Hi! Are you a new or recent visitor to my blog? I hope you stick around and have a bit of a read. To make it easier to keep up to date with new content, please subscribe to my RSS feed. Of course, feedback is always appreciated and leaving a comment is a great way for me to come and check out your site.

Here is a look at something I have been mulling over for a couple of weeks now. This is a WIP (work in progress) and it’s actually part of a project that I am working on - I won’t say too much, not because it’s secret and exciting, but simply because I am still forming the ideas in my head and figuring out how to make them work when they are no longer in my head!

This may not even end up as part of the project as it is different to my original idea, but even on it’s own I think it is interesting. Enough ramble, you want to see it, don’t you? I started off with this self-portrait camera-phone photo of me from a couple of months ago:

I then took it into Photoshop and with the help of a couple of filters, I turned it more or less into a line art pic which I then traced onto some homespun cotton and started embroidering!

Interesting, but I thought it needed a bit more so I got out some chalks and pencils and even a Tombow brush pen and added a little bit of colour, drew some hair and filled in the shadows:

This is where it’s at now. Still looking at it and thinking about it. To me, it looks like my face is really wide but I have measured it against the original and the proportions are correct. I think that may be something that could be fixed with some shading to make it look more rounded but I’m not sure.

I’d love to know what you think or if you have any suggestions. This is my first time doing embroidery so I am pretty happy with it. It took a little over two hours to do the stitching. I have a few embroidery books and some supplies and I want to do more of this. I’ll keep you posted with the progress.

This is a bitsa post - bitsa this and bitsa that.

Look! I received the first issue of the Mix Tape zine a couple of days ago. I must admit that I left it in the toilet with the other books and magazines, ready for a little reading session but last night Paul called out to me in a strange tone of voice that there was something I needed to come and look at. He wanted to use the toilet but he was standing there pointing and telling me to look. I looked in to find the whole zine in the toilet - soaking wet! What?!?

I knew the culprit right away - Emma had just done a wee before going off to bed 10 minutes before. I marched in and had a little chat with her about that!!! After blaming Jack and then denying it, and then finally telling me it was Naughty Emma and then admitting yes, it was her, she tearfully told me that she accidentally knocked it in after flushing the toilet. (I was very glad to hear it fell in after she had flushed, I can tell you!)

So what did I do? I fished it out, carefully took the staples out and peeled each page apart (it was all stuck together, ugh!) and then laid all the pages out to dry on tea towels over the back of the dining chairs. By the morning the pages were all dry, if a little crumpled, and I put it all back together and stapled. Now I can read the thing!

Sam started at his new supermarket job on the weekend. We were such the dorky parents, saying things like “Oh! It’s just like his first day at school!” and other rubbish. Well, it may have just been me. Paul was looking rather proud too. We wanted to mark the occasion with a photo of him in his work clothes but he wasn’t having any of it. First he ran away, then he stood there with his eyes closed, and finally Paul said “Come on Sam, do it for Nanna” and he instantly co-operated. You’ve still got it, Nanna!

We had to buy him black socks, white shirts and new black shoes (he usually only wears runners) and black trousers. Can you believe I got him some $5 men’s trousers from the local op shop. I felt a bit cheap but honestly, why spend $40 when these are really like new. Not cheap, frugal, I kept telling myself!

The other thing is that with his Aspergers he has an aversion (phobia?) to wearing metal - things like keys, chains, jewellery, and of course zips give him the heebie jeebies! Up until now he has only ever worn elastic waisted pants but I kept quiet about the fly zip in these and he didn’t say a word about it. Maybe he has grown out of that aversion? I will have to ask him about it.

I went to the Craft and Quilt Fair on Friday and this was my loot. I got some printable A4 fabric (more convenient than the Bubble Jet Set) and a couple of books, a few yo-yo templates, and a couple of other notions.

I also bought a pattern and face stamp for a lovely doll called Charlotte and some wooden stuffing sticks from a lady called Karlene Atkins who had the most gorgeous handmade dolls. The photo of Charlotte above is taken from her website.

I spent quite a bit but I was trying very hard to restrain myself. I could have bought a whole lot more. As well as all the vendors, there was a quilting exhibition and so many fabulous large and small, modern and traditional quilts - photos were only allowed for personal use, no internet use, sorry!

Oh! Nearly forgot! We bought a new fridge and dishwasher today. I know, a bit extravagent but we had some extra money come in, thanks to a bonus from Paul’s work and some tax refunds. Our fridge is about 20 years old and the seal is next to useless. I shudder to think how much energy is flowing out the door. Our dishwasher works but unless we rinse everything thoroughly we are likely to get bits stuck all over the glasses and plates and rinsing kinda defeats the purpose of having a dishwasher.

We chose based on cost, the width of the fridge space available and most importantly, on the energy star ratings. That was our main factor - we passed up cheaper models because they weren’t very efficient for power and in the case of the dishwasher, for water too. Yay us. Good for the environment and good for our energy bills. We looked at sooooo many different fridges today - Paul is the sensible one and likes to shop around. We dragged the poor kids to four different shops and then back to the first one. Why is it always the first one? They get delivered on Wednesday - how exciting!

Time to show you one of my recent pattern purchases. An “of the moment” knit tunic/dress - McCalls 5408, View B which is the one shown in pink with purple bands on the cover. I cut it out yesterday afternoon and got some sewing done today. It’s going great so far!

I started off by tissue fitting the pattern roughly onto Pinny (my sewing double) and was happy to find that I wouldn’t need to do any alterations. I did shorten it by 4″ though.

Tissue fitting is where you cut out the pattern pieces and then pin them to a mannequin of your size to see how the garment will fit. I never used to do this, but as I am no longer in denial that my body has changed over these last 15 years, I am now determined to do this with every new pattern - tissue fitting, altering to suit and fitting in progress as needed. No more getting to the end of a garment and then realising it is all wrong!

You can see where I did the tissue fitting of the front bodice here. Where the pattern calls for gathers I just pinned the extra in so that I got a true representation. You also need to remember to overlap the pieces to account for seam allowances.

I am making this top up in a grey jersey with a modern black floral print and doing the contrast bands in a similar weight black jersey. Here is where I am at so far.

This is a great pattern - I have been following the instructions to the letter (something I don’t always do!) and it’s all very straightforward. I’ll let you know how I am getting on tomorrow or the next day.

hello again! wow I have really lost the blogging mojo at the moment huh? I think it’s about time I tried to get it back so, even though I haven’t really got anything terribly exciting for you, I am posting anyway as I have really gotten out of the habit and I want to get my mojo back!

So what have I been up to? Some thrifting (always some thrifting), some pattern buying (maybe some pics next time), some web site building (a football related site for my cousin), some Harry Potter reading (FANTASTIC, just perfect!) and the usual laying about.

I told you, I don’t have that much to say today. Not even any crafty photos - just my sweet self, ha!

Every so often I have been taking a photo of my outfit - just for fun. I am amazed (and so happy) at how much of my wardrobe is thrifted these days. I am buying styles and things that I wouldn’t have previously, having much more fun with my style and getting excited about fashion - it’s easy to try new things when the price is so cheap.

The pants and green cardy in the first photo are thrifted and the whole outfit in the two photos above as well. All except the grey leggings and shoes. How cute is that apron?

I really love taking Emma along of the thrifting visits with me. She loves it too - there is always a toy section for her to play in! And usually a cheap barbie or something else to take home with her. Her red top and pink skirt above are both preloved and now, reloved.

I am very conscious that I only have her as my special friend at home for another 18 months or so and then she too will be off to school. I will miss her coming along with me wherever I go.

I have been buying some great second hand books for Jack - easy chapter books and “fact” books. He told me the other day that he really likes Non-Fiction books, books that teach him things. Great, I say! There isn’t usually much for a 15 year old though - I got lucky once with a great Japanese language text book for Sam and the other day I found a manga book for $5.00 and it was even one he didn’t have yet! Score!