Ahhhhh long time no blog...

I've made it back in again!!! I seriously must write down my blog login details so that I don't have to remember it...

I felt and urge to get back on here to write about an amazing site that I have found, called Red Bubble it's a site for artists and photographers to showcase their work. But the best part of it is that you can buy the artwork, in the form of laminated prints, canvases, tshirts, hoodies, gift cards and postcards !

I've become addicted to browsing the amazing photos that are on there, and today I purchased 25 postcards, to kickstart my collection, which I am going to send out with my Buggz orders. I came across a photographer called Ellen click on that link to see her amazing ladybug photos. I've chosen a random selection of them, and can't wait to get them and send them out as a little something extra with my orders.

This thing called life

I think I could be nominated for slackest business blogger ever!!! I'm always thinking about things to put on here, and then I just never find the time!

I am working on my winter sets and some other exciting Buggz stuff right now. I've got a few custom orders to still get finished, and for now I'm not taking on any more customs :)

So this thing called life... it's really got in the way of my sewing this last week. There's a full moon lurking, and I think it has impacted on our lives this week hugely!!! Hubby has been interstate for work (that always ruffles my feathers) So day one he is away, I get a tummy bug, spend the night vomiting, youngest child gets sent home from school with conjunctivitis. Day two conjunctivitis is just not moving, he sleeps in, I am so sick I can't muster the energy to even force him out of bed, so another day off. That afternoon our little puss Tiggey looks a bit unwell. Took him to the vet, and he died within the hour :( Day 3 conjuctivitis still going strong, he wakes up with his eye stuck shut. Another day home with mum... joy of joys... Finally I get him off to bed that night, after doing the basketball run, and the drop-me-at-the-pub run. He wakes at 11.30 cos his eye is stinging, and he misses his dad... So I end up awake with him til 12.45 when he finally succumbes to sleep. And of course... I bounce out of bed at 7 am to get the other off to school the next morning. Ahhhhh the joys of parenting.

My kids are all teenagers, so it shouldn't be that hard right? WRONG !!! school hours are generally my productive time. Having my youngest at home is no picinc, he is 14 and has Down Syndrome. Which put bluntly means I am caring for a 14 year old 3 year old. Tiring... My 18 year old has just completed VCE and is finding her way ( that's a nice way of saying she is being completely lazy and self absorbed and looking for the perfect job for her...) and middle child, my 17yr old son, is doing his VCE this year. He's the easy one, really goes with the flow, but is completely obssessed with basketball and has a basketball schedule of training and games and goes over 6 days of the week. So doing it as the solo mum, I have had the joy of being taxi and attending late night games ( something I usually leave to hubby)

So what I have I sewn this week ??? Pretty much nothing!!! This is your insight into the downside of being a one-woman-show WAHM. Don't get me wrong... I love it :) I just don't love it when this thing called life gets in the way of my sewing.

So here's to a more productive week next week. (Although I may be kidding myself there, cos hubby is off again for a couple of nights interstate this week as well ) I have managed to finish off a sample pair of ladies fisherman pants, with the help of my sister, and they are looking great! I've got a few boys sets cutout, my standard Buggz style, and I can't wait to get into some stripey sets. I've got some awesome striped stretch cotton fabric to play with... just need more hours in the day.

I'll leave you with a couple of pics of my new fisherman pants. Made in stretch black cotton fabric with contrasting quilters cotton waistbands and cuff facings.

PJ's

Anyone have any idea of the amount of behind the scenes work that goes into producing kids pj's ?

I decided this year that making some cute pj's would be fun. Then I discover that it is illegal to sell any form of childrens sleepwear that has not been flammability tested. So I start the research... Okay, I found somewhere to do the testing. Good start!

So this is sounding okay... but wait... there's more. For testing you must submit a fully made garment. Size labels must be a specific size, like 1,2,3, not small, medium, large. And of course, the pj's must have fire rating labels. Still sounding okay... but then ... fire rating labels must also be tested for flammability! Yes, that's right, the tiny little labels that give buyers the information of the flammability rating. ( my personal thought is that if a kids pj's are on fire, it's not really gonna matter that much about the tag !!!) and not only must they be tested, but you are slugged another fee for that testing !

Still souding doable, albeit an annoyingly tedious process (but I fully appreciate the importance of it being that there are so many children who suffer burns every year)

But then... before you even make up your sample, you must purchase a copy of the Australian Standards, and make sure the pj's are designed within those specifications. And yep, you guesssed it, slugged another fee for that one.

So after many phone calls, lots and lots of google searching, and a few headaches, I have decided that I won't be making pj's :( By the time I pay for all the testing, I would need to charge a ridiculous price to make any sort of profit on them. I have a new appreciation for the cost that is charged for a pair of pj's !!!

Ahhhh well, maybe one day...