D.I.Y { T-shirt Ruffles}

Tullula had this T-shirt that had stained sleeve and with summer on the way
I got out my tools and had an idea!





 I needed to get the sleeve's off.
unpicking it on the inside.







and the outside.
One off, one to go!






As you can see, I ended up using another material; blue clouds!

So I cut out my sleeve template.
and sewed a small hem on the straight edge.




Then I passed a thread for the gathering.
Folded the sleeve in half and put a pin in the middle as a marker as to where the middle is!




I then pinned the middle of the sleeve to the middle (top) of the t-shirt.

Right sides together, working outside in.



I then pinned the two ends of the sleeve to the lower part of the sleeve on the T-shirt. this way my work is anchored into place, and I used RED pins to do so, this way I know what they are!
The gathering only starts 5cm away from the end of the material, so I also added two pins (on either side) just before where the gathering starts, just to hold my work well into place!

Now I can pull on the gathering thread and place (more or less) the ruffle sleeve.
I did so with yellow pins!

And the sewing together starts!
I sew with my pins in place, just make sure the heads are well out of the way!


and the same on the other side and VOILA!

I think I will add this dragonfly Iron On piece to add something extra to the top!




If you too make this top, do forward me photo's of your work so I can display it here! (if you want)

P.S:I am in the process of making a more comprehensive tutorial for this; so as they say; watch this space!!

Tuesday Tullula

We went away for the weekend...To Stradbroke Island!

To get there we had to take the ferry across.

So here is a photo of Tullula in her seat in the bus. She gets to sit in the front as she is not allowed yet to side side on! But she sure is happy about that, as the view from there is pretty good!

And what better than also sucking your thumb for the trip!

Building Block

The weather sure is getting warmer on the Sunshine Coast, and its the 1st time since we have been living here that its not pouring rain non stop at this time of the year!
I love the rain, but I Love summer as well...

Tullula is forever changing, and at 88cm tall and 14kg she is one funny little girl!
She has been singing heaps of lullaby's:

• Ba Ba black sheep.
• Twinkle twinkle little star
• Mary had a little lamb

and after me asking her is she could sing "Frère jacques" and hearing me sing it to her as she could not she can now sing in French:

• Frère Jacques
• Alouette -the chorus-

I realised that I did not know many French lullaby's, thus I have not been singing many to Tullula and she not knowing them was actually normal!
I do have a book with all the French one's, but reality is that I was not brought up in France, around French kids, French school all those places where children learn these songs! Sure my parents could of taught me some, but apart from those two classic ones they really did not sing other to us! I wonder why???

So despite my book with them all in, I don't know the tunes, so I don't sing them!
I also realised that my 5 years being an Au pair were always done in the English language! Even when I was employed by a French family, I was done to talk to them in English, to help them improve their English!
So all the lullaby's I know are also in English, and to be honest with you there too are limited!!!

We have been having dry night's and I even forgot to put her nappy on one night, realising the next day when she asked me to go for a pipi!
So now day time naps are done without the nappy, but there is a towel underneath, we never know!!!

I went with Tullula to my local hardware shop, and she asked me where we were going, I told her we were going to "Bunnings" (name of the shop). Tullula replied that daddy called it Bunnings, what did I call it? I said "Bunnings", so she then said; "papa dit Bunnings, maman dit Bunnings?"; yes that's right Tullula!!!
Realising that we both use the same word...

We have well and definitely entered the "WHAT'S THAT" period. I have pulled out my parenting book out and its been very interesting to know how to deal with all these never ending questions!
I know that Tullula is only looking for words to build her language skills so we keep on feeding the words, I in French and Stephen in English.

I have to write a post soon to talk about how that's going on.
But for now I wish you all a good weekend!