Derby Family Camping

Kids

Dogs

Campfire

 

You get the feeling that this is the way it was supposed to be, best weekend ever!

Team Zebra

 I have only ever wanted to ref, but when everyone else was getting excited about being drafted to one of my roller derby league's teams I was beginning to feel a little 'team envy'.  So in order to strengthen the identity and spirit of "Team Zebra" I decided to take the first step.  To FEEL like a team, you must LOOK like a team.

 

 Our team is made up of such a variation of people, I thought a helmet cover was an easy and universal way to go.

 

Inspires respect, no?  

I made two different patterns, one for lighter fabrics, one for heavier fabrics.  I am more than happy to share it with anyone who would like it, just let me know.

Love xo Screamstress

(Self portrait I painted on the back of one of my derby t-shirts, inspired by Munch's "The Scream" - you can probably figure out why I haven't been blogging much!)

Casserole

Sometimes we all want to hide.

Go back to a place where bad things don't happen.  Where a lion costume and a sparkly bolero is a fabulous choice.  Where your Dad is sitting on the couch, and your Mum has a casserole in the oven.
  I have a friend in mourning.  I know, once we've left the 'Neverland' of our chidhoods, we can't return.

It is tiny, and it doesn't make anything better, but here's a casserole for you, my friend.

Mum's Casserole

•  Roughly chop 1 carrot, 1 stick celery, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, and put everything in a casserole dish with a lid.
• Cube some beef (however much you can afford), and roll around in a freezerbag with some flour (2 tbs roughly) and salt and pepper, and add to the casserole dish.
• Add one can of chopped tomatoes, and whatever other flavourings you like (ie. bbq sauce, worcestershire sauce, red wine)
• Add enough water to just cover.
• Cook in moderate oven for a minimum of two hours, stirring when you remember.

The Panda is Back!

 The Panda is back!  After four weeks absence, it is wonderful to have our family back together.  Something has to 'give' when he is away, and computer time is it. 

I have also really taken to heart Clutterpunk's montasking ethos, and have tried to give up feeling like I should be doing something else, or just more.  So, this is what I have been enjoying lately...

 

Lots of rain, and I have resigned myself to repeatedly fetching towels and putting clothes in the washing machine.

 

I have continued to entertain myself with painting names and graphics on things to skate in (nobody does THAT much skating though!)

 

I'm quilting the worst kept secret quilt in the world.

 

The quilt of disarray stalled for a while, until I figured out the problem- it was all too neat, the leaves too flat and perfect.  So I shoved  them in a sock and put them through the wash. Now they are slightly frayed, slightly crumpled and crunchy looking - perfect!

Big Ugly Pants

When I bought these pants ($1) I thought I could make jeggings for myself, but after seeing this before photo I quickly changed my mind!

So I decided to make jeans for my little boy.

 First, I cut off the waistband (but kept the elastic for later), and cut the inseam and crotch seams.  This leaves a the side seam, which we will use for the side seam of our smaller pants.

Next, I use a pair of the kids pants as a pattern (because I'm stingy and they grow so quickly I don't want to buy every size pants patterns).  Just make sure your inseams (marked A and B)are both the same length, because they will be sewn together.

From here on in, you just make them like a regular pair of pants (inseams, crotch seam, finish the waistband).  I was able to use the original waistband elastic, but it depends on the construction of the original garment.

  Finished, at the moment they are still a bit big.  I'm sure it won't be long until his super-grow legs catch up!
One of the advantages of using 'plus' size garments, is that there is plenty of fabric!  I looked at my leftovers, and thought I might just have enough for a pair of summer shorts for my little girl.

  You can just see the pattern I have drawn on, with the little B at the back, and the pockets (obviously too big at the moment) at the front.

All I did was stitich a line to form the new pocket bottom, and then cut away the excess pocket.

Then, I just finished off the shorts as normal, except that I made them flat front and elastic back, because I only had a short piece of the elastic left!  I also used some thrifted braid from my stash so that they could be as long as possible.

I think they turned out better than the pants!

How'dya Like This Apple?

Hello Everyone!  Thankyou everyone for the ideas for delicious cracker flavours, I will definitely be trying lots of different varieties.  I have been a little quiet for a few reasons, as you know Panda is away so I am parenting (and indeed doing lots of things) alone.  It is times like these that the effort I have put into building relationships and becoming part of different communities really makes a difference.  Even though I do get lonely, the support I receive from friends and family is sometimes the only thing that keeps me moving forward.

In the past week one pair of pyjamas had a hole cut in, one tape measure got hacked up (to 'share'), and a monkey got a haircut.  I have lots of things like scissors and tape measures that the spawn find irresistably interesting.  So, inspired by this project over at my new favourite blog, I thought I would spend a quiet moment making a keepsafe jar.

Essentially it is a coffee jar with a felt circle 3cm bigger than the lid, gathered with a running stitch, stuffed and glued on top.  I sat it upside down to hold it on whilst gluing.

 

It looked like a jar wearing a shower cap, so I glued a leaf on the top, and some bright fabric around the base.  I think it turned out quite cute, although I have inadvertently created something ELSE to attract the spawns attention.  Have a great week!

Not Much to Report

Not much to report here...

 Bye Bye :(

The parmesan crackers were quite nice, and finished off by me, but the poppyseed crackers were a real winner and polished off by the spawn...

 I got this top for $1 but I hate turtlenecks...

Aaahh, much better...

Excited little head popping out from my finished front of the Bluebird Quilt...

And still trying to get the design right for the Quilt of Disarray.
Well look at that.  Seems like there was something to report!