Freelance Book Designer

Foxy and the snag*

One sunday morning a month or so ago, I was marched out of the house for moaning about lack of time to myself (always being responsible for the baby, even if I am doing something for myself like shopping). After a few tears from me SNH told me to pack up my things and go do something by myself, he’ll look after the bub. At a complete loss of what to do, I headed in to Newtown and sat down to a luxurious lunch at Sushi Train. Luxurious because I wasn’t furiously stuffing food in my mouth, while simultaneously entertaining a baby on my lap and trying to get out of the restaurant as quickly as possible before said baby cracks the shits.

I then ate cakes from Black Star patisserie. Determined to purchase something for myself, I slowly browsed through every book shop on King St. Stopping to squee and text SNH when I found my book in Better Read Than Dead (very exciting!). But I soon became frustrated as every book I pulled off the shelves was for the bub. I seem to never really buy myself anything anymore, it’s always baby related. In a huff I got into my car and drove to Gleebooks in Dulwich Hill, hoping they would still have an interior decorating book in store I had seen months ago (they didn’t and I can’t remember the name to even order, poo!). But instead came away with two craft books for toy making! The first a book for knitting toys, KnitWit and the second a book for sewing toys, Hop Skip Jump by a lovely Australian blogger.

Yes, another purchase that would ultimately result in stuff for the baby but in the process I would have fun, feel crafty and get creative again. Exactly what I needed to brush off the baby-fog. So far I have sewn two of the toys and loved making them! They are very simple, yet beautifully designed so the final product looks quirky and lovely. The fantastic Mr Fox toy took a few evening to put together, with a lot of parts and fiddly pattern to cut out (I used left over curtain and quilt material to make him) and the sausage dog, Doris, was easily whipped up in less than a day.

They will live on baby’s bed, while not in use, for now until he is a little older and then I am sure they will get coated in a lovely layer of spittle from an appreciative bub.

Mr Fox and Doris are sitting on the quilt I made baby while I was pregnant. I will write a post about it another day, but it was my first quilt and a bit tricky and I finished it the day I went in to labour (talk about timing!).

Check out that ice cream cone night light! My fabulous sisters-in-law got it for bub for Xmas. Bless them, I must ask for some weird stuff and they take it all in their stride ‘Yes Astred, we’ll get your baby a 2 foot ice cream light for xmas…’

 

*Or alternative titles: ‘Toys, toys,toys (I’m looking for a good time)’, or ‘getting stuffed’