Click-clack therapy

Wow, this year has been my most complicated yet, and also my best knitting year. I think it's actually because I've been under more pressure, I knit more, like others might go to the gym or something. So I'm now four knitted items behind in my blogging.  Here are the best snaps I have managed of the first two.

First, Stella for Baby D. 12 month size, in Patons Dreamtime 4ply I never used for her brother. Turns out the Wedgwood blue is lovely on a girl. Needed to use smaller needles on the neckline, and it's still wider than I would have liked, but cute, and it got worn a heap.

Next, a Milo for our little boy B.  22" size in Cleckheaton Perfect Day in the colourway that looks rather like a lamington.  Knitted quickly over 4 days, which was just as well, as he never wore it! I knew there was some risk of this, which is why I chose a quick project. B won't stand wool on his neck, but I was hoping a wide neck vest in really soft yarn might be okay. He was on to me though! At least it's big enough to try again next year (and we'll start with it over a skivvy).



This was the least miserable picture of him in it! Oh dear.

More to come on my spring knitting projects...

The new one.

This is what has kept me so busy for the past twelve weeks!  Miss D here has been wonderful of course, as a fourth child in under five years must.    Some days I really feel on top of this parenting/running a household thing, others I can just manage the bare minimum to get by.  But how lucky we are- four beautiful little souls now in our home, getting in each other's way all the time, but then so happy to have one another.

'Baby' quilt for the 19 month old

I finished this a month or two ago; baby boy even then couldn't really be considered a baby, but he will be in the cot a little while longer.




I'm really happy now with the tumbler blocks, although I think I spent more time cutting them out than anything else which was pretty miserable.  I took Mum's advice and starched all the fabrics before cutting to help keep shape, as I was a little apprehensive doing my first piecing involving something other than squares or rectangles.

Fabrics are my usual mix but in a slightly less multicoloured palette- I wanted a clean boyish-looking quilt in brights and navy.  There are quilting cottons including several from the previous kids' quilts, and the Spots and Stripes poplin from Spotlight.  I keep using Spots and Stripes because it is cheap (often on sale), lovely as a binding, and has not faded in my other kids' quilts (unlike some far more posh fabrics).






Quilted by machine 1/4" from all seams.




Backing was from East Coast Fabrics at Lawnton; navy stripe (Spotlight Spots and Stripes) for binding.




This is typical of my life at the moment- I am back at home, trying to do lots at once but there is always at least one little someone plus a big baby bump getting in the way.  Happy chaos!

The proper stuff.

You'd think the highlight of my year was making a decent custard.  This is the first time I've made one (without custard powder) that hasn't split.  Recipe is a hybrid of the two in Nigella's How To Eat and this one.  Not as thick as I'm used to, but so much better!

So, I have made the decision it's better to be a once-every-ten-months-blogger than a non-blogger.  Of course there's much I should've posted but didn't.  In summary of 2011 so far, life has been good and yet still full of challenges, the family is great, and I am back at work full time again (which is okay, thanks to my wonderful husband and Mum picking up where I left off).
Hoping to share more soon,

A.

Falling through the days..

... to the point that this poor blog is quite neglected.  When I actually do something blogworthy, it's a struggle to capture it.  So we have this new strawberry dress for Strawberry (the Oliver + S ice cream dress made entirely from stash materials) which has been around for a week or so, and this is my best shot of it.  It's a case of put the dress on her to model, get distracted by a phonecall and other kids, and she's asleep on the couch.



I only just noticed the snotty nose!

Proper shots to follow!

My latest excuse!

The new baby of the family and an absolute joy.  Seriously, I am going to get back to more frequent blogging now that this little guy is approaching six weeks!  I have been trying not to beat myself up about not getting things done- my only goal for the first six weeks was to keep all three kids alive.  Which I have done rather well.  On top of this, there is a nearly finished quilt which should be ready for showing any day now!  So glad to be back to stay at home life!

Getting back into it!

After way too long an absence, I'm relieved to be finally posting something.  The last two months have been so hectic, I have barely been able to keep myself in clean clothes (actually, I am still struggling on that front).  But, things are now winding down at work, with me going on maternity leave in four weeks!  Can't wait.




I have managed a little craft lately, currently knitting this cardigan for Strawberry in the hope she will get some wear out of it while it's still winter.  Only have the sleeves to go after this piece, then the dreaded sewing up!

I have to thank Sandra at The Surly Seamstress for helping to pull me out of my non-blogging funk, by setting me some homework with these questions:

Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately?
My next pattern to make up is this little Oliver+ S dress for Strawberry- aiming to do it for end of winter/spring.  I love the yoke and piping detail, and hope to make use of some old buttons I have stashed.  And I do love vintage patterns and have a bit of a collection of hand-me-downs and Vogue reprints, but they are all completely impractical for me as I have been either pregnant, breastfeeding or both for years now!






What is one place that you really want to visit that you haven't been to before?
Japan- would love to experience the totally different culture, scenery and hunt down fantastic craft supplies!  This is in addition to plans to return to many great places I have already visited!

What are your favourite/least favourite words?  These can be connected to sewing or not!
Favourite word:  awry- I seem to use this a lot at work.
Least favourite word:  gonna- I use this way too much!

If you had to spend 3 consecutive days on the same train, who would you want with you and why?
Not a very creative answer, but my husband.  After having to spend several days away from him and the kids recently, I realised just how much he helps me keep my cool, and shares my interests like no one else.  It was very healthy for me to be reminded what a great choice I have made!


What's your sewing threshold?  As in, what will you let go, and what must you absolutely fix?
I tend to complete my projects, but this does result in the odd item that I would never wear which gets given to a family member or charity shop.  As for correcting mistakes, I will unpick to a certain extent, but if after several attempts I don't get a perfect result, I settle for less than perfect and move on.  And once it's complete, I never seem to notice the imperfections that once seemed such a big deal anyway.  


What's your desert island book/movie and why could you read/watch it over and over?
Love books, but can't commit to a favourite to be reread.  My movie would be Cabaret because: a) I love musicals, b) in addition to being a great musical, the plot is also great, and c) Liza just breaks my heart.  Here she is on an old t-shirt I can't bring myself to throw out...




What garment/accessory do you wear the most?
Not the above t-shirt.  Stretchy wrap dresses with black opaque stockings- none of my current wardrobe is homemade sadly, but it serves a working pregnant lady rather well.


What wouldn't you be caught dead in?
Shoes with ankle straps- no matter how fabulous the shoes, my (otherwise perfectly healthy and strong) legs just cannot carry them off.

So, there you go.  I think I should now be setting this as homework for someone else, but I am that far out of the blogging loop, I have no one in mind- feel free to pick it up if you are stopping by as I 'd love to hear your responses.

Lately I...

... have been quite preoccupied with preparing for what I hope will be my last exams ever, which will all be over in about a month.




... am having fun cutting out a quilt for Strawberry, to (sort of ) match this one I made for Mr F, as they will be sharing a room later this year after the arrival of baby number 3!





... am admiring this beautiful family home (that I first spotted here on the lovely homelove blog)  in Inside Out, as well as my growing belly.




... am quite excited over this mermaid doll kit by Louise Elliot, handed down from a friend of Mum's- such cute design and great loud colours!



... feel determined to get back into making lots of things soon!

This year...

My first post of 2010!  A few months ago I actually had no intention of having a blog at this time, then started it on a whim when my husband was off running the Melbourne marathon.  And it has been great.  I am clearly not the most active blogger, nor much at marketing my blog, but this is motivating me to keep being creative.  Which will be all the more important this year, as I go back to full time work at my rather serious job on Monday.  I'm half dreading it, half looking forward to getting back in the loop.

So although I'm not into New Years' resolutions, I have been thinking about how I'll keep my creative self sustained.  I'm hoping I can keep up at least weekly posting, though I doubt I will be quite as productive with my crafts.   One of the best decisions I made in 2009 was to try to keep to high-yield projects, so I get more of the satisfaction of completion.  This meant abandoning some projects on which I had already spent too much time, and making simpler things.  And letting go of the need for my work to be perfect.  I am definitely keeping up this attitude.  I will have to if I want to get anything done in between weekday work, after hours rosters, expressing milk and actually spending time with my family!

I am hoping to do some (very basic) art this year, like my calendar drawing above. Just stuff I can do very quickly to get back into it, after too long a break from doing any art regularly.  I'm not sure I am even quite the artist I was in high school when I dropped my favourite subject of Senior Art for Physics (yes, everyone else thought it a strange move too), but I would love to get back into the habit of drawing.  And I figure this will often be an easier creative thing for me to do than get out my sewing machine/s at the end of a busy day.  Again I am planning to avoid fussing and trying to make my work perfect (which should differentiate me from my high school self) and just get lots of little things done.  Sounds good in theory- we'll see what comes!