Vinnies Sale

After being alerted to this sale by Ingrid I managed to slip away from work early today and make a flying visit. I was in a big hurry so probably didn't do it justice but I did manage to pick up some great fabric.

The first one is a lovely heavy weight fabric which will make a nice bag (Ingrid I think you may have gotten the same fabric), the next one is for pj pants for Charlotte and the third is a cord which will probably also be use d in a bag.Some lovely fabric which will probably be used for clothes for the girls

Then downstairs I picked up this Brownie book which might see it's way down to Brown Owls

Here are some pictures of the paper globes Charlotte and I made hanging in her room. You will have to excuse all the photos in this post but it hasn't stopped raining here for weeks and I can't keep waiting for good weather to take photos. Apparently we have had the wettest April in 77 years.

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

my latest discovery, embroidery. Thanks to Brown Owl I had to embroider my name and "faraway" and now the bug has well and truly hit and I can't wait to do more (and hopefully improve lots).Thanks to Knit Owl for this week's this is. Pop over here to see what else is being discovered.

Op Shop Delights

I always seem to spy the op shop finds on other blogs and look lovingly at them but yesterday it was my turn. While Charlotte was at gymnastics I thought I would duck into a nearby op shop and I came away with some great items.

Firstly 3 gorgeous sheets, one of which looks like it has never been used. I am dying to wash them but of course it is raining here.

Then I spied this wonderful booklet of about 10 pillowcase iron on transfers. I am assuming you then embroider over the design but maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.

I also got this toaster cover ready for embroidery which my mum has already hinted should fit her toaster.Here are the globes Charlotte and I made the other day. I will post another picture when we have them up along with out paper bowls as soon as they are done.

Also here are the pj pants I made Charlotte on Monday. They are a bit long that's why you can't see her feet.
And finally this cushion was originally going to be a doll quilt but then I decided it was too big so I thought a lap quilt but it was too small, then I found this cushion insert and I thought a cushion cover. So I unpicked all the quilting and detached the back from the front and made it a cover.

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

my dinner party, the theme coming from Lily and Agathe. I've found this one really hard to narrow down to 6 people but here goes:

1. I'd pick my dad who died in 1999. I'd just like him to meet his granddaughters and to let him know I love him.

That's my 21st in case you were wondering (a VERY long time ago)

2. If Dad was coming I'd have to invite mum just so she could see him again.

3. Nelson Mandela, ever since I went to South Africa in 1995 for the Rugby World Cup I've been in awe of this man.
4. Ainsley Harriott so he could cook the meal and I think he'd be a barrel of laughs. I could just see him and Nelson whooping it up in the kitchen
5. Jeff said I have to invite Gough Whitlam

6. While I was trying to decide Charlotte was jumping around the room saying "invite me, invite me" so I guess my last guest will be her (as long as we're having chips she said).

Pop over here to see who everyone is inviting

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.