About Me
- Kris
- I am a mother of eight and grandmother of four who loves to make and create. Rosemary Hill is the name of our home where we live, work, learn and create together
Thursday 29 November 2007
What I did Vs What I Wanted to do.
This is want I would have liked to be doing. A little dip in the pool to keep myself cool. I did spend some time in front of a fan today while I sewed. I have been making postcards for Art at the Hart. I will post some photos soon.
The spinning frog in this photo is our pool thermometer. Yesterday the water was 33 degrees! We had a lovely swim!!!
Tuesday 27 November 2007
Christmassy?
I'm really enjoying blogging more often and I've been thinking about something special I can do for December. I think I'm going to blog about Christmas. The countdown, the preparations, what's Christmassy to me!
Monday 26 November 2007
Order
This is the pattern I used to make Mrs 23's nightie. I made a long version of view 3, without the elastic in the sleeves. I don't know where I got the pattern from. I collect patterns. Yes, I do love them. Especially patterns with fashions that are very dated! It's like a window on a world that doesn't exist any more. I especially love the patterns that my Mum used to make clothes for me. They bring back so many memories. But the main reason I collect patterns is because they are such a wonderful resource! These days they cost so much! If you can buy them from op-shops they are so much cheaper! I love it when the sales assistant is not a sewer. Even if the patterns are marked at $2 they will sell them to you for 50 cents, because they see no value in the pattern. I also have friends who regularly cull their pattern collections and give them to me. So, I have a cupboard full to choose from!!!
Sunday 25 November 2007
More happening in our house.
Miss 10 was out of her new dress and into her new nightie as soon as we got home from church! (today is kind of a jammie day for us!) I finished the nightie yesterday too.
I am 2/3 of the way through turning my bargain Ikea fabric into wardrobe curtains. As you can see from the photo below our wardrobe is a mess! We have 3 Ikea "coat racks" on the wall in our room with Malm drawers either side. We also have shoe racks (under the coat racks), mirrors and lights (all from Ikea). They form our "built-in" wardrobe. We always planned to put up curtains, but had to wait until we couldn't stand to look at for another moment. (of course)
This is the now not so messy look we were going for. I just love that fabric! We moved into this room not so long ago and we are still working on it. (Well maybe 6 months, doesn't time fly!!!)This one tiny portion of the room is how I want it to look. So, if I just face this corner and squint it's all good.
This week holds all kinds of possibilities. It's quite exciting standing on this side of Sunday with the week stretching out infront of me!
Saturday 24 November 2007
Saturday's WIPs
Trousers for Mr 7 from this fabric,
and curtains for my wardrobe from this Ikea bargain. ($2 a metre at their June sale.)
Hopefully there will be photos of something finished soon!
Thursday 22 November 2007
Today's crafting
Wip. I cut out this fabric from spotlight
using this pattern
for Miss 10's "Sunday" dress. And spent time knitting the scarf I'm working on while the kids played at a homeschooling friend's house. I love knitting because it's just so portable! I have carted all kinds of projects around with me over the years. You know, to ballet, basketball (training and games), music lessons, ante-natal visits, craft classes, ice skating, picnics (we homeschoolers go to a lot of picnics!) etc, etc! In the past I have taken any kind of hand work, but these days I like to take knitting. You just need less stuff to do it!
Wednesday 21 November 2007
Only 4 weeks and 6 days till Christmas!
I have really been enjoying the namoblo...... whatever it's called! Some of my favourite bloggers have been posting every day and I'm loving it! It has actually inspired me to post more often too! And not just for people who come to read my blog. I'm enjoying rereading my posts too! Looking at how people who are posting every day post has changed the way I post too. I can now post just one photo and be happy! I can also post without a photo. Well, I'm not so comfortable with that one! I just love photos and seeing what everyone else has done! I made a nightie today for one of my older daughters. I'm having so much fun sewing clothes at the moment. Even the simplest clothes you make are so much better than store-bought clothes for all sorts of reasons! The nightie I made today was made of seersucker which I bought on clearance from Spotlight and cost me $2.50. It's cool and covers you too! So many nighties in the shops are so short and have no sleeves! Tomorrow I hope to work on "Sunday" clothes for Mr 7 and Miss 10.
Monday 19 November 2007
It's HOT!!! (listen to me whinge)
I love the whole "chill" concept. We are still having temperatures over 30 degrees celcius (36 today) and I'm done. It's not even summer yet! Talk about global warming! My teenagers were busily engaged in a conversation today discussing the natural consequences of hot weather and how it forces you to slow down. Slow down? I've come to a stop. Hopefully I will make something tomorrow!
Something else I made.
This bag was made from some of a "jellyroll" I bought from the patchwork apple. (I love that shop!) I quite like jellyrolls because they have the entire range of fabric contained within them. I don't know what quilting shops are like where you live, but here in Adelaide you don't often get access to an entire range of fabric. Even if Jane (the patchapple lady) ordered an entire range she might not get it. Especially if it is popular in other states. We in Adelaide have to be happy with dregs or shop on-line. I have never done that, but it's something I'm now considering seriously! What's your best place to shop on-line for fabric?
Sunday 18 November 2007
Last week in review
The first immediately momentous occassion occurred on Tuesday afternoon when Miss 17 sat her last high school examination ever. She is so thrilled to be finished school "forever", or at least until she begins university next year! She still has her art exhibition this coming Thursday evening, but just has to turn up and then disassemble her art works at the end of the night. She spent some time stressing over the last month or so, but not a lot of time. Her beautiful Bradley-built wardrobes were covered in notes for her exams several times.
I have spent this past week reading "new" blogs. Reading and bookmarking. It's amazing just how many people out there are spending time blogging! Well, I guess not that amazing, because I do it, why wouldn't others? What is amazing to me is how few bloggers I know in real life. Just Picklesticks and Tina. Maybe I know others who are secret bloggers. Who use psuedenoms and only blog in the dark. Maybe.
I quite often mention my blog in passing in casual conversations I have with people. So far no-one has even commented when I have casually mentioned it. Not even "Really? You have a blog?". No "what's your url?". And definitely no "Oh yes, I know. I read it religiously!". Looking at all these different blogs has made me consider my blogging. Why do I blog? I'm not really sure. I know I like it. I know I enjoy feeling part of a community. Not something that I feel very often out in the cold, harsh, cruel world. This blogging world is warm and soft. Cushiony even. I like that. Maybe I like to do it because it's better than talking to myself! I can write all I am thinking and feeling and have some feeling that somebody out there will read it and know what I'm talking about. I think it helps me too, to have a record of my achievements and ideas. Initially this is why I started blogging. But it seems to be evolving into a place to share my thoughts as well. Isn't this fun?
Monday 12 November 2007
I, of course, would much rather be in front of a fan sewing. Today I sewed a bag. It was fun. It is a patchwork bag. I love putting the fabrics and colours together. I also love piecing. It's so fun. I have been thinking about the softy I will make for Meet Me At Mike's Mirabella cause. I think I'm going to piece the fabric. Hmm..... this requires thought.
Saturday 10 November 2007
The end of another day
This is one part of Mr 13's new room. Malm drawers and Vestby wardrobe from Ikea. He chose a fabric by Prints Charming for the front of his Vestby. It really makes the room feel happy! We moved all his furniture in yesterday and today Bradley did the finishing touches. Put up mirrors, pinboards, and hooks.
Mr 13 has a Tromso loft bed from Ikea too. Miss 10 thinks this could be an Ikea display room because just about everything is from Ikea. Almost.
Miss 15 rearranged her room this week. I live in a house full of interior designers! You might recognise the pink cushion on her bed from Picklestick's blog, she gave the cushion to Miss 15.
One of our unplanned activities today was swimmimg. It was a warm day and the kids wanted to cool off in the pool. The frog sits on top of our thermometer. The water was 26 degrees today. That's my benchmark. Any cooler and I don't go in. But today the water was 26 degrees so I swam too. The water restictions in South Australia decree that you need a pool blanket for a pool. It is one of the best things we have bought for our pool! It raises the water temperature and keeps it warm for longer. We have enjoyed our pool much more since getting the pool blanket. It also stops evaporation too.
We are so glad to be finished Mr 13's room. Now on to the next project. The entry and hallway. Stand by for progress photos of the hallway!
Friday 9 November 2007
My week
This photo is another one taken at Melba's (the chocolate factory) on the weekend. Don't you just love trees? I do. I couldn't resist taking a photo of this beautiful fig tree. Fruit trees are one of my favourite types of trees. I also love tree shade. I remember being a small child when I realised that the shade from trees was "better" than other shade. It's cooler and more refreshing than man made shade. Living in a hot place I appreciate the quality of tree shade.
These jam labels are also from Melba's. I took this photo because I remember the jam label's from my breakfast table as a child. Growing up I was an avid reader and I spent a lot of time looking at labels because they had words on them.
This is Mr 7 on a comfy chair at Melba's. The chair was carved out of a piece of wood and he loved it! It fitted him perfectly! Back to the crafting grindstone!
Saturday 3 November 2007
A day at Woodside
So, not only is it a chocolate factory, but it's a shop too! They have lots of chocolates and even lollies for sale. Apparently the building used to be a butter factory and they have some old butter making equiptment on display.
They also have lots of chocolate/lolly memorabilia on display too. Don't you LOVE the giant life saver packet?
This is the view across the road from the factory. If you ignore the stuff at the bottom of the photo it's pretty picturesque. It was drizzling when I took the photo, hence the haze in the distance.
For some reason I've loaded this photo sideways. ( So much for my incredible new computer skills!) These are Mr 7's brand new pajamas. A little crumpled because I finished them yesterday and he wanted to wear them straight away, so they're slept in. The zebras came from spotlight a few years ago. (Hey! I'm a sewer. It goes without saying that my house is full of fabric. What else do you insulate cupboards with?)
The weekend is the time I "plan" out the next week. I say "plan" loosely because I don't plan so much as dream about what I could achieve next week. I had a great day today, so my dreams for next week are kind of large and unachievable! Let's see how I go. I dream of sewing, knitting, painting, writing, planning for "Art the Hart" (a festival/market at Port Adelaide), and lots more!
Thursday 1 November 2007
November
Work is progressing slowly on Mr 13's room. They are in the middle of laying a floating floor. They've got a whole team thing happening with Bradley on the saw and Mr 13 actually laying the floor. He's getting quite good at it. Their only problem is finding time! Oh! And the room is difficult. Most of the corners are not 90 degree corners, so there's lots of cutting to do.
I have been visiting Cherry Menlove's new forum. (Cherry of Pixie Wood) It's lots of fun! Pop in and chat if you like!
And not so fun was reading about "Meet Me At Mike's" sign being stolen. Vandalism is just so thoughtless and unkind. And expensive.
It's interesting, because this internet community must really be a community. I'm enjoying visiting with "friends" on Cherry's forum and I really felt upset to read about Mike's problems! See you later guys!