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Emma turns 5 on Saturday.  She has been asking “how many days till my birthday” for about the last 11 and a half months - seriously.  I can’t believe my baby is turning five.  Another milestone.  I look at her now and she looks so big and yet still so young, all at once.  We are having a party here at home for her on Saturday and having some of her friends over for some fun.  It’s the first proper party she has had as we have always just done the extended family thing (dinner and cake or ten pin bowling or BBQ) before.  Now that she is in preschool she has a bunch of friends to invite - we’ve settled on eight girls and one boy. 

Still working on the activities for the party and hoping I don’t procratinate all the way to Friday night on this!  So far, I am thinking: beading (a necklace to take home), making a mask or hat to decorate, musical statues, pin the tail on the pony and running races.  I made this invitation tonight which Emma just LOVED so at least I have started!

 

I haven’t posted a studio shot for a while… Love these Janomes:

After many years of thought and research (here and there when I would think of it) I finally bit the bullet and bought some pattern design software. I didn’t go with the one that everybody else has (PMB - Pattern Master Boutique) because I really don’t like the interface and figure I can more easily make more complex pattern changes on paper instead of with the CAD interface.  After weighing everything up, I chose My Pattern Designer instead.

After having my husband measure me up last weekend, I made this casual jacket today from thrifted black fleece as a wearable muslin to try the software out. Overall, I am pretty happy with it, although the hem looks wonky in the photo.  I’m sure it doesn’t in real life.   It is great to have something fit you without any pattern alterations - even just little things like hemming the sleeve and knowing that it will be just the right length for my arm. I always thought sticking bits of paper together would be a pain but if you are used to tracing patterns off from magazines then it’s really not a problem to get out the sticky tape instead of the tracing paper. Quicker and easier too.

I want to make another one of these with a few changes.  Things to fix/investigate:

• I am not convinced that my front and back armscye measurements are correct so I will check those before I make anything else.  The side seam is further toward the back than it ought to be.
• I would like the yoke to be about 10cm (3″) further down and perhaps a bit more fabric to gather.
• I had a Peter Pan collar cut out which I just totally forgot to add before doing the neck facings. I didn’t bother unpicking to insert it as this was just a test garment but I think it will look cute on this style of jacket
• It’s a little too short - add an extra 2-3″

There was a weird angle thing with the side seam that needed to be trued before I cut the fabric but honestly, it was all very easy and only small things to investigate.   Looking forward to trying a few more patterns out…

I really wish I could get to update this blog more often. It just never seems to happen, despite good intentions. Since starting my part-time job (which I am loving by the way) it has been hard to find time for everything I want to do. Hanging out with the kids, sewing, housework, cooking, watching TV, reading (blogs and magazines are really stacking up) and of course, blogging.

I know, it’s boring and you’ve probably heard it all before. So what’s been happening lately in my world?

Here is Sam with his novelty half-beard on the morning of his birthday. He turned 16 last week and he was really happy with the jacket and hat we got him. I know he doesn’t look happy in the photo, but he’s a teenager so that’s just how it goes really.

And here is Jack (7) wearing big brother’s new jacket and hat. And crooked sunnies.

I recently picked up a big tin of interesting old buttons for $3.00. There are some really lovely buttons in this lot. I had a lot of fun sorting and looking through them all the other day. I want to make some more button jewellery soon.

I have been busy getting a big order together for a lady who is opening a shop up in Darwin. I only have a couple more things to complete and then I can send it out.

She wanted eight of the patch cushions and I only had four on hand so I made another four.

Look - another cushion!

Paul and I recently had a really great weekend away in Sydney - just us, no kids! We went up for the wedding of my dearest friends Yvette and Dan and it was such a great wedding. The reception was held in a five star hotel in Double Bay and there was no expense spared. I wish I had taken a photo of the huge and beautiful chandeliers that dotted the ceiling in the reception hall.

Such a lovely family and I have to say it - so glorious to be near so much old money. They are honeymooning in Paris for a month! Who does that? Seriously, the reception reminded us so much of My Big Fat Greek Wedding - not that they are Greek, but many of the invited guests were and there was much dancing. Yvette’s family is Asian and there were so many cousins and family friends and so much tradition and ceremony, and then there was Dan and his tiny little quiet New Zealand family. Gorgeous!

I better check with Yvette and Dan before I post their wedding photos online but here is Paul and me. Would you believe Paul is wearing my dad’s old dinner suit? They both wear it so rarely that they have decided to share it. Paul bought a new bowtie and lovely new cuff links though.

Isn’t it fun to dress up? There just isn’t the occasion for it these days. So if you’ve got it, flaunt it, I say! I love this dress so much. First of all, it’s red. Next it draws all the attention to my bust (and hopefully nobody will notice my round tummy) and finally - it was the first and only dress I tried on and I loved it. Superfast shopping. So quick and easy. Oh, and before you ask - I really didn’t have time to make a dress.

I did cover up a little for the church service though, thanks to a little bolero top.

I had wardrobe issues on the day though. I bought some of those stay up stockings that stay up with the use of elastic and lace and I spent the whole wedding ceremony hoping that my left stocking wasn’t about to end up around my ankle. I was glad my dress wasn’t too short as I could feel the stocking lolling about on my knee. Can you imagine how hard it is to fix this problem when you are in the middle of a church?

Back at the hotel room before the reception, I went to change into my emergency backup pantihose and when I opened the packet, I found that one of the legs had been sewn into the crotch seam and they were totally unusable. In the end, I just went with bare legs and by the end of the night, I was in excrutiating pain from my beautiful new shoes. We had a wonderful time though!