Living and crafting and ... ahem... blogging.

It appears that I need a few extra hours in each day if I'm to return to the routine of regular blogging. Lately, it seems that thematically coherent posts (with occasional deep ponderings) remain in my head.  By the time I get around to blogging, it's all lightning tours and photo overloads, covering a month's worth of everything-in-my-life-but-not-much-detail. 

 

I do hope to remedy this soon, because I'm very glad to have the resource of my blog as a record of not just my work, but the life that goes on around it.  I don't want to lose that.

 

 

...but for now, here's the latest overview and photo-overload.  There is no coherent theme.

 

Please meet the new addition to the family (above).  Dolly, as she's fondly known, continues to scare the livin' bejaysus out of me as I catch her in my peripheral vision, lurking in my studio.  I think we may eventually get used to each other.

 

As much as I love my little half-scale dummy, it's nice to work on projects that don't need scaling up. 

 

 

The ongoing couch re-upholstering project continues (and looks a little more advanced in the photo below than it actually is), but that's a coherent, single-themed blog post for another day.

 

Today's story is about a fleeting spot of impromptu late-night quilting and cushion-making, which were a part of an Easter-weekend lounge-room craft binge.  Along with major upholstery works, the rag rug came out again and saw a bit of action, too.  The cushions were an afterthought.  I think I was eating too much chocolate.

 

Like the quilt, the quilted cushion covers are all made with Australian-designed fabrics.

 

 

Having recently finished a long-haul knitting project (a garment currently being blocked and yet to be photographed), I felt the need for a quick-fix.  I crocheted a Boteh Scarf for my sister in chunky cotton yarn... ahem*... over the Easter weekend.   

 

*Definitely too much chocolate.

 

I've also been playing a bit more with some new Pattern-free garment ideas. 

 

My late-night attempt to take a selfie with the iPad (with rag-rug-in-progress in the background) tells me that I need to set up a tripod and camera one bright sunshiney day, and take some photos that can show neckline draping and shoulder detail. 

 

Behold, a good photo of my boots....

  

 

There is a segue here, relating to pattern-free and photos, but it is completely unintentional and I don't want to use it as a literary (blogary?) device.  It's just another example of how everything lately brings me back to the recent passing of one of the very special people in my life. 

 

Denise Nestor, who's photographic work graces the cover of many Australian music albums and CD's, made my work rock in my book YOU SEW GIRL. Since then she became a much-loved friend and a shining light of positivity.  

 

 

My grieving process has included much contemplation of all Denise taught me. What keeps coming back is that even when we're faced with what might seem insurmountable, there are still things to make us feel happy and still reasons to hope.  Above all that, I've been thinking of the effect that we have on the lives of other people.... that we never know how far-reaching the effects of our words or actions might be, so it's best if we stick to spreading the good stuff.  Denise spread the good stuff, and I will miss our long chats over hot chocolates or pots of tea.

 

So, I guess if there's a theme to be had here, its that these are the things that have brought small joys or had some meaning to me over the last month.  These snapshots show the little moments... an overview of the good bits.  I hope that in sharing them, I'm spreading a bit of crafty goodness.

 

And I'll be back (at some point) with more on the teaching work I've been doing lately, and possibly a bit of other news.

Another week, another bazillion things....

 

Time seems to be whizzing past much faster than usual...just gulping up the weeks. 

In the last week, there have been good things, great conversations, random acts of kindness, joy, optimism, new opportunities ....and exactly the opposite of each of these things.   Life's a funny old thing, isn't it?  It's drought and flood... and sometimes it's just like Melbourne weather.

 

 

 

 On the weekend, I went to Canberra to teach at Addicted to Fabric (and took a rather cool pic from the boarding gate) .... and then I only thought to take photos towards the end of the class on Sunday, just before I was due to fly home again.

 

Below, we have another beautifully-made hat by another newbie sewing gal.  Nobody would have guessed that she's only sewn a few square things before... look at those beautifully-sewn curves!

 

I loved seeing hats being worn while equipment was packed up at the end of the day. 

 

This "I'm just going to make a hat for gardening" hat (above) looked way too stylish not to be worn for something more social.

 

This hat (below) was made with fun socialising in mind.  Sewn, finished and trimmed within class-time, it was worn out of the store with sartorial flair!

 

(If you're a little bit inspired by the recent spate of hatty blog posts here, and available to do a class on a week day, you should come along to the Perfect Summer Hats class that I'll be teaching at GJ's.  Learn to make hats in time to whip up a few for summer!)

 

As always - there has been fondling and fiddling with yarn.  In the last week I've finished something that I started in May and nearly finished something I started last week.

 

Having begun this Cardigan Rose about four times before I got it past the armholes - and all the while playing yarn-chicken and being distracted by the girleen's swimming lessons (or whatever fleeting, shiny thing) - I  pretty-much gave up on following the pattern and just made things up after that point.  After a few months, I tired of the project (and too many people commenting on the fact that the yarn matched my hair) and just wanted to finish it...so just kept knitting... ignoring all the mistakes and distracted-while-knitting roughness. 

 

My knitting is so rough in this particular garment, it's almost a waste of this gorgeous yarn.... but it's very soft and snuggly and is full of handmade love.  It's for a gorgeous 1-year old, who won't be criticising my stitch tension.

 

In need of instant gratification and a bit of a cellulosic yarn fix, I pulled out the crochet hook and some Prudence Mapstone tencel loveliness.  I'm making another Summer Lace Tank Top.  I love how quickly this comes together.

 

In other news, I finally have an answer to the question of have I found somewhere to move to when the lease runs out here, which every person and their dog has been asking me for the last month or two.  Last week, I did, and we'll be moving in a few weeks time.  The lease runs out here in mid-November.

 

When I was walking back to the car from the estate agent's office, I saw this in a window of an op-shop.  Just the thing I need for this next stage of balanced, family life....

 

 

Our new home won't have a showroom or classroom, but it has an enormous garden.  The girleen and I have been planning which vegetables we'll be growing this summer.  We're excited.

 

In the last week, I've also been trying to work out which of the showroom bag, hat and garment samples I'll keep and which will have to be sold.  We don't have space for them all and I'll be having a sale as soon as I sort them out.  A brief experiment with eBay didn't inspire me to go down that path again - and turned me off any admin time spent on any other online option - so I'm afraid it'll be in-store only.  Stay tuned for details.

 

And this week is a whole new one.... I wonder what it holds?

The landing, the follow-up and the looking forward...

 

I've unpacked the bags. including the treasures from my little shopping spree at Bolt Fabrics in Portland.

 

I've woven in the ends on the finished aircraft-craft (I took a crochet hook on board, rather than the potentially confiscatible deadly-sharp-instrument knitting needles).  This is a Boteh Scarf - an old favourite - made in Bamboozle (bamboo/wool blend) yarn.

 



Since my body clock never fully adjusted to American time, I haven't had much of a problem with jet-lag on my return, but I must say that I'm not yet running on full power (definitely feeling more Reliant Robin than Porsche this week). 

 

There have been early nights (like... 9pm!!) and there has been machine knitting.   

 

 A fabric shaving accident (removing pilling) on my favourite red jumper (sweater) means that I'm in the market for a new red jumper.  (I have since felted the original, to be recycled into something fabulous at a later date).

Unfortunately I kept no records of how I constructed the first version, and I've run out of one of the shades of red yarn... halfway through knitting the replacement.  I'll be interested to see how this one finishes up.... So far, it's still a work-in-progress.  (It may yet be turned into felted wool fabric... to be turned into something fabulous at a later date....)

 

 Unlike the smallest of the YOU SEW GIRL crew, who sat down at the sewing machine the very minute we walked in after 30-zillion hours of airports and air-travel, I haven't sewn anything new since we returned from America.

 

I've been following up emails, writing proposals for future work and thinking about classes and workshops.  The editing process has also begun on the new book.

 

Life and work go on.

 

I've also decided to add a couple of new zipper methods to the repertoire in the Zippers For Bags workshop. Even if you've done the workshop before, you can do it again, with a few more techniques to choose from (and I have a few more notes to write for classroom handouts).

 

We're revamping a few old designs as pdf patterns and cooking up a few new ideas to add to the You Sew Girl range.

 

I'm a bit excited that there are now US-based stockists of YOU SEW GIRL patterns.  Over the next week, we'll be updating links and letting you know where you can find them.  Watch this space!

 

 

Away from it all

I'm just back from a few fabulous days away with old friends. 

Kid-free.

Work-free.

Almost internet-free.

A tonic. 

A de-fragging programme for my poor old brain.

 Of course, there was outdoor machine-knitting.

 And trying to make sense of my friend Bella's new aquisition...

 She does amazing things like knitting garden twine.  (She's the sort of girl who usually weaves trees and vines.  This is small, delicate work for her.)

There was a shifting population of friends coming and going, and there was a lot of sitting on verandahs with beers (them) and crochet (me). 

(The rum wasn't mine, either.)

 

I've been looking at this yarn and this pattern for months, and finally had the headspace to start it.

Bella worked with more rustic materials...

...and this fantastic old book, with its amazing hand-drawn how-to diagrams.

Bella and I were hopelessly outnumbered by menfolk, so we sat around doing our textile crafts, while they cooked for us.

 

Theses were almost written about the best way to cook eggs on a barbeque, as 5 blokes prepared the breakfast of the century.

Simple adaptions to the tools in the rustic kitchen were fashioned when only home-made mayonnaise would do.

There was the serene art of yabbying in the dam.

And possibly too many yabbying experts on the job.

And there was me... yabbying while simulataneously wrecking my wildly inappropriate soft leather boots.

 Rupert, the dog, was fetching anything fetchable.

 And there was much feasting.

A mid-morning Bloody Mary tradition was firmly established.  (Insert menfolk, discussing the merits of different brands of tomato juice and balances of lemon to tabasco...)

 Most importantly, there was fine, fine company, and lots of time to relax and enjoy it. 

Now, it's back to life, work and reality....

Back to life...(and trying to remember where I put the reality).

Yep.  I made it to Sydney and back (...yes, even with ME driving!). I'm just trying to get my bearings again, having had such a big focus for the last few weeks.

All went relatively smoothly in Sydney.  I managed to set up and pack up and do a whole show in between, all without tears.  Nothing was stolen and nobody said anything unkind.  I met lots of interested and interesting people and had a very nice time.  I must also say that the organisers of this event are just wonderful.

We now have some more stockists, and you'll be able to find my patterns and supplies in a few more places around Australia and New Zealand.

Over the weekend, I was seen to be fondling bits of fabric on other stands, and you may well be seeing more of these prints in these-here parts.

 Two ranges that took my particular attention were by Surface Art and Veritas Design (Australian designers), and as I sat opposite them throughout the show, I thought up fabulous 50's-inspired full skirted dresses and skirts and all manner of homewares.  LOVE it.

Another new independent designer on the wholesale scene was Buddies Corner. The stand was really fresh and inspiring and the designer (Tammy) is just lovely.  She has a career background in textile design for large companies and has branched out on her own.  GO TAMMY!

 I loved the mix of yardage and panels and the mix of boys/girls children's designs.

 I didn't think to get my camera out in class, but I had to take a few photos at Peg's Pieces, before I left the shop.   Along with loads of fresh and fabulous fabrics, they have just a few (thousand) buttons....

...and the cat-themed fabrics had my head spinning with choices for a Mummy's been away gift for the smallest crafter in the family.

 Best of all, while in Sydney, I got to stay with my great friend of 25 years, Sarah.   I even finished the Divine Hat I started crocheting for her before I arrived and started a new (knitty) one.  The hat fitted Sarah's 2-year-old as well as it fitted her.  (Lots of brains in that kid's head...!)

And now, having barely landed (and taught a patternmaking class last night), I find myself cleaning up the chaos I left behind a week ago and trying to remember where I was up to in my various and scattered mental lists of loosely-prioritised to-do's.  I'm yet to muster the courage to look at the calendar ahead of next week.

Thank goodness for the long weekend ahead.  I have nothing planned.  By Tuesday, I hope that there will be a renewed focus ...and that the enormous pile of laundry at home will be a distant memory.

The Weekend of Defragging, De-cluttering, Revamping and Recycling

The Easter weekend was a welcome oasis of family togetherness... mostly because the smallest member of the family had a tummy bug and we were confined to the house, but I'm embracing positives here. 

Instead of visiting extended family on Sunday, I used the time to work a lot on the dress instructions, and in between, I indulged in a bit of zen....

The knitting machine was brought into the loungeroom and the knitting of long rectangles served as a defragging utility for my overstuffed and unsorted brain. 

Two strands of super-fine cotton (or possibly rayon..?) yarn (origin unknown... possibly ex Fibre Red..?) knitted up into the scrunchiest, rolliest rectangle... which wasn't the (flatter, wider) plan, but I'm looking forward to making it into something wonderful.

 A single ball of Bendigo Highlands yarn, knitted on every second needle, made a lovely little shrug (basically a scarf with a few inches sewn together at the back).

By Monday, the girleen was more herself and was able to get knitting.  She was like my own little knitting machine motor... I just did the cast-on,cast-off and supervising.  We both moved the weights and she had the hang of when the weights needed to be moved by the time we were halfway through.

 We made this from a mystery-ball from Auntie Wilma's yarn stash.  It's very soft (possibly has a bit of angora or cashmere....?) and was an absolute dream to wear on a very chilly Tuesday.

Again, It's just a long scarf shape, wrapped and joined at the back.

 And then I thought seriously about how many clothes I need....

A little idea to crochet a rag rug with a few old cotton-lycra tops has since become a bit of an obsession.

 Anything that isn't absolutely loved or absolutely new is being gobbled up into this wonky, unevenly-cut and randomly hooked beastie. 

I. AM. DECUTTERING. MY. WARDROBE.

Who'd a thunk it...?

And yes.. I'm a little embarrassed that I had so many cotton-lycra tops to spare....

We're all loving it.  Even the man of the house has seen the potential for a LARGE rug, and is bemoaning the fact that he threw out all his old t-shirts last week.

And we can't keep the wee girl off it. It's so dig-your-toes-in textural and squidgey. 

(I must have a word to her about yellow nail polish on toes looking like a fungal infection...)

So I'm feeling a bit good about all things wardrobey at the moment, and my thoughts have had time to fall into place in the process.

I'm also feeling a bit excited about the motherload of knit fabrics I bought a little while ago, the new book I have, and the fact that my weekend at Sewjourn is only a month away....