.Hoody.

I've been chugging through some more "necessity" sewing for the kiddos ready for winter.  Tommy seems to have had a growth spurt (yay!) and is lacking in tops.  I've been a subscriber to Ottobre Design magazines for a few years now and while I enjoy having a flick through them every now and then I have yet to actually sew anything from them!  They have been getting quite a workout over the last week!!

This is #25. "Eleven & One"striped hoody from Ottobre Design Spring 1/2011.  The pattern was for a short-sleeved top only, but I added long sleeves in the contrast red from the hood.  The pattern called for clear elastic tape around the entire neckline.  I didn't have any and after a quick consult with Lisa, decided to leave it out.  To make sure the neck allowed for maximum stretch though, I used my triple straight stitch for all the neckline sewing.  It seems to be working fine without the elastic and doesn't feel as though any stitches are going to pop.

The hoody is a lovely fit (with a bit of growing room) and nice and comfy and warm.  Oscar wants me to make one for him - which is saying something because trying to get him to wear long-sleeved/legged anything is a challenge!  I think hoods are always a winner with boys - what do you reckon?

SUPPLIES:
Hilco Campan knit in Grey Marle/Navy
Stella solid knit in Blood Red

.Poppy Tunic obsession.

I'll admit it.  I've fallen behind on all of my work because I am obsessed with two things.  Knitting and Poppy Tunics!

I sewed a few tunics for Kelani Fabric to take to the Craft & Quilt Fair in Sydney next month and thought I'd make another one for myself while I was at it (you know how much I love a good production line!)

I loved the Lotta Jansdotter fabric used for the front cover picture of the pattern so went with the same print but in a different colour this time.

And it's been worn and washed many times already.  These tunics really are so comfortable to wear.  I'm still trying to decide on the right Liberty of London print for a full-print version...so hard to choose, especially when the fabric is so pricey, I don't want to make a bad choice!!

I'm slowly starting to see your Poppy Tunics appear around the blog world - if you've made one please send me a link or photo, I'd love to see!  This one is super cute - and made using a knit fabric too (thanks Jane!)

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Poppy Tunic pattern
Indy Mid Blue 6GSM Light Weight Denim
Lotta Jansdotter, Echo, Scattered Blooms in Agave

.Mother's Day Kiss & Cuddle Biscuits.

I don't care much about fancy gifts for Mother's Day.  I really, really look forward to the cute handmade gifts that my children have made me at school or church.  It is so sweet - especially when they run into their bedrooms after school to hide their special presents from me until the big day!  This year I got lovely pasta necklaces, a collage, a masterpiece on a canvas, some delicious homemade biscuits and more. 

The biscuits came with a copy of the recipe so that the kids could make them with me.  So last Monday we got cooking and made a big batch for the week.

These are really yummy.  I decided to sandwich them together with homemade raspberry jam - yum!  We left some plain with only icing and no jam too.  We wanted them bite-sized so used the little measuring cup that you get with kids panadol as the cutter.  It was the perfect size, especially for the kids.

Kiss & Cuddle Biscuits

250g butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup SR flour
2 cups plain flour

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
Add the flours and mix until a firm dough forms.
Roll out to 5mm thick (I like to do this between two sheets of baking paper).
Cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
Place on baking paper-lined trays and bake in 180 degree celsius oven until lightly golden.
When cool, ice with icing and sprinkles.
Sandwich together with raspberry jam, if desired.

.Instagram: May Photo A Day #1.

I've been playing along with the Instagram May Photo A Day Challenge (via Fat Mum Slim).  It's been a fun way to take random photos of things around here.  I'm loving taking photos on my phone - it's a convenient way to capture memories that I wouldn't be able to if I don't have my camera handy.  I thought you might like to see the photos I've taken for the first half of the challenge...

1. Peace - this is my one child-free weekly work day...sometimes stuck at the computer and sometimes in front of the sewing machine.  Trackies and slippers make it comfy!

2. Skyline.  Driving home from the shops.  I love where I live.

3. Something you wore today.  My new pink jumper.

4. Fun!  This is where it all happens - the playroom/sewing room.

5. Bird.  My logo.

6. You.  After a refreshing Sunday afternoon nap!

7. Someone that inspires you. My dear cousin - I love this reminder on my fridge to live life to the fullest.

8. A smell you adore.  Anything baking!

9. Something you do everyday.  I'm obsessed with checking the weather forecast multiple times a day!

10. A favourite word. Pray.

11. Kitchen.  My kitchen at a random moment through the day.

12. Something that makes you happy.  When the kids play (or cook!) with Dad.

13. Mum.  My Mum with Lil and Nancy.

14. Grass. My toes were freezing!

15. Love. With my love.

(a note about my Instagram account...I'm mindful of social media taking up way too much of my time, so my Instagram account has been set to private and I'm not following many people or allowing many followers on my account - mostly because I know I'll get addicted and spend too much time on it if I do!!  So please don't be offended if I don't allow you to follow me.  I'll share pics on my blog from time to time though.)

.Creative Cards by Make It Perfect.

Have you heard of the new Creative Cards my distributor, Creative Abundance have started producing?  They are such a cool concept - a mini-pattern, if you like.

Make It Perfect Creative Cards are a fun, compact mini-pattern.  They come as a single folded, high-quality A4 card and contain all of the step-by-step instructions and templates needed to sew fast and easy projects.  Creative Cards are perfect for people with little pockets on time to create!  Best of all, they are priced at a very affordable $5.50 (RRP in Australia), making it even easier to pop into your shopping cart for a very achievable project.

I've been working on a few Creative Cards and want to share my first two with you today...

Snappy Tie & Tea Party Skirt

Snappy Ties are a great way to accessorise your boy for church, special occasions, holidays or just because!

They are fully lined for a crisp, durable finish and easy to wear with an adjustable neckband.

Snappy ties fit sizes 1-10 years and are so fast to sew that you won't be able to stop at one!

The Tea Party Skirt is guaranteed to put a delightful smile on any little girl's face.

It features a cute apron panel with decorative ribbon trim and is light and comfy to wear.

The Tea Party Skirt is extremely quick and easy to sew and comes in two size ranges 6 months-5 years and 6-10 years.

You may recognise the Tea Party Skirt as a pattern from my book.  I love this skirt so much that I've decided to release it as a Creative Card for people who don't have a copy of my book and also for people outside of Australia who can't get a copy of the book (and as far as I can tell, it doesn't look as though it is going to be released internationally at the moment) so hopefully this will tide you over for a little longer!!  Book patterns only go up to a size 5 so the Big Tea Party Skirt Creative Card will also come in handy for those wanting to sew for older girls.


Check out the Snappy Tie and Tea Party Skirt pages on my website for more information about these patterns.


I'd love to give away some Creative Cards - two lucky people will win a copy of each of the new cards.  If you would like to enter, please leave a comment on this blog post and make sure you leave an email address or have an email address connected to your profile.  Winners will be drawn at random and giveaway will end on Wednesday 23rd May.

.Suzy Hausfrau giveaway winner.

Are you ready to find out who the winner of the $100 gift voucher to Suzy Hausfrau is?

Congratulations to thingsforboys!  I've sent you an email with your voucher attached and want to know what you buy/make with your goodies!!

Thanks so much to Suzy Hausfrau for your generous offer.  If you weren't lucky enough to win this time, remember Suzy Hausfrau offers free postage within Australia as well as an awesome 10% off all orders over $60 - you can't beat that!

My little dress is taking off beautifully, I'll get some photos of it and show you soon!

.When the Jeffrey's were here.

Last month we had a super fun visit from the Jeffrey's.  I so wished they lived closer.  The kids love their cousins to bits and are instant friends every time we get together.

Micah and Tommy hit it off in the bath

Cute kids turn cuter with a bit of face painting

We took a road trip down south, stopping at the beautiful Richmond and then adventuring onward...

 

 

 

...to beautiful Port Arthur...

 

 

 

...on the most AMAZING adventure cruise you could ever imagine.  Make sure you pop over to read all about our fun times on Carli's blog here - it was definitley one of the best things I have EVER done!!!  Every Tasmanian should do it and everyone who visits Tasmania should do it!

When the Jeffrey's were here, we played at the beach

had cousin sleep-overs

massaged, manicured and pedicured Aunty Sam - ready for her due day

we did rock climbing

painted little girl finger nails

celebrated upcoming cousin's baby arrival

we took crazy photographs with people we love against the green wall

and tested Uncle Cade's strength in a piggy back ride for 6...ending up in a big sprawling mess of laughter.  And that's how it usually ends up - sometimes with a few tears, but mostly good belly-aching laughter.  Come again Jeffrey's!!