Sydley Town Bunting

I love love love nicknames for towns! Sydney has so many options, but Sydley and Sydders are my fave abbrevs!

This past week I was visiting the gorgeous humidity ridden place and seeing all my darling friendships again and pretty much working like crazy for the best Australia Day musical countdown of the year!

Here's darling Lindsay fully enjoying my decorations! The theme of this year's Hottest 100 was magic, so I overlocked several packs of playing cards together to make bunting! So quick to make and really easy to hang!

More hangtime soon pls, xoxo

Lovers of Overlockers

Did you see this? I checked my email, and I've just fallen off my chair at that Summer Knits from $6.00 part... I've previously picked up some lovely remnants from the Fabric Store in Sydney (My St Patrick's Day dress was made from a darling stretch cotton) so I might have to convince my bank balance that I could pop down to Brunners Street later today.........

I want floppy stretch summer knits! (And for myself! WTF, I thought I was 'Sewing for Others' now). Maybe I'll give myself a little reward sewing for Sew Weekly for myself for so long, and then get stuck into Husbie's shirt (Negroni is waiting).

Some ideas for the coming year

Yay, it's Friday! If you're one of those darling total blog besties, you'll know my day job is h-e-c-t-i-c and hilarious. Working as a radio producer (now a senior producer) at a national radio station is super fun, but totally contagious because there's always so much to do. Every day is a different day, you have to be flexible but plan ahead, blah blah. And right now, is peak time for us as the Hottest 100 countdown will be revealed next Thursday. I totally forgot to remind you to vote if you liked awesome songs from last year! EEP. But you can still hear the Hottest 100 next week and enjoy!

After Sewing Weekly in 2011, I'm kinda glad I'm not on a sewing deadline when I have such busy day job deadlines... especially since Husbie and I will be in Sydney (for work, networking and a friend's wedding!) all next week. PHEW!

But for now, I wanted to chat over some sewing or crafty ideas for this year... I haven't really thought them out yet, so forgive me as I use this lovely little post (with flowers from my lovely little home) to think over what I wanna do in 2012 sewing-wise.

Why Do I Sew (a reminder for myself)?

• It's super fun to do
• I love wearing clothes that fit well for petite ladies (i.e. me)
• I love not shopping in boring stores for generic clothing and ultimately feeling the 'wrong size'
• Learning new skillz is tricky and fun
• People love seeing my clothes
• I like inspiring peeps as well

What's my main commitment(s) in sewing?

• To use recycled, thrifted, op shopped, refashion materials
• To sew weekly or regularly

What have been the biggest challenges or projects in my sewing thus far?

• Sewing with deadlines and other day job/work commitments
• Sewing 24/7 (twice - eep) and Sewing Weekly were big successful challenges
• Sewing 100 Outfits was also successful (and I enjoyed this more as I took my time plus it was my first project that really advanced my sewing skills from novice to intermediate)

Overall, I love making things, and I love it as my hobby, and I know that challenges or goals makes me finish things (I'm ridiculous with keeping the old UFO's around, whilst I don't mind clutter, I don't like unfinished business)...

So considering where I've been to with my sewing in the past few years, I'm thinking of setting another '100' goal, but for items and garments for others... '100 Other Things' or '100 Things' might be a good name... I'll slowly but surely sew and craft things for other people (and perhaps actually make some birthday presents this year?) and maybe even stock my etsy store? LOL That'll be the day!

Last year with Sew Weekly was amazing in so many ways and you've seen the results of sewing weekly for myself, but, I'd really like to make this year about others and the lovely people in my life... and through that find out more about sewing for different sized people, and stretching out to accessories and other interesting sewing or crafty projects.

I'd really love to crochet a tiny grey dalek from Doctor Who for example!? LOL! (Husbie will love that one!)

ANYWAYS! Love a little challenge, and this time I'll say no time frame, just a 'doing and making' session each week and then show you the results! You'll never believe what's all over my sewing desk right now... just using the overlocker to make some 'strange' bunting! We'll see how it comes up!

Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead! xoxo

A New Hat!

I bought something from the shops! SHOCK!

On hotter summer days, I tend to wear my hair up high in a top knot or pony tail, but when you're outside it's hard to fit a hat over the hair! But, when I was in Bendigo recently, I visited an op shop which was right next to The Bendigo Hat Shop, and of course there were plenty of hats... and more to the point hats with holes up the top for hair!

This photo is at sunset, in our front yard... how amazing that we grow so many flowers!

xoxo Hope the week has been lovely to you!

Minimal Decorations at Mine

Happy weekend! It's my Mum's birthday, so we've had a BBQ, gone shopping (at the fun food market in Footscray - Little Saigon!) and now we're popping out for brunch. Tomorrow we're taking her to see Ira Glass talk, the host of This American Life podcast, so it's all go go go!

I wanted to show you a few things we've got around the home, now that we're half renovated (ceilings, walls painted and carpets removed with nice polished floors) as we're kinda comfy with the new house to live in for now. A lot of friends have said "Live in the House for a year, before you plan major renovations", so we'll kick back for now and see how we enjoy the little DIY we've added and see what the future planning will hold.

And how darling are the floors:

Hope you're enjoying the weekend, love to you! Thank you SO much for all your amazing comments on my crochet blanket! It was a massive effort, and so pleased it came out ok! YAY!
xoxo

Voila: "The Breaking Wire" Crochet Blanket

Last summer, in the January sales, I bought some wool. LOTS of wool, and it took a year and LOTS of TV shows to watch, but 90 Granny Squares later here's my darling crochet blanket!

I'd seen something (I think on the Frankie Spaces/Homes magazine?) massive like this, and I became a little fixated on challenging myself to make something so large. I'd taught myself how to crochet maybe 3 or 4 summers ago, but have only made smaller baby blankets leftover from my scraps of wool (after my urban graffiti adventures in Newtown!)... the best place to learn crochet? Youtube clips of wonderful people showing you how they do it!

The colours look so great together and I'm really happy with the haphazard layout... originally I'd shuffled them so there was more order to them, but this makes it a little more SHABBY CHIC right? LOL. The Morris and Sons shop where I bought the wool (it's in Melbs CBD in Collins Street) were just AMAZINGLY helpful... they weighed out how much wool I'd need per square and helped calculate the black edging. Truly the BEST customer service! Overall this cost me a hefty $300 approx and hours and hours of watching several series of Breaking Bad and The Wire. They're tv shows with too much suspense for me, so multitasking is the best distraction when the going gets tough!

For the $300 though; this blanket will last for a very long time... the wool was a better quality and initially as always the thrifty queen, I was hovering around the bargain bin... but the shop assistant reminded me that to go to all this effort, to crochet 90 granny squares, and crochet it all together (I've heard this is the long way to do it too. DAMN) with lesser quality wool, would mean it just wouldn't last a few washes. And now that it's all made up, I'm so glad I spent a bit more on the wool.

In the summer, it'll live on our 'bright' couch and in winter on our bed like above.

Since the house was looking so swish, I took a few photos for you as well! I'll post them for you soon! We're finding the right spots for everything now, which is great and loving being here in summer so to sit outside on the lawn. Just magic in the warmer evenings! xoxo

Inland for New Years

Husbie and I had a mini break in Central Victoria, for a darling friend's 40th over the New Years Weekend. It was crispy dry, and very hot, and even though I'm not a huge beachy person, I felt very inland and land locked. We swam in a dam. My Husbie (in a former life he was a NZ-er) said "How Australian is this, swimming in a damn?"

Yes, it's very Australian.

I finally photographed something very special! Can't wait to show you my crochet blanket (and another post with Doggie Darling - bless) this week! Yes, so what it if took ALL year to crochet, I was Sewing Weekly all year after all, my dear.

Sewing Weekly in Numbers!

This, my friends, is the wonderful creation of Mena Trott, our Sew Weekly Queen! Last week, she did some number crunching and invited us four girls to contribute our own numbers (51 posts to go through!) so we can look over our stats in a colourful infographic way!

Part of my personal commitment to the Sew Weekly was to use stash fabric (most of my stash being thrifted fabrics) and I did visit the fabric store a couple of times but I'm really happy the clear majority of my garments came from thrifted or refashioned garments from the stash.

One of my favourite points was how many times we needed assistance in getting out of a garment! I loved that Mena included that, as I'd forgotten about dresses getting stuck on my shoulders or over the boobs when peeling it off. LOL!

Overall, because of the thrifty nature, it's no surprise to me that the costs are so low for an average garment and in a year where we were saving to buy a house (and did) I'm glad I didn't bust the bank! I'm in LOVE with how Mena's placed it out here, it's such a lovely record of what we got up to last year! MEMORIES! I love how my blog is like my scrapbook!

xoxo

Sew Weekly: Last for 2011

Found them! Husbie and I took these photos at my parents house, and I'd used my laptop (hence I couldn't find the piccies) to then get the photos up on my post on Mena's Sew Weekly site, which then marked (and celebrated) my final Sew Weekly garment for 2011! The dress is way too short, as I got scared cutting out the 6 skirt pieces (on the bias) that I'd run out of fabric. I didn't. I ran out of pep to do anything about it though.

Oh well!

It feels like I'm in a suspended state of 'THANK YOU' here at my blog, because I am so happy to have finished a year of sewing weekly, and your lovely support and comments and emails through the year has made the happiest little pocket rocket around.

Cheers to you (even though you may not want to be looking at another glass of sparkling!) and here's to a very full year of creating stuff. How great is it to make stuff with your own hands? I'm constantly amazed that I can actually do this! Make a freaking dress (even though it's short) and write up on a freaking blog on the internet! WOW!

Cheers again:

How cute are the dogs? Little! 

Mum's garden is just so lovely! It was really green because Victoria's had some good rain before Christmas (every time you're in the country they talk about the rain) but we were around Bendigo for NYE and it was already really dry and crispy, so Gippsland has it lucky.

I'm really pleased with the sleeves on this Oolong (the Colette pattern) because last time they were a sneaky bit too tight, so I decided to create a self facing bit that was pretty much an extension of the hem of the sleeve... do you get me? I then curved it as well, so it was more of a cap sleeve which the gathered (and right side piece) top sleeve bit matched up to, and I sewed through both thicknesses to the garment. I love it with the floaty material... and I love how there are no stitches on the sleeve.

I'm a little disappointed it wasn't a truly amazing dress, but I guess that what happens... sometimes it's a winner and sometimes not! I have a couple of other parties coming up this month, so I'll have to get some ideas going for them! One is a darling wedding with TWO events! Have any of you been to a Mehndi ceremony? I'm really excited!

Happy weekend! xoxo

Cambodian Stories: Relaxxxx

And the last collection of photos from my Cambodian holiday is the relaxing, calming beachy part.

Hope you take a deep breath in, and enjoy the warmth from Cambodia, wherever you are! xoxo

Sew Weekly: Fin for 2011

Hooray! A whole year of 'Sewing Weekly'!

I borrowed the image above from Mena's post on the Sew Weekly for it's us four Sew Weekly 2011 contributors, Adey, Debi, Sarah and myself... but I love that Mena chose her favourite outfits made by us during the year when she grouped the photo of us together. I love it!

What a wonderful year of sewing. And a big PHEW as well. I have one more dress to show you from my year, but since we were in the country when we took the photos, I think they're on my laptop and not my desk computer. DRAMZ!

My first garment for 2012? A shirt for Husbie! He needs one!

What are you planning for 2012? xoxo

Cambodian Stories: NOM!

Back to Cambodia in October 2011, I wanted to show you some of the foods and drinks and things we saw and the photos I took with my little camera! The Lumix takes the best close up shots, as it's got a really great depth of field... which means it blurs out the background and makes whatever the main subject is crisp and clear (Like our cocktails above!).

Here's a markets with more packaged things that I'd expected, but gotta love those dragon fruits!

And in Phonm Penh we ate at a gorgeous organic type restaurant with really super healthy food (a great reward after all that riding of our bikes & drinking of the cocktails!):

And delish drinks too cool down with!

I've got one more post for you from Cambodia, and it's beachy themed! Could be a little tease for you Northerners (I've heard it's been snowing in some parts!?) but suits my relaxed mood this week! Stay tuned (LOL).

Hope you've been enjoying your first week of January and 2012 so far! xoxo

And so it's 2012

I've been saying Twenty Twelve since October. We've all been ready for the new year to start for over 2 months, and now that it's here... I feel like crashing into a pile and resting for at least 12 months!

Thank you SO much for your lovely notes and your support through 2011, and I'm SO looking forward to blogging with you (either as a writer yourself, or a reader) through this year. What a year ahead too. It's going to be great!

Oh yes, you'll get some recaps of my Sew Weekly 2011 adventures, from my favourites to the weirdest ones. And you'll soon see what my plans for 2012 are too... they're not big plans, mind you. So don't sweat it! I seem to go HUGE year, small year, HUGE year, small year... here in blog land... so my challenges will hopefully be small and cute.

My little sewing room is 'getting there'... after the move, and a moderate unpack (thanks to Husbie) to keep me in the Sew Weekly swing, it's now very used! I just need to get a system going with threads, fabrics I wanna use first, books, and notions. I like things to look cute but mostly to be accessible, so if they live in drawers and cupboards it means I usually forget about them!

But here's my sewing room floor! (In a photo I forgot to turn right way up)

The carpet is amazing! The yellow pieces are leftovers from my Bike Apron... which I'll forever call a Riding Dress! (One of my plans this year is to see if I can draft my own pattern for it!)

And the best thing is that the computer fits in too! YAY!