Reality

Reality.

I'm busy.

 The kind of don't talk to me, touch me or even look at me kind of busy.

Not even reading any blogs kind of busy!!
Too busy to even tweet kind of busy!!!!!!

We have no clothes in our draws kind of busy.

And we are not even going to talk about the bathrooms......

Popped out to grab the extra table from my partner in crime Mel today. The piles of sewing were taking over the house. There are still piles on the couch and kitchen bench.

Big kid bags

Little kid bags

Loads of little zippers

There has been new, old and different products sewn for market. Still an amazing amount to get through. I have to say. I am really enjoying it.

All of this while hubby is settling into a new job that has him flying all over the NT and away a lot more than at home *sigh* That's life!

So I am sorry if you are worrying or wondering what on earth has happened to me. I am fine :) And there are quite a few emails I need to return so please hang in there and I will get to you asap. I am also very very behind in swaps. Please forgive me. I will get to you too.

Better get off the computer. Build up storm has just hit and it is a doozy! xox

did someone say 20% off?

Oh yes they did! Spotlight had 20% off Thursday-Friday. And with my brother here and happy to watch the kidlets, off I went! Hey, I'm still restocking! Don't judge me ;)

Along with loads of boring purchases like interfacing, thread, magic blue markers etc I found these fabric sorters...

So I thought I'd give them ago!

Pretty cool I reckon. Only thing is I tend to buy 1/2m or fat 1/4 and they are really too big for those. Guess I'll have to buy bigger cuts :) {joking hubby!}

And the fabric on the very left is a fake Liberty of London. All 4 1/2m of it, purchased with 20%, of course ;)

I also got fabric for ice cream dresses for the 2 youngest girls

The purple for Miss 7 and the pink and blue for Miss 2 :) I have plenty so thinking skirts too. Plus after Kate and Mel's post and tweets on the Molly Dress I thought I too would give it ago. Best thing about this pattern is it's a download and it comes in heaps of sizes.

And they also a grown up size too!! Did someone say matchy matchy ;)

Only problem is.....I have no elastic!! Guess I'll have to go back then ;) xox

Planes, trains and floods??

So. Dresses are finished, pretty much. Just the hand sewing to finish when we get down south and the hems tonight. Very happy with them. Was a little scared that they were going too be too much but I like! HUGE relieve!! But sorry guys you will have to wait until after the wedding to see them. Painful aren't I lol!

Quilts. Same as they were here and here. I am going to cheat and get them professionally machine quilted. Because I can.

That's the sewing bit done.

Stress levels hit a new high here yesterday. See our adventure down south was meant to go something like this. 

1. Pack the car

2. Put the car on the train

3. Fly to Adelaide with carry on, enough for one night.

4. Sleep, then shop, then pick up car.

5. Drive 4 1/2 hours to family.

Not too bad, anything with large family takes planning, time and energy. So this was the best option for us. Meant that we would have a car in Vic that we could fit in and would have the ability to do our own thing.

However....

For the second time this year the train tracks have been washed away!! So no car!! Seriously!! Life in the NT is never dull...

So. This is now our plan.

1. Repack. This means big one will not be able to take all her denim shorts. First melt down.

2. All luggage will need to be taken on the plane. Husband not happy. Sent to time out.

3. No shopping and catch up with Megs. Me. Sooky face.

4. Train to Vic booked out until Monday. And there are no hire cars (long weekend down south). Panic starting to rise.

5. We all need to be up and organized to catch a BUS at 7 in the morning. Cold sweats and heart palpitations begin.

6. We then need to sit on said bus for 6 1/2 hours.....with all the luggage....and 4 kids.....complete melt down!!

7. Weight Watchers chocolate biscuits do not help.

8. Once we are in Vic. The 1lt bottle of gin gifted by LMM will be had and kids can look after themselves for the rest of the holiday. Screw the points.

So. Yeah. And the icing on the cake is my orchard that hasn't flowered in 18 months has started to flower this week. So we are going to miss it in full bloom.

You can start the violins now. I'm off to eat a weight watchers friendly chocolate cake xox

:: update on my baby ::

Thanks so much for all the comments about my beautiful, treasured iphone. Good news is we have handset insurance, bad (crazy) news is that hubby took it in the the phone carrier, who then told him to go home and fill out an online claim form, then they will contact us and tell us where to take the phone.....mmmm. 

 What in the world happened to customer service??!! We choose this carrier over the 'big' one because when we were shopping around I asked about contracts etc. the dude at the shop just jumped online and did the same thing I could do at home. Had no idea on the product or contract!! Madness!! At least when I was shopping for my sewing machine the ladies in the shop were polite enough to tell me it was a new model and they didn't know a whole lot about it. We even sat down and learned things about the machine together.

Incredibly frustrating to walk into a shop, wanting to know more about a product or service and you know more than the person 'serving' you grrrrrrrr!

Ok rant over!

So thank you :) And I do apologies for not replying to all the comments. I do love comments and I try to reply to them all but at the moment life is pretty crazy and time has not been on my side.

Now. Sewing. Waiting for batting to arrive from Corrie for the quilts so this week I'm working on the flower girl dresses. I must send out a massive THANK YOU to the lovely Lisa at the Princess and the Monkey. I couldn't get the pattens here so Lisa was so very kind in popping in to her local spotlight and then sending them too me :)

And the wedding is 4 weeks this Saturday. And we fly out in 16 days.....ekkkk! I also have other news but I'll tell you about that next time. Exciting stuff for Bianca Jae Makes Stuff! I'm going to be very very busy over the next few weeks. Sleep is soooo over rated anyway ;) xox

Grown ups only!

When hubby and I first moved in together we were still at uni and poor. Like we went to the op shop and got free furniture poor. Shorty after we got pregnant and went from uni poor to uni with kid poor. And then we had more and more and more kids! So for a long time we didn't have time or money to play 'house' and have extras stuff around like cushions....

Now we do!

They match our couch so well!

And yes, they are for grown ups only. Mine is the brown one and hubby's in the green and orange one lol!

Thanks for all the lovely comments and support! I love getting comments and feed back on what goes on in this little space of mine. And a big "Welcome" to the new readers our there :)

Better go, a parcel just arrived from Corrie!!!!! Woohoo! Quilting here I come!!! xox

It's BACK!

Right! Stop what you are doing, pop the kettle on, and get comfy...

My Creative Space it BACK for 2010!

Oh how I have missed seeing what you all are up too. And it seems like a lot of you have too!

So today's space is brought to you by....

the kitchen bench :)

 Fabric left over from the cushions, waiting to be made into more cushions....

A cushion top and more 9" squares to be sewn up to cushions...

And from over my bench is this little guy's creative space - playing with Thomas!

First day back at school today for the big girls!

Happy times :)

Pop over here for more creative spaces YAY! xox

Cushions

Two matching cushions....which I made and then accidentally sold!

Not to worry, I have more fabric and will be making more today for me to keep.

Just wont be putting pictures on facebook in case I accidentally sell those too ;)

Easy peasy :)

For a 41cm insert. Just cut 4 x 9" squares, 2 x 17 1/2" by 13" for the envelope back, sew up the squares, hem 1 long side on both backing pieces (I folded over a 1/2" then 1/2" again), lay down right sides together, sew, trim corners and ta-da! Easy peasy cushion cover!

How did you go? Did you make a cushion and find your sewing mojo?

I did! Woohoo!! Oh and I even made a skirt! xox

Edit : Sorry! My bad! Cushion is 41cm. Went to spotty, got more cushions and when I got home, too big! So 41cm or size 16.

twitter-sew-a-cushion-along

Try saying that 5 times fast!

How goes your weekend? Mine, last one before school starts on Thursday!! Woot Woot!!! Really, I love my kids, I just love them more when they are at school ;) I love our school routine.

Lisa and I were tweeting last night and she too has been suffering from 'lost sewing mojo'. So we having a little sew along to get things moving. What to join in?! Go on! Don't think about it. Grab something out of your stash and just do it. You know there is enough fabric in there ;)

So what are we making? A cushion cover! Easy peasy! Lisa has the same Aunty Cookie panel and if she can find it she is using that and I'm using some lovely fabric from Belinda that I won in her give away...

I'm just going to wing it but if you would like here are a few links to get you started, no zips or buttons but if you want to use them go right ahead! You could also do a pin cushion! Quick and easy. Nothing to tricky. After all we are trying to find our sewing mojo, not run it completely out of town!

So go! Raid your stash and get sewing. You have 48 hours! Make sure you let me know if you are joining us xox

ta-da!

All tidy! Woohoo!

Gotta love inspections, 5 hours of cleaning and tidying for a 5 min walk through!

In other news....

I have been suffering. Terribly.

I have lost my sew mojo.

Yep, gone :(

I have read blog after blog, book after book and mag after mag hoping I would find it. But no...

I even forced myself to find it and just sew something to see if that would work. But no....

 

 

 

So I am without my sewing mojo...

If you happen to see it can you please return it? I miss it :(

Panel from Aunty Cookie and blocks from Blockage xox

shops open!

Yep it is so go and buy stuff!

Or not, either way I'll still love you ;)

Turns out my little shop did quite well. Between madeit, orders from friends and family and swaps I made over 80 wraps in 2 months!!!!!! I was thinking maybe 1 or 2 at the most a week lol! So I'm pretty please....and a little tired ;)

In other news, this is why there has been a lack of sewing around here...

Fear not! It WILL be clean, tidy and in use by the weekend! We have a 3 monthly inspection tomorrow. Gotta love renting...not!

So I must go and clean something...or have another cup of coffee...and read some more blogs....xox

...and so I'm back!

Hello! How are you all? Had fun while I was away? I did!!

And I know you are all hanging out to know how husband did with 3 kids on his own for the first time ever. And for 12 days no less. Well, he rocked!! House still standing, kids alive, with colds but alive. Fruit and vegies were eaten and......I even came home to clean house and even clean floors!! Yep. He got lucky ;)

And me. Had a blast! Bridesmaid dresses ordered, earings and shoes brought, girlfriends wedding was amazing, lots of chatting and drinking with family and friends, early 30th. Wonderful. Really wonderful.

On the Friday night I went to my old sewing group. So so happy to see everyone. Really wonderful that people made the effort. There was show and tell. And there was cake, for me! A patchwork one of course! And there was presents.....

YES!! All of these for me!! So lucky to have such wonderful sewing friends. I love that even though I am 1000's of km away they still think of me :) And I guess because of this little blog they can see what I am up too. Huge thank you to Tash, Louise, Rachel, Margaret, Judy, Michelle, Jacquie and an extra big thank you to Bron for organising it. Big hugs and kisses to you all XOXOX

And at Mum's I got to see giraffe and quilt together...

Sorry about the dark pictures, was running out the door to catch the plane when I remembered.

All in all, a great trip! Will be taking another one next year, ALL by myself. Thinking Stitches in Melbourn next year? Who's in?! xox

house keeping and a goodbye

I'm going away tomorrow...

for 10 days..

with only ONE child!!

Don't know whether to dance or sing or cry or shout!

Hubby is look after the bigger 3

He'll be fine....wont he?!?

Anyway thought it would be a good time to rap up a few loose ends.

Firstly. I went 3 weeks without eating chocolate! Had a head ache day 2 but was fine the rest of the time. Then, had a blow out, and man oh man did I pay for it! Head aches, cranky, fogging in the head. Had no idea it could effect me so much! So chocolate is gone! Yay! Bike riding...week one was great and now, too hot! So I'm swimming instead :) So turning this fatty will take some time. And I'm ok with that.

Secondly. 7 jobs in 7 days. Well I did 6....in 17 days. You know kids, birthdays, sickness and all that lovely stuff. Very happy with the clean house, even if it took a whole lot longer, and even if it lasted 2 seconds. And the one thing I didn't do. Unpack the stuff from the move...

Thirdly. All that lovely binding! What on earth am I doing with all that?

Well. I made more

And used some....

You'll have to wait until I get back!

So. I'm off down south.

Staying with mum,

catching up with family,

attending a wedding,

shopping for a bridesmaid dress {ekkkk},

having an early birthday {did I mention I'm turning 30!},

and even going to my old sewing group where I will get too catch up with these lovely ladies and more.

See ya! xoxox

twirly twirly

Hi! How are you all these holidays?

Me, sick, but I just had to pop in and show you what I did on the weekend.

Sunday morning there was some talk on twitter about fabric, patterns and sewing, so we decided to have a little sew a twirly skirt alone. Tutorial from here. So easy....if you read the cutting requirement right. I didn't, cut 1 instead of 2 skirt panels. So a little unpicking and resewing later, they twirly!

And I couldn't stop there, made 2 Lazy Days skirts too. They are the easiest things I have ever made. Hour from start to finish. Too easy!

Fabric is from spotlight.

So thanks Mel, Tammy and to whoever else joined in. Let me know if you did so I can check you out!

Great fun! Who would have ever though twitter would be used for a cross country sew a long! I'm sure we will do it again soon xox

Edit : Jaki has made a Lazy Days skirt and has put a twirly skirt on her to do list! Pictures on twitter. 
Thanks Jaki for joining us too :)

....more tweaking and a giveaway

Miss 8 has a friend leaving school today so last night I thought I'd wip her up a pencil notebook thingy. Still not 100% happy. I like the brights and the wooden pencils. Little bit big. I have a tendency to over estimate. Getting there!

In unrelated news retro mummy is having a give away. Don't bother entering, lady luck is with me, only telling you all because I get another entry into the draw......lol! xox

...getting back to 'normal'

Firstly, thank you all so much for all the kind words of support. Last week was horrid and receiving emails, comments and tweets of support has been really, really lovely.

Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

Secondly, what to do in a crisis, sew of course!!

This 'notebook texta roll rap thingy' is a present for Miss 5 friend for his 6th birthday

Party was on Saturday, I made it last night

In my defence, I didn't get the invitation until 4pm on Friday

My pattern, been tweaking and tweaking since Christmas, think I nearly have it right

Thinking of selling them, with the handmade notebooks, what do you think? What do you think people be happy to spend on something like this? Mmmm don't know, being thinking and talking about it since Christmas...xox

because one isn't enough

Another "Pepper". This one is still called Pepper

Softies are starting to grow on me!

And another "Zet" or as boy one calls him the "friendly scary monster"

Boy one had a complete melt down because he didn't have a softie. Like, would not go to bed until he had one too. So, hour later, here he is! He choose the fabrics and button, not too bad.

Now hubby wants one too!! xox