The top

The weekend didn't go as initially planned - but in a nice way. On Sunday I cut out my material (a fair bit wrong) it would have been better if I had noticed/or knew what the diagram meant where you were supposed to cut your pieces out to make the most of the material. Anyways - with the help of my mum whose skills included a beautiful little red riding hood cape for my yr 5 school fancy dress day, plus a couple of cushions - she was a blessing as at least one of us had a small idea of what the instructions were trying to tell us. I now have the knowledge that a very easy pattern - is only a very easy pattern to a dressmaker or someone who has actually been taught how to follow a pattern. It is the opposite to very easy when you don't a thing except how to sew a line on a sewing machine! After getting over the initial shock - I had a really lovely afternoon half making a pretty top with my mum which still brings a smile to my face when I think of us reading - rereading and then rereading again a one line sentence and it still sounding like it was written in French! My favourite part is that I managed to sew a frill!

There's just not enough time in the day! A planned evening of finishing my little monster from Jake Henzler's Little & Friends has gone quite out the window since I accepted a dinner invite for tonight at lunch time today. But that's ok because depending on how much of the bottle of white I take along to the BYO restaurant - I still have the whole weekend to craft. My boyfriend has an entire weekend of football which leaves me to my own devices for a change. I'm not sure if my little half monster looks quite right - one of his ears looks a bit mangled!

Talking of lunchtime today we visited one of my favourite art shops which sells aboriginal art work. I just love it! Which is exactly why I decided to create my own version, but with a British twist! I feel inspired all over again and might even try and paint something tomorrow. 

Changing the subject, I have found it so difficult to sign up to a sewing class in Melbourne! The first one I enquired told me she was fully booked and unless someone leaves (which is very unlikely) I shouldn't hold my breath of getting a place! The second one said she was fully booked and if one person does happen to leave - she texts everyone on the waiting list and its basically first in best dressed, so I hope I can be quick of the mark if I do get a text message. Today I called a lady who was scheduling in some classes for April (8 weeks) but i'll have to wait until the dates are decided and then the class may not run if there isn't enough interest. Hmmm hopefully something will come up! In the meantime I am going to attempt to make something with my mum - I figure two heads are better then one!

The first attempt

Manual at hand, threads on stand by I was ready. After much um-ing and ah-ing and a couple of mishaps - the lady was ready and my brand new material by Tanya Whelan was put through its paces (well not really - only the straight stitch for today) but success at least! I have now realised that I now need a pair fabric scissors - a basic necessity I know. Me thinks I will be hitting Cleggs again before the week is up. I bought my first pattern on Monday which I was amazed to see came with 6 other patterns in the one pack! I think I was being far too optimistic, from reading the instructions (from a pattern that is meant to be very easy) they read more like a rocket science manual then a very easy pattern. I think I need to look up what a lot of the words mean before I attempt it at the weekend! Plus I also need tracing paper, note to self, I must find tracing paper from somewhere?!

The New Machine......

I have been proudly looking at my new sewing machine for sometime now. Yesterday evening I decided to actually read the manual - which is possibly the first manual I've ever read cover to cover. It started to bring back memories of my previous acquaintances with sewing machines! I've been putting off using it because I've not had any thread, then I had to buy the material and a pattern, plus I've spent a lot of time looking to see what other people have made from their blogs and gosh I hope I can make something that is half as nice as what I've seen.........

Tonight I plan to rig the baby up and see what she can do. I'm a little rusty - and I certainly have never used an electric machine, but surely it must be easier! Hmmmm we shall see..........