April 2nd 2015 - Bit of everything today

April 2nd 2015 - Bit of everything today

Today has been one of those days!  It started off with a trip to docs as 1.I needed medication review and 2. My sore throat and asthma problems of just over a week ago have returned - im now on antibiotics, which doc said I should have had with the steroids a week ago.

From here me and lil man hit the shoe shop in the hope of getting him new school shoes, Bran**** had 2 pairs in sons size, 1 of which he couldn't get the velcro to do up and the other pair the stitching was ripping on it, so we left them.  I was going to go down to shoe zone but was feeling dizzy so we bused home.

Then this afternoon I got the sewing machine out (not used one since school and then I got kicked out on week 2!)  My eldest son has recently been doing textiles at school so said he would be able to help me.  Well he took 1 look at my little machine and asked what it was - nothing like the big ones they use at school!  Oh well its me on me own then.  As I have less than 2 weeks to get middle sons clown top made!

So I had to work out which way the pins went in the material, good job I checked as I had them pinned the wrong way, I had them how I would sew by hand.  I then had a play on a piece of material and seemed to go ok, so I put sons Clown tops (2 tops cut in half) under the foot and set off.

 Well I managed to sew the front and back together without too many problems, it got stuck trying to go through the collars and the bottom hems as they quite thick, and in a few places I ended up with some gaps where it didnt seem to pick up the thread:

I have gone over the gaps by hand, as have no idea why it has done it or the best way to sort it with the machine.  Had I noticed when stitching I could have gone back over it, but it wasn't until the end I noticed it.  But overall it has worked, I have managed to sew the 2 tops together, not sure if it will be strong enough and withstand daily wear but it will do for the clown party.

March 13th 2015 - Red Nose Day

March 13th 2015 - Red Nose Day

Today is Friday 13th!  The second of these this year.  Some people are very suspicious about this day and believe it to be bad luck - I don't!  Bad luck can happen any day of the week/month/year not just a set day.  Today is also Red Nose Day.

My eldest sons school was just non-uniform and pay £1, but the younger two (infants and juniors) had to wear something red and pay £1, they also bought noses for £1 earlier in the week - they both got the diver.

This red clothes wasn't an easy task - I have boys they don't tend to wear red clothes!!!  Well lil man said he would wear his red England top and trackies ok thats him sorted.  Middle son hadn't got anything in his wardrobe neither had the eldest.  So I raided the boxes on top of the wardrobe of clothes that are too big or summery etc, I found a red vest top and shorts (bit too cold for these) and a red top that middle son got for taking part in some event the school organised last year - that will do him.  I did think of removing the xmas decorations that I stitched to a red jumper but thought I would only have to re-do them for xmas so didn't bother.

Lil man managed to rip his red nose in half before breakfast so he didn't actually have it for school, nor for his friends birthday party this evening which is circus themed and he is going as a clown.  He has his blue onesie that has green and blue stars on it, and the wig  I made for him to go with it.  I will add a pic of him before he goes to the party.

March 3rd 2015 - Making a clown wig

March 3rd 2015 - Making a clown wig

Yesterday lil man came home from school with a party invite for one of the lil girls in his class next friday.  The theme is circus and fancy dress is optional - well in my house that means "mum i'm dressing up what are you making me?"

Lil man said he wants to go as a clown and he will wear his blue onesie with green and blue stars on it, but he also needs a hat/wig/coloured hair.  Well i'm not dying a 5yr olds hair as it would be my luck it wouldn't wash out and he would be going to school like it the following week.

So I started looking on pinterest and found this wool wig, which gave me the idea to make him something similar but in the same way I made the lion the other year.  The lion was made with a yellow hat and strands of brown/cream wool, which I attached in a latch hook rug type of way.

This morning I hit £1 shop and bought the following things:

4 balls of wool and a green wooly hat.

That was the easy part.  I have cut a load of short strands that will go around the front of the hat and  a load of longer ones for the sides and back.

I will add more pics as I progress with it.

EDIT

The wig so far:

 

So glad I have over a week to get this done as my finger is getting sore from threding the needle.  I cant do it as latch hook as I can't find the  metal hook and the plastic loom ones are too big to get through the wool.  The wig above has 1 full row of wool and a part row of the 2nd. 

Still no where near finished but lil man wanted to try it on, and is really pleased with it.  will add more rows tomorrow, so glad I  have over a week as 2.5 rows done and my finger is killing me from threading needle.

 This is it almost finished, it took me over a week to do it.

Finally finished the wig, it took ages, but lil man is so pleased with it, and I think it looks really good.  Knowing what I know now, I would have done 1 piece of wool per 2 "rows of knitted hat" not 1 in every row as it would have used less wool and taken less time to do.  But we learn from trying.

February 6th 2015 - Clowning around

February 6th 2015 - clowning around

Near Easter as part of my St John Ambulance Badgers Entertainment badge we are having a circus evening.  The plan was that the kids all dress in bright coloured/baggy/spotty/striped clothes as clowns, and had their faces painted and I was going to make them all a clown wig and I was going to go as the ring master (as i'm the leader in charge).  Well this won't be happening fully as 1 of the children doesn't like clowns, but has said as long as no-1 is completely covered with face paint and a wig etc she will be fine, she said as long as she can see its us even with just a red nose she can manage.

Well I started to look for a ringmasters out and top hat, I found a jacket in my size on ebay and have been watching it but it has gone up to a silly price and still has 4days to go.  I also looked at making a top hat rather than buying one, but in order to cover it with felt it worked out more expensive than buying one - £3.99 to buy one and £4.50 for the felt. 

So I thought I would make myself a clown outfit (today's pin) like the one on pinterest - very easy and cheap to do.  I had to go into town for a few bits and was on the hunt for animal print fabric as cheap as possible for another SJA event later in the year.  I didn't  find any cheap animal print fabric but I did find a blue with multi-spots onesie in the charity shop.  I had seen it last week and left it as I was going as ring  master.  But as I said to hubby the fact the ring master outfit was selling for a lot and this onesie was still in the shop it was fate I was meant to go as a clown!  Hubby reckons it means that everyone else in our town has sense and wont be see in it! LOL!

The onesie:

I think I will pass a bright clown!  However, I have a suspicion that the  night I need to go as a clown will fall on a night that I need to stay to the adult section of SJA for training or a unit social evening down the pub - but that's fine with me, I think the adults will be embarressed by what i'm wearing more than I will!!!

The evening will be a fun one for the children, where we will be trying out an assortment of circus skills.  I have plastic eggs and spoons (from my children's summer bag of outdoor toys), we have a plate spinning set, soft balls to juggle with, there is a set of plastic stilts they can walk on, try and balance a ball on their finger, I plan to make a set of weights from balloons with rice in them attached to a pole, walk the plank (from pirate party last year) and i'm getting some modelling balloons so we can try and make balloon animals - I know how to do a snake and an earthworm (inflate balloon and tie! lol!) but hubby said no!