How to spend a stinking hot New Year's Eve... or not.

It was forty degrees* with a hot north-westerly wind.... the kind of weather that turns me into a cranky madwoman who draws blinds and fears the great outdoors (which is like a fan-forced oven).

It's the kind of weather that makes me cancel errands and appointments that were planned for the day, opting for water-based activities with the smallest person in the house.

*104 degrees farenheit, for my American friends.

We started with an overhaul of the hair-tie drawer in the bathroom (yes, she really DOES have a drawer full!).

Nothing like free rein with a pump pack of soft soap to engage the girls enthusiasm..... she washed them all. We brightened up buttons, washed and re-shaped yo-yo's, then quick-dried them in the outdoor oven (read: outside on the cement footpath).

We snipped off broken old elastics and then couldn't find a needle and thread to stitch on the new.... thus, inventing a job for another day...
On to felting...... and the wee one remembered that she'd seen slippers in a felting book, and was DETERMINED. TO. MAKE. SLIPPERS.

I insisted that my felting skills were not good enough for that, and that we'd need support materials and all sorts of things and skills that I don't have... blah, blah.

She insisted that she knew how to needle-felt slippers and set to it, determinedly..... I just watched ...like a hawke (the kind that reminds kids to keep their fingers out of the way of sharp, jabbing needles).
She refused all guidance as she snipped sole-shapes from felted wool fabric and started to shape fleece around one of them. It was at the point where it was actually wearable, that she accepted a bit of help to fine-tune the shaping.

There was lots of trying on, with me holding bits together and saying, "Ok... get that bit now..."
...and only one unfortunate collision of finger and needle (mine, thankfully, and only one needle instead of all 5).
(BTW.... that picture of Hoot in the background is a whole other story.... a blutack-and-paper collage... blutacked to the kitchen wall. I smile every time I pass it).

Eventually we had some (somewhat rustic) needle-felted slippers!

Ahem.... perfect for a forty-degree day.

We made nori rolls for dinner (the girl and I). Now I sit, listening to the distant thump of city fireworks, the loud crackles and pops of (illegal) local fireworks and the soft snores from the couch (man of the house started snoozing around an hour ago). I've watched the end of Braveheart, drunk wine, eaten ice-cream and done some knitting.

I've thought about how lucky I am to have mis-spent my youth on all sorts of wild-child New Year's Eve parties, adventures and misadventures....and to know that - without a doubt - if I had my choice of ways to spend this day, I wouldn't have it any other way than the way it was today.

I believe it's 2011. Happy New Year to you all!

Learning experiences.... and a small cry for help.

This cotton yarn has been crocheted into three different shapes. Each time I realise it's the wrong shape and/or I'm not going to have enough yarn to finish what I started, and it all gets wound up again into a big, big ball.

To order 3 more balls of the yarn will cost me over US$30 in postage (so I'm not going to do it), but the girl has her little heart set on a top/dress made out of it.

The colours in the yarn only work in a really simple, tight crochet stitch and I'm thinking simple singlet/tank top is about as far as the yarn will stretch. Can anyone guide me toward an appropriate pattern?

Anther option - freeing up the design decisions I must make..... Does anyone have any of this yarn in Australia - Peaches & Creme, 100% cotton, Article 930, Colour # Mardi Gras....? Or any coordinating colours from the same range...? I'm happy to buy it from you and pay for local or interstate postage.

In the meantime, I'm thinking about a little girl in a chilly part of the world, and looking at this. Thinking knittery....

I spent a good part of today on Ravelry, and I think I have a direction for this fluffly pink stuff.... but don't be surprised if there's another cry for help in a few weeks. I'm still learning how much there is to learn about yarny crafts.... and yet I'm stubbornly refusing to concede defeat in the flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants VS adhering to patterns recommendations battle.

One day I'll get it. Perhaps.

Grand designs

I achieved about a third of the preparations I had planned for Christmas. The lemon tart filling was turned into lemon butter when the pastry went a bit wrong, the gifts (except the kindle cover) were store-bought instead of handmade and I forgot to do my hair (or the girl's) before the entire clan of in-laws arrived for lunch.....

But the wee girl got her Christmas dress.

She designed it herself (read: no excuse not to wear it). She expressly asked for it to be made 2 sizes too large so that it will fit her for two years. It had to be sleeveless, down to her ankles, with owls on the top and bottom and flowers in between. And it had to be very twirly.Once again, I used the Tulip Dress pattern for the bodice and made a new skirt. Turns out, it was a good multi-functional dress - perfect attire for running about with cousins, doing countless craft kits and playing totem tennis (as well as for twirling).

Luckily, the in-laws brought food and organised all the things I failed to do, so the day ran smoothly. I think I ate my bodyweight in king prawns.

And the girl loved her dress. All in all, a good day.

Getting Festive

We've had the xmas music on, the tree is up, there's been a bit of gift-making and gift-giving. It's getting downright Christmas-cheery around these parts.

We have two days of business trading before our annual break and - apart from final page-edit checks on Le Book - my work for the year is done (read: I. AM. DONE.... I need a break!). I'll be making xmas gifts and mulled wine (ahem...after checking over the book pages...) tomorrow and Wednesday afternoons.

If you drop in to shop, you may very-well be plied with cheery and warming Christmas beverages*. Failing that, you may be just in time to soak up the gorgeous aromas of the freshly-drunk brew. (Internet shoppers... I'm sorry, I can only offer you the recipe).

*Please note - I'm not having a party, just one small pot of Christmas-smelling wine for walk-in customers. (I'm not ready to clear my sewing junk out of the party room just yet!)

Remember - two days left.... we close on Wednesday afternoon and re-open 10th January 2011.

Christmas treats

It's been a bit of a crazy, not-fun weekend.... But scattered thoughout, there have been little magic moments.This book arrived on Friday. A gift for me from me.
I've managed to steal a few glimpses into my knitting projects of the future. I think I have to start buying yarn in larger quantities than my usual 4 balls...

We had an early family xmas get-together yesterday and the wee girl was given a cake-decorating set. We were cake decorating in our pajamas this morning.

Anyone fancy a bit of sugar....?

I was on a sugar-high too. The kitchen was a lemon butter (lemon curd) factory. I was whipping it up between sorting through boxes of kitchenware.

We made our "usual" cardboard xmas tree this morning. This year we decided not to paint it. We drew on the decorations, instead.

And then the wee girl hung the old decorations - "the ones that Daddy had when he was little" on the tree.

It's a start to settling into our new house for Christmas. Little bits of gold dust amongst the chaos.

More Xmas gifts = more inkjet fabric.

Zip purses for the kinder teachers and after-carers this time. Ok, so it's not exactly a new idea.... (but if it ain't broke, why go fixin' it, I say!). There's nothing quite as appealing as a kid's happy drawings on a bit of inkjet fabric.... a simple little purse....


...and a bit of cheery Curlypops fabric on the back (which just happens to be on sale for another TWO HOURS, but still gorgeous at any price!). I think it compliments the happy little critters in the kid's drawings ...which were, as it happens, drawn as gifts for Ms Curlypops (I photographed them before she took them home).

Speaking of Ms Curlypops, she has another fantastic suggestion for The Perfect Gift at this time of year. A must read. Indeed, a must-do, if you can.

Kindle Surprise

Sice there is absolutely NO CHANCE of the man of the house reading this blog, I feel completely secure in showing the gift the wee girl and I have prepared for him. It will be a complete surprise (and I know he's been thinking about getting one).

The cover design is loosely based on my laptop sleeve design, and is made out of a neoprene remnant I picked up (and hoarded) about 8 years ago. (I knew it'd be useful one day!). The artwork is by the wee girl, printed on inkjet fabric and appliqued to the neoprene.

I know it'll make him grin every time he looks at it, which is pretty-much the effect that this Rudolf-the-red-nosed-reindeer has on me....
I can't believe the wee girl sat still long enough (obviously at kindergarten) to draw and colour this in texta (marker pen). It's about 45cm (half a yard) high - that's a lot of colouring (even Rudolf looks surprised!).

A little bit on the side....

A bit of drapery, that is.

God knows, (I even if I had the time) I have no inclination for anything other than a spot of wayward SEWING.

On Friday, I felt the need to do something completely different. Not book-related. Not bag-related. Certainly NOTHING to do with sorting through boxes of belongings or carrying them up and down stairs.

I drafted a basic t-shirt pattern (ok, I admit it: I completely ripped-off a ready-made t-shirt that fitted me well). This is the toile (muslin)... which I'll eventually hem and bind and wear for very best...

I fiddled about with the pattern and added a little bit of drapery...

A smidge of elasticated gathering detail....

And then I fiddled a bit more. More drape. Less elastic. (Perhaps there ought to have been more pressing....?)

I might add that these tops look a little less hospital-gown-blue in real life, and more smoky- heliotrope-dusky-mauvey-sort-of-blueish-greyish-mauvish..... but the photos were taken in fading evening light.

I also borrowed my sewing buddy's Pattern Magic-inspired twisty top pattern.

I'm definitely going to play more with this one, and the formula behind its creation....

What I love most about these patterns is that there are only three seams, a couple of hems and they look instantly-designerish.... all from a $6 remnant and half an hours' work!

I'm developing some patterns and some simple formulas for adding draped detail. I've scheduled a fun one-session sew-fest of a workshop on the topic, and I'm looking forward to it already.

Getting there.....

Lately, there have been a record number of Express Post parcels and emails to and from the publishers, each one promising to be the "last thing".

I'm assuming that eventually one of these things will indeed be the last and that the book will be going to press on schedule (mid-December for a May-June 2011 release). It's been a huge project for me, the editors and designers, but it appears that there is light at the end of the tunnel for all of us.

I feel blessed to be given this enormous opportunity by HarperCollins and I can't wait to see the book on the shelf. (I'll also be glad not to have to take too many more up-close-and-personal photos of the same projects).

There has also been much (hypothetical) list-ticking in the moving-business-and-home departments.

• Utility and telecommunication providers, post offices, various suppliers and council representatives have been contacted. Things have been arranged. Cancelled. Connected. Redirected. Informed. Ordered. Delivered.
  
• Kids' parties have been attended... in a "Summer of Endless 5-year-old's Parties" kind of way. (I've embraced the time as an opportunity to catch up on some crochet... and in one instance to leave the kid and go off to vote).
  
• Workshops for next year are beginning to book up (and out). More are scheduled - on my calendar.... (There are plans to upload them to the website ASAP).
  
• The truck is booked to move house this weekend. (Hmmmm.... perhaps we'd best get packing...?)
  
• Kid-starting-school organisation will have to wait until next week. At least we have the forms now (which is one step closer than we were at the beginning of the week).

And I finished the flower yoke top. I took advantage of a moment of weakness (a listless-virus-infected-kid moment) to get the wee girl to actually WEAR it. It's lacking the preferred mid-calf hemline (the new clothing rule), so it took a virus (and a spot of emotional blackmail) to get her to ...errrrrm.... cooperate (?) for the photos.

So, I'm down to first-gear and ploughing my way up the final steep slope toward the end of 2010.

We'll be closing for the xmas hols on the 22nd December and opening again on 10th Jan 2011.

***

Lucky I took a big breath in January, huh?

Whirling and twirling.....

For her kindergarten Christmas concert, the wee girl's costume was "a nice dress". It was one of the must-do projects I took to Sewjourn a few weeks ago.

I used the Tulip Dress bodice and drafted a simple half-circle skirt for it. Then I added a full-circle flared band at the hemline.

I forgot to add seam allowances, so the skirt waist was larger than bodice... which was cleverly disguised in an "I meant to do that" gathered-under-a-belt-tie design detail.

There is no such thing as a mistake... just another opportunity for a design feature.... I think this one really makes the dress!

The dress has done much twirling and whirling since it was worn (back-to-front*) at the concert.

*She was dressed by one of the teachers, apparently....?

Yesterday, she wore it right-way-round.....

..and around.... and around...

Amid the madness of moving house and business and school orientations and kinder concerts and broken-down cars (and broken-down air-conditioners and hot-water-services...) ...and granny-flat-building projects and scary medical investigations and book edits and re-shoots (between storm clouds)..... I've been scheduling more workshops for next year!

There's definitely going to be a bit of circle-skirt action going on in next year's workshop schedule, some pattern-making and some pattern-free clothing and I think a bit of pattern-variation (like this one) for garments.

I'm looking forward to teaching next year.... Just bear with me until I have time to upload the information to the website.

I may need to stop for a breather first.....

***

BTW - Lara has been on a Tulip Dress ROLL, lately! Check out her gorgeous little Tulips here....and here...

I've still got it!

It was beginning to feel like sewing was something that I USED TO DO.... since my current occupation has been running up and down stairs with boxes, constructing shelving and desks, buying new kitchen equipment and stock for the shop....

But yesterday I got the sewing gear out.....

It took most of the afternoon to set myself up to re-shoot a great big chunk of how-to photos for the book. It included a revamp of the ironing board (...and a frantic call to the sewing buddy to end my 45-minute search for elastic!) and a lot of searching through boxes and running between upstairs and downstairs.

There was an almost-panic when I couldn't find the red-and-pink-checked-fabric. Panic averted when I checked the scrap box (who says that hoarding is a bad thing?).

By the time it was all set up and ready to go, the big black clouds had rolled in over Melbourne and my lovely light-trap sewing table was casting a distinctly dull blue-grey light.

And so... I still have that to-do list of re-making and re-shooting to do....

But I also still have the rush of kid-anticipating-a-party excitement that has kept me bitten by this sewing bug for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure which is the strongest drug... the possibilities for a new project, the sensual delights of new textures, colours and design...the satisfaction gained from making something, or simply the zone.....the headspace where I feel like I'm right where I belong.

I think it's all of the above.