Happy Feet!

Our new slippers courtesy of Sunshadow Slippers!


Mollie also has a pair that matches mine. She wears slippers like these at school, so she needs a pair for school and a pair for home. Will is inheriting an older pair of Mollie's that have dolphins to use as his 'home' ones.

Thank you so much Tracey! We LOVE them!

Antonia-a-rama

Here are the tops I made with the embroideries from the other day. I've used the Farbenmix Antonia pattern. I think this is a great little summer top. The cap sleeves are great to just cover the shoulders.

The bodies of the shirts are my favourite Stella, cotton/spandex knit. The sleeves are European knits from Hilco as are some of the neckbindings.

size 3/4 (excuse the wonky looking shirt...it isn't. It just can't hang properly on those hangers because they are too big for the shirt.)


size 5/6
front

back


size 7/8


size 9/10
front


back


Moo sized...from the beginning I thought that this top would never leave the house. I loved it and Moo loved it, and well, the neckline isn't quite perfect.


back


And a closeup of the neck binding. I used my binder attachment on the Coverpro to do the neck. I wasn't happy with the result. It's ok, but not perfect enough. I had a hard time adjusting where the stitching would fall and in places it varies how far it is from the edge. If you look at the keyhole you can see what it looks like when I do it on my sewing machine. I wasn't going to attempt something with that sort of curve with the binder. Am I being too pedantic about the neckline?



I also find the binder attachment is finicky about the type of knit that you use. It's not really fond of cotton/spandex jersey, or maybe I just haven't figured out the best settings.

New tools for me

I've had these beauties for a couple of weeks, but hadn't managed to take a photo.


Since I purchased my embroidery module and starting doing more applique, I really wanted a pair of duckbill applique scissors. Look, if I lived in Houston, I would have probably stolen my mother's. But that just wasn't possible, so I had to buy my own. They had to be like mum's, so they are Gingher. They were awesome to use as I tried them out with that last batch of embroideries.

Then there was the problem of my bum Mundial embroidery scissors which I mainly used for trimming threads. Those dodgy things would continually lock up. The screw would just tighten itself with use, and the blades wouldn't move. So I thought I needed a pair of thread snips too.

I have to thank my dealer for hooking me up with these lovelies. Lisa doesn't stock them in the shop, but ordered them in for me.

Need caffeine

I have a habit of being obsessive when I am doing something. I don't want to do anything else, so having to stop to feed the family, clean or even sleep just isn't appealing. Last night it was the need to sleep that was ignored.

Machine embroidery is heaps of fun, but for me it is time consuming. You see, I have to tweak the colours to make them match. That means pulling out the threads and pulling out the fabrics. Then making sure I've put the right numbers into the embroidery program. I like to do this so that I can just grab the colour it tells me to and not think is this the right one. And lots of these designs take over 30 minutes to stitch out. Some take up to an hour! It's not a quick process, but the results are worth it.

I know I said no markets until after the house is done, but I want to go to the last Lorien Market of the year. Nathalie asked me to be there with her, and who am I to say no? My motivation is really just that I have ideas in my head, and I need to make them. Now I have an excuse.







All destined to become Antonia tops. And they aren't all in Mollie's size, but the Matruska one is...hmmmm, will it stay here? Maybe I need one like to too.

Rainbow Mamas

Mama-sized rainbow sleeve tops inspired by the rainbow sleeve Antonia tops that I make for girls. Who says that little girls get to have all the fun? Us big girls deserve some too! On that note, I am hoping to make myself some colourful clothes. I see a few new skirts and tops in my future. I get tired of doing all those great embroideries for Mollie and missing out!

Carolyn and Suzanne I expect to see pictures of you together wearing the tops!

More house photos

The old kitchen is gone


concrete for footings has been poured. I can't seem to find the photo of the concrete truck. Will LOVED having that at the house!


It rained, and we had a brick-slide and a moat!


The rain stayed away long enough during the day, and the brickies powered through last week.


Another view of the bricks


More bricks


Bearers and Joists (this is how it looked after today!)

A wonderful wedding

A friend of mine was married this weekend. She had the most amazing wedding. A simple church wedding with the reception at her parents' place afterwards. Her parents are the most warm and welcoming hosts. I felt very special to be included.

I really wish I had a photo of Nathalie's dress. She had this gorgeous wrap/train which had nunofelted leaf/petal pieces all over it. It was white on white. She made it with the assistance of a parent from school who does beautiful felt work.

Thursday night before the wedding I attended a blessing for the bride to be. I made Nathalie a gift that was just for her, a journal cover.



Yes, it does seem a bit whimsical and fun for a bride-to-be gift. It has a blank journal inside the cover, and the idea was that she could make any journal her own. I personally enjoy having a book to put whatever I want in there, even if sometimes it's just lists. I also embroidered her name on the inside, so her girls couldn't try to claim it as their own.

Unfortunately I was paying more attention to the angle of the LOVE embroidery and not enough attention to its position on the cover, so it's much closer to the spine than I intended. Next time I will be more careful. I am thinking of making a few covered journals to sell at the next Lorien Markets.

I won, I won

I'm so excited. I won the giveaway over on the Sunshadow Slippers blog. Tracey makes the most beautiful slippers. My children have been wearing them for quite a few years. In Steiner schools children wear slippers when indoors. This is the same for our Steiner playgroup. I always buy Mollie and Will a pair of slippers each year. I never manage to buy myself a pair. But now I am going to get some, and I get to decide what colour and motif will be on mine! Moo says she wants ones with hearts and one with dragonflies (she's either going to have to make a choice or maybe I will buy her another pair in preparation for next year...the big year 1!). Will wants possums. I just need to find out what Col wants. I think he needs froggie ones!

I also have to say these are fantastic shoes for little ones because they stay on!

Thank you Tracey!

Please have a look at Tracey's blog
and her Etsy shop.

Something for me

I want to make myself some tops for summer. This is the first one. It's from Ottobre Woman 05/09, #3 "Bohemian" knit tunic. When Otto says tunic, it means it! I ended up cutting quite a few inches off. In tunic length the top looked like a frumpy maternity top on me. The fabric was a cheapy Spotlight cotton jersey. I wouldn't say that I absolutely love it, but it fits well and is super comfy!

Replacement Hat

Last weekend, the windy weekend we went to a birthday party at Fagan Park. Will and Moo had lots of fun running around. Will lost his hat. The hat was green, and this park is HUGE. Green grass, wind blowing all around. We tried to find the hat, but no such luck.

So I had to pull out the Make it Perfect Lazy Day Hat pattern that I've had here for a while.


The pattern was good. Instructions were easy to follow. It went together well. I just have to say that I dislike sewing together circular pieces.

And for my mum...

Hazy Shade of Winter

Yeah, I know it's not winter. And I know The Bangles didn't write this song, but I like both their version and the original version by Simon & Garfunkel. So what is with this title?

Somehow I was thinking it was sort of cute as I just received my seasons bangles from Michele of Spiral Stone.



And here they are modeled. It's hard to take a photo of them while wearing them!


I have wanted a set of these for a long time. I don't know what stopped me before. Recently I was making some rainbow leggings for Michele's daughter, and so I asked her about making me bangles. Done deal!