clementine's shoes

My new love

2012-01-15T22:11:00.000+11:00

Late last year, as I was putting the finishing touches to some (yet to be blogged about) gifts, my trusty old sewing machine went pop and hissed and fizzled and let out a puff of smoke and an acrid electrical burning smell. After 19 years of use and abuse it was letting me know it had had enough. So last week, after about year of thinking about it, and saving for it, I finally bought myself a new sewing machine. A Bernina 550QE sewing computer* to be precise.

With one project under my belt (our belts?) so far, I am completely and utterly in love with it. Far more than I expected.

It started with the fact that it fills the bobbin almost entirely by itself (and I have a few to be filled), and ended with the fact that this first project was so easy to sew with it.

It was a project that had been on the To-Do list for a long time- a hanging pocket organiser for holding shoes and sun hats inside our all-purpose storage cupboard. I probably could have managed to make it with my old machine, but I know it would have been a struggle.

There would have been broken needles and cursing and swearing and hand cranking as I wrangled multiple layers of fabric through the machine. It wouldn't have had the triple stitched top stitching that I chose to use (for extra strength and durability), and the top stitching wouldn't have been as neat because I wouldn't have had the clever presser foot that makes neat top stitching so easy.

All the necessary stopping and starting would have driven me batty, with all the needle up/down adjusting and presser foot lifting that becomes so much easier (unnecessary even) when you have touch button and knee lever controls. And having a big work surface to support a big project was brilliant too.

Really, I was amazed. I expected it to be a more robust and helpful machine but experiencing it really blew me away**. I am smitten and looking forward to spending many more evenings together with it.

*According to the manual it is a sewing computer, not a sewing machine. Although it does lack a Qwerty keyboard and touchscreen.
**Actually being able to set foot inside our all-purpose storage cupboard, now that all the shoes that used to take up the floor space in there are hanging up on the inside of the door, is pretty amazing too.

Away

2012-01-13T20:43:00.001+11:00

Away from the city; playing with friends; spending time outside; harvesting plums, potatoes, rhubarb and blueberries; eating tasty food; enjoying the time away from internet and phone connections; just going with the changes in routine; watching the cows being milked and the calves being fed; reacquainting myself with caffeine; not getting enough sleep. Guess you can't have everything.
(The last photo is from our holiday there a couple of years ago. My, how they have grown...)

Wrapping up last year: The Lego Bag

2012-01-03T22:21:00.001+11:00

I made this for C for Christmas, having seen this tutorial via Pinterest, and having chatted with S about the Lego bag he'd had as a child, the same as the one mentioned in the tutorial. Our Lego storage system was reaching capacity, and we wanted something quick and easy to unfurl or pack up, and easier to sort and rummage for pieces on.

I used a range of fabrics, all from the stash- mostly Ikea cotton and linens with some honeyed carrots too- and random pieced. The inside lining is a black and white cotton blend from Spotlight.

It worked really well, although I'm going to have to find some better eyelets as some have already pulled out. Despite my fears that I would like it more than C, he's pretty happy with it- more for what it enables him to do (ie play) rather than how it looks.

Wrapping up last year: The Handprinted swap

2012-01-02T22:32:00.000+11:00

A project from last year that I loved immensely was Leslie's handprinted fabric swap.
I loved it so much, that after receiving handprinted fabrics from Sugarlemon, Kleas, Flower Press and Starashan (thanks again ladies!), I roped some other friends into another swap.
And it may not be my last.
It's a wonderful way to enhance the craft fabric stash.
This year's task list includes finding The Perfect Projects to put them to use.

by Starashan, Flower Press, Sugarlemon and Kleas.

by Floating World, From Little Things, Assemblage and 6.5sts.

The year.

2011-12-31T21:22:00.000+11:00

I don't think I realised what a busy year it had been until I put together these mosaics. A review of stuff that I've sewn and knitted. About one thing a week (there are a few things that still haven't been photographed and shared here), which I think is pretty good considering I've been looking after A, who has grown from a well sized young baby into a well sized one year old.

But I know I've had it easier than many- seeing the end of year image grab bags in the News is a harsh reminder of the disasters and difficulties that others have faced, and make me grateful for the year we have experienced. May we be so lucky next year. May you be so lucky too. Best wishes and thankyou for reading and commenting and sharing here!

Christmas wrapped up.

2011-12-26T11:51:00.000+11:00

We had a lovely Christmas this year.
Good food, good company, some truly lovely gifts, some perhaps a little misguided, but it's the thought that counts, right?
Looking around the house now, it's hard to believe it's over, that a new year awaits just around the corner.
After another (a first) birthday, and hopefully a trip to the sewing machine shop.
There are plenty of things from this month to be shared here- gifts that were made- when I find the time.
It's been a busy year.
Wishing you all the best of the festive season too.

Gingerbread and jelly beans

2011-12-17T22:02:00.001+11:00

While the resident bloke has been busy erecting Ikea Faktum cabinets in the new Laundry, C and I tried our hand at an Ikea gingerbread house.

I had bought a Gourmet Traveller with intentions of going the whole hog and making the gingerbread, but decided to take it easy with the pre-made kit. Not, as a friend pointed out, that decorating anything with kids can be called easy, but omitting the baking element made it quicker at least.

This being the first gingerbread house I've ever made (and C's first too) it was handy to have a couple of sets of instructions to refer to- we went with the Gourmet Traveller suggestion to decorate the walls and roof before assembling. I suspect this was much easier than trying to decorate the assembled house as Ikea suggested.

Despite a shortage of icing sugar (hence icing quantities), probably overly thick icing (for fear of making it too runny) and lack of a piping kit (we made do with a very basic parchment piping cone) we had a heap of fun, sticking jelly beans, choc buds and raspberry jubes everywhere, and finishing our masterpiece off with a liquorice path and marshmallow snowman.

It kept us both entertained for well over an hour, and we're looking forward to gobbling it up.

Let's become friends

2011-12-15T16:39:00.000+11:00

I have indeed been envying some of my friends for a while now. They've all been having such fun, making new garments in a few short evenings, accomplishing that sense of achievement.
So when Kirsten mentioned her old machine was looking for a new home, I jumped at the chance to give it one. Now I just need to move A out of the craft room so I can get it settled in there and have a play...

Wish me luck.

The Tailor of Gloucester

2011-12-11T22:50:00.000+11:00

I've been playing Tailor of Gloucester lately. Working away on the dining room table each evening, sewing, snipping, pressing and folding, while the children of the household sleep, and the man of the house works away on the Laundry renovations.
A little bit here, and a little more there, and in time things are coming together. I now have a few new summer clothes for A to show for it- some tops and smocks.

A gathered Liberty top, a variegated linen smock, an a-line Liberty smock with silk/cotton lining, and a white cotton gathered yoke top. More details on Flick via links. (Although given her current way of moving about- commando crawling and a bouncy bum shuffle- I'm not planning to put her in the white one just yet. Not unless I've just cleaned the floor).

My creative space: the dining table

2011-12-01T21:33:00.000+11:00

My usual creative space is pretty much inaccessible right now.
With the Laundry renovation entering it's second month (although it is going pretty well), there is a heap of Stuff, that normally lives elsewhere, dumped or otherwise perched somewhere in the craft room. It's joined by a growing (hiding) stash of Christmas (and First Birthday.. just around the corner) gifts, and last (but not least) A's cot, with A sleeping in it, are residing back in there while we wait until she grows out of this phase of pre-5am and middle of the night waking.
The result- leg room and bench space and time to hang out in there (other than for baby settling purposes) are few and far between.
Instead, for now, my creative space is the dining table, armed with a carrot and some fabric paint, or (as tonight) with a glue stick and cutting knife, making some Christmas cards with C's artwork. Quick to make and I'm quite pleased with the results. Now for some card writing...

Little artist

2011-11-27T22:43:00.000+11:00

I'm tingling with inspiration and bursting with wanting to get on and do right now. The inspiration has been under my nose for a while, in the form of a wonderful book that was given to C (or perhaps to me) for his birthday this year. I was excited when we received it, because (unbeknownst to the friend who gave it to us) I kind-of know the author (also co-creator of Umbrella Prints fabric)

That's exactly how I started my conversation with her last week, when she was doing a meet and greet, talking about the book (complete with an engaging demo) at mum's local library. "I kind of know you already" I sheepishly said, to which she gave me a inquiring look. "I'm Di, from Clementine's Shoes" I went on, to which Carly burst into smiles, offering a warm embrace, and the news that the little green bag I made for her many years ago, was still in use, her favorite sewing bag no less, and was with her on this trip to Melbourne (although not with her at the time). Which made me feel quite thrilled and pleased, prompting me to burst into smiles myself.

Carly in person, is a delight, as I am sure many lucky Adeladeans already know. I was already inspired by the book (though I had done little to act upon that), but hearing her talk with such passion about children's art, and experiencing how simple it can be to put the ideas into action (C was first to yelp "I do!" when Carly asked who wanted to wield the silk screen squeegee), has my brain ticking over and ideas bubbling away. She was full of clever (top secret*) tips and ideas, as well as enthusiasm for children's artistic experiences. If we lived in Adelaide we'd definitely be going to classes at Nest Studio. Carly highlighted how things like using good artist quality materials, and being prepped to minimise mess and manage clean up, that make so much difference to the art experience for all. Her focus was very much on supporting children's artistic experience by letting children know that their efforts are appreciated, respected and worth so much more than a short airing stuck on the fridge door.

I feel like meeting and chatting with Carly has fired off a huge spark of inspiration, bringing together a few recent things- The handprinted fabric swap got me reacquainted with the pleasures of print making; C has had an artistic development spurt, producing beautiful drawings as well as being incredibly enthusiastic about all kinds of crafting and making. I'm looking forward to where this may lead us in the next little while. Mum let me know she still has the silkscreen I used when I was at high school (and some of the inks too!). I'm thinking "out with the potato stamped" tea towels for gifts this year and "in with the silk screened children's art" ones. And seeing the gorgeously wonky Christmas tree that C drew this afternoon, I may scrap my half-made Christmas cards and printing some cards with his drawing. So much fun to be had in the next month, and in the future too.
I highly recommend procuring a copy of Little Artists Handmade for your child (or yourself) and acting on the ideas inside.

*eg, if you want to set your silk screening ink immediately, place paper over it and iron it straight away. Some ink will come off on the paper, but it will be set, which is handy if you are doing repeat prints with a small screen. Ta Da!! So clever!

Hats off

2011-11-25T23:11:00.000+11:00

A loves to take her hat off. As do many babies I suppose. With the result that we lost the only sun hat that fit her this week, somewhere around near the Botanic Gardens, despite the chin strap. Thankfully it wasn't a handmade one, just a hand-me-down.

Of course, being the crafty mum that I am (or perhaps frugal nutcase, or even sewing addict, as you prefer), I sat down at the machine that evening and whipped up a new one. Nicole Mallalieu's fantastic pattern (Really, it is fantastic) doesn't include a chin strap, so I will have to add one pronto, before it goes missing too (Unsurprisingly, A doesn't particularly like keeping this one on either).

And while I'm mentioning hats, here's another one I finished a little while ago. A little larger cap to replace the little cap that was too little. Although given that the weather has moved out of winter mode (if not entirely into summer mode) I don't think it will be getting worn anytime soon, and by next year she'll probably be too big for it and will never get to wear it.
At least it won't get lost I suppose.

Spotted

2011-11-13T21:29:00.000+11:00

I'm so glad I signed up for Leslie's Handprinted fabric swap. And I haven't even received anything yet. I just really enjoyed the challenge of doing something different from my usual crafting repertoire. Something that required a bit of thought and a bit of research and a bit of supplies shopping.

In keeping with my ongoing obsession with spotted fabrics I wanted to create a jumbo sized honeycomb spot. The spacing was important to make it work. After musing on how to achieve it I decided to draw a chalk grid and stamp with a carrot.

It didn't take too long, and I actually found the stamping quite meditative. There were some leftover bits but I think I need to plan another evening for quiet, contemplative, carrot stamping because I'm so pleased with the results. Regular (although not perfect) and bold (yet subtly textured).

Hope my fellow swappers like it too.

Liberty & Linen

2011-11-10T12:48:00.000+11:00

Due to the combination of bursts of warm weather, and a bit of a growth spurt, I've suddenly been finding it a struggle to dress A. She dipped out during the KCWC, so I've set myself a bit of a mini-challenge to get some summer clothes made for her this fortnight (with laundry renovations in full swing, and the Handprinted Fabric Swap to be completed, I knew this week would be unrealistic).

On the weekend we had a kids party to attend, so that morning while she napped I pulled out my ready-traced patterns, and some of the pre-washed linen and Liberty in the stash, and set to work. A sweet outfit that has been one of my favorites since I bought this book years ago.

Due to time constraints I omitted the pockets, and cut the pants as one pattern piece (instead of front and back). I picked up this linen at Darn Cheap, and am looking forward to sewing up what remains as it's a great citrus/natural colour blocked fabric. Both shades will be really versatile, and sewing with linen is such a delight. As is sewing with Liberty.

Due to space constraints in the craft room I used mostly french seams for the top (overlocker inaccessible, and I don't like the way zig-zag stitch pulls the lightweight Liberty). I am contemplating unpicking so I can fix up some mistakes- I just wasn't thinking about which order I was doing things, so I couldn't run elastic through the sleeve hem, and I added some totally unnecessary width to the front, which I'd like to take back out. The top is actually too large for her right now and wasn't finished in time to be worn to the party, but she did get to wear pants with a little sun dress we were given when she was born.
Now for some more cutting into the Liberty and Linen stash...

Second time lucky

2011-11-07T12:31:00.001+11:00

The other week I made a batch of buttermilk scones that, due to omission of a key ingredient on my part, was an impressive failure (kind of like half baked home made play dough cakes). So I immediately set about making a second batch. They were a satisfying success.

I am hoping for similar turn around in other second attempts around here.

There are the jumbo snaps and buttons (above) I'm going to remove and reposition on my NY Cape (on opposite sides of the front, so left laps over right). And then I'll probably be putting it in the cupboard until next winter. But at least come Autumn one of us will have a warm outer layer that fits, ready to wear.

On the knitting front, my Korrigan has been completely frogged (having completed the yoke) and is being knitted again with larger needles (from my new Symphonie interchangable set)

There's a second planting of corn, direct in ground, not pre-soaked (aka drowned) and planted in toilet rolls as last time. Probably way too late in the season, but we're after baby corn so I'm hoping we'll get to eat some fruit from them.

And this morning A is finally having her "morning" nap post an early lunch. Clearly today was the day when pre-nap feed was in order. She must be gearing up for another growth spurt. Hope the summer clothes I'm sewing for her won't need to be made over again too...

PS, the scones are really, really good. Great to make with kids. I substitute 75g spreading butter for the fat component, which is easy to work into the flour and always on hand. I also made them one day with milk and a splash of vinegar in lieu of buttermilk, and that worked fine too. They're not too sweet (we had them with soup for lunch one day) and can be frozen. 25secs in our microwave defrosts and warms one to perfection for moments when you need a quick snack.

Robots Grrrr

2011-10-24T11:33:00.000+11:00

There's been a lot of grrr going on here in the last week.
The regular grrr of a moody-growing-up-too-fast 4 year old (although he did enjoy our robot making session shown above).
The understandable grrr of a very, very sick little (almost) 10 month old with tonsillitis.
The (I like to think) quite understandable if somewhat sleep deprived grrr of a mamma who was tending to said sick little (almost) 10 month old through the worst of it (The longest 48 hours of my life. Even longer than the first 48 hours of her life I think. Or her brother's life for that matter.).
The inevitable grrr of mamma and dadda resigning themselves to handing the craft room/study back to the sick little (almost) 10 month old because it was the only way to enable at least some people in the house to get some sleep.
But with time, things are starting to get back to normal.
A is much better, sleeping much better, and smiling again.
C's moods do pass.
And we're planing to reclaim the craft and study space for ourselves later this week.

(Before the wheels fell off I managed to finish sewing C's Robot T, another scrap T I cut out for KCWC. The black and white stripe was pilfered from a friend's scrap bin- nearly enough for a T shirt front, with a scrap of red attached to the bottom. The robot print is another from the Kristen Doran craft panel.)

KCWC wrap-up

2011-10-16T21:24:00.000+11:00

KCWC ends today, but as I started a day early I gave myself the day off, and instead we headed off for an outing with C sporting some of his brand new clothes.

Refashioned jeans received his tick of approval, as did the T shirt I made last night. I used some leftover remnants from other projects- some green T's I made for myself, and some navy blue summer sleeping sacks I made for C.
The patch on the front (identified by S as a BMW Isetta 600) came with the Clothkits corduroy car pants (still awaiting their turn with the sewing machine) along with some other patches including a Citroen DS. Saving that for a bigger T in the future. I played around with some of the hitherto unused stitches on my sewing machine (Yes, I've had it 20 years and there are stitches I've never used) to find one I liked as an edging to attach it to the front.

As well as the pants there is also another remnant T waiting to be sewn, and quite a few things left on the list. But overall, I have to say I'm pretty chuffed with the results of this KCWC. I really needed that little extra push (and encouragement from all the great feedback, both on-line and from C) to get on with it, and to make the most of any small sewing opportunities that arose during the week. I'm hoping I can maintain the sewing momentum in the coming weeks, although sewing will be competing with the needs of our laundry renovation- the final house renovation phase, finally starting after putting it off for three years (*gulp* Has it been that long? Really?).

KCWC day 4 & 5

2011-10-14T21:41:00.000+11:00

Craft time has been a bit sqeezed here over the last few days, competing with the day to day household chores and gardening and napping for a chance to play.

Yesterday I felt too brain dead for sewing, but managed to knit a few more rounds on the Korrigan I'm knitting for A before I turned in for an early night.

This morning, I managed to find an hour to finish off the pants remake. C now has a new narrower pair of jeans, with a more tapered leg. I tried to modify them to match another pair of pants (they were based on the same pattern) that he does like wearing, so fingers crossed these won't now "feel a bit funny around my legs" when he tries them on.

KCWC continued

2011-10-12T20:50:00.000+11:00

So it's day three of KCWC, but no sewing today. There is a sleep deficit that is taking priority over sewing tonight. But I'm pretty pleased with what I achieved on days one and two.
Snatching sewing time here and there (A has had some decent daytime naps, although the hours of 4am to 6am are somewhat rocky right now) I've finished a little shirt for C and started altering a pair of denim pants that he doesn't like to wear (too baggy).
As Meg said on her blog yesterday, as kids get older and their clothes get more detailed, an hour of sewing a day can't achieve finished garments. So true! But I do find that having my dedicated craft space back, so I can leave projects and materials laid out, means I can sit down when ever a short snatch of time materialises and get on with a bit of pinning or sewing or pressing.
Or even seam ripping, recutting a collar, or stuffing up buttonholes if you're a bit sleep deprived.

Getting on with it...

2011-10-10T21:15:00.000+11:00

24 hours of kid's clothes progress:

I cut out pants, a shirt and two T shirts for C, and decided to alter some existing pants in the hope he will then want to wear them.

I altered some old pants to work as shorts for him this summer (He's been wearing these pants in various forms for over 2 years just with alterations to the length).

I half sewed the red shirt, although in the process of merging two patterns (one simple, the other already traced out in the right size) I took a wrong turn in the collar construction and am experiencing a "make it work" moment.

And in a burst of "I want to make lots of stuff" I bought some fabric for Summer pj pants for both kids too. Although I know those won't be getting done this week.

What's more, not content with jumping on the KCWC bandwagon, I've just signed up for Leslie's inspired Handprinted Fabric Swap, and am planning some robot building sessions with C with a view to joining the Build a Robot Exhibition being organised by lilla a.
(Of course I have to blog about it with links so that I can find the details when I remember with a jolt and panic that I've missed a deadline...)

KCWC October 2011

2011-10-09T16:01:00.000+11:00

A little while back I was blog cruising and happened to notice that Elsie Marley's Kids Clothing Week Challenge was happening again (Fall for Northern Hemispherians, but Spring for me) and I immediately signed up knowing that both kids would be needing new things for the coming warm weather. Then I promptly forgot all about it, and remembered with a start last week. Phew, I didn't miss it. So I'm jumping on board and use the extra encouragement of a myriad of people around the globe to spur me on to some kids clothes making.
Today I started by writing down a rough list of things that will be needed, and followed it up with a rummage in through my Japanese pattern books, pattern folders, and fabric stash, trying to ask C which he liked and which he didn't (have my doubts about whether any of his responses were actual representations of real opinions on his part), and to measure him up. There are many possibilities, and we'll see what I actually manage to achieve...

On our table

2011-10-06T22:22:00.001+11:00

First up welcome and thanks for dropping in if you're visiting from Whip up. If you're not, head on over there to see the patchwork placemats that I wrote about for a guest post there. It's a real honour to be part of the current series of guest posts that Kathreen has gathered together- there are some wonderfully inspiring posts from some bloggers I already follow, and some that I'm adding to my Google Reader list.

After finishing the placemats, I had a small pile of spotty fabric strips left over, which I wanted to incorporate into some patchwork napkins. Something to add to our dinner rituals, and so that I'm not pulling out paper serviettes when we have visitors. Something similarly cohesive but not matchy-matchy, using up the placemat scraps and remaining spotty fabrics in my stash.

I checked out a few of the napkins over at Purl Bee (Molly clearly has a larger linen cupboard than I do) and liked the idea of double sided napkins, thereby avoiding tedious hemming and enabling patchwork to be incorporated. I pieced the napkins with one wide single piece of spotted fabric, a narrow pieced strip (5cm wide) and a wider pieced strip (12cm wide) to create a 42cm square, which I backed with a nice quality polycotton salvaged from some old sheets.

The pieced strips were created a bit less randomly than for the napkins. I used only the lighter toned spotty fabrics, and roughly assembled the strips as I cut pieces, so that I wasn't cutting more than necessary (again) and to make the most of what remained of some of my favourite prints. After sewing all the strips, I laid them all out, swapping pieces until I was satisfied that they all worked in a randomly balanced way (if there is such a thing).

I made a set of 8, as with the placemats. So far they're working well- the first meal C knew to place it on his lap, just like Grannie does at her house, and now he can wipe his face himself after the meal. Now I just need to make sure I'm doing the same. And figure out where to store them between meals.

growing season

2011-10-02T21:25:00.000+11:00

I have to say I think our garden is doing remarkably well given it has had over a year of complete and utter neglect. Sure, the lawn got mowed once or twice, and there was a bit of pruning here and there, but really we've done nothing to it.

But spring has hit, inspiration (and rain this week) abounds (including this great post recently at Whip Up, and beautiful heirloom tomato portraits at Daybook) Seeds and live plants have arrived, toilet roll pots have been sown (Tigerella Tomatoes), weeds are being dealt with and mulch & manure are gradually being dug in. We want to get our veggie patch back up and running, and increase the productivity of our front garden too.

Starting with what's here already, the strawberries have been replanted and I'm making the most of the self sown seedlings that are emerging in the patch. They're being transplanted as we progressively dig in manure, interspersed with new seeds.
Our blueberry twigs are now in the ground, along with a bag of chook manure, and sprouting their first leaves (I'm planning to knock of the flowers this year & next year to let them get established before we harvest fruit. ...Hope we can follow through on this plan).

I'm planning to get an Aztec combo of corn, pumpkins and beans (Lazy Housewife, because it sounds like it fits my gardening approach perfectly) started this week. Probably should have started the corn last month but better late than never.
We need to get our bird proof (hopefully possum, rat and cat proof) netting sorted quickly, and get more things into the ground, but it feels like we're getting off to a good start this growing season.

Preservation tactics

2011-09-30T11:11:00.000+10:00

While Master C's grandparents were away recently, I found myself with some extra days to entertain C. I had lined up some outings and playdates, but it also provided some more opportunities for crafting and making.

One day, we preserved some of the huge bag of lemons I received from Jo when I visited her recently.
Her Meyer lemon tree was absolutely laden with fruit, so much so that it didn't look like we'd picked any when we'd actually plucked several kilos off.
My main plan was to do some zesting and juicing to stick in the freezer (for those moments when I don't have a bag of fresh lemons at hand) and to make some lemon curd or use some in baking. However, some other quick and simple lemon use was needed to work my way through the bag while they were at their best.
Marmalade seemed too time consuming (and not very toddler friendly), so I opted instead for preserved lemons, packed in juice and salt. Handy to have for some more adventurous dinner options, and also as gifts come Christmas time.

C proved to be an outstanding assistant. I washed, cut and massaged the lemons with salt, and then he helped to pack them into sterilised jars, carefully inserting small portions of herbs and spices between each layer of lemons. We followed Stephanie's recipe which appears in her Cook's Companion and Kitchen Garden Companion, but in lieu of cloves, added peppercorns and cardamom, along with the bay leaf and cinnamon. We've been tipping them upside down for a few seconds every other day or so (as per instructions in Jill Dupleix New Food cookbook- perhaps not quite so new these days at nearly 20 years old!), to help prevent any white mould developing, although Stephanie says it is harmless.

I'll have to get C to help create some decorative tops and labels, for giving them away come Christmas time.

Buzz-like here

2011-09-29T22:24:00.001+10:00

A little sewing project with C.
I picked up one of Kristen's cute robot craft panels from the Kelani stand at the Quilt Show a while back (Forgotten the exact name of the show. There are too many craft shows to keep track of these days. This one was at Jeff's Shed, and I had fun hanging out there with Nicole for a few hours).
C loved the fabric and was quite excited to sew a robot. He had fun helping me make it, choosing the backing fabric from the scrap bin, dictating that it needed some wings (a la Buzz) and then poking the stuffing inside until it was just right.
Some of the remaining craft panel robots are destined to be sewn onto T-shirts and similarly enjoyed.

Warmer

2011-09-28T11:35:00.000+10:00

Well my Bro and SIL liked their gift.
And I'm getting closer to making some cooking accessories for me.
Just need to decide about the fabric.
In the meantime, while I'm in the groove, I made another pair of slack arse oven mitts for my MIL.
For her birthday, and to help warm her newly renovated kitchen.
Fabric choice was easy here because she commented on it one day when I had sewing stuff spread all over our dining room.
(Now it's all tucked away neatly in the craft room. Perhaps I need to spread it all over the house again to help me decide what fabric I want to use...)

Coming all over Purl Bee

2011-09-18T22:55:00.000+10:00

I'm pleased to report, not only have I completed a very belated wedding gift set for my bro and sister-in-law, but I also remembered to photograph it before I send it off to their home in a remote corner of the country (along with the best ever (in my experience) Australian cooking and gardening book).

The apron is from Purl Bee. So simple and quick. Will definitely be making another one of these for me. And perhaps a slightly smaller one for my budding kitchen apprentice (He chopped the beans for tonight's fried rice. And then wanted to play with them instead of letting me cook them).

The oven mitts are Sooz's Slack Arse Oven Mitts, which I made with one layer of that strange batting with perforated silver heat reflective lining, and one layer of wool wadding. I'll have to make another pair of these for me as there have been a couple of "connecting with flame" issues with my old pair.

And the tea towels were inspired by this Purl Bee tutorial, except I didn't have any cute trim so they are completely plain, but made in some very nice pure linen (as is most of the rest of the set) from Tessuti.

For the record

2011-09-14T22:14:00.000+10:00

One of the things that amazes me about blogging and sites like Flickr, Ravelry & Sewing Circle is the archive of information that you can record for future reference.
When I wonder what the washing requirements are for the sweater a friend made for C, I'm glad that many of my crafty friends are also on Ravelry.
When I wonder what age one of C's sweaters might fit A, I can refer back to Flickr.
When I can't remember which pattern I used for that shirt I made the other year, I can find out with a few clicks.
It's fantastic. So quick. Never far away. So helpful.
In the old days I used to write things down on paper, but papers can get mislaid and lost, perhaps to be unearthed years later in a tidy-up... Like the Spiced Rhubarb Jam recipe (above) that I've been wondering about for a few years now, recalling fondly it's delicious fragrant spiciness whenever I spy a beautiful red bunch of rhubarb at the market (Thankfully unearthed last weekend during our household reshuffle).
I currently have a backlog of projects to record. Knitting and sewing and kids craft that has been undertaken and enjoyed but haven't been documented.
Photo and blogging time is required...

A couple of amazing things

2011-09-11T22:34:00.000+10:00

Firstly: Walter came back. Ten days after he left, there he was, yowling loudly at the door one night (after a cold, wet and windy day). He's much skinnier, but otherwise apparently fine, happy to receive our pats and to take up his perch on his favourite chair once more. We suspect him of absconding to some kind of kitty health retreat, but he's not letting on about what he was really up to.

Secondly: I made A some dresses (much to my mum's relief I think, after seeing me dress her in a large number of C's hand-me-downs). I loved the dress that Al made for her, so I made a couple more from this Japanese book by Makie. I actually cut them out months ago, but dawdled over making them. The realisation that she was probably not going to fit them spurred me on to finish them- with modified button placement to provide a bit more room. So simple to wear- I plan on diving into the Liberty stash to make some more (in a larger size) for summer.

And thirdly: (I hope this doesn't jinx it) We've moved A into C's room- now officially The Kids' Room- so that we can have our study and craft room back. No more trying to remember to fetch things out of the baby's room before she goes to bed. No more setting up and packing away my ailing sewing machine for brief sewing sessions on the dining table. After a day of shifting and stacking and unstacking and restacking all the baby things are out, the craft supplies are waiting for some sorting and rearranging and reorganising, and then I can get on with some making. A trip to Ikea looms. As does some serious sewing machine research.

Virtual Hugs

2011-09-05T12:26:00.000+10:00

Yesterday (Father's Day) was a glorious day. We ate pancakes and soaked up the spring weather with afternoon tea in our front garden and first play session in the sandpit for quite some time.

But it was preceded by an up and down couple of weeks.

Our washing machine died. But on the up side, it had been on it's way out for some time, so I had already lined up the machine we were going to buy, and it's proving to be superb.

Then A had her first cold. With a chaser of fever, ear infection and bronchiolitis. Our smiling, settled, happy baby disappeared and was replaced by a washing generating, grizzling, waking-uping baby, who thankfully disappeared after a few days of medication, to be replaced by a gleeful, rolling, moving baby. Good, but a bit of a readjustment going on here now.

And then our cat disappeared. Walter has disappeared a couple of times before. But this time we sense that it might be for good. He hasn't been hanging out in his usual haunts, and we haven't had any response to the letterbox notices we distributed last week.

He was out of sorts before he left. A neighbouring cat has been frequenting our garden and staking a claim to his turf. He ended up with an abscess on his face from one fight, necessitating a trip to the vet, which is an experience he hates with a vengeance. He had been getting restless about his sleeping spot in the house, and seemed to have difficulty deciding on a new nook after I let him know that my knitting wasn't an acceptable option. And I suspect that the sight of a mobile baby, a baby whose standard response to the sight of him was to squeal with delight and wave her hands around in palpable excitement, may have made him a bit uneasy. So, after 15 years or so, he seems to have decided not to come home, just as his sister did about 7 years ago (we found out a couple of years ago that she lives about 3 doors down, over the back fence). Veritable proof that you don't own cats- they choose to live with you. No real good side to that story. We just hope he's OK, and happy, and knows that we'd welcome him back with open arms any day.

*Photo: hand prints the kids and I made for Daddy for Father's Day (without getting paint everywhere, by some miracle). When C was making his prints, I told him to imagine he was giving Daddy a warm hug.

Little.

2011-08-23T22:45:00.000+10:00

I've knitted three of these caps now.
A simple, sweet pattern.
However, this one, like my first one, is too small for anyone in our house.
(My kids take after their father's side of the family in the head size department)
So I'm casting on another larger one with some of the remaining yarn, upsizing it beyond the pattern.
Fingers crossed I get it done in time for it to be worn before the warm weather really sets in for good...

Weeding

2011-08-22T12:28:00.000+10:00

We are in the midst of a blissful spell of early spring like weather here. While it has killed any likelihood that we would take C to see some snow this winter, it has called us all outside to spend some time in the garden.

There has been clipping and pruning and sweeping and weeding, and there is more pruning and clipping and turning and fertilising intended as we'd like to get some edibles growing in the garden again.

Which is not to say that, despite complete and utter neglect over the last year or so, our garden has not been productive. Sure, the thyme has died, but the Rosemary and Vietnamese Mint have been flourishing. Amazingly there is one red fruit on the little Chilli that the Mint had over-run. The Silverbeet and Lettuce and Carrot that I let go to seed have had babies. Not just one or two, but billions of babies, in a wonderful display of how amazingly vigorous nature can be (and the perils of neglecting your veggies). Yesterday as we tended lawn, we were pulling up Lettuce and Carrot seedlings along with the other "more expectable" weed varieties.

The bunch of carrots above came from the veggie patch itself, a generous serving to contribute to dinner one night this week. Even better looking than the carrots I tried to grow. A reminder of how sweet and tasty fresh home grown foods can be, and some encouragement to pay it a little more attention this year.

hat box

2011-08-16T11:14:00.000+10:00

Jumping on the bandwagon to do this very simple, quick and refreshing project.
(with a correspondingly quick blog post).
A hat for S.
Knit with Madelinetosh Vintage.
Lovely yarn.
Lovely pattern.
Great details.
More pics here.
Now what to cast on next....
Another one for C?
Or something else for A? or me?
Or some very fun and chunky "yarn"....

Sleepy head

2011-08-15T16:26:00.000+10:00

You know things are quiet on the blogging front when you check the photos on the camera and realise you haven't downloaded them for ages. Little creative projects, that have become just another part of everyday life, haven't been shared with the blogosphere or sewingverse. Only a handful of friends have become aware of their existence, if any at all.

This little project, some sleep toys for A, has a bit of a "been there, done that" feel to it anyway. I made very similar toys for C when he was a similar age (and oh, my LORD, doesn't A look like her brother??! Just with more hair!). I made a set of 6, because if she becomes as attached to this little sleep reference as her brother is (he still takes his to bed each night) then they'll be getting a lot of wear, and we'll be needing one at the grandparents' homes and in the childcare bag, and always a spare one when one is in the wash, and just in case one is hiding somewhere...

Very simple description if you want to make some too:
I used an old T shirt for the "heads", drew a round head shape with two ears (I did rounded for C's, and pointy for A's), and a bit of a neck for attaching to the "body". Seam the heads together keeping the neck open, turn, and put a bit of stuffing in. Stitch across the base of the "ears" and under the chin for a bit of definition. (I also did an extra line of stitching on the outside of A's for reinforcing, because I thought I'd done that on C's, but turns out I hadn't, and I wasn't going to bother unpicking it once I realised). For the body, two hankerchief sized squarish pieces of single layer muslin (cheesecloth) seamed together, capturing the head in the seam and leaving an opening to turn it out. Turn right side out and topstitch all the way around, reinforcing where the head is joined on and closing the turning opening. Tie some knots at the corners for hands. I didn't give them any faces, but I suppose you could if you wanted to.

Peekaboo!

2011-08-04T12:06:00.000+10:00

Yes, I have been away from the computer.
Didn't realise quite how long though.
But I'm still here.
There was a 4yo birthday party, a few baby teeth arrived, some wonderful and long overdue catch-ups with creative friends and I've been knitting.
Knitting a lot of stocking stitch, to finish my Kakomu.
Well, nearly finish- I'm planning to knit the ties, but was contemplating sewing the front piece on the other way around, so that the seams are all inside with the front reverse stocking stitch out. In the interim I'm "test wearing" it. Perhaps it will help me decide. Or perhaps I will forget that I'm meant to be deciding about something. Quite likely given how easily it has slipped into my wardrobe. And given that I've already cast on my next project. Another one of Kirsten's fantastic designs. This time for my husband.

Balls

2011-07-25T15:09:00.000+10:00

Juggling balls to be precise.
Tutorial from Jo's photostream here.
Although ours are different sizes.
And we ran out of balloons.
And rice was spilled.
But still, nothing like a bit of spur of the moment 10 minute creating to entertain the young lad when your plans for the day have fallen apart.
There has been other crafting going on too.
I've nearly finished knitting myself a cardigan.
Kakomu.
Would be great if I can finish it by Thursday so I can wear it to lunch with a friend for "show and tell".
I think that may be pushing it though.
There are just too many other things in life that need juggling at the moment.

My creative space: My new skirt

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000+10:00

I first heard about Clothkits from a friend when she blogged about them years ago. I liked the idea, but didn't feel the urge to try it out until I saw a great grey corduroy skirt made by another friend. And so when I got a tip-off on a sale a little while back I picked up a skirt for me, along with some pants for C and a dress for A.
In keeping with the "making stuff for me" theme of the last post I decided I needed a new skirt last week.

The kits come with EVERYTHING you need, right down to matching thread. You just need to cut and sew. The instructions are well written- perfect for a beginner sewer if you're thinking about trying some clothes making for yourself or your kids. The only modification I made was to use an invisible zip instead of the regular zip that came with the kit. I liked the way they joined the lining to the facing- not how I usually do it, but it was so easy and such a neat finish I may well do that for future skirts. The only thing I don't like is that the cotton lining is very clingy to my winter stockings, but it will be cool and comfortable when I'm wearing it with bare legs come springtime.

Checked

2011-06-26T16:31:00.000+10:00

That's one item off my mental crafting-to-do list.
It was about time I sewed something for me. I developed an urge to wear a gingham shirt during summer. I pinned this one, and faved others I liked, contemplated pattern options (how to adapt patterns I had) and bought some fabric.
Last week I set to work, modifying the pattern from Stylish Dress Book that I used for this red shirt. I basically changed the front to omit the neckline gathers, and made it the correct length (something I wasn't happy about with the red shirt).
It's taken me a couple of wears to get over the feeling that I look like a tablecloth (it's a big, loose shirt, and there just seems to be so much fabric), but now I'm loving it as an extra winter layer, worn with my favourite winter boots and slim leg jeans.

I'm finding it very wearable.
Perhaps my new winter uniform?
I'd like to make at least one more.
Something other than gingham though.
Perhaps I need to stop by the Tessuti sale next week...

In the hood again

2011-06-24T21:27:00.000+10:00

About a month ago I went away for a mini craft camp.
It was only a one night stay as the usual place, accompanied by A and some excellent friends (who got to stay for much longer).
I didn't take a single photograph.
I didn't get to my favourite bookshop.
I only managed to enjoy half a massage before A interrupted it.
I didn't get much craft time in.
And there was nowhere near enough time spent chatting with friends.
But I did get to enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine accompanied by dark chocolate and a spot of sewing.
I mustered up a grand total of 5 seams and a zip inserted to finish off a half made hoodie for C.

The pattern was from this Japanese book by Makie Clothier (the Japanese pattern book that just keeps on giving, although this pattern isn't very well photographed). It's for woollen fleece fabric (I believe- I can't read Japanese) with raw edges and simple construction. I used a heavy weight synthetic fleece. The trickiest part was putting the zip in (possibly due to the wine). I made the size 5-6, which is a great fit with some room to grow for our 4 year old, although the sleeves are much too long (why do so many patterns have short bodies and long arms? Seems it's not just a feature of Debbie Bliss knitting patterns...). C picked the zip- a sliver of bright colour. A really pleasing project- simple, functional, easy to make, and so much better I think than the over-priced and over-embellished boys clothes on sale right now.

cashmere-kerchief - my creative space

2011-06-23T13:50:00.002+10:00

As a rule, I tend not to buy yarn on-line, unless I know what it is I'm getting. Unless I've fondled the yarn, and know what the colour is like in daylight in real life. Or unless it's really good value and worth a punt. Like when Purl recently had Lobster Pot cashmere on sale.

Although I repeatedly announce at random moments that "I don't do pink", it does seem somewhat pink, but it's a kind of pink that I seem increasingly willing to "do". A sort of dusky, plummy, muted shade that hints at purple. I'm also growing more partial to brighter, warm, watermelon and peachy pinks, but that's another story.

With my little one skein 100 yard indulgence I wanted to create something to warm my neck. It's been quite nippy here lately. I pondered options, tried this, and then saw Kate's simple scarf, and decided to keep it simple too. Loose garter stitch on 10mm needles, a Baktus kerchief so that I could try to use every last inch of yarn (in the end, about 40cm leftover).

It feels deliciously soft and squishy, and is just the length and width for wrapping twice around my neck and tying in a little knot, neatly closing the gap between my chin and the collar of my winter coat. Perfect for keeping out the winter chill.
On Ravelry
More Creative Spaces here.

playing tag

2011-06-21T14:42:00.001+10:00

These tag toys have been replicating around here. A playful little bit of fabric origami. It's my new favorite baby toy. Good thing I still have plenty of friends producing babies.
I think the pattern (get the pdf here, and while you're at it scour the Nani Iro site for more free Japanese pattern goodies- you just need to draft them up yourself) is intended for a cushion, and it's such a fun and quirky shape to make I'm contemplating making some of those too, minus the tags.
I did make a pincushion one too, but I couldn't stuff it as firm as I'd like a pincushion to be. I'll be sticking with the pincushion in Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts next time my pincushion making urge strikes. I made one of those as a gift (of course, gave it away before I photographed it) but it was fun to make, perfectly functional and well received.

Arrrgh me hearties....

2011-06-21T13:44:00.000+10:00

4th Birthday Party preparations are underway.
We're going with a Pirate theme, and I'm having fun with it. It's the first party where I've thought about a theme and I'm having fun trying to figure out how to run a treasure hunt for a dozen 4 year olds, what to stash in the loot bags, how to wrap a package for "Pass the Cannonball", and researching how to decorate a treasure chest cake.
I still have a couple of weeks to get the necessary crafting and baking done, but I can now add Jolly Rodger Sewer to my list of talents. Designed by C (who drew a few before we settled on the skull shape and crossing combination he wanted- I think he pilfered the skull style from a book we have) which made it into a fun collaborative crafting exercise.

Golden

2011-06-14T14:41:00.000+10:00

It is cold and wintery here at the moment, but I'm trying to ignore that and focus on the bright golden yellow sunshine moments that are here too. A sweet smile from our little girl, a new dressing gown made to greet me in the morning (certainly more palatable than the rainbow colour originally requested), bright blooms and fruits spied in front gardens nearby on my morning walk, and some perfectly yellow yarn in the mailbox.

In the hood

2011-06-10T20:54:00.000+10:00

As a craft blogger I've always found that there is a difficult balance between lingering on the internet getting inspired about things to make, and actually doing some making. I could spend hours window shopping materials, reading blogs, cruising Flickr, researching on Ravelry and Sewing Circle, or now Pinning inspiring ideas. Or, instead of just thinking about it, I could spend my time actively making and creating, and then spend some more time documenting it so that others can see it and (hopefully) be inspired too.

Right now, I'm finding that I'm being drawn to the active crafting side of things. I'm way behind on reading friends blogs and flickr streams, and pinning activity has dwindled. I'm so engrossed in crafting (and other aspects of life) that I'm also falling behind on photographing and sharing what I've been up to too. Vague thoughts of dropping out of blogging have flitted though my mind, but I'm not ready to make a firm call on that just yet. We'll see how it goes, and whether the urge (and opportunity) to blog more regularly returns.

Today at least, I have something I want to share, and I managed to catch a few shots of it this morning, after finishing off the seaming last night. A hoodie for C. He loves it and wore it to Grannie's house today. I think he looks gorgeous in it and am very pleased with how it turned out. More details here.

Winter Pants

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000+10:00

Wish I could find some time to blog, but I've been busy using every spare moment to sew. We've had a kids winter pants crisis here.

Ordinary folk would just go shopping to buy longer pants for the boy, and warmer layers for the baby, but I just find everything poor quality, or too expensive, or not quite right. So I've been sewing. Not that it's all perfect quality and exactly the right size or length or colour, but it's something I find much more satisfying and engaging and enjoyable than picking up another sweat-shop produced garment from Chadvegas.

1. Exhibit A, 2. Exhibit B, 3. Exhibit C, 4. Exhibit D, 5. Exhibit E, 6. Exhibit G

Exhibits A, B and C: one-piece baby pants using a pattern from this book, sewn in baby corduroy with a cotton knit lining added to make them winter weight.

Exhibits D, E and G: for the boy child denims, cords and trackies working with some modified very simple pattenrs from this book.

And it doesn't end there. Still to come some more complex Ottobre pants and cute Cloth Kits pants for the boy child, more one-piece pants for the girl child (in yellows) and hopefully some copy cat leggings for me (when I summon the courage to attempt to sew wool mesh...).

A playmat photo session

2011-05-14T11:43:00.001+10:00

It went something like this:
There I was, happily snapping a pic or three of the mat laid out on the kitchen floor while there was some daylight around, when who should come along but a curious young boy seeking some attention, and perhaps something new to play with. Cue blurred action shots and some negotiations, before I was issued with a clear directive about who's turn it was to play with it, and it was whisked away to contribute to The Great Sofa Cushion Cubby House Construction Program.

ps There's a better overall view of the top here.
pps Mum's verdict on my quilting efforts was along the lines of: My those are rather large stitches, but they will do the job of keeping it all together. Well, that's all I was really after.

My creative space...

2011-05-12T21:35:00.000+10:00

Today I finished off some hand quilting.
My first ever hand quilting on a quilt.
Big stitches, done quickly and unevenly. But done.
My mother, the true quilter in the family, will be probably be appalled when I show it to her tomorrow, but I'm confident A will be forgiving.
Too late for a photo shoot of the finished playmat tonight.
Tune in later.

More creative spaces at their new home here.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:16:00.000+10:00

Wishing a happy day to all the mothers out there. I hope you have a lovely day, filled with love and kindness from those you mother.

C and I made some flowers for his grandmas (and great grandma) a la Made by Joel.

I received a new cook book. Fat laden but inspirational.

I'm doing a a bit of this, aided and abetted by a long napping baby and a toddler playing quietly with his Daddy and his Lego. One sleeve down (aka jumbo sized swatch), one to go. Plus the front and the back. And the hood. In the end I decided to go with a modified version of Fletcher by Kim Hargreaves. I'm omitting some of the feature purls, knitting the body in the round, and adding some contrasting black trims and pocket lining. The All Seasons Cotton is lovely to knit with. And on 5mm needles I feel like Speedy Gonzales...

My Indecisive Creative Space...

2011-05-05T22:04:00.001+10:00

Right now I just want to sit and knit.
I wish I could sit and knit all day.
Of course I can't.
Life doesn't permit such luxuries, so I squeeze in what knitting I can.
Unfinished projects are gradually being wrapped up (that's easy enough, although there have been more yarn quantity issues...) and I've started swatching to cast on for some new projects- a cardigan for me with some Madelinetosh Pashmina, and a sweater or cardigan for C with some Rowan All Seasons Cotton.
This is where the indecisiveness starts.
I was planning to knit myself the Fall Away Cardigan, but I'm having gauge issues. I need a larger needle size to get close to gauge, but I prefer the drape and firmer texture of a tighter gauge. Which means hours cruising Ravelry contemplating other pattern options, or just going with it (after all the pattern is written for the Pashmina).
And I'm going around in circles with what I'm going to knit for C. I was thinking a zipper cardigan, but he vetoed that, although he is open to the idea of buttons, or a sweater with a hood. There are various contenders, including a Tomten (although I'd have to do some calculations) or this one modified to have buttons.
It's tempting to keep cruising Ravelry looking at options, but I fear it's just going to fuel my indecisiveness.
Best I just get on with knitting...

More creative spaces at Kootoyoo

making stitches

2011-04-27T20:54:00.000+10:00

Life has been quite draining of late, so I've been taking a bit of a break from the computer.
There has been hospital for my husband, now minus a gall bladder via keyhole surgery (amazing what they can achieve with just a few little holes and stitches here and there).
There has been a head cold and cough working its way though the household too.
There has been a young boy desperately seeking attention amongst all the health issues, unable to really understand why dad is at home but not playing games with him.
We have employed various tactics to deal with that, with varying degrees of success.
There have been tantrums.
There have been calm moments.

It has been oh. so. draining.
There have been bright moments in there- happy play, outings with friends, things in the mail, and the best Easter egg treasure hunt that I've ever been involved in (picture clues leading C around the house and garden).
But at the end of each day I've been spending time away from the internet, with my feet up, doing some very simple, soothing knitting.
Soft red alpaca yarn, simple garter stitch knitting.
It's very nearly finished now and I'm looking forward to casting on a new project- perhaps tomorrow night.

Lacy Pink Bits

2011-04-19T12:40:00.000+10:00

This cardigan was an absolute pleasure to knit. The pattern is simple, the lace work enough to keep me interested without having to keep track of a chart, and the yarn, the yarn- totally and utterly divine to knit with. Confirmation of the theory that you should knit with good yarn. So soft and comforting to work with, and I know it will be wonderfully warm for A to wear as it gets colder in the coming months.
It wasn't a garment without issues though. I totally stuffed up the buttonhole placement, and there is a spot on one of the bands where I didn't keep it in garter stitch. And then, as I was nearing the length I was after and had to start a second skein, I discovered the second skein didn't match the first, unbeknownst to me or the wonderful friend who sent the yarn my way. Certainly not problems that couldn't be overcome though. I sewed the buttonholes closed and embroidered new loops, making the dodgy band the concealed band when closed, and to camouflage the change in yarn I switched from the lace stitch back to garter, making a wider garter band at the bottom to get the overall length I was after. If you didn't know I'm sure you wouldn't notice the slightly different yarn. I love the dark chocolate brown buttons I found to finish it off with- pretty but not prissy- and I look forward to A wearing it in the coming months (actually, in my eagerness she wore it this morning but it is a little large at the moment).
More details on Ravelry.

Today I...

2011-04-08T17:11:00.001+10:00

1) Used my kitchen helper to make play dough. Excellent recipe here (Funnily enough there isn't one on the Kitchen Aid website, but the dough hook did do a great kneading job).
2) Hung out the washing to dry in the fresh autumn sunshine.
3) Spent a lovely afternoon with the kids and Grannie at the Botanical Gardens, enjoying an ice cream from the cafe and a good run around in the Children's Garden.
4) Had confirmation that my husband needs to have his gall bladder removed. In the very near future.
5) Am looking forward to doing a little bit more pink-ish knitting this evening.

My Creative Space...

2011-04-07T15:31:00.000+10:00

This week I need to knit.
Just a little bit.
Because it's been a bit of a week.
So to speak.
I can knit OK, if I hold the needle just so and don't try to do too much in one sitting.
And it's an EZ project.
Back to it now.
While the girl child has a (little) daytime sleep.
Make hay while the sun shines, as they say..

ps More creative spaces over at Kirsty's.

pps Yes Mum, I know it's pink. pink-ish. But I actually think it's a really nice pink-ish this yarn. And the colour is called "Turkey", not "Pink". And it's ever so soothingly soft too.

A budding artist

2011-04-05T22:13:00.000+10:00

C has been producing some really beautiful paintings lately. I've been offering him watercolours to play and experiment with for a long time now. We bought a small artist's travel set, and he uses them with a variety of brushes and pieces of watercolour and craft paper that I've hung on to since my Uni days.
The paint set used to have a beautiful rainbow of colours, but the rich intense pigments are now blended into a blackish murk when dry, which lightens to greens and blues and browns if he plays with a lighter wash of colour. He still enjoys playing with them though.
I sometimes set him up with the paint set with while I'm having my shower, and lately I've been returning to discover one or two beautiful masterpieces on the table.
He's delighted that they've been put into frames and to adorn our walls. Must pick up some more frames next time we're at Ikea. And find some more wall space.

Perhaps one day he will also get to read How to steal like an artist (and 9 other things nobody told me), some great food for thought for budding artists and creative souls.

My Creative Space...

2011-03-31T15:31:00.000+11:00

I couldn't help myself. With my sturdy brace in place, securely restricting my hand from any painful movement, I had to see if it was possible to do some pain free crafting. And it is, albeit with some restrictions.

My husband had the sewing machine out (yes, he can sew too, when the urge strikes) so I gave it a shot. A bit tricky with the limited movement, but a very quick and simple and forgiving project, with no precision required, I can do. Some Pengwees (as C calls them). He was drawing heaps of them, and they were so sweet, they were begging to be brought to life. It was a collaborative effort.

C chose the fabrics, I hacked it up. He chose the threads, I zigzagged in a very haphazard manner. He poked the stuffing in, I zigzagged them closed. He picked out the buttons and I attempted to engage him in sewing them on, remembering that my first ever sewing project was stitching some yellow elephant buttons on to a deep purple seersucker dolls dress when I was about his age. He did manage to poke the needle through the button holes, but I did the rest.

And then he gave them names and ran off to play with them.

More creative spaces over here.

The Happy Cyborg

2011-03-25T22:09:00.000+11:00

I may now look like I'm part cyborg, but at least I'm a fashionably (for Melbourne at least) black one.
And it is remarkably comfortable, this clever custom moulded thermoplastic and velcro contraption.
In good news, it's ensuring that my thumb and wrist are constantly in a comfortable position, without restricting me too much (I can obviously still grab food when needed, which is very much needed when there are freshly baked Raspberry, Coconut and White Chocolate muffins in the house).
In even better news, after next week I should be able to do a little bit of crafting, so long as it isn't causing any pain.
This is a huge improvement on the blanket advice to "try to avoid using your thumb at all".
Such Good News.
(For those wondering about their own hand issues, I have a classic case of De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, aka Mother's Thumb)

My Creative Space...

2011-03-24T21:25:00.001+11:00

Hand issues* continue this week, so instead of playing with the gingham cottons that I bought a couple of weeks ago, I'm trying to satisfy my creative urges by playing with gingham jam lids.

Jam making was prompted by too many empty jam jars, and cheap apricots at the market on the weekend. I used Stephanie's Apricot Jam recipe and my candy thermometer, once again, this time not bothering to include the kernels as she directs (in my experience it's a very fine line between cracking the pips enough to get the kernels out, and cracking them enough that the kernels are smooshed to pieces), and adding one peach to the mix. Hence the labels.

The peach was languishing in the fridge, past it's eating best. I do love jam making as a way of making something delicious out of fruit that isn't in great condition for eating fresh. I also love wiping the pot clean with some fresh bread. Yum.

More creative spaces here.

*On the hand front, his week included an ultrasound, visit to my osteopath, visit to my GP and visit to an Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in upper limbs. Next week includes visit to a hand clinic for custom moulded hand and thumb splint, and ultrasound guided cortisone injection, and the start of a probable two month rest and rehab process. Probably with no (or in my optimistic dreams, perhaps just a little) hand craft. At least there is hope for some rapid improvement, but the thought of another two months without any active crafting is seriously disappointing to say the least.

My effortlessly creative space...

2011-03-17T22:06:00.000+11:00

With my hand still out of action there has been no crafting here this week (although I did manage to create a phenomenally delicious (if I say so myself) Masaman curry, thanks to Sooz's excellent (and ongoing) Thai cooking posts).
I wanted to get a package of gifts off to a crafty friend though.
I had picked out a book and knitted a squishy textured scarf just before my hand really flared up, and wanted to include some other handmade goodies in the package too.
It seems like I won't be capable of that any time soon, so today Little A and I stopped in at the delightful (if tiny) little shop of handmade and bought something handmade by someone else.
Effortless I tell you...

(Other more industriously creative spaces here).

Killing time

2011-03-12T21:41:00.000+11:00

This no-crafting-to-rest-my-thumb business is really killing me.
It's also leading to some stash enhancements of various kinds. The fabric kind and the yarn kind, and quite probably more of the fabric kind before the weekend is out. I'm also plotting and scheming and daydreaming about everything I want to knit, whilst trying to ignore my son's demands that I knit him something RIGHT NOW!!****%%%$$@
I'm making bloody minded attempts to do something creative in the kitchen. Like trying out some new Thai dishes (if you want to get inspired about cooking Thai food too then I strongly advise spending some time over at Sooz's blog right now. Masaman is at the top of my list). And baking a special cake for my husband for his birthday (with white chocolate icing to please the white chocolate loving men I live with).
I'm sitting stunned as I watch the news and tweets about the natural disasters rocking Japan, grateful that the land I'm standing on is steady, relieved that those I know in the vicinity are safe, but worried about what future natural disasters may lie ahead.
Of course I can't just watch TV without doing something else at the same time, which makes for plenty of Pinteresting. And filling up my head with various other ideas and information. Such as the fact that you can use vinegar instead of fabric softener... and 15 tips for encouraging good behaviour in young children.
And when I get bored with the internet I may even tackle some of the other things that have been on the to-do list for a while. Like sorting family photos or selecting wedding photos to get printed (only been 4 and a bit years in the waiting)...

My Creative Space...

2011-03-10T12:02:00.000+11:00

This week, just as my creative mojo got back into gear I've been forced to put on the brakes.
My right hand was struck with tendonitis a couple of weeks after A was born (apparently this form is sometimes called "Mother's Thumb"), and so far treatment has achieved not much. If anything, it's gotten steadily worse.
The day after I pieced together the top for A's cot/play quilt (above), in a very satisfying (if perhaps too late) night of cutting and sewing, I was told that I really should try to stop using my right thumb. Not super easy, especially if you're a right hander, but I am trying to rest it as much as possible.
So whilst the sewing machine and knitting basket sit there, inviting me to play, I am reserving my thumb usage for more essential activities (like pulling up my pants) and retraining myself to be a two finger typist.
Other (more) creative spaces here.

My Creative Space...

2011-03-03T15:30:00.000+11:00

I've been thinking of playing along with kootoyoo's creative spacers for a while now, but it's a matter of finding a moment to take photos and thinking of something witty and pithy to say.
So here is a moment.

Here is my bird mobile gradually coming into being. Just waiting now for the resident handy man to buy a new drill so that the dangling lines can be securely tied in position and the whole arrangement hung from the ceiling somewhere.

And here is the little sewing nook that the resident handy man set up for me while I was off craft weekend-ish-ing last week. My sewing machines are now conveniently tucked under the stairs, with an extension cord so I can perch myself on the dining table in the blink of an eye. Scissors and other sharp cutting implements are in their usual home (a very old and battered sewing box that my grandparents gave to me when I was very young), which has now been kitted out with a padlock to reign in C's very keen interest in all things cutting and crafty. Sewing notions, cutting mat, rulers and some choice patterns have taken over one drawer in the plan cabinet and supplies for my next sewing project (a play mat for A- there I've said it, better get on with it) are tucked in the paper bag.

Over a hundred other creative spaces here

Some things take time

2011-03-01T22:28:00.000+11:00

I knitted myself a cardigan many years ago. Rowan Flo, knitted in Rowan Cotton Glace, in a bright red/rust/yellow/green spectrum. Loved the colours, loved the yarn, but almost never wore the cardigan. The shape didn't suit me, and the colours, whilst I loved them, aren't colours that I felt comfortable wearing.
When I was pregnant with C about four years ago I had the idea of partially frogging and reknitting it as a baby blanket, but I never got around to it.
I finally got started when I was pregnant with A, and it gradually, slowly came into being.

Slowly unpicking and frogging the cardigan.
Slowly knitting random stripes.
Slowly sewing a seam.
Slowly knitting the edging.
Slowly weaving the ends in.
And now, finally, when she's already 2 months old, taking a couple of quick photos and sharing it here.
I had planned on lining the back side but somehow I just haven't gotten around to it, and it's now in daily use, folded and snugly tucked in over A in her bassinet as she sleeps.
Little A.
Not so little A.
Growing so fast.
Some things don't take much time.

Craft Weekend-ish

2011-02-26T22:45:00.000+11:00

It seems strange to be writing a post about craft weekend when craft weekend is still underway (I am sure that things are humming along in the studio tonight as I type, fueled by Maria's risotto, Nichola's Tart Tartin, Suzie's fudge, Al's peanut brittle, various beverages and an eclectic mix on the stereo). But craft weekend for me this time was in the form of a one night mid-week get-away, accompanied by little A, a basket of knitting, some supplies should the opportunity to sew materialise, and an eager delight at the opportunity to spend time with a few good friends at this special place.
But even as such a short stay, with crafting and conversations curtailed by the demands of mothering (somewhat annoyingly the baby monitor couldn't cope with the distance between the studio and house..), it was a wonderful weekend-ish. I've returned home with my creative spirit thoroughly refreshed, a little bit of knitting done, a quick and dirty sewing renovation under my belt (from that to this), patterns traced, new project ideas bouncing around my head, a smile on my face from the friendships (and gifts) shared, a few new books (for C of course, to compensate for his disappointment that I wasn't going to be sewing him some new clothes- there's nothing to make you want to make things for someone than their disappointment that you won't be...) and gratitude to little A for being so sweet and settled and letting me get away with it.

At the moment...

2011-02-15T22:17:00.000+11:00

I'm daydreaming about sewing again one day.
I'm perusing some new (to me) Japanese sewing books from Tessuti.
I'm enhancing the craft fabric stash with some bits and pieces from talented local indie designers.
I'm plotting to establish a temporary sewing station somewhere in the house that isn't occupied by a sleeping baby.
I'm trying to be project monogamous with my knitting in the meantime.
I'm enjoying knitting away on Hari.
I'm looking forward to casting on a February Baby Sweater (hopefully in February).
I'm marvelling at how quickly the second child grows, and wondering if she'll fit it.
I've read Knitters Almanac cover to cover in a day or so (having mastered the art of perusing a book whilst breast feeding. No Tania, I still haven't figured out how to knit whilst breast feeding).
I've been thinking that Elizabeth Zimmerman would have been a fantastic blogger (Knitters Almanac is a really good read and definitely left me wanting to read more).
I'm enjoying conversations with friends, and connecting with new friends here and there.
And I'm enjoying the unexpected harvest of others' hard work, and marvelling at the brilliance of nature:

Bees that had established a hive in my parents garden were flushed out of their cosy in-ground home by an immense deluge last week. Apiarists wouldn't take the swarm because the hive location was too difficult, so the only other option was to bring in the pest exterminators, which would have rendered the honey inedible. But thanks to the rain that flooded the garden and hive, they were able to remove all the honeycomb, crush and drain it, strain and then heat treat the honey. About a litre of amazingly fragrant honey was harvested, and is being saved for special floral honey moments. Maybe I should investigate home made crumpets to go with it...

A stitch here, a stitch there...

2011-02-07T21:56:00.000+11:00

I feel like I'm getting used to having a baby in the house, and remembering what that means for me in terms of time management. I've been adjusting my expectations about what I can achieve in a day (less than I imagine), when I need to go to bed (not as late as I used to), and what sort of food we're going to eat for dinner (pasta or sausages it would seem).

Strangely I seem to have less time for things that I used to do, and yet more opportunities for things that I didn't have opportunities for before. Like going out for coffee with other stay-at-home-mum friends, painting my toenails, and baking. As it looks like Little (but fast growing) A is going to be sleeping in our study and craft room for the foreseeable future (6 months is about how far I can see at the moment) crafting is something I'm finding it hard to find opportunities for. Until I can set up a temporary sewing station somewhere, crafting entails knitting on a couple of small projects that are nestled in a basket in the lounge room.

My Hari scarf was my labor knitting project. I only knitted about 6 rows then, but have been picking it up regularly since and it is growing steadily. The pattern is amazing- so simple (easy to memorise) and yet so sculptural and dynamic. The photograph totally fails to capture the gorgeous colour of the yarn- Morris & Sons Paddington in Cornichon. (an almost perfect match to my new giant green Scarf Shop scarf in Olive Moss).

A garter wrap cardigan for Little A stalled just before Christmas when I realised I was going to run out of yarn. It's been frogged back to the start of the sleeves and I'm knitting it with shorter sleeves (omitting the cuff) and hoping that this will solve the problem. Garter stitch is perfect for mindless moments.

I have another knitting project waiting to get started. Actually awaiting arrival of the book with the pattern. I'm planning a February Baby Sweater for this lovely rosey Pear Tree yarn, a birthday (and birth day) gift from Sooz (Thanks again!).

I have also managed a little bit of hand sewing in an effort to tidy up some of the things lying about in A's room. Stitching the buttons onto the top of her Christmas Stocking to complete a matching pair. It's a bit wonky, but I'm blaming that on the fact that I was baby wearing when I did it. (I'm taking all opportunities as they arise).

Melting moments and rare things

2011-01-30T07:57:00.000+11:00

Hard to believe our daughter (still getting used to the idea) is one month old. The days and weeks have flown by, and yet we have been aware of every moment as it has passed (sometimes painfully). A is clearly not a great sleeper, although things are going very well on the feeding front. I suppose that balances out. There have been momentary meltdowns from all members of the family, right down to the cat, along with sweet moments when we have glimpsed smiles and laughed together, and other hours that have seemingly vaporised into nothing. Such is life with a newborn, when the days all blur into each other and you enter into this strange time warp.

We do get tugged back to real time several times a day by the need to maintain some sense of normal routine for the other youngster in the house. A youngster who wants to play and eat and read and draw and bake (and ideally not go to childcare, but the world, sadly, is not ideal). I'm all too happy to try to bake something every now and then, particularly if it involves playing with my new kitchen toy. So we have somehow found some time to do so:

Melting moments from Janet's wonderful collection of recipes at Eater (which has just moved to blogger- must update my side bar). I've blogged about these before. They are simple (especially with a stand mixer to do the hard work) and delicious.

And some Rare Things (as I like to call them, or Coconut Macaroons according to the recipe). Deliciously chewy cookies requiring only three ingredients, two minutes to mix and 10 minutes to bake. I used a Donna Hay recipe that called for you to simply mix together 2 cups dessicated coconut (I used shredded) with 1/2 cup caster sugar and 2 egg whites- there was no mention of beating the egg whites first.

To ensure that I could involve both my kitchen helpers, KA whipped the eggwhites to soft peaks first, then C poured in the caster sugar into the mixer for some more whipping, and finally the coconut was gently incorporated on a low speed (Yes, I have watched the DVD now, and am dreaming about one day making my own sausages as well as home made ice cream. May need to buy a bigger freezer first). Makes a fairly small batch (probably good for my waistline). You could easily play around with this kind of cookie- adding nuts, chocolate, spices, dried fruit etc. Hopefully these won't be so rare around here in times to come.

Same too for longer baby sleeps at night, and those sweet, fleeting baby smiles.

snatching moments in the kitchen

2011-01-15T22:17:00.000+11:00

I cannot get over how much easier life is with newborn number 2, in comparison to life with newborn number 1. There are added complexities and demands to be juggled, but somehow we seem to be managing things OK.
It helps that my darling husband has taken over kitchen duties while he is on leave. He's doing a fantastic job at it too, along with the laundry and keeping the toddler entertained (Christmas Lego is helping with that). It leaves me free to deal with nappy changing, baby feeding and settling, plus napping myself.
Things are going so well that I'm having moments of lunacy.

Like when we went to the market last week and I bought 1.5kgs of cheap apricots thinking I could make some jam. After getting home and going what was I thinking I managed to muster up the energy during one of little A's naps and produced a delicious batch of apricot jam, albeit on the runny side- perhaps I should have used the thermometer like last year. (Recipe from Stephanie Alexander's "Cooks Companion")
And then I bought my birthday present.

A new kitchen helper (not that my other kitchen helpers aren't fantastic). So far it's made it out of the box and onto the bench. It may take me a little while for me to get around to making anything with it, but in the meantime I can daydream. Especially about buying the ice cream attachment to go with it.

Firstly...

2011-01-08T21:55:00.000+11:00

The first week of the new year. (Happy New Year!)
Our first week at home as a family of four.
Our first week at home with a daughter, Little A. (Yes. A GIRL!)
The first girl born into my husband's family in known history (nearly 300 years on the family tree).
A singularly wonderful, delightful, amazing, astonishing, blissful, delightful, immense surprise to end the year with. (Such a perfect surprise. So glad we hadn't found out the sex. Although it would have saved hours of time deliberating boy name options. And I suspect we wouldn't have believed the doctors if they had told us we were having a girl. So many friends have been happily boasting "I told you so!")

The second time around we're coping with a tiny newborn much better. Much less anxiety. Much easier to accept the difficult moments (hours, days) knowing that whatever-it-is will pass. She's been a much better feeder right from the first attempt in the delivery suite. She's happy to nap in the sling. I am even coping with the influx of pink better than would have I expected. Must be hormones. Or the sleep deprivation.

So there is a second birth story to by shared here sometime soon. A good birth story, but with less knitting than the first one. When I find some time for blogging.

I will be sorting through the baby clothes for a second time, and I will be buying some new girly Japanese pattern books for the first time (to go with the lovely bundle of fabrics a wonderful crafty friend gave me).

In the meantime, I'm busy feeding, napping and nappy changing. My darling husband is busy cooking, cleaning, and toddler entertaining. And we're all marveling at Little A's new presence in our lives.

[I've also changed my comments system back to Blogger. Hope that makes commenting and replying a bit easier in the years to come!]

Things I'm filling my time with

2010-12-22T21:53:00.000+11:00

1. Growing a bigger baby bump. Yes, it continues to grow, and like last time there are no signs that this baby is likely to arrive early. It could even be in the new year. Time will tell. At least I'm feeling more relaxed now, enjoying the calm before the storm, with most things ticked off the to-do list and those few things remaining not being particularly critical. (Although it might be good to watch the TENS dvd instructions again just so that it's fresh in my mind...)

2. Building up a stash of baby gifts. It's not just me having a baby at this daft time of year. In some strange feat of synchronization I have 4 close friends, plus my hairdresser and my masseuse (well a friend's masseuse who I am privileged to have also received several massages from on Craft Camp), plus a friend's sister, all producing babies this December and January (the latter being twins). So I figured some bib making and baby shoe making (shoes using this pattern) needed to be done quickly or it wouldn't be happening at all.
3. Spending some quality time with family. Even more important for us this year than it is usually is, given that mum is undergoing major surgery tomorrow morning, and will be spending the remainder of the Christmas period in hospital. There is no good time for major surgery, but it has (quite aside from pregnancy distractions and the resulting pointlessness of making any firm christmas plans) put something of a dampener on our usual celebrations. We aren't tucking into mum's usual christmas baking treats (Snowball shortbreads, Nanimo bars and Christmas cake) or her usual Christmas eve dinner of glazed ham with salads. But we have shared some lovely relaxed time together, and enjoyed a pre-christmas dinner out at a favorite local restaurant. That will do for now.

4. Handsewing some felt birds for a baby mobile. Now to find two perfect branches and to figure out how to attach them and make it balance.

5. Sewing a spur of the moment scooter bag for my son, inspired by the sight of a couple of fat 16ths of Echino scooter fabric when I indulged in some retail therapy at Patchwork on Central Park last week. Not a project that was on the to-do list at all, but sometimes it's nice to be able to go with the flow, to follow an urge, and make a quick, simple, easy project (being greeted with glee by the recipient makes it all the more satisfying).

6. Ignoring the fact that it's my birthday on Saturday. One of those ones that ends in a zero. I'm thinking I'll ignore it and have a"Birthday in July" next year, when I can enjoy more than a sip of champagne. Perhaps. If I can be bothered. Perhaps it's time to stop counting them?

7. Cooking up some sweet treats to share with a friend who has strict dietary needs due to her (breastfed) baby's allergies. Since she cut eggs and wheat out of her diet his eczema has improved out of sight. Miraculously, Salted caramel popcorn with pecans is permissible on the diet. Lucky for those of us who get to eat the leftovers. I made a half batch, which didn't work out quite as it should have -I think I cooked the caramel too long- but it was none-the-less delicious and very hard to stop munching once you got started. Perhaps that's why I'm still growing....

Cherry Jam

2010-12-14T20:43:00.000+11:00

One of the things I love about this time of year in Melbourne is berry and cherry season. In past years I've headed up to the hills with friends to pick our own from the u-pick-orchards. Fortunately, although I am in no state to do that this year, I am not without fresh, handpicked cherries, thanks to my in-laws, who once again took C to a friend's property to harvest some of his bumper cherry crop (and gather some blackberries and other such delights).

Last year I preserved the cherries in a sugar syrup (recipe from Stephanie Alexander's Cooks Companion) and we enjoyed them over the course of the year (typically spooned over vanilla icecream). This year I thought I would try out the Cherry Jam recipe from Mish Delish (found via One Flew Over, and worth visiting for a wide array of easy but tasty recipes).

The jam was easy to make (each step of the way here on Flickr) and tastes completely, totally, utterly delicious. I was tempted to lick the pot clean. Four of the five jars are intended as gifts, but it's going to be hard to part with them. And as for my attempt to save some fresh cherries to share with other family members, resistance was futile.

Some seasonal crafting

2010-12-13T20:37:00.000+11:00

When I was a child, we used to use my father's old rugby socks as christmas stockings. They were the biggest, longest, stretchiest socks in the house. They may not have been seasonally appropriate, but we kids thought it was quite funny, and somehow Santa always seemed to know whose goodies (which I seem to remember always included an orange) to put into which sock.

With our own young family now, we're establishing some new traditions though. The prime one for me is making something handmade to add to our collection of Christmas decorations, for use in years to come. This kind of arose out of nowhere, but I've done it for the last couple of years, and I like the idea of carrying on with it. There is so much inspiration out there in crafty blog/pinterest/flickr land (check out Whip Up for instance) that I'm sure I'll run out of years before I run out of projects.

This year I was contemplating a wreath, but C got me off the hook (this year at least) when he came home from a Christmas themed library storytime session with a wreath he made (with Grandma's assistance I'm sure) out of paper, coloured patty pan liners and glitter. It's now adorning our front door. So I decided to make some stockings instead- one for C, and one for his future sibling (who incidentally, still appears to be in no hurry to arrive). This is the result.

I roughly followed the instructions on Purl Bee for Simple Embroidered Stockings, but drew up my own pattern, and opted for some button embellishment in lieu of embroidery. The red fabric is a linen/cotton from Spotlight which has a silvery, glimmery coating finish on one side. I had a collection of red, clear and silver speckled buttons that I picked up a good while back in a Buttonmania "buy by weight" sale which I thought would add an easy touch of decorative bling, and distinguishing ID to the fold down cuff (random button embellishment seems to be a recurring theme with my Christmas decorations). C seems pleased with it (discussions about where to best place it so that Santa can fill it have been conducted) and I'm also happy with the result (just hoping that the sizing is OK for Santa's stocking fillers).

I hope your own christmas crafting efforts are proving satisfying too!

Curse you mother nature...

2010-12-07T10:35:00.000+11:00

Specifically, curse you stupid Noisy Miner birds for nesting, yet again, in an inaccessible gutter right next to our bedroom. Your pre-dawn sing-song cheeps, and territorial and protective howls as we play in our backyard we can endure, although you really upset our aging cat.
My big gripe is that, once again, one of your stupid young infants has escaped from the nest and into our roof space, promptly falling down the wall cavity, no doubt injuring itself en route, as well as keeping me awake all night with its cries and scuffling and the knowledge that I can do bugger all about it except pray that it dies quickly and ideally at the bottom of the wall, not in the kitchen ceiling space or right next to our bed where it was stuck last night.
I could really do without the pong of decaying bird right inside our home right now.
I mean, why not choose one of the nice trees we have available? Or perhaps in the little nook under the air conditioner? Just somewhere where your offspring won't end up trapped within the structure of our home.
As soon as you've moved on I'm paying a fortune for someone to climb up very high and install gutter guards, so that you can't do it again next year.
And while I'm in gripe mode, I'd really appreciate it if you could put a stop to this humid tropical-esque weather. Varied weather I can deal with- it's what you usually dish up around here- but the humidity that's accompanying the current heat is quite unnecessary.
And I know you already know this, but I'd appreciate if you can remind the baby it should arrive at least a week before Christmas, unless it wants it's birthday to be completely overshadowed by Christmas festivities, instead of just somewhat overshadowed. Besides, I'm really over being pregnant and technically it won't be classified as premature if it's born any time from now. I know we're not completely organised but I'm sure we'll cope fine. (Yes, I know I should have really thought about that back in April, but I was distracted and unable to count to 9 at the time....)
OK, enough gripes. Let's look at something nice: the beautiful blooms of the carrot that I let run to seed this spring (with intention to harvest some carrot seeds for planting sometime next year, when I am more capable of gardening).

It's looking much prettier than the strawberries in the front garden which are basically stewing on the plant before they ripen (refer aforementioned weather complaint).
Oops, sorry, must get out of gripe mode...

a weekend away...

2010-11-28T23:13:00.000+11:00

I wasn't entirely sure if I was up for craft weekend.
My creative/making/thinking brain was mush.
I'd scribbled down some ideas of things I could make, so I had some direction when it came to grabbing fabrics and notions and patterns to take.
But mostly I was just looking forward to a weekend catching up with good friends (and getting to know some new ones), and a break from the usual home life demands and routines.
Once again, the weekend exceeded all my expectations.

1. Craft Weekend, 2. Craft Weekend, 3. Craft Weekend, 4. Craft Weekend, 5. Craft Weekend, 6. Craft Weekend, 7. Craft Weekend, 8. Craft Weekend, 9. Craft Weekend, 10. Craft Weekend, 11. Craft Weekend, 12. Craft Weekend

The weather was far wilder than I had anticipated.
The food more exotic than I usually consume.
The green hire car more lurid than you could have imagined (A reliable source tells me that that colour isn't selling well).
The sharing of friendship was incredibly engaging, entertaining, inspiring and surprisingly educational.
And after getting over some initial sewing stuff-ups my brain gradually kicked into gear. I managed to whip up a few fun things that have been gleefully received by C, and made ,myself some new (breastfeeding friendly) summer tops (with a few finishing touches to be completed at home).
I also got started on another project (not photographed)- something a little bit different for me, with some hand sewing to continue with in the evenings, now that I am back home.
More details over at Flickr.

Wedding attire

2010-11-25T22:40:00.000+11:00

Last week I had a burst of sewing activity: an outfit for C to wear to my brother's wedding.
A nice way to start maternity leave I thought, although I knew I was being somewhat overambitious.
A bout of craft apathy delayed anything other than thinking about the styles and fabrics until 5 days before the wedding when I finally started pattern tracing and fabric cutting.
In the end I ditched the planned pants (I got half way through and realised that they were going to be way too big- he could wear some other pants instead), and the buttons were sewn on the jacket about a minute before we left the house (although I confess the reason we missed the start of the ceremony (oops) was really the bad hair day I was having).
But bedecked in a little Liberty Tana Lawn shirt, purple silk tie, and striped mod blazer, our young offspring cut a dashing figure as we mingled with the other guests, and particularly when he hit the dancefloor.

All the patterns were from this Japanese pattern book, which has been in my stash for a few years now, and is being put to good use.
The shirt was a bit fiddly (particularly putting the collar in- plenty of careful clipping required), and getting the tie to sit and stay sitting tie-like took a while, but the jacket came together really easily (easiest set in sleeves I've done for a long long time- the result of the well drafted pattern I think).
More details over at Sewing Circle.
The overall look received plenty of compliments- certainly not the least being from C himself, insisting he wear the same outfit the following day to the post wedding celebratory Russian-style bbq.
(and what did I wear? This top, teamed with a very stretchy black pencil skirt, black leggings and these shoes)
(and the wedding? great fun!)

returning to my (neglected) blog

2010-11-19T21:12:00.000+11:00

A month?
Really?
Has it been so long?
I knew it was a while, but I didn't realise it was quite that long since I'd posted.
So much has been happening, and yet so little.
I'm still pregnant- no change there, just feeling increasingly whale like and increasingly amused by people's suggestions we might have a girl, despite the fact that in nearly 300 years no girls have been born in the paternal line.
On the other hand, I have:
- wrapped up a project at work (well, wrapped up my role on it at least),
- started maternity leave,
- heaved several sighs of relief about that,
- written a list of things to do before the baby arrives (yikes.. must start getting some of that done),
- celebrated my brother's wedding (for a small wedding, we had an absolute blast of a night),
- tried to help out mum, who broke her arm just two weeks before the wedding, and a week before 5 international and interstate guests were arriving to stay with them for the wedding (thankfully one of the guests was mum's sister, without whom I have absolutely no idea how we would have coped...),
- told myself many times at least mum didn't break her hip,
- managed to sew my son a smart, cute, fun outfit to wear for the wedding,
- managed to get my son to wear his smart, cute, fun outfit to the wedding,
- smiled when he wanted to wear it all day the day after too,
- collected future post fodder (such as the outfit I sewed for my son),
- wrestled vigorously with hayfever season, (an ongoing battle, thanks to exceedingly limited medication options)
- and even cranked out a post over at sew green.
Phew.
No wonder I'm feeling ~~tired~~ flipping exhausted.
Time for an early night....
I do hope to be back soon....

returning to my needles

2010-10-18T22:32:00.000+11:00

Life has been a exhausting lately.
The demands of work, home life, pregnancy and various other things needing attention, have been adding up.
I'm taking the daily placenta brain meltdowns as I sign that I need to slow down, let some things go.
I've stepped away from the sewing machine for a while, and have been spending my short evenings reclining on the sofa instead, scouring Ravelry and knitting patterns for something that fits with my stash and mood.
I ended up opting for a baby garment- something for the new bub to wear next year when the weather cools down- a Drops garter stitch wrap cardigan (on Ravelry) in some Du Store Alpakka that I was gifted a long time ago.
Scandinavian yarn with a Scandinavian pattern.
I already have a range of knitwear that C wore, so it's not really something the baby will need, but it feels really soothing just to sit and knit, and good that the little one will have something special to be wrapped in one day.

Progressions in drawing

2010-10-10T23:33:00.001+11:00

Parenting, in addition to being the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, leaves me, from time to time, completely spellbound. I can but marvel at the way our son is discovering and engaging with the world around him. Exploring, discovering, and learning.

Aside from my state of wonder at his impeccable sense of humor, which has the power to draw me out of a dismal mood so that I can put on a silly voice to pretend that I am The Count, recently we have been watching, with great interest, as his drawing skills take a huge developmental leap.

His little travel sized drawing board has been a regular companion everywhere from the dining table to car trips and all manner of outings, since we bought it for our Noosa trip back in June.

And in the last month, we've seen his skills progress, the growing dominance of his left hand, carefully constructed grid like patterns emerging, and then experimenting with faces, creatures, and illustrating things he's heard about in stories that his grandparents have read (amusingly often houses. There have been many versions of houses for Glenda the good witch, and Silky the fairy).

Having drawing materials on hand, readily available at a moment's impulse, is helping this to happen (and something inspired by reading Soule Mamma's book). Aside from the little drawing board, we have a stash of recycled paper that I bring home from work (so he gets to see a lot of drawings of buildings), and boxes of toddler friendly textas, crayons and soft aquarelle and other coloured pencils, which live in the cupboard next to our table. Celebrating his output, we have favorite pieces his works blu-tak'd to the wall in the kitchen and bathroom, but many of them are sitting in a piled on the sideboard. I think I may need to get some picture frames.

Kids clothing- a progress report...

2010-10-05T23:10:00.001+11:00

...not a wrap up, because it seems to be the start of a burst of sewing activity. The Kids Sewing Week Challenge officially ended over a week ago, but I'm still at it, with another project cut and ready for sewing, and a list of other things that I want to make to keep me going. I figure at some stage in the next couple of months my creative energy will burn out, and then I'll be time and energy deprived, so I'm trying to make the most of it while I can.

So what have I finished in the last couple of weeks?

A sailor shirt with an Oliver and S pattern. My first time sewing with Oliver and S, and I have to say the patterns are really well written- clear directions with illustrations and good tips for a great finish. Next time I would make this pattern with a stretch cotton (or knit fabric)- it's a close fit pulling it down over his shoulders, so we'll have to make some good use of it right now (which with the advent of some sunny spring weather is perfect). The fabrics have been in the stash for a while- I didn't have enough of the red stripe for the whole shirt, so I used a coordinating chambray that I'd bought at the same time for the back. To tie the design together I sewed the contrasting bottom hem facings on the outside. The sweet little number buttons were from the stash, a gift from a friend a long time ago.

To go with the top, I made the sailor pants. This fabric has a stretch, which it doesn't really need, but it does give a little bit more wearing ease. I'll definitely be making this up again, perhaps without bothering to make the buttons usable, as we don't need to use them to pull the pants on and off. And as an unexpected bonus pattern feature, there isn't anywhere for the sand to hide away when he's playing in the sandpit, so no unexpected piles of sand appear on the floor when he's getting changed or I'm doing the washing!

Continuing in the striped theme, this t-shirt was pressed into use the moment C saw it. I had been toying with the idea of putting some kind of applique on the front, but I haven't had an opportunity and it doesn't seem to be needed. I should make up some more of these for summer. So simple and quick, and so much cheaper than buying kids t-shirts!

And in a break from the striped theme I make another of Nicole Mallalieu's hats for a friend's daughter. She wears pink and purple, which I had none of in the stash, so I picked up this floral while I was enhancing my denim stash (always need some denim in the stash) at Darn Cheap. It was a bit brighter until I pre-washed it with the denim, which of course bled heaps and gave the floral a much deeper, bluer tone. At least it coordinates even better with the denim lining as a result. (Of course, no trip to the fabric shop is complete without an impulse buy- some checked linen that I thought would make C some great long shorts, but he seemed to have other ideas about what it should be used for...)

Kids clothing is underway

2010-09-26T00:01:00.000+10:00

The Kids Clothes Week Challenge has been a busy week. I'm really glad I signed up for this, because I know I wouldn't have been as motivated, and achieved as much as I have without it. It's really helped me to focus.

I warmed up with a couple of easy peasy additions to the dress-up box last weekend- a fake fur animal tail, and some bat wings (inspired by Melissa's beautiful butterfly wings in Small, but even simpler- just some black stretch fabric edged on the overlocker). Perhaps I'll be able to get a clear photo of them in action one day...

Then on I settled in for the real work.

Step 1: perusing the pattern stash and tracing off some new patterns. I had a few things I'd been wanting to try out, but some of them C has already grown too big for, so I'll have to save them for the next offspring. There was still plenty in my pattern collection try out though, in addition to a couple tried and tested patterns that were worth re-making for summer.

Step 2: perusing the fabric stash. Tempting as it would have been to dash off to Tessuti for some new fabrics, I wanted to work from the stash (having just received a large traffic fine in the mail... darn...).

Step 3: cutting out. I thought it would be more productive if I could get a few things ready to go, so that when I sat down in the evening to sew I could just get on with the making side of things. I spent my one free afternoon of the week cutting out.

Step 4: get sewing. The stack of cut pieces is now starting to shrink. First cab off the ranks, a sunhat, same pattern as this one, from Nicole Mallalieu designs. More details here. Of course C wants to wear it with the lining side out, which is fine (although I had to add a few seams into in order to get it out of the fat quarter of cute animal fabric), and friends who saw it today have put in a request for one for their large headed lass. One of the benefits of home sewing- being able to make it in the size or fabric you want, not having to make do with what some manufacturer thinks will sell.

Do as I say, not as I do.

2010-09-23T22:18:00.001+10:00

Quite some time ago I started mentally writing a blog post with my top sewing tips. Things I'd learned one way or another, that I'd found could make the difference between a sewing project being successful, or not. But then, as the project I was working progressively went pear shaped and turned from one into two projects, I realised I was ignoring the things I had learned, and reaping some bad luck from the sewing gods. The project was a pair of toddler pants (well, two pairs), so being as it is kids sewing challenge week (and much of what I've been up to so far relates to these very issues) I thought I'd throw it in here (at last).

Details: Brown stretch corduroy from a friend's de-stash
Pattern from Ottobre (borrowed from a friend. I'm not sure which edition)

So, at the risk of boring you with advice:

Tip 1: Read the pattern through before you start.
By that I mean, before you select your fabric, and before you buy all the notions. Certainly before you trace off the pattern and cut all the pieces out and then decide you don't like the way the pattern tells you to put the waistband together, meaning you need to re-draft and cut a few pieces.This would also mean that if you've photocopied the pattern from a library book or such, you would discover that you neglected to photocopy a useful part of the instructions.

Tip 2: Check the measurements of the pattern.
Check it against the measurements of a similar style existing garment to compare how it will fit (ease and all), and against the intended wearer's measurements so that you can tell if it will fit (at all). Useful things to check are length and girth, particularly any tight spots, like the waistband on a pair of pants for example. Then you can make any appropriate adjustments to the pattern before you cut it out, instead of having to try to fix it up later, or to accept the fact that the recipient may grow out of it before the end of the season.

Tip 3: Prewash your fabric.
Basically, treat it before you start cutting as you intend to treat it after you've made the item. If you intend to handwash it, then handwash it. If you intend to machine wash it, then machine wash it. (If you intend to dryclean it then I wouldn't bother, but I usually try to avoid dryclean only fabrics, or test a sample to see if I can get away with laundering it a different way) It means you can be pretty confident it won't shrink, or the dye run. You also discover the hand (drape, stiffness, and general feel) of the fabric as it will be after you've washed it, rather than getting a surprise when the production finishing treatment is washed off. (Actually, I did do this. I try to do this with all new fabrics as they enter the house, before they enter the stash pile. Then I can just get on with a project whenever the mood strikes).

Tip 4: Pay attention to the fabric when you lay out your pattern.
Take a good look at the fabric.Which direction does your stretch fabric stretch in, and which direction do you want the pattern piece to stretch in? If it has a pattern, think about how the pattern is sitting on the pattern pieces. Do you want the stripes to line up? (use the pattern markings as reference points) If it has big motifs, where do they sit? and do you want them to sit in the same spots on the right and left sides? Does it have a one way pattern or nap? Nap is when it looks different viewed along the grainline in opposite directions. Like velvet or coating fabric, and apparently corduroy too. If it does, best to fold the fabric selvedge to selvedge, and make sure you cut all the pieces oriented in the same direction (ie, with all the tops towards one end). Otherwise you may find it's going to look a little odd (unless you have enough fabric left to re-cut a few pieces. I had enough to cut a second set of pieces to mix and match into two fairly cohesive pants).

Tip 5: Embrace the wonk.
Handmade things aren't supposed to be perfect. Hands and people are not machines. If things aren't perfect, don't dwell on it. Embrace it. Find the charm in it. (That can be translated as "Don't bother unpicking the carefully topstitched pockets so that they run in the same direction as the body pieces") Learn from it. Get on and sew something else.

*edited to add: There is also a great round up of sewing tip links here on Whip up. The internet is full of advice on a wide range of sewing issues it seems!

Just the boot I needed

2010-09-16T15:05:00.001+10:00

I was chatting today with a friend who became a mum about 6 months ago. Years ago we used to shop for fabrics and share our sewing experiences together, but it has been quite a few years since she plugged her machine in, and indulged in sewing. But she is experiencing an urge to get back into it. She feels that sewing baby clothes would be a manageable and rewarding undertaking. I urged her on, with tips for where to get fabric from, and lending her a couple of my Japanese baby clothes books.

Then this afternoon (having bought a good quality and very cute T-shirt, that I know will go down well with the youngster, this morning) I spotted a button about the imminent Kids Clothes Week Challenge. Sign me up. Spring is upon us and I need some kind of boot to spur me into action. The lad will soon be needing shorts and some short sleeved tops.

Elsie Marley

Lately...

2010-09-10T21:35:00.000+10:00

Creative apathy has set in again.

It's taken me several weeks to complete one seam down the middle of the progressing baby blanket, so that I can finish the edging on the fourth side.

It's taken me several months to repair the hole in the pocket of the coat that I've been wearing every day. Actually- it took me about a month to repair it the first time. But that only lasted for about a week before it fell apart again. Clearly complete pocket lining replacement was called for. Several months later when I finally sat down and got on with it it only took half an hour. I was so pleased with the result I went on to do the same thing to the other (just started falling apart) pocket, a similar patching effort to the ripped underarm lining, and finished it off with a once over by the de-pilling gizmo. May take me another year to deal with the rip in the lining hem line (though I did trim off the dangly bits) and it really does need a dry clean, but I felt a bit less disheveled wearing it to work today.

Instead of creating I have been enjoying exploring the wonderful virtual inspiration pinboard that is Pinterest. It's still in Beta, but there are some people with wonderful taste pinning things that make me swoon. I could spend hours browsing and following links to find more.

Actually, I have. Hours and hours.

6 years old. Amazing.

2010-09-02T13:49:00.000+10:00

If you've been reading religiously for a while you may know that I'm a bit bah humbug about birthdays. I regularly miss them and struggle with thinking of (and then finding or making) presents that I feel are appropriate. I've always blamed it on my birthday coinciding with Christmas, and being totally overshadowed by other festivities.

But somehow, this year, I have managed to remember in advance, and on the day, today, that the 2nd of September is my blog's birthday. Yes, this day 6 years ago (my time has flown) I started a blog (Please don't feel any pressure to scour the archives to read some of the early *cringe* stuff!!). I'd read and commented on a few blogs and craft sites for a while, and I wanted to make more of a contribution to the amazing and inspiring on-line craft community. With a bit of prompting, I got going, struggling with the terminology and systems, but gradually carving out a little net space of my own.

Six years on, I am still here, although I have noticed the time and urge to blog have reduced a little this year. My life (from single bachelorette to wife and mother) has changed, as has my place in the craft community. Now I find that I don't feel the need to keep up with everything that everyone is up to on line, but I relish dipping into the inspiration pot whenever I please. It's such a huge pot. There is plenty to go around. When I feel I have something to offer, I enjoy sharing ideas and information back in return. Some of the virtual friendships that have developed, have flourished and been enhanced by snail mail swaps and real life encounters, while others have gradually drifted away. I feel lucky to have a network of friends who are only a click or two away.

So please forgive me for not offering a special blog give away to honor the event. Please just accept my thanks for reading, for commenting, and for sharing back in return.

This one time, on craft camp...

2010-08-30T22:08:00.000+10:00

I'm back.
For two wonderful days I laughed long and hard, ate wonderful food, exchanged recipes, traced patterns, sewed myself clothes, soaked up creative inspiration, visited my favorite bookshop, received an excellent massage and slept soundly.

So here I am, relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated. Thankful that I had such wonderful companions to share my weekend with. Grateful to my family for enabling me to enjoy a break from the usual routine of life, and then welcoming me back upon my return. Enjoying my new wardrobe additions- all made from Japanese books, none designed as maternity wear, but all very accommodating of my current condition. (I have to say with minimal or no alterations thanks to loose and generously sized patterns). There are more details about the projects on my sewing circle or flickr.

Tales of neglect

2010-08-26T23:12:00.000+10:00

It would appear I've been absent from blog land for nearly a month now.

Which really pales in comparison to the quantity (is zero a quantity?) of time that I've spent in the garden in the last 3 or 4 or perhaps even more months.
And as I discovered after putting my neck out not once, not twice, but three times in the space of 6 weeks, is still better than level of attention I've been paying to the increasingly rigid knots that I use for shoulders.
And is still pretty good in contrast to the time I've spent at the sewing machine since craft weekend way back in May.

But things are looking up.

I'm off on craft weekend again tomorrow, new fabrics, new patterns and newly serviced sewing machine in tow.
Chiropractic and massage treatments are starting to loosen the knots and ease the aches.
The carrots (by some miracle) are delicious (although I'm yet to test the not-so-baby beetroot, and the peas are well past their best). I even weeded the strawberry bed when the sun was out last weekend (Ahhh, dear Sun. I'd forgotten what your warmth was like).
And I've just done a post over at Sew Green covering some basic green building concepts.

Enjoy.

Turning a corner

2010-08-01T21:34:00.000+10:00

When you find yourself in the depths of an uninspired craft funk it can be hard to imagine how you might ever be pulled out of it. You just have to wait, and try to keep your mind and eyes open for inspiration or urge to strike.

I was starting to think I might be crawling my way out of this one. I've started to reacquaint myself with my sewing machine. My mindless baby blanket knitting is progressing quickly and easily, particularly now that the nausea has eased, and I've been able to start knitting on the train again.

Then a friend arrived back from a holiday and offered to share her Kinokuniya spoils with me. I've been pouring over this book by Nooy , and Drape Drape and Drape Drape 2, and finding things that I could make for now- for pregnancy- and beyond. I've been tagging patterns left, right and centre, and plotting what stash fabrics I could use. Although I have to say there are things in these that I wouldn't wear (the Drape Drape pants stand out) there are some that are incredibly beautiful and interesting and versatile- things I could wear during pregnancy and well beyond. If I'm going to make (or for that matter, buy) clothes now, I would much prefer that they're not things I'm only going to be able wear for 3 or 4 months.

On the knitting front I came across some beautiful knitted jewelry by Shadowplay via Outsapop. Heather's work is also featured in Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2010. I'm not really much of a jewelry wearer, but I love these. Pity I don't really like the other things in the mag. Might have to just make an "inspired by" attempt at something similar- it seems like a great way to use up little scraps or samples of interesting textured yarns.

In a contrast on the knitting front, I came across a round pouf pattern, free from Drops (Ravelry link), which reminds me very much of the knitted urchin poufs by flocks . I've always wanted to try making a flocks-like pouf, and finding a pattern might be the push I need to do it.It takes a lot of yarn, but I was thinking of knitting one from rags- perhaps in cotton from an old sheet, like this, or using strips cut from my stash of sweaters to be recycled, like this.

So much to do, so little waking hours.....

Child's Play (#2)

2010-07-29T14:08:00.001+10:00

We've been reading a few monster related stories lately. Monster Day at Work (love the illustrations and the last page in particular), Leonardo the Terrible Monster (which really does show that if you're terrible at doing something you may yet find something else you can be wonderful at), and of course, Where the Wild Things Are. The fact that I managed to bawl my eyes out watching the movie the other week hasn't lessened my love for this book, and our own little wild thing seems to love it so too. He is also presently obsessed with dressing up, and making up wild and imaginative tales to go along with his outfits, so some monster claws were needed.

It was just what I needed to encourage me reacquaint myself with my sewing machine. We rummaged through the scraps box and came up with some grey fleece and some spotted cotton. To make them I traced around his mittens as the base pattern (although it would have been a good idea to pay attention to the direction of the stretch when I cut them out), and fused two scraps of cotton together with some heavy weight Heat'n'Bond, and cut it into triangles to make the claws. They're simply sewn into the side seam. Seriously quick project and we now have a very satisfied Monster in residence. (When he's not being a Viking. Or a Mountain climber. Or a fairy queen. You get the general idea...)

After that little exercise the sewing machine is now off for a service (need to get it done before the next craft weekend) and I'm keeping an eye out for other simple dress up box ideas, like Pinry's Knight's outfit, or Melissa's beautiful wings in Small.

*edited to add the wings link which I must have accidentally deleted.

Child's Play (#1)

2010-07-26T22:24:00.001+10:00

A couple of months ago (or so, I think) I started knitting C a vest. His Pembroke vest from last winter was much too small (a stretch around his girth, and too short too). Hopefully this one is roomy enough we'll get a bit more wear out of it.

I used yarn at hand, leftovers of Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (colour Bark) from the Cobblestone that I finished (and am still yet to photograph and blog about) for Scott the week (or thereabouts) before.

I looked at toddler vests on Ravelry, but decided to make up my own pattern- a modified version of the Baby Kaftan pattern by Debbie Bliss. I knitted this for C when he was smaller, and loved the pattern (although not the embroidery)- the keyhole neck, and the simplicity that lent it to an almost seamless (when sleeveless) garment, and the narrow garter edging. I did consider another Pembroke (I do love that pattern still) but I thought the tweedy nature of the yarn wouldn't show off the effort in the cables. And somehow re-calculating a plain pattern to different yarn and larger size seemed more mindless than dealing with cables.

It took me longer than it should have to knit. I blame that on the vagaries of pregnancy, which seems to have sapped nearly all of my creative urges. C seemed very keen to get it finished, and spent a good five minutes "knitting" on the sofa (while I was being slack).

It's already been pressed into service, without blocking. The bottom hem keeps on rolling up but I made it a little bit extra long, so that's not a problem (the blocking can wait until it needs it's first wash).

Between tissues

2010-07-19T11:17:00.000+10:00

I'm spending my fourth day at home nursing a head cold. The annoying thing about head colds when you're pregnant is that you just have to grin and bear it. None of the pill assisted soldiering on that I usually undertake. Instead, plenty of Vitamin C, salt gargles and nose spray, and paracetamol to ease the pain. A mini movie marathon (a mix of historical fashions, fantasy, girlie eye candy and general chick flick fodder) and lots of extracurricular naps have been accompanied by the sound of knitting being frogged in preparation for re-construction, and some cotton dishcloths being knitted because I can't get my brain around the re-construction options. Today I'm intending to extend myself by trying to complete some work from home. This is usually a no-go-zone for me, but the deadline is tomorrow, and it just has to get done. At least this way I don't have to deal with the commute and the cold air and the need to talk with people (other than my doctor). And if I feel the urge to nap in the middle of it I can.

The frogging: A striped cardigan I finished knitting in 2004 and have only worn a handful of times. As much as I love the colours, I just don't feel comfortable wearing such vibrant clothes. When I was pregnant with C I had decided I should frog it (or most of it at least) and turn it into a baby blanket. That was as far as the project got at the time, but now that I'm pregnant again, and time has further eased the memory of the work involved in the original garment, and I'm in need of something mindless to do, frogging it seemed like a fun thing to get on with. At least I feel like I've been able to make a step forward on something in the last few days.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

2010-07-15T21:13:00.001+10:00

I don't.
Speak German, that is, for those of you who don't either.
But that doesn't mean I didn't thoroughly enjoy reading through the wonderful new German mag/zine that Dolores has created: Kleinformat

OK, so maybe I didn't get that much from the articles, but I did delight in the inspiration, creative ideas and eye candy that she has pulled together in the first edition (one assumes that it will be a success and be followed by many more) of Kleinformat.

It's all about kids, play, making and creating. In some ways it reminds me a bit of some on-line kids mags- Small and LMNOP -with plenty of things it would be nice to buy, fun and playful fashion spreads, and full of colour and wonderful images. The added bonuses of this being a hard copy mag include a sticker laden cover and cute printed paper pull-outs with origami instructions.

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy on account of being a contributor- although Dolores and her team were responsible for the translation work to provide German instructions for Cee's Tee Pee pattern.

If you'd like your own you can buy Kleinformat here. Or if you'd like Cee's Tee Pee pattern in English, you can download it via the link on the left in the sidebar (under Do It Yourself).

red skew

2010-07-04T15:29:00.000+10:00

The process of sitting down to try to write a blog post makes me realise just how out of blogging I have been lately. Not much blog reading. Next to no blog writing. A bit of thinking about- mostly to do with whether I'm ever going to find time to catch up with the backlog of blog worthy things I have to show and tell. One step at a time I suppose.

Earlier this week I managed to remember to take photos when there was both daylight and opportunity, and today I finally remembered to download them from the Camera. But my brain is all fog when it comes to concocting a wittily relevant title and interesting angle for the content. I suppose I could blame it on pregnancy hormones (thanks for all the congratulations by the way- it's lovely to be able to share the exciting things in life with a responsive, supportive audience), and the fact that I am newly addicted to MasterChef, although it does make me feel like a horrifyingly amateur cook. Certainly the mash I served up last night would have been sent back to the kitchen by Matt Preston. Although I think the crumbed lamb cutlets stuffed with pancetta and parmesan were quite spectacular and I would have been content to eat a few more of them. But I digress.

Last weekend I managed to finish my Skew socks. I knew I had to knit these as soon as I saw the pattern go up at Knitty. The construction had me intrigued, and after the Passaggio socks I was keen for a simpler, less detailed sock to knit. I also was fortunate to have been gifted the perfect yarn, a mottled red Handmaiden Casbah- a heavenly mix of fibres including a portion of cashmere (so soft) and nylon (so they will hopefully wear OK). As soon as the Passaggio's were cast off I cast on sock #1. A good chunk of sock #2 was knitted up in Queensland, which already seems like a long time ago. Following the tips of other Skew knitters I checked out the fit mods on the designer's blog, and included the high instep alteration, which I have to say was a good idea- the result is a tight-ish fit to get on and off (although no worse than any other socks I've knitted) and a perfect fit when on (although I probably could have made the foot section a little bit shorter, which is a first time experience for me!).

I would say they are a fairly straightforward knit in terms of technique, but they do require you to keep track of rows and remember to do the increases and decreases at the right moment (I did have a couple of stuff-ups along the way, some of which I frogged, and some of which I left and compensated for somehow). The construction however is the amazing thing. It's truly as intriguing to knit as it is to look at. I couldn't see where it was headed as I worked my way through the strange sequences of increases and decreases, and even when I worked sock #2, which in the ankle area is a mirror of sock #1, I was entranced with a sense of wonder as the foot form materialised. As is my usual line of thinking when I'm looking at or making something that I find really interesting, I couldn't help but wonder how on earth the designer figured out the method and pattern. Where did this strange idea come from? How did she develop the pattern? Was there much trial and error? How did she know that it was going to work out in the end? Or perhaps she didn't- she just had to see where it might lead? I think she has written a blog post about it, but then I wonder if reading the story behind it will diminish it's mystique.

Regardless, I now have some deliciously soft and cosy socks to wear when I take over the sofa each evening to watch MasterChef. I wonder if someone will make a strawberry dessert that is this colour....

Eat cake

2010-06-29T22:26:00.000+10:00

May I present you with a sugar fueled post: Today is C's third birthday (my time has flown) and our week has been filled with parties (friends with kids, family and childcare) and a large and very green crocodile cake.

Like any good internet savvy time deprived mum, I hit upon a cake theme, ordered some sponge from the local baker and then Googled. Found some outrageously detailed cakes, including this little how to. I opted for some drastic simplification (so that it didn't require the purchasing of, or practicing with, an icing piping kit), purchased some marshmallows and freckles and choc buds to go with the green food colouring that I already had, and set to work. It went down very well with the young lad, as did the kids party at the indoor play centre (went down surprisingly well with the adults too I'm pleased to say) and the bunch of helium balloons we had at home.

He's also the proud new owner of a set of bongo drums, some wonderful new books, a green bike with stars and a larger bike helmet with flames, that's nearly as big as mine. Growing up fast indeed. Definitely a toddler any more.

Excuses, excuses....

2010-06-20T22:23:00.000+10:00

Sorry, my blogging absence continues.

In my defense, we have been away. A week in Queensland, enjoying the warm(er) weather and time out from the usual routine to relax and dig on the beach and eat pineapples and the best strawberries that I've tasted for a long, long time (amongst other things).

I really needed a break from the usual routine.

Work has been flat out, but with the really big deadline over by the end of next week, hopefully I can recover a bit of the work/life balance that I used to enjoy.

As if work wasn't enough, there's also the fact that the Koala wasn't the only one with child at Australia Zoo. Thankfully I'm over the first trimester now, and the tests have all been good, so hopefully the intermittent nausea and utterly overwhelming tiredness (regularly falling asleep minutes after C has gone to bed) will subside and I may be able to pick up the crafting, making, creative pace again.

Storytime

2010-06-02T23:16:00.001+10:00

I've done a post over at Sew Green about some of the kids books, with creative and environmentally aware themes, that we've been reading and enjoying lately. You can read it here, and are invited to share any books you have found and enjoyed with a similar theme.

The Farm Quilt

2010-05-31T21:36:00.001+10:00

A few deep breaths of clean country air did wonders for my head this weekend. As did the excellent company of good friends, and plentiful, delicious food (mostly prepared by said friends), a softening soothing massage by a skilled masseur, a bit of a sleep in, a few good laughs, the exchange of ideas and opinions, and just the general break from the day to day routines of life. It is always hard to wrench yourself away to head home.

Especially when you haven't quite finished the one project you've spent the last two days working on. Especially when you're wondering whether the recipient will find it as wonderful, beautiful, enticing as you do. Thankfully though, the recipient, my son, who knew that I had gone away for the weekend just so that I could make him a quilt (isn't everything about him?) told me he loved it even before it was out of the car, and the bag, and unfolded so that he could look at it and dance on it.

Never mind that the edges weren't finished, and the tag stitched on, until after he went to bed last night. More important that it was full of interesting colours and patterns and things to find (an owl here, a mushroom there, some scraps from several of his pyjama pants, and so on). There are many, many favorite bits of fabric in here. Many from my stash, or scrap box, and many raided from my mum's broad and varied quilting fabric stash. The colour scheme came from the main theme fabric- a wonderful farm print that I picked up from Amitie a few years ago (a Japanese print, but I don't know who by).

Thrilling as my son's initial response was, I would guess that I am possibly more excited by the quilt than he is, as so many of the scraps within it are special to me. I assure you I would have rather spent today snuggled under it, gazing at all the patterns within it for a few hours, instead of sitting at my desk trying to get my head back into work mode. I thought I would share how I went about making this, because it is a quilt style that I loved from afar before I summoned up the courage to give it a try. I don't think that I am cut out for more conventional patterned quilt making (I'll leave that up to my mum, amongst others), but random piecing is a creative process that sits very well with me, and which I find immensely satisfying despite my structured and perfectionist tendencies. I know that this won't be my last.

How it was made:
To make the quilt I cut about 4 or 5 random sized pieces (typically rectangles varying between 5 and 12cm) of all the different fabrics I had gathered (including a few gleaned on the weekend), and some larger feature pieces of the farm print. I sorted them roughly into colour families- grassy greens, ochres and yellows, naturals, reds, and dark browns and greens. How much to cut is a bit of a dilemma, and an impossible thing to estimate. Somehow I fluked it perfectly, despite being convinced early on in the process that I was going to have to do a lot more cutting at some point.

To assemble the pieces I worked through each family, stitching them together in pairs, by matching the length of two sides, and paying no attention to shade or pattern (other than to ensure I wasn't stitching two pieces of the same fabric together). These were then pressed, and sewn together in pairs again, matching the length of two sides. Some bits end up as long strips of four. Some bits end up as fatter rectangles. All varied. After pressing these again, I sewed them together into larger and larger blocks by matching the side lengths, aiming to create strips, with a couple of the farm fabric pieces in each strip. This was perhaps the hardest step, playing with chunks and bits and seeing how I could get them to come together in the right sort of size and shape.

I worked on the greens first and assembled three strips 140cm wide (the width of the quilt) by about 25cm high. When working through the ochres, naturals and reds, I made the long strips by combining consolidated blocks of each, again 140cm wide varying in height from about 10 to 25cm (just because that's how they worked out). With the dark greens and browns, I aimed for skinny strips, thinking that these would help to divide the quilt like the dark cypress trees that are planted as windbreaks, crisscrossing the local farming landscape. Some of these morphed from the dark colours through to reds or yellows as I used up every last little scrap that I had cut, avoiding cutting more.

With all the pieces incorporated and a collection of 140cm wide strips created, I played with the layout on the sticky quilting wall (there's probably a technical term for that), alternating the three green strips with the others, and getting the dark strips roughly evenly spaced through the quilt, looking for some overall balance within the colour and tonal variations. The arrangement resolved, I sewed the strips together and then prepared to lay out the quilt sandwich of backing, wadding and top. Of course there was one of those moments as I hurried to try to get it finished, when I realised that I'd left one strip out of the middle when I sewed it together. There was debate, but after looking at it, as it was, I took the time to unpick the one seam and sew it in as I had intended.

I did contemplate hand quilting this- it would be a lovely way to select and highlight different pieces, but being as I wanted to get it done in the weekend I opted for a tied quilt, using the assembly process outlined here (as I did for the Red Wedding quilt). I used a single piece of soft, natural linen (from Tessuti, again) for the backing, which was simply folded over at the edges and stitched down -the easiest binding method ever.
For the ties I used a variety of colours of stranded embroidery thread, tied on the front, and which reveal themselves on the back as a random coloured grid. My knees hurt a little today from the tying process, but it only took a couple of hours to tie the whole thing, which is a darn sight quicker than any other quilting method I'm sure. The ties are about 20cm apart, and I could add in some more between these, depending on how it wears. So far though it seems fine.

getting my stuff together

2010-05-27T22:44:00.000+10:00

Tonight I'm in the process of dragging myself out from under the mental weight of work / life to escape for a few days. Craft weekend has come at the right moment this time round. I need a little getaway, a chance to re-kindle my sewing mojo, to spend some time working on projects that aren't to tightly defined, or have been lingering in my list of things I'd like to do for longer than I can remember, to laugh and chat with good friends (and to meet some new ones in person), to enjoy a massage and (fingers crossed) to sleep in a little later than I have been lately. One can hope.

Best foot forward...

2010-05-17T20:47:00.000+10:00

I have to admit I've been starting to enjoy my blog break a little. I've somehow gotten over the strange feeling that there's something (many things) going on out there that I'm missing out on, and have started to see some more tangible fruits from my time spent otherwise occupied.

My head has been so drained from the ongoing rush at work (along with the pressure that that causes at home, and the inevitable head colds that erupt at such times) that I've been quite content to sit quietly in the evening, plugging slowly away at these socks, which have taken a surprising 8 months to complete. I'm not the fastest knitter on the planet I know, but the long production time is more a result of the following facts: the socks are complicated, I am somewhat of a perfectionist, and I practically knit them twice (and probably could have knit them over once more if I was more of a perfectionist than I am content to be in this instance).

But they are at last done. They are on my feet as I type, my toes are perfectly toasty and cosy, and in that flash of progress that often marks a new project I'm nearly up to the heel on my first Skew sock, knitted in some divinely soft Handmaiden Casbah.

More details on Ravelry
More photos on Flickr (hard to photograph without wearing them because the lovely little cable has a tendency to curl up on itself and hide.

stuff

2010-05-03T22:15:00.000+10:00

I hadn't been planning on a blog break, but it seems I've inadvertently taken one. Might need to go on for a bit longer too, as I'm working extra days with looming deadlines, and with the days getting shorter, photographic opportunities (I have finished socks! and some sewing!) are few and far between.

In the interim, some things that have had me thinking lately:

Blodwen Modern Welsh Traditional Crafts (definitely appealing to my Welsh side. How modern is this vintage quilt? Perhaps I can convince my basket-weaving ML to experiment with some willow... I'm in love with the shoe basket.)
Zero Waste Fashion Design (definitely appealing to the stingy sewer in me)
It's International Composting Awareness Week this week. I've written a short post over at Sew Green.

up the garden path

2010-04-20T23:07:00.000+10:00

There are a few things bubbling along in the background that I've been meaning to post for a while. Just a matter of making some time to get photos off the camera and sitting with the computer for a bit. My current sewing project is annoying me at the moment, so lets take a look at our recent gardening exploits instead.

In the front yard we have a new path. A huge impact on our garden's usability (and decrease in dirt being tracked around) for minimal effort. It's a really simple, cheap and rustic path made with some red-gum sleepers, chopped down into 600mm lengths and laid directly into the bare dirt, with more dirt packed in the gaps. The rain has helped to settle them down since, and we're ready to finish off the garden beds with some plants and mulch. Being as the front garden gets more light in winter than the back I'm thinking about planting some broccoli and mini cabbages out here, although I've also been daydreaming about growing some asparagas and rhubarb, and the strawberries are frantically producing runners. Whatever we do out here will need some rat proof protection though, as a couple of sightings (and much excitement for our cat) suggest that they are the critters who harvested our strawberry crop this summer.

In the backyard veggie patch, which is about one year old now, I'm starting to get into the groove of the seasonal changes, pulling things up as they get past their best (or I come to accept that they have failed) and sticking in something new. In the last couple of weeks I've pulled out the flowerless cucumbers and mystery cucurbits (Pumpkin I suspect, although it only ever produced male flowers, despite very nearly taking over the entire veggie patch) and planted snow, sugar and heirloom purple podded peas (in a few staggered plantings) and broad beans. The beetroot and carrots that I planted in February seem to be doing OK, although with the sunshine rapidly retreating I suspect we will be eating baby sized veg. The bok choy were failure, mostly on my part. I only harvested a few leaves before the cabbage moth decimated them. Clearly I wasn't paying them enough attention, but I guess I've learnt some lessons there for next time. The wire cages worked very well in protecting them the cat and birds though- I'll definitely be trying that again. I also need to put in some more time on fertilising and adding compost etc to the soil. They do say you reap what you sow...

Goodness never tasted so good

2010-04-16T20:49:00.000+10:00

I made the very near mistake of letting C browse through a very nice cookbook when we were planning some baking activities this week. Of course, being a young child, he was immediately entranced by the beautiful photographs of sweet little delicacies. I managed to get him past the page with the chocolate puddings oozing rich chocolate sauce but he wouldn't budge past the lemon meringue cupcake perched in the small hands of another young child, it's perfect coiled spiral of white meringue towering high above the cupcake base.

My first thought was along the lines of Oh dear, he's going to be really disappointed when it doesn't look anything like the picture, but I needn't have feared. The recipe was really easy, although I did omit one of the three cake components (there was supposed to be a dollop of lemon curd sitting under the meringue) and it took me two attempts to get the meringue to work (I forgot that you have to beat the egg whites stiff before you add the sugar). C was a wonderful helper. Help is the name of the game at the moment- so he held the beater a bit (he doesn't like it at high speed though), and counted eggs and tablespoons of milk and the like, and had a squeeze of the sifter too. He was also very keen to assist with licking any batter coated implements, and cried because I wouldn't let him fill the paper liners or squeeze the meringue out of the make-shift baking paper piping bag himself. But never mind, tears were long gone when he devoured one for afternoon tea.

Being one not to let things go to waste, I was determined to find a use for the failed meringue and accompanying four egg yolks that were left over. Lemon curd to the rescue again! It worked fine, despite the egg whites being pre-beaten into a thick white syrup, although I've just about reached the end of my frozen lemon juice and zest stash and am wondering if it's really that long until lemon season arrives here again...