achieved!

Giving myself a virtual pat on the head this week, for getting something done. I've been chipping away at my plan (Stan), and while I haven't really completed any of the items of my list, I feel I'm steadily working towards all of them.

I was very happy to send some handmade Christmas decorations in the mail (deadline- barely met!). The gorgeous Christina did a lovely job pairing people up for the swap. I had an awful dose of performance anxiety, and still am unsure about my decorations. They are a kind of vintage-upcycled take on a bauble, using a vintage cotton spool and embroidery embellishment. I saw that both my ladies were into sewing, so I hope they like them!

I am going to go and get more inspiration for my Handmade Christmas at Creative Spaces. Are you making something festive?

in stitches: snippety-snip

This week is a bit of a hodge-podge of craftiness.

Learning how to use Fimo, in case it's ever 1986 again. We are making some gifts for the kids' teachers. And maybe for me, too.

 

And putting the plan (Stan) in action. Cutting into some favourite vintage to prepare for a Tuppenny Lane market of summer lovin.

 

Enjoying the creative community at Kidspot today. How is your Handmade Christmas going?

in stitches: birthday frock {in blues}

A special, hand-made gift for a little birthday girl, born just two weeks after my own. Made from vintage fabric gifted to me by her mum. A sweet peter pan collar and vintage pearlish buttons. I hope she loves it!

In other projects, the knitting continues, limited to the school run. A stash of cloth nappies is underway for my little girl, who has out-grown her vintage style set. There seems to be less and less opportunity to sit at the machine lately- both time and space are a little restricted right now!

Goodness me- look at the fabulousness over here!

in stitches: knitted baby cardi in progress

On a whim, I grabbed a couple of balls of wool and some needles in my local oppy last week. I am not a knitter, though my mum is. Memories of winter are always punctuated by her quick fingers, clickety-clacking away while we watched Young Talent Time or A Country Practice.

I scoured the internets for an easy pattern, that may turn into something my little one could wear. I have only knitted flat items thus far, so a simple-as-can-be garment is just what I needed. And found, with this sweet little cardigan pattern (free!) on the Mollie Makes website.

So with a free pattern, $2 in yarn and 50c in needles, I'm not all that concerned that I keep losing my place and messing up the pattern, or that I found the whole project on the loungeroom floor, off the needles, yesterday. No worries, I got it back onto the needles and it seems OK. And the coloured yarn is knitting up to look like a rainbow paddlepop. Fingers crossed I will have this garment finished before winter ends!

I took my knitting project with me to my little guy's swimming lesson this week. I didn't notice a little girl watching my fingers turn the wool over the needles until I heard her mum say "It's knitting- have a look, because you'll never see me doing it!" I laughed and told the mum that this is my first attempt at a garment, but my mum knits beautifully. And that I'm finding it very relaxing. Knitting as meditation?

Joining in the new-fancy-pants creative spaces here

in stitches: birthday frock

A bit of shush descended on my home this afternoon. As my littlest one slept, I had just the whirr of the sewing machine to keep my mind occupied. I turned out a little dress for a little miss turning one on Sunday. My little nearly-one-year-old.

A vintage sheet and a made-up-as-I-go-along pattern.

So looking forward to our little vintage tea party on the weekend. Our lovely family and friends, triangle sandwiches and cups of tea.

Joining the handmade love in this place.

Wishing you quiet, today.

S.

meaningful gift: freezer paper printed tee

A little boy we know turned three recently, so I had a go at the bloggy classic/cliche t-shirt printing using freezer paper stencil technique. And it's really easy. Check me out.

Gather the things you will need.

• freezer paper (I bought mine from an online craft store a couple of years ago)
• t-shirt
• paint (I just used acrylic)
• a stencil brush, or a brush with hard, flat bristles
• a cutting implement- some tutes say exacto knife, I don't know what that is. I bought a nifty Friskars scalpel thing, with a swivel blade and a handle you stick your finger in.

1. Create your image. I used photo shop, opening an A4 page, and drawing a custom shape on it. Print the image out. You can print directly onto the paper side of the freezer paper if you want to, but I ran out of ink after I did a test print. You could also just draw your image (derr).

2. Cut out the part of the image that you want to end up seeing on your shirt.

3. Iron your stencil onto the shirt. No steam, relatively hot- I used the cotton setting. Plasticy side down, and remember to remove any bits of sticky tape you used when cutting. Don't forget the little pieces!

4. Paint away! But before you start, make sure you have a piece of paper or fabric inside the shirt to stop any paint going through to the other side. Dab a bit of paint onto the end of your brush, then dab off the excess. Use a light, up-and-down motion to apply the paint through the stencil. Go as heavy or light as you like. Lots of paint creates a nice, clean solid block, a little paint for a more grungy look. I mixed up a grey using my black and white acyclic, but left the mix a bit marbled for a patchier finish.

5. Peel away your stencil. See how nice and clean the edge is? No bleed, because the stencil was stuck down!

6. Let the paint dry, then give it an iron on the reverse side to set the paint. Sweet!

All in all, I was very happy with how this turned out. It is fiddly to have to cut a new stencil every time you want to print something, but I guess that makes it a pretty special gift, no? Will definitely be doing more of these. Oh, and I saw the little guy wearing it the day after we gave it to him, that's ace.

Checking out more creativity over here.

gift for a new arrival

Things have gone quiet next door. I don't know if that means a baby has arrived, or if they are just avoiding us and our sick tummies. Either way, I have finished a gift for the impending arrival.

A little bonnet, like my girl's golden one, but a little tweaked. The design still needs a little tweaking, but I'm nearly there I think. A pair of ruffly butt bloomers. A singlet with a rosette-button-pouffy thingo. All from upcycled materials. I so love that vintage floral. And navy, mint and lilac for a girl, waddyathink?

I found myself watching two docos last night, one on birth in the UK, and one on breastfeeding. The birth one was really graphic- no pixely bits like an American show. As I was watching the women push through their various birthing journeys, I shamefully had an internal tanty of jealousy. I want to do that again. And I want video and photos of it so I remember it better.

But do I really? Not the babies thing, I am deliriously happy with our little family. But do I have regret about not inviting a photographer in to the births? Maybe. I wonder what I looked like. I would like to have a few of those moments frozen in time. They are etched on my brain forever though. And I can always ask my darling, who was there holding my hand, and laughing with me, every moment.

What is your take on birth photography? I am linking up with other creative labours here (see what I did there?)
S.

birthday love

Over the weekend, we celebrated my darling's birthday.

A visit from family on Saturday, complete with lunch at the pub. Warm day, cold beer, Grandma's carrot cake...heaven! Followed up with a morning at the beach, then dinner at a local Thai place. I have this condition, excusitis, wherein I can come up with at least 62 reasons not to do something, even though I actually really want to. Probably why I only get around to having my hair done twice a year. We looked at our rabble of children earlier in the day on Sunday and swiftly decided that a meal out was not in our destiny. By the afternoon, after some super-quick grocery shopping, I remembered my family going out to the same Chinese restaurant, for everyone's birthday, year after year. I asked my Dad about it not long ago, and he explained that they used to take us early (as in 5pm), order pretty much as we were sitting down, and be finished and out the door in about 40 minutes. I thought we might as well give it a try- we were all going in the car to get the takeaway anyway. And by golly, it was worth putting shoes on! The staff were so lovely, and looked after the little ones by bringing smaller bowls and cutlery, and talking to them lots. We ordered quickly, and I swear the food was on our table in less than five minutes. And it was delicious. Follow that up with a sunset walk along the beach? Yes please. 

I am appalling at choosing gifts for my love. We are both of the opinion at this time in our lives that we don't want more 'stuff', but boy that makes birthdays difficult! Added to that, my commitment to buy nothing new throughout October, and also give meaningful gifts, and I had myself a pickle.

Inspiration struck the night before his birthday, and I sat making a year's worth of tickets to adventures around our local area. We are still exploring this place, and it is overwhelming at times to know where to start. So I checked out the touristy websites, and found a bunch of inexpensive days out. 12, in fact.

And I have made a printable for you to download if you like! You can just print them, and write in what the tickets are for, or if you use photoshop, you can add text layers in the spaces provided. The gift was well-received, and will truly keep on giving through the year.
http://www.4shared.com/folder/58DoX2HQ/birthday_tickets.html

S.

meaningful gift: flowery outfit

Hands up who loves a twirly skirt? I do, and I hope my friend's gorgeous little daughter liked hers, too. She turned two this week, so I made her a springy skirt, prettied up a white tee-shirt with matching self-covered buttons and even made a matching hair clip.

Details: Fabrics from Spotlight, tee from Big W.
Followed the tutorial for the Market Skirt at made
Hair clip inspired by loveliness spied here while visiting creative spaces
There are a few more of these sets on the cards in the next couple of weeks!
S.

meaningful gift: birthday hero

An invitation to a birthday party(on a Friday arvo- lovely, clever parents!).

 Some super green shiny fabric, my sewing machine and about 45 minutes.

 Our first handmade gift for a school friend.

I felt just a little bit sick taking my boy to the party with his mum-made present for the birthday boy. Is taking handmade a form of social suicide? I thought I was oh-so-clever until self doubt crept in. I wonder if the birthday boy liked it?

S.

meaningful gift: quilt for abigail

Aaah, my beautiful little niece! Much like my baby sister and I, our daughters are opposites. One olive-skinned, dark haired, the other fair of hair and complexion. I bought the fabrics for this precious bundle weeks before either girl was born, and have taken a long time to finish the quilt.Technical notes: 100% cotton fabrics from Spotlight, with cotton batting. I am lazy, so turned over the backing to make the purple edge. I adapted the Crayon Box Quilt by Rae (on Sew Mama Sew) and cut the 7inch sqaures into four smaller squares, instead of triangles. I like it. I also like the kind of whimsical quilting, which was done on the machine, without a walking foot. Because I don't have one.

Anyway, I think my sis liked it, and I feel good for giving something meaningful!

I am also checking out the creative spaces over here.

S.

meaningful giving: father's day edition

I saw my lovely Dad early this year, and presented him with this giftInside is a framed photo of my sis and I holding our new baby girls born in May and June. My Dad adores photos. I recently scanned the entire collection of family photos he took with an SLR camera. You know, with actual film in it. And he has some skills. The frame I upcycled from an oppy. Also in there was a funky t-shirt, which I did buy new. I'm still giving myself credit on the challenge for this one though, because a) I bought it before starting the challenge, and b) it's made of organic cotton, in Australia. So well done me. And see how I wrapped the gift in an oppy tie? Cool, huh?

Now, I'm on the search for something to make with my kids for the husband. Here are some things I've been checking out around the interwebs: from here

from here. I like this idea, for my guy who commutes 3 hours every day. He goes to the same place though, so maybe a mix tape instead of maps?

yum. from here.

you can buy these here. Nice.

I do love to love with food, so there will probaby be some of these

recipe here

and more than likely a healthy dose of these

the buttermilk makes them good. recipe right here.

What are your plans for a meaningful father's day gift? Link me up if you have something I can steal take inspiration from!


S.

challenge: a year of meaningful giving

It's Toy Sale time in our parts. We are inundated with thick, glossy catalogues and loud, jingly ads, reminding us The Sale starts at midnight! Grab your bargains! Lay-buy for Christmas!

I have gifting fatigue.

I have, in the past, enjoyed watching my (then) three-year-old eldest peruse the catalogues. He called them 'comics' for the longest time, and I thought that he was developing early reading skills by looking closely at the little details, turning the pages and so on. This year, when the Toy Sale catalogues arrived, I hid them. I have, in the past, dropped the children at Grandma's so that the hubby and I could fill a trolley (and then some) at the Toy Sales, stocking up on Christmas and birthday gifts for the coming year for the beautiful children in our lives. It just made economic sense, right? Well, it would, if I wasn't staring in exasperation at the giant pile of toys that our own children have, and can't possibly play with all at once. I know I'm not the only one in my circle of friends with a too-many-toy issue. Yet we keep giving each other's kids more toys?

I have, in the past (like, last week!), given money to a loved one, saying 'Use this to have a massage or something'. Because I didn't have time to organise a gift properly. Didn't have time? To think about my loved one a reflect on something that would make them happy, and go to the effort of presenting it nicely? Lovely.

My fatigue is around the process of giving, and how meaningless it has become for me. I was so excited last year to have our family come and spend a meal with us in our new home at Christmastime, I couldn't have cared less about gifts. My mum got so frustrated with me, "You HAVE to tell us something you want!" This is not how I remember the joy and excitement around receiving a gift when I was a kid. For me, the gift is in the process that the giver has undertaken, to think about you, and want to shower love on you.

When I think about it like that, I have been failing in giving. I have lost the process.

So. Today, I am going to undertake a challenge. I am going to address the next twelve months with meaning in mind. When it comes to giving a gift to someone I love, I am going to recapture the true essence of giving. When approaching the task of choosing a gift, I will consider the following criteria:

1. Handmade. A gift that I make myself is easily the most thoughtful. It is layered with effort and love.

2. Recycled/ Upcycled/ Second-hand. This may be a little trickier. Whilst I am very happy to wear and used second-hand goods, others may not be so comfortable. But I am determined to have a go anyway, and perhaps give second-hand selectively.

3. Toxic-free. I am really new to this consideration, so there will be a lot of research in this area. Basically, I will make the effort to choose products containing the least possible toxins.

4. Ethically-produced. Again, this is a new area for me. I am looking forward to giving gifts that support sustainability and human rights.

5. Beautifully presented. I am ashamed that recently, the best I have done by way of presenting gifts has been to shove it in a bag and hand it over with an apologetic shrug. I can do better than that.

Wow, looking at the criteria in writing makes me realise that this is going to be quite a challenge indeed. Please understand that I hail from suburbia, where time disappears under bright fluorescent lights as you roam aisles in strategically-stocked department stores, buying noisy objects someone else tells you that you need. My habits are going to be hard to crack, but I am determined that I can give gifts that are meaningful.

Will you join me in this challenge?

PS These photos are from my golden era in gift-receiving, and were taken by my dad.