I want a Tea Dress

Have you seen these gorgeous dresses! They are made with vintage fabrics in a ‘50s style. I think I NEED once for this summer. I will knit a cardigan for those cooler days and I will wear it all summer!

The shop is on holiday at the moment but I am all signed up to get a notification when they re-open!

What’s for dinner? {Carrot Soup}

Do you love cooking or is it just another job that must be done? I think for me it is both. I love to cook when I have the time but it is not so enjoyable when Miss 4yo wants help with her game and wants it NOW, Miss 3yo wants another apple and wants it peeled and then it isn’t peeled the ‘right’ way and then we have a tantrum to deal with and Miss 1yo just wants to be held. Yep, this is what seems to happen whenever I start to prepare our dinner!
Today though I started when Miss 1yo was sleeping and it worked really well. I really must be more organised and do this more often!
With no plans I opened the fridge to see what we had…carrots, lots of carrots. So what do you make when you have carrots and not much else? Carrot Soup!
I do have my soup recipe that can be adjusted to whatever I have in the fridge but I decided to be adventurous and make something different.
After a little search I found this recipe and I have adjusted it a little to suit.
So here is my version of the above recipe
Carrot Soup
Serves 6
2 ProPoints per serve
Ingredients

• 1.5kg carrots, peeled
• 2 onions, quartered
• 6 cloves or garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbs white wine
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Chop carrots into chunks

Place in a casserole dish (with a lid) along with the onions, garlic, olive oil, butter, cumin and white wine. I dotted my butter over the top so as it melted it would cover all the carrots more evenly.

Take photo of super cute 3 year old helper at her request

Cover and place in preheated oven for 1hr or until carrots are tender
Add stock and blend
Season to taste

ISO – Oliver & S Puppet Show Pattern

Oh I wish I had purchased this pattern when I could. I have seen so many gorgeous pairs of shorts and tunics made with this pattern and the pattern is now out of print. 

 

Source: pineneedles.net via Meika on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: fromthepinkhouse.blogspot.com via Meika on Pinterest

Does anyone have a copy that they are willing to part with or know someone who does? Or perhaps your local fabric store has one last copy. If anyone has a copy that they could post me I would love you forever! Ok, probably a bit of an exaggeration but I would be so so happy to have a copy to use this summer. I would of course pay for the pattern and all postage costs from anywhere around the world. I would be grateful for either size range but I think the 2T-5 would get more use in this house.

Thanks in advance xxx

Simplicity 2444

This is actually one of the first things I have sewn for myself since high school! I have a collection of patterns and often dream of making this dress and that top but I never get around to it as I tend to sew for the girls too. I must admit that I have been a little scared of making a disaster and wasting so much fabric  and have heard of many stories of garments that don’t fit well.

I am SO glad I made this dress for myself. I love it! It fits perfectly and it really was pretty easy to sew. As seen in one of my previous posts I have many garments planned for myself now.

I don’t actually have the perfect photos of the dress. I think this is the best one but it doesn’t show all of it. Not the best photo of me either but we are all looking at the dress aren’t we?

I went with the sleeveless version and no bow. I made my own belt using a vintage buckle and a strip of fabric. It was basically the width of fabric in length and I played around with the width until it fit the buckle and looked ok.

Pattern – Simplicity 2444

Fabric – Quilting Cotton from Spotlight ($7.99/m) – 3 meters

Notions – 22” zipper - (umm I think this was about $2…I don’t buy zippers very often!)

Total costs – about $26 not including thread

Wear again? – Yes. I love it! I want to make another in a satin or similar for the TSO (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) Gala Ball in October…maybe with a bow this time!

My Party in Pictures

       

          

Google Reader Problems?

Google Reader keeps deleting all my unread blogs :(  It has done it twice this week and I am sad that I have missed much inspiration. Is this happening to anyone else?

Thirty

Just one little photo from last night…more to come once I have finished cleaning up…I will start once I have finished my cup of tea!

Sewing for Me

Do you sew for yourself? I always think about it and then end up making something for one of the girls as they are smaller and if it doesn’t fit one it will eventually fit one of the others!

I have only just finished cutting out the fabric for my dress and am looking forward to getting to the sewing part…I just hope it fits ok! I know I am two different sizes in the bust and waist(3 sizes apart!) so it will be interesting to see how it fits. I didn’t make any alterations in the cutting but as there are pleats I am sure I can adjust them slightly if I need to.

I am all inspired to sew more for myself this summer and have been pinning lots of patterns and tutorials to Pinterest. Here are a few of my favourites.

I NEED a belt (or 4). My jeans are always falling down and these belts would be so cute with a plain tee in summer

Source: sewing.craftgossip.com via Meika on Pinterest

 

Cute skirts are a must!

Source: vanessachristensontutorials.blogspot.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: analogme.typepad.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: vievesscrapbooking.blogspot.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: simplicity.com via Meika on Pinterest

 

And some cute dresses too

Source: simplicity.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: sewweekly.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: store.annamariahorner.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: academichic.com via Meika on Pinterest

 

And we can't forget some cute tops too!

Source: tearosehome.blogspot.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: leafytreetopspot.blogspot.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: prudentbaby.com via Meika on Pinterest

Source: bluecricketdesign.net via Meika on Pinterest

Source: maybematilda.com via Meika on Pinterest

Getting ready to party!

I am 30 next week! In 5 days actually! 30 seems so much older than 29. It is that 3 at the beginning that I can’t get over! I know it really isn’t that old but I feel like I only just came out of my teens!

Instead of worrying about that ‘3’ I have decided that I am going to PARTY! Celebrate my 30 years and all the blessings that they have brought.

I am having a 1950’s wonderland tea party. Sounds a bit all over the place doesn’t it? Well that is because I couldn’t work out how to describe it! I wanted pretty teacups and pretty food but also some fun and quirky touches. I didn’t want it too formal, I wanted it fun! I am going to be setting up a photo booth with fun props and we will have fun 1950’s music.

I bought myself a dress from ModCloth but unfortunately it is too small so I will be sending it back and sewing one instead. I am actually quite excited about getting the sewing machine out…it has been a while!

I will be using Simplicity 2444 and some navy polka dot fabric.

Source: simplicity.com via Meika on Pinterest

I was inspired by this dress

Source: sewweekly.com via Meika on Pinterest

and this one too.

Source: burdastyle.com via Meika on Pinterest

I think I might drop the bow and make a belt using one of these plastic buckles

…probably white…but that orange does look great too!

Win a $750 Fuel Card

Ok so I hope I have your attention. Yes you can win a fuel card BUT what I really wanted to ask you …ok beg you to do is to vote for my friend Bianca.

She was one of 12 selected to test drive a 2012 Ford Focus and whoever gets the most votes over 4 weeks gets to keep their car! Bianca has done so well especially considering the guy coming first is (or so I have heard) in marketing. She is coming second and there is quite a gap to close but she isn’t giving up yet!

Every vote goes into the draw to win a fuel card worth $750 so not only are you helping Bianca out but you could win something too. It is one vote per day so if you remember pop on again tomorrow and vote too. It only takes about 30 seconds and I will be very grateful and I am sure Bianca will be especially grateful!

Dear Blog

Sorry for neglecting you. Thankyou for understanding that sometimes I just don’t have the time to spend with you. For understanding that my kids and my husband come first and that although I love blogging I love knitting and sewing even more. I think of you often when I am sewing, knitting, taking photos and at other times too. Thanks for letting me use you when I want to and leave you when I don’t. I make no promises as to when we will be together again but just know that I want to.