Voodoo Pin Cushion

I made this pin cushion one lunch time lately. Well, it didn't start out to be a pin cushion, I was having a bit of an experiment with something, and then when it was done I decided that it was indeed the perfect pin cushion! Is this wrong? I take consolance that she seems to be under anaesthetic...lucky for modern medicine.

New Look

I have been wasting hours of time trying to re-do the way my blog looks - thats probably familiar to most people, its never perfect, is it?

I have gone for a more muted blue/grey and red theme, rather than the bright green. I also found that the little birdie on my old header was actually a logo associated with Twitter (it was a free download template so they probably just knicked it and put it on the green back ground). Anyway, I am not really a fan of Twitter so I had been yearning to get rid of it. My heading font needs some work but thats a little puzzle for me to solve another time. As I said, I have been wasting toooo much time.

Monster Madness

I bought some sewing magazine a few weekends ago - I don't remember what it was called, and then I leant it to a friend so I can't check the title - oops! The mag was pretty pricey at $15 but it had a few nice projects, and in interview with Amy Butler. They had a pattern for this little monster, so I had to make it for my little monster. Enjoy.

Up In Annies Room

I purchased another pendant from Emma at Up in Annies Room at the Red Hill Fair at the weekend. I have previously mentioned that I really love her work. This time I bought a scrabble tile pendant with pink flowers. The letter on the back is O - not sure what that relates to in my life, but its a common garden variety vowel, so that pleases me.

The blue one is the one I purchased at the BrisStyle markets in early July, the number of the domino is 7 - my lucky number.

Softies for Mirabel - Part One

I have rounded up a few friends to make some softies for Mirabel - we want to have some fun, and learn some new things along the way. Today we had our first softies get together to talk about ideas and each select a little project we can complete over the coming months. We are going to meet once a month for the next three or four months and hopefully end up with a few great creations for the Mirabel Christmas appeal. People have gone away with patterns and fabric ideas - next time the scissors and sewing machines will be out in force - I can hardly wait!

Getting it Right

I am pretty happy with this version of my matryoshka doll. I like the proportions, I like the face, and I added an apron because I realised that this is a feature of my little wooden dolls - an apron and a headscarf - makes perfect sense doesn't it!

Here's a pic of the whole girly bunch so far...

I Made This!

Pip from Meet Me At Mikes is giving away a copy of her craft book - yay!

Here is my contribution to the entry criteria - a post of "I Made This".

I made this during 2006, it was a little hard work, but turned out OK, don't you think?

Sorry Pip, you left that one wide open for interpretation.

Miss Jemima

Here is my very rough very first attempt at doll making. I already knew what my boy was going to say when he first saw it, and I was right..."It's Jemima, Mummy!". So, Miss Jemima it is.

This picture hides 1000 faults. Things I like about her are her decent body and head size, so she is easily cuddled under one arm, and she sits up well, no saggy bits. I don't like her too skinny legs, her lack of a neck, the way her hair grows mullet like down into the back of her dress and her pigtails look like her Mickey Mouse Club ears have slipped down to an odd place.

Some improvements to be made to be sure.

Next to her is the original Jemima doll, from the ABC Playschool program (Australian children's television for those not in the know), just for a little comparison fun.

Today I went to the Mathilda's Market at the Brisbane Town Hall. I had a good time and met a few folks. There was a lot of products available for baby girls, and I don't have a little baby anymore, and I don't have a girl...there were attempts to offer products for boys but I found most of them just too cutesy for a nearly three year old. There was one lovely stall selling knitted jumpers for boys - called Motley Monkeys. I had a nice chat to Kylie at the stall and bought a stripey jumper for my boy - it looks really fantastic on him so money well spent I think.

I was also impressed by the toys on offer at Honey Bunch. Very professionally made and displayed, much my style of things and extremely cute to boot.

Words and Pictures - Joy

Playing along again with Meet me at Mikes.

This was my desk at about 10:30pm Saturday night. It was my birthday on Friday, hence the yummy chocolates, the house was quiet, I had the place to myself, I was reading various blogs and having a good old cup of tea. Friday and Saturday had been beautiful days with friends and family, everything was right in my world - joyous!

My Matryoshka

After sewing Miss Allsorts I decided to try make a pattern for a larger doll with different proportions. I also wanted to do a more of a traditional face with the little puckery lips.

Sewing the curved scarf piece to the base piece was a real nightmare so I will have to find a better way of doing that kind of effect. I also thing her head is too small, or I made her face too large. I wanted more scarf around her face, so a few improvements to work on next time I try to make her.

I also sewed in one of my labels - to my surprise I got in in straight, and the right way around - good seeing as i didn't think about its orientation when I pinned it in before sewing!

Another thing in progress

Some embroidery! I used to do a lot of this when I was little. Its like riding a bike, you don't forget. Besides, its very easy. I bought a fading marker that said it would fade in 2-8 days, but after about 12 hours I can hardly see my design anymore! Have to retrace that tomorrow in the daylight, in the afternoon so its strong enough marking to work on in the evening.

The design is from Andrea Zuill here.

Pieces of Person

I haven't really shown any of my creative processes because I tend to work at night, limiting nice photo opportunities.

I am working on a pattern for a little doll, based upon a few different existing patterns, taking a bit of this and a bit of that, have had to try doing the head myself, I kind of fear that it might turn out too big for relatively small looking arms and legs, but am going to give it a go.

Stay tuned for the finished product.

Too Little

Another day, another sewing experiment. This time a little Japanese influence, but I drew it up too small so it was fiddly to sew and even more fiddly to turn and stuff, so he turned out kind of lumpy and misshapen. I kind of like him though, like a garden elf.

Feeling Folky

Today was raining a lot. Not a cheery softy making kind of day, and besides I have to do some considerations about what to do with my new fabrics. I feel an attraction to folk art so just sat down and sketched up this little bird and made him up with some felt and embroidery thread. I think I am going to look into developing some products along a european folk artsy theme in the future.

Clever Owl

Based on my last two softy making exercises I now think that I know it all... I sketched up this owl, my talented other half popped it into the computer and aligned it all into a pattern including seam allowances where necessary and I printed it out and made him. Just like that!

I did go astray with the pattern for the wings, but no matter because it worked out OK in the end. I am not sure I like his cutesy look, I think I like my owls to be more serious. To compensate I staged him atop Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' in Russian and against something seriously brainy by Dostoevsky (I think The Brothers Karamazov, but thats testing my language skills).

Funky Fabrix and the Asthma Foundation

Today I ventured out to Funky Fabrix. I have been wanting to do this for a long time but have saved it up for a time when I have no child haning off me and I can totally enjoy the experience in peace. Glad I did that because the shop was beautiful, and of course I bought a few pieces of lovely fabric, just starting small, I will see what I do with them after some thinking time (music please...).

On exiting the shop a mum with two kids was trying to get in and shouting at them various instructions about behaviour etc. etc. - glad that wasn't me. Time to enjoy is just as important as having the time to visit.

Over the road from FF I spied a thrift shop for the Asthma Foundation. Amongst their fabric remnants there was a lovely 3m piece of deep pink/red floral flannel, lovely and soft, and a substantial piece of mid-blue corduroy. I went home very happy.

Weekend Softy Two

I bought "Miss Allsorts" from a stall at the Brisbane Stitches and Craft show some months back. She's produced by Angela who runs Sew Your Own.

I started to make her and then had tension issues with my sewing machine so unpicked what I had done and got the machine serviced. So finally I got back into action on the weekend and stayed up late sewing into my Saturday evening, and finished her off in a bit of spare time the next day. The instructions were clear and the result is fabulous. I am keeping this one for myself.

Weekend Softy One

I am loving the world of softies right now, and have asked my friends to join me for a few little sewing sessions to make Softies for Mirabel (but more on that later). Seeing as I have to put my money where my mouth is in these sewing sessions and be able to help my friends through their chosen softy projects I thought I had better have a practice.

Attempt number one was a "summer traveler" from Whosies. I followed the tutorial OK, but did get into a few tangles, the main one was happily making two legs facing the same way, instead of flipping over the pattern. I had to return to the drawing board to construct another leg, so now I have a spare little leg on my sewing table, will have to find a use for it... My little traveler worked out pretty neatly in the end!

Weekend Bounty

On Saturday morning I dragged the family down to the BrisStyle Markets. Well, I didn't really drag as we stopped for a spot of breakfast before hand at a local cafe, then I got my itchy little feet over to the market itself. I was very impressed by both the turn out and the stalls packed with all their individual loveliness.

I purchased a blue domino pendant with little white flowers from Emma at Up In Annie's Room and wore blue tops all weekend just so I could wear the pendant (totally LOVE it). And bought myself a subscription to Peppermint Magazine and a copy of Mixtape zine. Got home, popped the little one into bed and sat down with coffee and two great reads. What a great day.