There's no place like home, there's no place like home...

The other day I was out keeping a friend company while she did some shopping, during which I may or may not have accidentally bought some stuff on sale at Max. Anyways, she popped into a shoe store to have a look and while she was trying on some very spangley and gorgeous heels I spotted a pair of red wedges across the way. We contemplated each other for a moment and then the shoes said "Hi!" I pretended I hadn't heard, but couldn't resist looking over again and they just sat there looking inviting. I thought it would be rude not to at least have a look so I did and they were very lovely and I was told they were "very you". But then I said goodbye and we left. But like any good missed opportunity, I couldn't stop thinking about them and so I popped down from Uni to the shop in Queen St. yesterday and there they were - on sale. Life is good sometimes!

When I tried them on I couldn't resist clicking my heels and trying to get home. I don't think the sweet young thing who was helping me had the slightest idea what I was going on about. Mat says that I'm showing my age by quoting Wizard of Oz but surely not?

They are lovely and comfortable, although the laces dig in a bit across the top of my foot. I'm thinking I might put in some ribbons instead.

Shoes beautiful shoes!

This post is all about the shoes. I used to be a real shoe girl. I had lots and lots and I loved them. I even had some snide comments from a couple of people about my shoe choices while pregnant - apparently fecund earth-goddesses shouldn't wear kitten heels or red suede high heels (and I was just trying on my SIL's in that case!). But then the baby arrived and, well, you know how it is. This summer I was reduced to a pair of jandals and if necessary my slip-on Sketchers or runners. With teaching starting yesterday I got a bit of a panic on because while jandals might be a Kiwi institution they don't exactly exude professionalism in front a class of 200+ students. So I hit the discount shoe shop and did pretty well.

First-off were some nice sandals, because it's the end of summer and they were on sale. Hazel approves of them.

Then I found these cuties. They'll look so great with skirts, but also suit jeans. They make me feel slightly school-girlish. They'll lull the students into a false sense of camaraderie and then KAPOW!!! midterm. Because I haven't been a schoolgirl for over 20 years and I'm old and evil.

And lastly I went with these bad boys. Or girls. Whatever. I usually live in black ballet flats, they're my go-to shoe in the winter. I'm not sure how practical these will be (they rub a bit on the side of my foot) but I'll make the most of them while they last! It was a choice between a round-toed pair and these and really it wasn't much of a decision. I love me a pointy toe - I figure my genes resulted in feet with toes just right for wearing pointy toes so who am I to deny my DNA its true and fullest expression? Which technically speaking is Hazel but I think shoes come a close second.

Slippers

Ok, some photos.

As I said in this previous post, I made quite a few wool slippers for Hazel and her little friends when she was smaller and they were really popular. I started with this pattern from Tacky Living and modified it to my taste, which simply involved making the heel piece higher and the toe piece longer to match. Then for some unknown reason, I threw out the modified pattern mid-last year because I thought I wouldn't need it again. I can only imagine what kind of brain explosion I was having at the time, although it may have involved tidying up my stash up in the attic and being ruthless about what stayed and what went out. So I was a bit at a loss when my friend Jess requested a pink wool pair for little Amy. I found the original pattern again and asked her for some measurements, modified it, and sewed them up in gorgeous pink wool.



However, I obviously didn't make the toe section quite long enough to match the heel section! They're still pretty cute though and I think unless you knew that was a mistake you'd think that was just the style. Right? RIGHT? All laughs aside, a couple years ago I would have been distraught about that but I'm slowly allowing myself to like imperfect things which just makes my life easier all-round :) I think the lining fabric is Amy Butler but can't be arsed going and checking her site for it, and the soles are pink suede.

Then since I was on a roll I decided to make a pair of slippers using the pattern from Stardust Shoes, which I've seen around the traps a bit and they look really darling. I sized them up with the printer to get the right measurements for Amy's foot and they sewed up super easy.



How cute are they?! I just love love love this 'My Folklore' fabric, especially teamed with other fabrics with red and the red suede soles. Sadly, I seem to have forgotten to add in the seam allowance so they're about a centimetre smaller than they should be. Argh! Too small for Amy sadly, but hopefully they'll fit my little niece who's small for her age or some other baby if she's too big as well. Not sure about the shape of these slippers to be honest, I suspect they'd be better on babies who aren't walking as they're very wide for how long they are, which is cute but possibly not all that practical. The unaltered size is for smaller babies to begin with, so I'd stick with that in future.

All these slippers have reignited my fondness for them so I think I'll try and make Hazel another pair for this coming winter, maybe in green with the bumble bee just for nostalgia's sake. Look at me, she's only 4.5 and I'm already getting weepy over her baby years. I'm going to be hopeless as she gets older, I can tell ;) That's the problem with having all your genetic eggs in one basket! Sometimes I wish I'd started younger and had more, but then I wouldn't have had Hazel so I can't really regret how it all worked out. Hmmm...I must be tired, I'm babbling.

Easing back into it

As my friend Jess suggested earlier, the perfect way to get my craftyness on again is to start with a pair of pink wool baby slippers. Not that her advice was completely unbiased but I'm sure she mostly had my welfare at heart :)) So here's the start.



I first started making these little slippers when Hazel had just learned to walk and they're really very simple to make. I can't find the link to the pattern I've adapted, but will find it for when I've got some completed slippers to show. Here's Hazel's chubby little toddler legs in the first pair I made. Eeeee so gorgeous! Even now I could just eat them up. The legs, not the slippers.



I do believe that Jess has this pair as well now, though from memory the green was darker than they show in this photo - maybe they're not the same. I've made so many they start to merge together!

My cup runneth over with the 2+2 blouse as Oliver + S linked to it again in their ongoing series on how to use fabrics in clothing. It's really just so nice when other people like your stuff as much as you do! It's a great bunch of posts that series, if you're interested in making stylish clothes for kids it's all there.

Fashion parade

I picked up my gown, hood and bonnet for graduation on Monday and have been trying on dresses and shoes to figure out what to wear underneath. Hazel suggested I go "nudie-nudies" but I think clothing is a bit more dignified to be honest. Call me old-fashioned. Shoes were a toughie


The high wedges on the right there looked good but I'm too scared of tripping on my way across the stage or simply walking a bit funny. They're better for standing around in (or even better, sitting around in). The choice was really between the low pointy-toed spike heels and the higher court shoes with ankle strap.


The pointy shoes win hands-down, something about the strap on the others just didn't look good with the gown. They look great with the dress on its own, but not with the gown. I did promise myself a new dress or new shoes for this event, but I don't wear the dresses or shoes I do have very often so I can't quite justify it! Maybe I should treat myself to some magic knickers or something really middle-aged like that! (I'm turning 41 in less than two weeks, feeling bitter much?)

Heather Ross's Sole-ful Slippers

I'm having a bit of a love-hate relationship with these.



As I said I like the look, the way they're made, the overall appearance, but functionally I'm not so sure... Here they are on Hazel. Cute eh? But look at the way her toes are pushing against the tips.



And then look how much space there is at the back. The elastic is the only thing that holds them on and they're loose as it is, so while I expect if I loosened it her foot might be able to come back a bit, they'd never stay on.



I made these at the end of last winter but they were miles too big so it was quite a bonus when they fit this winter! From memory I had to fiddle the size quite a bit and also put in a curved instep and toe which seemed kind of necessary for fit. I remember trying to figure out my size at the time and giving up because they were so oddly shaped. I think you'd have to create your own personal template based on tracing around your foot. Perhaps they're worth playing around with a bit more because like I say - cute!

I have been enjoying my stats counter recently for all the neat places people come from plus as well as the lovely colours they use. I must admit to being addicted to site visits etc. for awhile but that pales eventually and the other stats become much more fascinating!

And of course since I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Mac user (and have been since the Apple IIe) I find this figure very interesting ;)