Hat Making Workshop

Last week, a small group of us attended a hat making workshop, it was a rewarding and fruitful day. Each of us completed a lined / reversible hat, and came home with many time saving sewing hints and general sewing advice.

The lining made and at the ready
the last of my fabric - some of which was used in Maybelle's Quilt

A large light box - how easy to trace the pattern and make adjustments with this beauty!

Concentrate well!

Shaping as we go

Fast progress here!

Gorgeous colours

Wonderful boy's sunhat

Needs that final iron!

Overall, a fun and productive day, Marg went home and made another hat that evening for her other son, lucky boys. Our children were happy with our sewing, if they continue to behave -- they may all be rewarded with matchy matchy hats for the coming summer!

Cake Pops

Miss 5BN has a birthday in 2 weeks, we thought we would try Mrs Zippy Zippy's Recipe.  A trial run tonight at home was a success

Cake Pop pan

Ready for the Oven

Lid is on

The Overflow

Chocolate and a Twirl of Sprinkles

Not as fancy, but just as edible, the packet cake made 36 cake pops,
 1 block of Cadbury chocolate iced half the cake pops, and also used up many little half packets of sprinkles.
Appropriate for home or school lunches - certainly not for the retail trade though!

Library Bags



All in line and centred

I have had some custom orders for library bags,

Appliqueing the names

Initials on the posterior / derriere!

Waste not, want not, I decided to enlarge the first initial of each name, after tracing and cutting, so decided to add the leftover initial to the rear of each library bag.

All fabrics are from Spotlight, the ties I made from navy linen , as I felt the denim was too rigid to easily fold and fold again into a thin tie.

All ready to be used at story time at the regional Library and at Kinder.
To go to their new owners tomorrow.

Market Day Again

Heat Packs to keep us toastie and warm

Door Stops to stop the banging of doors

A few home days, and I seem to be sewing for the kids.

The boys are delighted, beginning to have repeat customers for the chook wheat. One regional stock agent telephoned through the week - to order mulptiple bags of the chook wheat - to onsell in his Merchandise component of the Stock Agents.  No complaints from the boys, the chap will collect today-- may even throw in a wheat/heat pack to keep him happy.
Another local market today, so the boys have bagged a tonne and a half of wheat-- hope it all is sold today after their mammonth efforts in wieghing and bagging.

Miss 5BN and I have been sewing more heat packs, door stops, and also draught stoppers.
With the cooler start to winter, maybe the draught stoppers may be the ticket item today.

Sewing at my house this evening, so will need to vacuum up the loose grains of wheat, and prioritise projects of mine.

Keep warm and enjoy the long weekend.

Bunting finish

Miss 5BN has been asking for her own bunting for some months, she has ably assisted with the cutting and sewing, and finally we made some bias and sewed the bunting flags onto the bias. Our bunting is not comparable to Mrs Zippy Zippy's, but we are more than happy to have a UFO finished,
After months of having a UFO hanging about -- she is enamoured to have the bunting folded in a neat parcel on the floor!  We must decide to hang it in her room this weekend.
All fabrics are a mixture of ranges from Spotlight!

Winners are Grinners

Singing the winning theme song!!!

Receiving the Medallion!

Last Sunday, the region played the annual U12 football carnival.
Teams were entered from a 150km radius, so very early start to the day for some families.
All played in good spirits, and overall, an excellent skill level.
This year the middle 5BN was part of the overall winning team,--- pictured above receiving his medallion from the Minister for Sport and Recreation,  also the local Member for the Lowan Electorate.

The competition ensured several games were played over the duration of the day,  late into the final quarter of the Grand Final, the middle 5BN received an elbow into the eye socket, which over the next few days has bruised up into a lovely hue of greens, blues and yellows.
Today was the annual School Photos, I did discuss using some makeup to cover the bruising!---Oh No  this was not PC  to cover the bruise,  we will have mileage in the years to come  -- when we look back at the 2012 school Photos-- and reminisce on the U12 footy win and the injury sustained in the dying minutes of the game!!

Aussie animals for an English baby



Percy the Platypus and Edward the Emu

When my dear friend Inger and her lovely husband had their first baby 4 years ago. I wanted to give them a gift truly Australian. For Inger and her now growing family live in London, we shared accommodation many many years ago, both of us were working in London together. I introduced her to Vegemite, pumpkin ( this is cattle fodder for some in the UK!!) Tim tams, and bar b ques!
Inger has impeccable taste, so I pondered for a while, and with a light bulb moment! remembered buying from this talented lady previously for my little Miss5BN

Farmyard finger puppets

Older sister Maya received a koala and a kangaroo with joey in the pouch.  Inger loved the plushness of the animals -- and laughingly told me they matched in with her Nursery decor very well!!

Way back in 1992 when my Mum telephoned from Australia to say that Dad had had a heart attack, and was being transferred from our local country hospital to a tertiary hospital in the city, Inger was with me in a mad rush and panic - to help buy a ticket to fly home quickly; and also to arrange time off work for me in London.    Inger helped print my travel photos, and stayed up very late to help collate them into many photo albums--prior to accompanying me to Heathrow the next morning to see me fly home.  All the while , Inger munched on her oh so English Hobnob biscuits.
Dad had surgery, recovered well, and in 6 weeks time I flew back to London for a further 12 months of work and travel. 



All together now!  Animals and finger puppets

Welcome to the world baby Raul, looking forward to meeting you in the flesh!  Enjoy playing with your little touch of Australiana!!