Grateful for my full life

I'm grateful for a full life. Home, family, a business I love. It's so busy it can be overwhelming, but it's exactly where I want to be.

Two beautiful girls who run up with hugs, kisses and excited cries of "Mummy" when I get home, they arrive at my market stall, or I pick one up from kinder.

Grateful that my girls can entertain themselves quite capably for periods of time sometimes, so I can get posts written, emails done, supplies ordered and so on. Not to mention a little bit of sewing here and there.

This is what's happening right now while I write this.

For a husband I love completely, who supports me in what I want to do. Who works so hard for our family. Who's patient with me but reminds me of what's important when I go off on my "do everything now" charges forward.

For online connections with bloggers, business course buddies, and others on the self-care course. Not that they can at all replace the value of in-person friendships, but these connections help me feel part of, connected, heard, valued in the rush of a full and busy life.

Linking up with Deb of Home Life Simplified's Listmania.

What are you grateful for today?

Shell x

And grateful for the photographic talents of my clever youngest brother, who took the first two beautiful pics of my girls in this post.

Learning to sew - your sewing machine

Now I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert on sewing machines. But I've sewn my whole life and I know a bit about them that I'm happy to share if you want some tips on what you need, without being overwhelmed with lots of jargon or detail.

If you have a sewing machine already, great. I used the same basic Brother sewing machine from when I moved out of home at about 23, until my 40th birthday last year! It had times of lots of sewing, and periods of not much at all, and it did a great job. I still use it for students, it just needs a bit of playing with the tension to get the stitches looking their best.

If your machine hasn't been used for a long time, take it for a service. There are still some specialist sewing machine repair business dotted around the place, or the large Sewing Machine Centres that sell machines will usually have a service department. Check out your local phone book (or its online search engine equivalent) or ask at fabric stores in your area. Even a Spotlight will probably be able to point you to the local repair person.

The other thing you want, if you have an old machine, is the manual. 

This will show you how to thread the machine properly, wind bobbins and use all its settings.  If you don't have the manual, you should be able to find one online these days, but you need the machine make and model. Hopefully you can find this on the machine. Go to the site for the make of machine you have and search there. There are also sites where you can search for copies of manuals but as I've never used any of these, I can't vouch for them, but this one looked very thorough and easy to search.

If you're buying a second-hand machine, make sure you receive the manual. Don't buy one without it!!! 

If you're going to a class, or to see a sewer to help you get started, always take the manual as well as the machine. Every machine is different, and no matter how long someone has been sewing or teaching, they may need to check your machine's details in the manual. Got it!? Enough said!

So, what does a beginner need in a sewing machine? Not much really! 

• straight stitch with adjustable length
• zig-zag stitch with adjustable width
• reverse
• a buttonhole capability is good - the less steps, the easier the buttonhole is to make, but my machine for all those years was a 4-step buttonhole and it was fine.
• a zipper foot 

Beyond this (which really, all sewing machines will do these days) everything is a bonus. More decorative stitches, auto-threading, adjustable speed controls (aside from the pedal), fully automatic buttonhole stitch, specialist feet for different functions, specialist quilting or embroidery stitches, the sky's the limit and so are the prices!

One on my dream machine short-list, the Bernina 820QE, at a mere $7500!

Really, at this point, you don't know how well you will like sewing, or how often you will do it. I would recommend buying a known sewing machine brand in a basic model - Singer, Brother, Bernina, Elna, Pfaff, Husqvarna, Janome are all good, known brands. I've even seen basic Brother's at Australian Post Offices (of all places!) on special for under $120 recently. Bear in mind the last service I got on my machine 2 years ago cost $70, so depending what you're after, a basic new machine might be the best buy. Or, a more advanced second-hand model could be yours for around the same price.

Make sure you put a brand new needle on the machine (see that manual for how!), learn to wind a bobbin and thread your machine and you're good to go! The sewing adventure awaits...enjoy :)

Pretty soon you could be making something like this :)  image from blog Ann's words .

Any questions about all of this? Any tips or experience to share? I'd love to hear in the comments, Shell x

Some quotes for today

Over at Deb from HomeLifeSimplified's Listmania today,the topic is favourite quotes. I love a good quote for some pause, reflection and to add a little inspiration to my day. 

I love this. I need to remember it often, especially now in relation to my business. Sometimes I feel stretched so many different ways with ideas and also the suggestions of others. It's great to hear what others think, but ultimately I have to find my own way and accept that everyone doesn't like what I like, but that's OK!

You could say I live my life according to Anne of Green Gables to an extent! These were my favourite books growing up and she would be an all-time favourite character for me - it also helps that I connected with her appearance as a freckly red-haired (auburn thank-you!) girl. I can't choose between these favourite quotes (all by author L.M. Montgomery).

And last of all for today, from another favourite author of mine, 

So cast aside fear, reach for your dreams, surrounded by pretty things in fashionable clothes - after all, life's too short for anything else, right? What words inspire you, or speak to you right now? I'd love to hear, Shell x

Garden Girls

If you've been here a little while, you already know our two daughters love playing in the garden. Any garden really, but our backyard is obviously their everyday hangout.

Miss M, 2.5 years now, loves digging in the dirt. We're trying to contain her to 2 pots at the moment, as she's been digging up all our garden beds. Thankfully we have a fence around the vegie garden so she can only go in there with an adult!

Miss M also likes to cover Miss A. This is good old dirt by the way, not potting mix.

Miss A, just a couple of months shy of 5 years old now, loves flowers and the process of gardening. She knows the names of more plants than I do from her many questions of Mr Sow and the time they spend poring over gardening books and wandering through nurseries and gardens together.

At the moment they're waiting for the planted cubby house garden to come into flower. So on the weekend Mr Sow did a quick little project with them so there's some potted colour for now, and some vegetables of their own for later.

First Mr Sow sprayed his old (retired) wheelbarrow pink (the girls' choice). 

About half an hour later, it was ready to fill and plant.  Potting mix in, rainbow silverbeet in the middle, surrounded by a ring of carrots, with potted colour flowers of the girls' choosing around the outside.




Voila, a sweet little addition to the girls' garden area that they have complete ownership of and love to check on each day. Now to teach Miss M to stay out of it to let the plants grow!!!

What do you like to do in involve your kids in the garden? Hope you enjoy it together, Shell x

I want to make ...

What a perfect topic for me for this week's Listmania! I'm going to share a few of the things I'd love to make from my Pinterest boards, but I've also got books full of inspiration & loads of patterns I'd love to make! It's hard to know where to start!!!

Well, in sewing for girls, as I have 2 young cuties, I've got so much I want to make... I'll just share a few!

learn to make Waldorf dolls

I love doing my own take on pretty dresses like this one...

And isn't this the coolest super-hero dress up!

All of these (& many more) can be traced back to their sources via my Sewing - Girls pinterest board if you want to make any of them.

Then there's me ...

I'd love a few (hundred) of these around the house...

This would be the way for me to be able to make a hexagon quilt one day, but I'd just love to make this beautiful rainbow box of hexagons too!

These can be linked back via my Sewing - House and Quilts pinterest boards.

And just for something other than sewing, I'd love to turn Sandy into something like this...

 Although mine won't get to be so pink I don't think!

Lots more caravan making eye-candy on my Vintage Caravans board.

Or if you just want to follow the whole lot & see all of what I want to make (or buy, do, be, dream ...plus some of my own making) follow me here.  

What do you want to make? Are you on pinterest? If you want to tell, please do so in the comments... if you want to show, leave your link and I'll take a look, I'd love to see! Shell x

Why I sew...

Some people wonder why bother sewing, in this era of inexpensive clothing, toys and other household items?  Back when I was a girl, Mum made lots of my clothing because it was cheaper. As a young adult, my sewing friend and I would annoy our non-sewing friend to bits with our constant catchphrase of "It's cheaper to make it!" as we scanned the shops for ideas rather than outfits to buy. But something changed between then and now, probably in the 90's I think. Fabric shops became few and far between. Finding good-quality fashionable fabric became harder. Buying items ready-made, especially clothing, became so much more affordable. So why sew today? Well all I can tell you is why I sew... you can figure out if it's something you enjoy or not :)

• it's my relaxation. My meditation. Time stops. I'm totally focused on what my hands are doing, completely in the moment. Sewing is one of the few times I can quiet my busy mind to only the task at hand.

• to be creative. To bring my ideas out into the world to see, feel and enjoy. 
• to make people I love, things made with love.

Miss A is always happy to have something new made by Mum

• it's useful. Whatever it costs, whatever time I spend on it, I do get something to show for it. Not that that is necessary if something brings you joy, but it helps me justify it (& my fabric stash) to myself!
• to make quality, unique items without breaking the bank. When I sew for my business, I think of myself as making a product that would go up against a high quality brand, not a chain store. 
• to be different, be myself, not have the same as others. I like being able to dress myself and my children in clothing that I won't see others wearing. The more expensive, more appealing options for me to buy (which I can't really afford) are still available to everyone else. I don't like to feel like a cookie-cutout, especially if I've spent a bit more money on something special. So I can instead make a unique special outfit using my favourite fabrics and independent patterns, spending the same money or a little less, being sure it won't show up on anyone else, and showing a little creativity to the world.

At age 2, this is very Miss M and now she has a hat to match!

• to learn and master new skills. There will always be something new to learn with sewing. I love that! If I get bored, I can try something new.
• because I love it.

of course not true :)

What are your thoughts on sewing? Do you have a passion? I'd love to hear all about it, Shell x

*images sourced via Pinterest unless of my own children.

Listmania - Currently I am...revisted

A quarter of the way through the year, this week us Listmaniacs are revisiting our first topic

Currently I am:

Reading:  

Listening to:

Newly growing playlists on Spotify

Laughing at:  

Mrs Brown's boys once a week on TV

Swooning over:   

Flower Sugar fabric by Lecien - perfect for spring/summer little girls

Planning:   Sew n Sow - the website! It will be a while!!! But I'm planning it!

Eating lots of: 

Coconutty granola with yoghurt, from Sarah Wilson's book  I Quit Sugar.

Feeling: 

Busy! Just wish I did it as serenely as her!

Discovering: I like having my own business!

Looking at: Mess in this bedroom/sewing room/office! I'm not showing you, I did a market yesterday so it's dreadful!!!

Wearing: 

 

Only I don't wear the belt, and my T-shirt would be purple, mustard, coral. I'm so bored with these clothes!!! Pics from K-mart & Target like my clothes!

Cooking: The same old, on rotation - spaghetti, fish & vegies, sausages & vegies, roasts, risotto, pita pizzas, vegie wraps - Mr Sow & I both are pretty bored with my food rut!!!

Wondering: How can I do it all?!

Trying out: 30 Days of SelfCare - well, about to, in May.

Looking at this, and thinking back to my one earlier in the year, now I know why I feel so out of balance!!! I'm torn though. I'm loving working on and in my business, but my whole thoughts are very much taken up with it. Hence being so in a rut with some things. I haven't even taken any day to day photos with the girls lately! Oh balance, why are you always so hard to find?

What do you think? Any great tips for balancing a business with my family and life!? Just a little question for you today!? Thanks for stopping by, Shell x