My sewing addiction is growing!

So I managed to complete a new project... 

A pinafore dress for pebble. I used this pattern:

http://www.beadandcord.com/clipper/ella.hart.1368608/diy-rompers-11352/57872.html

I made it reversible by fixing the buttons rather than making a hole and putting buttons on the other side. 

I also did ANOTHER attic24 project- her crochet bunting

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/granny-bunting-triangles.html

My twins nieces' birthday is tomorrow and I have been busy making their present. But not sure what my next project will be. Any ideas? 

We're going on a bear hunt!

So the summer holidays are almost finished and they had been filling me with dread before they started. I take Nemo and Pebble to various groups typically 3/4 times a week so the idea of going for 2 months without them worried me! 

We have actually had a really lovely time doing some different things to usual.

We have had many trips to Leigh Woods. Leigh Woods has been a frequent destination since first moving to Bristol. When we first moved to Bristol and had no car we would get the train from Filton to Clifton then walk a considerable way to get to the woods. Our dog Poppy was only a puppy then so would often be exhausted but the time we actually arrived there! 

Here is Clifton suspension bridge where we used to walk over

And here is a young Poppy in the woods 

Before too long we got our own car which made the journey much easier! 

Here I am in Leigh Woods about 7/8 months pregnant with Nemo 

And here is my hubby playing with Poppy 

In the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy with Nemo (I went 2 weeks over due) every day after going for a swim we went for a power walk around Leigh Woods to try and get me into labour! 

We went with my mum on the morning of the day I went into hospital to be induced, it was by Clifton suspension bridge I got the call to go in! 

So naturally some of my first walks with Nemo were in Leigh Woods 

And some of Nemo's first steps were here 

When we moved to the North West side of Bristol last year it meant that Leigh Woods was much closer to get to and that means that we have been dozens and dozens of times since moving here! 

Here are some photos of walking with 2 children! 

It really is a special place to us having seen us go from a a newly married couple with no transport to getting a car, getting pregnant, having 1 dog and baby and now having 1 dog and 2 babies! 

Making a pledge

So whilst feeding Pebble I was browsing Facebook when this advert for a free development check for your child came up. Curious I clicked on it and answered a few basic questions about Nemo. The end came and adviced that Nemo might have autism and that I should speak to my paediatrician. 

This is ridiculous. It was based on the fact that having just turned 2 Nemo has only just started putting words together and that at play groups he tends to do his own thing rather engaging with the other children. My health visitor has no concerns about his development, neither do I. He is an engaging, confident and chatty little boy, I know this and yet I feel the compulsion to regularly look on the internet in regards to development. And know I have 2 children, it's double the pressure!

I realised that what was more ridiculous then this over simplified app was me for looking at this stuff when I know 

I therefore am making a pledge, I am 

-unsubscribing from weekly update emails which try to tell me what my child should be doing

-browsing the internet for information on what my child should be doing

-not going to stress when I see that other children of the same age as my children are doing something mine isn't!!!!

And just because I can't blog without a picture! 

(Aren't they cute!) 

Nemo is 2 and the dinosaurs roam among us!

So little Nemo turned 2 this week. I cannot believe how quickly it is going! He is now officially a little person now not a baby :( 

This year Nemo got to spend his birthday with his Grandparents. I spent the day before trying to make his birthday cake. This was challenging having two little ones around. Last year I made Nemo a finding Nemo cake 

So this year I felt I had to try and keep up. My husband has become very enthusiastic about reliving his childhood having loved dinosaurs as a child has been getting Nemo into them.

So naturally Nemo had to have a dinosaur cake! 

My sister made a really good dinosaur cake for my husbands birthday which further added to the pressure! 

 I made the waterfall from buttercream Icing with blue food colouring blended in and just the clarify they are dinosaur eggs at the top! I stole my sisters idea of using an ice cream cone to make a base for the volcano. The sea monster is modelled on something more interesting.... an UNUSED urine sample bottle.

Now there is a funny story from my childhood about urine sample bottles. My mum worked as a doctors receptionist in previous years and so being a resourcefull mum in a family of 6 she used new urine sample bottles to put raisins in for our packed lunches. Needless to say I did get some odd looks though at school! Mum now uses them to put milk in when she has a flask of tea! 

For his birthday Rowan got dinosaur shorts with a bib x 2 (see last blog), many dinosaur models some playdough and a digger with trailer as a joint present with my parents.

He also got from various friends and family some duplo, a play tent, a dragon bath toy, some clothes, crayons in a homemade crayon holder and probably some other things I can't remember. He has been a lucky boy. 

In the morning we went to soft play. There is a under 4 section there but Nemo likes to go straight into the older child section and runs around fearlessly like maniac. As it was his birthday he got a cookie break :) 

As my husband tried to eat his Pebble stole it from him! 

Both Nemo and Pebble had a great time 

Nemo having fun being chased by Grandad! 

When we got back Nemo had a sleep and in the afternoon we went to a local farm. 

I seemed to enjoy feeding the animals more than Nemo!

Pebble loves being held and spends a lot of time in our ergo!

The highlight of Nemo's trip was probably the park and icecream break! 

Nemo had a lot of sugar on his birthday and went on a bit of a crash the next day! He did however have an amazing day and has lots of lovely new things curtesy of our lovely friends and family.

So happy birthday to my sweet little boy, he is such a delight and we are so lucky to have him- he just needs to stop growing so quickly! 

 

Busy bees

So guess who has manages to write 2 blog posts without getting them from drafts to published? Sometimes this blog app alludes me. So instead of posting out of date things I have just decided to write a new one with the bits from the old posts! 

So it's happened, I have started making children's clothing for Nemo and Pebble and I'm getting quite addicted. It's so satisfying watching them wearing things I have made. 

It started with making a romper for Pebble from a pattern my mum used 32 years ago for my older sister! 

I worked on it at my parents house whilst hubby was taking his CFA exam in London. I needed quite a lot of help from my Mum but managed to complete it! 

Here Pebble is modeling my completed romper. I like this photos as it shows Ayla in her hand made romper lying on her homemade play mat with her homemade elephant and homemade crochet balls! 

Of course having finished one I decided to try making another in this lovely fabric.

I then decided to use some dinosaur material to make a pair of shorts for Nemo and a matching neck tie. The pattern for the shorts was free from here: 

http://cailamade.com/summer-shorts-free-pattern-and-tutorial/

Then of course I then had to make another :) 

Here is Nemo modeling his new clothes

 

Also made a couple of more neck ties for the children

For my birthday my Mum and Dad got me a wool bundle from attic24 and I have now finished crocheting my cosy stripe blanket.

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/cosy-stripe-blanket.html

My lovelies snuggling with the blanket :) 

Aside form that I used some of the left over wool to do a couple more attic24 projects:

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/happy-flower-decoration.html

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/springtimewreath.html

So with 

Another sewing project in the pipeline I'm feeling a little excited about all this clothing making! 

Hubby has finished his exams for this year so we will get a few months off at least! 

Pebble is now 6 months old and is moving around quite a bit now. She and Nemo are really playing together now and are besotted with one another. 

Cuddling in the car :) 

Here they are playing with Nemo's dinosaurs :) 

So that's my sewing update, watch this space :)