Easy Christmas Ornaments

R and I were at the shops the other day and he was admiring some clear baubles with tinsel inside. They looked so incredibly simple that I thought we'd have a go at making some of our own. 

All you need are some clear baubles (I got mine from Spotlight) and your imagination. This is a great craft for doing with children and R, who is usually not in the least bit interested in anything crafty, had a great time choosing what to put in each one.

Here are some ideas for what to fill them with:

- beads

- ribbon

- buttons

- yarn
- tinsel

- fabric scraps

- Epsom salts

- glitter

- sequins

- dried lavendar

- fresh herbs, flowers, leaves - obviously any fresh vegetation will wilt and not look so pretty after a while but it's easy enough to replace what's inside. 

- pantry goods - cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, etc.

Use your imagination and most importantly have fun.

Happy Making xx

Month By Month: 10/12

Simple and achievable.

Posing for Mummy in your new Rowan Tee.

You were so excited to get a toy from KIWIreviews and spent most of the day playing with it - needless to say I gave it a glowing review.

It was a beautiful day for a walk down to the river and you had fun playing at the little park down there.

Cuddling with Daddy.

Looking cute in a raglan tee that Mummy made - I love your cheeky grin.

It was a very hot day and you had to stop in every patch of shade that you came across so you could cool down.

This guy also had his 7th birthday at the end of October - time sure flies!

Minecraft Bedroom

R had his 7th birthday this past weekend and we could finally put together his minecraft room that I've been working on for ages.

Photo overload:

I'm so happy with how it turned out and R loves it - 'it's ultimate' - his words and high praise indeed. Definitely a win.

Minecraft Cushions

Not long to go now until R's birthday and his Minecraft bedroom reveal - 3 days!

I've finally finished all the necessary sewing which gives me time to take care of other birthday related stuff - cleaning, cooking, wrapping presents - you know how it goes.

Here's a quick look at the two cushions that I made (excuse the bad phone photo):

Stay tuned for the full bedroom reveal sometime next week!

Rowan Tee #2

Round 2 of pattern testing for the Rowan Tee has now finished (you can read more about the pattern here). After round 1, Laura came back with some additional features for us to test:

- long or short sleeve cuffs

- shoulder only stripe or full length stripe

- cuffed hem

- kangaroo pocket

- patch pocket

I opted for short sleeve cuffs, shoulder only stripe, cuffed hem and kangaroo pocket. We had the choice of regular neckline or hooded so I decided to keep it basic and went for the regular neckline again.

I love how it turned out. It's so easy to sew and looks great - perfect for this warm weather we've been having lately. R's favourite feature is the kangaroo pocket, he can't keep his hands out of it.

The Rowan Tee is now available here - $8.50 for a limited time only!

Minecraft Mini Quilt

The birthday countdown has started (17 days) and I am slowly getting there with the accessories for R's bedroom makeover.

I have finally finished the mini quilt that I shared here and I'm happy with how it turned out considering all the problems that I had with it - there were some serious tear your hair out moments and a lot of unpicking.

I didn't keep it a secret from R and he's had regular input throughout the making process so I could get it just right (I don't know much about minecraft). He loves it and if anything it's just heightened my anticipation of the big bedroom reveal which he doesn't have a clue about.

Still on my to do list is: a couple of cushions and a tissue box cover plus anything extra I can think of if I have time.

Month By Month: 9/12

Simple and achievable.

First ice-block of the season - it was freakishly hot that day.

You and your Dad had a fun time at the driving range on Father's Day.

Enjoying looking at a Minecraft book together.

It was a freezing cold day and we had to drag out all the winter woollies again.

A bit of morning maths in bed - I love the school holidays.

Getting some fresh air and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

Pattern Testing: The Rowan Tee

Recently I was lucky enough to do some pattern testing for Titchy Thread Patterns.

Laura's new pattern is the Rowan Tee which is a great unisex pattern and comes with several different options - short sleeve, long sleeve, hooded and even a funky striped version.

She hasn't set a release date for this pattern yet so make sure to keep an eye on her blog Craftstorming for more info.

I opted to make the basic short sleeved version in size 6. I'm not very confident when it comes to sewing with knits so I was pleasantly surprised by how easily this tee came together and how good it looks. It was definitely made easier by the use of my overlocker/serger (optional) and the fact that I used a fairly sturdy knit.

The pop of purple around the neckline makes it a little bit funky and I also hemmed it using matching purple thread (R loves purple).

I love the way this tee looks and fits and I'll definitely be making a few more for summer. The shorts in the photos are also handmade but more about that in another post.