Spring - sew what?!

Little efforts to share from today. Found myself frogging the lace... this is all that's left... only 135cm to go...

Clips for the new do - not used to hair out! Got to get moving on my button orders anyway, so great to dust off the population!


Skirt for me, matching dress for Miss 2 (yes, I HAVE read Mommy Dearest - no Joan Crawford here!) Spotlight has this cheat's skirt fabric, already elasticated/gathered, ya just hem it for a quick bit of satisfaction. Fun for us and rather Summery, just right for our upcoming visit to the coast.
Bunting for a market I am selling at prior to Christmas - cute fabric, needs to be on display. Forgot I had it until the recent airing of the stash...


Miss 2 found the fabric paints I have for a secret Christmas project for family down South - shhh! Pity this isn't on fabric...

All in all a good day's work. We are rather pleased! Off to finish off some album-cover art to adorn the walls - stay tuned!

j

Skirting round the edges...

Have you noticed that my lace is barely discussed? It's so SLOW, and (new word) unphotographable yet. Bear with me - it really is coming along - just slowly...

I am trying to finish off some WsIP (works in progress) so that my slate is clear for The Knitting of the Lace, and so this morning (yep, kids up Too Early... Again), I whipped up a skirt for Miss 2 using a fave Amy Butler from this range from the stash. Trimmed with ric rac and velvet ribbon and I love it! A huge hem and a generous waist mean that it can grow with her too, so I am happy with that.


j

Blogtoberfestivities without pics, days 6 and 7...

Day 6 was a whirlwind of festivities. A barbie with friends, turned into a beer-hall event, with kids bringing the sandpit inside, and a menu BigCat will hopefully approve of. In the spirit of the festival that Is Blogtoberfest, we enjoyed:

Bratwurst
Coleslaw (Aussie version of saurkraut..)
Beers
and
Potato Salad.

Although there were no Lederhosen in sight, the ambience was certainly as German as we could muster, with two Celts, one convict-descendent, and some Welsh in the mix.

The day drooled on, with my girlfriend Shan and I going interstate for 3 hours of Spotlight - where my attempts at being restrained were quashed by my stash-building-desires...

Camera-less, post-purchase, I lost my bag of goodies somewhere in the chaos that is Spotlight. Bloody buggery bollocks - not happy Jan, etc.

Is your local Spotty chaotic too? Shan and I realised we've never been in an organised one! Adelaide, Queanbeyan, Sydney, Melbourne (both Box Hill and Bayswater), all in our experience messy and disorganised. We still love them though - what about you? (I know some who live in their local! ;-)

My lace is sadly neglected, however tonight is the night for some lace building, and I will post pics tomorrow of metres of completed lace (or a couple of rows of mistakes - much unpicked...)

Enjoy your day -

j

But wait, there's more! Blogtoberfest takes off!

Yesterday I eluded to the mystery that is The Basket. Today I proffer an explanation, albeit image-heavy.

My long-suffering hubby, Mr BB, patiently puts up with my hoarding. You see, the sewing room is the kitchen, dining room, and mainly our bedroom. This is what he wakes up to daily in our room:
My crap is everywhere...

The knitting is oozing out of its stash box (pitifully small, and I call myself a knitter?! Tosh!)


So then he comes downstairs, and wants to have breakfast, but has to fight through this (yes, there IS a ball of yarn next to the fruit bowl...):


I conceded that things were out of control, so agreed to at least try and keep all the fabric out of his way. Enter The Basket. Tardis extraordinare. It is rather large, larger than my coffee table, big enough to hold both kids and a blanket, or a shops-worth of fabric, craft books, patterns and trim. Home of The Stash. It originally came from Ma and Pa, and has been a toy box, a linen press, and has fulfilled other storage requirements, but now comes into its own. Wicker (my favourite), lidded, beautiful.


I have it packed in layers so I know where to find things. To share the stash this week with Mikes, I unpacked only The First Layer (spreading it over the entire surface of my bed, thus causing a raucus with Mr BB!!).








However, there is still so much to share! Look, we barely scratched the surface!


Stash all over the place to see - check out the blogroll of participants at Mikes.

j

When stashing gets beyond a joke... Blogtoberfest chronicles

Stash. Noun. Plural, stashes. A collection, a reserve, sometimes hidden or secret. The verb is to stash.

What is the collective noun for those who collect fabric? I am one of them, and proudly so. I sew, sometimes, badly and passionately, always with purpose-bought fabric, never from The Basket. I mean really, I have Absolutely No Intention of ever using some of my faves. I couldn't cut them if my life depended on it. If I could quilt, then yes, I could conceivably make a quilt of all of them, but they would not all go together, and the mish mash would look revolting.


The idea of having a sewing room, where everything is neatly catalogued makes me drool, it really does. However I just can't seem to do it. For me, part of the Joy of Stashing is forgetting what I have, only to rediscover it later. Maybe this is from childhood?

For my whole life my Mum has had a large plastic bag full of her fabric scraps from the 60s, 70s and 80s. (Sounds like a radio station! Best of the 60s, 70s and 80s!)

I loved looking through this as a kid, and earlier this year became custodian of some of its contents. The highlights of which now grace my collection.


I have a habit that knows no self-control. No matter how many times I tell myself I haven't got the money for it, the collection grows. I accumulate. They plead to come home and live with the others... I mean, how many 30cm strips does a not-very-good-sewer need?! For one who doesn't quilt, I have the wrong collection.


Yes, they are Too Expensive Liberty prints. I used my staff discount to justify my purchase... Yes, my casual job is in a fabric shop, even being surrounded by over 2000 bolts of fabric hasn't got it out of my system...

I can't go past fabric in the oppy, and have lots that I can't bear to part with. There's also the fabric stash that masquerades as vintage linen, but is actually not used as linen... I also buy fabric for others though when I see it (daisies for Nicola, pinks and vintage here, brownie and guide here). I love supporting local and hand made.


Tomorrow I will show you The Basket, and actually share a post that is long over-due about my hoarding...

Until then - check out other great stash-sharers here!

j

Can't post..... sewing.

Gotta love a cleaned and oiled Janome (me ol' Jan). She's kept me busy since the weekend. Nothing electronic or super or too automatic either, but a great buddy.

The only problem is, there is this 30cm strip that I can't stop using..... I love it! I think I'm a bit obsessed...

Bib for Miss 12 pound

Trim on the pants for Miss 2

Applique to cover a stained tee

What else can I make?

I know...

But I need a button...

Which will I choose?

I know!

Another pin-cushion - must mean I can keep sewing!

j

Fabric talents - get your visa ready for damage...

Owl and dinosaur softie fabric by Saffron Craig

These fabric designs are bloody marvellous.

I challenge you to choose just one!

j

Fabric Sale!

For any Canberrans out there, Addicted to Fabric are having a huge three day sale starting Friday for Bag Ladies, and on Saturday and Sunday for the general public.

25% off all patchwork and dress fabrics, including all recent releases,
50% off all McCalls, Burda, New Look and Simplicity patterns
$8/metre lots of patchwork fabrics
And MORE.

25 Dundas Court
Phillip ACT 2606

9am-4pm Saturday

10am-3pm Sunday

Be there!!!

A Bag for the Cat Lady

My dear friend K with whom I toured Rutherglen recently, was exceedingly generous in her gifts to me.

K had spent a couple of weeks in Japan with family, and had bought me an entire stash of fabric, and a box of little origami fabric, waiting to be made into buttons, brooches, etc. I was quite overcome! As all good bloggers, out came the camera. This amused K, as she is not familiar with the blogging thing (a blogger novice - must get her hooked!)


As a thank you, I have made a little bag out of the fabric, finished the inside seams with a Japanese binding technique, and put a HUGE vintage button on the front pleat as a little adornment. K's favourite colours are RED and GREEN, so I hope she likes it!!!!


I have broken two needles trying to finish the top seam (two denim needles.....) and so it remains pinned whilst I drum up the courage to complete it. I had hoped to send it last week but alas.... Still, I am very happy with it! I want to whip up another tomorrow for my Sister-In-Law's birthday on Wednesday!

Sew, sew, sew your boat

Silly post title, I know. Ridiculous in fact. I have sewing-withdrawl as the Machine is in for her service, and I have boats on the brain as my Sister-In-Law will be rowing for Australia at Beijing. I can't keep quiet about this any longer! Anyway, we are very thrilled (Congratulations Aunty Rower!!)

Anyway, here are some quick pics of things I want to be doing:


Old, old, old Tupperware toys I found at an oppy. They might become a mobile for The Youngest Niece, or become Play-Doh toys. They are rather lovely.

Speaking of The Youngest Niece, these two fabrics became a doll-crib set of quilt, sheets (top and bottom), and pillowcase recently. I forgot to take the After shot before they were sent!

The knit on the left will be a wrap/shawl/shrug, and the mushroomy/mocha stretch will be pants.

This is to celebrate getting more work To Help The Family. I just need some non-mummy clothes!

Off to settle the herd - great to have the bloggy feelings back!

j

A stitch in time saves nine...

How was your weekend?

Mine saw work, an enjoyable afternoon of knitting a Debbie Bliss hat for wee Miss Tilly (more when completed), lots of mending, and getting moving on WIPs (should be WsIP - works in progress!)

BTW, an op-shopping find which thrilled me. The picnic basket is circa 1974 - the year I was born. Aw. $1. Perfect for pressie for Miss 2. She actually turns 2 this week, and after telling all and sundry she will be FOUR, we have just stopped talking about it!!


Mending is a funny thing. I tend to wait until I have a few things to do rather than do things as they need. As such, at least an hour was spent doing little bits and pieces. Nothing to show for it, but glad it's done!

Other sewing attempted:

A bib which was ordered for an expectant couple with a motorcycle obsession... Not my thing but happy to make to order -



My apron for the sassy apron swap - my first ruffle, and I'm quite happy with it! The swap theme is Summer, and I had a hula-thing going... Have a look what it's all about here. I saw a tutorial on how to make a jeans-leg apron, and loved the idea. Mine is not as nice as hers, but I am pleased with the result. Next time, the frill will be shorter, as I ran out of fabric to do a matching waistband. That's what comes from not planning things first. They tend to just grow as I work on them usually.



Also a bag in progress for me, actually started using a commercial pattern (rare for me!!!), and after swearing at it and chucking it in the corner, have adapted it to my own needs... Gotta stop buying patterns that have crap instructions...



Started a quilt for a friend's baby due July,




And laying out an I-Spy quilt for Master 6 (he says I never make him anything!)


What did you do??!

Off to prepare for Mum coming up for a visit tomorrow - I can't wait. Flailing at the moment.


x