Softie Swap

I was part of a softie swap over at Essential Baby and now that my softies have made their way to their new homes I can post pictures. (It had been raining for days when I took these photos so please excuse them). I was making for a little boy so wanted to make sure they were baby friendly and boyish.

First off I made this car (which is also going to be adapted for this year's Softies for Mirabel. I put plastic on for the windows and black felt for the wheels. I also stuffed some cellophane behind the wheels to make them crinkly.




This superhero is a reincarnation of the one I made for Softies for Mirabel last year. After much tweaking with the pattern I am much happier with him as he looks more like a person than a cat (according to Charlotte), although he still needs some work. I stitched an S onto his front .

Hopefully they will be well liked.

This is..........

my favourite book. This was another hard one as I have so many favourites but this is the book I read time and time again and never get sick of.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

It always makes me cry every time (but I'm a bit of a sook anyway) but I feel really connected to the characters. I love the movie too, it is one of the few movies that is true to the book.

This would have to be my all time favourite children's book series - The Silver Brumby by Elaine Mitchell. I am always on the lookout for these in op shops but alas I have never found any. My other children's favourite was The Secret Seven and I am slowly rebuilding my collection of these, mainly vintage copies.

Thanks to Dees for this week's this is. Pop over to Angela's blog and see what everyone else is reading

Vinnies Sale

After being alerted to this sale by Ingrid I managed to slip away from work early today and make a flying visit. I was in a big hurry so probably didn't do it justice but I did manage to pick up some great fabric.

The first one is a lovely heavy weight fabric which will make a nice bag (Ingrid I think you may have gotten the same fabric), the next one is for pj pants for Charlotte and the third is a cord which will probably also be use d in a bag.Some lovely fabric which will probably be used for clothes for the girls

Then downstairs I picked up this Brownie book which might see it's way down to Brown Owls

Here are some pictures of the paper globes Charlotte and I made hanging in her room. You will have to excuse all the photos in this post but it hasn't stopped raining here for weeks and I can't keep waiting for good weather to take photos. Apparently we have had the wettest April in 77 years.

This is..........

my latest discovery, embroidery. Thanks to Brown Owl I had to embroider my name and "faraway" and now the bug has well and truly hit and I can't wait to do more (and hopefully improve lots).Thanks to Knit Owl for this week's this is. Pop over here to see what else is being discovered.

Op Shop Delights

I always seem to spy the op shop finds on other blogs and look lovingly at them but yesterday it was my turn. While Charlotte was at gymnastics I thought I would duck into a nearby op shop and I came away with some great items.

Firstly 3 gorgeous sheets, one of which looks like it has never been used. I am dying to wash them but of course it is raining here.

Then I spied this wonderful booklet of about 10 pillowcase iron on transfers. I am assuming you then embroider over the design but maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.

I also got this toaster cover ready for embroidery which my mum has already hinted should fit her toaster.Here are the globes Charlotte and I made the other day. I will post another picture when we have them up along with out paper bowls as soon as they are done.

Also here are the pj pants I made Charlotte on Monday. They are a bit long that's why you can't see her feet.
And finally this cushion was originally going to be a doll quilt but then I decided it was too big so I thought a lap quilt but it was too small, then I found this cushion insert and I thought a cushion cover. So I unpicked all the quilting and detached the back from the front and made it a cover.

This is..........

my dinner party, the theme coming from Lily and Agathe. I've found this one really hard to narrow down to 6 people but here goes:

1. I'd pick my dad who died in 1999. I'd just like him to meet his granddaughters and to let him know I love him.

That's my 21st in case you were wondering (a VERY long time ago)

2. If Dad was coming I'd have to invite mum just so she could see him again.

3. Nelson Mandela, ever since I went to South Africa in 1995 for the Rugby World Cup I've been in awe of this man.
4. Ainsley Harriott so he could cook the meal and I think he'd be a barrel of laughs. I could just see him and Nelson whooping it up in the kitchen
5. Jeff said I have to invite Gough Whitlam

6. While I was trying to decide Charlotte was jumping around the room saying "invite me, invite me" so I guess my last guest will be her (as long as we're having chips she said).

Pop over here to see who everyone is inviting

Gifts

The gorgeous and wonderfully talented Natalie gave birth this week to a beautiful little girl Cheriese. Natalie is a great on-line friend I met through the Essential Baby Sewing Group. I feel privileged to know this group of talented women, some I have met but many others I haven't.


As Natalie has received it I can now post pictures. I made a roll up quilt for Cheriese so Natalie could take it with her and put it on the floor for Cheriese when she is out and about. It is by no means perfect and there were many firsts in this quilt (hand quilting and I made my own binding) but I loved sitting on the couch and sewing it each night. (not the best photos sorry but it was a hurried one on the way out the door so I could post it).

Another package was also received today so I can blog this one as well. The lovely Adds recently sent me a great package with fabric, heaps of magnetic snaps she got for a song, some books and some pants for Lucy. Her daughter Cate loves Dalmations so there were a couple of 100 and 1 Dalmation books in there as well as Cate was after some magnets. So of course I obliged. I also made her a pencil/notepad holder and glued it into the cover of one of the books, some little notepads with pages from the books as the cover and sewn down the middle. I then got one of the pictures, enlarged it and traced it onto some Vilsofix and made a dalmation tshirt. Naturaly it was all packaged in a bag made from some lovely fabric from Corrie. Of course there was also some Katie Jump Rope fabric for Adds (not that she needs any more fabric).


Probably should have ironed the tshirt (sorry Adds)

Paper

Ages ago I printed out the instructions for these but had never gotten around to making them. I am thinking up some craft ideas for Charlotte in the holidays and thought I would do a trial run of these. After some moments where I couldn't work out how to put the first five together it finally clicked and this is the result.

I used illustrations from vintage children's books. I love them so much and Charlotte was very impressed so I think we will make some more and hang them in her room.


And just because Charlotte has been hogging the blogging limelight a photo of Lucy. I can't believe how big she is getting. (Adds she is wearing those pink Bonds pants you sent)

I also have some gifts to show but as they haven't arrived at their destination yet so you will just have to be patient.

Also I will be having a MADE IT sale with prices reduced on the Maude and Rock Chick bags (just waiting for the prices to be adjusted, but if you are interested in either of these email me)

Fabric

I had 2 lovely parcels waiting for me when I got home today. One from Flossie as part of the EB Scrap Swap. Flossie sent me a great assortment of scraps which I am sure I will be able to use in may projects.
The second parcel was from Aunty Cookie. I was supposed to be on a fabric buying ban (sorry Adds) but I had hinted that I wanted some Aunty Cookie fabric for Christmas (nothing forthcoming), then for my birthday (again nothing) so when I saw Shannon had restocked and I fell in love with the green colourway I had to have it.

Snailblazer

I've seen this on a few blogs recently so thought I would have a go. Mine is a bit different though. I was watching the final Life on Mars last week and they played a version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I have heard it before and thought I would search for it here, I think it is the one by Isreal. While searching i found all these others too so thought I would make my mix a Somewhere Over the Rainbow one. Hope you enjoy it.

Soccer

Charlotte played her first game of soccer today. They have been training for about 3 weeks and they did pretty well today and they were extremely cute. Unfortunately the other team only had 2 players so we had to give them 2 of ours so we could play (it's only 4-a-side on a very little field with no goalies). It was a little confusing for our players but they soon adjusted. Charlotte is the only girl in the team.

It was also Catholic Schools Week this week so they had open classrooms on Thursday. Here are a couple of pics of Charlotte in class.

Vintage Children's Book Thursday

Where did the week go? This week's book is called A Letter To Amy by Ezra Jack Keats. This is my original copy which I won as the winner a Story Book competition in 1970.

This book is about a young boy who wants to invite a girl to his party and writes her a letter. On his way to post it he bumps into her and knocks her over so of course he thinks she won't come to his party but a happy ending ensues and she turns up and they all have a great party.



I still enjoy reading this book to Charlotte and she loves that it was mine.