4 year old drum player

I just had to share this as it is way to cute.  A friend sent a link for this video to me via email.  This little boy is fantastic at playing the drums and the facial expressions are a classic!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Sock's into baby stockings

While surfing my favourite blogs I noticed that there has been a trend where mum's are turning knee high socks into baby leg warmers.

Photo taken from The Sewing Dork
Tutorial here

But it got me thinking of stockings, and why not use a pair of knee high socks to make them.  And it just so happened that I have a really cute pair of stockings that a friend gave to me in a bag of hand me downs that is a bit like sock knitted material.

So I used them as a template:

Here are the socks that I used.  They are called Cosy Toes which I found at a local discount store and they were perfect to use as they did not have a heel.



Cosy Toe Socks

So first I lay the socks on top of the stockings to measure the length.  Use the elastic end of the sock for the bottom of the legs and cut the toe part off, leaving enough to fold and create a waistband.

Now for the gusset.  When I think about it now that I have finished making these socks maybe having a heel would make the gusset part a bit easier but as these socks don't have a heal I used the piece's I cut off to make it.

I wanted the stripes to run the same way so I had to fold the template in half and make to triangle pieces that I sewed together.



OK so sewing knitted fabric for the first time
not so fun!!!!



Then I measured from the top of the waistband down to the bottom of the gusset to find out the length I need to cut the inside of the socks.



measuring from top to the bottom of gusset



cut down one side of each sock

Now pin and sew the gusset.  I did one side at a time.



Now pin and sew the sides together.  I did this one side at a time too!

When all piece's are sewn together turn down the top to make a waistband.  I found that the stockings where narrow enough that they would just stretch over bub's bottom but if you want to add elastic just make sure that you leave a gap to do so. 





And here is the finished product.  I so glad that they turned out!!!

So why not have a go and if you make them out of sock's that have a heel I would love to know how you went so please send me a pic!

Happy Sewing!!!!

Queensland Floods

Well I finally have the internet back up and running and just as we lost the connection I was in the middle of writing a blog on the Queensland Floods and had added a few auctions that some fantastic people had organised to raise money for those who had been affected.

Unfortunately I was unable to publish that post but would like to say to all those fantastic people on behalf of those who will benefit from their efforts, a BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

My family have not been affected by the floods but our thoughts go out to those who have been.  Never in my lifetime did I think I would witness our capital city going under water.  And it amazes me how much damage a flood can do.

But what a fantastic nation we are.  To all those wonderful people out there that gave up their time to go and volunteer to help their fellow Australian's with the clean up, you make me proud to be an Australian!!!!!!

Happy Australia Day Wednesday 26th January 2011!!!

P.S and if you still want to help go to  http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html to find out how.

Cake Pops

I have fallen in love with this new craze called Cake Pops and I just wanted to share some tutorials that I have come across while checking out a few blogs that I follow.

The first one I found was Audrey at Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats and boy is this lady talented.  I just love the Elmo and Cookie Monster pops. It's a same she lives in the USA.

Just to cute!!

and what about these little guy's



And just love these Hello Kitty's!!!
All Photo's from Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats.



But then I found Bubble and Sweet while I was reading The TomKat Studio  blog and what a great blog Linda has and she lives in Queensland.  I just love what she creates and will definitely have to give her recipes a go.

Yum Tim Tam Cookie Pops!!! definitely trying this one!
Photo by Bubble and Sweet

There is also a recipe for Cake Pops on Martha Stewart :



Cupcake Pops by Bakerella (the QUEEN of Cake Pops!)
from Martha Stewart.  Photo from Martha Stewart

Here is another one I found by Little Miss Momma:



Easy Cake Pop Recipe.  Photo from Little Miss Momma



And another great tutorial by Recipe Rhapsody:

Photo from Recipe Rhapsody



So start cooking or just have a look through all these talented ladies blogs.  I know I'm keen to have a go!

Happy Cooking!!!

Girl's Dress Re-fashioned

I don't know about you but I just love going to our local charity store's and having a look at what some people give away.

During one trip my daughter spotted this little dress which was her favorite colour but too small for her.  But for a $1 I thought why not make it into a skirt.

The dress buttons up at the back, so before I removed the shoulder straps, I pinned the back together and sewed  to about where I wanted to cut the straps off:

Then using my ruler I cut straight across the top of the dress:

Now to make the band for the top of the skirt.  I simply rolled the top of the dress down to where the buttons use to finish, pinned and sewed:

With the elastic I just measured around my daughters waist. I was lucky enough that there was a button hole that I could use to put the elastic into the waistband but for anyone else who might do this, leave a gap for you to be able to put in the elastic.  I used a pin to push the elastic through:

Now sew the ends of the elastic together and gap you pushed the elastic through and now you have a new skirt.

So why not go and checkout your local charity store and see what you can come up with!

Happy Sewing!!!