One is Fun

Don' t take a photo, I'm eating

It is such a truism to say 'they grow up so quickly', but I am finding it completely mind blowing that my smallest baby is now one years old! He enjoyed his family tea party, complete with delicious home made cake. What he didn't know was that it was a Christmas cake I made, then we did not eat, so I added his name onto it and Bob's your uncle! Instant Birthday. As he loves fruit cake it did not seem unfair. We could have given him a wrapped rock and he would have had a good time, as long as he got to fool about with balloons.

Busy little fingers

Here at Dolly Towers I have been fiendishly slaving away at my sewing machine, getting the orders book clear and doing some Christmas makering. 

My most favouritist commission ever is finished and dispatched. I hope the eventual recipients love it as much as I do. It was bunting for triplet! baby! girls! They had such adorable names and I hope that now they are out of hospital their *poor* *lucky* parents can have the joy of them. But I got to play with some really lovely Riley Blake fabrics and make them something that I hope they will enjoy for many years.

Meanwhile my own children are growing like happy weeds here in the Hampshire mud. The baby who hardly seems to have been here longer than an eyeblink took his FIRST STEPS this week. His physical precocity is both marvellous and terrifying. I have needed cupboard locks like never before. His idea of fun is: crawl into deserted room, locate smashable thing, smash it. Strewth! My hoarded preserving jars, sob sob. That combined with a 2 3/4 year old who (this week alone) has actually sneaked off to eat: Sudocreme, lip balm, toothpaste, 500g contraband stolen chocolate log, as well as her normal food. I mean, does this sound like they are roaming unsupervised and feral? Well I watch them like a hawk! I'm (have been accused of being) the archetypal Helicopter Mum. Except that when there's 3 to hawkeye that is one tiiiiirrred helicopter.

So there's a few Christmas productions, craft fairs, parties, bake sales, work do's and all that malarky blocking up my sanity time this month! Gotta love this time of year. Onwards and upwards........ Next stop Swanmore Craft and Gift Fair on 8th December

Blog Neglect - and some Vintage Pattern Love

Yes, I am guilty. I have realised with a shock that it has been months since my last outside broadcast. Of course, I am still a bit on the old FaceBook but shame, shock, chagrin, I have hardly touched this blog. So apologies if you have been checking in, although I don't really know if anyone has...............

Tonight is Halloween, but I will ignore that for now (it's not a big event around here. If I get one Trick or Treater straggling up the lane they will deserve a mug of cocoa and a blanket as much as some sweets).

I am mainly here on Tinterweb to show off my latest aquisition in the Vintage Pattern stakes, this amazing girls smocked party dress. If I can get off my petooty and finish all the MBD Christmas orders in advance I will try and make one but it will have to be a gift to someone with a teeny girl - the patterns in Size 1 only and both my girls are too long and tall for this style. The 6 yr old looks like a standard lamp these days, in a frilly skirt. Luckily Baby T has several under 1 yr girlbabyfriends so......

I like the pink gingham version with the bigger bow at the back - that's a tongue twister - but these are all really short hey. Very full skirts too - need some matching knickers I reckon - cute!

I done a wee!

How puerile she is, I hear you think, reading my blog post title. But believe me I have heard this phrase too many times over the last week!! Hurray, that wonderful stage - most neccessary yet distressing - of potty training has returned to our house. On the plus side, having a child who has already mastered independant toileting seems to help, both as an exemplar, an extra cheerleader, and indeed as the guineas pig of techniques. 

This time around I have gone for the tried and tested Boot Camp method (see Mumsnet)  even at naptime - squeee - but cross fingers so far, after a week, there was only one terrible terrible day of all accidents, and we even managed two family days out without much incident, so half-term wasn't completely ruined for everyone. 

I managed to make myself excited about the whole process by buying a posh potty. SO sad, but as I have only just got the hall looking nice I thought I would get one that kind of looked cool as well as doing it's job. Besides, as there's only 2 years between this one and the youngest I will probably have the potty out for a good few years yet. Here is a picture, please bask in the glory that is the Hoppop Donut in Lime (sounds more delicious than a potty should!). I hasten to add that although 'designer' it actually has a really practical lift-out inner cup, which is deeper than our other potty and it's easy to clean. To my relief, I love it!

Busy doing nothing

There's not much been going on lately although I don't feel that way! How blissfully a baby sleeps through the sisterly chaos happening around him. I may be up and dressed by 8am every morning but! I need a maid, and a laundry woman, and a cook. Three is hard work! Still, half term over in a few days!

New Baby Alert!!

Help. Me. 

There probably won't be a huge amount going on here for a while - this chap has arrived and apart from looking dubious about my choice of outfits for him, he is really using up all my spare time with his need for LOTS of cuddles. Hmmm, maybe the need for cuddling is a bit two-sided. Anyway. That's how it is. My house is a big ball of cuddles. And laundry. Oh, the laundry. ... ..

Knitting projects on the go

Now the winter has started I have been enjoying getting my knitting out again - it always goes on the back burner, like everything else, when the weather is fine. Also, knowing there is a baby on the way helps me get around to finishing things! I have recently finished a pair of boot socks that have been knocking around the knitting basket for ages, and am halfway through a nice cosy hat for myself. If I like the way the hat turns out I will knock out a few more for Christmas presents. 

My most cherished current knitting proj is a baby jumper from the BBC Knitting Fashion book (c1975!), hopefully for my own forthcoming winter baby. I wanted a fairisle look, but without the work, so I went for this self patterning wool. I have managed to finish the back and it's turning out really nicely so far, what do you think? Here's a picture too from the original pattern which shows the neckline. I'm making mine in a slightly samller size hopefully 0-6m. My last two babies were big ones, so no point making teensy jumpers! 

Knitting for baby, 1940's stylie

I am still poring over the ancient knitting book my gran gave me months ago - this time as I KNOW I need to make some baby clothes ready for January (ah bliss) I have a real reason and focus. Also, who can resist a book with illustrations to the patterns as above?

So, besides making my 1960's maternity dress (more to follow on that later in the week I think) I am now planning a few adorable baby cardigans. If one believes ones own eyes and the (somewhat dim) scan provided by the NHS I should chose some blue snuggly wool. I think I will start with this lovely thing: 

Vintage Cross Stitch Ideas

This is such a sweet little set, from my very old (1940's?) french embroidery booklet. I would love to lavish time and attention on my children's clothes in this way. I am having a bit of a vintage baby clothes moment (see post last week) but not enough to actually sit down and make any. Besides my embroidery is not so neat.......... Still. the dress is a simple sort of summer affair and you could probably achive the right look with some braid. I am thinking about this section of my stash, combined with next summer, combined with some white cotton fabric:

Video proof that I need a table!

Jolly fabric and (nearly) FOs

It's such a grey day today I thought that I would brighten it up with a sneaky peek at some of the gloriously garish items that I am working on. Cute toadstools fabric, n'est-ce pas? When I was in Truro last month I bought a jelly roll just because, and have finally begun to turn it into a project. I am making a 0-3m size padded jacket in the first instance but there's enough for a few. A cute winter treat for someone? It will probably go onto my shop as my own baby is ballooning, and well supplied for coats.

The giant A is not really quite so huge in real life! It's part of the cheery personalised bunting I am making to add to the nursery, as there are a few large expanses of wall that need jollity. That cake is making me feel hungry...................

Cheep Cheep

Here is the latest item for my shop, another applique bib of chicken birds. They are so cute I don't really want any baby sick on them, but I have to accept that that will happen!

Sisters, Sisters, Never Were There.............

One of the things that I love most about being a two child family is the complicity that has immediately sprouted up between sisters. They are always looking to each other for laughs and cuddles. After taking these particularly adorable photos of them, I will treasure them and make sure to remind them, in years to come, when they are arguing hammer and tongs, of how much they love each other.

Little birdies and a Flickr Group!

Another day another 5am start! It's alright for babies they can go back to sleep again whenever they want. Grr.

As I am up now I will tell you all about a few things I have been up to this week. First up, new item listed on Folksy, an applique bib which is the first in a series of Chicken Coop Bibs that I am making using some cute chickenwire pattern background fabric. Added a waterproof layer inside to make it all the more practical. I have been producing quite a few bibs lately but most of them are going straight onto the baby!

Also I have created a Flickr group to view by Made by Dolly Folky items, other makes, and hopefully in the not too distant future other people will post photos of stuff they have made from my Folksy Tutorials etc (when I have done some!!!!)

On the home front what I have mostly been doing is making 40 gingerbread biscuits for the toddler group party, which was a bit of a mammoth effort. They were put out as an activity with icing and sweets to decorate them with. Unsurprisingly, this table was very popular and the biscuits and sweets disappeared in the twinkling of an eye!

Weekend OVER

Sitting here writing this from an unusual perspective - but I am so glad the weekend is over! Nothing like being stuck in the house with two children, no car, middle of nowhere to just tip you over the edge............ Most of the time I love it, but for some reason this weekend I just couldn't handle it. Perhaps because I knew the other half was at a party! Them days are over sweet lady.

I am just moaning now though as I did have guests over on Saturday who kindly played with the children and were very relaxed/relaxing. Thanks guys!

Amusing BLW photo of the week has to be this lovely attempt to eat melon. It was so ripe and squishy, it seemed like the perfect food for a bit of one-tooth-and-a-determined-gum action. Added here the before and after shots of the melon slice, for those non-believers who think no way can a 6 month old baby enjoy melon.

A farewell we're not sorry about

Just relaxing at home after our regular visit to the Hospital, trying to take in the latest news, which is GOOD! After another two weeks of night-time wearing Littlest D can finally take her pavlik harness off for ever. Her hip is better! And this also means that we are spared traipsing into the hot, screamy baby clinic every week. Wow. I can't quite take it in, feel so relieved.

Bunnies! and Funnies

Got more than a few thoughts to catch up on at the moment. Just when I was getting organised I was struck down by a tummy bug BAH HUMBUG. But I am better now and have got a bit of time so here's all my nuggets (har har) from the past week.

First merely another spotting. On the lawn this week, we have mostly been watching...bunnies! The most gloriously cute baby bunny has been nibbling the grass outside our window and melting our hearts. Daughter's love of rabbits was in full flow until she realised that they were the ones eating her seedlings and probably the strawberries too. Now she says crossly 'Stupid Nibblers'.

On the subject of nibblers, we have been continuing to try weaning the baby, who resolutely refuses to eat any finger food, but can successfully negotiate a spoon into her mouth. So here is the latest snap of her trying the technique known to the BLW fraternity as 'The Loaded Spoon'. I am obviously not managing to do this whole self-feeding thing properly as it's meant to be a non-pureeing adventure, but at least she is enjoying herself. Her skin will be lovely too after all that porridge smeared on it!

'But what..' I hear you enquire, 'of the sewing?'. I gave myself a blister cutting out fabric on Saturday and have now purchased a large amount of fibrefill, so now I have recovered from my lurgie you should see some more activity on this front. Promise. As long as I don't get side tracked.... and I have to finish sewing sequins onto some tabards for the Pre-School Carnival Float first.

How about this? Weeks Target: Finish at least 1 thing, put it on Folksy.

More bib photos and a 'happy' pea face

Still onwards with the prototypes phase of my production and this time a simple bib shape that I am trialling. It has one fastening on the shoulder. The one in the picture has the worst ever buttonhole finishing! Also a terribly dodgy bit of stitching at the shoulder seam but let that be a lesson to me. But on the positives I like the shape, it is not as all enveloping but still covers down the front well enough, and looks a bit quirky opening where it does.


My bib tester and general cutester has been trialling a number of new foods this week. BLW has met with reticence on all fronts apart from mine, but she seems to love spoon feeding?!? Latest success was pea and pear mixture but you wouldn't know it from the face.

Busy Busy Busy

Was delighted all this week by the post! My internet fabric buying spree has borne fruit of the most delicious kind and I have a million and one projects to do now. I have taken a picture of a selection of my favourite, check out the Retro Rocket Rascals.



Prototypes of things to sell continue to be produced, in rather a bodgy way I have to say as I am trying out a few things and have been a bit lazy about my prep and finishing. So I know that these baby bibs are crumpled and wonky but lets call them a work in progress. OK? Also there you see T the Test Dummy Dino who is destined for hard washing to see what happens. Ulp!


My latest creation.... the Apron Bib, which I designed to look like a tiny apron, with a crumb catching pocket, and ties at the back as well as fasteners at the shoulders. This one will do for the baby but I think I need to work on it a bit more before it's acceptable. Perhaps I should just be less impatient....

A Weaning Adventure

Despite vascillating somewhat between pureeing the baby's food (traditional approach) and giving whole foods (baby led weaning approach) I have been looking online for some support. Very excited really about the little scrap's first forays into feeding. Her attempts on a banana earlier today were very heart warming albeit messy. She is seeming to love sitting in the high chair when we are eating dinner - at last! She can see what we are doing at table, and follows everyone's movements with a distinctly gleaming eye, making little chewing faces! Will try her with some carrot batons tomorrow during our sunday BBQ and see how we get on.