Taylored4Baby

Noddy!

2011-07-02T15:12:00.000+10:00

I have been so busy crafting that I forgot about blogging... Opps! Let's start catching up!

Way back at Easter time, we went to stay with my in-laws. My Mother-in-law (MIL) was creating a new Noddy quilt for her shop. She wasn't entirely sure if kiddies knew who Noddy was these days. Back when Nathan and I were little, we used to watch Noddy all the time... not together of course. Would be years before we would meet ;-)

Anyway, my MIL soon learned that indeed little ones do know who it is, when Emily seen the quilt and shouted 'Noddy!!!!'. Noddy has been revamped & modernised. Emily loves watching it... (and so does Nathan sometimes!).

Anyway, so even though the quilt was for Nanna's shop... Emily had to have at least one sleep under it. And of course... being her oragnising (bossy) self that she is, everyone had to sit down on the quilt and have a bit of a play: Poppy Taylor, Emily, Nanna Taylor, Sophie, Daddy and Lexi.

Bunting for Little Ones!

2011-05-30T17:25:00.000+10:00

Okay... so I LOVE bunting! You might remember when I made some for Emily's room. I was amazed at how something so simple could make such a difference! We wanted to 'girl up' Emily's room... but didn't want to go to the trouble of painting it, as I was expecting at the time, and we didn't want to re-paint if it was a boy. Turns out it would have been okay ;-)

I have made some more bunting here & there, but kept cutting bits off my cardboard template each time, so I treated myself to a real template!!! I just love it. And so I set to work making some new products for Taylored4Baby!

I wanted to make something for boys and something for girls. When selecting the fabric for the boys bunting, I couldn't go past the Noddy range! It's just so... BOY! The fabrics I chose are classic blues, greens, reds and yellow.

And for the girls... it's got to be Melly & Me's Little Menagerie range! I just love the warm gentleness of the colours, but they are still quite bright at the same time. LOVE them!!!

Really pleased with how these turned out. You can get your own set of boys or girls bunting here & here if you wish! It really does transform a room, and it looks glorious strung up outside in spring or summer!

A Melly & Me baby gift!

2011-05-20T14:18:00.000+10:00

Recently... (okay, a few months ago...) a dear friend of mine had a beautiful baby boy: Lachlan. I wanted to make something special for him. Something he could use, and keep for a long time. So I made a cot quilt!

It's made from the Melly & Me Little Menagerie range and I paired it with a simple white cotton so that the fabrics could really pop! The design of the quilt is modelled quite closely on one that's featured in the Melly & Me book Kaleidoscope. There are some very cool ideas in this book!

I happen to know that this little boys room was decorated 'gender neutral', so I wanted to help make it a baby boy space without making drastic changes, hence the most popular thing since sliced bread (at least in my head) BUNTING!

Of course I forgot to take a pic of the bunting before I sent the package off... but here are some leftover bits! I figure if someone has a little boy... and they happen to name him a 3 letter name, I can make some cute bunting to go over the cot :-)

Welcome to the world Lachlan!

The Warhol Dress x 2

2011-05-19T14:33:00.001+10:00

Recently I have discovered the blog Made. I just love it! There are so many gorgeous, simple tutorials that I know I can do! I think I am going to end up making every single thing on there!!!

Anyway, it's getting colder here in Oz, so of course, my first 'made' project should be the Warhol Dress! What can I say... I just got too excited, and there's nothing wrong with being ready for Summer early right??

So I went shopping, and given that it's the end of Summer, I got these 2 tops for $10 instead of $40!

And then I followed the simple pattern and instructions and came up with these! The first one is for Lexi, who is currently 7 months. I hope that she grows into the length! If not, it's easy enough to adjust!

And this one is for Emily. Looks kind of short you say? Doh! I think it is. We'll see when summer comes around. I tried it on Emily, but she kind of had a freak out because of the bow (?), so I quickly had to decide where the hem should be. As you can see in the 'before' picture of the shirt, there was more to the print below where I have made the hem, so I ran the risk of it being too long, or too short. Maybe Emily can wear it as a top? (If she gets over the bow issue...)

Overall, super easy to make! The only problem I had it that when I was ironing the yoke for the first dress (Emily's - DYN-O) it kept rolling, and drove me absolutely nuts! So for the second yoke I ended up overlocking the edges. I think the yoke is better if you don't do this, but for my sanity... it had to be done!

I think next time I will get some plain shirts from Kmart or something. I think if you go with one that already has a print, you just need to be careful about the hem line. I also need to play with putting my own prints on them :-)

Go buy some shirts!! Give it a go!

More Melly & Me...

2011-05-11T19:22:00.000+10:00

First came Phoebe, and my next Melly & Me creation has been Dee Dee and... Dee Dee I guess, seeing as yet again I made two! This time one goes to my MIL for Just Patchwork, and the other goes to my girls... Yay Emily & Lexi!!

Lexi (7 months) just loves having a bit of a chomp on poor Dee Dee, and Emily loves helping her 'swim' through the air. When I finished Dee Dee no. 1, Emily had been napping. She woke and came into the family room to say hello and was so excited to see Dee Dee! 'WOW!' Imagine waking up and magically there is a new toy! It gave me such a lovely warm fuzzy feeling to know I could make it for her.

So what did I think of the pattern? LOVED IT!!! Really did. It was quite simple and straight forward, and was realitively quick to make. Just my kind of project ;-)

If you want to get your hands on a pattern, you can get it here. As I said in a previous post, the link is to my in-laws store. You can't get the patterns directly from Melly & Me however there are loads of stockists listed on their blog. This is just the one I know :-)

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-10T15:45:00.000+10:00

Happy Mother's Day to all! A little late, but blogger decided not to like my pictures for a few days! I hope everyone had a wonderful day. Thought I would share a little bit of ours.

Firstly, it started with a sleep in, and a beautiful breakfast prepared by Nathy! It was SO yummy!! The sauce was from a packet though, and we are in negotiations for Nath trying to make it from scratch for my birthday... which is the next time I will have something so exciting for breakfast at home!

My first gift was one that I had requested... some black picture frames from IKEA! Ask and you shall receive :-)

And I wanted them because the picture on this wall keeps asking me for some friends!

And then I got these... were they for Mother's Day? Let's say yes! Truth be told I got them because I needed them. My last pair have lasted about 10 years. Look out Lexi's mothers group. As discussed today... you will be seeing these soon!

And then came the most precious gifts. This one came home with Emily last week from daycare. It's just so sweet! A cup of tea for mumma. Okay... so this mumma doesn't drink tea. But we sure have had a lot of fun pouring pretend cups of tea, doing a little 'cheers' and then drinking it down. Thanks Emily!! x

And here is it. The best card I have ever received! Nathan helped Emily with this (and I am sure Lexi was the supervisor or something...). The very first pic in this post is the front, and inside is a little snapshot of Emily right now! She is very into drawing faces. We draw them, but she tells us exactly what we need to include. She also likes stars, flowers, and has learnt the letters O, B & E. Random? Yes... but I love that this is everything that's special to her right now.

We also spent lots of time playing outside, having tickle time, and then watched Daddy badly lose at soccer ;-) And of course that picture that I had to get of me & the girls on Mother's Day didn't happen. I must get better about that! All in all, a wonderful day. So happy and proud to be a mumma!

6AM... How does she know??

2011-05-07T07:29:00.000+10:00

Image via here

My 2 year old recently (okay, a few months ago...) went into a toddler bed. She was kicked out of her cot by her little sister... who was kicked out of her room because her parents wanted it back!

So in the beginning, Emily screamed if we tried to put her in bed and then leave (as we had previously done with the cot). So given that it was a new bed, in a new room, and she was now sleeping downstairs alone, we decided to cut her some slack! And then began laying with her (on the floor... not in the toddler bed!) and pretending we were going to sleep. 'We'll just do it for a few days' I said to my husband.... It went of for two months. And here's the problem: sometimes it would take about 40 minutes. 40 minutes of laying there thinking about all the things you could/should be doing. Also, half the time us 'pretending' to be asleep led to us actually being asleep! So there goes the night!

Anyway, once we returned from Easter Break, we decided that was it. No more. So we started putting Emily in bed, having a little chat about the day just been, and what was coming up tomorrow, a kiss and a cuddle, then goodnight! She actually has gone so well! We had a couple of protests and escapes the first few times, but after about 3 days she was fine!

So now she is climbing into bed with me at some random stage through the night. I know I should stop this but we are taking it one thing at a time. And truth be told... I don't mind it too much. Who doesn't like a cuddle?

What I do not like, is that her internal clock seems to be set to 6AM!!! Every morning, give or take 5 minutes she asks mummy to hop up, so we can 'eat', 'drink' and watch 'tv'. I know it could be worse... but it's SO early! How do I survive? Every Sunday is Mummy's Sleep-in Sunday!!!

One more sleep... just one more sleep...

May... Let's Make it the Month of Melly & Me!

2011-05-03T20:04:00.000+10:00

Melly & Me are quite new to me, but I think I am falling a little bit in love! They are two sisters from Melbourne (I don't think I am making that up...) and they design fabric, patterns & have an awesome book out too! I have a stash of their range Little Menagerie & have done a few different things with it. I have plans for a few more creations too! Stick around this month to see what I have created!

So firstly... I would like you to meet Phoebe!

The pattern for this gorgeous Elephant was really quite easy, however, it was a little involved. It must be said though, that all those little extra bits you do for the detail, really make a total difference to the finished product! I am so pleased with the way it turned out. These are going to make great newborn or birthday gifts for little ones!

I actually made up two of these. One for my mother-in-laws shop, Just Patchwork and the other for a gift for a friend's little girl, Sofia! Totally heart breaking though as Emily just LOVED Phoebe! So I can see another in my near future. I am actually thinking of making one in blue... Ellyvan from Jungle Junction? :-)

Lexi loved Phoebe too! Loved chewing on Phoebe... though truth be told, she could have been chewing on anything for all she cared... she's at that stage. Everything to the mouth!

You can't buy the patterns directly from Melly & Me, but there are loads of stockists... one of which includes my in-laws! You can get a pattern here if you like. I definitely recommend this one!

Stay tuned for some more softies... and... you'll have to wait and see!
x

Easter Getaway!

2011-04-28T09:39:00.001+10:00

So we were lucky enough to escape for an entire week for Easter. Destination: my in-laws beach house! Wasn't too hard to deal with ;-) Here's how we spent our holiday!

I played Wii for the first time. It was bowling... After I threw the ball, only some of the pins fell down...so I rushed towards the TV ready to push the others over. Everyone seemed to have a problem with this...

I showed Nanna & Pop my fav iPad app, the Wheels on the Bus. They were amazed.

I danced with new friends.

And run barefoot on the grass chasing bubbles.

And then it was Easter.

We ate chocolate.

We ate bunnys.

Poppy & Lexi had a serious talk about Bunnys.

We layed on pretty quilts & hugged bunny friends.

Daddy made me giggle so.

We seriously ate chocolate. Seriously.

We hammed it up for Nanna & Pop.

We played by the beach.

We did things our way. Just because we can.

We posed for pics.

We played with hats.

That fit me & my sister.

We set up dueling sewing machines.

And we sewed and sewed.

Daddy made us both laugh at the same time. He's clever like that.

Toast & I got to know each other really well.

We snuggled on Pop's chair with lovely quilts & watched cartoons.

And we were cute. Just cause.

Easter Fun!

2011-04-20T13:00:00.001+10:00

Our neighbours are just lovely, and so I wanted to do some Easter crafting with Emily, to help make up a nice gift for them.

Here it is, part 1 - The egg dying: (I borrowed this idea from my friend Naomi when I was reading this)

Firstly I boiled some eggs, and then Emily and I did a little drawing on them with crayons. Okay, MUCH more me than her. I should have thought this through. I gave her a box of 24 crayons and an egg. She did a little drawing, and then had way more fun putting the crayons in and out of the box.

Next I put them in some dye baths. This is where I should have really done a little research first. I left them in for ages... then I read online that I should add some white vinegar. So I did for the next two, and they seemed to absorb the colour so much faster! I'll know for next time :-)

Then I let them dry on some cut up paper towel rolls. And they came out looking like the very first picture above! Not bad!

Part 2 - Egg wrapping!

On Monday I was shopping and spotted these awesome egg wrapper things! I'd never seen them before. So all you do is boil some eggs, and let them cool. Then take a wrapper and place it over the egg as shown below, lower it into boiling water for 3 seconds and... wait! That's it!! How easy!!!

Obviously this was a mummy only task, but Emily thought they were SO pretty! Have to say... I agree. Pretty and easy. Lovely!

The finished product!

And last of all, we had to assemble the gift! We got a basket, a variety of chocolate eggs, our dyed eggs, and our wrapped eggs, and started putting it together. Emily was helping... but then she started eating! Should have seen that coming. Doh!

And here's the finished product! Happy Easter neighbours. I hope you enjoy!

It's the thought that counts...

2011-04-15T22:20:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was our last mother's group for my 2 year old before Easter. I seen this GREAT tutorial for making Easter cookies here. The idea is to create cookies that look like Easter Eggs hiding in the grass. They worked out fabulous for Dana! But cookies just don't seem to be my thing.

I decided for some reason to google a cookie recipe rather than using the one in the blog post. I'm not sure why I did this. I just did. And I am not sharing the link, because they were just 'okay'. Also, in Australia it seems we can't buy pastel M&M's. But my greatest challenge was the 'green' grass!

Check out my pre-cooked cookies here. They look the part, right? Perhaps I needed a no bake cookie recipe :-)

Here is the finished product. Very 'not happy' with the colouring! When they browned, they came out a terrible colour! Oh well, we packaged them up and tried to make them look pretty.

But is it all about the finished product? No way!! We had so much fun!

Some unexpected fun came at 7am when I realised we had no plain flour! Emily & I did a quick Woolies dash. Emily was in her PJ's and as the store was practically empty, I allowed her to run free and help me shop! What was not so much fun was getting home to realise that when Emily had woken me at 4:45am I had quickly thrown my top on.... inside out! Oppps! Luckily at Woolies I did the self service thing, so maybe no one even seen me!

But by far the best part is the sharing! Emily being proud of what we made and sharing that with her friends.

Happy Half Birthday Baby!!

2011-04-06T20:29:00.000+10:00

So today my ~~little~~ littlest girl turned 6 months old! Wow, where does the time go? Thought I would share a bit of our day together!

Good morning Lexi Grace!!

The day started with some cuddles with my Daddy and big Sister x

This was followed by an all girl bath - but I thought we wouldn't share those pics :-)

So how do I know I am 6 months old?? Because I am ~~wearing~~ eating weetbix - just like my big sister!

And I can drink water out of a cup! Okay... so I haven't quite got the hang of it, but I have potential!

And I know I am 6 months because I had my needles yesterday :-(

And now that I am 6 months, I have been promoted (?) to the back seat! Check me out! Cheeky as, and it seems I have more staying power than my sister ;-)

Mum and Emily decided I needed cake to help celebrate this special day. I'm not so sure... I didn't get to make them or eat them! But they sure looked good!

The candle was fascinating!

Emily, chief taste tester of the cake batter, and cooked cake fully approved!

At the end of the day... still happy!

The only thing left to do to mark this occasion is to do a plaster handprint on the weekend! Mummy & Daddy need to work together to get this one done! x

Cute as a Bunny!

2011-04-04T13:23:00.000+10:00

I would like to introduce you all to gorgeous little Lincoln! He was the winner of our onesie giveaway, and my goodness he is cute!!!

If you would like to get one of these onesies for your own little one, come here :-)
x

Giveaway... With a catch ;-)

2011-03-12T17:20:00.000+11:00

Well my goodness! This is only my second post for the year. That's what having a second child does to you! :-) How could I possibly apologise... I know, a giveaway!!

There is a catch though... and I am going to exclude some people :-( This, unlike much of my work, is one for the boys!! So here's the deal: you can win a onesie (size 000, 00 or 0) with a secret design! And here's the catch... you have to take a pic of your little boy wearing it, and provide me with a digital image that I can use for my sales promotion (on my blog, facebook page, and on madeit).

To enter, please tell your friends about my blog and suggest my facebook page to them! Then just post a comment letting me know you have done so, and I will select a winner at random!

I am really keen to get this moving so will be selecting a winner on Monday night!

Good luck, and see you around here a lot more often!
x

Textures Baby!!

2011-01-06T16:02:00.000+11:00

So my 2 year old decided that she doesn't like to touch certain foods... esp wet soft food. What to do? Have some fun playing with textures in a non-eating related space!

So first things first... I cooked 3 lots of pasta and added some food colouring to each to make it more appealing to play with. Then I let it cool off...

Next, Mummy decided to start playing with the pasta. No pressure here... Mummy is just playing with this really cool stuff, and you are welcome to join in if you wish.

And she did! If you look closely, you can see the colouring has come off on her hands a little. Small price to pay!

And we are off and running!!! Despite being hesitant at first, Emily LOVED playing with the pasta! We literally played with it until it went mouldy!

(N.B. I found that the longer and softer you cooked the pasta, the faster it went mouldy)

Christmas Crafting!

2010-12-29T20:59:00.000+11:00

So I was absolutely in love with this Christmas outfit from AnK, however I couldn't get it for both girls, so I decided to do some crafting myself!

Off to Spotlight I went, and I got some cheap red shiny fabric. Just the ticket I thought. It literally only cost me about $5. So Emily got a new red dress, and Miss Lexi got a matching skirt. We got some ricrac courtesy of Just Patchwork, and I used one of Lexi's sleeveless onesies to make the top of her outfit.

I thought they came out just lovely, and achieved the aim of making the girls look Christmasy. They might even double for Valentines Day!!

And when Nana Taylor asked if the girls had Santa Sacks, I sheepishly said no. So look what came home from the shop!

And sadly, I didn't sew any gifts this year (hand slap), however Lexi did score this fabulous little homemade hat from Cousin Katie! Isn't it just gorgeous!!

Homemade Christmas Goodies!

2010-12-25T22:02:00.001+11:00

YUM!!! I love homemade Christmas goodies, and decided this year to make it a new family tradition and jump on the band wagon!

This is definitely year 1! The strawberry jam almost drove me crazy! First I became complacent, and thought it was so easy I didn't need to stir the pot that often... and then of course the next stir added little black bits... doh! So I got some more strawberries, and being a busy mother of two, I forgot to put them in the fridge and by that night they were mouldy! Damn warm weather... and then round three: success!! Everything else went fairly well. The fudge was SO yum, and SO easy. The milk chocolate being my favorite... well of course I had to do some taste testing!! Anyway, definitely doing more of that next year. Check out my friend Martha's recipe here ;-)

The lucky (well I hope that's the right word) recipients were some dear friends, and my neighbours with nine children scored the big box of the sweet stuff! Next year I will start earlier and make more. I wonder if saying that will become a yearly tradition as well ;-)

Chandler's Special Shirt!

2010-11-29T21:58:00.000+11:00

A new friend of mine, Sarah had seen the custom shirt that I created for a little girl Indiana for her first birthday on Indiana's mummy's blog over here. She decided that she would like one for her special little girl Chandler for her first birthday/naming day! And what a pleasure it was to work on another custom shirt!

The party had a cupcake theme, and once I got the colour scheme and a sneak peak of the invitation, I created these options:

But... the winning design was:

Front

Back

I hope that Chandler had an amazing 1st birthday and naming day!! Thanks again Sarah for the opportunity to be a part of something so special!

Oh, and Sarah sent me a special gift as a thank you, which was totally unnecessary, but completely lovely all the same! It's a beautiful charm sporting the names of my two special girls. So sweet!! If you like Sarah's work and are looking for a unique gift, check out her work here!

Lessons learned in the first week home alone with the girls!

2010-11-13T13:30:00.000+11:00

So my very sweet, very helpful husband returned to work last week. I was worried that I would be hugging his feet trying to stop him from leaving come Monday morning. However the week has gone much much better than I expected! In fact... I may just be able to do this!! :-) Having said that... I have learned a few lessons this week:

1) I MUST shower (this includes Emily) before Nathan leaves for work! It helps me get ready to start the day on the right foot. Plus... the one day I didn't, Lexi didn't want to have a good nap in the morning and showering was almost impossible!

2) The baby MUST sleep! Yesterday we went to mother's group, and I didn't want to wear Lexi, so took the pram. The thing is... she doesn't really sleep in the pram. So an entire morning of teeny tiny cat naps! This makes for a very wired 3 week old at midday! So until she relaxes a little more, I need to wear Lexi in a sling or the Baby Bjorn when I am out for long periods.

3) The family MUST eat! On Sunday I did our menu plan, and the four of us went food shopping. So if all else fails, the family will eat! I also had one super easy meal on the menu... saved for a night when I need it! It involves pulling some lasagna I had frozen out of the freezer and putting it in the oven. Maybe adding salad, depending on how bad the day has been! Lucky for me, I haven't had to use it yet :-) And finally, in the afternoon, I get out everything I can for cooking dinner: ingredients (as long as they don't need to be refrigerated of course), pots & pans, utensils etc.

4) The house MUST be tidy! Yes, I said tidy, not clean: let's be realistic, it's only early days yet! I had a toddler who just loves to throw toys, food etc on the floor - plus there is just general mess created from living... dirty dishes, dirty clothes etc. I could clean all day - instead, I have devised a 2 minute game. Twice a day (when Emily goes down for a nap, and when she goes off to bed) I spend 2 minutes literally running around, putting things back where they belong, and cleaning up what I can. This way at least things seem tidy and manageable. And of course from there, I can do housework as I have time. But if all else fails, 4 minutes a day will help keep my sanity!

5) I MUST do what works, even if it's not ideal! I have a thing about not wanting Lexi to get too used to sleeping on me. This stems from having Emily constantly attached to me for the first couple of months of her life. However I am learning that when you have two children, and a house to run, life must go on! So one thing I have been doing is in the early evening when it's time to cook dinner, if Lexi is awake (which is more often than not) I strap her to me, and cook dinner! This way she gets to nap and feel close to her mumma, and the family gets to eat a nice dinner. Ideal? No, but does it work? So far so good...

And finally...

6) I MUST get my priorities right! First comes the kids... they have to! They can't fend for themselves. But a very close second is me! They can't be looked after if their mumma is run down. So this means when they are both napping (which is happening more often than I thought) I nap too. Dishes, washing, vacuuming... it will all wait! I also make sure I eat and drink. Okay, so it's on the run most of the time, and while holding a baby, but I am fed. And then comes my husband.

And finally finally... this post was written 2 weeks ago. Opps... :-)

A new addition...

2010-10-29T13:47:00.001+11:00

OMG! I can't believe I didn't blog at all during the month of October! Do I have an excuse?? Of course I do! Please meet the newest addition to our family, Miss Lexi Grace!!

Lexi joined us on Oct 6th, after a lovely quick and easy labour (the stitches after not so quick... not so easy...). She was born looking absolutely beautiful, but surprisingly different from her big sister. Maybe she has her nose... but that might be it! It's so nice that she is her own special self, with her own personality and identity!

Big sister Emily was teething and had a fever when we returned home, so was miserable to begin with, and then there was this new baby taking up lots of mum and dad's time! I told Emily that I understood - if Daddy brought home a new wife, I would be pretty unhappy too! But after a few days she realised she was in love with her little sister, and is constantly giving her kisses and cuddles. She tries to soothe her when she is crying by patting her, which is so very sweet [okay, so it would be sweeter if it actually worked :-) ]. Emily likes to help me by getting a nappy for Lexi when I ask for one. Of course I give lots of 'wows', 'thank yous' and high 5's in response just to encourage her. So a few days ago, she must have really wanted to please me.. she gave me 8 nappies in a row! So cute!

Anyway, I shall blog more often, but must nap now while the two girls are sleeping

First Haircut!

2010-09-25T08:45:00.000+10:00

My baby girl doesn't have a lot of hair, so the thought of cutting it seemed just plain wrong. It's rather thin and wispy though, and was getting long and straggly at the back. So... today was the day!

I must say, the black cape was the cause of the tears! I guess it is quite a weird experience for a little girl to be sitting in a strange place, with a strange lady trying to put something around her neck! So, we decided to go capeless, and mummy was going to supply the cuddles. There was a little help from Mickey Mouse on the DVD player, but after a few minutes, Emily was actually fine, and quite curious. She was watching the hairdresser in the mirror and taking it all in.

So in the end... a successful result and a beautiful little girl!

Oh, and on a crafty note; the dress is one that I finished this week from a beautiful Amy Butler fabric from her Lotus range: Wall Flower in Cherry. The pattern is one I have used before (here and here) and love! It's by Ivy Designs, and the great thing is you can download it as a PDF! So anyone in the world can get it in an instant. Plus I love that next summer I will be able to print the pattern off again and cut out the next size up :-)

A quilt fit for a little boy!

2010-09-09T08:48:00.000+10:00

My cousin Kylie recently told me that she wanted to make a quilt for her nephew Tarell. As she hadn't done any quilting before, I suggested she come stay for a couple of days and I could help her create something. And I was thrilled when she said yes!

So we stuck to a lovely simple design of sqaures, using some fabulous fabrics that she selected, as well as using some nice soft minky.

Didn't she do just great for a first attempt!! Her corners match perfectly!! And she says she can't wait to make another. That's a good sign. Thanks for being my first ever student Kylie!!!

x

Cookies please!

2010-08-30T12:24:00.000+10:00

I love Sunday afternoons. Especially when I am busy sewing, and my hubby and daughter decide to bake!

Here are the scrumptious choc chip / M&M cookies! Although they didn't come out looking exactly like cookies, I think they are somewhere between cookies, and muffin tops. Not a bad place to be really.

Thanks Nath and Emily!! Same time next week?? ;-)

xo

Shoes & Socks!

2010-08-19T13:06:00.000+10:00

What a day! My little girl Emily got her very first pairs of 'real' shoes. I took her to get measured, and she was very well behaved (despite trying to leave the store with the shoes on before she had paid...).

On the other hand, I am washing like a crazy woman, trying to get ready for baby no. 2, due in 5.5 weeks (not that I am counting...). I have been washing all of Emily's clothes, and look at these teeny tiny little socks!

What a flood of emotions. My little girl is growing up, and another little bundle of joy is about to enter our lives

x

And off they go! Pencil/Crayon Rolls!

2010-08-16T22:29:00.000+10:00

I have finally sent out some pencil and crayon rolls that I had been making for 'Backpacks 4Aussie Kids'. I really meant to make more, but there is a lot going on in my little world. Oh well, we do what we can to help, when and how we can right? I hope I make some kids smile :-)

x

Bunting Love!!!

2010-08-02T11:49:00.000+10:00

I have been thinking about making Emily some bunting for some time now. I mean it seems like it would be easy enough. So in my week of family crafts, I decided to give it a go. And what do you know, even with designing my own template, it only took me about two hours!

Emily will be vacating her room at some stage soon for a little brother or sister, so we have held off on the painting, and doing too much decorating. But this lead to a BORING room!

Before...

And check out the after pic!

I have to say, that I am now in LOVE with bunting!! It's so great to add a splash of colour, and I find myself asking... can I make more for the one room? Can I make some christmas bunting? Classy bunting for our bedroom? (to which my husband replied, 'do you know what classy is?')

I really love how much of a difference a couple of hours has made. And the reason it has taken me so long to post this, is because I couldn't find thumb tacks to put it up! It seems people don't like to put holes in their walls anymore, and all I seemed to find were those sticky thing! N.B. Try a newsagents!

Anyway, I am tempted to say this is the easiest item I have ever made. I think there will be a tutorial coming... because trust me when I say this... there will be more bunting made here! Perhaps not for our house... we'll see!

A dress challenge!

2010-07-26T15:54:00.000+10:00

So another one of my 'family time' projects was making a beautiful dress for Miss Emily!

Project 3:

Ivy Designs were looking for a few people to road test some of their new patterns, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to trial the Montana Pinafore Dress! After buying Emily a pinafore dress back at Allies Attic a few weeks ago I had been keen to try making a pinafore dress myself anyway, so the timing was perfect.

Let me just say, this pattern was SO easy! I have not done a lot of sewing with patterns, and often find them a little challenging, but this one was so simple, and had lots of pictures to help explain the steps too. What I really love about it is that it comes as a PDF, so I made Emily a size 1 dress, and when she gets bigger, I can just reprint the pattern and cut out the size 2! And 3... and 4! I think the dress took me a little over 4 hours from start to finish, but at least half of that time was doing the Babushka Doll.

I think I am going to get some beautiful fabric and make up some simple summer dresses. No doll on the front, just let the fabric do the talking. I figure they will take me two hours at the most!

Anyway, I highly recommend this pattern, and no doubt the others are all great as well! Thanks for the opportunity Ivy Designs!

xo

A simple cushion to add a little something...

2010-07-19T10:44:00.000+10:00

In my daughter's room we have a lovely rocking chair, which has had so much use for those night time feeds, and sometimes just those cuddles and story time! The only thing is... it's a bit plain looking, and to be honest, I need a little back support.

Project 2: Cute cushion!

So in just an hour or two I put together this simple cushion cover using my favorite Saffron Craig fabric, and paired it with some plain fabrics for the 'E' and the elephants... 'E' being for Emily btw - not for elephants! I didn't really think that through... opps!

And I just love some buttons to finish off a cushion, it holds the back together so well!

More crafty projects to come!

Taking some Taylored4Baby free time...

2010-07-17T17:20:00.000+10:00

So after being so insanely busy getting ready for Allie's Attic, I decided to take a little time to craft for our family! I often find that I am either so busy sewing for Taylored4Baby, or if I am not, I feel like I should be. Not for the past few days! And it's actually crazy what I can get done when I let myself :-)

Project 1:

Stain and varnish our bedside tables! We purchased these back in April last year, and I purchased the stain and varnish sooner after that. And that's as far as it went. So in just one day, I stained each table twice, and varnished them as well! I am SO SO SO happy, and of course wondering why I didn't do this over a year ago!

The colour doesn't match the bed, but that's okay. I really like the look of the dark wood, and it looks like real furniture now :-)

Check out the before and after shots below... so much better right?

Even Miss Emily approves :-) And I managed to pretty much leave her unstained...

More projects to come... stay tuned!

Allies Attic went off with a bang!

2010-07-11T12:52:00.000+10:00

Quite literally... it was the sound of my clothes rack falling over 10 minutes in! Opps... I had purchased a new clothes rack on my way there, and even though the instructions required a mallet, I decided that my brute strength would be enough. It seems not. Oh well, I will be getting the mallet out today to get it fixed up :-)

I haven't attended a market since Mathildas in Canberra back in February, and it was so lovely to interact face to face with customers again! Lovely to see what they were drawn to most. I have to say, Owls - as usual, were a big hit. As were the taggies! I sold out of those quite quickly.

Things did slow down in the afternoon, to be expected I suppose. On the up side, this did give me a chance to pop around and visit some very talented ladies! I was especially excited to visit Wonderlandia and scored Miss Emily a beautiful denim pinafore.

And the winner is...

2010-07-09T20:04:00.000+10:00

Comment number 3 - Julie!! Congrats Julie, and thank you all for your participation :-)

Win a Onesie!!

2010-07-05T11:56:00.000+10:00

Okay people, I need your help! I have a couple of big markets coming up (Allies Attic & Mathildas), and I have just released some new onesie designs. As I am VERY time poor, I want your advice so I know where to focus my attention!

It's so easy to win, just visit the onesie section of my store, and leave a comment below saying which one you would buy from me. Please keep in mind that there is a slight price difference (depending on the amount of work in the pattern) so take that into consideration when making your choice.

The winner will be drawn at random on Friday evening and will be able to select any onesie design and size! (doesn't have to be the one that they said they would buy).

Good luck people: getting commenting, and tell your friends!

x

Gifts for a newborn boy....

2010-07-01T21:21:00.000+10:00

A dear friend of mine recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Simon. Here are the gifts that I made for him (it's heading into summer where he is). It's so nice to make for those you know and love!

xo

Red Nose Day!

2010-06-25T14:17:00.001+10:00

Today is Red Nose Day and I would love to help raise some money for SIDS research and awareness. We will be donating 20% of all sales made today to the cause. Just visit the Taylored4Baby store and purchase a little something for a special little someone, and help make a difference today!

Thanks!
x

Getting what you wished for... and beyond!

2010-06-22T14:45:00.000+10:00

So my lovely sister-in-law, Alison took me shopping for my belated 30th Birthday present today.... and she had read my blog!! So we debated buying a number of items of my list, or buying one really great one. Seeing as it was for my 30th birthday, we decided on one really (please read 'REALLY') great one! Please meet my new Dyson Dust Buster!!

Wish Lists...

2010-06-15T23:41:00.001+10:00

I am suddenly finding my self with a massive (and constantly growing) wish list! Half the time for Christmas/Birthdays etc I have one, half the time I don't. But now, I have a HUGE list, and I am scared because Christmas is ages away, my birthday is weeks after Christmas, and Mother's Day has been and gone! So I thought that maybe if I share these things it will be therapeutic enough for me to not want them anymore, or maybe you could tell me why I don't need (want... same thing right?) them :) In no particular order:

* A dust buster! I know, this is really really sad for a 30 year old woman, but I would LOVE one! Lately I have been on this organisation kick which includes cleaning, and having a 19 month old daughter (and a 30 year old husband...) it would be great to get out a little dust buster to pick up those crumbs rather than dragging out the big ole vacuum for the in between cleans.

* 'A Pressure Cooker Saved my Life' by Juanita Phillips. A book with tips for mums who want a calmer, simpler, healthier life. Yes, that's me!!! Never mind that I am still working on the same two books that I have been reading for the past few months.

* Kitchen bowls: I am greedy; I want glass ones AND plastic ones. This stems from a) me liking to cook and always trying to find regular bowls that I can use for mixing yummy ingredients in, and b) from a recent experience when I attempted to melt chocolate over boiling water and my lovely bowl was not heat proof :-(

* A Bath Caddy: I am starting to make more 'me' time. And that includes taking a lovely bubble bath once in a while. A bath caddy would be SO great... and even has a place to hold my wine (which I should be able to have a glass of again in maybe 9 months time...)

* Tickets to ALL of the 'Working Mum's Masterclass' sessions. This is a wish list after all :-) This would be like Chicken Soup for the Soul... I know that's a book, but that's totally what it would be like!

* A Fresh Herb Garden: oh what a luxury this would be!! To be able to pop out to the deck and collect from fresh herbs to add to our meals... Oh, and I am sure that this time I would keep them alive...

Okay, well it's getting late, I am tired, and fear I have been greedy enough. All donations can be sent to:

Support a Greedy Mumma

PO Box No Chance

Wishful Thinking, Out of This World

A bunny themed birthday...

2010-06-13T08:48:00.000+10:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of working on my first custom order. A new friend of mine had given me a copy of her daughter's 1st birthday inviation, and asked me if I could come up with a t-shirt to go with the theme. I had SO much fun working on this. I came up with four designs, and the one pictured above was the winner :-) I can't wait to see some pics of Indiana's party!

Happy Anniversary... well kind of...

2010-06-07T13:12:00.003+10:00

The 'kind of' applies to the debate of whether or not it should be still considered an anniversary. The 'happy' definitely applies! On Thursday it was 12 years since my husband and I started dating. A dear friend of mine claims that once you are married, the 'getting together' date goes out the window - but I say 12 years is an achievement!

Usually we verbally acknowledge this date, and maybe have a nice dinner at home. This time we went out for a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant, with Miss Emily in hand. Sadly, no glass of wine for me, and my handbag was replaced with a bag filled with blocks, puzzles and a dolly for Emily. After a lovely dinner, we put Emily to bed and settled in to watch a movie together... however I passed out about 1/2 an hour in. That's what happens when you have a 19 month old, and are 23 weeks pregnant :) My how times have changed!

Some of our bigger milestones were celebrated in style. For the 5 year mark, we both took a week off work and jumped in the car with no destination in mind. At each major turn, we flipped a coin to decide which direction to take! It was one of the best holidays we have ever had. We went to places we never even knew about! And then for 10 years we went to Montreal & Toronto (living in California at the time). This was also our 'babymoon' :-)

Did we ever imagine 12 years ago that we would be here? No way! We could have only dreamed about it!

Sunshine and Happy Days....

2010-06-03T15:24:00.001+10:00

Pic uploaded from Nanagyei on Flickr

Well I just feel SO lucky! I have attended two Sunny Mummy events in the past week! If you are a mummy, please visit Stacey's website, check out her blog and definitely the facebook page (if facebook's your thing)! Plus there is a bunch of tool and info on the main site.

But what is it? It's all about 'enjoying' not 'enduring' motherhood! Realising that you can't be the perfect everything to everyone, and especially if you aren't taking care of yourself first! It's a very supportive and uplifting community that I am finding is not only online, but in person also! It's recently been dubbed the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood! I love it :)

So the first event was the Buffet of Life breakfast at Darling Harbour on Saturday morning. I decided to make the most of my 'child free time' and caught the train into the city. And what do I do on this train... I read a book! A Sophie Kinsella book! Pure luxury... So what was the breakfast about? Well all the things I mentioned above. Stacey spoke of the beginning of Sunny Mummy (read her blog for more info... I hadn't planned on crying), and spoke of her experience, and said so many things that really hit home. There was also a guest speaker Joanne Felder who spoke of her experiences which lead to her new book (soon to be released) 'When hungry, Eat'. She talked to the similarities between food/eating and life, and our tendency to over stuff our selves. Very funny lady! I was also very fortunate to have been sitting at the table that 'won everything'! I won a Health & Well-Being Journal as well as getting one of the jam packed goodie bags! You can check out Steph's Blog over at MooBear Designs who also attended, and got some WONDERFUL pics! Sadly I forgot my camera. A new friend, Leanne has also blogged about the event here.

And this morning I attended the Mums, Dads and Bubs club at Castle Hill RSL. It was a wonderful morning out, hearing from Stacey about the stages of Motherhood, and getting to chat to other lovely Mums! (No dad's today) There were so many times that Stacey would say something, and I wished we could pause and break into groups to discuss. Although this would have made for a very long day :-)

Has my life changed in the past week? Yes! How can I tell? Well I have taken two bubble baths for the first time in a long time, and I have deleted my series recording of Home & Away :-)

Pic uploaded from Or Hiltch on Flikr

Do yourself a favour and put a ray of sunshine in your life today!
xo

New product - Mini Security Blankets with Ribbon Loops!

2010-05-31T15:16:00.000+10:00

Well what a busy month it has been! I have been working on some new ideas, one of which is ready to be released today! In other news, my Nan has taken ill, which has resulted in some travel away from home, and also a small crash with my car (everyone is okay - but annoying all the same!), my daughter has been keeping me very busy, and the new bub is growing each and every day!

So here is my new product: The Mini Security Blanket with Ribbon Loops! I decided that if a baby needs a blanket, it should have an actual blanket. This is more of something small enough for a baby to play with: explore the patterned fabric, enjoy the sensation of the soft minky backing and develop their dexterity by playing with the securely sewn (4 times!) Ribbon Loops! I have a bunch of different patterns and colours available, but I must say that I love the Owls, and so does my Daughter!

Here is a pic of my Daugher Emily and I out for brunch on Mother's Day. Tell me... who else has been caught by the flat battery in the camera! Oh well, at least we got one shot :-) And who would have thought that later that day Emily would take her first steps! And then just half an hour later would be up to 10?? She was definately a little later in the walking department, but she seems to have picked it up so fast!

And what better way to end this post than by sharing a pic of our new bub, due at the end of Sept! We had a scan a few days ago, and I swear I have started to grow a new heart for all the love I have for this bub already! xo

BTW - Just wondering, would anyone be interested in a tutorial on the new product?

Bedtime Story Pajamas!

2010-05-05T13:25:00.001+10:00

I just made my daughter Emily the cutest pair of PJ's! I used an Oliver + S Pattern called... yes, Bedtime Story Pajamas. I used the Cypress Paisley in Mint flannel from the Amy Butler Love range for the main fabric, and also used a Michael Miller rich Pink Dot fabric for the trim. It always takes me a little while to work out new patterns, but this one was actually quite easy.

There are a few things that I learned along the way though:
1) If you use a directional fabric... make sure you really think about it! I only considered it as much as making sure it went up and down. What this resulted in though, was one sleeve where the direction of the fabric is up, and one where it goes down! Also the front and back of the top are opposite. They still look really cute, but definitely a lesson learned for next time.
2) The annoying little things are usually worth it! I was so frustrated with the time and fiddling involved in making the ties for the top, but they look beautiful! The pattern does suggest you can use premade bias tape, but it really does look perfect when it matches the trim.
3) I always forget this, but when sewing something really narrow (AKA the ties!!) it can be hard in the beginning for the feed dogs to catch the fabric and move it through. It is so much simpler (and gives a much better finished look) when you start an inch of two in and work your way to the edge, and then go back to your starting point and go the other way! For me this way is SO much easier. Must remember for next time!!!
4) And I am not sure about this one yet, but the pattern calls for a tie on the inside of the top, and the outside, which obviously is needed to keep the top sitting correctly. I am just wondering how comfortable the tie on the inside is if your little one is sleeping on their side. Might try to think of a less bulky option, or then again, maybe it's just fine.

Have to say, I LOVE the Oliver + S patterns. They are really great modern patterns for young ones. And... they have a difficulty rating on them, so it means I know which ones to go for!! BTW - I did plan on taking a pic of the PJ's by themselves, but they are all covered in Vegemite now!

On a side note, our playgroup went on an excursion last week to the Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside, NSW. It was fantastic!! So great to get so close to the animals. By far my favorite part was watching Emily feed the kangaroos leaves :) She loved it! Moments like these are priceless. Surprisingly... she was less sure about the sleeping Koala!

I'd like you to meet a friend of mine...

2010-04-22T09:17:00.000+10:00

So there's a new rule in our house: no TV from 9am - 5pm! I came up with this brilliant solution for both myself, and my 17 month old daughter. It's actually working out fantastically as we have a new routine: take it easy having breakfast and catch up on news until 9am, then shower, morning tea, and then get out and do something for the day. Today it was going on a new walk to explore our local area, and going to bunnings to buy a hedge trimmer! Then comes lunch, and when I am lucky a 3 hour nap (AKA sew time)! After that it's pure playtime until 5pm, when on comes ABC2 and mummy can get everyones dinner, and we settle in as a family for the evening. Anyway, I digress...

This morning at 8am I had a real urge to finish off a bucket hat that I've been working on, so I put on a show for Emily (seeing as it's in the allowable hours) and headed downstairs. When I got there, I took a moment to appreciate my space!

No longer am I crammed in a corner of the dining room, but I really have my own space. I have my OWN table to spread out whatever projects I wish, but I also have a (here comes my friend...) a SewEzi table! This thing is truelly amazing. In the interest of full discloure, my in-laws (Just Patchwork) are the Australian distributors for this item, however I really do think it's a great poduct. It's a small table just for your machine. You get a template that matches your machine so it slots in perfectly, and then you have a greater flat surface to sew on. Plus it's seperate from your other piles on your regular table, so you don't have to be moving your machine constantly (or was that just me... dinner time, when visitors were over..)

The other thing I love is when I go to visit my parents, if it's going to be for a while, I can take my machine & table with me. It's so portable. I know this is turning into a blatent product plug, but this table has made my sewing life SO much easier. If you sew all the time, maybe it's worth looking at?? Anyway here's the link for those that are interested.

In other breaking news... Mothers all around the world have been advised to not leave 17 month old little girls unsupervised with crayons :)

It's hard to tell from the pic where this lovely artwork took place, but it's one of the legs from my beautiful table in the top picture!

A special quilt for an amazing girl...

2010-04-15T17:20:00.001+10:00

I thought I would share with you all my favorite gift that I have made for someone... although this post is about 6 months late! It's a quilt that I made for my daughter for her first birthday: it's made from her clothes (and one bedsheet) from her first year of life. I got the inspiration from this post one of my favorite blogs; Wee Wonderfuls.

I hadn't made a quilt for Emily yet, and wanted it to be something special. It was a diffficult decision to cut up my little girl's favorite, and most special outfits from events like coming home outfits, weddings etc. I am not sure that all around me agreed with my choice seeing as we will be having more children, however my theory is that now those clothes and memories will be caputred forever.

The design process took me a while, because that just comes hard for me. I wanted something simple though because I was going to be working with all different kinds of fabrics (and some were super stretchy), so squares worked a treat! I also wanted to keep the background fabric as simple as possible so that the clothes could be the star of the show :) I missed this in the pics, but I backed the quilt with hot pink oh so soft dot fabric. I also added a large heart in the center out of one of her bedsheets, and some ducks from her first pair of jeans, and another special pair of pants.

A lady on my facebook fanpage said that the gifts that she likes making the most are those that are used, loved and enjoyed. I have to say that I totally agree. For now, Emily's quilt is mainly used for snuggling under with her mumma when she happens to wake in the middle of the night xo

Mathilda's Market - Canberra!

2010-03-04T23:27:00.000+11:00

Well... it's been a long time to say the least! I have been super busy gearing up for the Mathilda's Market, completing my first wholesale order, and also working with Snugglebug to create some beautiful bucket hats in their French Broderie Anglaise.... along with being a mum, a wife, and trying to find a little time for myself!

So I completed my first Mathilda's Market in Canberra on the weekend, and what a Market it was! There were almost 50 stalls there, each one just as amazing as the next. I was certainly in fine company :)

I hope you enjoy these pics of my stand, and if anyone who was at Mathilda's is reading this.... HI!!!

BTW - We are about to jet off to San Francisco tomorrow, so it may be a little while before I blog again. However, when I return I shall be well rested (hopefully), and ready to go with some new ideas!!

The cutest skirt and nappy pants you'll ever see!

2010-02-01T12:43:00.000+11:00

This gorgeous skirt is from a pattern by Oliver + S and was quite simple to make (apart from my drama with the elastic - ARRGGHHH). I lined the inside with the grey & white flower fabric shown on the nappy pants. It's just super cute, even when teamed with a plain white singlet.

The nappy pants were very easy to make, and the pattern comes from Bettsy Kingston. I am sure you could email her to find out how to get your hands on this pattern. She also offers a priceless description on how to sew the elastic on the legs without casing!! I will be making many many more of these. I am thinking some plain ones (black, white, pink etc) to go under skirts and dresses, and also some out of gorgeous fabrics such as these for wearing on hot days with a singlet!

Some food and a winner!

2010-01-31T19:57:00.000+11:00

I have decided that seeing as we have purchased a new home, and moved into a new neighbourhood, where we plan to be for a long time... I am really going to make an effort (perhaps for the first time) to get to know our neighbours! So early on Saturday morning I made some delicious Apple Spiced Sour Cream Muffins, and off we went next door! So turns out, we have lovely neighbours!! They really seem so nice and friendly, and have a very healthy sized family of nine children! (I thought I had seen a few children, but was thinking about six!). Anyway, I am very excited. Isn't it great when everything seems perfect, and then things get a little more perfect-er :-)

And speaking of food, we have just finished on Sunday night tradition of pancakes for dinner! Yummo!!

But now to the important business... the winner is.... (drumroll...) number 15!! MJELLY! I will contact you for your address so I can send off the lovely Owl. Thanks to everyone who participated. I really appreciate the feedback, and got some great advice.

Moving, Moving, Moving...

2010-01-28T16:46:00.000+11:00

We recently purchased a wonderful family home! We have owned an apartment before but this is different. We plan on being here for a long time... We plan on adding to our family here, watching our kids swim in the pool, growing older, hosting lots of dinners, both the regular kind and special ones. We have grand plans :-)

Moving though, is quite naturally a nightmare! Between all the packing and unpacking, losing things that you desperately need, not being able to set up the new washing machine so it doesn't leak, the cleaning of the rental house... But alas, it is all done! And how happy we are :-)

We invited friends over a week after moving. Best idea ever! It meant we got everything unpacked and organised... even if it almost killed us, we did it. And now we can just relax and enjoy!

N.B. When we were unpacking, I found some paintings of mine from when I was in preschool! I decided they were perfect for adding a little colour to the wall of Emily's playarea :-)

Heather Bailey Scrap Flower!

2010-01-25T13:24:00.003+11:00

So I seen this interview/tutorial months ago, and have been meaning to try it and finally today was the day! Initially my plan was to make this flower to jazz up one of my daughters singlets - so I went with the small sized flower. The flower is super easy to make - although it did take me longer than the 10 minutes Heather suggests in the interview :-) You only need a scrap piece of fabric, some felt circles, a button, scissors and a needle and thread! Visit the tutorial for instructions on how to make the flower - it can be made in 3 different sizes.

So how did it go? Well I think I pulled the fabric too tight to make the flower, and hence I have more folds in the fabric than Heather's pictures do. It also made the flower quite high: 3/4 inch as shown below. So I guess I could either not pull it as tight, or probably next time I will shorten the length of the strip I use. I also think I will change the diameters of the felt circles so that there is an evenish space between the fabric and two layers of felt.

So what did I do with it? Well as I said, it was going to decorate a pink singlet of my daughter's, however I then realised that a 15 month year old would just try to pull it off! It wouldn't last long at all. So I decided to add it to my plain old black hairband. Often when I am at home I simply throw my hairback in a ponytail and put a hairband on at the front. At least now I can feel a little stylish! I will definately be making more of these. I might also add a pin to the back so they can be added to skirts, tops, a handbag, one of Emily's hat, hair clips, the options are endless!

Thanks for the tutorial Heather!

January Giveaway!

2010-01-23T22:40:00.000+11:00

Well as you may know, we have been super busy moving house this past week or so. Planning for the move, moving, unpacking... it's all so much work! But I'll save that discussion for another post :-)

Anyway, part of my plan for 2010 is to have a monthly giveaway, and here we are at the 23rd already! Will plan better next month!

So up for grabs this month is one of the much sought-after Owl Softies by Saffron Craig! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment in response to the following: What would you like to see in my blog? Or if you don't really read blogs, what would make you stop by and read mine?

Some things I would be interested in hearing are: How frequently would you like me to post? Do you like pics? Do you like longer posts, or shorter - straight to the point posts? What about content? Do you just like the crafty stuff, or would you also like to hear more about my daughter, and general life events?

The lucky winner will be drawn at random next Sunday. Only one entry per person, and please be sure that I am able to contact you!

Good luck
xo

Welcome to 2010 my friends!

2010-01-07T14:36:00.000+11:00

Well I couldn't think of a better way to start the first post of the New Year than with some beautiful pics taken by my friend Tania of Chicken-Ink of her daughter Maddy wearing one of my hats!! I really do love crafting, but I really really LOVE seeing my products being used and enjoyed. Such a sense of fulfilment!

So the year that was 2009 has been and gone. What a year it was. We moved to Sydney, my husband began a new job, and Emily and I started getting settled in a new area: playgroup, ABA meetings, and swimming lessons are great!! I also began this idea of Taylored4Baby. I must say, my hesitation hindered my progress in 2009. I missed out on signing up for some key markets for fear that I wouldn't have enough stock, that no one would like what I had etc. I finally bit the bullet and participated in the Epping Markets in December. And guess what... it turns out you can make enough stock if you need to! Never mind the 2-3am finishes... and one 5am one! And guess what else... people liked my products! I can't tell you how good it felt to make my first public sale! And of course I have this blog, which I love, but fear I neglect somewhat, and I also started a facebook fan page. On the family side, we sold our 2 bedroom unit, and finally found ourselves a home! A real family home! We should hopefully settle on the 15th! On the Emily front... so much has happened in 2009! She started eating real food, starting sitting up, standing up, crawling, saying mum, dad and nan (plus a whole gabble of her own language!), got some teeth and my fav thing... she now gives cuddles!

In looking ahead, on the business front, I have applied for two big babies and children's markets so far... hopefully I get it! I will also find some smaller markets in the new area that we will be living in. I plan to do more crafting for my daughter: starting with a skirt and top! I've not really made clothes before, so looking forward to the challenge! On the home front, I AM going to plan the evening meals better! There is not enough time to be wondering every day what I will make for dinner. I can't wait to move into our new house, and make it a home! I'll enjoy watching my baby do all sorts of things that will amaze me. We will also be going back to San Francisco to visit our friends in 2 months time! We can hardly wait. I'm just not sure how the 13 hours flight will go with a16 months old!

So, looking forward to the journey ahead, and look forward to sharing it with you. I hope we all have an amazing 2010!

xo

A pre-Christmas catch up!

2009-12-21T22:31:00.001+11:00

Well what a busy few weeks it has been! Firstly, I had my first ever Market at the Epping Twilight Markets! I had an insane week of late late late night sewing, but I had loads of stock which was great. The markets went really well! I made my first sale before opening time, and as far as I was concerned, I could go home then :) It was great to meet people, and get some feedback on my products. I also got quite a few orders from people who liked a particular hat, but wanted a different size, or liked a shirt design but in a different colour. My fav request was for a train t-shirt, and an elephant t-shirt for twin boys to wear on Christmas Day! I love making things, but I REALLY love making things that I know people want!

On the competition front, we had 3 winners! The winner of the blog post was Anita Forbes (selected a sunhat), the referral award went to Sarah Irvine, who referred like a bizillion people! (selected a nursing cover), and the last winner was the random facebook fan: Jules Bee (selecting a bucket hat). I just love giving things away, and was tempted to keep going... But thought why not wait and spread the cheer over the year! So for 2010 Taylored4Baby will be having a monthly giveaway! What are the details?? No idea yet! But I will come up with something!

And lastly, this morning I discovered that one of my hats has been featured on an etsy treasury - Summer Lovin! Australian Treats! I am SO excited. Mine is the red & white Saffron Craig sunhat!

Well all of my orders have been made, and the last one shipped out today. So I guess it's time to finish off the Christmas shopping! Happy holidays people!!

Something for the boys!

2009-12-09T16:03:00.000+11:00

So you know how during interviews you always get asked what your weaknesses are... and you always come up with something like 'I'm a perfectionist', 'I just care too much' blah blah blah. Well, if someone were to ask what my weakness is in regards to my home business, that would be easy: I DON'T THINK BOY!

As you may or may not know, I have a 13 months old beautiful girl. I find that when I am creating, I just naturally think girl! Ideas flow so easily I need a lid for them! But boys... not so much. I am sure if I am lucky enough to have a boy one day that this will change, but until then, it's takes active effort!

Here is my first definite boy effort: Hats!! It's just hit summer here in Australia, and we need hats to protect those precious little heads - esp for those hair challenged like my daughter :) The trouble that I have, is that when I look at fabrics, I think 90% of them are too 'girly' for boys. For the two newborn hats pictured I chose 'softer' fabrics, and I LOVE them. I think they work really well. Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and trust my instincts a little more.

So the next challenge... boys t-shirts! Fabrics?? Designs?? Do I go traditional trucks and boats, or maybe animals... Stay tuned... I have no idea what's to follow, but something will!

On a more personal note, I just have to share how much I LOVE Snow Fairy body wash by LUSH! I discovered it about 4 years ago when I was living in California. It's released every Christmas, and each December I buy myself just one bottle. I could buy enough to have it all year round, but it wouldn't be as special. It has the most amazing smell... You really should rush out and treat yourself!

Competition Time!!!

2009-12-05T13:59:00.002+11:00

Yikes... I have been in denial about Christmas, and I was told last night it's only 3 weeks away!! So, I really need to get started on my huge Christmas giveaway!! So how do you win? There are 3 prizes, and 3 ways to win:

1) Leave a comment on this post... how easy is that? Be sure that I can contact you though! Or check back on the 16th!
2) Become a fan on the Taylored4Baby facebook fanpage - See link in the right sidebar below
3) Refer your friends to become fans of the facebook fanpage, then have them email me at taylored4baby@gmail.com and tell me your name!

So you can enter draw 1 once, you can enter draw 2 once, but draw 3... there is no limit!! Get cracking people!!

What can you win? On the draw day, the three lucky winners will to choose ANYTHING that is for sale in my madeit store! (www.madeit.com.au/taylored4baby) ANYTHING.... how cool is that! Competition will be drawn on Dec 16th, just in time for Christmas!! Good luck everyone!

Promotion for the Epping Twlight Markets!!

2009-12-02T14:50:00.000+11:00

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I will be having a stall at the Epping Twlight Markets (NSW) on Dec 11th, from 5-9pm. As it's my first market, and because Christmas is coming up, I will be marking all of my items on sale! And, the first five customer to mention the $5 promotion will get an additional $5 off any one item (One discount per customer). So if you buy something like a hat or fabric block, or one of my new t-shirts or singlets, you will get an absolute bargain!

Spread the word to anyone you know in the area!!

Taylored4Baby hits Facebook!!

2009-11-30T15:45:00.000+11:00

I have finally set up a Facebook Fan Page for Taylored4Baby! Please join if you are interested in getting updates through facebook, and if you looking for more frequent yet minor updates :) I will also have some special offers and promotions in the next few weeks. Just in time for christmas!! To join, just click on the Facebook become a fan link in the right sidebar!

Time for some inspiration!

2009-11-29T12:50:00.000+11:00

I was pleasantly suprised this week to find the latest issue of MixTape in my mailbox! I first heard of MixTape a few months back, and signed up for an annual subscription. It's basically an Australian craft magazine that profiles real Aussie artists, it has a small but delicious recipe section, some music and book reviews, some tutorials, and so much more!

So what did I love about this issue? Well there is an interview with Rachel Power, the Melbourne based author of The Divided Heart - Art and Motherhood. It sounds like a really interesting book which talks about an issue that I struggle with daily! It just may have to go on my christmas wish list!!

There was also an interesting article where Angela D'Alton talks about the top 5 reasons to Twitter. She makes some very compelling arguments. It's just that with a blog, maybe a website, a facebook fan page perhaps, and twitter.... there is so much you can do outside the realm of actually creating. However, 'tweeeting' probably doesn't take long to do. Some food for thought...

Anyway, I highly recommend MixTape if you are interested in Australian Craft! I am sure I will be contantly re-reading this issue, until the next one comes out in Feb!

To Market, To Market... for the very first time!

2009-11-27T21:19:00.001+11:00

Well I just got the wonderful news today that I will definately have a stand at the Epping Twilight Markets!! I am very excited. This will be my first market - I am keen for the public to see my goods! And to start having a physical presence on the creative, homemade scene.

The Epping Twilight Markets are a great little local market, with loads of fresh produce, and gourmet food and gifts. The Chinese DimSum King, and Jackie M Malaysian Cuisine are among my favorites for an easy Friday night dinner!

So, if you happen to be in the area, come along and say hello! The market will be held on Friday Dec 11th from 5pm-9pm in the grounds of Our Lady Help of Christians School - 29 Oxford St, Epping NSW. As it will be my first market, everything will be on sale!! So come along and grab a christmas bargain!

Hat Mania!

2009-11-23T14:57:00.003+11:00

Well, the heatwave of this past weekend has inspired to make hats! Most of them are in beautiful bright colours. I just love them. If only I could get my daughter to keep one on her head. Yes, that's right, she has learned to pull it off! Looks like we're sticking with the sunscreen!

Anyway, if you like any of the hats, please visit the buttons to the right for my stores at either madeit or etsy :)

Fairy Floss Mini Quilts!

2009-11-17T13:20:00.001+11:00

Recently we have had two special little girls born into our circle of friends. I wanted to make them something special, and decided that a mini quilt would be perfect. I looked through my stash, and picked out my favorite fabrics. I was trying to steer clear of the typical 'pink' colours... and then I thought why? They ARE girls, let's embrace it! So the name fairy floss mini quilt is because the fabrics of the quilts are deliciously sweet!

Here is a picture of little Estella enjoying her new quilt! I decided to put Hannah and Estella's initials in the bottom corner of each quilt, and I think that's the perfect way to finish it off!

While I was making these, I decided to make up a few extras, and they will be for sale on etsy and madeit soon! They are the perfect personalized gift for a newborn girl - for laying and playing on, and are also the ideal size for the pram and car seat!

Mummy... It's too hot for real clothes today!

2009-10-29T16:08:00.003+11:00

Recently we have had a couple of very warm days! I found a pair of bloomers that Emily now fits into, and they were the perfect solution.

With summer approaching, it inspired me to make some more bloomers for her, and add in a matching singlet! I didn't have a pattern, so it took a little fiddling, but I am really happy with how the came out :)

And check out my model! Showing off her standing skills no less! She is very clever...

Newborn Fabric Blocks!

2009-10-21T14:00:00.002+11:00

I have just finished these lovely fabrics blocks, which are ideal for newborns! It takes a while for babies to be able to see properly, so high contrast colours, and easy to see shapes are best to help them along the way. Newborns were my inspiration for this design, however, my 11 month old has showed me that I shouldn't count other kiddies out! I attached a block to her pram just so I could get a pic to be honest, but she LOVED it, and has claimed one as her own!

I have attached a small loop which is securely sewn so that it can be attached to a pram, above a cot, or simply played with as baby starts to develop and explore :)

Matryoshka Dolls!

2009-10-16T15:07:00.002+11:00

I got some amazing fabric back at the Sydney Stitches and Craft show, and I am working my way through it. The latest that I stumbled across was the Matryoshka Doll panel by Kristen Doran. Kristen hand screen prints these fabrics here in Australia and they are just lovely. The panel produces 8 gorgeous dolls that would make fabulous stocking stuffers for a sweet little girl. Check out Kristen's blog, she does has some amazing prints! Meanwhile, here are some pictures of how mine turned out...

Boorowa Irish Wool Fest '09

2009-10-08T09:13:00.000+11:00

On the weekend, Emily and I travelled back to my hometown Boorowa for the annual Irish Wool Fest event. I must say, the weather wasn't great, however the rain did manage to stop just before the parade. It's a shame it was so cold though! A nice hot latte from the Bakery was the perfect solution :)

The parade had it all, starting with the famous 'running of the sheep', a number of sheep being shorn on the back of trucks (as pictured), the worlds longest bike, fire trucks filled with cute kids waving, noisy tractors, colourfully decorated cars filled with sheep, Celtic pipe bands and much much more.

Emily and I also visited the farm animal station, where we got to visit with this beautiful sleeping calf. We also seen some little chicks, some duckings, a nice quiet rabbit, some bigger ducks, and some big sheep: one of which took quite the liking (and a little nibble) to my green handbag!

To finish off the day, we went to the main stage and watched Luke Dickens, Australian Idol 08 runner up perform. I remember watching Luke on Australian Idol back when Emily was in my tummy, I am a huge fan. His performance was great. He sang a song that he wrote for his partner and son in public for the first time, and it was just beautiful: got me a little teary, though it's not hard to do :)

A beautiful hat for a beautiful little girl...

2009-09-29T08:55:00.000+10:00

Well I finally created a hat from Beautiful Booties! And I just love love love this Gingko Blossoms fabric from Saffron Craig! I have made this hat, and a few others in the same fabric to sell. I want to make Emily some bloomers, and maybe a cute top too. Everything can be made from this fabric!

Anyway, I am happy to say that Emily gladly wore her hat all through playgroup on Friday.

And lastly, here is a pic of Emily trying on the internal layer mid creation :)

Ready, Set... SEW!

2009-09-21T10:59:00.000+10:00

Sorry about the cheesy title... I couldn't help it, I am just so excited! I went away for the weekend, and needless to say, I got some supplies! I told my husband that I wasn't getting much this weekend, as I only needed a few things. Well, I am not sure what happened! I did move house recently and my stash has disappeared, so I thought I would stock up on some basics: hence the fat quarters. I also got some bells, embroidery frames, buttons, velcro, ribbon, elastic, glue and a bunch of other stuff. So here's what I am thinking: I am thinking baby wraps, thinking nursing covers, thinking hats, thinking mobiles, thinking fabric blocks, thinking diaper/nappy covers, thinking thinking thinking!! Looks like I better stop thinking, and get creating :)

Before I sign out though, I wanted to show off my new labels! They are from customcouturelabelco and I LOVE them! They are going to make my products looks that much more professional, and it's a bit of advertising thrown in as well :)

Cheap fabric, oh how I love you!

2009-09-16T11:30:00.000+10:00

I love to have bundles of cheap fabric laying around the house - it give me the freedom to experiment! I can try different projects, and if they work, great! And if they don't... then I learn from my mistakes at a low cost :)

Here are a couple of my recent experiments:

The bib is my own design, and this was a bunch of experiments in one! I wanted to try ribbing as the binding, and have to say, I am not loving it. I also want to make waterproof bibs, so I tried two things here: one was placing a 2mm thickness sheet of plastic between the fabrics, and the other was using iron on vinyl on top. I found that the sheet on plastic made the bib way to stiff, and I don't love the look of the vinyl on top. However I may use the vinyl between layers next time... I also tried the duck on front, and sure, why not! It works. Maybe in some funkier fabrics next time :) So will I continue to work on the bib?? Maybe. I have some ideas on how to make it better, but I think I will put this one away from now.

The hat design was from the book Sweet Booties, and.... it was a success! I know it doesn't look like much here, but I did a quick rough job just to get the feel for it. I really wanted to find a great hat design as it's just turned Spring here, and my daughter doesn't have much hair to protect her precious little head! I plan of getting some of the Gingko Blossoms fabric by Saffron Craig this weekend so that I can make Emily the cutest little hat ever! Stay tuned...

Daddy's Day!

2009-09-07T10:05:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was Father's Day, and it was my husband's first. Emily and I wanted to make it extra special for him. Her first gift was her first ever finger painting! And what an experience that was! Let's just say it revealed a little about her personality :) We did hand and foot prints in the corners, and Emily was protesting very much! She was not a fan, however when she was allowed to freestyle it in the center, she had a ball! We are really happy with how it turned out, and Daddy loves it to! It now hangs proudly on our living room wall.

The second gift was a swimming lesson! Emily and I have been doing swimming lessons for about 5 months now, but my husband hasn't been able to come and watch as he is working. So we had a special Sunday lesson so that he could see how clever his little girl is!

And finally, the last gift was a hardcover picture book. I filled it with photos of Emily and my husband on special occasions, starting with the first day they met. Some others included the first bath he gave her, the day he drove her home from hospital, the first bottle he fed her, her first vacation and so many more. They now have a wonderful new book to read together xoxo

New product!!! Nursing/Breastfeeding Covers

2009-09-03T22:45:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I last posted, but I have been busy working on a new design! These nursing/breastfeeding covers are great! ...even if I do say so myself :) At the moment, I have made more of a cooler weather cover, which doubles as a blanket. I have selected some amazing fabrics to work with which makes the process such a pleasure. My favorite is the Owls on Trees by Safron Craig. The covers have a pocket on the front to hold the important items such as breast pads or pacifiers, and it has a removable strap. This means that the cover can be used as a blanket when you are not feeding, and then mum has one less item to lug around! The cover also has flexible boning at the top which allows fresh air to reach the baby while feeding, and allows the mother the perfect, private view of her baby. My Taylored4Baby labels are due to arrive next week, and once I have them and add them to the covers, they will be appearing on etsy and madeit! Stay tuned...

Another lovely non-doddle swaddle!

2009-08-24T12:42:00.000+10:00

Last night my husband and I were trying to come up with a name for my baby wraps. Looking for something a little catchier... So he came up with Doddle Swaddle. Doddle apparently means simple or easy. Nathan thinks this is a great idea because finally with my wraps, he is able to successfully swaddle our daughter. So I did a little market research on facebook last night, and the results showed a 100% negative response to the name! Looks like we need to keep our creative vocabs flowing... Anyway, here is my latest wrap. It's so beautiful esp. with the butter yellow oh so soft dot fabric!

Stitches and Craft 2009

2009-08-21T14:30:00.000+10:00

Yesterday Emily and I went to the Sydney Stitches and Craft Show to visit her Nana and Pop, and also doing a little shopping and looking ourselves :) My in-laws travel everywhere doing quilt and craft shows across Australia and beyond! We were just happy that this week they are in our own backyard! Of course we checked out their stand, Just Patchwork and Emily decided to sneak in a little cuddle time too!

I did a little venturing and found some great stuff! Firstly, I learned about a site called MadeIt which just for Australian homemade products! I have a feeling this will be a great site for me to sell some of my creations. I also purchased a book called Sweet Booties! which has some adorable products and designs that I plan on making for Emily. And my very last purchase, a subscription to MixTape, which is a cute little craft magazine apparently about making time for the small things! So have I read it yet? Nope! I plan on waiting until I need a little lift and inspiration. Right now, the show has left me so inspired that I came home last night and got straight to sewing a beautiful new wrap!

BTW - This pic is my daughter showing me that she has had enough... Poor little pet. She never falls asleep when we are out, so she must have been really tired xo

Build 'em up buttercup!

2009-08-12T12:57:00.001+10:00

My sister-in-law, Alison reminded me recently of one of my unfinished projects. It seems that once I see how a project is going to end up, I lose steam. Many moons ago I started to make some fabric building blocks for my newborn daughter Emily. After I seen how the first block looked when it was finished, it went up on the shelf. I was pleased with it, but the mystery was gone. Well this past weekend I finally finished the other eight blocks! I paired together some beautiful fabrics with a pattern from Amy Butler's book "little stitches for little ones". Emily is now 9 months old, and happy to sit and play. So I say it's perfect timing to learn how to build 'em up... and knock 'em down!

The good stuff we hide from those we love the most....

2009-08-07T14:17:00.000+10:00

So last night I was making dinner, when it occured to me that my approach to veges is the same for my husband as it is with my daughter... I hide them!

While the adults were dining on homemade lasagne, my 9 month old dined on yoghurt. I managed to sneak onion, tomoatos, carrots, capsicum and mushrooms into ours, and pumpkin and sweet potato into Emily's xoxo

My first order! The wrap in a girly version!

2009-07-26T16:19:00.000+10:00

So I had an order for a wrap in the pink internal fabric, and the white fabric with butterflies. I hope the buyer loves it as much as I do! Although Emily has enough wraps, these colours are just delicious together! I am thinking I might make another for her...

Anyway, it came out beautifully, so I thought I would publish some pictures. Enjoy :)

My first creation!! Baby Wrap (0-6 months)

2009-07-21T17:55:00.000+10:00

My daughter loves to be swaddled! It's become her cue for sleeping. I have used a number of swaddles in her lifetime, but decided to make my own. That way I can make sure it fits all of my (Emily's) requirements, and I can use beautiful fabrics! And what's more... I get to create!

These wraps have been so popular with my friends and family, that I have decided to sell them! See: taylored4baby.etsy.com I have tried to make them unique by adding a pouch at the bottom which folds down, and then clips up so you can get the baby in easily, and don't have to worry about tiny toes getting cold! I also added a hood to help keep the baby warm, although you can easily leave it off and place the babies head on top of it if it's too warm. What I find frustrating though is that when I find an item I love, Emily grows out of it so quickly! I get to use it for a while, and then have to buy another! So I have used press studs so that this wrap easily converts from 0-3 months, and then 3-6 months.

I have decided that all wraps that I make will be individually made for each baby as ordered. Although I may regret this later, I think it will help make a great unique product for each buyer - the way that I can when I made things for Emily. The buyer can choose the inner and outer fabrics (see below), I can flip the pattern if the user is left-handed, and I can also adjust the design if the baby if significantly taller or shorter than average. The internal fabric that I use is called ‘Oh so soft’. It's totally soft and delicious for even a newborns precious skin. Hmmm... Maybe I should make a big wrap for myself!

Internal Fabric Choices ------------------- External Fabric Choices

Materials: Cotton, cotton wadding, polyester 'oh so soft', thread, and press studs