Christmas Shopping.

Don't think I am mad, but I have been busy Christmas shopping this month. There are a few reasons for this. Chris's family all live in the UK, so if we want to send pressies sea mail, and save money on the postage, mail has to be sent before September. The other reason is we are expecting our second child in September. I don't fancy having to complete Christmas shopping later in the year with a newborn and Abbey. So, thanks goodness for Internet shopping!

My favourite website at the moment, for original, locally made gifts, is:
http://madeit.com.au/
I have found some amazing presents on this website. I can't show all my goodies, as most of them are pressies, and some gift receivers will easily know which ones I have chosen for them.

I absolutely love the gorgeous creations by Lou of Buttons by Lou Lou.
The cup cake fridge magnets are a pressie, but I can't say who for. How cute are they?

The lady bug head band is mine (all mine!)


I found some gorgeous pencil cases from Odds & Blobs

Jessica from Odds & Blobs custom made me some gorgeous notepads too, all to be pressies for certain special people.

18 months in the making.

Yay, it has only taken me 18 months to finally finish Abbey's bedroom curtains. I am so chuffed. I hope to get on with some "fun" sewing now the "practical" sewing is finished.

Sewing the curtain backing, I used clothes pegs instead of pins. I did not want to put any holes in the curtain backing material.

Material from Clegs sale last week.

I picked up a few remnants from the Clegs sale last week. I want to make a skirt for me with this black, red and silver bonded lace material. I got two pieces of this material, so could also make Abbey a skirt too, still not sure if it is "too old" for her or not. I will have to have a think about it.

Abbey is obsessed with pink - it is certainly her favourite colour, so I could not resist the pink shantung - not sure what I will make out of it yet. I love denim skirts, so the denim remnant will probably make a lovely skirt for some one. I just like the look of the check material, no inspiration on what to make with this yet. I also got some small pieces of purple and red fleece, I am sure I will make some more baby hats with this material.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to change the broken needle on the overlocker. I am well impressed that Janome overlockers and sewing machines all use the same needles, this makes it much easier. The overlocker is still not 100% - I have threaded the machine twice, and it is still skipping stitches. I will have another try today to get it working properly - I still have Abbey's bedroom curtains to finish. As I have been away from sewing for so many years, it is like I am re-learning everything all over again. All adds to the fun!

One little set back.

I was all set to have a few hours of sewing ahead of me on the Queen’s Birthday holiday, but within 5 minutes of sewing, I had (somehow) managed to snap one of the overlocker needles. I dashed out to the local spotlight store, but they had no Janome overlocker needles, because they don’t sell Janome machines. I was very disappointed, as I was in such a mood to sew. I was finally sewing the hems to Abbey’s bedrooms curtains – a project, I am embarrassed to say, I started 18 months ago. I will toddle off later today to the local sewing centre and pick up some new overlocker needles.
I was still in a creative mood, so I found another, older, project to work on. When I was pregnant with Abbey, in early 2006, my mum and I knitted some purple and turquoise squares, to make a baby blanket. All the knitted squares were finished before Abbey was born, but I never managed to sew them together to make the blanket. I guess it did not help that Abbey was born one month early.
I am still a knitting novice, and can only knit in a straight line. I hope to learn to knit better, one day soon, and I am fascinated with crochet too.
Here are some photos of the knitted squares, and the soon to be completed blanket.

What to say for first post, where to start....

I am a tad excited about the Clegs remnant sale, which begins this Friday 5th June 2009.
I must go. I would love some new material, to inspire me to get more creative.
I will have to take Abbey along to the sale, as Nanny G (my wonderful mum, and babysitter) is away on holidays at the moment. Abbey could help me choose some fabric to make her something – she is now getting interested in my sewing projects (especially if I am making something for her!)

On the weekend, I finally made some baby hats. I have had the patterns for a while now, from Funky Friends Factory

I also finished off some cloth nappy wipes that I started months ago. Abbey is toilet trained for wee's, but we are still working on the poo's - I never seem to have enough cloth nappy wipes.