[rastis]

I just want to sit down and sew!
But lately I’ve been on the go
‘Cause we’re building a house
And I just saw a mouse

(I wish the the last line was just for laughs… off to find the mousetraps)

[rastis]

I’ve often wondered about people selling handmade things super cheap… it makes me sad that it just perpetuates the thought that home sewn is cheap and doesn’t have value…

i figure they must just be selling a few things to help pay for their hobby, not as a money making venture…. because as anyone who sews knows, sewing is incredibly time consuming- not to mention all the love and thought that goes into each garment!

i also used to sew lots of things for others, but there were more than a few instances when it wasn’t appreciated or simply taken for granted (i was once asked to make a whole wardobe for a child and when i did i was barely given a thank you- they also paid me nothing for my time or materials… it would have been cheaper and easier for me to go and buy that child clothes from the shops)… i swore never again after that, although i confess i break my own rules now and again… really if you sew for someone else who doesn’t sew they just.don’t.get.it… regardless of how nice they are, they just don’t understand the time and attention that has gone into something… and asking someone to pay you what the sewing is worth is tricky because you are competing with cheap, sweat shop clothes.

i agree with the others that if you want to make it a business and not just sell a few things to pay for a hobby, then you need to go upmarket… make expensive things and charge appropriately! and good luck!

[rastis]

ladies thank you so much for all those suggestions! much appreciated 🙂 oh great idea to make one’s own- i never would have thought of that! so many possibilities!

nicole- where do you get mccalls weft?

tamara- off to check that link thank you muchly!!

you guys are tops!!!

[rastis]

love my overlocker! i debated it for ages, but never regretted buying it about 6 years ago… they are so useful

and yes nicole i lust after the semi industrials!! love machines with grunt and speed! i’d need to convert our shed though to have room for them though!

[rastis]

new patterns are so exciting… always happy to see more boy patterns… have the paper dolls really gone? 🙁 i thought the dolls were genius and my kids love them as well… that would make me a little sad

[rastis]

gosh thanks so much for all the lovely words ladies… very kind of you 🙂

we’ve been in a little baby bubble the last couple of weeks! he’s a dear little thing, but refuses to sleep at night, which is leaving me crazy tired!! relearning how to type one handed with a baby in the pouch… feels like it will be forever before i am sewing again… will have to sew vicariously through all all you lovelies for a little while!! off to have a flick through some of your pics xox

[rastis]

hi ladies! thank you so much for all your lovely messages! babe is here 🙂 a little boy weighing 3.15kgs (my smallest bub yet!)… i started having lots of contractions before my induction date… went into hospital- but they kind of fizzled out… my OB decided to put some gel on the cervix which resulted in labour coming on… a very sharp, swift 1 hour labour followed with the natural delivery of my little boy… we are both doing really well 🙂 thanks for all the kind messages… trying to get some sleep and keep up with all the feeding now… the kids are so excited to have a little baby brother! xxxx

[rastis]

thanks nicole and tamara- i’m hoping tonight will be the night 🙂 going to go run a bath

[rastis]

thanks justine! been trying that this last week with not much success 🙁 sheesh the castor oil is starting to look more and more appealing..ewww 😀

[rastis]

oh i so wish it was the case that it wouldn’t be long once they engage! but my son fully engaged just before 34 weeks and stayed that way for weeks and weeks… i was SO uncomfortable for 2 months 🙂 my little girl never engaged and this one just won’t budge! fingers crossed tonight will be the night!! off to do some more cutting… if nothing else it’ll help take my mind off it!

[rastis]

so still in one piece today… tried lots of things last night… no success 🙁 apparently i’m making yet another stubborn child!

oh well, perhaps induction won’t be so bad… at least bub will be out!

oh- heads up for aussie girls- i was in spotlight this morning trying to console myself (and willing my waters to break all over the spottie floor 🙂 when i spotted belle & boo fabrics in their quilting section at the moment… my store had 5 prints… i bought 2 of them… with a discount voucher that was burning a hole in my pocket!! i know some of you girls like belle & boo so thought i’d share!

[rastis]

oh goodness premmies, i cannot even imagine! that’s another stress altogether! i was actually a premmie… but my children seem far too happy on the inside!

i’ve been having stern talks with this baby assuring it, that it’s not nearly so comfortable in there as it thinks it is… unfortunately it doesn’t seem to believe me 🙁 i almost had to be induced with no. 1 and was booked into accupuncture the day i went into labour with him (just missed my induction date by a couple of days)… second one was breech up until almost the end when she decided to turn on her own… so narrowly avoided a c-sect and this one is just sitting there fully engaged and completely happy not wanting to go anywhere… my OB’s given me a deadline of wednesday- induction booked first thing thursday 🙁 i’ve never been induced before and i am so very nervous about the whole thing, desperately hoping to not end up with an emergency CS… i will try just about anything (but probably not castor oil!! don’t think i could bring myself to do it- although i might feel differently by wed :)… been sitting on a fitball bouncing up and down this afternoon… then planted some bulbs in my garden hoping to jiggle things up… plenty of contractions but no real action… having something spicy for dinner tonight… and while getting jiggy-with-it is far from my mind at the moment (being this far pregnant i’m feeling like a one-way exit zone at the moment- although apparently i need better signposts) i’ll consider trying most things right now! come on baby!!!

[rastis]

ok… i’ve hit the desperation stage… anyone have any tips for hurrying a baby along? i’ve got till thursday when i’m going to be induced if bubs hasn’t come by then… and i really wanna avoid an induction… hit me with your ideas ladies… this mama needs to give this baby an eviction notice stat 🙂

[rastis]

sadly i’m not sure how much flickr is going to change 🙁 they put a note up in the help forum telling us (so we could have “closure”) that we can expect it to continue to look the same as it does now and any changes they make to it will just be tweaks… which makes me sad… i really miss the old flickr 🙁

[rastis]

i think it’s supposed to load better on ipads/iphones… i haven’t yet tried to load it on the ipad/iphone… i barely use the ipad at all… usually i use my laptop for everything as it’s where i do my other work and it makes sense for me