I sew therefore I am

We've been having some serious sleep issues here this week, the baby is waking every half to (if we're lucky) two hours. It isn't just your run of the mill waking, he is crying and to more I try and settle him the more he cries. I've taken to just getting up with him for a time in the middle of the night. As a result I am seriously sleep deprived and yesterday I was feeling very low. I have tried to sleep with daytime naps but it doesn't work for me,but...

I found if I can settle the baby put of my arms and sew for even 30mins I feel sew much more myself, hence the new title of this blog. Yesterday I made a very quick and simple blanket for my baby nephew, it used off cuts from his sling so will make a cute set. Unfortuently I got so carried away with the season spirit I wrapped it before I took a photo, probably best to leave pressure as a surprise however.

I have decided that as sewing bring me closer to my bliss I must try and do some every day next year, how's that for setting up for failure? But if I did it it might get made into a book and then a movie and I'd be played but Catherine Zeta Jones and be so glamorous and sexy while I blogged... Oh wait that movie already got made about food!

And there was that blog a couple of years ago 365 days of crafting but that doesn't mean I can't right, I would be making very different things. The challenge more is to have a finished project to blog everyday, one may sew everyday but that doesn't mean something is finished every day... I mean some days you just sew on a button take something up. So maybe the goal is to sew everyday and blog a minimum of every second day, because when i sew therefore i am.

Baby boy Christmas clothes

What's a baby's first Christmas without a totally cute outfit to wear? 

I pondered for a while what to do for the baby boy, at first I was going to make him a tie onesie to match hi big brother. But then I got to thinking, I'm a better sewer than that, what can I come up with using fabric just from the stash?

I followed the "make it up as you go along" pattern and there is still some fine tuning to do, the buttons on the straps are way to loose, but Toby seems to like his new threads. I am pleased with the overalls although next time I make some I will allow a bit more nappy room.

I was super thrilled when I thought of the idea of a newsboy cap, again I just winged it so the sizing needs works, first it was to small, now its a little big. I will work on this some more and may even get organised enough to post a tutorial next time! The question is now does the big boy need a cap too? He wants a Fedora but that might be a bit much to achieve in the next five days...

Big boy Christmas clothes

So somehow I got into this idea of making the boys Christmas clothes this year, it makes sense for the baby, the shops are filled with elf baby clothes etc. But knowing my eldest he would be upset if I made something for the baby and not for him, so I made his first.

It had been a while since I've made him clothes and he was quite excited and decided to wear them to school yesterday.

The shirt I brought and just attached the tie with that iron on sticky stuff, I should have appliqued the edges, after a day at school I will not only need to do the applique but add something to cover the hole that materialised *sigh* kids; at least he is having fun right.

I had a lot of fun with the shorts and had quite forgotten how easy shorts/pants are to whip up, something I can do during the baby's micro naps even! 

A red pocket was irresistible to add to the harlequin fun of these, I am now tempted to make him a jesters hat to go with! But I need to make something for the baby boy now or he will feel left out.

Paper bag advent calender - with numbers

As promised here I have added the printable numbers to the paper bag calendar and here is the finished product.

The calendar is proving to be a great success, of course since the discovery of the first Lego mini-fig thats all the boy can talk about! Next year I'll be collecting things in advance to make it even more interesting.

Christmas crafts

It must be that its a traditionally crafty time of year that suddenly I am all a crafting, that and crafting to theme is always easier to think ideas up.

Around in the start of December is the time to deck the halls, so to begin I put together this simple but rather nice wreath.

It is a quick creation using some lengths of ivy cut from our back fence twisted into the ring, I then found the two wee birds in the decoration bag and made a quick bow for hanging from a scrap of bias binding.  For something that came together so quickly I am very pleased with the outcome and it is lovely to come home to it on the front door.

Next it was time for a Christmas stocking for baby Toby, a few years ago we had purchased a set of three stockings along a white and red theme so it was essential to keep this going, I choose to make the stocking a mini stocking as Toby is a mini boy still.

Again a simple job, shape and decorations are cut from felt, the stars were pre-made ones that live in the craft kit, from where I remember not. I glued on the decorations and then blanket stitched the front and back together.

I am fairly please with the outcome although the rain-deer does have a rather maniacal smile!

And most importantly it sits well in our Christmas corner.

Tinsel in the air

Yes its been a long time between posts, things have been much the same as the last post said; baby a holding (yes even now). But there is nothing like an encroaching festive season to get the crafter in me thinking...

December 1 has become our official start to the Christmas countdown, so of course its advent calendar time! 

When I was a girl all I had was one in a box that we reused every year with less and less and surprise, I wouldn't mind this option but that book is long gone. Last year we lashed out with the Star Wars Lego option which was exceedingly cool so I have set the bar quite high. Sure I could go to the supermarket and get a cartoon themed chocolate number but thats just dull, now. 

So what's a crafter lass to do?

Consult Pinterest of course, I was rather taken with this cloth bag idea;

Source: thedailybuzz.com.au via Cathie on Pinterest

And I love the frugal fun of this option 

Source: thedailybuzz.com.au via Cathie on Pinterest

But alas I had not planned ahead and saved loo rolls or have the time to sew bags... 

But what I did have that had been kicking around in my craft box for years, a stack of little brown paper bags! And I had recently brought some new pegs which just happened to be red. So with minimal fuss a diy calendar to countdown!

Still working on the numbers evidently, I made up some super cute printables for the job, but alas again the printer is out of ink, so the first few days were just scribbled on. 

But what you ask is in all those little bags? Well truth be told about half are still empty as they wont be opened for a few weeks.

The planned advent calender fillers are a mix of ideas;

Notes with special Christmas activities, made extra special with mini scroll presentation.
- Put up the tree 

- Christmas movie night

- Gingerbread baking day 

- Take a drive to see Christmas lights

Stationery

- having just acquired his pen license erasable pens are the hottest thing in class!

- Lego shaped erasers are also hot property

Tiny toys

- Lego mini figs (of course)

- Deck of cards

And a few bags will have little sweets, just for fun.

So far the calendar is  a big hit.

It will look much more festive with the number attached, I will post another pic then, but for now heres a gratuitous cute baby shot, enjoy!

baby a holding

I had quite forgotten just how much time is spent just holding babies, a lot of the last few weeks has looked like this.

Even now, as I slowly type with one hand! I makes crafting seem like a bit of a distant memory, I do plan to get back to sewing but sitting at the machine with a baby in a sling doesn't quite work, just yet...

The garden however does need some attention and this is more possible with a woven wrap, so i did some early spring harvesting. Most of which looked like this... weeds.

I did find a few snow peas.

 and there is some beetroot almost ready

Still, I think it would be fair to see this years harvest is all about this one.