The visitor

Don't mind me.
No please, I insist.
I know I look quite big*.
And close.
But just carry on.
As if I weren't here.
I'll ... uh ... be sitting quietly.
Minding my own business.
Yup, yup, yup.

Hey ... is that a sandwich you're eating?


* 52 centimetres


This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

Shiny

When I spied this thread at Open Drawer, I knew resistance was useless.



I quote from the packaging ...

This thread appears matt grey in ordinary diffuse light but flashes a luminous silver when viewed from the same direction as a light source. It is spectacular in low light or at night.



I wasn't sure why I needed it. Or what I would use it for.

All I knew was: Must. Have. Shiny. Object.

Sometime after the purchase of aforementioned thread, I remembered: I was about to make a coat (Jalie 2680 - Women's City Coat). And as you can see, this baby has a shedload of top-stitching.



Although the pattern instructions don't specifically recommend that said top-stitching should look spectacular in low light or at night ....



... I am sure that top-stitched seams flashing a luminous silver when viewed from the same direction as a light source will be a great asset.



Once I have finished the coat I will be able to go walking at night, secure in the knowledge that I will be visible from miles away.

Look out dear ... what's that in the headlights?
Why I do believe its a princess-seamed coat with wobbly top stitching.

This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

Here's one I prepared earlier

Here is a little girl's skirt that I sewed a while ago*



I love this cute pattern - the "Insa skirt" - by Farbenmix. The design, with layering and ruching, reminds me of a princess skirt. It makes an excellent twirly party skirt.



The pattern is available individually or as part of the book "Sewing Clothes Kids Love" [Langdon & Pollehn, 2010 Creative Publishing International].



I've made this skirt once before using a dreamy pink fairy print, called the Sprites of Tillbrook. Regretably due to a lack of forethought about print placement, I decapitated some of said sprites.



I'm not sure about the wearer, but personally I still haven't recovered.



For this version I stuck with less risky Japanese sashiko stars in indigo and taupe. There's only just so much of a mess you can make with a bunch of stars.

* "A little while ago" may mean "10 months ago"

This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

If you do wot I say ...

I just found this partly-penned gem. Clearly Argy has been putting his new-found writing skills into practice.

As Einstein so famously said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot."

I can only guess how this would have ended if Argy knew more words.

The one in which I mentioned the thread once, but I think I got away with it

Oooh ... lookee over here at all the pretty threads.

No, on second thought - if you don't live in Melbourne don't look at the overlocker threads. Quick ... avert your eyes. Pretend you never saw them.

And I'll be sure not to tell you that this little shop also has a wall ... yes a whole wall ... of zippers of every description. And beautiful interfacing for just $6 a metre.

Yep, I'm awfully glad you didn't see all that.


Anh Accessories Supply
407 Victoria Street
Richmond, Victoria
Open Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 5:30pm


This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

A bolt of fabric

Earlier this year, when I made this bed cover as a gift, I learned a number of important things about fabric and bolts.

For example: I learned that you can't waltz into your local purveyor of fine fabrics and request 11 metres of their best. No siree.

Apparently your standard bolt in a patchwork store is liable to hold far less. And you will need to buy shorter pieces of different prints and do something called sewing to join them into a bed cover.

Just between you and I, I've heard that some people do this kind of thing just for fun. Sheesh, it takes all kinds, huh?


Prints by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit - Delilah collection

But more importantly, I learned that a bolt is actually something your 4-year-old is liable to do whilst you are puzzling (in the aforementioned fabric store) over which prints go together and in what combination and quantity.

Yes, this sort of bolt compels you to run up and down the aisles, with eyes wide and bellowing your child's name like a fishwife.

The sort where other customers are liable to look and think ... Sheesh, it takes all kinds, huh?


This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

From the more-is-more school of thought

A book of temporary tattoos.
A stealthy 4-year-old.
Four matching limbs.

Tatts a lot of body art.

This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

Simplicity 2506 mouse ears

Recently it was "dress as your favourite book character" day at school. For the uninitiated this occassion is also known as send-your-mother-to-the-edge-of-madness-with-some-completely-outlandish-costume-request.

So when Argy announced he wanted to go as "The Gruffalo" with his terrible tusks and terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws, I had to do some quick thinking.



"Er yes, wow, that's a great choice" I said, all the while trying to fathom how to construct terrible tusks and teeth. But then a brainwave: "How about the Mouse?" I suggested, hopefully. "Isn't the Mouse the hero of the story?" Argy looked a little uncertain, but agreed.

I swung into action (before he could change his mind) and started rifling through my pattern collection. Mouse, mouse, mouse ... surely there must be something here. Sure enough, I found a pristine Simplicity 2506 - view D included a sort of hood with mouse ears. Excellent.

But my moment of triumph dissipated when I saw the words "Costumes for Toddlers".



Yes, there was no denying it: the pattern envelope clearly showed a bunch of smiling babies modelling the costumes. Bother. I looked back and forth between the pattern and 6-year-old Argy's well-above-average crown circumference. This was going to call for a little ingenuity.

I traced off the hood pattern pieces and then after taking a few flat pattern measurements, decided to employ an alteration technique called the LNA ("Large Noggin Adjustment"). The LNA (which is sometimes also referred in the trade as the "Big Head Spread"), involved slashing and adding extra real estate to all the pattern pieces making up the hood.

With the addition of a couple of darts, the fit was good and I was able to make up a snug mousy hood in brown fleece and beige tricot. I was quite pleased with the result. That is, except for a lingering doubt: when I changed the size of the hood, should I have graded up the mouse ears?

I soon knew the answer. On the morning of "dress as your favourite book character" Argy proudly wore his costume to school. "Hey ... look its a koala" yelled someone.

With my costume-making pride just a little dented, I tried to see the bight side. At least that's next year's costume sorted: Argy can go as Blinky Bill.



This post brought to you as part of Blogtoberfest - October's blogging festival.

/blôgˈtoʊbərˈfest/ (noun)

This poor craft blog. Its suffered months of neglect: no words, no pictures. Some 722 blog posts have been sitting about, gathering dust. The only visitors have been ones with unusual names like Viagra, Toilet Paper, Learn Spanish and Protein Powder (.. granted they do always stop and take the time to leave such thoughtful shopping recommendations).

Anyway, its time to pull up my socks and get writing again (although I am at a loss to explain how socks will help ... unless they are toe socks, because they like, totally help with typing).

To get back into the habit, I'm joining in with the an annual blogging event, Blogtoberfest. So I'll see you again soon .... I'll be the one in the stripey socks.

Nanna

There's been a bit of a craft and writing hiatus in these here parts. Whoops. Something tells me its time to reorganise my priorities. Can you help? Let's close our eyes and repeat together: a tidy house is a sign of a wasted life; a tidy house is a sign of a wasted life.

Eyes open again? Good.

Last week (as the ironing accumulated, floor gathered dust and children went hungry) I managed to complete a small project. This is my entry for the "Hottie Cover Challenge Exhibition", which is a charitable initiative being run by retail gallery, Open Drawer. All money raised will be going to the Margaret Pratt Foundation.

Now to clarify, a hottie cover is something you put a hot water bottle into ... and not a handsome bloke from the front of a magazine. The latter was guessed by a hopeful family member. (Yes, I'm looking at you Argy and Bargy's auntie!)



My hot water bottle cover has been submitted as part of a large group entry, organised by the lovely Cam from Curlypops.

I jokingly told Cam I was going to do something a bit nanna. Sadly the only nanna-ish thing I could think to make was er, an actual nanna.

Anyway, here is Nanna sitting in a chair with a knee rug and her own hottie.



The front of the cover is osnaburg and the back is made up mystery blue and pink florals that caught my eye in Spotlight.



Nanna is a combination of dimensional applique, beading and free-motion machine stitching.

It was the first time I had tried "drawing" with a machine. This will come as no surprise to those of you who had already noticed that nanna has an unusually square nose and weirdly shaped feet. (Goodness gracious, lucky I wasn't trying to stitch that handsome bloke from the front of the magazine cover. Can you imagine what I might have done to a six pack?)

If you would like to see some absolutely beautiful examples of hottie covers - with not a square nose in sight - do try and pop into Open Drawer between now and 24 July. If you are out-of-town you can take a virtual tour of a selection of covers right here.


Hottie Cover Exhibition
1 - 24 July 2011
Open Draw
1156 Toorak Road
Camberwell

Exhibition opening
6 - 8pm Friday 1 July
All hotties are for sale with proceeds to the Margaret Pratt Foundation

A birthday cake epilogue (or "Happy Mothers Day")

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."
Source: Unknown

Its Mother's Day: the perfect day to write a little epilogue to the story of the Octonaut's birthday cake.


I received such lovely, generous comments to last week's birthday cake post, that I thought I ought to set the record a little straighter. Here, friends, is the reality ...

• The cake was made with a commercial packet mix
  
• The cake fell apart when I turned it out of the tin - who the heck gets a packet mix wrong?
  
• I swore a lot made a polite exasperated sound
  
• I made another packet mix cake
  
• The bottom fell off the cake - what kind of clown gets two packet mixes wrong?
  
• I ran out of packet mixes. More swearing.
  
• I had to glue the cake back together with fondant icing - a shedload of icing.
  
• There was a disproportionate (and unfavourable) cake-to-icing ratio
  
  
  
  
• The Octonauts decorations were really tricky to construct. I am afflicted with sausage-fingers. I spilt purple food dye down a cupboard. I glared at anyone who approached the kitchen. I spent more time on the cake, than I did holding the party. I swore a lot.
  
• I don't think anyone actually liked eating the cake. Even the small children. That's saying something .... small children will eat anything inanimate labelled cake.
  
• Not long after the party finished, I found Bargy breaking all the Octonaut decorations into small pieces (Look mum, I made a jigsaw). They were only icing. But I cried anyway.

This has been a real blog post from a real mum. All the rest that you see here at Hoppo Bumpo is nice camera angles and the use of a thesaurus.

A very happy Mothers Day to all the mums out there. (Remember: smoke-and-mirrors are your friends.)

Liesl xx

Octo-what?

Argy recently turned 6 and, as is our custom, placed a request for a special birthday cake. I held my breath. The Octonauts, he declared.

Whew. The Octonauts - a crew of storybook (and now animated) animals who roam the ocean and have adventures - are pretty cute. They would be fun to do.

But then Argy added the qualifier: the Octopod please, mum.

If you are unfamiliar with the Octonauts, may I present the four-armed, glass-domed under-water vehicle they call the Octopod.


Source: The Octonauts

Dear reader, is this a shape that really says cake to you?

Er, non?

After negotiations about the design (where its rumoured I resorted to half-truths about not having the right food colouring to make the Octopod) we decided upon some of the Octonaut characters and an underwater scene.

So we fashioned Captain Barnacles, Kwasi Cat and Peso Penguin (top photo) along with ...



... seaweed and coral ...



... and wee fish, stars and a 6 ...



... and came up with this instead.



Its not quite the Octopod, but Argy was very happy with it.

NB. If you're the gambling type, I'm opening the books and taking bets on possible 7th birthday cake requests: a watch mechanism; the planetary system; a Harrier jump jet; and Brighton Pavilion.

Lanes

I had to run some errands in the city yesterday, so Argy came along and we made a bit of a day of it. After admiring the treasure-troves at Tessuti and Cake Deco, we spent some time exploring Melbourne's quirky city lanes.

My favourite was Presgrave Place (above) where we found this ramshackle red couch and art prints hung along the brick walls.

I would have felt quite at home in this alley, if it weren't for Argy standing holding his nose disdainfully: eeewwww ... who's making that awful stink mum? (Er, perhaps more like home than I thought).



In Hosier Place, Argy enjoyed blending into the surrounds. We spent ages admiring the amazing artwork. A lovely time had by all.

(Note to self: must remember to reiterate that crayon on walls at home does not fall within the bounds of street art).

Washi out

Please choose the correct response ...

This lovely new Japanese washi masking tape:

1. is a unique craft and design product
2. will have an abundance of creative and decorative uses
3. will most likely have its life cut short (please refer Exhibit A, below)

Yes: two boys and a roll of (non-washi) masking tape. The elder completely taped to the chair.

I was forced to intervene at the end of this game, when I overheard Bargy saying to his older brother "Now Argy, you will have to be a brave boy".

I'll leave you to imagine where the scissors were poised.


MT masking tape
10 pack - pastels
10m x 15mm

Three cheers

It was five year-old Argy's first day at primary school today. He was very excited and it all went well. His younger brother - four year-old Bargy - starts kindergarten this Wednesday.

Some days the boys will be at school and kindergarten ... at the same time.

The house will be quiet won't it?



Yipppppeeeee!



Hip-hip-hooray!



[Insert sound of clinking glasses, party tooters and marching band here]

Wooohooooooo!

Today, I wish ...

... I was a cat*

* Except for the bit about not having opposable thumbs, because I would quite like to do some sewing too

Almost a Choc Ripple

Do you go through cooking fads and fashions?

I have to admit that I do. For example, years ago I loved the notion of the "copy cat" recipe. In my student days I couldn't get enough of the "secrets" of making commercial foods. McDonald's special sauce or KFC's coleslaw, anyone? Not surprisingly, it was a short-lived phase. Especially when I worked out that spending lots of time trying to recreate convenience food was in fact quite inconvenient. And that on the whole, homecooking is much nicer.

Yet recently I've started to entertain notions of copy-cat cookery again. One of the kids has quite severe allergies to egg and nuts and commercial treats have been off the agenda for a few years. But seriously, how long can one reasonably go without a packet of Arnott's Choc Ripples in the pantry? (I've never told anyone, but I have recurring dreams of the iconic Australian freezer dessert, the Choc Ripple cake).



So last week when I chanced upon "Chocolate Lace Crisps" in Chocolate - 70 delicious recipes by The Australian Woman's Weekly I could barely believe my eyes. The canyony surface; the dark chocolatey colour. Mmmmm - clearly a Choc Ripple doppelgänger, if I ever saw one.

I went a bit crazy and made two batches only days apart. The second time 5 year old Argy helped out. He loved helping roll the cookies and toss them in sugar before placing them on baking trays.



I am not so sure about his technique of blowing excess sugar off the cookies. I don't think they would do that at Arnotts.

Almost Choc Ripple cookies

Adapted from Chocolate Lace Crisps in Chocolate - 70 delicious recipes by The Australian Woman's Weekly

100g (3½oz) chocolate
80g (3oz) butter
1 cup caster (super fine) sugar
1 tablespoon Orgran (or other brand) egg replacer + 2 tablespoons water (or use 1 egg)
1 cup plain (all purpose) flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ cup icing (confectioner's) sugar

1. Sift the dry ingredients (except the icing/confectioner's sugar) and combine in a bowl
2. Melt the chocolate and butter
3. Stir the melted mixture into the dry ingredients
4. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes
5. Roll into about 2 dozen balls
6. Toss in icing sugar
7. Space on 2 large baking trays lined with baking paper
8. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF)

Snowing in Paris?

Its a little bit old fashioned, I know. Maybe a bit nanna. Do you wear one?

I decided I needed a new half-slip after experiencing a mishap in a public place. (By mishap I essentially mean static build-up between my jersey skirt and undies.) When faced with the choice between being a bit nanna and experiencing a wardrobe malfunction that draws attention to my ...er, drawers ... I'll choose nanna any day.



So this is what I sewed this weekend.

I used a piece of slinky tricot. I have to confess that there is nary a natural fibre to be found. The tricot has nylon written all over it ... and I suspect it would go woof if I stood too near a naked flame. But it seems to do the trick - despite high fire danger, there is no more electrical charge.

The construction was very basic. Essentially two rectangles seamed together with a circle of elastic applied at the waist.



There is of course the unwritten rule when sewing Nanna Lingerie that dictates the addition of a lacy trim.



So I used a tight zigzag stitch to attach lace trim (nylon of course) to the right side of the slip ...



... then trimmed close to the stitching to remove the excess fabric from the wrong side.



But what of my reference to it snowing in Paris?

Well, in my childhood I learned that this was the discreet way of pointing out another sort of wardrobe malfunction - a half-slip dropped below one's hemline.

I love this expression. I doubt its heard much these days. Certainly not as often as "Your whale tale* is showing" or "Is that the strap of your over-the-shoulder boulder holder?**".

Or "Hey lady, your skirt is stuck to your bloomers".


* back of a g-string/thong
** brassiere


I have a custom showercap and bathing goodies giveaway in aid of the Premier's Flood Relief Fund that is open until midday this Wednesday 24 January (one entry for every $5 donation to the fund). Do also check out an amazing array of auctions, proceed sales and raffles over at Make It Perfect.