Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Special Request

Prior to announcing my break from sewing I had a special request from a lovely customer that I just couldn't refuse. Kylie enquired whether I could make a pair of booties for her daughter's christening to match her gown. I was honoured to be asked to do this! But there was a little twist ... would I be able to make a pair of booties that were reversible that would also match her after-party dress?? Hmmm ... had to put my thinking cap on for this one!

Kylie sent me through a description of the materials and colours as well as pictures of her baby's two dresses to help me. To be honest, it had me totally stumped. I had often thought of making some christening booties and introducing them to my range but hadn't quite gotten there. I always pictured plain booties made of white or off-white satin, most likely in the Mary Jane style with a matching satin flower to finish it off nicely. Quite a simple look but enough to really finish off a gorgeous christening outfit.

I spent quite a bit of time looking for exactly the right fabric, changing my mind numerous times. Kylie wanted a pair of reversible Mary Jane style booties but I just wasn't sure if I could pull it off. I experimented with a couple of ideas, cutting and throwing out some pieces, sewing then unpicking others, slipping and sliding as I was trying to sew lace over satin (!) but somehow it all came together in the end.

And here they are ......



The end product was nowhere near the vision I had started with at the beginning but I was more than happy with the outcome! The booties are now on their way to Kylie for her little bubba's big day. I can't wait to hear what Kylie thinks of them and am hoping she'll send me a photo to share of the complete outfit.

I'm not convinced I'll ever work with satin and lace again ... we'll have to see about that ;)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Friday, April 15, 2011

Funky Friday Finds: Easter Gifts for little ones

Although I love the idea of Easter, especially an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning, I don't want my kids hyped up on too much chocolate. Here are some lovely alternatives for gifts for the little ones this Easter.


1. Bunny Rattles: from A Feathered Nest - $8 each
2. Baby's 1st Easter - Lily & George Rabbit Ring Rattle: from Little Lady Bird - $15 each
3. Easter Rabbit - Softie: By Red Stitch Designs on Made It - $34.95 each
4. Hoppy Easter Bunny Boy Onesie: from Cafe Press - $17.50 each

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Monday, April 11, 2011

Melbourne Baby & Toddler Show



One of my Funky Monsters and I took a trip together to check out The Baby & Toddler Show in Melbourne held over the weekend. It was a nice and rare outing just for the two of us. I figured there would be lots for me to see and check out as well as things to keep my little man occupied as well. It's so nice to spend the time one-on-one chatting together, sharing a little treat ... and me having to answer a million and one questions (the kid doesn't come up for air)!!



It was a great little afternoon outing. I met some friends, new and old, discovered lots of new products I didn't know existed, watched Shrek & Fiona dance (a little awkwardly!), learnt more about a few things I had heard of but didn't know a lot about and got some great gift ideas for newborns and upcoming birthdays for little ones. Here is a snap shot of our little trip:


Stopped by the EJ Kids stall to chat with my lovely friend Rose and met the lovely Michelle from Wholesale Baby as well!


The idea of Modern Cloth Nappies has been growing on me so I stopped by the Bambooty stall to ask a few questions and discovered they also make night nappies. Thinking of converting to MCN night nappies for the littlest monster. They feel so soft and comfy!


I didn't know they made little Ducati's to match the 'Big Kids' Ducati's!



All my little monster wanted was an umbrella, and we found one! What a bargain too - $3 from SparkleT.

I hadn't attended one of these shows before but I think it is well worth the visit if you are pregnant or already parents of babies and toddlers. There are so many great products that you can try & buy, and it's a great start to researching all of the funky things you need for your little ones.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

2011 so far ...

Apologies for the lack of blog posts so far in 2011, we have been busy little monsters! Here is a snapshot of the first 3 months of the year ...

January & February flew by at the speed of light! Never in my life have I had a busier social life than in those 2 months. Parties & weddings galore!

Feb also saw the birth of my new little niece, my brother's first child. Such a little treasure that I looooooove to spoil with girly goodness (mostly handmade too!)

Personally, I have achieved 2 goals that I set for myself to accomplish in 2011. The first and most important goal for was to start leading a healthier lifestyle and to get fit! I had ended the year feeling sluggish, carrying a little extra weight and not taking the time to look after myself properly. A friend of mine had completed a Boot Camp just before Christmas and was contemplating another in the New Year. It took me a little time to convince myself that I should give it a go and I finally built up the courage to say "Sign me up". Little did I know that this is one of the most gruelling Boot Camps you can attend, based on training for our SAS soldiers :-/ After the first gruelling running session, of which I crossed the finish line last (walking!) and only just within the time frame, I wondered what the hell I was doing to myself!! Did I need to put myself through this? Was it going to be worth it? By the 2nd running session I was fully motivated to do my best and get through the next 5 weeks and show what I was really made of. I started a healthy eating plan, completed my 3 sessions per week and ended up discovering I COULD RUN! And I ran and I ran and I ran and I ran ... (you get the picture!) Never have I run so far in my life!! I used to struggle running to the corner and now I'm running 5km 2-3 times a week. This is one of the best feelings I have had in a long time! I feel proud of myself for sticking it out and getting results and it feels great fitting back into my clothes again and not fitting into some that are now a little too big ;) The 2nd goal I set for myself was to grow my nails. I have been a nail biter all my life and tried numerous times to stop chewing away but always fell off the bandwagon fairly soon after. Well, I'm happy to say I am a nail biter no more! Just decided one day that I'd had enough and quit cold turkey, just like that! My dear mum also treated me to a manicure & pedicure as a little reward and I can tell you I enjoyed every minute. So nice to get pampered and I love getting my fingers and toe nails painted :)

During all of this, Funky Monsters took a bit of a back seat to my busy life but still found me creating lots of handmade goodness. Lots of orders for baby booties, hats and a few dresses along the way as well as a number of art smocks. After a request from a friend for a personalised art smock, I found these became quite popular and have made a number of these for my lovely customers. I have also made some lovely handmade gifts too. Here are just a few.

For those of you that follow my Facebook page, you will know that I am currently taking an indefinite break from the creative process. I just need a little time out for myself and my family. Time flies by and I don't want to blink and miss it! But during this time, although I may not be sewing, I still want to share with you the wonderful funky and mostly handmade things I find along the way and plan to do this via my blog.

So stay tuned ... and keep in touch. Who knows when my creative juices will start flowing again!