The dress lives on...

Here is another quick little make from Crafty Creatures (by Jane Bull).

Not a lot to say about it really, other than I am still using up little scraps from the baby dress. And see the trunk - already thoroughly chewed.

Must not waste any more time here for now, as (fellow Brits will appreciate this) the SUN IS SHINING. The girls are due back from swimming lessons in less than ten minutes, and then we are going to head straight to the park. With some brownies and a flask of hot chocolate. (It may be sunny, but it's not warm.)

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

The joy of a list

I do like a list.

Monday was the last day of the holidays before the girls had to go back to school. After a lovely week away, it seemed like it was going to be a damp squib of a day. Daddy already back to work, and not a lot to do but all the practical jobs that had to be done because they hadn't been done in the week we were away.

I am desperately keen to encourage the middle girl to write. And read, for that matter. And, as with most things concerning her, these things happen on her terms. Getting her to do things she cannot be bothered to do is an exercise in deviousness of the highest order.

She wrote the list. Enthusiastically, too. And then she illustrated it. (There is never a problem getting her to draw. I swear I will one day catch her busy with a load of felt pens and bits of paper under her duvet long after lights out.) Why? Because she is smart enough to know that volunteering to write something on this occasion increased her chances of the day looking the way she wanted it to.

The list gave us all joy. And, pretty much all the mundane things that needed to be done got done. The toy hospital remained open all morning.

This was a case in point of children having a natural ability to turn jobs into a game.

I'd been putting off repairing their toys for ages. There was quite a queue of toys in the waiting room. Whilst I love making things, fixing things is not so much fun, is it?

How wrong I was. Even I thoroughly enjoyed myself, insisting the girls refer to me as the surgeon, as I tasked them with triaging which toys were in greatest need of attention. The biggest girl was adamant her rag doll's alopecia was serious enough to bump her up the list.

And the middle girl's favourite purple elephant needed significant surgery to repair a limb that was close to dropping off. I took the liberty of helping `Ella' with some weight gain whilst she was under the knife. She can now stand tall again.

Her parent was thrilled.

Until bedtime. When, she informed me that Ella was no longer nice to use as a pillow, and that she wanted her back the way she was. But also able to stand.

There is just no pleasing some people.

And finally, news just in. The husband has taken the older three out for pizza. He informs me that they have spent a good hour or so singing Wannabe rather loudly. I sense he is not entirely approving of this latest development in their musical education. Perhaps allowing them to watch plenty of YouTube videos of Spice Girls wasn't my best parenting move of the day. Then again, maybe item no. 11 is evidence that the joy of a list just goes on and on...

The Wonky Wilma Challenge is on!

To buy the pattern, just make a £5 donation to GOSH

Roll up, roll up, get your elephants here! Quirky and unique, a bit wonky, but loveable and gorgeous to cuddle. Most definitely going to be the next big craze in the run up to Christmas...

Sorry, I am just a wee bit excited. My first ever adventure in designing a pattern - the testers have tested, the tweaking has happened, and the moment has come.

The Wonky Wilma Challenge is on.

The maths is simple. I'd like to find 200 people to donate £5 to GOSH in exchange for the pattern I've designed, and help raise £1000 by Christmas. You can read more about the super work carried out at GOSH here. So spread the word any way you can, and, allow yourself to be tempted into making your own wonky elephant.

Ellie and Jellie - by Pamela (named by her two little girls)

The pattern is simple enough for a beginner to try, and the step by step instructions come with plenty of pictures, to help you through the making process. If anyone gets stuck along the way, I'll do my best to help via email.

The finished Wilma's are already parading about in their own special Flickr group - take a peek!

Who's in?

Go on go on go on go on...

My mum's Wilma

Susie's Wilma

Tracy's Wilma

Amy's Wilma

A great big thank you to all the ladies for testing out my pattern and helping get the instructions just right. And apologies to those of you with more than one child who now also need to make a second elephant...

Kids Clothes Week Challenge

Okay, I crumbled.

Doesn't every two year old like to coordinate their toys and clothes?!

Faced with well over a metre or so of lovely corduroy left over from my skirt, I turned it into this. 

Hello again. Despite your ability to reduce me to tears when
a thread breaks, I salute your speedy neatening of seams.

Actually, that isn't strictly true. I realised I could squeeze several skirts out of the left overs. So I did. And a pair of elephant ears.

Sorry for ignoring the verdict of the magic/tragic jury over dressing children the same. But I reckon this is probably the last year of my three little girls wanting to do it. And I promise not to wear my skirt at the same time. Honest! But let's face it, anyone who knows me well, knows what my favourite childhood film was. I have never pretended to be cool.

And if I were writing the lyrics for the song, corduroy and jumbo ric rac would be on the list of my favourite things. I love them both!

It's Kids Clothes Week Challenge this week - not sure how successful I'll be at doing an hour of sewing for my children each day (going to be focusing on getting the Wonky Wilma pattern launched), but I will definitely be soaking up a bit of the inspiration from the Flickr pool. Always lovely to see the creativity going on amongst other mums who sew.

Wilma is nearly ready!

It's been a busy week here - I've been finishing up the last couple of lessons of my current courses, and, using just about every other spare bit of time to get the Wonky Wilma pattern ready.

Earlier on in the week, I made my second ever Wonky Wilma - and promptly gave her away to one of the middle girl's friends. She seemed pretty happy with her new toy. And I was happy too - not least because the making process had helped me think about what to write in the instructions to go with the pattern, and, given me the opportunity to take plenty of pictures at each stage to liven up the instructions a bit.

Needless to say, the middle girl was less happy to see this new elephant leave the house.

Unsurprisingly, her friend was having none of her generous offer of a swap (the new for the old). So much for that elephant being the love of her life. As soon as the new upgrade comes along, she is ready to drop her old one faster than you can say "I am unashamedly fickle".

Mum and my friend Pamela are among the people I've got on the case pattern testing this weekend, and they've already given me some really good tips on improving the instructions and pattern. Once all the testing is done, there'll be a little more tweaking, and then hopefully Wilma will be ready early next week. Can't wait!

In the meantime, now that word is out amongst my girls that it isn't just the Elves who make elephants, I have had requests in for another two. Starting with the littlest girl...

Never underestimate the glee two little girls can have at the sight of elephant bottoms.

Milk and biscuits (and my new Kelly Skirt)

I bought a couple of metres of this fabric about six months ago, with no particular plan in mind, other than I instantly liked it, and knew I would enjoy turning it into something to perk up my wardrobe once the colder weather hit.

Stuck for ideas, I asked the advice of Karen and Winnie - both of whom have some very inspiring hand made clothes, and have a much wider pattern repertoire than I do. They were both super speedy to get back to me, and I went for Karen's suggestion of the Kelly Skirt (a Megan Nielson pattern).

I am really pleased Karen has put me onto this new to me line of patterns. The skirt was very straightforward to make - definitely easy enough for a beginner to try. Not least helped along by the fact the pattern pieces were nice simple rectangles, so the cutting out didn't take too long! With the 150cm wide corduroy, I used well under a metre - so plenty left for other projects (watch out for some matching mummy and daughter magic/tragic action before too long!).

I am not sure at which point in the process the idea of using a jumbo ric rac trim came to me - but I am glad it did, because I think it is why I love this skirt so much! That, and the pockets. What a brilliant invention for keeping your hands warm on surprisingly cold yet sunny days.

And that is what today has been like. Maybe my favourite kind of day.

                                                   

And, for the littlest girl, probably her favourite kind of day, too. After dropping her big sisters off at school, we went to the park so she could practise her new climbing skills...

Genius idea

...sampled the milk and biscuits on offer at The Kiosk...

This allowed a few minutes for me to pose in my new skirt (thanks to my friend Gemma for being my patient photographer on this occasion).

Still haven't worked out how to look natural!

But the ric rac - oh, the ric rac! I LOVE it. I think it will bring a smile to my face even on days when the sun is not shining.

Yum. (No doubt meant for the younger clients, but I'd like one for myself.)

"Don't tell your sisters about this, okay?"

(Clearly I'll be back home to iron some shirts... soon. Honest.)

Gorgeous hand made milk and biscuit design - made by Alice.

"I've had what I came for (biscuits), time to go and see the ducks!"

The beautiful riverside in Bedford

Next on the making table is this.

Another Wonky Wilma Elephant in the making...

I have spent just about every spare minute I've had this week working on the pattern and instructions for the elephant toy I designed for my middle girl last Christmas.

I'm going to go for it and and see how far I can take The Wonky Wilma Project - my hope is to convince a couple of hundred people to buy the pattern, and help raise £1000 for GOSH in the run up to Christmas. I've gathered together a bunch of willing volunteers (including my Mum!) to test out what I've done so far - and I am hoping to have the pattern ready to sell next week.

The early birds amongst you can be first to catch the worm and get the pattern as soon as it's released by donating your £5 here.

Watch this space!