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...

Wilma's Parade!

Okay, I cannot wait any longer to show off some of the Wonky Wilma gorgeousness that has been popping into my inbox lately. 

So (as they say on Strictly) in no particular order...

Remember Sharon's retro Wilma, and her mention of a Wilma sewing night? Well, here's what her friend Karen made - can you believe this was the first thing she'd ever made on a sewing machine? Amazing. Just goes to show where a little help from your friends can get you.

And these ladies know how to adorn their creations with some fabulous accessories. 

Karen's Wilma getting into Movember...

Wilma goes all glam! (made by Sara)

Pamela's Wilma elephants at the O2 

Deirdre's spotty Wilma

Ruth's Wilma - made for her grand daughter,
baby Emma (due to be delivered by Father Christmas).
I LOVE the eyelashes, don't you?

French Wilma! (Made by my friend Celine's mum)

Super cuddly velvet Wilma, made by Claire

Paisley Wilma in Stevenage (made by Linda)

Sara's retro Wilma with Bedfordshire lace eyelashes!

I hope you've enjoyed our elephant parade. Has it given you some inspiration for your own Wonky Wilma making? My next one is definitely going to have eyelashes!

If you've got a Wilma under way and didn't quite get finished in time for this parade, please email me a picture when it's done - you'll give me the perfect excuse for another parade! How about pictures of Wilma by the Christmas tree?

I haven't bought ours, yet - but after yesterday's trip to London for Christmas Crafty Pint, I am sorely tempted to get it, just so I can put up my lovely new goodies. More about that later once I have some pictures for you...

Wilma's Adventures in the Most Remote City in the World

Hello everyone! That total is creeping up nicely... so good to see more of you jumping on board with the Wonky Wilma patterns. Thank you. 

Can you believe, Wilma has made it as far away as Australia! That has got me wondering where else in the world she has ended up. Anyhow, today, to inspire you to get out photographing your finished elephants, we have a guest post from Ellen, who comes from Perth. Her gorgeously colourful Wilma is the perfect antidote to our British weather at the moment!

Where will you take your Wilma for her photo session?! I'll probably put the elephant gallery together on Sunday evening, to give everyone a bit more time to get their elephants finished.

Bill Bryson said that Perth is the most remote city in the World, but apparently that is not true!- Auckland apparently pips us to the post by 50km, but it certainly feels remote sometimes with the nearest comparable city of Adelaide being 2,104 km away as the crow flies, and closer to Dili in East Timor (2785 km) or Jakarta, Indonesia (3000 km) than any other Australian cities like Sydney (3300 km) or our capital city, Canberra (3100 km).

And, more to the point, its 14,500km back to England, where most of my cousins live! 

So I thought I'd show you all where I live!

Here in Perth its normally warm and sunny all year round, and we Sandgropers ( as Perth-ites are known) like nothing better than a lazy afternoon by the water, preferably with a BBQ on the go and a cold beer!

But sometimes it rains (though this is a very freak storm for this time of year, and sadly has caused a fair bit of chaos and one death) and we have to find other things to do, like laughing at this crazy modern art they installed in the centre of town, or the new Perth Arena you can just see spiking up in the background.

They have some very strange animals in this part of the world too- though I've never seen a Kangaroo quite this shade of red in the bush!

And since we don’t have any Koalas on the west coast, I thought I could try and take over their evolutionary niche… What do you think?!

I was made to be gifted to a dear friend ofEllen, but instead I'm going to be donated to a charity that provides presents for those in need at Christmas, where I'm sure I will be loved and appreciated much more. So I started off life to help children at Great Ormond Street, and now I can help a kid in Perth too!

 But don’t worry- I have a sibling in the pipeline, to be made out of some funky but more age appropriate fabric we found in the op-shop (‘Strine for thrift/charity shop!) yesterday, so no-one will end up present-less.

Merry Christmas!

Pre-loved Textiles and your Wonky Wilma

Continuing with our Wonky Wilma Week, next up is a guest post from Sharon Edwards - another Bedford mummy, Sharon is the lady behind the much admired retro Wilma who starred in yesterday's piece. Here she is, to give some ideas on how you can use pre-loved textiles to make your Wonky Wilma. You can keep up to date on all her other gorgeous makes on her brand new blog.

Hi All..

I’m a bit of a technophobe when it comes to all this blogging business, yes I know I sound ancient but I’m not!  So please bare with me as I slowly get to grips with it. I hope what I write gives you inspiration to make your Wilma and get you thinking creatively about pre-loved textiles!

It all started when I received a face book message from my mate Sara who said, “Come on Shazza, let's have a few mornings making Wilma. I need someone who can read a pattern, it will be fun and for a good cause to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital!" 

Sometimes I need a little push, and to be honest I wanted to make more creative things! We also talked our friend Karen into coming along who described herself as “the cack handed one” as she had never sewn before!

It was great thinking of all the fabrics I could use to make Wilma, and I thought to myself I don’t want to use new fabrics that look a bit soulless but if I found some pre-loved textiles, it tells a story.

In my previous role as Costume Supervisor at Madame Tussauds, I always had to think of ways to replicate the costume and that always kept me on my toes!

Using pre-loved textiles will save you time and a bit of money if you already have it at home. Just think you could use a vintage tea towel, an unused duvet set, curtains, a skirt, the possibilities are endless. Just make sure that the fabric hasn’t rotted due to age otherwise every time you sew you’ll end up with an open seam and poor Wilma will be falling apart at the seams literally!

About 3 months ago I found some floral 1970’s pink curtains in Oxfam only £2.99!Anyone that knows me, will already know about my love for a good rummage in the charity shops, I’ve also been known to skip dive! I absolutely love finding a bargain,one person’s rubbish is another person’s treasure!

So I used the curtain fabric for my Wilma and decided to make her a bit more individual and attached a bow which is in fact a  shoe clip .These I picked up from another charity shop a few months previous and thought these will come in useful at some point! I’ve had a lot of fun making Wilma and she has been admired by many people!

I have two mum friends from school coming to me for an evening of making Wilma.They have never followed a pattern or sewn before,the instructions are step by step easy to follow. I’m sure they will not have a problem, even after a glass of wine!

So why don’t you join in and get a group of friends together, having fun making your very own Wonky Wilma and raising money for a good cause!

Polly and Wilma's Adventure in London

Today marks the start of Wonky Wilma Week!

Okay, technically Tuesday may seem an unlikely day to start the week on, but I'll admit, I got a bit distracted by the sock excitement yesterday.

The aim to raise £1000 for GOSH by Christmas goes on. The total is at £328. This week is going to be packed full of posts about Wilma, to hopefully inspire you all to have a stab at making one of your own. Here's where you can give your £5 and get your hands on Wilma...

At the end of the week, there will be an elephant gallery, of all the brilliant and quirky versions of Wilma made by my lovely readers. You still have time to star in that...

So, on with the show. Our first Wilma post comes from Alice Smith - another Bedford mum, and co-founder of the wonderful Sarah & Alice children's clothing company (which has some great things to help with filling those Christmas stockings, by the way). Thanks, Alice!

Polly and Wilma outside Great Ormond Street Hospital

I have been reading all about project Wilma for quite some time. I love Wilma. I love her wonkiness, and her many different incarnations. I've got as far as downloading the pattern so far, but am determined to make at least one Wilma of my own before Christmas. I love the ingenuity of the project, and most of all, I love what Wilma is raising money for.

Wilma on the play bus in the reception area

The first time that I went to Great Ormond Street Hospital Richard and I were pushing a week old baby in a pram and we were both terrified, although Polly was mostly blissfully unaware of all the fear. We were there because at five days old, Polly had the routine heel-prick test, and was diagnosed with a rare metabolic condition called PKU. You can read more about PKU here, but basically it is an inherited genetic condition which means she has an enzyme that is missing, or not working. That particular enzyme is the one that breaks down an amino acid called phenylalanine. For Polly, that meant a strict low-protein diet for life, supplements three times a day, and regular blood tests to monitor her phenylalanine levels. Ever since then, we have taken her for regular check-ups at Great Ormond Street who offer advice, support, cookery sessions (we have to make most of Polly's food from scratch,) and opportunities to meet up with other parents. The nurses, doctors and consultants that we have met are all so dedicated to their work, and so kind to Polly and to us, that check-ups are a pleasure to go to. I can honestly say that I have never been somewhere with such a bright atmosphere and kind, calm staff, despite the hugely difficult work they do there day in, day out. Spending time there is always a huge lesson in perspective – seeing children so sick does always reminds us how lucky we are to have healthy children.

Polly and Wilma by the Peter Pan statue outside the main entrance

So Polly took a Wilma, made beautifully by Sharon, to a party at Great Ormond Street on Saturday. We wanted to show some staff, patients and parents there how brilliant Wilma is, and tell them how they can get involved in project Wilma. Needless to say, she was a huge hit. Wilma played musical statues, musical bumps, and pass the parcel – her trunk came in handy for that one!

Wilma getting ready for the train journey!

The work that Great Ormond Street do for children who are suffering with rare, complicated or      life-threatening conditions is life-saving. The support and care they offer to the parents and families of these children is also a lifeline in what can be a lonely and incredibly scary time. Wilma is raising money for such a deserving cause.

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.