Special Friend....

When a special friends b'day rolled around this week I must admit I was a little stumped with what to make her... You see, this special friend is pretty amazing, a real inspiration - especially on the crafting front... It's nothing for her to whip up a dress that looks like its come straight out of a catalogue and she's often making (and wearing) gorgeous pieces of clothing that shes simply 'made-up', without even needing a pattern... Shes also an amazing cook, crochets and knits, dabbles in gardening and so, so much more....

 

So I got to thinking, its been ages since I sat at my trusty old sewing machine, I guess with a newborn in the house some things just seem to get forgotten about.... I did start on a knitted project for my friend but for some reason that just didn't feel right so I grabbed some gorgeous hand printed fabrics from my stash and got to making some 'rustic' looking coasters for my very special friend... 

I can picture these fitting in just perfectly at her home - steaming hot cups of tea resting on them...

Happy B'Day Caz-y, you truly are an inspiration... xx

 

The idea that I used for the coasters was from the book 'Last Minute Patchwork Gifts' and the fabrics were by 'Prints Charming' and 'Yardage Designs' - 2 amazing Australian designers....

HOT!!!!!!!!

I've seen the Milo pattern around blog-land for quite some time now and have been meaning to give it a try. So, during the last few months of my recent pregnancy I got the chance to whip a couple up...

 

The green one below is made using Debbie Bliss EcoBaby Cotton (less then 1x50g ball) and I made the Newborn size. It's such a bonus that this little vest/singlet pattern comes in such a large range of sizes - by purchasing just 1 pattern I can now make Milo's for all of my kids (sizes nb, 4 and 6), AWESOME!!!

 

The only negative I found with the Milo was that because you get so many sizes on the 1 pattern it tends to make it a little 'busy'. I felt a little lost at times while knitting - but then again that just might have been my 'baby brain'... :) 

 

All in all the Milo is a super quick and easy knit that I look forward to making again!!!! 

I fell in love with the nappy cover tutorial by Dana Made when Millie was only a baby and knew that a couple of these would definitely be on the cards for Bub #3. Thanks to a recent trip to Spotlight and some seriously cute boys prints making their way home with me Tobie now has a couple of his own...

 

Can you believe how hot it is at the moment????

As I sit at my computer, tying up this post, the temperature here on our farm is well and truly over 45'C - HOT!!!

 

We were lucky enough to have a cool change here on Tuesday with it only reaching just over 30'C for the day - cool enough to venture out in the paddock, in the middle of the day, to check on some cows...

It is so dry out here!!! We've had hardly any rain for the past 6 months and could really do with some good storms... 1200+ hectares went up in flames on a property down the road last week - thank goodness no one was hurt and the fire is all out now...

 

How are things where you are??? I hope that everybody is keeping safe and out of the heat...

Growing, Planning and Creating...

The steady rhythm of a midwinter's day for our family consists of juggling the time we spend inside and out. The air is cool and it can sometimes take some time to get just the right amount of 'wooly' layers on to face the Winter chill after starting our days in the warmth of a wood-fired home.....

We've been busily restocking our veggie plot this week with new lettuce, rocket, cabbage, more peas, and some broccoli in thus far... Have you been sprucing things up in your veggie garden??? 

I'm dreaming of starting a stone fruit orchard and would love some olive trees too. I currently only grow citrus fruit and 1 lonely apple tree. Do you have any stone fruit or olive trees in??? When is the best time to plant these trees? Should I buy bare-rooted or is potted better? Are there some trees that prefer to be with each other and some that prefer to live alone - like companion planting in the veggie plot??? I would really love some feedback... *^_^*

With the chill in the air it's only inevitable that at least 1 of us will be sporting a runny nose...

These days we opt for handmade hankies and make a conscious decision not to use disposable tissues in our home...

So with last years supply looking a little ragged I was blessed with an hour in my sewing room yesterday afternoon while the girls played happily at my feet...

I managed to make a total of 18 hankies and all it cost was a spool of thread (which I had in my stocks anyway).

I used 2 old flannel baby wraps that have been in my linen cupboard since Connie (now 6) was born. I cut each up into 9 square-ish shapes and seen as though my over locker is currently out of working order I simply zig-zaged round the edges to limit the fraying. These hankies are super soft and a dream to wipe your nose with.

Do you make your own hankies too or do you prefer to use tissues???

Skinny Taiyo

I've had this crochet scarf made for a couple of months now and just love it..

I love it that much that I thought I'd share the pattern with you all... This scarf works well with any wool but for the striping effect that I have in mine Noro Taiyo is a must.

So grab yourself a 6.5mm hook and 300yards of yarn (make sure it's thicker than a 10ply) and we'll get started*!!*

Skinny Scarf Pattern

There are only 2 stitches that you need to know for this scarf, chain and half double crochet(hdc) - if you've never done a hdc before follow this link for a great easy how-to.

O.K. now that you have your materials and you know all of the stitches you need to make a REALLY long chain. Don't worry about counting just chain until it's long enough to wrap around your neck a few times loosely, mine is about 2.5m long.

Row 1 - hdc into the 3rd chain from the hook and in each chain across.

Row 2 - Chain 2, turn and hdc in each hdc across.

Repeat Row 2 until you run out of yarn (I got 7 rows from my Noro Taiyo).

Fasten off, sew in your ends and you're done!!

I also like to add a couple of buttons to one of the narrow ends of my scarf so that I can fasten it into a loop around my neck but that's totally up to you.

The red skirt is something I came up with at the start of the month when I was in desperate need of an outfit to wear to the Picnic Race's down the road at Louth.

It's a simple box pleat construction made using a similar technique to this one over at Burda.

just the right amount of 'BULK'....

I've had this shawl off the needles since May but for some reason forgot to blog about it

I made it to enter into the 'Knitted Shawl' category of my local Agricultural Show and am so thrilled that it actually won 1st Place!!!!

I used the super simple 'Damson' pattern from the Whimsical Little Knits 2 book ($22 in my shop). Ysolda you are a pattern writing GENIUS!!! I loved every minute of making this shawl from the start right up to the blocking at the end....

The Malabrigo Sock yarn was the perfect match for this shawl and used up all but 10 yards of the 440 from the 100g skein. With only 1 skein in this shawl it's perfect for wearing right now, as the days start to warm and the nights are still a little chilly - it's just the right amount of 'bulk'.

I currently have 4 shades of the Malabrigo Sock left in my shop if you're interested - they're $19.40 per skein!

I also made the skirt I'm wearing in these pix to wear to our local Picnic Race Day. I used this great tutorial from Burda and some Raw Silk I scored from the sewing shop down the street for $5 a metre. My whole skirt cost a total of $7.50 - WHAT A BARGAIN!!!!

Making Me Smile Today......

A new knitted 'Rainbow Pickle' for Connie-Girl (details here)....


A cute little top made with the sweetest of fabrics, just for my Millie (thanks Nik, I loved sewing this little number together).....

And the most adorable little dolly's that I still can't believe only cost me $2, and that's for the pair!!!!

What's making you smile today???

'1 on 1' Sewing Class...

My last sewing class this afternoon saw us whipping up shirred dresses.....

In 1 hour we were able to turn 1/2 a metre of fabric into something super sweet and at a fraction of the cost you'd expect to pay in any normal clothing shop....

I really love the simplicity of these little dresses and for around less than $20 (including class) you too could make one....

The size range is unlimited as they're customised to fit... You can go backless or strapless, thin straps or thick straps, there's even halterneck or why not some ties - the choices are endless!!

So, pop on into Jellywares Cobar for your '1 on 1' class or keep watching this space as I put the finishing touches on my pattern which will be available for purchase very soon (pre-order's welcome)....

I Had To!!!!

This morning I woke ever so early, eager to spend some '1 on 1' time with a special little lady....

You see, with skeins and skeins of delicious yarn surrounding me these days it's hard not to be seduced into yet another knitting project, leaving my poor neglected sewing machine to sit and collect dust.... So, at the start of this week I made a date, I had to!!! If I didn't write it down, book it in so to speak, it was never going to happen.....
'Janone Jan' and I spent 2 glorious hours together and look and what we accomplished.....

3 super cute little dresses......

All wrapped and ready for the giving.....

Have you been making any special dates lately???

6 Days To Go!!!!!

This week in sewing class we've been working on some cute little dresses.... I have one in red on the go at the moment, perfect for Xmas day!!!! Can you believe that it's only 6 days until Xmas???? Well, for a change, I'm actually organised with only 1 thing left to do, sit back and enjoy this gorgeously festive time of year... How about you, have you got it all under control yet???

A big thank-you goes out to the 26 fantastic swappers that joined in on this round of my washer swap... There are still a few girls who are yet to post out, some due to flooding and others due to computer difficulties but all in all it has been a great swap...

.

Here's the washer that I made for my secret partner. I made it using 85% recycled Australian cotton, a gorgeous new product that I'll be stocking in my shop come the new year... Thanks to all bloggers who have put photos on their blogs of the goodies they created for the swap...

Becky has posted about the gorgeous parcel she sent and received here, Pesky Pixies has posted about her super cute Xmas-y washer here. Tracy has some great pictures up on her blog of the very generous swap parcel she sent her partner here. Fiona has posted here about what she made her partner, the mug rug is gorgeous and really worth a look... Toni has a sneak peak at the start of what she made her partner here. Over here, Cosmic-creepers has her parcel all wrapped up and sent and some super pictures of what her partner sent to her... Jules has posted her washers over here along with some sweet little crochet Xmas decorations. Sharon blogged about the lovely washer she made for her partner here, she even dyed some of the yarn herself, clever cookie... Jewells has a picture of the little angel washer that she designed for her partner here. And last but not least, Kylie has Raveled her amazing festive washer here.

For those swappers who do not have a blog, email me with some pics of your washcloths and I'll pop them up on my blog next week sometime for everyone to see...

Frumpy??!!????!!!!

Last night when I asked DH what he thought of a new skirt I'd made I never expected the response that I got, actually I'm still pretty disappointed.... I guess I can be grateful for his honesty. I'd of hated him to tell me I looked gorgeous if he never really meant it but when he told me I 'looked frumpy' my heart sank..... WOW!!! When did I go from the 'sexy' woman he married to a 'frumpy' wife???

I stewed on his words all night (because I'm good at that) and this morning when I woke decided to wear the new skirt regardless... Hell, I don't mind looking like a frump if it makes me feel good....

What about you??? Have you been called 'frumpy' lately????

Crochet Version....

After making the knitted dress for Connie I knew I just had to turn my hand at trying to make a little crochet one to match for my Millie (size 1). I used Debbie Bliss Ecobaby, again, in a gorgeous olive shade (available in my shop for $9.50 a ball)... I love how this one turned out even more so than the knitted version (is that possible).... The ruffle is just perfect and the slight flair on the sleeves divine!!!!

But my most favourite part of all is the handmade buttons on the back, they really do set the whole thing off don't you think???


So with all of this crochet excitement I'm now working on a size 3-4 and am hoping to have it finished today... What do you think??? Would you like me to post the pattern up here for both sizes when I'm done??? Maybe you have a size in mind that you'd like instead, measure the chest circumference and pop it into my comments... I'm no genius but I'll do my darnedest to create a crochet dress pattern to match...

Peasant Dress.......

Last night with visions of yummy homemade dresses in my head I set to work creating something new for my wardrobe... I had a box full of DHs old button up shirts and some bargain buy '$2 a metre' heavy weight fabric from Spotlight's end of Winter sale last year and after a few snips here and even more there...The 'Peasant Dress' was born........ Teamed up with my new Noro scarf it made the perfect outfit for my shop today... :) I'm now busily crocheting away on another scarf using some of the gorgeous Cascade Chunky Super-wash that came in this week.... Cascade really has hit the nail on the head with this yarn, it's an absolute dream to knit with!!!

What's hot on your needles (hook) at the moment???

Hugs............ Jodie xx-xx

Plenty of Pouches....

First up....... Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mum's out there!!!!

Thanks for the great response to testing my new crochet hat pattern from my previous post. I'll have the pdf done up by Wednesday next week (hopefully) and a copy will be sent to each of your emails.... I'm so looking forward to seeing how each of you interprets my pattern, especially those newbie crocheter's out there, this is going to be fun!!!!

I've been lucky enough to spend some quality time doing 2 of my favourite crafts this week and now have 'Plenty of Pouches' for my shop..... The fabric ones are Project Pouches but would be great for just about any task that involves hauling something around with you...

And these little knitted one's are Coin Pouches... My free pattern can be found here (if you're not on ravelry yet let me know and I'll email you the pattern). I used some of the delicious Cotton Rich from my shop for these cutie's, it's just heavenly to knit with and with all but 2 skeins of the blue colourway left in the shop I can see that everybody else thinks so too....

Enjoy the rest of your day..... Hugs.......... Jodie xx

Girly Dress....

A proper girly dress is a necessity in any girl's wardrobe, right???? Well that's what the very clever ladies Mason-Dixon from 'Knitting Outside The Lines' thought when they created this gorgeous 'Jane Austen' dress....

 

And you know what, I think they were right!!!!!!!

 

I loved knitting this dress and Miss Connie loves wearing it..... I love that she picked the fabric and the yarn to make it too.... It's going to be her Easter dress so after tonight's try-on we'll be putting it in a special place until then..... A little note about the pattern though - I made the size 2 -3 and the arm holes were way too small so I increased the length at the front and back by an extra inch...

Something a little special about this dress, to me, is that the fabric skirt is hand sewn on to the knitted bodice... I enjoyed this part of the dress thoroughly, it really bought me back to the basics of sewing. I couldn't help but think of how women would of made clothes before sewing machines became a common accessory.

 

Hugs - Jodie :)

Happy Dance..........

O.K... The lucky winner from last post was Lissa Jane... Email me your snail mail Lissa and a special something is headed your way.... ;)

So here they are, in all of their glory, Millie's Crawler/Walkin' pants with extra padded knee/scruff pads, to stop those damn burrs burrowing in........
After an afternoon of fencing out in the paddock with Dad yesterday I can firmly say that they have definitely passed the quality assurance test....
Little Millie played and crawled and and played and crawled and even through in a bit of walking and dirt eating for good measure too... This all took place in the roughest of terrains, my big back yard, and at the end of the day I'm happy to report...... NO BURRS, YIPP-EE!!!! (now, that's a first)

That's definitely worth a happy dance, don't you think.... LOL!!!

This little pants pattern was so easy to draft up I was thinking of doing it as a tutorial, what do you think????

Hugs............ Jodie.............

'free time'.................

While DH and Miss Connie took a load of goats to town this afternoon, little Millie and I got to work utilising our 'free time'....

First up we made a lined dress for Connie. She goes to town on a Monday for 'school' and being St Patrick's Day this Monday coming a new green dress was definitely on the cards...

We then worked on something super cute for Millie.....
It even has a little hand stitching in a couple of spots........

Can you guess what it is???? The first person who does will get a special little something.....

Here's' hoping you have a chance for some 'free time' this weekend...

Hugs...... Jodie..............