Op Shop Tuesday

A Wrap around for me!! A retro knit, with buttons, going to wear this with a shirt underneath, but not with the skirt!

Same, but different

I've been trying to work out a Spring/Summer skirt, for toddlers and their kind, that is multi sizable, without doing just a standard elastic waist job. So I've made this up, and think I'm going to go with this style. It's reversible and ties up at the back (via a button hole in the side). I got the idea from those long Indian wrap-around skits that I do so covet at the Op-Shop.

As this is a sample, it will go to Miss P, who will probably not like it a bit at first, then after wearing it once will make it her favourite and best.

21st Century Homilies

I found this link to an interesting embroidery artist called Kater Westerholt. Check out some of her other work here. Amanda I'm hoping you can do me a pattern for Emily The Strange sometime soon!

Confessions of A Slack Tart

The last thing I did last night before I went to bed was let the water out of Parker's bath. I just could not be naffed scooping the multitude of bath toys out, so I left them to dance and bob around the plug hole. That's a pirate squeezed between 2 water balloons, he looks cute I think!

I can actually bend at the waste, but during the course of a day I just get really sick of picking things up, wiping things down and folding things up!

Robert Kaufman Dress

I made this summer dress for P today, the fabric was bought for me by a friend. I'm pleased with the back closure, cause I love ties (it's the pini thing) but I think Big D will not like all the ties. I can't see why, it's just as easy as doing a button and kids can take them off by themselves. Any way - I never let his ambivalence dictate what I make!!

Want it

Watching this on ebay - even though I have NFI how to knit!

The Egg Rock, From Ingaland

I know this pebble looks much the same as all the other pebbles on the beach, But this one is the very personification of love. You see my Niece who is 4.5 years old picked this pebble up in a little fishing Village on the far north coast of England, and carried it all the way back to Sydney via Vienna and Bangkok, for her cousin, Parker who is 3.5. I can only imagine the negotiation that my sister would have had with her daughter, but my niece just knew that Parker would really love this rock and would have to have it, so heavy or not it came back with them, and although this 'egg rock from England' has no monetary value, it resembles all the things that we hold dear in our house - mainly that love is worth more than things, and people are far greater than objects and stuff. It's priceless, and I think I'll have to make a special box to house it, and write a little story to go in the box, so that it can be kept forever.

Pini Love

I have to finish this pini by the middle of August as it's for a little girl who is turning 4, it's okay to show it as she doesn't blog. I know that her Mum loves hot pink and navy blue together, and having made this up I think I agree. I shy away from pink a bit cause I think it gets over used for little girls, Miss P loves green, it's her favourite and best!!

Parker's Things

Having fun with the scanner, these are some of Miss P's treasures. The figurine is a Blithe Belle called 'Cutie March' my sister bought this in Bangkok. You can see more of them here Um, yeah I know she is probably too old for a dummy - but she only has it at night and only till she is asleep - and I'm slack in that department, I treasure my sleep, and she treasures her dummy, we'll move on soon....

Scoop Da-loop at the Oppy

A fashion doll for Miss P that doesn't resemble a Hispanic prostitute on ice, 3 pinis to wear whilst sewing and swearing! And these shoes for me - brand new 70's - 'scuse the shiny photo, the leather doesn't shine like that in real life. Inside the shoes it says "KARAM Moon Shoes, Genuine Leather upper, crepe rubber soles, size 3 1/2" Oh I love them - I'm pretty sure that Bid D will not love these.

Skirts Ahoy

OH, I just had to share this photo, this is me (skirt in the air) with my sister and my Dad standing at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. There is an incredible mist that eminates from the falls, and all I can say is that it must have felt nice!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

This is us saying goodbye to our Gran (Ethel, went by the name Jenny) after her trip to visit us in South Africa. Our Grandad (Fred, went by the name Fred) didn't come out, he wouldn't leave England at that stage, later in his life he would go to Spain!

Now my Gran was an amazing woman, full of love and compassion. She was also the most amazing seamstress, she made everything from top-coats to knickers. Every time I make something I feel like I'm paying homage to her in a small way. She made her tweed suit featured in this photo as well as our clothes, don't know who made my Mum's dress, but she would have taken it up 2 inches herself. When we went back to live in England, I was 9 and I was obsessed with wearing waistcoats and fat ties, a little masculine I know, but rather than discourage this, she made me a red velvet waist coast, with a matching skirt - oh the joy!!

Smock it

Managed to beat the other linen lovers to these 3 sheets today at the Op Shop, think they will make cute little summer smocks, no more winter sewing for me - I'm waiting it out - just going to focus on Spring/Summer .... really only another 2 more months of this weather left, I'm counting!

We are going to see Shrek 3 tomorrow, meeting my sister and her two little girls - Little P is very excited, she keeps telling people (strangers in the street, any one) 'we're going to see Shrek in the garden and the meadow' must be something in the ad that she's seen. She is pestering me for a Doctor's Coat - 'please Mum you make my Doctor's Coat now' - I said in passing that I'd make her one ages ago, and she had a mind like a steal trap - so I'm off to find some white cotton.