Toot!

Moving on from disappointments** to some quick, fun crafting.

Inspired by Made by Joel.

Drawn by C*

Sewn by me (with C assisting on the stuffing stage).

And played by resident jazz virtuoso in training.


*Drawn straight onto the fabric, and capable of being a trumpet, cornet, clarinet or saxophone as desired. Our simpler shape was easier to stuff than the design in Joel's book, and I sewed a black oval to the end to make it a bit more three dimensional.

**Pleased to report we seem nasty bug free at the moment. Touchwood...

Remote Craft Camp.

This weekend I went to Remote Craft Camp.
That's the Craft Camp when you've been waiting for for months and months, your first overnight escape from parenting duties in over a year; your first chance to catch up (in person!) with some of your crafty friends in over a year.
That's the Craft Camp when you carefully plan and pack all your making stuff a couple of days in advance, only to find yourself half unpacking them the night before, because you're going to have to miss the first day and night to look after a sick child, so you may as well get on with some making in the meantime.
That's the Craft Camp when you've placed your bags next to the door, awaiting the moment when you hand over child minding to your partner, to set off eagerly and make the most of what remains of the weekend, as if reducing the carrying distance will somehow, miraculously, enable it to get out the door.
That's the Craft Camp when you find yourself resentfully unpacking everything before it gets out the door, because another family member has fallen prey to the stomach bug lurgy, and you realise that you just have to accept that what you want to happen is not going to happen.
That's the Craft Camp when you spend your evenings sewing on your own, stereo turned up, chocolate in one hand and and an appropriately creative cold beverage in the other, wishing that it was all accompanied by the conversation and laughter of friends in the room with you.
Oh, what a wonderful world it would be if wishing & hoping that it were not so could make it not so.
Best try and just make the most of where you are, and what you can do, than lament where you want to be, what you want to be doing. You may not completely succeed, but it is at least worth trying.

At least A seems to like her new cloth shoes, and I managed to cut out some pants for myself (hoping they will fit...), and there is talk of a Special Weekend to make up for the disappointment of this one...

A hat

One of the things I have sewn recently.
A new hat for C.
He needed a new one and the fabric printed by Wil was begging to be made into something straight away.
I used the Nicole Mallalieu pattern that I always use, and lined it with some painterly Ikea fabric left over from the hanging pockets.
Very pleased with it. Especially as C loves it too.
Thanks Wil (and Suzie) for the fabric!

A Lot

It's not that I haven't been doing anything blog worthy.
Just that I've been doing a lot of stuff.
A lot of stuff that I've been gladly, happily making time for instead of blog writing and photographing or reading or lingering on the internet in general.
A lot of summer relaxing, a lot of craft room reorganising, a lot of sewing. 
Last month there was a lot of jam making too.
30 jars of it.
Every jam jar in the house, filled with the fruits we harvested on our summer excursion to the countryside.
There has been a lot of adjusting to new routines too, as C starts kinder, A starts childcare, and I start back at work.
Which is all good, but does mean I probably won't be spending a lot of time here for a little while.
But I will try to stop by every now and then..