Baby bunting and boosting book

It's been a productive couple of days and I was stoked to finish this bunting, which I was making for a friend to give as a gift.

Having never made bunting before it was pretty much a matter of just going with the flow but things seemed to work out fine. I found some firm denim at my local wee op shop and used that as my base, then used a selection of fabrics from my stash.

I hummed and haa-ed (no idea how that is spelled!) about putting a backing on them, but after I'd stitched the letters on decided that yep, it would finish them off nicely so hence this plaid. Then it was pinking shears all round and voila!
I think young Jasper will enjoy lying in his cot and gazing at these.
Meanwhile the job hunting continues. Last week I had my quickest rejection email to date - applied for a job on Tuesday lunchtime and had a rejection letter in my inbox by Thursday lunchtime!!!! Top marks to that company for efficiency if nothing else.
Have to admit that it doesn't get any easier so when I saw this wee book at the flea market on Sunday I decided maybe I should get it and have it by my laptop so that each morning it might just give me the positive boost to keep my head up

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should "stick to my knitting" so to speak rather than trying to do something different ........ 

but then I read this and think ... I really don't know 'what I want to be when I grow up'!!!!!!
Ciao,

Feet are made for walking....?

  

FIrst step (excuse the pun) towards my half marathon was walking the City to Surf 12km on Sunday which was a bit harsh after not getting to bed til 2.30 daylight saving time....mmmm.... hadn't planned that one too well had I!!!! So when that alarm went off both Vince and I had to drag ourselves to the car to drive the  2 1/2 hours back to Tauranga from Auckland ready to hit the pavement along with a couple of thousand others who looked way more energetic and alive than us.

But we don't look toooooo shattered afterwards do we? Although I do wish I glowed healthily rather than looked like Rudolph with bright red cheeks.
It was great that the day was nice and clear - in fact the last couple of kms round Mauao (that's the Maori name for Mt Maunganui) was literally stunningly hot, and I was hanging out for that energy drink at the finish line......no breakfast meant my blood sugar levels were somewhat lacking, not helped by the two nights of limited sleep from my quilting marathon!!!!

Now training wind-downs as I head into this Sunday's Hamilton Half Marathon....... remind me why I'm doing this again?


And not that I am into extrinsic motivation but I will share my certificate with you all, as well as my not too shabby results: I came 94 out of 760 walkers yesterday, 71 out of 612 females, and 14 out of 91 in the female 45-49years

Meanwhile on the home front I am enjoying doing some smaller sewing projects and a friend wanted some baby gifts so yesterday I began making some bandana bibs that I have been wanting to try making.

This is one almost done and the next one about to be cut out. I found a great cotton candlewick/chenille dressing gown at the op shop and have used that to back it with, and then discovered in my stash some lovely soft flannel so am using that to back some others. Need to finish them today with snaps or some velcro, and then see how they look. It's fun to be working on some little projects for a change.
Ciao, 

A finished find

Home alone at the weekend and I seemed to have fits and spurts of energetic moments. Which has resulted in wee piles of part projects or decluttering scattered around the house - oops!!!!
But I did have some productive episodes along the way!!
Remember those two yellow placemats I picked up a couple of weeks back from the op shop? Well....

Da da!!!!! Aren't they cute? I'm really pleased with how they turned what were plain ol' yellow placemats into funky mats.

Here's the pukeko - one of our native swamp loving birds with his funny white tail feathers and lovely blue body. They are a kooky sort of bird that intrigue me. And yes, they do have a reddish beak 

                                  Then, of course, there is our dear ol' kiwi.

This chap is particularly appealing with his rotundness. I chose to do him in a more orange toned fabric to lift him rather than browns. Think the feet fabric was pretty groovy.  


So all in all I am feeling quite proud of myself that from woe to go these placemats have not become stuffed in a cupboard as "something I'll do one day".  
Not sure what I'll do with them now.


Although I did make an unconscious decision on Saturday that as September 1 is officially Spring maybe that would be a good day to set my sights on launching my Felt shop.  Perhaps they could be one of the first stock items to go on the midget magic 'shop'......mmmmm..... and how many days away might that be?


Ciao, 

New look and whizzing week

How exciting - the launch of the 'midgetmagic' prototype logo via the banner for the blog. What do you think???? I reckon between my initial in-my-head idea and Emma's design it has come out pretty jolly well. Yippee!!!!
Still not 100% sure about the background of this page but will give it a week before making my final decision......
Anyway, it has been an up week - definitely no more blah. A walk up the Papamoa Hills to set me off on Monday 

I must admit I struggled going up, but actually managed to run most of the way down. Gee I hate going up hills but looooooove coming down:) Was a bit windy up the top but simply stunning - roll on spring.
By the time I got home after a slight detour to the op shop in Te Puke to see if there were any teapots for cousin Belinda (and no there weren't but I did somehow come out with a bag of goodies) it was early afternoon and I was suddenly struck by an overwhelming guilt at how neglectful I had been towards my poor wee car. So for the next hour and a half I lovingly washed her.

(and no, that photo is not taken at home but when I was in wet Auckland a month or so ago). She is now amazingly brighter in her yellowness and far happier I am sure. I do wonder, though, why I had children? Was one of the reasons not to have them washing dishes and cars? Must make sure I vacuum the inside before the week is out though so she is completely spic and span. 
Ongoing is the decluttering and organising of the sewing room, and I am constantly finding treasures. 

I found these poor gathering of angels scrunched up and rather dishevelled, looking the worse for wear. Funnily enough I had found the patterns for them earlier in the week.

Obviously when I stitched them I had some wonderfully masterful plan for their final outcome........heaven only knows (pardon the pun) what that might have been, especially now that there are marks on the fabric that will not come out.
Now must be the time for Plan B to come into action, whatever that might be.......
Watch this space.
The other thing keeping me busy this week and stopping me from being truly creative is that I have been working on my cv

Uggh - not the best of photos of the cover as it's in a plastic sleeve but you get the idea. Need to polish my covering letter and then drop it in tomorrow - oops, that'd be today. The position is an interesting one that is for a period from September to December and would add to my current skills, while still allowing me to develop the 'midgetmagic' journey. Will see what happens.


Ciao, 

Triple Treat Thursday

Strange title I know considering it's Sunday, but in amongst everything I did have to mention happenings of Thursday.
After an impromptu lunch with Vince, we popped into the tyre shop as the yellow VW's tyres were somewhat low on air. I know, I was being a pathetic female but am happy to let blokes do their job in this area. As it was, the nice Beaurepaires man discovered that indeed one tyre was more than low; it had a puncture and he proceeded to extract a jolly great long nail!!!!! 20 minutes later he despatched me with a happy pumped wee car without charge - what a sweetie. Must bake some muffins and drop them in cos it's not often you get something done for nothing, especially as I thought we were being cheeky going in there just to get air put in!!!!
So with a spare hour on my hands before I had to get the youngest son from school I treated myself to a spot of op shopping. And look at the treasure I managed to come away with......

I can't resist doilies or pretty linen embroidery and at 50cents these I couldn't pass up. I have seen a picture of a quilt that I am going to attempt so one of these is going to be ideal for it. They have already been popped into the doilie basket so no lying around for them!
The bag with the dandelion print on it I also couldn't resist as it is so in keeping with the design concept I have for the 'midget magic' logo. At 50cents it, too, just seemed a must have. And you can never have too many handy bags.
The Frankie mag is one I haven't seen - last December - and it is the magazine that one of Emma's friends introduced me to in January. Very inspiring in its funky creativity, and I was so spoilt when Em and Jen gave me a subscription for my birthday.
Now, the last treasures are two yellow placemats which I am going to upcycle. I know exactly what I am going to applique onto them and am not even going to put them into the sewing room for fear they will get lost amidst the chaos!!!!!!! My goal is to have them done before next weekend.
So all in all it was a really positive Thursday - gotta love those sort of days.
Ciao,