Work last week went well, I enjoyed it. The only thing that needs addressing is the lack of hours, so far I only have one definite day a week only, a 6 hour shift, nowhere near enough. Last week I worked 2 days, one helping out at another store.

I had a phone call yesterday about a job available at another place, (somewhere else I used to work) and went for an interview today. The hours were great, fulltime BUT and there is a big BUT about this, it's one of the more stressful jobs in that company. I can remember all the complaints about the job when I was working there. Really don't think it's for me.

I had a word to the Store Manager there on the way out, she didn't do the interview as we already knew each other and she wanted a non-biased opinion. Told her that I'd be more interested in working on the floor and if she could keep my resume in mind for the future.

Spent so much time cleaning and tidying this past weekend, the place looks so much better. Not perfect but a lot better, now to keep it up. There's a load of stuff out in the car for donating to the Salvos.

Especially there is a load of magazines, I spent so much time sorting through my craft magazines to see what I wanted to keep. Over the years I have to have spent thousands on magazines, at around $10 a pop it wouldn't take long to add up.

Yesterday as I was trying to neaten magazines piles in the family room, it's where I've been sorting them. I had a quick look through those I had opted to keep, noting that most of the magazines still had their pattern sheets stapled in. I realised that I rarely ever make things out of them, there have been a few occasions but not many. I realised that these days close to 100% of my crafting comes from the net, free so why do I need to buy the magazines? Or keep them for that matter?

So now all but one that were in the family room are now bagged and in the car. The family room looks so roomy now. I need to cut my addiction to buying craft magazines, got to keep away from the newsagent. With the money I save, perhaps I'll be able to build myself a cute little shed I've always dreamt about or at least be able to afford more craft supplies. I know I could sell the magazines online, but that's not going to get them out quick enough.

Source: m.weheartit.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

Christmas Gifts and Crochet Barbie Dress

To keep Christmas spending down to a minimum this year I've decided that most gifts will be handmade. I say that every year but this time it's more of a necessity it's either that or no gift giving.

I have our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and a growing number of great nieces and nephews. We don't really swap gifts with my husband's family, just his parents and a brother or two. Husband has already bought gifts for his brothers. Oh and one of his nephews family who just happen to be neigbours of ours.

I want to stick with supplies I already have on hand for the most part. I've started with a cute crocheted Elephant for a 1 year old great niece, at the moment it's waiting to be stuffed and sewn, perhaps a dress for her as well.






For her 5 year old sister and 4 year old cousin, it will be Barbie Dolls and dolls clothes. The Barbies have been in my stash for ages, I bought them a few years back to make Christmas Angels with. Was going to use Originals by Gidge designs

This dress was inspired by a pattern that was originally on Originals by Gidge. I only had 4ply cotton on hand so thought it would look fine sized up. Was going to make a long dress with bodice but during the first fitting of the skirt part, I tried it out as a strapless dress. Hmmm liked it.

Crocheted Barbie Dress.

4ply cotton
2.5mm crochet hook

Chain 7
Row 1:
1 dc, 2 ch, 1dc into 5th chain from hook, 1 dc into last ch. 3 ch, turn

Row 2:

1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 3.

Repeat row 2.

Row 4:

2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain, 3 chain, turn

Row 5:

Repeat Row 4

Row 6,

3dc, 2 ch, 3 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Rows 7 & 8:

Repeat row 6

Row 9

4 dc, 2 ch, 4 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Rows 10, 11 & 12

Repeat row 9

Row 13:

5 dc, 2 ch, 5 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 14:

Repeat row 13

Row 15:

6 dc, 2 ch, 6c into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 16: Final row.

Repeat row 15, except for 3 chain, finish off. Leave enough thread for sewing panels together - 20 - 30 cm.

Repeat the above 4 more times, 5 panels in all. Do not finish off on final (5th) panel, leave thread on hook. Do not cut thread.

Laying panels flat side by side, just butt the edges together and join with simple overcast stitch, don't worry about taking small stitches, the lacy effect hides the stitches well. I stitched each panel as I completed them, saved having to make a new panel when one mysteriously disappears. As they do, trust me I know. Happens to me all the time, things just disappear.

Stitch 5 panels together to form flat piece.




With hook and remaining thread.

1 ch, sc up the edge of final panel, I did 2 sc per "hole" and 1 sc into edge of each shell. At the top turn corner by stitching 1 chain and then sc across top of all panels, 1 ch to turn and repeat down the edge of the first panel. Finish off, leave enough thread for stitching.


Stitch to about 3 cm below top and finish off. Sew press stud, velcro dot or button and loop for closure. Straps can be added if needed.

I've been trying to clear out my sewing room, trying to make it a pleasanter place to be in. It's not very relaxing, motivating or inspiring at the moment. I did get some of the furniture moved around to make it easier to navigate in there.

Am trying to negotiate the clutter now. I have been working on my magazine stash, every so often I go through them to decide what to keep and what goes. I've been putting a blue sticker on those with patterns I really want to make in them, the rest will get donated.



Wasn't feeling great last night, went to bed really early and then was awake at 4am unable to sleep. I got up and put a movie on that I wanted to finish watching. Only put one light on, front entry and watched the tv in the loungeroom without the light. At about 4.30 the light went out, I got up to check, none of the lights worked, the rest of the power was still on. Now we have never had a problem with the lights, if we run the drier, washing machine and dishwasher at the same time it trips the safety switch to the power points but never the lights.

I was not going to go outside to flick the switch back on, I checked all the doors and windows before going to bed. When my husband's alarm went off around 5 I told him what happened. When he asked why I didn't do it myself, I usually do, I've even been known to head out to the rubbish bins at 3am. The lights going off set off alarm bells for me, recently on the news there was a story about an elderly person was killed when they went out to investigate why their power was turned off. Even someone my Mum knows had their water turned off one night but left it til the morning before checking. They rang the police who told them that lately there's been a spate of it, that if they had gone outside it was very likely that the perpertrator would be laying in wait and if it ever happens again to ring the Police. That and the fact that my neigbour recently found a man in a balaclava in his backyard kept me from going out there to check.