Bowtie, Dickie Bows, neckties.......whatever ya call 'em!

These are definitely a few of my favourite things right now!

So recently I finally made my first dickie bow! 


You know how there are certain things you want to try but just never get round to it..... well, a friend posted on facebook looking for one.  Her super stylish son needed a red spotty one to finish off his outfit for a wedding. 

Now this lad is one seriously funky little boy and I hated to think of him heading out without his accessory of choice so I took the opportunity to finally try a bowtie and help him sort out his outfit!  It worked out grand........ a bit rough around the edges as "firsts" usually are but he fairly ROCKED it judging by the pictures I saw.


I got an opportunity to fine tune my method however as having seen Jacks one my twins decided they loved bowties all of a sudden!

They've always loved accessories - hats and shoes are big items in our house but now it was...
"I want a green bowtie"
"I want a red bowtie"

Since I have nothing to do all day, every day (tongue in cheek, I promise) I went for it and indulged them!  They were thrilled, especially when everyone told them how smart they looked in them.  In fact, a couple of grown men were a little jealous of the red car fabric and the green animal fabric.    There is definitely something fun about bow-ties, even though they are mostly seen with formal tuxes, they someone seem a little less formal than ties and allow your inner child to pop out!


As we had a weekend coming up where they got to dress-up nice and smart each day, it meant that I got a good bit of practice in but it was well worth it as they were nicely turned out and looked darn cute alongside their buddies in Dublin!  I'm not done yet though........ I picked up a few orders from other little boys while we were away so it's back to the sewing machine for me.  Next time the boys meet their friends, they'll have even more in common!



I've just realised that these two are like little Ant & Dec, they always seem to stand to the same side of each other!  I still don't know which is which though.......... Ant and/or Dec, I mean......... I know these two, obviously!

A Quilt for Baby Elsie

Another week, another project!

This past week or so I've been working on another gift quilt.  My husband has worked with the father of this gorgeous baby girl for years.  In fact, they were roomies before he moved to Galway to marry me so you could say they've been around the block together.  They each have a fair few stories about the other that neither wants repeated (again). 

In 2010, we travelled to France for his wedding to the lovely Vicky.  I was 8 weeks pregnant with my twin boys and although I had a wonderful time, my memories are mostly of being sick.... morning, noon and night..........and at least 3 times on the way to the airport!  (One big bonus, to add to the rest, about having twins, is that you get two babies for one pregnancy - whoop whoop, I don't have to do that again). 

Anyway, I've derailed.  The happy couple recently welcomed baby Elsie and we were all very happy to hear that she entered the world as a teeny tiny but healthy little girl!

I asked her auntie what colours mum and dad put on her to get an idea of what they liked.............and then ended up going completely the other direction.  The colours I chose, kind of evolved.  I had lots of the suggested colours in but as I fine-tuned my palette, they were being eliminated one by one!!!  Whoops! 


I kept the design basic because I didn't want Elsie to have grown up before she received it!  I think the hearts can be sweet for a baby, a little girl and even a teen and the background fabrics also, I tried to keep a little timeless.  I didn't want her to outgrow it in a few months if it was too babyish. 

Oooh and see that little white thing on the far right of the back of the quilt?  Those are my new quilt labels....... Elsie's quilt is the first one I got to put them on.  I'm happy to finally have my little labels on my quilts and will put them on any future projects but I'm not very excited about the label itself........it's very black and white, I think I need some colour and a more basic design as the sewing machine is slightly cut off once it's sewn into the binding.  Shame....but you learn as you go and I'm learning by the minute, like a newborn ;) 

And on that note, WELCOME to the world Baby Elsie!