This Week @ mealyandi

It's hard to believe that the first week of the school holidays have finished and we are onto the second. 
Being that we are on the move again next year, we have taken the opotunity to visit a few 'to-do' places of interest on our list.

 

1. Visiting the local winery's and enjoying lunch
2. Our first look inside H & M.  Gone is the boutigue shopping destination. Instead it is filled wall to wall with people pushing and shoving each other.  Don't get me started on the lines to try clothes on or heaven forbid, actually purchase something. 
On the way out I heard a group of girls gasp and say "It looks just like Singapore"  It took all of my effort not to say "It is a piece of Australia's history originally built in 1859" 
3. It seems I wore the kids out with all of the sight seeing.

WIP WEDNESDAY :: The next generation

I have fond memories of my mother making most of my clothes growing up.  I was of the tall, skinny variety and going clothes shopping was a nightmare (If my Mother had the skills to make my shoes I believe she would have done that too)

Visiting my Grandparents was always fun.  I would sit and watch my Grandmother create the most beautiful items and was always excited if we managed to be visiting during the final fitting of the next local Bride's head piece or veil before she walked down the isle. Sitting and watching on from the bed as she looked at herself in the mirror.  Then down to the back steps and watched as my Grandfather pressed and would often be taking up a pair of too long pants for himself or my Mum (he was a Tailor by trade)


So it comes as no surprise that I have past on the love of creating things with ones hands to my children.

This project has been nine months in the making and she is almost at the end.  Amelia has plans of entering it in the local show here next weekend.  I'm looking forward to seeing it hanging up and her feeling the sense of achievement you get when finishing a long term project.

Joining in with The Dove Nest :: Wednesday WIP linky.

WIP WEDNESDAY :: All Stitched Together

I'm getting there.  One week until the end of the term.  Which means that I have one more week to go and it has to be finished. 

I think that I am doing well.  The pictures look great all framed in different colours (even the Hawks ones don't look to bad)

Now onto sandwiching, backing and binding,  all terms that this knitter is not familiar with so any advise and links would be wonderful if you have any you could suggest (is this where I admit that the only quilt I have done before this is a few doll ones?)

I havn't picked up the knitting needles in weeks, I have a few things that I need to cast on but I really want to get this onto the finished pile before the end of the term and am quiet looking forward to gifting it.

Joining in with The Aussie WIP Wednesday over at The Dove Nest.
What are you working on at the moment? 

A Cat in a Hat

During National Literacy and Numeracy Week the school held a Book Character Parade.

Being a book lover and having missed the last few Book Weeks, I wasn't disappointed when Baden asked me to make him his costume.

He narrowed it down to six (yes, six) different characters and then chose

THE CAT IN THE HAT

I could have easily have purchased a $20 costume in a bag made in a factory somewhere in China.  But that would have been the easy option.  Instead I made him a hat and tie and then he asked for a onesie with a zip, white chest and paws. How could this mother say no!
 

We finished off the costume with some face makeup and with a wave of his tail he was off.

“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how.”
― Dr. Seuss : The CAT in the HAT 

Pattern Details:

Hat and Paws : My own.  Measured his head and winged it.  The brim is a circle in a cirle and stitched on. The stripes are 3 inches wide and made for a very tall hat.

Onesie:  Kwik Sew 2704. Pattern A, minus the feet and with the sleeves and legs turned and elastic added.

Materials : Rathdowne Fabrics 

WIP WEDNESDAY : A knitter out of water

A few months ago, I came up with a brain wave of an idea (I get those often).  Amelia's teacher had announced her pregnancy and I thought that a quilt might be a good idea from the class. 
With some secret conversations with another teacher, the two of us hatched a cunning plan.

The kids all drew a picture with fabric pens or crayons.  I gave them a few guidelines and left them to it.  Clearly there are a few Hawthorn supporters in the class, not really what I was expecting, they clearly missed the 'baby quilt' explanation.

Fast forward to a few months later. The tummy is getting bigger and the term is coming to a screaming halt and I've just started the sewing part of it.

HELP: would you strip it or just sew it together with a boarder?  This knitter is wading into unknown territory with this project.

What are you working on at the moment?  Head over to The Aussie WIP Wednesday hosted by The Dove Nest for more Works in Progress around Australia.

Perri Pullover {Pinspired}

To say that Amelia is in love with this Perri Pullover would be an understatement.

I made it a few weeks ago from fabric that I purchased off of the $2 table at Darn Cheap Fabrics. 
She is getting so much wear out of it and there will be more (in fact there is already a second cut out for her and one for me that I will get to when my over locker is back from getting repaired)

 This is the size 6 and as you can see there is still plenty of room.  The only modification I did to the pattern was move the pockets down slightly.  The pattern has them quiet high up and therefore pointless as they can not be used.

I also thought that I would join in with Little White Dove's: Pinspired posts.  I have so many Pin's that I reallly should do something about using some.  Pinterest is telling me that I pinned this 17 weeks ago. 

52

 I have not been organised to join in with 52 portraits this year.  Actually I am struggling to pull out my camera most weeks.  I really need to do something about that and snap a few more photos of these two.

 This adorable picture was taken of them a few weeks ago in knits* that I knitted for a friend.  they are growing up before our very eyes.

For more adorable portraits, pop over and say hi at Practising Simplicity

* I'll blog about the knits soon