the best books: sewing for kids

I have a bit of an obsession with books. The way that some women collect bags or shoes, I collect books! I can easily hang out all day in the local bookstore and I constantly have a new book (or ten) at the top of my want list.

I have so many books about craft, sewing, interiors, gardening, eco-living, etc. that I thought I should start sharing some of my collection with you. First up.. the best books about sewing for baby and child!

1. Oliver + S 'Little things to sew' by Liesl Gibson.
This book is full of awesome things to sew for kids.. not so much clothing but more accessories like hats, bags, art smocks, scarves and the most adorable tutu you have ever seen. The book is perfect for someone who has quite good sewing skills and most importantly.. it's just a damn good looking book!

2. 'Making children's clothes' by Emma Hardy.
This book has 25 sewing patterns for ages 0-5. It contains lots of very wearable items that are easy to make (dresses, tops, pants, hats, etc.) so it's perfect for someone who is learning to sew. I used it a lot when Sophie was young but I always left all the bells and whistles off the patterns (I'm not a fan of too much poof, if that makes sense? I like to keep things simple) but a great book all the same.

3. 'Simple sewing for baby' by Lotta Jansdotter.
This book is awesome, as is everything Lotta Jansdotter does. I've taken to stalking her on Instragram.. she probably thinks I am crazy (and I probably am.. I do have every single book she has ever written!)
This book is filled with very cool, very easy to make projects that are perfect for little bubbas. So many of the patterns would make excellent gifts and the baby yoga pants are awesome. Ten out of ten!

4. 'Girls style book' by Yoshiko Tsukiori.
Anyone who has come across these Japanese sewing books and fallen in love with them will be over the moon, as I am, that they have finally started to print them in english! The girls style book is just adorable. Even if you never make a thing in it, it is worth having just to look at the stunning photography and styling that these beautiful Japanese sewing books have become famous for.
This book contains patterns for girls aged 2-10 and is best for a fairly advanced sewer.

5. 'Happy Homemade Vol. 2' by Ruriko Yamanda.
I bought this book in Japanese years before they released the english version and I was probably seen jumping for joy when I saw they had released the english version, although strangely the instructions are still a little difficult to understand. This book contains patterns for boys and girls aged 2-8 and they are probably the nicest patterns I have ever seen (think simple, elegant designs).

6. 'Carefree clothes for girls' by Junko Okawa.
Okay, I have to admit that I have never actually made anything from this book yet but it looks awfully nice on the bookshelf. If Little House on the Prairie released a sewing book this is what is would look like! Lots of linen and unbleached cotton in rustic, down to earth patterns. I get the feeling you should disconnect your electricity and spend your morning milking a cow before you attempt to sew anything from this book!

So that's my pick of sewing for kids books. Stay tuned next week for the best general sewing books (there are a lot of them!) and in the next few days I will be giving away one of the books above! Yay!

(P.s Sophie took the top photo above.. just in case you were wondering).

What's your favourite book about sewing for kids?

James and the giant peach

Tom and I are having such a hard time thinking of boys names. There are about 20 girls names that we both love but we are having a really hard time making a short list of boys names. We both really like quite normal, everyday names.. nothing too trendy or out of the ordinary. In fact, we seem to like the same names as everyone else because the names that we like are always in the top 20 most popular names (e.g Sophie, Grace).

I thought that maybe we could name our kids after characters in Roald Dahl books.. We already have 'Sophie' from the BFG (which was Tom's favourite book when he was little) and so we could have a 'James' from James and the giant peach (which was my favourite book when I was little)..

Then all we will need is a tortoise called Alfie!

N.B Tom didn't find my suggestion very amusing.. back to the drawing board (or baby name books) I go!
Did anyone else have a hard time choosing baby names?

*Book cover via here

Down to Earth

I ordered this book a few weeks ago after I had seen it popping up all over the place. Tom always gives me a hard time when I buy books like this and says something like "Oh great, you spend money on a book about not spending money" and while I often laugh in agreement (there is something funny about buying things to tell you how to have less things) I don't regret the money I spent on this book for a second.

I am halfway through reading it and I don't want to put it down. It is full of ideas about how to live a more simple life and become more dependant on yourself and your own skills rather than living a life filled with more things. It's not a new concept and certainly one that I know a lot of people strive towards but what I really like about this book is how it makes the kind of life that I dream of living seem so achievable.
It's also not a preachy book, she says very honestly that if you are working full time or have young children then making your own soap, keeping chickens and growing all your own produce may not be a realistic goal.. and that's okay. You do what you can at the moment and work towards those goals in the future.

This book inspires a life where days are spent living simply.. growing veggies, sewing clothes, making delicious nourishing food from scratch, knitting and turning your home into a place that nurtures everyone in it.. whether they live there or have just popped in for a cup of tea.

I really recommend reading it if you can get your hands on a copy. Now all I need is an actual house!
(You may remember that we are staying with Tom's parents while I am on bed rest. Our whole life has been in storage since we moved to Perth last year and my gosh, I can not wait for the day that we get our own place. But.. one thing at a time I guess!)

'Down to Earth' by Rhonda Hetzel available at Booktopia.

Rhonda also has a blog by the same name.

Kinfolk.

Look at what arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

Have you read Kinfolk? I do believe it has just become my favourite magazine. (Do you call it a magazine? It does not really feel right, it feels like a book that you will keep forever. One that you will put on the bookshelf so you can see it everyday and be careful not to bend the corners when you pick it up to read.. or is that just me?)

Did you know it is also available on iPad? (But it really is much nicer holding it in your hands and turning those smooth matt pages while sipping tea. Earl grey I think.)

Perfect.

The strangest thing just happened to me.
I was lying in bed (of course!) and looking up pregnancy books on my iPad (iBooks).
I came across a book called 'High risk pregnancy - Why Me?' It was written by a woman in the US who had a little boy that was stillborn at 22 weeks, and later she went on to have 2 successful full-term pregnancies.

Her book is half emotional support for people dealing with cervical stitches, best rest and the worry that comes after having a premature stillborn baby and half a medical reference guide, as she has spent the last 4 years researching everything to do with premature labour, incompetent cervix, the benefits of bed rest etc.

This is the blurb from the back of the book:

'You're tired, stressed and frustrated. Bed rest seems like a life sentence, and worry drowns out the voice of hope. However, through her own emotional story, Author Kelly Whitehead will help you understand that it's possible to manage during a high-risk pregnancy.
'High-Risk Pregnancy - Why Me?' gives you the emotional reassurance and medical guidance necessary to face - and even enjoy - a high risk pregnancy.
Designed as the comprehensive guide for possible preterm mothers, their families and doctors, 'Why Me?' lays out the relevant medical information in an easy-to-understand format because it's written for you - a mother at risk of an early delivery.'

Could there be a book that is more perfect for me? I feel like it was written for me personally!
Crazy.

If you know anyone who is going through a high risk pregnancy (or planning to) please forward this post or send them the link to the website, as I know I would be so grateful if someone had sent it to me.

Random photo of some flowers that Sophie picked for me on her way home from school one day.

A new rhythm

I've been in bed for 5 days now and, well, I'm going a little crazy. Tom thinks that it is difficult at the moment because it's such an adjustment from being able to walk around all day and things will get easier as I get used to my days in bed and find some sort of rhythm to my time. Tom also thinks its a fabulous opportunity.. he thinks I am lucky! He keeps telling me to think of all the things I could do if I really put my mind to it.. learn another language, study evolutionary biology, study the history of art, read all the classics, etc. etc. (These are all the things that Tom would like to do I think!)

I think the reason I am finding it hard is because I feel perfectly fine. It feels really strange to be lying in bed all day when you are perfectly healthy.. and boy, do I miss going outside! But.. It will all be worth it in the end. I daydream every day about giving birth to a healthy full-term baby.. It is going to be the best moment of my life!

I have been filling my days reading, watching movies, knitting and playing with Sophie (reading books, doing puzzles).. And quite a bit of sleeping.
It's funny, so many of my friends (especially the ones with two or more kids) said that spending time in bed, while your husband brings you food and drinks sounded like paradise. I agree with them, but I think 2 weeks in bed might be a nice relaxing break, but 6 months? That's going to be a little tricky!


P.s Does anyone know where I can buy knitting, crochet and embroidery supplies online?

Reading. Or planning to.

These are a few of the books I have lined up next to our bed. Some of them I am going to read for the second time because they were just so good. I just finished reading The Slap and I thought it was brilliant.

I am writing a (very long) list of books that I plan to read while I am on bed rest. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.. Remember that I will be spending 6 months in bed.. I need something good to read!

I took out all Tom's books from this photo, which was.. every single book that Christopher Hitchens ever wrote.. the man is obsessed.

I could not have said it better

'Lighter things will happen to you, birds will steal your husband's sandwich on the beach, and your child will still be dead, and your husband's shock will still be funny, and you will spend your life trying to resolve this.'

Except from 'An exact replica of a figment of my imagination' by Elizabeth McCracken

Ooh la la

Sophie could not believe her eyes when breakfast was delivered to our room this morning.
She actually said "Ooh la la".
(I think we have been reading too much 'Fancy Nancy' lately!)

Liberty love

What's that there? Is it what I think it is?



Why yes! It's the new Liberty book on my sewing table.. Yippee!

My creative space..

Well, it's not much yet.. but it will be..



Simple sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter from Fishpond.
Little house fabric from Kelani Fabric.

More creative spaces over here.

Sophie and the new baby

I found this book at the bookstore the other day..
Can you imagine anything more perfect?



The story is about a little girl called Sophie whose parents tell her in spring that a new baby will arrive in winter. Sophie has to wait through summer and autumn until the new baby (finally) arrives..

It's like his book was written for us.. it's uncanny!

'Sophie and the new baby' available here.

Rainy days

With all this rain around, I thought I would share one of my favourite posts from Lox papers.. 10 things to do on a rainy day..



Also, Jacki over at More than a Mummy wrote a fantastic post this morning about the top 10 bookstores in Sydney, including this one and this one that I have posted about before.. nothing better than drinking chai tea in your favourite bookstore cafe on a rainy day..

M.I.A.

Yes, I have been missing in action, but as of next week I hope to be back here with bells on.



I took a few well deserved weeks off from everything that was not 100% essential.. including blogging and house cleaning (Tom and I made a deal that as long as the kitchen was tidy and we had some clean clothes to wear, everything else could wait.. and wait it did.. you should see our house, seriously looks like a bomb hit it!)

2010 has been a crazy year.. I spent the entire year either trying to fall pregnant or stay pregnant. My mum had a mastectomy and spent the year having chemo. My dad's health seriously deteriorated and I spent a large part of the year visiting him in hospital and on top of being a full time wife and mum, I thought it would be fun (?) to go back to uni full time!

But, it has also been a brilliant year.. Tom and I both think that having a two year old is the best fun ever.. and we have really settled into family life in the suburbs.
Making the decision to move to the suburbs was one of the best things we ever did. Sure, I miss being able to walk to the beach for a coffee in the morning, but we used to live in an apartment where the only plant we had (accidentally) fell out the window one day and never quite recovered.. now we spent hours in the garden and we pull salad and veggies from the garden almost every night before dinner.. who would of thought?

(Tom reminded me the other day that we had a conversation shortly after Sophie was born, about how we would never move away from the beach, even if we had to live in an apartment with 3 kids for the rest of our life..
Funny how your priorities in life change so much after having kids!)

So, despite a challenging year.. It has still been filled with alot of time doing the things that I love with the people who I love.. and that's really why I started this blog.. to remind myself how lucky I am!

P.s Speaking of how lucky I am, I got my copy of Sew La Tea Do last week and I love it, I want to make everything in it.. Sophie and I went and found some lovely fabric to make the 'miss adorable dress' and I cant wait to get started..

Crown Street Cooks

Tom and I have promised ourselves that we would not buy any more cookbooks. We have a bookshelf full of cookbooks that we love, but it got to a point a few months ago when we both thought.. this is getting a little ridiculous.. there are only so many meals you can make in one lifetime!

However, I might have to make an exception for this cookbook that came out last week, because Crown Street Public School was my primary school and this book looks great.. full of simple, yummy, family recipes.



Crown Street Public was an awesome primary school. The whole school did half an hour of Tai Chi every morning before class started. Of course, at the time it was the most embarrassing thing ever, but now I think its totally cool.

20 odd years ago Surry Hills was no where near as trendy as it is today, but it was still a very cool place to grow up.
My dad had this huge warehouse on Campbell Street, that was just behind Crown Street Public School. My dad is an architect and the warehouse was his office, but being a typical Dutchman (who can't live without his morning coffee or three) he decided to put a coffee machine and some big tables in the front of the warehouse, so that when clients came in they could all sit down and look over the plans with a real cup of coffee.

The only entrance to the warehouse was a huge roller shutter with no sign. One day a guy who was walking past popped his head in to ask if it was a cafe.. my dad said no, but come in anyway because he makes a pretty damn good cup of coffee. (If you knew my dad, that would not seem weird at all).

To cut a long story short, 6 months later my dad had given up architecture all together and was running a cafe full time that saw 3000 people through the doors every week. All the drawing boards had been replaced with tables. A kitchen had been built and a pool table added. My dad parked his 2 vintage 1969 convertibles in the back of the warehouse and there was live jazz most nights. . and so Sanctuary Studio Cafe was born!

I would walk down every afternoon after school and I have such great memories of hanging out there all afternoon, playing pool and taking orders. It really was the best thing ever because my dad had no intention at all of opening a cafe.. it just happened and he went along with it.

Unfortunately, just before the Sydney 2000 Olympics the whole block- 4 huge warehouses were all bought and pulled down to make way for 800 hideous apartments (no offence if you live at 186 Campbell Street, Surry Hills) and that was the end of an era.
My dad spent some time looking for a new venue, but never managed to find a place that was just right.. and warehouses like that just don't exist anymore.

So my dad went back into architecture. But still to this day, almost anywhere my dad goes, he will have someone stop and ask "where is the new sanctuary?"

The bird dress

Hello my dear readers (all two of you)! Have you missed me?
It feels like forever since my last post and I'm afraid it will be few and far between posts over the next few weeks as life and other adventures will be getting in the way.. you all know how it is!



However, I was very lucky to squeeze in a tiny amount of sewing on the weekend. Its not my usual style of fabric but I have been reading this book called Homemade living by Lotta Jansdotter (flicking through the pictures is probably a more appropriate description) and I have been feeling inspired by all the amazing, bold prints that those clever Swedish are so famous for..



So when a little Swedish meatball craving (don't ask) took Sophie and I to Ikea the other day, I was excited to find this cool monochrome bird print for next to nothing. It is exactly unlike any other fabric I own.. not pretty, not delicate, not vintage inspired, but I like it!

I decided that it would make a cool beach dress/ kaftan for Sophie, so I got to work. I couldn't find a kids kaftan pattern so I used a summer nightgown pattern, which worked fine. (No one will know she is wearing pyjamas to the beach, right?)



And although Sophie was happy to pose on the dining table for me, she did tell me that it was far too big for her and that she looked like "a flippy, floppy scarecrow"! Kids...

Kinokuniya

Have you been to Kinokuniya?



I discovered it last week after I was driving through the city and the car decided to break down. A few hours and a tow truck later, Sophie and I found ourselves in bookstore heaven!

If you live in Sydney and you love books, bookstores, design, craft or all things Japanese then you must visit this store.

The Japanese craft book section is amazing. All the Japanese sewing books that I have been ordering from overseas were right there in front of me.. I couldn't resist coming home with a few to add to my collection..



The kids section is also wonderful and it has these giant windows that look out over the street below. Both Sophie and I enjoyed sitting high above the street and watching the world go by (oblivious to the fact that we were watching them go about their day.)

After many hours in the bookstore we went and said hi to daddy in his office, then we got on the train to make our way home again car-less and care-less!

Spring = my head hurts

I did something a little silly a few days ago.. I decided to join Nat (from The Pagoda Tree) on her 10 day Spring cleanse.


This is what sat in front of me this morning instead of my usual cup of tea and now I have a serious headache from caffeine withdrawal. I had no idea that it would be this bad, but I'm looking forward to feeling amazing in a few days time (right?).

And making loads of yummy things from these beautiful cookbooks (By Jude Blereau)that I bought a few months ago..



Full of super healthy recipes that are perfect for a spring cleanse..

1 day down, 9 to go..

My bedside table..

These are the books that are sitting on my bedside table waiting for someone to read them..



(I have to admit that they have been waiting there quite a while. Every couple of days I come along and wipe the dust off the top and once every blue moon I pick one up and read a few pages.)

I really need to get back in the habit of reading. (I mean reading actual books, not just magazines, blogs and sewing patterns!) I used to read allot, but ever since I had Sophie all my spare time goes into other things and I struggle to find the time to read. Time to get back to it I think!

Great transaction

A few weeks ago I discovered Etsy. I went a little crazy. Yesterday I had my first purchase arrive on my doorstep..

Its a super cute Japanese sewing book, and yes, all of the instructions are in Japanese, but I just couldn't resist..


All the patterns are for really cute and simple kids clothes.. exactly the kind of thing that I dream of making. I thought I might wait till my mother in law (Helen) visits us next week before I attempt to try and make something. She is an amazing seamstress and I've heard that these Japanese pattern books can be quite easy to follow if you are experienced. This is a dress that Helen made (and smocked) about 25 years ago for one of her little girls..

I am so lucky that she kept them all stored away and every time we fly to Perth she pulls out a another smocked dress for Sophie to take home. I love it when people comment on one of the dresses and I can say "My mother in law made this dress almost 30 years ago".