Tuesday 26 February 2013

Wishing it was summer!


As the cold and grey days drag on, here at Lilyjean central we are dreaming of summer days! MJ has been asking if he can wear his sandals for what seems like months now and Lj complains of feeling cold almost everyday.




Lj suits the colour blue beautifully so I wanted to make her a blue summer dress. This fabric I purchased last summer to make her some capri pants. The fabric for the back of the dress is a mixture of tea towel and a mans shirt (my neighbours husband to be exact!). (I love that my new neighbours donate their families no longer in use clothes to my fabric stash...another reason I love our new house!).


The pattern for this little skirt came from the book 'Making Children's Clothes'. It is a simple pattern but the books instructions makes it look more difficult than it needs to be. The pattern also made it much to wide so I used the ribbon and ric rac at the seams to narrow it and give it a better shape on Lj.


We are also rather pleased that it matches Lj's favourite Upsey Daisy T-shirt...we are ready for summer!


Happy Birthday Aaliyah



A birthday gift for sweet little Aaliyah. It is made using a mixture of cuttings from scrapbooking paper and the hand drawn insects were inspired by illustrator Lauren Child.

Happy 3rd Birthday Aaliyah.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Bags and bags


Can I write a blog post in 8 minutes? Before I have to run to pick up my son from school...lets give it a go!

My mum asked for a new lunch bag...the time limit has made my brain seize so I think I should finish this later when time is not limited!!!

One day later!

Where was I...My mum loves flowers and the colour blue so when I raided my stash and put these fabrics together I liked the combination. I first saw this bag pattern when a friend at university showed me a bag that she had made from very funky drying towels...that was about 9 years ago. Since then I have made a few bags in this style. It is a good one for bags as it doesn't have a seam where the handles meet the bag, making it very strong. My only problem is sewing the handles at the top together where they meet...on this bag I spent longer trying to get the seam at the handles meeting tidy than all the rest of the cutting out and sewing. My mum is a tidy seamstress and likes things done just 'right' so I really wanted her to like it and finally got it to a state that I was just about happy with.


I made two of the these peg bags before Christmas. I was tired of chasing my hanger peg bag around my rotating clothes line and remembered that my mum always uses a bag hung round her neck. So rather than search the shops for a nice one I decided to try making one. I decided to make it fleece lined so it would feel cosy and warm on your hands when hanging out your clothes on those cooler, windy days and it also dries quickly if you have damp pegs in your bag. The second one I gave to my Mum for Christmas...her old one was looking a little worse for wear!

Saturday 2 February 2013

The mystery of the Lonely Planet guides


This is how M's collection of Lonely Planet guides normally sit on his study shelf.


Over the past week or so each time he returned to his study in the evening he would find that his books were arranged in this fashion. It was always exactly the same three books and arranged the same way. Neither of us saw MJ or Lj arranging them and so it became the mystery of the Lonely Planet guides.

I knew it had to be Lj who was doing it but we couldn't believe that a 2 year old would be able to pick out the same books each time (we were trying to trick her and would move their order around each time we replaced them). Then last night before bedtime we decided to ask her which were her favourite books on the shelf and she went straight to these and arranged them as she has been doing all week. She couldn't explain to us why she liked these ones best and we are no clearer on why she likes these ones but we do continue to laugh at our little girls quirkiness!

Sharing his sweets

MJ came out of his classroom at pick up time waving a small packet of Haribo sweets. It was one of his classmates birthday and he had given them all a treat. I asked him to put them in his pocket and he could eat them when he got home.

On arriving home he sat at the table and divided up his sweets into piles. A pile for his cousin, his sister, his mum, his dad and himself. He divided out the sweets equally and we all tucked in. We all had 3 sweets each.

I am amazed at this boys generous heart. He loves to share...in fact he is evidence of the joy we receive from giving. I genuinely think he enjoys giving them away more than eating them himself.

As I told M the story later in the day we remarked...'where does he get that characteristic from???'

I pray as he grows older he does not become tainted by this worlds greed and selfishness but continues to be more and more generous.

Jeremiah 31v3


As I turned the page on my calendar I got yet another reminder that Valentines day is approaching. The shops have emptied their 'Christmas' shelves and restocked them with all things red and heart shaped. It is almost like it has become a holiday festival such as Easter or Christmas. It is not wrong to celebrate 'love' infact this world would be a nicer place if we took time to celebrate 'love' everyday of the year.

The quote on my calendar is taken from the Bible, Jeremiah 31v 3. They are Gods words  '...I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.'

Let's remember true love this February. God giving his Son, Jesus as a sacrifice for us, so that we could have a relationship with Him.