An important week

DONATELIFE WEEK 24 FEBRUARY – 3 MARCH 2013
MAKE YOUR WISH COUNT. DISCOVER, DECIDE AND DISCUSS ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION.

Did you know that around 1% of all hospital deaths occur in the specific circumstances where a person can be considered for organ donation?

1 in 2 Australians do not know that few of us will actually have the chance to become an organ donor, although many more can become tissue donors. When people become aware of this fact, the overwhelming majority (84%) are more motivated to decide they would like to become a donor.

As an organ and tissue donor, you could transform the lives of 10 or more people. But to make your wish count, we all need to discover the facts about organ and tissue donation and to register our decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

And to make every wish count, every Australian family needs to know each other’s wishes. This is because in Australia the family of every potential donor is always asked to confirm the donation wishes of their loved one before organ and/or tissue donation can proceed.
During DonateLife Week, Sunday 24 February – Sunday 3 March 2013, take some time to share your wish with your family and close friends, and ask them about their wishes.

Although 77% of Australians have now talked about organ and tissue donation with their family, and 71% of people believe that their family knows their donation wishes, only 56% of Australians say that they know the donation wishes of their loved ones. This highlights the need for all Australians to remind their family members’ about their donation wishes as well as to ask and know the wishes of family members.

DonateLife Week is Australia's national awareness week to promote organ and tissue donation. It is led by the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of the national DonateLife campaign and supported by community events and activities across Australia.
For more information www.donatelife.gov.au

And if I didnt say it eloquently enough- here's someone who can possibly say it better!  Visiting her made what could be a difficult conversation a bit easier with a naturally curious child (who will happily explain to her friends who go 'yuk' that it's better than dying!). 

And if you can, check out the photography exhibition Cam encouraged us all to enter! Cant't wait to go and see it myself! I'm taking the tissues....
 

Thinking....

 It's been an emotional week.

Where I've been thinking about where I am now, and where I've been.

About the people I've met and the ones still around me. The cool things I've learnt from my friends. About how lucky I am really.

Breathing. Living. Taking it all a bit for granted sometimes.

Blessed to have this girl.

and to watch her become and amazing big cousin. 

Wondering if she'll ever get the chance to be a sister.

And amazed and how much love there is for the gorgeous little man. He's starting to give it back, too.

Just had to add an extra shot of him on his 'down the fox hole' quilt- wearing his Mum's vintage tee she wore when she was a baby! "This shirt stops at all cookie jars" has been waiting a long time to be reworn!

New top again.

I finished another top for the Little Miss.

I was reading my Reader one morning and saw this post; I showed the girl and asked what she though, she was keen! So we hot footed it to Spotlight before she changed her mind (and while their half price pattern sale was on as well heehee) 

She's keen for the jacket too.

 

Fabric is a floral voile from the clearance table. And goes so well with the shorts I 

bought her for her birthday!

 It was a really quick sew, the longest bit was getting from the cutting-out stage to the sewing-it-up stage!

Kid clothes

 I haven't forgotten about my gorgeous girl in the clothes making mission! Not that I can call her clothes 'kid clothes' for much longer! I've had to make her the size 12 in this pattern, and as fans of these patterns know- they only go to a 12! My girl is growing up!

Recognise the fabric from Friday's post? I had this top in mind when I first saw it here! 

(Oh, an Australia map tattoo on the cheek, Happy Australia day!)

 needs no words, does it?

 

 and then the shorts! The fabric was chosen by me- she'd been nagging me for some animal print for the Firefly jacket I want to make her. But I thought it a bit grown up- and when I saw the pink, I decided if she liked it (a self declared pink hater, apparently) I'd make the shorts.

There are some other great versions here. It's hard to see the trim as I didn't make it contrasting, but I thought there was enough goin' on in these shorts already for a contrasting trim! Oh, and no pockets, which may turn a lot of kiddies off! (Don't think Little Miss has noticed yet).

  

Easy elastic waist. There's not really any 'trying on and adjust the length' in these, either; she questioned the high rise of the waistband a bit too (I told her that's the best way to wear them- shhhhh!)

 She assures me she'll wear them!

New tops

 I thought I'd spare you all more white legs and bad posing...

I added to my 3 stretchy tops- some wovens. 

I've made this pattern before, and like it. But I think they are a tad short now, and a bit unstructured. I might need to play around with some darts or something.

I used a Lisette cotton voile, on the clearance table at Spotlight.

Vintage thrifted binding.

My girl calls this a 'Curlypops' top (she knows of Cam's fondness for orange and pink!)

I made a 2nd one in a Tana lawn, also on the clearance rack. I had to take the sides in a little on this one though.

 Then I made 2 Wiksten tanks- this, my new favourite fabric EVER! 'Summer chill voile' from Spotlight. There is just no fault with this pattern! I have seen a blogger I love has made the Wiksten tank with Grainline Scout sleeves- think I'm going to try that next, as the hemline and length are just perfect!

  and the first one I made (and last one I posted haha) is from a Japanese Seersucker (brown with turquoise spot) form- you guessed it, Spotlight!

Still gotta start making pants, but the satisfaction of more hand made than store

 bought is very high!

New projects

 I have a whole bunch of new stuff I want to make at the moment. I started to make a list, and it was getting a bit big!

this list...and more!

I've got some spankin' great fabric to do it with...

A new blanket has been cast on for Henry.

 

And I've joined in a monthly sampler... those deer sucked me right in!

I'm revisiting the hexies too, a nice quick craft for the couch. the plan is to make some purses for a market stall I'm thinking of doing in March... 

I had to show off this great sheet set I was gifted by Cam, either to use as sheets or cut up for quilts.

 Definitely to make something for this little dude! 5 weeks and he fits into this size 0 vintage onesie (found in Little Miss' old toy clothes :) )

Sorry, more pics of me and my moon tan legs!

 I had to put that title, as I even I didn't know how white my legs were until I saw these! Can you tell I don't sun bake? At least I have a low chance of skin cancer on my legs teehee

My goal for this year (not a resolution, just a little goal) is to make more of my work wardrobe. I mainly wear pants and tee shirts, in winter with cardigans, and of course the skirts I made. But I wanted much more handmade work clothes that bought! So this post is to show off my three tee shirts I made, and the pants I am now living in!

These are the fabrics "Santa" put under the tree from Rathdowne Fabrics (well, actually, I did, and they weren't wrapped and I paid for them. Thanks anyway, Santa!) They were all different weights which made it interesting! I didn't end doing a production line because of that, but they were still pretty quick.

This is the pattern.... again!

This is a slightly 'slinky' fabric, ie I think it has a fair bit of polyester in it. Little Miss told me it was swimsuit fabric, but definitely not like the bathers I made her! I was worried the higher amount of polyester would make it a bit smelly at the end of a sweaty day, but I wore it to work all day and it's fine! And very comfortable. I left the waistband cuff at the bottom for this one, and love the sleeve cuffs, they are just so comfortable! Oh, and the fabric was quite cheap as it was a remnant.

 

The 2nd one is a thick cotton Lycra, about $10 a metre, I may have gotten a metre and a half, I cant remember. This fabric is the bomb! So spongy and comfy, and even on the hot day Monday I was cooool as a cucumber! The other reason these fit so well is I've lost a bit of weight and went down a size on the tee, so they fit a lot better I've realised!

  

And finally a black on- much batter than the one here, the fabric in the last one was too thin and had holes in the armpits from the needle along the seam. This is a touch thinner than the white cotton Lycra, still soft and lovely though. I left the waistband off this one (got lazy by the end) and used the twin needle for the hem; if it's not as comfy when wearing, I'll add the waistband back on.

Lookit that fit! My next job is new shorts, I'm sick of the sight and the wearing of these ones! But they were op shopped for a few dollars and have lasted a few years, so I shouldn't complain!

Tips for sewing with Lycra? Overlocker! (or serger). The top shiny fabric I still sewed the seams on the machine then overlocked with 4 threads; knowing how the last one got holes and the wear and tear I hope to get out of these, I didn't think I could reinforce the seams enough! And practice. We all fear something before we try it, then it's lots of practice, and being prepared to chuck out the fails!  I expect many more fails as I learn all about sewing stretch fabric!

Oh, a stretch needle too is great.

I also ran up some new pants from this pattern (which was half price at the last Spotlight sale = $2.50) and some of the ex-curtain fabric I was gifted from my daughters school (don't think I blogged that- I was told to 'take what I want' and ended up with about 10mts! It was going in the bin after all....)

They are The. Best. Pants! Elastic waisted, so no stressing your fly is undone all day! Yes, I have entered the 'stretch oant' stage of my life I think...letting it all hang out!

Outfit one TICK