Raining and Pouring

We live on the river, lucky our house is way up high!  Cause when we get lots of rain, up comes the river.  These pics are taken from our verandah and normally you can't see the river flowing under the trees.  The shed/aviary things to the right of the photo are our neighbours chook houses and also please note the myriad of young trees happening to the right of the photo planted throughout the grass.  These have doubled in size, I put them in when we first moved here 2 years ago, they will be awesome one day.

Here is a zoomed in view of the kids and Stevo watching the water flow.  Where they are standing is normally well clear of the river and the kids can play under the big trees.

This is nearby to where they were standing in the above picture and you can see a fence post sticking up in the water, this is our back fence between our yard and the river! 

This is probably the 3rd time the river has come up this high since we have been here and the fence cops it each time!  This is after 3 inches of rain then another fast 5 to 6 inches the next day!

So what do you do on a Sunday afternoon when it pouring and the river is coming up and you know the causeway 100metres down the road will be under...you go check it out and watch for anyone that may attempt to cross it!  In the background you can see Granma and Grandad who were coming over for a visit and instead waved to us from across the causeway!  At this point it was at 1m, which is probably the highest we've seen it, I can drive through here at 0.6m if its not running fast, no one attempted this level of water so there was no excitement.  Lucky the water goes down really quickly here, only a couple of hours and its gone if the rain stops, plus we can get out the other direction.

On the way back up the road we stopped at our neighbours and this is their backyard, well a bit of it anyway.  They back on to our river also but their place is flatter ground the river seems swell wider here.  The line of trees in the middle of the photo through the swollen river is backing on to the horse track, to the right of these trees - the big trees is the actual normal river and there is a bridge in there we cross to continue on the horse track which takes you into town.

Our neighbours have the most unreal frog pond in an old tank, it is full of frogs in all stages from tadpoles to this size and bigger.  We got inspired to make our own frog pond, so we are recycling our old bath tub into a frog pond, stay tuned.

And lastly, the cooking I did for the next few weeks on this rainy afternoon.  Passionfruit Gems (a new favourite), Cornflake Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies- all safely frozen in the freezer out of harms way and ready for lunchboxes!

Things for Kindy and School

A big boy's new kindy cushion cover with lots of things to eye spy at rest time.

A grade 2er's pencil case in hand picked fabrics by the owner.

Singlets and Skirts

Spotlight purchases turned into this cute skirt for Miss Lill.

It has a separate waistband which is hidden under that singlet but makes it sit much nicer than just folding over the top of the skirt and making a casing for the elastic.

and the same skirt style but for me in blue and white floral, again from the good old Light, I think this piece was $5, I only need a metre to make this knee length skirt.  I also did 2 Bonds skinny strap singlets for me the same as Lill's just by sewing on some pre-gathered lace but left out the ribbon bows. 

Crochet Project and a Sneak Peak at my Bathroom Progress

As always when it comes to anything involving wool I don't finish stuff!

The bebop cardigan for Lilly is no further advanced than here and might get a bit more done next stint of night shift possibly.

So here I go starting something else!  It only involved a tiny bit more in the way of supplies, white wool for the edges.  I am making these cute little grannyish squares to make into a cushion for Lill's bed and I am going to edge them all in white, will figure out the back later, so far I am thinking a small print floral cotton.

This is Lucy's cute pattern, cept I didn't bobble the middle section, I just did clusters of 2 trebles or double crochets.  The bebop cardi uses bobbles and to be honest I can't see that they are that bobbly!  And bobbling makes me think too hard and crochet shouldn't make you think too hard, agree?

Next up I give you my bathroom, all but done! Massive cheers!

I am loving it except those wall tiles are not really white are they, they are supposed to be alabaster and in my books alabaster is almost white.  They are gorgeous though and massive things.  We have tiled floor to ceiling and those glass mosaic niches are just going to be the best. We are just waiting on the shower screen and mirror and taps to go on then its done!

Here is the super duper vanity.  Designed by me and made to fit every spare bit of space available!  There is a secret laundry shute in that first door in the middle and those drawers are so deep.  I need to get some Ikea dividers cause everything will be standing up rather than lying down in the drawers.  The drawers and doors are gloss white vinyl wraps and the top is stone, think it was called Torino, its all fairly boring colours but means I can have a shiny green plant on the bench and change my mind between chocolate, hot pink or even lime green accessories.

We also have a new toilet that has an easily removable lid and seat so I can clean it with bleach if I want, since we can't put anything like that down the drains (we have an Ecosafe sewerage treatment plant to look after!) Painting the toilet walls and bathroom ceiling is next up followed by choosing towel rails and drawer handles, so stay tuned for the finished product.

Pretty Little Girl

Little Miss wearing her butterfly singlet and one of our crocheted flowers in her hair.

Singlet Decorating

Today I have been making singlets, decorating them anyway.

I think this white one is my favourite.  It's just a Bonds skinny strap singlet and I've sewn on some white lace around the neck and added a pale pink double bow-handstitched.

It is so simple yet so pretty and so cheap!

I really love this one too!  Same singlet, blue ric rac around the neck and a cute old doily on the front from my stash.  You just never know what to do with these things when you find them until moments like today!

Isn't it just gorgeous!  I had pink and green ric rac but blue was perfect with the white.  By the way I paid her a gold coin per outfit change for this photo shoot, the frangipani props were her creative input and made me smile when I saw her picking them. 

3rd singlet and not happy anymore until I reminded her of the gold coin payment!

Strappy black singlet with cream broiderie lace trim sleeves and a cream double ribbon bow-handstitched.  Lill didn't like this one so much and checked it out in the mirror- she came running out shocked "Mum one of the bows has fallen off!"   Actually there was only 1, what do you think, does it need another bow on the other sleeve?

And lastly my little prince, "I want to be a model Mum"

I still haven't shown you all the sewing I did for myself pre Christmas. But here is some vintage goodness I found at Bargara on our camping holiday.

I love the orange and pink.

The doily has alot of work in it and a pretty soft orange crochet edge.  Somehow I will make these two into something special, they go together nicely.

Singlets

Lilly is not too keen on this yellow number, it doesn't look so good Mum!  Yellow is her favourite colour and I love this fabric, never mind.  It can go to another home somewhere! It's a Bonds size 10 just for my record.

 I found this pink embroidered flower motif amongst Mum's lace stash when Lilly and I were rumaging together.  I sewed on some pretty white lace around the neckline and added the flowers, she looooves this one thanks very much.  This is a size 10-12 cotton Target singlet.

And this amazing work is todays crafty efforts by my 6 and 4  year olds! Lilly did the tortoise, not quite finished and the abstract number is Joe's colourful creation- a lamb and a caterpillar- use  your imgination!!!

Crochet Flower Hair Clips

I crocheted these a while back using this pattern and on our way to Dreamworld recently I stitched some clips to the back.

Lilly loves them and I filled in some spare time so everyones a winner!

First Project of 2010

My little girl wanted to sew something, she dove in straight for the felt and the machine.  She drew a butterfly and together I showed her how to trace the design in pieces onto the double sided interfacing or whatever you call it and cut it all out.  She placed it all on the singlet and we ironed it on then I stitched it on and I could be as wonky as I wanted which was good because the machine is still playing up and hated going through the felt and was skipping stitches.  I got really mad at it and had to walk away once!  I love how it looks exactly like her drawing since I cut the shapes exactly as she drew them, no neatening. 

Don't you think she has done a good job, all her design and colours.

This is a really good way of using your child's artwork, my little girl does some really good drawings.

My Busy December

I didn't have time to blog in December, so here is a start at a few things I made...

a Glam Green Bag for our favourite kindy teacher.  I found this cute Norweigian Birds print at Spotlight surprisingly and used some co-ordinating hot pink and lime green spots for the lining.  My machine played up big time making this and then has continued to play up now when I sew PVC or felt, I NEED A NEW ONE!

I said goodbye (to the cupboard as a backup and keep for Miss Lilly one day) to this old girl, Mum gave this new retro model about 10 years ago and it is good but not fantastic and since I busted the big bowl (I know I could have got a replacement) and it spins like a maniac, it was time for me to get this little ripper....

It is a whole new world with this thing.  I cannot describe how good it is.  The colour is Ice Blue.  We called her Gloria cause she is Glorious, sad but true.  The kids love her too.  I made my Aunty's secret recipe christmas biscuits in it with the dough hook, easy as.  I've even used it whiz up scrambled eggs, fritters, pancake batter and of course meringues, macaroons, christmas cake batter, gingerbread houses, chocolate mousse.  I am yet to make a pavlova.

I'll get back with some pictures of the clothes and gifts I made soon too.

Gingerbread House

We are still here!  We had a great Christmas, we made heaps of stuff including this unreal Gingerbread House using a special recipe that is guaranteed not to collapse and that it didn't!  The kids decorated it after we did the roofing. 

I will be back soon with pictures of all the stuff I've made, lots and lots including new stuff for me.

Happy 2010 to all my friends and family out there in blogland!

Table Runner

I made this gorgeous table runner this arvo after school.  Mum got the fabric in Bowral and the ric rac at the Remnant Warehouse.  She got lots of other good stuff as well and I am very jealous I wasn't with her when she bought it all!  My excellent Aunty was though, and took her to some really awesome places, you are so lovely Lydi!

I got that red and white stripey jug in Sydney so the runner and jug should feel right at home.  It looks kind of Christmasy too so I'm happy with that on the table right now.

And this is the rest of Mum's shopping, a little bit of Love (another skirt in the making), some Kaffe Fassett, Anna Maria and some more of those table runner panels.  The big dusty blue and strawberry piece at the bottom of the pile is for a massive tablecloth Mum is making.

How cute are these crocheted teapot cosies.  The little one was $8, its hard to see clearly but there is masses of hours in them, the black background is all crochet as well.  We love pansies!

Lastly my work in progress, Lill's next bebop cardi, one that fits hopefully.

x see you next time

I'm making one of these!

I just love this! And I'm going straight out tomorrow after school drop off to get some rub on letters! I will have to get some beautiful scrap book papers as well I think and a couple more balls of Cleckheaton natural 8 ply cotton for the next cardigan that is already 1/2 done.

Click here for the link to this very sweet tutorial.

Cardigan

I did night shift this weekend and I completed this gorgeous cardigan while I suffered it out at work, lucky it was not too bad at the hospital and I got lots of spare breaks to crochet.

I used this pattern after being inspired here- a new found blog I've found.

I made the size L: 11-12 years but only using a 3 1/2 hook which made things pretty tight, it has turned out really small. So I guess it will be a present or go into my Etsy store when I get that sorted!

Mummy Made Halloween

Gee whiz I felt the peer pressure this year which could come from no where else but school since its not really my thing! Halloween... like you've never seen, how could I get through to her (Grade 1 age) that there is no way in this world we are knocking on our neighbours door and asking for, and I sooo hate this word "candy". One way or another Lilly did not let up and in the end I felt I was letting her down, denying her of Christmas or something!
So I compromised.

First of all we went shopping for "candy" and talked about what we could give back to people/animals/the planet and she decided to buy some dog and cat food and give it to the RSPCA bin at Woolies. Good start.

Then we came home, made a couple of ghost costumes, sacrificing a perfectly good queen size flat sheet in the process and invited our best friends over for dinner.

We dressed up, one child threw a wobbly bob cause he couldn't see properly through his ghost eyes, hence why he is a lying down ghost in the above photo.

We had a 'candy' treasure hunt instead of door knocking, and for tricks we threw about 50 water bombs off the verandah at Daddy and made sure we picked up every last bit of balloon to stop the sea turtles eventually eating them!

Then and I think this may have been a small mistake watched Ghostbusters as they are now hooked, had a yummy gardeny dinner and followed it all up with the most chocolate ridden, lolly, icecream, make your own creation feast you could imagine!!!

Shirred Dress

I've had this fabric for a while, just a spotlight number, really light.

Yesterday I turned it into a shirred dress for me, after which I am not sure about the stripes and colour, so it can be a 'House Christmas Dress' I think!

There was alot of shirring going on and wider than normal straps for me, it is very comfortable and cool.

I'll make a black one next, not so home madey looking hopefully.