Pre Christmas Loony

After my bag making success I decided I needed to satisfy my seamstressness.

I went through my patterns and my overflowing tub of fabric and paired things up. I figured it was time to get stuck into what I've got before I decide I 'need' to buy fabric in the post Christmas sale.

Then I started

I seem to have made a bit of a sack out of Kwik Sew 3856.

Adding a belt and taking up the hem and it's much better. I think a tan/brown belt will suit heaps better but I don't have one yet. 

I played around with making a lining for the bodice which I've never done before.

I often send pics to Jules so the poked out tongues are for her. The smile is to show her that I'm not always a rude, juvenile sewist.

The plan is to make this dress out of some red voile with dandelions. I delusionally thought that might happen on Christmas Eve to wear the night of Christmas Eve but clearly that was ridiculous. I'll get stuck in before new year though. I'm enjoying the learning curve.

Ab x

Bee in my bonnet....not that I wear a bonnet but if I did

 There was definitely a bee in it, so after cleaning the bomb site of a sewing room.....

I got to work and started making a bag. The pattern is from the latest Homespun magazine and is called 'Gemma's Crafty Bag' by Leanne Barnes of thestitchingroom.blogspot.com

I really liked the shape of the bag so thought I'd give it a go. I wanted it to be quite structured, more so than what it would be if I just used batting and quilted it like in the instructions so I ventured to Spotty and bought buckram as suggested by the lady behind the counter. At times I ended up sewing through six layers of fabric and two layers of buckram. My machine coped quite well even if I didn't. There's quite a few rough spots and I was starting to dislike my bag and was sad that I'd spent so many hours on it but then I folded it the right way after the rather tricky attachment of bias binding to hide the joins and.....I love it!

It's long and chunky looking. It has zips that work (yay!) and although I was going to use it as a kitting bag in the hope it would encourage me to do some more knitting, I think it's going to get used daily as an addition to my handbag. It'll be my everything bag!

This crazed sewing lead to more....

I'll be back

X

Unorthodox

Where do you put your binding while you are attaching it to your quilt?

In your cleavage?

Yeah, me too.

Perfect place to keep it tidy and stop it from dropping to the floor and tangling.

Abbe x

;-)

Step Back in Time

Mr CP is not a baker. He's not a chef. He's never been trained but....

if you recall, he made this masterpiece for Harvey's birthday earlier in the year

In June he made this for my step-son who is of course a Dr Who addict.

It was brilliant!

My favourite part was that instead of fondant he made the icing with chocolate that he coloured. Soooo gooooood!

Mr CP's birthday is a few weeks before mine. I figured I had to go all out in order to encourage him to make me a special cake in return.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to make my first ever choux pastry and have a bash at making a croquembouche.

But oh, the pressure!

Mr CP had to spend the first few hours of his birthday sequestered in our bedroom while I filled the choux buns with decadent chocolate mousse and burnt the first batch of caramel.

Fortunately, he loved it and we all thought it tasted like it was worth the effort. 

Birthday boy and the candle blowing helpers.

Then it was my turn.... 

Check out my Janome 6600!!!

A lovely lemon cake with a licqourice power cord and tic tac buttons.

Apparently, Mr CP has exhausted his cake making abilities but with Lachy's first birthday next year, he's still got at least one more to do before he hangs up his apron.

Mmmm I feel like cake....

Ab x

A Breath of Fresh Air

Two weeks ago I went and visited a friend for lunch. I took the boys and we met up at her mums house as her mum hadn't yet met Lachy and basically I love her mum.

Then just last week I received a message from my friend to tell me that her beautiful mum, who has been very, very sick, had received a very special phone call.

A double lung transplant kind of phone call.

According to the surgeons, it has been a "text book case". If you're going to ace something, it mose well be your lung transplant. 

It's one of those situations where it's hard to know what to do so I decided to do what I know.

A quilt, of course...

I've quilted it with hearts and loops. 

I finally finished the binding this afternoon.

I swear the binding took longer than the rest but you can't beat hand sewing it down.

Now I just need to label it and send it with all my love and healing wishes to this very special lady. 

I'm hoping she'll have the snazziest bed in ICU.

On a personal note, I implore you to 'have the conversation' with your families. You do NOT need your organs when you're dead. I have made sure my dad and Mr CP know my wishes. Life is so precious and losing someone at any time, but especially too soon, is hell on earth but honestly, organ donation is one of the few, possibly the only good thing that can come out of death.

My thoughts are with the family that were so thoughtful and giving in the midst of their tragedy. 

For more information or to register as an organ donor in Australia please log on to 

http://www.donatelife.gov.au/

Abbe xx

A year in the den

It's our one year anniversary today which actually made me realise that I didn't really blog many of the wedding pics. Not surprising considering that I haven't even printed off any photos for our walls.

Must get to that at some stage soon....

A Lachy Bump...

Nothing some sucky-in undies and holding your breath can't fix.

Actually I'm pushing it out, it wasn't that big.

Stop drawing attention to it ladies!!

A few prenuptial shennanigans with my buddies.

And then

Dad making sure to give me away.

Aunty Pam and I spent several hours getting high on hot glue gun fumes to make the bouquets. I love how they turned out.  

'Just Married' bunting made by Jules

We chose to have a fairly tight wedding budget and we both think we pulled it off quite well. We had a catered spit and the food was great and plentiful. A week in Noosa helped heal my tired dancing feet. Tired dancing feet is always a sign of a good night.

All I have to do now is sell the first dress that I bought which the Lachy Bump would not fit under and get to printing out those photos.

More important than the wedding, is the marriage and that is going well.

Still true love, lots of learning along the way and lots of laughs to get us through the tricky bits.

A year on....I really want to swan about in my dress again.

Would it look weird if I wore it around the house....?

Abbe x

For me? You certainly should have.

After doing jewelry making at school and then working in a jewelers part time when I was at Uni I got a bit 'jeweleried out' and haven't felt the need to buy much over the last ten years.

Now that has changed!!

A number of weeks ago I was checking out my Instagram feed and saw a gorgeous teapot brooch. I don't know what happened but I was so excited.

Brown paper packages - sewing patterns - tied up with string. Sweet!

I contacted the lovely and very helpful Christina of Christina Lowry Designs and asked if she'd be able to make me a teapot pendant instead of brooch

High Tea

Ta dah!

Isn't it gorgeous???

Of course I had to have some pretty teacup earrings to go with my pendant.

Christina was great to deal with, she couldn't have been more helpful. It's so nice to have a great customer service experience.

Check out her blog and her shop.

Who knows, you might find a fabulous present for yourself too.

Ab x

Note: I was not asked or paid to review Christina's products and this is all my own opinion. I just want to highlight a good buying experience, a lovely hand-maker and a fellow crafty gal.