...wardrobe wednesday - something I made...

Top - Garage again

(belly at 40 weeks - i.e. due date TODAY!)

Skirt - Me

Shoes - crocs

Jewels - upcycled by me...

...struggled a bit since most stuff I've made either doesn't fit me or you've seen in the last few weeks...
so you got a skirt that is now 3 yrs old... fabric brought in Samoa...pattern inspired by my cousin's skirt from Aotea Square markets (blue fabric is actually just a square)... was given the black pearls as a 5 strand for a grad present - 2 strands fell off immediately so I created the bracelet and earrings from those...

...really hoped to be wearing my baby made (partly) by me... no go yet... hopefully next Wednesday I'll be wearing her...

...crochet cushion...

... crochet efforts completed in a collaborative effort with my mum... she had a good spot ay! Sunshine, coffee, conversation and sewing...

...pants for cousins...

...pants for my brothers' two year olds... harem pants (pattern from pants my mum brought back from turkey - made from rectangle of material... pretty tricky!!) made from thrifted duvet cover for my niece... and black shorts for my nephew that needs shorts to get on and off for toilet training - made from my old cuffed capri pants...

...nana's shortbread...

... my Scottish great-grandmother's shortbread recipe passed down through the generations....so easy with a food processor and total 3 ingredients... an all time fav in my house growing up and now my son's fav... I don't have a fancy cookie press like my mum, but decided I wanted a pattern other than a fork print in the top this time... so used the zester.... just a lil bit fancy?!!.... so yummy with a glass of milk or a hot Milo...

...afghans...

... the man of the house doesn't really get into sweet stuff... except afghans... and asked me to try adding bits of Toblerone next time I made... so we did... very yum!... ...basic recipe is from Edmond's.... grand NZ tradition... realised haven't baked in a while...

...coasters...

...another way overdue birthday present... this time for friend's birthday in August... she got them finally today!!!... had fun playing with scraps in the colourways to match her awesome couch and coffee table area which is where I have spent a lot of hours particularly during this pregnancy... had fun trying few more SMALL quilting bits and pieces also... slowly building my confidence with this quilting thing... inspiration from Pip's book... although once again - I can't/ won't/ don't follow patterns exactly... still think crazies are my thing... in quilting sense (not so much otherwise :P)

...and this project also prodded me to do this.... to save my sanity...

...now my ribbons and strings box is closeable again with all the other loose bits I'm hoarding... just...

...baby kimono...

... an old project... and oldie but a goodie (I hope).... this was the first thing I made for lil sister... made MONTHS ago... just after we found out what flavour bubba we were having... made in the midst of ongoing nausea, headaches, vomiting, tears, tiredness (and working 6 days per week) in an effort to get me excited about the pregnancy and her arrival in general... made from pair of my PJs that after 6yrs hard service finally gave out in the butt!!... this was also the first thing packed in her hospital bag... I hope it's a goodie... I hope it fits... I hope this bubba really is a girl so I can put her in it!!!.... still it's already done it's job in one way...

...oh and I always want to remember her dad's reaction when he saw what I was up to.... "It's so little...."

...wardrobe wednesday - floral...

Fake flowers - hibiscus and hair clip I made from lei 

Sunnies - Von Zipper (wonder how long they'll last after bub arrives)

JK maternity tops

Adidas shorts

Gola shoes - hand-me-downs from my sister (Aunty Shoes/ Sus :P) - SO struggling with doing laces!

 ...ok so the challenge this week was something floral... and I know I don't have to post what I wear on Wednesday, but since my due date is a Wednesday (next week!) I have been posting belly and clothes from Wednesdays as a countdown too... but....today was the boy's school's Walk-tober celebration... so I made the effort for school pick - up... (drop off is invaribly in PJs so SO not walking like that)... enjoyed walking in the sunshine and felt good for making the effort.... although took longer than used to...had sore back after....and didn't induce labour for a 20/10/2010 baby like my brother and sister wanted...lol... so this is what I wore walking....took Claire's suggestion and wore flowers in my hair (token effort)... and took my new sling bag which has trees and flowers on it....

.... and this is what I'm wearing now.... obviously floral... but not really in the true spirit of Wardrobe Wednesday... but I just finished it last night and wanted to post it anyway... the 7 year old says I look like I'm from China!!..... he took the photos again....artificial light this evening is not very flattering... but at least I don't look as grumpy as last week....

...for other Wardrobers try here (where it started?), here, here or here... better make more effort for next Wednesday since theme was my suggestion.... wonder if I'll be wearing my baby by then!?!

...birthday bag...

... my wonderful friend Kiri gave me a kitset bag for my birthday...printed on organic cotton/hemp/linen by Ink&Spindle and pattern by Suzy here in Melbourne... being of course incapable of following a pattern - I decided the plain linen lining needed to be shown off so with few other choice pieces from the stash has become fully reversible double pocketed sling bag.... maybe nappy bag...

...crazy button buttercup bag...

...so this is one of the presents that has now been received and I can safely blog about it without spoiling the surprise... made from FREE pattern... using some crazy quilting I did like nearly two years ago and never found a good purpose for the two fat quarter size pieces I managed to finish... happy birthday (very belated) gorgeous Gemma...

... new vege patch...

...gardening always seemed to me like such a grown-up thing to do... then again so did crochet (see below - must be solidly "in my 30's" :P)... I've dabbled mostly with potted stuff (or mini gardens in old wheelbarrows/etc) for a few years now... decided I wanted an actual patch for my birthday this year... silverbeet wasn't growing in pots and usually grows like a weed doesn't it?!?!... anyway I'm still sampling/ trying things in a small way... so we have a few silverbeet/ lettuce/ celery in the ground and under shadecloth... newly potted mint (burnt the last one) and the random self-seeded parsley that needed to be moved.. and cherry tomatoes in various sunny spots to see where they like it best... see how they go when I'm home more to talk to them (and possibly more importantly water and weed them)... and then hope they can survive on their own for a while in Australian sun while we desert them for NZ summer holiday...

...wardrobe wednesday...

...horrid, horrid facial expression sorry...

Black singlet from Garage (Warehouse 'brand')

Multicolour knit skirt/ dress made by me this week

White shoes from Kmart (only just squeezing my fat feet into)

can't remember what bling I had on sorry...

... oh and the bump at 38 weeks...

...well if you want more fashionable/ happier inspiration for your wardrobe - try here.... kudos to the boy for photography again... maybe I was grumping at him not to chop my head off...sorry kid...

... learner crochet...

...can't claim to have made the hat (thanks aunty Jade!)... but this week I have bought a crochet hook and some random wool and taught myself to crochet from on old library copy of a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and Pip's book again... kinda glad my photography is so shocking.... probably heaps stuff I'm doing wrong...lol... also lucked out in that I didn't realise until too late that you're supposed to match your hook size to wool ply... prob would've stopped before really started if I'd got those totally mismatched and it didn't work out on my first few attempts...

...obi...

...actually most of what I've made in the last week has been presents - birthday, wedding, XMAS!!!... so don't feel I can spoil by posting photos just yet.... however I wanted to try this Japanese style obi from this book that I was given for my birthday (thanks lovely Gemma) ... years ago an Indian lady told me her mother was coming to stay with her after the birth of her baby to wrap her belly for 40 days and 40 nights after the delivery...apparently helps with return to form (easier than sit-ups?!?).... decided I'd like to try it...so Japanese obi to help me try out an Indian tradition?!?!...was also great chance to try some of the quilting techniques I've been reading about in various library books/ online... am super happy with how it turned out and hoping it'll make a showing at Wardrobe Wednesday soon (after delivery)...

...colour co-ordinated nesting...

... so nesting AND crafting?!?...trying to work some stuff and things (and activities) around the 7 year old so it's not ALL baby sister constantly.... we revamped (and scrubbed) his desk area to colour co-ordinate with other bits and pieces in his room... recovered old tins/ containers and the "works-in-process" holder on his door is recycled toilet rolls... and he tells me there is now a code which you have to touch the rolls in the right order the right number of times to get in.... hehehe.... told him if I can't get in (i.e. don't know the code) he'll have to keep it all tidy himself... oh and decided I must be nesting after I washed the front door...lol...

...birthday cake...

...he INSISTED that he make me a birthday cake...I gave him a few choices from my favs (Nutmeg Love Cake, Spiced Apple Cake, Choc cake or first attempt at one that looked great in Edmonds - forgotten the name)... he choose Edmonds One Egg Chocolate Cake... the plating instructions were very precise also... lucky we had strawberries in the house!!

...overnaps...

...well....hope they fit?!?... this is the prettier of the two I've finished using this "pattern".... those who know me well will know it's pretty much impossible for me to follow a pattern exactly, so the first one was - interesting?!?!... this is the second attempt which I tried to follow the pattern a bit more closely... lol... the disposable is newborn size and our fold for clothies seems like should fit too.... I'm not making any more now until I do have a baby to fit the pattern to...

...character quote...

Character is what you are unobserved.

- (sorry lost the author's name!)

...wardrobe wednesday...

Dress - last year's b'day gift from my mum - knit wear-7-ways dress

Wrap cardi - merino from factory store in Melbourne somewhere

Brooch - this year's b'day gift from my mum - leather from ?Spain??

Shoes - don't fit the swollen feet my daughter gave me for my birthday... think I wore jandals for the school pick up run...

Bag - last year's b'day gift from my crafty Aunty Glen



...ok... so I'm a day late... but did I mention I'm 37 weeks pregnant... yesterday didn't really happen til nearly midnight... this was from my birthday day Monday... not enjoying pants/ waistbands at the moment and the weather (at least in the morning was decidedly spring-ish).... Wardrobe Wednesday has been very inspiring for me in the last few weeks, although the no black, no denim challenge for my first foray was pretty hard for me... and obviously my wardrobe is limited at the moment by the lovely bump!
...oh and kudos to the 7 year old for his photography skills - "I didn't chop your head off this one, Mumma"...

...house rules quote...

"The specific rules of the house, whether there are two parents or one, whether the parents smack or not, "are all far less significant than the overall, day-to-day atmosphere of the home. I really like this idea, because is takes a certain pressure off parents. It means that rules are secondary in importance to creating a home that is, for the most part, peaceful. This is something we are all capable of working towards."

"If the love and kindness outweigh the smacking, it is probably no big deal."

"...the unfairness that some kids get loads of love and encouragement from their parents while others don't get nearly enough."

 - Kate Triglone, from "Happier Houses Rule" article, Melbourne child magazine, October 2010 edition



I really like reading things in hardcopy - and free magazines will do just fine! This articule struck a chord with me on a day when I was tired and yelling at the 7year old was happening too much and feeling guilty about it... I wanted to post it so I can come back to it and remind myself long after the paper has been recycled/ upcycled/ filed safely somewhere....