make it perfect

.Pray for the Kings.

2012-01-28T00:39:00.000+11:00

(King family motto...by Leanne)

Yesterday my sweet cousin, Lisa lost her soul mate and best friend.

You may remember in October Lisa also lost her son, Noah. We are all in shock and disbelief that something so tragic could happen to such a beautiful, healing family. I know a lot of you follow Lisa's blog and know that she truly is a Super-Mum. She is going to need all of the love and support that we can give her right now as she carries on through the next weeks and months.

Naomi, of Seven Cherubs has thoughtfully set up a bank account to take donations for Lisa and the boys. If you feel inclined to do something to help, please help ease the burden and donate some money. Every little bit will help.

Lisa, we love you and have such fun and fond memories of Aaron as a husband, father and friend.

xxx

.Our NZ holiday - PART 1.

2012-01-20T23:00:00.001+11:00

I'm mustering up the courage to attempt blogging about our trip to New Zealand. It's taken forever to sort through thousands of photos and create some sort of order! There's just too much to write about for one post, so I'll break it up a bit to give us all a breather!!!

We were blessed with 4 weeks of utter blissful, relaxing and fun-filled days. Now that we are home, we are all pining to go back. It's always nice to be back amongst your own things, but we could easily have stayed for another couple of weeks! The best part - Jaron and I had a bedroom downstairs away from the main living areas of the house and the kids were upstairs with my in-laws and sister-in-law...most mornings we would roll out of bed after 9am to find the kids fed, dressed, beds made and happily playing and we didn't even have to do a thing :) Simple things like that make for a perfect holiday for parents, right?!

So, the holiday started with leaving sunny, blue skies in Tasmania.

The kids were sooooo excited to get going and were amazing little travellers. There was a lot of waiting at the airport in Melbourne and then a 4 hour flight to NZ, but they did a great job and were still chirpy when we arrived at midnight!! We flew a combination of Jetstar and Air New Zealand and if we did it again, would definitley fly Air New Zealand (or Qantas) for the longer flights. We arrived to rain, rain and more rain - in fact, it rained pretty much our whole trip! But that didn't stop us from having lots of fun!!

There was no messing around when we first arrived, the next day we headed out to our very first Polkadots concert! These guys are great - if you haven't heard of them, I guess they could be likened to a Kiwi version of The Wiggles.

Our little sister, Ashleigh is a Polkadots girl - she is a pro dancer and started out back-up dancing for the Polkadots and now is there fill-in when one of the main girls have babies or other business to take care of. Three cool things about the Polkadots... 1. They are all young Mums so know exactly what kids want, 2. Their messages are all about keeping healthy, and 3. They are all members of our Church and have great values, in fact, you can watch a cool video about pink Polkadot Dionne here.

We were especially lucky that Aunty Ash is filling in for one of the Polkadots at the moment and could see her in full action - she was great and the kids are massive fans now!

We managed to squeeze in our traditional Christmas family activity, making gingerbread houses from biscuits - but this time we mixed it up a bit with lots of NZ-style biscuits and lollies...yum! Jaron was taken back to his childhood indulging on Griffins biscuits galore!

Jaron's parents live about a 10 minute drive from the city centre of Auckland, so this was the view from the highway each day - the city is sooo beautiful.

We did LOTS of driving on this trip - we tried to do an activity every day and also took a few overnight trips to other parts of the country. Of course, lots of driving means lots of taking photos of ourselves in the car ;)

One of our first day trips was to Kelly Tarltons Antarctic Encounter. This place was pretty cool - like an aquarium with focus on the antarctic. There were the most adorable penguins there and even a really fun ride that we took through their enclosure. Lots of interactive things for the kids to do and it was really well set out.

We took the ferry into the city this day and had a wander along the waterfront later on. Soooo beautiful. Auckland is such a clean and quiet city. Quiet enough for Tommy to have a nap during our walk...

And continue napping while we feasted upon some of the most delicious gelato I have ever tried - yum!

There were certain things that we had to do while away, things that Jaron loved doing as a kid growing up in NZ - and one of them was to go to Rainbow's End...this theme park has been around since 1982 and parts of it had real "vintage" character! The kids could go on most rides - some of them seriously didn't feel safe but we took them anyway! All three of our kids have really weak stomachs and were pale-faced and crying after the first ride. We had to continually bribe them with fairy floss and extra turns on the more tame rides to make sure they got the complete Rainbow's End experience!! There was a cute kiddies ride section that they were happy to go back to again and again...

This ride was my favourite by far - I pulled out the "Nan scream" and had to apologise to the man sitting next to me for the saliva I felt dribbling across my cheek...hmmm - maybe that is why he is leaning so far away from me!!

Right, that's all for tonight! I'll be back soon with PART 2 of our trip (promise this won't go on forever...the quantity of photos we took decreased as the trip went on!)
xxx

.2011 - a crafty review.

2012-01-01T19:18:00.001+11:00

Happy New Year everyone!! We are half way through our holiday and having such a fun time. I've really fallen into "holiday mode" with lots of extra hands to help look after the kids and waaaay too much yummy/bad food to eat! Will be back soon with lots to share from our trip, but for now...here's a crafty review of some of my makes from 2011.

xxx

.Going....

2011-12-15T13:45:00.003+11:00

Yikes! Check out our chart today...back when we started our countdown to NZ it seemed like forever away, but time really did go sooooo fast and tomorrow we are off!!!
I am feeling semi-organised. Have done a lot of the cleaning I wanted to (who wants to come home to a dirty house?) and have started pulling out clothes and other things we need to take away.

Strange as it sounds, I couldn't start getting organised until I had sewed a couple more little things...we are taking small suitcases as our carry-on bags and I had visions of having to be trying to contain textas, books, toys, food and other entertainment on the plane in the pocket in front of our seats because our bags would have to go in the overhead compartments. So I decided to sew up a few bags to keep all of the plane entertainment together and easy to grab out of the bag...one each for the kids.

First of all, I made them each a zippered pencil case using my tutorial.

The applique on each one is part of some gorgeous panel fabric I bought a few weeks ago...love it!

Then I made each of the kids a Peek-A-Boy Toy Sack (using my tutorial again) to keep everything in...

Just the perfect size to hold a few colouring in books, blank page art diaries, some snacks, little toys and of course, their new pencil cases!

And once I had finished sewing these a couple of nights ago, I felt ready - even though I still had a tonne of cleaning and organising and packing to do...at least the plane rides will (hopefully) be smooth sailing!
Happy holidays to you all! I'll probably post now and then from New Zealand and keep you up to date with some of our adventures. xxx

.Thermomix Cooking - Cherry Ripe Slice.

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000+11:00

I don't know about you, but Christmas gives me an instant free pass to cook lots of deliciously bad treats. This year I've been trying out a few new ones with pleasing results.

I found this recipe for Cherry Ripe Slice and knew that it would be perfect for converting for the Thermomix. It was really yummy - I only managed to have one small piece before it was all gone so I think I'll have to try it again before Christmas.

The icing was supposed to be just chocolate spread over the top, but I tried adding a tablespoon of cream to turn it into more of a set ganache so that it would be easier to slice. I also added a couple of drops of red food colouring to the cherry mixture to make it more red.

Cherry Ripe Slice

For the base:
100g butter
150g self-raising flour
15g cocoa
75g caster sugar
100g plain sweet biscuits

For the filling:
300g glace cherries
150g dessicated coconut
1 tin condensed milk
5 drops red food colouring

For the icing:
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
30g copha
1Tbs cream (optional, for softer chocolate)

To make the base:
Place butter into TMX bowl and melt on 60 degrees, speed 1 for 3 minutes. Remove from bowl and set aside.
Without washing bowl, place flour, cocoa, sugar and biscuits into bowl. Process on speed 4 for 20 seconds.
Add melted butter and combine on speed 4 for 20 seconds. (The mixture will be quite dry.)
Press into the base of a paper-lined slice tray and cook in a moderate oven for 15 minutes.

To make the filling:
Place 200g cherries into cleaned bowl and pulse on turbo 3-4 times.
Add coconut and pulse on turbo 3-4 times to combine.
Chop remaining 100g cherries into halves and add to bowl with condensed milk and food colouring. Combine on speed 3 for 10 seconds.
Spread filling over base and cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing:
Place all ingredients into clean and dry bowl and melt on 60 degrees, speed 3 for 3 minutes. Spread over filling and place in fridge until set and cold. Slice and serve.

.Gifts for teachers.

2011-12-13T13:32:00.000+11:00

Every year as Christmas rolls closer, I tell myself that next year I will be more organised and start my sewing and shopping earlier...but I don't. And I kind of like that last minute rush - it adds to the festivity in the air. December would be boring without it, right?!

My children have been very blessed to have such wonderful teachers this year, both at school and at church. They put so much time and effort into teaching them and we like to give them a pat on the back and a big thankyou for their efforts.

The zippered pouches we made for Oscar's school teachers last year were very well received, so we did the same for his teachers this year. It's fun to see how well his writing has improved from one year to the next - last year he was copying my writing and this year he wrote straight onto the fabric with my water-erasable pen!

And for the children's church teachers, I made them a necklace with matching pair of earrings. These ones are made with satin fabric and the earrings are made from little satin-covered buttons.

These necklaces are pretty much the only ones I wear now - they are very sturdy and can take a lot of tugging and pulling from the kids and are really comfortable. Plus, they don't get tangled in a heap like all of my other necklaces are...probably the main reason I keep reaching for these ones every time!

I might put together a tutorial for these once we get back from our holiday - they are really simple to make!

.Nan's Great Sponge.

2011-12-12T14:52:00.000+11:00

(After all that sponge making and eating on the weekend I thought it only fitting to re-post Nan's famous sponge recipe from the archives, June 2008)

Myth: sponge cakes are hard to make.

They are not, they are actually one of the most easiest cakes around. Require little ingredients and just a bit of time.

My Nan is famous for her sponge. She always has a couple in the freezer to pull out when people come around. Before I was married and still living at home I was lucky enough to spend time with Nan once a week and help her with cleaning and jobs around the house. It was when she lived at her old house in the country and was more able than she is now, but still appreciated a bit of help with vacuuming and washing the floors. When Pop still went to work every day at the river and would drive home with his dog, Sandy on the back of the ute for a hot lunch. They are much older now and much less able. They don't live in the country anymore and Pop doesn't go to work. But those memories are still alive.

During one of my visits, Nan requested I do some cooking for her so that she could stock up the freezer with some goodies. It was that day she taught me how to make her world famous sponge cake. And I'm glad she taught me, standing over my shoulder with very definite instructions. If she had just handed me the recipe, it would have failed. I know I would have skipped the part where I was supposed to beat the eggs and sugar for "at least" 10 minutes. It would have been more like 2 or 3 minutes. And I know I wouldn't have bothered folding the dry ingredients in with a fork. I would have thrown them in and let the beaters do the mixing. And then my sponge would have failed.

Trust me when I say it is easy...as long as you follow the instructions exactly as they are written.

Nan's Great Sponge
3/4 cup castor sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp plain flour

Beat sugar and eggs for at least 10 minutes until very creamy.
Sift together baking powder, cornflour and plain flour. Add to egg mixture and stir with a fork until just combined.
Grease two sandwich tins and divide mixture evenly between the two. Gently tap each tin on the bench.
Bake in a 200 degree celcuis oven for 20 minutes.
When cool, fill with jam and whipped cream. Dust with icing sugar or ice with passionfruit icing.

.Family Christmas.

2011-12-11T21:59:00.001+11:00

One of my favourite things about the Christmas season is all of the "get-togethers" - especially when it involves family. I come from a really big extended family on my Dad's side...6 boys and 1 girl, 29 grandchildren, and over 60 great-grandchildren!! Before the family got so big we would get together a couple of times a year for a catch-up, always at Christmas and usually at ANZAC Day too. With so many people to accommodate and a good number of them living far away, we haven't had a proper get together since Nan and Pop both passed away almost 2 years ago. We also realised that without Nan and Pop here, the get togethers aren't just going to happen on their own anymore and so we organised an early Christmas BBQ for who ever could make it over the weekend.

There were a few items on the agenda (all food-related, of course!). Number 1 was Nan's Great Sponge Bake-Off...our Nan was the BEST sponge maker ever. There was always a sponge cake to finish off a meal and they were highly spoken of. So, in memory of Nan's sponge we issued a challenge to anyone who wanted to enter the comp!

Being Nan's only daughter, Aunty Wanda was in charge of picking the winning sponge...and Becky was the (*ahem* lucky...) winner! We couldn't help but think of Nan having a chuckle and loving watching us get all excited about re-creating her perfect sponge!

The second important item was Aunty Wanda's Jelly Bags. My Dad is constantly asking us to cook up some Jelly Bags for him - apparently a delicious dessert that Nan also used to make, but we had never tried so didn't know what he was talking about. Luckily Aunty Wanda remembered them and cooked them up for us, basically they are a pancake-shaped thin sponge cake that is cooked then rolled up into a cone and filled with cream and jelly. Here is Aunty Wanda sporting one of Nan's old "festive" tshirts!

Aside from a lot of eating (gotta love Christmas feasts!) there was also a bit of cousin bug catching...

Little cousins playing...

Chatting...

Music making...

And more chatting, eating and cricket playing...

But most important of all, it was the beginning of grasping hold of old traditions and adding some new and remembering and honouring our family roots.

.A gazillion shorts.

2011-12-08T10:06:00.000+11:00

Before you get reading, let me warn you there are a gazillion photos to come...

The children all needed new shorts for Summer. I'm determined to make instead of buy clothes for them when I can from now on. I reckon I have enough fabric to clothe them until they are 18...

So I turned to the quick and easy "2-in-1" shorts from my book. Well, they are quick if you are only making a couple of pairs - I got a little carried away and made THIRTEEN!!!!!!!

It started out as one pair each for my three. Then my sister requested a pair each for her kids for Christmas. And then I decided that while I was at it I would make few more for some other cousins for Christmas. And then to top things off my kids got another pair each. (That makes 13 pairs, by the way.)

I love these shorts because:

1. They are quick and easy (did I already say that?)

2. They are reversible - so really I made 26 pairs...

3. Because they are reversible (lined) you don't need to neaten any raw edges with an overlocker or zig-zag stitch, making them even faster.

4. They are looong - sitting just under the knee, more boardshort style. So cute.

5. They are comfortable - so the kids tell me.

Before you go out and make any though, let me warn you that you really should use two fabrics you REALLY LOVE. I've made the mistake on the first pairs for each of my kids of using a fabric I love and then a fabric I'm not that crazy about on the other side, thinking that the preferred side would be worn most often. Of course, the kids prefer my non-preferred side and I'm forever trying to trick them into wearing the side that I like best!

So, you ready for a fashion parade?

Prints Charming, Rainbow Gardens/Erin McMorris, Weekends, Go Bike in Peach

Michael Miller, Giraffe Garden in Grey/Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pinwheels in Grass

Monaluna, Circa 50, Cars in Orange/Monaluna, Circa 50, Pebbles Lines in Citron

FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Red


Birch, Circa 60, Ukelele/Laura Gunn, Magnolia, Textured Plaid in Turquoise

FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Orange

Prints Charming, Rainbow Gardens/Erin McMorris, Weekends, Go Bike in Peach

Monaluna, Circa 50, Cars in Orange/Monaluna, Circa 50, Pebbles Lines in Citron

Birch, Circa 60, Ukelele/ Laura Gunn, Magnolia, Textured Plaid in Turquoise

FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Orange

Anna Maria Horner, Innocent Crush, Bubble Burst in Lavender/Saffron Craig, Bird Tree, Bird Spot in Green

Erin McMorris, Weekends, Go Bike in Peach/Michael Miller Spot

Sarah Jane, Children At Play, Rockets in Blue/FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Red

FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Orange

FD Textiles, Little Monsters in Blue/Red

Patty Young, Flora & Fauna, Blossoms in Red/Anna Maria Horner, Innocent Crush, Maybe in Indigo

Amy Butler, Midwest Modern II, Honeycomb in Sage, Anna Maria Horner, Innocent Crush, Bubble Burst in Lavender

Michael Miller, Giraffe Garden in Grey/Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pinwheels in Grass

Phew!!!
The problem with reversible clothes, is that it is hard to determine which side is the front and which is the back - especially as you can't include a size tag on the inside, because there isn't an inside! So I cut a piece of decorative ribbon and sewed it to the back side of each pair of shorts to eliminate saggy crotches and wedgie bottoms!

And now I think shorts sewing is out of my system for a little while...

.Samples Sale.

2011-12-07T19:15:00.001+11:00

Just a heads up for anyone who hasn't seen this on Facebook yet...

I've been cleaning out my cupboards and have got loads of Make It Perfect samples that need new homes! Might be a quick and easy way to tick a few items off your Christmas list or perhaps just treat yourself to a little something special!

Check out some of the items for sale below and lots more on my Samples Sale page!!

(Postage is quoted within Australia - if you want to know about postage to the rest of the world, please contact me.)

.'Tis the Season.

2011-12-06T20:22:00.001+11:00

For busy, busy weeks - does your calendar look like this? As the big day draws near, the days seem to get busier. I love it though, adds to the excitement!

For decorating Christmas trees. We almost didn't do it this year. Almost. But it just wouldn't have been Christmas without a tree - even if we do only get to enjoy it for 15 days! That is all we have done in the way of decorating this year. Keeping things very simple, our big holiday is excitement enough.

For Christmas baking...after watching a few great Christ-centered videos last night for Family Home Evening we got to some gingerbread cooking and decorating. Tommy was the cutest - carefully putting an m&m on each dot of icing then licking his little finger after every one!

For dodgy advent calenders. I do feel bad that we aren't keeping up with our advent tradition this year but things are pretty crazy around here as we tidy up loose ends before we go away. We are still doing lots of special things each day, just without the added pressure of having to do them.

Hope Christmas is shaping up in your house, however you do it!

.A Sun Kissed Hat for the Mama.

2011-12-01T20:35:00.001+11:00

Super thankful for your excitement about my new Sun Kissed Hat pattern. It was very well received at Quilt Market too and I've noticed they are starting to pop up in stores now.

So, you've seen the hat on a cute little girl, but I want to share with you that it is just as fitting on adults as well. Unfortunately I am not a "hat person" - I'll wear one every now and then (mostly to set a good example to the kiddos!) but I just don't feel comfortable in hats. I have made a couple for myself in hopes that I can become more sun conscious and feel comfortable in a hat though!

I do prefer wearing this hat rather than a regular bucket-style hat though. The adjustable tabs at the back help to give it better shape and fit more snugly on my head.

If you've still got some Christmas presents to cross off the list, perhaps you can dig into your fabric stash and whip up a few hats? They really are a quick and simple project...especially when you are making a few in a production line!

I'm short on words tonight...the kids are finally asleep and I'm itching to escape into the sewing room and finish sewing a gazillion pairs of shorts for kids and cousins Christmas gifts!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Sun Kissed Hat pattern
Amy Butler, Lotus, Morning Glory in Linen
Amy Butler, Lotus, Wallflower in Cherry
Amy Butler, Soul Blossoms, Dancing Paisley in Limestone
Patty Young, Mezzanine, Clover Dot in Lime

.Thermomix Cooking - Lemon Bar Cookie Cups.

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000+11:00

I'm not sure how to best describe these tasty little morsels, except for DELICIOUS! In honour of my love for all things lemon, I couldn't pass this recipe by without having a try, and have converted it to the Thermomix while I was at it.

Have you ever tried a lemon bar/slice with a soft, cakey base and tangy lemon curd filling? These cookie cups are a take on the very popular slice - but with the ease of not having to cut the slice and making them very easy to serve and pop into your mouth!

I found the original recipe here (if you want to make them without using a Thermomix)...and the curd recipe was from here.

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

For the lemon curd:
100g butter
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
150g caster sugar

For the cookies:
120g butter
110g sugar
180g icing sugar
100g canola oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
260g plain flour
85g wholemeal plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

To make lemon curd:
Place all ingredients into the TMX, chop on speed 7 for 5 seconds.
Insert butterfly, cook for 8 minutes on 80 degrees at speed 3.
Pour into jars, store in fridge.
Allow to cool before adding to cookies - mine was in the fridge overnight so not sure how warm curd would go?

To make cookies:
Place butter, sugar and icing sugar into the TMX, cream on speed 3 for 1 minute.
Add oil, egg and vanilla, beat on speed 4 for 20 seconds.
Add flours, salt, bicarb and cream of tartar, mix until just combined on speed 3 for 15-20 seconds.

Place 1 tablespoon of cookie mixture into greased mini muffin tin.
Bake in moderate oven for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and make a deep indent into each cookie using the end of a wooden spoon or your finger.
Fill with about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
Put back into oven and cook for a further 4 minutes or until edges are starting to go a light golden brown.
Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then gently remove and place on a cooling rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.

Makes 30.

.Giveaway winners.

2011-11-29T21:00:00.000+11:00

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway celebrating my two new patterns, the Milkshake Skirt & Sun Kissed Hat! I'm always grateful for your words of encouragement :)

Congratulations to the following lucky winners...

I've sent both of you lovely ladies and email and look forward to hearing from you :)

.AQM wrap up.

2011-11-29T12:39:00.001+11:00

Another fun weekend away at Australian Quilt Market - I feel like I'm becoming an old hand at this now, this was my third time exhibiting at AQM and it's nice to be feeling familiar with it all.

I shared a booth with other fellow Aussie pattern designers whose patterns are also distributed through Creative Abundance.

We each take a section of the booth and it's loads of fun having each other to chat and laugh with. I'm in awe of how these women can stitch!! I do love a little bit of stitchery, but the stuff they do is amazing, intricate, detailed and sooooo neat!!!

Cinderberry Stitches

Rosalie Quinlan Designs

Holly Wolfe

Let me quickly show you a couple of Holly's designs up close...she is such a gorgeous girl with the most amazing style - now, these stitcheries I could probably accomplish!

Melly & Me

Ric Rac

This was the first time I got to meet Jodie in "real life" - we got to be booth buddies and she kept me thoroughly entertained with her quick wit and fun sense of humour the whole weekend - Hi Jodie ;) Oh, and her softies are to die for...I thought I was over softie making until I got a good look at her elephants. If I make them, they will be going on the high shelf and NOT for the kids!

And here is my little Make It Perfect corner...

I was excited to have some of my very close friends right next door to our booth - made it easy to sneak away during quiet times to have a chat! Here is my good friend Clare from Clares Place making her debut at AQM. Clare designs gorgeous quilt and bag patterns and braved the weekend away with an 8 week old baby - what a super star!!

And of course, my lovely pal Saffron Craig!

Saffron had on display her latest range of fabric, Magical Lands in Pink & Red, which will be avaliable very soon.

I particularly love this print below - the squiggly flowers are awesome and a really striking combo of the two colours...

I didn't get a photo of the lovely Carly of Umbrella Prints - her sidekick Amy has recently given birth to twin girls so couldn't make it...they are about to release a stunning collection of fabric you can see below - I can't wait to get my hands on some!

A few other bits and pieces on display at AQM...Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches is releasing her first range of fabric, Woodland, and she made up some super cute Slumber Party Jammies and an Uptown Girl jacket using it!

A display of Amy Butler goodness...

And a lovely collection of sewn items using Prints Charming's new range of fabric...

And while it was fun to lots of chatting and meeting and greeting at AQM, it was most fun of all to hang out with my little sister-in-law and her fiance in the evenings. The bridal shower was heaps of fun - Whitney's friends were such good sports and made me feel right at home :)

And now I'm back home again, its time to get focused on Christmas prep and get organised for our big trip away and look forward to a very special wedding in January - aren't they such a gorgeous couple? Can't wait for their special day...

.TWO New Patterns for Market!.

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000+11:00

I'm leaving for Quilt Market in 1 sleep and have a couple of new patterns ready to share!

First up - let me introduce you to

Sun Kissed Hat

Our skin needs protection from the harsh sun, and Sun Kissed Hats will cheerfully meet the challenge!

Sun Kissed Hats have a wide, floppy brim, ensuring excellent coverage and peace of mind.

With large, adjustable back tabs you will be guaranteed the perfect, snug fit and a handy opening to pull a ponytail through.

The reversible design of Sun Kissed Hats allows you to mix and match colours and patterns to suit any style this Summer!

Sun Kissed Hat are suitable for both boys and girls and are sized to fit infants through to adults.

My second new release pattern is a gorgeous little girl's skirt with lots of personality....

Milkshake Skirt

The Milkshake Skirt is a chic skirt with unlimited twirling capability.

The deep box pleats allow you to play with fun colour combinations, giving the Milkshake Skirt loads of bounce and zest!

Featuring a flat-fronted, elastic-backed adjustable waistband, the Milkshake Skirt is both stylish and comfortable, ticking all the boxes!

I'm really excited about these two new editions to the Make It Perfect range. They are just in time for some quick Summer sewing - I know my kids are in need of a few new hats (where do hats go anyway? I'm sure they end up in the same place as those missing socks...) and I know that you will love the adjustable tabs at the back of the Sun Kissed Hats. The great thing about the tabs is that you can tighten them to help the hat stay on securely - always helpful with kids!

I've had a lot of fun playing with different fabric combinations for the Milkshake Skirt also. This skirt is really cute and be given a more classic look with the use of a plain fabric on the exterior panels (I've used a lightweight denim here) or you can go to town using two of your favourite printed fabrics for a little more pizazz! (I'll share some other versions I've sewn of each of the patterns with you next week.)

My talented friend Chelsea captured these gorgeous pictures for me (and was a legend for fitting me in between her busy wedding time schedule!) and the cute model is the daughter of a good friend of mine who I don't get to see nearly enough - thanks Liv and Nik! Isn't she the sweetest??

You'll find more information about each of these patterns, Sun Kissed Hat and the Milkshake Skirt on the Make It Perfect website. If you are looking for a place to purchase a copy of the pattern for yourself, take a look at our stockists or ask your favourite store to order one in for you.

If you would like to win a copy of both of these patterns, leave a comment on this blog post. Two lucky commenters will win themselves a copy of BOTH patterns!
(Please make sure you leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will close Tuesday 29th November and winner will be drawn at random).

.BOOK SHELF: Oliver + S Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson.

2011-11-23T09:14:00.001+11:00

I promised I'd be back with my first review from the book shelf, and here it is!

THE DETAILS

Title: Oliver + S Little Things to Sew

Author: Liesl Gibson

Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang

Format: Hardback

Number of Pages: 136

Blurb: "In Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, you'll find whimsical yet practical accessories for children, such as a hat, scarf, vest, tutu, art smock, backpack, messenger bag, and quilt - all designed with the same style and attention to detail for which Oliver + S's individual patterns are renowned. As an added bonus, the book comes with two cardstock paper dolls that can be dressed with "clothing" cut from the book's jacket - a little something extra to keep young ones occupied as you stitch up new items for their wardrobes!"

Projects:
Mittens
Tutu
No-tie scarf
Messenger bag
Reversible bucket hat
Bias-trimmed apron
Bento box carrier
Play town
Penguin backpack
Art smock
Cozy winter hood
Messy kid bib
Juggling balls & drawstring bag
Tea party doll dress
Travel quilt
Red riding hood
Explorer vest
Bear carrier
Bear puppet bath mitt
Puppet theather

My thoughts:
Little Things to Sew book is really lovely and I was not at all disappointed with my purchase. I like to try and judge a sewing book on the amount of projects I would actually make, if I had the time and about half of these projects get the tick. There are full-sized pattern sheets in both the front and back cover of the book - always good not to have to do any photocopying or enlarging!

For those who need a bit of extra guidance, you'll also find a comprehensive "Basic Techniques & Glossary" section at the end of the book.

The instructions are clearly set out with accompanying diagrams. Each project is also given a "difficulty" rating and a list of skills needed (gathering, sewing a buttonhole, bias binding, etc.) to complete the project are included.

Keep in mind that the projects in this book are for accessories for children - not the usual detailed clothing sewing patterns that Oliver + S usually produce. A lot of the projects would make lovely, quick gifts for children.

I would say the projects in this book are more geared toward younger children, although most of the clothing projects go up to a size 8-10.

Overall, I am really happy with this book. If you enjoy sewing for children I think you will find enough enjoyable projects in this book to make the purchase worthwhile!

.A New Afterglow.

2011-11-21T09:10:00.001+11:00

More AQM sewing sharing today. Have you tried an Afterglow dress yet?

If you are unfamiliar with Afterglow, it is a carefree little dress which can be worn as either a nightie or an everyday dress. Also VERY easy and quick to sew! Did you know that Afterglow is my second highest girl's sewing pattern? (After Uptown Girl, of course!)

The problem with asking Lil to model my samples is that she decides they belong to her and will not take them off. This one made it to the dinner table and managed to get smeared with avocado! Thankfully with a bit of stain remover it all washed off okay!

So I am officially all ready for Quilt Market...now to start on the Christmas present sewing!
I'll be sharing two new patterns this week as well as my first book review, so stay tuned :)

SUPPLIES
Make It Perfect, Afterglow pattern
Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pinwheels in Blush

.Homemade KFC.

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000+11:00

This recipe is seriously good!

I should start off by making it clear that I didn't make it up myself. I came across it on Pinterest (proof that I don't just pin...sometimes I make stuff I pin too!), and the original recipe comes from Our Life Uncommon.

We've eaten it two times in the last two weeks and it gets the big thumbs up from all 5 members of the family. Aussie readers might find this version of the recipe easier as I've clarified things in our measurements.

Should also note that the kind of butter/margarine you use will make a difference in the end result - I used salted butter the first time and the whole dish was really salty, so next time I used unsalted butter and left the salt out of the coating, but it could have done with a little more salt. So, if you are using salted butter, leave salt out of the coating...unsalted butter, add salt to the coating - got it?!

Anyways, we don't eat takeaways very often, but I think everyone loves themselves a bit of good old KFC chicken. I always feel gross after it though, this chicken tastes just as good - and even better knowing that you are using lean chicken breast with no skin and no gristly bones to battle with either.

I've rambled long enough...let's get onto the recipe! And if you don't have plans for dinner over the weekend, give it a try - it is sooo quick and easy and I can guarantee there will be no leftovers!

HOMEMADE KFC

500g chicken tenderloins or chicken breast
milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs season all
3/4 tsp pepper
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp paprika
70g butter

Take 500g of chicken tenderloins or chicken breast. If you are using chicken breast, cut up into strips or chunks. Place in a bowl and cover with milk. Leave to soak for at least half an hour.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Place butter in shallow baking dish and put in oven to melt.

While butter is melting take plain flour, pepper, season-all, paprika and salt (if using)...

...and pop it into a big snap-lock bag. Seal and toss to combine.

Remove chicken from milk and add to seasoning in snap-lock bag. Seal and shake to coat. I use my hands to gently squish everything around and make sure that all of the chicken is well coated.

Remove tray from oven. Tilt tray to make sure that butter is evenly distributed over the base.
Place coated chicken strips in a single layer onto the tray.
Put tray in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn chicken and cook for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.

And there you have it! We like to have ours on some flat bread with heaps of salad...delish!

.A New Bloom.

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000+11:00

I always like to re-make a few of my samples for each market I attend to freshen things up a bit...I'm sure that no one else really notices, but I like having new stuff around!

It's been a looong time since I last made a Bloom tunic and shorts set and thought it would be nice to update this sample.

I still can't get enough of Umbrella Prints new quilting cotton weight range and thought it would make a cool Bloom set.

These colours are so lovely and fresh together. Not your usual aqua/red combo - this combination is modern and spunky.

I'm thinking Lil might need some new shorts for summer after seeing how cute these look on her. And can you believe she doesn't have a pair of shorts that fit her? Time to get sewing Mum!

This was a fun, quick sew. I got the shorts and the tunic cut out and sewn in one evening - that's my kind of sewing project!

And because I've updated this sample, I have a couple of older Bloom samples for sale in my MIP Samples Sale album on Facebook....and hurry, because everything is 20% off - but only until 7:30pm tonight! Might be a quick and easy way to get some of your Christmas shopping ticked off!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Bloom pattern
Umbrella Prints, Floating Flowers
Umbrella Prints, Raindrops

.Things I'm Crushing...Salted Caramel.

2011-11-16T16:01:00.001+11:00

Ever since having a salted caramel macaron at the Lindt Cafe in Melbourne last year I haven't been able to get the flavour out of my head. Before tasting the combination of caramel and salt, I would have thought it to be quite gross but it is actually delightful.

Pinterest, being full of all sorts of wonderfully tempting photographs has opened my eyes to a whole assortment of recipes of the salted caramel kind. I am desperate to dive in and start cooking up some delicious sweet treats but will refrain until I've finished this flamin' diet I'm on! (I'm 3/4 of the way there and I'm desperate to get to my goal weight before we head off to NZ!)

So, while I can't cook any of these at the moment, I'm pinning them so that I can find them easily when baking time strikes next!

Salted Caramels (these would make a great Christmas gift)

Caramel & Sea Salt topped Shortbread

Salted Caramel Frosting

Salted Caramel Cookies

Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Vanilla, Salted Caramel & Chocolate Mousse

Salted Caramel Corn

Salted Caramel Shortbread

Salted Caramel Yummies

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Is your mouth watering? If you do try any of these recipes, please have an extra piece for me! I'll let you know when I'm baking again :)

(To find recipes, click on link underneath picture, it will take you to the pinned image on my Too Cook Pinterest board. Then click on the image and you will land at the recipe.)

.Family News.

2011-11-12T18:48:00.001+11:00

I'm starting to feel as though we are racing against the clock at the moment. We have a few big events coming up over the next few months and I feel like I don't have a lot of time to do all of the things that I want to!

Australian Quilt Market is two weeks away. Thankfully I'm feeling prepared for that, I have two new patterns ready to release which I'm sure will come in very handy for you this Summer. While I'm in Melbourne for AQM, I am throwing a Bridal Shower for my beautiful sister-in-law who lives in Melbourne. We only decided to do it about a week ago so I need to get myself organised with games, entertainment and food for that and hope that her friends (whom I have never met!) don't think I'm a total loser!!! It's much easier planning a shower when you know most of the people who are going to be there!

Two weeks after I get home from AQM we are all flying off to New Zealand to spend the festive season with my in-laws. We are all soooo excited (especially the kids!)...I haven't been to NZ since I was a little girl and Jaron was born in NZ and most of his family live there still so we will have a lot of catching up to do with family members and visiting places which are special to him. We were planning on staying in NZ for 2 weeks, then my sister-in-law and her fiance announced their wedding to be held in January in Melbourne so decided to stay in NZ for a bit longer and stop in Melbourne on the way home for the wedding. So we will be away for 4 weeks...I'm sure we will be busy little beavers the whole time but I'm already preparing myself with things to do in case I start to get itchy feet from sitting still for so long! Today I made a Countdown to New Zealand poster for the kids to cross off every day...

And we finally got our passports lodged and are waiting for them to be returned to us now - tell me, why do passport photos have to be so unflattering?!!

In other family news...Oscar very cleverly finished his massive Lego Technic that we got him for his birthday today - he got half way through and realised that he had made a mistake, so put it away for a couple of weeks. This week he started from scratch and finished it in "one night and two days"!

Today we finally had a lovely, sunny Saturday. Warm days have been few and far between around here lately...mixed with a LOT of rain. We ventured out to a strawberry farm at lunch time and did some picking (and a bit of eating) then headed off to the beach for a play this afternoon.

Oscar practicing his Milo Cricket bowling skills...

Lil decided that she might go for a quick dip...and changed her mind when she dipped her toes in the freezing cold water!!

Tommy started to occasionally string two words together this week! Alleluia! He is 2 1/2 now and still not speaking well at all. Funny how we can totally understand everything he is saying (or trying to say) though as we are so accustomed to his way of communicating - need to make a more conscious effort to help him along though. He still seems like such a baby to us and just doesn't feel like we should be celebrating his third birthday in 6 short months!

And that is where we are standing at the moment! I'm not even going to apologise for my boring blog of late... I'm sure it will pick up again soon though!

.Book Shelf.

2011-11-06T22:23:00.001+11:00

Sewing books. Do you have many?

As you can see, my sewing book shelf is well endowed. (I have more tucked away in other places around the house too!) My collection of sewing books grew considerably when I started to write my own book. I needed to do some research and work out what I liked/didn't like in a sewing book and see how others went about their books. So books started steadily streaming into the sewing room and, as with all of my "sewing collections" I can't stop adding to it!!!

Previous to doing my book research, I was always a little apprehensive to purchase a sewing book without having a good look inside though. I had made some not so good purchases and forked out money for a book I thought was going to be lovely and full of lots of great things to make, only to be disappointed when it arrived when I realised that the only decent project in the book was the one featured on the front cover!!

With little ones in tow, I do most of my book shopping online...I don't have as much time as I would like to stand in the aisles of a bookstore flicking through pages - usually I've got children in hand or under careful, watchful eye making sure they don't escape/destroy anything or make a spectacle of us all!!!

Inspired by one of my Facebook followers I'm going to start a regular (but not committing to weekly!) "BOOK SHELF" feature on the blog - each Book Shelf post will give you a detailed look into a sewing book from my ever growing collection with lots of information about the kinds of projects the book holds and a little review on the book to help you make purchases that you will be happy with!

Coolies? I'll be back later in the week with my first review! In the meantime...if you've got a book that you are particularly interested in (whether in my photographs here or not) let me know and I'll pop those ones at the beginning of the list :)

.A+ in Echino.

2011-11-04T10:05:00.001+11:00

A few months ago, when I was preparing for the Sydney and Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fairs I needed a few new skirts to wear (really, I did - the 15+ Make It Perfect skirts hanging in my cupboard were not enough!!). Nothing helps you feel prepared for an event more than a new outfit to wear, right?!

Echino was my fabric of choice. I hadn't sewn any clothing with Echino previously (shame, I know!) but had seen a lot of other people make lovely skirts/tunics out of it and was inspired.
So three new skirts were sewn! If you haven't sewn an A+ Skirt before, I'll let you in on a little secret...they are really FAST! And all you need is to choose a fabric you love - whether you want to make a statement or use something a little more subtle - and you've got yourself a one-of-a-kind skirt to prance around in :)

I wasn't completely won over with this jungle scene fabric when I first made it, but after a bit of wear it has turned out to be one of my favourite skirts ever.

I decided to break up the business of the patchwork of the green one with a contrasting band around the top - well, maybe that makes it look a little more busy? Whatever, I'm still happy!

Echino fabrics are just gorgeous to wear, they are made from a blend of 55% linen/45% cotton so have a slightly heavier weight to them than regular quilting cottons. Because of this, they drape beautifully and wash really well...coming out soft and slightly creased rather than a crinkled mess that needs fighting with the iron!

You may have noticed on my website that A+ Skirts has had a little makeover...it was very handy to get in touch with the "public" at the Melbourne and Sydney Craft & Quilt Fairs and see how different patterns were received and we came to the conclusion that the previous A+ Skirt cover photo wasn't doing it justice.

My cute little sister modeled for me and brother-in-law took the pics. The one above is the new cover photo (also in Echino fabric).

So there you have it! If you're looking for some satisfying summer sewing, have a go at A+ Skirts!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect sewing pattern - A+ Skirts
Echino, Quiet Ground in Green
Echino, Story Patchwork in Blue/Green
Echino, Bonbon in Green
Echino, Woodland in Natural/Black

.Working on a quilt.

2011-10-31T12:31:00.002+11:00

It rained all weekend, which was good for me because I desperately wanted to get started on a new quilt!

This was my weekend project.

You may recognise the fabrics as being the same as the new cushion covers I recently made for the loungeroom. The mis-matched eclectic mix of prints and colours are still making me smile, so much so that I decided a matching quilt would be fun!

I did have a think about perhaps using a more elaborate piecing design (like triangles...super elaborate on my behalf!) for the quilt, but didn't have quite enough fabric to make the quilt a big snuggle under size so stuck with squares.

I love each of these fabrics so much that I'm happy to let the fabric shine rather than the focus be on the piecing design.

Jaron did ask me during my cutting and sewing marathon what "pattern" I was working on and when I told him I was making a quilt just for fun I could almost hear him think psycho woman to himself!!

Crafting gets a bit like that, don't you think? Sometimes I actually do feel like a bit of a psycho, cutting up fabric and sewing it back together just for fun. And to prove it...my secret reason behind making this quilt is so that I have something to do (i.e. hand-quilting) when we sit down and watch a movie or something on TV!

So now, I'm waiting on backing fabric to arrive and then have to think about how I'm going to quilt it...Perle 8 cotton? What colour? What design? Any ideas??

.Roast Vegetable Salad.

2011-10-28T10:17:00.002+11:00

Oh dear, this blog is feeling very quiet at the moment. As always, the reason is because I'm madly sewing behind the scenes trying to finish up a few new patterns to release at AQM in a few weeks. I'm almost there and looking forward to chilling out soon!

For now, let's check out one of our most favourite dinners at the moment - Warm Roast Vegetable Salad!

No meat involved (although sometimes we will have it as a side with something meaty), very filling, good for you and yummy to the max!

I'm not sure that you need an actual recipe to follow for this, but here's a general "how we do it" just incase...

First of all, pull out every single vegetable you can find in your fridge/pantry - pretty much any vegetable you would eat warm works well. We usually have potato, pumpkin, carrot, red and green capsicum, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, onion, garlic...the more you can find, the more interesting and tasty your salad will be.

I always steam my vegies (in my Thermomix varoma) first to make roasting in the oven quicker. I'll start with the harder vegies - potato, carrot, pumpkin - and when they are starting to soften a bit I"ll throw in everything else for 10 minutes. I like to steam my vegies until they are soft to touch, but still nice and firm - it doesn't really matter though as you finish off cooking them in the oven.

Throw your vegies into a tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. (Don't steam mushrooms, just throw them in the pan now).

Roast in a hot oven (around 220) turning once or twice until everything is nicely browned and cooked to your liking.

There are a couple of extras that we always throw in to make your salad taste amazing...first - a punnet of cherry tomatoes. Pop them into the oven with the rest of the vegies for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. They just need to be in there long enough to get hot and start to soften a little.

And take a small handful of pine nuts and pumpkin seeds and toast them in a separate tray in the oven for a couple of minutes until they are golden and crunchy.

All that is left to do is pile everything on top of a bed of baby spinach and season with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper and enjoy!

You can also throw in a can of chick peas and crumble some feta cheese through the salad for an extra treat. A seriously delicious meal and the perfect last minute dish to prepare when you can't be bothered cooking up a storm but want more than baked beans or cheese on toast for dinner!

.'Copter Basic Tee.

2011-10-22T12:57:00.000+11:00

I love it when the baby starts being interested in something. Tommy has always just followed the other two around in what ever they are doing, but lately he has started obsessing over "copters" (helicopters) and "flys" (planes). So cute watching him make everything zoom around in the air.

I was sorting through some craft stuff a couple of weeks ago and rediscovered these iron-on velours we bought when Oscar was a baby - I think they were from Pumpkin Patch. When I saw the helicopter I couldn't resist making Tommy his very own 'copter tee.

He loves it! I love the colours, we call it his "high vis" shirt - great for spotting him in a crowded park!!!

Of course I used my Basic Tees pattern - boys version with short sleeves. And the fabric comes from Crafty Mamas.

Has anyone out there made a Basic Tee yet? Would love to see some pics of your creations if you have!!!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Basic Tees sewing pattern
Gitte Knit in Kiwi
Stella Knit in Turquoise

.Cool Shops! HOOKED ZPAGETTI.

2011-10-19T22:58:00.001+11:00

It's been quite awhile since my last Cool Shop blog post. I've got a great new one for you tonight though, have you heard of Hooked Zpagetti?

I was first introduced to Hooked Zpagetti when I was at the Craft & Quilt Fairs in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year. There were people walking around everywhere with these great big cones of chunky yarn and I was intrigued! After a little questioning and was directed to the Hooked Zpagetti stand and after seeing some of their funky creations, I guess you could say I was hooked!!

Zpagetti uses offcuts of latest knit fashion material and makes a chunky yarn ideal for crocheting and knitting. The yarn is avaliable in a huge range of colours and designs. The number one draw-card for me was that because the yarn is so chunky anything you knit or crochet with it is going to be a FAST project!

You can quickly and easily make handbags, soft toys, cushion covers, scarves, bowls, baskets and other home ware items with Zpagetti. I was immediately taken by some lovely bowls they had displayed on their stand so grabbed a couple of spools of yarn, a pattern and bamboo crochet hook and was set!

Being a novice crocheter, it did take me a few tries to get used to the weight and elasticity of the yarn and to work out exactly how big I wanted my bowl to turn out, but once I had everything sorted out I had TWO bowls crocheted in under 2 hours! So if you think you can't crochet, don't be scared to give Zpagetti a go - it really is simple.

First off, I made a fruit bowl for the kitchen bench - love the rustic, earthy feel the crochet look and chunkiness of the yarn gives.

I had a bit of yarn left over so started on a second bowl, it ended up a decent size and at the moment is housing eggs!

I couldn't believe how cheap the cones of yarn are - $17.95 and you've got yourself two funky bowls! These would be great to give away as gifts, and don't have to be used in the kitchen...pop them anywhere to attractively store odds and ends.

I'm enjoying mine in the kitchen at the moment though...

Here's a pic of the Hooked Zpagetti stand at one of the Fairs...they have HEAPS of colours to choose from. There was also a gorgeous big floor rug on display at the fair, would love to make one of those...or some big floor cushions...or maybe a big round pouffe...

If you would like to try your hand at a bit of Zpagetti (and you really should!) then order now because until the 7th November, all Make It Perfect readers will receive a 10% discount on all orders placed through the Hooked Zpagetti website! Use the code "Makeitperfect" during checkout to activate the discount.

Hooked Zpagetti Links:

Online Store

Facebook

.Shout Outs.

2011-10-15T15:45:00.002+11:00

I've got a few fun things to share with you today...

First of all, have you heard about the Premium Mothers Retreat being held in Sydney early next year?

The retreat sounds amazing and is sure to refuel worn out Mothers with loads of inspirational presentations and workshops. Early bird rates are avaliable until 18th November, then prices will increase by 20% so hurry and book now!

Next up (and this may be of interest to local peeps....)

Inspire Handmade Market - a funky market full of lots of cool handmade goodness, going to be held in March at Deloraine Primary School - I'll be there with some bits and pieces for sale...will talk more about it as the time draws closer, but for now - if you are interested in having a stall at the market, contact The Handmade Team ASAP as tables are filling up fast!

And for anyone looking for an easy way to learn a new craft, check out Emily Falconbridge's Fabulous Felting course!

Learning something at home is super convenient for busy people...I like it 'cause it means I can stay in my jammies and do things at my own pace. I've never tried wet felting before, it has always intrigued me though! I especially love those rugs made of hundreds of little felted beads...so cool!

.A new toy.

2011-10-14T14:08:00.000+11:00

Both of these items have been high on my wish list for a long time. And I finally got one of them!!!

But which one, you ask?

All will be revealed :)

P.S. What big ticket items have been on your wishlist lately?

.Run, Noah, Run.

2011-10-13T20:56:00.000+11:00

Today I had the honour of joining with hundreds of other people in saying goodbye to my cousin (and dear friend) Lisa's son, Noah.

Photograph from here

Noah was born with hydranencephaly (you can read his story here) and he has been a fighter from the day he was born. His life expectancy was 2-4 years, but this little boy showed the world what he was made of and lived for 10 wonderful years. Surely he was living, breathing, and his heart was beating for the love his family showed for him.

Lisa with her four boys - source

The last week has been emotional as we have joined together with the King family to mourn the loss of their sweet boy. Today it was a privilege to be among those who united to celebrate the life of Noah King. Noah was an amazing little boy who taught life lessons to those around him without ever saying a word.

Through Noah, I have learned that your worst fear could actually become your greatest blessing. That every single person living on this earth is of great importance and deserves the love of those around them. I've had the blessing of watching those I care for go through difficult times whilst still remaining optimistic. I've learned that Heavenly Father places angels like Noah on earth to remind us to slow down and smell the roses and make the most of every special moment we have with those we love.

Noah's balloons

Noah's funeral today was perfect. A true celebration of an angelic boy who was a gift from God, sent to earth for 10 short years but will be remembered for eternity.

During the funeral service, Lil (who, for the last 6 months has had an obsession with talking and asking questions about death and dying) drew pictures of Noah, his Mum and his Dad. I love Noah's wheelchair legs and I'm not sure why Aaron looks like a caterpillar!! Towards the end of the day, Lil also declared that "today is the best day ever!" - and she was right...today was the PERFECT way to celebrate the life of a PERFECT child.

Those who know Lisa well, will at some time or another have had a jab at her about taking a gazillion photos of absolutely everything!! Today I learned that one can NEVER take too many photos - Lisa, you keep snapping away. Photographs are memories and memories last forever.

Photograph from here

Run free sweet Noah. 'Till we meet again.
x

.Oscar Is Six!.

2011-10-09T21:02:00.001+11:00

Friday marked the 6th birthday of our big boy! Hard to believe we have been muddling our way through this parenting business for 6 whole years now, we are so proud of our practical, fun-loving boy! Oscar has been Lego-crazy for a few years now, so we decided on a Lego-themed birthday party for him and a few of his little buddies from school.

I made the invitations using some Lego Minifigure images from this blog (really cool, ready to print memory game here if you are interested) and printed them out A5 size on cardboard...(feel free to use these images if you want to use them for a party - I know Lego is the flavour of the month for many little boys out there!)

Front of invitation

Back of invitation

I'm a bit of a sucker for these message banners and made another one to surprise Oscar when he woke up in the morning...(I've got a LOT of scrapbook paper that I don't use much anymore and feel happy putting it to good use!)

The decorations were simple, aside from the banner, I blew up a handful of balloons and made some funky Legoman Kirigami shapes using a template from here.

The party started right after school, so we started with some food and milkshakes...

(not sure if the other mothers want pics of their kids on my blog!)

We had a few games organised, but after playing pass-the-parcel and pin-the-hat-on-the-lego-man, the boys were more interested in playing outside - kicking the balls around and jumping on the trampoline so that's what they ended up doing!

After a run around outside, they came back in and each made a mini pizza for dinner, then more playing outside while the pizzas were cooking. Then it was time for pizza and singing happy birthday and CAKE!

You'll know by now that my birthday cakes are very maker-friendly...I've had enough stressful moments in the past with elaborate cakes not working out how I imagined so like to keep it low-key now!

Oscar was happy with cupcakes, so cupcakes it was!

I did jazz them up a bit by making cupcake wrappers using leftover paper from the banner and this template - thought they looked super cute and a nice change from regular cupcake liners that never look very nice once the cake has been cooked.

The cupcake toppers were made using the same images from the invitations. If you want to use these toppers yourself, click on the link below to download the document. I printed two copies of 12 toppers and laminated them, then stuck them either side of the stick so that there wasn't a "back" side to the cupcakes.

Click here to download Lego Man Cupcake Toppers

And after the action-packed afternoon, all that was left to do was to blow out the candles!!

Happy Birthday Oscar J!! We hope you love every moment of being six and can't wait to do it all over again next year!!! xxx

.Tshirt Dress.

2011-10-08T14:38:00.001+11:00

Dresses are still a big deal with Lil. And she has HEAPS! The problem is, they get washed and then put into the ironing basket ready to be ironed...and I am not ever good at keeping on top of the ironing. So her cupboard is usually pretty scarce when it comes to dresses which does not make her a happy camper!

When I was making a new round of Basic Tees for the kids, it dawned on me that a tshirt style dress could be the answer to our problems. No need to iron and very low maintenance!

This dress was a lot of fun to make, I didn't use a pattern, just quickly drafted something up and it worked a treat. I did make one mistake...cut a lower front neckline on the back piece - duh! I didn't have enough fabric to cut another back piece so filled in the gap with a scrap and left raw edges showing. I quite like the accidental detail it creates at the back.

I decided that 3/4-length sleeves would be more practical for our spring and early summer. Not quite warm enough every day for short-sleeves and means that we don't have to bother about layering long-sleeved shirts underneath.

The dress was initially a little nightie-ish looking so I added a MASSIVE flower applique to the side - using raw-edge applique on knit fabric. Now I'm in love and dreaming up other colour/applique combinations!

Imagine massive cherries, cat faces, speech bubbles, the sun, letters, shapes...yup, there are going to be many more of these popping up for summer!

And little brother had to get in on the action with our photoshoot....

SUPPLIES:

Gitta Knit Stripe in Purple/Hotpink

Gite Knit Solid in Kiwi

Stella Knit Solid in Lilac

.A sad ending.

2011-10-05T12:36:00.000+11:00

Please remind me never to make a soft toy for my children again.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when presented with these victims. Time of death...usually an hour or so after the kids go to bed. They have no toys in their bedroom so when they aren't ready for sleep and still have a bit of energy to kill they start playing with their softies. What starts off as a game ends in somebody getting hurt.

My children aren't usually destructive, I promise. They tell me they are too strong and weren't even playing tug-of-war very hard.

All I could think about was the hours of time I put into sewing each one of those little critters up, with visions of them being passed down as family heirlooms to children's children. I'm not sure if I can be bothered patching them up - is it really going to be worth the effort?!

This is Giddy Up - all stuffing removed. He was in REALLY bad shape...

Sorry Magoo, Mrs Perkins x 2 and Giddy Up. My children will never be trusted with a softie again.

.The Honey Blouse winner!.

2011-10-03T19:53:00.000+11:00

Who's the winner of a copy of The Honey Blouse - hot off the press?

~~It's you - Jane!!! Congratulations :)~~

Let's try that again...the lovely Jane has already purchased a copy of the pattern for herself!

Second chance draw goes to Natalie!!

.Nani IRO Lap Quilt.

2011-10-03T09:37:00.001+11:00

I loooove double gauze fabrics...if you haven't sewn with them before, do it. They are super soft, slightly textured and have that "look good when crushed" look about them (great for people like me who don't like to iron!) When I saw this great project over at The Purl Bee last month, I knew that it wouldn't be long until I had a go at sewing one myself and look what I made in just 1 1/2 hours on the weekend!

This lap quilt measures about 1m x 1.5m - not very big, but just right for popping over your lap to snuggle down and watch a movie or read a book on the couch. Also great for a quick and easy baby quilt. It is lovely and soft and after a few washes I know that the snuggle factor will increase as the quilt softens even more.

As a quick and easy quilting method, the quilt is sewn together with small bar tacks (or short zig-zags) every 7".

I'm thinking a lap quilt for every member of the family may be in order over the next little while...this one is already in high demand!

My lovely double gauze fabrics came from Kelani fabric, and I used wool batting between each layer.

SUPPLIES:
Nani IRO double gauze, Saaaa Saaa Stripe in Red
Nai IRO double gauze, Pocho White on Soft Grey

.Little Monkey Basic Tee.

2011-09-30T21:54:00.000+10:00

Thanks ladies for the lovely comments and feedback about my new pattern, The Honey Blouse. The pattern has started hitting shops so you should be able to find one online or near you now. If you'd like to see another version made up, check out Karen's gorgeous red spotty blouse!

I told you I had a few more Basic Tees to share...here is Tommy is all of his cuteness, wearing his little monkey long-sleeved version.

Lisa at Crafty Mamas threw in this monkey print free with my last order (she looks after me like that!)...I'm still getting used to novelty print knit fabrics - for some reason I can't see past PJs, but I've changed my mind after sewing with a few of them now and think they are great for every day kids clothing too.

Last time he wore the tee, someone asked me if it was Sooki Baby (love that brand!) but I was happy to proudly tell them no, I made it myself :)

The tee is cute, but even cuter is watching Tommy make monkey actions and sounds every time he looks at his top! Love it!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Basic Tees pattern
Vicente knit, Cheeky Monkeys in Turquoise
Stella knit in Chocolate

.The Honey Blouse - just for YOU!.

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000+10:00

I hope you girls are all ready for some selfish sewing because I've got a new pattern to share with you today...something special you can sew just for yourself!

THE HONEY BLOUSE

The Honey Blouse is a versatile top boasting pureand simple elegance. With subtlegathers to give a feminine feel and a slimming waistband, The Honey Blouse isflattering for all body shapes and sizes.

The puff-shaped three-quarter length sleeves and scoop neckline featurea fancy twisted trim to add personality and detail.

With options to wear side ties long or short, The HoneyBlouse can easily be worn as a casual top or quickly glammed up for a night outwith some pretty jewellery and heels!

I really enjoyed designing this top. It was a slow and steady process and spread out over a much longer space of time than I usually take to design my patterns, but you've really got to be particular with women's patterns, they can be tricky to get "just right" and I'm thrilled with the flattering fit and sophisticated feel that has been achieved with The Honey Blouse.

I've made a couple of these blouses now (will share soon!) and have played around with using double gauze and cotton voile fabrics and recommend using a fabric with a soft drape (such as these two) to give The Honey Blouse a lovely fit and comfortable feel.

Once again, thanks a million to Chelsea Parsons photography for these lovely images. And the lovely Chelsea herself for modelling The Honey Blouse - isn't she gorgeous?!

You'll find more information about The Honey Blouse on the Make It Perfect website. If you are looking for a place to purchase a copy of the pattern for yourself, take a look at our stockists or ask your favourite store to order one in for you.

I'll be giving away a copy of The Honey Blouse to one lucky winner - simply leave a comment on this blog post to enter!!
(Please make sure you leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will close Monday 3rd October and winner will be drawn at random).

.Floating Fairies Basic Tee.

2011-09-26T15:03:00.002+10:00

These Basic Tees are becoming a little addictive!! I made a new collection of them for the kids over the weekend...I just love how I can decide exactly what colours and prints I'm mixing and matching rather than being stuck with what is in the shops...plus, my knit fabric stash is steadily growing and I really need to start using more of it up!!

Here's the first one - another long-sleeved version for Lil. I left out the gathers in the sleeves for this one because I thought it was busy enough without them. Light-weight long-sleeved tees are just right for the weather we are having lately, sunny days with a cool breeze...

I wasn't 100% sure about the Floating Fairies fabric...whether it was a bit to crazy or not, but love it now that it has been made up.

I'm still really enjoying this pattern - I managed to cut and sew 6 new tees for the kids in 1 day! Beats dragging everyone to the shops and coming home with way more than I intended to...would rather spend that money on more fabric!!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Basic Tees pattern
Sydilla interlock, Floating Fairies in Lime
Stella knit in Pastel Pink

.Cushions replaced!.

2011-09-21T21:42:00.002+10:00

A change is as good as a holiday, right? I finished new cushion covers to live in the loungeroom last night and couldn't be happier with them today. You might remember my old cushions...I made them at the end of last year and they just haven't worked for me or our home. Wrong colours, wrong designs.

This time around I took my time selecting the fabrics. I didn't want anything matchy-matchy so grabbed a few of my favourite fabrics from my stash and played around until I came up with a collection I was happy with.

There is definitley nothing matchy-matchy about these fabrics! Although the more I look at them, I can see why they work well together - there are a few from the same ranges, the scale of most of the prints are small or have a small detail about them and there is a focus on grey, lilac, aqua and green...

Cushions really are a quick and easy way to spruce up a room and freshen things up a bit - could I claim this as my spring cleaning for the year?!

My favourite method for making cushion covers is hiding the zipper under a folded flap of fabric. It gives a really neat and professional finish. I don't like envelope closures as they always tend to stretch open and look sloppy over time. If you are interested, here is a handy tutorial to hide the zippers in your cushion covers.

I was a little worried about using regular quilting weight cotton to make the cushions. In past experience they have become saggy and stretched and haven't been able to withstand the beatings that our cushions get (see below) so this time I fully lined each cushion using a piece of (dodgy) scrap fabric I had lying around. Nothing fancy with the lining, just cut a piece the same as the exterior and overlocked them together around the edge and then worked with the joined pieces as one. It has made a huge difference in the stability of the cushions and I'm confident they will be long-lasting.

Now, as much as I love my cushions to decorate our home and inject a pop of colour, the kids love them more to throw around and play with! Some days it drives me C.R.A.Z.Y! I am constantly picking cushions up off the floor, but the small-fries love it!!

Hmm, looks like fun...I might have to join them in their antics next time!

SUPPLIES:

Umbrella Prints, Floating Flowers

Umbrella Prints, Elephants

Umbrella Prints, Raindrops

Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pixiestick Posies in Turquoise

Erin McMorris, Summersault, Raindrops in Celery

Erin McMorris, Wildwood, Checked Floral in Green

Saffron Craig, Magical Lands, Magic Spots

Lizzy House, 1001 Peeps, Pearl Bracelet in Purple

Jennifer Moore, Monaluna, Hip to Be Square in Steel

.A whole lota zippers.

2011-09-20T11:52:00.000+10:00

Awhile ago my sister gave me a massive zip-lock bag full of zippers. She had been to a deceased estate sale and the lady of the house must have been into thrifty sewing because she had a whole hoard of zippers stashed in one of her draws - most of them had been unpicked from old items of clothing.

I'm just about to start making some new cushion covers for our couch cushions but have been pushing the project back as it means making a trip to the shops to pick up some zippers - then I remembered the big bag of old lady zippers in the cupboard and problem solved!!

I didn't think I would ever use them, still overcoming my issues with second-hand stuff, but if it means saving me a trip to the shops and a bit of money I think I'm going to face my issues and get on with it!

There are actually some really cool zippers in the stash...lots of retro looking ones and funky shaped pulls. Even some brand new ones still in their vintage packaging.

I'll definitley be remembering to dive into my zipper collection next time I need to sew something with zippers, who knows what treasures I will find?! Perhaps I'll make one of these funky no-fabric zippered pouches just to use some of them up!

.Things I'm Crushing...OUR WORLD.

2011-09-19T13:43:00.000+10:00

I remember as a child that we always had a world globe sitting on top of our TV. It wasn't just a decoration...the globe was pretty battered and worn. We would play games with it all the time - spin it as fast as we could and stop our fingers on a country. The last I remember, it was very faded, the paper was lifting and edges were torn. I'm thinking it was tossed away, but I wish we still had it. I've been thinking about that globe lately and how I want a globe in our home - one that can be played with so that the children have an opportunity to explore the world and see how countries and oceans make it up. Then I started spotting globes, maps and some great creations on Pinterest and I'm loving them - wouldn't the world map make a great theme for decorating a boy's bedroom?

What an amazing world we have!

(All image sources - and more world map images - can be found on my Globe Pinterest Board.)

.Hello comfy undies...goodbye to wedgies.

2011-09-15T16:07:00.000+10:00

I have just sent off my next pattern to testers and photographers to do their stuff and am treating myself with a little bit of "just for fun" sewing.

For a long, long time I have owned the Children's Undies pattern by That Darn Kat with intentions to have a go at sewing some for the kids but the project just kept being pushed further and further back. Lil has just outgrown her last purchased undies and I am sick of complaints of wedgies and seeing more than I need to under her skirt when her legs are spread! (The people that design kids undies should really keep in mind that little girls flash all the time and actually require a bit more coverage than adults do!)

These undies are sensational. I made six for her and one for her cousin and they are quite a quick sew once you get the hang of it. As I was sewing them I did wonder if I was totally wasting my time - not sure if they would compare with Disney Princesses and My Little Pony, but I need not worried. She was over the moon and looooves them. She has been wearing them for about a week now and doesn't give a second glance to the store-bought undies in her cupboard.

As you can probably tell, I didn't put a lot of thought into the fabric combinations...I set myself a rule to only use fabric scraps and just mixed and matched without worrying about the finished look. Some of the fabric is scraps from other projects and others are saved bottom halves of t-shirts I have cut up to make Cupcake Dresses from my book. I like 'em though, a little crazy - just like the wearer!

I can tell they are totally comfortable. And the fact that they actually cover her bottom with no gaping holes is great. I was starting to wonder what we would do about the flashing under her school uniform next year, but now I think I'll whip up a batch of navy blue undies and my problems will be solved!

I personally love it when she gallops around the house in undies and singlet now - cutest little bottom ever...

The pair that didn't make it to the photo shoot...I like this look better than seeing the top of her bottom when she bends over!

.Thermomix Cooking - Oat & Apricot Slice.

2011-09-11T14:27:00.000+10:00

I'm on a bit of a health kick at the moment - trying to curb a few bad snacking habits and get myself ready for Summer! I still love baking though and have been making a few things for Jaron and the kids to eat but recently came across this healthy recipe for Oat & Apricot slice that I can enjoy too! It is really filling, full of lots of good for you ingredients and great for breakfast or lunch on the run with a piece of fruit or tub of yoghurt. Of course, making them is a breeze in the Thermo - if you don't have a Thermo, just combine everything in a bowl with a wooden spoon!

(P.S. If you have any favourite healthy baking or snacking recipes or ideas - send them my way!)

Oat & Apricot Slice

170g wholemeal plain flour
1tsp baking powder
120g brown sugar
50g quick oats
15 chopped apricots
20g sunflower seeds
20g butter
2 small eggs, beaten

Combine butter and eggs in TMX, speed 8 for 4 seconds.
Add remaining ingrediends. Knead on interval speed for 30 seconds to combine.
Press into a greased 20cm square tin and smooth top with back of spoon.
Bake in 170 degree oven for 25 minutes.
When completely cool, cut into 8 slices.

.Bargain fabric...I couldn't resist!.

2011-09-10T11:05:00.000+10:00

I'm the first to admit that I'm a fabric snob...I'm all about good quality and style. I haven't bought fabric from Spotlight in a long time. In fact, I only try and visit the shop a couple of times a year and stock up on thread, zippers, buttons and other bits and pieces that I need. This time I needed bits and pieces but also wanted to check out the Denyse Schmidt fabric exclusive to Spotty.

We are still on school holidays here, so we packed up a picnic, piled into the car and drove off to Spotlight with the promise that after we had finished we would find a nice grassy park to have a play and some lunch.

So I got all of my needed bits and pieces but when we got to the cutting table I discovered a huge $2m clearance table and I just couldn't resist! I made myself look for the best quality and only made purchases with projects IN MIND...and i'm going to actually use it! The kids were INSANE. Spotlight for them = running races and hiding spots and crazy antics. The man who was serving me at the desk asked them about 50 times to stop climbing on the shelf, don't stand on the fabric, get out of that hole...all the while I smiled sweetly at him and them. Isn't it nice when someone else does your parenting for you! Seriously man, if you are going to have a massive $2m table piled high with fabric then get cutting and ignore the naughty children!

So, back to the purchases...these pinwhale cords are going to be some lovely summer skirts and shorts for the kids - I like the fact that these are going to be super cheap to make so won't matter if they get them stained in the first wear! I bought HEAPS of navy blue - it's the kids school pants colour so I figure I can get good use out of it over the next few years!

Couldn't resist some checks and ginghams...

I found a big roll of hounstooth! LOVE it and can't wait to make myself a pencil skirt out of it! Also a jungle print jersey knit (not the best quality but good for a simple baby wrap) and some dress up fabric for Lil - ballerina and mermaid here we come!

And lastly, the measly amount of Denyse Schmidt that I went for! I spent more on these three pieces than everything else above combined!!! It is a lovely collection, but I couldn't see myself doing much with the country-style prints. The spots are great though and the check is going to be really cool for shorts for the boys!

Looks like I've got some sewing to do!

.Makings.

2011-09-09T16:52:00.001+10:00

1. New pattern in the making...almost done!

2. 3. 4. Playing around with Vintage Japanese Glass earrings.

And I forgot to draw the winner of the Jamberry Nails giveaway - congrats to the Launceston Weeden Family! I've sent you an email...

.Gramma Knits.

2011-09-07T12:37:00.002+10:00

My Mum is a great knitter...something I wish I had the patience for, but just never seem to get the hang of. Perhaps I'll have to choose a simple project and get her to give me some lessons - I'm liking the look of the very popular Milo vest.

She has just finished knitting Lil a gorgeous new cardi.

Lil chose the colour (with a little nudging from me!) and I'm happy that it is not totally girly pink and purple.

The last cardi that Mum knitted for Lil is still being worn...and I was surprised to look back on my blog and see that it was THREE years ago! So hoping that we get at least a couple of years out of this one!

Thanks Gramma for another gorgeous knit - feel free to make us more!!!

Now...if I was to take up a new hobby (because I really have a whole heap of spare time to fill - ha!) what quick and easy knitting patterns would you recommend?

Post Edit...
Pattern for cardi is "Cable Jacket" from "Twilleys of Stamford, Freedom Gorgeous, 464"
Yarn used is Color Works, 8 Ply, 100% Fine Merino Wool

.Dad is Fab.

2011-09-04T04:10:00.000+10:00

Happy Fathers Day to everyone who is celebrating out there! We had a splendid day here :)

I waited until Jaron had gone to bed last night and sneakily hung up this Fathers Day banner I had made for him...I think I have a new love - message banners! Have seen a few popping up on Pinterest and think they are great. Super easy to make too - I just used some sheets of 12x12 scrapbooking paper and drew the letters free-hand then cut them out. I like the slightly wonky, unevenness of them. Strung them together with some cotton twine and a big needle and used a bit of blutac to secure each end on top of the architrave. Simple! I'm looking forward to our next celebratory event so that I can make another...or perhaps I'll make one "just because" - no need for a special event!

During the week I asked the kids a heap of questions about Jaron and made their answers into a book - some of them were very cute/funny. I wasn't intending to do it scrapbook style but when I was rummaging through my supplies I found an unused album so popped everything in it. The intention is that we can add to the album each year - maybe something different next year...portraits of Dad or memorable stories?

Along with a few needed gifts (new shaver, squash racquet) Oscar chose a Nerf Gun - last year he gave Jaron some Lego...smart kid! I have to admit that I have always been anti-guns in this house, but these look like fun and it has provided a full afternoon and evening of entertainment! We have plans for a big family Nerf Gun war at Christmas now! I'm still sticking with my no Wii, Playstation, video game rule though - would rather save a special gift like that for when the kids are much, much older and it will mean more to them.

Happy Fathers Day Jaron - you really are a FAB DAD!

.Thermomix Cooking - CADA for breakfast.

2011-09-01T14:30:00.000+10:00

I know I've mentioned on my blog before that I have a hard time with choosing foods to eat for breakfast. Usually I'll quickly down one weetbix to get it over and done with, but by 10am, I'm hungry again.

Recently Cyndi O'Meara (nutritionist and author of Changing Habits, Changing Lives) visited our state holding workshops and information evenings. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend any of them, but a friend shared with me this delicious breakfast recipe. I've been eating it each morning for about a week and absolutely love it - fresh and easy to eat. It doesn't leave me feeling bloated or flat and the best part is that I feel full until well after lunch time! Each letter of the name, CADA, corresponds with an ingredient so you won't even need to pull out your cookbook for this one!

CADA

small handful coconut (I use 1 Tbs)
1 apple, quartered, core removed
small handful dates (I use 2 fresh or 3 dried)
small handful almonds (I use 7)

Place all ingredients in Thermomix. Close lid and press TURBO button a few times until mixture is to desired texture.
Serve over natural yoghurt and top with berries or other fruit if desired.

.A Fathers Day freebie for you!.

2011-08-28T22:50:00.000+10:00

After putting together my last blog post on Fathers Day ideas, I got all motivated to stay up a little bit longer and make up some Fathers Day cards for you to use!

I've been enjoying playing around on Photoshop lately making up some prints - I'm by no means a pro, but when I come up with ones that I'm happy with, I'll be sharing them with you on my blog as free printables!

So, here are two different colour versions of my Fathers Day "DAD ROCKS" card. You can click directly on the images and drag them to your desktop to print out and use as you wish, or click on the links below for a ready to print, cut and fold card.

Click here to download the "DAD ROCKS" Fathers Day card in GREY

Click here to download the "DAD ROCKS" Fathers Day card in BLUE

I hope you enjoy these free printables - feel free to do what ever you wish with them :)
And for those of you on the other side of the world, maybe you'll save them for Fathers Day next year!

.Things I'm Crushing...FATHERS DAY IDEAS.

2011-08-27T23:41:00.001+10:00

1 week until Father's Day and if you are anything like me, last minute is the way to go! Thought I'd share some fun ideas that you can make and do to help get ready for next Sunday...

Great idea for a photo

Free printable - funny!

Free printable personalised cards from Moo

Cute!

Tie printables

Cool chocolate block wrapper

Print from Etsy

Clever word art

Love this card!

Awesome Daddy book...my plan this week is to make something similar using the following questionnaires as starting points...

Plenty of cool ideas for you to print/make this week!! Are you organised for Fathers Day or are you like me and have good intentions but leave everything until the last minute?!

What's the best Fathers Day gift that you have ever given?

(All image sources - and more Fathers Day images/ideas - can be found on my Fathers Day Pinterest Board.)

.Cool Shops - Jamberry Nails.

2011-08-24T13:01:00.000+10:00

I've got a new Cool Shop to introduce you to today - Jamberry Nails...

Jamberry Nail shields are a funky alternative to nail polish. There are over 60 different styles available so whether you are looking for a solid colour, subtle look or want to go all out with a bright design, you'll be able to find a whole heap of shields that suit your needs.

I have dodgy fingernails and nail polish ALWAYS chips after 24 hours of wearing it so I don't even bother applying it anymore. After hearing that Jamberry Nail shields are made to last up to 2 weeks on fingers and 6 weeks on toes, I wanted to give them a go and see how long they would last on my fingernails. I was amazed at how long they lasted and stayed "fresh" looking - 1 week later they were still going strong! The application of the nail shields was really easy (all you need is a hairdryer and nail file) and the best part was that I didn't have to worry about them chipping or ruining my nails.

The shields I tried out first are Light Pink Floral:

Jamberry Nail shileds are $15 a set. I thought I'd only get one use out of a set, but you can see below how little of the shields I actually used - I'm sure I'll be able to get another two sets of hands or toes out of them. Jamberry Nail shields offer free postage worldwide on all items and at the moment have a special "buy 3, get 1 free offer."

I'm excited to use the shields on my toes over Summer - will share some more pics when I start wearing open-toed shoes again!

There are heaps of designs to choose from - check out some of them below:

If you would like to win a set of Jamberry Nail shields to try out, simply leave a comment on this blog post! The winner can choose their shield style and giveaway will end on Monday 29th August.

Important Jamberry Nails Links:

Shop

Facebook

Twitter

.Sunny bubbly days.

2011-08-21T21:01:00.000+10:00

This weekend we have FINALLY been blessed with blue skies, sunshine and warmer air. We made the most of it with a visit to the park and beach yesterday and some bubble fun this afternoon.

The kids found a big bubble kit/book that we got for Christmas and haven't used yet so we made up some mixture and had a play. The bubbles were a bit tricky to get working, but once we got the hang of it we got some whoppers!

Sunny, bubbly fun. The perfect recipe for some fresh air and much needed Vitamin D! 11 days 'till Spring - we can't wait!

.Citrus Pop Sale!.

2011-08-19T13:37:00.003+10:00

We haven't had a Citrus Pop sale for awhile...

Sale ends midnight, Friday 26th August.

Take a look at some of the Mini Earrings you can choose from below...lots more in store!

And remember, Citrus Pop offers FREE POSTAGE within Australia and discounted International postage!

.A quilt for the newlyweds.

2011-08-18T11:30:00.001+10:00

Well, I'm not sure how long you have to be married for the "newlywed" title to not be applicable anymore, but they were only married at the start of the year so I think they've got a little longer for newlywed status to hang around!

When Ty and Sam got married I didn't give them a wedding present because I wanted to wait and see what they actually needed and make it count. With Sam's hefty glory box and a generous amount of gifts from family and friends, they were well set up to begin their new life together so I had grand plans to make them something special instead.

8 months later, they finally get their gift!

A quilt for the newlyweds...

I chose a selection a mustard, yellow and grey fabrics from my stash and followed the Quilt as You Go Strip Quilt tutorial by Nova. The process was very straight forward. It wasn't as fast as I thought it would be, but I think my little machine struggled with the weight of the quilt and it was the first time I have EVER machine quilted so it is far from perfect! All adds to the charm, right?! (Actually, on that note...I'm in the market for a new machine - what would you suggest?)

For the back, I teamed solid white with a few squares of fabric from the front, plus a couple that I really wanted to use on the front but didn't have enough of.

For the binding I used some Michael Miller Ta Dot fabric in yellow...

Overall, I am happy though - love the colours and stripey look. I'm keen to give this quilting method another go (perhaps on a new machine though!) It was fun and I can see that it would work for a really quick baby quilt or lap quilt in the future.

(I can't be bothered listing fabrics used at the moment! However, if you want to know what something in particular is, let me know.)

P.S. Re-live the gorgeous garden wedding celebration here...it was divine!

.Basic Tees Winner!.

2011-08-17T23:45:00.000+10:00

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway for my new pattern, Basic Tees...and thanks to those of you who didn't enter but had a read and a look! I know I hardly ever manage to enter any giveaways, no matter how cool the prize is! Blog reading is hard work :)

Congratulations Miss Rosie - you have won a copy of the new pattern. I've sent you an email.

If you are looking for a place to purchase a copy of Basic Tees, I know they are in stock now at the following two stores:

Crafty Mamas

Kelani Fabric

If you are a stockist of my patterns and have Basic Tees in store, let me know and I'll add you to the list of places to buy :)

.Cool Shops! SIMPLE SHAPES.

2011-08-16T07:52:00.000+10:00

It's been a little while since I last shared a Cool Shop! with you - but it's back again today and I know you will love it - welcome to Simple Shapes...

Simple Shapes is a gorgeous online store full of tasteful, unique and modern removable wall decals. We have been looking at wall decals for quite some time...something to put on our long green entrance wall...but were having a hard time finding a design that was just right. When I discovered Simple Shapes, we knew we had found a winner!

Simple Shapes vinyl wall decals are cut from high quality removable vinyl - so if you ever want to remove them, there will be no damage to the wall or paint.

They are so easy to apply, with very thorough instructions and helpful videos to watch, we had no trouble putting them up.

I actually stumbled across Simple Shapes one day and was taken by their chalkboard vinyl wall calendars. I am a diary/calendar freak and love having everything written down and organised, however, I haven't had a calendar on the wall for a few years because I can't find something that I like. Simple Shapes Chalkboard Decals are perfect!

I ordered the Weekly Planner Chalkboard Calendar and have been using it for a few weeks and it is amazing - even Jaron has been commenting that he is happy that he knows what is going on with everyone now! I've been using the Chalk Ink Marker Pen with the calendar and it is much better than regular chalk - no dust, nice and bright and once it has dried, it can't be wiped off unless you use a damp cloth.

We also got a Blowing Leaves Tree decal to decorate our green wall. Ever since moving into our house, I have wanted a statement on the wall - the green is a statement on it's own, but I wanted something a little more arty to pretty up the hallway a bit.

We stuck with all white (you can choose from a heap of different colour combos) and love how it looks against the green. This decal is HUGE - 4m long and 2.2m high, and it took Jaron and I almost 3 hours to put the whole thing up. It was really easy to do though, I had visions of stuffing it up and ending up with a deformed tree, but everything was smooth sailing. It could easily be done with one person, but faster and more fun with a friend :)

The one thing I was really worried about with the decals is that the kids would discover that they were just stuck to the wall and start picking them off over time, they vinyl is much thinner than I imagined though and is stuck on really well so I can't see them doing any damage.

And to top things off I asked Simple Shapes to custom make me a speech bubble that I can use as a "To Do" list on the wall behind my computer nook.

It's a little quirky and brightens up the space and is much more enticing to look at than a scrappy piece of paper! Maybe I'll actually start crossing things off my list more often now!

Some other lovely decals from Simple Shapes...

Children's Growth Chart:

Daily Dot Chalkboard:

Weekly Planner Dry-Erase Calendar:

3 Monkey Tree and Branch Vine:

Tree with Forest Friends:

Cherry Blossom Tree with Butterflies:

Tree with Birds and Fawn:

Cyclamen Flower Set:

And lucky you can get 10% off your order in the Simple Shapes Etsy store - the discount code to enter during checkout is PERFECT10

Important Simple Shapes Links:

.Can't get enough of the Basic Tee!.

2011-08-15T08:00:00.001+10:00

Welcome to round two of my Basic Tees show and tell! Hope you're not sick of them yet because I've got ideas for plenty more swimming around in my head!

Lil has reached a stage where she can't smile naturally for the camera and does all of these weird sort of smiles! It's cute and cracks me up! This tee is a View B - I've used contrast fabric for the sleeves and neck binding again though.

FABRIC = Stella knit in Blood Red, Spot knit unknown

I love these Hilco Campan stripes. They add a lovely punch of colour and interest to a plain tee.

This tee was supposed to be a short-sleeved version of View A, but I forgot to cut short sleeves! It is still cold here and Tommy needs more warm tees so I don't mind :)

The applique on this one is out of knit fabric using a triple stitch around the edge again. This time I got a silhouette of a stegosaurus to make the applique, but it looks a bit like a hedgehog or a shrub now that it is finished - oops! One of the few words Tommy can say is "dinosaur" so I thought it fitting that he got a dinosaur shirt.

FABRIC = Hilco Campan knit in Chocolate/Lime, Stella knit in Chocolate

Oscar's second tee is a View C - boy's long-sleeve with short-sleeve overlay and contrast neckline and double hem.

This was a bit of a mix-and-match tee - I didn't have enough of the stripe left to use for the contrast hem so added a bit of grey instead and tied it together with a baseball cap applique. Same deal as usual - found the silhouette online and used triple stitch in green to sew it on and add lines for detail. (Please try to ignore the blue fabric marking pen that hasn't been washed off yet!!!)

He is very pleased with his new threads :)

FABRIC = Stella knit in Ink and Grey Marle, Hilco Campan knit in Petrol/Lime

And for anyone wanting fabric details for the two tees used in the pattern cover shots, they are listed below:

FABRIC = Stella knit in Chocolate, Hilco Campan knit in Petrol/Lime

FABRIC = Stella knit in Pastel Pink, Hilco Campan knit in Hot Pink/Aqua

Hopefully these blog posts have given you some inspiration for sewing Basic Tees - there is SO much you can do with this pattern, from keeping them plain to going crazy with colour and embellishments...I warn you that once you start you'll be hooked!!

For anyone wanting to order a copy of Basic Tees now - you can do so at one of the following stores:

Kelani Fabric

Crafty Mamas

And don't forget to leave the comment "make it perfect" with any knit purchase from Crafty Mamas for the month of August and you'll receive a free gift!

.More Basic Tees.

2011-08-14T08:03:00.001+10:00

So excited to hear all of your lovely feedback about my new pattern, Basic Tees. I have to say, I am hooked on this pattern at the moment. It is great to have a pattern that I can quickly sew over and over again and know that my kids will wear it every day. I did mention in my previous post that I have sewn 10 tees in 1 week! It was fun to choose fabric combos and come up with different embellishments for the kids - I tried to pick things that they were interested in and they love them!

Time for a bit of a show and tell - I have listed all of the fabrics used below the photo sets in case you are wanting to find similar fabrics. I'll share some with you today and then a few more tomorrow...

First up, here's Oscar (looking very serious!) in his plain, long-sleeved tee (View A). I wasn't sure if I was going to embellish all of the tees I'd made and thought I'd sew them all up and then see if they needed anything more - and this one did.

I haven't really sewn anything for Oscar in quite awhile (besides his High Flyers pants) and I didn't realise that all of a sudden it has become a little trickier to come with applique designs that suit older boys. The boy style embellishments that I would usually turn to all seemed a bit "cute" for him, so I spent a bit of time online looking for inspiration and found this great paper aeroplane image to use as a freezer paper stencil - perfect for our boy who is going through reams of paper a week making aeroplanes. His favourite thing to Google and watch YouTube videos about at the moment is "how to make the world's best paper aeroplane"!!!!

The thin white border around the outside of the stencil was a happy accident...I painted the plane white to start with, but it didn't come out as bright as I hoped, so painted black over the top and ended up with some of the white on the edges of the black. It looks kinda cool.

FABRIC = Stella knit in Ocean

And here's Lilsy. Her tee is View D - a girl's long-sleeved tee with contrast short-sleeve overlay and contrast neckline and double hem.

Once I'd sewn this tee, it was a little bright for me and I was worried that the colours I picked were too "out there" together. The applique has really helped to bring it all together though, and she loves it which is the main thing! It is a little big for her at the moment - I sewed a size 4 and she turned 4 last week.

FABRIC = Stella knit in Hot Pink and Virdis

Tommy's tee is another View A - but this time I used a contrast colour for the neckline and sleeves.

I liked the look of this one without any embellishments and love the fact that it is easy to find boy-friendly knit fabrics. Tommy's tee is a bit big too - he is 2 and I sewed a size 2 but he is still pretty mini so he will be getting lots of wear out of his!

FABRIC = Stella knit in Charcoal Marle, Hilco Campan knit in Sage/Orange

And lastly for today is Lil - this is View B...girl's plain tee with short-sleeves. I ended up gathering the hemline of the sleeve a little and sewing some binding in the same way as for the neck to hem the sleeves. Love the way this one has turned out and will be making many more for summer.

The applique is a bird silhouette I found online and I used the same knit fabric that I used for the neck and sleeve binding. Instead of using a zig-zag stitch around the edge of all of my appliques, I have used a triple stitch on my sewing machine. After having a bit of a play with it, I much prefer the way that it looks. If you are using triple stitch with wovens though (like I did in the "LOVE" tee above) then you'll need to keep in mind that the edges will fray after a few washes. Knits don't fray though so nothing to worry about with this bird applique!

FABRIC = Stella knit in Ink, Hilco Campan knit in Hot Pink/Orange

And I thought you might be interested in checking out the dressing studio we used for the shoot...these kids get all the luxuries of paid models - quick changes with Dad in the middle of the alleyway!! They were very good little models yesterday actually - and they may or may not have been bribed with lolly pops ;)

For the month of August, Crafty Mamas is offering a free gift with any knit purchase if you leave the comment "make it perfect" with your order - I wonder what goodies will be turning up in your letter box?!

See you tomorrow with some more Basic Tee creations!

.Basic Tees - a new pattern for you!.

2011-08-12T14:45:00.000+10:00

Hi all! Things have been a little quite around here lately...and my house has been messy...that only means one thing - I've been busy working on my latest pattern and am all ready to share it with you today!

BASIC TEES

An indispensable starting point for everyday dressing, Basic Tees is a pattern you will find yourself using again and again.

The classic long or short-sleeved tshirt is a wardrobe staple that you can’t do without. The easy style of Basic Tees allows you to express your creativity and create one-of-a-kind tshirts that suit every occasion.

Featuring a straight style for boys and more fitted body with gathered sleeves for girls, as well as options to include short-sleeve overlays and contrast hems, Basic Tees is the ideal foundation for thousands of outfits!

Basic Tees is another Make It Perfect pattern designed for use with knit/stretch fabric. If you are a newbie to sewing with knits, I highly recommend a simple tshirt pattern as your starting point. They are quick and easy to make and something that your kids are bound to get a lot of wear out of.

The pattern comes with lots of tips and tricks for sewing with knits, but my number one tip is to use the best quality fabric that you can afford. All of my failed attempts at sewing with knits have happened when I have been using cheaper quality knits. Good quality is much easier to sew, washes and wears better and gives a much nicer finished result. These tops were sewn using gorgeous knits from Crafty Mamas - the solids are all Stella and the stripes are Hilco Campans. Crafty Mamas now offers free postage within Australia and great International postage rates - gotta love that!

There is heaps you can do with the Basic Tees pattern...instructions are given to create a plain tee or tee with short-sleeve overlay and contrasting hem and neckline as shown above but, of course, these are just starting point suggestions - you can mix and match fabrics and decorate with applique, freezer paper stencil, buttons, ribbons, iron on transfers, etc. and easily come up with a whole cupboard full of tees to suit your style!

Once you sew one, you'll be itching to make more (trust me, I'm up to my 10th tee this week!) my kids wear long and short sleeved tees every single day so I know I'll be sewing lots more in the future!

Big thanks to my beautiful photographer, Chelsea (check out her work - she is amazing!) and the GORGEOUS models she rounded up for me. They are the cutest kids ever - chooks, books, rain, cute kids...what more could I ask for?

Take a look at my new website for more information on Basic Tees. As always, copies of the pattern will be avaliable soon in retail stores - or you can always ask your favourite store to order a copy in for you.

GIVEAWAY

I'd love to give one lucky winner a copy of Basic Tees - leave a comment on this post to be in the draw!
(Please make sure you leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will close Wednesday 17th August and winner will be drawn at random).

.Thermomix Cooking - Edna's Lemon Curd Teacake.

2011-08-09T10:37:00.001+10:00

mmmmm...glad I got this recipe converted. It is a breeze in the Thermo and still one of my favourite cakes ever. If you want to make it without a Thermomix, the original recipe post is here. Super easy one to double if you want to make two cakes - trust me, they will go fast!

Edna's Lemon Curd Teacake

For cake mixture:
150g self-raising flour
60g butter
110g sugar
1 egg

For lemon curd:
60g lemon juice
60g butter
110g sugar
1 egg

To make cake mixture, place all ingredients into TM bowl and beat for 30 seconds on speed 5. Remove from bowl and set aside.
To make lemon curd, place all ingredients into TM bowl and cook at 100 degrees for 5 minutes on speed 4.
Grease and line a round cake tin.
Spread half the cake mixture into the base of the tin (the cake mixture will be quite thick, I usually spread it with wet fingertips.)
Pour lemon curd over cake mixture (the lemon curd mixture will be quite runny.)
Dollop 1/2 teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over the top of the lemon curd.
Bake in 180 degree celsius oven for half an hour.
Eat warm or cold.

.Expressions of Love.

2011-08-08T20:40:00.000+10:00

Try watching this without smiling:

Now go and show that special someone that you love them.

(Loads more Mormon Messages here. I can never stop at one!)
(Full transcript of inspirational talk by Richard G. Scott here - read it, it is beautiful.)

.Things I'm Crushing...WINDOW SEATS.

2011-08-05T23:14:00.001+10:00

We have been in our new house for 18 months now and as much as we love everything about it, there are a few things that we would probably change/add next time. (Yep, there will be a next time...maybe in the not too distant future too!) One of the things we have been talking a lot about is incorporating some cosy areas and we LOVE window seats. A comfy place to stretch out and read, nap or play. I love the streaming natural light and the fun that can be had with cushion combinations. Such a great way to incorporate a bit of extra seating in the house without having to invest in any furniture either!

Don't these images make you want to curl up with a good book and read the day away?!

(All image sources - and more window seat images - can be found on my Home Decorating Pinterest Board.)

.Another birthday.

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000+10:00

In our house we have a birthday every 2 months, all year round (with Christmas falling on the bi-month that we don't have a birthday). We didn't plan it like that, but I am glad that things turned out that way so that we have a nice distance of time between each special day.

Yesterday it was Lil's big day - number FOUR.

We have been counting down this special day for quite a few weeks now and all day long she had an excited smirk on her face and would quickly tell everyone, "it's my birthday today, I'm four."

We spent the morning at Pre-Kinder then back at home for a quick clean up and got things ready for her mini-party. My kids loooove birthday parties, but I don't want to get into the habit of a full-blown party every year so have compromised by letting them have a few friends over for some snacks, a play and cake after school on their birthday. Takes care of the birthday party pleas without a lot of fuss or effort from me!
I was all systems go for a ballerina cake - even made a cute little ballerina from one of my wooden dolls to pop on the top of the cake (inspired by this cute cake)...

...until this morning Lil decided that she actually wanted a love-heart cake. Thanks for the advanced notice Lilsy! Luckliy I remembered this cake I had recently pinned (Oh, Pinterest, how I love you!) and made up a heart-shaped stencil from some paper and sprinkled away. If you decide to do this at home, I'm warning you that it is messy! But a cool way to achieve a cheap and easy cake decoration. I'll definitley be doing it again.

She was soooo excited when we were singing Happy Birthday to her - cute! Lil is the unpredictable one in our house - happy one minute, melt-down the next. When she is good, she is very, very good. But when she is bad...you get the picture! She makes us laugh all the time though and we love her to bits :)

Happy Birthday little one!