My Creative Space

I got a copy of Ottobre in the post this week which was exciting. Exciting because this issue was sold out, but they decided to do a reprint.
I am making up some matching vest and pants sets for Cadel. The vest pattern is a free download from Leila and Ben.
The WC Eagles p.j's below to my son and need mending. The elastic has gone, which seems to be job of the week as we get our winter clothing out of storage bags. This is the third pair of pants that needed new elastic waistbands.

You can join in or read more creative spaces here.

Back to Basics

This week was a bit of a quiet week.

Sowing seed or Planting -

Harvesting

Basil

Sowing

Trying to sprout Sweet Potato so I can plant as cuttings. So far nothing is happening.

Adding hay to the garden beds to improve the soil. Moved the worm farm to its winter position.

Planning for The Future

Menu Planning, using the slow cooker a bit more now the weather is a lot cooler.

I need to focus on getting the electricity bill down, electricity prices are going up enormously.

Working for the Future

Bulk rubbish gone. Cleaned out a bag of toys from the girls room.

Made Cadel some pj pants, he now needs pj tops.

Building Community

Babysitting.

Participated in ANZAC parade with my Girl Guides.

Learn a new Skill

None this week

Thankyou to Belinda who hosts the Back to Basics Challenge.

Lined Jacket

I've jumped in and participated in Carolyn's 12 in 12 Challenge and this month it is something lined.

This is a another Avalon jacket from the Sewing Clothes Kids Love book. This time I made the jacket so that it was fully lined (and reversible).

The Back

The Front

Lining

This jacket is just as easy to make lined as it is unlined, you just have to remember to sew on all your trims prior to constructing the whole garment. I also think when it is lined, it looks better.

My Creative Space

This week I'm sewing up another Avalon jacket, this time for Zoe. In the background is a toy sewing machine. Cadel (bless his cotton socks) loves machines... Including my sewing machine. This week I have learnt more than I want to know about adjusting tension, re-threading and exactly what the numbers and knobs on my overlocker do and mean. Thanks son! (not). So to distract him, I've set him up with some play scizzors and this old toy. It seems to be working.

Join in the fun.

Back to Basics

It's been a while. I sort of lost my way a little, which is a shame, because this challenge is a wonderful one and brings so many benefits. This challenge is a bit like a stone that is thrown into a lake, the ripples can keep going, wider and wider, in that it benefits me, my family, my environment, 'the' environment and my community.

So here we go!

Sowing seed or Planting -

Harvesting

Baby Rocket Leaves

Sowing

Waltham Broccoli

Creamgold Onions

Mesclun Provencal (Lettuce mix)

Playing around with Sweet Potato Tubers. Heard on the radio you should try and sprout them in a jar first. Is this true?

My vegie patch has been seriously neglected and is now chock full of weeds. *sigh* So my goal over the next week is to spend 15min everyday weeding. From little things, big things grow. Right?

Planning for The Future

Menu Planning, I need to start stockpiling again

Working for the Future

It's 'bulk rubbish' time in my community, that is, you put all your unwanted bulky items on the front verge and the council sends along a truck to pick it all up. So we have done a bit a clear out of broken stuff (not suprisingly, mostly plastic) from out of the shed and behind the shed.

I've gone around and done a bit of a de-clutter of the inside of the house, 3 garbage bags of outgrown clothes and unwanted toys have now gone to the op shop. I've got a small pile of 'good' stuff that I will be listing on eBay, I might get a few extra dollars :)

Cadel needs some winter clothes, mostly p.j's and long pants. So I've been through my stash and this week I'm hoping to sew up some things for him. All four of the kids need a basic, but nice, suitable for winter, church outfit (doubles up for special going out clothes too). I've got plenty of fabric, I just need to make the time to sew some things up.

Building Community

Volunteered to bring in a fruit platter for welcome back morning tea at Zoe's school.

Volunteered at church to help out with making bags for a church project.

Babysitting duties for friends and neighbours (doubles up as a school holiday sanity saver).

Learn a new Skill

Tried a new sewing pattern. Looks great!

Thankyou to Belinda who hosts the Back to Basics Challenge.

Flogging a Dead Horse

You can't flog a dead horse. Well you can. And it still remains dead. But maybe it's playing possom (I don't advocate flogging any animal, dead or alive, by the way).

I wrote a letter to my sister and sent it to her along with her birthday gift. The letter was long, it was whiney, it had me crying the entire time I was writing it. I tried to say what I was feeling, but it probably came across as emotional blackmail.

You can't flog a dead horse.

Perhaps.

She replied back, she said thankyou for her birthday gift. She apologise for something she did that hurt me. She said, when I'm ready to not be so sensitive, I can call her. *Sigh*

Yesterday my nephew called me. Well actually he called all of us (he's a talkative little 5 year old). But I got to talk to him for ages. I miss the little guy. He said "I'm gonna go to the post man, and he's gonna get my picture, I drew you a picture, yeah, well he's gonna get my picture, and then he's going to post it to you and your post man is gonna come and you'll get it in your box!"

So maybe things will change. Maybe they won't.

Myself, my son, and my poor squished nephew. An old photo, but I love this one.

Avalon Jacket

This is the jacket I was making in the "My Creative Space" post. I really need to use up some of the fabric I've been stashing away so I went for a dig and found this pink corduroy and patterned cotton.

Lil didn't like it at first...It was too pink (huh? too pink? you can have too much pink? lol), but she fell in love with it after I added the ruffles.

Pattern: Avalon from the book "Making Clothes Kids Love". This pattern is also available as a normal pattern from Farbenmix.

Fabric: From my stash (likely to be from Spotlight).

My Creative Space

This week I'm tackling a whole bunch of projects from the wonderful "Making Clothes Kids Love".

Today it is the Avalon jacket.

Blooming Lovely

I came across Miss Madeleine Bloomers over on Colette Patterns several weeks ago. I looked at them, and thought, mmm nice but not so nice on bigger girls. Then a few more weeks later I came across some fabric in my stash which I thought would be perfect for the bloomers, and made these:

Don't they look cute!

And they are really comfty on too. And they look cute on bigger girls too :)

Apples

I decided to haul my depressed self out of the house and do something fun with my kids for the day. So we drove 2 hrs down to a spot called Donnybrook, which happens to a) have a Apple Festival (they produce a lot of apples and stone fruit down this way) and b) host the BEST playground in WA.



The Apple Festival was ok. Kids had a ball rolling around in giant plastic balls, stared at the weird carnies and ate bad food. I laughed, took lots of photos and bought lots of yummy apples and stone fruit at super cheap prices.


Then we went to the best playground. Ever. I'm told that when a resident of Donnybrook passed away some years back, he left a substantial amount of money 'for the children of Donnybrook', the locals got together and designed and built this playground. And oh what a playground! It has multi-levels, slides, climbing structures, see-saws and swings. Parts of it are shaded, it's fully enclosed and there are BBQ's and eating areas. I didn't take many photos because I was to busy chasing my toddler around!


All in all it was a great day and good pick me up.

Contemplation

I contemplated deleting the previous post. I read it and I tear up, from the outside looking in, it looks so sad and hopeless. It is so sad and hopeless. This has been going on since last October and just feel as if I'm floundering about, neither here nor there.

Sigh.

Thankyou Belinda.