Trick or Treat?

All ready for Halloween - word is there will be kids out trick or treating in our neighbourhood. I hope the weather is good to them. I made some Honey Joys and Marshmallow cones for them, and we have a nice little stash of lollies as well.

Or maybe we're secretly hoping they don't come and we can have these all to ourselves....

Look what came in the mail today!

The latest Ottobre Magazine!



I wonder if these will work in denim?



How cool would it be to win this?

More Quilting and a Bargain

Since I had no 111 thread for the Don't Look Now cushion cover, and I had no green for the last bit of appliqué for the DQS, I decided to do some quilting on the OTHER don't Look Now cushion, that I hadn't started quilting yet. I did this one using white thread. I am determined that I get as much quilting practice in as I can before I do any on my DQS.

I managed to get myself to Spotlight today, and got some white (800), 111 and some green thread to match my leaves, and whilst I was there, this managed to land in my shopping bag.



Some heavily discounted flannelette - there is enough here to make four pairs of winter pajamas next year for the boys. All up it cost me $17.08 - that's $4.27 a pair (excluding buttons, thread and interfacing, but you get the drift). I spent almost twice as much on thread!

Unfinished Business

This is what I was working on today, since I need some green thread for this project, I thought I would practice my quilting by working towards finishing the cushion covers I was making in Kellie's class. Now I need some Gutermann 111 as well...

I was chatting with Karen a little later, and she mentioned that she was putting some UFOs (Unfinished Objects) on her blog.

I mentioned that I have a few myself, and this is just a small sample of them...



Some embroideries that I was doing even before I got my embroidery machine, to make a quilt out of for the cradle. Now that I have a baby on the way again, I have reason to complete this. I was wanting more quilting experience under my belt before beginning this. I feel reasonably confident that I can put it all together now.



This is a grow suit, it never got finished because the snap up the top didn't attach properly and I had trouble getting it off. Now that I have a snap press, it really shouldn't be too difficult to sort out. Does anyone have any tips for removing dodgy snaps though?



Some bibs that I was making, using this free pattern from Nicole Mallalieu. I think I just never got around to it? It will be a while before I really need these, because they are really toddler size, but it would be nice if I just finished them.

I have noticed when looking at UFOs, that both my sewing room and my head explode. There is stuff everywhere, and my brain is bursting with ideas for a whole host of new ideas of things to make, surely some of which will be my future UFOs. Does this happen to anyone else?

EBQ DQS4 Sneak Peak #3

Need some green thread...

Choc-Chip Banana Muffins

Oops - I missed a day of Blogtoberfest! We had unexpected (but very welcome) guests last night, so to make up for missing a day, I will share the recipe for the muffins I made to share with my visitors.

I'm not sure of the origin of the recipe, I originally found it on-line, sans-choc-chips - they were my idea.

This recipe makes 12 muffins, and uses two largish, or three small bananas. I almost always double the recipe - sometimes triple, because I want my muffins to last longer than it takes me to clean up afterwards, and they go quickly.

2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mashed banana
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

Pre-heat the oven to 200oC (or 180 if fan-forced). Grease a 12 hole muffin pan.

Place all the dry ingredients (including the chocolate chips) in a large bowl, the bowl needs to be pretty large if you are making a double batch.

Place all the wet ingredients in another bowl - mix well to combine.

Pour the contents of the "wet bowl" into the "dry bowl" and fold through. Try not to over-mix, or you will end up with rubbery muffins. It needs to be just-combined.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!

Cross-over Top

This is the top that I made using the same pattern as this skirt, New Look 6470.

I made it ages ago, but I don't wear it much, because the cross-over bit spreads as I am wearing it, exposing my (ahem) bra.



I very much doubt that I will be wearing it this summer, as I kind of made it longer to begin with, and it doesn't really fit me now. But does anyone know how to solve the gaping problem? There is a Jalie pattern that can be made into a maternity top that I have been thinking about, but will I have the same problem with that pattern?

Distraction....

I was reading the paper this morning, and noticed a competition* where you can win a free (expensive) nappy bag. It got me thinking.... I once bought this pattern, with the intention of making a nappy bag from it, and I haven't yet. And I have a baby coming soon, so could probably use a swish new nappy bag.... hmmm...

What do you think are the essential features of a good nappy bag?

*I ripped out the ad, and intended to enter the competition, and somehow got distracted and it never happened and do you think I can find the ad now??

EBQ DQS4 Sneak Peak #2

Here's another sneak peak of what I am working on for the doll quilt swap.

Skirt in a hurry

I recently needed a skirt in a hurry. Fortunately, I had one already cut out and ready to go since before Christmas, and all I had to do was sew it together. It really only took a couple of hours and this is the result. I finished it with a rolled hem, using my overlocker. The pattern is New Look 6470, I have also made a top from this pattern that I haven't gotten around to blogging yet...

My Creative Space - EBQ DQS4 Sneak Peak (Sketches)

I'm currently participating in the EB Quilters Doll Quilt Swap #4. The doll quilt needs to be finished and in the post by the end of this month. So far, all I have is some fabric, and these sketches.....

Go check out some more Creative Spaces!

Overlocker Workshop

I was just over at Finki's blog, and reading about a lovely course she did, and it reminded me that I have never blogged about the over-locking work-shop I did back in May with the Australian Sewing Guild. Our aim was to complete a bag in one day using our overlockers. This is the bag I made, and I did manage to complete it on the day!

I learned about fancy thread (something else to spend my money on, like I really needed that!) and now know lots of new ways to use my overlocker that I didn't know before.



My overlocker can't actually be used for piping, so I got to play with someone else's Babylock for that - ooh are they fancy! I will be sticking with my overlocker for now.* I can do piping quite well on my sewing machines, so there really is no need. The only thing I used a regular machine for was to stitch down the wavy trim on the left - the trim was made using the overlocker, but stitched down using a zig-zag stitch.

*although I have been drooling over one of these - I must have some kind of sewing-machine-obsession-type illness!

Quick Steam Press Make-over

I bought this steam press last year on eBay for $35. Bargain! I have been thinking of late that it needed a bit of a makeover... Today I did something about it. What do you think?

A steam press is awesome for applying interfacing and wadding to fabric - something I learned from this clever lady.

Butterfly Tie Front Blouse

This one is FOR ME! I just finished hemming it this morning! I used Burda 7521, and the fabric is Alexander Henry's Oxford Butterfly, from the Fulham Road collection. It is rather roomy, so there should be plenty of room for this little bundle of joy, until he/she is due to be evicted sometime mid-January.

Our Family Holiday

During September, we went on a holiday to visit family near Newcastle. Not only was it Liam and Noah's first time flying, it was new for me too. Luckily, we went on a plane that was more aerodynamic than this one. Our trip also included rides in taxis, trains and Skybus.




We spent a day at Nelson Bay, where Liam enjoyed a babycino. He also enjoyed Noah's babycino too.



We spent another day out and about at Oakvale Farm & Fauna World. There were animals wandering all over the place, including a very enthusiastic goat.



I couldn't resist taking a few snaps of this handsome fellow. Isn't he beautiful?




There were kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, llamas, goats, sheep, chickens, ponies and heaps of other assorted animals too numerous to mention. The kids really enjoyed feeding them pellets that we were given upon arrival.



We even got to pat real, live koalas. They are very soft.




The kids also enjoyed riding on Thomas the Tank Engine.



They also enjoyed the real train. The best part was catching up with family that we hardly ever get to see. Hopefully we will make it back there again soon.

More Lovely Fabric Goodness

This parcel arrived in the mail last Thursday from Hawthorne Threads, only five days after I ordered it.

On top is some lovely voile from Alexander Henry that I am making into a top for myself. Beneath that is some beautiful Laura Gunn Poppies fabric, followed by some Kaufman Playday and some Erin McMorris "Sprout" from her Wildwood collection.

Blogtoberfest 2010

Welcome to Blogtoberfest 2010 - the festival of blogging that goes for a whole month. So much has happened since Blogtoberfest 2009, much of it I believe happened because I jumped in and joined the Blogtoberfest bandwagon last year. I got to know heaps of fantastic people, went on to go to Sew It Together where I met heaps of them and learned many things along the way.

If you want to join in on the Blogtoberfest celebrations this year, click on the button on this post, or in the sidebar, visit Tinniegirl and sign up. Take the time to check out who else is joining in the fun. You may even make a new friend.