A Crafty moment - trying anyway!

Hi my name is Nikki and its been almost 2 weeks since my last blog.

Sorry. I have been kinda busy being on holiday.  You know - sunshine, computer games during the daytime (zoo tycoon Sus!), playing card games(Jaimee keeps beating me at Skip-bo), swimming, reading my kids "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (they are totally loving it), gardening (I so want chickens, clearing a space in hope someone will make me a coop)....and a touch of sewing.




Yes, that came from my blog.  SEWING.

It promises to be fun filled.  Hmmmm

Kate was given a very cute little felt monkey kit to make last year for her birthday - from one of my amazing capable sewing friends, who probably assumed I was quite capable of helping her with a project that was aimed at 5 year olds and proclaimed that "IT'S SEW EASY!!" all over the front (in rather a taunting tone i felt).

It has been hiding at the top of their cupboard all year with the random half finished sticky mosaics and beado projects, but it was time to tackle this thing (and I knew that attention loving Kate would LOVE having a special project to do with me).  With Jaimee on a playdate and Luke napping, we set to work.

I was feeling very pleased with myself after we successfully put together the face without too much hassle.  Kate was doing some lovely basic stitches all by herself, and we were having a very educational discussion about all the things that are sewn (clothes, soft toys etc) - complete with us checking every item of clothing we were wearing to find the stitches.

This was so fun!  Look at me being all crafty! And then we got to the blanket stitch.

I remember at Christmas time I admired one of my many crafty friends handiwork.  She replied "this? oh that's just a simple blanket stitch - so easy".  I looked at her blankly.  "What is a blanket stitch?"  I asked, feeling like a complete idiot and totally out of my zone.  She probably was rolling around laughing at me on the inside.  She did kindly explain how to do a blanket stitch to me without batting an eyelid - after all, that's what friends are for.

It didn't start that badly actually.  I carefully read the instructions and studied the diagram.  Then I did a few stitches on Kate's "lace up toys"  to practice before attempting to put the monkey's tail together.  Soon Kate was doing her own blanket stitches with quite a professional flair, letting me know with a very important voice "I'm just doing my blanket stitches now mummy".  And then I ran out of thread.

oh dear.  Can only improve! 

How the heck do you secure the old thread and then start a new one without making the very obvious stitching look stupid? I read the instructions again. Nothing. I checked youtube for help. Nothing. I was on my own, with Kate looking at me with great expectation. I tried. I really did try. But this tail was starting to look more and more like an actual 5 year old had done it alone. Sigh. Luckily, some of this will be hidden between the front and back of the monkey!

In hindsight, probably should have just stopped and called in the big guns at that point.  Nana, Granma and Granny all could have shown us what to do...as well as most of my friends.  But I am not very patient and wanted to keep going.  And have perhaps a little pride too.  I wanted to do this one thing with Kate.  ME.  The Mum.

So the tail is shoddy.  Can only get better, right?!

Later on, as Kate showed off her work proudly to her big sister, explaining to her all about the different stitching, Jaimee pleaded at me to have her own project.  I am SUCH a nice mummy.  I swallowed my sighs and went back to Spotlight, where I had seen the same range on sale for $5 the day before.  I picked up the last one, a happy looking red felt cat, and the fun and games resumed tonight - this time with BOTH girls vying for my attention.  It was much tricker with both of them - they kept looking at what the other one was doing and then missing holes and mucking up stitches.  Kate took the "expert" role, informing Jaimee "oh yeah, thats just a normal stitch....Oh, you have to do a blanket stitch like I know how to do soon"

They had so much fun sprawling out with me on the lounge floor, making their very own toys, and I must admit....deep down, under the desire to throw the toy kit across the room, I was really enjoying doing this project with them too.  Even if it was nowhere near the quality of my friends work...this was quality TIME right here with my girls, and we were having fun.

While browsing the sales racks at Spotlight, I even impulsively picked up a basic counted cross stitch to do (you know, the easy kind. complete with the nice little graph with symbols to colour in as I do each stitch!) , just to prove that I can.  I last did cross stitch when I was about 17 with my mum beside me to help, so I will start simple and see if it sticks.  I used to enjoy it.  So far I have done 4 stitches, and it is going swimmingly.   If anything, it might just be enough to refresh me for teaching the girls to crossstitch.....


wow.  Listen to me!
Would you believe, I think I might actually do this again.
Even if I do have the ability of a 5 year old...
at least that way I can learn WITH my girls right?!

4 stitches so far.  Going well.