Ellyse's 2nd Birthday

I cannot believe it has been2 years since we bought our little (well 4.2 kg!) baby home. I am so proud of the little person she is becoming. She is such a happy little girl, who is kind, thoughtful and oh so funny. She is a real little lady and loves to lok after her babies just like they are real. Her language blows me away everyday, se is starting to come out with the funniest things.

I honestly never knew how much I could love someone. Those trying times we had in the beginning are all a distant memory now and I look forward to watching Ellyse grow and change over the next two years. I cannot wait to see her as a big sister - she can't wait either.

We had a lovely time celebrating her birthday at a local park. My sister who lives in London started a tradition last year of buying the party dress. I just love what she chose this year - not so appropriate for the park, but who cares, she was the birthday girl! It was so cute.

And here is a not so flattering one of me but you can see how my pregnant tummy is growing. I think I am way to big to only be 25 weeks, but I know I was like this last time too.

Ellyse's PAPs Party

Well it is Ellyse's 2nd birthday on Sunday. Our Mothers' Group (PAPs as we call ourselves) met at one of the girl's houses today so I decided to take along a little cake for Ellyse - well many little cakes. I was happy with how they turned out. I made some girly girl ones and some little snakes in long grass for the boys. Funnily enough they didn't care what cake they had, so long as they had one!

I so wish I had videoed the singing of Happy Birthday, she has wanted me to sing it all week since my birthday. She just thought she was a star, her little face was glowing and her eyes were popping out of her head....just too cute. Will have to capture it on Sunday with her real cake!

Birthday week

It is birthday week in our house this week. It was my 31st yeasterday and then exactly 1 week later Ellyse will celebrate her 2nd birthday.

I made her invitation and cannot believe how she has changed in 12 months. My baby has gone and my gorgeous little girl is here! I can't wait to celebrate her birthday with her.

New fabric = winter pjs

My Aunty sent these fabrics home with Mum last week.

From left they are - that bumpy fabric like table cloth material, white with red spots, blue corduroy, the next 3 are all flannelette - perfect for some winter pjs for Ellyse. I am stoked with some free fabric, there is quite a lot of each print.

Now just to get the motivation to sew!

Ellyse's first train ride

Today for Mothers' Group we took the kids on a train ride to nowhere. We just caught the train for about 6 stops and turned around and came back into Cleveland where we had a coffee and some lunch.

The kids absolutely loved the train and loved running around at the Harbour.

Vintage patterns

Here are some shots of the vintage patterns I was given. I wa amazed at a book that the lady kept when she was a teenager, she had cut out fashions that she liked and glued them into a scrapbook.

Scrapbook

There are many more, but I thought that was enough to show you.

I am not too sure what I am going to do with them. I know Eleanor would be disappointed if I gave them away or sold them, but I don't think I will use them. I love the style but I don't think my body does!

On another note DH and I went to Ikea yesterday as I have been wanting to tidy up the toy room for ages. I knew just what I wanted and I am most pleased with the result. Or playroom is an open space near our dining and lounge so it is important (to me) that it is tidy. I love the little boxes at the bottom, they are for dressups, paints, stuffed toys and I haven't thought of the other yet, I am sue it will be filled with something. I want to make little labels so Ellyse will know where things are. There is no denying the teacher in me!

My new cabinet and today's sewing

Today I picked up my new sewing cabinet, a very generous gift from my mum's old next door neighbour. I am so excited to have my own little space to sew. I set it up straight away and got to work. I must admit it felt a bit different for awhile, the machine is now a lot further away from me than I am used to - but I think I can deal with that. I just put the overlocker there and stood when I needed to use it. It fits beautifully into the lowest draw space which is really a cupboard.

It is my closest firend's daughter's 1st birthday this week, as the second girl born she has so many toys to play with already so I decided to make her a little pinafore for winter. Not sure if you can tell but this is a printed corduroy. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I have enough to make Ellyse a pinafore too, and a matching one for Lauren's big sister one too. It was a nice easy pattern.

I then put together another library bag for yet another 2nd birthday present. I have been making these for the kids at mothers' group for their birthdays. I love the way Max's has come out. I am going to change the design of these bags to include a handle rather than the drawstring. I think it will be easier for the kids to carry.

Kitchen Swap Questions

1. What colours are you kitchen?

Pink kitchen with beige walls - sounds yuck, but it actually blends in ok.

2. What is your favourite appliance?

I do love my rice cooker, our dishwasher isn't working, otherwise I am sure I wuols say that!

3. What do you love cooking most?

I love cook sweets and savoury. I am quite anal when it comes to meal planning, when I write my menu plan I like to try at least one thing new.

I also love baking and try to do this with Ellyse once a week - but only if we are going somewhere, otherwise there is only one person in this house that eats that food!

4. What item would you love the most from your swap partner?

A nice trendy table runner (does that count as kitchen), I need some more things that protect your bench and table - can't think of what they are called.

BUT

whatever my swap partner chooses to make for me I will LOVE!

Ellyse in her apron

Ellyse has been really wanting to get into the arts and crafts lately. It is so fun to watch her experiment and learn with colour, shape, brushes etc.

Today I cut out some butterfly shapes and we painted them, she thought it was just great. I got her to wear her apron that I made, she thinks she is very special when she wears it.

My little baby girl is growing up too quickly!

Our wonderful holiday

I just thought I would share some pics of our wonderful family holiday to Yamba. We have just arrived home and already we wish we were back there.

The weather was beautiful and Ellyse was just a little angel.

Here are a few pics

I am back!

I cannot believe it has been so long between, I wonder if anyone bothers to look any more?

Well good news is that I have my sewing mojo back and I am ready to go! I have been sewing some gifts for all of the kids from mothers' group. We are all about to celebrate the kiddie's 2nd birthdays. I have made some library bags, which I forgot to get pictures of, and today I made 4 aprons. Two boys and two girls. I am putting a tool set with the boy's and some cooking utensils with the girl's. Very sterotypical I know, but I would hate to offend anyone - maybe I will doing it this way - oh well. I have made sure I mention in the card that they can be used for many different things.

I am really very happy with the way they have worked out, the bias binding was a little fidddly but the end result is great. Each of these cost only $3.75 to make. I thought it was great!

I also bought some gorgeous courdry (sp) fabric from SL yesterday and I can't wait to make Ellyse a pinifore (sp = again!) from it. I also have an idea for a friend's little girl who is turning one, I can't disclose on here though as she sometimes visits.

Hope to be back with more posts soon.

My sister's wedding

Well after all of the long distance planning and stress regarding the flower girl dress, the wedding went off without a hitch.

Poor little Ellyse has been dragged from pilar to post for the last 2 weeks, sleeping in all different places, meeting lots of new people and being babysat a lot. I cannot believe how well she coped and was just a star at the wedding. The only little hiccup was the olive green tupperware container that doubled as the bouquet. She just wouldn't let it go eventhough the grapes were finished! It was cute though, and something everyone will remember.

I was so pleased with the decision for K's sister to take her for the evening. It was great for her to leave at 5 and for K and I to enjoy the night.

My sister looked just beautiful, the whole look of the wedding was jut perfect.

Enjoy the photos.

Ellyse with her 'bouquet'

Ellyse with the bride and groom

My sisters and I - how different can we be?

Ellyse and Daddy throwing stones into the dam

Ellyse is going to be a .......

...and a very proud one at that.

So here is my reason (I hope) for my lack of mojo in the sewing department. I have been extremely tired and have been taking every oportunity to sleep when Ellyse sleeps.

I am 10 weeks pregnant and due on the 13th (Friday) July. I was 10 days over with Ellyse so it will be interesting to see what happens this time.

We are very excited!

Ellyse's Christams dress

Sorry about the quality of the photo, it was taken onmy video camera as DH left the digi at work (grrr) oh well it is their camera and he does need it for work. We really should buy our own!

I am happy with this little dress, it has come out just as I pictured it. I wan't to add something gold along the front of it to jazz it up a little. Ellyse was too busy dancing here to turn around.

Secret Santa has arrived

I was so excited to see an express post package at my door this afternoon and loved opening it up. Thankyou so much to my secret santa I absolutely love everything you chose for us.

We got
* a beautiful pair of shorts and matching top
* 3 pieces of fabric
*some lovely pink ric rac
*2 gorgeous little strawberry buttons










Please excuse Ellyse's smile at the moment, she just loves playing it up to the camera. I am hoping to tone it down a little before the wedding!

Ella's Christmas Dress

Here is the Christmas dress I made for my friend's daughter. It was made from a vintage pattern that I had thrifted a while ago. It is a size three so way too big for Ellyse but Ella is a bit bigger so it may be ok on her.
This is the pattern I wanted to use for Ellyse's dress also but I think I will play around with the pattern a little before I do hers. The top part of the dress is great, I just might make it longer and not so wide.
Ella's mum was happy with it which is great.

Miss Maddie's Christmas Top

Ok I have given in to popular demand and posted a pic of the shirred top I made last night. Nothing new but still some sewing I guess.
I just can't decide on the straps, she is 9 1/2 so I wasn't sure if she would want the shirred straps, or flat straps so I made both and her mum can hand sew them in.
I was a little suprised at how tight the shirring went on this top. I wound the elastic on quite loosely compared to what I had done in the past as I was tight with the width of fabric. I hope it fits her ok. I am beginning to think that it depends on the fabric, one I made last week the shirring was really loose???

Trial Flower Girl Dress

Ok so not the best photo but you get the idea. I am getting the confidence up to cut the satin and make the actual dress. That is on tomorrow's list of things to do!
I would have preferred the bodice to be a little lower, as once I get the ribbon on there won't be too much room but I am sure no one else will notice!

Sewng orders

This is some sewing I have done for mums at mothers group. The spottu fabric was also used to make a library bag and when there was lots left over the mum asked me to make some shorts and a skirt.
I need to add something to the little shirred top yet to break up that green. Not sure what I will do. I was going to applique some circles with the colours in them but the spots are quite far apart and I would only get one colour in each circle. So I was thinking either a line of the spotty fabric - although not sure if I hae enough, or some purple and white rick rack. I am open to suggestions here, what do you think?

This is a Christams skirt for another little girl in Mothers Group. I love Christmas and love seeing kids in Christams clothes.

I was thinking of cutting out and appliquing in the shape of holly for a t-shirt.

Flower girl dress?

My first real twirly skirt!

This is part of a set that I am working on......I can't reveal too much as I want it to be a big suprise!
I love this cherry fabric and the hot pink works well with it. It felt good to sew something other than a library bag!

My first paid job - made for little Cate

Wow I am excited, I am not out to sell my sewing in large amounts, I have just offered the mums of girls in my real life mothers group some Christams clothes.
Stacie wanted something that could look Christmassy but also be worn before and after Christmas. I had this fabric already and Stacie loved it, it seemed perfect for what she wanted.
I am not sure how much to charge, the materials cost $10, but not sure I can charge much over $15. The lace trim really adds to the price, it was $3 alone.
Anyway here it is-

A top for Ellyse, a headband for Deb and some softies

What a busy day.
It started off with this top for Ellyse. I was so impressed as it only took one hour from start to finish. It wasn't a tricky top but I thought an hour was pretty good. I did the straps a little differently (I think Sharon has done them like this) and thy look much better.


When we got home from lunch to celebrate my Grandma's 84th birthday I made a headband for my friend Debbie. We don't really buy presents for eachother but she wears headbands all the time, so I thought I would make one foe her. It looks great, I think I will do another for me! The denim was a little heavy to work with but the end result is great.

I cut out these little rabbit softies (like Belinda's) on Friday night and began making them today. I am probably half way through. I am making three of them for gifts. My friend's SIL had a little boy last week and her other SIL had a little boy about a month ago. I will be seeing my friend this week so can pass them on to her then.



I think I am addicted not only to sewing, but to making things for people. I am constantly thinking about what I can make for lots of different people. I need to stop or I will go broke.
Good news is that a few girls from MG would like some clothes made so I will be a busy bee!

My first library bag finished!

Library bags were my idea for Christmas presents for Ellyse's little friends this year. This first one is for my good friend Kylie's little boy Mitchell. I love the bold colours and am so happy with the way it has turned out.
I did the blanket stitch by hand around each letter which was very time consuming but it looks great, better than the machine stitched one I had already done!
This one will go to Mitchell early as they are on holidays on the Sunshine Coast (from Mackay) and will be in Brisbane next week. I just can't wait to give it to him!