Blog make over

I've done a bit of a blog make over. Tidied a few things up. Created headings. Very easy to do I found out! What do you think?

Yikes its all too much

All this social media thingy. It's doing my head in. I just found out that google are stopping google friend connect, I know it's been out there for a while, I've been busy ok? So I've set up a google+ page so people can connect with me that way. Then I was thinking is that the best way to get my feeds now? Soooo confused.

So if you are interested, I've set up a few links on my sidebar. You can now get my feeds through Facebook, through any rss reader you like (not that I'm happy with google reader at the mo but that's another story), via email, and when I get the button to work, through google+ (I've just spent an hour trying to get it on here), oh and I'm on pinterest too, that's on the right.

So this is my google+ link for Mandy Made. And I have attempted to include the button, lets see if it eventually appears!!

How are you going with all the social media these days? As confused as I am? I just want to write my blog in one spot then everything else gets the feed without me doing anything else. Is that possible?

And I wish they would stop changing things, I get used to how it all works and looks then they go and change everything. Maybe I'm just getting too old he he. The 37 grumps have hit me!!

Cup of tea anyone?

Does anyone even read my blog? The stats say that people come here but I'm not feeling the love with any comments. Oh well. Back to my corner of the blogesphere!

Hopefully I'll be back with some crafting soon, been soooo busy.

TTFN

Edit: Sorry I didn't want to sound like I was desperate for comments! I was just a bit frustrated and wanted to know I was going to an effort for a reason. There is little time for sewing as it is ;-)

A year in Review 2011

Wow, what a year. I've never sewn so much in my life. Might of helped that I was home and that my baby is a sleeper. So here goes. I've made mosaics so the post isn't too photo heavy.

From Jan - Sep

From Sep - Oct

From Oct - Dec

Wow, you can really see my photography style change when you list them like this.

Yep, just a bit. And to top it all off I'm going to list them!!

• Softies - 4
• Baby - 1 (he he, had to add him)
• Baby quilt - 1
• Make-up Purse - 1
• Crochet Hook Case - 1
• Stepping Stones Pillow - 2
• Kids Belt - 1
• Keychain Clutch large - 2
• Keychain Clutch - 4
• Pocket Clutch - 7
• Kimono Baby Shoes - 3
• Cameron Baby Shoes - 7
• Mary Jane Baby Shoes - 5
• Lots of Pockets Tote - 1
• Box Pouch - 2
• Kiddo Zipper Pouch - 13
• Baby Hat - 5
• Honey Cowl - 1
• Tall Pleated Clutch - 6
• Large Pleated Clutch - 5
• Small Pleated Clutch - 2
• Curly Worley Wormy Keychains - 12
• Crochet Mushroom - 1
• Crochet Mouse - 1
• Crayon Roll - 4
• Pencil Roll - 3
• Baby Bibs - 22
• Baby Burp Cloths - 9
• Baby Change Clutch - 2
• Nintendo DS Pouch - 2
• Colouring Folio - 3
• Fabric Tray - 1
• Pencil Case - 3
• Lens Cap Pouch - 3
• Bunting - 3
• Earphone pouch - 2
• Captain America Costume - 1
• Notepad Organiser - 1
• Dummy Clip Straps - 18
• Feeding Top - 1
• Feeding Cover - 1

Yikes, and that  doesn't include all the things I have started and not finished.

We have declared in our household that this year is anti procrastination year!! So hopefully I won't have an unfinished list for next year.

What are your hopes for 2012?

TTFN

Hello 2012

Photo of me on New Years Eve. I was a beautiful butterfly :-)

What happened to 2011? That went a bit too fast and I didn't even get to blog much. Oh well. Hopefully this year will bring more time. I'll be back with a huge, what I completed in 2011 post, but for now I'll just look back on what I wanted to achieve, sewing wise.

2010's year review post is here in case you want to go back and reminisce, but this is what I wanted to achieve:

• Comment more on others blogs - I've been too much of a lurker, I want to change this - Wasn't too good with this, maybe this year will be better!!
• Get more involved with quilt or sew alongs - there has been heaps I wished I have joined - I did join one but other things got in the way so its on the back burner!!
• Complete the quilts I've started - I've completed a quilt top does that count?
• Look into craft markets to have a stall - I want to have something original though so I need to come up with something while working out the pros and cons of having a market stall. - This I did achieve with the lovely Leah and Ditto Crafts was born.
• Sew from my stash before shopping - my stash has got out of hand, I want to weigh what I have and maybe 1/2 it, but that also depends on how many projects I'm able to make!! - failed on this one big time!!

So there you have it. But I was looking after a baby all year too ;-)

So this year. I'll be returning to work 3 days a week soon so not putting to much pressure on myself.

• I'll stick with the list above, not a bad list!!
• Organise my sewing better, I've got stuff from one end of the house to the other.
• Grow Ditto Crafts
• Reduce my blog reader list. Not the lovely inspiring blogs but the blogs that repeat and re-blog everyone else's stuff, sorry don't have time for you.
• Blog more, cos looking back on the past year is more for me and I have no idea how I made some stuff!!

Think that's it, besides making more time for me, keeping the house tidy, and stop procrastinating!!

TTFN

A bloggers dilemma

Little Amigurumi Mushroom

I've been writing this post in my head for a while now and thought it about time I got it out of my head! I think I have blog overload or blog fatigue, and not just from posting here, from trying to keep up with everyone else's blogs too. I have so many in my reader now that I'm just not reading them, just scrolling down looking at the pretty pictures. I have a few blogs that I definitely read and try to comment on every post but I'm finding it really hard to keep up. And then I think, why am I trying to keep up? It's not my job, I'm not getting paid for this I don't have to do it. So I'm going to go through my reader and unsubscribe a few, which is hard, I'm a hoarder and it's like I've hoarded these subscriptions! It's school holidays here at the moment and I'm going away for a week next week, without a computer! I wonder how many posts will be waiting for me in my Google Reader, will I just mark them all as read? Then I think what if I miss out on something? What am I going to miss out on? It's only a week and it's only someone else's (that I usually don't know) blog!!

So if I'm skipping over blogs, how many are skipping over mine? I know I need to improve my photography, will that make people stop by or is it what I write or what I craft? Am I losing track of why I started this blog in the first place?

It's not just blogs that I'm trying to keep on top of either, it's also facebook and recently I was introduced to pinterest! So I think having a break for a week is going to be good for me, get my head and priorities straight.

So does anyone else share in my dilemma or are you stronger than I?

On another note, these are a few pics of what my mum has been up to lately with the Grandkids. They are so lucky to have an art teacher for a grandma. She got the inspiration and pattern from here. Every time a grandchild comes to play they add a little.

Saucepan Man

The Magic Faraway Tree

Dame Washalot's washing

Dame Washalot's house

Toadstools at the bottom of the tree

So that's it for me on this very wet, cabin fever, kind of school holiday day. Hopefully I'll be able to take some pics of some baby hats I've been making.

TTFN

The School Fete

...is not very far away, yikes. Better get sewing!

I've bitten the bullet with another crafty/bloggy/school mum/ ace friend and we've teamed up and become ??? Big reveal soon!! We are breaking out into the world of craft stalls by starting at our school fete. So I've been very busy coming up with stuff I could contribute to the stall. I've been trawling the net and books I have coming up with quick easy projects that of course I can sell. There are quite a few restrictions on some of the patterns I have, mostly, you can make it for personal use and gift giving only, not to sell. Well I could write a very lengthy post about that (and I have in the past) but I wont at this time. So here are a few things I have tested and will definitely make more of for the stall. Please make comments, if you think I'm nuts, that wont sell, or yeah go for it, all feedback welcome :-). If there is anything else you have seen me make in the past and think would be good, let me know.

1. Coffee cuffs, 2. Dad's Mug Rug, 3. Snail, 4. Mum's mothers day purse, 5. Kid's belt, 6. Kid's belt, 7. Keychain Clutch Large - 1, 8. Keychain Clutch - 2, 9. Pocket Clutch - 1, 10. Michi Kimono-Style Baby Booties - 1, 11. Cameron Baby Sneakers - 1, 12. Cameron Baby Sneakers - 2, 13. Lots of Pockets Tote - 1, 14. Keychain Clutch - 1, 15. Box Pouch #1, 16. Zipper Pouch #1

Credit for each of the patterns used is on each photo on my flickr page so click on the links above if you want to know what pattern I have used.

Plus I finally got all my fabric from fabricworm, all of this fabric will be made into stuff for the stall.

Can't wait to finally show off my finished items. But first, need to get on top of this housework thing!

TTFN

My new toy

I've been too busy getting acquainted with my new toy to share anything this week. Last Thursday I got the call that my new sewing machine was ready to be picked up, dilemma do I have time to pick it up before school pickup, should I get the hubby to do it instead, hmm. Jumped in the car, picked up my mum, then went and got it. Yay. Got to school with 10mins to spare. Then I had to wait till the hubby got home before I could get it out of the box. Long couple of hours! So what is it you may ask. The Singer Confidence Quilter.

I had been lusting after the Singer Curvy for a while and just before I went to the show I thought I should check out what else Singer has. They have a machine called the Confidence which looked like it had all the same features as the Curvy, then I spotted the quilter, which, looking at the specs, all that was different was a few less stitches but it included all of the quilting stuff that I would have had to buy anyway, and it was a bit cheaper. It has 96 different stitches which is about 90 more than my old machine so I wasn't too upset with not getting an alphabet like the Curvy had. Anyway, so far so good. I'll write another post on what I think of the machine but it the mean time I will share this with you.

I broke my first needle ever, yes people. I was trying to be clever with the zipper foot and guess what, even new machines don't sew through metal!!

TTFN

Where to start

Craft show haul!, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

I've been busy, of the sewing kind, and as a result haven't been blogging! So where to start? I'll start with last weekend. A close friend and I got the hubby to drop us off in the city so we could go to the Melb craft and quilt show. It was a glorious day and it felt a bit wrong going inside, but we did. It wasn't as crowded as previous years which was nice. But I would have to say, except for the stalls that I know (Kelani, Nicole Mallalieu and Amitie) everything else was a bit same same. The above was all I bought, oh and a new sewing machine! YAY sooo excited, just waiting for the shop to give me a ring so I can pick it up :-). It was my first day out without the little one so that was a bit strange, but it was nice to be out with one of my best friends again without the kids in toe.

I'm busy making stuff for my school fete at the moment and I'll be back soon with more pics. If you can't wait check out my flickr page.

TTFN.

Made a few changes

I've made a few changes to the look of the blog. What do you think? Can you still see Mandy Made in the header? I'm a bit nervous about the font I used, can all browsers see it?

It's freezing in Melbourne today, can't find my fingerless gloves, I'll just have to sit and knit for a while. Or give my little one lots of cuddles.

TTFN

If only I knew

...that you couldn't email me back. I've been blogging for 3 years now, yes April came and went quietly, no big celebrations here, haven't been that consistent with the posts so I thought I'd celebrate 200 posts instead. I have a feeling I may have said the same thing last year too.

Anyway back to the whole 3 years thing. I have also been commenting on others blogs for the same amount of time, it took the lovely Tanya to let me know that she couldn't email me back via the comment I left, that I had a no reply email. Thank you so much Tanya, here I was thinking I'm so small and insignificant that no-one wants to email me back, well I may still be but at least now I know its by choice!! So if you are like me and wondering why other bloggers don't get back to you check your account settings and see if you have email switched on.

Now the reason why I was visiting Tanya's blog (and am now following) is that she received a book that I also got in the mail. The wonderful "You Sew, Girl" by Nicole Mallalieu. It's so ace you have to get your hands on it. When I was flicking through the pages I couldn't work out what I wanted to make first, so I was thinking of working my way through the book. So I read on another blog that Tanya was planning on doing the same thing so popped over to have a look, you should to, then I don't have to go on about it here!!

I need to use up some of my stash, it's getting out of control. My make wish list is getting so long that I don't know where to start!! I'm saving up for a new machine, if that isn't enough incentive to not buy anymore fabric I don't know what is. So from now on I'm only going to purchase stuff that needs to go with the fabric I have, including solids cos I don't have enough of those, I'm just making excuses to spend more money aren't I ;-).

Back soon with some photos, this post was a bit texty.

TTFN

Vote for Cam

Cam of Curly Pops has been nominated for Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female Awards 2011, yay, so pop over to her blog and follow the links and go and vote for her. There are other categories you have to vote for too and I hadn't heard of most of the chicks in them (guess I should read Cosmo!!) so they got a pot luck vote, the singers were the hardest to pick, there are a lot of ace chicks out there at the moment. Best of luck Cam.

TTFN

A year in Review 2010

It was a bit's and pieces year last year, I made all sorts of things from different crafts. I attended Sew It Together and joined the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild, attended heaps of craft fairs and bought way to much fabric. 

I had a bit of a bad health year, not just me, it seemed like all of my family had a bit of a bad year, I won't go into details. Then I got pregnant again, yay. 6 years after being pregnant with Aidan, what can I say, sometimes these things take time!! I thought if I got pregnant again I'd be all about craft and I'd be making heaps, the opposite happened, I completely lost my crafty mojo. Unless something had to be made it was just too hard to think about. So my list of things I wanted to make just didn't get done. Oh well, at least everyone is now healthy and I've finally got my mojo back, some might say it's nesting!!

So last year I declared 2010 as the year for domestic projects, well I guess that is now going to be carried into 2011 on a larger scale as there will be another little person to make stuff for.

I'm going to make another make wish list that I'll keep in my side bar and hopefully cross off this year, but who knows, I may get a baby this time that wont let me get any time to myself, so I'm going to play it by ear.

There are a few things that I want to do though:

• Comment more on others blogs - I've been too much of a lurker, I want to change this
• Get more involved with quilt or sew alongs - there has been heaps I wished I have joined
• Complete the quilts I've started
• Look into craft markets to have a stall - I want to have something original though so I need to come up with something while working out the pros and cons of having a market stall.
• Sew from my stash before shopping - my stash has got out of hand, I want to weigh what I have and maybe 1/2 it, but that also depends on how many projects I'm able to make!!

Ok so just a few goals for the year, we'll see how we go.

So this year is going to be full of changes with the introduction of new little person in our lives and also not working at my career for 12 months, I think that is going to be the biggest adjustment!!

I know this is a month into 2011 but happy new year and may you get all of your crafty wishes for 2011.

TTFN

Mandy

Boo

I'm off to the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild today. Hopefully I will get some sewing done and be able to show something for a change. Until then....

TTFN

Sew It Together 2010 - The next bit

The Saturday part of Sew It Together consisted of a whole day of sewing and a dinner. What a hard life hay? Sheridan did a wonderful job organising everything, thank you so much. It all appeared to come together so smoothly, I hope in the background it did too.

It was an early start for me catching the train into the city with my crafty sidekick. We stayed in the city that night so had all our crafty gear with us plus the overnight stuff.

We were greated at the door by lovely Donna with our Saturday goody bag.

Except for the fabric in the middle there that snuck into this photo instead of the friday one, all this stuff was given to all of us, like Christmas really, without the small one climbing all over me. For the full list of sponsors please checkout the SIT website, I don't want to miss anyone.

In the door prize I one a boys pant pattern, which is really cute, but in German, which I can't read. So I may need someones help out there, there may even be a pair of boys pants in it for you.

I had a great time, I didn't talk to as many people as I probably should but listened and watched in a bit of a star stuck moment.

This is what I sewed, yes there was sewing involved!!

I finished off the stitching part of the Kokeshi dolls by Melly and Me, and then started on Melly and Me's block of the month.  There were all sorts of crafting going on, and even some of Jodie's softies came out to play.

After all of the excitement of the sewing day most of us headed out to a lovely dinner, where we got to chat to different bloggers and catch up on other things other than sewing!! Imagine that, other stuff happens other than sewing!!

After a very rewarding but exhausting day we headed back to the hotel and collapsed until morning, and a sleep in, yay. Brunch at South Bank and a spot of craft market shopping then headed back home on the train.

I've spent the last week, other than dealing with a cold, trying to take in all that went on that weekend. I can't put it into words, guess you had to be there!! Check out my flickr page (link on my side bar) if you want to see more pics of the day.

TTFN

Sew It Together 2010

It's time to blog about it. It was fantastic. Had so much fun. I never thought it would come, now it's come and gone. I put so many faces to names and blog names. I wish I took a photo of everyone so I could remember.

Friday Shopping Trip and Drinks at Nikki's

I had to work in the morning of the shopping trip, which is an early start for me, so by the time I got on the bus I was nearly ready to finish the day. Didn't last long though, I was soon into the swing of things and meeting new people. I was a bit shell shocked and shy though so sorry if I didn't get to speak with you, I was taking it all in though.

First stop was Amitie. I've never been to the shop before, only buying from them at shows and being part of their VIP club. I will be going back. There are so many fantastic fabrics in there, and so many for boys, something I've been searching for. The ladies were lovely with afternoon tea waiting for us and a very generous discount, how ace. I bought fabric and hexagon templates. This is me and Leah, my partner in crime, poring over our fabric choices.

Photo Originally uploaded by SusanL

Next up was Patchwork on Central, there I bought an Amy Butler weekender pattern. Back on the bus and off to Ink and Spindle.

I've been wanting to go to their open days for ages but can never make it. So I was very excited. The girls gave us a printing demo and I bought some backing material to make cushions (and finally use up the fabric I bought from them at last years show).
Lastly for the day we ended up at Nikki's studio where she put on bubbly and nibbles for all of us. We also got to see her studio, amazing, and buy a few things too. I forgot to photograph them but I got some bag bits too. I was exhausted ready for bed, looking forward to the big sewing day ahead.

This is my haul from friday shopping day. (minus a few fabrics that made it into the satuday photo. The scissors, thread and fabric pack where from The Oz Material girls who were very generous in giving all the shopping girls a give-away, thanks heaps.

I'm going to break this into 2 posts, so I'll be back soon with more.

TTFN

Oops I missed it...

...my two year blogiversary. It was in april, oops. While reading another blog who mentioned 2 years was coming up, I thought I should check when mine will be, oops I missed it. I'm sure i've broken some unwritten rule of bloggers by missing it. I also may be breaking another rule by not having a giveaway. Sorry. I'll save that for my 200th post. If you want to check out my very first post go here.

I went to the Melbourne Stitches and Craft show yesterday. I took my mum and we had heaps of fun. I met heaps of bloggers, so now i can put faces to names, and caught up with some that I met at the last show or during the past year. Even though I've been blogging for 2 years I've only really started the meet and greet in the past year. Just can't wait for Sew It Together next weekend, very excited, can't wait. The show wasn't as big as last year, not as many fabric stalls and craft gadgets that I would have liked. I loved the incubator section though, so much talent there. Each booth was decorated perfectly reflecting the crafter. We didn't get to any talks or labs but we did do some crotchet at the craft bar. I was very restrained in my purchases (saving for SIT), only buying a new subscription to Homespun for myself, and a purse pattern and fabric for my mum for mothers day that she chose (more on that in another post). Mum bought a few patterns and I hope to share what she makes out of those as well.

I finally got to make one of Nikki's bags but I think that deserves a post of it's own, that, and the light is terrible for pictures at the mo.

TTFN

My Creative Space

I have nothing to show for my creative space this week, (I could show the same photo as last week but that would be boring!!) It's all in my head and I don't think you want to see that. So in my creative head this week:

• Idea's for my new nieces birth present
• Little A's birthday cakes for this weekend - he is having 2 parties so 2 cakes are required. He's having a car theme so I'm thinking number 5 with racing track, and we have a VB beetle tin, so that will need to be decorated the same as our beetle.
• Decorations for the party, I did have all these grand plans of making stuff but that kinda went out the door, I work full time, what can you do!!
• Party games involving cars, any ideas very welcome ;-)
• Aidan's birthday present, I was thinking a photo board, got any great tutes? Not going to get that finished by sunday!

So there you have it, I assure you more was going on in my head this week, but this unfortunately, was about it for creativity. Hopefully I'll have photos of the out comes. Wow I've been a mum for nearly 5 years, time has flown.

For more creative spaces head here to kootoyoo.

TTFN

What a Lovely Surprise

I love getting parcels in the post. It doesn't happen that often, and when you don't expect them they are even better!! I have a birthday coming up, but didn't even think that a gift would be inside, so I opened it early (well Little A did), how cheeky of me. The pressy is from the lovely Brooke, she is responsible for getting me back into crafting, I just now have to get her into blogging, she makes some amazing stuff. The material is from amitie and the card, isn't it just perfect, is from maggiedolly.

On the weekend I started cutting out 20cm squares to make this, the Crazy Nine-Patch Lattice Quilt by Oh, Fransson. I'm making it in red and white with a splash of green, so hopefully it wont look too christmassy. It's going to clash with my couch but oh well!!

I'll have some photos to put up soon so you can see for yourself.

Until next time.

TTFN

Oh dear

I just made my very first online fabric purchase. This may be a good beginning or a very bad expensive one!! I shopped here. At least I shopped in Aus and bought some aussie designed fabric too. Have you discovered Saffron Craig? I just have :-).

Back from holidays

I'm back from holidays and have no crafting to show for it!! Well I did do a little bit, the applique on Little A's library bag was coming off so I added some blanket stitch, which I didn't do at first cos I didn't want it to look too country craft!! But in the end I had to do it, doesn't look too bad. I don't recommend this retro adding though, did my fingers in.

I was going to do some hand stitching but I didn't get my act together before I left (I wanted to do the Melly and Me stitchery from their book). I took a heap of material with me but I didn't want to start something just for the sake of it, I don't seem to finish them if started that way. So I had a nice relax anyway. Missed the sewing machine though!!

When I got home, switched on the computer (which I didn't miss) only to find 420 blog entries to read in Google Reader, wow you people have been busy while I was lazing about, that also teaches me to have so many blogs to read. Now do I skim through them all, mark them as read or spend the next few weeks reading??!!

TTFN