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Here is a top that I decorated (with a train applique) for Jack last Winter. He loved it at the time but this Winter (ie. right now!) he has informed me that trains are just not cool any more. He’s six now, you know, and that is definitely TOO big for trains.

So I pulled out a couple of fabric scrap pieces and came up with something that we both liked. Graphic black and white with a bit of green. Much cooler.

I thought while I was at it I would add a bit of length to the top, as Jack is a bit taller this year, by adding some black ribbing. And I did a bit of black stitching around the collar to tie the black theme in a bit more.

Voila! We can get a bit more wear out of this yet!

(See more Wardrobe Refashioning over here for lots more great inspiration)

I have been SO busy sewing lately. Well, in my head anyway.

Technically speaking, there hasn’t been any actual sewing but there has been lots of thinking about sewing. Lots of reading about garment sewing in particular, lots of looking at patterns and stash and I just know that I will begin actually sewing some new clothes for me soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of things I have been reading:

• Did you know that the commercial patterns are sized for a B cup? If you have a larger bust (like me) then you ought to do a Full Bust Alteration on your pattern before you begin.

• Did you know that you ought to be sewing your t-shirt hem and neckline with a double needle: When you sew with the twin needle, you will see that you get two lines of straight stitching an equal distance apart. On the underside, you only have one thread, so the stitch will be a zigzag as the bobbin thread has to go from side to side to catch each top thread. The advantage of this stitch is the built-in stretch provided by the zigzag. A twin-needled hem on a knit top will have the necessary give as you pull the knit over your head so that the stitches don’t pop. If you had simply straight-stitched that hem, you could now be hearing little pops as the stitches break due to the stress. The fabric stretches, but your stitches won’t. With a twin-needle stitch, your stitches can stretch with the fabric.

I have found a few good new-to-me sewing blogs lately too, which you can find in my blogs list over there in the sidebar. If you are reading this in Bloglines, then you’re gonna have to click here to see the blog list on my site.

A lot of people are loving this photo so I thought I would put it in again.

How good does this roast chicken look?

I am not an expert on roasts but I thought it was time I got confident with them so I cooked this the other night. Roasts are so yummy and so great for this freezing weather we are having right now.

I was hoping to surprise my husband (who is himself a really good cook, dammit) but in the end, I had to ring him at his work to find out the secret to the potatoes. The secret (you might already know this - it came via my mum actually) is that after peeling and chopping, you parboil the potatoes/sweet potato/pumpkin and then empty the water out, drizzle with some olive oil and then add a shake of herbs (I used an Italian herb mix) thenyou put the saucepan lid back on give them a really good shake. Then put them into the roasting tray with the meat. The shaking in the saucepan makes the soft (parboiled) potatoes/sweet potato/pumpkin all rough and this helps them crisp up once they are back in the oven.

While I was impatiently waiting for the roast to cook, I decided to make some dessert too.

Apple and berry pie with lattice pastry and a cute little birdie. It was so good with lots of cream. Am I making you hungry yet?

Oh, and here I am wearing the wonderful-I-love-them grey pants and longline cardigan that I thrifted the other day. I think that both of these are already becoming firm favourites.

If you are wondering why I am looking a little pained in the photo above, it is the combined effect of trying to suck my tummy in for the photo and trying not to wince as Jack (6) waves the digital camera around in preparation for our photoshoot. Once he settles down from the excitement, he is a good photo-taker actually. It’s fun modelling for a six year old!

I went to the local Salvos (thrift store) with my Mum and my sister’s little girl (Mum was looking after her) and we had such fun! I blame credit my mum for my love of old junk and have many fond memories of sifting through stuff at antique fairs and shops when I was little. We got quite a few little things that will go towards Emma’s birthday present (next week) so I won’t show those yet. I also picked up a few little cute things that I need to find a spot for in my studio.

I had to stop myself from squealing when I saw this cute little plastic sewing machine. Mum thought it would be good for Jack to learn on but I told her that this was for ME!

I love this little house display case. Not sure what will go in here yet but it’s so cute.

An old red clock for the studio. Anything red belongs in the Red Instead studio, don’tcha know?

Yes, that’s rolls and rolls of vintage wallpaper! Not sure what to do with this but I had to grab it!

I have had such a good run of thrifting lately. As well as the things above, we also found a few items of clothing for the girls, a pack of brand new textas (50) for Jack and a couple of other bits and pieces. Right now, I am wearing a fantastic pair of pants that I got yesterday. They are a dark grey with a subtle stripe and fit me perfectly, despite the fact that I didn’t bother to try them on in the shop. They were $8 I think, and look brand new. I also picked up three excellent casual jackets last week that I also haven’t shown you - I guess I better take some photos tomorrow!

My God, it was minus 5 degrees this morning! That’s 23 Fahrenheit and bloody cold!