Lots of fabics being thrown around...
Some bits even being sewn.
New bundles arriving...
(Loving this Alice in Wonderland by Wyndham Fabrics). 
On my way in to meet Jacinta (mid-text-message, in fact), I bumped smack-bang into the dearest of Fii's... Fi and her gorgeous family were off to the Collingwood Childrens Farm next door. Great to chat.
Jan also knitted Humpty-Dumpties just like the one I had when I was a kid.... just like the Humpties many of us would have had. Ah, nostalgia!
There were so many people interested in my selvedges that I felt bad about giving them all to one person. I decided to divide them into "large letter" size lots (vacuum-packed in zip-lock bags) and post them out to a few randomly chosen people. Some of you may have received a bundle (if you happen to be a regular customer) and some may have received an email asking for your address.
I guess we'll never know. Whatever - the cat's out of the bag.... we're not an iPhone family.
EDITED TO ADD: The Daddy phone is bigger becasue she's carefully drawn its flip-open screen at the top and its navigation button above the number buttons. Focusing on detail, she's forgotten about scale.
At the risk of boring people silly with "look what my 4-year-old did" projects, I thought it appropriate to throw the teddy into this post, too - to record it for my own benefit, more than anything. It makes me smile, and right now I need all the smiles I can get.
The wee one has been itching to make a teddy since I wouldn't let her (make me) buy a kit for a felt teddy a few months ago. I said "we could MAKE one"... and she didn't let me forget it.
And of course, I'm one of those old-fashioned types who use the term "backstitch" for the process that most know as "understitch" (I've also heard it called "pinstitch" and "edgestitch on the facing").
My sewing terminology comes from a combination of my childhood of 1960's Enid Gildchrist magazines, my tutors at RMIT and from working (in the fashion and craft industries) in Australia and a few other countries - with people from all over the world. I've found that although we all use different terminology, we speak the same language when we explain the processes.
So this is what I call edgestitch... which is like backstitching (or understitching or pinstitching...) but on the outside of the garment or bag. Mostly I just call it "topstitching".
The predominant language of sewing in the published world seems to be American....I guess it's a population issue. I've noticed that Australians - who previously would have used Bristish terminology - are now using American terminology. It's a sewing-language I somehow bypassed in my sewing education, but I'm catching up through blog-world and my expanding sewing reference library.
In dressmaking books, I struggle to find a reference to "staystitching" as anything other than holding the shape of a curve on a single layer of fabric. When I speak to fashion-industry friends we all understand it as stitching that holds things in place before a seam is sewn - whether that be a curve on a single layer of fabric or straps and button loops in place. Anytime the stitch length isn't altered, something is held in place and the stitches stay in.... that's staystitch. That is, until you try to find it in a book.
I guess because in mass-production, there's rarely time to tack (or "baste".... a term that always brings turkeys to mind!) anything - so we tend to staystitch rather than mess about with stitch lengths or unpicking. In my language, tacking (or basting) means that the stitches are temporary. 
I also use industry-style nicks as registration marks to bring the cut pieces of the garment together. Nicks can be cut accurately through layers and layers of fabric..... and they are marked with either a slit (like a long "U") or a "T" shape symbol. I've never understood those silly triangle notch marks on commercial patterns. (Why give yourself such a large margin for error when you can be accurate to the millimetre?). But give me a commercial pattern with silly triangles and I'll know what they mean (same thing as nicks, only more difficult to cut!).
...which brings up the whole issue of metric versus imperial. I was brought up in the metric age and I've never been a patch-working girl (who use inches even in countries with metric as the standard). I draft my patterns (in CAD) to be accurate to within two decimal places of a millimetre... but please don't ask me what that is in inches. In recent years, I've had to change my pattern seam allowances to be easily converted to half and quarter-inch (so that the imperial-measurements people can understand them). I'm afraid that's as far as my understanding of fractions of inches go!
There are also conventions and techniques that change with age, geography or simply the school you went to - darts or seams presed to the front, back or open, the way seams are clipped.... that sort of thing. This language we speak has many dialects!
I'm trying to compile a list of terminology here - trying to cover all "dialects". I'm interested to hear if you've heard any that I've missed - for the processes above, below or others not mentioned.
TOILE (Australia, UK and elsewhere) = MUSLIN (USA)
A test-garment, sewn in calico or other cheap fabric.
Duckbill Scissors = Applique Scissors
(Of hems) Fine Double-Turned = Fine Double Neatened = Pinstitched (yep - there it is again, meaning something completely different!) = Rolled
A super-fine hem that is turned twice and machine stitched - usually on a sheer fabric or handkerchief edge.
Block (Australia, UK and elsewhere)= Sloper (USA)
The basic garment shape from which patterns are drafted.
(Of seams - to stop raw edges from fraying) Trimming = Finishing = Neatening
Overlocker (Australia, UK and elsewhere) = Serger (USA)
What sewing language to you speak? What's your experience of the varied dialects...?
The lovely little 100mm curved frame with holes in antique colour.
It's probably a good time to learn how to make framed purses if you haven't tried one before.... Buying a kit will save you lots of time, fabric and frames (because I did all the working-out for you and used up lots of MY time, fabric and frames!).
If you're an old hand at making framed purses, now is a good time to stock up!
The 75mm frame makes the small coin purse (above) or the Spec Case (below).
The 150mm frame makes the make-up purse (in the photo above the spec cases) or the Poppet (below).
The 200mm frame makes the 200mm purse - which can be used as a clutch or a make-up purse.
Stock up while we reduce our stock. The sale is only for 1week, so get in before NEXT FRIDAY - 19th Feb. They'll all be back to their usual prices after that.
I bought it (on Ebay) mostly for the case it came in.....
But also because it turns a mechanical sewing machine into one that does automatic buttonholes. 
..even though Jodie has exhausted her interest in using them (with all manner of overwhelmingly amazing projects) and doesn't need any more.
Can anyone else use them...? They're mostly yard, half-yard or yard-and-a-half lengths (and there may be a few two metre lengths too, I think).
If you're inspired by Jodie and have an idea of what you'd like to make with these selvedges, leave a comment to let me know and I'll send you the bundle. If there are lots of responses I might have to draw names out of a hat.
I'll be seeing a lot of other lovely handmade things (and eating cupcakes) at the Northside Makers Market in Northcote tomorrow. The wee one is excited about the craft table.
Also SUPER-CUTE little zipper pulls arrived!! The motifs are a very tactile rubbery material. The attachment rings connect directly to the existing zipper tab to make zippers easier for little hands to manage on kid's clothes. 
They also make a simple coin purse look special (and make it easier to open and close) and would be sweet on handbags (or kid's backpacks) as well. Practical and cute - gotta love that.
I used the last of my Winterwood felt stash today. It's such a joy to sew. I was also using the 90mm Flex Frames. 
The wee one now has a spec case for her sunnies and I have a new camera pouch (stuffed wth paper for the photo because I was using the camera). 
My Spec Case has seen a lot of use....and a lot of dirt. Then it got a soaking in "the great handbag disaster of '09" (long story, involving my handbag and everything in it getting soaked). I had nothing to lose by throwing it in the washing machine.
Thanks to everyone who went in to the draw, and special thanks to those who blogged a link.
The Winner is KATE from Fox's Lane! Congratulations, Kate! When you send us your postal address we'll pop the pattern in the mail to you.
This is the Kid's Hat that was used as the barrel. The fabric is Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet range. It used to have a matching Tulip Dress....
On another - completely unrelated and without segue - point, there appears to be a magnetic catch drought. The next shipment of the 19mm silver nickel snaps we usually stock will be mid-February. To tide us (and you) over, we have these swishy snaps until then. They're a bit more expensive, but rather nice. Prices are the same as the antique snaps of the same quality.
