Can I have more time, please?

Baby girl (now nearly 8 months old) hasn't been sleeping well at all lately. She's always been a night waker, but this week it was ridiculous - no daytime napping, and she'd wake up at 5am bright and alert, refusing to go back to sleep.

So I would like more time, please. I suppose technically I'll gain an hour when daylight savings ends!

I also broke my laptop, which makes blogging less convenient. I'm using an old laptop, but I miss my bookmarks, and it doesn't have enough memory to run all the browser windows I like to have open.

I received some absolutely scrumptious bamboo jersey and ribbing in the mail last week, and I am thinking winter long-sleeved T-shirts. I made this for Alastair using the pattern I bought at the op-shop:



I quite impressed myself with the freehand guitar! The ribbing at the neck is a bit messy, need to work on that. Ignore the line down the front, it's a crease that I was too lazy to iron out. The long sleeves wound up too tight, so I'll adjust the pattern and probably chop this one to short sleeves. Although, really, I think I should have sized up to size 4; I'd say it's a small-fitting pattern.

I tried it on Alastair before finishing the hem and sleeves, and he refused to take it off, so it's since been worn and washed and landed back in the sewing room to be finished properly. I should be glad he likes it!

I also finished my Fetchings, in time for cold mornings:



These annoy me because I'm SURE the two balls were from the same dyelot, but they've knitted up so differently. It's not so obvious when worn, thankfully, and it was just some stash yarn I had lying around (Patons Jet, wool/alpaca blend).

I also made Evelyn a nappy cover, since she's outgrown her smalls:



and had my first try at melting and moulding chocolate. I am aiming to give fair trade/ethical gifts this Easter, but there's not much of a range, so I bought some bulk chocolate and will make our own shapes and eggs.



This was much easier than I thought, but I think making hollow eggs will be more difficult.

More op shopping

I've been having fun op-shopping. Of course, I didn't find what I was actually looking for (winter shoes for Alastair - I ended up just buying a new pair), but I had some nice finds anyway.

My favourite is the hand-knitted fair isle cardigan ($3.50), but I also love the patterns (a basic T-shirt pattern sized for the whole family, and a soft toy pattern with an option for a hobby horse, 50c each), and the huuuuge piece of Bunnykins fabric ($5). Alastair picked the books. There's also a really nice weight purple knit, some sweatshirt fleece for making winter clothes, and zippers.

It was kind of cute when Alastair sat down and bawled in the middle of one of the op shops because there weren't any shoes in his size. "But I want shoooooooooeeeeees!" He ended up getting a pair of Wiggles joggers, Target had them on sale, so all was good.

Here's an action pic of the Avalon Rainbow ring sling conversion:

I loved this wrap (Avalon Rainbow Girasol), but I just didn't use it enough as a short wrap. So it's a ring sling now. I gave it a whirl at church this morning, and at a birthday party this afternoon, and I'm in love all over again.

Here is its previous incarnation:



Aww, *cluck* at how small Evelyn was!!

Plugging away at the to-do pile in the sewing room

Another too-short T-shirt of Emma's, another piece of the pink knit top:

This time I carelessly overlocked the two pieces together backwards, but because I am just *that lazy* I went with it, figuring the inside-out look could be a feature (actually, my other half owns a couple of T-shirts like that). I added some ribbon along the bottom that Emma chose at the local sewing shop ages ago.

I found this skirt on the bargain rack in the op-shop for one dollar. It's in perfect condition and I just loved the print/style. It was originally a size 12 mini-skirt, which makes a perfect decent-length skirt for a tall 6 year old. It comes to just above her knees. I just chopped the non-zippered side off and re-sewed it, although because it was layered and had interfacing it wasn't as simple as I first thought. Another problem resulted when I realised I hadn't measured carefully enough and it was now too small, so I unpicked and inserted a panel made from the bits I'd cut off. One day I'll learn to measure properly.

Purely for the sake of cuteness, here's Evelyn in one of the prefolds I dyed yesterday:

Tie-dying day and a refashion

A group of friends and I decided to get together for a tie-dying session today. I'd never done it before, but a couple of the women had, so they were our resident experts. This is a good way to get a few different colours without buying them all, and have some good company!

This is my stuff:



I got a bit of dye transfer on the orange shirt from packing it up too quickly while wet (had to catch a lift home with my dressmaker's dummy!), but they're all awesome, especially compared to the stained, boring clothes they were before. The big thing is a yard of bamboo fleece fabric :)

I think my faves are the purple and red. I'm definitely going to try this again!



This was a shirt of Emma's that was too short. I chopped up a pink stretchy top I was never going to wear (have plenty left of that for other similar projects), added a strip on the bottom, a bit at the neckline to co-ordinate, and stitched over the butterfly motif in matching magenta thread to pull it together. I tried a rolled hem on the bottom that didn't really work, though. Oh well, live and learn.

I have a new friend

I think she needs a name - any ideas?



I was browsing the shops on my way to a friend's place for a tie-dye session, when I came across her in an op-shop window for $30!! They go for well over $100 (also secondhand) on eBay. All the adjustments work, she does have a stand, but she's missing her 'feet'. I should be able to rig something up. Maybe I'll actually sew clothes for myself now.

I did get a few stares walking down the street with a baby on my front and a dressmaker's dummy under one arm. Thankfully another friend with a spare baby seat gave me a lift home. Pics of the tie-dye goodness later ...

New auctions are up here now:

Victorian Bushfire Appeal OzeBaby store

He's THREE!

My little boy turned three today. Wow.

I must admit that he is into a lot of commercial kiddy stuff, so he did love the Talking Rescue Pack (from Go Diego Go!) that we bought him, and the Thomas shirt and playset. But I also made him two presents:



A doll sling (he wore Tigger in it later and it was sooooo cute, but I didn't get a pic).



A pillowcase, because he's just started sleeping with a pillow, and we really don't need any more sheets, so I didn't want to buy a whole sheet set.

I also have to share this adorable rideon car my parents bought him:



And his cake:

And again ...

I, Georgie, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed, me.

I have pics of Alastair's birthday presents (and maybe some of his party!) to post later.