change and moments and paper cranes

It is a time of change and of moving in to new things. I can feel it in that soft mixture of cool and warm in the air that promises the transition to summer. I can feel it in the way this baby shifts and nudges closer and closer. Any day he'll bring his little life into our world, transforming it to something different yet extraordinary in a new way. I can feel it in the quiet sadness brought on by the passing of a dear family friend yesterday. That still, yet slightly unsettled feeling where the day seems calmer, the birds louder and the breeze softer. I remember this sensation from before, when my grandmother passed, that we're not the only ones who know but the world around us has stilled itself a little. I can sense change all around me. Things passing and coming. Excitement and sadness and anticipation and peace all folded together.

And I know it more strongly than ever: the new things that are coming are good.

So on a different yet related note, I was seized yesterday by the sudden desire to ready myself for this baby just a little bit more. Other than clothing and a place to sleep and the basic newborn essentials I haven't made much else ready for him. We're in this house temporarily, hoping to buy and move in the summer, so he doesn't have a room. He'll be sleeping beside our bed and I have commandeered the space at the bottom of the stairs for his change table. Yesterday, however, I nested for him just a little more. And I made the bottom of the stairs his.









There is a fantastic guide to making paper cranes here. The first took a little time, but by the forth or fifth I was on a roll and each crane took five minutes to fold with no need for instructions (read the post and click on the link to the pdf instructions). I love the cupcake idea and the streams of hanging garlands.

I folded my cranes and used white embroidery thread and white tacks to hold it all together. The cranes have a little hole in the bottom that is ideal for the entry of a needle and thread. The embroidery thread was thick so one little knot at the bottom was enough to secure the crane.

That done I feel more ready for him than ever. I hope that my next post will usher him in...

This weekend we had a few little family moments. You know the sort that sneak up on you--you think you're running errands and doing the usual and suddenly realize you're in a memory making moment. We had been out in the car to tick a few jobs off the list. The day was warm and still and stunning. And we were hungry. Sausalito, I thought. I hadn't been there since a lunch with my S.I.L. three years ago while we were both expecting our first babies. A little cafe next to the Bridgeway Cinema in Northcote Point. Yummy caramelized onion pizza. So we went and lounged at the back of the resturant, ate a delicious lunch and headed off for a drive around Northcote Point and Birkenhead (which is beautiful on a summery day) then headed out to Cheltenham beach just because.

It was somewhere just before or around this point that we realized this little family outing may be the last one we have as a team of three. We are so excited about the next, the new and the many 'firsts' to come, but we sure did hold on tight to this 'last' so that it couldn't slip before we'd protected it a little.

(My husband took over the camera for the gull and plane shots. Love him!)

Sophia is having some Grandma time at the moment which gives me a chance to rest and write a little. She's had a bit of a fever and a cold this week. Bless her.

And I'll have to say Playmobile has been an absolute winner! Her Grandma and Opa bought her this for when her baby brother is born, but, we were a bit naughty and cranked it anyway cause we just really needed to. All I can say is LOVE. Playmobile is a new passion.

Thanks Grandma and Opa!

That's about all for now. Will end with a little sandpit montage of Sophia and her best bud. These two are indescribably cute together now, with their little girly giggles and squeals and arguments and chatter. :)

S'all for now. As I said before, the next time I check in I hope to hope to be announcing something...

x

here it is...

Phew. Quilt complete. And a bit of bunting to boot.







It's left me too tired to write much about it, but I'm so glad it's done and Sophia's room is looking more like a little girl's room than a mishmash of leftover baby things. Just a few more bits and pieces to do, but I'll potter away at them slowly over the next two weeks I think.







I have been inspired by both Tiff from Dottie Angel, and a post by my Seattleite friend Alisha (check out her blog, she's an amazing writer and an incredibly inspiring person all round, really) to create my goodies out of vintage fabrics--and also because they just look so cute. So I sourced some relatively inexpensive scrap pieces from Etsy.

As I mentioned in my last post, quilting something this big is not a quick and easy venture. Fun though, and thoroughly satisfying. I figure I will spare you a step by step tutorial on this one, given that there are so many quilting pros out there who have neater and more efficient methods than I to share. I'll just list a couple of tips for you--things I would or wouldn't do again (below).







And as for the bunting, I am a big fan of the itty bitty sort. There's a lot of it out there but here's my take on it.










I wanted to use up the scraps of leftover vintage fabric. I sewed them on to linen, and then on to wool. If they fray then it'll only complete the look. I like the rough look and the mismatched shapes and sizes. Would make a cute party garland as well.

I actually made a bit too much of this so I'll sell some of it in my Etsy shop soon. Will keep you posted.







As I have mentioned in past posts, I love the idea of using your kiddy's own art to decorate their room. I went with twine and mini pegs (you can grab little bags of them from Spotlight) and have displayed art, notes, photos etc. It's a living thing, we change the art over regularly. Sophia is so proud of her art wall and 'reflects' on her pieces with me daily. :)







So as for those quilting 'tips':

1. Check out this blog. Particulary her tutorials. Such as this one.

2. Either calculate how much fabric you need properly before you buy it (I still haven't learnt) or buy more than you think. There is a LOT of fabric in a quilt. I had hoped to use only vintage fabric in this one but ended up adding a whole lot more (of the Spotlight variety) in order to reverse it and increase the size to make it extra big and drapey.

3. Read the washing instructions before you wash the batting or it will practically fall to bits in the wash. (Oh dear, do I ever learn?)

4. Follow the advise of people like quilting pro Marie Barnaby (thank you Marie, if you are reading) who tell you to just use scissors and a ruler instead of wasting money on expensive fan dangle quilting tools.

5. Use safety pins to hold your quilting 'sandwich' together before you cut it and sew it.

6. Check out this youtube tutorial when it comes to sewing on the binding (if you are a novice like me). These are the sort of tips I need to add to my sewing repertoire instead of consistently winging it.

7.Take your time. Like knitting, I imagine the most enjoyable way to approach quilting is when you view it as a long term project. When you pick it up and piece away at it slowly.

8. Start a quilting bee. How fun would that be!? ;)










x

parties and big girl beds

Just a few pics from a little friend's party this week (some scrumptious cuties)...

Unfortunately, at Sophia's cousin's party, my poor little camera fought a battle with low lighting and lost. But I was able to salvage a few priceless expressions. It's all about the presents. Delight for those receiving...

...and those watching.

:)

On a different note ... my little girl is, as of this week, in a big bed at last! Yes, we have waited a while. I am a huge fan, though, of doing things when they feel right instead of forcing them because a book says so, or because everyone else has already done so. I would rather wait for that spontaneous moment when I just know we are both ready. Well, it came one night last week. Sophia was sick and asleep in my arms at three o'clock in the morning and I decided then, desperate to lie down and despite my plans to wait until we move house, that tomorrow we would ditch the cot. Funny how, out of nowhere, it suddenly seemed to me that we were long overdue and had to make the change right away. That's my favourite way to work these transitions. We did the same when we ditched the dummy and when we moved from bassinet to cot and sleep sack--a spontaneous decision based on a gut feeling that the time was right for both of us. It's when I try to stick to external timeframes and benchmarks from books that things don't transition so smoothly. The pressure's off has become our parenting/transition motto!

So the following morning I pulled down a single bed from upstairs and my 'little-little turned big girl' made the transition so smoothly I could hardly believe it. The first half hour of her 'daysleep' consisted of loud singing, crashing and banging. To be honest, I wouldn't have minded if she decided to ditch her sleep for her toys from now on. If an hour of 'room time' was going to be it then so be it. So I must say I was rather surprised when the crashing ceased and two and a half hours later I had to go in and wake her.

Here's what I found, hence the crashing and banging. But she slept (under her sheets too) and has done so ever since--who would have thought? Definitely not what I expected.

I imagine I will do the same with potty training--again another thing that many have mastered with children much younger--and starting kindy. We're not ready yet, but I can feel the day coming when we will suddenly decide that we both are, and jump in to it happily with the pressure off. They really are all so very different, our little bubbas, so how can one idea of the right timing for things be what is truly right for all of us? I am convinced it can't. Thus, in my short experience of motherhood to date, I have concluded the following: Go with the gut Mama, not the pressure.

So now we have a new room setup complete with makeshift cot blankets, mismatched colours and a clashing assortment of baby things and little girl things. I know I'm supposed to be organising my new arrival's room, but since he won't have one until we eventually find a house to buy I am exhausting my nesting energies on Sophia's new and exciting little girl room. Or a duvet cover and blanket that fit properly at least.

I have been garnering ideas since then--here are a couple that have inspired me so far. (Sourced from Apartment Therapy.)

I think of all of the rooms I have seen so far (in this last week of hunting at least) these first two are the most 'me'. I just love the quilts. I'm going to start there (have already sourced some exciting vintage scrap fabric), so, quilting experiment # 1 here I come!

And birdies, I love birdies...

Another take on the birdie idea my friend Bec has used in some of the party pics above. So clever! I must say though (and the photos didn't do it justice) Bec's version is the coolest I've seen. She used a massive twiggy branch and hung it from the ceiling, suspended over her dining room table. Looks incredible! Click here to view her blog.

And these last two I love for the use of children's art as wall decoration. I have always been a huge fan. I'll post a few pics of the way I have begun to display Sophia's art in a couple of days.

Be back in a few days with an alternative version of the craft jar gift idea, plus a few things I've been working on in Fia's room...see you soon!

x

Giant Dress-ups Sack - DIY

What I have been wanting for a while now is a great big vintage suitcase or chest that I can use to store Sophia's dress-ups in. Needless to say, I have not yet spied the perfect one. So, I've gone with a cheap and simple alternative--a giant sack. Shove it in a closet, under the bed, or hang on the bedroom wall.

I made this one during my baby's sleep yesterday, so it's not too labour intensive. Plus it's relatively inexpensive (especially if you already have a stash of dress ups to fill it with).

And all a bit fun, really.







So, if you're keen for the DIY, here it is:

Step 1. Grab what you need:

2 metres fabric (I found a great red and white spot for $6 a metre at Spotlight)

2-3 metres of cord or strapping

A little piece of scrap fabric for the label

Some stamps, a fabric pen or paints (whatever you wish to write the label with)

(Ignore the buttons in the picture, they are for something else.)

Step 2. Fold fabric with the good sides together so that it measures 1 metre in width and lay it on the ground. You may need to trim it so that the sides line up as the cut is not always straight.

Step 3. Sew down the side you have just trimmed and along the bottom. Over lock or zigzag stitch to neaten up the edges. If you're using the whole width of the fabric you won't need to overlock the top edge, which is a bonus. You now have the basic shape of your sack.


Step 4. Fold over the top of the sack to at least double the width of your piece of strapping. Press but don't sew. Unfold. You now have a guideline for sewing the next steps.

[Note: if you want to be extra neat you will double fold, press and sew the top seam down before you perform this step. The end of the fabric roll was neat enough for my taste, but you may prefer to sew it all properly, especially if you are making it as a gift.]









Step 5. Setting up the guide for your strap holes. You will need two, one at each side of the bag. Don't be like me and just stitch without thinking--as you can see there is a random hole sewn into the wrong place in pictures 5 & 7--DON'T sew your hole there ;). I've used pins as a guide, you may find it easier to draw the placement on with a fabric chalk.

So, find your side seam where the first hole will be placed. With your pressed seam still folded, mark the point where the folded fabric ends (good side of bag facing you) with a pin and unfold in front of you (shown as pin 1. in the picture). Lay your strapping 1cm or so down from that mark and place a pin either side of it (pins 2. and 3.) these pins mark your hole placement. You can remove pin 1. before you sew, it is just a guide to make sure your hole is not lower than your seam. I like to leave about an inch of space between pin 3. and the folded seam as it creates a nice ruffle when the bag is drawn together.


Step 6. Sew your strap hole parallel to the side seam of your bag. Most modern sewing machines have built-in button hole functions. I use my mum's 1970s gem of a machine which has a special foot and settings but I always forget them, so I've just winged a hole of my own. I sewed two parallel zigzag lines down the length of the 'hole' (twice for strength), and zipped backwards and forwards with a straight stitch over either end. Does the trick for me! :) Repeat the same on the other side of your bag. Slice the holes open with a 'quick unpick'.


Step 7. Sew down the folded seam underneath the strap hole. Once again, ignore the 'button hole' shown in this picture, yours will be on the other side (the 'good side') of the bag.


Step 8. Again, sew around the full width of the bag, but this time an inch or so below the top of the bag, above the hole. (That extra inch above the strap hole creates the nice 'ruffle' I mentioned.) Your bag, inside out, will look like picture 8. Turn the bag the right way out. You are nearly there!







Step 9. Attach a safety pin to one end of your strapping and use it to thread the strapping through one hole. Pass by the second hole and take the strap right the way through the bag, coming out the same hole you placed it in. Zigzag stitch down each end of the strap to neaten it off, then pin the two ends together on top of each other (first image above). Sew the two ends together in a square shape with an X through the middle for strength. Pull the strap into the bag and out through the other hole so that you have two straps (second image above). I used 3 metres of strapping so the second image shows my bag when fully open. This, however, makes for a very long cord when the bag is pulled closed. I think, next time, I will use less strap for a shorter cord when closed.

You have made your sack! Now for the label.





Label: I am always on the lookout for great alphabet stamps. You can use them for so many things. The good ones are usually either expensive or hard to find. I got this set a from Kikki-K for $30, which I think is worth it. If anyone knows of where to find great & inexpensive stamps please comment below.

I stamped onto a scrap of calico (I'm a bit of a fan of rough edges so I left it like that when I stitched it to the bag). A tip with the stamps is to use a damp cloth to wipe ink off the base of the stamp, around the letter, before you press it onto the fabric. Otherwise you often get a square box around your letter. Practise a few times first.

A few cheaper options would be to write a label with a fabric pen, paint a label, or if you're incredibly game, cut out your own stamps. Stacy, a lovely gal I know, shares an awesome looking method of freezer paper stenciling here. I'd love to give it a go some time--could be another great option for your label.

When you've got it how you like it, pin to the bag and sew down.


Top tip: don't pin and sew both sides of the bag together--I'm not speaking from past experience or anything! ;)


Voila, you are done!






Filling the sack

While pre-made costumes can be quite cool, my style is to grab a metre of sparkly, flowy or colourful fabric and let the imagination do the work. (Cheaper too!) A piece of fabric is a turban, a scarf, a belt, a sash, a dress, and more.

Thus, I am in love with Spotlight. Four dollar bargain shelves filled with bright, soft and sparkly bits. One metre is the perfect size for a dress ups box. Half a metre makes a great scarf, belt or wrap. (However, the minimum purchase for discount fabrics is often a metre.) I do my best to practise self control when visiting Spotlight. My husband would probably beg to differ. Hmm...







Of course, Grandma's shoes, handbags, hats and scarves are the best.

I do wish I had a few of my Grandmother's shoes...







Failing either of those options, the $2 shop can be a bit of a dress-ups winner: fairy wings, beads and faux pearls (making your own is more expensive), pacific leis, kitty ears, pirate hats, crowns, tiaras, wigs etc.


We're very much at the beginning stages of exploring creative dress ups. I do look forward to getting a little more elaborate as the months pass...

While playing a little tiger came to visit! Too cute!

I'll have to say, my daughter was in love with that tiger getup...might need to create one...

And even little Sam could not escape the feather boa. :)

Here's to many more dress-up days ahead. F-U-N. Does anyone know of a good picture book filled with dress ups and tea parties? I'd love to get my hands on one if you do...

xx

p.s. Just so you know, I have a blog post coming on cheap and easy options for tutus and fairy skirts. Great for the dress-ups box, so watch his space.