Snailblazer

the contents of my bag.

See if you can spot:
- 2 textas
- mobile phone
- wallet
- work keys
- nappies (I don't normally have those in my bag but I took the pic on Friday just after playgroup)
tampons
- Fifi hat
- kids socks
- school newsletter
- Snailblazer clip
- assorted pieces of paper (usually containing recipes I've printed off at work, notes to myself, ideas etc). Just got my copy of the new Donna Hay mag and there is a funky book for notes so hopefully I won't have all the scrap pieces of paper
- cd from Justine's last swap
- and of course my bag

A great This is... by Sharon and you check out everyone's bag here

After doing a week of Vintage Children's Illustrations I decided I had so many vintage books I would devote a day each week to them and see how far I get, feel free to join me if you would like.

Today's book is called The Sea Urchin by Bruce & June Macpherson. There is no date of publication in this edition. This is the adventures of Jenny and Sue who meet Seymour the Sea Urchin on the beach. I love the dolls posed into positions. There are others in this series. I have one other which I will show another day.

I used to have one of these books when I was young and was excited to find this one at a school fete.

OK this is a sewing blog so I better blog about some sewing. I haven't been doing too much lately although I am working on something that I can't blog yet.

Charlotte is starting soccer this year and Jeff suggested that she needed a bag to carry her boots, ball and shin pads in so I made this using some soccer fabric Adds sent me. Apparently it turned out perfectly as it holds everything and went off to the park yesterday for a kick.

I also made a cape for a birthday Charlotte is going to on Saturday, pink princess on one side and red superhero on the other (I just used her initial here). We are adding a couple of books to it and I will whip up a bag to put it all in.

Today Charlotte had a pupil free day and went to her Nanna and Pop's so I did a quick detour on the way to pick her up (as I wasn't rushing to get to school) and popped into an op shop. It's only a small one and I don't go there very often but today as I was browsing the books I came across not 1 but 2 Debbie Learns to Dance, both in perfect condition. A quick call to Ingrid and I bought them both and one will be on it's way to Ingrid's tomorrow.

This has been a great week of posting (and I can't believe I managed to do everyday) and a big thanks to Pip for starting this. As I mentioned in an earlier post this made me realise how many great vintage children's books I have so I will be posting about them every Thursday.
I have decided to finish the week with one of my favourite childhood books Zozo Goes to Hospital by Margaret and H.A. Rey published in 1967. Some of you may recognise Zozo as Curious George. I am not sure of the background of this but the Rey's published some of the George books as Zozo. I am always on the lookout for more Zozo's but haven't found any yet not even on Ebay.

I'm a little late with this one but I have chosen So Big by Esther Wilkin and illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, this edition is from 1976. Like many others I love Wilkin's illustrations.

Today I have picked a book I only bought yesterday at the op shop, another $1 bargain. It is On Christmas Eve by Margaret Wise Brown (from many golden books) and illustrated by Beni Montresor. It was first published in 1963. Interestingly the text was written in 1938 by Roberta Rauch who was apparently her sister and who illustrated some of her early work.


Finally a big yipee to me as I finally finished stitching my Brown Owl name and I must say I really enjoyed doing and I think I am now addicted to hand stitching. It's not the best but I am very pleased with my first effort.


It's not the best picture and I should have ironed it first but my excitement over took me (and I couldn't be bothered getting the iron out)

Today I have chosen Never Talk to Strangers by Irma Joyce and illustrated by George Buckett. This is a big golden book my edition is a 1975 edition. This was a book I had when I was young and then I recently found this copy at a vinnies in the Southern Highlands. I not only love the illustrations but also the story, you can't beat lines like "if you see a bee with a bass bassoon" or "a lilac llama who's very sweet.

Today I have chosen another childhood favourite Digit Dick, written by Leslie Rees and illustrated by Hutchings. This is the big book of Digit Dick which contains Digit Dick on the Great Barrier Reef, DD and the Lost Opals, DD in Black Swan Land and DD and the Tasmanian Devil.

Thanks to Pip for letting me into this meme. I am struggling with which books to pick and I haven't even looked at my Golden Book, Dr Suess or Enid Blyton collection yet. I am thinking I might have to dedicate a day each week to vintage illustrations.

The book I have chosen is Poems to Read to Young Australians by Mary Gilmore & Lydia Pender and illustrated by June Gulloch. It is my original copy given to me Christmas 1969 (I was 3, yes I am old!). I loved this book and can't wait for my girls to be as engrossed with it as I was.

I had an exciting afternoon today. I was on my way home from a work meeting and even though I was rushing to pick Charlotte up as I passed the Vinnies at Rozelle there was a parking spot right outside. It seemed to good an opportunity to pass up so I thought a quick 5 min look wouldn't hurt. So straight in to the tablecloths ,sheets etc but nothing good there, then to the crockery again nothing, then a quick dash to the children's books. They were all over the place with books in front of others but I glanced down to the bottom shelf and saw the word Debbie on an older looking hard cover. I pulled it out and lo and behold it was Debbie Learns to Cook by Gilbert Delahaye & Marcel Marlier. What a find it is in pristine condition and was only $1 I couldn't get to the counter quick enough.



Then I got home there was a lovely package from Adds including some lovely Michael Miller fabric, some ric rac, some books and some magnetic snaps she got very cheaply from Textile Traders for me, thanks Adds.

my creation. Probably pretty obvious but these two beauties are my creations.


I still can't believe I created these two wonderful little people (ok Jeff helped a little bit). We are so lucky to have them in our lives. My two girls Charlotte and Lucy.

You can also check out my other creations here

Thanks to Betty the Geek for this week's This Is. You can check out more here

The Remnant Warehouse is having a sale so I popped over there this morning and did some credit card damage (not too much but I won't say in case Jeff reads this!). I got there are 9.15am and should have got there earlier, although there were heaps of people in the shop you could still move around but the queue for paying went the length of the store (anyone who has been there will know the size).

All fabric is at least 25% off and there is a lot of stuff that is 50% off. Here is what I bought.

American Jane 50% off Alexander Henry 2.5m $10


Michael Miller Dots 50% off

Charm pack 25% off Storybook 25% off Katie Jump Rope 50% off

Ingrid I got your guitar fabric and also some denim but if you don't want that I am happy to keep it. I also got some wadding so all in all very happy.

If you are in Sydney and can get down there is is well worth it. The sale is on until next Thursday.

I just finished this bag and it is available here and here

looking out my front door


A pretty boring view and we get the afternoon sun on that side of the house so getting the photo was a challenge. Our front door used to be our garage but we recently added a second storey so now we are dual occupancy and our front door is into what was the old garage. I'm very lucky my mum and brother live downstairs so ready made babysitters.

Thanks to Brooke for this weeks theme. You can pop over here to see them all