trick or treat

Well halloween has been and gone for another year. We make a big fuss here about giving away the lollies and I'm happy with halloween as long as we can keep this little arrangement. Keira picked her own outfit, a toss up between cinderella or a christmas fairy.



We had lots of lollies to hand out and a steady stream of visitors to our door.



However, after a few too many of the 'scaries' coming to our door, Keira lost interest and insisted that only the nice fairies come to visit us and no more scaries. I'm just glad she's happy to hand out the lollies!

one for the boys

Ok the good news is 22 bolts of cosmo cuteness should be at my house by the end of next week! I can't wait to share them with you! The bad news is that I'm still waiting for Flower Sugar and Grandmothers Garden to arrive and have no date advised......patience Corrie, patience!


But then the good news is that this new fabric bolt arrived today, taupe with red, white and blue, so perfect for boys. I'm thinking some cute shorts and a bunting for my Finnie! In the store now!

hello kitty cuteness

I moved craft rooms over the weekend (I'm not ready to show you yet as I'm still tripping over things) but in the process was discovering lots and lots of cute little craft things I've picked up in Japan, still wrapped in plastic and waiting to be used.


So I consulted Keira and we made little brooches with hello kitty buttons....an extra large yo-yo, a little button and a little brooch is all you need. Sadly the little pack is now all used up but someone has accessorised their outfit for playgroup just perfectly.


And someone is looking very tired because they stayed up late and wouldn't go to bed last night!

counting is fun!

I made a quick batch of keira's cookies with 1/2 cup of smarties yesterday (most delicious)....and of course was asked by keira for a little plate of them.....but she didn't eat them, oh no she spent a looooong time organising them, counting them, re-organising them...


and after what seemed like hours had passed, she finally started to eat them! And after all that fuss I made over Keira being given worksheets at pre-school, I say who needs a worksheet to learn counting when you have smarties!!

dreaming of gingerbread houses

Oh dear, I can't stop thinking about this super cute gingerbread house in the latest issue of Crochet Today. The issue hasn't made it out to Australia yet but don't you just love it!


so cute and deliciously sweet without a calorie in sight! I'm wondering if I have enough time (or the skill) to whip it up before Christmas as I haven't stopped thinking about it and its cuteness! I might need my mum, queen of crochet, to step in!!!
Picture source Crochet Today

in love with Love

as soon as I saw the sneak previews of Love by Amy Butler, I knew what I wanted...and I wasted no time in acquiring 4 yards to keep me going for a while. I just love these designs and on a navy background, well I'm in heaven!


I've found it hard to get navy quilting fabric for myself but this is a winner....I'm thinking a simple sleeveless top with ties and a skirt for myself and a few little dresses for my little misses too.

honey, I shrunk the dress!

This morning I found out some lovely friends gave birth to another daughter! Nick and I met fresh out of uni on the same grad program many many years ago and his gorgeous partner loves my sewing.....


So, I shrunk my dress pattern to teeny tiny proportions and whipped this up while my babies napped......I used the new atelier akiko gauze and the binding was made with another fabric in the range that unfortunately never made it to my store (sorry, it was just so lovely).


I think the colours are perfect for a new baby and I'm thinking some cute matching bloomers and I'm done! Minus the bright yellow coathanger which was the smallest I had to hand!

bloomers and bargains

I haven't made bloomers since keira was a baby but now that tillie is moving everywhere I thought it was time to whip up a few....I used a vintage pattern and it is soooo much easier if you hem or decorate the legs before you sew them up (why didn't the pattern say that!). I was on such a roll whipping them up.....and then I ran out of elastic.....


and I've added more bargains to the clearance section of my store....we're nearing the end of october and my new fabrics should be here very very soon so I'm quickly clearing the last of the old stock out.....expect free fabric in your orders too!

A little retro dress

One of the many lovely finds yesterday was a japanese craft book from 1984....in english! Oh what a difference to have english directions. So I grabbed some new fabric and whipped up this little twirly dress for church today


The pink is oh so pretty and girly and of course very popular with keira...she even stayed up late just to try it on. The only problem with all that gathering of fabric is the loose threads someone needs to vacuum up off the floor

a gorgeous garage sale

Wow, I am just home from the most gorgeous garage sale I've ever attended. Where to start......there was the smocking pleat maker in its original box that I almost walked past....


the box of ric rac


the overflowing boxes I bought of vintage lace, crochet trims and broderie anglaise including this dear little deer trim......


the overflowing bag of patterns...this is one of my favourites, I'm thinking a sweet Christmas Day outfit for Keira...


the crochet pattern books


and a modest pile of pink and patchwork fabrics including this gorgeous floral.....


I parted with $70 and secretly think the lady was glad to see the back of me as I was like a woman possessed! There was a rival mummy there but she just wasn't fast enough for me and my honed eye but she did get some real gems of patterns before me! We were trying to be civilised over the pattern box.....ok time to breathe normally again.....

cute new fabric

3 little lonely bolts of fabric arrived today.....up in the store now



and yes I have a special night out tonight...I just found out my gorgeous husband organised my sister for babysitting and dinner reservations at a fancy nearby restaurant......what a surprise, what a husband!!!!!

five years

wow has it really been 5 years since we got married! We look so young when I look at the pictures....



where has that time gone.......and didn't I marry a handsome man?



We had such a beautiful wedding day....


the most beautiful clear sky after a week of rain, a little catholic chapel in the Rocks with family and friends,



and a beautiful reception overlooking the water...it was just a perfect day and we never stopped smiling.



I do know we'll have many more anniversaries ahead of us.............

new stock

no....its not fabric I'm afraid...we're still waiting, patiently! But I've added 15 new books and patterns to the store today .....


will let you know as soon as the new fabrics arrive on my doorstep!

tillie's koko kimono

ta da...all done! This was a very easy knit but I've become such a convert to seamless knitting that it took a bit of time putting it all together and doing the i-cord ties....but its cute and sweet.


Koko Kimono pattern from this book, Harmony yarn in wisteria from here, model from my house (ha ha).....


This is the largest size and I would definitely make this again in the smallest size for a new little bub too! It just needs a little wash and press but I'm off to enjoy the day and take a break from knitting......


And thank you for all the cookie love yesterday....better try a few more recipes from the book as there are no more cookies left!

raspberry rings

so its tuesday and I went to the cookie jar to find it empty.........which can only mean one thing....retro daddy found them last night! So I got out my CWA cookbook and found an easy new cookie recipe to try....raspberry rings! The best thing about this cookbook is that it uses ingredients you are guaranteed to have at your house which is important when you can't just pop out for something!


Raspberry Rings
1 1/2 cups sifted plain flour
1tsp baking powder (recipe says 1/2 tsp bicarb 1tsp cream of tartar)
1/2 cup sugar
2Tbsp butter
1 egg beaten
milk
raspberry jam


Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and rub in butter. Combine egg and enough milk to make a stiff dough. Roll into flat sheet and spread with raspberry jam. Roll tightly and cut into 1cm pieces. Place on lined baking tray and bake in 180 degree oven until nicely brown. Delicious!

easy advent calender

Don't you just love the advent calender in this months BH&G....I think I can do this before December 1....

a perfect dinner

mmmm............homemade quiche with a green salad and crusty sourdough.


I followed the recipe for quiche lorraine from this book and it was such a success...I haven't made pastry for years but it was soooo good and we were all impressed! Just ignore the 225g of butter and all the cream that went into it and you're fine!!

a christmas fairy

look at the little christmas fairy I found in my garden today.....


I love nothing more than making little outfits for keira but sometimes I do buy things


we were actually trying to find a deep dish quiche pan at the mall this morning when I stumbled across this super cute outfit....


and for all the mummies of aspiring fairies it was $19.95 for the complete outfit from big w.....we like that!

hydrangea blanket

I started this late last night and am so in love with the colours....they remind me of hydrangeas, one of my favourite flowers!


My pattern is here and I'm using bendigo cotton (surprised???) and a size 5 crochet hook (or the skinny end of my yellow hamanaka)....just make it as big as you'd like...I'm going for pram size and the cotton will be perfect for summer!


Thank you everyone for your lovely comments...the colours are parchment, wild lavender, damask rose and honeydew!

my first clafoutis.....

Gosh I married a good man! After we saw Julie and Julia, my lovely husband thought he'd get me Mastering the Art of French Cooking for our wedding anniversary later this month! I am feeling very special as he got me both volumes and its win win since we'll all be enjoying delicious french food...perhaps in moderation to ensure we don't grow out of our clothes!


Yesterday afternoon I tried out my first recipe in the book.....clafoutis.....all you need is a jar of cherries, milk, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla! The instructions were so straightforward, ingredients in cup and Tbsp measurements and it was soooo delicious....



So delicious that there isn't much left......now the recipe called for granulated sugar to be dusted on top but I'm thinking icing sugar might look prettier next time.

happy with harmony

Now I must admit...when I first received the shade card for Harmony, I was less than impressed. Sometimes Bendigo just get the colours wrong (who is putting lemon and coral in these shade cards...seriously!) But then I went on Ravelry and everyone was going nuts for harmony......


so I decided to get 2 balls to try and I'm loving it! springy, light, easy to knit with and stretchy....I'm making a cute kimono cardigan for miss tillie who lives in little cardigans.... Finn also loves harmony, so much so that he pulled the ball down and got 1/4 of it into a total mess.....


so I had to go and order more harmony this morning (and at $10.50 for 200g you can't go wrong!) And look at who got a little short back and sides at mummy's salon...I didn't think I had it in me but trying to get everyone to the hairdressers all on my own was beyond me so I got out the little scissors.........et voila! Just a few more stray hairs to trim at another sitting and he's done!


We had been going for a bit of a pete murray style hairdo with finn but people kept telling me what pretty girls I had so it was time for a little trim!

mummy daycare

day 13 of blogtoberfest and I'm still here......its also tuesday again which means mummy daycare, so I'm armed with lots of sugar and caffeine for energy (for me of course)


winner of the giveaway ....well anything with a disney princess in it has to be a winner with miss keira so the winner is Catherine..what does Ariel have on her toast? Mermalade!!!! I think this will be very popular with Keira for a loooong time!Thank you everyone for entering...I have a good stash of pre-schooler jokes now! Next giveaway coming as soon as my new fabric stock arrives......

pretty things all in a row

the nice thing about crafting with paper is that safety scissors make it safe and easy for keira to join in! I was looking for something to make into cute kits and think this paper bunting is perfect as you don't need a sewing machine or anything more than scissors, a hole punch and a bit of tape!!!!! (note to self...trim excess yarn hanging down!!)


so we have now decorated one blank wall in keira's room and here is the other wall with a fabric bunting.....


and how pretty is today's mail.....bendigo cotton in pink and lavender and bendigo harmony in gardenia and wisteria (I wasn't too taken with the other colours!).

alleluia on a sunday

well the roses still aren't planted, the tee isn't finished and it was one of those mornings! I'd run out of clean cloth nappies, put a disposable through the wash (don't do this!), finn jammed tillie between the glass door and flyscreen and hurt her, our homestay student spends most of her time on our internet and leaves the kitchen for me to clean up, someone in the family isn't talking to me for some unknown reason and it all got on top of me this morning!! try dealing with this while getting everyone dressed and out the door for church by 9.30! I nearly lost the plot but thank goodness for a bit of peace and quiet at church, you always leave feeling happy and calm!


so we then went to our favourite sushi train (a first time for the babies)


and finished it off with ice-cream so now all is well in the world again! Alleluia!


Keira and I are now spending the afternoon trying to make our first paper buntings....hope to reveal them tomorrow!