Baby Lochlan, Big Brother Mitchell and Birthday Girl Chloe

I have been busy sewing gifts for a close girlfriend's newest arrival. Here I was thinking I had plenty of time as Kylie went over with Mitchell. I got a phone call on Saturday to say that little Lochlan Grant had arrived on his due date, 7/7/07. Lucky I had already bought what I needed to make his little gift. I had to make Mitchell a 'big brother' shirt too.

It was another friend's little daughter's 2nd birthday last week also and I must admit I completely forgot. I whipped up this little bag yesterday and sent it with some play money for the shop and a lai - I wanted some cute little dress ups but in my rush I left it too late. I am happy with the little bag - it took me way too long - I will blame the pregnancy!

High Tea at Stamford Plaza

I just thought I would share these photos of my recent trip to High Tea at Stamford Plaza. The girls at my Mothers' Group organised it for my baby shower. One of the girls put together these photos.

It was a lovely way to spend a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon.

And just couldn't help but share this pic also - 3 winters on wondersuits!

Who would have thought from that first picture that I would have a blonde, curly haired child?

YAY some sewing

Well I am thinking that maybe I am starting to nest and that this may include some sewing mojo. The plan with this fabric was to make a little pinni to match others I made for my friend's little girls...but I just thought we would get more use out of a skirt.

Last summer I had the little twirly skirt all sorted, I had my own little way of doing it - well that was all forgotten last night and I made things a lot more difficult for myself!

Anyway I am generally very happy with how it turned out, it was the look I was after and I seem to have got the length perfect. It definitely needs a 'lift' though. I was thinking either orange or pink ric rak around each teir - what do you think?

I am looking forward to sewing a bit more now before bub arrives - 2 weeks to go!

And a big thanks to Kim, I couldn't find my wool but used embroidery thread and it worked

beautifully.

37 weeks!

Well I could have just 3 weeks to go, or it could be up to 4 and a half! I am somewhat over it, but at the same time I am enjoying these last few weeks. Keiran and I haven't really decided if this is our last baby or not. I would really like a third, but he is not so keen. If this is it for me then I want to enjoy it.

I really need to get myself organised and set up the nursery for the baby. Everything is in there, it is just not very organised. I am hoping to start nesting soon - hopefully I will get some energy!

I won something!

Corrie held a 1st anniversary competition on her blog and I was the lucky winner. Yesterday afternoon there was this lovely package waiting for me!

Thank you Corrie, I will use all of it! Such a wonderful suprise!

I love to give!

I made these bags this afternoon as gifts for loved ones.

The bag on the left is for MIL who has been on holidays. We don't celebrate Mothers' Day with her, but usually buy her something little. She just loves green, so I hope she loves this bag.

The one on the right is for a frind from my MG. It was her birthday last week, but the bag is more of a thankyou gift for looking after Ellyse so Keiran and I could go away for a night a few weeks ago. It was very generous of her and her DH, we were very appreciative.

I love these bags a whole lot more than the Elvis one - I think that goes without saying!

Ellyse's big girl bedroom

I am so excited. We finally moved all of the furniture around today. Change table and cot out and bed and bookcase in. I am happy so far with the layout of the room - but it could still change!

I cannot wait to get the quilt finshed and make a few other little personal things for the room too.

Ellyse's quilt so far

WOW what an effort it was to get all of those blocks sewn together this afternoon! It is just straight lines and very easy but I am feeling very stiff from sitting at the machine for so long.

I was desperate to get them done today so my friend can help me lay them out tomorrow.
I am so excited about it.

As I was sewing it I was concerned about some of my fabric choices, but laying them down like this gets me all excited. In each pile there are 5 different blocks, all with the same boarder but a different middle. I am looking forward to the challenge of getting them all layed out.

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by a few people so here goes.And the rules are:•
Start with 7 random facts/habits about yourself, that others may not know!• People who are tagged have to write their 7 things on their blog• Then choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names

1. I have been with my husband Keiran for nearly 14 years. I was 17 when we started dating.

2. We had a long distance relationship (1000 km) for nearly 2 years. Lucky I am a teacher and I was home every 10 weeks. He would visit during term also.

3. I can never imagine having a son. I am not sure how to prepare myself for the fact that there is a 50% chance this will happen - in 9 weeks!! (Belinda I may need to talk to you about this!) I can't believe I just wrote that - I would never normally admit that to anyone. It doesn't mean I wouldn't love a son, just coming from a family of girls, I can't imagine it at all!

4. My closest friend and I have been friends for 21 years. We still see each other at least once a week. Her husband and her 'followed' us to Mackay - we had a ball!

5. Although I have 2 sisters living overseas, I have never been myself and honestly do not feel the need to at this time in my life.

6. I desperately want 3 children, and my husband is certain he doesn't. He is dead set on 2.

7. I like to be in control of most things around me, I like things in order, I like to know how every $ we have is being spent - poor Keiran!

30 weeks

Well here I am 3/4 of the way through my second pregnancy. My sisters have been buggin me for some belly shots. I finally too onle last week and I could not believe the difference in my shape. Check out the photo.

Elvis! Elvis!

My mum is a die hard Elvis fan, and is also the kind of person that has everything. The thought of buying a gift for her for Mothers' Day is daunting. So I made her this bag. I am happy enough with it. It could possibly be a little bigger, and now that it is finished I can see that it really needs a clasp, that is easily fixed though.

I am thinking of making MIL one from some Amy Butler fabric.

Some little gifts

My friend's sister was given one of these when she had her baby. I thought they were cute and not at all worth the $30 price tag. So what does a sewer do............ she copies the idea and makes her own version.

Two friends have recently had babies and I thought these would make a perfect present. The fabric and ribbons were bought very quickly as we were on our way to story time at the library, something Ellyse just loves going to.

A belated birthday present

My beautiful friend Kylie, who I met while teaching in Mackay, made Ellyse this beautiful dress for her birthday.

I must admit that when I first saw the colour I was a little worried it wouldn't look so good on her, but it is just adorable.

You won't be able to see in the photo, but Kylie hand stitched slear sequence on to some of the circles. It is just adorable.

Just had to include one of her wearing it.

New and hopefully improved library bag

Well I have changed the style of bag I am making for gifts as to be honest the other one with the draw string was just too hard for the kids to carry around. This one takes a little longer but I think it looks great. Basically I just changed the straps and also sewed a base into it.

I am not sure how this bag will be recieved. The parents are very much he is a boy and he will have boy things type people, so not sure how a bag with straps will go down. I just think they are so useful and the kids will get years of use out of them.

Easter Gifts

I made these aprons as gifts for Easter for my niece and nephew. We have never given them Easter gifts, but my sister in law bought Ellyse some slippers. I thought I best have something to give to them in return.

Ellyse is going for a sleep over tonight, we didn't see them over the Easter weekend so I will

deliver the gifts this afternoon. I hope they are not too disapointed with no chocolate.

My mojo is back and I'm loving it!

I made this pini today for my friend's older daughter. It is to match the other pini I made for her younger daughter last month. The tracing of the pattern and the cutting out took me longer than the sewing - I hate that part!

I thought it looked a little plain, so I made some little yoyos and need to get an orange button for the middle. I think it lifts it a lot. I wanted to do some fancy stitching on the hem, but I am about to run out of orange thread.

Anyway here it is. I am in love with this fabric, I have one more piece left to make Ellyse a little dress.

Pjs nearly finished

Well I got into the sewing this afternoon and nearly finished the pjs. Just the buttons to sew on. Ellyse wasn't to keen to try them on, hence the bad photo but you get the idea.

One of the threads of my (MIL's) overlocker came out the other night so I had to do all my finishing stitches with the machine - man it is slow. Must make a trip to MIL's to get her to rethread it - I just can't work it out.

Swap Items for Tigerfilly

Tigerfilly wanted something to brighten her kitchen, I thought these colours were perfect. I hope they are not too over the top!

Kitchen Item Swap Thanks Helen

Thankyou to tthe ever so lovely Helen who has sent me the most beautiful, colourful table runner. I lve it Helen, it will reall brighten my table/kitchen area.

In the package was also so fabric and some patchwork magazines - Helen knows I am trying to convince myself to sew a quilt for Ellyse's bed. Oh and I can't forget the recipe for Dazza's Pesto Sauce - sounds yummy.

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!