Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Around Here

Tomorrow is the last day of Term 1 and we already feel like it's holidays at our house.  Here's some things that have been going on around here.

This was James 2 weeks ago broke his collar bone on his left shoulder and broke his right wrist.  He was riding his bike on the way to school and hit the front brakes and went over the handle bars.  He was in a bad way when I picked him up from school.. He was in shock, shaking and in lots of pain and basically I spent the next 5 hours between the doctors and x-ray twice.

He came off his bike at 8.45 am and this photo below was taken at 2.45 pm.  We were laughing at how silly he looked with two slings.  He is down to one sling on one hand and other wrist in plaster.  He was looking a lot better than he was after it happened that's for sure.

Last year our local community got the Farmers Markets up and running as our first project and now we are on to re thinking our parks so this was the day you got to come and have your say about designing the park with a free sausage on the BBQ. 

This was Sienna on Monday as I had to pick her up from school as she got a vomiting bug and in fact vomiting every 30 minutes until 11.30 pm the poor thing.  She is now on the mend just in time for the holidays thankfully.  My nursing/mummy duties are in overtime around here.

Finally she was able to get some sleep on the couch cuddling her teddy bear named "chocolate".

I ordered Jodi's beautiful book which arrived early this morning and I've had a look through it and can't wait to get a cuppa and read through it all.

Nanny & Pop sent us an Easter Card and we always get a Lindt Chocolate Bunny from them as well.

Tuesday's are $1.00 DVD's so one for me an one for the kids....I needed the tissues but a happy and sad ending watching "The Best of Me".

It's free dress at school tomorrow so I made Sienna this beautiful little skirt today which she loves.

It's a double layer skirt with the top layer shorter than the bottom with a yellow bias binding for contrast.

Here's the little completed skirt on the hanger.

19 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy sorry to hear about James and Sienna....hope they are both on the mend. Sounds like quite a stressful time. Sending you lots of good wishes. :-)

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  2. gosh talk about your kids being in the wars!!! Lets hope they are both well and truly on the mend...Kathy!! You are so clever, that skirt is adorable!!! I wish I could do that as my daughter is such a girl girl but it's hard to get things like this in her size.....I need a friend who sews obviously!! :) Jan x

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    1. Jan if you started crocheting you can sew. Does your mother/friend have a sewing machine you can borrow and see if you can do some lessons at a shop and/or local community centre or a friends grandmother who can teach you. I loved making this skirt and Sienna is wearing it today to school (free dress) and she was so happy. She told her best friend yesterday that I was making her a skirt to wear to school today. It's nice having a little girl to sew for. I wish I wasn't going through a terrible marriage/divorce when she was little because I would have loved sewing little outfits and crochet/knitting for her as a little toddler. Regards Kathy

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    2. I woke up this morning thinking about this dress and if I know anyone who can lend me a sewing machine.......hmmmm....where would I get the pattern from? I had a horrible sewing teacher in high school who put me off what I thought I was going to love, now here I am nearly 30 years later thinking about it again!!! :)

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    3. Jan I've put the link here and up in the post as well. All you need to do to make this skirt is sew a straight stitch. You can make just the plain skirt first if you want (ie not the double layer of fabric) but I thought this looked more unique and special. I bought seersucker fabric from Spotlight and one inch elastic. They had a few varieties and I got one that had a stretch in it from side to side sort of ribbed (hard to explain) but it apparently helps the elastic from not rolling in the casing when you wash your skirt.

      You just need to cut out two rectangles of fabric for the double layer skirt one is 3 inches shorter in length. Get some bias binding in a contrast colour. You can also do the fabrics different colours like a dark blue as the bottom layer and say the pattern one like I used as the top. The possibilities are endless. The 20 minute tutorial is so clear you will be able to make this skirt just learn to sew in a straight line and you are good to go.

      http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-a-simple-skirt.html

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    4. Jan the 20 min tutorial is excellent so watch that but in a nutshell for the double layer skirt you:-
      1. Cut a rectangle piece of fabric (she gives instructions on how to work out what size this should be)
      2. Cut your second piece of fabric 3 inches shorter in length than the other one.
      3. Sew your bias binding onto the bottom of the fabric (there is no top or bottom at this point as it's just a rectangle piece of fabric). Sew the bias binding on - fold the bias binding with the fabric in the middle - sew straight line through the middle of the bias binding which catches all 3 layers (underneath bias, fabric, top bias). Do this to both the rectangles.
      4. Sew the side of the rectangle up on the longer piece. Then do the same on the shorter piece so you have two skirts at this stage.
      5. Pull the smaller skirt over the bigger skirt so one is inside the other. Fabric should be the good (top side) of both and line up your side seams with a pin so both skirts have the seam at the same point. Sew a line around the top of the skirts (ie two layers of fabric - both skirts will now be joined together at the top). Simple...
      6. Now fold down the top section to make a casing for the elastic (clear instructions in video and written on her blog) leaving a 2 inch opening for the elastic to be threaded through.
      7. I then did another row of stitching around the the top of the skirt about 1/8th inch or smaller just to make the skirt sit nicely with the elastic in it.
      8. Thread the elastic through (as per her video) and then I got Sienna to try the skirt on and the elastic was way too big so I sewed the elastic and tried the skirt on again and it still needed adjusting so I cut some more off and sewed it in the two rows (like the video) until it fit her and then I finished sewing in the casing to enclose the elastic (again all of this in in her very clear video). DONE........seriously you are going to be able to make one of these even if you aren't a sewer. Just check out all the comments on her post from people who aren't confident sewers or it's the first thing they have sewn together. You will love making this skirt.
      She can make a skirt in 12 minutes (single layer) but in half an hour one can be made. I took longer because it was my first skirt and the bias takes a little bit of time but I could make another one in 30 minutes. You don't have to do the bias binding but I think it finishes it off.

      I also chose the seersucker fabric because it's lightweight and you don't have to iron it and it doesn't looked crushed when you wear it. They have some great colours out at the moment. I want to make a contrast skirt next. Trust me you will gain all your confidence sewing making this skirt or go to a friends place for 2 hours who has a sewing maching and make one....go to freecycle and put your name down for a sewing machine.....Kathy

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    5. Kathy thanks so much for all this, I've got no idea what you are talking about with alot of this but our Spotlight has really helpful staff so as soon as I rangle up a machine, I'm going to have a go I think!!! Although I did think today I'd just pay you to do it!!!! :D :D :D

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    6. Jan you'll be able to do this just watch the 20 minute video even before shopping for your fabric. If you get really stuck I'll make one for you. I enjoyed making it and it's relatively quick and I was thinking of making them to sell as I'm looking for a little home base income to work in with my family. Let me know how you go or email me if you get stuck. Kathy

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    7. Hey Kathy, how do I find your email address???

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  3. I am with you on the crap high school sewing teacher, cranky, boooooring and impatient, turned me off for years. She was sooo obsessed with drafting, which no one ever used anyway.

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    1. Margaret my sisters and I all learnt to sew on a Singer Treadle Sewing Machine which was underneath our house in the laundry. We all sewed our clothes to wear like flared shorts and crop tops in Hawaiian prints. We sewed our clothes to wear to work as there just wasn't the target, kmart big w shops around for affordable clothing in those days...we all sewed clothes. I wish fabric would come down in price because by the time you buy the $18-$20 pattern and material you could be up for $50 before you put time into making something.

      These little skirts are so cut, quick, easy and look great. Kathy

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    2. aahhh typo........I mean these skirts are cute...

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  4. Hi Kathy, hope James is well and truly on the mend and not in so much pain, what a start to the holidays. Hope you have à lovely time in the school break.

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  5. Oh no! Poor James - that looks just awful :(. And poor Siena. And poor you ... You have my admiration! That's a lovely little skirt.

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  6. you have been busy playing nurse. Hope the kids are better for the school holidays, I am sure you have some fun excursions planned for them over the coming weeks. I didn't know you could sew - so clever and this is why you inspire me. So clever. Enjoy the holidays and hope you had a great easter.

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  7. Oh no, your poor children. Broken bones are no fun at all :( Hope they are healing for you. Bet you have been a tired mum! Brilliant job on the skirt (is that a seersucker from spotlight?)- it looks fantastic!

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    1. yep...it's called "Tutti Frutti" range...don't quote me on the spelling.

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    2. yep...it's called "Tutti Frutti" range...don't quote me on the spelling.

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