wandering the house

 Still haven't finished my trousers ...sewing interrupted by:









holidays, a trip to visit family,

lots of playing...

Lots of paddling...and changing out of wet clothes.  I cannot quite get back into termtime mode now that holidays are over.  I have done no sewing unless you count sewing badges onto a cub scout jumper, oh and I sewed an apron.  It was so utilitarian I almost forgot I had made it.  

I have done no blogging as possession of my laptop seems to have transferred to my children. 

 I can't manage to sign into my blog on my tablet.  Though I have lost possession of that too.  Pesky children.....while they hog the technology I wander the house, prodding my seedlings, folding endless laundry, looking at my almost finished trousers, but not really getting anywhere.  I have developed a new addiction to reading hippyish blogs about eating foraged food, wearing second hand clothes and creativity...I am not sure why but they just interest me at the moment.  

  I am thinking and probably over thinking Me Made May.  So much thinking that I have done nothing about it.  Procrastination is a great thing...  I am of to daydream some more over the kitchen sink.

Autumnal home tour

Warning: this post is strictly tongue in cheek and may upset those who prefer a model house with pinterest worthy interiors. 

Welcome to the autumnal home tour with Minnado's House.  Our hostess keeps grinning fixedly as she removes a piece of half chewed broccoli  from under her foot and deftly flicks dried banana from her hair.  Here you can see the capriciously curated Shelves of Doom. 

Watch out for the walls so wittily decorated with toddler scribble.  The dining table looks great with random papers and disconnected speakers.  

And don't you just love the still life in the bedroom, "Old computer parts"  Who wouldn't love to wake up to this?    

Don't you just love the organisational system here??

Our hostess offers a useful tip, "Give the vacuum cleaner to a child and set them to work",

Frilliest skirt

I asked Little I to pose for photos.  Look, straight away, no hesitancy at all, she stepped into a sewing blogger pose.  Is this the result of watching her mother take self made garment photos for the past few years??  Um, I guess it probably is. 

I love this tutu-style skirt.  It was a very simple make but the fabric is just fabulous.  Due to its unfinished frilly nature, I didn't bother hemming it.  I bought the fabric from a shop called Meme in Exeter.  They are in the process of closing down their 'real life' shop and transferring to being an online retailer. 

As a result there was a sale on in the shop. 

This fabulous textured fabric was £12 per metre, reduced from £24. The assistant said it was polyester.   I only needed half a metre.  I had ventured into the shop originally looking for denim with a bit of stretch in it, but it wasn't the type of fabric shop that sells stretch denim.  They seemed to specialise in feminine pretty prints and floaty chiffon types of fabric.  All very pretty.  All screaming out (in a discreet lady like way) to be made into partywear for almost six year olds.

I was tempted temporarily to make a frilly skirt for myself, but then sense prevailed, and I made the skirt for Little I.  I just wasn't sure I would wear such a frilly skirt as often as she will.  Plus she does go to a hell of a lot more parties than me!  Plus she has better shoes and tights to match it.

But I am compromising and planning a grown up ruffled skirt for myself!  I was swayed by seeing a woman walking along, in her forties wearing a 3 tiered light brown skirt, knee length, with a sequin trim on each tier.  It was a perfect mix of grown up and frills. 

FO: The sweetest polka dot frock

cutting and taping

I am trying not to buy any new patterns but one Sunday morning, browsing sewing blogs in pyjamas was a dangerous time.  Seriously, there should have been a huge flashing sign and wailing siren as I hopped from one sewing site to another and ended up at Go To Patterns.  Then, losing my mind temporarily, I allowed Little I to choose a PDF dress pattern and clicked "buy".  It doesn't seem like spending money but it is....and she chose the Little Bow Pleat dress by Melly Sews. 

I have to say despite kicking myself for falling off the No-Spend-Frugal wagon, I do love this pattern.  It is super easy to sew and creates a lovely dress.  It is sized 18 months to 8 years so I am fully expecting to make it again in a smaller size for RG. 

The final dress is A line, with a standup collar, slightly puffed sleeves, centre front pleat and self fabric big bow.  I mean what's not to love here? I just wish I was almost six years old so I could wear it. I also imagine this is what my sewing friend Scruffybadger would wear if she too were almost six. 

I made it from bright pink cotton with orange polka dots bought from Clothkits. I used a discount offer so I had the fabric for £4 per metre and used about 1.50 metres.  The dress has a thrifted red zip in the back (20p). 

The most tricky bits to sew were the sleeve bands as they are so small that they are quite fiddly.  If I make it smaller I may omit them as I found them so fiddly, or try sewing them on before sewing up the sleeve.  Would that work?

fiddly sleeve band

I think it could look great in a jersey knit as it would drape so well.  

One

 A couple of weeks ago Rocket Girl turned one.  I just can't believe it.  Somedays I only feel 12 years old, somedays 17 years old, somedays I feel 73 years old, certainly, somedays I surprise myself thinking I am a mother of three!  That's about all I have to say.

Oh, except she's great. :)

to here....

Helping sort the fabric stash  - start them young

Favourite occupation - emptying cupboards

recently...

I have been planning for the Summer Sparkle Sewalong...I am making a Lisette Traveller dress, view A.  This year Alessa, Sarah and Ali  have come up witht hte very good idea of sewing just one garment in the month of June.  I am making a (hopefully) wearable muslin from a thrifted duvet cover first, then using my "good" dark blue linen look fabric.  I cut out half the pieces in January and then left them.  Since signing up to the sewalong I have been motivated to cut out the rest of the pieces and start on the markings.

A lot of calamine lotion painting onto Little I's spots.  And a peek at my marimekko bowl sent by Lovely S for my birthday.

A bit of sewing of this...Noddy and polka dots...it's... um... for me, not a child, though I have doubts about the possible infantilism (is that a word?) of wearing a noddy skirt.  Can I call it ironic? Can you wear an ironic skirt?  Well, we will have to see.

There's been a new craze for T:he bought a mini monopoly set from the charity shop.  I am looking for a full size set now, the pieces are too teeney weeney for my fingers. 

Mr Minnado donated some shirts to my refashioning pile.

This dress is also awaiting refashioning. 

We all went to the garden centre and spent a lot of time saying "how much???" We left with a bag of compost and some bean seeds.  Back at home we started planting some the seeds we have collected over the last year.  A coffee and cake to go with the planning. 

 

Had to share this, that hair spike was accidental..  I recently got RG a second hand bumbo chair with tray from a Preloved advert.  It's my new alternative to ebay when I want to look for a specific secondhand item.   She's been trying it out, and she seems to like sitting up. 

Oh and finally I need a bit of help.  My dark blue linene look fabric has been washed twice and still runs - any ideas for fixing it? I have a vague idea of using salt and white vinegar but am unsure about quantities.  That's all the news round here for now.  Hope you all have good weekends, any exciting events?  We are going to a jubilee garden fete IF the wind and rain stop. 

FO: No Tie Scarf Insanity

Okay so it may be slightly insane to have sewn something or even two somethings with a tiny baby in the house and while suffering sleep deprivation. But these are very simple fleece scarves with a pocket/loop thingy for easy fastening. I managed to make them last week without sewing my finger to the machine or any other such catastrophe. The need for them arose a couple of weeks ago when it had become bitterly cold and I was trying to persuade T to wear his scarf to school. His excuse was "But I can't tie it up". I was wondering about adding a looop to his existing scarf, but then I was leafing through Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson and my eye fell upon the no-tie scarf. Is n't that great when you realise you already have the pattern and the solution without having to buy more? The scarves require 4 pieces of fabric and are easy to make, if you had no baby in tow these scarves would probably only take 2 hours to make or even less.

I used some ebay fleece and some woven scraps for the pocket/loop bit. The book suggests using a woven fabric for the inner side of the carf but I chose to use fleece on both sides to make the scarf cosier. T's is orange and he opted for no trim. Little I's scarf has pink pompom trim as her clothing mantra is "more is more". The pocket bit is very clever and I couldn't figure out how it works till I made the scarf! That is due to my own inability to understand pattern instructions until I actually DO MAKE the pattern up, not to the instructions being unclear. I would recommend this pattern if you too want a simple no-tie scarf. I also am planning to make some more One Day as presents.

I am pleased with the finished scarves and T said I was "amazing" so I felt a brief glow of maternal satisfaction knowing the children had warm necks! That didn't last, T didn't think I was quite so amazing when I made him stop playing computer games and tidy the room instead (tee hee). And Little I loves her scarf but later told me I had "ruined my day" by making her eat her supper at the table, oh and washing her hair! (I know, my cruelty knows no bounds).

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

Chest of drawers, to paint or not to paint?

I expect most people reading this will have read Zoe's fascinating and impassioned post on consuming.

I was reminded of her post while putting this post together. When I realised I needed a new chest of drawers to store my baby clothes (second hand of course) I didn't even bother to think about buying new. For one thing it is out of our budget at the moment, and secondly I haven't bought any new RTW clothes or shoes for myself for 18 months now, and this attitutude has definitely filtered over into other aspects of buying. I talked about where I found the chest of drawers here.

I think for my money (£10) I got a sturdier, better made chest of drawers than if I had bought something flat pack.

Looking inside the chest of drawers has the label Lebus furniture. A quick google showed that Lebus was a British furniture brand whose arts and crafts furniture at the beginning of the twentieth century is apparently considered their best works. Mine is obviously later than that, but as the firm closed 1969 I am guessing mine is a 60s piece. I am not overtly patriotic but it feels nice to have something manufactured in Britain.

I have already filled it with baby clothes. Absolutely filled it. And still have some baby clothes planted on top of the chest of drawers. But I am considering painting it white, putting on coloured glass handles and giving it to Little I for her clothes. She has a white metal bed already so I think a white chest of drawers would go well with her bed. It is also easy to open these drawers so she can access her clothes more easily. The baby stuff can then go in the chest of drawers I currently share with Little I. Thoughts on this? Is it sacrilege to paint a piece of furniture like this or am I just extending its life. I am not really a great shabby chic fan but I do have a weakness for painted furniture. I always have. I was thinking about painting the chest of drawers before I even got it home, then I saw Tors' dresser and was swayed further towards the white. I have a great desire to paint furniture and walls white, to have lots of peaceful spaces. This is kind of risible given the way our family life goes. Peaceful? Ha! It may well be a side effect of looking at too many Scandinavian blogs.

There is also the matter of whether I can summon the energy to sand and paint. I have the intense feeling that I have to do this before the baby comes or I will never get it done. Then I look at the nice shiny wood and think it may be foolhardy to paint it white. It looks quite sweet as it is....decisions, decisions.

Oh, and I also have a yearning to paint the chest of drawers a bright glossy red, I have a great love of shiny and red together, but I know that will go down badly with everyone else in the house.

PS: One interesting aside to buying second hand furniture on a budget, is how you get it home. This chest of drawers cost only £10, the delivery charge would have been another ten pounds. So to save money I got a friend to come and collect it with me. Of course, it wouldn't fit in her car with Little I as well so eventually after much trying it this way and that, my lovely friend drove the chest of drawers home to my house while Little I waited with me by the road side. I had to wrap Little I up in my coat as it was cold, while I shivered for half an hour. The thought, "This wouldn't happen if we were buying flat pack from a well known chain store" did cross my mind. But it wasn't as bad as the time I bought two sets of fully assembled second hand shelves which I had to carry home while pushing a child in a pushchair at the same time.

Summer holidays

Picking beans at Grandma's

I didn't mean to take an extended break from this space!

There is not much sewing going on here as we are deep into the summer holidays. I am finishing off a piece of sewing for my son at the moment, to be blogged soon, and making vague autumnal plans. This is a picture heavy post and I know blogs are currently full of holiday photos but indulge me...honestly these are heavily edited.

We did a paper monster making workshop at this art gallery. Ther's a pop up paper cafe where you can have coffee and do some paper craft, it's still on if you are in the Exeter area in August. Can you see that Little I is going into a giant window paper envelope?

Back in Shropshire we have been camping...

Today we did a fab bushcraft family day (free thanks to PCT funding).

Eating fish cooked on the open fire. ("Mmmmm, yummy")

Shelter buildingLearning to use fire sticks to light a fireNot surprisingly this is the end of most days. They do both have separate beds of their own but often like to fall asleep in one bed together.

I will be back soon with normal service, some recent charity shop finds and a bit of sewing.

Do try this at home

Some kitchen sink type science. I found this here

All you need is:

white vinegar,

washing up liquid,

food colouring,

bicarbonate of soda.

See through containers/glasses are best and if you are as messy as us you need some newspaper. Half fill the glass with vinegar, add a few drops of washing up liquid and food colouring. Then get your little one to add a teaspoon of bicarb, and watch. This kept my eight year old and four year old amused for quite a while. I have been asked to go and buy more supplies today so they can do it again.