Ahoy me hearties!!

Guess who got invited to a pirate party??!

The smallest was a late invite to the party but luckily was happy to go with her existing pettiskirt.

An easy pirate girl dress-up, pettiskirt, existing Pink Fig Olivia top in white, foam hat from local $2 shop, eye patch from same $1.50.

Leggings and boots in the wardrobe.

Oh, and of course the fake pirate tattoos from the $2 shop too!

I made the belts using satin and then had the guy who lives here punch some holes in with a saddlers punch then we added eyelets (just from Spotlight) and threaded it closed with a ribbon.

They rode up a little but the kids didn't seem to care.

I made these skirts a little less full - the bottom layers are 2/3 of the ones I made at Christmas time - so they were quicker but still effective.

Fabulously fruity

I was lucky enough to win several items in the recent auctions and raffles held to aid victims of the Queensland floods - so I thought I'd show them off to you.

This fabulous outfit was offered up by Sara at Willow and Moo.

If you're a regular reader you'd know we already have some of her lovely work in the wardrobe (which I realise I have not shown you the post-Christmas action shots of!), and her workmanship is impeccable. Really.

We're delighted to have won this outfit and she was even kind enough to include a lovely little hairclip and some extra fabric for me to make matching leggings.

Now that's generosity!

Every so often, Sara has items available for sale, and depending on her family and workload, takes orders for her clothing. Do yourself a favour and get some.

You won't regret it.

She has THE best eye for fabric and colour combinations, I know a lot of us suffer colour envy when we see what she does!

Quite a character....

This kid is a crack up.

She's funny, quirky, independent, headstrong and bright as a button.

Her teen years are going to be hell - don't you think?!

We spent a day at Werribee Open Range Zoo recently.

It's a great place to visit, go there if you live in Melbourne, you won't be disappointed.

They have a new African Hunting Dog exhibit they are promoting.

We took a dog home - in the pram.

That's her above with her African Hunting Dog mask.



Then they all had a play in the hipppo's mouth before we ventured over to watch the real hippos being fed (at the end of a busy day - look at the tired eyes!).

We also went out on the bus to see giraffes, rhinos, zebra and rare onyx roaming around and coming up really close to look at us.

A great family outing, and one we will do again.

Frilled with the results

OK, it's been a long time coming - but I am at last back with the last of the bathers/swimwear.

Here is the littlest madam in her new swimming gear, which she adores. 

I think she loves putting them on because it means she gets to swim and this kid is seriously part-fish.



Pants are the 'Dumbo' underwear from Ottobre 6/2010, all I did was do a rolled hem on some white lycra strips and ruffle them (just by hand) across the bottom.
Because I love frilly bums, because I couldn't resist the urge to do it and because soon she (or her Dad) won't let me!

The top is a singlet top from Ottobre 3/2007 (design 9) with a couple of modifications. Instead of tying the straps on the shoulder I measured them and cut so they joined under the arm then looped straight around. And I omitted the ruffles on the front - wouldn't want to over do it...

After doing that I browsed my 'Sewing Clothes Kids Love' book and of course found that the Brooklyn tank top is the same as this pattern, but with no modifications required.
I'll be using that in future, especially as it goes to larger sizes too.

So this less than wonderful pic was hurriedly taken just before they jumped into the local pool. The bathers passed with flying colours for comfort, lack of gape and general performance - but I should have thought to line the white top - not that the toddler cared.

I have since had to remake the top (after unpicking the bindings as I had no more dotty fabric) after the smallest, on this very first outing, spilled an 'all natural' raspberry/pine Calippo down the front - and nothing I tried would shift it.
Special treat - great idea!

Seems I am not the only one who likes a ruffley bottom!

Oh and I forgot to mention last post that I would, in future, put elastic into the armholes as well as necklines of the one piece bathers and unbound tank tops so they sit better.

Also if you haven't tried Wondertape and sew, or want to sew stretch - then seriously do yourself  a favour.
It is fabulous, and made sewing some of those fiddly little hems way easier.

Also, thanks for the swimwear love, glad to hear I am not the only one with 'issues' about commercialisation and inappropriateness of kids clothing.

Gratitude

Kate often writes of the things in her life she is grateful for, and it pleases me that she usually includes the simplest of things; things that money can't buy but that make your day better all the same.

Things for which I am grateful include; the sun breaking through the constant cloud cover and brightening things up a little, little girls running and giggling with friends at play, the wonder and absolute belief on the kids faces when they are totally engaged by a fairy who visited a birthday party, the blonde curls the smallest child has, the moment when the key turns in the door signalling the arrival home of "the guy who lives here" and all of us feel happy and thankful he is safely home.

I am also very grateful to fellow bloggers who take the time to express their own gratitude by sending thoughtful gifts, for no reason other than to say 'thanks'.

The lovely Ms Seaweed and Raine sent me a little care package last week.
An absolutely perfect crocheted phone cover (I had just decided I needed something to protect my phone in my handbag!) and a lovely fabric strawberry I had to extract from the children's hot little hands!

There was also a little something extra, but um, it didn't make it to the photo!  Needless to say the sweetheart lollies were very much appreciated. (You can see them on her blog, but not mine!). And a very sweet handwritten note.

It all arrived on Valentines Day, a day when my own sweetheart was interstate, something that will be happening more often for a while, and something that we are still all getting used to.

So my advice to you my dear readers is, take some time and show your appreciation for someone who has, in some small way, touched your life. I guarantee it will make their day.
It certainly made mine.

No more sleeping in...

Kinder is back!

The two big girls are doing two full days of kinder this year, as of the week after next.

It will be very quiet in my house and quite strange for the smallest child and I to get used to.

Here they are ready for their first day, new sandals and all.

Miss G was going to stay with our friends for the duration of the 1.5 hour introductory session, yet apparently still needed her lunch bag and backpack for the occasion.

Sometimes it's hard for her having twin sisters who get to do so many things together at the same time.

Still, I am sure she will enjoy being centre of my universe for two days each week.

I see them off to things such as kinder with a sense of joy, at all they will learn and discover, and a sense of sadness that they are one step closer to being out of my daily care.

Do you feel the same?

What was day one of the 'school' year like for your family?

Going Dotty

Ooops, I disappeared for a while there didn't I! My computer is dying a slow death, making posting pics a very tedious business, I'd like to help it along, perhaps through the window, but anyway...

Here are the bathers! (Cossies, Swimwear, whatever you like to call them).



Yes the clip matches, I'm weird like that!



The first pair for Miss L were supposed to be a one piece but then I got her to try them on before joining the two pieces together she asked if i could just put elastic in the waist of the pants - so I did.

Both these first two pair were made using the leotard pattern from Ottobre 1/2007, patterns 29 and 30.

I cut them sleeveless then once I had the bathers together I tried them on the child and drew onto them where I wanted to cut to lower the neckline and make the arm openings larger.

The next issue of Ottobre is going to have patterns for swimwear in it - so I wll be making sure I get that one.

You can trace off your own pattern from existing bathers.

Dana shows you how to do that here, as well as giving a bunch of other helpful hints and links.

Check them out - it saves making mistakes that someone else has learned from. 



Oh to have such a cute little bottom!

The ruffles are just done with a rolled hem on my overlocker.

This is the second pair - I am not so sure about the large ruffle around the chest, but she loves them - and they stood up to several hours of pounding in the surf while boogey boarding, without incident, or wedgie! (go on, click the link, you know you want to!)

A perfect fit for my long and lean child

No need to buy size 10 girls bathers that are too 'mature' for her anymore.

So, onto the details.

Before you sew lycra, read this post by Amy at Angry Chicken and make sure you watch the YouTube clip she links to of the man (yes man) sewing in the elastic into the legs. You'll be glad you did.

It's particularly important to use the right needle. Make sure you rneedle is fresh and a STRETCH needle.

Don't do a straight stitch around high stretch areas where you have elastic, such as the arm, leg and neck openings.

Instead do a zig zag or a twin needle stitch so that there is more 'give' in the stitching.

If you have a coverstitch machine then that's clearly the way to go (lucky you!).

Lycra doesn't fray so there's no need to turn things under multiple times - that makes it warp and sit funny.

(again, watch the YouTube thingy).

I joined the chest ruffle into the garment - in hindsight I think I should have sewn it on top of  the completed garment as it created a little too much bulk.

I didn't elasticise the arm openings on these ones, but I will in future to make them sit flatter, they curl a little.

I'd probably also line the bathers to give them a little more strength and body.

This fabric cost me $35 for a metre from Trimmings and Remnants and is really lovely quality - nice and thick.

From one metre I got these two pair and the bottoms and some binding for the smallest child's pair (which I will show you soon), so I think that's pretty good value.

I have to say that overcoming my fear of messing this up was the part of the job that took the longest.

When I dived in with an "it's only the cost of some fabric if I mess it up" attitude, it was pretty easy.

I will definitely be having another go at doing this because I was able to get age-appropriate bathers that fit well and are comfortable for my kids, so they tick all the boxes for me.

Go on, don't be scared, give it a go!