A little bit twee

'I don't really like patchwork,' I tell Ann in Frangipani, the fabric shop in Sandy Bay.  'I think it's a bit twee.' 

Needless to say I am there to buy yet more fabric to make another patchwork item for the little people in my life. 

What I do like about patchwork is that it a bit of a mystery at the beginning what all the fabrics are going to look like together.  It's also rather meditative, the repetitive task of sewing little squares together.  I guess it's like anything - the more time and effort you put into it, the greater the satisfaction at the end.

So twee or not I have a bit of a patchwork addiction going...

A birthday skirt for 4 year old Maia

A quilt for baby Jaxon

A Babushka skirt for Eliza, size 5

A little aproned skirt for Zoe, aged 18 months

 

 

Sewing summer here

Gosh - long time between posts although I must admit I have been unfaithful and have another blog too. See http://thursdaynightbookclubhobart.wordpress.com/
Winter has officially left us, which feels good - although I am sure we have lots more chilly days ahead and yes I do have the fire on now.  It was a long hard winter with some tough times for the family but we are coming through it all. 

I've been sewing again - my little activity I do when I need to switch off.  Really I need to find a new hobby.  At least I will have lots of summer clothes for our trip to Fiji, planned for November...but before that we have a new baby to welcome into the family soon.  Hurry up bub.

Here's some of my recent things I have made including two tops from my fav book - Yoshiko Tsukiori's 'Stylish Dress Book - Wear with Freedom'. The little dress was made for Eliza but she much prefers her Dora dress.  I will have to make one for Maia in NZ.  Tra la...

Good riddance to March

I haven't been blogging much as the last month has been a horror one. My daughter had an operation, my granddaughter had an operation and my father was diagnosed with two major illnesses.  It's been a month of angst, a few tears, sleepless nights, teeth grinding, stomach clenching and lots of self talk in an attempt to remain on top of things. I had a special herbal concoction made up at Goulds and it did calm me down - or at least got rid of that imminent heart attack feeling. It's a mixture of rose, lavender, caraway, peppermint, motherwort and blue flag.

My major diversionary activities lately haven’t been very creative but more in the form of Sudoku at airports, in planes and in hospital wards and a bit too much retail therapy. Yikes hope husband doesn't scrutinise the last credit card bill too closely!

I am so glad April is now here and we somehow all got through. Once again I have learnt the lessons that one really does cope somehow, that just as day follows night, good times follow bad times, sunshine follows rain, and that catastrophising is a really bad trait I really do need to keep a handle on.

Easter has been a very welcome break, back into the garden again after too long letting it go.  It was nice to pick a giant pumpkin out of the vegie patch today. And this weekend I've been sewing again too.  Made a red linen skirt with a pocket made from the floral linen scrap I bought at Bellingen. I am really happy with it.  Not sure how much more sewing I will do though - I am craving a new creative outlet.  Might get back to the mosaicing...

Happy Easter.

Not creating anything yet...

I am beginning to regret saying I was taking this year off sewing for markets.  Nads at work went to the new Barn market at Rosny on the weekend and said it was great.  I felt a little pang of regret I am not madly sewing towards a market.  Maybe when the weather cools down a bit...

So what have I been doing with my spare time so far in 2010.  Here's the list under my paperweight: 

• Getting in as many swims as possible before the cooler weather starts.
• Planning for our big overseas trip - forever online looking at wonderful destinations in Santorini, Rome, Florence, the Cinque de Terre, Nice, Dordogne, Portugal and Paris.  Will we stay in a convent in Rome or Florence? Where in the south of France will we rent a villa?  Such hard decisions.
• Trying to decide which window treatments to get to make our sunroom warmer this winter.  We are getting a green loan to get better window coverings, a new solar water heater, plus new false ceilings and insulation in a couple of rooms.  I saw a furnishing shop in Kingston advertising window covering choices for energy efficiency and I thought  this was smart advertising as a couple of places I have been into in town didn't know what I was on about..
• Clutter clearing (I am not really but I thought if I wrote this it might get me back into it - as I was on such a high before Christmas when I was).  This is my 'Fake it till you make it' philosophy!
• Spending as much time as I can with little Izzie Bizzie who seems to like being babysat by her Nana Lee now.
• Trying hard to not do any 'shop bothering' or spending as we are saving for our big trip.
• Admiring my husband who has become a 'step counter extraordinaire' - forever out there walking the streets with his pedometer on.  He has lost heaps of weight and is looking and feeling terrific.  I need to join him more often...
• Gathering herbs from my splendiferous vegie garden and watching the apples grow on the apple trees.
• Trying to remember to breathe out more deeply more often.  Doing it now..... Woosh. A big out breath to get rid of some stress, which has been accumulating lately.
• Putting ice cubes in my white wine (Shauna's advice) so I drink less.  An extra bonus - the glass tinkles nicely.

Busy Saturday

I am very impressed with myself. Despite still feeling drack I have managed to churn out three shiny purses, one pot holder and a bag. Hey - you wouldn't want to see the state the house is in, but there's always tomorrow for housework.

I've taken a pic too of Noella's lovely knitted rings and flying heart brooches.

Wild, wet and windy weather outside - perfect for sewing. Today Alan, who wins Husband of the Year Award, has done the shopping, bought me some olive leaf extract (recommended by Shauna to boost the immune system) and made a big pot of chicken soup for dinner tonight.


Time for a little nap now...

Careful what you wish for...

I’ve been saying for a while now that “I’d like to give up my day job” to take up my millymaking pursuits fulltime – and my recent bout of the flu and being off work for nearly two weeks made me begin to wonder if I might not be homebound for some time. So no dear Universe I don’t want to give up my day job because I am sick or GFC-have to – I want to eventually give up my day job because my millymaking has become a very profitable and growing concern!!!

Very excited to have been accepted to be part of the next Independent Art and Design Market happening in Hobart on 7 June. I will be madly sewing this weekend and many nights during the coming weeks. Have been making some rather groovy potholders. Did I say that? (In my wild youth I didn’t imagine I’d be capable of saying such a thing!) They have turned out rather well and have also created another rash of totes and handbags.

Flu remnants begone – too much sewing to do!