have never bought a car from a car yard before, our previous cars were bought from close friends or family (with exception to the one we were gifted as a wedding present from my mum) So this is just wonderful!! a new chapter in our lives -the luxury our-family-sized car!  Which has in turn made us able to gift our station wagon to my sister and her boyfriend who haven't had a car for a few months (due to no jobs-due to no transport -viscous circle) Don't you love being able to bless people through God blessing you! It's a wonderful feeling! Such is faith! So, our new car has black leather seats, we have 4 kiddies, 3 of which are in baby seats. so we need a cover to protect the seats, I am yet to find a tutorial for anything similar to what I have in mind but I will definitely share either my own if I cant find one, or if I do find one to use I will share the link. And if all else fails we will go buy one, if we can find one. haha, hunting mode engaged!
fabric boxes by make it & love it


And to help keep our new car new we need to add some removable storage ( even though there are so many compartments for random things) so these will be on my list to make this weekend! we be great for groceries or sandy beach stuff. I think I will make a few, one to hold a plastic bag for rubbish, one for emergency items (like first aid, spare nappies and wipes, a change of clothes and snacks and drinks- that will not be consumed in the car) we say this now, but I know the rules don't carry for long! I personally give it a month!  and another to gather up and carry things out of the car- groceries and the kids toys that randomly end up everywhere! Can you tell I'm excited?! ha ha.

It may sound silly to some of you who are well off or who have been on your feet financially for a while, but with our ups and downs with life our 10 years together have not been financially secure for long periods of time, be it the couple years hubby spent in bible college or us having more babies, which was painful on the pocket for travel and medical needs. Compared with the season of youth work that seen our accounts the fullest they ever had been but which left us all drowning emotionally, but now, we are in a wonderful blessed place, hubby has a great job with a promotion on the near horizon and a wonderful boss. I am Thankful that God has blessed us with this season in our lives, its comfortable,calm and quiet and it feels most relaxed and natural place to be in life right now. I'm not saying life is perfect, just that I am at peace within the parts that are hectic, and life on a whole is feeling great! 

I also have my friends son celebrating his 2nd birthday this weekend, he needs one of these storage boxes for his matchbox cars- something with a bit of childish character and maybe some wheels?! I'll share what I come up with when its done!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week! What are you making this week?


Sunday 10 March 2013

Thee stache pants- my boysies

Sorry for iPhone pics, my camera has flat batteries and I knew by the time I charged batteries I wouldn't get any photos at all so this is just it! Please, check out the previous post for details!











'Stache pants AND faux piping

After seeing made by rae's post this week about piping I was inspired to re try it, I have had this mustache print on drill for a couple of months just waiting for the right project, I wasn't sure if it would appear in the boys cupboard as blazers or trousers, I have been procrastinating buying the blazer pattern from blank slate patterns  because I'm scared that I will ruin it somehow, but its still on my 'to buy' list! and after completing these i feel more confident, I'm thinking charcoal and maybe pinstripes? So anyway, it was decided that my boysies needed some new pants, long ones to last them through the colder months approaching. And right now Mr Roo is between sizes, and Juju is almost in another size up (Mr chubby!) so buying clothes when they won't last the season ahead isn't the best idea, so I am going to custom size a few pairs each. And I started with these, the front pocket was a first for me, it's lined with surprise fabric:
(blue argyle) and the piping (which is handmade real piping) cute reindeer on teal fabric which I love!

I have misplaced(yeah I know! how? if you seen my craft room you would understand!) my zipper foot so I wasn't able to the best job with the piping but I still love it! The back pocket is a first for stitch detail which I never bother doing, because- I'm a 'quick,easy,done. Sewist' but I think I'm converting, these details were a learning curve and yes, it took a bit longer and I only got to make one pair of pants last night in the time I usually would have banged out two plain (not detail) pairs. BUT I love them! My hubby isn't fussed on the mustache trend but I even got compliments on these pants, I feel so much more accomplished, like I've done my first 'real' pair of pants ha ha. Dramatic much! Ok anyway, the second pair I started today during nap time (until I ran out of thread and had to run to the shop) and am going to finish tonight now that all the bubbas are in slumber land! Anyway, since I forgot to even look for a zipper foot at the store (gah!) I decided I should try something a little different. So.... My faux piping was born, I am guessing its probably been done before but if you, like me haven't seen it then ill just say it doesn't exist and show you my how to! It's a great way to Finnish your clothes when you find yourself without cotton rope or a zipper foot, or both!
Firstly I cut a strip of contrast fabric, it's approx. 3/4" wide and the length is dependent on what your putting it on, I cut mine slightly larger than the top of the pocket:

And then level both at the top, right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam:

(This part may be a little hard to explain) I took the contrast fabric and flipped it back up:

And then over to the back of the pocket:


You should have a narrow strip along the top, move it up or down to resize your strip of fabric to make the 'piping' the size you want, and then:
Top stitch it!
Cute huh?! And no need for a zipper foot or cotton rope yay! And then finish the pocket, (or garment) however you like!
 This second pair of pants, has no stitch detail on the bum pockets because I didn't want to over do it, it has two instead of one like the first pair, the second pair also has argyle lining in the front pocket, but its 'sock monkey' both have the same front pocket lining, Jujus pair have a flat front but Roo has a full elastic waist because his waist is still so wittle. Jujus has a faux fly stitched on the front also. We rushed out the door this morning, dad loaded the car and i didn't want to haul them out again just for photos so i thought id get some when we got home, unfortunately they fell asleep on the way home, so you will have to wait for those pics!


Edit: Please see latest post for the pics of the boysies sporting their new clothes! :)

Friday 8 March 2013

what have I been doing?



I'll tell ya! :) firstly it was my birthday last weekend, I got my over locker from hubby and the kids (Christmas and birthday present) the week before, its my new baby-lock, and I love it, even though I have had to re thread it twice manually in the learning process and I have now run out of thread ha. now that I have an over load of machine thread I need to stock up on over locker threads, and lucky me got gift cards to our local craft store so that's were I will be going to get some! I had a wonderful birthday, my husband was able to take the weekend off which was bliss! my mum threw a birthday BBQ and invited a couple of my closest friends and we had a couple (yes 2 ha ha) of drinks to celebrate. Oh, if you must know, I'm 26. (what?!) Because I hate posting without a pic or two (because it kind of annoys me being so stark) I thought I should share what I have been working on since my last post, which was SO long ago!



So,  entered the march sewing challenge over at Little Starfish Fabrics on facebook, We were given two fabrics and a clasp that all needed to be used, if you head over and check it out you will see the elephant fabric, which I used for the lining. I have decided I do like challenges, and also learnt that I should write down the date that the challenge finishes. I think I did fairly well with my last minute sew spree, my boys had a nap for just over 2 hours and I made major things happen. if you didn't know it yet, that's how long it takes to sew up an envelope clutch by see kate sew and also a bow clutch by prudent baby (bonus- both are free patterns-personal use) they are adorable, I made the bow zipper clutch for my sister for Christmas and now have one for me! in gorgeous damask (my love) !!

Tehy and I attacked the kids little coffee table, I didn't bother measuring out the tape, little miss wasn't fussed on allowing that. so we just stuck tape in an uneven chevron, I wanted yellow and white and maybe grey but Tehy demanded pink, so my idea went out the window and I will show the result of Tehys' artistic expression when I finally have enough sunshine to touch up the lines and give it a gloss enamel protection layer.

I also made all the kids pjs, did I tell you already? ha my mind is gone. I bought the fabric this week to make the girls some dress' I'm still deciding which to make for who so maybe I'll ask them, they are often over opinionated about things like that :) I'll procrastinate doing the bubbas quilts just a little longer with those as an excuse. 
IF i get anything done this week it will miraculous, i have my sister visiting for the week, i have Ellarys orthodontist appointment (to discuss removing 4 adult molars) and the boys paediatric appointment all in one day, while hubby is at work (can you say *breathe* meltdown?!) and we are waiting to see if we will own a new car next week also. busy crazy week. hopefully the rain will stay away, even for 24 hours straight would be utterly blissful. 
How is the weather at your place? What have you been doing lately?
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!!! :)