No, really, I do still sew stuff..... sometimes

I finished this quilt a couple of months ago. It's another one for The Retreat. 

It was always my intention for all of the beds to have quilts, which they do, but there are a few of my special ones there so I'm slowly making more so that I can bring those faves home.

This pic is really washed out due to the light coming in the bedroom window - it's actually a lovely buttery yellow and charm squares from 'Celebration' by Lecien. 

This is Harvey's quilt.

He managed to get to the ripe old of age of two and a half before I'd made him his own special quilt. Not that I haven't bought the fabric for lots of potential quilts for him.... 

I was going to raw edge applique his initials but I'm not happy with how the fabric is fraying so I'll remove these and do some needle turn ones.

It's inspired by the Scrappy trip around the World quilts but with novelty fabrics and a rainbow of solids.

He loves eye spying all the different animals, cars, planes, bikes etc etc

This quilt was started several years ago as part of a Block Swap Bee.

I didn't like it for ages but decided it needed to be finished and now I love it. 

It was suggested its name should be the Washi Quilt as the strips look like Washi tape.

It's the perfect name since the six rolls of Washi tape that I own are either silver or green. 

It will go to The Retreat too. 

This last quilt has become a favourite even though it started out as just a way to use the leftover charm squares from the first quilt pictured. I bodged some scraps of Jules and dived through my fat quarters and scrap box and came up with a quilt that I love.

It's going to be gifted to someone special just as soon as I work out what to bind it in so I'll show more when that's done.

This one is another 'just because' quilt. It's not really for any purpose other than the fabrics kept yelling at me from their spot on the shelf near my machine.

The range is Cuzco by Kate Spain. Her base cloth for her ranges is really, really lovely to touch.

I've ordered some fabric for backing and binding because lately I've gotten a bee in my bonnet about having the right backing, not just any old thing. It never used to worry me because it was just the back...I guess I've changed :o)

Ab x

Get Fresh!

So I finally found time to freshen up the blog a bit.

It's not perfect but it will do for now. At least my description now has me mothering the correct amount of kids!

A few lovely people have asked me how Harvey is going.

Other than appearing to need glasses lately.....

He's doing really, really well.

He's so much fun at the moment and his personality is developing by the day.

He's a bit cheeky but also has wonderful manners which seems pretty good for two and a half.

He loves to eat 'lumpch' (lunch) and answering the 'frump' (front) door.

Feckfast has become bekkist and no doubt will soon be breakfast. I'm not sure when his beatbix will morph into wheatbix but I'll be a little bit sad when it does.

Earlier this week Lachy tried his first solids.

A bit of mushy apple.

How eager does he look? 

Aaaaannnnddddd not impressed. 

He much prefers to hold the spoon, whack himself in the head, poke himself in the eye a few times and then suck on it.

A little bit more eating practice needed for my little bug.... 

Harvey has started to enjoy having his photo taken so we're starting to do a lot of 'selfies'. 

We just need to work out how to get Lachy to look in the right direction.

Ab x

While I've been gone

So much has happened around here - some of it is just life marching on, as it does and some of it has been bigger that that. Mostly, as I said in my last post, it was just computer issues keeping me away.
Having said that, I see blogging as a community and although Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have a place, I've realised I still want to blog.

So I will....

Firstly, remember this?

















Then it turned into this?

















Well, now it is this:














Aint he cute? He's four and a half months old (already!!!) and has a very giggly, smiley personality. He's fascinated by both of his big brothers and loves to watch them play.

When Lachy was born he very lucky to receive some gorgeous handmade goodies from crafty ladies. It made us both feel very special.
 

This fun quilt panel was from Maria at 'Life on the Block'. 

She did some great quilting to emphasize the little animals and grass. It looks good in Lachy's room, adding colour to the spare bed and is easily within reach when I'm feeding during the night.

This low volume/contrast tumbler quilt was from Aunty Jules.

It has been spewed on several times already. It is loved.

It's also excellent for young models to pose on. 

A couple of months ago I met up with Jules to buy some 'much needed' yarn at Bendigo Woollen Mills. Jules is extremely lucky to own a mum called Helen. Helen had made the suggestion that I send some yarn and a pattern home with Jules so Helen could knit with intent.

I chose a cute pattern in 4ply and yarn in 8ply. I'm good at this knitting business....

Anyway, Helen found a similar suitable pattern and this brilliant jumper arrived in the mail a few short weeks later. It's a tad big at the moment (I wanted room for Tubby to grow into it) and I'll post some pics when he's actually wearing it soon. 

Helen also sent this fab one too. 

Because she knits stuff just for fun - knitting without intent - and decided it could be for Lachy.

Oh to have such skills! 

Quite a while ago I received a parcel from one of the most wondrous crafty peeps in Blogland.

Dearest Trash had posted some sneak peaks on Instagram and I was very excited to see what it could be. 

Turns out it was a Fox in a Hole!

I absolutely love it!!! Kinda wishing it was in my size.

It was worn a couple of days ago but chundered on before I could take a pic of it being properly modelled.

We got ourselves another pukey kid which requires many outfit changes a day and of course more washing for me.

So basically Lachy is a well decked out, very warm, very lucky kid.

Thanks ladies!

There's actually even more handmade gifted goodies to show you but I didn't want to write the never ending post just because I've been a bit slack/busy.

I've also managed a bit more sewing in the last few weeks. In fact in the space of two weeks I've quilted three quilts. Some sneak peeks...

Today, I  finally got the wifi issue sorted. No idea how but who cares, it works!!

In between wiping the nose of a very snotty Harvey and feeding Lachy I have managed a few blocks on another little quilt that just has to be made because I love the fabric.

After all, that's apparently what my fabric is for..... 

Right, both kids are asleep AT THE SAME TIME but I don't know how long I have got.

I'm turning the machine back on and getting stuck in.

Ab x

I promise, I am still here!

Believe it or not I'm still here and more importantly I am still reading your blogs.

Life is busy with the boys - just as I expected, but that's not why I've been away, it's my bloody computers fault!!!

For some reason my laptop suddenly stopped being friends with my wifi. It can find everyone else's wife, just not mine :(

I'll endeavour to sort it ASAP because I have sooooo much to tell you....

Abbe x

HUMPTY TWO!!

The Fantastic Mr Fox, also known as Mr CP outdid himself with his cake baking skills.

Humpty Dumpty is a favourite character from Playschool at this house.

And it tasted as good as it looked! 

Yep, my big boy is TWO!

He had a very happy birthday, honing his skills at ripping off wrapping paper, just like he should. 

The Easter Bunny also did her job. Trying to explain that we didn't need to eat all of our chocolate in one go didn't go over all that well but then we distracted him with an egg hunt - there was one at the bottom of my Ugg boot. Not sure I would have eaten it....

And this kid, he's growing like a bean.

A chubby bean....

We spend lots of quality time snuggling together.

I sniff his head and soak up that babyness that I know will disappear all too quickly.

We are having a great time getting to know each other as our family of five. 

Ab x

And then there was three

I've been a bit quiet in the last few weeks. I've done a little bit of sewing but gave up after realising that I sewn rows of my HST quilt on the wrong way!

See? Sadly I didn't even realise until I decided to take some braggy blog photos. 

Really it's only a bit of unpicking and re-sewing but I was annoyed at myself so put it aside. Baby brain at it's best :o)

Then on Monday morning this little monkey woke us up at 5.00am

He must have known something big was going to happen that day....

Mummy and Harvey while Mummy had contractions,

and then....

We are thrilled to reveal our next wonderful creation

Lachlan (Lachy) Henry Fox!!!

Born 12.15pm on 25/03/2013

Weighing a HUGE 9lbs 4oz - 4.22kgs!!!

(which explains my ginormous belly)

I'm quite chuffed with this pic - six hour labour from start to finish and I worked bloody hard but I actually look fairly sprightly. Even if I do say so myself :o)

Lots of meat on Lachy's bones - explains where all of that ice cream I was eating went!

My boys.

Damn, I'm lucky!

Were home and settling in. Lachy seems to be feeding well and on day five is only 120gms under his birth weight. I feel like I'm re-learning breast feeding as Lachy learns but we're getting there.

We've already received lots of lovely congratulations via Instagram and Twitter (@copperpatch for both) and I thought I'd better get some pics up on the blog while I have the energy.

Time to catch some zzz's before the next feed.

Abbe xx

Dancing pants

I still have big ideas about developing some seamstress skills so that I can confidently make clothes for myself and the kids.

I made some Foxy Pants for the wee one to be with a cute fox fabric that I bought at Spotty.

They are reversible, made with the pattern from Anna Maria Horner's book, 'Handmade Beginnings'.

Way back when, I made some from the same pattern for Harvey.

Harvey and I went to our local PWS a few weeks ago and he saw this fabric and wanted to hold the bolt - they are all of his favourite animals at the moment.

I couldn't resist buying some.

I made him some PJ pants from the pattern from my newest book purchase, 'Make it Perfect' by Toni Coward. I really like this pattern, they seemed to come together really easily. 

Harvey particularly loves the 'elphants'!!

I will buy some plain tops and applique some of the animals to go with the dacks.

Another bet each way for the bubba-to-be.

Some pink piggy pants for a girly one and some roary lion ones for a boy flavour.

These were from the free tutorial from the Made by Rae blog.

I finished stripping a few weeks ago. I love how it turned out and I'll definitely be making a different version sometimes down the track. I'm hoping to get some batting and get this quilted before the birth-day but since I'm 37 weeks tomorrow.....we'll see.....

Today I managed to tidy the nursery and changed things around from how we had them for Harvey. I want things to feel different. I've unpacked lots of neutral jumpsuits and have almost got my head around the fact that the baby will be here within days and at most three or four weeks. Eeek!

Harvey seems to have settled into his new room and we're getting used to having a monitor on to listen to his rather hilarious morning chattering.

Time for bed.

And I'd better turn that monitor on now that I thought about it...oops!

Ab x