Coping

I've been unsure about what to post here: I made something today, but there was is a whole lot else going on.

I got a call last night from my Dad explaining that my Grandpa is very ill in hospital. So today has been a day of waiting for news. Good news. Bad news. Just any little update to dictate how I should be feeling/acting. The good news is he is stable. The bad news is his condition is still critical. So at this point we still just don't know how this will pan out.

I would love to go and see him. But Caleb and I are sharing a cold and so we are just waiting it out at home. Waiting for a text message or phone call. Just waiting. Hoping and praying that he and we will be better in a day or two so that we can visit.

To help a slow day pass a little more quickly I made Jemima an apron. Coping.

The yellow bit of the apron was an op shop find. It appears to be home sewn and was a little small to fit around my waist. So I refashioned it for Jemima. I had a quick look through my stash and found this vintage gingham and feeling a bit lazy, used some ribbon to make ties rather than make them. Then I chopped off some hem and used the Oliver + S Lazy days skirt tutorial to hem it a bit shorter with the same ribbon I used for the ties.

When I put this on Jem she whispered, "ooooh princess" and refused to take it off until bath time. A nice moment in a sad day.

Eye Spy... a surprise!

Remember when my mum's friend gave me her craft stash? Well, it happened again! Twas my mum's friend's mother in law this time: it the de-stashing domino effect! I am stoked. There was also a few bags of fabric in the stash transfer that I am in the process of washing. I am at the point where I think I really need to make a big quilt or something to whittle down the enormous amount of vintage fabric I have accumulated. Poor me. 

I tried to make more baby shoes, but it was a total bust. I meant to take a photo to visually present my failings, but I ended up throwing them out in a fit of cleaning (which doesn't happen all that often.)

I will try try again, however. I will have lots of time as Chris is off to Las Vegas (yeah, for WORK), for a couple of weeks starting tomorrow. We will be OK. We will miss him a lot though, that's for sure.

PS Apologies for late eye spy, and thank you to Miss Muggins for the theme, and Cindy for hosting!

Some opping and some sewing

I've mentioned before that my work is around the corner from 4 op shops. I had a chance yesterday to pop into a couple in my lunch break. First stop was Vinnies, which was abuzz with people, but had no fabric. Inspired by this post, by the ever creative Kathleen of Grosgrain, I am desperate to do a wardrobe refashion... but I couldn't find anything with potential.

So off to Lifeline I went, and for $10, I got all of this! Hooray! There is about a metre and a half of each of these. I love the dog knit and am cooking up a plan for it. I lurve the purple floral almost too much to do anything with. 

We are off to a picnic party for lunch for 3 young ladies turning 25 (now that's efficient partying, no?). I made these 3 artsy clutches from Bend the Rules sewing. I have now made 5 of them for gifts, and I still want one. I made so many mistakes on these uber easy-to-make items. Lots of chuckling to myself and shaking my head at my own stupidity. I guess that's a risk factor in Friday night sewing.

Oh and thank you to everyone who has entered my giveaway. I was so nervous about that post. I though how sad it would be if no-one wanted the prize... so thanks for your encouragement and enthusiasm! I will do a draw tomorrow afternoon. So there is still time to enter!

The day the op shop came to me

When you are a newly inspired crafter, and the only one for miles, I have found you can sometimes be the fortunate recipient of a stash reduction. This was such a time.

One of my mum's dearest friends was having a clear out, and rather than stop in at Vinnies, she gave stuff to me. And I am very thankful! (And not sure where to start!)

We're talking craft books and patterns from the 70s...

Some fabric...

And a very special treasure chest...

Lovely old buttons lie within, some from the 20s apparently. (A little too precious for my novice crafting perhaps??) Unfortunately, blogger is having issues with uploading my buttons photo, so I will have to do a big reveal another time!

Now, where to put all of this stuff? 

(Hey, and thanks for all the sand car love! They are pretty awesome, yes.)

Bits and Pieces

I went to the op shop and what did I see?

I have that "walking through the jungle" song in my head. Does anyone know what I mean, or did I just make it up? It's from Bananas in PJs or something equally as rad.

Talking of rad, Norma has done it again. Look at this little cardy. Aw. And actually been quite useful this being the strangest summer ever thus far.

Op Shop Break

I started my new job at the beginning of the school term, 2 days a week. It is situated within walking distance of about 4 op shops. Work has been pretty busy, but is slowing down with people unable to attend their appointments which is not unusual for this time of year. It is week 7 and Tuesday was the first chance I got to take a look at a couple in my lunch break. 

A nice big wooden button, a little belt buckle, a single vintage sheet with yellow flowers, almost 2m of black denim for $2 (the biggest bargain of the lunch break) and a flannelette cot sheet. 

I am making a quilt out of mostly recycled fabrics for my brother and his bride-to-be for their wedding present. I have taken such a long time to decide what colour to make it that I haven't even started! (Yes this is the same brother who is getting married on Saturday!) I have finally settled on a cheery yellow quilt and have been bidding up a storm on ebay. I will probably do a simple "checker board" pattern with quite large squares of patterned fabric alternating with calico? Undecided. I am certainly not patient enough to do anything more complicated, especially since it will be quite a big quilt. The yellow op shop buy above will certainly feature and I plan to back it with a cream chenille bedspread I bought on ebay a while ago and tie it using this tutorial. 

Obviously it won't be finished by Saturday, but at least I've made some decisions about it!