Red Wrenny Rambles...

So I went to Vegas and got married....

2011-10-18T09:51:00.003+10:30

We had lots of trouble uploading photos while we were away, so here are a few to make up for a lack of sharing!!

Today we leave...

2011-10-02T13:52:00.005+10:30

...on what is to be our weddingmoon!!!

After weeks of mystery and hints (including one in the recycling bin - yes, I admit I caved in and went through the bin like a desperate woman!), it has finally been revealed that there is a high likelihood of a Vegas wedding!

The catch is - that is ALL I know! All plans are being made by Peter... he says he feels a bit like Shaun Micallef on 'Talking 'Bout Your Generation' , as part of the surprise is going to involve envelopes which I must choose from... Scary!!

He's all about surprise and spontaneity, but I don't deal all that well with either!

HOWEVER.... I've made the very gracious decision to sit back and let it all happen around me! I will buy a dress on the day if necessary....I've made it clear, however, that I won't jump out of a plane or off a tower, or ride a rollercoaster with a celebrant at 60 miles an hour!!

If I have any say, I'd love a vintage-inspired dress, but besides that, I have very few wants... I'll just be thrilled to marry my gorgeous partner of 12 years!

Stay tuned for more details!

And another dress!

2011-09-24T13:28:00.000+09:30

Okay - the second pattern I've been using (Simplicity 2373) is much more of a hit! I've made the pants, adapted to be 3/4 and a closer fit in the legs, a strapless top from some satin jacquard that was kicking about, and this halter neck dress! The jacket has also been cut out and is waiting for a turn...

I really love this candy-striped binding... Spotlight had a small range of it - baby blue, red and black. I might be heading back for some more, I think - I can imagine all sorts of creations using it!! However, sewing it at night was a headache.... a bit like watching repetitive white lines on the road roll by constantly!!

Eight sleeps left now till we take off! And many, many hints of a surprise in Vegas...

The count down begins...

2011-09-18T11:40:00.007+09:30

Only 13 sleeps til we take off for the US!
We have finished booking transfers and pre-purchased tickets to stuff (Alcatraz, Universal Studios, Disneyland, etc) on the interwebs, and collected our tickets, so it finally feels real!! Ok - I admit it - I'm starting to get excited at last!

I'm less excited, however, about the clothing I've been making to take...

The Lisette dress, which I had high hopes for, is a terrible shapeless sack, as you can see above. I put it down to my usual problem of thinking I'd somehow end up looking like the leggy model on the envelope, but my tall thin friend Mel had a go and she wasn't happy either. It will be okay for wearing on a hot day at home, but no way am I wearing it in public!!

On the up side, though - two vintage patterns I melded together and graded up, (Simplicity 3153 and McCall's 7573) came together well in the long run. I WILL wear this in public!! Like my glowing shoes?!

I planned to have short sleeves on this, but quite like it sleeveless - I've bound both the neck and sleeves with red binding.

I will say, this dress was something of a drama to fit - the men at home here are pretty much USELESS at pinning stuff, particularly in any helpful kind of way! I ended up removing almost as much of this dress as I added in the grading process... why, oh why, does this always happen!? I was so careful to measure the pattern and myself and it clearly wasn't going to fit, but then I end up taking heaps of fabric out anyway. Does this happen to you, too? Ah, the joy of sewing vintage patterns!

Next on the drawing board is the black sun dress, which I plan to add interest too using some candy striped bias binding I found this week... should be fun anyway!

Here we go then

2011-09-02T17:51:00.006+09:30

Patterns? Check!
Fabric? Check!
Buttons and zips? Check! (There's a surprise!!)

Gentlemen, start your engines.... Let this weekend's sewing commence!

From left: Red and floral stretch sateen - Lisette dress, spot and floral lawn - Lisette tunic, black lawn - dress with pink ric rac trim, white stretch sateen - Lisette pants.

And when I need a break, I'll walk over the road and give Tabby a good rub on the forehead!

Must have:

2011-09-02T17:40:00.003+09:30

I'm off to Old Midwest this weekend with some of my holiday saving burning a hole in my pocket. These are PRECISELY the boots I wanted to get in the States - around the same price here, and I can have them NOW!!!

Holiday wardrobe plans

2011-09-02T10:32:00.007+09:30

I've been plotting what I should take with me to the States.

I'm thinking a black, white and red palette...

Maybe this top, dress, and the jacket....

And everything here!

I cut out the short top last night, and am pretty happy with how quickly it is going together. The pattern has an opening at the back neck, but I cut it all on the fold from some cutesy anchor knit fabric I had on hand. I've made it about an inch longer than the original as it was feeling a spot short.

Baby boom!

2011-08-29T14:31:00.004+09:30

My youngest brother and his wife are having their first precious child, so having waited patiently for 14 weeks, I now have permission to start making stuff!

Thought I'd launch into some generic baby embroidery to start off... Thanks Jenny Hart!

Actually, the 40s weren't so bad...

2011-08-29T14:07:00.007+09:30

I've long been a fan of fifties fashions, mainly because I love the shapes and design features, but I have to say, I'm becoming much fonder of some forties patterns lately...

This last weekend I spent a day redrafting this Advance pattern (the top version) for a blouse from some ridiculously tiny size to something that would fit me... I actually loved the pattern illustration more than the blouse itself, but the finished product was okay.

I used some fine old synthetic fabric from an op shop, thinking it would just be to make a toile, but having something wearable as a result was even better. I shortened the sleeves by about 5cm, and used bias binding around the neck, sleeves and hem.

However - after playing around with the finished product, I decided I loved the sleeves and neckline, but that it would look much nicer on me as a dress..... It has an elastic waist and belt loops, and an a-line skirt (keeping with the forties sensibilities of not wasting fabric). Pictures to follow when I can get a reasonable photo! Maybe the next version, I'll try the peter pan collar...

Something to wear stateside...

2011-08-20T20:15:00.008+09:30

Anyone else have those weekend mornings where your sewing mojo kicks in while you're still in your jamas? I love them!!

Last night I had a flash of inspiration to use the fabric I had planned to make a skirt from into a dress instead. Last year I made up a pattern based on Simplicity 5497 (from 1964, and once belonging to Olive Egan!) - I gave it an empire seam and an asymmetrical false front placketty thing. I love the extended shoulders and neckline of the pattern, so didn't touch them. On the pattern I created, I made the whole dress a bit more fitted and the skirt more a-line, however for this version, I have narrowed it again.

Last year, I made the dress from a single fabric, so I was interested to see how the print and solid colour would work together. I couldn't wait to start sewing this morning! I knew this dress would go together really quickly...

I had a few qualms about having the natural-coloured linen/cotton near my face - I never wear that colour. I managed to overcome this by sewing a band of red around the neckline instead of using a facing. The self-covered buttons liven things up, too!

A shot of it in action will come another time - just getting over conjunctivitis, so I'm not feeling so much like having a photo taken! From starting to sew to a finished dress took around 3 hours. Not bad at all!!

The kid and I were looking at some hilarious footage of runner ducks recently... this stuck in my mind!

Are you my mother?

Finally... some inspiration!

2011-08-17T17:31:00.003+09:30

For the last two weeks at school we have been involved with the Artists in Schools program through Carclew... A very little group of our lucky students have been working three days a week with artist Sam Evans on a whole array of different projects - charcoal and ink drawing, life drawing, wire sculpture and soon aerosol art.

I have been taking part in each of the activities while I supervise my class, and boy, has it got the creative juices flowing again.... I have realised how much I miss making, and talking about, art with other people around. Ideas come flooding into my brain!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed making the wire sculptures with the class... it is very much like drawing, but using pipe cleaners also brings back memories of childhood - I think in a waythis helps you be more creative and somehow less inhibited...

Anyway, some of what I have made so far... the house is still a work in progress.

Winged Victory

Alice Flew the Coup (this is an autobiographical piece!!)

Facade No. 1

2011-08-08T17:08:00.004+09:30

So, I was thinking a new skirt for our trip to the US... Not that we are actually going to New York, but I figured the sentiment is appropriate! I haven't nutted out how it will look yet, but I'm thinking a red yoke, print skirt with two narrow red bands around the bottom. Any other ideas??

This weekend, we went birthday shopping for a 14 year old with extremely quirky taste... We went to bric-a-brac heaven (Strathalbyn) and came home with these (excuse the nasty photo!):

Yep - that's right... HORNS!

The funniest part of the shopping trip was sending the fellas back to the shop to negotiate a fair price for the horns... The young bloke was terrified, but triumphant when he got them under budget!! Apparently the birthday boy was thrilled!

Last dwindling days

2011-07-22T20:47:00.006+09:30

In the mad rush to feel like I had made the most of my school holidays, I made this.

It was from a pattern I created a couple of years ago, but sewed from some weird op shop fabric I was never really sure about... I like this version MUCH better!!

It is a stretchy, felted wool - unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was $10 for 2 metres from Tricia's, so I though it was worth a shot! I even have enough left to make a slim skirt. Because I'm not a purist, I lined it with a cheerful oriental-flavoured red faille. I like it!

Planning ahead...

2011-06-29T22:23:00.002+09:30

(For a change!)

I don't have a whole lot of goals or aspirations - outside of having a happy family and, one day, a 50s caravan...

However, I now have something to aim for. In October, the three of us are having a short visit to LA, Vegas and San Francisco. Now, as far as the boys are concerned, a day spent at Alcatraz is like some kind of nerdy, history-buff heaven... as I have a serious aversion to boats (and planes for that matter!), I would prefer to give it a miss.

Instead, I think I'd like to find a couple of crafty bloggers from the area to hang out with for the day! So here is where I could do with some help - who can you recommend in friendly downtown San Fran????

Ta da....

2011-05-03T17:53:00.005+09:30

So - not nearly as classy as some of the examples I looked at, but I'm pretty happy with my new terrariums - all four of 'em!
We went for a meal at the Bridgewater Inn and wandered around the creek at the back to find, not only a wealth* of moss, but also someone's deserted bonfire!! So we filled our zip-lock bags then poked the fire for a bit before heading home to get all creative!

I also removed the super-daggy curtains in the new sewing room and replaced them with something a bit craftier... call it a work in progress!

* I'm not entirely certain that a 'wealth' of moss is the proper collective noun... Any other suggestions?

World within a world...

2011-05-01T22:15:00.006+09:30

English Creek Gardens

I need a terrarium. When I was small, my grandparents had a terrarium in their home... I could sit and look into it for hours - it really was a teeny little self-contained world to develop your imagination and get lost in. I think our home would be a better place with one, too.

Smith and Hawken

This was to be my holiday project, but with a day left it's not looking hopeful! Inspiration abounds, but where to begin? I love moss-based terrariums, and regret not bringing home the collection my nephew gathered while we were in Halls Gap!

Katie Goldman Macdonald and Evan Kolker

There is something delightful about Design*Sponges 'found terrariums'...

little samples of life from the surrounding streets, right down to the weedy bits!

Paula Hayes

Stay tuned, and I'll show you where the obsession leads!

FOKal

A little disappointment but a lot of love!

2011-04-29T00:07:00.004+09:30

What a truly fabulous time we had this Easter! I get very little time each year with my two brothers, so getting a super-long long weekend together this year was terrific!

For a moment there we weren't sure if everyone would make it - the top was torn off of L's camper van only a short distance from his home, and their carefully packed load was strewn up the highway... Very luckily, no cars were behind them and only property was damaged. After a quick re-pack, with tents this time, L and co made the Grampian Gardens Tourist Park in time for dinner and plenty of marshmallows on the fire!!

As we headed for the Grampians, we were aware of some parts being closed as a result of flood damage earlier in the year. However, finding 80% of the park closed was a huge shock. Sadly, places we remembered visiting as kids and hoped to return to are not accessible at the moment. The amount of work done along the Silverband Falls walk that we took was enormous - new paths were laid all along the creek, and unsafe areas had been cordoned off, but everywhere we went, there were massive piles of broken trees and debris.

This is the bridge that had been swept along the creek.

Despite all the mess, the landscape was still a beautiful thing!

I think the very best part about camping has to be the stars... I forget how soul-repairing they can be. Having lived in the city now for 11 years, I am always surprised by how amazing a clear country sky can be.

Wishing my life away

2011-04-21T15:58:00.000+09:30

Did you know that teachers spend more time wishing their days away than people in any other profession??
"Just six more weeks until the next holidays, only a week until the next assessment, just four days left and we go back to school, just 2 hours of sunlight and the weekend is over, just another term and we're done for the year..." What a truly negative way to live... or is that just me!?

Thinking about this has made me want to make much better use of my time, as it occurs, rather than as I anticipate it!
So, we have a new office (and I have a new sewing room!!!!). The little guy needed more space and I needed a big reorganisation, so we swapped rooms. Everyone is pleased with the outcome... I just need to stop calling it "MY sewing room" - Peter suggested he might be able to have the bathroom, as everyone else has their own room but him!

The day bed, or 'Princess and Pea' bed, is waiting for hard rubbish collection to return to it's normal height, however it makes a superb cutting table at present!

And in true holidays form, a bit of family cooking has occurred - cherry cookies for our Easter camping trip.

I have also been collecting reading matter for the break:

Captain Freedom - G. Xavier Robillard
The Running Man - Micheal Gerard Bauer
Why do I need a teacher when I've got Google? - Ian Gilbert
The Einstein Factor Quiz Book (for long car trips!)
Yummi 'Gurumi - C Haden and M Sala
World of Geekcraft - Susan Beal
Handmade Nation - the rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design - Faythe Levine & Cortney Heimerl

I shouldn't be bored, anyway!!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter... We are heading to Halls Gap to spend time with my two lovely brothers and their families. I can't wait!!!

The Sound of Music

2011-03-18T17:55:00.000+10:30

After a beautiful, music-filled long weekend with a houseful of my favourite people, I just wanted to share me latest acquisition... a sweet little uke! My ukulele is the one that matches my guitar - a Shrinky version of it, in fact!! Wish I'd started with one, as it is sooo much easier than a guitar to learn! Mum plays almost any instrument she can get her hands on - that's her mandolin, and dad's tenor uke is the other one. Such a fun weekend!

A Little Revelation

2011-01-21T15:29:00.000+10:30

Who knew that hessian was a useful material? As an art teacher, I have only ever seen value in covering dirty old pinboards with it... Never to actually sew with. All those hairy fibres dropping off everywhere, and the SMELL...

But I needed some neutral coloured, textured fabric to make some small fabric baskets for the bathroom and it was perfect!

Before.

After!

Nice, huh?

Also wanted to show off this top I made before Christmas... I ripped off the pattern of a Portmans top I have, but changed the neckline.

And last night's dinner...

Pesto, prawn,tomato, fetta and basil on the left, and roast pumpkin, salami and jalapenos on the right- I love pre-made pizza dough!

A New Project

2011-01-19T14:56:00.000+10:30

I have decided, although my wardrobe is bursting at the seams, that this year I shall sew a dress or skirt for every month... They are what I love to wear the most, but I've been getting out of the habit lately!

SO... I found this free download for Simplicity 4116 on the Sewing Patterns website, and liked the look of it. After all, who can go past a peter pan collar?

I decided to try it in a heavy knit, just for something new, and so I could get away with no zipper. In the end, I chose navy and cream Ponti de Roma from Spotlight. At $8 a metre I was persuaded, although I've always thought of ponti as nana fabric...

I cut out the front on the fold, rather than include the goofy centre front seam - it worked well! The entire dress came together very quickly, but when I tried it on with skirt attached it was HIDEOUS!!!

Note to self: stay away from the dropped waist!

I was pretty disappointed after it was going so smoothly to begin with... After a bit of pinning, I came to the conclusion that 1) the bodice was miles too big, and 2) it would look heaps better with an actual waist seam. And pockets.

So I cut off and lifted the waist, trimmed the whole dress back THREE sizes and got this:

And I quite like it! It is a bit 60s, with the contrasting collar and pockets, and goes with all my red belts and shoes... and it turns out - I quite like sewing ponti!

Summer rain

2011-01-16T11:42:00.000+10:30

I guess like lots of people I'm feeling sad and a bit overwhelmed by what's been going on in Queensland... and a little bit angry at all the idiots who just keep going against the recommendations of Police and emergency services.

The last couple of days have brought this all closer to home, as my parent in Rochester, Victoria, have worked with others to keep flood waters out of their homes.

This is a picture of the main street... if you turn right behind that four wheel drive, and head up the road about 500 metres, you get to my parents' home. They are lucky that their house is on a small rise, but the granny flat where mum does family day care had water lapping at the top of the verandah, and bikes were floating in the yard! Hundreds of people were evacuated last night, including the hospital and nursing home, so mum and dad were lucky to be able to stay put.

The water rose to 9.14 metres... a bit higher than ever recorded. Water levels are going down this morning, but more is expected later today, as the weir nearby is beyond capacity... wish I could be there to help with the clean-up.

Treats for a special visitor

2011-01-12T14:08:00.000+10:30

My very special friend is coming to stay for a couple of days, so we whipped up some of these this morning. (As if I need an excuse!!) These are jaffa macarons - orange rind in with the shells, and a spot of orange essence with the dark chocolate ganache.

For the sake of quality control, I have taste-tested them and, just so you know - they are DIVINE!!!

A new decade full of hope and promise...

2011-01-02T17:16:00.000+10:30

I can sustain positivity for at least the first few weeks; it's all down hill after that!
Happy New Year to one and all - I hope the next twelve months is a time full of laughter and love.

This year, breaking with tradition, I have not made a SINGLE resolution - after 25 years worth of unfulfilled ones, I decided I've had enough. And I feel a better person for it, too!

Christmas came and went, and for a change I was pretty organised. We shared a lovely long weekend with family and dear friends in Victoria, then returned, leaving the teenager to spend quality time with cousins and grandparents for a week. For the first time ever, he will make the 9 hour bus journey home alone. That's progress!!! And me and Mr G are spending some quality time, too. How nice!!

I enjoyed my two weeks break before Christmas, and found time to whip up a few more handmade pressies, like this set of pillowcases for my granny, from Alicia Paulson's Embroidery Companion. There are so many beautiful things in this book... I bought it mainly for the gorgeous skirt on the cover - perhaps I'll get to it while I still have holidays.

I'm loving this embroidery business, though... It's been quite a while since I did any, and I'm getting right back into it! I settled on a boring diary for this year, but have snazzed it up a bit with a new cover (my interpretation of one of the designs in this book).

As usual for the holidays, I have been enjoying some time spent cooking. My favourite new recipe is a chicken, fetta, sundried tomato and pesto pastry roll... they are delicious, and freeze really well, too!

I had to promise the young fella that I would wait until he returned to cook more macarons!
In the meantime, big plans for the next few weeks - continuing the lookout for a new car, camping at Goolwa, a nephew's wedding, and lots of these... happy days!

Making up for lost (reading) time...

2010-10-07T10:23:00.000+10:30

Image from DiggWhat

Sorting out my enormous bookshelf trying to make room for more, I discovered that I have actually read a heap of books in the last couple of months. Usually the only real reading time I would spend is during the school holidays - first day of the break we would go to the library and stock up on novels for two serious weeks of bookwormyness!

Today for my birthday I recieved an e-reader, so my bookshelf woes are all but over! Peter works at a printers and all his colleagues were horrified that he would buy an e-reader, and put them out of business... I will still buy arty and crafty books, newspapers, read junk mail and so on... What are other people feelings on the matter?

So, on my recently completed pile, are:

The Effects of Light - Miranda Beverly Whittemore

Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey (author of 'Rhubarb'- both HIGHLY recommended!!)

The Messenger - Markus Zusak, one of my favourite authors

Under the Dome - Stephen King (trite... don't bother. What WAS I thinking??? Aaah, yes - airport lounges.))

Book of Lost Threads - Andiee Paviour

Household Guide to Dying - Debra Adelaide (Lovely, consume with tissues)

The No1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon (Not as good as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, but still a decent read!)

I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes - Jaclyn Moriarty (My third reading of this... I love it!)

Currently underway and in the waiting pile, we have:

The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Earth Hums in B Flat - Mari Strachan

A Brush with Mondrian - Yvonne Louis

and Sister of My Heart - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (I've read this before, too)

Any other recommendations?

2010-10-06T14:18:00.000+10:30

Aah, holidays!

I love nothing more than being able to sleep in to 7.30, eat breaky outside, running my feet through the new Astro Turf, sit and watch the budgies with their new friends (Fred and Ginger) in their outside home, bake delicious yet healthy cakes, watch whales at Port Elliot, and spend time with my family..... simple pleasures...

Ginger, Monty, Fred and Zeph settle in...

I had five days with my parents in Rochester last week and enjoyed my time with everyone. I visited several dear friends and family members, played a lot of guitar with my folks and even got to join them in a Fig Jammers rehearsal (that's their music group!!). I even even had a chance to teach my sister-in-law, Jess, how to crochet. She was a very quick learner, too! When dinner was ready, myself, Jess and my grandmother had to be levered off the couch away from our handiwork!

My current challenge is to draw up some large silhouettes of the three wise men on camels for the annual Rochester Christmas Exhibition. This is a Christmas Extravagance which my mother is heavily involved with, which sees the little old town hall magically transformed into a wonderland.

Crafty!

2010-09-21T16:15:00.001+09:30

New Adventures in Crochet!

2010-09-09T08:47:00.000+09:30

Whipped these up over the weekend... They were surprisingly easy, but it shall remain a teaset for one. Didn't think to make a pattern!

Timewasting 101

2010-09-03T16:55:00.000+09:30

My latest distraction...

When he was very little, Liam had a fascination with succulents. Not just the prickly kind, but anything plump and juicy. He would secretly snap cuttings off as we walked down the street, and hide them in his pockets to be found in the laundry at a later date. Some got planted, and after many years we still have a small collection, but now we agree that these new ones are the best!

Queen of Procrastinate-y Stuff (That's me!)

2010-07-27T20:37:00.000+09:30

Yup - the new semester at uni began yesterday. I have had the two chunky readers for my last course for, oooh, maybe a month and finally found time to read a measly 5 pages over the weekend! So much for getting a head start!

I did have a million other things to do though - like spending Friday night at The Gov listening to three brilliant rockabilly bands; hanging out with my sis and crafternooning the day away Saturday; and cheering very loudly for my (losing) roller derby team! So, it's not like I've been lazy!

PLUS, tomorrow afternoon, my yr 11 and 12 students have the opening of their SALA exhibition!!! So I had to bake. Any excuse. So I made cone cakes - we are a bit over cup cakes at our place. The taste-tester assures me they are good!

We have Grace Portolesi, Minister for Youth, opening the show, so the kids are a bit nervy and excited!

I also wanted to demonstrate the amazing cake decorating skills of the young bloke - not bad for a 13 yr old! He is a massive fan of Cake Wrecks, so carefully modelled the cake on all the best elements they like to talk about - crappy spelling (Hapey Brithday) and unidentifiable images, namely! (It is a birthday pony, in case you were unsure!) Both are intentional and were designed over a period of weeks...... Max was dubiously thrilled - after all - cake was involved.......

Home from a winter wonderland

2010-07-13T15:53:00.001+09:30

sans snow, sadly for the boys! But that's ok... we made up for it with gorgeous blue skies and more birds and mossy things than a stick could be poked at!

We had two days in Hobart, two in Launceston, a night at Cradle Mountain, then back to Hobart for another two. All of our accommodation was terrific - our first place only a five minute walk from Salamanca Place, the city centre and Sandy bay.

We stopped to look at every old bridge and building we passed... we heard from the back seat at one stage, "Pete - do you realise you just drove past an old bridge built by convicts? Just checking..." Too many perhaps?!

A Wintery Weekend,

2010-06-06T18:18:00.000+09:30

but a productive one!

I spent most of this weekend on my own - one fella had a boys' weekend in Victor, and the little one had a Scout camp. I had a quick visit to Gaganis Bros. on my way home from camp drop-off and picked up a big chunk of haloumi and some of this very cute pasta - the verdict here is that it's like animal pasta for grown-ups! I made a roast pumpkin, cumin and basil sauce for it... a very fancy dinner for one!
The goal this weekend was to finish off the final essay for my current uni topic - I succeeded beyond my wildest expectations!!! So now I am officially 2/3 of the way to being completely done with my course.

I also wanted to share my gorgeous friend with you... This is Ma-mee. My grandma won her in a raffle in 1950, complete with a wardrobe of beautiful, handmade clothes. She had two young sons, so waited for her first grand daughter to bestow the prize upon... I scored!! I've had Ma-mee since I was too young to remember. She once talked when moved, and walked along if you pursuaded her a little. She stand at about mid-thigh height. I love her!

My two sweet budgies found the weather outside very wearing on Saturday... as soon as they came back in they needed a little nanna nap!

Something new for the collection?

2010-05-31T20:03:00.000+09:30

I think Margaux Lange is my newest hero!! Just look at this amazing Barbie-inspired jewellery!!! Who doesn't love Barbie in pieces!? I guess it's not immediately obvious that I am actually a Barbie fan... This really captures the spirit of Barbie for me - it's all the reasons I collect them. I love the fabulous make-up and the shapes of their faces!! Sadly, it's a little out of my price range.

Bought it!

2010-05-13T20:53:00.000+09:30

Okay, so I may have only had one guitar lesson EVER, but according to the teacher, I do have some innate ability!! (So what if it was my mum?!)
It has been my goal all year to finish this dumb uni course I started, then next year take up the guitar, become a venturers leader and do a LOT more sewing. So I guess it's all happening sooner rather than later!
Given that mum is interstate, I probably won't get my next proper lesson until December. But she did send me home with a mountain of resources for learning on my own! Thanks, Annie!!

Made it.

2010-04-26T21:36:00.000+09:30

I finished ANOTHER brooch at Brown Owls last fortnight... It's straight out of the Jan/Feb issue of Sew Hip. A nice quick project to use up scraps!

I really like how the colours look on my (thrifted) burgundy wool jacket - I'm just wishing for some cooler weather so I can wear it, now!

New autumn favourites...

2010-04-25T17:05:00.000+09:30

Between returning to school and change-of-season coughs and colds, we have been feeling a bit rough this last week. Spending afternoons asleep is a good thing some of the time, but after work it's not such fun waking up as the house grows dark, then realising noboby else has thought about dinner either!

Lucky the weekend arrived when it did! Although I felt guilty getting up late today - we should have been helping the Scouts put out chairs for the ANZAC ceremony at 4.45 this morning., then afterwards serving breakfast to the oldies. L was a bit disappointed I think, but knows how miserable I've been the last few days. They have all suffered ;)

This week the teenager and I have been reading through the Autumn chapters of Maggie's Harvest, and found a delicious spiced treat to make - persimmon bread.

I really enjoy reading Maggie Beer's books - the stories she tells are interesting and personal. I am surprised that L enjoys them too - he is interested in her descriptions of the perfect specimens, and places she has eaten wonderful dishes!! Such an unusual boy!

Today we have roasted chestnuts, made Thai pumpkin and carrot soup and a fetta and leek tart for lunch tomorrow. And as I write, the young man is preparing roast lamb for dinner! Things are looking up!

Earlier in the week, I made a couple of little cuties from the 'More Softies' book. I cut out about 5 of the little elephants before realising just how horribly fiddly they are to make..... more UFOs?!

Holiday are almost gone...

2010-04-15T17:59:00.000+09:30

But I feel like I've done a little with them. I bought and finished The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I think this might be the best book I've read this decade! I highly recommend it.

We had a weekend away ( in Hahndorf) and spent time doing all the touristy things - browsing in over-priced shops, eating at bakeries, cafes and authentically German-style pubs!

It was lots of fun, but best of all was finding skeins of this recycled sari silk at a most reasonable price! I've been looking for something nice to make mum a scarf, but hadn't seen anything interesting in the right colours... This fit the bill!

Mind you, I did start crocheting four different scarves before I realised it just needed to be knit in good old garter stitch - it was way too busy otherwise!

I also made another batch of macarons - in the unlikely combination of peanut butter and lemon. They were something else!

Sad Farewells

2010-03-02T19:59:00.000+10:30

Last week was mildy devastating for us... well, me at least...
Joe Budgie died unexpectedly.
Maybe attacked by his room mate, Alice (Cooper). Maybe terrorised by the local mynah, Mr Bob Dobalino. Maybe a case of premature old age.

We'll never know - there wasn't a post-mortem.
But it was sad, very sad.
I was appalled, and cried some more when
Pete suggested getting a new budgie.

That lasted 12 hours -
meet Monty Kakoscke. He has eye lashes!!!

To ease the pain, I made these macaroons using Tartelette's recipe. They were pretty spesh, particularly for my first ever go, however they were directly responsible for me having a flat tyre AND a speeding fine all in the same day.

Work Avoidance Techniques.....

2010-01-11T08:43:00.000+10:30

Finished!!

2010-01-05T20:22:00.000+10:30

Finally, I got the rest of this done.
The tattoo guy asked if he could use my design...
I'm flattered!
He did a much nicer job finishing it than the bloke that did the original bit.

And look what Santa brought me!

Joe the Budgie HATES it. I think he's developing a complex!

Finished!!

2009-12-20T14:26:00.000+10:30

Today I...

2009-12-19T21:18:00.000+10:30

...slept in. YAY!

...finished this for here. Only 3 days late, and clearly not keeping up!

...played Monkey-Plunk. Our favourite.

...went to the haircutter and got the kid short back and sides.

...tried to make a wreath but failed miserably!

...started making a couple of pocket gnomes from "More Softies" for the Toy Society Christmas drop this weekend.

...demonstrated that actually I still have WAAAY too much time on my hands by making these. One of them twice (unpicking and all!). For DOGS. Someone else's dogs.

Currently cooking round three of teeny weeny mince pies and listening to Carols in the Domain! Joy!!

Nothing says Christmas like...

2009-12-18T20:52:00.000+10:30

and...

At our house, we have decided that "Ikea" is the Swedish god of gingerbread... This is how we spent this afternoon!

Here it comes... the REALLY silly bit of the silly season...

2009-12-16T20:49:00.000+10:30

Although I am finally on holidays, it feels like I've hit the ground running this week... Friday night - work breakup at our house, Sunday was the first of two family Christmases we are hosting, now trying to make inroads into the mound of UFOs that is overtaking my sewing room so the next lot of rellies can sleep in there... I'm making up for six months of being snowed under, and I'm hoping to get it under control in a week... I am NOT holding my breath!!

Seems like ages ago now, but I have to comment on just what a fabulous night out the Brown Owls Christmas break up was! The company was splendid, the food was tasty (mine anyway!!), but best of all was the Kris Kringle of handmade goodness!

Further proof of the talented ladies you all are! I was lucky to get this gorgeous package from Megan - Cookies in a Jar (white choc and cranberry, no less!), hidden away in the cutest red spotty lunch sack!!! My favourite on both counts!

Oh - and our house is turning into a forest... we've been pumping pine trees out at a rate of three a night! Next year I'll start earlier and make them as Christmas cards, I think! I got the idea from here...

To market, to market!

2009-11-27T18:49:00.000+10:30

Been spending the nights this week tidying up loose ends before the Goodwood Christmas Market tomorrow! I'm very excited - it's been two years since I did a market. I kinda miss it, but I also appreciate having full time work... not sure I could manage both!

So, my box is packed, I've stamped paper bags and I think I have everything we need piled by the front door! I'm really looking forward to spending the day with my lovely friends Vanessa and Linda - lots of gossiping!!!
Hope the weatherman was wrong...

And I finally finished this little guy - he's been my fall-back craft for months now...

Too early???!

2009-11-14T18:27:00.000+10:30

I have to admit, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! So how could I miss the opportunity to watch the Pageant and put up our tree?! At least I waited until the manchild was home from his sleepover...
And another thing - it IS November ( he reminded me of the year we put it up in October.......)

Turns out I'm a lazy blogger...

2009-11-10T17:45:00.000+10:30

... but I do have excuses! (I'm very good at excuses!!!) I have been focussed on getting all the loose ends wrapped up in preparation for the Goodwood Market on November 28th - it's a bit away, I know, but I haven't done a market in 12 months and I want to be VERY organised! I have made cards to put all the brooches on and thought about pricing ( the bit I dislike the most) and now have about 50ish finished, ready to sell brooches!

I have also been working very hard at my real job - yr 12 assessment time up until this Friday then yr 11 begins. I hate this time of year! On the up side - I have been inspired by one of my students who has been sewing pjs... came home full of ideas last night and whipped up a pair of shorts from a pillow case I found in the back of this mess (next holiday's project!!) -

The cotton shorts have that lovely worn feel to them that old linen gets. It reminds me of sleeping at grandma's! Now I'm trying to work out a design for a top from the other pillow case.

I have also been busy collecting bits and pieces for my latest addiction - gluing together pieces of crockery to create new treasures! I was a bit surprised when I bought Burda yesterday and found they have an article about the same thing! I like mine more though...

I upset one little old opshop lady last week. She commented that a lovely plate I bought was a Meakin, and I explained that I was going to glue things to it... she was stunned! But I did find other Meakin pieces which had been my ma's to use with it - at least I kept to a theme!!!

I have another project about to get underway - my 'Ramona was a waitress dress', a little tribute to Paul *sigh* Dempsey. No idea what I will sew it out of - love some suggestions, though! I will definitely make the blue version with topstitching. Funny how my taste in old patterns is changing as I get older - no way would I have looked twice at this pattern even last year!!

Little home improvements (and something to show for the holidays!)

2009-10-11T21:00:00.001+10:30

This week I hung my latest aquisitions - two beautiful digital illustrations from Art&Ghosts...
This quote kind of sets the tone for her work -
"Up until the age of seven, Art&Ghosts rather fancied that she was actually a small sycamore tree instead of real person."
Quirky, hey?!! Take a look at her portfolio - very beautiful images!

Anyway, the bottom image got me thinking - bunting. There's sure not enough of it in the right places! Like my bedroom, for starters. And, given the number of unattached bits kicking around the sewing room, most other rooms in my house!
I can recommend it as a quick way to get rid of fabric - in no time at all I had worked my way through a great big pile of pieces I'd been hanging onto for too long.

I also managed to get out this week to spend my October IKEA allowance!! No, really!!)
Instead of what I went for, I came home with this! Now the budgie lives on top of a wine rack which used to be here, instead of a rickety piece of shelving I built one night 10 years ago.
Everybody's happy!!
(Oh, and the tin on the bottom shelf has nut loaf in it - it was a busy day!!)

And one last thing - I just wanted to show off this painting that L did during the arts and crafts afternoon we had at Victor! He has his own unique sense of humour!!

Lazy Days...

2009-10-11T19:46:00.001+10:30

I love the weekend... but who doesn't? Gooey eggs for brekky then off to see lovely things at the Bowerbird Bazaar. How wonderful to see so much talent in one space!!! Can't wait for the next one.

Holiday Treasures

2009-09-30T14:58:00.000+09:30

We spent a wind-swept four days at Victor Harbour to start off the school holidays in proper holiday mode for a change... Travelled down in two cars so the man of the house could get back to work on Monday and I could stay on a bit longer with the little guy.

We went whale-watching every day, sometimes twice a day, and were extremely excited to see whales on three occasions!!! As an adult, I feel a bit saddened that there are so few things to be truly excited about anymore - this kinda made up for that!! I was jumping around like a silly thing, while 12yr old watched me warily, checking that noboby else had noticed my behaviour...
Come on though - we were 50 metres from a WHALE!!! How often does that happen?!?

Another highlight was investigating the little old main street of Port Elliot. We found junk shops, book shops, cake shops and a shop that was all three in one! Paradise!!

I bought this...

and these (the bundle for $3 - bargain!!)...

and several treasures from Little Bird at Elliot, which comes highly recommended!

When we got back to our house, instead of doing the studying I'd planned, I made more of these...

I guess you could say it was a pretty productive few days - for a holiday!

Wish you could smell these....

2009-09-03T22:14:00.000+09:30

I've been trying to buy stocks for 3 weeks now...
I'm always the customer AFTER they sell the last bunch.

The manchild got in the car not knowing I'd been flower-shopping and asked what the gingerbread smell was!!! I never thought of it, but they really do smell like gingerbread!

P is away in Las Vegas for 2 weeks, so I've been keeping myself
entertained in the evenings... it's starting to wear thin! I resorted to tidying cupboards last night.
(See - anything can be a distraction from writing essays.
Particularly now we have a six week extension!!!)

Buried in the depths, I found a stack of my grandma's old teacups. Last Boxing Day she had all the girls in the family over to choose from a selection of her treasures, so she could see what we loved while she is still around!

Apart from these pretties, my other favourite possession now is a fabulous 1950s swan vase - something I have adored since childhood.

Even on the interwebs, I have not seen another one as beautiful. And I also got some turkey salt and pepper shakers... apparently there's kitsch and then there's UGLY! (sorry for the crappy photo)

And while we're talking bird collections, here's my latest treasure. It's my treat for staying behind and NOT having a drinking, gambling holiday!

And more brooches.....

2009-08-20T20:46:00.000+09:30

I think these are becoming a habit... HELP!!!!
This is the latest crocheted flower brooch - attached to my latest UFO, a Burda coat which I was certain would be amazing if I made it out of vintage curtain fabric. How wrong could I be!?!
While I still love the colours of the fabric, I have seriously lost interest in the whole coat idea. Maybe if it was shorter. And if I painted out the vast expanses of cream background... Next winter perhaps!

Then there is the beginning of the 'Small Furry Animals' range (as suggested by the man-child). He's partly correct - I do have an array of felt animals cut out on the ironing board, but I don't consider moose either small nor fluffy.

And a couple of views from the sewing room...

Much of my art from the last 8-10 years has focussed on the idea home and having a place in the world that is uniquely yours... The little houses are made from stitched gingham, copying designs from some of the handmade aprons in my (unnecessarily large) collection. The other two houses are made out of lino from my friend Carol's kitchen floor... complete with splashes of paint and grime from 50 years worth of daily life. Wish I'd known how to crochet when I made them.

And this is Ma-mee. My grandmother won her in a raffle in 1950, but only had sons, so luckily, as first grandaughter, she became my friend. Originally she walked when coaxed, and said "ma-mee" when tipped upside down, but going in the bath put an end to that :(
The even has a complete wardrobe of the most beautifully handcrafted clothes - a pleated tartan skirt, an eyelet blouse, pyjamas and underwear. I love her, even though she has a tendency to freak out friends who stay in her room...

Oh, My Broochy Goodness!

2009-08-13T18:00:00.001+09:30

More Brown Owls last night - my fortnightly inspiration fix!!
However, as usual, at the last minute I decide NOT to do more crocheting (nobody in the house can think of anything else they want made...), so I hurriedly went through my little book of make and do ideas for - you guessed it - IDEAS!!!
I found some dodgy birdcage drawings I had started to do for a pair of custom Keds, and realised they would be rather fancy as brooches instead! And so far, so good...

My latest brooches seem to be verging on the larger side... I guess, given that I have no plans for selling them, they only have to appeal to me at this point though. And I do love a gigantic brooch!!! This one is about 8 cm x 5cm at its widest bits.

And then, beacuse I have the attention span of a gnat, I made this little girly.
She's only 4.5 x 3.5cm - much tinier!

I would like to start planning things to sell at the Goodwood Christmas Market - likely be brooches... Any feedback would be fabulous!!
After last Brown Owls, where lots of girls were making crocheted flower brooches, I attempted my own pattern, and came up with something wearable after only 4 disasters!

I wore it to school today and got many positive comments from teenagers...
who'd have thought, hey!?

I'm looking forward to my mum visiting Adelaide this weekend... might get her to this weekends Goodwood market if her and little sis don't have other plans. Sunday I'm off to the Gilles Street Market with one of my beautifully talented Year 12 students from last year. Can't wait for the weekend!!!

Ooh, and while I think of it... check out the loveliness at Shelbyville.
Particularly her Etsy shop... another addiction of mine!!

Addictive personality? You be the judge!

2009-07-18T22:48:00.000+09:30

Our last couple of weeks have been a flurry of planes, buses and automobiles...
just missed out on including trains, too. School holidays have never been less relaxing!
For all the hectic-ness, we have had a lot of fun visiting 2 sets of grandparents and a pair of great grandparents in two states - spent a lot of time drinking tea, looking at photo albums and hearing lovely stories from them all.

Since last my Brown Owls meet about 3 weeks ago, I have become seriously stuck on crocheting - learning a couple of stitches other than chain seems to have inspired me an incredible amount!!
In this short time, I have finished 3 cowls, a pair of wrist warmers, 2 scarves and several randomly shaped bits and pieces as I experiment with shaping! Crochet is the medium for me... I enjoy the process of knitting, but am truly terrible at it, so I'm stoked to have found an alternative!

The black curly scarf is a lovely soft mohair from the Bendigo Woollen Mill.
It took me a bit to get used to the open fibres, but after persevering (9 hours on the bus to Victoria!!!) I was an expert. At least I spent SOME of my school holidays doing something for me!
Finished length is about 180cm, and it has quickly become my new favourite accessory!

The stripy scarf was whipped up in a couple of nights for my son to take on his scout camp, when we heard the temperature was going to be colder than expected.
This pic is post-camp, so ignore any unpleasant nasties that I failed to pick off it!!
He chose the colours for it based on one square of a (genuine-made-by-a-granny) granny rug he was given by his great-grandma during our visit.

I have been attempting to make flower brooches, stubbornly without instructions...
I was thrilled to see at Brown Owls next week we can learn! Serendipity! Just as my frustration levels were peaking, too! The colours are scraps - not necessarily wearable.

We visited Morisset on Lake Macquarie and were lucky to find a bunch* of op shops!
If I had the room in my luggage, I could easily have bought (for the princely sum of $10) an entire BOX of gorgeous men's patterns from the 60s and 70s!!! Oh the sadness at leaving those behind!
The illustrations alone were a barrel of laughs!
This one made it home, though!! Not sure if the big or little fella will benefit from it yet, although they are almost the same size now anyway...

*Some discussion on our way home to Adelaide... IS a group of op shops actually a 'bunch'?? Maybe a naphthalum of op shops... or even just an opportunity of shops (the 12yr old's suggestion!!)
PS: Apparently naphthalene is a sublime substance. For real!!! A million, trillion nannas can't be wrong!

Hey Dollface!

2009-06-22T17:12:00.000+09:30

Spending a weekend home on my own was meant to be fun - it was something I've been looking forward to for weeks. But then I got a miserable cold (it is the end of term...) and was bored and lonely without my two boys home.

I managed to get a little bit creative between nose wipes...

Recently I was reminded of the joys of drinking tea from a teapot, however I was desperately in need of a tea cosy. A pot of tea drunk by one goes cold mighty quick!

I used my favourite patternmaking technique (plastic bag and masking tape) to make a rough pattern for my favourite teapot and voila!

Without the flowery covering, it looked a lot like something a hobbit would wear, but I am pretty pleased with the final outcome. And, best of all, it works.

During last week I also had a go at making a Black Apple doll, having seen some beautiful girlies made by some of the Brown Owls. Thanks Tracey Brown Owl for the link!
I love love love Emily Martin's illustration style!!

I really like leaving dolls with very simple features, so just went with eyes for this one. Her name is Tsubi, and she is going to be our next Toy Society drop. Not too sure where she'll be left yet - maybe outside the local Community Centre.

Busy, busy, busy!!!

2009-06-16T18:06:00.000+09:30

At our first Adelaide Brown Owls meet last Wednesday (which was terrific!!!), I finished this little matroyska brooch, with a whole bunch of other designs in mind. I really enjoy working with felt - it is so forgiving and has that lovely folksy feel about it.
One of the Brown Owl prefects had brought in an old owl embroidery design for us to work on...
I decided I would love it more if it was tiny, so this is my little fella!

Anyway, it would seem that I truly have the felt brooch bug (better than swine flu anyday!)...

I made some of these flowers-

and some of these flowers-

and have now started making a series of these silhouette brooches- a little bigger than I normally wear, but I love the drama of them!!

...and I also bought the book, Sew What! Skirts for work ;) and spent the weekend
being inspired by it (and this great fabric!!)

The book is aimed at beginners, but has some lovely ideas about design details, and really simplifies the pattern-making process, which is perfect for my students at school. They want fabulous-looking, but without having to learn too many skills... this is perfect!

And finally - today I bumped into this sweet book. The Kitchen Linen Book.
It not only has lovely references to all types of linen and the history of these things, but people's stories about their favourite pieces, recipes, tips on inviting friends for lunch, how to make the perfect cup of tea, and so on! And one image features a pair of turkey salt and pepper shakers which I just happen to own as well! See - fate made me buy it!!!

Bloggerama!

2009-06-08T16:04:00.000+09:30

So here it is... the new blog! Just one more place I can rant on about stuff no one here at home really wants to listen to!!!

For a month now, I have been a member of the Toy Society... Thinking of toys to make is almost as much fun as finding somewhere special to leave them. Playgrounds and libraries have worked well for me so far. L had the idea that it would be nice to leave them in places where refugees might find them. Thoughtful for one so young! Anyway - the squishy friends so far:

Luna

Cato

Sol

We spent some time today browsing through lots of people's trash and a few people's treasures at the Fisherman's Wharf Market. It tends to be my fallback market when nothing else is on!

There are a couple of stalls we always do well at - a little old lady and her daughter sell old linen, aprons, patterns, 60s coats and other sewing odds and ends, and I always manage to find somethere there I need!

No exception today - she had lots of bad 80s patterns but tucked amongst them were these two beauties...

Simplicity 4670 is a little the worse for wear, but complete.

McCalls 7366 is definitely being made - the yellow version for starters, I think. In red!

It has been remarked upon that I actually just collect collections. Thanks, Legs!! Just because I collect Barbies, aprons, old patterns, rhinestone brooches, birds, salt and pepper shakers, leaf-shaped plates, etc etc doesn't mean I'm indiscriminate about what I buy!!!