Iron on Glitter

Is there anyone on this planet that doesn't like glitter?

Recently, I went searching for some iron on glitter.  I really only wanted a little piece to decorate Ava's birthday dress.  As is so often the case, I ended up buying 4m of the stuff!  The shop I found it at only sells by the metre and the postage to product cost ratio made absolutely no sense to buy any less.

I ended up buying 2 lengths of the glitter version: gold and purple and 2 lengths of the sparkle version: pink and purple.  It is 50cm wide, so this stuff is going to last a looooooong time!  There were so many other iron ons to choose from - flock, metallic, neon....  It was hard to limit myself to just a few.  But, sparkles is what I was after so sparkles is what I bought.

** Something worth mentioning: they say that their vinyl is intended to be fixed with a heat press, not a domestic iron.  I say that I have washed and scratched at the glitter version and it is staying stuck.  Do what you like with their guidance, at your own risk **

Ok...so this is how I did the '4'.

Print your template and tape it to the vinyl.  The glitter vinyl has a clear vinyl over the top of the glitter.  Keep that on until after ironing.  I used my rotary cutter to slice the straighter lines.  I think that my rotary blade is a little sharper after cutting this!

This is what the back side looked like after cutting with my rotary blade.  I then peeled the template off and cut the curvy corners and edges with my scissors.

Take your bits to your ironing board and position your neatly cut vinyl piece where you want it.  Crank your iron up to its maximum heat setting (assuming that you are ironing on to natural fabric).  Place a thin piece of plainly woven cotton fabric over the top - you want lots of heat to get through that fabric layer.  My 4 was perfectly sized to sit under my iron without needing to slide the iron around to cover all edges, so I placed my iron over my 4 and counted to 15.  My 15 count was probably quicker than 15 seconds.  For extra sticking security, I then slid my iron around the 4 for a few more seconds.

While your glitter vinyl is still hot, peel back the clear topping (please excuse that chipped purple finger nail!).

*Optional: run around the house with crazy excitement showing everyone your amazing glittery fabric*

For the sparkle vinyl, follow the same steps, except that it doesn't have a clear top layer, so no peeling is necessary.  Also, if your iron is like mine and has indents on its ironing surface - keep the iron moving when sticking your transfer down.  My iron has circle indents and I ended up with a strange ghost bubble on the heart transfer.  A little more ironing and most of it went away - but not all of it.

I like the glitter vinyl much more than the sparkle vinyl. The glittery one has a much softer handle on the fabric; the sparkly one is very 'vinyl' when it is ironed on.

The 4 dress was intended to be a birthday present - Ava turns 4 in 2 weeks time.  But, little miss eagle eyes saw me sewing and then stalked me to finish it so that she could wear it.  Seriously - she walked around pretty much naked for the last 20 mins of me sewing and ironing!!!  I guess now I have to come up with an alternative birthday dress plan!

Her heart dress is a dress that I made ages ago.  Now it has an obvious front to it, to help her put it on the right way around :)

Have you played around with any fancy iron on vinyls - metallic...flocked....others?  How did you find them?

************************************* Edited to add....actually the sparkly version also has a clear top to it.  We only noticed about 4 hours after Ava put her dress on this morning that there was a clear peel-able layer there!  So actually - the sparkly version isn't as stiff as I originally thought.  It still doesn't have as soft a handle as the glitter version, but it is much, much better than my original impression ************** 

Happy Valentines Day!

The little flowers made these at nursery this week.  Ava took a little convincing to get paint-dirty and Chloe apparently ate as much glitter and glue as what is on her card.  I can't believe that these 2 little chickens will soon be 4 and 2....!

Childrens Reward Chart

We have tried Ava on a chore chart before.  It was a very simple hand drawn thing, not pretty but it did its job.

In an effort to getting back on a good, well behaved sort of track (i.e. making Flower Daddies life a little more tantrum free and easier on the mornings of my working days, in the getting dressed sort of department) I put a new one together on the computer.

Again, not beautiful - but clean and simple and neatly customisable (and not full of annoying commercialised characters).  Most importantly, it won't suck up all my printer ink in a single print!

I printed ours on to white paper and then stuck it up with pretty washi tape.  If you are feeling like you need a little bit of help in the small person department, please feel free to download a copy here.  {For some reason colour is missing from the download preview.  When you download it is should look like the picture above.}The colours are less pink, more orange - gender neutral I think?
Not sure how to fill it in?  Well, here is my suggestion:

Ava's responsibilities this week are:

* to get herself dressed in the morning {the picture says what she needs to put on - t-shirt, panties, pants, socks and shoes}

* to be kind and gentle to her little sister 

* to check and top up the dogs food and water in the morning and evening

* to not suck her fingers

We are using 1 of the many, many, many sheets of stickers that we happen to have in the house.  But, I have seen these cute ones here and another here.

She has to get 20 stickers to get her reward.  She chose to go to the park as her reward...crickey!  Makes me feel like I deprive her of park visits!!

Let's see what it looks like at the end of this coming Sunday...

Just a about a week late

My intention for Kids Clothes Week Challenge was positive.  I wasn't 100% confident that I would find time  or energy for children's sewing related *stuff* every day...but, I was indeed hopeful!  High-hopes.  Very High Hopes.

Thursday: fabric arrived and was washed.  Inspired by those lovely fabrics, patterns were traced.  Friday: patterns were cut.

Saturday: fabric was cut.  {including my most favourite and very well worn maternity jeans - 2 pregnancies and 2 post-pregnancies...holes everywhere and hems worn through}

Then the rest spilt into this past week....and all I have to show for it is this little dress finished today.  And, only finished today, because Chloe slept for 3 hours this afternoon!

Poor little munchkin - for the last 3 weeks Chloe has been drooling more than she can drink.  We are more or less back on track this week, but last week was tough.  On all of us.  With two proper nights sleep in 7...us parents were walking zombies.

The little pile of cut fabric is sitting on my sewing table - soon to be leggings, long sleeved t-shirt and little knit skirt - all for Ava.  All patterns from the Autumn Ottobre.  Maybe tomorrow....

My burning question is when did Ava grow so tall?!  Last time I made her clothes she was a size 98cm....now she is 102cm tall (according to size charts 4 year old's are 104cm tall, she is 3 1/2).  So to allow a decent amount of growing room, I am sewing 110cm clothes!! (which is the next size up from the 104 in the Ottobre patterns).

She is growing up so sweetly...but far too quickly...

In between mopping all the drool, changing clothing and comfort giving, I have been practising plaiting this very beautiful, short, fine and very, very silky soft blonde hair.  Ava has been insisting on plaits in her hair - day and night.  The plaits are kept together with the very best ever DIY fold over elastic hair bands.  No snagging and super kind on her silky soft locks.

Fabric - Yay!

I love fabric.  Give me great big piles of it to snuggle into...as long as it was natural fibres...and I would be one happy bunny.

I went off in search of work pants the other day, with the girls in tow.  Not recommended!  We only managed one shop and one trying on session.  To be brief about it - I grabbed a pair of pants that seemed ok and ran out the shop (of course, paying first).  What I ended up with was a pair of nasty clingy, static-y polyester!  I do not like clingy polyester.  Needless to say they were returned.

When I sew for the girls, I always use cotton fabric.  Often with some elastine content.  I love the funky fabric that the likes of Dots n Stripes and Ottobre sell.  Those bright colours, fun patterns and funky stripes would be my choice for their clothing first time every time....but, they are pricey!  So I really don't buy them very often.

Ava is in need of winter clothing - simple stuff...leggings and long sleeve tops and a pinafore or two.  To get me started, I decided to buy a few pieces of fabric from one of my favourite shops.

The fabric arrived this morning and has been washed.  That is as far as I have gone really.  When I finish up here, I will be clearing all the *stuff* off of our dining room table and spreading out a few pattern sheets to trace a pattern or three.

...fingers cross that is a reality....

Sewing Non-Starter

It has not been the greatest week ever.  On Sunday, Chloe had a very croaky voice - which *hanging my head in shame* I found rather cute and amusing.  Since then, we have barely slept.  Cold + teeth = a very unhappy little Chloe.  Painkillers aren't helping and she doesn't want to eat anything except yoghurt....poor little sausage...  Plus, with all her drooling and spitting and sneezing - she has kindly shared her germs with me.

Tonight we have given in and she is snuggling next to Flower Daddy on the couch.  We desperately needed a break from the constant upstairs-downstairs business of the last 4 nights.  I never get to see her like this - all still and quiet and sleeping.  Normally I am chasing after her and plucking her off of whatever it is that she has decided to climb.

So - to say that I have not lifted a sewing related finger for KCWC would be an understatement.  The closest I have come to doing anything is to pull out the latest Ottobre magazine, pens and tracing paper....with lots of good intentions.  I am knackered and my nose is streaming.  That is my excuse and I am sticking to it!  I suppose that I should be tracing those patterns now instead of writing this?

I need those gorgeous fabrics from Ottobre to arrive to give me some va-va-voom!  Mushrooms and Little Red Riding Hood are needed!  Never mind the half made dress (for me) sitting on my sewing table waiting for my attention....

Dear Chloe

Let me just start by saying how much I love you, how quiet and different life would be without you...I would be devastated if you were not here.

One day, I hope that you have your own children.  Not so that I can have grand children.  I am far to young to be wanting grand children, yet!  I would like for you to have your own child/ren, so that you can have a taste of your own medicine.  I am fairly certain that my mother felt the same about me.

Here is why I hope for grand children...so that every day you can:

• be whacked in the eye
• cracked on the head with a very heavy little head - at least once a day
• be awake by 6am...at the latest....EVERY day
• ...and be at the mercy of a fully wound child from the moment that her eyes open
• be elbowed in the boob, regularly
• mop water and milk off the floor every 5 minutes
• be screamed/head butted/pushed and pulled at while food is prepared - you have a bit of a see-food-want-food-now issue
• follow your child around - retrieving her from:
• window sills
• tables - including my sewing table!
• standing on and tipping little chairs over
• and stopping her from climbing into the bath full of water
• mop up the flood when the dog water bowl is tipped over
• rescue brushes, paper, clothing, hair clips... from the toilet
• change the poopy nappy of a baby that does not want to lie down
• clean the floor of food every single time your child eats
• ....especially the cheerios and milk that are dumped on the floor when you have had enough
• so that you can see what you are able to squeeze into that precious nap hour
• polish those dents in the floor, from whatever is is that you have just thrown, so that Daddy doesn't see them and get cross
• so that you can have a never-ending stream of teeny tiny clothes to wash and hang
• stop your child from acting like superman off of the couch and bean bag
• clean off food and drink that has been smeared into the couch
• have your furniture used as a jungle gym
• ...and have your protests and threats completely ignored

You are only just 16mths old, but - oh man! - you are the noisiest, most busy and active, destructive, messy and trouble causing little monster that I have ever experienced.  I thought that girls were supposed to be easy?

But then also, so that you have a little person to:

• sew cute clothes for
• hug and cuddle
• give you wet little kisses
• give pigtails to - that first pigtail is the cutest

Number Coins

Ava is really interested in numbers and letters right now.  She is getting pretty darn good at recognising letters too.  Numbers, not so much.  So, I made her these little wooden coins.

They were actually very easy to make.

I already had the coins and 5 colours of woodstain (suitable for being nibbled on / saliva proof).  So I simply brushed a few coats of the stain on with a soft brush.  I used an old dish towel as my working surface - I didn't fancy the wet coins sticking to paper or staining our nice table.

The stained coins were so pretty, I almost couldn't bring myself to write on them...

Anyhow, I let the coins dry for a few hours and then wrote on them with my white Posca marker.  The ink kept sinking into the coins, so I gave the writing a few coats - leaving each coat to dry for a little while first.  The white ink gradually built up.

There are 2 coins of each number.  On the 1 side I have written the number and on the other there are dots for her to count and figure out what the number says.  I should probably have done numbers 1-20, rather than 2 sets of 10...but how would I have fitted 20 dots on to the back!?

A Teensy Bit of Craftiness

Somehow, *things* seem to be really busy at home right now.  A lot of it being mischief making, with these two monkeys.  But mostly to do with the building work going on - really just paving...but a whole lot of it - Flower Daddy doing some of the work himself, at weekends too.  All in all, I am getting very little time to be crafty.  It is sending me a little bonkers.

But, yesterday, Ava had an afternoon snooze which kind of co-ordinated with Chloe's snooze.  Ava sleeping during the day means a  v-e-r-y  very late night...so not a great idea...especially with the crankiness that follows the next day.  Anyhow, it meant that I was able to sew a little.

So...did I sew something useful...or something for me to wear....or something for one of the girls to wear...?

Nope!

I sewed a dolls nappy!  Ava keeps using Chloe's 4+ nappies on her dolls.  It looks a bit ridiculous - nappy to armpit...  The nappy fabric is my new dandilion print in gold.  Which I rather love.  It was a scrap test piece.  {I based the nappy pattern on this one}

Oh...my camera also broke.  So, pics are a bit ick from my phone.

I will be requesting some *me time* this weekend of Flower Daddy.  I have new fabric that needs tending to - printing and sewing, pj's that need making and general sewing space tidy-upping!

If my request can not be fulfilled... I might just spontaneously combust.

Before and After Children

It is already over 2 months since I have been back at work - after a lovely years maternity leave.  Working in an office feels so alien to me these days.

BC (as in Before Children) I was pretty ambitious; not so phased about conforming with my 21 days annual leave; happy to travel for work; not so happy about working over time; had shelved my craftiness and hobbies; happy to wear a black suit and black shoes; happy to have a business-like handbag...you get the idea.  I had worked hard to get to the level I was within the company and was fine with it.

That was all good and fine and great.  But, I never expected my year off with Ava to mess with my values so much!  I remember worrying that I was going to be bored within 2 weeks away from work - NOT!  I remember thinking it would be no problem to stick Ava in care while I went back to work 5 days a week - NOT!  6 months into my leave and I didn't really want to go back to work...and was already thinking that a 2nd ankle biter might not be such a bad idea after all.

Over 3 years I was off on maternity leave for 2 - with a 1 year return to work break in the middle.  There will be no more little people in this house.  Two little girls is enough for us 2 parents to handle thank you very much.  So, no more maternity leave to look foward to.  It makes me very sad to think that I won't experience that freedom again.

AC (as in After Children) I am still pretty ambitious (but in a very different way); very much bugged by conforming to my annual leave allowance (travelling to South Africa with 2 little people costs a bucket - and 3 weeks away just doesn't allow enough time to visit family any more); not that happy to travel for work (although would if needed); not happy about working over time (it means that Flower Daddy has to pick up the slack); have my fingers dipped into about 10 different crafts; hate black - shoes and clothes and want to live in shorts; use a backpack (can't carry Chloe and hold Ava's hand and keep a bag slung over my shoulder all at the same time); want to be involved in raising our girls - disciplining, being a role model and all that stuff - not leaving all of that to the nursery...the list goes on and on and on...I am also pretty darn bitter that most of my income goes to paying nursery to look after our girls.

On the upside, I do get 3 days break from the girls when I am at work.  But on the 2 home days, the 3 of us are just so exhausted.  The girls are clingly and grumpy and plain hard work.  So I get nothing done.  I have hardly been near my sewing space in the last 2 months.  Frustrating.

I.  Need.  To.  Craft.

For my own sanity!

But, I can't craft when by brain capacity is being abused.  No sooner do I get any where near my sewing table and the girls need me.  As in Chloe falls off or on to something, or they start fighting with each other, or they need snacks or drinks.  It was easy when there was just Ava to entertain, but add a very active Chloe to the mix and it is just too much of a hassle.  So, I just don't bother trying to sew or do anything crafty.  Frustrating.

But.  But, but, but, but, BUT!

I am on leave until the beginning of September!  YAY!  It's only 5 working days, but the girls will be at nursery for those 5 working days.  Which means that I can cut and sew and print and design to my hearts content.  Now I just have to survive the next few days until my first day of peace and quiet next week.  I am counting the sleeps.

A Dolls House - One Day

When I was a kid (and played with Barbies) we converted a section of my bedroom cupboard into a dolls house.  It was a built in cupboard - floor to ceiling...something like 60cm wide with shelves top to bottom.  I don't think we did anything fantastic or amazing to the 'house' - no wall paper, no carpet.  But each shelf was a house floor. My Barbies lived in a mansion!  I loved it!

Anyhow, I have seen a few children's dolls houses around - like fancy-pants wooden ones that you'd be fleeced £200 for the privilege of owning.  Definitely not on my wishlist.  But, we visited a friend yesterday and her little 3 year old has been given this really great cardboard dolls house.

It is just like this one, but it is white.  I have just done a bit of googling and I see that you can purchase one of these here.  So fun.  I especially love that it is created for drawing on and that a budding little artist can go totally nuts on it or leave it completely minimalistic...and then when it's days are over, just recycle it.  No dilemma's or guilt over what to do with it when the enjoyment has fizzled out!

On my cardboard dolls house google travels, I also found this one.  I just have to share it!

How completely crackers is that?!  I love it.  The creativity appeals to me in a beeeeg way.  There are a few more must see views here.  Nappy boxes here - we - come!

Ok.  I got distracted.  This is actually where I was heading before google-land side swiped me....

It's a book shelf turned into a dolls house.  So, totally pretty.  Ok, I love this even more than a recyclable dolls house.  I love that I could re-purpose something that we already have.  I love that it can be re-purposed back into regular storage when the girls grow out of dolls houses.  Not that they have grown into dolls houses yet....maybe One Day...some day soon....I want to make a dolls house already!  Our family need a home!

Oh - if you know of any great dolls house furniture DIY's - I'd love to hear about them.

No Cupcakes Left

If you happen to have visited my Facebook this week you would have seen Chloe hanging off of the oven watching cupcakes bake.  Or, maybe she was just gawping at herself and slobbering on the mirrored glass?  Either way, it was cute.

We decorated the cupcakes with a lovely, yummy, light and fluffy chocolate buttercream icing and Ava sprinkled colourful flowers, spots and miniature smarties generously all over them.  YUM!

But...now....the cupcakes are all finished :(

I am supposed to be on a bit of a diet - as in cutting back on the naughty stuff, so no baking cupcakes again any time soon......{melodramatic} sigh........

Through the Eyes of a 3 Year Old {July 2012}

There is nothing quite like a 3 year old to keep it real...yup, our house is an untidy mess.  That is just the way it is.  No sooner have I tidied a corner, than a bomb explodes in another corner.  So, I have kind of given up.

The dining room table always has piles of stuff on it.  We pretty much live at and around the table - this space has a lovely view of and doors opening on to the garden, as well as lovely light.  The backs of the dining table chairs often have clothes hanging on them - better there than the floor, right?! 

In other 'news':

* As of Thursday Chloe is walking!!  About 2 drunken metres at a time!!  We are so proud!!

*I have been a bit quiet in this here spot because day job + home are sucking me a bit dry - a bit of overtime, cranky commuters, late and disturbed nights, cranky tired children, dreary wet weather all contributing.

* I squeezed in a tiny bit of sewing time for me yesterday.  I have hardly sewn in weeks!  I now have 2 skirts on the go - 1x Burda (kinda wrap style) skirt and 1x re-invented M&S (long to short) skirt a la Noodlehead....more details another day....

And now, Chloe - who has been up since 5:30am (grrrr) - is removing washing from the airer.  Best I go rescue it all before it needs re-washing!

Have a happy Sunday!

Twinkle Twinkle Chocolate Bar

Ava has been singing Twinkle twinkle chocolate bar for weeks.  That is as far as she gets - repeating it over and over and over and over again!  We thought that she had heard it on TV, from one of the kiddies programs that she enjoys...we had never heard it before.

Anyhow, Chloe and I have just returned from a session at our local Childrens Centre where I thought about asking if there was such a song.  There is!  Apparently there are many variations.  I am going to have to check this out on You Tube at some point....ja, like I don't have anything better to do with my time than surf You Tube for kiddies song variations!!

The lyrics we have just learnt are:

Twinkle twinkle chocolate bar

My dad drives a rusty car

Pull the leaver

Push the choke

Off we go in a cloud of smoke

Twinkle twinkle chocolate bar

My dad drives a rusty car

Obviously, using the Twinkle tune.

A quick Google found a slightly different version here

I best be off - Chloe is a-snoozing and I have some pj shorts to sew for the girls {and tops, if I ever get around to them!}, before summer arrives.

Ava's 3rd Birthday

It was Ava's 3rd birthday yesterday.  I can't believe that she is no longer a toddler...I guess that it has really been a while since she was an 'official' toddler.  She recently discovered skirts and the last few days has demanded to wear one - day time AND night time!  She only had one skirt that I made her a few weeks ago, which she had been refusing to wear.  Then...BAM..all of a sudden she is refusing to take it off!?

Anyhow, for her birthday I made her a little circle skirt out of some gorgeous cotton fabric that a kind lady gave to me.

Twirling demonstration...we still need to work on getting the skirt twirling properly!  We also need to work harder on getting those fingers out her mouth more permanently...

Here we are again, this time modelling her new shoes, which conveniently arrived in the post on her birthday, and eating rainbow birthday cake.

Just to confirm....she did in fact sleep in the new skirt last night.  I had to peel it off her this morning to get it in the wash basket.

Her birthday cake was rainbow cupcakes.  I was a bit over enthusiastic about the amount of food colouring needed!  I mixed up 5 different colours, and put a dollop of each into the cupcake cases.  The recipe is my favourite - Mums Beat & Bake Cake.

They were iced with a lovely light (and pink) buttercream icing piped on with a round nozzle and then decorated with Dr Oetker sprinkles.

Candles were lit {again and again and again}. Happy Birthday was sung {again and again and again}.

Cake was eaten and enjoyed.  Tongues (and no doubt tummies) were stained.

Cupcake wrappers were compared and admired....well, by me at least!

I made her one other present - memory coins.  I bought the coins from here and the images were inspired by these.  I still want to add colour to them, my coloured markers only arrived in the post today, and seal them with beeswax and olive oil.  Will do a big reveal when they are properly finished.  So far, she has enjoyed the memory game...and has invented her own tiddly-winks game with them too!

It was a good day and a really, really busy day yesterday - even although it poured, Really Poured!  By 5pm she was completely wiped out.  I still can't believe that our precious, adorable, clever little girl is 3 already....

...now I just have to come to terms with baby Chloe turning 1 next month - when she will soon become a toddler...