battered

I'm feeling a bit like this at the moment:

A bit battered and worn out. Not really sure why. Maybe not enough me time? I've been hiding away sewing to try and feel better, and though it means the nappies are getting closer to being finished, I'm not really feeling better, I'm just getting sore as well. The darling husband has told me to get out of the house today, go visit the library or something, so I will, we'll see what happens.

hold the lawnmower

The lawn doesn't get mown very often round here. And that's a good thing. It means I get to enjoy all the random flowers and leaves growing in amongst it, and the exciting varieties of height and leaf shape throughout it. At the moment we have lots of these:

They remind me of when I was a child and I would pick them and blow, blow, blow! till all the seeds were spread to the wind. How many puffs would it take this time?

I was, however, meant to be getting the washing in, but the wonder of our backyard made me run and get the camera instead. And when I turned around to take the washing inside I spotted this:

Cute wee sparrows on the roof!

What wonders do you find in your garden?

morning play

I was going to share the beautiful sunrise with you this morning, but I was busy feeding Miss S, and by the time we had finished all the wonderful colours had faded.


But I do have something to share. A few days ago I managed to snap a few pictures of the patchwork/quilted playmat I made for Miss S while I was pregnant. Her name is underneath her. Photos are clickable for bigger versions.


I made it from fabric in my stash, the dark blue is a spare poly-cotton sheet, and colours are all scraps, some of which I had been saving for years for "something special". In between the two layers is an old woollen blanket I purchased at an op-shop ages ago that I no longer needed as a blanket.

The quilted side was done on my industrial straight-sewer as free-quilting. I love both sides very much, though one took an awful lot longer than the other - weeks as opposed to a few hours!


The original plan was to have all of the picture pieces matching at the joining of the squares, but that very quickly went out the window (I hadn't measured seam allowance either while cutting or sewing) and I actually really like the not-quite-matching look, I think it's more home-made looking than if it was all perfect, and I wanted this to be something Miss S could treasure for years to come as something that was made especially for her.

Stripes

Today's been a cool and rainy day, perfect for wearing my new stripey socks!


It's been nice to enjoy some cooler weather after a number of really really hot days. I've been really enjoying having a relaxing few days, chilling out a bit as I let my wrists rest, so not much sewing being done. I'm just spending time enjoying being slowed down before I have to start study again - I'm back into it in a month.

Sparrows in nappies

The nappy sewing has begun:


And so far they're progessing faster than I thought they would, though I keep being distracted by things like the gorgeously cute creatures Lori over at The Morninglori Vine makes, and other wonderful blogs that are taking part in One World - One Heart ...there's now over 460 blogs participating! And they make it so very hard to stay sewing nappy pockets, I keep wanting to go off and try things.

When I need a break from the sewing (and blog exploring!) I've been slowly organising my studio. The other day I found this:


It's a beautiful clip-on earring. Just the one. But I love it, I'm trying to find somewhere in my studio to put it on display. Maybe some good inspiration for the border of Miss S's quilt? We'll see.

Meanwhile, these chirpy wee sparrows are enjoying the sunshine (and the bread crusts) and hopping along our picket fence.


A picket fence? Yes! We have a picket fence! How cliche! Though it is green, so it could be more so. I love it, crazy as it seems.

plastic bags

I didn't think I'd be posting quite this often, but I had to share.

I was sewing earlier today, to some wonderful sounds in the next room.

With Miss S getting closer and closer to crawling, and therefore exploring things we'd rather she didn't, like this:


I decided it was about time I made this brilliantly coloured bag tidy/dispenser:


It was so easy to make, just a tube with a bit of elastic at the bottom and a loop to hang with at the top, then stuff with plastic bags and all done!


I was thinking as I was sewing it that I should be making a tutorial as I did it, same with the bags a few days ago, maybe next time.

The second best thing about it is that I made it out of fabric I had in my stash. (the best thing is that it'll protect Miss S from the plastic bag monsters). Like Hazel of Hazeljoy discussed here I'm trying to not buy any new fabric this year. My stash is rather huge, and I need to get rid of some of it so there's room for storage in my studio so Miss S doesn't have to share her bedroom with boxes of her parents' junk. I'm not going quite as extreme as Hazel is, I'll buy fabric for a particular item if I really really need to, but I'll try to use stash fabric and notions first.

As soon as I popped out to show the darling husband the wonderful thing I'd made he asked why I wasn't sewing desperately needed clothes for him. Sorry darling, this was more fun. Unless you want something made out of scraps of brightly checked fabric?

What treasures do you have hidden away waiting to be used in a project that never manages to happen?

Oh, and the sounds in the other room? Miss S and her dad giggling and having some fun – best sounds in the world!

Have a joyful day!

Good morning!

I woke up early this morning, nothing woke me, I was just awake, and it was lovely to get up into the cool early morning, such a peaceful way to slip into the day.

And what do I find? An absolutely amazing response to my One World - One Heart post! I have received so many lovely and encouraging replies, not just to that post entering my draw, but to other posts as well, by wonderful people stopping by to visit and have a look around.

To find out more, head down to my OWOH post. There's a link there to the main website for it where Lisa has a list of all the blogs taking part. I spent hours yesterday evening browsing through some wonderful blogs and entering some exciting giveaways.

Whoops! Miss S is awake. Gotta run!

the twins

Here you are... I've finished them both, so have a few pics to share.


I've also just found out about a wonderful event called One World - One Heart, run by a lovely lady called Lisa. She's run this event two years previously and it's all happening again this year. I've decided to join in, and to do so I'm giving away one of my bags, more info in the next post.

Hold your breath, it's coming right up!

One World - One Heart

I'm participating in One World - One Heart. So if you've never been here before, welcome! It's nice to meet you. I haven't been blogging long, but if you like what you see, please come back and visit.

As Lisa, the host of this marvelous event, states:
"The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. ... This is more than wanting to win something.......that is only the means.......in the end it's about finding kindred spirits."

I'm giving away this fabulous bag:


It measures 29cm (11.5 inchs) wide, 27 cm (10.5 inchs) high, 16.5cm (6.5 inchs) deep. Click the pic for a larger view. It's the same on the other side, just without the hearts.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post, making sure I have some way to contact you. Easy, right? It is open to anyone and everyone, whether you have a blog or not. It's open until Feb 11th, and then I'll draw a winner on the 12th and contact them directly as well as posting the winner's name on this blog.

To see more blogs participating in this event, or to find out more about the event itself, click on the OWOH button above. It's not too late if you want to join in too. All the info you need is on the website you get to via the button above.

Happy browsing all the fabulous blogs!

Edited to say: Comments are now closed, and a winner has been announced >here<. Thanks for popping by!

sewing books

I haven't blogged in the last few days, but for good reason - I've been sewing! Here's a sneak peek:


I'll show more when I've finished it's twin :) Doing a bit of sewing has gotten me all enthused about sewing Miss S's nappy pockets, so maybe that'll be the next project. I've been overdoing it a bit though, my wrists are a bit sore, but it's hard to stop sometimes, and I've been loving being creative again after a bit of a dry spell.

I've also finished a book that was starting to drag a bit, and started a new one which I'm loving so far: The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. Published as The Warded Man in the US, being released in March there. It's fairly recently published and it's his first published book. It's the first in The Demon Trilogy. I was hoping it was a standalone, but no luck, I'll have to wait on the next two being published and my library getting them. So far it's very enjoyable and intriguing. So by the time I've finished reading it, it's quite thick and chucky, the book that got ordered as a birthday present will have arrived and I can read that :)

What's on your reading pile at the moment?

butterflies in the rain

I woke up to the rain this morning (not Miss S), it was a very gentle way to start the day. Miss S started making noises soon after, so up I got into the peaceful early morning, leaving the darling husband (sensibly) fast asleep.

I had kind of meant this to be a crafty blog, showing some works in progress and then proudly showing off the finished articles, but so far all I've shown you is a pile of fabric which I still haven't started sewing. Ah well, I promise I'll show you things as they happen, but you might just have to be patient, I'll try to keep you entertained in the meantime.

I've been sewing since I was 10, mostly clothes, but for years I've had a hankering to do some quilting, it just seems to take forever to make a quilt, so I've never really tried. However I made a patchwork quilted playmat for Miss S while I was pregnant, and now I've started thinking of some designs for a quilt for her 1st birthday that she can use on her big bed. I learnt the basics of quilting at fashion design school, but have never actually done any proper quilting. I have nearly 8 months, but really have no idea how long it might take me. Part of the idea is to use up some of my fabric stash, including some scrappy bits I've been "saving for something special". So last night I was playing with some design ideas. So here's what I've come up with so far, thinking of maybe a border of small flowers around the edges. A brightly coloured butterfly on a pale (maybe cream) background.


See my inspiration? It's a beautiful brooch my mum-in-law gave me for my birthday.

I'd love to hear any thoughts on the design or tips for the quilting.

Have a good day!

a birthday picnic

I had a wonderful day yesterday, and I thought it would be nice to share a few moments from my day. We had a picnic lunch in the Esplanade (a botanic gardens-y place), it was a lovely day for it.

Here's a few snapshots:

The little one decided to try to eat my sandals.

I spotted a little duck feather by our picnic blanket. Miss S was fascinated by the ducks, curiously watching them while we ate our lunch.


A discarded toy while Miss S played with her dad.


A lost balloon in the duck pond, evoking some somber thoughts.


After our picnic lunch we went for a wander round the park and through some of the native bush there, then headed into town to get an ice cream, well I actually had a sorbet cone as I'm lactose-free at the mo for Miss S's reflux, but they were delicious. After our ice creams we headed home for a nap (for Miss S) and a rest (for darling hubby and I) before a yummy home cooked meal of chicken nuggets and mashed potato with some fresh veges. It was a wonderful day, and with one of my favourite books on order, just what I could wish for.

A self-portrait to finish the day off.

25

Today's my 25th birthday. I'm quite happy, 25 is a nice number (very round in the mathematical world), and I'm in a pretty good place in my life. So to celebrate, I thought I'd try and think of 25 things that make me happy.

1. The darling munchkin, a 4month old bundle of joy and smiles.
2. The darling husband, who stayed awake through a 4am feed this morning, just to keep me company.
3. Sewing, I go a little crazy if I don't get this creative outlet.
4. Reading good books.
5. Owning good books, much better than trying to find a book at the library that I really feel like reading, only to find someone else has it out and it won't be back for a month.
6. Living close(ish) to my parents. They're only a couple of hours away, so are easy for us to visit or for them to visit us, which they do frequently.
7. Sunshine. Need I explain this one?
8. Spring bulbs. I love the way I don't need to do anything for them and they bloom with bright colours.
9. Taking photos. I may not be very good at it, but I love being able to capture moments. Anyway, I have a digital camera, so I just take lots and lots and hope that one turns out ok.
10. Colour. It's just amazing.
11. My sewing room. I have my own space where I can make mess and have time out and get the creative juices going.
12. Painkillers. Because sometimes you just need them. And yes, they come right after creativeness for a reason, cos sometimes I just do too much.
13. Real mail. Sometimes it's nice to get your messages in a concrete form.
14. The internet. So great for keeping in touch with friends and family, especially those on the other side of the world.
15. Our house. It's the first place since I left home 7years ago tht actually feels like home. It makes it great to come home to, especially since I'm such a home-body.
16. Puzzles, whether jigsaws, number puzzles, other practical problem-solving. I find them fun.
17. The number 17. It means anniversaries!
18. Music. I love the way there's something for every mood, and how it can be the focus or just in the background.
19. Family. Though they're spread round the country and the world, it's great when groups of us get together.
20. Dressing up warm and cosy in the wintertime, it was more fun in Dunedin where there's snow and ice and clear frosty days.
21. Shopping with gift vouchers. Much more fun than shopping with your own money when you're on a tight budget.
22. Still and quiet mornings. A great peaceful start to the day.
23. Learning.
24. Support from community, family and friends. It can help you get through the toughest stuff, and it's great to share the good things.
25. Feeling a really connected closeness with God, it gives such peace, and it's a feeling I wish I had more often.

So that's my list. What makes you happy?

some glittery goodness

I found some of my glittery fabric paint yesterday, and painted some stars on the overalls I made for the munchkin for Christmas. I think they add a nice touch, don't you agree?



(and no the legs aren't really different lengths, it's just my bad photography, hoping to improve that this year. ...Maybe some ironing might help?)


Meanwhile, I've just finished cutting out this gorgeous pile of fabric.


It's now all ready to be sewn into nappy pockets, quick, before she grows out of the size she's got. These'll be med-large sized, but I'm not sure how fast she'll grow out of her newborn-small ones she's currently in. I think it's better to make them sooner rather than later. On with the sewing! Tomorrow ...maybe.

sunrise

I was thinking of writing a post at the crack of dawn this morning, but I went back to sleep after the munchkin had her early morning feed and didn't wake up till we were running out of time to get to church on time.

Sometimes I love the early morning. It's so peaceful and quiet at the beginning of the day; serene. I remember waking before the sunrise with contractions on the day the little Miss S was born and taking photos of the beautiful colours in the sky, dawning a beautiful new day to welcome a beautiful new life into the world.


So I was almost disappointed to miss out on the early morning today, not that I didn't appreciate the sleep, and only almost disappointed. I think I get enough early mornings at the moment, and will no doubt get more when I'm back studying.


Enjoy your early mornings, even if you're not a morning person.

~Kathy.

looking to the year ahead

I've been thinking of starting a blog for so long, and never seemed to get around to it, nothing of significant note seemed to happen, or when it did I didn't have the time to even think about blogging. So here we go, we'll try this and see what happens. The beginning of a new year is a great time to start these things.

This year will be an interesting one: I return to study fulltime in Feb and my daughter was born last September, so she brings plenty of surprises and excitement. I'm also trying to take more photos, not just of the darling daughter - that's easy, but of little things I notice, interesting things that happen, and just general stuff I'm doing. In the midst of all this I'm trying to sew, little bits at a time so I don't get too sore. But that combined with trying to find the time means anything takes forever to get made.

There's reasons we gave our daughter Hope as a middle name. Ah well, on with the new year!