My bedside

I'm participating in my very first "My place and Yours" through Meet me at Mike's website. Such a great idea to inspire people to blog (who doesn't love a glimpse of someone else's life).. The bedside one is a great idea.

I've taken my photographs this afternoon.. And while I was tempted to do a bit of ‘arranging’ of items (add a couple of cool things here, take away some of the daggy stuff like my women’s weekly mag), I resisted. If I’m going to be honest, and embrace my individuality – I’m going to admit to the world that I read ‘ladies magazines’ (my favourite part is the cooking and craft sections though)..

So here it is in all it’s glory..

To explain a few things

- The baby monitor has been used maybe 3 times since Lola was born. Who needs a monitor when your baby is asleep only inches from you (with her foot in your face most of the time)
- The drink bottle is what I’m trying to give Lola in the night when she wakes wanting ‘comfort’.. she’s not stupid though, and she cannot be fooled into believing it’s mummy.
- The paw paw ointment needs no explanation. It’s a cure all for everything.
- The pile of magazines (and catalogues) is only occasionally flicked through. I used to read before going to sleep, but now I don’t want to wake anyone by turning my lamp on, so I don’t get to read hardly at all these days.
- Anne of Green gables was bought for $5 at Vancouver airport with our last Canadian dollars on a recent holiday (July 09). I read it as a kid, but want to read it again.
- And the Moleskin notebook is my Lola journal. I’ve been writing to her since before she was born. And I stick stuff in it – bandaid from her first immunization – hospital wrist band etc. there are notes sticking out of it from the time I tried to document her ‘routine’ (like I could try and use the information for ultimate power)... What a mistake that was J
- I don’t think there’s anything else noteworthy. Let me know if anything else warrants further explanation?

Stuff I made for the party...

Party bags!!! full of smarties, lolly pops, tiny teddies and other lollies..

Chocolate crackles

preparation shot of the chocolate crackles..

Another Iggle Piggle cake (this one was complete with In the Night garden characters, green cupcakes and lollipop trees :)

Invites and Thank you cards

I loved the invite that we made for Lola's party. We both loved how 'off centre' the photo was - and the blue sky was asking for something to fill it (it's a Canadian summer day sky). So I added text to give party details (which I've scribbled out for posting on here) and away we went :)


For the thank you cards - I wanted to use the same concept (writing over the blue sky), and use a photo of the birthday girl at the party. But just between me andyou (my two blog followers) - I didn't have any good photo's from the party - so I dressed lola up again a few days later and went and took these shots :) We're not sure which photo to use as the thank you card. we each have our favourites -but what do you think?

I'm going to handwrite thank you notes on a piece of paper - and stick that to the back of the photo.

1st Birthday cake

So, Lola's party is not till this weekend - but being a first time "mother of the birthday girl", I needed to practice my cake decorating to make sure it was perfect for the party. So Si and I decided to make a 'test run' cake for the actual birthday to work out what works and what doesn't. So last night I made Lola's iggle piggle birthday cake.

I realised pretty quickly that ready to roll icing/fondant is more difficult and takes more practice than I first thought (the 'experts' showing me how to do it on youtube didn't help either).. So after 'removing' the layer of cracked fondant - I decided to ice it with regular icing instead (i have the most kickass pack of Wilton icing colours).. so the blue came up really nicely and I made his blanket and 'features' with fondant.

In the end I think it turned out well - and most importantly the birthday girl loved it too.

Happy Birthday banner

This is the happy birthday banner I made (got the idea from http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2005/03/a_birthday_bann.html)

I loved the thought of having it hang over all the birthdays in our family for years to come. I even asked Si to put two permanent hooks on the wall so we've always got somewhere to hang it up.

It got its first 'run' today for Lola's birthday. She kept pointing at it all day long. I think she liked it :)

Reversible Hats

I lost Lola's hat and she needed a new one - but I thought they'd be pretty easy to make so I didn't rush out and buy another one. Instead I bought this pattern off Etsy http://blog.betzwhite.com/2009/08/reversible-bucket-hat-pattern.html

It worked out really well I think? It took me about 3 hours to make the first hat (in light pink corduroy and calico), and 2 hours the next night to make the 2nd hat (the bright pink 'nana' fabric with purple flowers on the other side). I was watching tv while I was pinning and ironing though..

Lola does not like wearing any hats. so getting photo's was a mission..

Family picnic blanket

I loved this blanket when I first read about it in Handmade Home.. http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2009/08/handmade-home-beach-blanket-togo.html

I got the chance to make it last week. I can't wait to see all the journeys it goes on in it's lifetime. I used old sheets from my sister in law - and it's backed with the orange chenille bedspreads that used to be on Nana's spare beds when we'd sleep over.

Fathers day gift

September this year was our family's 'first fathers day'.. I wanted to make something special, so I stitched up this satchel from Amanda Soule Blake's Handmade Home book http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2009/08/handmade-home-ezras-letter-satchel.html

I wanted to make something for Si from Lola that he will keep forever. He can use this satchel to keep special things he gets from his daughter over their lifetime.

I handstitched some words on the front - and also lined the satchel with some fabric from Nana's stash

In the satchel was a photobook I made of all the photo's of father and daughter so far (and there were a lot!).

Oh and he also got breakfast in bed (which we soon learnt isn't as easy as we'd hoped it would be).. Lola kept crawling over the bed trying to grab everything on the tray.. we thought for sure we were going to have breakfast literally 'in our bed'.. but it wasn't too bad in the end!

Pillowcase dresses

Here are some of the pillowcase dresses that I've made recently.

This one is a favourite - it's from one of Nana's old pillowcases (I remember them from when we used to stay over at her house). There were yellow, pink and purple pillowcases. I made 2 others for Nana's other great grandchildren. I kept the yellow for Lola. It's still too big - but that's the beauty of these dresses - I can just do big bows to keep it on her :) and yes - she has worked out how to undo the straps..
And here is Lola reluctantly modelling one of the dresses I made for my cousin's baby's first birthday.

This is a better shot of the dress (I think this photo was taken before the screaming started)..

This was the very first one that I ever made. The pattern I used is from http://madebypetchy.blogspot.com/search/label/Children%27s%20Stuff

After making this one - I stopped using that pattern though, and modified it slightly. I put elastic across the front instead of threading the bias binding the whole way across.

This is the same dress on a hanger :) (showing the 'stitched with love by me' tag that my Mum bought me when I started sewing)

hoot hoot

I copied this picture of the owl off a shirt I bought from BigW. It was my very first applique attempt. I cut out my fabric, sewed it together, picked out some buttons from Nana's stash for the eyes, then wasn't sure what came next. I visited the helpful ladies from Sewco and came home with tearaway and vliesofix. After ruining my ironing board cover - I finally worked out how to get the owl onto the shirt :) I think the very first recipient of the shirt liked it very much!

Babushka

My neighbour Kat found a pattern for this Babushka doll in a sewing magazine she borrowed from the library. I've since found out it's the work of Johanna from one red robin (http://oneredrobin.com/)


The doll it made was HUGE!! I wasn't sure what I was going to do with her when I'd finished - but I decided to give her to my cousin's daughter for her Christening.

She didn't stand up too well - but I still think she looked great.

Little Smappy Doll

This is the first pattern that I bought off Etsy from the Whosies and Whatnots store.
It made the cutest doll for Lola. The pattern was easy for a beginner.

birds on a stick

I had every intention of sewing these birds and making a beautiful mobile for Lola's room like on Sew Liberated's blog http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2009/02/birds-on-a-branch-in-the-babys-room.html So I made the birds, but that was as far as I got. I couldn't find a twig that I was happy with. Then Lola got a hold of the birds, and she just loved chewing on them. In the end, I chose to let the birds remain free..

easter chickens

My inspiration for my next sewing project was from my neighbour Kat. She found it at http://sewing.craftgossip.com/sew-a-stuffed-lovebird-with-this-free-pattern/2009/02/12/

I wanted to make my daughter something special for her first Easter - so I made her these chickens. Then I wanted to make one for all the babies in my Mothers group (with a chocolate easter egg in their front pockets). Then my sister wanted me to help her make a load for the students in her yr 2 class. By the end - we were totally out-chickened.

bye baby bunting

$70 bucks? - no way, I could totally make that!

And I'm sure with those words, many sewing careers began..


My lightbulb moment came on a trip to Sydney in January of this year. We were at a shopping centre and I saw some gorgeous 'flags' that I wanted for Lola. On checking the price - they were so expensive! So the flags (which I soon learned were called 'bunting') became my first sewing project. My husband helped me measure up the fabric (to get the most flags possible) and then I sewed them up. They now hang proudly in our family room. Our awesome neighbours tell us they can see them through our windows, and they love them too.

The first thing I made..

The first thing I made, that I am most proud of, is our baby girl Lola. Our little angel will be one in less than 2 weeks. She is the reason for all the things I make.