NEXT MONDAY...

...we will be at the PO at 7:30 to do some craft (maybe), have a glass of wine (for those who are inclined) and have a good old chat!  The H & I snuck down to the PO last Thursday night, when we realised that with the youngest at cubs, and his big brother at school camp, we actually had 1 1/2 hrs child free time! So we shared the quince crumble (yum!), and the girl behind the bar said hi and asked when we would be back for craft group because she hadn't seen us for a while! So... see you there next Monday !  (30/4)

PS we will actually be talking about  what we will make for the school craft stall and possibly even making something. Plus we will try & work out a date to meet on a Saturday arvo at school for a big sewing session ie. involving sewing machines 'n' all!!!

Back to school...

2 weeks of school holidays, and what do I have to show for it? One kids apron, promised weeks ago ( possibly months actually), and sewn up Saturday night (hey, the footy was on, what else was there to do?). New resolution - get some sewing done now that the footy will take over the telly most Friday & Saturday nights.

I did make MILES of bias binding to use for the neck strap & ties. I can use it for skirts & stuff, I figured I had a metre of navy gingham, so might as well slice up the lot. But so much for those plans of new skirts, and trying out some tunic tops...

Autumn days...

Loving this Autumn weather! I have been trying to ride my bike into the shops at least once a week. The Jedikid has a new grown-up sized mountain bike - with gears! ( And of course Tigerboy is a bit jealous and wants a bike with gears too now!). Found the bike on gumtree, and also recommend bikexchange to find a good second hand bike. The boys are out in the backyard now washing Tigerboy's old bike he grew out of last year, so we can take a photo & put it up for sale.

Planning on doing some skirt sewing in the hols, andtrying out some new recipes, but lots of cleaning up to do first! We have been inspired by watching River Cottage (6pm Thurs, ABC) and have dug out the bread machine. Weekend before last we made and ate 3 (small) loaves of bread in 2 days! Even bought some chia seeds and made our own chia bread, but I don't think we will be putting Bakers' delight out of business anytime soon!

2 great up coming markets to go to - Brunswick Town Hall on April 14 for the Sisters market; and the wonderful finders keepers market is in the Royal Exhibition centre on April 20/21.

Craft group next MONDAY

All being well we will be at the PO again 7:30 next Monday.

I have my year 10 school reunion in Bendigo this Saturday ( high schools in Bendigo are year 7-10, 'cos there is an amazing senior high school there, it was one of the first in Australia. The failed experiment of the Coburg Senior High could learn a lot from Bendigo Snr High!!!)

The reunion is supposed to be "dress up - 80's theme" (yeah, I'm gettin' old!) but it is one thing to dress up in full on 80's gear for a friend's 40th with your mates, and quite another to turn up in costume with a bunch of people you haven't seen for 10/20/30 years! So I will err on the side of caution and not go too over the top! Had a flick through my collection of old "Dolly" magazines still in my wardrobe at my parent's house for some dress-up inspiration.

PS. Nicole Kidman had seriously curly hair when she was a "Dolly" model in the 80's!!!

Felt & button necklace

I made this a while ago for a friend, along with one in red/black/grey for me. But the 1st was only made of crochet cotton & felt, and although I loved the look of it, it was too light and blew around in a breeze! So the 2nd one (above) was put on the back burner while I figured how to modify it too add a bit of weight. Finally, I decided to sew some buttons on the flower shapes (pairs of buttons, from & back) and it seems to work! Plus it adds to the look.

But I can't decide which is the quicker way to do it - sew the buttons on 1st (one at a time) before glueing the shapes together, or put the necklace together & sew the buttons in pairs, with the slight complication of sewing through the dried glue and coping with the occassional tangle. Hmm, have to try both methods & compare. Planning on making some for the school fete anyway - once I have the felt shapes cut, I can put it all on the good old "stable table" on my lap & make them up while watching the telly.

The last race

I just watched "the last race" on the ABC, about organ donation. Beautiful, moving - I was crying through most of the show. One of my Dad's best mates (all-round great bloke, and an honorary uncle and to my sister and I when we were growing up) died waiting for a heart transplant. A school friend had a kidney transplant several years ago and which has turned her life around. My husband's phD supervisor and mentor also needed a kidney transplant but didn't make it.

Go over to Curly Pop's blog and have a read too.

Then talk to your family and sign up.

Just popping by...

...to let you know craft group is on again next Monday 27th Feb at the PO. See you there!!!