Still trying to spend my money

I've had some wonderful suggestions for how to spend my $120 of Birthday Cash. But then I went and typed 'Bakelite' into eBay.






It's a ring box! Stunning.


OMG BAKELITE DUCK MEASURING CUPS!!!


Why am I being so carefree in sharing all these auctions with you? Well, I haven't shared the ones I REALLY want to win. Nyah nyah!

An office dress?

While applying for jobs and taking a break from cushioning, my mind turns to work clothes. I've never used the long-sleeved version of my favourite pattern, McCalls M4769. However I can't move past the idea of making it from this fabric combo already in my stash:


(I'd do longer sleeves but still with cuffs, and probably only do the button closure on the top with a less full skirt.)

Maybe I should secure a job and check out the dress code before adding this to my work wardrobe?

Burning a hole in my pocket

Six weeks ago 'twas my birthday, and I was thrilled to receive some Birthday Cash. We've been in hardcore saving mode for the house for over two years and I've rarely spent money on myself in that time. That makes Birthday Cash so much sweeter, and really puts the pressure on to spend it wisely!

Last weekend I visited Lost & Found and Memorabilia on Smith St, Collingwood, certain I would find exactly the right thing that I could look at for years to come and say, "That's what I bought with my 2011 Birthday Cash." With the size of Lost & Found I was very surprised that I didn't find a single thing I desperately wanted to own. I was less surprised at Memorabilia where I found about a dozen things I desperately wanted but they were all either ten times more money than I had (I asked the guy behind the counter if they had any authentic tram scrolls he could give me for 90% off) or not for sale. I was perplexed at the amount of stuff in that shop that's not for sale, until I saw a note saying many items were available to hire for set dressing.



As well as a vintage tram scroll I'm now in a mind to acquire some old milk bar signage for the kitchen of our new house. This one's $750 on eBay:

Ice cream is health food!

Seeing as the stuff I really want is way beyond my means I'm opening the floor for suggestions. What can I buy with the $120 I have left (having already bought a magazine and something else I'll have to reveal in another post)? I'd like something for the new house, but I'd also be delighted with something indulgent just for me (but don't have enough for a new tattoo). Give me a link of what you'd buy if you were in my position. It could be on eBay, Etsy, or the website of a maker whose work you adore. Help me spend my money!

Taking a break

Our little household has had the good fortune this month of having the kids' British grandparents staying with us. They haven't seen Little Jack since October 2009, and had never met Baby Amy. We spent three weeks cramming in as much intensive Quality Time as possible, and I took advantage of the chance to stretch my wings as much as possible while still being responsible for a fully breastfed baby. It's hard adjusting back to not having those extra pairs of hands around and not being able to pop out for half an hour on my own.


Now that the in-laws have flown back home I've got my sewing room back. I've been looking forward to jumping back into my business and getting my cushion production line chugging again, but...

I'm feeling really run down.

I'm applying for jobs so we can buy a house later this year.

I'm trying to teach Amy to take a bottle so that when I get a job I don't have to hide her in a filing cabinet drawer, and she despises bottles.

Also trying to increase Amy's intake of solids as her MCHN visit last week revealed she's dropped from 25th percentile for weight, which she's been since birth, to 5th.

I'm doing a lot of work on Jack's delayed speech development following his first speech therapy appointment about two weeks ago. Completely changing the way I talk to him is hard.

And every time I open my business email I cross my fingers that I won't have any orders because I just don't want to.

So I'm taking a break from Mrs Beckinsale. I've put my Made It shop in holiday mode. Olive Grove has a good stock of W Class Cushions so I should get away without restocking for a few weeks. Apart from the winner of my Japan fundraising auction (the same winner as my Queensland fundraiser! She's keen!) I won't be making any cushions until May. The most important element in getting the business going again will be if and when I start a new job, because the family is going to need time to adjust to new routines and childcare and trying to get Amy sleeping through the night again...

I'm so happy to be taking a break. It won't necessarily be a break from blogging - not that I've had much time for blogging anyway since Little Miss Roxy arrived six months ago today. We'll see.

Twin Pretty Ditty Aprons

I finished the second of the pair of Pretty Ditty Aprons for our turning-six nieces in the UK.


I love this fabric combo! Making this apron reminds me of the Project Runway episodes where they're working with clients and have to make someone else happy while remaining true to themselves. I don't do pink floral so this is my interpretation of what a little girl would like.


Although I am worried this is far more orange than a six year old girl can handle.


Here's the two aprons together. So cute!

Japan Quake Appeal Auction: W Class Cushion

It's really sad to need to raise funds again, so soon after January's Queensland Flood Appeal.

Jojo of A Bit of This and a Bit of That has taken on the task of coordinating an international blogger handmade auction to raise funds for the massive tragedy affecting Japan. She'll have a master lists of auctions and giveaways soon, I'll link to it when it's available.

Again, I am offering a custom W Class Cushion to the highest bidder.

W Class Cushions celebrate Melbourne's iconic rattly W Class trams in huggable textile form. These trams can also be spotted in Seattle, Copenhagen and Savannah (according to Wikipedia). If you're not familiar, here's the real thing:



And my version:

W Class Cushions have been featured in The Age's M Magazine, Frankie magazine, and on www.indie.com.au.

The winner will receive a W Class Cushion in Classic fabrics, as pictured...

...and it'll feature your choice of destination and route number. Any word, any number! It can be Reykjavík 888 if you fancy.

At Olive Grove Studios the price of a custom cushion is $95. If you've always wanted a W Class Cushion this may be your chance to snatch one up for a song - or make a grand gesture of philanthropy and receive a stylish reward.

Within Australia I'll post the winner's cushion with an insert. Internationally I'll post just the cover which can easily be fitted with a 45cm/ size 18 insert. Without an insert they look like this:

Please visit A Bit of This and a Bit of That for details of many many more auctions and giveaways, all raising money for the terrible events in Japan, and probably not tram-related (in case trams aren't your thing).




How to enter: Leave a comment on this post with the amount of your bid. It makes sense to bid more than the highest current bid, of course. Make sure I've got a way to contact you!
Winning: The winner is the person who makes the highest bid. Please bid in Australian dollars. They're about equal to US dollars at the moment, you can check exchange rates here.
Deadline: The auction ends at 8pm Aus Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Saturday 26th March.
Payment: The winner must donate the amount of their winning bid within three days to Australian Red Cross. I've chosen this charity as they accept Australian dollars.
Postage: I will cover the cost of postage. Cushion will be sent with an insert within Australia, or flat internationally.
Delivery: I'll finish your custom cushion within two weeks and pop it in the post! If you're local and would prefer to collect it from a location in Melbourne's northern suburbs we can arrange that instead.

Bidding opens at $40.

Good luck!

Prett Ditty Apron for a six year old

The in-laws are staying with us at the moment. Usually the master bedroom is my sewing room but for this month I've had to push everything up against the walls to fit in a double bed and international quantities of luggage, so there's been little sewing going on here. But yesterday Hubby T took the in-laws and Jack on a roadtrip which meant Amy and I had a day just to ourselves for the first time ever, and of course we used it to sew!

I've got a limited window to take advantage of free door-to-door delivery for family in the UK. I'm getting way ahead of my 2011 sewing list and making presents for nieces for their 31st July birthday. Once again, I'm using Jamie Christina's Pretty Ditty Apron pattern but this time in the medium child size. I don't have a child mannequin so please go along with my chair and coathanger model!

I did the optional ruffle this time as it's for a little girl. I can't see myself putting a ruffle on an apron for a grown woman!

I wanted something girly without being pink and overly floral. The two prints have a reddish pink, and the polka dots are red. All fabrics from Spotlight.

Now I have to finish another in the next nine days for the twin sister. It's about a third done. I'll need to convince T to take everyone out for the day again so I can finish!

International Women's Day

Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig team up to present sobering statistics about the lives on women in 2011. The upside is, you get to see Daniel Craig in stockings. Read more about the video here.

Have a thoughtful International Women's Day.

Five months

Hat by Twisted Stitches - find them at Made N Thornbury markets

While I can believe Amy's been part of our family for five months, I can't believe she's five months old already. I can't believe we've got this far without using any formula - after surviving Jack's babyhood, that's a big deal for me!* And though I've been job searching for a little while we've now reached the point where Amy should be at least six months old before I make my big return to the paid outside-the-home workforce. I'm glad for her 'n' me to have had at least this much time together.**

She's slowly transitioning from sleeping in a hammock in the Big People's Room to a cot in Big Brother's Room. She's having a little taste of rice cereal and pear for afternoon tea. She's just about outgrown her size 00 Bonds Coverall - surely she's not ready to go into her first 0's just yet? Everyone knows Bonds run small - it doesn't count until she's outgrown her Target duds. Best of all, English Grandma and Welsh Grandad arrive in two days to meet their littlest granddaughter for the first time. We hope they're bringing presents!

Travel back in time:
Four months
Three months
Two months

* This is purely a personal expression of our family's circumstances, not an opinion about what anyone else's family does. We all love our babies.

** See above.