Playing Truant

I get that I sort of abandon my blog every now and then. There's no real excuse, reason or pattern. I've stopped berating myself for it. Tonight I wanted to blog two lovely crosses I made in the last 24hrs for my friend who had 2 first communions to attend. She was feeling a bit low because she is in a bad financial situation and couldn't afford a small gift for the children. I wanted to ease her guilt because on child is her niece. When I realised the other child was her fiance's cousin and he'd be upset to gift one child and not the other, I hurriedly crocheted another. Thankfully my friend adored them and I am quietly confident the children will too.

This is Rachel Mohler's Easy Tatted Cross Variation 3

Tatted with 3 different Guetermann threads. I joined 2 picots on the rings making up the inner corners instead of just the one. It gave the cross much needed stability.

Crochet 'N' More's Picot Cross Bookmark

Thankfully a very simple design that worked up quickly. Thankfully, I had a scrap of ribbon laying around! This isn't the design I originally chose to crochet, but I am glad I did it. My only real dislike is the 2 separate pieces. I tacked them together (and tacked the ribbon in place too) for stability. Crocheted with size 10 cotton, lurex thread and a 1.75mm hook.

Both crosses were carefully ironed with a steam iron as I didn't have time to block them properly. The steam iron sufficed for the purpose, though proper blocking would have left better results. Sorry for the terrible pics, they were hurriedly taken on my phone before I raced out the door.

I have done plenty of craft during my hiatus, mostly sewing and scrapbooking. I've only been tatting again for a couple of weeks and man-o-man do I enjoy it! Why on earth did I stop? I can't say I am crocheting, I just happened to crochet the cross for speed.

Delicate and Dainty

I want to make myself a scarf. I don't wear scarves.. Hmm! I'd like to, I just think they look odd on me and I'm never quite sure what to do with them. But I am going to make one all the same and see what happens. I wanted flowers, and toyed with the idea of using all kinds of flowers. In the end I liked the pattern posted at CrochetMe enough that I will just do one very long chain of these sweet flowers. They're quite large. I'm using Bendigo Woolen Mills 8ply cotton which is so soft, like brush cotton, and a Brittany 3.75mm (F) crochet hook. Perfect! In all honesty, I think I should have used a slightly smaller hook so the flowers were tighter. I will see how this goes. I don't like repetitive and I don't like sewing in ends (for every flower there are 2 ends to tidy away). I might dress it up some when it's finished, but for now it really is a case of "let's see where this goes".

Those photos I promised

Decided it would probably be easier to add pics in a new post than to update the other one. So, here are pics of what I've been working on. Minus a couple, like the little purse I sewed from a recent "Handmade" magazine but can't find right now and the doll I was happily crocheting until I snapped the plastic crochet hook I was using and unsure where in my stash is another 5mm one. I've never broken a hook before and actually attempted to continue crocheting with the 1.5" stub but it hurt my fingers. Was possible though, I finished off some of the dolls dress with that stub!! Crazy I know. Yay for the life of a bored person. Anyway, the pics.....

A little doll dress I started. As you can see, it's far from finished! I used hemming tape for the hem. My sewing machine is really touchy about tension. I have to finish the neck and back, including the buttons or some other closure. Not sure if I will finish it. Just isn't working for me right now. I planned to do some applique or embroidery on the front, not to mention the matching bloomers. Maybe one day!

I used a pattern to make this little sun suit for Kristina. The pattern was actually for swimmers but hey.. It's a little too wide at the hips and wasn't quite tall enough for the baby bjorn doll. I fixed the height by hand sewing on the purple lace, which I then added to the legs as well for some continuity. I'm really pleased with it! I chose purple and green to work with some of the items I crocheted.

A little halter and some shorts. Of course, my own designs. One leg of the shorts seems a tad smaller, and take no notice of that little gape in the crotch.. It's just not there, ok?! *lol* I like the halter, though it seemed to drag on forever! Such a little doll too. This is why I am no good at wearables for people.. far too impatient. You can't really see the little flower but it has a yellowy-pearlesque button in the middle. Again, these are my own designs.


A little skirt (teamed up with the halter from above) and some shoes. The skirt is still waiting on a green belt and a top to match. I can't find either of those yarns at the moment, buried under a pile of books I think. The shoes were interesting to make. I wrote down what I did but not sure if it really "works" as a pattern. Might have to ask LeAnna to test it for me. All my own designs. You should expect no less ;)

I love, love, LOVE the little hat I made!! Just a basic round with fpdc and bpdc details. It just looks so cute!! Probably not the bext photo. The little ribbon flower worked better than I expected. The mittens look huge, these dolls have their hands in bizzare poses so to make it fit they had to be biggish. I just tied them with ribbons to match the hat, but sewed one end to the mittens so the ribbons wont fall out and get lost etc. The blanket is some polar fleece and a panel cut from this really cute Sunbonnet Sue type fabric I bought in Perth earlier in the year, for 50c a metre!! The place was relocating so they sold everything totally cheap rather than move it. How lucky to be there at the right time *happy dance* I got something like 24m of fabric, or maybe it was 48m, I don't recall... Anyway, the diagram had little yellow "stitches" around the girl, the dog, and the inside of the patchwork border, so I hand sewed on those lines around the doll. It's given it a nice, raised, quilted effect so I think I will do the same around the dog then perhaps machine sew the rest, possibly in a bold pink or something. Might add some ribbons. Who knows. It's only for the baby bjorn doll afterall!! Hope Kristina loves all this :)

I sewed this yesterday and I really quite like it!! It was intended as a pencil case for Shania as part of her xmas present. I'm not sure yet. Maybe a 10yr old will think school supplies is the suckiest present ever. I tried to make it have some width in the bottom and had no idea what I was doing. Of course, today, I find out how easy it should have been so I will likely fix it. The flower is 5 ribbons cut to about 2" and sewn with a few stitches once folded, then the button to cover all the mess. I couldn't get one length of ribbon to fold how I needed it to do it all in one piece. Random blue buttons just for some more depth. The pink ribbon was also used as a little tab/pull on the zipper. It just works. The pink really brightens the whole thing. If I did it again I think I'd use a wider ribbon for a bigger flower. Otherwise, I am happy!

A double scrapbook layout that just ISN'T working for me. I think that it's far too busy. But, seeing the photo, I might actually like it. The righthand photo is a collection of other pics I want to include, hence the huge frog tag which is destined to become a little album to stash all these pics. And to think, the eldest girl (left) is 13 this year!! Sharyn's (elder girl) photo is so much darker than Amanda's which is making it a little frustrating to make this layout work. I am a bit stumped by it for the moment so have walked away. Will return in a few days and see how I feel. Have already drawn out some scallops on a plain blue paper to use somewhere on this layout.

A vintage pattern for a dress I am crocheting for Jessica. I FINALLY got some Bendigo Woollen Mills cotton and I am loving it!! Perfect for wearables, so soft and slightly fluffy. Not at all tough and rough. The colour is "light teal". Jess likes it so far which is fabulous! This is front/back (both are identical) and maybe 1/3 of the length it needs to be. Fast to crochet just tedious as it's just repeating and counting (5dc, 1dc, 5dc, 1dc etc). I do like it a lot and will finish it up soon. It may be too warm for her to wear in summer.

A scarf for Kristina's younger brother Deegan. Still in the works. No pattern just random rows of knit and purl. I like that the thick/thin yarn is giving it a textrure it would otherwise be without. I originally bought this yarn to make Deegan a comfort blanket but his mum (Nichola) bought one before I had the chance. After I told her I had the yarn! I also used this yarn to make a hat for her new baby Nate. I gifted that before getting a pic as she was heading off to have him. I'll try get a pic of him in it when they come home. The book is from the library and probably overdue...

Back in March was our local race day (horses) and for whatever reason I was bit with the sewing bug the day before, sometime around 2pm. I sewed this in record time and Jessica loved it!! I used some cheap earrings on the ends of the ribbon tie for fun, bought a hair clip to go with it (would have made that too but was threading the ribbon just before walking out the door! She got blue fairy floss (cotton candy to my USA friends) on it. It probably wont hold up, the seams are finished and such. It was just so sweet! Has matching bloomers underneath from the print fabric. It was from a 1970's sewing pattern. I had to fold the neck and tack open as it was just too high for her. She looks so sweet and got a ton of compliments on the day.

My poor abandoned blog

One would think I had forgotten all about my blog, when infact, I think of it with fondness on regular occassions. Dragging my butt in here to post, now that's another story!!


As has been typical of my recent blog posts, life has been a rollercoaster! Jessi has spent a week in Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth. I've had to accept my bf doesn't want more than to be my friend. My sister is pregnant but has placenta praevia. There's a fire bug in town which is worrying! What concerned me was that the majority of the fires have been within 3 blocks of my home.

On the plus side, Jessica is well now! The doctors and staff at PMH fixed her up in no time and I am so grateful to them. My friend Nichola had a baby boy yesterday and from the photos she's sent through mms he is so sweet! (ok, yes, I love babies so I'm probably bias). My mum gave me use of her VX Commodore (SS, V8, red)! I am so thankful to her. I sold my car for a few hundered bucks and used that to help buy Jessi's essentials like creams, as well as a little gift for us each. Mine was Peaches and Creme yarn from Perth (never seen it in Aus before, so yay!) and Jessi's been getting bits and pieces all over the place. She didn't need anything big.

I want to thank my friends at Anaphylaxis Talk. I've mentioned it before, but it's an Australian Forum/Message Board for people with allergies, eczema, asthma and anaphylaxia. They are so supportive and so loving of one another. During our stay in PMH we got txt's, visits and even a gift from the wonderful ladies at AT. I encourage anyone who needs a support group in Australia for the above mentioned ailments take a look at Anaphylaxis Talk. It doesn't come up in a google search which is sad and frustrating. I was given a link to AT from another message board and it was lucky as the message board I was on didn't come close to fulfilling my needs. AT is where I keep information relating to Latex Allergy including email responses from manufacturers etc. There is a link to Anaphylaxis Talk in the sidebar. The best bit, it is FREE!! Was hard finding a free site, but they are out there..

I have been making clothes for Nichola's 10yr old Kristina's doll. I've sewn a "swimsuit" but it looks like a little a summer sun suit (and totally cute), crocheted mittens and beanie, skirt, shorts, halter, sandals and am sewing a little blanket. I guess it needs a few more things, like a top that matches the skirt, and something warm to wear with the mittens and beanie, and was thinking of making a nappy with some polar fleece or something. Lets see if I can manage to update this later today with some pics :) I'm really pleased with the sun suit and haven't used any patterns for the crocheted items (of course).

A minute to breathe, at last!

Finally I can update my blog. It seems like I update less and less, but not through a lack of wanting. I like writing here it’s kind of therapeutic in a way only I always feel so tired, or I am playing some game for hours on end to try avoid thinking about things. A lot has been happening as usual. Things I wish had never happened. My friend tried to hurt herself, Jessica spent 3 days in hospital and I had to fight the dr and nurses the whole time. I need to see the dr tomorrow and I really don’t want to. The less I see of that guy the better!

They made me see an asthma nurse yesterday. Implying (imho) that I knew nothing about asthma and that I was perhaps over reacting about Jessi (the dr didn’t want to hospitalise her, he was sending her home even with her oxygen saturation at only 92%). So.. I went along to see the asthma nurse yesterday. Least I could do since the poor guy travelled 1.5hrs to see me. Besides, it’s better to stay informed about these things. Steve, the nurse, was so nice. He asked what I knew (finally someone who doesn’t treat me like a 5yr old) and we discussed Jessica’s hospitalisation in the lead up to and time we were there. He was dumbfounded I was sent to him. The nurse here who arranged it just said she had a mother who needed asthma education and he had none of our notes or anything so was very surprised at what I knew and said to me “you know as much about it as I do”. He said I asked all the right questions and had appropriate expectations. He wasn’t happy at the way things were handled but said as this isn’t his jurisdiction its hard for him. For him to speak up he’s walking on treacherous ground. Well that was annoying! As I said to him, what’s the point of me being educated/informed on these things if it still means nothing when I see the dr or take Jess to ER.

I cut Jessi’s hair the other week. It had been annoying me for aaages and said to her one night “next time we’re in Kalgoorlie I will have to make you an appointment with the hair dresser” she replied “you can cut it mummy” as I had asked her only a week or so before to cut it and she looked horrified. Not at the prospect of having it cut, but at me doing it *lol* Well, while she says do it I wasn’t wasting any time. Couldn’t find my hair scissors so we went straight to nannas and chopped it off. It’s not perfect, one side looks a little longer than the other, and there is about 6 whole inches gone, but it looks SUPER CUTE!!!!

Before and after


I crocheted her a very sweet little wrap top from the lionbrand website in Bernat Cottontots. She looks absolutely adorable in it, and loves wearing it. The cottontots is surprisingly warm so perfect for this time of year. Such a fast little thing to crochet too, took me maybe 12hrs on and off. I hated sewing up the seams though.



On the craft front I have been dabbling. Doing a little bit of this and a tiny bit of that. Crochetville is holding it’s Holiday in July Random Act of Kindness (raok) lists and I have been tatting for that. A lot of people ask for handmade ornaments or anything handmade. It’s something I can post relatively cheaply as most things have to go over seas. I’ve done a snowflake from a pattern then just made up a couple more, a tatted angel, tatted bookmark (see that hugely obvious mistake?), and a dragonfly I did when I was teaching myself split rings that I somehow over looked photographing before now.


I’ve also knitted a little rose which is really cute but was quite tricky to knit, a few crochet flowers and some tatted ones. All were just something to do at the time cos I have no plans for them. I do love the knitted rose, and the crochet one. The crocheted ones are so quick and easy!


I attempted some knitting and am at a complete standstill! I was given a whole set of a 1980’s collectors series called “Get Knitting”. You had to buy one a fortnight from the newsagency. I found a few patterns in there that were cute (and literally only 6-8 from over 100) and decided to make this for Jessi. Using bigger yarn and needles. It was all going along well until I had to decrease and pick up a stitch repeat without instructions. I guess it was written for an experienced knitter. That I am not. I have had some good help just haven’t got back to it yet. I think I will run out of the yarn before finishing too. Again it’s Bernat Cottontots and Jessi loves the colour! She really wants me to finish this.



Right now I am crocheting a mermaid outfit for Barbie. The stitch I am using looks like scales which is so cool. Slow going though. The colours are blocking which is not what I was after and I am pretty bummed about it. Will see how it looks when I am done. Might even be another RAOK. If Jessi doesn’t claim it first.

I have netball tonight, it’s so cold, I am getting a flu and Jessi already has one. Fun fun. Wish we had an indoor sports centre!! Oh, my mum moved back to town too!! It’s so nice but I am sad for her. Things didn’t work out how she hoped which must be hard for her. Jessi is rapt to have her back!

Been a while, but we're back with a vengence :D

Jessi was on her swing the other day every time there was a pause in the rain. Surprised she didn't get a wet bottom!! But at one stage nanna came to get her and as she skipped across the lawn to get to the car I saw something move. I called her back and we found this little guy resting on some long blades of grass. He didn't like our observations very much as he moved a few times. Shania was here too and I think she was more surprised to see such a little frog than Jessi. We see frogs every now and again when it is raining but I guess Stace keeps Shania tucked up inside when it is wet. Ah.. whatever! Wet or dry you need to just enjoy the day. I am glad we got to make a new friend in this lil guy, he was so small! Only maybe 4cm long. I have no idea what kind of frog it is but I'd be guessing some kind of common garden frog as we don't have a pond or anything to draw them in so he'd need another reason to be here. Safe travels my lil amphibian friend. Come to visit again soon. We do so enjoy watching you.

My first scrapbook page in I couldn't tell you how long. Since well before christmas! I am not overly impressed with it. I don't know why I don't like it or what I think it needs. But I wont do any more to it, I know I will fully destroy it. I am always trying to remind myself that as much as scrapping is a creative outlet for me, it really is about the story I tell for those to come after me. So.. the story is told so leave alone! *lol* Round seems to be very "in" within my scrapping mags so I gave it ago. Been there, done that and am over it already *lol* It's a nice photo of Jessi and it's very hard for me to scrap those non-gorgeous full frontal photos. So this in itself was an achievement! The photo is Jessi playing in a cubbyhouse at playgroup, dressed as a fairy for a little friends birthday party. My Feral Fairy!

My second page in as many days. I am much happier with this one. I knew what I had in mind right from the onset. So imagine my disgust when I misplaced the letter S stamp!!!! I sat for hours on and off trying to work out what to do bt not getting anywhere as I had planned to do it just like this! Last night I was looking at some papers that came free with a mag and voila! There was the cheeky lil letter S. This is my first effort with foam stamps, acrylic paint, ink and dry brush painting. I am pleased with how it all came together. The second photo being included was a last minute.. "hmm it needs something". The tulle through the ribbon letters spelling ballerina is interesting. I had no ribbon the right colours and didn't know how I was going to attach them to the page. I stumbled across some white tulle and it really fit with how the white acrylic paint was somewhat translucent and the tulle has that effect with it not being a "full" fabric. I like it. The tulle fits the whole ballerina thing to! That only just hit me *lol* Yeah.. I'm a dope :P This photo was taken the day we bought Jessi her very sweet little tutu for $15 at Gosnells Railway Markets in Perth. We drove to my great-uncle's to see my great-grandfather and Jessi wanted it on "now!" *lol*. This was July 06. Needless to say that tutu is nearly worn out now! She has even worn it in winter with stockings underneath.

My test page for the letter stamping. Notice how the S is missing? :P I really like this piece of paper. Bright and fun. The butterfly is yellow but I was using the brush I dry brushed black paint on the ballerina layout so the black has come off a lil with the yellow (nah, I hadn't washed the brush). Looks good. What will I do with this paper? Who knows. Maybe it is time I started an A4 album for.. I dunno. Just cos. Maybe for her dad if he ever wants to know about his daughter.

I found this little business card holder in the newsagency yesterday. When I saw them I automatically said "I can use that!" and bought 3 of them. Only $1 something each! I decided to try doing mini cards. I've only done one (which you see, the others are just cut out ready to use) but I am just not sure what to do with it. I might make a little "I love you" box for my sister. I find I need a goal to really get stuck into it. The other 2 I am thinking maybe little accordian albums. Who knows what this twisted lil mind of mine will come up with. I will be sure to share ;) Incase anyone is interested, this bus-card holder is about 9.5cm long x 6cm high

How proud am I of my little princess!!! This is Jessica's FIRST EVER scrapbook page! The photo is my sisters cat Shadow when she had kittens (yes, Shadow is a ginger cat. she was named Shadow as she followed my brother in aw everywhere when she was little, not her colouring). I gave Jessa the photo and asked her what colour paper she wanted. She did start with a white piece that had black pawprints on but she just hacked at it with decorative scissors. I thought she was going to use those cut pieces on the page but I guess not! I made some suggestions of things she could stick and she just did what she pleased. She actually got pretty grumpy at me for writing the title on the page as she wanted the stickers to spell it. Unfortunately they were cheap stickers and bits tore off as I tried to remove them from the backing!

These are Jess's following attempts at scrapbooking. The red one, her and her dad, was all her own doing. See how she has grouped all the hearts, stars and flowers together respectively? She is rather methodical like that. Ever since she was really little. I remember when she was only maybe 10mths old we were playing with her wooden blocks (I was making towers and she was knocking them down! *lol*) and she would hold either two cylindrical ones or put two cone shaped ones together. She likes grouping things. Anyway, that was off track! Jess was getting rather bored with the scrapbooking thing. She and Shania were both doing it. I will need to borrow Shania's 4 complete pages to photograph. For a 9yr old she totally amazed me!! She has such creativity and a real "idea" of what she wants to do. I help buy cutting the paper for her and such and making the odd suggestion, but I try to let the girls do it themselves otherwise. It isn't theirs if I do it all! Shania was also very pleased with herself and beaming when she took her pages home to show her mum. I promise pics as soon as I can. You will be stunned at what that clever little cousin of mine achieved.

It's school holidays here and I have been a lil inundated with kids. Shania has slept over, but it all started by nanna needing to do something so leaving Shania and Jessi here, then Nichola coming to see me and Kristina wanting to stay with the girls. So the 4 of us squished into my totally trashed craft room and piled the table high with Jessica's crafty bits. We put heaps into these "chinese take out" containers mum bought that somehow made their way to my place. With everything in its place they were able to just grab what they were after. We made peg dolls and popstick boxes, giraffes with paddlepop sticks and foam balls and decorated cardboard cut outs. Those you see above are all Jessi's. The 2 older girls took all their things home with them. I am so proud of Jessi's flower. She did it ALL BY HERSELF. I mean all of it. Shania and I were busy doing something and Jess says "look"and held up the flower. It looks amazing. Well done my lil princess. You have really shocked your mummy this week.

My very first attempt at broomstick lace. A small scarf suitable for a little girl. Little did I realise I was supposed to use back-loop-only throughout to this is not right!! I was pulling through both loops. It curls up at the edges. I actually rather like the "shells" this has created on the back though.

My second attempt. No curling, yay! This is supposed to be a birthday gift for my lifelong friend Helen. It is well and truly late as her bday was April 1st and now I am not sure if she will ever get it. But it's better in that I did it right this time *lol*

Last but not least the 2 squares from the Leisure Arts leaflet Dragonflies, Butterflies and More for the dragonfly afghan. I haven't done their wings. No idea what I will do with these squares. I really only made them just for the hell of it. The colours don't go together at all but hey! I don't mind. I might make a little pillow for Shania.


On the personal front everything is crap. My car wont even start now. I need my car. How am I supposed to get Jess to school when it is raining? We don't have buses or taxi's or even a school bus. Jessica has been on antibiotics as she had a REALLY nasty infection on her hand. This was 2 weeks ago but it seems overnight her hand is infected again :( Our dr called to get authorisation for Jessi's Singulair asthma preventer tablet during the week and was deined as she uses a Flixotide puffer as well and apparently you aren't allowed to use both. Yet she has used both ever since she was diagnosed! She had 4 asthma attacks on Thurs night and yet some idiot on the end of the phone feels they have the right to tell us "no, she can't have that medication" cos some bigger idiot who likely has their own gvt office somewhere has decided that you should be able to keep asthma under control with just one preventer. Dr said to go back next week and when they ask if she is using an inhaler too he will tell them no. Well.. we shall see.

I've been pretty miserable. Spent hours on the phone to nanna just crying last night. I know I am not well and I am doing what I can about that. But our finances wont fix themselves and my daughter wont just become healthy. Nor will someone decide to love me. So.. very little will change no matter what happens. At the end of the day when Jessi is in bed and I am allowed to be "Michelle" and not "Jessi's mum" I would love to have someone to talk to, someone to hold and hold me, someone to help so I don't have to get up to my 4yr old 4 times a night! Until I get myself sorted out I know I don't deserve to have that, but that is what I want. I am fed up with all the promises I hear and no one but me ever makes the effort. I don't want to force someone to love me. Why can't I be loved for who I am?