Once again I interrupt regular catching up to bring you something from 2022. This time, it's making reusable Christmas Crowns.
Last year, I subscribed to Peppermint Magazine blog, and they had a post about making your own re-useable crowns, encouraging people to think about ways to reduce single use waste at Christmas time. I'm here for it, and I had Christmas fabric I wanted to use up, so I went into a crown making spree.
These were pretty straight forward to sew, and used up a good amount of fabric and ribbon that was otherwise languishing with no future. I like that they are double sided, so people can choose what they want when they put it on.
Of course, I did start with six, but couldn't stop there, because I figured, it's pretty easy for Christmas to turn into a much larger affair. We only ended up needing four last Christmas, but maybe this year will be different.
This was possibly one of the most fun things we did at home this year. Lots of just hanging out, but so much quality time together.
For some back story, Bluey is an Australian kids show, aimed at four to seven year olds. My girls were either on the older end or older than the target demographic when it came out, and we don't watch too much TV as it is (Play School all the way), but gradually we found ourselves enjoying the Bluey. As far as children's TV goes, it's so quality. Both the writing and animation is great, not to mention the topics covered and portrayal of kids imagination play and positive parenting just blows every other kids cartoon out of the water. Suffice to say, we love it.
I'd seen a fair few episodes and had even started using them in the music classroom (such quality music, both original and remixed classics) but Steve had been missing out. Somewhere towards the start of 2023, we started watching the episodes together whenever we needed a bit of a break. It was really nice to sit down every now and then to watch a few episodes and just enjoy the good quality humor that was Bluey.
At the start of November, ABC announce they would run "Bluey Fest" which was where they would play Bluey episodes all day from 6am to 7:30pm. People were encouraged to vote for their favorite Bluey episodes for the count down of top 100.
We voted.
And also planned our day.
Sophie had bought a Bluey Cookbook, which I've mentioned before, and since we had seen all the episodes, we had a lot to choose from. We planned, all our meals around food that appears in Bluey, including snacks, though Steve vetoed another Duck Cake. We also printed the charades cards that Sophie coloured and I laminated.
Rachel helped cut out the fabric to make a Bob Bilby puppet.
I printed Bluey bunting.
Even though it sounds like the actual day was going to be a lot of TV watching, it really wasn't. The girls did watch a bit before breakfast (proffertjes), but then we ate and went to church just like normal. When we got home, we popped it on again, but the girls were also colouring some Bluey pictures while we watched and chatted.
We took a break for our Bluey themed lunch (sausages and capsicum salad with Aunty Mary's dressing) and Hugo came over, so the three kids went off to have a swim together at our neighbor's place.
Steve was sadly missing most of this day, since he and his brother went to Bundaberg for the weekend to help his dad move. He made it back for the last hour of Bluey though, so did get to see the top ten. It was so fun to watch together and we all agreed the top episode (Cricket) was an excellent one.
Still not sure why the grannies episodes are so high up though.
I interrupt the regular programing of 2023 (otherwise known as "blogging about things that happened a while a go") to bring you a special post (otherwise known as "catching up on things that happened in 2022). Exciting times I know. This post starts with a very ramble-ly backstory, so strap yourselves in.
Seventeen years ago, Steve had a 21st Birthday party that was a multicultural themed costume party. I had wanted to make a flamenco dress, but in the interests of time/money/skill I had just made a red skirt with ruffles and white off-the-shoulder shirt instead. (You can see a quickly snapped photo of it here if you are desperate.)
Sixteen years ago, for my 21st, Steve gave me the pattern and most gorgeous red material to make my flamenco dress dream come true. What a true champion he was.
I didn't blog about it at the time, because I was rather disorganized about blogging in those early years, but sometime between April of 2007 and July of 2007 I not only broke my hand, but also managed to sew a flamenco dress for myself.
I wore it first to a winter ball in 2007, and then not many time since. Maybe to a fancy dress party or two over the years. It was an easy costume for anything with a movie theme because it is pretty much exactly what Fran wears at the end of Strictly Ballroom. (If you have not seen this Australian classic, you must. Right now.)
I did most recently wear it to a Christmas party for work in 2021. It was masquerade theme, which I figured lent itself to a somewhat fancy dress. There is nothing more amazing than this beautiful dress for a night out, let me tell you.
Welcome to 2022, I notice that I have exactly this much of the original fabric left and I think to myself, maybe I can make a skirt.
Decided I wanted as much of a circle skirt as I could get (turned out to be a half) and I made it slightly longer in the back (and promptly got zero good photos of that). Inquisitive Rachel helped me with the pattern.
Then I added pockets, sewed the waistband and had a perfect skirt for Christmas.
But here we are, Christmas time again. So why not record it now, before it's forgotten forever?
