Son number 3 (Hadden is 18) went for and passed his driving test yesterday and we've hardly seen him since!
We're liking the fact that he can now drive himself to and from work at McDonalds in Morwell. No more late night pick ups for him.
Hadden sat his last Year 12 exam on Monday and has now finished high school. He is not planning on going to Uni or college(at the moment?) and is looking for work.
He will probably pick up more hours at McDonalds until he decides what he wants to do in the future.
Laura is turning 16 in January and will be able to go for her Learner's permit then and then we'll have to take her for her 120 hours driving practice- which will take the 2 years to do!!!
Son number 2 (Morgan is 21) has flown to Queensland this morning for a holiday with his girlfriend and according to all reports, is liking it alot!
Son numer 1 (Thomas is 23) has just signed lease papers with 2 of his friends for a house in Morwell and is moving out on 5th December.
He's looking forward to that. Hadden will be moving into thomas's room and laura will have both her room and Hadden's.
They're both looking forward to that and have been dropping not so subtle hints to Thomas about moving out!
Originally, Hadden & and Laura's rooms were originally one long and very narrow room which we divided to give both Hadden & and Laura a room each.
Soooo, it's still several years away until i can have my own sewing room!! It's going to be so strange just having the four of us at home and 18 years since it last happened!
It's nearly Saturday again. Haven't got a great deal planned. Some housework, some Christmas shopping. I can't believe that Christmas is only 1 month away.
Where has this year gone?? I'm normally all finished with my shopping before now, but it kind of snuck up on me this year.
I'm hoping to make a start on my Butterick dress i mentioned in an earlier post this weekend.
I succumbed to the latest BMV sale earlier this week and now have 7 Vogue patterns now winging their way to me. I admit it, i'm weak!
I still have not received the speeding fine i've been expecting. I think i've been lucky and was flashed as a warning and have saved having to pay a hefty fine and possibly suspension of my licence. I've mentioned to quite a few friends what stretch of road i was flashed on and they all admitted that they tend to exceed the speed limit there also! Also a bit annoying that they changed the limit on that road a couple of years ago as for 2o+ years of driving on it at the higher limit - i forget that it's been changed.
I'm going to be an auntie again soon. My little sister Danielle is in hospital having her 3rd baby this evening. So very exciting. Danielle is going to be extremely busy with 3 children under 2 1/2 years.
12.35am I'm an auntie again. Harry Matthew was born yesterday at 11.20pm. Both well.
Jen. (who is waiting for Hadden to get home - kids and cars, i worry like mad) 12.40am Hadden now home - I can relax! Apparently , he and his girlfriend had a road trip and drove to Krispy Kreme in Narre Warren which is just over an hours drive from home.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
I'm an addict .......
to nail polish and shoes!!!
It's sad, but true.
I had no interest in nail polish until 6 months ago. Too much hassle, I always messed it up, but I saw Shannon's posts on some of her manicures and blow me down, I've got a rather large collection of colours myself now and am having fun with them all. I've bought polishes from Rimmel, Cutex, Revlon, Australis, Sally Hansen and Face of Australia.
Now onto shoes - this addiction is a couple of years old now and shows no sign of abating. Again, I had not that much interest in shoes - apart from making sure they were comfortable to wear. I'm now finding myself buying all different kinds of shoes, some are so wildly impossible for me to wear, and I don't have much call for dressing up - but they sure are pretty!!!
I've been out of the habit of wearing heels for over 20 years now. I used to be able to wear stilettos all day in my first job as a bank teller, standing up all day, but definitely couldn't do that now. I'm lucky to have made 2 hours on Friday, when I went out shopping and boy, I'm feeling it in the legs and feet today!
There are several people I hold accountable to leading me astray with this one Erica, Carolyn (diary of a sewing fanatic - I couldn't get the link to work!) and Debbie to just name a few.
I must admit I have a thing for black shoes - most of my collection are black. Today's buy was a wedge heeled court (black) with a couple of straps across the toe.
Jen.
It's sad, but true.
I had no interest in nail polish until 6 months ago. Too much hassle, I always messed it up, but I saw Shannon's posts on some of her manicures and blow me down, I've got a rather large collection of colours myself now and am having fun with them all. I've bought polishes from Rimmel, Cutex, Revlon, Australis, Sally Hansen and Face of Australia.
Now onto shoes - this addiction is a couple of years old now and shows no sign of abating. Again, I had not that much interest in shoes - apart from making sure they were comfortable to wear. I'm now finding myself buying all different kinds of shoes, some are so wildly impossible for me to wear, and I don't have much call for dressing up - but they sure are pretty!!!
I've been out of the habit of wearing heels for over 20 years now. I used to be able to wear stilettos all day in my first job as a bank teller, standing up all day, but definitely couldn't do that now. I'm lucky to have made 2 hours on Friday, when I went out shopping and boy, I'm feeling it in the legs and feet today!
There are several people I hold accountable to leading me astray with this one Erica, Carolyn (diary of a sewing fanatic - I couldn't get the link to work!) and Debbie to just name a few.
I must admit I have a thing for black shoes - most of my collection are black. Today's buy was a wedge heeled court (black) with a couple of straps across the toe.
Jen.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Ta Da!!!
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| 17/11/11 Laura aged 15 |
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| 17/11/11 |
Here are the pictures of Laura taken just before she went out to her Year 10 school Formal. She had a great time and was awarded for being "The Most Individual". As you can see, she changed her mind about the shoes! The photo on the right is a very low res image - I just nicked them from Neale's Facebook page! If you click on the photo to view, it appears ok though?
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| 17/11/11 |
Oh for a bigger house with a little more space.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
It's Finished
I have finished Laura's dress!!
It looks good, Laura is thrilled with it and says it's just how she wanted it -whew! And i'm happy that she's happy with it and i'm thankful that it's finished in time! I know that i've made plenty of mistakes and the zip insertion was the worst one i have ever done, but it's in now, and works and looks ok!
I'll try and post some photos tomorrow before she leaves for the formal. She is even rethinking the shoes she was planning on wearing and is borrowing a pair of black heels from me. it was funny tonight watching her try to walk in them!
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Memories
I found some pictures of dresses I have made for Laura in the past.
The dress I'm making is currently giving me fits, it's starting to take shape, but I'm now trying to reassure myself that I can sew. I've stuffed up where the straps emerge from the bodice top, but now I'm just going to live with it. It looks ok - but oh so glaringly wrong to me, but apart from that.......
about 4.00 hours later
The lace dress is now starting to behave itself and I'm starting to feel somewhat relieved. It's even looking ok! Laura has been home from school and tried it on and is very happy - whew. I'm now up to the skirts and will have to break out the overlocker - hopefully, I've left it threaded and with black. What are my chances????
I've just dropped Laura off at the hairdressers where she is having her hair dyed - bright red. She's certainly grown up since these photos were taken. The school formal is on Thursday - nothing like sewing at the last minute.
Now on to some pictures. I used to make her a special dress for Christmas and one for her birthday in January. I'm missing a few years , can't find them on the computer. Neale might have used film for those ones and not digital.
As you can see, I had a thing for portrait collars and I know some of her earlier dresses had portrait collars also!!
The gold brocade grade 6 Graduation dress was the last dress I made her and to be honest, I haven't done too much sewing since then - I made nearly all of Laura's clothes from when she was a toddler to about 2005 - when she wanted bought clothes like her friends. I've kept all the dresses though.
The dress I'm making is currently giving me fits, it's starting to take shape, but I'm now trying to reassure myself that I can sew. I've stuffed up where the straps emerge from the bodice top, but now I'm just going to live with it. It looks ok - but oh so glaringly wrong to me, but apart from that.......
about 4.00 hours later
The lace dress is now starting to behave itself and I'm starting to feel somewhat relieved. It's even looking ok! Laura has been home from school and tried it on and is very happy - whew. I'm now up to the skirts and will have to break out the overlocker - hopefully, I've left it threaded and with black. What are my chances????
I've just dropped Laura off at the hairdressers where she is having her hair dyed - bright red. She's certainly grown up since these photos were taken. The school formal is on Thursday - nothing like sewing at the last minute.
Now on to some pictures. I used to make her a special dress for Christmas and one for her birthday in January. I'm missing a few years , can't find them on the computer. Neale might have used film for those ones and not digital.
As you can see, I had a thing for portrait collars and I know some of her earlier dresses had portrait collars also!!
The gold brocade grade 6 Graduation dress was the last dress I made her and to be honest, I haven't done too much sewing since then - I made nearly all of Laura's clothes from when she was a toddler to about 2005 - when she wanted bought clothes like her friends. I've kept all the dresses though.
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| Laura's 8th Birthday 2004 |
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| Grade 6 Graduation 2007 aged 11 |
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| Laura's 5th Birthday 2001 |
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| Laura's 7th Birthday 2003 |
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| Christmas 2000 aged 4 years |
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| Christmas 2002 aged 6 years |
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Butterick 5488
I've decided on my next project and am wanting to get started with it - but after I finish Laura's dress!
I'm planning on sewing for myself Butterick 5488 - with the sleeves!
I bought some floral, light weight satin last week and got a bargain. I mistakenly asked for 2.50 metres, and seeing as it was nearly the end of the bolt, I got the extra and at 30% off - all up, 4 metres of material. So enough left over to make a top also. I've still to buy some lining fabric, but won't be needing that for a little while yet.
Have taken this week off work and am so looking forward to the time off - but I know that I've got a busy 2 weeks of work when I go back as I will need to cover one of the supervisors as she is taking 2 weeks leave. Am so not looking forward to that! I did that job for 18 months (along with my other work) before a supervisor was appointed and it drove me nuts!
I'm planning on sewing for myself Butterick 5488 - with the sleeves!
Have taken this week off work and am so looking forward to the time off - but I know that I've got a busy 2 weeks of work when I go back as I will need to cover one of the supervisors as she is taking 2 weeks leave. Am so not looking forward to that! I did that job for 18 months (along with my other work) before a supervisor was appointed and it drove me nuts!
Laura's Dress
Well, I think I'm ready to start cutting and prepping for the dress tomorrow. I've had the calico toile on and off Laura quite a few times now and apart from the length, she's happy with how it is looking so far - fingers crossed!! She wasn't too thrilled about being stuck with a couple of pins though - I wonder why!
I'm not sure that I've got the midriff band exactly right - I'm planning to interface that and the bodice back for more stability and I'm going ruche the lace on the band at the front - I'm hoping that will disguise any problems!
I bought all the fabric and lining fabric last week and I picked up some smaller size boning the other week. I managed to escape work earlier that I usually do and made it to Spotlight in time. Today I've picked up some black satin bias binding. I'm not sure how I'm going to finish the edge of the lace over skirt but thought the bias binding might make a simple finish.
I'm not sure that I've got the midriff band exactly right - I'm planning to interface that and the bodice back for more stability and I'm going ruche the lace on the band at the front - I'm hoping that will disguise any problems!
I bought all the fabric and lining fabric last week and I picked up some smaller size boning the other week. I managed to escape work earlier that I usually do and made it to Spotlight in time. Today I've picked up some black satin bias binding. I'm not sure how I'm going to finish the edge of the lace over skirt but thought the bias binding might make a simple finish.
BMV
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| Vogue 1025 |
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| McCalls 6408 |
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| McCalls 5591 |
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| Vogue 8726 |
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| Vogue 1086 |
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| Vogue 8750 |
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| Vogue 8732 |
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