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Headlong

Hello! I feel like I've become such a sporadic blogger of late. I'm here online usually every day, catching up with everyone else. But, at the moment, I'm just in one of those grooves where I'm thinking too much about what I want to post, and so usually end up not posting it at all. I really enjoyed reading Alicia's recent entry on all the different kinds of blogs there are in this community, and what we all have to offer. I love that diversity, too. And, although some days I'm not exactly sure what this blog is actually about (other than stuff that makes me happy, and the stuff I make, plus some other random stuff thrown in), I just want to say thankyou to everyone who does come back to read whatever I've put up here. Even when I'm not posting much, or am behind on responding to emails. I so love being part of this.

So I guess I'll dive in headlong. This is what is making me happy today. Audrey's recently taken to drawing us a picture first thing every morning on her blackboard. She's been drawing little figures for a while, but only occasionally. It's only quite recently that she's started drawing with real purpose and, for us, it's a total joy to behold. These are a couple of my favourites - the second one is a giraffe. Also, just for the record, I do know that Audrey's pj's have a bit of crazy button action in that second photo. She buttoned them herself & we didn't have the heart to fix them.

Meanwhile, I've been sewing like a woman possessed and hope to update the shop tomorrow with some new dolls, kittens, monkeys & bunnies. Although that depends how fast I work today. Maybe Saturday. I'll keep you posted. :)

Snippets

I was going to post a WIP, but the light was no good in here this morning for a photo. Instead, here are a couple of bunnies and a monkey (great apron fabric courtesy of Carly - thanks!) heading to Tiny People in Byron Bay.

Matt is working late tonight & won't be home until after Audrey's bedtime. I'm trying to pace the day so she & I don't end up in a screaming mess, sick at the sight of each other by 6.30pm. No promises, but so far, so good. This morning we did a grocery shop with my Mum. Right now she's watching Playschool while the gingerbread dough we just made waits in the refrigerator.

I spilt olive oil all down the front of my favourite t-shirt and my housekeeping skills are so lacking I have no idea how to remove it.

We're putting up our Christmas tree this weekend, and I'm hoping to find time to make some of these wool ornaments from Martha. If I could crochet, I'd tackle these crochet snowflakes.

I've started reading Pride & Prejudice again. It's the second time this year and I've lost count how many times I've read it in total (lots). Is it a sickness or just that it's a cracker of a book?

My hair is now long enough to put into two teensy pig-tails. Today my 3 year old daughter sports a more mature haircut than me.

cats and the companion

My head is to the grindstone this week, trying to get together enough toys for a big update over here by the end of next week. I've been cutting things out this morning, and seem to have somehow collected 12 little piles of unsewn toys on my desk... time will tell how far I get with achieving that particularly lofy goal! For now, though, above are Harry Highpants and his lady friend Estelle who are heading to Tiny People in Byron Bay, along with a few others I'll take some photos of tomorrow.

My head is also deeply in this wonderful book that arrived on my doorstep last week. I'm so excited to be included among such incredibly talented company. It's a beautiful book. Three cheers to Anna, who has done a great job bringing together so much information & eye candy. It's available now from Amazon UK, with Amazon US to follow soon, with an Australian release in the new year. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Crowned

A: Mummy?
Me: Yes?
A: Mummy, I don't have a crown. Can we make one out of fagrip?
Me: (Lurching to my feet lest she give up on the idea before we begin, and remembering this wonderful felt crown made by Rosa a while back) Why! Of course!

There followed a pleasant half hour of Audrey chosing some felt (you can see I was so determined we see this through that I didn't stop to iron anything), helping me press the machine foot pedal ("are we knitting now, Mummy?" - knitting and sewing sometimes get mixed up), and Audrey rifling through my button box to select some jewels for her crown.

Me: There, we're finished. Great job! Do you want to try it on now?
A: No.

Thankfully, later on she changed her mind. :)

thankyou, ikea

Making me happy this weekend: a visit to Ikea which yielded these lights for a mere $10. No Christmas tree yet, but we're already feeling a little festive with these on our mantle. I can't stop looking at them (I know, the mirror needs cleaning). Next up on the Ikea Christmas decorating list is one of these. Can you tell this is my first Christmas with an Ikea in our city? Pathetic really, how pleased I am about that.

Thanks so much to everyone who showed interest in the last litter of toys (they all have new homes now). I'm still working through emails & hope to have responded to everyone soon. Hope you're all having or have had a lovely weekend.

Shop update

I updated my little shop this evening with some new toys I've been working on over the past few weeks. There are some bunnies in there from that pile-o-fabric last week (Hickory, Willow, Cicely and Bluebell), a kitten (Zelda), a couple of dolls (Grace and Mabel) and Edgar, the monkey boy above. Edgar's buckle is from a bag of vintage buckles I scored on Ebay last year. I'm especially excited about him and the dolls - perhaps because the finished toy is looking closer to the picture I had in my mind when I started. Anyhow, it's been a long day, and I can barely string a sentence together - high time I retreat to the couch with a cup of tea. Have a lovely evening!

Non toy related

Last weekend, we went to celebrate the birthday of a wee friend. Audrey decided that she wanted to give Lily a beaded necklace and some other girly accessories. So I made this little bag to house them and for Lily to tote around her 'essentials' in (a 3 year old girl just can't have enough bags!) The fabric is from a piece of vintage Hawiian heavy weight cotton that Leesa sent me a while back. It's just a simple box bag, lined and finished with snaps - a fun & easy project.

I'm not sure about others of you who make things to sell, but I often feel a twinge of guilt sitting at the sewing machine for a non 'work' (believe me, I use that term broadly!) project. A gift like this is different, but personal projects are way down the to-sew list for me right now. I'm not complaining - I love making toys. I can't imagine ever wanting to stop that, and am over the moon that there is sufficient interest in my work to keep me busy. But this bag reminded me that it's really important to make time for the occassional non-toy, too. It probably sounds silly, but sewing up this little bag made me feel happy. Both in that addictive I-made-it-myself way that we all thrive on, and in the sense that I was pleased that I could remember how to make something that wasn't a toy - ha! Variety, it is good for the soul. ;)

Pinch and a punch

Is it really November already? Feels like I am chasing my tail and Christmas is still two months away. Audrey is at childcare today, after keeping us up for one of her mystery two hour I-just-don't-feel-like-sleeping stints overnight. I'm in one of those coffee-charged states where one minute you're racing around at a million miles an hour and the next you're just dazing off into the distance wondering what it was you're supposed to be doing. So, a mental note. Today is for:

packing and wrapping (these 1,2,3 are off to new homes),

sewing these piles into bunnies, running a few errands, catching up on emails (my sincere apoligies if I owe you one, a bit overwhelmed on that front right now), and then falling in a heap on the couch. Hopefully not before all of the above gets done. But you never know.