So technically these should be a secret-surprise-thing because they are a birthday present, but the intended recipient is only one so I doubt he'll accidentally stumble on this while web surfing before his party on Saturday. Hello monster finger puppets!

It was a really fun spur-of-the-moment idea yesterday that only took a few hours to come into reality. Good times. I like hand sewing.

I feel so slack about updating. I have been doing stuff, although sometimes not bothering to take photos of the stuff that I'm doing (regret!). That said, sometimes I feel I don't want to post because I think that if people knew all the stuff I did manage to cram into a day they'd feel bad and I don't want that. Sorry people.

Anyway, here is another until-recently-secret-thing that I put together. Remember this?

Well that little sneaky bit is a small part of this:

Which is a postage-stamp-pieced pillow case that I made for my dear friend Melissa for her Birthday. :D Took a while to think of what game-y character thing to actually do, but thanks to Steve's extensive game knowledge I think we hit a win. I had fun figuring out how to actually put it together. Totally forgot to take a picture of it as a final product, but thankfully Melissa didn't. Hooray!

Can you see where the sneaky section is from? Wark wark!

Of all the secret things I've been working on lately, here is one I can finally show the world! Sarah's Steve had a surprise 30th Birthday on the weekend and although mum made the delicious fruit cake, I offered to ice it for Sarah.

Icing the cake itself wasn't too hard, although, it was lucky that Steve was taking a sick day and could do a bit of general supervision for Sophie while I did it because it took a while to get all nice and smooth. The trickiest thing was the bike. The one atop this cake is the third bike that I did and it was the nicest until I put the spokes and chain on - something when wrong there.

Given that I nearly defenestrated this cake after the second bike though, I was happy with how it turned out. Tiff and Maree did the writing on the day. Happy Birthday Sarah's Steve!

Quilting Update

Thank the Lord it is Friday. Things really get crazy when your kid gets sick. :( That said, as always, I'm still ticking things off the to-do list. It's a nice feeling, when things get gone. :) I think, aside from two presents (one which we will buy and the other that will take a half hour to knock up on Sally), the Christmas presents are done.

I ironed this bad boy this morning and by 10:30, every present was wrapped and tagged. I feel it will be a glorious day when I can finally reveal in full detail the wonders that have been so time consuming over the last few weeks. Until then, be satisfied, oh internet people, with glimpses in black and white. 

This is a shot I took earlier in the week of the Block of the Month Quilt coming together. Actually, I ended up cutting the final boarder strips and sewing it together that night. Somethings have moved since then too. Those triangles at the bottom have changed (I think considerably), and I accidentally sew the flowers on the wrong side and couldn't be bothered unpicking it, but it's looking rather nice. Sadly, I haven't taken any photos of it all stuck together. I'm still taking my time admiring it (and considering how on earth the top half managed to be a whole inch and a half longer than it should have been). 

I wonder how many people out there click on this blog wanting something slightly more substantial than my mere ramblings about sewing and occasionally life. Last week I actually consciously thought to myself: "What is the point of life?" And I suppose that much like the writer of Ecclesiastes, I don't really have an answer. We are here today, gone tomorrow, what more is there but to eat, drink and be merry? Well, also fear God and keep his commandments (thanks Ecclesiastes 12:13). 

So I'd best get to it. 

Big Squares

So I am nearly finished the things I have to do before finishing the Block a Month Quilt, but I did take a venture into quilting land this weekend to put the boarders on the big blocks for the quilt. I thought: "This will be quick and easy and give me a wonderful sense of getting things done that will subsequently give me the final inspiration to finish off those other things." I was a little bit wrong.

I had measured and re-measured the squares, done the math about three times before cutting the boarder material for each square. What I forgot was that when you have a 16 inch block that needs to become 20 inches, even though you do need 4 inches to get it there, as a boarder, that's not 4 inches on each side, but rather 2 inches on each side. Alas. On the plus side, I only had to trim down two of the squares and unpick and resew one.

This is the one that I got right the first time. :)

Side note - that cube one (before the boarder) is supposed to be slightly rectangular (17 inches by 18 inches), but for some reason, it's actually very square. No idea how I managed that, but it sure made putting the boarder on easier.

So yesterday I was really tired, lying on the couch watching Sophie crawl around and I remembered so many people said to me: "Oh, just wait until she is crawling!" That was back in the day when all she could do was roll around. Now that she's crawling, people say: "Just wait until she is walking!"

Honestly, if I were to continue thinking these things, then I'll be "just waiting" for a long time. Just wait until she is running. Just wait until she can climb. Just wait until she wants a phone. Just wait until she is a teenager. Just wait until she wants to go clubbing.

Yes, every stage of parenting is going to get harder. I get that. But if I sit around "just waiting" for the next terrible thing to happen, I'll miss all the fun of now. All you parents out there who already have kids and keep telling me to "just wait" can stop, thanks very much.

Incidentally, now that Sophie can crawl, yesterday she crawled to her bedroom and sat at the foot of her cot patiently sucking her thumb until I noticed and put her into bed so she could have a sleep. Yep, good thing I just waited for that stage.

Ticking lots of things off the to-do list this week! Only one or two more things to go and then I can tackle the Block of the Month Quilt. Hooray!! So much satisfaction in finishing things. Of course, I can't show some of those because they are presents, but what fine presents they are. Even this sneaky look makes me glad.

I see it and think: "I know what this is, but you have no idea. He he he!"

Meanwhile, the latest set of bunting has been finished and is proudly decorating the living room. It makes me want to get out all the bunting. I asked Steve if I could this morning and he said: "I don't think I could stop you." Too right!!

It makes everything more fun!

Basics and Deadlines

So I know in my last post I was all excited about the Block of the Month Quilt and I talked about how I was working on the new design and what not, but the sad news is that though I'm excited about the Block of the Month Quilt, it is the only thing on my to do list that does not have a deadline. Everything else there actually has to be finished by a specific date. So, though I'm excited about the Block of the Month Quilt (and I know you are too :P), it's been put on the back burner while I finish things that actually need to be finished.

Here is a sneak peak at what will probably be the basics of the new layout though. ;)

On to things that have a deadline. Number One - Birthday present for the little girl next door. I don't even know when her birthday actually is, but mid October every year (without fail, since the exact weekend we moved in) the people next door give her a birthday party. So I think it's soon.

I've been pretty slack about giving next door presents for their little girls (they have two), but I do love to sew and it is a great excuse. Who knows, one day, maybe Sophie will get these dresses back as a hand me down. This dress was made with a Five and Ten Designs pattern which I love. Had the material in my stash, so just needed the bias tape and the buttons. Sewed it up in two days (during nap times). Love it!

Other things I'm working on include Birthday presents for people who actually read this blog (sigh, no spoilers sorry!) and more bunting, which will probably be the next thing I tackle after the Birthday Presents. That will be fun (mostly just because it's bunting!).

Sewing has taken a major slow down since my little weapon of mass destruction can not be trusted around Sally or Olivia. Today, she found the tissues and like a good reporter, I took photos of the destruction before doing anything about it. :)

Cooper's 3rd birthday was yesterday and he liked his present (I wish I could say "loved", but the fact that it didn't have Lightning McQueen on it dimmed his response somewhat :P). We set it up in his room for him and then he took it outside to play with. I'm glad he did have a play in it. 

The problem with presents that you've made is that you've invested so much time into them that when you finally give them, you really care weather or not the person you've given it to actually likes it. And it's tricky when you're giving it to a three year old boy. You never can tell with three year old boys. I do think it was a win though.

Last week, as it was October, Ruth and I got together and sewed the final squares of the Block a Month quilt. I didn't bother sewing one lot, because they are just spacers, and I won't be using them anyway because I'll be re-doing the layout of my quilt.

This is the layout of the quilt as suggested. I didn't like it before, but I just thought I'd see, and no, I still don't like it. It's super bitsy. :P The quilt top is pretty massive, and it was way hard to get an actual photo of the whole thing that didn't look stupid, so you'll have to ignore the angle that this is at and use your imagination.

I think I managed to balance the colors well, though the Log Cabins (top left corner, the brownish blocks around the blue) are very dark in comparison to the other bright colors. I still hate the Spring Blooms (the blue spiral-type ones, in the middle right). I played with just replacing the things that I didn't like, (Spring Blooms with some fun yellow squares and the dark Log Cabins with some fun pinky ones) but I still don't like the layout.

I've worked on a new layout, but I'll have to actually put all the blocks into place and have a look before I make the final decisions. I haven't been able to do that yet because it's something that has to be done when Sophie is MIA. Now that she can crawl she is a weapon of mass destruction to most things I like to do. :P

 A busy and productive morning. Seventh thing about to be crossed off my to do list with this post! Hooray!

I finished sewing up the hem on my latest skirt. The way I've folded it for this picture either makes me look super skinny or the pleats look massive. Don't fret, the skirt has neither of these qualities, I just folded it strangely.

Also finished off the June block for the quilt. Finally got some background fabric which I'm pretty chuffed with. :)

And yep, more bunting! This is for the cubby house, so it's not finished yet (I'll measure it first), but I strung it up to get a hint of what it may look like. I love the look. Scalloped bunting is harder to make and I don't like it so much, but it will be perfect for the cubby. Time to go feed Sophie. 

So it turns out Sally has the ability to blanket stitch! Who knew?

I've been working on Christmas presents again, so I can only show a sneak peak, but I'm loving what I'm doing. :D Can't wait to show off the real thing at Christmas time.

I also made a skirt last week which is pretty swish, although I need to take up the hem. No photos of it yet though. Sorry kids. Just bask in the knowledge that I've been busy,

Also painted the door to the cubby house at my parents place. It's all ready for Sophie to have a play. Though, I am going to make some bunting for the outside. Really it can't be considered complete until there is bunting.

Having a baby means that you get a lot of gifts. And I mean a lot. I was watching a friend of mine open the gifts at her baby shower on the weekend and thinking about all the lovely little things that were given to me before and after Sophie was born. Practical things like wipes and wraps, and fun, cute things like onesies and dresses.

I really tried to make sure that if I was seeing someone who had given Sophie something wear-able, that she was wearing it. Or I'd make sure I took a photo and sent it to the person. It was a way of saying thank you, and showing them how much I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gifts. I am blown away by how much people love this. Little old ladies who have given Sophie one dress are absolutely delighted to see her in it.

It makes me think about the gifts that I have given to others, especially gifts that I have made. I love to see people using their gift. Or wearing it. When I see someone using something I've given them, I'm delighted. I don't' have to be referenced or need credit. I just feel good knowing that what I gave them is being used.

Steve and I gave a gift once that we'd made. We had painted three canvases and then collaged them with photos from their wedding as well as the bible verse that they had read. I knew they had wanted something for their walls in their new house, so when we gave it to them and they put it up straight away, I was pretty chuffed.

About a year later and I noticed that they had changed the wall decorations. Life goes on, and I probably wouldn't have even thought about it, but the new art bore a strange resemblance to what we had originally given them. Actually, what they had done was cut out the pictures off the original canvas, and then stick them one some new canvases.

I had a hard time describing how I felt when I realised what I was looking at. Sad that the time had come where they wanted new wall decos, hurt and outraged that they had just cut up something I had put a lot of time and thought into for them. Disappointed that it had meant so little to them, that they could just cut it up (and sadly too, only save the photos, not the bible verse).

Life goes on again, and even that art is gone, replaced by something new, but I was thinking about all of this in relation to gifts today. God has given me gifts, and he delights when I use them. He picked out these gifts exactly for me and he loves to see me use them. He's like the little old ladies who have given me a special dress to wear, and he's waiting to see the photos.

And I think about the times when I'm not using the gifts God has given me. When they are left on the shelf, or put in a cupboard. Or worse, when I use these gifts for things that are not what he wanted. Or when I've cut them up and tried to use them somewhere else, only to find that that's not going to work either. How hurt, outraged and disappointed he must be. How sad he must be, for gifts that never give him delight.

What are you doing with your gifts?

Last week's tangent project was making a Tulip Wrap Dress for Sophie. I got the pattern for a size 3 online somewhere and managed to scale it down for her. I used material from two work shirts of Sarah's to make it. I'll probably never use female shirts again, because they a) have less material than a male shirt and b) are much more tailored to fit. It was very fiddly but I'm happy with the result (though, annoyed that this photo is not centered :P)

I did add buttons on the front, which you can probably just see in the next picture. The total cost of the dress was $1. Seriously. YAY! The shirts were from Sarah, and the bias binding was from Mum. those darn buttons were the things that broke the bank. That said, I did spend a good two or three hours on it (thanks fiddly shirt material :P) so if we are counting time spent... this is an expensive dress. :P

Sophie wore it to a baby shower of a friend of mine, along with a pair of modesty pants. I should have taken photos before we went to the party, but I forgot, and as a result, this was the best shot I had of her in the dress. Everything else she was backwards or moving or crying.

The other thing I made to take to the baby shower, was a Nigella Chocolate Honey Cake. It was easy to make and delicious. I will make this again.

I can't believe I took twenty photos of it, and yet this is the only one that I feel is good enough to blog. Bah humbug! The Chocolate Honey Glaze over the top was a bit lumpy because I didn't sift in the icing sugar - not a mistake I'm likely to make again. Do you like my marzipan bees with their goofy smiles? I'd put them on later next time, so they don't sink into the glaze quite so much.

These little guys live happily in a big pot in my garden. One of the most fantastic perks about having a house is the chance to grow things. I have to admit, there is also a massive downside to having a massive garden/lawn and the associated weeds, but on the whole, I do love the green. I've had the chance to grow lots of things that I never thought I would. Most of these things are herbs (the pot pictured above has Italian Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme).

These herbs were inherited from some friends when they had a move last year and both the parsley and the oregano have gone through phases of great growth and also near death. At the moment, the oregano is having a bad reaction to Sophie's new bath soap. Curash was not a problem, Johnson and Johnson is not so plant friendly.

This mint makes me feel really excited and glad because I grew it from a cut bit that I had left over from some mint I bought from woollies. Just put it in a cup of water, watched the roots grow and then put it in the ground. Now it's thriving. Yep, I know that mint does that, but I still feel good. Life! Hooray!

Sophie's new modesty pants in action. Yay!

Flower Basket

This week I'm again giving myself permission to take it easy and just finish one thing at a time (with maybe one or two side tracks). So yesterday, I focused on finishing the August/September block for my Block a Month quilt.

It's come together quite nicely, and I think very pretty. I did stray from the original pattern, added petals to each flower and decided to blanket stitch everything on rather than do a lot of fiddly hemming stuff, but I like the outcome. I also like hand sewing, I think I've said before, for the change of pace. :)

On Saturday, Sarah and I had a sewing day. It was fun getting the sewing machines out (her's is newer than mine! The next model up in fact, but still has the same thread tension problems that Sally used to have. Poor unnamed sewing machine of Sarah's). While Sarah worked on making some cushion covers with fabric from Ikea, I cut up some of Steve's old work shirts and made some shorts for Sophie.

I originally wanted them to just go under her dresses to cover up her nappies, but they turned out to be super fancy, and possibly too big. Oh well. They are cute and I'm glad I got to use up some old shirts. I like reusing material like that.

In our bible study on a Wednesday night, we've been looking at First and Second Peter. It's been rather good, and I really enjoy the casual way we are reading through and sharing with each other. Last week we hit 2 Peter, and verses 5 to 9 really jumped out at me.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are short-sighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

I often think that I just need to love people. I believe in Jesus, and he's told me to love, so I'm going to do it. The trouble is, it's actually hard to love people and I, more often than not, find myself failing.

Reading through this passage in 2 Peter made me realize that actually, there is a process to getting to love people. I need to take baby steps before I'll be able to get up to the stage of loving people. I need to have goodness, knowledge, perseverance, self control, affection for those people and then finally love.

I know that it's a long road (that's what life is all about though right? A long process of getting us ready for heaven. Making us more and more like Jesus.) but I think I can have more chance of actually making it if I consider getting a handle on the small steps, rather than trying to leap to the end goal too quickly. Lord God, please give me the patience to follow the steps for your glory.

 This week, I tried to allow myself to not do much, but rather, give myself a break and just focus on finishing one thing. I find I often have a to-do list of immense proportions, not full of things that must be done, but full of things that I dream of doing. This is very daunting when you feel like even if you got around to doing these dream things, they'd be rubbish anyway.

So I took a break and decided I'd just finish one thing. This one thing was the crocheted rug I've been working on most of winter (usually at Frisbee games while "watching" Steve play). I only had about a third to go, so I allowed my self to put on some DVD's, sit next to Sophie and just crochet. Sophie certainly enjoyed playing with the wool as I worked. 

Rug is now complete. :) I've told Steve that if I ever pick up the crochet hook again and say the words "I think I'll just make..." then he is to stop me, with force if necessary. I can't crochet well, I don't know how I made the mistakes I made and I've even less of an idea about how I managed to fix them. Let's leave the dream of crocheting where it is: in dream land.

On the plus side, my right arm is so buff from all the crocheting, and on the down side, I managed to pinch a nerve or something in my shoulder because I was crocheting so much.  Such is life. 

Updates and Jeans Quilt 2.0

Christmas Presents, I have defeated thee! Or, most of thee in any case. :) 

It's a little bit sad when you have it all done before the Christmas season is even here, but I feel super organised! Yay! Just a few final things to do. :) More time then to actually celebrate Christmas. Here is a sneaky peak at what those colorfully wrapped presents contain: 

I have also finished the Jeans Quilt 2.0! Went to spotlight and they were having a sale on fleecy fabric now that winter is done, so I got the backing material for $5 a meter. Score!

Here are the two Jeans Quilts side by side, being friends. (no idea why this picture rotated...)