Begone Winter

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  I am doing a little dance of joy as I wish Winter a fond farewell. However, I am not foolish enough to fling my winter gear into the depths of my wardrobe and don warm weather clothes, but the sun is rising earlier and hanging around a little longer and the blossoms are exploding in the gardens.

I am not alone in the anticipation of Summer.  A few days back one of my dresses was featured in this delightful Etsy Treasury  by fellow Sydneysider Helen of Cooper Street Vintage.  As you can see by the lovely summery goodies displayed, we are completely over Winter.  Below are a few samples of my Spring/Summer collection.

Butterflies and Summer go hand in hand and a few days back I made this skirt in the hope it would hurry the season along a little.  No sooner did I list it in my Madeit shop than it was featured in their shopping guide under the heading Little Miss Sunshine.

Here's another version of the same skirt, with its sash which can be tied either at the front or the back and adjustable elastic at the waistband back to allow it to last longer than one season.

This little outfit is perfect for toddlers, because the top is completely reversible.

 So handy when you have those pesky ice cream spillages. 

I have to confess that blue is my favourite colour and I particularly love these shades of blue.  

I found these adorable buttons which are ideal for the back closure.  

And then there's Christmas.  I know it's crazy, but I have already had Christmas sales and even a bunny garland for next Easter!  There are more Summer goodies planned over the next few weeks and you can find all the items listed above (and many more) in my Etsy and Madeit shops.

It was Netball Grand Final day today and we Fudges, from the oldest to the youngest, were there to support our granddaughter.  It wasn't to be, but both teams were so good and they played their little eight year-old hearts out.  We were so proud of them, as were no doubt the parents of the winning team.

They practically ran to receive their runners-up trophies at the presentation.

As I looked at this image of my granddaughter and her bestie admiring their tropohies, it dawned on me that I had been wrong when I stated in my last blog post that there were no sporting genes in my makeup.  

How could I have ever forgotten?

Canoon Road

Probably every city in the country has its own version of Canoon Road.  Saturday mornings in the winter in our part of the world will find the streets filled with vehicles all headed in the one direction - Canoon Road.  It's our very own Field of Dreams, or more accurately, Court of Dreams.  Yes, it's Netball season and Canoon Road has literally dozens of netball courts scattered over several acres.

We have been travelling to Canoon Road ever since our daughters were in primary school and each season we have cheered them on and consoled them with the knowledge that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's playing and enjoying the game that counts.  Now, we Fudges lean more towards the arts than sports and we have never, ever made it to the finals in any sport, let alone won.

Until today.

Our granddaughter's team had made it to the finals, so we were up at the crack of dawn to once again take on the drive to Canoon Road.  How the memories came flooding back.  That dreaded feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we prepared to tell our granddaughter that the team had done so well to even reach the finals, bla bla bla.  On the bright side we were pleased to see that the venue had improved somewhat and now had coffee and hot snacks available for the spectators.  In our day there was nothing - only a few surly and rough looking women running the show who were to be seen later cracking open cans of beer in the bushes.  Ah, they were the days.

After a quick pep talk it was time to play.  The opposition looked really professional, right down to their hair sprayed in their team colours.

At half time out came the oranges.  What is it about oranges?  Why not grapes or slices of apple?

We were somewhat surprised to discover that our team was ahead by 3 goals at half time.  And we were gobsmacked when the final whistle blew to realise that they had indeed won!

After a quick round of handshakes it was time for the real reason all girls play netball.

 Snakes.

So now it's the steady march to the Grand Final next Saturday.  Oh my.  I may have to resort to a bonus issue of blood pressure tablets or smuggle some wine in an innocent looking thermos.  Either way I will be booking the ambulance to be on stand-by.  After all, this is uncharted waters and win or lose, it will be a whole new experience for us Fudges.  

Canoon Road, bring it on.

Sunshine, puppy dogs and flowers

Supermarket shopping is not a favourite chore in the Fudge household, but if you factor in the shopping mall distractions, it's not so bad.  Early morning coffee and pastry at the patisserie before the crowds arrive is a great way to kick-start the day.

Image: Pattison's Patisserie

Why is it that I never have my camera on me when the most delightful photo opportunities appear?

The pet shop had an overload of new puppies vying for attention.  I only hope there was more than one mother involved in this tribe!  I remembered my phone and while the image quality leaves a lot to be desired, the cuteness comes shining through.

Strategically placed right outside the patisserie is the florist shop.  After that first hit of caffeine softened by the sweetness a freshly baked pastry, who could resist the urge to rush out and buy at least one bunch of gorgeous flowers to take home?  Mind you, at those prices I'd probably have to work my fatal charms on the sales assistant while Mr Fudge grabbed a bunch and headed for the exit.

And oh, the orchids.

We didn't exactly waltz down the supermarket aisles, but it sure put us in a happy frame of mind.  Add to this a gloriously sunny winter's day and it's not a bad start to the weekend.

Sunshine, puppy dogs and flowers.  Perfect.

Gearing up for the new season

Spring Down Under - it's less than four weeks away.  Bliss.  In preparation, I've started on some new creations for my Hot Fudge shops.

Image: Boutique Baby Photography

A few weeks back I sent off a couple of dresses to be photographed in California where it's summer and the little models wouldn't freeze to death.

What an adorable little poppet.  She looks as though she's about to burst into a chorus of On the Good Ship Lollypop.  I am currently taking orders for this dress here and here.  

Image Boutique Baby Photography

This is the other dress which Sara of Boutique Baby Photography shot for me.  The model is her own adorable daughter, Lyric.  

Again, this dress is custom made and can be yours through my Etsy and Madeit shops.

I'm astounded how quickly Lyric has grown since this first session taken in April 2011.  

With the changing season on the horizon, I was contemplating whether or not it was too early to add some Christmas designs to my shops.  A few days back I received an order from a lovely customer in Canada for this bunny garland for Easter next year, so I figured I had better get hopping (boom-boom) onto the Christmas gear before I missed the bus.

No sooner did I put these two skirts up for sale than I received a lovely message from a dear friend in Brisbane who wanted to order one for her granddaughter's first Christmas.

On top of that, she ordered this dress for the same little granddaughter's second birthday in October 2014!!  Obviously my lovely friend could never be accused of dragging the chain.

And finally here is an image of my granddaughter taken in October 2008.  Her mother was going through her wardrobe sorting out clothes that still fit her for the coming season.  She came across these Hot Fudge pants which I made for her and was astounded to discover that they still fit her, only now she wears them as shorts.  Maybe it's worthy of a Guinness Book of Records entry!

Busy times, with new fabric arriving soon and new ideas zooming around in my head.