bits and pieces - the view over here

The view after bedtime story (don't worry, I don't leave them both to sleep there, Rocket Girl does go in her moses basket)

3 and half weeks old

This is kind of a bits and pieces post...

Thank you to all of you who left good wishes here following baby news. It is so nice to feel part of this blogging/crafty community.

Life here is currently very domestic. We are set in a pattern of two hourly sleeps, lots of breast feeding and not too much else. Oh yes, quite a lot of gazing at baby who is changing daily. I make the odd foray to the shops when I have to. Last night I managed to go out to take the kids to their swimming lessons in a whole family outing that involved tag team parenting. Rocket Girl slept throughout the swimming lessons.

I had two weeks' grace without having to take the kids to school. Then just as the temperature outside fell, I was back on school run duty. Baby Rocket Girl gets well wrapped up and is out in the car at 8.20am. Luckily since it has been so icy, another mum at school will often take my two older ones from the car and walk them in for me. Next week we have a week's holiday from school- hurray! I am hoping the weather will warm up soon. I am now desperate for Spring and echo Alessa's sentiments in her recent post.

I thought I would share some thrifty finds here. The pictures have been hanging round my folder for a while now. The shoes I bought before Christmas in the charity shop near the school. They look unworn and were £4. They are Kurt Geiger (tres posh?) and will be so nice to wear with skirts or dresses when it warms up. The cardigan I bought at the start of January. It is Boden and is a lovely warm wool. I love the retro detailing and it has pockets, always a bonus. I have been wearing it a lot recently. Just befire Christmas, I also found a cream aran style cardigan, very granny-chic, from Damart, which I think is a true granny label. To me Damart is synonymous with thermal underwear catalogues, sensible vests and petticoats. Any one else? My cream cardigan has pockets and brown leather-look buttons. It is a synthetic substitute for the real wool aran cardigan I would love to own. It also has multiple food stains so is in the wash and unphotographed.

I have a little pile of Good Things to photograph and share soon. I have been lucky recently with receiving lovely stuff from fellow bloggers, and want to show you. I am just doing it slowly, so watch this space, I will get there eventually. x

thrifty 365 update

Still no PC in our house, but here is a post I scheduled a while ago. I hope normal service will be reumed in time for me-made June.

In relation to thrifty 365, I have quite a lot of related stuff to post so this is just Part 1.

I have been trying to spend mindfully and, only buying what we need or what is really lovely. Several times I have deliberately stayed away from shops, cafes etc and concentrated on doing something else else. There are some mornings when I definitely feel like going shopping, having a coffee but I am moving away from this. I have been to a local charity shop a couple of times, though I usually go just before I have to collect T from school, that way I get a walk, and can go without Little I who always wants to buy lots of toys. I always try and stick to the rule that something has to go into the charity shop before something else can be bought!

I am really glad I went in recently (two carrier bags of kid's clothes and a few of my old clothes went in) as look what I found, the Boden jumper above. I do love stripes. I wore this in Devon at easter a lot.

I also bought a set of 1970s glasses. At the moment we only have plastic drinking cups in our house. We may have only half a roof and no floor in our new house, but at least we now have a set of glasses.

On a recent trip to my local library I went to look at their second hand book sale and found a bag ful of books for £1. Yes, that is one pound for the whole bag not per book. There were lots of cross stitch books there which I left behind and a couple of sewing guides. I couldn' t justify bringing them home despite the price. However, I did get this "Secrets of the Couturiers" it is a very eighties book in the illustration style. It looks at a different designer in each chapter and analyses their work, then presents some idea for the home sewer to integrate into their sewing to use the ideas of the designers. It includes Poiret, Vionnet, Chanel, Schiaperelli, and Dior.

Lots of inspiration inthere. I also got the book below, "Fairy tale Quilts and Embroidery" which has lots of embroidery ideaas and examples, and shows start to finsih on projects in photos.

I also bought a book on storage solutions which includes instructions on how to build pigeonhole style shelving., a book for Little I and a healthy living type book for women.

I have also been having a big clear out, sorting the childrens' clothes and mine. I have started putting some clothing bundles on ebay to raise a bit of money. I usually leave my paypal money in paypal and use it to buy craft supplies. But I have to confess I have been browsing clogs on ebay and summer shoes and was thinking of saving my ebay money for those. Never mind those children and their crafts...buy shoes!

Plans

I found this duvet cover in the charity shop on saturday. I was thinking of making the skirt for the Traveller dress view C (top left corner of pattern envelope) I think to make another shift style dress in this fabric could be too much holiday kaftan-like for me. What do you think?

The duvet cover is currently doing duty as a play tent in the garden prior to being cut up for a dress.

Cardigan refashioned

A hand sewn refashion. The silk and wool mix junper was bought last year at a nearly new sale. It has glitter thread in it, just in case you haven't noticed. I tried it on but I had not worn it at all. So in thrifty 365 thinking this was not so good...it may have only cost £2 but if I don't wear it then that is £2 wasted. I only really wear jumpers if it is very cold. So on thursday I took my scissors and cut it up the centre front, hand hemmed a tiny hem edge on each side. Then I got out my new toy...a pair of Prym pliers (bought half price in a closing down sale) and a pack of pearlised press studs. After some struggling, fiddling and muttering to myself, tah - dah, I have press studs on the new cardigan. It is unlikely I will ever fasten them but I like how they look.

I like my little glittery cardigan, it brightened up yesterday's school run.

New treasures, seaside

I took the kids to Devon for an Easter break for 6 days, to see my mum and rest of my family. We had fun playing in Grandma's garden and going to the beach. Like the little girl with the little curl, when the English beach is good, it is very, very good.

I have now come back home with a bit of a haul. These two ladies were a present from friends when I finished my MPhil about 10 years ago (in what seems like a different lifetime).

They have been languishing in a shoe box in my mum's spare room so I rescued them and plan to find them a suitable wall space to hang upon. I like their battered appearance - just adds to the appeal for me.

On our way home from the beach we stopped at a couple of great charity shops. One shop in particular was a bit of a mess and just full, full, full of stuff. This is the best sort of place for a rummage. I bought this straw flowered basket. I love it and will "share" it with my little girl. It says "Lulia"on it - I think- not sure if that was maybe a holiday destination.

I also bought these sandals - they have a cork wedge heel and fit perfectly. The label is missing so I don't know what make they are but I think I am in love.

And then I found this tweed fabric - the label says 2 1/2 yards. I am not sure what to make yet - at this time of year I am thinking of summer clothes, not winter. But at £3 how could I refuse? It has a silver metallic thread running through it. I am stashing it away for now. I like to think and ponder for a while on what to do with fabrics like this that I chance upon. Sometimes this is more fun than setting out to buy a fabric from the fabric shop for a specific project. This way chance and serendipity have an opportunity to work.

Finally ( I said it was a good haul) I found a pair of brown herringbone cotton trousers with a nice wide leg and quite a high waist. (aplogies for rubbish photo). The waist and lining are reminiscent of old fashioned men's suit trousers. I think I need to make a puffed sleeve forties style blouse or a fitted masculine shirt to go with them...another one to ponder. Is the world divided I wonder into those who do like to shop in charity / thrift shops and those who think it is madness?

I brought back this nautical cotton fabric from my mum's fabric stash - which really is an uber-stash - I am even now stash- bustin other people's stashes. I am planning a skirt with the facing on the outside and some red piping. Hope to have this ready for Zoe's made-by-me-May

I did also consider a dress - maybe in the style of the coffee date dress on Burdastyle but need to check if there is enough fabric. A dress with red piping? I am determined to get the red piping in there somehow.

I have signed up to wear something I have made every day for the month of May but in a lite version so it only has to be one item per day. I am not hardcore enough to do that. I am aware recently that I have been wearing my own me-made clothes about 4 out of 7 days per week - so I am going to try and up the ante. It is good to wear things I really like and that fit me. Since having a second child my body shape seems, well, just a bit odd to me. I am a UK ten for trousers, though that depends on the brand and cut. My bust is a twelve but my shoulders seem to have gone back to a ten. I think maybe I am a size UK eleven if only that existed. So the only way to ensure a good fit is to make it myself. I am also tired of the endless consumerist need to have new cheap clothing, and the throwaway attitude of our society in general. In addition to my own me-made stuff most of the stuff I wear comes via charity shops now, and I have recently been sorting out clothes that no longer fit properly and selling them on ebay, and use that money for craft supplies for me and the kids and sewing stuff. This is the only way I can fund our (not expensive) hobbies as I am not currently earning and our weekly budget is tight.

After this huge posting I am off for a cup of tea and to prance round the house in my new sandals.

Fab Freegle Wicker Chest

I was lucky to be given this wicker storage chest by a kind lady on my local freegle site (what was freecycle- I don't quite understand the internal politics of the change). We have received a few things from this family and have managed to give stuff to them, which I realy like. It fitted in my car boot (hurray) and now has pride of place in T's bedroom. I filled it very quickly with his spare and summer school uniform and jumpers too big for his bedroom drawers. It was quite heavy which made me think it was well made - I like its slightly tatty look, "It's vintage chic" I reassured Mr Minnado, though he didn't mind me bringing it into our house as it was (a) Free (b) a Storage item. Our house seems to be full and there is no room for more stuff so I have to sneak some things in.... I am slightly worried about Christmas and the onslaught of presents for the kids from well meaning relatives - this morning I took two bags to the charity shop. To make it even better I found a Paul Smith dress in green velvet there for £8.00. (with tags still on!!) It was a no brainer. I bought it with a view to resale but once I got it home and tried it on, I was in love! It fits and is a Real Lady Dress. I will upload pic soon. I now need to find a party to wear it to.