Sewing a new wheat pack cover

My beloved wheat pack was getting rather threadbare, but when I finally found an actual hole in it, I knew something had to be done, because I really would rather not wake up in a sea of wheat.

Fortuitously, Mr Fork had alerted me that a pair of his flannel pyjamas had busted a seam recently, and close inspection really deemed them beyond all hope of repair (I had already fixed them a number of times but they were a favourite). So I took these two events as a sign that I should make a new cover out of his lovely soft monkey pyjamas!

It was a relatively simple project that really needs only very basic sewing skills.

The old wheat pack was cut open and the (well roasted but perfectly useable wheat) was decanted into a large bowl.

I took the pants legs, where the material was still nice and thick and cut four rectangles from the bottom, a little larger than the size I wanted the wheat pack to be. My old pack was lined, and I saw no reason to deviate from that, hence four rectangles.

I hemmed it all together around three edges, then turned it right way out. In this case, it didn't really matter so much because I did the lining the same as the outside so I didn't have to be overly concerned about how the material was facing.

The wheat was carefully poured back in via a stiff piece of card which acted as a funnel. I then just turned the ends in on themselves and sewed across the opening a few times.

And it was done! I now have a funky new flannel covered wheat pack with happy monkey faces. My achey pregnant self is grateful! I'm thinking of taking the tops of the pyjama pants and making mini pants versions for Ellie and Attila.

Have you saved anything from being thrown out lately and repurposed it?

Mother's Day - high tea and other celebrations

Ellie and I were lucky enough to be invited by the Mater Mothers' to high tea for an early mother's day celebration on Friday. There were 160 mums (plus bubs/toddlers) there and it was really well organised to cater for everyone... seriously, they even had a pram valet - although we had our trusty ring sling with us anyway.

Honestly, there's a lot to be said for high tea (oh I wish you read this Mr Fork!). Dainty cups and saucers, stands of delicious savouries and sweets and I just need to single out cupcakes. How great are cupcakes?! Not to mention muffins, scones, macaroons, slices... and do I even need to mention the jugs of milk and white hot chocolate on the table? So spoilt.

Look at the yummy sweet stand

It was a lovely event, with plenty of yumminess, great entertainment, roving photographers, a photo booth and even some fabulous prizes. 

Ellie was made more than welcome with toddler-friendly activities - apart from socialising with the other children, there was colouring in and children friendly treats on each table (we were gifted a Mater Little Miracles stuffed toy and some body balm). There was plenty of snuggles to be had too which was super lovely for me on our girls' morning out!

Although she looks unimpressed, she had a great time

It was a really fun event, and a great push for me to get out of my social rut and meet some new people. I was talking to the1337mum about how I was apprehensive about going and shy when approaching other mothers but she assured me it was no problem - you just become friends with the mother of the child your kid picks. She was right! I also ran into an old friend there which was a lovely surprise as well, and great to catch up.

Stealing kisses

It was a great start to Mother's Day weekend for me... we've been busy since, spending time with Mr Fork's mother, and then this morning, Ellie and Mr Fork treated me to breakfast out at one of my favourite cafes. Ellie also made me a keepsake box at daycare, with the most hilarious card. I'm such a lucky mama!

Happy mother's day!

Happy mothers day to all the mamas I know, whether your baby is grown, still growing, furry, angel or otherwise. I hope you're all having a fabulous day and you are being spoilt with snuggles and lots of love.

Amigurumi stars

I recently came across this pattern online for amigurumi stars and I was immediately intrigued. They seemed simple enough and looked like a fun way to use up some of my yarn scraps.

 

Source

A few YouTube searches later to freshen up my admittedly very rusty crochet skills and I was off. My  first formless blob didn't leave me with much confidence.

First attempt

However, a fortuitous visit from my crochet guru friend had me back on the right path and enthused anew, and my second attempts were better. Improved enough that I deigned to put eyes on them anyway.

Getting better

I had initially thought I might make enough to create a garland or a mobile for Ellie, but I think when I finish my current one, I'm retiring from crochet again. I don't even want to think about the number of times I have had to rip out and redo stitches here! Each little star that I have is definitely made with love.

Have you ever seen something and then when you tried to make it, maybe didn't quite 'nail it'? Please share!

Looking back and looking forward

As the new year dawns, it's time for the obligatory review of the year that was, and the highlights (and lowlights) that it brought.

My new year view

2013 was a pretty good year for me both personally and professionally.

I didn't really set a series of goals at the beginning of the year, but I did commit to doing 101 things in 1001 days. I just did a quick tally and I'm sitting at approximately 42 of them complete. I was quite strict in marking them off, if I've committed to doing something for a period of time and it's not finished yet, that doesn't count. It deserves a post of it's own so I'll do a detailed update on my progress at another time.

Personally, I hit my motherhood stride and we also transitioned through from the newborn stage to infant and then toddler. Ellie has been a constant source of delight. Every time I think that I'm doing a terrible job, something will happen to make me think that hey, this motherhood gig isn't that bad and I don't totally suck. This year saw Ellie develop in leaps and bounds. We went on our first plane trip with a baby in tow. She started to crawl and the week before her birthday, she started to walk. Now, three months later, she can run! We've had stormy periods but we've also had some sunny ones and right now is a real joy. I say that about every stage, but it's true! She talks constantly now. Sometimes I can understand her, sometimes not. She understands so much - she will literally read books now - she points to words and says them, and can associate concepts. If I point to a dog, she says puppy. She loves lift the flap book and the touchy feely ones, especially ones with furry patches in them. She plays games and giggles constantly when we play hide and seek or peekaboo.

My breastfeeding journey may have ended, but Ellie has a deep love of food and will try pretty much everything in sight. She loves the water, and she loves people, offering kisses and hugs to her favourites. She is confident with her boundaries and with saying no, although hilariously, beards are still a source of trepidation.  If she doesn't want to give a kiss when you ask for one, she will often proffer her cheek so you can kiss her! Like I said, an absolute delight!

She's a party girl

Ellie aside, I think motherhood has changed me too. I've had to dig deep to find strengths I didn't know I had. I've realised that no matter how tired, no matter how sick or sore I am, I can always find it in me to summon a smile for Ellie, to play with her and tend to her needs before looking after mine. I've come out of my shell in ways I couldn't even begin to describe except to say that sometimes, I definitely feel like a tigress protecting my young! I broke my toe, my first (confirmed) broken bone in over 20 years, which is not something I'm that keen to repeat. 

Professionally, I started back at work part time this year, which was a real eye opener for me. It's hard to reflect in detail on an open blog, but I will say that when I had Ellie, my priorities shifted. Work is still a passion of mine, but now I balance that with being a mother, and all that entails. It's not work that has changed, it's me. I often have some time to myself while Ellie is napping on my days off, so I made sure to balance my part time work with some professional development too,  finishing a certification this year. Nothing special, and just qualifying what I do already, but I do like adding to the formal qualifications I have! Of course, there is also time for sewing and cooking as well!

For 2014, I don't really have specific goals. However, broadly:

• I'd like to get my fitness levels back. I miss my cyclist physique and muscles and I loathe the way parts of me jiggle and sag that didn't jiggle and sag before. So I'd like to do something about that. I constantly make excuses saying that Ellie gets in the way, but really she doesn't, and it isn't as though I couldn't incorporate her into my exercise, so in 2014, I say no more excuses and I'm going to work on fitness. Also I'd like to improve my posture which I realise is a tough ask with a child who loves to be worn and a job that involves copious computer work but I'm up for the challenge.
• Focus on doing more of what makes me happy and less of what doesn't. I know that's vague but I've just decided I don't have time to waste on the things that don't matter. What matters are friends, family, and opportunities to do things that I love. So that's what I want to surround myself with.
• Create a calm space. For me, calm means tidy. Not excessively dust-free, unlived-in, too-scared-to-touch-anything tidy, but a place where everything has a space and it's not too cluttered. So I'm going to work on making sure the dishes are done and the benches are clean before turning off the kitchen lights so I wake up to a clean space. Clearing the dining room table and my desk of clutter and putting things away. Putting Ellie's toys in her toy box and putting away the things she no longer plays with. Sweeping the dust bunnies and vacuuming a little more regularly. Just enough to help me keep my sanity, not to rival Suzie Homemaker at all.

Magnetic Scrabble letters are the best

How was your year and what do you hope to achieve in 2014?

A reversible drawstring Santa sack

So the next time I say, "I can make that!" followed by "wouldn't it be neat to make that reversible!", somebody remind me of this Santa sack. Especially if I shun a pattern and say "how hard can it be?" thinking I'd just do it myself. Somebody remind me of this Santa sack!

I thought that I would be crafty, and make Ellie a Santa sack.

Aside: I was gleefully showing Mr Fork the end result feeling really proud of myself until he asked me what on earth it was. So for those who don't know, the Santa sack gets left at the foot of the bed on Christmas eve for Santa to put the loot in. Mr Fork said he didn't get Santa as a child... which makes me sad. However, he did perk up when I mentioned Santa gets some milk and cookies left out. He suggested "Santa" might prefer rum instead. Right. 

I also thought it would be really neat if I used opposing fabrics and switched the top panels. You know, for a bit of a challenge... WHY DID I THINK THAT?!?! Why did I shun the pre-printed Spotlight material that just had to be cut out, given a seam and a drawstring?

Anyway, it took me a long time (much longer than I think it should have) to figure out how to do it all. I was going to do a tutorial, but I didn't take pictures along the way and I don't have it left in me to make another. Maybe next year.

In the meantime, this is what I've been making! One gloriously festive, pillow case sized, multi panel, reversible, drawstring Santa sack. I'm pretty proud of it too, if I do say so myself!

Santa sack, in all its glory

What have you been making lately?

Fabric balloon balls

Ellie still loves to put things in her mouth. Seriously, it feels like every time I turn around I catch her eating something she shouldn't be. Most things are fairly harmless - various toys, books (this I'm trying to curb, telling her that we respect books in this house!). Some are gross - my slippers, the hound's pork skin chew toys. Some are just plain dangerous - the dishwasher tablet wrappers and small rocks and other things unidentified.

That being said, she also loves balloons. However as we all know, balloons can pop quite easily. Add an inquisitive toddler with sharp fingernails, an insatiable need to put things into her mouth and an inquiring mind into the mix, and I'm just not comfortable letting her play with these things unsupervised. Enter, the fabric balloon cover!

I'm a little chuffed with this sewing creation, as it lets me tick a few things off my 101 things list, it lets me be crafty and it lets Ellie have some sensory fun.  

What is a fabric balloon cover I hear you ask? Simply that, a cover that allows you to enclose a normal balloon inside. This results in several things:

• If the balloon pops, no problem! All the pieces are contained inside so exploratory small people can't eat them
• The cover gives the balloon really cool properties - one being, they now bounce!
• For extra sensory and educational fun, I like to add some dried beans to the balloon before I tie it off inside. This makes it roll in unexpected ways and makes the entire item into a giant maraca
• The covers are washable and easily portable for instant amusement  

It took me a long time to get the pattern right for these covers. I can't even tell you how many attempts I made! Some shapes were too big for the balloons, some too small. Some were the wrong shape entirely and some didn't fully enclose the balloon when tied up, negating the purpose. I even tried different materials until I found ones with the right properties.  But! Trial and error paid off and now I have a pattern I'm happy with (and Ellie has lots of draft covers to enjoy too!).

The covers here are off to a new home soon... I hope their new owner loves them.

What about you? Made anything crafty lately?

Bagel goodness

I'm a sucker for a good bagel. When Mr Fork and I make it to the New Farm markets (less of an occurrence now Ellie is around) I used to stock up at the bagel stand at 6 for $10, then freeze them and hoard them, savouring them for special breakfast and lunch occasions.

Since we rarely go to those markets anymore, I've been somewhat bagel deprived. Then I figured, $1.67 per bagel is kind of pricey, especially when I could get a whole loaf of decent bread for twice that. So I started to look around for a recipe I could utilise at home without needing a bread maker or any fancy ingredients. I think I've cracked it!

Bagels - makes 8

Ingredients:
4 cups plain flour
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warmish water

Method:

1. Combine half the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl.
2. Add the oil and water and pour into the bowl 
3. Use a wooden spoon and beat until smooth and creamy looking
4. Add the remaining flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes
5. On a lightly floured board, divide the dough into 8 equal size balls. Let them rest for 20 minutes.
6. Roll each ball into a long log and wrap around to form a ring. Make sure the hole in the middle is distinctive otherwise it may close when the dough rises. Fuse the ends of the log and smooth over the join. Rest the rings for another 20 minutes.
7. While the dough is resting for the second time, preheat the oven to 205C, boil a large pot of water and line a baking tray.
8. Drop bagels into the boiling water and cook 1 minute on each side, then place on the lined baking tray.
9. Bake for 10 minutes then turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven bagel goodness!

Tips and Substitutions:

• I've successfully made this with a mix of wholemeal and white flour, and have even substituted some wheat bran for the white flour successfully. The recipe is pretty forgiving!
• You can season the bagels before baking. After boiling them, drop them face down into the decoration - poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried herb or garlic for example. Continue to bake as per the method above.
• I've also made these in a sweet version by adding cinnamon and dried fruit to the mix as well.

Cost of my home made bagels? About $1.50 for the batch if you use fancy flours (cheaper if you just use white flour)... so 19 cents a bagel. Much better than the $1.67 I was paying before, and I get the satisfaction of making them myself to taste. Win!

Tell me, have you made anything delicious lately?

Tutu crafty

Let's talk craft. As soon as I saw them online, I wanted to make Ellie a no-sew tutu. I had in mind that she could wear it for her birthday, and then we also got an invite to a fairy party as well. Sweet, I thought! I went and had a look at the local fabric places, but at $5/m for tulle, I wimped out when I figured out how much I'd need for a decent tutu. Then I checked out good old eBay, and found I could buy tulle by the roll. $5.96 and 25m of tulle purchased later, I was back in business! Of course, I did have to pay for my cheapness by needing to wait 20 days for delivery but I wasn't in a hurry.

Almost 20 days later exactly, my tulle arrived and I set up shop. I sewed a loop of elastic. I had a book of appropriate size ready so I could wrap the tulle around it and cut it nicely without measuring properly. I had scissors and everything at the ready.

And it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.

Except Ellie hated it. She screamed as soon as I put it on her, and the screaming continued until I took it off again. She kept pulling at the tulle strands so I will need to sew them on anyway. Stupid no-sew tutu my butt.

Who can resist a little tu-tued behind?

Wouldn't even look at the camera

I suppose it's a good thing she is asserting her independence and choices. So, without the tutu, we went to the fairy party in a plain gingham dress. Although I was allowed to put a flower clip in her hair for the occasion.

Have you made anything crafty lately?

Salt dough keepsakes, attempt #1

When it comes to presents, I like the home made kind. Well, I also like the shiny kind if you happen to be reading this Mr Fork! But... home made are great too. There is something about a home made gift that says, I took the time to think of you and make this specially. With that in mind, Ellie and I have started thinking about Father's day. Yes, I know it's early, but I like to be prepared in case things don't work out. Lucky, as this idea didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

I already used my matching daddy/daughter pyjama pants idea. I then thought that making imprints of Ellie's hands and feet might be fun.  I looked around the Internet for some home made mixtures, and what kept coming up was salt dough. 3 ingredients, what could be easier?

This is how my first attempt turned out

Pink salt dough hand and foot

It's not bad, but I definitely thought it would be easier. The mix above was made with equal parts flour and salt and half the amount of water. I used 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup water, plus a few drops of pink food colouring. Kneaded together, then rolled smooth, I pressed Ellie's hand and foot in then used a small plate to cut the edges for a clean border, before baking at 100C for 3 hours.

I found the mixture dry and crumbly, as evidenced by the rough edges. It never got to the smooth consistency called for when kneading. After baking it the salt crystals are really obvious and make the finished product look grainy on close inspection. That's what happens when you blindly follow a random recipe without further research!

Puppy paw tester

Verdict

• Further searching has shown me that my dough measurements were a bit off. Apparently the best results come from equal parts salt and water, double the flour. So I think my second attempt will be 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup flour. That makes sense and it should provide a smoother textured end result
• The next time I do this, I'll be sure to wear gloves. I had some small cuts on my hands from gardening earlier, and kneading the salt dough was NOT kind to them. Also, it was very drying, so if you try it at home, be sure to moisturise after.
• I guess it should be obvious, but this mixture is decorative only - the high salt content makes it not for consumption
• Apparently you can air dry these babies over a few days instead of using a slow oven. I might try that technique too and see how it works out
• I'm not sure about the longevity of the dough, so when I'm happy with the final baked product, I'm going to spray with a clear sealant. In the meantime, I think some grandparents might be getting these first attempts for their own Ellie keepsake

Watch this space for the next attempt!  Have you done anything crafty lately? 

Make your own lounge pants

I was feeling crafty on the weekend so I decided to put these feelings to good use and do some sewing. Mr Fork had been complaining that his pyjama pants were "old" so being the thrifty sort I decided to make him a new pair. For fun, I figured that I'd also make Ellie a pair with the leftover material too.

Big and small pants

I'm not much of a seamstress but I can do the basics so I wanted a fairly simple pattern. Google came up with the goods and I based my pants off this very simple tutorial. Here's what I did.

• Make your pattern. I used wrapping paper as the base because it was what I had that was long enough for the length of Mr Fork's pants. Grab the pants you want to make the pattern out of, and fold them in half lengthwise. Make sure that you pull the crotch straight. Draw an outline around the pants. If they have an elasticised waist, be sure to stretch this out for the purpose of the pattern. When you have an outline, draw around this again to make the seam allowances – I allowed 2 inches at the waist and ankles and half an inch on the leg seams.
• Fold your material along the leg seam and pin the pattern. Cut it out. Do it twice. I'll be honest, I didn't use the 1/2 inch seam allowance on the fold of the material because I thought it was overly generous and the pants I used for the pattern were a loose fit anyway. It depends on how you want the pants to fit. I also am not fussy with how my material matches up. On Mr Fork's pants one leg has the monkeys going vertical the other has the monkeys going horizontal. It depends how much material you have and how fussy you are with these things.

Cute monkey material!

• Pin the material cut outs with the right side together from ankle to crotch. Sew your seam. Mr Fork is rough on his pants and Ellie's fluffy cloth bum means her pants take a beating too, so I did a double line of stitches to reinforce everything. I suppose if you have an overlocker you don't need to worry about doing that.
• Turn one of the legs right side out and tuck it into the other leg. Line up the inner seams and then pin the crotch from there. I did a double line of stitches along this seam too.
• Turn the pants completely inside out. You should have what looks like a pair of pants with raw edges on the waist and ankles.
• Fold a small seam, and then a larger fold to tuck all the raw edges in and create a nice 'tunnel' for the elastic of the waist to go into. It's not necessary, but it makes it easier if you iron those folds before sewing (I'm lazy and I didn't). Be sure to leave an opening (about 2 inches) so you can insert the elastic!
• Measure your elastic, making sure to stretch it appropriately and leave a small amount for an overlap. Attach a safety pin to one end and feed it through the opening you left in the last step. Make sure not to twist it! Continue to feed until it comes out the other end. Use a wide zigzag stitch to join the overlap of the elastic ends, and then close the gap in the waist seam.
• Fold a small fold and then a slightly larger one to finish off the ankle seams neatly and sew those up. Again, an iron will make things easier but isn't essential.
• And, you are done! Loll around in your lounge pants!

Mr Fork is like an Oral B dentist. I'm not allowed to show his face!

What about you - have you done anything crafty lately?

DIY: Recycled t-shirt dog toy

After having a baby, much of my wardrobe wasn't right anymore. Some of my clothes weren't suitable to be worn now that I am a mother. Some weren't suitable for feeding in or wearing to work. And some were just plain stretched out and not even fit for donation to charity.

I've already talked about how frugal I like to be here and here, so it definitely wouldn't have been 'me' to just throw these clothes out, and there are far too many to make rags. I hemmed and hawed, and in fact, I still have a huge box of clothes I'm not sure what to do with in the corner of my room, but google was my friend and provided an idea for recycling t-shirts into a dog toy. Perfect!

I picked out three shirts with stretchy material whose colours went reasonably well together.

To make it easier for myself to cut the shirts into strips, I folded them in half length ways and just cut them into approximately 2.5cm strips from the bottom. I kept cutting until there wasn't any more shirt left to cut.

Next I unfolded all the strips and cut them at one hem, so that they became long lengths (or, as long as the shirt was round anyway).

I divided them into two piles, where each pile had a fairly even distribution of the colours. Then, I twisted each pile together individually (say, clockwise). Tie the two piles together with a knot, then twist them (anticlockwise if you went clockwise for the individual piles) before knotting off the whole thing again.

Neaten up the ends a little and there you have it. About 10 minutes of effort gives, one recycled t-shirt dog toy!

How do you recycle clothes which are too horrible to sell or donate?

Simple scones

Whenever I'm asked to take a plate along to a casual social outing, my mind immediately jumps to scones.

They're the ultimate munching food really - plain enough that you can flavour them however you want, yet tasty enough that you could eat them on your own if you desire.

I have many happy memories associated with scones and a hot beverage, and I think most everyone likes a well made scone.  Also, I always think it's nice to put a little bit of effort in and take something home baked when possible (and appropriate).

My scone recipe is based off Bill Granger's recipe which can be found in his book Bill's Food.

I like this recipe because of the simplicity - there are only a handful of ingredients, which I always have on hand, and it's easy and quick to mix up a batch and have them ready for nomming twenty minutes later. The original recipe calls for milk and butter but its easy to substitute those with plant based alternatives and have no one the wiser.

• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 30g butter (I use nuttelex)
• 1 cup milk (soy or almond work nicely)

That's it. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ones. Mix lightly and quickly then use a glass to cut shapes approximately 2.5cm high by 5cm thick. Bake 8-10 minutes at 220C then serve warm with your choice of condiments.

Tips for awesome scones:: 

• Don't over mix the dough. Use a knife to combine things and try to handle it as little as possible so your scones are light and airy
• Use a warm baking tray. While the oven is warming up, I put the tray in and only remove it once I have the scones ready for baking
• Place the scones together on the tray so they are touching each other. This makes them rise beautifully as they have nowhere to go but up

The scones below are a batch I whipped up (while Ellie was napping) to take for morning tea with my mothers group today. I served them with a choice of plum or strawberry jam and they were a hit (just quietly). I wish I'd gotten a picture when they were prettily plated but they were nommed much too quickly.

What about you? Do you have a go-to baking recipe for sharing with friends?

Current ear worms

You know those songs that just get stuck in your head and you can't stop singing them?  And when the radio plays them you sing along with every word? Those songs where you've sung them so much, if you start a line, your partner can finish it? Well, here are my current top ear worms:

#1 Just Give Me A Reason - Pink featuring Nate Ruess
Love this song. Just love it. I'm still kicking myself that yet again, I missed tickets to see her show - she's an amazing person, artist and mother. And Nate? Well, I have loved all the songs he's released with Fun so far.

#2 Impossible - James Arthur
Mr Fork informs me that James is a contestant on some music talent show, which makes me like him a little less really.  This song though? Fabulous.

#3 Beneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth feat Emili Sande
Yes, the grammar/spelling in the title annoys me like you wouldn't believe. Hey, it works for them and gets people talking about it. The song itself used to bring me to tears, but that could probably be written off under hormones... yeah, let's go with that.

#4 I Could Be The One - Avicii, featuring Nicky Romero
I don't know. I'm not usually into dancey stuff, but something about it just gets stuck in my head and won't come out. Probably because it only has about 10 words and they're all very catchy.

#5 Candy - Robbie Williams

This song reminds me of summer. Or of when I was small and used to be a roller skater and during social skating sessions, they'd put on something boppy and happy sounding like this song. Also, Ellie loves to use her jolly jumper to music and this is one of her favourites. 

#6 Wish You Were Here - Delta Gordon
Ever since I saw her on 'The Voice' tv show, Delta has annoyed me. I love this song though.

#7 Small Bump - Ed Sheeran

I first heard this song while I was pregnant, and I had to listen to it a few times before the words sank in and I understood what he was singing about. And then I cried every time I heard it. I still get a little teary now, especially when I think back to how I felt carrying my tiny human around inside of me. I think that's something that makes a song great though - the ability to make people think and feel when they hear it. 

And, finally to my shame,

#8 Little Things - One Direction
I don't know what to say. Except that I'm a sucker for a boy band and an even bigger sucker for a good love song. Shush.

Needless to say, poor Ellie is being serenaded with quite a few of these at the moment, mainly because I know all the words and can croon them at will. I shudder a little to think that these will be the songs my daughter associates with me when she's older but I'm unable unwilling to change them.

Do you have any songs you can't get our of your head? Any songs you know all the words to? I'd love to know what they are and why - share your current ear worms with me in the comments!

Home made pillow covers and wet bags

Ellie uses the Ikea Antilop highchair and tray, with the matching Barnslig supporting cushion.  While I love that the chair and the tray themselves are all plastic and easy to clean, I find that the cushion tends to get coated with whatever she is eating.  She also has a tendency to chew on it as well, which doesn't bode well for the cushion's life span.

Antilop highchair with Barnslig cushion - naked 

As with all Ikea products, the cushion really just performs the basic task of a cushion. It doesn't have any fancy bells or whistles, so there isn't a case that I can take off and wash when required. What better reason to set up my sewing machine and take a trip to Spotlight?

Turns out, Spotlight had a whole bunch of fabrics on clearance, so I walked out of there with a bevy of goodies!  The top three fabrics are 100% wool felt, marked down to $4 a metre. The bottom fabric is a plain cotton but the little blue mice couldn't be resisted, especially at $3 a metre! I also picked up a couple of zips which were going for $0.50 each, because who doesn't need zips sometime?

Spotlight haul

The felt was very quickly turned into simple pillow cases. I know that felt is most often used for craft projects but for what I wanted it for, it was perfect. No fraying and a nice, warm cushy fabric to sit against. There are no buttons or zips to complicate things, although I did make it so the pillow can be tucked in at one end to neaten things up.  I also sewed some loops in so that the highchair seatbelt could hold the cushion in place with the cover on. Including cutting and pinning time, the cases probably took about 15 minutes each at the most.

While I was on a roll, I used one of the zips to sew another wet bag with some PUL waterproof fabric that I already had. These bags are super handy - we mainly use them to store dirty nappies in while we're out as they hold in smells and wetness, but they're also great for when we're swimming, as all the wet clothes get put in to be dealt with later.  This took me a little longer as I'm not the best seamstress, especially with slippery fabric and zips to deal with, but probably only 35 minutes all up.

Cushion covers and PUL wet bag

So, all in all, with very little work, I have three unique home made items which make my life easier and add a little colour into Ellie's day.  

Antilop highchair with Barnslig cushion - covered

Have you made anything crafty lately? How do you add colour into your day?