Five on friday

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Hello!!! So glad to be back here for five on friday, a blog linkup party from the lovely Amy at Love made my home.
Today its Five D’s.

D for Delicious. I treated myself to this little slice of gorgeousness. Strawberry cheesecake, gluten free, additive free, just how it should be. Made fresh from a local bakery called Homemade Bliss. I love that they use pure natural ingredients in their baking. Maybe it should be Y for Yum!

D for Dreamcatcher. Its a week of treats for me, another little gem picked up from Caloundra street markets on sunday. Beautifully made, the crochet is so intricate. I just had to squeeze it onto our bedroom wall.

D is for Dog. Or should it be N for Naughty!! She has just turned 1 and is a bit cheeky. She ran off on our morning walk this morning so she’s in the Doghouse!

D is for double crochet. I am making an easter bunny for my little one and hoping I finish it in time.

And finally, D is for Drink! My friday tipple. A chilled white wine after a busy week. Divine! (there is some left in the bottle I promise, its been in the fridge all week!)

Have a great weekend! Check out the other blogs linking up for five on friday.

Sewing your own clothes

There is something very satisfying about sewing your own clothes. Not only is it cheaper then buying clothes from the shops, it is also a lot easier than you think and quick too. The best thing about making your own clothes is you get exactly what you want. I am no sewer, and I don’t use patterns because I find them too hard to understand most of the time. I just wing it. Some would say my methods are crazy, but I will show you how you can make a pattern from an existing item in your wardrobe and sew it in an afternoon.

I went to the local fabric shop the other day and picked up a couple of fat quarters and some fabric to make a dress and a top. I am lucky to live close to the best fabric shop on the coast. The fabric designs are exquisite, its very easy to spend an hour in there browsing the shelves full of gorgeousness. The fabrics are not cheap, but good quality cotton so I don’t mind paying a bit extra for it.

I have a halter neck top that is well loved and worn, and is beginning to fade ever so slightly. I wanted to make a top in the same style in my chosen fabric. I grabbed a roll of baking paper from the kitchen, laid out my top and traced a front and back piece for my pattern.

I cut out the fabric, creating one front piece and two back pieces, as in my original top. I sewed it all together, and here it is.

Luckily the original top was a simple pattern to copy. I wouldn’t be brave enough to choose anything more fancy. This top also has no zip, so its super easy to make. Just cut and sew.

Can you believe this style of top costs $69.95 in the shops (about 37 pounds)! This one cost me $20 to make and took 2.5 hours from start to finish, including tracing and cutting the pattern and fabric. Not bad for an afternoon’s work. Maybe you can have a go at making something from your wardrobe. If you are nervous, use a cheap fabric from a bargain bin at your local store to try it out first. Good luck!
T x

Summer fun, a big trip and a new hobby

Well I took an unplanned break from blogging, 6 months! Just checked in to see when my last post was, September!! Life got in the way and pushed blogging out of the picture for a while. I have missed you all and have a lot of news to catch up on I’m sure. And what have I been doing with my time?? Well, firstly I went to the UK! A family visit was long overdue and as we didn’t have the cash for us all to go, I was given a leave pass from hubby and took off by myself for two wonderful weeks.

Newstead Abbey

 

Autumn leaves

When you live overseas, you see your homeland in such a different light. I was taking pictures like a tourist, appreciating the old architecture and the greenness of the countryside. So beautiful. I am sad to say that Newstead Abbey, pictured above, has gone a bit downhill in the garden area. The gardens were always a highlight as they had different sections and themes, with old walls and tunnels and a majestic pillared walkway where vines would grow alongside the lake. They have all been left to crumble away and are now sectioned off by tape. It is so sad to see. The place is maintained by the local council and I guess they don’t have the budget for the upkeep. There is an entry fee, I can’t remember how much now, and there are plenty of visitors. There is so much history here, it was the place where Lord Byron resided and wrote his poetry. I do hope the National Trust can intervene and save this place.

These pictures are from Dovedale in the Peak District, one of my favourite places for a day trip. The water in the river Dove is so crystal clear, and the views are breathtaking.

The trip went oh so quick, and it was sad to say goodbye, but I was also really looking forward to seeing hubby and the kids on my return. I have never been away from them for that long before.

During my blogging break I also took up mountain biking!

I’m loving it! Soooo much fun, with some amazing mountain bike trails available here on the sunshine coast, I’ve been having a ball. I’ve met some nice people too. I joined a womens only intro to mountain biking program which has been wonderful. There’s always a visit to a local cafe at the end, something to look forward to. The views are always stunning wherever we go.

We have also been enjoying some time on the water with my stand up paddle board. Such a lovely way to do a core workout! We have enjoyed lots of beach days over the summer.

A beached whale!

We went camping, first time with the dog! We went to log dump campground near Tin Can Bay which was very basic, but quiet. The perfect place to escape from it all.

I love camping as a holiday. Its not always the most comfortable way to spend a few days, but I love the fact that we are away from technology and game consoles, iPads and TV. Its nice to see the kids be kids, entertaining themselves with campfires, fishing and exploring. Its good to be together as a family without other distractions going on. It really is quality time.

Exploring the sand banks

And of course the usual baking and crochet has been going on. We had some success with the veggie patch this year, sadly no photos of our giant cucumbers. Its been way too hot to grow much else. I am looking forward to the cooler weather so I can get stuck into it again.

I will be back to show you some of my crafty goings on. They need a post of their own. I will be catching up on all news of a bloggy nature this week too, and hope to check in on you all.

T x