But I want to catch you all up on the exciting things that have happened in the last 10 months!
As you know I was working on a wardrobe for the Art Deco Weekender in Napier in February of this year. I got a lot of things made, but it was touch and go whether I would actually be able to get on the plane. I went, even though I wasn't feeling all that great, and I made the most of it.
Why yes of course I purchased duty free french champagne on my way there!
Here is an outfit I made for our fancy night out - a lace evening dress lined in nude chiffon.
By far my most successful outfit (and the one I worked hardest creating) was my beach pajamas. I wanted to recreate ones I had seen in an old photo from the 1930s. This is the photo:
I loved the outfit on the left the most
So I went about making the closest thing I could to that outfit, and honestly, I think I did awesomely!
I made it in colours to compliment the amazing 1920s hat I found.
And here we all are on our last night in Napier. It really was a fun event and I would definitely go again - especially since I have outfits half made that I didn't get to wear!
Just before this event, we moved house. Moving is stressful at the best of times, but when you have bipolar, it has the potential to be an absolute disaster. I got a lot of help from my parents, and from Steve's parents, and for a few days either side of the move, I went and stayed with a friend. I then had help from Mum unpacking.
I love our new house - it is amazing, but there is no room for a sewing room. Luckily, we had a plan. More on that later.
In April, a new fluffy bundle came to join my family.
I love our new house - it is amazing, but there is no room for a sewing room. Luckily, we had a plan. More on that later.
In April, a new fluffy bundle came to join my family.
Meet Dita von Schauzer! Here are a couple of photos I took as I travelled home after picking her up from the breeder. She came from a cattle property just outside of Mendooran in New South Wales, which is a bit over 3 hours from where I live.
I will be honest - Stella wasn't much of a fan when Dita arrived. Especially because Dita needed fairly constant attention from me. But I made a concerted effort to spend quality time with Stella too, and in a couple of weeks she came around, and they are great friends now and play constantly.
Miss Dita is a rambunctious and inquisitive little character and often gets into trouble for doing things she shouldn't. For example, yesterday she managed to find a small sachet of rat bait in my Dad's garage (where she shouldn't have been). Luckily, Stella (who is a dibber-dobber) barked loudly for my Mum to come (its true, she's done this to me too) and Dita was caught before too much of the rat bait could be consumed.
So today they both ended up at the vets having blood tests to make sure they were going to be ok. This is just the current adventure that has seen her end up at the vets. But I wouldn't swap her for all the tea in China, she is a wonderful little character, and I look forward to seeing her grow up.
Right, now back to my sewing room.
Luckily, the house we moved in to is just around the corner (like 100 metres away) from a holiday accommodation property that Steve and I own. The property has two buildings on it - at the back is the lovely two bedroom house, and at the front is the garage with a little flat on top. My husband runs his business from the flat upstairs, and the garage was given to me to have as a sewing room... with one condition - it must be able to be turned back into a garage if we ever sell the place. So therefore no carpet, and no removal of the garage door. I was, however, allowed to have air conditioning (thank goodness!)
After we moved all my sewing room stuff (and some other stuff) was left in the garage for me to deal with.
And it has taken me from February until two weeks ago to get the space finished.
First of all a lovely builder friend of my Dad's cut a hole in the bricks and put a door in so I had my own entrance, and some natural light
Then I painted the bricks and the back plasterboard wall. And with so much stuff in the garage this wasn't straight forward. I had to move everything to one side, paint the vacant side, and then move everything to the painted side and paint that.
Then I moved everything on to the driveway so I could sweep and vacuum the years of dust and dead bugs and leaves and yuck off the cement floor.
Then I put the rugs down, and put the furniture in approximately the places I thought it would go.
And then I started unpacking - which took forever - and bought more shelving from Ikea, and organised Dad to create a bench tops for the draw units (on the right), and help me hang the curtains I made to hide the ugly cupboards and the garage door, and pick up furniture from here and there, and blah blah blah.
But somehow it got finished. And it is wonderful! I am so proud of this space, and so thankful to have it. It may have taken almost 6 months, but it was worth it.
I will be honest - Stella wasn't much of a fan when Dita arrived. Especially because Dita needed fairly constant attention from me. But I made a concerted effort to spend quality time with Stella too, and in a couple of weeks she came around, and they are great friends now and play constantly.
Miss Dita is a rambunctious and inquisitive little character and often gets into trouble for doing things she shouldn't. For example, yesterday she managed to find a small sachet of rat bait in my Dad's garage (where she shouldn't have been). Luckily, Stella (who is a dibber-dobber) barked loudly for my Mum to come (its true, she's done this to me too) and Dita was caught before too much of the rat bait could be consumed.
I love the look on Dita's face "I know we all know I'm the devil, but I'm cute so its ok, isn't it"
So today they both ended up at the vets having blood tests to make sure they were going to be ok. This is just the current adventure that has seen her end up at the vets. But I wouldn't swap her for all the tea in China, she is a wonderful little character, and I look forward to seeing her grow up.
Right, now back to my sewing room.
Luckily, the house we moved in to is just around the corner (like 100 metres away) from a holiday accommodation property that Steve and I own. The property has two buildings on it - at the back is the lovely two bedroom house, and at the front is the garage with a little flat on top. My husband runs his business from the flat upstairs, and the garage was given to me to have as a sewing room... with one condition - it must be able to be turned back into a garage if we ever sell the place. So therefore no carpet, and no removal of the garage door. I was, however, allowed to have air conditioning (thank goodness!)
After we moved all my sewing room stuff (and some other stuff) was left in the garage for me to deal with.
I'm sure you can see how daunting this is
And it has taken me from February until two weeks ago to get the space finished.
First of all a lovely builder friend of my Dad's cut a hole in the bricks and put a door in so I had my own entrance, and some natural light
I could not believe how much difference this door actually made in regards to the amount of light in the space. Amazing. Thanks Laurie!
Then I painted the bricks and the back plasterboard wall. And with so much stuff in the garage this wasn't straight forward. I had to move everything to one side, paint the vacant side, and then move everything to the painted side and paint that.
Look! Normal Beccie!!!
And of course, I painted it lilac.
Then I moved everything on to the driveway so I could sweep and vacuum the years of dust and dead bugs and leaves and yuck off the cement floor.
At this point, a lady and a man rode past on their push bikes and said "Ooh - garage sale" (yard sale). I called out "Ahh - No!"
Then I put the rugs down, and put the furniture in approximately the places I thought it would go.
And then I started unpacking - which took forever - and bought more shelving from Ikea, and organised Dad to create a bench tops for the draw units (on the right), and help me hang the curtains I made to hide the ugly cupboards and the garage door, and pick up furniture from here and there, and blah blah blah.
But somehow it got finished. And it is wonderful! I am so proud of this space, and so thankful to have it. It may have taken almost 6 months, but it was worth it.
The plastic tubs on the right hand side are no longer there - it was my trouble corner, but I fixed it. And note the very large curtain (actually 4 curtains) that hide the garage door.
My desk and kitsch shelves
The girls also come down to my sewing room with me, and they have bean bags to sleep in.
My sitting area, where I can sit and hand sew (or unpick) or have people visit for tea. I have since purchased a new/old lounge suite which is exactly the same as these chairs, but with different upholstery (see couch photo below)
As much as I was happy with the chartreuse chairs, I really wanted a matching lounge, so I chased down a three-piece set and found this one - the blue fabric is VERY pretty. Stella approves and now sleeps on the lounge rather than the bean bag.
My sewing shelves! And a better view of trouble corner, which was fixed by.....
...buying an amazing art nouveau style edwardian wardrobe! I have named it Narnia (for obvious reasons)
My front door! And another huge curtain hiding the back of some very ugly metal cabinets.
Thank you for hanging around and waiting so long for me to get my act together. I hope to get back to blogging now - but not regularly - it will have to be in a more haphazard fashion, but at least I will still be here.
So, what have you all been up to in the last 10 months?
Beccie
xxx
