Who built the ark?

Who built the ark? Mr Bogert it seems. For the past couple of weeks he's been spending all of his free time building a 2 man kayak in the back garden.

A whole bunch of our friends (the menfolk) meet up every Thursday evening at the pub. One evening it was decided that they needed to have a boat race down the river, and to do this they needed to build boats. (boys and toys :D) They're all pairing up and the race is set for August 7th.

The good thing about Mr Bogert's boat is that it actually looks like a boat, so I'm hoping for his and his team mates sake that it floats like a boat :)

I have been sewing all day (inbetween cooking dinner and trying to keep the house in a reasonable state, but not suceeding). This coming week is the small person's last ever week of pre-school :( She's getting bigger. So, last week of term she has a summer concert. Mr Bogert is doing the photos again and I'm going to help get the kids in costumes etc in the morning. They are doing the Princess and the Pea and they took until the end of this last week to let me know what Alex was going to be and that she would need a costume. The small person will be a Mexican. Did you kow there was a Mexican in The Princess and the Pea? Nope, I didn't either, but I'm looking forward to seeing all the kids perform :)

Anyway, there was no way I was going to stick a sombrero, poncho and big black moustache on her. She's a girl, and she wants to be a girl in the concert, so she's a Mexican dancer.

I've made her a circular skirt trimmed with 4 different ribbons. As it's only fancy dress I haven't hemmed it properly, I've just zig zagged the edge to stop it fraying. I made the skirt last night and was determined to finish it before bed. It took ages to sew the ribbons on, just because of the lengths and changing threads rather than difficulty, but by the time I'd finished I was really pleased, I shook the skirt out, and realised I stitched them all to the inside. Not a chance I'm unpicking that lot for a costume. No one will notice. I hope.

I've made a gypsy/peasant style blouse with an elasticated neckline. The frill has been decorated with lazy daisies. Not quite (translated - nowhere near) as beautiful and intricate as the embroidered blouses I saw on Google, but you get the idea at least. Then she just has a red sash and a plaited red hair tie/band thingy (all technical descriptions) She's pleased, I'm pleased. Job done :)

Tomorrow I have biscuits to bake for toddler groups last session before the summer holidays. I've got a set of great cookie cutters I can't wait to try, and the small person promised help.

Finished!

Yay! I have now officially finished work until after the arrival of little wish number 2. Let's say it again, Yay!

My actual maternity leave doesn't start until the end of this month, but I had some annual leave to take anyway, so that's me done :)

I have actually also managed to finish the bed spread (For Alexandra)! I know, only about a year in the making (someone should sack me really) but it is now done. I still have the curtains to do but must admit I've been putting it off because the thought of that much fabric to handle isn't particularly pleasant.

On another crafty note I have FINALLY started making something for squigglepop (not such a mean mummy now). I have started 2 crochet blankets, but I can't show you them until after baby puts in an appearance in October because the colours of the yarn will give the game away. Sorry! One is double crochet which I will edge like this one here, and the other is a granny stripes pattern which I'm really loving. I wasn't so sure when I started it, but now I'm quite pleased with it.

Alexandra has just had a new top made by mummy from a gorgeous small lemon and white check cotton (seen below). I've been wanting to make something like this for a while but finally sat down to draw up a pattern for it on Friday day. The pattern took me about an hour and is only ledgible to me. That's fine, I can work with that.

I'd actually had a search through my fabric stash and was disapointed to see just how low I am on pretty cotton prints (I've left mum with instructions to keep an eye out at car boots when she goes) but there was this lovely check in my drawer which I could just imagine into a pretty summer top (if only it were that easy!).

So, Friday evening (Mr Bogert was away "team building") I sat down to actually make the top. I used a lovely soft white muslin to line the bodice and instead of fiddly french seams, I just used the zig zag to edge all the seam allowances (which still looks very neat). I took me about 2 1/2 to 3 hours in total. I was making it up as I went along. The fastenings are press studs with white buttons for decoration. Once I tried it on the small person it need a little bit of tweaking under the arms (which I will fix on the pattern for next time) but I was really quite proud of myself. I just kind of sat there and though "Wow, I actually made that". I think it's just been so long since I've made an item of clothing that wasn't fancy dress!

It was ready in time for her to wear to Joshua's 3rd birthday party (small person and the birthday boy above). Joshua is my godson, my cousins little boy and we had a fantastic time at the party. They hired a big birthday cake shaped bouncy castle :).

The whole time I was making the top I was imagining it worn with these white linen trousers that she has. We topped it off with a crochet hair bow in cream (not yellow, because the colour was too strong with the pale top) and she looked gorgeous. (If I do say so myself!)

So, if I made a top like this again to sell in my foksy shop, would you buy it? Would you expect to see the seams finished like this

Or would you expect them to be finished diferently? How much would you want to pay for something like this (to fit a 5 year old)?

Now that I'm off, I've got several things to focus on. Getting ready for Squigglepop, getting small person prepared for starting school but giving her lots of fun things to do over the summer, restocking my folksy shop (because after October I may not get much time) and finally, helping Mr Bogert get his photography paperwork together and doing a bit of ringing around on his behalf. Looking forward to all of it! :D

I'm afraid I can't stay any longer and chat (or fill you in on other activites we've been up to) because the post has just arrived and a book that Mr Bogert ordered for me on Thursday has popped through the letter box. (And I'm excited and impatient! Must go flick through it!)