Vintage Sewalong

Since discovering this cute sewalong this morning, I have been scouring the web for a suitable pattern. I think I may have narrowed it down to two:

View 1

View 3

I would have been a little more happy if I could find a similar dress to either of these in the 'Vintage' section of an in print pattern. I am leaning towards the second one in View 3. Perhaps in the print I blogged about yesterday with a navy satin sash?

Have you seen this?

Craft Sanity Magazine - Available HERE!

Journalist and craty Blogger - Jennifer Ackerman-Hayward has taken her great podcast one step further and created a magazine!

Craft Samity Magazine is available in print or via her Etsy store, this jam packed magazine is a real treasure!

It is FULL of cute projects, interviews and crafty book reviews. Issue One includes a range patterns for knitted winter woolies which I (A complete non-knitter) am even tempted to have a go at!

So exciting!

A quick trip to the fabric store is always dangerous...

 

Sorry about the mild blur in the pic - but I was in the line at the fabric store - after popping in for some ribbon - and may have just fallen in love with this 2% Spandex/Cotton blend. It might have been the way they had it on display but hey - I can see a dress in that. 

I have an Autumn wedding to go to only 4 weeks after my next bub is due. Wasn't planning on making a dress (thinking I probably won't have the time with a newborn - nor will I know my measurements), but perhaps I should buy enough to make one - Just in case I happen to come across a pattern that will do the fabric AND my post birth waistline justice????

Welcome and Why 'Sew in Style'

Hello and Welcome!

Thanks so much for popping by and having a read.

I have been blogging for a few years now - mostly about life and fitness - however, this year I wanted to embark on a quest to blog more about my crafting and sewing pursuits. However I wanted also to spend sometime reflecting upon and rediscovering my sense of style, class, poise and etiquette - something that I seem to have not entirely lost but misplaced somewhere in the past two years of first time motherhood.

Once upon a time all I could think about was presenting a stylish and classy exterior - and I think that in order to do this you need to have internalized the elements that go together to make it up to some degree - and therefore know innately how to be that stylish and classy person from the inside out.

So along with my handbook - Australian Style - I am hoping to spend the next 12 months exploring as many elements of style, class, etiquette and elegance as I possibly can.

Oh - and the sewing part? Well clearly I love to sew - and I don't see why we can't have Style and not be seen wearing our own creations as well!

I sew mostly clothes for myself - although I don't exclusively wear my self-made wardrobe. I have far too much of a penchant for shopping for that to be the case!

I also like to sew and create things for my little boy - clothes here and there as well as toys and games and other crafty things. I hope that I will be able to share our creations here.

So a little about me?

I am married to a wonderful supportive husband - we'll just call him M, have a beautiful 2 year old boy - H, and another little boy due in April - B.

We live in Canberra, Australia.

Under Construction

Please come back and visit in the new year!

Michelle Bridges 12 Week Challenge

Well until today I had never heard of this - but someone pointed me in the direction on facebook and I have spent the day unable to get it out of my head.

It kind of seems just what I need right now. A little bit of direction, a lot of encouragement and a bit of fun thrown in for good measure.

I love Michelle Bridges - her training style, her energy - so I thought this would be perfect.

I am just going to set myself a small goal - I want it to be entirely achieveable and to be able to really get back into the swing of exercising regularly. But I'll talk about that a bit down the track I think.

I have set up another blog - Watch Mummy Run because at the end of this 12 week challenge - that is what I want him to be able to do - Watch his mummy run and cheer her on from the sidelines (or from in his pram!).

I will blog about the challenge in that blog I think.

Wish me luck!

Good Intentions

I had intentions of writing a nice long post - because it has been a while. Except that I just got back froma walk and then I did some spur of the moment strength work out the front and as I sat down with the best of intentions - I suddenly got tired.

I think I am going to reattempt to do the 500km thing - I was doing it last year - aiming to 'travel' 500km - through walking, running, cycling etc.

So aI guss I want to post some details and that on here but I'm just not up to it tonight.

I also think that I am going to do a half marathon some time in the next 6 months - possibly the Canberra Half - but that is not a huge event - I need something with some atmosphere - so possibly something in Sydney.

I need to work out a training schedule and build it up slowly. All I know at this stage is that it will be before August - mainly because we are most likely going to start thinking about having another Baby at the end of the year.

Why go and get all fit again and then have another one? Well I didn't cope that well with pregnancy last time - I had some hip and lower back problems etc. When I fell pregnant lst time I was the fittest I have ever been - so essentially I would like to get back to that again.

It will also give me a good base for staying fit during the pregnancy- something I wasn't able to do last time as muchas I would have liked.

So I need to get myself focussed and stay there.

I'm thinking of taking this back to my Fitness Ambition blog - just because it feels more appropriate there.

Many thoughts - must go and think!

At the end of our week

And so wraps up the first week of Childcare for Action Man and work for me. We have both had a surprisingly great week. I think the key to that being that I have been super organised and Mark and I have worked together as a team to get things like dinner and the cleaning organised.

It just makes life so much easier to have a great partner in crime - especially when there is a baby involved.

When the house is a bit of a mess I feel out of control and I didn't really want to cope with feeling like that as well as working and getting us where we needed to be on time. Those three days of the week when I work are going to be a bit of a write off I think because once we get home, get dinner done, clean up from dinner and make lunches for the next day, there isn't much more I feel like doing apart from sitting down on the couch.

Part of the daily routine is getting all of the clothes and bags and bits and pieces ready for the next day before we go to bed. That way there is no rushing around in the morning and we can focus on eating a good breakfast and getting ourselves ready for the next day, I like having this calmness to the morning.

Action man had a great week at childcare and seems to love it. He loves playing with the other kids and the carers there just seem so brilliant. There wasn't even any tears! Having him at the childcare centre that is located in the grounds of my work just makes it that much easier. It means less stress for me because I know he is right there and it takes less than ten minutes for me to get there if need be. I am glad that we waited until now - when he is 11 months old - to start at childcare.  It would have been much harder when he was younger.

I had a brilliant week at work and have just slotted back in right where I left off. I haven't really forgotten anything at all which is great!

I get a lot from work I have decided - it is an impotant part of my psyche. Although I miss him a lot while I am there I feel like there is a little part of me back - the bit where I get to be the intelligent, clever girl who know things about physics and radiation and is making a difference in the world. Even though I still consider being a mum my first and most important job - it is nice to have this other side. 

Just the routine that my job enforces onto us is something I enjoy - I think I like the structure.

Yesterday I disted off the bike and had a go for the first time since I broke my arm back in May 2008. I was a bit wobbly to start off but soon got the feel for it again and ended up going out for about 12km. Felt great straight afterwards but my legs ached all day yesterday from using muscles that haven't seen work in a while.

I think I am going to make it a regulaer weekend activity though!

Hope you all had a great week as well!

raggy goes to childcare

This is the small cuddle toy that my little one has taken a liking to and we have 3 of them that we rotate so that they all wear evenly and in case one gets lost.

He only has it when he goes don to sleep and then the raggy bear lives in his bed all day - waiting for the next sleep. He is a very sleepy bear!

On Wednesday raggy bear is going along to childcare with the Action man and so he needed a name tag.

I found these old sew on tags with our last name on them in his grandma's sewing box after she died and I kept them thinking they may just come in handy. And so they have!

Only problem is that now I want more quaint sew in tags - I only have a limited supply!!!

99 things

At a time when people are reflecting...... this was a bit o' fun...

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want (or might want) to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world.

8. Climbed a mountain.  Does Kosioscuko count?

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art/craft from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Let someone else take the credit.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train. -

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon. Does Half a marathon count?

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. -

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. - I don't ask for much.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing.

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke.

42. Rode a camel.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Been on an African safari.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Done something illegal. - ahem

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling. -Loved it
 
52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.

55. Been in a movie. Does a TV ad count?

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. -

62. Gone whale watching. We didn't see any whales

63. Received flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a cheque.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Kept a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten caviar - over-rated.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Been on TV. see above - TV ad

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone. - Only a small fracture.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book. - but let's just start by writing it shall we?

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible. - almost

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Listened to Tibetan monks chanting, in person.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Baked Bread

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.


What about you?

patta-a-cake patta-a-cake

bakers man,
Bake me a cake a fast as you can!

Since getting my new toy for christmas I have been making mental notes of things to cook that I haven't been able to due to substandard equipment.

A sponge cake was on that list of things. So this afternoon I whipped one up to see how it would go.

The mixing part was easy enough, however the recipie said to cook it for 15 minutes - after 15 minutes I still had a rather soft looking cake so back into the furnace it went. Another 10 minutes went by.......

I got it out to be on the safe side and it promptly sunk in the middle on the top.

It is a little dense but quite tasty with Raspberry jam and whipped cream in the middle for after dinner.

In the recipie book I used there are another two spone recipies - I am going to try all of them.

I just wish I had caught a picture of my two boys with their piggly fingers in the whipped cream middle when I wasn't looking....

Beautiful Blogger Awards

I was tagged by Liz to participate in this meme...however being away from my computer in the calming world free of technology (YES! There is only a basic TV which is analogue and we listen to records...you remember those big black plastic things that play music!).

So here are my answers:

1.  I love making lists and notes. I would probably write at least two lists a day and leave them scattered all over the place on scraps of paper.

2. Since having a baby, my favourite time of day is when he goes down for a nap and I get the opportunity to do something for myself on my own terms.

3. I have a great desire to be in control of situations - I have only learnt this since having a baby and learning that sometimes control doesn't matter and it is good to just let go.

4. I have lost all of the pregnancy weight I gained through breastfeeding and daily walks - I have done very little consistent exercise and have n ot dieted at all since having him. I weigh the same now as I did right before I fell pregnant.

5. We use cloth nappies on the little Actionman the majority of the time.

6. I am currently undertaking a Certificat IV in breastfeeding education and will be qualified as a Breastfeeding counsellor by the end of the year.

7. My priorities and understanding of life have changed entirely since having a baby and I couldn't be happier with where I am at right now.

I think that by now most people have been tagged.

However I will tag Kristy and Rene

We do like to be beside the seaside...

Hello Poppets! We are just back from our few days away at the beach and feeling all relaxed and rejuvenated and ready and raring to get into this new year.

We have a big week coming up - I am returning to work on Wednesday and the little one is starting at Childcare 3 days per week. He is at the childcare centre which is at my work so he wont be very far away if I need a fix.

Here is a few happy snaps for you!