But Didn't Santa already come.

This Christmas we will be celebrating Christmas over 2 days and not 1.

Our bags (the girls and my) are packed and almost ready for our Christmas day fight,

To preserve the rush and enjoy a family Christmas we thought it would be a good idea to open family pressies on Christmas eve morning and share our family meal in the evening so we to celebrate with daddy, and the girls can get to enjoy some of their goodies without having to quickly put them down before heading off to see Grandma in Brisbane.and after all my crafting for others I had to whip up two little angels for my girls - patterns made using Inside a Black Apple template - my own construction.Christmas morning will be spent opening pressies from Santa, last minute packing and a packed lunch in the car on the way to the airport.
I hope Santa has not forgotten me my sack is lying on the floor looking pretty empty.Christmas afternoon will be spent at Grandmas sipping Margaritas on the balcony looking over Brisbane River.

Christmas Giving

This month my sewing machine has been busy sewing children's Christmas gifts.

I was able to sew up 5 gifts to put under a local charity group Christmas Tree who will pass them on to other in need.

I really enjoyed making gifts without the expectation of receiving a gift in return.

So here is the list of my Christmas Cheer.

Package 1 & 2 for 3-4 year olds.

Handmade notebook/pencil rolls - in fairies print to celebrate the new Tinkerbell movie, Basement Bargain Bindi dress and a Pamela Allen Picture book.

Package 3 for 8 - 12 year old

Note book/pencil roll complete with watercolour pencils, brush, fine art line pen and sketch book (inspired by my 9yr olds sketching set)

Package 4 for 2 - 4 year old

Doll Quilt, pillow & case and doll. Doll was made using Black Apple Doll Template on Martha Stewart Website and quilt inspired by Crazymomquilts.blogspot - my own dimensions.

Package 5 for 2-4 year old

Doll quilt, pillow & case and doll - the doll a pattern in Australian Handmade quilt was made using left over squares and my need to finally try to make a quilt using more than squares. I really loved this quilt and found it hard to part with but I can always make another.

Dinner Party Frock!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain is one talented sewer and this will be my first time entering her giveaway.
Each month grosgrain sews up a beautiful outfit and gives it away - just like that.
I can see Miranda looking fab in this green party dress.

Christmas Fair

Christmas Fair
Originally uploaded by SarahC3202

On the way home from the dance concert we stumbled upon a club's (in which I belong) Christmas Fair and headed on over - with a swipe of my card we had lots of free ride tickets and spent a few hours jumping, sliding, patting, riding, swinging, sticking and spining.

A celebratory dinner at a club closer to home set the day off to be a fun filled family day out


Note:click on the mosaic to take a closer look

Dance 08

Bronte & Miranda Dance 08
Originally uploaded by SarahC3202

The Big day has arrived

Miranda gets to perform on stage for the first time today for 2 dances- something she has been preparing to do all year -especially the last month. Miranda was fantastic on stage and remembered all her dance moves and loved the large audience.

Bronte an old hand spent the 1st hour of the morning having her hair curled (for a change) and make-up done and was dressed and ready, Bronte had 4 dances and some quick costume changes which I was impressed she managed well.

Bronte got the special class tophie this year which as special and great recognition of her hard work throughout the year and a goodbye memory. This was our last year at this dance school, due to our move further away than practial - it is sad to say goodbye to yet another aspect of our old house, area and friends but we also look forward to the new.

Babies Galore

My good friend Emilie had her little baby boy (Xander) last week and in between him getting me out of bed at 2.30am to look after his big sister I was able to make him a special quilt - this quilt is sashed with men's recycled shirts and backed with bleached mauve chenille, some onesies and

I found this cute little retro suitcase to put it all together.

Of Course I could not forget to make a Big Sister Gift - so I made Ana a Notebook & Pencil Roll using One Red Robin's tutorial to keep her busy when mum's hands are full.
Miranda and Ana catching up a week before Xander was born. And A Custom Order Baby Gift for my mum's neighbour - 2 onsies and a gift bag.

Bag Ladies

I am not one who has a pile up of blog posts but my machine has been working overtime and there are many creations waiting to be blogged.
I will start with my lastest creations and over the next week or two get to my first.

After aquiring a copy of Seams to Me by Anna Maria Horner inspiration came for some Chirstmas Pressies for Bronte and Miranda's dance teachers - The Taxi Tote
And of course some snazzy christmas bags to wrap them in (initialed with each teacher's name)

What Do 3 year olds do when thier mums are too busy sewing and not playing - dress up's of course - here Miranda is dressed in her sister's 2005 dance costume complete with make-up. Still in need of some make-up classes.

A Masterpiece of Forever Flowers

This wonderful hand embroidered blanket was cleverly crafted by my mum over the past year as a special gift to me - something for me to remember her by.

As a child I remember mum trying unsuccessfully to teach me (a left hander) how to knit, sewing special dresses and taking over my latch hook. Mum stopped crafting when I was about 8 years old until this. A masterpiece which she has created with no plan or pattern just the idea and a blank grey canvas.

I love it - and it has even been backed with my all time favourite flannel.

There is such detail in this blanket from flowers, fish, caterpillars, bees, and bells. A textural feast.

Performers All Round

Bronte was lucky enough to have made her 2nd debut singing in the Concert Hall at The Sydney Opera House on Saturday with Australian Girls Choir along with 600 other girls.

It was fabulous and as always delightful and so special seeing Bronte up on stage singing and dancing.

Another excuse to get out the sewing machine and sew Bronte the required white dress/skirt and top outfit.Miranda proved to be a wonderful audience member and sat beautifully throughout the performance.

With the weather threatening rain all day we were grateful to enjoy a leisurely afternoon in and around Circular Quay after the performance.

Miranda gave her own personal performance to passers-by dancing for over 20minutes to the tunes played by the busker and his saxophone. At the end of each song she graciously curtsied to those who had stopped to enjoy her show.

Koalas Peacocks and Kangaroos

On Sunday we headed off to The Koala Park to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday.It was a great day out -as Miranda described "This is the best picnic ever mummy" - a nice day out after the last few weeks of mayhem.
We got to pat lots of native animals and feed some very lazy kangaroos, the peacocks were really putting on a show and Koala spotting was a test on any one's patience but we found one out of it's enclosure and not too far up a gum tree (the Koalas are able to roam free around the park and pick any tree which suits, most koalas at the park were born their naturally without any human intervention)And this one makes pregnancy look a breeze!

Colonial Style Dress

I don't often sew for Bronte my older daughter but when she reminded me (with 2 days to spare) she needed to go to school dressed in English Colonial Style clothing (Australian History Lessons), the machine was out and boxes scavenged through.

A simple tired peasant skirt and top with apron and bonnet in plain blue and some cream. The cream band on the bottom of the top was used to lengthen the top as it was a little short.

I was rather stuck on the bonnet but with a little adaption Hoppo Bumpo's Shower Cap Tutorial
fit perfectly with the theme.without the bonnet and apron it has turned into a pretty spring outfit.

Out with the Old in with the New

Well not completely new -
The last month has been rather busy with packing, moving, unpacking settling into a new community and communting to the old.


So here we say goodbye to our old house


and hello to our new house (Bronte's 5th and Miranda's 3rd)

a new school -
Bronte seems to have made 2 freinds very quickly and settled into her new school very well
a new bed in a new room Miranda has moved out of sharing a room with me in a cot, to sharing a room with her big sister in a big girls bed
a different oven I was devistated to discover that the oven door in our new house would not shut properly but after a week it was fixed and Miranda is quite keen on baking weekly.

There are still boxes to unpack, rooms to organise, activities to be reloccated and little creases to be ironed out but we are settling in slowly,

Whilst moving to a new area poses many challenges which I could name a few, here are some special things about our new community -

• A short drive up the road to the local big grocery store sees us in semi-rural areas with hobby farms and cows to look at out the window.
• We have a lovely view looking over Sydney's south west from our front door/lounge and bedroom.
• Driving home after an afternoons commute sees lovely views of The Mountains.
• Whilst we are on the fringes of Sydney we are still very close to many large shops and on a good run it only take us 15 mins back to our old community.

Because she is so cute!

Bronte photo's taken last month (they really capture her especially the second) - I just love her freckle nose.