An idea for vertically challenged people

well so much for getting my mojo back for too long. End of financial year hit!! I have nearly got everything done so i treated myself to a new piece of clothing (plus i had one of those agh moments when i contemplated where all this work was getting me).

unfortunately i am one of those people who ALWAYS has to take up their pants. normally i would stand in front of a mirror and try to guess where the hem should be while sticking myself with pins rather than the pants. then i found this great tip - wish i could remember where but anyway. so easy - turn the pants inside out, try them on and then pin!!! it looks a bit funny (better off to do it without your family seeing otherwise there will be jokes) but it's magic, the bottom of the pants are already turned the right way and you don't attack yourself with pins as much.

something so simple but so clever.

footnote - yes that is how much i have to take up, i am a very short person.

footnote 2 -hopefully i will pick up a new (well second hand) baby over the weekend, very excited!!!

Help Wanted

I've been thinking for a while that i would love an overlocker. i've had a look at the various sewing outlets and some are great but i don't know if i can justify buying a new one if i'm not going to be using it every week. so i'm asking everyone out there if they have or know of someone who would like to sell their old, maybe un-used machine. i like the thought of a machine having some sort of history and plus mr won't have a complete barmy if it's second hand.

i've already got a list of projects that i want to start (and hopefully finish!!!!)

It's back!!!!!!

well the mojo is definately back after my trip to sew it together on saturday. i haven't laughed so hard in a very long time and that was just the train ride to melbourne.

i had a great trip with jodie and got to give her brooch. i also met for the first time deborah, jan, and then lizzie who joined us at ballan. who needs coffee when you've got some crazy craft ladies!

the day itself was amazing. all these creative gals in the one room. the only time it was quiet was over lunch (when we all had food in ourt mouth so we couldn't talk) and when the group photo was taken.

the 'ballarat' table was a hoot with a couple of other people prepared to put up with our craziness! it was lovely to meet jacinta, trash, holly and ellen.

to top off the day i won a $50 voucher to spotlight. oh delight, to be able to spend it without a care of the world!!! unfortunately i didn't finish any actual project (i have to be consistent with my crafting) but i did get to try my hand at crochet. a big thank you to lizzie who patiently tried to teach me even when i was clearly going off the track! i promise to practice.

before i knew it, it was time to go home. while i thought the train ride down was a hoot, the ride home was even better. who ever thought that 5 crafty ladies could make more noise than a heap of footy fans, but we did. a great end to a fantastic day. thank you sooooo much sheridan. you are worth your weight in gold. i will lie, cheat and steal if necessary to make it to sydney next year. maybe a train ride or bus trip from ballarat to sydney??? i don't think my face would handle it with all the laughing.

I can feel it in my toes!!

it has been a whirlwind couple of days but i finally get to tell on my fantastic day at the stitches show on thurasday. i dropped the older two off and mister james and i were on the road. we had a slight detour to monash uni across the road to see my mum. she hadn't seen mister james walk before so he was a show off to everyone (i was lucky to escape with him - i think a couple of the ladies wanted to take him home, 18 months old and he already knows how to charm the ladies!!)

we then made it across the railway tracks and i felt like i was home, all the material, craft supplies, it was unreal. mister james was a very good boy and even managed a sleep so that i could try some of the free crafts. i made a thank you/wedding box and a fabric flower badge. unfortunately his sleep didn't last for me to try the crochet. better luck next time.

i had a great chat with jodie and bought some of her amazing patterns. i told her i would make her badge for next saturday. anyone know if she likes chocolate or potato chips better?? all will be revelaed!

before i knew it it was time to go home. a great start to getting my mojo back. to think, this time next week i will be at sew it together. can't wait!!

Getting my mojo back

Things are slowly getting back to normal in our household. School is back (thank God!!), better than anything else, paperwork and checks and balances are not ruling my life.

I realise that i need to get my craft mojo back. I haven't picked up a needle since Easter. My fingers are starting to get itchy. I have devised a 2 point plan.

1. To actually take the time out for 'me' and go to the Craft and Stitches show next thursday. I have been to a few, the last one when my eldest was a wee baby (he's now in prep), my first when i was a teenager. I can still remember the first show at the old exhibition building. I went on my own because craft wasn't cool back then. I had saved up my money and was just gob-smacked and hooked!

2. I have been on the wait list for the sew it together saturday craft session for ages. Sheridan emailed me and told me there was a spot - it was like winning tattslotto (just without the big fake cheque and the cash). But anyway, i have advised mr that due to my extraordinary work commitments of late, I think I am worthy of having a day off without the kids to do something that I enjoy.

Note to everyone: if you know someone from Ballarat who is going to either event, i would love to car pool or catch a train ride together.

I can't wait for the next few weeks. I can feel my mojo coming back already (might be the cherry ripe i have just polished off??)

Counting the numbers

Well it has been a long time since i was in blog land. My excitement for getting a stall at the Daylesford Market and being featured in Thaw was soon over taken by a mammoth task that i took on. I am a book keeper, numbers is my thing. I was asked to take on some book work which resulted in all day Sunday stints, lots of very late nights and lots of why????? I won't go into all the details but it was a lot of hard work, everything else basically took a back seat.

I'm happy to say that i now have it under control and I finished everything just in time for the Daylesford Market last Saturday. I was very excited to have a stall however by the end of the day i was a little deflated. Sales were not so good. I think that i have a good thing because plenty of people said so but it just wasn't for them and i think it is more a 'summer' craft. i will not be deterred, etsy will hopefully find some homes for them (when i get around to listing them) and summer will come again. I do have a couple of retail outlets to investigate, so watch this space.

I am so happy to be back in blog land and will have to spend this weekend lying on the couch (did i mention that i now have a cold and a sore throat!) catching up on what everyone has been doing, while of course eating Easter eggs!

In Print

I still can't believe it but i am in print!!!! Thaw has just been released and my picnic sets have been previewed (page 7 if you are looking). I have also aded the sets to my newly opened etsy store etsy.com/shop/rachelleandco

stop by and have a look and see what you think!!

Market Day

i have some very exciting news. i have been accepted for a stall at the Daylesford Makers Market on Easter Saturday. i'm over the moon but also a bit worried. will i get everything made in time? will anybody like it? are my prices ok? i've got most of my material so i will be sewing in every spare moment for the next few weeks. if anybody can recommend a good supplier of printed ribbon so that i can sew my name onto the stuff, it would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Valentine's Day

We don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day (something about a con by Hallmark and florists) however the kids are getting into things this year. little miss has made cards for her brother and dad (isn't it always the case that mum misses out) and mr wants a card from me too. the kids are going to get some very old style love hearts candy that i found in the supermarket the other day.

i found the tags from good gravy design. perfect.

if i had more time, i would also perhaps make a LOVE plate . maybe for our wedding anniversary later in the year?

heart shape pancakes are on the menu tomorrow morning, with perhaps a rose from our garden.

have a great Valentine's day!

My Creative space

well i never got to have a look through my Cath Kidston books so my creative space has taken a rest for today. I have however devoted this week to getting the kids stuff organised. We have had to crank up the organisation a bit, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when i work. Even before i get to work, i have 3 drop-offs to contend with. mr and missy in the middle are next door to each other and then little mister is dropped off elsewhere. i have already been told off by mr for being late to school (all by 30 seconds) to pick him up.

i needed somewhere for all the bags, lunch bags, reading bags and whatever else was needed. This pic is my handmade rack. I still have to add blackboard to the squares so that i can write any notes to remind myself but its a start.

while taking this pic, little mister managed to get out the front door, into the rain and pull out the dirt from my pots. he is trying to hide behind the post so that he can stay outside.

Oh happy day part two

Saturday's trip to the Daylesford Makers Market was enought to make me very happy but my latest find tops it off. Cath Kidston overload!!!!

I have both of Cath's books. I got "Make" on clearance at a newsagency not knowing who she was but became immediatley interested once i looked inside the book. I bought "Sew" as soon as it was released and the other week came across some Cath Kidston mugs. I bought two, one for myself and one for my friend, Laura. Our birthdays are only two days apart and our gifts always have some sort of craft/sewing theme about them.

This isn't any old mug, it is massive. I get a double caffine hit whenever i have a cup of tea (lucky i don't drink coffee). the lady did suggest that it could be used for ice-cream. a coke spider late at night is a definate possibility but for today i am going to make myself a cuppa and have a go at one of the projects. odds on, the drink will get cold and i won't get past page one before the 'kids' interfere. Mmmm, maybe i'ii just go the coke spider instead!

Oh happy day...

well yesterday was a glorious afternoon (all be it 2 hours) for me. for a start the daylesford makers market was on. not only that, but i got to have a look without my 3 young kids in toe! last time we went to the market, my son so kindly said that he wanted to go as soon as we arrived.

off in the car i went, packet of fantales with no-one to share them with, a nice cold can of coke (i know will rot my teeth but it's my one vice) and the music so loud it nearly burst my ear drums. HEAVEN!!!!!!! ABSOLUTE HEAVEN!!!!!!

i got to meet some great gals, jocelyn from Bye Bye Birdie who has also just started blogging. she gave me a great tip for my shoe bags. cam from curly pops who gave me some great advice on the stuff that i want to sell myself (thank you so much), ceci from ceci bean and dana from twiglet.

i did go on a bit of a spending spree, most of it for my little boy who only has hand me downs from his big brother and a couple of toys which are supposed to be presents but will probably end up in my office!

the reversible jacket and bib are from twiglet, the butterfly sunnies case from curly pops, the rocket t-shirt from cecibean and the birdie from vintage chenille. a lady from broomfield made the elephant.

all too soon it was time to go home but i did get a chance to stop by the antique shop in creswick and picked up some supplies. i promised the lady i would make her a hankie envelope with one of the hankies that she gave me.

after seeing the market, i have made a resolution to bite the bullet, ignore my fears and have a go at a market. watch this space!

Something a little old world

it has been very busy in our household. someone has started school and someone else has started kinder! after much labelling, they were all set to go.

i needed an outlet so i made this hankie envelope and added a sachet of lavender. i stitched up each side which you can see and then blind stitch on the angle.

i got this hankie and a couple of others at an op shop a while ago and wasn't quite sure at the time what i would use them for. i found them while cleaning my 'office' (actually looking for something else which i never found) and it just came to me. i love the old style embriodery. now of course i will be on the hunt for more whenever i go to an op shop!

Decision time

i feel like i'm on a roll after my success with my two bags made in one night - i still can't get over it so now i want to finish my ultimate project. one which started nearly 4 years ago and has very much haunted me.

this bunny alphabet is for my daughter. i thought of it when she was born, she turns 4 next month. the letters were the easy bit but i'm just not sure what color fabric to have as the background. i don't want to start then have a change of mind, unstitch and start over again. originally i thought of the pink gingham but i don't want it to be too pink so i have tried the yellow aswell but that just doesn't do it for me. what do you think? at this rate she will be getting it for her 21st.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

The woman who lived in her shoes

today is supposed to be spring cleaning in summer day but who can be bothered right? i had itchy fingers to make something, so i made... wait for it....shoe bags!!!! i have recently bought a couple of pairs on sale and when i got to cleaning the closet this morning, i saw the evidence.. the boxes. of course i have to get rid of the boxes before mr sees and hide the shoes in the back of the closet. the only problem being that they then get ruined with all the other shoes. so my solution was to make shoe bags. i had some calico lying around and off i went. they have been really quick to make and i was able to keep sewing in between the kids playing and asking me for food! it also makes it look like i've got less shoes as some bags have 2 pairs. all i need to do now is to find my fabric pen so that i can label the bags otherwise i'ii forever be looking in all the bags to find the pair i'm after!!

It's a record

Well i don't think that i have EVER completed two, yes two projects in one night but i did!!!! i saw the blog on curlypops about the tea towel tote and knew straight away that i had to make one. luckily i had the perfect tea towel but had to wait until yesterday when i was in town to pick up the twill tape.

while i was thinking about the tea towel it came to me that i could do the same with pillowcases, even better they would be lined.

so here are my two finished totes.

the brown one was a tea towel i'd only picked up from spotlight last week for a $1. it will be used as a shopping bag. so cool, if it gets dirty, i can just pop it in the wash with the other tea towels.

the while pillowcase was an op shop find for i think 50c. i sewed it so it still has the scallop bottom. i love the embroidery - it has that old australia look about it. it will get too dirty for every day use but i think i might use it as a craft/sewing bag. i was going to add buttons to the end of each strap but i think it made it look too busy.

so what do you think? i did stay up until midnight but was able to do it inbetween ad breaks. easy!!!

Anyone for a blueberry muffin?

my pal laura and i and kids (5 between us) made the trip to Bendigo last week. we stopped in at Bob's Boutique (forgot the camera!) and picked up a book of prints and some of the very cute bob wrapping paper. we even managed to look at an op shop and bazaar on the way back to the car (promises of icy-poles were the key!).

driving home we stopped in at Maldon, revisited my youth with the lollies at the lolly shop, and found this gem at the bazaar near the top of the hill. i've walked past this shop on other trips to maldon but have usually had mr, parents or someone else who had no inclination to go in so i made use of the situation at hand. i'm so glad i did. i found this on the rack and immediatley tried it on and it fit. laura said i should be making blueberry muffins in it (i am not the baking type). anyway, i love it, mr hasn't seen it yet so who knows what he will say about it but i don't care cause i love it!!

i was going to keep it for special but then i was reading mia fredemans article and she suggested that you really shouldn't keep stuff for special cause then you'll never get around to wearing it and enjoying it, so i'm going to wear it till it falls off me or i can't fit into it anymore. oh i love a good op shop/ bazaar find!!