Make My Week - Disco Chair

Well I have decoupaged another awful chair - this time into a frenzy of disco awesomeness - the before photo is somewhere in-between the old and new computer and frankly it just feels like way.too.much effort to locate it - so you'll just have to believe me!

I think I picked up this fabric from Lincraft (cheap quilting fabric that was almost transparent!)

The seat required re-strapping underneath which required some effort especially as I have no staple gun here.

The disco glitter vinyl is a little thick for my liking but as I am limited to Spotlight and Lincraft in the city - neither of which seem to be specialising in cotton laminate - well, needs must and all that.

I do like the triangles though.

This wee guy wanted to get in on the act so you can see it modelled on a real five year old.

I like it.

I actually have another chair that is ready for a makeover and now that I am armed with an electric sander - oh er! (Which came accompanied with a card from Flip and The Atlas saying we love you so much we bought you a sander - actually Flip wrote it and he included the price in the card to emphasise the real depths of their love. He also commented afterwards, "I think this will be an invaluable gift, don't you?").

Joining in with the fabulous Leonie who this week sent me crocheted bunting for my bike basket (and it arrived the day Ma n Pop left and I was in need of some love), yes she is that lovely.

love you more than a little disco in the dining room xxxx

Holiday Reading - Half the World in Winter

I love grabbing some hours to read in the holidays and while I am reading a very moving non-fiction account of a village in France during WW2, it was nice to take some time to read a novel at the same time.

Do you have more than one book on the go at once? I remember doing this as a child too.

Half the World in Winter is a novel set in 1880 in London. Reading this book I could tell it was really well researched, the long list of articles, books and websites at the back confirmed this. I love that it was such an accurate insight into life then - a time when even your notepaper had to be in keeping with the stage of mourning the family was in after a death (the width of border and colour changes over the months).

The central characters are The Jarmyn Family - rich, important and reeling with the grief of loosing their youngest daughter. As the edges of their family begin to crumble there are new characters and stories woven into the narrative. Families whose life is so dissimilar to theirs it appears impossible for them to be linked and yet they are.

The novel also explores social attitudes between the classes and the value systems of the rich that end up keeping the poor poor - it's a story for our time too. Perhaps our richness doesn't look the same to us but the systems that make life difficult for the poor and the attitudes that lead to inequality cannot be ignored.

The novel reads like a drama, I can imagine it would make a good movie - dark and with powerful drama in it. Don't think you can predict how things will happen I was surprised on more than one occasion.

Maggie Joel the author is a new-to-me author and she writes well. She creates characters that are believable and very human. I think anyone who enjoys stories of people who are dealing with the conflict of doing the right thing over doing the easy thing, people who are grieving and novels that historically accurate then this is a perfect read.

I read this one fast as I do with novels but it is one to take time over and enjoy with a beautiful cup of tea on a comfortable couch.

Details - Half the World in Winter published by Allen and Unwin, September 2014. $29.99 Aus, also available as an ebook. Thanks to A&U for this review copy.

love you more than an afternoon of indulgent reading xxx

Week 40

Exploring in the beautiful Botanical Gardens

and reading with Ma, "I like it when you are here Ma because you read to me" (bless)

and learning to use our new computer with less grace than I should, lucky I have The Atlas who is more gracious than I

love you more than a magical hide hole xxxx

Alison Lester - Mama and Bounce Review Together

Lately Bounce (and I) have received 2 fabulous Alison Lester books to read in the mail.

On the surface I wouldn't guess the books were written and illustrated by the same person. One is simple, well crafted (you know how bad rhymes make me feel!?!) rhyming couplets with a quite stylised illustration style and the other employs rhyming but in a less obvious way and the pictures have much more complexity.

Imagine is a 25th Anniversary Edition and is a beautiful large hardcover book. The book flips page by page between 2 children having imaginary play in their rooms and the 'real' scene.

The books goes from jungles, to farmyards to under the sea and the detailed illustrations include a 'coded' map at the back so you can identify the huge variety of animals listed in the borders.

Bounce's verdict "I liked how they drawed [sic] the jungle and I liked how they drawed the animals. I liked looking for the animals on the pretending page before the real page."

Imagine by Alison Lester, 25th Anniversary Edition published 1 Sept 2014 by Allen and Unwin. RRP $24.99 Aus. There is also a mini edition in hardback for $9.99.

Noni the Pony - goes to the beach is the second book about Noni. In this one Noni and her friends Coco (a cat) and Dave (a dog) plus 'the ladies from next door' (cows) go for an excursion to the beach. I love the way Lester uses different perspective in this book for the illustrations and the whole story romps along with a great sense of fun. Bounce was particularly taken with Coco and I can see why. The story-line is very simple but it works and I think this book could be enjoyed by very young children while still appealing in a humorous way to older children.

Bounce's review "I like how they drawed Coco and how Coco nearly gets her tail nipped and I liked how they drawed the dolphins and the fish."

Noni the Pony - goes to the beach by Alison Lester published 24th Sept 2014 by Allen and Unwin. RRP $24.99 Aus.

Alison Lester is also involved in community art projects and spends part of every year travelling to remote indigenous communities using her books and talents to help both children and adults write and draw about their own lives. I so love hearing about how creative people can make an 'on the ground' difference for people using the talents they have.

love you more than a new and inspiring author discovered xxx

Make My Week - more pillow cases

More parties

more presents

after one of the parties birthday mama said to me that the pillow case gave someone confidence to sleep in their own bed again, and a certain birthday person went to sleep cuddling their pillow - best birthday gift feedback ever!

Super simple but well loved.

Joining in with inspiring ladies here

love you more than 3 birthday gifts sorted xxx

38 again and 39 of 52

So I got a little out of sync with the weeks and I missed a week so here is actual week 38

eye test with dad and 'I want one of these birthday gifts for my birthday' session

and week 39 - piano with pop and zoo trip

now it's school holidays and grandies staying so it might be a little quiet again because we'll be out having fun.

love you more than keeping up, just xxx

Make My Week - New Look 6143

See.... I did do something a bit more complex this week!

Apart from the very unappealing cover styling (what is with the 90s styling pattern companies???) I liked the sweet heart insert into the neckline on view E.

Because it is a New Look pattern I drafted (or rather just drew freestyle onto the pattern pieces) some darts in the back neckline. NL patterns seem to be fit for a very unusual figure type and all the reviews I ever read about their patterns make this same complaint - weird neckline gaping.

I also lined the bodice and did 2 layers in the skirt which I widened and did gathers instead of pleats. I also added pockets because - you know - pockets! The double layers are to combat the see-through-ness of the fabric. The birds are actually outlined in orange - here is a close up:

Aside from the fact that my neck darts needed some more taken out I was pretty pleased with this dress. The insert bit was a real pain and bits caught and I actually used a quick-unpick and I ended up hand basting it before I did the final sew. And exposed zipper - just for fun. (Shonky back view I realise, sorry, not really).

As part of the pattern you make bias binding to finish the arm and neck holes, which I rather like the effect of.

The orange band I have in my hair is for wearing as a sash but I quite liked it in my hair so there it stayed.

as it pretty much feels like summer weather here already I know this dress will get a lot of wear. It's made of poly-cotton and it doesn't seem to show sweat marks  or crease - win.

Joining in here with lovely clevers

love you more than an origami duck xxxx