Thursday 30 October 2014

Product Review: Vileda Magical System

I was recently offered an opportunity to review the new Vileda Magical Water Repellent Spray and Cloth System in exchange for my comments, and I thought ... why not?  It's fun to try new products that I would otherwise not have known about, and to see what I think ... and this is definitely something that I probably would never have noticed in the absolutely huge amount of time I spend in the cleaning aisle ... especially with just how much I just LOVE to clean ... cough ... like NEVER!  So reviewing this type of product was a little different for me.

Basically, this spray is used as an anti-fog on glass, showers and mirrors.  It creates a thin film that kind of repels the fog, turning it into droplets of water that just fall away, and taking with it any dirt, and without leaving water marks ... you know, so you can see your naked butt when you step out of the shower, instead of having that beautiful layer of fog protecting your poor fragile eyes from such a sight first thing in the morning ... ha ha ... I'm joking ... well, I'm joking a little bit! Sigh! ........

Anyway, it's not all that different from waxing your car I guess (except it's heaps easier on the elbow-grease) and it does work!
I tested it out by giving my bathroom mirror a bit of a clean just with a damp cloth, then sprayed a line of the Vileda Magical Water Repellant Spray down the middle of the mirror, and wiped it off with the special blue cloth that came with the bottle.  I armed Daddy with the camera (poor Daddy is always pulled in for Mummy's crazy capers!) and turned the hot tap on in the shower for some steam.  It was like a win-win for Daddy!  He's got a bit of a cold at the moment, so he scored a free steam inhalation as well as a chance to take some photos ... I'm totally sure he saw it that way too!  

So, sure enough the mirror fogged up.  All except for the strip down the middle which stayed crystal clear.  It was pretty impressive!

Now I'll be truthful and admit that I am NEVER up at the ridiculously early time that Daddy gets up to go to work.  So we don't have that problem in the mornings of one person in the shower, while the other is trying to see in the fogged-up mirror to do their hair.  But I can imagine that if you're not as lucky lazy as me, and do share the bathroom in the mornings this would make life easier.  No more wiping down the mirror with a towel only to have it fog up a minute or so later.  One less thing to do in the mornings, hey.  That totally equates to a few more precious minutes of sleep in the mornings I reckon!
Anyway, all in all an effective product.  I only did my test run today, so I haven't witnessed how long it lasts before you have to wipe the mirror over with more spray, but the instructions suggest that you can extend the fog-free-ness (yep, I've made another new word) by using a little more spray.  

You can check out the Vileda Facebook page here for more information, and the Vileda Magic System is available at Woolworths and Big W for $9.99.

Oh, and I was provided with this product in exchange for my comments.  All opinions are my own.

Sunday 26 October 2014

Pattern Test: Sanity Saving Training Pants from Sew Can Do

I'm sure you all know by now how much I love a good pattern test, and I've been lucky enough to be involved in a few lately.  Mostly I've tested skirts, tops or cute little dresses, but when I saw a call-out for this one, I just couldn't resist applying.  It's a little different to any testing I've done before, and it used some supplies and techniques I've never used before either.


These cute little pants are the Sew Can Do Sanity Saving Training Pants ... a washable option for potty training.  They're designed to be made with PUL fabric, which I had never come across before.  It's sort of like a VERY thin foam, but dense enough that it would be highly waterproof.  I'm not sure if that's a good description, but that's what I though of when I first touched it.  There's some cute fabrics available at reasonable prices online like this one and this one.  In fact there are a tonne available if you just search "PUL fabrics" on Ebay.  I couldn't find any PUL fabrics in my local fabric store.  

The version I chose to do have handy velcro closures at the sides for easy removal after any of those inevitable accidents, and they have a soft flannel inside.  They also include a place to insert an absorbent, washable pad, and therefore avoid any leaking.  The waist and leg bands are made from fold-over-elastic, which is a really nice finish.  I've never used that before either so I had a ball trying out some new things.


Now, to be totally honest, Hannah is all done with potty training, but I loved the idea of a pattern like this as a different gift idea for friends and family with little ones, and there are always plenty of little people in my world these days.  So I thought I'd give them a whirl in Hannah's size, with the plan of giving these beauties to someone who might get use from them.

Oh, and keep in mind that since I made these, the pattern has been re-worked slightly, including a reduction in the width of the crotch area, which I did find a little "bunchy" on Hannah, so Cheryl has done the right thing there.  Also, when I was scrambling to find my supplies in time, I couldn't get wide enough fold-over elastic, and ended up opting for a narrower 1-inch.  DON'T DO IT! ... keep hunting and find the correct width.  I had a terrible time trying to get my elastic to work, and it was totally my fault for not have the correct elastic.   Next time I will hunt a bit further to find the wider option.


Anyway, all in all this was a fun pattern test, with a cute result, and if you're wanting washable potty training pants, then I'd definitely give these a go.  You can find Cheryl's pattern for sale here!

Sunday 19 October 2014

A sewing Mummy's Dream-Come-True ... And some pretty dresses too!

Bethany wants to sew ... *happy dance*.  Oh my crafty-heart misses a beat every time I think about it!  So far, she's made a basic little elastic-waist skirt, a library bag for school ...

And now .... this dress:
OK, so the dress might have needed a little more Mummy-input than the other two projects (like I did all the overlocking and arranged the pattern pieces for her to cut around), but she totally did all the sewing herself.  I even stood back from the sewing table and watched for parts of the process ... clever girl!

And what is this dress I hear you asking?? .... Well, if you follow me on Facebook, you will have noticed that every now and then I'm posting about a cute online pattern or idea I see.  This little dress is the Cupcake Dress from Baste + Gather.  It has a free pattern as well as the tutorial ... who doesn't love a free pattern, huh!  It was a very easy sew, and I would highly recommend it.
In fact, so as to ensure Bethany was not the only one having all the sewing fun, I also made one up for Hannah.  Now for this dress, I actually used a skirt that I made for Bethany (which was a bit of a design fail and didn't fit properly) for the skirt section, and joined it to the Cupcake Dress bodice. For that reason the skirt is not quite as full in Hannah's version.  Still cute though, huh!

The only change I would make if sewing up this pattern again, is that I would shorten the elastic by about an inch or maybe two, as the back of the dress is a little loose on both of my girls, and therefore hangs pretty low on their back.  Having said that, both my girls are fairly petite, so maybe it's only a problem for some.  I do love the halter-neck style though, and Bethany LOVES the "flowiness" of this dress.  Perfect for the recent summer-esque weather we've been having, and really cute with a cardigan thrown over it for the slightly cooler evenings too.

Oh, and do you know Mummy's Mummy (aka Nanna) has also made a few of these little dresses ... yep, in Christmas fabrics ... how organised is she!?!  So, Christmas outfits .... sorted!!