Gifts

The gorgeous and wonderfully talented Natalie gave birth this week to a beautiful little girl Cheriese. Natalie is a great on-line friend I met through the Essential Baby Sewing Group. I feel privileged to know this group of talented women, some I have met but many others I haven't.


As Natalie has received it I can now post pictures. I made a roll up quilt for Cheriese so Natalie could take it with her and put it on the floor for Cheriese when she is out and about. It is by no means perfect and there were many firsts in this quilt (hand quilting and I made my own binding) but I loved sitting on the couch and sewing it each night. (not the best photos sorry but it was a hurried one on the way out the door so I could post it).

Another package was also received today so I can blog this one as well. The lovely Adds recently sent me a great package with fabric, heaps of magnetic snaps she got for a song, some books and some pants for Lucy. Her daughter Cate loves Dalmations so there were a couple of 100 and 1 Dalmation books in there as well as Cate was after some magnets. So of course I obliged. I also made her a pencil/notepad holder and glued it into the cover of one of the books, some little notepads with pages from the books as the cover and sewn down the middle. I then got one of the pictures, enlarged it and traced it onto some Vilsofix and made a dalmation tshirt. Naturaly it was all packaged in a bag made from some lovely fabric from Corrie. Of course there was also some Katie Jump Rope fabric for Adds (not that she needs any more fabric).


Probably should have ironed the tshirt (sorry Adds)

Paper

Ages ago I printed out the instructions for these but had never gotten around to making them. I am thinking up some craft ideas for Charlotte in the holidays and thought I would do a trial run of these. After some moments where I couldn't work out how to put the first five together it finally clicked and this is the result.

I used illustrations from vintage children's books. I love them so much and Charlotte was very impressed so I think we will make some more and hang them in her room.


And just because Charlotte has been hogging the blogging limelight a photo of Lucy. I can't believe how big she is getting. (Adds she is wearing those pink Bonds pants you sent)

I also have some gifts to show but as they haven't arrived at their destination yet so you will just have to be patient.

Also I will be having a MADE IT sale with prices reduced on the Maude and Rock Chick bags (just waiting for the prices to be adjusted, but if you are interested in either of these email me)

Fabric

I had 2 lovely parcels waiting for me when I got home today. One from Flossie as part of the EB Scrap Swap. Flossie sent me a great assortment of scraps which I am sure I will be able to use in may projects.
The second parcel was from Aunty Cookie. I was supposed to be on a fabric buying ban (sorry Adds) but I had hinted that I wanted some Aunty Cookie fabric for Christmas (nothing forthcoming), then for my birthday (again nothing) so when I saw Shannon had restocked and I fell in love with the green colourway I had to have it.

Snailblazer

I've seen this on a few blogs recently so thought I would have a go. Mine is a bit different though. I was watching the final Life on Mars last week and they played a version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I have heard it before and thought I would search for it here, I think it is the one by Isreal. While searching i found all these others too so thought I would make my mix a Somewhere Over the Rainbow one. Hope you enjoy it.

Soccer

Charlotte played her first game of soccer today. They have been training for about 3 weeks and they did pretty well today and they were extremely cute. Unfortunately the other team only had 2 players so we had to give them 2 of ours so we could play (it's only 4-a-side on a very little field with no goalies). It was a little confusing for our players but they soon adjusted. Charlotte is the only girl in the team.

It was also Catholic Schools Week this week so they had open classrooms on Thursday. Here are a couple of pics of Charlotte in class.

Vintage Children's Book Thursday

Where did the week go? This week's book is called A Letter To Amy by Ezra Jack Keats. This is my original copy which I won as the winner a Story Book competition in 1970.

This book is about a young boy who wants to invite a girl to his party and writes her a letter. On his way to post it he bumps into her and knocks her over so of course he thinks she won't come to his party but a happy ending ensues and she turns up and they all have a great party.



I still enjoy reading this book to Charlotte and she loves that it was mine.

This is..........

the contents of my bag.

See if you can spot:
- 2 textas
- mobile phone
- wallet
- work keys
- nappies (I don't normally have those in my bag but I took the pic on Friday just after playgroup)
tampons
- Fifi hat
- kids socks
- school newsletter
- Snailblazer clip
- assorted pieces of paper (usually containing recipes I've printed off at work, notes to myself, ideas etc). Just got my copy of the new Donna Hay mag and there is a funky book for notes so hopefully I won't have all the scrap pieces of paper
- cd from Justine's last swap
- and of course my bag

A great This is... by Sharon and you check out everyone's bag here

Vintage Book Thursday

After doing a week of Vintage Children's Illustrations I decided I had so many vintage books I would devote a day each week to them and see how far I get, feel free to join me if you would like.

Today's book is called The Sea Urchin by Bruce & June Macpherson. There is no date of publication in this edition. This is the adventures of Jenny and Sue who meet Seymour the Sea Urchin on the beach. I love the dolls posed into positions. There are others in this series. I have one other which I will show another day.

I used to have one of these books when I was young and was excited to find this one at a school fete.

Yes I have been sewing

OK this is a sewing blog so I better blog about some sewing. I haven't been doing too much lately although I am working on something that I can't blog yet.

Charlotte is starting soccer this year and Jeff suggested that she needed a bag to carry her boots, ball and shin pads in so I made this using some soccer fabric Adds sent me. Apparently it turned out perfectly as it holds everything and went off to the park yesterday for a kick.

I also made a cape for a birthday Charlotte is going to on Saturday, pink princess on one side and red superhero on the other (I just used her initial here). We are adding a couple of books to it and I will whip up a bag to put it all in.

Today Charlotte had a pupil free day and went to her Nanna and Pop's so I did a quick detour on the way to pick her up (as I wasn't rushing to get to school) and popped into an op shop. It's only a small one and I don't go there very often but today as I was browsing the books I came across not 1 but 2 Debbie Learns to Dance, both in perfect condition. A quick call to Ingrid and I bought them both and one will be on it's way to Ingrid's tomorrow.

Vintage Illustrations - Day 7

This has been a great week of posting (and I can't believe I managed to do everyday) and a big thanks to Pip for starting this. As I mentioned in an earlier post this made me realise how many great vintage children's books I have so I will be posting about them every Thursday.
I have decided to finish the week with one of my favourite childhood books Zozo Goes to Hospital by Margaret and H.A. Rey published in 1967. Some of you may recognise Zozo as Curious George. I am not sure of the background of this but the Rey's published some of the George books as Zozo. I am always on the lookout for more Zozo's but haven't found any yet not even on Ebay.

Vintage Illustrations - Day 6

I'm a little late with this one but I have chosen So Big by Esther Wilkin and illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, this edition is from 1976. Like many others I love Wilkin's illustrations.

Vintage Illustrations - Day 5

Today I have picked a book I only bought yesterday at the op shop, another $1 bargain. It is On Christmas Eve by Margaret Wise Brown (from many golden books) and illustrated by Beni Montresor. It was first published in 1963. Interestingly the text was written in 1938 by Roberta Rauch who was apparently her sister and who illustrated some of her early work.

The illustrations are mainly black and white with some colour thrown in but I love the details in them.I want to say a big THANK YOU to Pip I have really enjoyed doing this and I think I am going to make Thursday Vintage Children's Book day so keep checking back each week if you are interested.

Finally a big yipee to me as I finally finished stitching my Brown Owl name and I must say I really enjoyed doing and I think I am now addicted to hand stitching. It's not the best but I am very pleased with my first effort.


It's not the best picture and I should have ironed it first but my excitement over took me (and I couldn't be bothered getting the iron out)

Vintage Illustrations - Day 4

Today I have chosen Never Talk to Strangers by Irma Joyce and illustrated by George Buckett. This is a big golden book my edition is a 1975 edition. This was a book I had when I was young and then I recently found this copy at a vinnies in the Southern Highlands. I not only love the illustrations but also the story, you can't beat lines like "if you see a bee with a bass bassoon" or "a lilac llama who's very sweet.

Vintage Illustrations - Day 3

Today I have chosen another childhood favourite Digit Dick, written by Leslie Rees and illustrated by Hutchings. This is the big book of Digit Dick which contains Digit Dick on the Great Barrier Reef, DD and the Lost Opals, DD in Black Swan Land and DD and the Tasmanian Devil.

Vintage Illustrations - Day 2

Thanks to Pip for letting me into this meme. I am struggling with which books to pick and I haven't even looked at my Golden Book, Dr Suess or Enid Blyton collection yet. I am thinking I might have to dedicate a day each week to vintage illustrations.

The book I have chosen is Poems to Read to Young Australians by Mary Gilmore & Lydia Pender and illustrated by June Gulloch. It is my original copy given to me Christmas 1969 (I was 3, yes I am old!). I loved this book and can't wait for my girls to be as engrossed with it as I was.