yellow ones

And here is more of the same. So nice to finally have these finished!
This yellow strawberry fabric is some I have had in the stash for a while, saving it up for something special.
And you have to have nice jammies...right? Because you spend half the day in them.
I think you call the fabric french terry (is that correct?). 100% cotton and oh so soft and lovely.
These ones should be really warm and toasty.

And Grace's parting comment as I finished taking their photo..."please don't make me wear my hair like this to preschool Mum, it looks all buffy"...maybe she meant boofy, puffy or fluffy or a combination of the three!

new jammies

With the weather getting cooler and all, I have finally made the time to get back into my sewing.
The girls (especially the biggest), were in desperate need of new winter jammies.
I have so much cotton stretch fabric in my stash at the moment, so I decided to use that up first before even looking at what the shops had to offer.
Maybe a little old-school in style (Luke just laughed when he saw them!), but feminine, and they can't wait to wear them to bed tonight.

I made them both a size bigger, and added ribbing so we can fold it back for this Winter and let it down for next. Really hoping I get 2 years out of these! I have more that are almost finished, so hopefully I can check back with photos soon.

Top pattern is a bit of a mix and match, but the bottoms are from Ottobre 1/2009.

little jenny wren

Thank you so much to Jenny from Little Jenny Wren, for this fantastic giveaway on her blog. Isn't this baby just the most precious of prizes. Both the girls love this little baby, and she gets plenty of motherly cuddles. My favorite bit is her delicate little woolen cap. What a treasure!
And if you haven't yet wandered over to Jenny's blog, you really must. Her dolls are just perfect, made with the most beautiful natural materials. So much time and effort would go into each one. Thank you again Jenny, we are all thrilled to have this latest edition to our family!

wooly jacket

Sorry for the big blogging pause. I have finally uploaded the last months photos on the computer and have something to write about. I have just recovered from a nasty bout of the flu, but seemed to have caught another bug...one that is much harder to get rid of- the knitting bug! Yes, this little jacket was one I knitted for Maeve while I was sitting around in bed, or on the couch trying to recover from the flu. I was surprised how quickly it knitted up. Hooray for chunky wool.

The pattern is the one above, from 'Quick, thick knits for toddlers in Jet, Skol & Totem'- Patons book 901. I have no idea as to the date published, but it looks pretty vintage. I am trying to pick really simple patterns while I am learning (stocking and garter stitch), but I did manage to figure out the button hole...not quiet the rocket science I thought it would be!

She looks so sweet in it.

The wool (or should I say yarn) was some I have had in my stash for at least 6 years. It was a garage sale find, with no labels on it, so I have no idea about the fibre content. Obviously not 100% wool though.

More knitting to come!

one for the baby

After much crocheting, laying out squares, then sewing them together, the mohair rug for our winter baby is now finished!

I am so happy with how this turned out, considering it was the first bit of crocheting I have done in years...and actually completed. Now I just need the baby to wrap it in.

I have decided that I rather like crocheting, and knitting (that is another subject that you will no doubt here more on soon!) because they are so portable and make the perfect holiday craft. These granny squares are the perfect thing for using up wool scraps and in this case, beautiful unused wool found at the op shop.
Very affordable, completely satisfying.

this and that

Imagine my delight when I discovered this morning that I was the lucky winner of this special little baby over on Jenny's blog! I am just so excited that we will have one of her beautiful creations in our house to admire daily! You really must take the time to admire all her beautiful dolls, each one is such a treasure. Thankyou Jenny for such a great giveaway. The girls are going to be thrilled with this one...would have been nice to keep it for myself or the baby, but I don't think that will happen!

I know I am so behind the times with my blogging, sorry for my slackness. We had a wonderful Easter away staying with my parents. We just love going there- beautiful scenery, fresh country air, pretty gardens, beautiful home baked goodies and not to forget the fine company! My dad has been busy making another canoe, and the girls were keen to help him. Grace cant wait till they get it finished, and she can have a paddle!

And how do you like this sweet little vintage dress? This was one I use to wear back in the early 80's. It's getting a bit short for Maeve now, but still looks fantastic with red leggings underneath.

She has just wandered out from her nap and exclaimed: 'Thats me! thats me with my tok-et mummy!' Forget the dress...its the chocolate that matters!

two

I am feeling rather bad that somewhere back in December (morning sickness phase),
I neglected to mention my little Maeve's birthday.
So here are a few snaps of her first two years,
our precious, joyous one!
oxoxox

handmade gifts

I always love to give something handmade to the girls for their birthdays. This year we brought Grace some beautiful Lyra metallic drawing pencils, so I made the case for them to go in. I blanket stitched around the mushrooms, which turned out rather messy, but still passable.

The other thing she has been asking for is a baby carrier for her dolls. This one I whizzed up the night before, and it turned out great. Can't beat the combo of red, white and denim!

five

Happy Birthday to our dear, sweet Grace!
The beautiful girl with the kindest and loving heart.
It only feels like yesterday,
when we kissed those chubby baby cheeks.
Now you wrap those long arms around us,
and hug us tight.
oxoxox

two of a kind

Yep, I have totally overstepped my boundaries on this one, and given in to the real nerd inside. The girls have mama made matching outfits (oh, how painful!). The thing is, they like dressing the same, and to be honest it is so much more time efficient sewing two of the same outfit...I didn't have to change the thread on my machine once!
The pants are 'Kim' pants from Farbenmix, and the tops are from Ottobre 6/2008...slightly different designs. One has shirring on the sleeves, and the other across the chest. Maeve's top is actually the same pattern as the apple shirt in the post below.