miffys world

A 30 minute Makeover for you!

I have been super busy here in Miffy's World.  The store has undergone a virtual refit and is now full of gorgeous patterns, kits and fabrics for you! I have lots more in the pipeline, including Apron-Nation limited edition kits... stay tuned.  I have also established the Made by Miffy Facebook page.  Now I have always loved to blog - but it is sometimes a big commitment of time and energy - that I just can't seem to find.  Whereas Facebook - well that's a whole different story!  I decided Facebook should use this tagline... Facebook - for lazy bloggers!  Like it Mr Zuckerburg - its yours!  Join the page because that is where I will be doing giveaways regularly too!  Anyway - it is fun to be able to chat to my peeps whilst I am doing the school taxi run - I do love that about Facebook...

Anyway, something I don't know how to do on Facebook is this... offer a free tutorial!!  Drumroll please...  For you, the 30 minute Ironing Board Makeover.  This fun tute shows you how to use gorgeous fabric, twill tape, elastic to create a whole new Ironing Board.  No Pins, No patterns.  It's all in the tute and I just know you are going to love how easy and fast it is! Honestly, it took less than 30 minutes to make. (5 hours to develop the tutorial though!!)  It is my gift to you and it will make a lovely gift too! Join my Facebook Page and show me your results! There are great kits available in the store too - complete with fabric, cotton twill tape and elastic.

  Here is the file for you to download.

The BIG blog break...

We apologise for the transmission breakdown, normal services will resume as soon as possible.

Life got in the way of blogging. A quick update for anyone left who is interested! I am still sewing like crazy - but for classes, pattern development and the fam. I no longer produce a regular Made by Miffy line but from time to time when creativity strikes, I will have items in the store.

I have been spending a lot of time researching Spinal treatments for Darcy. She is doing great - but with a curve that is now over 70 degrees - I really have my work cut out as her Coach, Advocate and chief treatment option researcher.  She continues to confound and amaze all - with her physical achievements and adventures. We did a year of Rock wall climbing - which proved great for self esteem and muscle development.  She has tired of it now and we swim resulting in her winning her 25m freestyle race at school in November! I apologise for gloating but jeepers - it was a huge achievement and she is still reminding me to tell people!  So readers - consider yourself told...

We also did a lot of fundraising work for Montrose Access - who coordinate Darcy's care. Darcy was Ambassador for the Walk with Me event and together with her school buddies raised over $5500 towards Montrose activities.  Thanks to my online and IRL friends and family for their help with this event.  I donated a large Miffy collection to Montrose and the sales assisted that target. There may be some real bargains leftover - so stay tuned for boardies and dresses, etc that I can sell online for further funds for Montrose!

A trip to see Luke and Lachlan in Sydney - at Taronga Park Zoo

Jack continues the extraordinary adventure that is life for a 9 year old boy in Brisbane!  His passion is cricket and maths. He wants to play for Australia and that target is looking in easier reach by the day considering the current performance of the Aussie team! He earned the Academic Award this year for his Grade 4 class too.  

I have rediscovered the wonderful fun of yarn with several crochet and knit projects completed! I have developed a really simple cable cowl pattern that I will post here for Novice Knitters with cold Necks soon!

I did a stint teaching sewing workshops at a local Brisbane store (Threads and More is their name). I had a lovely time meeting and teaching people and have made some new friends into the bargain. However, the store owners still have not paid me my dues (more than $1000 is still owed to me). It was a battle to get any payment from them after 5 months of brisk sales of kits, patterns and classes. To date they not only don't answer my emails and requests for payment, they tell folk who ask both my name and how to contact me, that I do not sell anywhere and they do not provide my name. Ironic that I am happy to tell all their name (Threads and More - don't forget it!!) and they won't divulge mine!  Gypsies and thieves. I know I am not the only one they have treated same. But the world is a small place and karma is coming...

So - crafty news

Finally - a women's drawstring dress!  And loads more new things too...

More soon.  Thanks for hanging in there peeps!

Flyboy Jackie

Jackie got his first balloon flight yesterday.  Darryl flew him. Very exciting.  Darcy of course was well peeved that she missed out!  It has been a great week of flying here. Freezing cold but clear blue skies. And a blog post about flying needs few words - the story being best told in pics... 

Deano - crew chief and excellent kid wrangler waiting, waiting...

Darryl with his concentrating face on.

Jackie helping the crew

There's that face again...

Inflating. Isn't it pretty?

Firing the burners for inflation

It's nice and warm when the burners fire!  Note the hand knit scarf?  I have been having a lovely time knitting.

Jackie and Kel on the crown line

All aboard...


The burners are noisy and hot - so Jack hid under his jacket!






And then another long trip in the back of the troop carrier!  Darcy made sure she ate as many of the packet of jelly snakes as she could - which is only fair when big brother gets to fly...

Around Benalla in 8 Days

Holiday time. And of course what better way to find the blog mojo than a bit of down time with the family.  We are currently in central Victoria - Benalla.  It is the Australian Hot Air Balloon Championships.  Yes - a random and quirky family holiday - but that is de rigeur when you marry a Razzle Dazzle Stuart.  Darryl used to fly, compete, and a whole bunch of ballooning  stuff in his other life. Up til now there has been little flying but the kids are older and dead keen to get up in the clouds it seems. So in sub zero temps we sunny queenslanders are here for the week crewing with Paul Gibbs. The weather is crisp and bracing and we Queenslanders are far too soft. I bought the kids gloves in town and Darc didn't even know how to put them on!  Of course - a holiday around balloons is best blogged about in pics so without further ado....

Saturday night - the town put on a Night Glow and Party. The balloons fire the burners which looks great in the night - and a little warmer too. Darc used the heat to warm up her Dagwood Dog!

Laser swords for sale - very popular with young Ninjas

Darc and Kel. Darc on the burners. New name... Burner Babe. Kinda suits supercool Darc.

Not to be outdone - Jackie had a blast too.

Monday morning. First day of competition. Do they look cold?

Darryl and Paul...

Inflating the envelope.


Dropping a marker at a target

Dirt kicking - there can be some waiting around for the crew between each target.




Landing right next to the road = no carrying baskets across paddocks.  Nice and easy!

Some searching for valuable crystals (quartz) keeps the junior crew occupied for ages...

What a good little soldier - asleep in the back of the spartan troop carrier!  Deano drives it like a rally car so goodness knows how the kids sleep - but they both do.

Thismorning - we are in the groove. No frost icing up the windscreen so it seemed promising. But Lordy - I have never had such cold feet in my life - perhaps I should have before entering my first marriage but that's a whole other story!!

Beautiful sunrise

Inflating the envelope

Maiike's balloon and crew. She's paul's better half and has an all chickie team.

Obviously I was feeling arty this morning and no crafty goodness to play with - so lots of photos...


This is Peter's balloon - Darryl crewed with them thismorning.  Kat his wife flies co-pilot having just breastfed 3 month old Sam.  Very cool chick.  This is the travelling Day Care with head Nanny Steve (also known as crew - in charge.  I asked to book in Jack and Darc in the morning!!)



For one of the tasks pilots needed to fly to this point and drop a marker as close to the target as possible. 

 
Landing by the side of the road

Boys will be boys. City boys don't get to run around in the mud enough.  Heaps of fun.

2 winners

Ellie and Sandrine.  Congrats girls!  World's shortest (and most boring) blog post...

That's How We Roll...

I have a fascination with my D foot - or Rolled Hem Foot. See - I have 3 feet!  (That could be a little Dr Seuss couldn't it?) "It's a marvellous thing to have 3 feet. 3 feet, 3 feet! To count the beat...  Sorry, I digress....

Anyway, my fascination isn't so much with the foot/feet but with doing gorgeous little rolled hems like this.

And if you look in your handy dandy machine manual for some form of guidance as to how this baby works - well you'll be none the wiser.  So as part of my quest to spread some good karma,  I have put together a little tutorial for you.  Once you understand how to use the foot - you must practice to master the foot young Grasshopper.  Wax on wax off... and so it goes for the D foot! 

You can download the Thats_How_We_Roll_Shareware_Tutorial and if you would like to make a doantion to my karma fund raising money for a fantastic organisation helping kids with neuromuscular conditions like my daughter Darcy -then there is a button on the left!  Otherwise you must promise to pass on the good karma you've just received from Miffy's Shareware series as soon as you can OK?

There's a blog party and you're invited!

Sarah Fielke - yes that Sarah of Material Obsession fame has launched a new venture... SEWN.  And to help her celebrate the big June launch - there's a blog party.  Not being one to miss a party - we are joining in!  And it wouldn't be a party without some gifts would it?

In Sarah's words,

The website will have just about everything you can think of that you would want online as a sewer. There are forums, online advice from industry experts, conversion charts, colour wheels, free patterns and class listings.

There will be interviews with all your favourite designers, quilters, patterns makers and authors. There will be tutorials with me and with other sewers from here and overseas, podcasts and coverage from shows and articles about all maner of exciting things.

Best of all, there are great unique gadgets - Fabricmatcher, which is an online tool which lets you match patterns to fabrics and see what your project will look like without sewing a stitch, and Find Fabric, which is the niftiest thing that will find the fabric you are looking for without you having to search for it for hours on the internet. It's so clever it even searches shops in your vacinity first to save you on international postage. How cool is that?

Plus there will be an online buy and sell area called SEWiNg, which is where you can sell the stuff you sew to the people out there who don't sew - and some of the ones who do :)

Sound cool?

So I am giving away the following...

One of these... The Saucy Apron Recipe.  Now available in the Made by Miffy Store, Etsy and at the Retailers in the Left Side bar!

And a kit of pre cut fabrics so you can make one of these... An Apron in an Hour, using super cool Miss America's tutorial.  That would be Jona -  but I think she would kind of like being known to all us Aussies as Miss America!

 To win one of my prizes - just leave a comment here.  And after that - go visit SEWN to check it out.  If it is not live yet - just keep up to date with all the participating blogs here at Sarah's place  We are all doing giveaways so join in and help Sarah celebrate.  She's a super cool chickie!

Winners will be drawn here on June 8! Party Day!

Rave Magazine interview - how exciting!

So Darryl said, "Act cool Louise.  You are in the very cool street press now. That means you have to be cool about it.  They only interview cool people so be cool.  Ok.  Cool. Got it?.."

I got it. YEah right... The cool message coming from someone who dresses like this at Christmas - a mankini - cool?

 

And this...  elves?  (Note to Darryl - elves are cute - not cool)

And who can forget the great Pirate birthday Party ? (Note to Darryl: Johnny Depp is the only cool pirate.)

And what about dressing as a Jamaican Bobsledder?  (You don't look cool just because the other person  looks sillier. Sorry Hugo but you did look ridiculous)

So you can see why I am hesitant to listen to any form of style advice from a man who dresses as such.  Yes, granted,  I did buy most of these outfits.  But funny is kinda cool.  Wearing them - well that is a whole other statement about our marriage isn't it?!

So - Darryl - sorry, but I am not listening. I am really, really excited!  This is SUPERCOOOOL and a little hilarious - and we know how much I love something random and hilarious.

Here is the big interview in Rave.  Rave is a very cool street magazine.  Hard copy and web edition.  It lists all the Brisbane gigs and indie street music - plus other style info (that would be where my interview is located because I don't need to tell you about how bad my singing and air drumming is...) If you do go and have a peek at the download version of the mag - note the advert underneath my half page interview (yep - HALF PAGE!!!!) - about STIs - sexually transmitted infections (2 points to note here - back in my day they were called STDs - the 'd' being diseases - so a little infection has to be less dangerous than the dangers we faced back in the 80s!!....  AND secondly,  I have to admit - I haven't written about sexually transmitted diseases since Grade 9 Heath classes - about 3000 years ago) 

And regarding my rockstar references to my ticketed tickets just like Pink (who by the way - only got a teensy, weensy, tiny little paragraph in Rave...)  I am definitely feeling some super rockstar cred at the moment.

You are so wrong Darryl - it is cool to be really, really excited! And it is ok to tell all your suburban school mum mates about it. I am just not cool enough to know people who have half a clue about Rave Magazine (and for that matter STIs)...

Introducing Made By Miffy Shareware! Its just good karma...

Yes - in between puking, complaining and a reasonable amount of self-pity, I have been busy.  And it is a gift - for everyone!  I created this sweet little skirt...

and here is another...

It is the Miffy Twirly Whirly Apron Skirty.  Sizes 1 - 6.  And I have written it as the first of the Made by Miffy Shareware series.  So, it is here for you to make for your own little one or make them to sell!  And if you sell them - I wish you lots of success! I want to see my shareware series as a deposit in my karma bank.  And with that spirit in mind if you would like to pass on the karma, I am suggesting a $1 donation to Montrose  where Darcy receives her therapies.  (Last year - Darc and I were interviewed and appeared in their corporate video) But if you can't - that is fine too - these are tough times. Just try to pass on some goodness to someone else in your own way soon.  Cool huh?

One thing though, I do want to see everyone's creations - so I set up the Miffys Twirly Whirly Apron Skirty group on Flickr for you to upload your photos for everyone to see.  It might be a good place to get colour combo inspirations too.

Here it is as a download for you.  This is heaps of fun for me - I hope for you too.  I can't wait to do this again!

EDITED TO ADD:

Timing is everything they say. When reading the Montrose Newsletter today, we discovered that they have partenered with a site so people can set up their own fundraising campaign.  So I set my own up and you can donate to Montrose directly from Miffys World - in the sidebar on the left side.  And we can all see how much I can raise.  Supercool.  So - download and share this with your friends!

Winners, parties, giveaways!

Did you wonder what happened to us?  We have been playing Pukin' virus tag team here.  Not nice.  Enough said.

So - finally to draw the winner of my competition... Sarah! She didn't know if her kitchen could take it and suggested.. "Brace yourself Benchtops" - fitting for this saucy number! So we shall see if it (the kitchen) could and they (the benchtops) did soon enough! Thanks so much to all who commented.  I am in the process of writing personal emails back.  Here is what Sarah wins...

And for wishing me "a lovely day, beautiful champagne, thoughtful gifts and lots of hugs and kisses", a runners up prize to the gorgeous Lily  I must remember that as it is such a lovely birthday wish for friends!

Now whilst I have been feeling poorly and rather sad and sorry for myself, I have been busy.  And here is the deal... I have developed the Twirly Whirly Apron Skirty as the first Made by Miffy - made by you - Shareware!  A free tutorial for this cute skirt - with my good wishes to make them for gifts, make them to sell, make them for fun!  Sizes 1 - 6.  Loaded here by the weekend.

I will post later with some details for you about the tutorial as well as a blog party I am involved in and a new giveaway and a few other goodies.

Meanwhile - why not make yourself a Saucy Apron?  Pattern and kits available in the Made by Miffy Store or my Etsy store