Summer happenings

Hi,
I have had some holidays from my day job, so for the last few weeks I have been working pretty much full time on my Etsy shop. I signed up for a market in January and I wanted to have lots of stock, so I started sewing rompers.

2015 is the year of working smarter, not harder, so I organised myself in advance to create a batch of 20 rompers.
First, I pulled out my collection of vintage sheets and fabrics, and added a few which were left over from various projects.

I cut out all the rompers on my ironing board, while watching "firefly". To avoid confusion, I immediately pinned a label on each one with its size and how many more could be made from that fabric.

Then I spent several hours overlocking all of the rompers and then ironing all of them.
Once that was done I started to work on one of them at a time. I sewed casings in matching thread, inserted elastic and finally added matching bias binding ties. I did all the red ones and then all the green ones, and so on in order to minimise time winding bobbins and changing thread etc.

As soon as each one was finished, I snapped a photo and listed it in my shop, www.bananaorangeapple.com This slowed things down a little bit, but in a good way, because people kept buying rompers online! If there was a whole sheet, then I listed a quantity of three or four and let the customer choose what size they wanted when they checked out. They are selling well, and so far have gone to Mexico, Canada, Norway, USA, as well as Australia. Someone from Spain bought one then came back later and bought a second one!  It makes me very happy thinking about my sewing ending up all around the world.

The pattern is from this Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/listing/157703815/pretty-baby-romper-pdf-sewing-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_9 but I altered it a bit to include elastic along the neckline and bias binding shoulder ties. It's really easy to sew and I highly recommend it.

I also made a few nappy covers, since I realise boys need clothes too! I am looking out for a good boy romper pattern to use in the future.

I also have plans afoot for a winter line of pinafores (or as they call them in the States - Jumpers) made from corduroy with cute appliques on the front and bright lining. It is lots of fun thinking up the appliques! I do intend to use the same streamlined sewing process to simplify things. I plan to use my new (to me) Elna press to put on the fusible web on the back of the appliques and avoid gumming up my iron. And I understand it's pretty cold over in North America so I hope I can get them in my shop soon.

So I set off today on a mission to find some more sheets to cut up, since the rompers are still in production and I will need lots of fabric to line the winter pinafores. I visited five op-shops around town, but sadly there were no suitable sheets. I did come across some lovely seersucker in gelati colours, and some gorgeous chunky purple corduroy. This did not photograph very well, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

I also like to update my work wardrobe, so I found myself three skirts. They were more than I usually like to pay ($9 each!!!!) but I love them so much I had to have them. I took a photo for you, as well as a close up of the groovy fabrics.  There is one with big houses. I was so excited when I got it home I noticed the selvage had been left in a- and the fabric is the famous Marimekko brand from Finland. Whacka-doo!! It was made in Darwin by Raw Cloth, I tried to find their website but I think it's just a brand that sells at the markets up there. It'll look great with my red sandals.

There was also a lovely fine cotton with red and brown batik - the fabric is silky like lawn.
It has three tiers and the waist band is sewn directly onto elastic, so I think it is homemade.

Finally, an amazingly cute blue skirt with a map print showing streets, houses and trees. Bits of it are embroidered in aqua thread.

So here they are for your perusal, which one do you like the best? Leave a comment if you like

PS please ignore dopey facial expressions, and it is very humid here this afternoon which means my hair is fluffy...

Canberra Day

Hello everybody.
We had a great Canberra Day long weekend.
On Friday my daughter arrived home from Year Six camp. She was very weary but still wished to attend the kids' club run by the local church so off she went, straight off the bus.

 Here she is getting reacquainted with her pooches. The big dog was having a belly scratch. The little dog, ever hopeful, came and laid down beside her to wait his turn.

 I spent the evening practicing my newfound crochet skills. I have decided I should be able to crochet since there is absolutely no reason why I shouldn't. It's pretty much just like finger knitting but with a hook instead of a finger, and once when I was 12 or 13 I managed to finger knit with my friends Sally and Jo for something like a week solid so I have pretty much conquered that.



The next day the kid was up early for horse riding lessons. 
The Pickle rode a horse named Trenton, who was very well behaved.
 
We stopped in at the Salvos op shop in Weston Creek on our way back home. I bought some knitting needles and a pink and white striped cotton sheet, from the days when sheets were thick and long wearing. The stripes are about an inch wide. I contemplated starting a collection of handmade blue and white pottery mugs but I resisted the urge. I think I have enough collections for now.

While we were out, hubby was mowing the lawn and it really does look fantastic now.

For a special treat we went to a birthday lunch for my husband at his parent's house. I took my MIL a lovely bunch of roses from the rose bed and they really did look fantastic all bunched up together. I wish I'd taken a photo of them in the vase. 
Mother in Law had gone out of her way to prepare a lovely meal. The vegetarians in the crowd dined on felafel and haloumi cheese with assorted dips and salad. The three of us were almost falling asleep at the table so after cupcakes we made our excuses and went home.

The kid and I did about six loads of washing (after the camp there was a lot to wash). I made my hubby a special batch of brownies with dark chocolate and macadamias. I wandered around and dead headed the roses and weeded the driveway. Hubby seems to think my Etsy shop has been getting too much attention lately, so I had an Etsy free day. The pink rose is Pierre de Ronsard, by the way, and the sunflowers grew from birdseed.

On Sunday we managed to sleep in. Then we went to see 'Oz the Great and Powerful'. 
We quite enjoyed this movie. I liked the way it started in black and white in Kansas, just like the original film did. The film is a prequel to the Judy Garland version, and explains how the Wizard ends up in Oz. And of course, as everyone knows, he is not a real wizard so that is all part of the story too. I really liked the scenery in the film.

 In the afternoon I spent a few hours cutting out squares for rainbow dresses. All up I needed something like 612 squares, since I am working on three dresses for my shop. I was doing pretty well but I needed more purple.

On Monday we did not have to go to school/work. Canberra had a public holiday on account of the city's birthday. This time it was a super special birthday since Canberra turned 100.
You might think I was in the midst of the festivities held by Lake Burley Griffin, partaking in centenary delights.
Well, you'd be wrong because I hightailed it out to Queanbeyan in New South Wales where it was business as usual and all the shops were open, including the oppies. I am so used to turning left onto the main road to get to work that I turned left without thinking and then quickly realised I needed to go back the other way!
I told my husband before I left that I'd be home in time to cook his lunch, which turned out to be over optimistic.

On the way to Queanbeyan I drove past a dead fox sitting on a swing in a tree. I tried to take a photo but it did not do this macabre sight justice. One day I will jump the fence and get a close up. This same tree previously had a dead fox nailed to the trunk by its feet, as if it was running up for some reason. Weird. Farmers sometimes put dead dingoes on the fence to warn the other dingoes to keep away - but foxes are not that smart. Anyway they are certainly better off dead. Foxes are no friend to the farmer or to the native animals.
 
the fox is holding on to the rope with its paws somehow. Superglue?


First stop in Queanbeyan was St Vinnies. I found a Dick Bruna book, "I Can Count". I collect Dick Bruna books so I was very happy with this find. "I Can Count" was turned into a frieze, which I also have. 

 

I also found two Ladybird books and a Finn Family Moomintroll book. Tove Jansson is one of my favourite authors. I also collect Ladybird books but only if they are older than me.














how cute are the Moomins?

In the pattern department I found two 70s skirt patterns, one a wrap around and the other pretty circle skirt. I seem to have plenty of skirt patterns already but I just can't seem to resist bringing them home. The wrap skirt from 1977 says "Go Everywhere" on the front - I like the sound of that. 
Weren't the 70s great? You can do anything you want, so long as you have the right skirt.

The Anglicare shop was having a half price sale, but there was not really anything I needed. I did buy a pink crochet doily though, to use as sleeves on a dress or as an embellishment.

I crossed over to the Riverside Plaza where I bought two more crochet hooks from the Lions club craft shop. This is a really nice place to buy baby booties if you ever need them.

I fuelled up with a chiller drink from Gloria Jeans as it was too hot for a real coffee, and then continued to the Salvos where I bought something but I forget what it was. 

Now the main reason for this jaunt was to source fabric for my rainbow dresses and having not turned up anything suitable I was forced to visit Spotlight, our local cheap and cheerful fabric and craft store. Lucky for me they were having a 30% off store wide sale. Unlucky for husband there were enormous queues and there was no chance I was going to be home in time to cook his lunch! I bought the minimum cut of quite a few purple fabrics and a new blade for the rotary cutter.

Next destination was the hardware shop, Magnet Mart. They have a special deal, 10 tube stock plants for $20, and I was hoping to find ten camellias. $2 each is a very nice price for camellias. Sadly there was no camellia tube stock so I bought two of the smallest plants, and two Chinese elm trees and a purple hydrangea. I must have had purple on the brain because I did not set out to buy a purple hydrangea, it just kind of leapt into my trolley!

I had to visit the supermarket on the way home which added more time to the trip but meant I arrived home with more than just fabric and plants.

When I got home I planted the camellias and the hydrangea and then washed the new purple fabric. The Chinese elms are biding their time and I will plant them in the winter when they are dormant. None of the humans in the house appeared to have missed me while I was gone - the kid was snoozing in her room and the husband was killing zombies on his computer.

It being such a hot day the fabric dried in no time and I spent the evening watching an old fashioned movie, "the Ghost and Mr Chicken" while I cut it all up into hundreds of squares.

This must be a good week for op-shopping because DD and I ventured out to the Tuggeranong Vinnies after school today and found that a quilter had recently destashed her fabric collection. All of the selections were half or full yards, no skimpy odd shaped bits this time. 
I picked out some cute "calicoes" including one with little ducks. I plan to use these for appliques, I was envisioning an owl or a flower on one of my corduroy dresses, just to bump up the cuteness factor. I also found about two metres of blue and white striped seersucker which is my favourite fabric for sunfrocks. 
This fabric (right) has vintage advertisements.
I also tried to buy DD a copy of "Freaky Friday", a book where a teenager swaps bodies with her mother. I told DD that the girl in the story realises how hard her mother works and soon wishes she was a girl again. I was hoping DD would take this message to heart, but she somehow put the book down in the shop somewhere so that when we went to the counter it did not get purchased. Oh well, maybe some other little girl is reading it tonight and learning to be nice to her mother.

☂ ☂ ☂ ☂ ☂ ☂ ☂

Shop news:
The charity sale for Pegasus is still going on, if you'd like to check out the collection of items for sale please head over to this treasury.

 Here is a cute little dress which I made just in time for St Patrick's Day. (you can click on the first picture to go through to the listing)
I am intending to make better use of my corduroy stash and sew some little overalls and pinafores in coming months. 

Isn't this pattern just the cutest? Overalls will be in store soon (I hope).


Thanks for reading my blog.

Canetsy Pegasus Fundraiser

Hi folks

This month I am participating in a fundraiser for Pegasus, the local branch of Riding for the Disabled. Basically, they need money to stay open and keep doing what they do so well.
Have a look at their website, there's a great video showing kids having fun.
http://www.pegasusact.com.au/
And here is a clip from the local news (sorry you may only be able to see the news in Australia)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/pegasus-wings-clipped/4496932

My brother attended Riding for the Disabled when we were growing up in Wagga Wagga. It was so cool for him to experience riding a horse, plus the horses were so patient and easy to talk to, it was like having a new friend! The benefits of horse riding for people with a disability are numerous, but I think the best outcome is an increase in self confidence.

My Canberra Etsy team (fittingly named Canetsy) has organised a treasury. All of the items are for sale, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Pegasus. I have sewn a little butterfly pinny, since I did not have any horsey fabric in the stash. I would happily substitute another dress of the same value from my store if the butterfly one does not suit the buyer's taste.

How can you help?

•  Spread the word! If you are on Etsy, you can heart the treasury, and comment to help it stay "hot". Here's a link to it Treasury
•  Buy something. This is like donating except you get something you want, a win win situation
•  Donate. Instructions on the website above. For Canberrans, the Luton's real estate offices across town are accepting donations

Interesting fact: therapy with horses is called "hippotherapy". Hippo comes from the Greek for horse, and the name hippopotamus actually means "river horse". Mesopotamia means "Land between the rivers". Pretty cool, hey?

'Canetsy Team Charity Treasury - PREVIEW - Welcome to buy!' by KylieFogartyArtist

Handmade Vintage Button Broo... pinkneonvintag... $14	Emerald Green Scarf - Equest... BlueyLovesCoco... $15	Gold and white crystal earri... seonamargaretd... $85	Metal Embossing Decorative H... FoilingStar $34
Baby girl pinny, easter dres... BananaOrangeAp... $28	Blue and silver bell shaped ... eryka91 $50	Pastal Petals Series,Poppies... WorldscapeImag... $55	50th Golden Wedding Annivers... CharmsnNuggets... $13.5
Pink Shoulder Cross Body Bag... kerrianneander... $30	Waldorf Cloth Doll Clothes C... NatalieDrest $15	Orange Starburst & Navy Apro... JitterbugCraft $30	Hanabi Fold Over Pouch - LAR... 20FourAcres $20
Hair pins and ties, plus ma... handmadebygemm... $20	Beanie hat women's beani... TigsTogs $40	BIRTHSTONE LOVE AFFIRMATION ... LouLouandBetty... $30	Horse Painting, Art, Animal ... KylieFogartyFi... $120

☀  ☁  ☂  ☃  ☕

In shop news, I have gone completely bananas and am offering free shipping within Australia for the month of March! How crazy is that? You'll find the coupon code in the shop announcement on the main shop page. My Shop