The Slow Blanket Project

Hello?
Wow- you're still here. So lovely to see you.

As you may know, the MoederKip business had to be put to one side.  Not enough time, and all that jazz.

I've been reluctant to let go of the blog, as I really am rather fond of this little corner of the interwebz. However I've not been able to find my voice here.

Maybe it will come back one day. Who knows.

But in the meantime I've made a new space. A fresh start. Somewhere where I feel the creative energy, and I'm inspired.

So if you'd like to pop by, I've got the kettle on, and I'd love to reconnect.

It's called " The Slow Blanket Project", and you can find the blog here, and the Facebook page here.

Hope to see you soon. xx

PS - there are alpacas there. Oh the cute!

{MoederMail}

Time to head to the post office - lots of goodies heading out to new homes this week!

Which reminds me, I have a story to tell about one of the items above. Might save that for a rainy day.

If you think one of these has your name on it, keep an eye out for some MoederMail this week!

And the winner is...

Well, the time has come to announce the winner of our little giveaway.

So many awesome traditions, it was seriously difficult to pick a winner - so I may have picked more than one!

There were stories of PJs, chocolate in the mail, candy eggs, family cuddles, scented soap, knitted bags, lots of baking, and cold showers.

After much deliberation though, I have decided to award the prize of a custom piece of clothing to Siobhan, for her sweet and simple tradition that came from both necessity and love.

Siobhan said...

This is not specifically a holiday tradition, but as it is to do with eggs, it seems relevant!

I grew up in a tiny household, just me and my mum. She was disabled for most of my childhood, after a car accident, so sometimes things were stretched: money, energy, time, food. But whenever she made me a boiled egg for breakfast, she would take a biro and draw a beautiful happy silly cartoony face on the egg, complete with hair on top. She never failed to draw that face, and I wouldn't have wanted to eat an egg without it. It was a nice reminder that mum was still Mum, still taking care of me and taking the time to do something frivolous, just to make me smile.

I now draw a face on my daughter's boiled egg every time (and my own!). It doesn't mean much more to her than a little giggle, but it gives me that same sense of security and happiness to do it for her as it did to receive a boiled egghead when I was little.

Now I come to think about it, it's a bit gross to give personality to something you're about to chop the top off, but I'm still going to keep doing it! :D

Siobhan - I can't wait to work with you on designing your very own MoederKip creation!

But wait, there's more.

I also loved the sweet whimsy of Shawn's entry.

Shawn said...

My fondest memory of Easter was eating my chocolate in bed next to my Dad <3
But this year I also started a new tradition. Planting Magic Jelly Beans in the garden. This morning my son found lolly pops growing where we planted them yesterday! He was also super excited about the chocolate flavoured paw prints the Easter Bunny left just near the door :) Magical!

Shawn - I'll be sending you this Surf's Up bunting for your son's room. Hope he loves it!

And finally, for all who took the time to share their stories. Each and every one made me smile.  So Danelle, Deb, Helen, Tanya, Lisa, Kylie,  Dani, and Mary - I'll be sending you your choice of a Robot Bookmark or pair of hair clippies as a little thank you (hair clips can be done in other fabrics - just let me know what type of style / colours you like).

Thanks again everyone - if you'd like to email your postal address to info@moederkip.com.au, and we'll sort out the prizes.

Snuggle Up - PJ Pattern Review and a GiveAway

For many families in Australia, it is a tradition to give children new winter pyjamas at Easter. And given the chilly Victorian temperatures that are on the horizon, it's been a perfect excuse to get out the flannelette and sew up some snuggly JimJams for Bradley.

So if you're in the mood for a little sewing this Easter holiday, I thought I'd do a quick review of some of my favourite children's PJ patterns.  Hope it gets you inspired!

1. Oliver and S Bedtime Story PJs

This gorgeous pattern is one of the best. The elastic waist pants are super-easy to sew up, and I adore the kimono style top.  I made numerous versions of this for Bradley when he was little, and certainly got my money's worth from the pattern!  If you want something that looks great, and isn't too difficult, this would definitely be my pick.

The major change I made was to put in snaps instead of ties.  Warning though - if your little one is ticklish, you may want to bring the fastenings down a little from the under-arms!!

I believe this pattern is now out of print (someone correct me if I'm wrong) ... although I have just seen that it is listed locally at Kelani Fabrics, so you may still be able to pick it up if you're lucky.

2. Night Owls Pajamas from Ottobre 2009

Another favourite style of PJ for Bradley is a raglan shirt and leggings - soft and cosy; and if you add cuffs to the arms and legs, you can stop them from riding up during the night.

This one is from Ottobre Magazine, which is great value as you get multiple patterns in each magazine, and they're all really versatile (but really, you could use any t-shirt and leggings pattern that you're comfortable with).

If you haven't used European sewing patterns before, you will need to be prepared for a few things.  They're not necessarily difficult to make, however the patterns themselves have a few differences to what you might be used to - the sizing is based on height; the tracing takes a little concentration, as there's lots of lines on the page; and you also have to add your own seam allowance.  However once you've done a couple, it doesn't take too long to get used to it.

There's also a lot of advice over on the Crafty Mamas forum if you ever get stuck, so please don't let these little quirks hold you back.  You can buy back-copies of the Winter 2009 Ottobre from the Crafty Mamas online shop.

3. Farbenmix GuteNacht Pyjamas

A more 'grown-up' style of PJs, this pattern includes a pair of simple cuffed pants and collared shirt. It can be made long or short, and also has an adorable girl's version.

I just bought the pattern last week, so this was the first time I'd made it, and it came together without any problems.  The Farbenmix patterns are a staple in my stash - simple and stylish; and good value with a large range of sizes and variations.

Like Ottobre, you'll need to add your own seam allowance.  Plus the patterns are in German (some of them are released in English, however I'm not sure if they'll have a translation for the PJs).  But fear not - there are tutorials you can find online, and lots of people over at Crafty Mamas with experience if you need help.

If you try any of these, I'd love to hear how you go.  Or if you have another great PJ pattern that you love, feel free to link up to it.

**Give Away

And now.... just because I have some spare time, and am enjoying working in my new studio, I thought a little competition may be in order.

Have you seen something on the blog or Facebook page that you like?
Do you have a child that doesn't fit the standard sizing and needs something a little more customised?
Or are you just wanting something a little special that nobody else has?

Here's the deal:

• Prize is a custom order of a single item of children's clothing.  We'll work together to come up with the perfect mix of style and fabric (using patterns and materials I already have in my stash); and I'll make a little something just for your child (sizing from newborn up to a size 7).
• To be in the running, you'll need to leave a comment telling me about a tradition from your childhood that you've continued with your own children (or are planning to).  My favourite entry will be judged the winner.
• I'll need a valid email address to contact you, so please be sure to include that if your comment doesn't link to a blog.
• Competition closes at midnight, Wednesday 11th April 2012.
• Prize winner will be announced on Friday 13th April 2012, and will be announced here on the blog.
• Competition available to Australian residents only.

Any queries or problems with posting, you can contact me on info@moederkip.com.au  

Let the fun begin!

Another year, another move (the pictorial edition)

Oh yes. When I said previously that I was never going to move again, of course I should have added 'until next time'.

However this time ... this time ... I mean it.  Really.

Because this time, we've moved into our forever home.

One day soon, I'll tell you all about it.

But for now, I'm going to skip to the fun part. The part where I get my very own studio.

Of course, this sounds much more glamorous than it really is.  Particularly when we walked in to this...

However it is amazing what a touch of paint, a helpful husband, and a whole bottle of sugar soap can do...

And now, as I start to fill it up, I'm wondering how long it will be before I run out of room.

And so, it is time for me to sew again:

1. Because I've missed it;
2. Because now that I have this wonderful space, I really need to justify it, otherwise VaderKip will attempt to take over and turn it into a Man-Cave; and
3. Because in the move, VaderKip discovered how big my stash really is!

Time to turn on the machines...

How Far We've Come

This week has been a rather special week at the Henhouse, with our little boy having his first day at Montessori (kindy).

With barely a backward glance, he wandered into the classroom, hung up his bag, and got to work picking out stories and activities for the day.

Despite him being a little tired and emotional - no surprise given the huge change in his daily routine - he's really loving it.

And Mummy and Daddy were not only so very proud of how adaptable, confident, and ready to take on the world our little boy is; we were also quietly thrilled to have a couple of hours to ourself to go and have coffee and adult conversation. Double Win!

So here is our beautiful boy yesterday, as he waited to start his first day.

And to think, this was him when we started blogging in December 2008.

We've all come so very far.

Starting Again

As I’m sure everyone is aware, MoederKip has been on a bit of a break.

In this post from the beginning of the year, we did allude to the fact that things were going to change. That we were going to slow things down a bit, and have a bit of a different focus.

As it turned out, this was more true than even we realised.

Without going into all of the details, there’s been some big life changes here at the HenHouse. Going back to work full-time was only one change, but one that had a pretty big impact on our ability to keep MoederKip going.

However the six month break actually reinforced that we really do need this little business in our life. That what we do as MoederKip fulfils us in a way that nothing else can.

And so we’re back. But right back to where we began - with MoederKip not focussed on commercial success, but on the process of creating, and sharing the joy that it brings.

So what does this all mean?

• We’ll still be making and selling children’s clothing and accessories. We’ll have some regular favourites that will always be available, but we’ll also be playing with different styles and products if we’re inspired. We may even sell the occasional grown up items, such as Shae’s favourite Mama Pants. There will be less focus on trying to develop coherent ‘lines’ of products, and more focus on making what we - and you - love. 

• We will do the occasional market, or online stocking, but it won’t necessarily be to the level that we did before. While it’s lovely to have a regular presence at particular markets, we're not sure that we can keep up with the pace, so this will be on an ad-hoc basis. We’ll use our Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Website to let people know when these happen. 

• We’ve had to close the shop component of our website, due to ongoing hacking. This has been nothing more sinister than people using our bandwidth, however the emotional toll of constantly dealing with these idiots is too much, and so until we can work out a more secure offer, this will be taken down. 

• In the meantime, the website will still be there for sharing information and photos of what we’re doing, and people can contact us directly for custom orders and sales at any time. We’ll also put items up occasionally on Facebook, or here on the blog. It won’t be as formalised and structured, but it will allow us to keep working through these changes. 

• The Blog, and Facebook, will also go back to being about the creative process more broadly. So sometimes we’ll share what else we are doing - cooking, gardening, etc - and sometimes it will just be talking about trends, what’s inspiring us, or the creative process more generally. Hopefully it will be fun, light, and interactive, and encourages much more of a conversation with our followers. 

We know this won’t work for everyone. We know that some people prefer a more formalised business offering. And that’s fine. But we do hope that those who stick around (and who have stuck with us this far), keep in touch.

Now, with that out of the way, it’s back to the business … or should that be joy … of MoederKip. 

Reality

It's been a while since I posted.
And the longer it's been, the harder it's been to get back into things.
I feel the need to apologise.
To explain.
To justify my absence.
I would feel somewhat odd just picking up and starting again where I left off some 7 months ago without acknowledging my rather sudden departure from the online world.
But to over-share is neither necessary, nor desirable.
So I thought maybe a meme would be the way to go, to let me kick things off again.
And as it happens, the lovely Craft Revival is giving us the opportunity to portray ourselves in all our inglorious glory.
It's about putting aside the photoshopped, magazine-ready images, and talking about the reality of our daily lives.
Perfect! (in its imperfection)
So a while ago, I decided to get all organised and set up some lovely spaces for our little boy. A beautiful creative space for art and crafts; and a quiet chill-out space for reading and puzzles.
So this was the 'ideal', the space as I dreamed it.

And this is the reality. How it looks today.

 

Such is life. Such is our life. But really, it isn't that bad.
In fact, I think the reality might be rather lovely, particularly when seen from the perspective of a three year old.

And so we're back :-)

Step One...

While taking the opportunity over Christmas / New Year to slow down a little on sewing, it’s been a good opportunity to catch up on other types of creating.

So when Little Melbourne put out a call on Twitter for recipes for banana bread/cake, I thought it would be a good excuse to dig out my favourite recipe and share it around (and re-stock the cake tin at the same time).

Now, I don’t know how other people write out their recipes, but this is fairly typical of what you’ll find in my folder:

It made me think about my general approach to instructions. I’m not big on manuals. I hate following the instructions on just about everything.

When I need to, I can be very detailed and specific. I get a thrill out of creating order out of chaos, and I quite enjoy writing out detailed instructions.  However it’s just not my ‘default’. 

But somehow, I don’t think that my recipe, as it stands, would be terribly helpful to most other people. So here is a translation for those of you who feel like a tasty Sunday treat:

Step 1: Mix together 1 1/2 cups of Self Raising flour; 1/2 cup of milk powder; and 1/2 cup of white sugar.

Step 2: Mix together 2 ounces melted butter; 3/4 cup water; and 1 lightly beaten egg.

Step 3: Blend together

At this point I should point out that I use fresh milk instead of milk power - so just leave out the milk powder; and replace the 3/4 cup of water with 3/4 cup milk.   Brown sugar also substitutes really nicely for the white sugar.

Step 3: Mush up 2 ripe bananas and stir through the mixture.

Step 4: Pour into a greased tin and bake at 180 degrees for around 30 minutes, or until a cake skewer comes out clean.  

Topping:

The recipe above is pretty standard. If you like, you can make a delicious topping out of 1 tablespoon melted butter; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; and 1 cup of crushed cornflakes.  

Just mix it all together then pour over the top of the cake for the last ten minutes or so of baking.  You can also pop it under the grill for a bit if you think it needs crisping up (I think originally it was meant to be poured over before baking, but I found it could burn quite easily, which is why I add it towards the end).

Happy baking! And let me know how you go.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Back in early December, we realised it had been 2 years since starting this blog.

Looking back over all the entries has really shown what a journey it's been.  There have been many changes in our lives, and our business. And our blog has reflected that.

We started out just playing around.

Then as the first year progressed; as our business grew and we developed more of our own style; the blog really seemed to be at its best - honest, truthful, reflecting who we were as a business, but more importantly, as a family.  Which is what it was all about.

There was lots of feedback via comments and emails, and we really enjoyed getting to know our readers, and learning from them all.

Then in 2010 our business grew even more.  Maybe a bit faster than we wanted.  At times it felt like we spent a lot of time playing catch up; second-guessing ourselves about what we ‘should’ be doing; and in the meantime becoming a little less in tune with the market.  And our blog, in turn, became more formalised; more business focussed; less personal. 

Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with keeping things professional. Not everyone wants to hear about our political views, or our family dynamics, or what's for dinner tonight.  

But our blog was never meant to be for selling. We have other forums for that.

Our blog is for connecting. 

It's for sharing our story, and giving people a glimpse into the inspirations and influences behind what we do.  

And it’s for listening also. For really hearing what our readers want to say.

So we have some changes planned for where we take our business this year. We want to be more focussed; have more fun; and reconnect.  We want to nurture our 'Under the Wing' program; develop some fun new products that have been on the back-burner; and just enjoy the creative process.  And we want our blog to reflect that.

We hope that you hang around, and we look forward to getting to know you. Again.

Natalie, Paul, and Bradley xxx