First Christmas Present

So I finally finished my first ever jelly roll quilt. I used a Moda Jelly roll "A Walk in the woods" and followed a online tutorial here 

One Jelly roll was used and still has some left over to bind the edges - the perfect cot size

It was relatively easy - I still need to work on my exact cutting and sewing.
I backed the quilt with some minky which is lovely and soft, I read somewhere that it makes it a lot easier if you use some fabric spray then pin to quilt. It made the pinning process very easy as the fabric was not slipping around.
I used my walking foot to quilt but gave up with it half way through. Maybe it needs looking at but it stopped walking and was pulling on my fabric might need to read up to see what I did wrong or take it back to the sewing shop.

I machine bound the edges using this tutorial here

I think it looks great as long as you don't look too closely as my stitch in the ditch isn't too straight next time I might try free motion!!!

This has now been all wrapped up for my daughter for her first christmas.... I may have started a tradition

Now off to make the christmas pudding

Merry Christmas

The Dress

Here is an update on how the Baptism dress went, after following CINO Charlotte dress tutorial here I decided that it would look lovely as a simply Baptism dress.

So I went to Tessuti's and found some beautiful silk on the remnant table and very soft cotton also on the rememant table.

This dress took me longer than the previous dress probably because silk is so much harder to deal with.
Although I followed the pattern from CINO dress I did make slight changes. I changed the pattern slightly to fit my bub.

I lined the bodice with the silk and also used some iron on interfacing to give the silk some body. I also inserted some piping which I think really makes it look perfect.

I also altered the sleeves by putting in a pleat rather than gather.

The dress is lined with italian white cotton which is so lovely and soft, it gave the skirt some body. the skirt botton and sleeves are finished with some bias tape also from Tessuti's. Overall I am so happy with it.

Everyone thought it looked beautiful, her flower headpiece was purchased from etsy here when she was a newborn the so elastic had to be replaced for her bigger head. I just got out the hot glue gun and glued it on a new piece.

House Update - Room by room series

More on our house update - here is the nursery

BEFORE

 

The person that was in this room smoked and it was disgusting, the colour of the walls had discoloured due to the smoking and the smell was so strong I was unable to stay in there too long.

We took the hose in through the window and scrubbed down the walls.

Under the carpet we found partical board and then lino under that.

It took a couple of weeks for the smell to go and I think a couple of coats of new paint helped

 

AFTER

 

 

I always knew this room would be the nursery, it is the smallest room and works perfectly as a nursery. This room was painted with Antique White USA and Ceiling White.

I replaced the wardrobe doors with fabric due to cost as per the previous bedroom. The curtains in this room are the only different ones in the house, its a lovely linen multicoloured polka dot backed with a heavy white cotton.

Like the lovely hand knitted blanket on her cot... thanks to her Mimi

 

We were very lucky with all our nursery furniture, the little cupboard was my great grandma's and the change table and cot are second hand that we purchased on Ebay for a total of $100 and a friend gave us the basinette.



House Update - Room by room series

I'm planning on doing a series of post of our DIY house renovations. This first post will feature my spare bedroom/craft storage room

Before

Yes terrible dark patterned wallpaper and original dark green carpet.
We ripped off all the wallpaper and carpet and found beautiful pine floorboards. The doors to the minature wardrobe came off and were replaced with fabric which I bought in bulk from a fabric shopping trip to Cabramatta. It was going to be too expensive to replace with doors

After

We painted the entire house in Antique White USA and Ceiling White

Do you like my quilt??... from a quilt pack that I bought a couple of years ago from the lovely ladies at prints charming

More posts coming soon

Mail Delivery

One of the best things I have found being a new mum is online shopping. Going shopping just isnt the same anymore, we try to fit in a bit of shopping between feeds and naps but we end up rushing around doing what needs to be done and getting out of there quick smart.

So instead of spending a couple of hours at the fabric store or down at the mall I have become an online shopper, I am just loving etsy and all the new online clothes shops not that I have bought any clothes yet still trying to loose my baby bulge.

I get so excited when a parcel arrives and my latest parcel was this Moda Jelly roll "A Walk in the woods" purchased from Etsy
I plan on making a quilt for Tilly using this tutorial

But I'm not going to start until I finish her jumper. I managed to get half the sleeve done yesterday at my first stitch n bitch thanks to retro mummy for posting on facebook. It was the first time I have been to one of those and it was lovely to see what the other ladies were knitting and talk all things crafty.

On my Needles

With the arrival of bub the knitting needles were going full steam. My mum knitted up quite a few little jumpers before she arrived and the few weeks after in some pink as we didnt know what we were having so most things were gender neutral.
But she is fast growing out of her newborn knits and although we are coming into Summer the weather does still sometimes get cool at night and we love to have a hand knit ready to wear.

So currently on my needles is this Shell Lace Sweater from the Patons Modern Classic Baby Knits in dreamtime 4ply
I am using Shepherds baby wool merino 4ply in bright orange
Only the sleeves to go now

Happy Knitting

Stink Bugs

Boy do I HATE stink bugs.... they are my most hated bug in the garden along with ticks.

I have done quite a bit of research on how to get rid of them and it seems the only way is knocking them off your citrus tree into some boiling water being careful not to get to close to them.
Although I have never been sprayed I can just imagine how horrible it would be to get it in the eye

Flowers

Picked from our garden today...

Baby Sewing

Boy do I just love playing dress ups with my little girl. Baby clothes are so quick and easy to sew.

I had seen a tutorial on Craftiness is not optional so decided to try it out, here was my first little dress.

 I realised it was a snug fit for my chunky monkey so make another one in the size up and just happened to have the same fabric as CINO

I love it so much, that I have used this pattern to make her dress for her baptism. Photos on that soon

Our Garden

So whilst I was busy cooking our little one there was not much of anything happening, no gardening, not much sewing and not much cooking.

So our veggie garden that I had worked very hard on when we moved in started to look like this

Weeds and nasturtium everywhere!!!

Now after a bit of hard work half of it has started looking like this

Pumpkins

Zuchinni & Squash with some parsley & spring onions about to go to seed

The tomato garden - a mixture of all type grown from seed

This tree was already here when we moved in and we are not exactly sure what fruit it is if anyone know please let me know... stone fruit???

A new garden bed

and more work still to do

Our new addition

Now this isnt an excuse for my lack of posting but does explain my absence.
Introducing the new addition to our family

Matilda

3 months on

I'm coming back

watch this space, house update and new additions