Additions to my stash

While I was away recently I hit the op shops with my sisters.  Here is a selection of what I got. Some vintage linen:

Some women's clothes to refashion into clothes for Ruby:

I also went to Annie's Country Quilt Store in Ashburton, I made a special visit there because I had phoned them a couple of days earlier to see if they had some of the Robert Kaufman Celebrate Seuss collection.  I was thrilled to hear that yes, they did have some and it had only just arrived.  I showed great restraint:

Another fantastic recent acquisition is some pinking shears, given to my by my mother in law, probably not used for about 30 years but still in their original box.  I'm just itching to pink.

Spread the Crove

While we were away I spent a bit of time spreading the Crove (craft love).  My sisters and I had a couple of craftathons.  I made a dress for my niece Sienna, similar to the one I made Ruby.  Sienna's one is reversible, with pockets on the front, the lining is a vintage flannelet sheet.  Unfortunately it doesn't fit very well, it is too wide but hopefully in a year or so it will be perfect!

Sister B made a whale softie and some felt elephants, Sister N started a bag.  Another one of my nieces joined us and made all sorts of felt fridge magnets.  I also made a hair tie - I embroidered a lazy daisy on some denim which I then used to cover a fabric covered button, then threaded an elastic hair tie through it.  I also started a donut pincushion, but hadn't taken enough felt with me so haven't finished it yet.

Sadly no photographs of the craftathon outputs (apart from the dress), I didn't get around to it - maybe next time!

I heart Air New Zealand

I haven't blogged for a while because we've been on holiday staying with my family down south.  We came home on Sunday, right when the volcanic ash cloud was making it's way up the South Island causing all sorts of havoc for those wanting to make like a bird and fly.  Our Jetstar flight was cancelled, but Mila was watching over us on Sunday, she sprinkled some of her angel dust on Christchurch airport and things turned out ok:

• We got standby flights on Air New Zealand for $59 each!  What a bargain, that's even cheaper than the original cost of our Jetstart flight;
• The cabin crew rearranged a passenger so that we could sit together, which makes flying with a baby so much easier;
• The plane had to fly low (due to the ash) so we had an awesome view of the Southern Alps and Mt Taranaki; and
• We only got home an hour later than the time we would have got home had we been on our scheduled flight.

All in all, thanks to Air New Zealand, it turned out to be no drama at all.

Bib city

I have found a few great vintage sheets over the last couple of months, I used some of the fabric from one of them for a market bag and needle wallet, and yesterday I thought I'd see what a couple of them looked like as bibs.  It's like this fabric was designed with bibs in mind, they look so great!

I made matching ones for Ruby and her cousin Sienna - so cute!  I packaged Sienna's one up so it looks like it was bought.

They are nice and big, good shoulder to shoulder coverage which I need with Ruby as she likes to rub her mouth on her shoulder while having dinner.

If your nana is still alive raid her linen cupboard - you might find some gems!  Our own linen is all one colour, lovely egyptian cotton and fantastic to sleep on but I feel like I'm doing Ruby a disservice by not having some special prints that she can reclaim and refashion in the years to come.