Saturday, June 11, 2011

Ah yes.. well, I ALWAYS do it like this....

You know when things go a little bit wrong....not quite as well as planned, but you smile on as if everything is as it was meant to be...? Yes, I think I know how the designer of this machine-knitted one-piece "playsuit" feels (...and GOD BLESS that poor model - a true professional!!).

I've had a bit of a week of it. ("IT" meaning serious tail-chasing, multi-tasking-while-I'm-multi-tasking and things going a bit wrong on a fairly consistent basis....) I ploughed on. By hook or by crook, the stock and display for the Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair will be on a pallet at Tullamarine Airport on Wednesday morning, ready to go... New bag samples will be finished and hopefully we'll have worked out why, out of the 4000-odd subscribers to our mailing list, only about 150 actually received the last newsletter..... (After Wednesday, I have nearly a week to pull myself and the shop back into some sort of shape before I go up to the show...smiling...).

Anyway.... somewhere in the middle of all of that, I was supposed to draw the winner of the new Draped T-Dress pattern. I smiled and pretended all was normal while I didn't get around to it.


And the winner is ... MARY! Send us your postal address, Mary, and we'll pop the pattern in the post to you.


I also didn't get around to photographing the new bag samples that I finished this week. I only have the work-in-progress shots of this little adventure....

I had a vision... it involved teaming this lovely grey wool honeycomb-texture knitting sample from one or other of my knitting machine (ahem) learning-experiences. I thought that an inset strip of wool in a mock-crock textured leather would look rather nice (in a handcrafted-meets-slick-urban-design sort of way).I measured things, I interfaced things, I used two layers of the knit to make it nice and spongey. I set up the fancy-schmantzy Bernina with upholstery thread and walking foot and stitched it...... All was looking schmick and slick....

And then I noticed this little opportunity for a design feature.....

So we're leaning slightly more towards the "handcrafted" with this one now. But I like it.
I'd like to get his bag finished before Wednesday, too... along with a whole heap of other organising.

Let's just hope my smile doesn't slip...Years ago, I heard a VERY FUNNY radio comedy song - along the lines of "I always do it like this...", in a toffy English accent, accompanied by piano. The song described people having hugely embarrassing and complicated public accidents, and carrying on with a stiff upper lip. A disasterous downhill run on a bicycle ends with " Oh, I ALWAYS get off like this..." Someone getting all his teeth knocked out explains, "Well, I was GOING to get them out..."

Has anyone else heard this and know from whence it came? If it's on You Tube or any audio file anywhere....? CD?

13 comments:

Alison said...

Oooh...I've got a jacket that will match that bag. Thanks Nicole! ;)

Unknown said...

Nice one, Nikki! I shall have to add "design features" to my list of leather tips and tricks!

Jennie said...

Good luck with Sydney preparations - sounds like a nightmare!

Lenora said...

Wow, in amongst all that going on, you personally signed my book and it arrived in speedy time. You are amazing and so is your service. Love your book, so many great tips and ideas. Have a great time in Sydney, and I hope ALL your samples arrive home safe and sound. As my kids would say, You Rock!

Fer said...

Gotta love those design features! It'll still be a pretty spekky bag, just what you need to keep your optomism levels up high. ♥

A Peppermint Penguin said...

Dignity at all times.

Thing is if you say you meant it to look like whatever it is, people are going to believe you cos it always looks fab. Mine would just look like the fudge it was!!

Cheers,
AJ

trash said...

No I don't know that song but d/Boy and I heard a great one on Radio 2 one night about 'Funny Mrs Bunny from the Bun shop'.

Tanya said...

well, a new week is starting so hopefully this one will be better. I picked up my fancy Bernina from getting serviced yesterday, unpacked it today and the thread holder is broken- a bit of plastic is snapped and it's not attached anymore. I am not happy, and not looking forward to the conversation with them on Tuesday morning...

Buy Design said...

Oh my word !!! My mum had that playsuit..

Katherine said...

Hoping this week goes better for you Nikki! Best of luck getting all ready for the SQCF. (Keeping fingers crossed for you ;o)

Schmick and slick is overrated, any how - love the addition of the red. Way to make the most of an opportunity for a design feature! You have every reason to smile, you clever girl. Um, you will show the full reveal of these gorgeous bag, right? Pretty please?

Belinda said...

Sounds like a crazy week Nikki. I just came back from Sydney this morning and happy to report that I was in a little book store down near the Rocks Market and sew your book :o)

Tas said...

Yay Mary. Congrats!

Adele - A Lass from Downunder said...

Nikki, that's the perfect outcome - turning an "Oh, bugger" moment into divine inspiration!
Brave model, very brave model - this playsuit does not leave much to the imagination!!