summer pickles

ps. for mr pickles

2012-02-14T14:57:00.000+11:00

Dear Mr Pickles,

Happy Valentines Day, my Very Favourite Man. (I know we don't usually celebrate this, but, there you have it).

What a road we have travelled together! (I would travel it with you all over again).

I hear there is even more of the good stuff - loving, cuteness, cuddles and kisses still to come.

I love you (and not just because you are an amazing daddy).

Wifey Pickles xoxo

2012-02-14T13:13:00.001+11:00

(raindrops on roses... and from our very own garden)

Happy valentines day to you!

I thought I would celebrate all things hearty today by sharing some of my pinterest favourites of the moment. Enjoy xx

1. Hearts 2. Red Heart Pillow 3. Love Canvas 4. French Hearts

Oh! and a little tribute to some of my other little favourites, too, on a day all about love love love...

(the gherkin, printing with banksia pods from the garden)

(little pickle, inspecting a lily)

(the boys, belting out so long, farewell from sound of music)

Chat soon xx

thrifting thursday returns!

2012-02-09T09:30:00.000+11:00

It seems I have moved to a land of plentiful opshops and garage sales, filled to the brim with gorgeous vintage fabrics, doileys and, yes, japanese ceramics. I love my new little donkey, who only cost me 50 cents. Hooray!

Chat soon xx

A Big Move.

2012-02-07T14:03:00.000+11:00

Hello hello!

So, I have Big News. We Have Moved! To The Country! And loving it.

We have space to breathe, the boys can run amok, the pug has been running (I know, hard to believe), and it is green green green from every window. It is cold in the middle of summer (yes, the boys are wearing at least two shirts each in this photo!), but lovely. Just lovely.

And there is room for my dear friend (yet to be named - any suggestions?), excitingly, inside the house (unlike at our last place where all things crafty were banished to the shed, just because of lack of space).

I have been busy on the crafty front too, with some pieces I can't reveal as yet (becase they are horribly overdue gifts), but will reveal soon. Oh! And am thinking of doing some markets shortly, so I will have to share all my crafted goodies for sale. Perhaps I might also pop some in the etsy shop again...?

Or perhaps I could stop my random chatter and instead share some photos of our new home.

Chat soon, and have fun xx

Not fallen off the face of the earth, just taking a break.

2012-01-21T23:11:00.003+11:00

Hi there! If you are still stopping by, good on you, and thanks. Happy New Year!

Life has been... mad. As it is for everyone, nothing out of the ordinary. I was feeling a bit sad at the end of 2011, and so, well, didn't have much to say. And then I was almost too embarrassed to come back in here after such an embarrassingly long break... and couldn't work out what a suitably interesting return post might be! I thought perhaps one way to get back into it might be to give you a wee glimpse of what I have been doing since last we spoke (sorry, no crafty adventures here - next time).

I hope you all had lovely Christmases (if this is something you celebrate) and a Happy New Year so far.

I solemnly promise to return very soon!
xx

successful refashion! man's shirt to a woman's top

2011-10-28T23:30:00.001+11:00

Well hello there! Sorry about only revealing the lower bit of my face - have had a shocking haircut, and am hardly ready to face the supermarket, let alone the world wide web ;)

There's been some sewing going on here, brought on by our recent hot weather. In a moment of desparation I found myself an old shirt of Mr Pickles' (in the charity bag). Grabbed an old favourite dress and two and a half hours later, voila! A new top.
Firstly credit where credit is due. I spotted these images on pinterest and have been thinking about making something similar ever since....

So here is my first bash a sewing tut! I think now I could knock one of these tops together in very little time, given that most of my two and a half hours was spent scrunching up my face, tilting my head, wondering if this was actually going to work out...

But before we begin, some warnings...

1. I am a super-beginner sewer
2. I have no sense of what may be considered "right" or "wrong" in terms of terminology, techniques, etc
3. I failed Textiles and Design at school, two years in a row. My teacher, Mrs Button (her real name), was very concerned that I was not going to find myself a good husband.

So, here we go ;)

Step 1.
Find yourself a men's business shirt that is too big. Lay it flat on the floor, facing up.

Step 2.
Get a favourite, non-stretch dress, with a shape you like. Lay this on top of the shirt and use as a pattern template - don't forget your seam allowances! Cut the sleeves to the length you would like.

Step 3.
Create the neckline of your top. I look terrible in collars, so removed the collar altogether and cut the front and back pieces to the neckline shape I wanted.

Step 4.
I did a tiny rolled hem/seam (sorry! don't know the right terms) on the neckline, and sewed up the front centre join up to the second button - I still needed to unbutton the top button to slip the top over my head.

Step 5.
Try on for size. Stitch up the side seams, making any adjustments before you go to the next step. I did the same rolled seam/hem thingy on the short capped sleeves. I found this a bit fiddly and tricky - there is probably a much better way to do this.

Step 6.
Now you can have a look at the shirt length. Mine was too long for a top and too short for a dress. So I chopped it. But I still wanted the rounded bottom, like you get in mens shirts. So I used the shirt's original bottom to take the curve and then transferred this curved line higher up the shirt. And then I trimmed the excess and created another rolled hem along the bottom.

Step 7.
Next stop, show and tell to someone who'll listen, followed by a walk out and about to show off your talents! Oh, and of course, a celebratory Tim Tam.
Will try to get hubby to take a glam shot of me later in the week, wearing the shirt in question. Perhaps pre-drool/snot, play, rolling in the grass etc, unlike in the first shot in this post!

Chat soon lovelies
xo

distractions

2011-10-18T21:37:00.003+11:00

Okay, I am a lot less productive than I would like to be on the crafting front. And today's post is really just a chat about nothing much - cute toys on the internerd, new books on the shelves....
However, big news!!! We have decided to move (again) --- this time to the country. The Southern Highlands of NSW beckons, so we are working out a way to be there by January next year (in time for the new childcare/working year). We are a restless bunch.
The boys are growing. The Gherkin has discovered Patti LaBelle and is in love (his spontaneous dancing to her album this week was amazing), and Little Pickle greets his dad by singing "Daddy, Daddy Cool". Too funny.

Oh! and The Gherkin met the lovely Justine Clarke at a recent concert. They spent their time after the concert comparing outfits. The Gherkin is a shy wee thing, and she gave him loads of time to warm up - we were very grateful.

I have found a cute cute cute site that translates text into old school library catalog cards --- here's a fun one made up for the hubby. Not sure how I might be able to use this, but...

Have just noticed I got our wedding date wrong! Hilarious (only out by four years...)

On other distractions, I have also found the site (that probably everyone else has, too) Two of Us. Heard of it? If not, the concept is, you take an image of your smile, send it over the internerd and instantly get one back from a stranger. That's it. I thought this was a really cute, fun idea, until I tried to send a photo of my smile... apparently my smiles are not convincing?

--- this looks like a genuine smile to me?

Perhaps I have struck a problem for people with gummy smiles? I remember some years ago when my brother and I were getting professional photos taken for our mum and dad, we were told by the photographer to "turn down the gums", as our gums were "reflecting the flash" and "ruining the photos". This led to many year of awkward fake smiles in photos... only now am I getting my real smile back.

Perhaps for Two of Us I should try a smile with low levels of gum exposure? It's just too sad offering up your real smile and getting back: "we're using a fancy machine to make sure you're smiling, and it appears you are not. Perhaps you should try again?"

My gummy smiles were returned as unsatisfactory by the machines (five times) - perhaps I will try with my mouth shut...

Really, all this smiling at the computer - I really should have been sewing!
Here are the books I have been reading this past fortnight - hooray for a great local library!!! (And at least I have been reading).

Chat soon lovelies xx

ps. for those interested, the closed mouth smile didn't work either... that said, it was a shocking fake!

sticking to a (yummy) budget.... oh, and more crochet

2011-10-11T15:26:00.000+11:00

Today I bring you delicious leftovers! And a new crochet pattern discovered.

This week, we revisited our family budget. Because we have now been on one income for more than 18 months. And this wasn't part of our plan. However, daycare waiting lists being what they are...

So working to a budget are we! How do we do it??? Leftovers (oh, and staying in, and opshop adventures).

Yummy. Leftover pumpkin risotto, wrapped around a small cube of mozzarella, crumbed, fried and served with salad and veg... delicious! Anyone who might call them balls would have to be completely delirious (try square, flat, misshapen head... etc etc), but they were yum, and loads of fun for us to eat with our fingers with our wild boys, "stretchy cheese" ooozing out of the balls as we bit into them.

On a completely different note, I have also been go go go-ing for it with crocheting for Christmas. Yep, it's October! So what better thing to be doing than crafting up a storm for the lovelies in my life

I found the pattern below in another gorgeous vintage crochet book - Motif Crochet, a Coats Sewing Group Book No. 1010 - that Ipicked up at the opshop for just 50 cents - hooray! This motif comes from the Motif Stole on page 12, however it has another life intended, as crocheted coasters. Gorgeous. I'll make a set in this wool, but would also love to see this motif in a range of brights.

Other crafting has been underway, a stretchy dress refashioned for the summer, etc etc .... but more later (rest time is over for another day).

Chat soon lovelies xx

pinspiration monday!

2011-09-19T20:40:00.001+10:00

I have been coveting one of these or one of these fabric necklaces for ages, and have posted loads of these, or variations thereof, on my pinterest. So, on a stashbusting mission, off I went. I need to give thanks to the lovely Melissa, without her tutorial, I probably would not have been spending nap time this way, today.
Okay, so here we go...

From a green stretch fabric scrap (could have used an old stretch top - next time) I gave the rotary cutter a workout and cut five looong strips no more than 1.5-2cm wide (sorry, imperial peoples - maybe 1/2-3/4 inch?). Then The Gherkin and I played tug-o-war with the strips, til they were all curled over on themselves and were starting to look more like yarn (or zpaghetti).

Then, The Gherkin out of the house for a while, and Little Pickles faaaast asleep, I got to work!
I decided I wanted a mix of plaited (braided) and plain curled fabric, so my steps are a wee bit different from the original sources.

Step 1.
Tie a big ol' knot to join together three strips at one end. Plait (braid) away, until you think you've had enough. Something I discovered, was if you stretch the fabric while you are plaiting, you'll get a narrower, longer plait... see what you like, and do it your way! Tie another big knot. (or you could pin at this point but I am more of a lunky knot kind of gal... we're going to cut the knots off later, anyway.

Step 2.
Lay your plaited fabric on a flat surface, and then loop your long, non-plaited strips back and forth, back and forth, next to the plaited strip.

You can then pin one side of the looped ends together with the plaited end on the same side, or you can just cross your fingers as you carry it all to the machine.

Step 3.
Pop the ends you have gathered together under your machine foot and go back and forth, back and forth, until you think it will stay together.

This is when I then had a play to make sure I would be happy with the look of the finished product. Have a play. If you think you would like the plain fabric strips wrapped around the plaited strip, do this now, if you think you would like the plait to lie flat, do that.

And then get your other ends together and sew across these.

You now should have one "group" of fabric strips that have been sewn together at each end (and this is when I cut my big lunky knots off).

Step 4.
Now, stitch these ends together, one on top of the other. Now you have a loop. It's starting to look like a necklace now, right?

Step 5.
Find a wee scrap of the same stretch fabric and wrap it around the joined ends, as many times as you like. You could then stitch this in place, but I did some cheeky weaving in with my crochet hook... ;)

Step 6.
Check yourself out in the mirror! Lovely. Now, if you had been previously inspired (as I had) by this gorgeous pic, you may also have made it the right size to fit your head, too. Hooray!

ha ha love this cool backdrop???

what to do when the room is a pigsty.... sit in front of the towels on the clothes horse, of course!

Enjoy lovelies - do let me know if you have made on of your own. I am thinking, next one will be coral and egg yolk yellow. Or, maybe mustard with grey? Or pink. Yeah, maybe just pink. xo

The Big Reveal

2011-09-16T21:11:00.003+10:00

So, here he is in his new favourite thing - a blue, sparkly tutu. I hope it is okay to confess here that I used the cheeky no-sew method! I am also sorry that I can't remember the original source for this (thought it was sew mama sew but now can't seem to find it), but I do know that if you pop it into Dr Google a thousand results will come up!

But here is my super-easy version:

Step 1: Sew a "tube" of elastic to fit small person, ie. just get a piece of elastic that would fit round her/his middle and then sew the ends together).

Step 2: Cut piles of tulle into 10-20cm wide strips, I did these of varying length, but you could be more even with it... you may even work out the perfect length by measuring up your wee person! Our tutu is a bit chaotic, so is more like a wild faerie tutu, than that of a prima ballerina! Yippee for rotary cutters! I think I ended up with about thirty to forty strips.

Step 3: I then mixed all of the strips into a big pile, to pop them on randomly, but some of you might like to work more neatly ;) Fold one strip of tulle in half, put the loop at the centre behind and above the elastic with the ends hanging down behind the elastic. Then pull the ends up in front of the elastic and through the loops. I'll pop photos here soon (have to take pics in daylight).

Step 4: Repeat til you're done!

Happy tutu-ing! Oh! and jut in case you thought The Gherkin just at sat around looking gorgeousin his tutu:

Have a lovely weekend! xo

secret mummy's business

2011-09-16T07:37:00.001+10:00

secret mummy's business, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Shhhh... secret mummy's business underway.

I won't do the big reveal until The Gherkin has seen it, but I can tell you that there is now silver and blue glitter from one end of our house to the other...

Chat soon xo

thrifty thursday returns!

2011-09-15T22:57:00.000+10:00

Another day, another opshop!

Those of you who know me well know I love the 70s. Love the greens, love the mustards, love the burnt oranges... So imagine my delight when I stumbled across these lovely mugs!

I was so excited to find this gorgeous little squirrel, especially after having found an acorn sugar bowl a few weeks ago. Suzie the squirrel was made in Japan, and is a little irregular --- but so sweet! (and terribly out of focus, it seems! - apologies for this photo!)

Oooh! and this painting, which I actually bought for the frame - had some big plans in mind for this, but Mr Pickles & I have since fallen for this painting, so it seems the plans will have to wait until another frame comes my way.

Oooh! Oooh! and some flying duck fabric (!) which shall be revealed later (I have exciting plans for this one).

And just because, here is my wee one, our little pickle, in a quiet moment this week. And yes, this is that blanket... [Sigh] He's so lovely.

Have fun lovelies xo

Pinspiration monday

2011-09-05T20:24:00.002+10:00

Well, hello!

I have been spending ridiculous amounts of time in front of pinterest. Typically whilst waiting for dinner to cook, or for the boys to get to sleep (and stay in bed). And it is a brilliant source of inspiration!!

So, rather than just pinning the things that have inspired me for the weeek, I have decided to pop them in here too (with credit to the likes of http://dreamgreendiy.com/ for the idea for pinspiration mondays...).

And what better way to kick off than to share with you some gorgeous broochy goodness.

Not a brooch, of course, but this would be so sweet as a brooch!

I was originally planning to make my own nautical anchor brooch, something like this one from modcloth, after remaining empty handed after searches on etsy and madeit...

...that is until my (new but completely lovely) friends at found: the store spoke with their friends at red revival who custom made me this lovely thing (sorry for the fuzzy shot - I am still the owner of a very "retro" mobile phone with a shonky donkey camera).

Oh! and on the dress front? Lots of unpicking to do, I'm afraid. I am learning to read the pattern reviews before I start - loads of reviews online telling me that the Butterick B5210 has plenty of "ease" (the technical term for saggy baggy?) and that I may want to make 1-2 sizes down. Sigh. Oh, well, a good lesson learnt!

Chat soon xo

new year's resolution results in less than successful dressmaking.

2011-08-28T22:29:00.002+10:00

the saggy baggy elephant by kathryn jackson

Imagine....

Little Pickle asleep. The Gherkin at occasional care. Me, on the loungeroom floor, cutting fabric.

Then some days later...

Little Pickle asleep. The Gherkin asleep. Both of them, snoring by 9pm. My uni work done for the week. Mr Pickles going to bed. My seizing the opportunity with both hands and heading out to the back room for some time with my fifteen year old Brother (by this I mean my sewing machine, of course). Off to sew a cute little stretch denim number, perfect for spring, over tights, tees, leggings, or bare legs with boots, or under cardis (plus brooch, of course!). I had even selected a cute black and white polka dot bias binding for the neck.

Some two hours later I had a dress! But sadly, dear reader, it does not fit. You see, the dress is supposed to be relatively loosefitting, but the gaping at the back is extreme. I had to readjust the pleats at the front as I went, but missed the work needed at the back (one day I will invest in a dressmakers dummy). So the unpicker is getting a workout this week, and I will be learning to fit a dress...

I will pop up my pre-post photos once I have finished... wish me luck!

What are your handy hint for fitting clothes? Do you make changes to the pattern before you start to sew? Or do you fit later?

I think probably those of you out there who know how to do it will not be spending this week unpicking bias tape and trying to pin something that is going on behind your back... that will be me. But, you know, I am not dreading it as much as perhaps I could be - I am still on track for ticking off one of my crafty resolutions of the year - yippee!

Chat soon lovelies, xo

wally, i love you.

2011-08-21T21:55:00.003+10:00

[sigh]

Went to see this wonderful man last night at the Opera House. And he was wonderful. Just wonderful. (Okay, am very aware I have just used wonderful three times, but, well, he was.).

Also exciting of course was the fact that Mr Pickles and I were out and minus children (!) and had an overnight stay in the city. It was the first time we had been alone for an overnight stay in over three years. Too long. So lovely to spend some time with my man in our new city.

Oh! and because we saw Gotye (aka Wally De Backer, who was, by the way brilliant and rhythmically awesome, in the true sense of the word), we also saw the 'support act' which was Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing short film (based on one of my favourite books). And just as moving onscreen as it is in the book, perhaps more, as there were live musicians playing the score live, too...

What a great night out. And such a brilliant change from study!

I have been crafting too... more crochet, and have cut out the pieces for a dress. More next time...
xx

ugh. can't talk, studying.

2011-08-19T22:34:00.002+10:00

Timothy Buckwalter

So much for my resolution to post at least weekly with a summary of all things crafty going on.Uni has once again taken over. Thankfully though, if all should go well this semester (a BIG if - research design is one of my subjects this semester), I will only have one semester to go. And then I will have a Masters in something not particularly useful or meaningful (!), particularly given my fulltime stay at home mummy duties, but I am sure I will get a warm inner glow of pride and self-satisfaction on graduation....

I started this degree waaaaay back in 2006 - four pregnancies, countless fertility treatment cycles, two home renovations and two beautiful boys ago. So not surprising in some ways that it has taken this long. But really completely unlike me to actually stick at something for this long, particularly something I don't really love.

It makes me think of other things I would love to be doing with my time, if I had those extra hours up my sleeve - sewing, learning patternmaking, cleaning (okay, I wouldn't love to do this, but it does need doing), having cups of tea, reading the Age on the weekend, oh! and during the week, drawing, reading books for enjoyment and stimulation (as opposed to my current diet of finance textbooks and statistical databases), sitting in the park and not worrying about the next assignment, or how I am going to fit study in this week.

Oh dear. I mentioned study, didn't I? Enough procrastinating! State government financing, here I come...

Chat soon, and with photos, promise! xo

more crocheting joy!

2011-07-13T15:11:00.001+10:00

Yippee! This crochet bug has certainly caught me! I spent last night after the boys had gone to bed working on this little beauty:

This is the Arden from Modern Crochet by Penelope Book 3, sorry, again no year of publication, but my googling suggests this might be 1940-early 1950s. This is such a gorgeous pattern book! And whilst frowning to make sense of the pattern directions in Penelope Book 3 (what is a double treble again?), I also had on my lap my copy of Crochet Monthly number 137 (published 1990), which has a brilliant stitch and technique guide in the back.

This was so much fun, though at one stage I really thought I might throw it in... this one took me probably the better part of two to three hours (but please remember this is all still very new to me and I am still learning stitches as I go!).

On other news, both the Gherkin and Little Pickle have the flu, so days are long, but nights are, well, relatively quiet. But yesterday we had some lovely hours with the sun streaming through our windows - one of the redeeming features of this little house, and so different from both of our little terraces in sunny Melbs.

Chat soon! xo

redesign in progress

2011-07-12T14:32:00.002+10:00

Hi there! does my blog look a wee bit messy? sorry, just playing around in the background... it's a work in progress. Hopefully will be designed and looking beautiful again soon... xo

a happy thrifting report, and some crochet success!

2011-07-11T22:02:00.004+10:00

Our move to Sydney has been, well, mixed. I miss sunny Brunswick with all of its stimulation, beautiful friends, food and coffee, but love being closer to family, other lovely friends, and having a backyard for the boys to run about. One of the great excitements for me, living in the Sydney 'burbs is that it seems that many of my local opshops are yet to have been discovered and picked over by professionals or serious opshoppers. Yippee! So there often fab finds to be had. Some which warrant a post of their very own.

I have recently just ventured into the land of crochet. I am loving having something to do whilst sitting with hubby on the lounge in front of the telly, instead of having to remove myself to the backyard shed, where my sewing machine etc lives. So when I stumbled on these eight vintage pattern books I was beside myself! And only $4.

Whilst cooking tea for the boys I picked out few favourites to try, and then whipped this up in less than an hour - just amazing!

This is from the (red) Paragon Crochet Book - a collection of favourite Medallions (popular reprint R1 - sorry, no year of publication), and is the Star Motif. Of course the design is meant for doilies, and much finer thread, but I wanted to try a beefed up version with some chunky yarn. It photographed pretty terribly (taking photos at night will do that, but I was too excited to wait!), but it is in a soft, variegated brown and cream yarn. And it's BIG - probably about 25cm diameter.

So, now I am looking for a use for this big star motif... any ideas? Some of the patterns in this book are just gorgeous and I am beginning to think about flash crochet blankets, whizzy-bang scarves, and lah-dee-dah cushion covers... The pattern book would have me keep going and make a trolley mat from a number of these... any other ideas?

Yippee! loving crochet!

Chat again soon xo

the gherkin is three! (and the big play kitchen reveal)

2011-07-10T20:42:00.001+10:00

So... the day arrived. And the gherkin turned three. And the cliche that all parents repeat, in spite of themselves, enjoy every moment - it all goes so quickly, is so true. I can't believe that our little baby, who took an anxious two minutes to start breathing, was such a bright shade of jaundiced orange, was sooo very sleepy, is now our funny, clever chatty, all-singing all-dancing, gentle boy. He's three. And he had a blast!

He did have a cake of course, but the photo of him blowing out the candle on his birthday raisin toast is so much better.

For those of you out there, wondering about progress on the play kitchen, here is the end result.

Doesn't it look great? The gherkin loves it. A happy bonus for us, living in a teeny tiny home, is that it looks quite unobtrusive in our loungeroom where it lives permanently. Components are listed below, for those of you interested...

* It is built from the components of the RAND bedside table (thanks IKEA). We bought two, and used one in its entirety and the other for parts (a grand total of $29.98).
* The kitchen has a divider between the two sections, and a door, all made from the second bedside table. The door is hinged using a cabinet hinge.
* We also added a back made of masonite, which is just tacked on.
* Stove top knobs are made from cabinet knobs, as are the taps, and the tap itself is made of a U shaped handle with one side sawn off.
* We didn't like the IKEA coasters as hot plates, so instead invested in some floor protectors that you attach to the underside of your furniture and screwed those on.
* Then some eyelet hooks and a bit of elastic with a cute japanese cotton print...

...And voila!

I'll be posting on some of the foods over the next week or so, but I have a lot of crafting to share so will have to spread it all out...

Chat soon!
xo

I'm in love...

2011-06-23T15:30:00.001+10:00

Hi all

So, my sojourn back into the paid workforce is over. What was it like? Well, I really enjoyed myself, and got to exercise my brain which was fantastic. And the crafting time on the train was wonderful. Sadly though, this was all at the expense of time with my beautiful boys. A very sad thing. So, it's now back to being fulltime stay at home mummy.

And in preparation, I have been prowling the net, looking for some activities for the boys and i to do on those days when the park is just not going to happen. And something that doesn't involve a westfield.

And what a collection of fabulous things I have found! And all of them stored neatly in the one place thanks to Pinterest

Yep, I'm in love. All of my favourite ideas from the web catalogued in the same place, into categories that make sense to me? Sounds perfect. Then to have the opportunity too to connect with some of my very favourite people there too... I'm in love.

work in progress... sunnyside up!

2011-06-21T15:23:00.000+10:00

Hello!

I have been busy, not doing anything too exciting that no one has done before, but crafting felt food for the gherkin's (shhh) birthday present.

I am pretty happy with my eggs (easy) and love my pile of beans! I am now a complete convert to wool felt - this process has shown me just how much better wool felt is to work with. My bread is ok - love the shape and thickness, although if I had my time again I would make with quilt wadding rather than just stuffing it with polyfill, so it didn't puff up too much. I am very unimpressed by my first watermelon attempt - I think I really have to make a three dimensional slice,rather than trying to cheat with a flat version! Cheating never pays...

Sadly, I am only able to handstitch these, as my machine is strictly off-limits at night due to our teeny weeny new home in Sydney and our very light sleepers...
So, next on the list is... more fruit and veg. Because the gherkin has significant allergy to nuts and peanuts (and not long ago, sesame too), he hasn't eaten much packaged food, so all of the foods I will be putting in his kitchen will be the key staple sorts of foods - bread, pasta, fruit, veg. I also want to make up some cartons for milk etc. And bought a small variety pack size box of weetbix (you know the single serve sized boxes) yesterday just for the box! (weetbix is the only cereal we can eat in this house when mummy's not doing porridge).

I have been super-inspired by a number of felt food genii (?the plural for genius?) on the net...

amazing range (and diy e-books for purchase) from lilly bean

gorgeous lunchbag tutorial from skip to my lou

plus many many many more.... it seems the world loves felt food. My Pinterest has been getting a real workout!

Have fun, I'll check back in shortly with another update.

crafty books for kids

2011-06-16T16:24:00.002+10:00

Hi again!

The pickles clan took a wee trip to the library yesterday, and picked up a great couple of crafty books for the gherkin (and for me too).

Joseph had a Little Overcoat is a 1999 book by Simms Taback, and is all about the art of reuse and refashion. Joseph starts off with an overcoat which then becomes a vest, a tie, a hankerchief etc... and in the end turns the whole experience into a story! It is a lovely read (based on a great concept), but of course what first caught my eye was the gorgeous illustrations.

Crafty of course because of the story. And check out the back cover... buttons - yippee!

Another of the books is by Clare Beaton, whose multimedia (mostly felt applique it seems) illustrations are just gorgeous, and have been a favourite with the gherkin since I bought him one of her books as his first ever book (before he was born)

This time from the library we have picked up Mrs Moon. One of my favourite illustrations would have to be this one, although this nursery rhyme still completely freaks me out...

I love the fabric choice for the tree! A lovely read with my boys and a bit of inspiration for me, too.

Do you find yourself picking books "for your kids" which are actually for you? Or are you (as I was pre-kids) an avid childrens book collector? What are your favourites?

I'll pop back later with my fab opshop finds for the toy kitchen and just because, a bit later.

Chat soon xo

cottage industry... have i mentioned my visit?

2011-06-05T21:50:00.000+10:00

Probably have forgotten to mention that I visited Cottage Industry when I was last in sunny Melbs. Cottage Industry is the baby of the lovely Pene, and is where I spotted my first ever in real life doily tree....

[sigh] Lovely!

I had almost completely forgotten about this visit until just the other day when on holidays with all of my boys, and flicking through a pile of my sister's old inside out magazines, and found a photo of the lovely Pene herself!

The article was just okay - more of a pictorial than the sort of article I was interested to read about this gorgeous woman... her blog is so warm. But that said the photos were lovely and the shop itself on Gertrude St is just beautiful... if you are anywhere near Melbourne it is well worth the pop in to Cottage Industry. (And I wish you luck in any efforts to leave the store without one of the vintage teatowel ottomans...)
xx

shhh! (secret squirrel)

2011-05-30T00:39:00.000+10:00

Shh! Secret squirrel post below...

I have another little boys' birthday coming up. The gherkin is turning three! Already...

And there is one thing that he love love loves at the moment - pretend play, especially relating to cooking, or picnics or cafes (gives away how we spend much of our time, really). So (shh) for his birthday he is getting something very exciting. A kitchen! So I have been trawling the net, looking for play kitchens online, cause this is something I want to make myself.

I thought before I start, I might include some inspiring images. These are some of my very favourite toy kitchens from around the web. Enjoy!

I will be posting here as I get mine going, as well as posting my felt food successes (and messes!). I know, the web is already overcrowded with pictures of toy kitchens, but this one is for a boy, and my boy, to boot.

Chat soon xo

what i did last night... finders keepers

2011-05-21T22:05:00.003+10:00

Guess where I went last night???

And what a lovely night we had! Some highlights for me were:

paperboat press - gorgeous, pretty clay creations
brainbow - where I bought one of these
crayon chick - where I found the most beautiful jute crochet garlands... which I am still considering buying online
and made590 were there, of course
and I also found the cutest of dresses, which i am now regretting not buying (or at least trying on)... and I have no idea who made it... anyone know who was just inside the front door with a big rack of dresses?

Oh! and the venue, atmosphere and music were great. Actually, really fantastic live music. Thankyou organisers, a good night out for this usually stay-at-home mummy.
xo

favourite markets coming up! 4th june 2011

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000+10:00

I know, I am now living in Sydney, but my very favourite markets are coming up again in sunny Brunswick.

Yep, the sisters' market is on 4th june melbourne people, so be sure to get there! Be tempted by the gorgeous bags by the very lovely Carla of emotional baggage or the very beautiful (and sometimes a wee bit cheeky!) ceramic design from and o designs (and of course plenty more).

Brunswick Town Hall
10am-4pm
Saturday 4th June.

Enjoy, lucky Melbourners!
xo

ps. anyone in NSW know any local (good) markets up near Sydney?

crafty commutes... and trying something new

2011-05-14T22:06:00.004+10:00

(shhh) commuter bunny

Well, hello there! (anyone still out there?)

If you are still stoppping by, you are a more patient creature than I --- I have been absent for ages, but thinking of blogging every day... if only I could work out the trick to mobile blogging!

commuter crochet

Life for the pickles clan has been so very different. New city, new home, new roles. I have been back to work full time whilst Mr Pickles has been staying at home with the Gherkin and Little Pickle (and the Pug, of course!). I have missed my little men terribly, but we are now (after three months) swapping back... back to being full time stay at home mummy again, whilst Mr Pickles goes back to the land of 9 to 5.

So, what have we learned about how the other half lives over the past three months?

1. Working is easy. Much easier than being a stay at home mum. BUT I cannot live without my boys. I could not sustain the absence from my boys for any longer, in fact, with only two weeks to go, I am dreading every single day away from them.

commuter craft - there's no place like... - small stitching for my workmates to hang in the office

(you can't see in this terribly lit photo, but there are cute little lines flying aound these ruby slippers)

2. Mr Pickles is an amazing, incredible, wonderful dad. I always knew about the amazing, incredible, wonderful man part, but less so about the competent dad part. I never gave him enough space or time to allow him to feel or show me how competent he really is. And he is fantastic. And our precious boys have grown in very different ways because of him - the Gherkin is funnier, Little Pickles giggles more, they do all sorts of funny stuff together... it has been really important for all of them, and for me too, to aspire to being able to parent like Mr Pickles.

3. Long commutes are brilliant for crafting! 3 hours on a train each day (I know, disgusting!) and I have been crafting up a storm. In fact, all the photos in this post are commuter crafts. Sydney commuters, it seems, are less familiar with the crocheting commuter, but my local, regular commuting friends adjusted.

Anyway, I hope you are all well and happy and I will be posting again soon :)

Have fun xo

ugh - can't get my bluetooth to work to get my mobile crafting photos into this post... technology! working on it... hope to have some more craft pics in here soon x

oh! and a little something the gherkin and i did together -

calico and food colouring in spray bottles.

so messy, and so much fun!

new post

2011-04-08T22:55:00.002+10:00

over here: http://pugandpickles.blogspot.com/

more crafting soon, promise! I have some good photos of finished projects to share...

xo

crafting up a storm (aka babies babies everywhere) and switcho-chango! time for daddy to stay at home

2011-03-20T22:51:00.000+11:00

It must be the time of year... in our life there are babies being born or due to arrive, everywhere. Which always, always leads to a busy crafting life. I am quilting (having bought my first ever rotary cutter and self-healing mat - oh my, no looking back now!) and yes, crocheting again.

Found some gorgeous crochet blankets in Candi Jensen's lovely book and I'm playing around making one in autumn colours for a certain recently autumn born boy... the commute to work I have my needle and wool out, and half double crochet like mad until I have made it to the CBD and crossed the bridge. And back home again. Four skein of wool down and I am still going... photos to come soon, I promise! though am not sure how to photograph blankets... perhaps I need Little Pickle to pose with it...?

On other news, our home life has been tossed into turmoil yet again. Mr Pickles and I have decided to trial a role reversal for a few months... Mr Pickles is now stay at home dad, and I am off to work mummy. Not sure if I hate it yet, but I am not entirely comfy with it. I thought that working, being recognised for my brain etc would be a lot more fulfilling than this. I know that what is fulfilling is making the boys feel better when they have been unwell (as they have been recently with the dreaded gastro), making them laugh, building something together with them that we can all enjoy. But, having said that, work is also great sometimes. It is fantastic being recognised for my brain. It is incredible holding a challenging and intellectually stimulating conversation. It is good to have some adult company. And I do love dressing up to go to work!

Mr Pickles thinks this first 2 weeks of switcho-chango! have been extremely intense. That he has learnt more about his sons in the past two weeks than he has known all along. That this job is hard work. That he can't work out if he hates it yet, but he's not entirely comfy with it.

Who knows how it will end? But in the meantime, we are trying something new, and the boys seem to be enjoying it.

How about you? ever taken time away from your usual life to try something new?

Have fun xo

valentines day favourites

2011-02-14T21:35:00.001+11:00

valentines day favourites, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Happy valentines everyone.

And in particular, to the very special boys that make my life, well, pretty perfect.

Thankyou Mr Pickles xo
Thankyou Gherkin xo
Thankyou Little Pickle xo
Thankyou James Brown the Pug.

I am one lucky gal having all you gorgeous blokes around.

Happy Valentines Day lovelies xo

crafty adventures... (aka back in the saddle!)

2011-02-09T13:21:00.000+11:00

Hooray! the life of an attention deficit crafter has returned! It may not always be classic/"true" crafting, but at least it gets some creativity and handiwork going again.

And what fun we have had over the past few days in our new home... together the boys and I have:
* made (and eaten) apple necklaces (thanks kidspot for the idea) - hint: dental floss works really well as the "string"
* started on my second ever quilt, borrowing inspiration from this book (ooh! and I bought my first rotary cutter.... heavens above, there's no going back to the old scissors!)
* made a brilliant dinosaur tail (even if I do say so myself... I guess I could post a tutorial but it was really easy...) using the fabric the gherkin and I spray painted with a squirty bottle a couple of weeks ago
* created so many caves (which the gherkin calls cages - Daddy: "what did you do today?", Gherkin: "mummy made a cage") from fabric, furniture, cardboard boxes etc etc etc
* made bibs, bibs and more bibs for the Little Pickle in our lives...

Good to be back. I will post on the quilt soon - I need to do some more sewing, and then I will provide a progress report. I am doing all the piecing at the moment (like the lingo??? --- I have actually been reading this book, not just looking at the pretty pictures!), and no doubt will then have to pop in somewhere to ask how to do binding, though it does seem to have pretty good instructions in the book itself....

Chat soon lovelies! Have fun, xo

we're here!

2011-01-11T22:20:00.000+11:00

So, we're north of the border... home is now officially Sydney.

Photos to come, but life has been a mix of hectic manically busy and too quiet (and a wee bit lonely!). I miss my very favourite people in sunny Melbs, and miss Sydney Rd Brunswick, more than I had ever imagined. But I am hoping to find some of the things I miss about Melbourne in Sydney... I think it will all just take some time.

The boys are loving having a backyard, and spend long half-days out on the grass or on the covered deck out the back. The gherkin is becoming a real little boy, before my eyes. The little pickle is getting chubbier (with the it seems, welcomed introduction of solids) and is on the move.

The grandparents (all within 90 minutes' drive) are very happy.

And I have an allocated sewing/crafting space. No time as yet to get it unpacked or in a useable state, but it exists. There is real promise there.

I'll pop back in later with snapshots of the boys.

Chat soon xo

ps. anyone know a good dressmaker in sydney? i want a few tops made, know exactly what shape I want, but don't have the skills to make myself (and can't find a similar pattern)...?

christmas is coming!

2010-11-03T12:09:00.005+11:00

No excuses now for not crafting... Christmas is nearly here!

So I am in a mad flurry... crafting gifting like crazy. Oh! and making the occasional purchase from an online crafter/designer...

Here's my list so far - thankfully many of my giftees don't pop by all that often so they will miss out on the cheeky sneak peek...
* a little blue crochet thingamijig
* a certain softie from this book
* a little something to keep someone busy
* and something mysterious for the one I can count to to read this blog... (did you really think I would post something here?

More to come...
xo

snail gazing... (the joy of two year olds)

2010-11-02T22:21:00.002+11:00

snail gazing, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

WARNING! Another non-crafting related post!

We had an exciting moment in our backyard the other day when we found a snail.

The gherkin wasn't sure if it might be a turtle? or a snake? He was rapt. So he took up a front-row spot to watch, lying on his tummy on the (very cold!) concrete for ages, giving me plenty of time to grab the camera, and take about a gazillion photos from a thousand angles.

I was thinking just how beautiful he is, how I give him too much of a hard time most of the time (over the tantrums, kicking, thumping little pickle etc). And reminding myself that he is after all, only just two, and such a loving and gentle boy.

Such a beautiful moment.

Right up until the point that he stoned the snail to death.

Poor snail.

xo

(ps. I guess I should not have been surprised about how this interaction went, as it did follow what is becoming an all too familiar pattern of many of our interactions - from adoration/joy to destruction/despair! Ah, two year olds!)

preparing to say goodbye

2010-10-25T21:39:00.004+11:00

We love our home. We had originally bought it (as we did our little house in Port Melbs) to renovate and sell off. It has now been nearly three years since the day of the nailbiting auction - a much slower reno job than we had originally planned.

Little did we know we would be raising two boys under this roof, and becoming (somewhat foolishly) emotional about a pile of brick and timber. But, emotional we are. This is, after all, the home we brought the gherkin home to, the house he learned to crawl, eat (and eat and eat!), walk, talk, dance, jump, play, sing, giggle, and amaze us with his "him-ness", his cleverness, his humour. It is also the home we became pregnant with little pickle, the house I got fat in (again), the home we brought little pickle home, the house he has learned to feed, smile, laugh, eat, and where he has fallen in love with his big brother. And us with both of them. It can't be helped then that we love this house - it is a home.

But, the time has come. To tidy up, say goodbye and move on. Yep, our little home is on the market.

So, time for show and tell. What have we done with this house over three years (other than all of our life's moments which can't fit into a tidy photo mosaic)?

(it does look a bit sad and bare in these photos... remember we are trying to sell so have cleared the place out)

So, just weeks from now, we expect to be saying bye bye home, and hello to a new house. I am usually very happy about new beginnings, but this time around... well, it's much harder. Silly really, as the memories will travel with me - they are not locked inside this house. I don't think I am ready to go though. Guess I am lucky I still have some time yet to prepare to say goodbye.

Chat soon xo

little pickle sporting the new beanie

2010-09-27T07:34:00.002+10:00

photo of the beanie on the recipient as promised... and even cuter when he is awake!

crochet wearable number 2

2010-09-26T22:19:00.004+10:00

Ok, so I have had some comments at daycare, about my first wearable crochet project... that perhaps most wouldn't wear it in public, that perhaps it does look, well, very hand made, that it is not perhaps, all that well crafted. BUT, in spite of that, the gherkin and I continue to wear it (poor boy, he has no choice, and I am wearing it mostly out of pride for having made it myself!).

Well, if they thought that one was a mess...

Here is my second crochet wearable, another beanie, this one for the little pickle. This one I started very early in my pregnancy with the little pickle, but then promptly lost the pattern and the drive to finish.... flash forward about nine months, I found it in my wardrobe, and decided to just make up the rest of the pattern, to see if I could get it to come together. I have. Not gracefully, not even all that convincingly, but it is made with love, and he will look as cute as... well... a pickle!

A better photo (with an awake subject, wearing the beanie as it was meant to be worn!) will follow. But he is lovely asleep (as he is awake) and now is my best time of day to blog.

Hope to catch up again soon xo

proud as punch! my first wearable crochet!!!

2010-09-07T22:44:00.005+10:00

hi there

ok, so i am getting slacker with my blogging, but i have been busy!

firstly, check out my first ever wearable crochet creation (above) crocheted for my eldest (yes, we almost have the same size head)... (please ignore the tired eyes, lack of makeup, overall absence of any glamour! etc etc).

secondly, check out my beautiful baby boys... [sigh]... they are lovely!

those of you who think i have been incredibly, incredibly slack, i have been blogging, just over here instead of on summerpickles... seems i have a bit of blog confusion... originally splitting my blogging life in two, i am now really not sure of what should be posted where, or if i should in fact combine the blogs (but which one do i keep and which one wraps up?).

i am also just starting to catch up on all of your blogs, but imagine my horror when i popped into bloglines to discover i had more than six thousand posts to catch up on!!! seems i need to edit my reading....

hope all are well and happy. we are here.

take care, chat soon xo

crochet bunting by my poppet

2010-07-25T22:56:00.001+10:00

crochet bunting 1, originally uploaded by my poppet.

i think i wrote here some time ago about my new-found love of crochet - its portability, its tactile-ness (i know, not a word, but i am a weary mummy running on too little sleep - be kind!), and its ?adaptability/flexibility, no, i know, transformability* (ok, clearly wordsmithing is not my forte tonight!).

You know what I mean though, I hope... crochet allows us to make so many amazing and wonderful things... it just takes some imagination and creativity. Which is why this post i take my hat off to the lovely Cintia of my poppet, who has recently created this gorgeous crochet bunting - gorgeous! how lucky we are to live in such an amazing crafty community.

have fun everyone xo

*someone get me a thesaurus for christmas please!

obi apron – Sewing Projects | BurdaStyle.com

2010-06-20T20:23:00.000+10:00

i need spare time...

time to finish and package button rings, time to crochet a gift for a dear friend and their baby in the making, and time to make this... obi apron – Sewing Projects BurdaStyle.com

... come on spare time...
xo

here he is...

2010-05-16T21:30:00.002+10:00

here he is 2, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

welcome to the world little pickle!

born 29th april, weighing 3.69kgs, measuring 51cm long.

mum and bub are well, dad is thrilled to have another boy in the clan, the gherkin is adjusting, and the pug has no idea what is going on.

lovely to meet little pickle and to be well and truly out-numbered by the boys in my life.

chat soon xo

crafty waiting room

2010-04-19T23:03:00.001+10:00

crafty waiting room, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

so... what does one do when one is thirty-seven weeks pregnant and spending inordinate amounts of time in waiting rooms???

turn the waiting room into craft central with crochet crochet and more crochet!

thanks to obstetricians delivering babies, gestational diabetes tests, gps running behind schedule, the baby blanket is now completed. once bub has arrived i will post a photo of bub with blanket, but in the meantime, i hope you will appreciiate my public crafting efforts!

amazing how many comments i received (and funny looks, i might add), crafting in public. and loads of compliments from the baby boomer plus generations who were thrilled to see some of the old crafting arts had not died...

ah crochet, i think i may be falling in love with you...
xo

30 weeks and whatcha wearing wednesday

2010-03-03T23:10:00.002+11:00

30 weeks and whatcha wearing wednesday, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

getting bi-i-ig!

and yes, we still have not renovated the 1968 bathroom! (renos now planned for 2011).

finally i am getting my act together for whatcha wearin wednesday. this is not what i wore to work (which i have to say was pretty glam for a woman wearing a bowling ball up her shirt!), but i figure better to take the shot than not at all!

here i am, modelling a fab kmart stretchy top (not maternity, hence the length), some pumpin patch jeans, a summer pickles brooch, new short haircut, and yes, a basketball sized belly!

chat soon xo

ps. i've been comment spammed... does anyone know how to delete these dodgy "comments"?

cuckoo! feeling completely inspired

2010-02-13T15:24:00.002+11:00

Pink Rose Cuckoo Clock, originally uploaded by Betty Jo Designs.

So, some weeks I am having bursts of happiness about my levels of crafting, and other weeks, well. nothing. And then other weeks I find someone, or rediscover someone who I love and admire and want to grow to even have one hundredth of their talent and skills.

I have been a fan of Betty Jo Designs for ages, and KEEP HINTING TO MY OTHER HALF THAT I WANT ONE OF HER GORGEOUS CUCKOOCLOCKS FOR OUR HOUSE (see hon, here I go again, only in CAPS this time... please take note!). But then today jumped onto flickr and discovered she is now also making very elegant bird clocks too.

I love these too. Is it wicked to not be satisfied with just one though? I would want at least three so they could fly up my kitchen wall....

I am also being incredibly inspired by wood wool & stool who just do beautiful things with crochet...

Next post I will show and tell the baby blanket... slooooowly growing (I think it's nearly there!)

Hope all are well and happy xo

SOLD!

2010-01-11T08:28:00.001+11:00

new button ring!, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

This button ring just sold in record time!

Thankyou to my UK etsy shopper - I will be taking this over to the post office today.

More summerpickles items - rings, necklaces, toys and mobiles will be coming to my etsy soon, so stay tuned...

xo

time for a pickles update

2010-01-10T21:26:00.000+11:00

hooray for holidays at home

Okay, so it is time. Long past time in fact for an update on the goings on in the pickles household.

The Gherkin is turning into a big boy, right in front of our very eyes, with new words popping out each day (he now would have at least 30 words, but probably more - ex-speechie mum is quite proud!). He sings songs - twinkle twinkle and baa baa black sheep, and can ride his push-along bike. And tonight (very exciting!) he said wee-wee and wee-ed on the bathroom floor, then stopped, said it again, wee-ed again. Our baby boy is growing up! He knows exactly what he wants, is throwing big tanties, full face down on the floor, trying to jump on the kitchen chairs, and loves rubbing noses (nose kisses) with his mum. And I am convinced he thinks I am his special girlfriend - heaven knows we have had enough kisses involving tongue (his, not mine, obviously!) for him to start to think this might be the case!

Hooray for babies, but hooray hooray hooray for seeing little people becoming themselves.

Poor little Gherkin, we had such a big long list for him over our three week tourists-in-our-own-town holidays... moving to a big boy bed (well, a mattress on the floor), and toilet training. And even more plans afoot for the doggie-child of the household.... in the end we got the boy onto a single mattress in his new ginormous bedroom... and gave up on the toilet training. But the dog will lie down on the floor (all the way down) as long as you are holding food. Oh well. Later.

Oh! and for those of you who are wondering... Mr Pickles and Bump Pickles are also doing spendidly... x

sold! and a question for those of you with the skills to refashion....

2009-12-15T21:57:00.005+11:00

Hi there!

Thanks for popping by!

This past couple of weeks have been rather exciting and eventful on the summerpickles front, with the first pickles stock ever (a bunch of vintage button rings) going into a real live shop - Retrospections in Cammeray in NSW! And the first ever summerpickles stock actually selling in a real live shop! Very exciting indeed! The very lovely Justine from Retrospections is going to take some pics of the stock in the shop, and once she has done that, I will post them here... Thanks Justine for giving summerpickles a go!

On another front, I have been crafting up a storm - something about not having to study during the week (hooray for uni break!) has left my evenings all, well, relaxed! I have been making summer shorts for the gherkin like a woman possessed, crocheting like mad, and getting back in touch with my vintage button collection, which has been sitting unloved for some time.

I have even gotten to the point where I may brave making some clothes for me! Yep, happy to be a sporadic amateur all-rounder-type crafter, but making clothes for me has always completely freaked me out - perhaps it goes back to the days of failing term after term of Home Economics in years 7 & 8 with (I kid you not) a very stern teacher, Mrs Button (her real name, truly!). Now for some advice please, from all of you crafty peoples...

This shirt/dress/something? (apologies for the quality of the photo - a mobile phone photo taken in an opshop change room!) I found last time I was pregnant - I was going to a flashback fashion party, and as a woman recently knocked up it worked - it was stretchy, it was comfy, it was perfect. I found it in the stash the other day, and discovered that I love the fabric. I would like to make it into a skirt.... As a skirt (or, as a shirt pulled down around my hips!) it fits, it looks okay, but my fashion sewing skills stretch only to the idea of just chopping it across the body under the armpits and making a casing for some elastic... Is this horrific, a crime against thrifting, or would it be ok?

Thanks everyone, hope to hear from you all with fine advice soon! In the meantime, have fun everyone! (only three more work days for me til Christmas break - yippee!)

crochet for beginners

2009-11-30T17:55:00.001+11:00

crochet for beginners, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

I'm trying out a new craft!!

Thanks Mum for the lessons and thanks Readers Digest Complete Guide to Needlework (thrifted, and fabulous!) for helping the lessons "stick"!

I intend to have this ready, and proper blanket size, by the time baby pickles the second arrives... too ambitious for a new craft??? I have til May....?

I am soooo incredibly proud of this effort, but, please, please don't look too closely!

things have been quiet...

2009-11-15T22:13:00.004+11:00

Okay, so I promised I would be back very soon and then I disappeared again.

Since I've been gone though, I've been busy, I promise! I have finished (well, nearly), two UFOs - one dress for a little girl born in the same week as the gherkin - just need to work out how to do buttonholes! and one doll, who now just needs hair, eyes and a tutu (very important that she get the tutu!). I have also sacrifices another spectacular 1980s teatowel, this time to become a fabulous sunhat. Photos will come soon....

And sleeping.

I have been taking absolutely every opportunity to grab some zzzz's. I have been exhausted!

And, well, I really thought perhaps it had something to do with dusting myself off, picking myself up and climbing back onto the roundabout that is fertility treatment again(hurrah), but, well, after just two cycles, we are expecting another little pickle. We feel extremely fortunate - it took us two years to have our little gherkin, and this little pickle has decided to join us quickly. Now fifteen weeks along, and all going swimmingly.

So I hope you'll forgive the silence?

On another very exciting note, someone very lovely wants to stock summerpickles rings in her real live shop! More news on this next time.

And, another gorgeous bloggy friend has launched her new website, which features photos of our gorgeous little gherkin Check our the site - her photos are just beautiful - we are so happy we took the gherkin out for a day with her and will be doing it all again very soon.

Chat soon, and take care,
xo

a vintage find... and brooches, brooches, brooches

2009-10-21T16:40:00.005+11:00

What does one do with a one year old who has been told to rest? (after two weeks of resting already)

YouTube of course, searching for music & pictures to keep the gherkin occupied on mummy's lap (there are only so many times one can read I Can Fly!). And look what I found....

Oh, and when he's dozing on my lap, mummy looks at brooches on flickr....

1. brooch - miss h, 2. felt bird brooch, 3. PLAYFUL fabric brooch corsage pin 31 Jul 2008, 4. fabric flower with beads #1, 5. happy brooch, 6. shades of pink, 7. Fabric Corsage - side view, 8. Some new work, 9. flower pod?

Chat soon xo

other things i should be doing right now...

2009-09-01T13:51:00.006+10:00

* doing a uni assignment
* writing a report for barb
* cleaning the house
* washing clothes
* sewing?
* training the dog ... etc etc

But instead, I am sitting here, typing an extremely overdue hello post after a long time away, whilst the boy and I split a devon and sauce sandwich. (I know, not an entirely balanced and nutritious meal!) Not nutritious perhaps, but exciting.... devon is hard to find when you're living in victoria...

So... our news?

The boy is one (already), walking (albeit tentatively), talking (about 8-10 words), singing and being generally gorgeous.

The spare room is in the midst of a re-do, with piles of fabric now sorted into project piles, so when I do get a few spare minutes I can go straight to the, eg. pants pile and whip up a pair of pants for the boy. Likewise, collections of buttons await assembly into rings/brooches/clips etc for the shop

Being back in the paid workforce part-time is mad... a great time for my brain (and yes, I feel guilty confessing to this!) , but I do (like so many others) feel that I am not actually completing or doing a whole job of anything. But I am adjusting... and the gherkin seems to have settled beautifully into our new routine, bless him.

Otherwise my life has been fairly quiet, not counting some great visits with family & friends, being completely addicted to project runway australia and justine clarke's albums for kids, and the list of all the things I could be doing now, which I am not, so will have to do later....

Take care, I will aim to be back soon, especially now I have dipped my toe back into the bloggy waters again... xo

yes, we are still here....

2009-06-09T00:31:00.003+10:00

We've celebrated our first mothers day together, watched our first play school together (I know... an ex-speechie and all, allowing television before the age of 1 - heaven forbid!), we've been to the beach, we've finger painted, spent time on a woodchipped play area (not for very long - the gherkin just wanted to eat all the woodchips), he's spent some time in childcare (it's a great centre, the experience itself is just ok), and i've become a juggling mummy with some paid work and some glorious days still at home with my little man. No sewing, no crafting, no creative stuff to share --- life has just been, well exhausting! But on the whole, quite wonderful.

We are all well and happy. I could go into a rant about how people don't take food allergy seriously, or about child care centres who don't follow instructions, or about mums who judge other mums who need to go back to work to pay the mortgage... but I won't.

I could also gush about the wonder of mothers groups, of close girlfriends who will answer the phone late at night when you are having a baby crisis, pretending to be perky and wide awake ("no, of course I wasn't in bed yet!"), or amazingly wonderful pashes from a certain little man not quite one year old... but I won't do that either.

Instead, hello again! And thankyou so much to all of you who left such lovely comments about the gherkin's teatowel board shorts. Credit where credit is due - my inspiration came from the lovely Miss Cinti at my poppet who makes the most gorgeous vintage teatowel tunics (but alas! the gherkin is not a girl, so we couldn't shop with Miss Cinti... well, for these, anyway).

The gherkin is divine, just so lovely, and so much of my day is spent either enjoying every moment with him, or counting down the minutes to leave work so I can see him again. Oh, and Mr Pickles is alright too!

Hope you are all fabulous, and I promise to be back soon... once I am into the swing of the juggle (which I can feel coming... I am getting on top of things... she types at 1am in the morning), I will be back into the crafting adventures again. I promise! Soon!

Have fun lovelies, xo

to teatowel, with love xo

2009-03-01T14:15:00.003+11:00

new boardies!, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Come with me. Transport yourself back to a time when all things "Oz" were great. When the height of fashion was a Jenny Kee jumper, a fimo koala and cockatoo necklace, a white Ken Done tracksuit. Once there, you will find one of these - a gorgeous teatowel, celebrating all things Gold Coast - gaudy parrots, beaches lined with highrises, tiny bikinis...

Now, come on back to the present day and here I am, stumbling across that same teatowel at a local garage sale. Buying it for just fifty cents. And madly hurrying home to start sewing these fantastic boardshorts (modelled by our very own, very gorgeous gherkin).

These were easy! And I reckon they're pretty fab.

Thankyou to tinyhappy for convincing me pants would be easy (i have had this post favourited for a looong time, waiting for babies and courage), Kath for this post with the how tos and for Miss Cinti for the inspiration provided by her lovely tea towel dresses.

Hooray for blogland, the eighties, the gold coast and all things vintage! (And of course for very gorgeous baby models!) Now, to the opshops!

xo

i've been tagged

2009-02-16T19:44:00.005+11:00

I have been tagged by Lin! (Sorry Lin, I am hopelessly useless at getting these done quickly).

So, six quirky, yet boring, unremarkable facts about me...?

1. I am medically infertile and have a 0% chance of falling pregnant without fertility treatment. What a blessing our little gherkin is! (hooray for modern medicine).

2. I like to mix foods... a mouthful of savoury, a mouthful of sweet and so on. One of my former housemates (a dietitian) told me it fools your body into thinking you are eating less - you can fit more in this way (oh dear). I also like to finish each meal with the perfect mouthful, so you will see me leaving the tiniest bit of this and that on my plate so I can finish with one gorgeous combined mouthful of the best bits!

3. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be: a nun, an opera singer, a nurse, an architect, a graphic designer, a journalist. Some of these ideas still sounds really good! I grew up to be none of these.

4. I am tactile defensive. There are some things I just don't like to touch. Like some velveteen type fabrics, or wet fallen leaves, that "slime" stuff you used to be able to get in a jar in the 80s, feathers (especially if I am not expecting them), uncooked egg whites. Sometimes these just make me feel a bit off, I get goosebumps and cold chills up and down my spine, or some things (like plastic bags of cornflour) make me gag.

5. I am living in my nineteenth home (I think that's right but may be underestimating by a few). My favourite home, obviously, is with my boys (the hubby, the baby and the pug). But my favourite house was here:

6. When I got pregnant, my body changed forever (not entirely surprising!). Before I was pregnant, I had seven freckles and three moles in total. Now I have too many to count. Perhaps more freakish is that I never used to grow toenails on my little toes... and now I do (I even have to cut them).

7. Sometimes, when I am bored or stressed, I count my steps. I think it all started when I first filled in a Dr Seuss? book all about me. One of the things you had to do was to count the steps to your letterbox, the nearest tree, the local shop etc etc.

Now... which bloggers out there shall I tag? Will get back to you shortly...

Have a gorgoeus week xo

lost for words

2009-02-10T10:01:00.003+11:00

Kevin Rudd, our PM, lost for words

I have been struggling to think of what to write here about the Victorian bushfires. I decided if our PM couldn't come up with the right words, it was ok if I couldn't either.

Obviously we are thinking about those in the fire affected areas, your families, friends, animals.

You can make a donation here.

the lady of the toilet (or, how summer pickles got her groove back)

2009-02-06T16:43:00.003+11:00

Toilets. by Britt Selvitelle

Firstly, apologies to those of you visiting for craft updates - this is not one of them. Though, perhaps DIY is not too far from crafty?

Recently i was bemoaning the fact that i felt i had lost my independence completely... i have no money of my own (mind you the pickles have always done what's mine is yours etc etc), i haven't really any time of my own, and, i confess, we have fallen into the trap of "you do the boy jobs and i 'll do the girl jobs" since having the gherkin.

So, when our 1968 toilet died on the weekend (actually, no it didn't quite die, but the problems it had were terminal), i was tempted to call Mr Pickles to do something. but instead, i rolled up the sleeves (metaphorically speaking of course - we live in sunny Melbs, so there were no sleeves) and got to work. thanks to dr google, i was able to diagnose the toilet's problems, disassemble the toilet, take a trip to bunnings (toilet pieces in hand), gather the pieces needed to make a repair and then reassemble the toilet.

Was it a dirty job? YES

Did it take a whole day? YES

Did i feel completely brilliant after it was all done and completely repaired? ABSOLUTELY!
(evidence being this post that i am writing, still basking in the post-toilet-repair glow some five days later!)

One of the best benefits of our repair was the thought that we will also now be flushing less water, quite literally, down the toilet, and getting ourselevs that little closer to the melbourne 155 target.

But the best bit? singing "i am mummy, hear me roar" to the gherkin all night (or course inserting toilet repair terminology throughout!)... nothing like some time with tools to get a gal's confidence back!

Chat soon lovelies xo

new button ring!

2009-01-31T22:14:00.006+11:00

seems i am on a roll at the moment... another button ring ~~will soon be arriving~~ has arrived in my etsy ... don't ask me where i have found the time, i actually have no idea!

the gherkin has recurring hives of an unknown cause, is no longer sleeping during the day unless cuddled to sleep, has had a horrendous cold and has cracked two new teeth, but still i am managing to find some button time. i think it has been much needed.... i am loving it, and i think coming up with some more lovely ones!

be back soon!
xo

thankyou blogland

2009-01-21T22:36:00.003+11:00

Okay, so was out there catching up with some favourite bloggers this evening, and loving every second.

Seemed to be a bit of a theme tonight, finding out little gems about my favourite people and asking myself some questions along the way. I do love how blogland can change how I think, feel, interact with blogland and the "real world".

Thanks to the very lovely drewzel of blogportion i discovered 43things... and did the personality test. And discovered (not very surprisingly really) that I am a "spiritual romantic builder". I always love personality tests... love answering questions, thinking about what my answers might be...sometimes discovering things along the way. But here is where 43 things loses it for me... the next thing you have to do is to make a list (oh dear). While the list making works very well for some, for me, to make a list of my dreams and aspirations and to tick them off one by one... doesn't sound so romantic? But I am still interested enough to see if I can find the book (in a library) and voyeuristic enough to read about other people's goals, dreams, "things".

I have also spent this evening catching up with other favourite people who love to answer questions, via the fab interviews by the very lovely fairlie. Bundles of giggles, and so interesting to hear more about some people who I feel I know at least a little through the wonderful place that is blogland (and now feel I know that little bit better).

And this evening I have been getting teary reading some of your posts... some of you write so beautifully, and straight from the heart.

I am not a great writer, but still enjoy my little blogging life, and thank those of you who are out there for being fun, entertaining and open (and occasionally visiting here). Thankyou gorgeous people. It is sometimes a long time between visits, but I still love popping in. And hopefully in 2009 we will get to know each other even better.

Hope to catch up again soon xo

sometimes i wish i were smaller

2009-01-21T11:54:00.001+11:00

sometimes i wish i were smaller, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

I do! Browsing around flickr whilst trying to get the boy to sleep I have been looking for inspiration for my new wardrobe*, and have found all of these gorgeous things. The only problem? They are all made for little girls...

I love the details, the fabrics, the colour! But sadly, not the fit (I wish I were smaller!) At any rate, they are gorgeous, stunning creations and will serve as inspiration for me as I search for, sew, restitch, borrow new post-gherkin clothes...

new stock in the shop!

2009-01-20T21:34:00.003+11:00

teal rose jan 09
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Just a brief advert everyone... in between managing the gherkin's recurring hives (we are going for alllergy testing in two weeks), I have been spending quality time with my button collection again..

My etsy store is now restocked!

Only three button rings at this stage, but more on their way...

[and there endeth the blatant plug!]

Have a gorgeous week... will be back again in the next couple of days.
xo

a little bit of navel gazing...

2009-01-06T20:32:00.015+11:00

Hi again!

I have been involved in some heavy duty navel gazing over the past few days What do I want for me, my life, my little clan in 2009? What do I need to do to make this happen?

1. Appreciate the two boys in my life more:

the very lovely pickles boys

2008 was such a steep learning curve! In our three weeks away from home with family & friends over chrissie, sharing the cuddles with everyone else, I missed those quiet moments we are alone together. In 2009 I will savour those moments more. I will be kinder to my gorgeous hubby. In 2009, I just want to remember to be thankful for the amazing, strong, gentle, fabulous, hilarious man in my life... and to remind myself of this when he doesn't unpack the dishwasher...

2. Find time for myself.

3. Use what I have (or use stuff that's free). Yep, 2009 is Year of the Budget. In 2009 I will:

a) menu plan

b) skype whenever possible

c) only use the fabrics already in my stash, at least until Easter 2009!

I think this is all... so far! What are your hopes and plans for 2009???

Chat soon x

happy christmas, new year, etc etc!

2009-01-05T17:14:00.017+11:00

Hi all!

Wow, what an amazing few weeks we have had in the pickles household! Full of friends, family, & crafting galore!!!

It all started with some panic crafting for our handmade <$5 christmas in the gran & pa pickles home in sunny nsw... all the gals got one of these:

This was the perfect crafty creation for me... no neat straight lines, no accurate cutting required, just loads of fun combining colours and fabrics... perfect! And I used all scrap fabrics and vintage or pre-loved buttons, which made me very happy! (nothing like the de-stash... which, by the way is my aim for the first half of this year - no new fabrics!). Which is your favourite brooch? I have a definite favourite, but I won't tell.... Some more brooches similar to these will soon be appearing in my etsy, so stay tuned...

Then, after these crafting adventures, I got onto snapfish and ordered a photobook for the grandparents. Soooo easy to use their templates, the book looked great, the photo colours came out well, and they had it delivered in time for christmas, in spite of my only ordering them on I think the 18th December... impressive! Oh, and the book was a hit... we managed to get tears from some family members - the exact result we were after!

martha stewart pom poms by summer pickles

Off to sunny nsw then, sydney via wagga, and to the gherkin's naming day (we didn't officially name him The Gherkin). We spent the night before making these gorgeous martha stewart tissue paper pom poms, which looked b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l in our garden ceremony and the following lunch. Again, these were pretty simple too... and looked just gorgeous. It was lovely to have the opportunity to celebrate (again) the little man's arrival and to do this with our dearest friends, and soo much fun to catch up with everyone's kids!!!

Then to Christmas, and all of the family celebrations, and the gherkin's first beach experience... yep, on seven mile beach (of course). However, it was very poorly planned, so, being the middle of Boxing Day, it was hot and sunny and windy (not a winning combination for our new redheaded baby's first trip to the beach!), we had a sprint onto the beach, a quick point and click and a sprint back to the car.... Fortunately we had more relaxing moments down at the beach in Ulladulla and in various parks and gardens in the south coast the following week.

(recognise this summer pickles quilt???)

Hoping you all had wonderful festive seasons, and thanks for stopping by in 2009!

Chat soon xo

a date for the diaries

2008-12-17T15:01:00.009+11:00

Two Blue Birdies Resin Brooch by Madz has Runaway

I know, it seems a bit too soon to be booking special outings for Feb already, but those of you who haven't checked out the sisters market as yet, really should put this date in the diary. And those of you who have been once before, well, you should probably go again! The sisters market returns to the Brunswick Town Hall on 7th Feb 09... to check out the stallholders go here. This is a fantastic market, but those with prams beware, it can get rather squishy... much easier to pop the boy in the baby bjorn.

I am yet to leave empty handed, having been three times... my last purchases were from this lovely lady (I bought two of her gorgeous resin brooches - just beautiful).

So... get the pens out and scribble it in the diaries... and perhaps I'll see you there?

one gi-normous catch up post

2008-12-13T20:51:00.007+11:00

Well, hello there!

Thanks to those of you who hadn't totally given up on me... I am still here! And with news to share. So here we go, in no order of importance...

The gherkin is now five months old. The photo above is just a home happy snap of the kind of boy we are fortunate enough to live with every day. Life has been an absolute joy with the gherk' of late, and I won't bore you all with gushing on this blog, as I promised this would from now on be all about craft and melbourne and all things non-baby, but oh my, he is soooo delightful at the moment. If you need more gushing you can go to a pug and a handful of pickles

We were fortunate enough to have the very lovely, generous and extremely talented h&b take some delicious photos of our little man a few weeks back. I haven't posted any of the photos here, as I sort of feel as though it should be h&b's reveal, but let me just say they are beautiful. So incredibly gorgeous. And yes, her home is as amazing as it looks in the photos (I was curious! and not at all disappointed). Thankyou lovely for using our little man as a model for a day!

I am another year older... well, not really, but you know what I mean! An odd number (good), but not a prime number (so could be better). Just another step closer to forty.... I had a lovely day, cruising around Brunswick East with the gherkin and Mr Pickles, just hanging out and thinking how my life had changed in the past five years... marriage, two homes (and renovations), our boy, and rapid whitening of my hair...

Speaking of hair, I am much much much happier with my hair now... went back to my old salon across the other side of town (I know, ridiculous, but, note to Brunswick hairdressers -you were a real disappointment) and now I feel like myself again. Also in this photo? My new favourite toy from Mr Pickles to celebrate my ageing. It's a Canon and I am in love.

Other news... I have been getting out and about...

* to Bendigo (my first time... oh my, the architecture there!!! my camera battery was flat though from snapping hundreds of photos of the boys, so no photos of buildings this time round

* to Ceres a few times

* to ikea for a very important highchair purchase

Oh! and of course I have been CRAFTING!

You saw the doll in my last post... well, poor thing got ditched. She will remain an u.f.o. until I come up with an outfit I am satisfied with. In the meantime I have finished June, who is now the doll of the very beautiful Mae of onegirl fame (and Leslie has been lovely enough to post some photos of the very gorgeous Mae with June on her flickr).

Oh! and we are having a handmade Christmas in the pickles family this year (grandparents, bubs, aunts, cousins, brother, mums, dads all creating for one another - lovely! if a little challenging...), so I do have loads of other WIPs in progress, but not sure if the family checks this blog... I wonder if it's safe to show and tell here????

Anyway, that should be enough for one post, will catch up again soon, promise!
xo

ps. coming to a post soon... our recipe for banana and date loaf (much more like a cake... yum), a brunswick east eatery update (woohoo!) and santa photo dilemmas...

shhhh... work in progress

2008-10-08T17:28:00.003+11:00

So, [shhh] here she is...

....only just begun really, but getting closer to being finished.

I need to add her skirt (which I hope will be VERY special), and her face, her hair, and finally her accessories. And then she will be heading off in a postpak to someone very beautiful and brand new. I had a lot of fun with her shape --- I hope it's ok to give a child's doll hips?

Will give you an update once I have finished her off... xo

i've been busy...

2008-10-07T11:54:00.006+11:00

Yep, it's official... I am back into crafting. After the gherkin's gran & pa left on Sunday after a week long (almost) visit, I returned to my spare room floor and sewing machine two days ago, and made the most of the little man's day sleeps. I have (as always) a few projects on the go - here is a sneak peek...

I also whipped up a floor mat for the little Gherkin to roll around on, as he was starting to hang off the edges of the mats we were using just weeks ago. He isn't rolling yet, but he is doing 180 degree turns in his cot, so when I go in during a day sleep he is often upside down in his cot. You just can't do a 180 on a small mat!

To make the mat I used a cute print flannelette which I bought before we had the Gherkin (Mr Pickles is quite concerned now that there is too much pink on the fabric), with a cream flannelette backing, And I was feeling adventurous - for the first time ever I put wadding in the middle. I was trying to avoid binding dramas I have read about in so many other blogs, so I tried to cheat by creating a fabric "envelope", inserting the wadding and then topstitching. Probably needless to say, it's lumpy. But the Gherkin didn't seem to mind (or at least, he didn't complain!), so it should to the trick.

Any ideas or links on EASY quilt binding or mat stuffing would be much appreciated!!!

Oh, and late last week I also treated myself and bought one of these:

I reckon this should come to good use when I make more sunhats - I can't wait to try this out!

Anyway, I'm heading off. Got a date with the hairdresser (this time with the Gherkin in tow). Cross your fingers for me!

Chat soon xo

the power in a pair of scissors

2008-10-06T12:13:00.001+11:00

Okay, so on the weekend I had an incident. Not a major one... I am ok, the Pickles clan is fine, but a big enough incident to cast a gloomy shadow over my weekend and this week.

See, my favourite hairdresser in the world is no longer cutting hair. It's devastating. But her hanging up the scissors and my turning into a gloriously round pregnant woman were beautifully timed, as I had decided that when I had a newborn it would be most practical if I could just pull my hair back into an elastic band and be done with it. And, I have to say, it was easy. But I am a short hair kinda gal, and ready to spend some time on the styling that comes with short hair.

So, on the weekend, with the football (soccer) season finished and Mr Pickles home on the Saturday, I decided to leave the Gherkin at home and go out and get my hair cut. At a new salon. On the new side of the city. With a new cutter. It was a wee bit anxiety-provoking! But I told myself all would be well, armed myself with three photos - one of me with my hair at its best (around the time my summer pickles profile photo was taken), one of a brilliant haircut I love (below), and one of Vicki Howell whose fringe I adore.

And I asked that the hairdresser do something fun, uneven, chunky, but thinned out so my hair doesn't go in a triangle. Sadly, I didn't get anything fun, chunky, or even remotely interesting... instead I got a long layered bob (which you can see here). It is a lovely long layered bob, but I didn't go in looking for a long layered bob... (maybe I should not have told her I had just become a mum?)

So what to do?

I hated it. Mr Pickles told me (very gently) that it looked like a blend of a schoolgirl and an old lady haircut. So I had two choices really... 1. go back to the hairdresser who cut it in the first place and ask her to cut it again, or 2. risk it with someone else. I have opted for choice number one, but this time, need to take the Gherkin (which could be a whole other story!).

(Wish me luck...)

the oobee blankie... as promised

2008-09-26T17:12:00.003+10:00

OOBEE BLANKIE
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

As promised, a better photo of the oobee blankie made by the very gorgeous and talented Leslie (see the last post for all of the details). Of course, it wouldn't be this blog without the gherkin in the photo as well!

Apologies to h&b for showing off with the oobee facing the camera... one of the joys of a twelve week old... pose the oobee, distract the baby, take the photo!

Thanks again lovely xo

it's here!

2008-09-24T09:14:00.005+10:00

man club meeting
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

A very big thankyou to the lovely Leslie for our very gorgeous oobee blankie, which arrived in the post at the end of last week, and which you can see on the right of this photo (I have taken my sorry time getting this post up - sorry Leslie).

It is just gorgeous. Will have to try to take some detailed pictures later, so I can show you it properly, but at the moment the gherkin is asleep, so am trying not to disturb. I love Lesli'e fabric choices, they are just always gorgeous.

If you feel like shopping, then I would absolutely recommend popping into Leslie's shop ... just filled with beautiful, and beautifully made objects. We are really lucky now to have both an oobee and an oobee blankie for the gherkin.... if Leslie makes more windsees I might have to get one of those too...

Thanks so much Leslie, this was such a gorgeous swap gift. My return gift to you and your lovely little one is in progress... am aiming to have it to you by end of next week. (Leslie --- I may have sneak peeks here in the interim... so feel free to steer clear for a week!) xo

baby sunhat (reversible) #1

2008-09-21T00:09:00.002+10:00

baby sunhat (reversible) #1
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

It took me three days, but in stages I managed to make this sunhat starting from the fluted hat pattern mentioned in my last post, just with some modifications to the size, some of the construction steps and I made it reversible.

Definitely needs some refining and I made it too small so would fit only a newborn with a head circumference under 34cm, but it felt great to get back into sewing and to actually finish something was bliss!

Watch this space... more creations on their way....
xo

addit: the fluted hat pattern and tutorial that this sunhat was loosely based on can be found here

a few favourite baby crafting tutorials

2008-09-17T10:53:00.004+10:00

Well, it is amazing what happens when one is no longer spending six hours a day expressing.

Six midwives, one electric breastpump, four maternity bras, three lactation consultants, five hundred and sixty expressed feeds (about 56 litres of breastmilk!), one maternal and child health nurse, three rounds of mastitis, two breastfeeding clinics, one GP, australian breastfeeding association support and a paediatrician later, without any breakthrough, little gherkin's paediatrician has convinced us that no matter how much I may want to breastfeed, the gherkin is not going to be able to meet me half way.

So the weaning has begun... I am devastated, but there is nothing more we can do other than keep expressing... and I just can't keep this up - I was just becoming a complete exhausted wreck.

So, with a couple of extra hours on my hands (am doing the gradual wean, so have about two extra hours at the moment), I am thinking about craft again, and not just thinking, but getting out fabrics and patterns and starting (finally) to get my act together on the online baby swap! About time some might say!

I thought perhaps some of you might be interested to have a look at some of my favourite baby craft tutorials out there. I haven't tested these yet, but they look like they will be good. Once I have had some more time to craft, I will show off some of my creations using these tutorials...

Michael Miller baby rings here
Stardust Shoes cloth baby shoes here
Healther Bailey bitty booties here
Spool bird mobile here
Toddler sunhats x 2 here and here

Not strictly baby, but is a toddler's dress and I love it - here - also love her tshirt dress... those of you who have girls should check it out.

And just because, Molly Chicken's fabric pom-pom here

I am sure there are plenty more fabulous gems out there... drop me a line if you have a favourite that is not on this list...

Enjoy, chat soon xo

i'm not completely done with crafting!

2008-09-13T14:21:00.003+10:00

fathers day tshirt
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Hi there!

Just when I thought I had come to a slamming stop, I have a crafting report!

For fathers day I was keen to make something a bit special for The Gherkin and Mr Pickles to enjoy together. So I made this tshirt! Well, I didn't really make it (thankyou bonds!), but I did decorate it. Here it is modelled by the The Gherkin himself.

Picked up these great iron-on transfer printable papers from officeworks. You just make or select an image on your 'puter, flip it horizontally so you are looking at the mirror image, print it our on the transfer paper and iron it on. Done! You can take the gloss out of the transer as well by ironing over again (once the image has cooled and set to the clothes) with plain paper. Think I will do this next time... I didn't this time round, but I think it would look better matt.

And just in case you wanted to be able to read the fine print... here is the whole image...

Thanks for popping in again!
xo

taking a wee break....

2008-09-05T11:00:00.002+10:00

the two of us - self portrait
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Hi all

Well! hasn't my life just completely changed in the past eight weeks! I almost can't remember what life was like without our Little Man (aka the gherkin). I am completely in love.

With my life currently spent doing anything but crafting, I have decided to take a wee break from this summer pickles blog... no time for crafting, certainly no time to blog about it!!!

If you would like to keep up with the non-crafting adventures of the pickles clan, you can check us out here: http://pugandpickles.blogspot.com/ ....perhaps I will see you there?

Thanks to all of you for stopping by, I have really enjoyed your visits, your comments, emails... our chats in general!

Take care, and have fun,
xo

magazine madness... and a little bit of cushion love

2008-08-25T15:55:00.011+10:00

Hi again!

For those of you who thought i had perhaps fallen off the face of the earth and blogland... nope, still here, just extremely BUSY. Thanks to those of you who offered advice and support about Little Man's feeding. He is still finding this very hard, so I am still expressing every feed... feeling totally exhausted at this point, seven and a half weeks down the track, but am hoping that we have him on the breast by end Sept. Fingers and toes crossed.

As a result, I'm afraid that crafting has taken a bit of a backseat! As a result, this blog is probably now going to include a bit more baby stuff... So for those of you who checked in only for crafting, melbourne, and other creative bits and pieces... sorry... baby has landed!

now that Little Man has arrived we are desperately trying to clear clutter from our home... which takes me to the topic of this post - magazines. I am hopeless when it comes to magazines - I find that home and food magazines always stay in my house, once they arrive, never to see the recycling bin. Which means I end up with cupboards on cupboards of very gorgeous magazines that I very rarely read...

So! This week, in the spirit of the declutter, I am going through the magazines and ripping out all of the pages that inspire me right now, in the hope that they are the same pages that will inspire me in the future... The photos on this post are just a few snippets, with a focus on cushions, from magazines such as Vogue living, Belle, Home beautiful, House & garden, Inside out... favourite bits and pieces I didn't want to give up. Hopefully soon I will be able to photograph our home looking as stunning as the source(s) of inspiration...

Have a gorgeous week everyone,
xo

what i've been up to...

2008-08-04T10:14:00.001+10:00

boob man
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Well, our little man has had a bit of a rough start.... after some shocking jaundice which made him look all prepared for a physie performance and made him the sleepiest baby in Melbourne, he lost the ability to breastfeed. Poor little man. But he still loves the cuddles.

One maternal & child health nurse and two lactation consultants later we are on a strict three hourly regime of:
1. wake little man for a feed
2. change nappy
3. if he woke himself, offer him the breat... if not, offer him expressed breast milk from bottle with tricky teat (takes about an hour for just under 100mLs). aim for six 150mL feeds per day...
4. burp, talk, play
5. settle
6. express next feed
7. use next 15-20 minute window to do something productive, like eat breakfast, go to the toilet, call a friend, do a blogpost...

No wonder there is no sewing, cleaning, gourmet cooking, anything much being done in this house at the moment!

He is such a precious little man, and has started looking deep into our eyes which just about makes my heart explode! Am sure there are some smiles starting too...

James Brown the pug meanwhile has a shocking throat infection so has been hacking up a lung for the past fortnight and is a very unhappy little dog. That is, excepting when I spray breastmilk across the room (accidentally people, this is not an attempt at design) and he suddenly has boundless energy to tear across the room to lick it up. Erk.

Hope you and those you love are well and happy xo

haven't fallen off the face of the earth... just busy snuggling...

2008-07-25T13:35:00.006+10:00

Thankyou to all for your lovely warm wishes and welcome to our little pickles, Liam.

All is going well... we have been having some tricky times with breastfeeding but we are persevering and all is improving each day, so we take it as a good sign that we will get there. I am surviving on anywhere from 2-5 hours of sleep over a 24 hour period (including the day naps), so things like cleaning, baking, sewing etc have really gone out the window... instead my days look a lot like this photo... add in changing nappies, feeding, calming an unhappy little boy and training a very unsettled dog, and you probably get the picture.

It is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do but it is wonderful.

Thankyou again for all of your warm thoughts and wishes, and I will keep you posted! Oh, and I also have some gorgeous gifts I want to show and tell, but that will have to wait to another time (just stealing in this post between feeds). I have selected the pattern for my baby swap, just haven't started sewing yet, but once I have I will show and tell here, of course.

Hope you and those you love are all well and happy. I won't make it to the craft fair this year - disappointing as I had planned to catch up with Diana Chalk and Bethan Short again - but those of you who get there, enjoy every second!

Have fun xo

ps. Oh! and hooray for 30 years of IVF... I think they are celebrating this milestone today. Without ART we would never have had our darling little man Liam. Hooray for modern medicine. Have a lovely week everyone! x

pps. Oh, and h&b - yes, you were right, Liam measured 53cm, not 5cm! ;)

He's a boy!

2008-07-09T11:45:00.001+10:00

liam birth with mum and dad
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Baby Pickles has arrived safely!

Born 3rd July 12.12pm
Weighing a "robust" 4.31kg
Measuring 5cm
Head circumference a healthy 38.5cm

We are so incredibly thrilled (excepting James Brown the Pug who is completely confused and not entirely over the moon)

Will update you all a bit later, once we get a moment that we aren;t feeding, settling, expressing or catnapping...

Thanks to all of you for your warm wishes and share eager anticipation of his arrival.

Hugs from all of the Pickles clan xo

a date for your diaries...

2008-07-02T10:46:00.007+10:00

Good morning!

Received this reminder via email this morning and had to share... and realised that I had neglected to tell you about my recent visit to this market! The first sisters' market I attended was with my mum in law around I think the ?end of May and I loved it... there were some terrific new designers/artists/crafters there who I had not met or encountered before, which was very exciting! And just down the road from home. It would be worth popping this one into your diary for 2nd August... let me know if you plan on being there - depending on how I am going with bub, I might be heading there again, and it would be lovely to catch up!

One of my very favourite finds at this market was the lovely Carla from emotional baggage . I honestly don't intend to turn this blog into a how-to-shop-locally-and-find-gorgeous-things guide, but I had to show and tell. Carla has one of the neatest websites I have seen in a long time, where you can design your own bag, by selecting the style, fabric, leather etc...and then you get a picture of what it will all look like once together! Love it.

This is my brand new, arrived last night carry all bag, for keeping all of the baby stuff together when out and about, in theory, but also just because I really really love it and will get loads of use out of it!). And the lining is striped, which is just gorgeous, with multiple pockets... I would have taken a photo of the inside except that I have packed the bag now with gear for the hospital.

Thanks Carla for making this in time for bub's arrival, and for dropping it off last night... it was lovely to have another brief chat with you, and in case I didn't say this enough last night, I really love this bag!!!

oh my... the postie came today with a parcel...

2008-07-01T12:52:00.005+10:00

parcel in the post.... thankyou!
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

I was so excited to see the return address on the back belonged to Martine from greenolive. Martine is a fabulous Melbourne crafter and flickr/blog friend who does some of the most beautiful work... if you haven't checked out her work as yet, you should - you can take more of a peek here , here and here.

Martine knitted our soon to arrive Baby Pickles the most divine baby blanket in gorgeous colours which complement the new teal wall in bub's room beautifully!

Thankyou so much Martine, it is just so soft and gorgeous, beautiful and lovely - all things a baby blanket should be! I can't imagine our little one ever wanting to let it go! (I hope it was ok to open it before bub arrives... I couldn't wait!)

Hugs from all of the Pickles clan xo

ps. and thankyou again to lovely Deb at work, who surprised me with this lovely little dog (in the background)!

this is... my best op shop find...

2008-06-30T10:50:00.007+10:00

(or thrifted , garaged saled, trash and treasure marketed, side of the road scavenged.....)

One of the saddest things about renovations is having some of your most treasured objects in storage. Thankfully, I still have three of my favourite secondhand finds out of boxes, to photograph for this week's this is ....

I found five of these anodised canisters in a secondhand store in Canowindra, NSW, one day after work. Freshly moved out of home for the first time, I found these and immediately fell in love, but didn't know if I could afford them. The women in the store kindly let me put them on laybuy, and I paid them off over a few weeks (sounds like an extremely extravagant purchase, but they weren't - I was just a poor newly graduated and very cautious health worker!). The two not included in the photo (in boxes somewhere) are a traffic light green rice canister and a salmon pink coffee canister. They are such a gorgeous set! My one regret was leaving behind the matching breadbin and another tall canister - when I went back the following week, these were gone.

Then, one day driving through Berry, NSW, I felt the urge to go to the local markets, where I found an amazing matching stacked set of cake, cookie and scone canisters (also currently in a box somewhere) at one of the trash and treasure stalls.

I now know there are also spice canisters which match, and will keep searching until I find them... it's become an addiction! I love all things anodised but especially love these... my favourite all time op shop find!

Thanks to Lino Forest for this week's theme!

such a well behaved little pug! ... and a work in progress...

2008-06-28T19:28:00.003+10:00

such a well behaved little pug!
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Sometimes our litle dog just surprises us... As he did tonight, when he sat (yes, he is sitting in this photo) on the end cushion of the lounge and just watched me arrange all of these fabric pieces, trying to decide on a layout for bub's quilt. No picking up a piece and running down the hallway, no walking all over them, no licking them to try to get any loose threads... What a good little dog!

I am trying to make a quilt for floor time for our very-soon-to-arrive baby, without any of the usual quilting tools. It will be a four block, nine patch quilt (after some searching on on the good ol' internerd I think this is what quilters would call it?). After some handy hints from Lara though, I am seriously considering buying myself a cutting mat, rotary cutter and transparent ruler. If you haven't seen Lara's quilt yet, you might like to check it out here.

Perhaps with the right tools my quilts might be a bit more successful - better than when I rely on a dodgy paper template and a pair of scissors?

Will post an update when I get closer to completion...

Have fun everyone!
xo

These are a few of my favourite pugs xo

2008-06-25T14:04:00.003+10:00

These are a few of my favourite pugs xo
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Would always rather spend time flickr gazing than at a work meeting (what was originally planned for today)... and this was a lovely way to pass the lunchtime.

Of course, my favourite pug will always be James Brown, but I have really enjoyed these other beauties! Plenty more in my flickr favourites....

1. Amazing flat face of Pugs, 2. Resistance Is Futile, 3. deep in thought, 4. Yes Master., 5. Chloe, 6. IMAGE0047-adjusted, 7. Wizen, 8. *SMILING PUG* - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FROM THE SWEETHEART PUG, MEL C *-*, 9. Wookie says "Happy Easter!"

we're still a family of three...

2008-06-23T13:56:00.004+10:00

First things first... how come my text doesn't go all the way over to the right... does anyone know how I can do this??? And how come my line spacing always goes completely out of whack when I insert a picture????

Yep, still just a family of three (me, hubby, plus the dog), in spite of the prolonged absence (sorry to those of you who got excited, thinking this was a hint!). We have been out of the house for a week whilst the house got painted. The house has been beautifully "duluxed" - walls are now Antique White USA, the skirting and architraves White on White and one of the walls in the baby's room is a quite out there shade of Magnetic Magic. But no photos for now... we are hoping to surprise the family when they all come down from interstate to visit bub, so no photos until after bub (and grandparents) have arrived!

Perhaps some exciting news... I have been sewing!!!

This is the end result of some time playing with bright and patterned black and white fabrics...

I just threw these together without patterns or anything to go from and am not totally thrilled with either of them, but at least I have two prototypes now and I can keep improving on them...

I am also in the swing of making a not-so-developmentally-stimulating mobile from fabrics which just got me incredibly excited... [will insert a photo of the fabrics here as soon as my camera is charged] photos of the completed mobile to follow shortly. Not to worry --- those of you concerned about early development, there will be other stimulating items for bub to gaze upon!

We have finished our childbirth classes now (and not a moment too soon!) and are now booked in for a caesar as bub is hanging out very high up in my ribs, in breech position mostly, exactly where it has been since 24 weeks, occasionally mixing it up with a bit of transverse lying... lovely! The good news is I don't have to go to the toilet all the time, the less than fabulous news is my ribs ache like crazy. It is quite amazing to be here after our journey to get to this point...
[warning: gratuitous belly shot below! taken a week ago.... check out the outie!]

I hope you are all well and happy and life treating you beautifully.
xo

ps. thanks to those of you who have been commenting... I will respond, I will, this is my new resolution... soon!

online baby shower swap

2008-06-14T14:11:00.001+10:00

online baby shower swap, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

thanks to Anna at Hey Bubbles for this inspired idea!
i'm in --- are you?

this is... my favourite travel memory (albeit belated!)

2008-06-13T18:05:00.006+10:00

So, after much joy reading many bloggers' this is... posts, I decided to give it a go. And promptly missed my first this is... post! Terrible behaviour for a newcomer... sorry Angela! A very warm thankyou to Hila for this week's theme... I am always up for some reminiscing...

No, the colour on your monitor has not gone loopy, this is actually the colour of the water and sky at Bora Bora. (Check out the google maps satellite pic if you don't believe me!). This is not by any stretch the most scenic of photos we took of Bora Bora (I have realised none of these are on flickr so will be uploading them in the next week or so), but look at how blissfully happy those two newlyweds look! (and how skinny I looked before starting art and eventually getting a big round pregnant belly!) This was taken in 2004, on our honeymoon, which was just incredible. I swam with manta rays (purely by accident) which I think is still one the highlights of my life... oh, and I got the hubby all to myself for nearly two whole weeks, which was just perfect (I would love to have more time together... he's alright).

Taking us back a bit earlier, to the 80s sometime, this is another great travel memory, at Valla Beach. The four of us went there on our own (ie. mum, dad, two kids), and also went with my godparents and their two kids. The visit with my godparents and their two kids is the trip I remember best. We had so much fun, playing on the beach, making up songs as we walked along the wooden bridge to get to the beach, hanging out on bunk beds at night... it's a great childhood holiday memory to have. And, very exciting to actually have a photo with my mum in it (she is the hot one in the short red shorts - great legs mum!).

Interestingly, I grew up in the bush, but both of my fave travel memories involve the sea. My favourite home, too, (right up there with current home with hubby and the dog and soon to arrive baby) is my single gal home at seven mile beach, Gerroa in NSW. I may have grown up in the country, but the sea has always been calling.

What are your favourite travel memories? Is it about the place? The people? Or even perhaps the food? (I will never forget the Polynesian raw fish salad... heavens above, what a delight!)

Chat soon, xo

some of my favourite things... inspiration for baby pickles

2008-06-10T06:47:00.004+10:00

As usual, have been hanging out on flickr (one of the advantages of being wide awake from 4am!), and have found these new favourite things which are not all designed for kids, but which provide me with some inspiration for things to do for baby pickles!
Enjoy xo

1. Finally., 2. apple tree kimono, 3. pedro pig, 4. Green jacket w red flower, 5. Lillydew's Twin Sister Lola-Mae, 6. rabbits, 7. kinchi kitschy kitten dress, size 1, 8. Até à lua... / to the moon, 9. Full Circle Top

the little luxuries of more time.... world's best brekkie @ poached

2008-06-06T19:03:00.001+10:00

world's greatest breakfast @ poached in brunswick, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Okay, so I know there has been some quiet from this end... we have been moved out whilst the floors have been sanded and polished.. and they look sensational... will take some photos when I have some sunlight tomorrow... just an amazing transformation!

But, when we were booted out of our house, I had a fab excuse to eat brekkie out at one of the local spots in sunny brunswick. And this was the incredible brekkie I found at poached.

This is the vegetarian big breakfast with the eggs swapped for avocado, and was the best brekkie ever. I also want to mention for those of you who are soy milk drinkers, the staff at poached know how to froth soy milk!!!! Fantastic soy hot chocolates to be had here. And the staff were all absolutely gorgeous, and let me (a single diner) eat at a table for four, just because I wanted a spot with morning sunshine...

A perfect start to the day... I would thoroughly recommend it! (Ah, I love Melbourne!)

poached
169 lygon st
east brunswick
ph: 9387 2396

I'm incredibly excited!!!

2008-05-28T12:10:00.003+10:00

our gorgeous hallway, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Check out our gorgeous new hallway!

Sooo excited that we are getting closer to this house being done.... only floor sanding and polishing, some plaster patching, light fitting selection and installation (I am thinking about the ikea knappa light for the hallway... what do you think?) and painting to go!

And being only 34 weeks well-and-truly-up-the-duff I feel like we might actually get it all done on time for bub's big arrival, too! (It's not just the hallway that's progressing... our nursery is making some serious headway too). We will even have the furniture in the room in two weeks... Yippee!

Anyway, now that the carpenter has gone, I am going to see if I can still pop in on Miss Cinti at My Poppet... will have missed her biggest morning tea (you can make a donation to the Cancer Council here), but it would be lovely to get there to meet her and check out My Poppet!

Have a lovely day everyone!
xo

I have been sewing!

2008-05-27T11:00:00.002+10:00

Warned you all in my last post that I had been sewing, and here are the results.

Apologies for the dodgy quality photo... my camera is flat (too many photos of the dog and trying to catch the baby moving on video), so this is a mobile phone picture. This is what makes the edges look stretched out on the left too --- the wrap is actually surprisingly square.

I love this patterned flannelette which I just found at good ol' spotlight in box hill, where they have a surprisingly large range of printed flannelette. Also got some very cute blue and pink printed flannelette, which I will show you once I have made it into something. This wrap is 82cm square, which is too small according to my girlfriends who have had babies, but is the best I could do with the fabric I had available! (I discovered that flannelette shrinks significantly on first wash - a handy reminder to all crafters out there to make sure you wash your fabric first!)

I also love these knot hats which are so easy to make! We still don't know if bub is a boy or girl, but I only had blue stretch fabric in my stash, so used what I had available. If she is a girl that will just give me an excuse to add a flower or something pretty to the front! I adapted the hat pattern from here

I don't have an overlocker and didn't like the folding back cuff too much so made some very minor amendments. I am thinking that I probably need to go out and buy some patterned stretch fabric just for some fun...

So, I am back in the world of crafting! (Hooray for maternity leave!)

I have also made two new button rings and a button necklace, which you can see on my flickr or etsy (links on the left).

Have a fabulous week everyone!
Hannah x

what I did with my first day of maternity leave

2008-05-23T13:57:00.002+10:00

day 1 maternity leave, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

1. got up way too early (7.30am) after an early breakfast wake up call from james brown at 5.30am
2. had brekkie - strawberry jam and peanut butter on toast and a mandarin (i love mandarins at the moment! would have been sardines on toast if I hadn't run out yesterday)...
3. read some of this incredible book...
4. had a lovely chat with my favourite mother-in-law in Sydney...
5. checked out some of my favourite blogs... am incredibly behind!
6. did a load of towels
7. enjoyed a phone call with the very gorgeous G in Sydney... not long to go now miss!
8. did another load of towels...
9. had a visit from an electrician... all bad news...
10. cleaned up a james brown accident in the loungeroom with much stressing about permanent staining to the new timber floors....
11. finished this amazing book - Cafe Scheherazade by Arnold Zable.... just incredible...

What's still planned for today...
1. have a visit from electrician number two for the day...
2. go to the shops for some real dog food...
3. buy some new smoke alarm batteries (i know, it's exciting stuff!)
4. sew sew sew

Have fun x

ps. I have been sewing! will have to post some pics... next time! x

decorating 101

2008-05-18T11:18:00.008+10:00

Help! I am not a decorator...

I have a whole house in the early stages of renovations (we still have some way to go!), and am feeling the urge to NEST. One major part of this nesting is to plan out, and design our nursery.

This is the nursery as it is right now... isn't it beautiful?!? (don't feel that you need to answer that!)

Floorboards are yet to be sanded and polished, but are likely to come out much darker than this. Skirting boards (arriving in 2 weeks) will be quite deep (high) and painted white, we have gorgeous detailed cornices which you can't see in this photo - these plus ceiling will also be white. But to do with the rest of the space? We have a dark timber cot for bub, still waiting for us to pick up at the shop...

At the moment, this room is such a joy to behold! (ha ha) As this is also our spare room for any visitors at the moment, we have kept up the gorgeous gold curtains left behind by the previous owner, which I think adds a little something special...

If you had this room, what would you do with it? The view out the window is the brick wall of the other semi-detached terrace next door... I thought I would throw at you various ideas/rooms that I LOVE, and will look forward to hearing your thoughts back... as always your ideas are welcomed and encouraged!!

--- I LOVE this colour!!! Thanks to Jess from how about orange for pointing me toward this great room seen in 50 of our favourite rooms by dominomag

--- love the details in this room... gorgeous. Of course, we wouldn't expect anything less from a room by house n baby

---I also really love this nursery by Kristi and Nick .

--- think I am particularly struck by the colour combinations in this room, love those blues and greens together! This room by prairieguns .

Of course I couldn't include all of my favourites here... you can see more rooms I love at http://www.flickr.com/photos/summerpickles/favorites/

Thanks lovelies, x

gut and butt 31.5 weeks

2008-05-13T08:18:00.001+10:00

gut and butt 31.5 weeks, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

ha! just posting this photo cause I can.... makes me giggle...
getting closer... (and BIGGER!)
xo

happiness is... a cup of hot chocolate with a dash of anticipation

2008-05-11T22:22:00.001+10:00

happiness is... a cup of hot chocolate with a dash of anticipation, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

Happy Mothers Day to all of the mums out there (especially mine!).

We had a perfect lazy day with a dear friend, having a late late late breakfast (in the afternoon) in fitzroy...

Today was my last mothers day without a bub with us in the outside world to help celebrate...

What a lovely day today was.

Hugs to all mums, soon-to-be mums, once-were-mums and fingers-crossed-soon-to-be-fertility-treatment-mums reading this post xo

a face only a mother could love...

2008-05-04T15:02:00.001+10:00

a face only a mother could love...
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

... at least that what everyone else reckons.. personally, I don't know how anyone could resist this little face?!?

hooray for lazy sundays, going for a walk, sitting out the front and saying hi to the neighbours, cuddling the dog while we both have a sunday afternoon nap... perfect!

aaargh!!! fabric fabric everywhere (and no pins)

2008-05-03T16:58:00.005+10:00

I was hoping that this post I would be able to show off all of my fabulous stitching with flannel... but alas, no! After a whole fortnight without any space to sew (hurrah for major renovations... you can have a cheeky peek here), I had been building up to the sewing fest which was to be today, all week.

So this morning I cleared some space on our kitchen table/study/clothes storage shelf, asked hubby to drag out the sewing machine, played madly with James Brown so he would be completely worn out and would sleep all afternoon, and waved hubby off to football. Switched on ABC Classic FM and then gathered all of my washed, dried and ironed* flannel together. (I have now bought twelve metres of the stuff and am rapidly developing an addiction). Breathed a happy, blissful sigh of anticipation, and then went to get my sewing box.

Nowhere to be found. Looked in the stacked-to-the-ceiling bathroom, the plaster-dust-covered bedrooms, on the "kitchen table", under the kitchen table... everywhere. I may be a beginner, but I am pretty sure that to sew without pins is just not a good idea.

Oh dear. I think I know where the sewing box is. I think it's in the boot of hubby's car. Bother.

Happy weekend everyone xo

* those of you who know me well (ie. incredibly distant from a domestic goddess) will know how impressive it is that I even knew where to find the iron... or could remember what an iron is...

flannel bonanza!

2008-04-17T10:13:00.007+10:00

Hi all

Well, as many of you know, I went to the stitches and craft show, and I did make some purchases, but then moved out to have the house restumped, couldn't find my camera charger, the list goes on!

At home with the dog today, sitting in front of the computer, quilt curled around me, drinking pineapple juice... (if I wasn't a snot monster this might just be heaven... oh, and of course if the hubby were her -- oops!), and remembered I hadn't done the show and tell with my flannel purchases. So here they are....

I only bought one fat quarter of each one (I was at a quilting stall, but had no idea how big that was... how embarrassing!), with the thought of stitching them all together to make a wrap or floor mat or something for our new person in the making. What do you think? This is what I think I will do with them....

It will be my first ever quilt though so I am a week bit nervous... any handy hints more than welcome. I am also interested if you quilters think that how I have mocked up the design on the computer is legitimate, or if I should be waiting til the pieces are cut before deciding on the layout?

Have a lovely Thursday, Friday and weekend x

chicken soup... no, not for the soul, for the 'flu

2008-04-16T19:26:00.007+10:00

One of the girls from work brought her rotten 'flu to the office, and now I have it. Have been feeling gross all day (have discovered the 'flu is much worse when you're working on building a baby), and so decided it was time for some chicken soup.

Here is my recipe for chicken noodle soup... (makes enough for two to three people)

garlic - as much as you like

ginger - as much as you like (I put in plenty - I love it!)

onion - a small one, cut into little moons

chilli - as much as you like

chicken stock - around 4 cups

soy sauce - a good few splashed

mushrooms - a few, chunky slices

boy choy - quite a few bunches

coriander - as much as you like

chicken - I like to use chicken breast, but you could use thighs

enoki mushrooms - a good handful

noodles - preferable flat rice noodles, but udons are okay too

sesame oil

Pop some sesame oil (not much at all) into the bottom of a deep non stick saucepan. Throw in some slices of ginger, garlic, and some onion crescents. Then throw in your mushrooms (not the enokis just yet). Stir them around til they're coated in the sesame oil and starting to stir fry a little. Then, pop in a few good splashes of soy sauce, spin that around with the ingredients already in the pan for a short while, and then pour in your chicken stock. Slide your chicken (chopped into chunks) into the stock and bring to a boil. This is when I throw in the first handful of coriander. Pop your noodles in at the same time - these will not take long to cook at all. Once your chicken is looking just about cooked through, rest your bok choy on top of the soup along with your enoki mushrooms. Allow these to soften up and then serve.

You can garnish with some extra chilli and extra coriander (mmm...)

This soup tastes great, but also makes the house smell divine, and does make you feel better, even when you have a rotten 'flu! Oh, and the dog loves it... check him out in this photo, hoping to get some! (He didn't get any because of the onion and chilli, but he did win a couple of small pieces of chicken breast... spoilt little dog!)

Have a gorgeous week everyone x

books for kids... hooray!

2008-04-09T16:57:00.008+10:00

Okay, I am not meaning to turn this blog into an account of my pregnancy or the upcoming birth of our first born (and there are some serious crafting questions and show and tell items once I can get some good photos), BUT, I am soooo excited about having another excuse to buy children's books at the moment!

Think it has something to do with my history... in a past life I was a speech pathologist, specialising in working with children, and kids' books were my favourite tool of the trade. So I have started my kids' book collection already. Usually, I am immediately sucked right in by a good illustrator, but if the narrative is terrible, the love affair doesn't last long.

So, I was catching up on one of my favourite all time blogs today - book by its cover ... if you love books you must visit this site! - and thought perhaps this was my opportunity to do a bit of a show and tell, too.

Here are some of my favourites:
Henry and Amy is sooo delightful and is probably one of my favourite books, for kids or for adults, of all time. It is essentially a book that suggests that it is absolutely ok to be different, and that our differences sometimes come together to create something truly wonderful (like Henry and Amy's amazing friendship). Everytime I read this I get teary at the page "and together they learnt how to fly". [sigh] This is a beautiful book. Oh! And the illustrations are gorgeous, and so much fun to look at with kids who really get a kick out of all of the squiggly details.

Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day is a gorgeous and fun book. I actually keep this one on my desk at work for when I am having a less than fabulous day, to remind myself that I have the choice tomorrow to start again, fresh from all of the stuff of today. It is also a fabulous book for those of us who are really not morning people. Probably my favourite part is the very beginning ... "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." Gorgeously written and simply illustrated in black and white, I love this book.

This one is not a complicated book at all, but is another one I have on my desk at work. The message is essentially what you would expect... "it's all okay" (and in the background there are some messages perhaps about tolerance and openness). Kids love the illustrations (some seven year old girls I used to work with would just laugh themselves silly when we got to the picture with the girl who has a fish in her hair), I don't know that I am that fussed, but the colours are great, and this is probably not (in my opinion) destined to be a great classic or anything else, it is just a nice, easy, good book, that can be enjoyed.

The Boy and the Tree (1978) is a lovely collection of translated Yiddish poetry. Stunning illustrations by Victor Pivovarov, which are a bit dream-like (sorry, have a science and linguistics background, so can't use any art terms here!). But just lovely. And the poetry is so lovely to read out loud, beautiful rhythms and sounds. I wish you luck finding this one, I managed to pick it up thrifting (one of my best opshop purchases ever), but it could be tricky to get your hands on. It is, though, well worth the effort!

Other fun books to read aloud include Wombat Stew - "wombat stew, wombat stew, ooey gooey munchy chewy wombat stew" and of course Peepo. I have just bought Peepo this past month for our new arrival-in-waiting.

So many fantastic kids' books, so few posts on this blog! (so far...)

Now, time to share and delurk... which children's books are your favourites?

what i did this easter

2008-03-25T08:48:00.002+11:00

what we did this easter
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

1. new button bracelet 2, 2. gone!, 3. pancakes for Easter brekkie, 4. cheap entertainment

Hope everyone else had a good one! x