Books, glorious books

I thought I'd have a little chatter about some fun books I've been reading lately.

This first one I actually bought the other week. *shock* Bought it? Well, I received a bookshop voucher for Christmas. I had $80 to spend, and it had to be spent within 12 months, so I bought a pilates DVD (my osteopath recommends pilates to develop core strength) and this book. I'm quite sure that spending a book voucher is not in contravention of the Challenge, so there!


DK's 'The Complete Book of Sewing' is just lovely. It covers everything from the uses of different bottons, threads and sewing machine feet, to really complicated stuff like making piping and inserting boning. It really is a 'complete' book. I have referred to it heaps already, and it has been making my pad and nappy sewing easier and more professional looking.

Elliot was given this next book for his first birthday by our minister and her husband. Actually, she wasn't our minister at the time, she was somewhere between being our interim minister and our real minister. How should I explain that, Kiwwi? Not that it's relevant, but I am in a waffling mood. I've been reading too many waffly blogs this morning.

'Joseph had a little overcoat' is a book about a man who has an overcoat which becomes 'old and worn' so he makes a vest, then a scarf... He turns it into a number of things as the preceding item of clothing becomes patched and frayed. I won't spoil the ending for you. It won a Children's Book award, so I will assume you can find it in the library. I like it when Elliot asks me to read this book because 'Joseph' is worthy of 'refashionista' status. How many people have refashioned something five or six times?

And finally I will rave about a book I have not read, but am picking up this afternoon from the library.

'Softies: 22 friends for you to sew, knit and crochet' looks utterly devine. I can't wait to see what sorts of treasures I will be inspired to create from this for my March Mini-Challenge. I saw it on some blogs, so I checked out my local library. They had it in the HQ list (items which are new and about to be put on shelf) so of course I put a hold on it and am about to be the first borrower! Hurrah!

Speaking of the library, I have found it to be even more useful that I could imagine. There are so many books, cds and dvds in their 8 libraries. They also have a library bus which comes to places which are pretending to be country towns, such as my town. I hop on the internet, put holds on everything I fancy, and wait for the emails to arrive, telling me that my books are patiently awaiting my adoption. I am currently 9th in the que for a pilates DVD. That is an improvement on the 11th that I started at. That is why I bought a DVD with my book voucher.

Tell me about some books you have been finding fun and useful during your Challenge. I would love to hear some good recommendations.

March Mini-Challenge - off and running!

My March Mini-Challenge is "Sewing from Scratch".

As per ColdCloth's advice, I am setting myself some weekly targets and regularly reviewing them. Thanks for all the encouragement on my dismal Feb Mini-Challenge.

Before I get to this week's goals, I want to show you some of the sewing I've been doing in the past few days...


The left one is a pocket-style pad, outer made of an old flanny pillowcase, and a fold-up hemp fleece booster cut from an old hemparoo (GK pocket nappy insert). I bought a packet of snaps at a recent garage sale. Very handy. I found the pad pattern here.

The right one is a liner made of the same pillowcase, and with a single layer of the hemparoo in the middle contour-y thing-o. I haven't put snaps on it yet. Found the liner pattern here. I didn't make it quite right and I have plans to alter it some more to make it exactly how I want it.

Week 1 of 'Sewing from Scratch'

I plan to make:
2 nappies (one flanny, one green cotton velour and hemp).
6 pads/liners (mix of flanny and velour, probably changing the pattern each time until I settle on a design I really like). 3 made so far.
2 gifts (I have some designs drawn up for some pressies for some friends/friends' kids, but they read this blog so I can't actually say what I'm making or for whom until after I've finished and the gifts have been received. One made so far.

I plan to design:
Finish designs for living room cushions.
Finish pattern for E's funky cotton pants (a la WIP list).

This may seem like a lot of stuff to do with an 18 month old running around, but I am doing more in the evenings, and I am learning how to do more stuff while the E-man plays around me. I can draw my designs while he scribbles with crayons, I can measure and cut while he watches Playschool. The only thing I can't do is sew (or put snaps in). He really wants to play with the pretty light-up buttons which beep on my sewing machine. Maybe if I use my ancient sewing machine without lights and beeps and buttons...

Hurrah!!!

I'm heading off on a nappy sewing expedition right now, and I can't wait to show off my creations!

I have decided to make March's Mini-Challenge theme "Sewing from Scratch". I will be trying to avoid February's disaster by setting goals each week and reviewing them at the end of the week.

UPDATE:
I'm the one with the goofy grin on the left. Sharon and Dinnae (pictured with Xavier) and I, spent hours sewing up a storm. Well, perhaps a storm in a teacup because we each only made one nappy. Dinnae was teaching us to make our own nappies. Very fun, but I wish I could contract out the elastic part.

Jack, Elliot and Xavier were playing happily while we sewed. Jack is 16 months old, Elliot is 18 months, and Xavier is 9 days older than Elliot. Jack and Xavier are both expecting baby brothers in the next few months.

Dinnae was kind enough to give us each a copy of her own nappy pattern (which X has since grown out of, LOL!) and we had a shot at that.

I used a flannel bedsheet outer and inner layers (recently op shopped with sock monkeys on them!!!), terry towelling hidden layer and 2 layer internal booster. I decided to sew, turn and topstitch rather than tempting fate by using D's overlocker. I also decided to put cross over tabs and laundry tabs on. Uses more velcro, but worth it, imho. Especially since E is such a skinny little thing.

I used hook and look closures (also op-shopped) and some swimwear elastic I bought new about 12 months ago for this exact purpose (but procrastination is my best friend).

I'm going to put in a sewn-in booster, made from some old BBH bamboo boosters. Some of my oldest BBH bamboos have died painful deaths (I got a bad batch of bamboo outers with the first 2 I bought and Davina was kind enough to send me replacements without wanting the old ones back). I will probably sew a flanny layer over the top of it, just to be cute.

Action shots coming tonight after the bum of truth gives it a test-run. I reeeeaaaallly hope it doesn't swim on him.

I'll be trying out my own pattern next. This adventure has given me some sewing confidence.

Declaration: It's a flop!

I know February is not over yet, but let's not draw out the agony any longer. I hereby declare my February Mini-Challenge to be a complete flop.

I utterly detest the curtain I made, and nothing else that I had planned has come to fruition yet. Yet? LOL! I hope to one day soon make some of the marvellous ideas I had, but it just hasn't happened. What a month!

I still want a curtain, but I want one which splits in the middle and is not see-through. I'm thinking I'll keep an eye out for some lovely limes and oranges in the fabric hunting through op shops. One day...

Also, I have the funnest (is that a word?) ideas for some cushion covers and throws for the couch, based largely on my small collection of Golden Hands and Busy Needles magazines.

And I really do need to get some more photos up on the walls. I have the photos, I have the frames, it's just a matter of getting around to it. Which won't be happening this month.
So sad. But what's on next month's agenda?

First success of February Mini-Challenge

Here we are, almost at the end of Feb, and I have just stopped procrastinating long enough to finish the enormous task of the first part of my Home Decorating Mini-Challenge. It took about 20 minutes! D'oh!

The back-story: I am not a fan of open plan living. I prefer actual rooms. In our house the living room and dining room are very awkwardly joined together with this enormous boxy hole. I think it may have been an archway once upon a time. I'm so glad it's not anymore, but it's still obtrusive and ugly.

So I made a curtain to try to soften the effect and to close in the living room a little, making it feel less open and cavernous. I'm not sure if it's a success yet, I guess time will tell.

In keeping with the 1970s theme, this is made from some real-life 1970s curtains from my parents' house. This had a former life as living room window curtains in my childhood. It was not long enough, so I joined a small offcut to the bottom at right angles to make up the length. I think it has worked well.

The curtain rail was already there from some Christmas decorations we put up a few years ago. (Yes, the decorations came down a few years ago too, it's just the rail that we left there).

I hope to take some better/more interesting pics tomorrow.

:) Cheerio.

My lovely friend

My darling friend Lorna is the most encouraging person. She has recently been asking if it would be ok to buy me a present if it was something I needed which I am not allowed to buy. How sweet is that! I don't think I've really answered her yet. It seems really cheeky, but in a good way. ;)

Today I went around to see her because I depserately needed a few minutes away from the crying, sooking, teething, sick little boy I call my son. I came away with the most delicious stash of buttons, zippers, and elastic. Mmmmmm, drool-worthy!

Lots of the buttons are kinda old. I am really digging the domed, shiny green buttons (can you see them?) and I think they're from the 70s. Actually most of the buttons look like they're from the 60s and 70s. So I did some research (aka "googling") LOL!

A history lesson:

With a background of studying history, I am always interested in the age and purpose and any useless information about older things. It turns out that Australia went metric in 1968 and our money went decimal in 1966. Just in case you were wondering.

I was.

Some of the buttons have imperial measurements on them (ie '6ft of matching thread') and others simply have it in metric (ie '175cm of matching thread'). So, I'd say I'm right and the buttons are a mix of 60s and 70s vintage. Nice, huh? Should go well with my 1970s house make-over for my February Mini-Challenge. Thanks Lorna!

Lorna, and her beautiful family of three gorgeous girls and one friendly husband (nothing better than a friend with a husband who doesn't scowl at you, eh?) have also given us more toys than I can fit into a dozen photos. But one toy has sparked a bit of a "thing", iykwim.

Since receiving this toy I approached my mother's group with the idea of having a toy swap. One lady has an indoor slide which I really want to borrow, so I suggested that next time we're at my place we should all bring toys along and have a big swap. If we do that every month or so we will always have new toys for them to play with. Andrew wants me to swap out the horrid loud Elmo steering wheel toy we were given (not from Lorna!), but at least 5 of the others have that one already, so they all know how bad it is! LOL!

Well, I think that's enough chatter for tonight, so I'd better go and work on this mini-challenge. I've been procratinating. I need some of Eilleen's "just-have-a-go" attitude.

Oh, the shame!

I finally finished my study as part of the January Mini-Challenge (50% off) last night, but I must confess that my shame over the promised 'before' photos has stopped me from posting until now. I can't believe that it looked that bad. I'm so glad I took photos though, because it makes the joy of the 'after' photos so much sweeter.

Note that every surface - floor, desk, sewing table, light table - is covered in 'stuff' including things which should be thrown out or given away, Elliot's toys, and things which should have a home.

I had no room to move, no room to be creative or think within this room. The study is my equivilent of Andrew's shed - my place to create. In here I (theoretically) scrap, sew, paint, draw, and do bookbinding, as well as taking care of our finances and the myriad tasks which require the computer. I say 'theoretically, because you can see that there was simply no place for any creative or utilitarian activity in this room.

Now, to the 'after' shots...

My light table is clear and awaiting some exciting project to be created. The sewing table (right) actually has the sewing machine on it, and you can walk around without having to look at what you're stepping on. I can actually close the cupboard now! That's because it looks like this...

Everthing has a home, and almost everything is labelled. From old uni work to wrapping paper (rolls are in the suitbag - cool idea, huh?) to a tub full of yarn and suitcases for different types of fabric, they know where they belong.

And the other view is just as good with a clear desk with room to move and space to work. The filing drawers hide all manner of evil, but that will have to wait until another month. LOL!

50% off? Well, I think anyone can see that I had to get rid of a lot of 'stuff' to change the look of the room this much. My old uni work was culled from a suitcase and a big tub to just one small tub (about 80% off), which left those 2 containers for fabric and yarn. No yarn was culled but about 30% of my fabric went. 100% of the rubbish and junk went, 2 or 3 boxes of stuff went to the op shop, and almost all my Scouting stuff went to Andrew or the Troop.

I just want to end by saying that I'm glad I didn't have a magic wand to fix this problem. I remember my parents tearing out their hair asking me constantly to pick up after myself. I'm not sure why I never learnt to do that. But this Challenge has made me feel really good about putting my stuff away after I use it. I feel as though I have really achieved some personal growth by doing this, as I can see it affecting the rest of the house and the way I think about myself.

Thanks for sharing this mini-journey with me. I can't wait to see the creativity conceived and born in this room.

ETA: This is my now-clear light table. Hooray!