13 days to go!

The lead up to Christmas is always so busy! November is pretty busy for us too but nothing compares to December!

I am only making a few handmade gifts this year which really takes the pressure off! One is a teachers gift and the others….well they will have to remain a secret until after Christmas I am afraid!

Teachers Gift – Honey Cowl 

I do have a few custom orders to complete before Christmas though. Waiting on a couple of supplies though so I hope they hurry up as one order needs to get to New Zealand!

So are you making any of your gifts this year?

Kitchen Aid for Christmas anyone?

So have you seen that Retro Mummy is giving away a Kitchen Aid mixer? Well she is and if entries get over 2000 then she will make it TWO! Wow what a generous giveaway. So simple to enter too. Just head on over to her blog and fill in the form!

Happy Birthday Elsa!

I am a little late with this post. Her birthday was on Sunday, but you know how birthdays are…super busy!

Elsa is 6! How did that time go so quickly! I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with her, our 1st wedding anniversary! My husband didn’t believe me that I was pregnant and made me do 3 tests to make sure with the last being one of those digital ones that either say ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’. When it came up as ‘pregnant’ he finally believed me!

What a blessing she is! She is so kind and clever. She is a great big sister and love looking after her sisters(most of the time anyway!)

Elsa had a chef party on Saturday and had 17 little friends over. It was a very very busy party but she had heaps of fun and I think the other children did too.

On Sunday morning she woke up to a sewing machine! It is an Elna Mini. She loves it and spent ALL day on Monday on it. I let her stay home from school as she was exhausted from the weekend and to be honest so was I!

Becoming an Auntie

No one ever told me just how special it is to be an auntie! I have my 3 beautiful girls but when I heard that little Lucette had arrived I loved her immediately and was so so excited! Her little chin and mouth reminded me a little of my girls, especially Eve and this was special too. Seeing my youngest brother as a dad was amazing! I know that they will be wonderful parents to this special little girl and I can’t wait to meet her!

As soon as I knew she had arrived I had to start planning some projects just for her and since they  live in Perth and it is coming into summer I knew I couldn’t knit cardigans and beanies so to the sewing machine I went!

First I found this super cute Kombi fabric! I only had a fat quarter and it has been in my stash for ages as I wanted to make something lovely out of it but there just wasn't enough for much! I ended up deciding on some little bloomers and an appliquéd singlet to match. I used the decorative diaper cover pattern from Tie Die Diva and while it was easy to follow I did find the leg elastic casing a little fiddly and they are not perfect. I am sure not many would notice though!

Next up was something to match the Eden's Adam I had knit when I first found out that it was a little girl who was to join our family. White ruffled bottom bloomers seemed just perfect! These were also a Tie Dye Diva pattern and once again the leg elastic casing was very fiddly.

I have decided to try this Bettsy Kingston ruffled baby pants pattern to see if it is a little easier as I think they would be very popular in my Wee Threads store if I could master them! Once I sew up a pair I will report back and compare the two patterns.

Here she is! Little Red Riding Hood!

Ok so I don’t actually have photos of little red riding hood but I do have photos of my littlest all dressed up in her little red clothes!

This is what I made for the Red Riding Hood Yarns Birthday showcase. The album was opened for sale last night and the skirt set is already gone. The dress is still available but if it doesn’t sell then I will be making a few more skirt sets with the left over fabric as I have had a couple of requests for more of these.

I love this dress. It is so gorgeous and special and my little Eve is in love with it too. It helps that her favourite colour is blue!

  

This skirt set is divine! I wanted another item for the showcase and this was the result of a last minute session at the sewing machine. The red bloom t-shirt just went perfectly with it and I could resist making the little birdie yoyo clip!

A little red...

I am very excited to be taking part in the Red Riding Hood Yarns birthday showcase!

I have ordered some gorgeous fabric and have started on my first item today...did I mention that Hannah will be starting to put the items up on Saturday night? Yes I am leaving it to the last minute!

The fabric is cut and I have sewn the bodice of this dress. I hope to be able to get the appliqué on the apron done tonight as well and hopefully I will have happy little girls tomorrow so I can finish putting it all together.

I would like to get a skirt and t-shirt set done too and was thinking that some hair bows and clips might be nice to complete the set....if I can get it done!

Better get back to it...I might have a cuppa first though!

 

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Skirts

Posting from my iPad for the first time! Woo hoo! I do love my new toy! Just as a little test I thought I would share with you some skirts I have made this week with some echino fabric I have been holding onto.

Well I finally managed to work out how to get photos in the post! Lets see if I can post it now!

 

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Hello again!

I am really not good at this blogging regularly thing! I tend to get distracted by all sorts of pretty things! New fabric, yarn, the latest knitting pattern, Pinterest, my Wee Threads store…and the list goes on. I guess I should just share my little distractions with you, then you can all be distracted with me!

 

Anyway, this is what I have been up to since my last post. Lots of Wee Threads orders that I have had fun getting together. I think I sold about 20 of the bloom t-shirts! They aren’t in the store at the moment as I was finding it hard to keep up with the orders. I will need to find a new way to list them(maybe premade instead of made to order) and get some more into the store.

 

Once again I overcommitted and tried to do WAY too much. So it is time for a couple of things to go. Both Princess Boo and the Button Jar will be closing down. I will be organising some closing down sales soon! Yes I am a little sad about it but also relived! I can now focus on my little family and when I do have time I will be sewing for Wee Threads but that too will be changing. No more custom orders as this just leaves me stressed out. I will be making what I feel like in the sizes i want and selling them as ready to go. I know this will limit my market a little but if they don’t sell I can keep them for my girls or give them as gifts. I will be open to suggestions on sizes and colours and might be able to make some things up in colours and sizes that people want but they will go into the store and it will be first in best dressed and that mean no deadline for me so I will be much less stressed and probably get a lot more done!

I do want to thank all of my customers who have placed custom orders. I really appreciate it and I hope I can continue to make things that you all love.

So I am going to get off here and go and clean my kitchen and get dinner on and then maybe I will have a little bit of time to sew!

Crazy Me! (and some applique t-shirts for sale)

Yes, I think I am a little crazy. Maybe even a lot crazy!

I now have 3 little businesses!

I have already introduced you all to Princess Boo and Wee Threads but now I also have The Button Jar! Lots of gorgeous buttons for all you knitting and sewing projects…or jsut to collect!

I will write a little more about The Button Jar tomorrow but I also wanted to tell you all that tonight I will be having a little stocking of my appliqué shirts at Wee Threads so head over and see if something takes your fancy!

Appliqué Love

As of 2 weeks ago the only appliqué I had ever done was to appliqué Elsa’s name on her library bag and cushion for school! I was scared of appliquéing stretch fabric and didn’t plan to do it any time soon. Then i was asked to do a custom order for someone for their baby who is due in a couple of months. She wanted some Big Butt Baby Pants, a bib and an appliquéd t-shirt to match. I said yes and then freaked out! What if I couldn’t do it? I had already promised so I planned a couple of practice shirts for a friends little boy and worked up the courage to try.

Here are the results…

  

Oh and I love it! It is lots of fun and no where near as hard as I thought. I am slow at it but that is ok, I know I will get faster!

There were for my Wee Threads store and given the positive reactions I have received I am sewing up another 11 shirts for a stocking this week. I plan to have it on Friday night but I will confirm once I have a few more completed.

Kid Clothes Week Challenge

It is back! I am very excited about it this year as I have lots ready to sew already so it will be great motivation to get it all done this week!

 

My KCWC plans

• A couple of pairs of Big Butt Baby Pants
• 11 Appliqué t-shirts (yes you read that right…ELEVEN!)

I think that will do for now! Who knows, I might fit in something else!

It is not to late to join in so head over to Elise Marley and sign up now!

Zhu Que

I LOVE this pattern! I was a test knitting for this one and I know I will knit it many times over. It is so pretty and just perfect for little ones in the colder weather. They can have their arms free and only need leggings underneath to keep them comfy and warm. My older two have already put in their orders!

    

Pattern: Zhu Que

Yarn: Red Riding Hood Yarns – Amethyst

Help children in Uganda directly through Child Sponsorship – Guest Post

This is guest post from Sarah Paige

In early March of this year, the video Invisible Children (also known as Kony 2012) was released by director Jason Russell. Almost overnight, the video was watched by millions of people and its message spread across the world.

It brought to light the immense suffering, danger and trauma faced by children in Rwanda being used as child soldiers by tribal warlords. Millions expressed their outrage at what they saw, and many initiatives sprung up to help the young and vulnerable in this region of Africa.

Prior to Kony 2012, international organisations and action groups had been tackling the problems of Uganda for years. Kony 2012 shone a light on the efforts of these groups, and has given fresh impetus for people to take a stand against the appalling conditions faced by young people in the country.

Do your bit

Now is the ideal time for people to do their bit in bringing help and hope to the children of Uganda. Kony 2012 revealed, very publicly, that the problems of child soldier use, of slavery, of torture and abuse of young people is not exceptional, and its effects are widely felt. Mothers, fathers, brother and sisters are torn apart by the effects of these practices in Uganda, and the problem will not go away unless people take an active stance against it.

The benefits of sponsoring a child in Uganda are many, and they help the plight of ordinary Ugandans in many ways. By sponsoring a child, you are not only helping one boy or girl, but actually your contributions are going a long way toward improving the lot of others. Child sponsorship initiatives are designed not only to help a single child, but also other children alongside them and their families. What you provide to these children is an opportunity to live a better life, and to live in peace and a state of normality.

Children are really the future

Children are the future of any society. They are the promise of hope, of progress and of change. They are what make families whole, and they are society’s most cherished and protected members. Yet in Uganda, the apples of youth are being plundered, corrupted and destroyed by violence and chaos. The time has come to give Ugandan children, the future of the country, the protections of education, safety and security they deserve. Sponsoring a child is a bold and real way of working towards a Uganda free from child-slavery and suffering.

It is a way toward a Uganda where children can live normal, healthy and happy lives.

Hot Cross Buns

Firstly I apologise to those who have been waiting on this post! I could have just posted the link to the original recipe but I really wanted to write about the changes I made and not just post the link.

The recipe is from Donna Hay. The first time I made it exactly to the recipe but at the recommended temperature and time(even at the minimum of the range not the maximum) they were over cooked and a little dry! They were still yummy but not what I wanted.

  

So I made them again the next day. This time I made choc chip ones and I made the dough in the bread maker. It worked great apart from the rising bit with the choc chips as the machine heats the dough slightly and this meant melted choc chips! It was ok but a little messy. I didn’t do a second knead as I would have had chocolate everywhere. I just dumped the dough on the the bench and cut it into 12 portions and carefully stretched them into the right shape. This wouldn’t be a problem with the fruit ones and would make them very easy. I do have to say that kneading the dough by hand can be very therapeutic though, especially if you use the throwing method! My girls thought it was great seeing mummy throw the dough on the bench with a bang! Just make sure you remove anything breakable from the bench first! If I used the bread maker for the choc chip ones again I would remove the dough from the machine for the rising so the choc chips don’t melt.

 

So here is my recipe for bread machine choc chip hot cross buns based on the Donna Hay recipe.

bread machine choc chip hot cross buns

• 2 tablespoons dried yeast*
• 1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 1½ cups (375ml) warm milk
• 4¼ cups (635g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice 
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 
• 50g butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 pack of choc chips (I used Cadbury dark choc chips)

crosses

• ½ cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• ⅓ cup (80ml) water ( you might need extra water to get the paste to the right consistency)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

glaze

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
• ¼ cup (60ml) water

 
Place all of the bun ingredients except for the choc chips into the machine and start the machine on the dough setting. Add choc chips in the last 5-10 minutes of mixing(my machine beeps to let me know it is time to add any extras). When the mixing finishes you can remove the dough to rise elsewhere or if you don’t mind a bit of melted chocolate then leave it to rise in the machine.

  Lightly knead the dough again, divide into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Place in a 23cm-square cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 25–30 minutes or until doubled in size.

  Preheat oven to 190ºC. To make the crosses, combine the flour, cocoa powder and water to make a smooth paste. Place in a piping bag and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until well browned and springy to touch.

  To make the glaze, combine the sugar, gelatine and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir for 2 minutes or until dissolved. Brush warm buns with the glaze and serve with butter. Makes 12.

You might notice that I reduced the temperature and time for the buns when compared to the original recipe. Your oven may be fine at the original but mine definitely needed the decrease!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Easy Shortbread

I love this recipe. It is in the oven in about 5 minutes and it is out again 10 minutes later! It is out of the Dinner Lady cook book.

Ingredients

225g plain flour

140g butter at room temperature

55g caster sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Lightly grease and line a 20cm square cake tin

Rub butter into flour

Little helping hands

Mix through the sugar

Dump into tin and lightly press down with fingers

Use a spoon to press mixture firmly into the tin and flatten the top.

Use a fork to make pretty patterns on top

Cook for 10 minutes

Cut into pieces and allow to cool

Enjoy!