Buttontree Lane

So close

2012-02-14T22:15:00.000+11:00

I've been slowly plugging away at the top and bottom of the twisted hexagon quilt to square it up, but tonight I ran out of half hexagon blocks.

I was just four short, so I went back to the project box.

And picked out some pre-cut half hexagons.

My papers are starting to look a little worse for wear, but I've promised them it's only one more time through the wringer and then they can retire for good.

I pressed the fabric around the papers with my little Clover finger presser, and pinned them, ready for basting.

A quilt shop owner asked me around this time last year why I wasn't using a fabric glue stick to baste my pieces. I replied that I loved basting with needle and thread. It was all part of a very meditative process, and besides - I wasn't in any hurry to finish.

This time last year I'd been working on the quilt for six years. This year I have been working on it for seven. I'm going to really miss it when I've finished it.

In the meantime, it sits and waits for it's missing pieces.

The Line Art Quilt - beginning

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000+11:00

Once upon a time, I came across a beautiful quilt kit in an online store, and tweeted about it because I was so in love with it and couldn't get the concept out of my head. But the postage was kind of prohibitive. Like a LOT prohibitive. Angie, known round these parts as Gnomeangel, also fell in love with the quilt, so we hatched a plan to DIY this 'quilt kit' ourselves. The Line Art quilt pattern is a freebie, so we thought we'd also have a lot of fun having a two person quiltalong.

Image by Svetne

I did a good image search, and came across a few different versions of this quilt. I wanted to see how other quilters had done it. And I wanted to do something completely different, mainly because where's the fun in doing a colour scheme someone else has already done?

Image by Blarna2001

Image by s.o.t.a.k. handmande

The fabric we decided on was a roll of pre-cut strips of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids, which was actually what was used in the much-lusted-after-but-expensive-international-postage quilt kit. The strips are bold, brash and totally wonderful. The beauty was going to be in how we matched them with the background fabric. The original quilt kit had a white background.

On Sunday Angie and I met at our local quilt store, and decided on fabrics. Before I arrived, I was fairly convinced that I was going to select a soft polka dot. But on auditioning my strips against those fabrics, I realised I wasn't after a muddled look. I wanted clean, defined colours, similar to a box of freshly sharpened Derwent coloured pencils. So I headed for the shelves of solids.

Off-white turned out to be quite beautiful, but I resisted as it would have been exactly the same as the original quilt kit. But then I spied the citrussy grellow solid, and...

KAPOW!!

I was sold. I may have to eliminate some of the yellows from the Kona cotton strips, but I don't need the entire roll so it will be OK.

Now to get His Royal Kaffeness sewn together and off the design wall so I can start on this new baby!

Angie will also be posting about how she came to her background fabric choice (wait till you see it! DOUBLE KAPOW!) so check out Gnomeangel for the other side of our story.

Totally twisted

2012-02-09T19:37:00.000+11:00

At the beginning of this year I dug out my twisted hexagon quilt to attempt to finish it. I knew I had one half of a top, and part of the other half, and a whole lot of blocks which needed to be sewn on to that half.

That memory issue I have mentioned before? Turns out both halves of the quilt were already complete. I can't recall doing that, so it must have been the quilting fairies. So I sewed those two halves together a few weeks ago - unbelievably, it only took me about 8 hours - and this is what I now have.

It doesn't look that big in that photo. Let's step back a bit and put a 2 1/2 seater sofa in the shot for scale, shall we?

That's a lot of quilt. And a lot of weight to be carrying around when it's all stitched by hand. I have a morbid fear of it falling apart on me before it's quilted, so I'm very careful, and I get a little bit mother-bear when people get grabby hands when they see me working on it. Hence I tend to work on it more at home. Mainly to stop me being rude to people.

I now have these "half" blocks to sew onto the top and bottom, and then I will trim them so I have straight edges at the top and bottom of the quilt. I've attached one so far. Took me 4 hours to sew three edges. I seem to have lost my hex-jo.

But I now have a fully charged needle dome which should last me for one side of the quilt. And then I'll thread those ten needles again and do the other side.

And then, so help me God, I'm sending it to the machine quilter.

In the last week

2012-02-06T12:38:00.000+11:00

In the last week:

There were a few early evening bus rides home as I miss my usual lift thanks to the crazy volume of work in my day job. Thank heavens the walk home is lovely and calming.

There was a bit of bag making.

There was an afternoon of get-me-the-hell-out-of-here-and-take-me-to-the-quilt-store shopping.

There was a magnificent under-the-pear-tree afternoon of cheesecaking, known in these parts as cheesecakeapalooza.

There was a fair bit of hand quilting done on the wonky quilt.

There were a lot of beans.

The one person quilt retreat

2012-01-29T11:24:00.000+11:00

I decided on Australia Day to quilt most of the day, without interruption. And I did.

Mostly. I had a sewing table malfunction when the castor wheel for my overlocker return fell off and couldn't be screwed back in. It's now detached from my sewing table and is sitting in the naughty corner with a business card box "chock" until the home handyman can get to the hardware store to get thread repair.

First quilt on my agenda was the Kaffe Fassett diamond quilt I'd started in a class with him last year. I laid the remaining diamond on my spare bed, ready to sew into strips, and put the design wall back into action.

This is all I had done before I had lost interest in my last quilting session. Personally, I find piecing diamonds HARD. My brain just doesn't tend to work beyond straight horizontal and vertical lines.

Before I knew it my design wall was getting full.

Fuller.

I was finding new uses for washi tape as the width of the quilt moved past the boundaries of my design wall.

And by the time my shoulders started screaming at me to stop, I had this on the wall. I still have to sew the strips to each other, but I think this is great progress. It is going to be a massive quilt.

Since Australia Day I've sewed two more strips as time allows. I'm really loving this quilt. It's kind of turned into a spectacular thing and I'm not sure I'm worthy of it. But I'll get over it.

With my shoulders refusing to cooperate at the sewing table any longer, I moved to the sofa, where fortunately I could hand quilt while watching the tennis. I enjoy the slow process of quilting this quilt. During an insane/tired moment, during the fifth set between Murray and Djokovic at about 12.20 am, I thought I could perhaps finish this quilt in time for show and tell at the first guild meeting for 2012.

And then I remembered that I don't do deadlines any more.

It can wait until the March meeting. Or April.

Or November.

Quilting by hand

2012-01-21T17:12:00.000+11:00

It's been a while since I hand quilted a quilt. But I'd already thread basted the wonky quilt and want to finish it so it can be used. So it was time to get the perle cotton and my thimble out to play.

A lot of the marks I'd made back in August had faded, so I marked them again.

I ended up not using the sashiko needles as they were too hard to "rock" through the quilt. I used some No. 8 Clover needles instead. They are working out really well.

My stitch is not so perfect, but that's good as the quilt isn't perfect either. I've been enjoying the process of stitching all the quilt layers together while watching the tennis on the TV this week. It's soothing and meditative which is just what I've needed lately, and I can't stop. It will be finished in a week, at this rate.

Maxi cheesy mini quiches

2012-01-19T21:11:00.004+11:00

In my last week of holidays, Cam and I had a bit of an online baconpalooza, Instagramming our photos of baconny goodness to each other each day. It was possibly the best week of my life.

I had a lot of comments on the mini quiches I made, so I though I should share the recipe. My brother showed me how to make these many years ago and I've been making them ever since, so all credit goes to him. They freeze well, making them perfect for ~~school~~ work lunches. And if you have leftover vegies or smallgoods in your fridge, these are perfect for using those up.

You will need:

3 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
5 eggs
milk
Fillings.* (I used 3 rashers of bacon, a couple of green onions/shallots and 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

Remove rind and fat, and dice the bacon. Fry until cooked/crispy. In the meantime chop up the shallots. Remove the bacon from the pan and wilt the shallots. I add a little cracked pepper to the shallots, but that's a personal preference. Remove shallots from heat and let both cool a little.

Cut 4 circles from each pastry sheet. If you use a 10 cm diameter ramekin this works perfectly! Then cut a slit from the centre of the circle to the outside. Place each circle inside the muffin hole, and press down gently, overlapping the pastry as required. Don't press down too much. Relaxed is what you want.

In each muffin hole distribute bacon, shallots and cheese evenly.

Lightly beat the eggs in a measuring jug, then mix in enough milk to bring it to about 450 ml. You may have bit left over, but better too much than not enough. The more fillings you put in the muffin holes, the less egg mix you will require.

Carefully pour the egg mix into each hole. Make sure you don't go above the levee bank of pastry! MESSY!

Place in oven for 20-25 mins, until the top is no longer wobbly and it is golden brown.

Cool in tin for 10 mins and then pop out of the tin and cool on a rack. Or eat. Whatever suits you! They are lovely warm or cold. With salad or scoffed all by themselves.

* Other ideas for fillings: caramelised onions and blue cheese; spinach and fetta; chicken and leek; ham, cheese and capsicum. Let your imagination go wild!

Second day back

2012-01-18T18:25:00.000+11:00

On my second day back to ~~school~~ work I wore a new ~~uniform~~ outfit that I'd finished making ~~at the end of the school year~~ before Christmas. Today promised to be hot, so it was perfect for wearing light summer work wear.

Going back to work - doesn't it make you feel like you should be sharpening your pencils and nuggetting your shoes the night before? Yeah - neither of those things happened here, either.

Yes, it's another Simplicity 2938 top. I'm not even going to talk about it, except to say it's a very light chocolate-coloured voile from Spotlight and I quite like it.

But the skirt is something different. I drafted it myself. It wasn't hard. A rectangle for the skirt, and another rectangle for the waist band. I made the waistband to fit perfectly around my waist, and then played the rest by ear. In this case, I pleated the skirt. By ear. And then put a zipper in the back seam. There are no side seams as I cut the fabric along the length rather than across the width.

The fabric is from Tessuti and I bought it online in early 2010 at the same time as I bought the White Flowers dress fabric. It is an embroidered cotton, and is very fine and floaty, except for the heavy embroidery which keeps it weighted down. I lined the skirt with a darker teal Bemsilk. Because I had no pattern I had to make up the lining as I went along as well. This whole skirt was made up as I went along. Let's be honest. But I think it kind of turned out OK.

Of course I did a hand-picked zipper because I love them and not because I'm obnoxious. Oh no.

Having worn a self-drafted skirt for a whole day now, I can say that I was generally pleased with how it wore. However I wish I had made fewer pleats and made those pleats a bit deeper. I ended up with a small bubble of fabric around the bum, as there wasn't quite enough deep pleating towards the back zipper. I guess that's the problem with wearing a non-shaped rectangular skirt.

My other mistake was running out of interfacing the day I made the waistband, and using that revolting stiff paper fusible interfacing out of a packet instead. It was in my stash. I have no other excuse for using it. It's not very forgiving, and as a result my skirt twisted around me all day meaning I was forever straightening it up. I think I've mentioned before that I have no feeling at all on the right side of my abdomen thanks to the surgery, so that may have contributed to the problem as I couldn't feel the skirt moving at all.

But really I'm happy with this outfit. It's very wearable, the cotton is perfect for a hot day at work and it looks good with red accessories. As a rule I don't wear chocolate brown as I find with my olive colouring and brown hair I tend to fade to invisibility while wearing it. But augmented with teal and red it seems to work OK for me.

For my next post I promise some quilting. Or cooking. I'm kind of over this dressmaking business for the time being.

First makes of 2012

2012-01-14T14:38:00.001+11:00

When I mentioned in my last post about taking it easy when it came to making things this year, I was deadly serious. I refuse to take part in any more deadline work - in fact the only deadline on my mind is the August quilt show, and if I work consistently towards that it won't be an issue. And if it becomes an issue, I won't put my quilt in. It's that easy. No stressing. I don't need things that I get enjoyment out of to stress me out. Life is for living, not stressing. If I learnt anything out of the drama that was last year, that was it.

Here is the first make for 2012 - something I cut out before Christmas, started making between Christmas and New Year as time and energy allowed and finished sometime around the 2nd January.

Yes, it's another Not Sorbetto Simplicity 2938 - my fourth and definitely not last. I don't think I've mentioned how good this pattern is. It's a perfect fit, and that doesn't happen with patterns for me very often. In fact the other night I basted a shirt with an entirely different pattern for something different to sew, and it's a horrible fit. It is spending time in the naughty corner until I can rip the basting out and start again with a change in the darts and taking in/letting out at the seams. In the meantime, I'll stick to Simplicity 2938 because I know it works.

The fabric is from Spotlight and it is embroidered cotton. When I first made this top I was concerned about how stiff the fabric was, even after pre-washing it. But on the second washing with soap and a good iron, it turned out quite soft and a little bit drapey. Which is just as well - I bought this fabric in another three colours.

And here's my first crocheted item of 2012. It's another Armorique shawl and I made it for a swap my knitting/crochet group were having this morning. I really enjoyed making this shawl (except for the deadline/rushing part) even though I've made it before and normally would have been bored with it. But one of the things that happened last year with the illness and surgery (and probably the large amounts of morphine) was that I lost quite large chunks of my memory. One of the chunks seems to be the first making of the shawl. I cannot remember a thing about it, but photos and the shawl itself prove that I made it. So it was like making something for the first time.

I can't even remember making these little leaves on the outside of the shawl last time. These were a lot of fun. I left them unblocked - just flattened them down with my hands and hoped for the best.

Speaking of blocking, I didn't do it very heavily. I used wires across the top of the shawl, and then pinned out the rest, just loosely. The yarn is Glenora Merino/Silk/Possum and it's really lovely to work with, despite my possum allergy. Would use it again, definitely (which is good - I also have it in black).

I only managed to take one photo of the recipient wearing it today. I hope she likes it!

Thoughts on making stuff

2012-01-12T18:26:00.001+11:00

I'm still on holidays which has been blissful except for falling ill on Sunday and the resulting self-banishment to the spare room due to me not wanting to spread my germs. Plus I've had asthma pretty bad, and there's been a little too much wheezing and coughing going on and the other person in the house needs to sleep as that other person had to go back to work this week.

Sucker.

*wheeze*

Anyway, one of the benefits of sleeping in the spare room is that I can sit up in bed under quilts and do whatever craft is going to make me sleepiest (usually it's crochet). And in the morning I get to sit up in bed under quilts and be delivered cups of tea and orange juice and the newspaper. Spoilt much? Rubbish - I thoroughly deserve it.

So while I've been sitting up in bed morning and night, under quilts I've made and rugs my mum crocheted, I've had a lot of time to think about what I'd like to make this year. Also - my quilt design wall faces me in bed and taunts me with it's unfinished Kaffe-ness. All the bloody time.

In addition, today I finally finished a shawl for a deadline. Loved making it, but hated it at the same time. Because it was deadline crochet and that just doesn't feel as nice to me as un-rushed crochet.

With this crochet project finished, and the unfinished Kaffe-ness taunting me, and the fact that I am using a single sized quilt on a queen sized bed because the quilt I was supposed to have finished years ago still isn't finished and even though I love the colourful quilt, it's not the quilt that's supposed to be there and ... see what I mean?

Anyway. Here's what I've realised. *

1. I've realised that this year I don't want to crochet anything that isn't the red cardigan I have planned, or the grey cardigan I have to finish. Crochet isn't interesting to me at the moment and really a person doesn't need as many shawls, scarves and hats as I have. I don't need more.

2. In the last two weeks I have been decluttering like a madwoman. I have decluttered me-made sewn items, all because they didn't fit right, or were uncomfortable. I actually threw out quite a bit. It felt good to be completely ruthless and my wardrobe looks better for it. So this year, I want to sew good quality items that will be there for the long haul. I have a cupboard full of gorgeous fabric, and I want to make more skirts for winter and maybe some long sleeved tops and dresses for work too. I picked up some great books on garment construction last week, and I am going to learn how to adjust and adapt patterns better.

3. I want this year to be the Year of the Quilt. I want to go back to what got me into crafting communities, both online and real-life back in 2000. In addition to finishing the twisted hexagon quilt I started seven years ago, I want to learn some patience in my cutting and piecing. On Twitter, we have been discussing the Swoon quilt-a-long. Even though I know this quilt is perfect for training me to cut and piece better, I have been resisting joining in as I don't want to do what everyone is doing. But I also want to do what everyone else is doing. I am SO CONFLICTED. And you would be too. Swoon is, well, swoonworthy.

(photo by Sew&Sews)

And then my fellow Kaffe-aholic B-Fab talked me last night into making this Sarah Fielke quilt in, yes, another quilt-a-long. I'm totally in. Conflict schmonflict.

Photo from Lecien website

And then I also need to finish my Kaffe Quilt. I have a quilt planned for my Lotta Jansdotter fabric I bought in New York, and my Tequila Sunrise quilt never got off the ground last year even though the fabric is washed, ironed and just sitting there.

So those are my plans. I don't want to be frantic while I'm making. I don't want to be possessed by doing a million things at once. I want to eliminate deadlines. Learn patience. Become a better quilter and a better seamstress. I may very well sell the yarn stash. And I don't care if I do or don't.

The good news is I still have three days of leave and I'm starting to feel better. And I'm really excited about what I can accomplish this year. So excited.

*sorry for the ramble!

The 2011 Christmas frock

2012-01-08T12:14:00.000+11:00

As I explained last year with the making of the Christmas Skirt, making something to wear on Christmas Day is a tradition I decided to bring back from the days my mum used to make me a new Christmas, or school break-up free each year.

This year was no different. When I picked up this gorgeous soft cotton drill from Mood Fabrics in New York in late October, I knew it would be a Christmas Dress. It was summery, light and cotton, and if I made it in a Not Sorbetto tea dress style it could look quite classic and wearable.

Question: What does this photo tell you?

Answer: I need to find a red vintage handbag to wear with this dress.

Question: What does this photo tell you?

Answer 1: That it was fortunate I didn't end up with a rose motif over each boob, a la the Jesus arms butt skirt.

Answer 2: That I don't do blond surfer streaks in my hair very well.

To be perfectly honest I'm getting a teensy bit tired of the Not Sorbetto (Simplicity 2938). Not wearing it mind you - just making it. I have quite a few versions of the Not Sorbetto in top and dress form hanging in my closet. It's a brilliant pattern, but enough might soon be enough. So I decided to change the neck details on this dress - instead of the inverted pleat at the centre, and the two knife pleats on the outside, I gathered the neck instead. I like the effect. If the facing actually decided to ever sit where it is supposed to, I would totally LOVE the effect.

I felt this dress needed something at the waist. I toyed with the idea of making a red belt to go with it, but then realised that all it needed was a little red trim.

Besides who needs to be wearing a belt on Christmas Day when your brother has cooked an amazing feast? Belts out a notch, anyone?

Luckily I had the perfect amount of red baby ric-rac in my stash from the Blythe clothes-making days to embellish my dress with. And I discovered that baby ric-rac is quite the little bastard when it comes to attaching it by machine. I tried three times, and ended up with a wonky mess each time. In the end I hand stitched the ric-rac down which took a couple of hours, but the result was worth it.

I did my third ever hand-picked zipper. I love doing these. I actually find them easy to do, and they are so accurate too. Much better than sewing in by machine and I love the look of those tiny little stitches.

I really love this dress and I think it might be my favourite dress of all time. I love the softness and also the density of the fabric. And the print is amazing with its pixellated roses almost looking a little like camo close up. I wore it tonight to dinner with friends and on the walk to the restaurant I felt taller and straighter than I have in a while. It's almost like I feel I have to have a better posture in order to belong in this dress. And that's a really good thing.

I have a wedding in late April to attend in Bowral and I think it might be a contender against the White Flowers dress I made for my brother's wedding. Matched with the red silk/satin wedding stole from my own wedding, I think it could look pretty cool.

Mid-week break, with craft

2012-01-06T22:25:00.002+11:00

On Wednesday the Mister and I took off for Sydney for a couple of days of F&F&B (fabric and friends and books). It had been a stinker in Canberra the days leading up to our mini-break, so we were really looking forward to sea breezes and, let's be honest, hotel air conditioning.

We (I mean I) decided we'd pop into Tessuti Fabrics in Surry Hills on our way to Potts Point. But first we had to quench our thirst at the Lord Albert Hotel down the street with a little non-alcoholic beverage.

Thirsts quenched, we went to Tessuti. Thank heavens for the husband sofas and good reading material because I was about to go a little crazy! I found this gorgeous fabric that reminds me of the rusty fabric my friend Wilma makes by leaving fabric in her back yard in the rain for weeks with washers and steel wool wrapped inside it. Ironically, this fabric is 90% cotton 10% metal. And sheer as anything, but I had to buy it so I could make a skirt out of it. Don't worry - I also bought underlining for it.

And then maybe I bought some cotton silk voiles, and another underlining, and threads. Not too bad for an hour of shopping in the heat.

The real reason we were in Sydney though was to visit our friend Patricia. She came to our hotel on her way back from work, and that evening we traipsed around Potts Point and Kings Cross for an hour trying to find a nice place for dinner. In the end we dined about 50 metres from our hotel, at Fratelli Paradiso. My goodness - it was so good. Possibly one of the best meals I've had in Sydney, and I failed to take a photo of my pasta scampi, or my pannacotta, or Patricia's delicious looking cannoli. You'll just have to believe me. It was really good.

As much as I miss having her in Canberra with me, I love that she's become such a great excuse for us to visit Sydney too.

The next morning I was up early thanks to the sun, and on looking out the window decided I was not tired of this view, even after staying at the same hotel for almost 17 years.

Today was the day I decided to give up coffee for a while. Silly, silly me. But I was off to a great start with this freshly squeezed mango, banana, pineapple and grenadine frappe. Yum.

And then this heart-stopper of a breakfast. (The baked beans were rubbish, and who puts lettuce on a breakfast plate anyway?)

And then it was off to check out our favourite store in the world, Kinokuniya Books. With a caffeine-withdrawal headache of astronomic proportions.

I seem to have gone right off quilting, general craft/sewing and crochet books lately, but show me a dress making book and I'm all over it. I was thrilled to find that Pattern Magic was now in English - I have lusted after it for so long! Along with Vol 2 of that series, I bought a couple of books on garment construction, and a quilt pattern.

Then a few hours later it was time to get back in the car and drive home to Canberra. Thank goodness for the cricket on the radio - going home always seems to take so long.

But as soon as I got home I washed all my fabrics, plus another Tessuti fabric I bought before Christmas, and with the hot wind blowing they were all dry in 20 minutes.

If I hadn't been so tired I would have sewn something straight away. Imagine if I'd had a garment to show you in this blog post? That would have been insane. Instead you, and I, are going to have to wait.

Not Sorbetto Top #2

2011-12-31T16:26:00.000+11:00

Well actually this Not Sorbetto (also known as Simplicity 2938) is number 3, but number 2 hasn't even been worn yet as it goes with a new skirt, also never worn. I will wait until I go back to work to show those off, perhaps.

When I left my old job in August, my team gave me a gift voucher to use at Addicted to Fabric, my local quilt store. I thought I'd use it to get some more Lotta Jansdotter fabric to add to my collection, but it turned out they weren't getting that in until 2012, and I had only 3 days to use the voucher before it expired.

Instead I headed towards one of my favourite voiles which I had lusted after for a little while - Anna Maria Horner's "Little Folks" range in a design called Pastry Stripe, colour Toast. I wasn't sure the deep curry powder colour would suit me at the time, but it seems it does.

Better than those terrible blonde streaks in my hair do, anyway.

It's very comfortable and cool to wear, especially on the day these photos were taken which was hot and humid with a wicked sea spray coming in from the waves.

It was also a perfect top later on that day when we took a brisk stroll to Point Cartwright and got stuck in a storm of wind, sand and stickiness. And two drops of rain.

The weather was much better half an hour later at Caloundra, where I sat on a sand dune at Dicky Beach and refused to move until I was promised ice cream.

I really wanted to write a post commemorating the end of 2011 - a year which for me was truly horrible, but also very wonderful. But in my mind the post started getting a little too personal, so I've decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

I'm thankful to be alive - so thankful. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a better person. I'm thankful for the opportunity to travel and to work. And I'm thankful for the creativity that flows like blood in my veins.

And you all know that I think new year's resolutions are a crock, so we'll leave it there.

Happy new year, everyone!

Hugo's quilt

2011-12-30T17:32:00.000+11:00

My nephew Hugo turned 5 in May this year, and months prior to that I'd promised him that we would come to his birthday party. I'm not too sure who was more excited - him or me. Plane tickets were booked and I decided to make him his own special "big boy" quilt. I found the perfect fabric when I was at Sew It Together in Sydney in March - a Michael Miller panel featuring retro methods of transport. Given Hugo loves trains so much, I knew I was onto a good thing.

Unfortunately I got really sick for a few months and the quiltmaking got a bit rushed as I was worried I wouldn't finish it in time for his birthday. I pieced the whole quilt in a couple of afternoons. The "blocks" in the panel weren't even so I decided to sew a log cabin frame around each block, and then trim them to the same size. I used black and red polka dot fabrics for the frames. For the little blocks, I joined them together into one big block using black homespun.

Once the borders were on, I pin basted it on the living room floor. I remember thinking how insane I was doing this - I had labrynthitis from the painkillers I was on, and my stomach hurt like nothing else on earth. A couple of days later this happened.

I had major surgery a week later - a couple of days before Hugo's birthday - and there was no way I was going to make the party as I was still in hospital. Probably just as well - the quilt hadn't been quilted yet.

A few months later my stomach muscles were strong enough for me to wrestle with a quilt through a sewing machine so I finished the quilting and bound it.

The day before we left for Queensland for Christmas I attached a label to Hugo's Quilt. I always use a board backed with sandpaper to make it easier to write on the fabric. I drafted the label first with erasable fabric pencil before going over it with a fabric pen and setting it with an iron.

Then I appliqued the label to the back of the quilt.

I found the backing fabrics at my local quilt shop. I knew they'd look great, but I didn't realise (not being much of a selvage reader) that the fabric was actually in the same range as the panel.

I gave the quilt to Hugo on Christmas Day after he'd received all his Christmas presents, and he loved it. I'm glad I didn't go for anything too baby-like for his quilt as he's getting a bit old for that now. Even though he'll still always be my little boy!

The kids have been using the quilt in their new teepee (I have photographic evidence!) I love seeing quilts being used - sat on, stepped on, slept under. That's why I make them.

Sand in between toes

2011-12-28T11:44:00.001+11:00

We are going home tonight and I'm not sure I'm overly happy about that. No more zinc cream, no more sand in between my toes, no more salt on my skin and in my hair.

But I have sunkissed skin and a relaxed state of mind to remind me where my heart really belongs - in between the coffee rocks of Alex and the Maroochy river. Up on the Headland with the wind in my hair. And down by the breakwater during a storm with the sand blasting my legs.

Saltwater girl

2011-12-27T14:43:00.001+11:00

We headed to Cotton Tree this morning, inside the mouth of the Maroochy River. I finally got to feel the cool saltwater on my skin. It felt so good.

Back at the Headland, the surf is still huge and the surfers as passionate as ever about catching a good wave.

Today I am wearing my new Not Sorbetto top. And I'm thinking about an afternoon swim down at Cotton Tree. I need more saltwater on my skin.

Hearts open, beach closed

2011-12-26T16:46:00.001+11:00

We're in Queensland for Christmas. A wonderful day was had yesterday with our immediate family, which includes my sister-in-law's parents. Last night we came back to the beach and slept to the sounds of a big surf and noisy geckos.

I haven't slept so well in weeks.

Today we are confined to the pool. A cyclone and a king tide combined to hide the beach and the rockpools at Alex. In 35 years of staying here I've never seen it look like this.

December 24

2011-12-24T22:55:00.001+11:00

I'm looking forward to the rattle of tiles later tonight when Santa lands on the roof. Mind the solar hot water system, Santa!

Merry Christmas to one and all. I have a lot to be grateful for this year, and I'll be giving thanks all day.

December 23

2011-12-23T17:34:00.000+11:00

Oh, we're getting so, so close to the big day!

Last night I broke one of my molars on a candy cane. Candy canes have been henceforth banned from my house. Luckily for me it was a tooth that already had a death sentence after a dodgy root canal 16 years ago. It's been patched up for Christmas and will be extracted in the new year. Something to really look forward to! Ha!

They were delicious candy canes though. Very fruity. But teeth-killers, yes.

Today I want to talk about Christmas tunes. I love to sing and play music, and I also love having Christmas songs on the stereo while I'm wrapping, baking or otherwise pottering. A few years ago I invested in a 3 CD of set of golden oldies. I absolutely love these CDs and they're on high rotation at my place. Nobody croons a tune like Dean Martin, in my opinion!

Of course in this Glee-lovin' household we can't go past a Glee Christmas album or two. Gets ya dancin'.

And based on a recommendation on Twitter, I picked up the She & Him Christmas album today at my local record store. It is so very good. I've been a long-time fan of She & Him, but to have this Christmas album of theirs on the stereo at the moment is the fondant on my Christmas cake! The brandy in my custard!

The star on my tree!

December 22

2011-12-22T06:05:00.002+11:00

For several years I've tried to keep to a theme for how I wrap Christmas gifts. Most years have involved brown paper and a variety of different ties - ripped Christmas fabric, gardening jute (in green! Of course!) or plain-old kitchen twine with a fancy vintage tag added.

Usually the Mister protests at my rather austere wrapping, especially when it comes to wrapping gifts for little kids who don't understand frugal sensibilities and spartan view points. So I leave the kid's wrapping paper up to him.

This year I embraced red and white as my colour themes, and so the search was on for some nice, inexpensive white glossy paper. Which is apparently impossible. I had my eye on easel paper that comes in rolls, but what Officeworks provided me was something much, much better.

Flip chart paper. Yes. 50 sheets for $14. I have probably used about 3 sheets in total so far. Combined with some manilla mailing tags (also from Officeworks) and red and white baker's twine, I'm set for Christmas wrapping.

Add in to the equation the cutest rubber stamp ever. Krafty Kuka showed me her reindeer stamp and I fell in love with it. Then she got me one of my own. Isn't she nice? I think so.

The Mister found some cool Koala wrapping for the kids.

It's a little tree, but it has a lot of heart.

December 21

2011-12-21T09:17:00.000+11:00

Despite my best intentions to try to blog for the advent blog-a-long almost every day, my day job has been so busy I've been left a tired mess each night who can barely rustle up dinner, let alone another Christmas cake and a blog post.

And now I have some kind of flu thing and am off work, so have all the time in the world to blog! Ha!

I've been wanting to tell you about the outcome of the Christmassy treat swap which was held last week.These are the little Christmas cakes from the other day that I made for the swap, all pretty wrapped in tissue paper I'd stamped with a cute leaping reindeer, and tied up with baker's twine.

There were seven friends in all, and we all shared an amazing supper together to the point of explosion. Quiches, trash dip, tartlets, lemon curd pie, and a Danish almond creamy dessert which was so good. Oh my. And then at the end of the night when we didn't think we'd be able to move anymore, let alone look at food, we put all our treats on the table, and swapped.

There were ginger biscuits, rocky road, brownies, spritz and salted caramel. Danish treats and caramel almonds.

There were jars of homemade vanilla essence and jars of cherry jam.

And at the end of it all, I took home a massive box of treats which we are trying to enjoy in moderation (and failing). I'm saving the cherry jam for my toast on Christmas morning.

It was such a great idea by our hostess to have a swap like this. We get to try all kinds of things we wouldn't normally have the opportunity to, and spend a lovely evening in each other's company. You can't beat it!

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

December 13

2011-12-13T18:36:00.000+11:00

A friend is soon holding her second annual Christmassy Treats swap.

We make enough treats to swap with six other people, and share a meal together. Such a wonderful night we had last year. I am getting so excited! (The treats are mostly organised, but what should I make for the meal?)

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

December 12

2011-12-12T18:36:00.001+11:00

I've been making Christmas fruit cakes. Lots and lots of cakes. Two for family, two for friends, one for the cleaning lady, one for us ... and then there are also eight miniature Christmas cakes for a Christmas swap, and a couple of people in my team.

Luckily it's an easy recipe. The hardest part is having a hot oven in a hot kitchen on a hot day, but December hasn't been hot yet so it's all good.

For the little cakes, I divided a batch by four. Four little tins.

Into the oven.

And then out again, ready for giving away.

Michelle's Christmas Fruit Cake

1 cup sugar

440 g tin crushed pineapple, with a few tablespoons extra water swirled around the tin and put in the saucepan

500 mixed fruit

1 teaspn bicarb soda

1 teaspn mixed spice

125 g butter

not quite 1 cup plain flour

not quite 1 cup SR flour

3 tablespns cocoa powder

2 eggs

Place sugar, pineapple (and extra water), fruit, bicarb, mixed spice and butter in saucepan. Gently bring to boil while melting butter, stirring often. Boil for 3 minutes. Let cool.

Sift flours and cocoa together, add eggs and cooled fruit mix and stir till combined.

Spoon into greased and lined 8 inch round tin (I used a spring form tin)

Place in 175-180 degree oven for 60 minutes. Lower temp to 150 and bake for another 15 - 30 mins. Cake is cooked when skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack.

If you are going to make mini cakes, this recipe makes four of them. They take a little less time to cook (baked 4 at a time), but just play it by ear. The skewer should be almost clean by the time you turn down to 150 degrees.

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

Summer Paisley tea dress

2011-12-11T17:20:00.000+11:00

On Friday I had a day off work, so I went crazy with the cutting board on the dining room table and cut out three dresses and three tops, all based on the Not Sorbetto pattern.*

This morning I woke up really early and couldn't get back to sleep. Then I discovered there was no Sunday paper to read. So I went into the sewing room to mess around with some of the cut-out fabrics from Friday.

A few hours later I had made myself a new dress to wear to the Brown Owls Christmas breakup this afternoon.

Someone needs to weed the side courtyard, and I suspect that someone is me.

The fabric is some Kokka Trefle linen/cotton I bought at Calico and Ivy in Sydney in March, when I was there for Sew It Together. I thought I'd only bought enough for a top, but it turned out I had enough for a dress. So a floaty tea dress is became.

I didn't make it as fitted as the White Flowers tea dress. Part of me wanted it to be a summery dress I could pop on at the end of a hot day, and not be too embarassed to go to the shops wearing it. And part of me wanted it to be good enough to wear, with a belt, out to dinner at a friend's house, or to a cafe.

So it's not that fitted, and that's OK. It's actually stretched a lot especially in the neck, in the making of it. Even with stay-stitching. I still have to wash and dry it, and it might get popped in the dryer to shrink it a little. But I'm really happy with it, even if the fabric has the potential to, as my mum says, become a bit of a dishrag.

I am prouder of this zipper than I should be. But the fact I had a perfectly matching zipper in the stash meant I could be a little cheeky with showing it on the outside of the dress.

* Yes, all based on Simplicity 2938. Risky? Stupid more like it. I fear I will hate this pattern by the time I've finished with it ... but it fits so well!

December 8

2011-12-08T18:40:00.000+11:00

I finally had a minute spare this afternoon to work out how to hang my crackstars in a Christmas garland.

Take some bakers' twine, and a yarn needle, and find a gap in the stars. Thread. Repeat.

The twine has enough thickness to prevent the star from sliding along the garland.

Then hang, over a doorway. With that Christmas crafting staple, Bluetac.

I had it a lot lower than this, but the tall husband kept hitting it with his head so I had to raise it.

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

December 6

2011-12-06T19:58:00.000+11:00

There's nothing quite like the smell of a BBQ in the great outdoors on a warm summer night.

Unfortunately we've been missing out on the "warm summer night" part of the equation this week as it's been very cold after dusk, but I bought stuff at the farmers' market on Saturday for grillin' and I'll be damned if I'm not going to enjoy myself in the cold night air while I do it.

We are pretty lucky that we have an old uncovered deck outside our lounge room, and that's where we wheel our little two burner BBQ out to start cooking. And then we sit and wait while our food cooks, and enjoy the view of the garden and the shared landscapes beyond our fences. This is my view when I'm sitting and waiting.

And this is my favourite chook.

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

December 5

2011-12-05T20:16:00.000+11:00

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before how much I love Christmas.

I love all the fuss and bother of Christmas cooking and wrapping presents. I love setting up the Christmas tree and writing Christmas cards. I love it all.

I'm not such a fan of the last minute "we must catch up before Christmas" gig, but that's only because it's as if people think the world will end on Christmas Day, when really having a BBQ in January would be much more sensible.

Anyway. Where was I? Yeah - loving Christmas.

On Sunday we drove out to Bredbo to take a look at The Christmas Barn. A friend of mine works there and when we had lunch last week she suggested that it was not a bad place for a Christmas lover like me. Plus Bredbo is the home of the Best Pancakes Ever. The other half was convinced to take a Sunday drive on the promise of pancakes alone.

Pancakes eaten, we went next door to the Christmas Barn. It was amazing. The other half said hello to my friend and then had a conniption over the over-the-top Christmassiness of it all, and went and sat in the car to listen to the cricket. His loss.

I gravitated straight to the red and white section as those are my theme colours this year. But the rest of the barn was something to behold.

I'd never thought of a Christmas tree with antlers before. Not too sure I'm a fan, but it's certainly quirky. I really love those red berries though.

I bought a few red and white ornaments, include the vintage tear drop style that we used to have on our Christmas tree when I was a little girl. I also finally found a star which suits the tree we have. I'll be back again next year, by which time I hope I'll have a larger Christmas tree at home, and I'll get more special ornaments to dress it with.

Maybe not dolls though.

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!

December 3

2011-12-03T17:56:00.001+11:00

Late afternoon lap swimming.

This, to me, is summer. Always has been, always will be.

I hope my togs dry before early morning lap swimming tomorrow.

December 2

2011-12-02T23:02:00.001+11:00

More crackstars.

More colours.

More fun.

December 1

2011-12-01T19:22:00.001+11:00

Today is the first day of December, and despite the bone-chillingly cold temperatures we had this morning, I do think it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. And smell. And taste. And sound.

I love Christmas. Can you tell?

I have decided to join in with Car at Carrose Creations for an Advent Blog-a-long so that I can share some of the things I'm doing with summer now here, and Christmas coming so soon. Come and join in!

A couple of weeks ago we had a Brown Owls Christmas crafting session where we learned to make German folded stars, amongst other lovely crafty delights. I loved making these stars. I've never been a paper crafter, but this is something I got right into.

I'll come clean - I got addicted to making them. My friends call them "crackstars" and they're not wrong.

I decided to decorate the house with red and white stars this year. Crazy. I have no time for this! But I bought some more paper strips on Etsy, and after a particularly awful day on Tuesday, I made 12 more stars in an evening in order to get out of my funk. Such great therapy.

Speaking of red and white, don't these loganberries look divine in their white bowl? We've been growing a loganberry plant for a couple of years, but this year is the first where it has borne fruit. They are delicious - juicy, sweet yet tart. I stand at the kitchen sink, rinse a few in my hands, and eat them whole.

Sewing in the key of C minor

2011-11-27T18:17:00.000+11:00

Are you tired and run down? Sick of remembering traumatic events in your life? Do you need an instant pick-me-up?

9 out of 10 health care professionals recommend SEWING to alleviate blue-coloured thoughts! *

Thanks to this medical advice, today I finished a skirt and washed it so I can wear it to work this week.

I sewed most of a Not Sorbetto top, bar the facing and arm holes.

And I've been studying this made-a-long-time-ago top to see if I can make it less Kamahl-ish. I'm thinking of removing the sleeves, adding in some waist shaping and fixing the dodgy hem. It would have gone to the charity bin but I love the colour and the neck stitching.

For tonight's blue-banishing sewing activity, I'm going to baste this little wonky fella so I can hand quilt it.

What about you? Does sewing help you blow the blues away?

*Not really. But they should.

A little treat

2011-11-20T16:07:00.001+11:00

I was going to preface this video clip with a story about me being a viola player, Yo-Yo Ma, my friend Phil, an email he sent me about his friend Aoife O'Donovan, and Jay Leno, but instead I will just Ctrl-V the clip in right now and you can enjoy it like I have been the last few weeks.

Fabric to fall in love with

2011-11-15T11:05:00.000+11:00

I have few regrets about our recent trip. Most involve things we didn't get the time to do or see, and one in particular is not spending more time and money at the great fabric shops in the Garment District of New York.

We started out that day with good intentions and even had our subway rides planned out. Visit the 9/11 Memorial in the morning. Go straight to Mood and the other shops after. Go home and relax before an evening performance of Wicked on Broadway. But as is typical for travellers, you get waylaid by other interesting things, and then you have to eat lunch, and then someone (not me) gets a bee in his bonnet about needing a burger from the Shake Shack, and it must be the one in Madison Square Park and it must be NOW.

It was worth it. The day was a beautiful one to be lunching outside under the trees, the burgers and root beer were great, and the bee-bonneted one was happy.

By the time we got to Mood it was mid afternoon and I was very tired and very footsore. In the back of my mind I knew I couldn't go crazy as I had limited luggage space, and limited patience to carry said luggage. So I decided to buy one really nice piece of fabric from Mood, as a memento, and then move on to another fabric store. The fabric wasn't cheap - not cheaper than most places in Australia, anyway and that surprised me. I easily could have spent all day browsing all three floors, and then I could have spent another half day going through their button collection. I spent an hour there in total, but it was an hour well spent. I had engaging conversations with both my cutter and the cashier, and I had a lot of fun being in a store I'd only ever dreamed about.

This is what I bought. It cost me $18 a yard. See? Pricey. But it's lovely printed cotton, and I plan to use it for this year's Christmas frock.

We then moved on to Paron Fabrics which is about a twentieth the size of Mood, but a little bit more personable and cheaper. I fell in love with a few fabrics there, but again decided to be sensible and limit myself to one piece. It's a cotton sateen with a crazy print on it, and I've never seen anything like it. I'm planning on making a skirt for work, maybe with a couple of little pleats. I haven't decided yet.

And then before we knew it we were too wiped to go anywhere else, so we walked past Parsons, found the nearest subway and headed back to Harlem. I was actually satisfied with what we'd seen and done and was on a massive high from it all. And to be honest it was only after I'd gotten home to Canberra that I realised I may have missed a few opportunities. I wish now I had planned to spend the whole day in the garment district. Not buying necessarily. But watching and browsing. I'll be back, I'm sure.

A couple of days later we found ourselves on the Upper East Side and Lexington Ave, and we visited Pins and Needles NYC. It's a fantastic little quilting shop and the lady there was so helpful and friendly, jotting down other addresses of places we needed to visit in San Francisco, and also websites I'd find interesting. And they had excellent husband chairs, which we all know is very important in any crafting store. I really wanted to buy something at the store as both a memento and to repay the kindness that had been shown to us, and my eyes eventually fell upon the collection of Liberty Lawns. At much cheaper prices than Australia. Finally.

This might be a Not Sorbetto, or some other summery top. I haven't decided yet.

But something I did decide when I got back home was that I have to use these fabrics before I sew with anything else. They are special, and mean something to me. They have stories. It is only fitting I do something special with them.

Until of course I went to the Spotlight sale yesterday morning and came home with arms full of lovely embroidered cottons.

Must. Not. Be. Seduced.

Super Stars: American Folk Art Museum

2011-11-10T21:49:00.001+11:00

When we first went to the US together 15 years ago, I was not a quilter but my mum was. I remember I bought her a pattern book on the Smithsonian quilt collection, and then I saw an amazing exhibition called "Calico and Chintz" at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art in Washington DC. The quilts in that exhibition were all made prior to 1850 and they were, in a word, amazing.

I was hooked from that moment on. I wanted to be a quilter too. So I took my first class, and then I took another, and then I started making quilts all the time.

When we were in New York a couple of weeks ago, we visited the American Folk Art Museum which was holding a special exhibition called "Super Stars". All the quilts had stars as the theme. And again - amazing.

This was probably one of the oldest quilts in the exhibition. It's a Mariner's Compass quilt made sometime between 1840 and 1860 by an unidentified quilter. Aren't the colours amazing, 150 years on? And the hand piecing! I can imagine the woman making this would have done her meticulous piecing by lamplight after her chores were done and the children were in bed. Nowadays we all have daylight lamps and magnifiers. How lucky we are!

This Bull's Eye quilt was made sometime between 1900 and 1920 by an unidentified member of the family of Alverda H. (Hoffman) Herb in Berks County Pennsylvania. Again, the amazing handwork in this is breathtaking. I want to learn how to be this amazing! And patient!

Star of Bethelehem with Satellite Stars quilt, made by an unidentified quilt maker, possibly in Pennsylvania sometime between 1930 and 1950. I can't imagine the word "procrastination" or "idleness" was in the quilt maker's vocabulary. The hand quilting is spectacular.

This quilt was framed and behind glass. The integrity of the fabrics was still really good. It's a Star of France quilt made between 1930 and 1940. It was apparently made from a purchased kit (pattern number 151 from Hubert Ver Mehren's Home Art Studios of De Moines, according to the museum). So some things haven't changed - we quilters still use kits to make our quilts!

This quilt was perhaps my favourite, and I sat in front of it, examining the patterns, for quite some time. It's beautiful in it's simplicity, but the amount of work making all those ties in the pattern of the stars is incredible. it's called a Tied Stars quilt, made by an unidentified quilter sometime between 1900 and 1940. The museum notes that "The pointiillist effect of this (tying) technique creates a doffuse Milky Way when seen up close. At a distance, the stars resolve into their defined forms".

What do you see? The docent at the museum I spoke to said he could see hearts.

This Carpenter's Wheel variation quilt made between 1945 and 1955 includes cotton, and also synthetic and nylon fabrics. It's a Midwestern quilt by another unidentified artist. The colours are lovely in this - I can imagine it as a very modern quilt made today, and not 60 or 70 years ago. And so meticulously made - even a quilt this old still hangs straight. That's an achievement.

Visiting this museum was another highlight of our trip. It's a tiny place, just opposite Lincoln Centre, but was worth visiting just so I could be inspired by quilts made years before I was born, and marvel at their workmanship. The exhibition made me want to be a better quilter.

Me and Martha

2011-11-06T18:17:00.000+11:00

A couple of weeks before we left for our holiday, I overheard someone at work talking about Martha Stewart and attending a taping of her show.

Brilliant idea, I thought. I'm just a bit of a fan. Just a bit. (Who am I kidding?)

So I signed up on Martha's website, and just before we left I got an email confirming that I was to attend a taping on Monday 24 October! And there were rules about what to wear - bright, solid coloured clothes, no washed out colours, black, white or grey. No t-shirts. Oops. Hadn't planned on packing anything like that! (Luckily for me there was a Lane Bryant store not far from our apartment in Harlem so I could shop for a shirt. And maybe a few other things slipped into my shopping bag. What of it?)

Monday came and we headed to the studio in Chelsea. I joined the queue of brightly coloured women and men, and then I sent the Mister on his way to have his own non-Martha adventure.

When the queue finally moves, you end up inside a holding area.

We stayed here for about an hour, signing waivers and meeting Joey Kola, who warmed the audience up and told us who was going to be on the show today. And then it was time to climb the stairs to the studio.

I got lucky with where I was seated. Second row from the front. So close to Martha. See my lovely new teal shirt from Lane Bryant? And red beaded necklace from Re/Dress NYC? (I felt quite special until I saw another girl in exactly the same shirt as me. Luckily we weren't sitting close!)

While we waited for the show to start taping, we watched all the action in the studio.

Joey warmed us up a bit more. He was a lot of fun. This is the least blurry photo I could take of him - he didn't stop moving.

And then we had to put away our cameras as Martha was joining us for the taping. The show had a breakfast entertaining theme, and Martha cooked eggs with a local breakfast celebrity Willy Geist, and cookies with the head pastry chef of Momofuku Milkbar, Christina Tosi. The audience were all given a cookie and Christina's new book "Milk". Joey also gave me some beautiful Martha Stewart paints, but they were too heavy to take home so I gave them to our landlady's little daughter, Yasmeen (our landlady emailed us after we left to say than Yasmeen had been making Halloween decorations with the paints).

After the taping, Martha took questions from the audience, and we were allowed to bring the cameras out again. I think Martha is amazing - I doubt she would suffer fools gladly, and she seemed quite down-to-earth for someone who is so wealthy and high on the social scale. The floor manager said only two questions would be answered as they had a time constraint, but Martha kept pointing out people with their hands up, and kept answering their questions.

I never saw the show on TV - it was screened on the Thursday after the taping, but in the middle of the day and we decided to walk around the upper east side instead. But you can see the show (if you can abide the terrible ham ads before each segment) over here.

It was a great day - probably one of the highlights of the holiday. I laughed a lot, and even made a new friend while waiting in the holding area. I would go in a flash if I visited New York again.

To be where little cable cars climb half way to the stars

2011-11-04T04:15:00.001+11:00

San Francisco - it's been a blast.

We've discovered places we didn't know existed. We've met some amazing people. Someone hung off the side of a cable car. That someone wasn't me. A shawl has been completed, and a hat commenced. My huge tummy scar has hurt every time we've had to stand up on a bus and climb one of the massive San Francisco hills. We had to mail home 13 pounds of books and fabric just so we could safely lug our suitcases down a flight of steep stairs from our "garden apartment" which it turns out is not in the garden as it would be back home, but has a view of the garden. From the second floor.

Our local cafe makes Banh Mi and we had our first ever yesterday. We'll have our second Banh Mi ever at lunch today.

But after lunch it's time to get on a plane and come home. I didn't think I'd want to go home, but I'm ready. And that's good.

Walkin' with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay

2011-11-01T12:57:00.002+11:00

So that snow I mentioned was threatening on the Saturday that we left New York? It came early - 11 am early. And it was beautiful.

Beautiful and a pain in the arse when our flight to San Francisco was cancelled and we couldn't get onto another one for 28 hours.

So we spent the night in a grotty airport hotel, and the next day in Brooklyn watching the snow melt on a very sunny, very cold October day. Hang on - snow in October?!

We arrived in San Francisco at midnight last night. We only have 3 and a bit days here now and we missed seeing a gig in Berkeley with my friend Phil, but we are going to make the most of the days we have here. We were last here 8 years ago and there is a lot to catch up on.

For now we have the interesting situation of staying in the Castro on Halloween. The boys and girls really know how to do a good costume in this neck of the woods.

New York - concrete jungle where dreams are made of

2011-10-29T12:30:00.001+11:00

We've been here for ten days, but tomorrow we hop on a plane to head to another city. And just in time - snow
is forecast for NY tomorrow.

I'm really sad to leave. We'll miss Simone, our favourite server at our local cafe on Malcolm X Boulevarde, who is always intrigued by which pie we're going to order (answer: usually cherry). Tonight she kissed us when we said good bye. But I reckon we'll pop in for some key lime pie before we leave tomorrow and say goodbye again.

I'll miss the 2 and 3 subway and the filthy platform under 116th St. I'll miss the quiet street of Brownstones we've been living in. We'll miss the random diners where you can get a hot cup of coffee and waffles with bacon and strawberries. Scott will miss the pizza-by-the-slice joints, especially the one next door to Magnolia Bakery on Columbus.

I'll miss Magnolia Bakery.

But a new city, new adventures, and a friend to catch up with are next, and that's a lot to look forward to.

Since I made it here I can make it anywhere

2011-10-28T12:04:00.001+11:00

We ride the subway several times each day, in all directions. The crocheters are everywhere on the subway.

Even I've had a go. On Sunday we took the subway out to Coney Island, which is over an hour from Harlem. And almost an hour back to Soho where we went next. I managed to get quite a lot done on the shawl I'm currently crocheting.

Quilting shops and yarn stores have been visited and money spent at all of them. The friendliness and kindness that has been shown to both of us is astounding, and the "husband chairs" are comfortable. We have a lot to learn in Australia ...

I'll be able to show what I purchased when I get back to Canberra. Unless I send it by sea mail because it doesn't fit in my port.

In the footprints

2011-10-27T14:04:00.001+11:00

Before we left Australia, and just after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I applied for visitor passes to the newly opened
9/11 Memorial.

10 years ago, a few days after the attacks, two young men created the United in Memory Quilt Project. All over the world, quilters each selected a person who had died in the attacks and made a 12 inch block in memory of that person. The blocks were made into many quilt panels which were then displayed. There is a website that shows the blocks made. http://www.unitedinmemory.net/

I participated and ended up making 7 blocks as the need arose. I found out as much as I could about each person, mainly from the tribute websites that were set up at the time. I felt it was important to know about the person I was making the block for. I have never forgotten their names in the time since.

Yesterday, at a stunning memorial site which included two levels of waterfalls in the footprints of the former south and north towers, I found 6 of 'my' 7 people. The 7th, William Erwin was on a very wet, windy side of the north pool, so there was no chance for a photo.

We could imagine no other type of memorial to such an awful day in history. It was respectful, and very, very beautiful. Photos and words will never do it justice.

Making it work

2011-10-26T08:41:00.001+11:00

A few months ago when I was home recovering from my surgery, a friend loaned me all 8 seasons of Project Runway on DVD. Each night Scott and I would watch a couple of episodes. I think it helped me in my recovery - the thought if being well enough to sew clothes again was something to strive for.

One episode, while the contestants were shopping at Mood Fabrics (as they did every episode) Scott turned to me and said "You know, maybe we could go back to New York, and you could go shopping at Mood and I could pat Swatch (the store's resident dog).

And that's why we're currently in New York, and part of the reason I worked so hard to get fit and healthy again (the subway stairs are killing me though).

(In case you're wondering about the Red Lobster photo, fans of season two will know that's where Tim Gunn took Andrae on their pretend date according to Santino).

We've got some beans and some good cornbread

2011-10-23T10:19:00.002+11:00

We're staying in a ground floor apartment in an old Brownstone in Harlem while here in New York City. We'd never been to this part of Manhattan before, but I am falling in love with Harlem already.

And why?

For one it's a lot quieter than the rest of the city. And safe. The subways are close by. People here sing out loud, all the time. Last night a guy in our street was singing Peter, Paul and Mary. Guys I walk past on Malcolm X Boulevard on my way to get coffee in the morning rap. Even when they speak to each other, they sound so lyrical.

And despite being two of the whitest people treading God's earth - which makes us the minority here - we are politely ignored and mostly anonymous.

Probably the best reason for loving Harlem is the food. The other night we experienced soul food at Amy Ruth's for the first time, and tonight we went back.

Cornbread before every meal. I love this stuff and I'm going to make it when I go home. And collard greens - how delicious you are!

This meal - The Ludacris - was a true test for someone who doesn't usually eat chicken and no longer has a gallbladder to process all that deep fried badness. But it was lovely and homely ( although not as stunning as the jerked shrimp I had the other night) and while I didn't eat it all I did feel very loved through the food.

Slow down, you move too fast

2011-10-22T07:51:00.001+11:00

It hit me this morning, as we sailed under the 59th Street Bridge and I sang that song under my breath, that since we came to New York City our holidaying life has slowed down considerably.

How can this be when we are in one of the fastest cities on earth?

We are so relaxed. So. Relaxed. I love this city. It's been 15 years since we were last here, and so much has changed, and yet so much hasn't.

Don't ever change, New York.

Private lawns, public parks

2011-10-19T09:06:00.001+11:00

Yesterday morning we walked down Astor, which is the street behind where we are staying. Beautiful, genteel houses and apartment buildings with no gardens to speak of but a patch on the sidewalk.

The bigger houses in this post (I have no say as to their order, thanks to the crappy Blogger app) were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and are situated in Oak Park not far from Chicago. We spent half a day there - so interesting and just a little surreal to see the Prairie School in the flesh.

No Chicago post would be complete without a photo of the bean in Millenium Park.

We are leaving Chicago in a few hours and we are very sad to go. I don't care what Doris Day says - I'll take Illinois over Deadwood City any day.

A long train ride to another city awaits us, and there are more adventures to be had.

Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky

2011-10-18T08:45:00.001+11:00

The main reason we came to Chicago, besides the promise of deep dish pizza, was the lure of the big buildings.

Here the architecture, history and art of Chicago are all wrapped up in one. And to be here, to look up and see different styles and different eras all blended together and sitting next to each on Michigan or Wacker or Wabash is something to behold.

Really, really behold.

Two nights ago we visited Willis Tower (formerly Sears) and looked down on some of the amazing buildings in the world. This morning we participated in a river tour organised by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and looked up.

It's hard not to feel small when in the presence of giants.

Just blew in from the Windy City

2011-10-16T08:16:00.001+11:00

The sandwiches here in Chicago are incredible. Show me the pickle, I say.

We happened to be here for Open House Chicago 2011, and it has been a real treat. Man, that Santa Fe building is the bomb. This is totally open plan - no windows between the floors and a big skylight roof above and below. It was built by the architect of Chicago as a building for architects, and almost 100 years later architect firms are still here.

Lucky buggers. Would kill to work here everyday.

Also - Lake Michigan is monstrous but also very beautiful. I wake up to this view every morning.

City of angels

2011-10-15T15:19:00.001+11:00

Sometimes you just have to get away. So we went to a place where room service arrives on a table and is set up in your room, everything is served with a side of ketchup, water comes with lime wedges - on the side- and the ice cream sundaes are bigger than your head.

We're actually not here anymore, but we are somewhere else and we are still away. And that's the main thing.

The making of the White Flowers tea dress

2011-10-09T17:02:00.002+11:00

The White Flowers dress commenced with truly beautiful fabric - a black cotton embroidered thickly with off-white flowers. I bought it at Tessuti a couple of summers ago and I knew it would be a dress - I just had to find the right dress pattern.

Sewing it, however, proved to be a problem. The fabric, while soft, is densely woven. Pinning the pattern to it was impossible. Machine sewing it produced a popping sound when a needle went through it. I started with a denim needle, but the resulting big holes were unappealing so I switched to a sharper universal needle.

The bodice came together easily on the first day, but by then my fingers were toast from pushing all the pins into the fabric and so I was done.

I started the skirt the next day. I cut the full width of the fabric (as the embroidery was along the selvedge) which was 2.5 metres. The skirt is 27 inches long.

When I wore the Not Sorbetto wearable muslin dress for the first time I had a chance to assess what worked and what didn't. The top was great - I couldn't fault it except it could be a little shorter at the waist. But the skirt, as lovely as those four pleats are, tended to grab knickers and tights at the internal part of the pleat.

So a rethink of the pleating of the skirt was required. I decided to make knife pleats and have them directing away from the centre back and centre front. I spent an hour pinning, measuring, re-pinning and finally, basting the pleated skirt to the bodice. Then I tried it on for size.

My mum always told me to wear the shoes you were going to wear with the dress or skirt before determining the correct length and working out the fit. She was right.

I'm glad the length was perfect, because I didn't fancy taking the length from the top of the skirt after all that bloody pleating. So I finished off the waist, and turned to the side zipper because, let's face it. The hem was already done.

Experienced sewers will know what I'm about to undertake here. I did question my nuttiness at attempting a hand-picked zipper, I must admit. But this was a special dress, and I thought it would be worth it.

And oh - was it ever.

These photos were taken at my brother's wedding in Brisbane yesterday. It was a truly wonderful day. There was a massive thunderstorm in the morning, but by lunchtime it was clear and even a little sunny.

My mum loved my dress. My husband loved my dress. I loved my dress. No one else noticed my dress even though I'd told my aunties I'd made it myself.And that was OK because all eyes were on the bride. Her outfit was stunning. She was stunning!

I was cool, and very comfortable. The flowers on the dress kept my baby nephew distracted as I held him while his parents were busy getting married. And when I crashed from exhaustion in the hotel room hours later, the dress was extremely comfortable to pass out in until I had the energy to shower and go to bed properly.

And that adds up to a winning dress in my book.

Oops - missed it by that much

2011-10-05T20:35:00.000+11:00

So ... the last two days of Self Stitched September follow.

September 29. Decided there hadn't been enough black in my life this year. And given we are going into summer shortly, I may not wear all black until March next year. I am depressed at the thought of a summer of non-blackness. Obviously. Me-made doily skirt, and a me-refashioned half slip.

About the half slip - I only bought one because the cotton sateen in this skirt sticks to tights, and I tend to look really stupid when I am walking down the corridor at work, grabbing my skirt to make it sit straight. Rather than line it, which is what a sensible person would do, I decided to cut the bottom off a longer purchased slip, then reattach the lovely 4 inch side lace trim because the lace was oh-so-pretty. Except for some reason the stretchy slip and the lace that's left didn't actually add up to a whole skirt's width. So there is now a 3 inch gap at the back of the slip (conveniently where the skirt slit is) where no lovely lace exists. And then all day I spent hitching my slip down as it kept riding up with the friction of the skirt. Didn't cling to my tights though, so ...

Seriously, it would have been easier to have lined the blasted skirt.

September 30. Last day! And it's casual Friday at that! I decided to embrace my new-found love of purple (not really. I'm still not a fan.) The skirt was my first me-made skirt from a couple of years ago. The fabric was given to me by Liesl and I just love it. It's worn really well (and it's green, not the yellow in the photo).

So what now? Where do I go from here? And what did I learn?

* This year, it was easy to get the husband to do the photography. Put a DSLR camera in his hands and he becomes quite the fashion stylist.

* I only sewed two items during September (the Not Sorbetto top, and the Not Sorbetto dress) and crocheted one (Dorothy's Tail scarf) but this was two more items than Me Made March. Mind you - in March I was busy being seriously ill, so maybe no rewards for September's effort.

* I solved the problem of March's photos showing me to be shortlegged due to the tall photographer by having the photos taken on the front stoop while the photographer stood in the garden below. However, the early morning sun may have killed my eyesight.

* September proved that I could adjust patterns, and draft my own as well. I am beyond pleased with my bravery about this kind of thing.

* I really love sewing and wearing my own clothes. Next winter I want to have more me-made tops.

*Bring on Me Made May 2012, I say!

Since October started, I have started and finished the tea dress for the wedding this Saturday. But I will wait until after the weekend to blog about that. In the meantime, here's a little tease. (Aren't those jaundice-yellow runners awesome?)

On a post-project high, I started making a skirt with no pattern (again) and I was going great guns until I sewed a hole into my finger with the sewing machine, spilt tea over my skirt, and then discovered that the back seam wasn't going to match up, therefore making a hand picked zipper impossible. My sore finger and the skirt are currently having a time-out in the naughty corner.

September, September, September

2011-09-28T23:28:00.000+10:00

Somewhere along the way I neglected to blog my Self Stitched September efforts from September 18. And looky there - it's half an hour away from September 29.

Whoopsie.

So, September 18. Uh. Seems I was so busy making the Not Sorbetto tea dress that day that I forgot to take a photo. I was definitely wearing a me-made skirt though. Promise.

September 19 - a jolly 26 degrees forecast for today! Time for the summer gear! This time I've made both the skirt and the top.

September 20 - this might have been the day when I hated all my clothes, hated being photographed every morning and hated the world in general. No photo, nothing me-made. Move along now.

September 21 - By the special scowl I'd say I'm starting to really hate that early morning sun. Cooler day, so the tights collection doesn't get packed away for the season after all. Skirt is the usual me-made favourite.

September 22 - Note to self. Just because it's going to be 22 degrees today doesn't mean it's OK to stand outside when it's still only 2 degrees without a coat. Me-made skirt.

September 23 - Since entering my 40s, I've stopped worrying about what others think of me. This includes whether they think I'm a complete loon for wearing stripes on stripes. Me-made crocheted cardi, me-made zipper brooch and me-refashioned leggings (they were tights).

September 24 - I was going to stay home all day and sew but ended up going to a rental open house for an interstate friend. This photo was taken after I'd had 2 coffees and a chai. I'm all about the caffeine this afternoon. Me-made cardigan, same as yesterday, and me-made kanzashi brooch.

September 25 (have you fallen asleep yet? I have). This is the tea dress. I love this dress. This is actually what I wore today, to high tea.

September 26 - my last day of being 41 years old and dammit I was going to wear orange and I didn't care who hated it. Because I freaking loved it. Hated the me-made skirt though - it kept falling down and I really need to fix it.

September 27 - I'm protesting the fact my birthday didn't fall on a public holiday this year by wearing something truly pretty to work. Me-made frock.

September 28 - now I'm 42 years (and one day) old, I care even less about what people think of me. Mixing stripes and plaid? BRING IT ON.

So two days to go for Self Stitched September. TWO!

A kid who might one day be able to go completely Aunty Chelle-made is my youngest nephew, who turns one on Friday. I bought some plain tees and sewed some patches on them. Took me 40 minutes and a whole lot of love.

Coathangered

2011-09-26T21:27:00.000+10:00

I had a couple of little sewing projects to do on Saturday which didn't involve Not Sorbetto dresses, or indeed anything overly complicated.

A couple of years ago I bought a red long-sleeved t-shirt that was a lovely fit, but when I got it home in the natural light I realised it was that shade of lurid red that I don't actually like to wear. I kept it in my ironing basket, and every few months would try it on again to see if the red still burned my retinas. Yep - it still did.

So on the weekend I applied some common sense (rare. Very rare) and thought that if I added a lighter patch to the front of the shirt, it might tone it down a little.

My first sewing project of the day was using a lovely piece of Yardage Design screen printed fabric I had set aside for my Tequila Sunrise quilt. I cut out a rectangle. overlocked the edges, pinned it onto my shirt, then stitched it.

It's such a striking design, that fabric. And clever. Can you see the {!}?

So project one was done and I now have a wearable tee. Time to move onto sewing project number 2 - a birthday present for a friend's 40th.

I had decided to make her some elegant coathangers. I love nice coathangers. My mum makes me crocheted ones that are amazing, but I didn't feel like crocheting any myself. I used a Cath Kidston pattern from the book "Sew" instead.

First up I made one for myself, as a test. It's sewn by hand, except for the ends which I used the machine for because as much as I love hand sewing, it was all getting a little ridiculous. And my hands were really hurting by the time I'd finished four of them.

I was really happy with them when they were done. I think the birthday girl appreciated them too. Each coathanger uses a 6" x 24" piece of fabric, so it's perfect for those 6" ends of yardage you always have left over when making a quilt. My favourite touch though is the bias binding covering of the hook.

Everyone I love is getting one of these for Christmas. Family - you have been warned.

The making of the Not Sorbetto tea dress

2011-09-25T18:47:00.000+10:00

So, as with all things I make, there is a story (people who are mean would say a long drawn-out saga) to this dress.

My brother is getting married in a couple of weeks in Brisbane. I wanted to wear something nice, given the dress code is "cocktail" but I also wanted to wear something in cotton. Sure I could go and buy a nice frock - but everything in the shops for the spring racing carnivals or a cocktail party is polyester or a derivative thereof. And I don't like wearing polyester, especially not on a warm Brisbane day.

One Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago I was reading the newspaper and there was a whole page devoted to tea dresses in the fashion section. And I thought "Michelle, you can totes make one of those".

So I went straight to the stash cupboard, and pulled out this prized length of embroidered cotton from Tessuti.

Then I went through my enormous collection of patterns. And came up with zilch. Seems there are few tea dress style patterns out there for bigger girls, and if there are, I certainly haven't found them.

I'd just had great success with making my Not Sorbetto top, also known around some parts as Simplicity 2938. And I came up with my second not-so-brilliant idea of the morning. "Michelle, you can totes make up your own pattern and base the bodice on the Not Sorbetto. Because you are a freaking genius. Yes you are."

I knew this ~~could~~ would all end in tears, so I decided to start my design using some nice patchwork cotton from Spotlight that I had in my stash. If it worked, I'd have myself a wearable muslin, I thought.

I cut and sewed the bodice first.

Then I had to adjust the seams quite a bit to get the snugness I was wanting in the bodice so that it could take 2 metres of fabric skirt. I also had to shorten the top by about 5 inches so it came to my waistline. I cut two widths of fabric about 25 inches long, sewed them together and attached the resulting skirt to the bodice by gathering it.

Disaster. It didn't look much better with a belt.

While all this was going on and I was despairing my ability to make a wearable muslin without a pattern, there was a Twitter consultation taking place. Several people suggested pleating the skirt. I also wanted to make the bodice shorter, so I did both. Here is a photo with the skirt just pinned to the waist. I'd say "ouch" with all those pins around my belly, but I have no nerve endings in my stomach area anymore and can't feel a thing. Lucky, eh?

I was onto a winner, I thought. So I sewed it all together, inserted a side zipper (my first! I can't believe it took me 20 years!) and wore it today to a birthday celebration - High Tea at the Hyatt.

(These photos were taken after High Tea. I am looking very crushed and very cold, mainly because it was FREEZING. Also, I may or may not be in a cucumber sandwich coma.)

(I actually wore brown tights to High Tea but took them off for the photos. Fool me.)

And a gratuitous photo of my ~~bust~~ pleated neckline, which I am so very proud of.

I cut out the dress for the wedding this morning, and I'll be making that a little longer than this one. However, I'm so happy with this dress that if the black and cream one doesn't work out, I'll be wearing this to the wedding instead. It doesn't scream "cocktail", but it does holler "Michelle", and I'm more than happy with that.

'Cause you were all yellow

2011-09-17T17:43:00.001+10:00

Last weekend I finished my Dorothy's Tail Scarf.

So I blocked it, just lightly. No pins, no wires, but just water and my hands to shape it.

And then on Wednesday I wore it as my self-stitched item for the day.

It's a great pattern. You can find it over there on Ravelry. I used a skein of Fibrewebs MCN fingering weight and I find this yarn to be the warmest and cosiest of all I have crocheted with.

Here is a week's worth of Self Stitched September. The Not-Sorbetto was worn yesterday for the first time and if I don't make myself another 10 of these by the end of summer, I should be classified as insane. It's comfy and cool. What more do you need?

September 10 - Saturday, cold. Still sick. Me-made cardigan, me-made kanzashi brooch, and me-refashioned leggings (they used to be tights but I cut the toe out of them.

September 11. Wish I'd stayed in bed but I had an errand to run. Me-made skirt.

September 12 - Sometimes you just have to make the best of Mondays. This is a favourite skirt.

September 13 - why is it still so damn cold in the mornings?

September 14 - MY NEW SCARF!! I love my new scarf!

September 15 - The best thing about doing a challenge like this is mixing up the colours a little. Today red and teal became my new favourite colour combination as a result. And also my new brown tights. Who knew that new brown tights would totally make my day? Hmm?

September 16 - Not-Sorbetto top. How fortunate that this store-bought cardi with the black bows matches the red and black bows on my top! I may be looking a little tired here - we were kept awake from 2 am by massive explosions in the next suburb, from this teensy little fire.

And we had a late start (for us, anyway) to the day due to being told not to leave the house due to possible PCB exposure. PCB? WTF? OMG! And yes, I am gazing into the distance at the massive black plume of smoke floating past.

September 17 - no explosions last night! Hooray! Me-made crocheted scarf.

In the coming days - how I challenged myself to sew two garments from the stash over the weekend, and totally frittered away one of those days crocheting.

Keep ...

2011-09-15T23:26:00.001+10:00

Keep Calm-o-matic poster generation

The making of the Not Sorbetto top

2011-09-11T16:25:00.001+10:00

If you are a sewing blogger like I am, you probably haven't been able to escape the mania around the Sorbetto top, a free download from Colette Patterns. Everyone who is anyone has been making variations of this cute top, from Did You Make That to Sew Weekly. And then you can see a whole lot more of them over on Flickr.

I could have made this too with a FBA and a few alterations and additions to the seams. But I know what looks good on my shape, and I had concerns that the Sorbetto wouldn't suit me. So I went my own way.

Enter Simplicity 2938.

I thought I had this pattern already, but it turned out it was on my wish list. So yesterday I bought it in order to make this top (B).

Sleeveless? Check. Pleats at the neckline? Check. Flattering to the bustline? I had high hopes.

I ploughed through my fabric stash auditioning possible fabrics for a muslin. Something cheap and dispensable, but not too nasty that I couldn't use it as a wearable muslin if it all worked out.

This was a quick sew. Within 30 minutes I had it to trying-on stage. I should probably admit here that I couldn't see the point of the side zipper, so it doesn't have one. Here's where I point out the adjustments I needed to make.

The armhole was gaping badly, the bust was too snug, and it was also a little tight across my hips. So I did a little taking in on the underarm seams, and let out some seam allowance on the other problems areas. And then did a lot of unpicking.

Much better! An hour had passed by this stage. Time to add the neck facings and the (red! It's all I had!) bias binding for the armholes, and hem it. All that took another 40 minutes.

And here we have the finished product. I'm so happy with this pattern - I definitely got a wearable muslin out of it.

The fabric is a little questionable, as I suspect it is a cotton/polyester poplin (I purchased it at Big W a few years ago), but the scottie dogs are very cute and it will be the perfect warm weather top to wear in summer. I already have plans to make a few more, and I'm even going to adjust it slightly to make a bodice for a tea dress I have in my head at the moment. I'm so, so excited by the idea of my tea dress!

Stay tuned for that one! Unless my head explodes first!

Projects lost and forgotten, part 2

2011-09-09T18:06:00.000+10:00

This morning I realised that I was going to run out of fresh undies by tomorrow, so I had to do a load of laundry immediately.

At the very bottom of the laundry basket, I discovered a lost cardigan (yay me!) and also a sewing project which I had started about 7 years ago and left unfinished. It was a peasant blouse made from beautifully soft cotton lawn.

I tried it on again to remember why I'd never bothered to finish it. It turns out that besides a ghastly fit around the underarms, the elastic around the arms was too tight and the hem hadn't been finished. There wasn't much I could do about the fit - it was a raglan construction, so not much leeway for taking it in. However I could add some extra elastic length to the sleeves and sew the hem.

All this took me half an hour, and suddenly I had a new blouse to wear for Self Stitched September. HOWZAT!

While I was on a roll, I searched through the baskets in my sewing room for other forgotten projects, and came up with quite a few. How embarrassing. Most were from the days in our old house. We've been in the current house for over five years now. Like I said - embarrassing.

This is supposed to be a top. It had only gotten to the cutting stage. I spent some time marking it out and pressing it, and found the pattern instructions.

Then I realised that the fabric was questionable, and the style (a shapeless box tunic top with 70s disco sleeves) was definitely not me. I doubt it would have been 6 years ago when I started making it, either. It wasn't worth the effort to make it, only to hate it, so I binned it.

This is a Vogue retro jacket in a pink wool blend. It's a keeper - I just have to construct the cowl collar, sew a buttonhole and button and do the hand sewing of the hems. It would be nice to finish this weekend - it's unlined so perfect spring workwear.

No idea what this is. I suspect it was a muslin for a skirt, made from vintage sheeting. What a waste of vintage sheeting. So I might just resurrect this. Needs some seams, zipper and a hem. Also lining - it's very see-through!

And this is a Burda blouse which I would love to finish, except I seem to have misplaced the sleeves. Bummer.

(Anyone else noticing the overuse of pink in these forgotten projects? Yep - that may be a reason they've been forgotten. I am not normally a fan of pink.)

As for the rest of Self Stitched September, this is what I can show you for the week. I did OK, except for yesterday when I was too sick with a head cold to change into something that wasn't a pair of tracksuit pants and a thermal t-shirt.

I think I see a sewing weekend in my immediate future.

Two and a three and a four and a little more

2011-09-04T21:46:00.000+10:00

So, as expected, I'm struggling to find self-stitched clothes to wear in September. Day 2 started out OK though.

Me-made skirt, me-crocheted scarf. This skirt is a favourite of mine. Actually, so's the scarf.

Saturday dawned cold and icy. We crunched through frosty grass on our way to the farmers' market in the morning, but by the time it came to heading off to Queanbeyan for our weekly Saturday morning knitting and crochet session, it had warmed up enough that I could get away with wearing this. It's a me-made skirt, and a me-crocheted cardigan. I felt very apple-y, and red. And also headachey and grumpy (it's the glare, see).

And then Sunday. Oh God - Sunday. Most of the morning I was wearing tracksuit pants as I was finishing off the 27 bags for the yarn club. By the time it came to running errands in the afternoon and going to Carrie's place to sort out the club postings, I new I had to do something about this blasted self-stitched thing.

Yes - I resorted to a summer favourite - a way-too-big me-made tunic over a long sleeved shirt. Note the sunglasses to combat the headache and glare issue (didn't work).

Oh! And me-crocheted socks! I cannot believe I wore this today, but I was really beyond caring.

My yarn club obligations are over for the moment, and despite wanting to make two quilts for newly born babies, I have decided to dedicate the rest of this week to clothing myself. I bought this fabric at Spotlight yesterday. And it screamed "SKIRT!!!"

It is a linen/rayon blend and will be great for summer ... but what I need right now are some warm clothes that are also perfect for those in-between weathered days, like a frosty morning that turns into a lovely warm sunny day at Floriade, say.

I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Self Stitched September

2011-09-01T22:49:00.000+10:00

Six months ago I participated in Me-Made-March, where every day for 31 days I wore something I'd made. I was amazed that I had so much to wear that was me-made, but it was still warm and most of my clothes were made for warm weather.

Me-Made-June came and went. Being home on sick leave for all of June, I didn't think anyone would want to see photos of my cupcake pyjamas, mainly because I didn't make them. So I abstained.

Then Zoe from So, Zo ... what do you know? announced Self Stitched September. "Ooh!" I thought. "I can deffo do that!" So I signed up.

The reality, however, is that while I have a few winter skirts that I have made, and a crocheted cardigan, I don't have much else when it comes to cool weather me-made clothing. For instance, this is what I wore to work today.

I've already looked through my wardrobe for tomorrow (otherwise known as casual Friday) and I have maybe two skirts I could wear, but all I really want to wear tomorrow is jeans. But I have no me-made top to wear with it.

I think that Self Stitched September may become a problem if I don't damn well sew something, and quickly.

Luckily I have some nice patterns on hand to try out. These are all from Style Arc, an Australian pattern company.

I like the soft cowl neckline on the Emma top. I am attending my brother's wedding in Brisbane next month and this is on the "maybe I could make and wear this" list. Mainly because I like natural fibres like cotton and silk, and everything in the shops for spring is polyester. Polyester is a really sweaty fabric on me. I don't like to sweat, especially not at my own brother's wedding on a very warm (no doubt) October afternoon.

I also have the pattern for the Katherine blouse. I can see this style will be very useful in my wardrobe.

Style Arc have some great looking skirt patterns. This one caught my eye, as it's so similar to my old fallback skirt pattern Simplicity 5208, but it has POCKETS!

Of course I just need to find some time to make myself something. At the moment I am waist deep in fabric making 27 project sacks for Carrie's club, and I've just started a new job this week which is keeping me on my toes. I may have to struggle through the first couple of weeks with wearing me-made accessories and things I've mended or taken in.

There's an idea - Me-Mended-May. I think I might be onto something.

I don't like purple

2011-08-21T16:42:00.001+10:00

I don't like purple.

And yet there I am, wearing a purple shawl which I made. With purple yarn.

I am not ashamed to admit that I am loving this shawl, even with it's rampant purpleness.

Late one night - one very cold night when all I could think of was crocheting warm and pretty things - I was seduced by Suzy Haufrau's online shop, and somehow I couldn't resist some nice yarn in aubergine. What. The. Heck. Aubergine is a colour best seen in an eggplant curry, as far as I'm concerned. I am not sure what came over me, but doctors suspect that my mouse clicking finger had identified a purple-deficiency in my system.

The yarn is Holst Garn (75% wool and 25% silk) and the pattern is a free Japanese one called "210-211-34 Triangle Shawl" by Pierrot Yarns. It was a very easy pattern but so effective once blocked. I think I'll be making this one again, for a gift perhaps. I've ravelled it over here.

Last night I started a crochet test for a scarf/shawl called "Dorothy's Tail". Yep - that Dorothy. You'll see what I mean when I share the photo with you.

I love this pattern very much. The yarn is hand dyed merino/cashmere nylon which friends gave me instead of flowers when I was in hospital. There is love in every metre of yarn. And there is an inside joke about this shade of yellow, but I'll share it with you once the scarf is finished.

Age old

2011-08-14T17:25:00.001+10:00

Yesterday I attended the Canberra Quilters' annual exhibition. It was outstanding, and astounding. I'd share photos with you but the rules on entering the exhibition are that you can take photos but not blog them without permission of the quilter. Fair enough. So they will stay on my C: drive and I shall treasure them in private.

While at the quilt show, I popped into the craft fair and stocked up on quilting supplies. No fabric (because I am struggling to use up what I have), but the next best thing in my opinion - rulers, pins, rotary blades and a big floor lamp for using next to my sofa.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of using new pins. These ones are by Clover and I've been using them for years. I find them to be the sharpest and best. I think I'm up to my fifth set of them!

I also did a craft circle on making Kanzashi flowers. It was held by Jill from Kimoyes, a Canberra business. She was so generous with her time, and I think I will become addicted to making these flowers before too long. I can also see a class on these at Brown Owls in the future.

So back to the quilt show. The winning quilt was made by Helen Godden. I met Helen years ago when she first started quilting, and this girl is a true artist (and a really, really lovely person to boot). She doesn't tend to piece her quilts, but paints them, and sometimes bleaches them. And then she quilts the guts out of them. Not just any quilting - beautiful flowing quilting that makes perfect sense when you see it in the quilt. I can share her winning quilt with you on this blog because I didn't take the photo, and the photo wasn't taken at this exhibition - it was taken at Houston.

Photo taken by By dr_l_rock

Gorgeous, isn't it?

And if you read the Canberra Times you may have read a lovely article about Helen, her mum Pat and her daughter Inneke. It's so nice to see the younger generations taking up quilting. (I just made myself sound really, really old).

I was at quilt guild the other night with another young (but a little older than me) friend and I mentioned to my friend about joining guild as a fairly new quilter in my early 30s and how I was one of the younger quilters in the guild at the time. And now 10 years later I am 41 years old, and I am still one of the youngest quilters in the room. I think that quilting is for all ages, and it saddens me that the local guild doesn't have many young quilters in it. Or maybe they are there, and just can't abide the meetings.

I know that the young quilters exist - I read enough blogs from people much younger than me who are quilting, designing, writing books, designing fabric. And I know that locally there young quilters - I see them at my local quilt shop, at Brown Owls and at the classes that are held around the place. Is the guild that unfriendly and "exclusive" than younger quilters aren't attracted to join it? Are the books in the library too much about Thimbleberries and civil war quilts, and not enough about modern quilts? Or are people just not interested enough to join?

Is it that the younger generation of quilters are all "modern quilters", whatever that means, and therefore not interested in a guild which can be a little fuddy duddy at times? (I can say that - I used to be the vice president years ago.) In which case, is it time to start a Modern Quilt Guild here in our town? I know that the art quilters have their own group within the guild, and that seems really lively and energetic.

I think quilting is such a beautiful hobby and is, at it's soul, inclusive (think of the old quilting bees!), and it worries me when age groups seem to be left behind. This is not a rant against older quilters. I love older quilters - their energy and drive and passion for quilting knows no bounds. But I suppose I wanted to write about this as food for thought for those of us in guilds and those of us not in guilds, and how we can encourage other people to quilt and love it as much as we do. Being all cliquey and exclusive about it isn't going to help. You don't have to be in a guild to be a quilter, but on the other hand it doesn't pay to be a guild and not be able to attract all kinds of quilters.

And for heaven's sake, the members of the guild could be a lot friendlier than what they currently are. It costs nothing to be nice. Just saying.

In other (non-ranty) news I've been busy today cutting out bags for the next yarn/bag club. I've been a bit tardy, as this is the winter club and we only have a couple of weeks left before spring is officially upon us.

These are my new labels. I hate them. My old labels were bigger, and so much nicer, and they are from the same label maker too. These take twice as long to sew onto my bags because they are smaller and more fiddly for my big hands. I am tempted to complain, but in the meantime I need to get my sewing on. I shall complain later.

This wonky life

2011-08-07T18:16:00.001+10:00

It's almost as if my life parallels the quilt I am currently making. This quilt = wonky.

My life = also wonky. But I'm working on it. Recovery from major surgery is hard, and long, and so, so slow. But this quilt is helping me feel more normal, and it's giving me energy thinking of all the quilts that are going to come after this one.

I finished the wonky quilt top this morning. After looking at the quilt blocks with the grey and white backgrounds on the design wall for a couple of days, I decided that the grey made the blocks sink into the background fabric, whereas the white gave the blocks more dimension. This is not a quilt that wants to hide, so I went with the white.

Anyway, I really like this quilt. A lot. I think it's clever that it is made from only two fabrics, but looks like it has been made from sixteen. I like that yet again I've broken every rule in the quilting rule book. I like that this quilt possesses my thoughts during the day, and in my dreams, as I come up with ways to make it really sing with what I have in my stash.

I still have to make the backing and scrounge for some batting in the stash baskets. I want this quilt to be made entirely of stash materials. But while the quilt top was still on the design wall this afternoon I decided to work out how I was going to hand quilt it.

A ruler, an erasable pencil, and some imagination is all it took. Once the backing and batting have been sourced, I'll layer them all together and make this the project that keeps my knees warm for the rest of winter while I hand quilt it.

In searching for perle cottons to quilt with, though, I came up short. I want the colours to be perfect, and these are not the right ones for this quilt.

Looks like I'll have to go shopping after all.

P.S I had one project bag left over from the market in July, so I've listed it on Etsy in case you were interested.

Wonky is as wonky does

2011-07-31T15:47:00.001+10:00

I had an interesting phone conversation this morning with my mother-in-law, who lives in Bendigo. I told her it was cold here in Canberra, and I was going to spend most of the day making a quilt from a pattern and some fabric I'd bought in March. And that I had a lot of kits and patterns-with-fabric that were wallowing in my sewing room and I really wanted to sew them. My mother-in-law is 83 years old and also a quilter. She said she understood what I meant, and that she wouldn't have time to make everything she had kits and fabrics for, and she worried what would become of her own sizable stash once she was gone.

Wow. It was a maudlin conversation, but one that rings true for any of us with a sizable yarn or fabric stash. What happens with our stuff when we are no longer here to enjoy it?

So I went back to my pattern-and-fabric and suddenly hit a wall of frustration. I'd ironed my fabric, and on reading the patterm, templates were mentioned. I don't do templates. Can't stand the things. If I'd read the back of the pattern when I'd first seen it, I would never have bought it.

And then I remembered I had a ruler for patterns such as these. And I decided not to bother using the pattern I'd bought. I was going to go it alone.

I'd bought this ruler at a quilt show after attending a demonstration on how to use jelly rolls. And I've never used it before today (and yet I have quite the collection of jelly rolls!)

And here's the problem I now had.My fabric, bought on recommendation from the quilt shop I bought the now-rejected pattern from, was a Kaffe Fassett stripe, and it's not at all straight. The stripes are almost freehand, so trying to get a neat intersection between the four pieces was providing impossible. However, I was getting some pretty cool, if not wonky, results.

I know there will be people reading this post who will gasp in shock and horror at my non-perfect blocks. But I like them. I'm embracing the wonkiness of them. But I can guarantee that each one will measure 7.25 ".

And here's where the design wall comes in. I've mentioned my design wall before, and some of you asked for more information about it. Design walls are all different, depending on personal preference, but mine is a length of flannel fabric, about $11 a metre from Lincraft. I have previously used pellon batting as well. When you hang the flannel or batting up against the wall an amazing things happens when you put a quilt block on it. It sticks. No pins or glue required. It's a quilting miracle. My wall is curently just pinned on the spare room wall with thumb tacks, but eventually I will be making a permanent wall with foam core board and screwing it to my sewing room wall.

Using the design wall means you can see things at eye level. And you can start playing. When I put my 7 completed blocks up, I realised that while they were wonky, they were also a little conformist. So I put some pieces on the wall and mixed them up to see what I had.

One block is made of four different cuts, while the other is made of just two. And mixed in with the other "all the same" wonky blocks?

It kind of gives the quilt a bit more zing.

In keeping with the wonky theme, I'd decided to make a log cabin border around each block, with each log being a different width. Once the blocks are rotated, they will look off-centre and give, hopefully, an optical illusion of different sized blocks (which they won't be at all). But I had to audition which colour fabric would look best as a background, for the logs.

Grey looks pretty good. A little bit industrial, and certainly doesn't look traditional, which is what I'm after.

And white looks pretty good too, although I'm not much of a white fabric fan (don't let the fact I have 3.5 metres of the stuff in my stash fool you).

I'm going to leave these on the wall for the day and keep walking past it. As I do so I'll be forming new ideas and rearranging blocks as I make more of them before I put them all together into a quilt. And that's what makes having a design wall such a valuable quilting tool.

Late afternoon, midwinter

2011-07-29T17:39:00.000+10:00

I'm having a bit of a down-in-the-dumps kind of day. I came home early this afternoon to an empty house as the Mister has gone to see his family for a few days. I used to love having the house to myself, but these days not so much. I thought about doing some sewing to cheer myself up, but then I looked outside the window at the late afternoon sun and picked up my camera instead.

I really, really love this photography thing. I still have a lot to learn about it, and I do love the low f-stop setting a little too much, but I'm enjoying learning more each time I take my camera out of it's bag.

Today I fiddled with the manual focus. I love the effects I can get when mixed with different light sources - in this case a late afternoon winter sun.

Photographing random things in my backyard seems to cheer me up. When I think about it, it's the first thing I did each time I came home from hospital stays over the last few months, even though I could barely move. These two posts reflect that. And I seem to have a bit of a things for death and dessication. I promise I won't read too much into that, just so long as you don't.

Tonight I will sit on the couch and crochet my lovely purple shawl, and watch something happy on TV. I might have some ice cream. And tomorrow I will take some more photos.

Projects lost and forgotten

2011-07-23T15:43:00.000+10:00

Recently I was searching for a partially made crocheted cardigan. I had a cold and I wasn't able to sleep, and I wanted to sit up in bed and crochet something.

I found my cardigan in the sewing room, in a bag along with a lost crochet book, lost yarn, lost stitch markers and a lost shawl.

Yes, a lost shawl.

It's called the Eva shawl, which Thornberry and I challenged each other to make back in September. I remember finishing it on our around my birthday in late September and being a little, ah, perturbed by the 70s colours in the shawl. And then I obviously shoved it in a bag with the cardigan, yarn, stitch markers, and book, all of which became lost and forgotten. And all the shawl had needed was a good blocking.

Oddly, the colours don't upset me as much as they did last year, and I really like the shawl. The shape of it drapes nicely around my shoulders, making them very warm although the yarn, Kauni Wool 8/2 Effektgarn isn't the softest stuff ever made, and in fact I would go as far to say that this yarn is scratchy and distinctly un-snuggly. Bummer.

And the forgotten cardigan? Take a look.

I have months to go on this. So slow going. And so heavy that it's hard to hold up when crocheting it. I get tired, and tired of it, very quickly.

My latest project is being made using some yarn I bought from my friend Suzy Hausfrau. She has started an online yarn store here in Canberra, importing European yarns. I fell in love with some little skeins of Holst Garn, which is a 2 ply merino and silk lace yarn from Denmark. It's a little stiff when you work with it, but apparently softens up once washed.

It's another shawl (because I'm addicted to them). The pattern isn't apparent until you pin it and stretch it out. I'm probably a quarter of the way through this pattern, which is a Japanese by Pierrot yarns. And I love the colour, even though everyone who knows me knows that I don't like purple. If it's any consolation, I also bought some baby alpaca from Suzy in deep burgundy red.

But I am loving this shawl, and the yarn and the colour. Maybe I need more purple in my life anyway.

Toscane

2011-07-16T14:34:00.000+10:00

One of the things I love most about living in Canberra is winter, with the crisp air, smell of woodsmoke and gorgeous blue skies. However I am not loving winter so much this year. Winter has been kicking my butt. I am so cold all the time, probably from being so sick and having reduced circulation from not moving enough when I was recuperating from my surgery. For the first time in 20 years, I have actually looked forward to summer. And I hate summer.

Last year I made a beautiful charcoal coloured shawl using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, and I've been wearing it constantly on these super cold days we've been having. It is so unbelievable warm and as I still had four skeins of the "Bristol Red" Silky Wool in the stash from when I purchased it last year, I thought it was time to make another big warm shawl to keep my shoulders and neck warm.

This is the Toscane shawl, another pattern by EclatDuSoleil. I really love Helene's patterns, obviously - this is my third of hers and I have plans to make more. She has a real knack for shawl pattern writing.

The pattern recommends using a floufy yarn like alpaca to bring out the bobbles in the stitch pattern, but I went in the opposite direction with a very matte, very textural yarn. I like how it turned out. This shawl will be worn frequently - like it's charcoal cousin, it's warm and cozy. Unlike it's cousin it's RED, my favourite colour.

I think I'm going to wear it tomorrow for an early, cold start to the Old Bus Depot Markets' Creative Fibre Day. I don't do the markets anymore, but Carrie does and she'll be selling my sack bags on her Fibrewebs stall. I've offered to help her out for a couple of hours (and not just because I might get first dibs on her lovely hand dyed yarn). If you're in Canberra, come along - it's always a great day.

Pretty triangles

2011-07-09T16:56:00.001+10:00

Last October I was at my usual Saturday morning knit and crochet session with the Queanbeyan girls when Carrie brought along some gorgeous hand dyed merino/cashmere/nylon sock yarn to show us. I was lucky enough to snaffle a skein which had red tones - burgundy, scarlett and a little sparkle of pale red.

The quandary then was how to use it. I was on my "10 shawls in 2010" mission back then, but as the skein was only 400 metres long I wasn't too sure I'd get much of a crocheted shawl out of it. I came across a pattern called "Pretty Triangle Scarf" by Kim Miller, and decided it was the perfect pattern for my gorgeous skein of red. It was a little shawl, worn like a kerchief. I knew I'd get a lot of wear out of it.

The yarn is gorgeous - soft, warm and springy. It was lovely to crochet and from memory the pattern only took me a couple of weeks to complete. All I had to do was block it and make the tassles.

And of course that took me until this week to do. I was home sick with a bad cold, and some lovely warm sun was streaming through the spare bedroom windows. I took a chance, used my new blocking wires, and it was dry by the evening.

I was doubtful that the tassles would look any good. But I like them now they're attached to the scarf. They work as a balancing weight against the rest of the scarf.

I'm on such a scarf and shawl bent at the moment. I have another red shawl currently being blocked on the spare bed which hopefully I'll be able to show you in the next couple of days. It's big and snuggly and I think I'm in love with it. I can't wait for it to come off the blocking wires (hopefully by tonight - my cold has me banished to the spare room, and that's the blocking bed!). Here's a sneak peak.

I'm supposed to be in the Blue Mountains at Wintersong with my friends this weekend, but my blasted cold has kept me away. I am consoling myself with lots of hot tea and lots of crocheting and sewing. It's not the same as singing, but it will have to do.

A day in the country

2011-07-03T14:59:00.000+10:00

Our friend Patricia, who I made a cowl for a few weeks ago, came to Canberra to visit this weekend to double check I survived the ordeal of the last few months (she was pleasantly surprised). It was a good excuse to do some touring around the region, even though Pat and I both moved here from North Queensland in 1991 and she only moved away 5 years ago.

But still - any excuse.

We headed to a little town called Gundaroo for lunch at Grazing. It's our favourite place for lunch - the food is beautiful and the atmosphere relaxed. We always go to visit the chef's garden out the back before hopping back in the car to drive home again.

Did I mention the food? This is the parfait, and it tastes just like a Dutch delicatessan smells, all almondy and cinnamony and spicy.

When Patricia arrived earlier in the day, I presented her with another scarf I had made her. The pattern is Solveig by EclatDuSoleil (Ravelled here). It's a crocheted baktus shawlette, worked from one side to the other and then a ruffled edge is crocheted on. It's all done in one piece, and you know what that means? Only two ends to weave in. Bonus.

I was ambivalent about the ruffled edge when I started it, not being much of a ruffly person, but once it started to form I was hooked (ha ha). The yarn is hand dyed Fibrewebs Merino Silk in a luscious eggplant colour. I bought a couple of skeins of it from Carrie before she sold it at our July market stall last year. So glad I did. I love this yarn. I could marry it except I doubt it would make me cups of tea after dinner like the current ~~yarn~~ husband does.

I love making things for people who I love who I know are going to appreciate it. I've been making Patricia scarves and neckwarmers for years and she still wears them all. My sister-in-law sent me a photo yesterday of my baby nephew in his pram covered in the rainbow ripple blanket I crocheted his older brother back in 2007. Being a quilter and a crocheter, I get the chance to keep people warm, and that's a really nice feeling.

Kaffe Fassett revisited

2011-06-26T17:00:00.002+10:00

A few months ago I went along to a Kaffe Fassett workshop and learned a lot. And then life happened and I never got to finish my quilt, even though I had very good intentions of having it all made and quilted by winter. But on Friday I bit the bullet and cut the rest of the diamonds out.

I then created a new temporary design wall in the spare bedroom. Except I have a friend coming to stay next weekend. If that isn't enough incentive to get this quilt sewn together, I don't know what is. If you're familiar with the quilt, you'd see that I have cut diamonds for the outer border (the bright blue and pink spot) so that I can trim them straight later on. In the book, Kaffe says I should be cutting out shapes from templates so they "fit in" the gaps, but I am refusing to take sewing advice from someone who doesn't even sew his own quilts. Fabric wastage be damned.

A quilter friend told me a couple of months ago about pressing your seams open - she'd been to a workshop with Brenda Henning where this had been discussed. A few text messages flew back and forth between us this afternoon, and I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately it didn't work out as well as I wanted it to, mainly because of the diagonal seams doing my head in a little. So the seams are now pressed to one side.

This is my little finger pressing tool*. It's brilliant - and it beats using an iron (which only stretches your fabrics anyway - I leave my ironing until larger segments are sewn together).

There are a lot of pins used in making this quilt. I want to make the effort in trying to make my points match up (I am failing at this, but Brianna has already made her quilt from the class and assures me it will all work out in the end!)

It's very slow going. This quilt is testing both my patience and my ability to eyeball a 1/4 inch seam and pin through it. I shall persevere though, if only for the fact that I think it will look spectacular once it's done. And once it's done I can get on with making more quilts.

*In case you were wondering, it's a Clover pressing tool.

Progressing

2011-06-17T16:48:00.000+10:00

Recovery is awful. I'm sure it would be a pleasant place to be if you were a sloth or a hibernating bear, but when you are someone like me who is usually on the go all the time, with a finger in every pie and doing three things at once, it's just frustrating. You want to do things, but your body just won't let you. I used to be able to swim 20 laps at the pool. Now a walk to the local shops and back is a massive achievement (worthy of a two hour nap afterwards).

This week I had a little breakthrough, both in mind and body. I decided to get back on the crochet testing bandwagon again - last year I tested a couple of shawls for designers and it was a lot of fun. There are deadlines, negotiations, and deciphering of instructions. So I took on a small project to start with - a Ruffled Clutch Purse, by Chocolate Mints in a Jar. It was pretty quick - crocheted in a couple of hours.

It's lined and has a zipper. I think it's pretty cute, although probably not the easiest thing to crochet when you have a normally tight gauge.

I am now crocheting another shawl for my friend Patricia to go with her red cowl from the other day - it's called Solveig and I'm using Carrie's Fibrewebs Silky Merino sock yarn. I'm not a purple lover, but I'm loving this colour. It reminds me of bruised grapes.

Dear Patricia

2011-06-12T14:28:00.001+10:00

I made you this crocheted cowl* for winter. I hope you like it. There are a number of ways you can wear it, as you'll see. But don't be limited by my lack of imagination (and the photographer's impatience when I was modelling it) - I'm sure you'll have fun finding ways for the cowl to keep you warm.

You can leave it loose and casual.

Or you can pin it up against your neck. You can use a shawl pin, or a brooch, or a chopstick. Or rely on the yarn sticking to itself. If you wear a coat over the top, this is perfect.

Or you can pull it up to also keep your nose and ears warm, or to hold up your local bank. Whatever suits.

Lots of love
Michelle xo

* Specs for those of you who aren't Patricia: The pattern is Cowlin' Around by Deborah Atkinson and it's not only a freebie but a great pattern. The yarn is Fibreworks hand dyed 4 ply 100% wool. It's a lovely yarn, but I have never used a Fibreworks yarn that didn't bleed like nobody's business when it was being soaked. Patricia - don't wear a white jacket with this cowl on a rainy day! Hook was 2.5 mm which was the smallest I had used in a while and by jingo it might have made me go cross-eyed. But I loved making this and I am going to make myself one, perhaps with some polwarth undyed, or 8 ply alpaca or something. You should make one too.

Practical

2011-06-09T15:32:00.001+10:00

Besides the traumatic memories of my ordeal (and a lifelong friendship formed with my roomie Pat) I brought home something else from hospital three weeks ago. No, not a raging staph infection. It's called a t-tube. Sure, it sounds cute, but I'm not at all fond of it, except for the fact it is keeping me alive. It has to stay attached to me and my bile duct for at least 6 weeks after surgery, and is there for testing and any further blockages or cases of jaundice. And as my adorable surgeon keeps reminding me - if it comes out, I need another operation.

God help me - I don't ever want another operation like that again.

When I first came home, the t-tube was clamped and attached to my tummy with dressings and tapes by the community nurses who look after me a few times a week. Guess who's massively allergic to all dressings and tapes? Yes - that would be me. Allergies mean blisters mean infections, and so the dressings were abandoned and my waist was effective bandaged* to keep the tube together.

I knew there was a better solution. I had an idea to make a tube of stretch fabric to hold the main section of tube to my stomach, and a pocket for the extra clamped length which could then be tucked inside the tube when worn. I used some stashed stretch fabric, and got to work.

So now I have a very comfortable alternative to the bandage.

(needs some applique, or puff paint)
This is actually the first sewing project I have undertaken since I went into hospital at the beginning of May. And I can't believe I made something so utilitarian and ugly rather than something warm or beautiful or (publicly) wearable. The white is a bit boring though, and given I have to wash these every day, I'm going to make the next two sets a bit more exciting.

Love stripes.

*I say "bandaged" but what it really comprised of was the cut-off top of a stretchy adult diaper, courtesy of ACT Health. It was kind of embarassing, but also laughable. Because I've discovered if you can't laugh at your predicament, you cry and that's no fun at all.

Back to crochet

2011-05-25T17:44:00.000+10:00

Before my gallbladder attacked, before Me-Made-March and before I started falling back into quilting I stopped crocheting. I would still do a couple of rows of the same scarf when I went to a Stitch n Bitch, mainly to be social, but I wasn't crocheting any other time. I had tennis elbow in my left arm, which was kinda funny because I played tennis for 20 years and never once got tennis elbow. (I did get runner's knee playing tennis. And when I was a runner on the school track team in grade 12 I had shotputter's quadricep or whatever it was called. Crazy.)

I was at peace with my decision to stop crocheting. I needed my left arm to work a mouse, type and earn myself a livin'. I was prepared to sacrifice crocheting if it meant I could pay my mortgage. I mean - I'm not THAT obsessed with the ~~sport~~ craft. I was getting treatment from my physio, but that didn't mean I hadn't already lined up all the Wollmeise ready for a destash of ginormous proportions.

Anyway, some things happened when my gallbladder attacked. One was that I didn't have the energy or painkiller-free clarity required to craft or swim so sat like a lump relaxing on the sofa most nights. Another was that I had to take a massive chunk of time off work. And spending almost 2 weeks in hospital flat on my back did terrible things for my abs and lats, but amazing things for my left elbow.

When I came home last week, Mum sat on the sofa and crocheted me some coathanger covers. (This is something she is really good at and I'm not so good at. I'm happy to outsource all my coathanger covers to Mum, just like I'm happy for her to knit me socks with the Wollmeise I give her). So she's crocheting, and I'm getting inspired to crochet but am way to groggy and sore, but by Saturday when a lot of the drugs had worn off I was sitting on the sofa crocheting too. More than a couple of rows at a time. Last night I finished the green scarf I'd been dabbling with since January.

Here's a scarf I made for my friend Julie's birthday back in mid January, before I stopped crocheting. I never blogged it. It's a great little pattern called "Circles Scarf" made with my favourite yarn, Wollmeise 100% merino superwash, and it deserves to be shown off. (Ravelled over here).

In the meantime, I need to block my green scarf (not for a few weeks unless I can get Community Nursing to pitch in - they visit often enough ) and I've already started making a cowl for another friend. Good times, my friends. Good, crochety times.

Home

2011-05-22T16:01:00.000+10:00

Thank you everyone. Each comment, tweet, visit and text message I received in hospital were so precious to me.

After almost two weeks I came home to Autumn in full decline. Each breath of fresh air I take is a treat, and the sound of my feet shuffling through dry fallen leaves in my back yard is such a novelty that it's like I am 8 years old all over again. This morning I sat in the sun and watched the Mister attempt to rake up 3 weeks worth of fallen leaves from our elm tree. It defeated him, but I think that's OK because I could crunch through those elm leaves for weeks yet, and never get tired of them.

Foggy with a good chance of afternoon sunshine

2011-05-16T15:06:00.001+10:00

It's been a tough week. A routine 90 minute surgery to remove my gallbladder turned into an 8 hour emergency with half of Calvary Hospital pitching in (which I am discovering each day as a doctor or nurse says "I was there too").

I'm out of ICU now and back on the wards. I'm able to eat a little and walk a little and laugh a lot at this amazing chance at life I've been given. My parents have come to visit me so that's been lovely. My throat is sore from the tube they put down it and I have drains and bags everywhere you look.

But you know what? I've been blessed with really good care and great family and friends. I'm hoping to go home Wednesday or Thursday and even though I'll have a bile bag strapped to my tummy for 6 more weeks I know I'm going to be just fine.

Hug your family. Tell your friends how much you love them. Appreciate every day you wake up and every opportunity you've been given. You never know just how lucky and rich you are until a moment like this comes along.

Hazy

2011-05-10T14:40:00.001+10:00

The poor health I've had over the last couple of months was supposed to be resolved with surgery on May 19. Unfortunately my pain hasn't been able to wait, and I'm in now residing at the Health Minister's pleasure at the local hospital.

It hasn't been too bad - jaundice, one failed surgery and pain aside. I'm being looked after really well, if you dont count that I had to hop in a cab to transfer to another hospital for surgery while I was still admited in this one. The nurses are wonderful caring people. My doctor looks like John Clark and makes me laugh and laugh. I've managed to get a hand massage from a hospital volunteer, magazines from the library and lovely milky tea. Also - hospital jelly, when you've not been able to eat much over the last 2 weeks, is the most heavenly food ever created. I'm having more surgery tomorrow or Thursday which will clear up these problems once and for all. I must admit it gets tiring looking yellow like a Simpson's character.

The really good news is that I've found where they hide the dry crackers in the ward kitchen. All I need is a slab of cheese and a martini and I'd be set for cocktail hour.

Love is stronger than fear. Kindness is stronger than greed.

2011-04-24T17:50:00.004+10:00

In October 2001, in international waters off Indonesia, a small fishing vessel sank and killed 353 of its 400 passengers. The passengers were asylum seekers trying to gain entry into Australia. Of the 353 who died, 146 were children. The boat is known as "SIEV X" by the Australian Government and the press, and this stands for "Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel".

This afternoon we went for a drive, and found ourselves at the SIEV X Memorial on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. It was erected in 2006 by communities and churches around Australia who wanted to commemorate an awful day in Australian history. Each person who died is symbolised by a white pole decorated with artwork. The tall poles represent the adults and the short poles represent the children.

Some have names, but others are just described as "Unknown".

It doesn't matter what your politics are, or whether you believe that asylum seekers or even immigrants belong in Australia. In fact, I really don't care what your politics are, just as I'm sure you don't care about mine.

But the Siev X memorial is something, in my opinion, every person should pay a visit to if they get the chance. I'll be honest - I was moved to the point of sobbing. The loss of life is so enormous and pointless, but yet represented so visually and beautifully.

It reminds us of the fragility of life, and of the strength of the human spirit. It reminds us of our weaknesses and our strengths, and most importantly it may help us resolve to be kinder to one another.

And that's the perfect Easter message, don't you think?

Beauty and quilts

2011-04-17T16:24:00.000+10:00

This morning I was cleaning up my kitchen bench so I could cut some fabric, and it suddenly dawned on me how photogenic my flowers and fruit were.

These are some of our home grown tomatoes. In the background are the Tommy Toes of which we have picked 50 kg of tomatoes from ... so far ... from the one plant. Granted the plant is a whopper. We tried to keep it pruned in it's early days, but it grew to gargantuan proportions overnight and before we knew it it was too late to do anything about it except stop it from invading our neighbour's property. We failed on that count too, by the way. I suspect he is picking tomatoes on his side of the fence right now.

On Friday night I finished making 21 sack bags for the seasonal sack/yarn club that Carrie and I run. These 21 seemed like a hard slog, mainly because I was really worried I wouldn't finish them before I got sick again and I didn't want to let anyone down. Plus my day job is really busy, we've had guests staying, and I am just really tired at the end of the day. Luckily I was blessed with good health and I needn't have worried so much. We pack them up with the yarn tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see what Carrie has dyed up.

Finishing the bags meant I was free! Free as a rotary-cutter wielding bird! It was time to make a quilt. I can't show you too much of this quilt yet - it's a gift for someone and they might read the blog. But I can say it's a little bit retro, a little bit red, and a little bit funky. I'll show you all how it turned out in a few weeks.

But it is so nice to be making a quilt by machine again. I think the last quilt I made was this one. And then there is the hexagon quilt which is all done by hand ... I'd forgotten how good it felt to have wonky seams and a quick result!

Good things by good people

2011-04-07T17:08:00.004+10:00

{Photo by Kate}

Kate over at Fox's Lane made this dress. Isn't it gorgeous? But are you thinking the fabrics look a little familiar?

I sent Kate a heap of my dress making scraps because I knew she'd make good use of them. So glad I did! And the dress is for sale in Kate's online shop. I only wish I had a niece!

Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts At The Park Avenue Armory

2011-04-03T14:40:00.004+10:00

Source: NYC♥NYC

Wouldn't you love to see something like this? 650 quilts made using red and white fabrics, all in one display.

Source:NYC♥NYC

Seeing this in New York would be a dream come true.

Source: NYC♥NYC

So darlin' save the last dance for me

2011-03-31T20:54:00.007+11:00

And now, my dear friends, we have the final four days of Me-Made-March 11. It's been a blast.

March 28 - I was having a rec day. A day to relax. Unwind from the weekend's activities. Maybe do a little quilting. You know the kind of day. But no - the morning was spent arguing various points with both my ISP and also the stupid antenna people who never came back to finish the job. I was beyond frustrated. And then my lovely new boots from Duo showed up. Bless you Duo! I was so happy I didn't mind that it was a warm day and I was wearing knee high boots and a corduroy skirt. Because corduroy skirts, especially me-made ones and newly mended and better fitting ones at that, make everything better.

March 29 - I love this dress SO MUCH. That's all.

March 30 - I'm not flashing the peace sign like some Harajuku schoolgirl. I'm reminding Kuka there are only two days to go. I am rather embarrassed today that it has taken me till day 30 to finish and wear something I've sewn in the course of the challenge. This is a new skirt pattern, with some pretty bloody splendid cotton sateen that has freaking DOILIES on it people!! DOILIES!! Also I'm wearing a me-made brooch (the zipper one).

March 31 - Holy jeepers - it's the end! I don't believe it. And not only that, it's finally cold enough to wear closed in shoes and tights! So excited. But only the skirt is me-made and you've seen it a couple of times already.

So there we are, at the end of a long month of me-made fashion. I have thought long and hard about lessons learned and all that. Here, henceforth, is my thesis, in dot point.

It was easier than I thought to find something me-made every day

I'm actually proud of my achievements given that for about 3 weeks of it I was crooker than a sick dog

Actually, I think this challenge gave me something to think about other than my own pain

My friends at work actually got excited by Me-Made-March and were especially keen to see the photos Kuka texted me each morning. I doubt people in Kuka's department were as excited to see my photos

Doing this with a friend was pretty cool. Maybe next March we can rope more friends in and have a conference type texting photo session going on each morning. Or is that crazy talk?

I think I need to make more blouses, especially of the button-up variety

My husband got very sick of taking photos each morning, although secretly I think he enjoyed it and he will be bereft with grief tomorrow morning

The fact my husband is 6'2" and I am 5'9" meant that my photos made me look very short-legged. My legs are not that short. Might have to get a shorter husband by next March.

I don't normally like photos of my face going on Flickr or my blog. It's not a vanity thing, but a privacy thing. But getting a reluctant party to take photos at 7.15 in the morning, every morning, without the face being shown was tricky so in the end I bit the bullet. All future sewing project photos, however, will be of the headless sewing woman of Sleepy Hollow.

This challenge was really, really good fun. The other bloggers doing the challenge are something else! So inspiring and talented.

In case you were wondering what I was wearing tomorrow, I'm thinking of the corduroy skirt and some bright red tights, just because me-made is more fun for a Friday than shop-bought.

And to illustrate my thesis, here is a pie chart, simply because I love pie charts.

And to sum up, here's a little mosaic of the last 31 days.

Tomorrow: some quilting, perhaps!

Sew it Together

2011-03-29T18:45:00.006+11:00

Last Friday I joined more than 50 other sewers and bloggers in Sydney for Sew It Together 2011. I didn't attend the Melbourne event in 2010, so didn't really know what to expect except that Sheridan organises it and she seems super cool. And I only knew one person who was attending in real life - Lara from Thornberry. The rest were just axe-murderers.

We started out with a shopping trip on Friday - first stop The Remnant Warehouse. Good Lord. What a place. One of the first things I spied was DENIM CORDUROY. I know. I'd never seen it before either. So I bought some for me and some for her, plus very cheap plain denim and linen. The second stop was Calico & Ivy in Balmain. This shop is only new and to say it was delightful is an understatement. I've been to a lot of patchwork stores in Australia (and the US) and this was probably the prettiest by far. I bought quite a bit *ahem a lot* of fabric here.

Our last stop for the day was Prints Charming in Annandale. This was right up there on the charm scale with Calico and Ivy. Cath and Kirsten welcomed us with champagne, juice and nibbles. We all bought up big here too, I believe. Well, I did. The scrap packs ran out the door. I managed to grab a couple so I could make a skirt like this.

I heard there will be a blog-along for making skirts out of our scrap packs very soon. I can't wait!

That night those of us who were staying at the YHA at the Rocks went to dinner at Löwenbräu. This was Leah's meal - a pork knuckle. Impressive, no?

The Saturday Crafting Session was, well, wonderful. Fifty women in the one room, all chatting, crafting and laughing. This photo is of Lara, the only person I'd actually met before this weekend. She's awesome. I made lovely new friends, like Juddie. Turns out she is the same Juddie that posted Toy Society drops on the blog with me for years. Pennies like this were dropping all over the place all weekend with different people.

Kathy from Material Obsession was there giving some mini demos and workshops all day. She is non-stop fun, and so passionate about patchwork and quilting. I think I might have fallen a little bit in love with Kathy over the weekend. I think everyone did.

That night we had a big dinner at the Belgian Beer Cafe. There may have been a little beer (not me), dancing (not me) and karaoke (definitely not me - I was in bed by 11.30 pm!). But the next morning ten of us went to Material Obsession, where Kathy had opened up her shop just for us.

Isn't it beautiful? What is it about Sydney quilt shops being so damn charming?

So Kathy made us all coffee and took us downstairs for more demos.

We bought lots of rulers and fabric and patterns and oohed and aahed over the displays and the house the shop was in, and before we knew it, it was time to hop back on the mini bus and head to the airport for our flights home.

But oh. What a fabulous weekend.

Winding down

2011-03-27T21:21:00.007+11:00

So Me-Made-March continues, and this weekend was a long one spent travelling, crafting and having more fun than should be legal.

March 25 and it's very early morning in the airport dunnies. I'm flying to Sydney this morning to attend Sew It Together, a big sewers/bloggers get together. But before I get to the first event (a fabric shopping trip! Wheeeeeeee!!!!), there is coffee with my bestie who lives in Sydney which is ironic given today is my 11th wedding anniversary and I am spending it not with the Mister, but with one of our witnesses. Anyway, I'm wearing a me-made skirt and a me-made crocheted cardigan.

March 26 and I'm looking decidedly crumpled as I've been sitting on my backside all day quilting at the Craft Session component of Sew It Together. I knew I should have had this photo taken earlier this morning. But thanks to Juddie for this one. The dress is me-made.

March 27 and we are all at the airport int he late afternoon for our flights home from the weekend of craft. We were having a last hurrah together with some superb decaf at the bookstore. Yum. Bronwyn took this photo - good one Bronwyn! I'm wearing a me-made Ink and Spindle skirt, along with a new me-made zipper brooch made last weekend at Brown Owls.

Only four days to go for Me-Made-March 2011! This challenge has flown. I have the day off tomorrow, so I'm hoping to be able to finish at least one item to wear for those last four days. I should be making project bags, but that can wait another day or two I'm sure! I also bought a little bit of fabric in Sydney to use for clothes. Just a little! Promise!

Autumn Sack/Sock Club

2011-03-26T21:37:00.003+11:00

Just a very quick post as I'm currently at Sew It Together in Sydney (and yes, I'm having a blast!)

Remember the project sack and sock yarn club that Carrie from Fibrewebs and I ran last summer? Well the autumn club has been organised and it's now for sale here

The colours we are doing for this season will look something like this:

More info over at the Etsy site!

Saturday, Sunday, Workday

2011-03-24T18:34:00.004+11:00

March 19 - Saturday - thank heavens. Me-made denim apples skirt. And I got a new pair of Salt Water sandals. Love them.

March 20 - Obviously in silly, relieved mood after being sick all day Saturday. The Mister cracked a joke as he was taking photos and I COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING. Me-made skirt.

March 21 - Monday, and we know what that means, don't we? GLEESDAY!!! Me-made blouse, me-made bad posture and me-made jazz hands (there is a photo out there which is a pair with this one. Go and look at it. It makes me laugh.)

March 22 - this is the day I found out why I have been so sick. That face is a mixture of fear and relief and "oh crap". Don't worry - I'll be well again in a few weeks. Me-made blouse, and I'm not too sure what I was thinking with those jeans. I have lost a fair bit of weight in my legs so I either need to take these in and call it a refashion, or start again with a new pair.

March 23 - I really, really love work but this week is dragging something awful. I'm waving to Bron in our early morning SMS photo exchange and to cheer me up a little. Me-made skirt.

March 24 - when does daylight savings end? This is getting ridiculous. But on the other hand today is the last day before a four day weekend. Go me! Me-made blouse.

My thoughts? I may have too many clothes, and they are all cotton and linen, so just as well I love to iron. Even though I am starting to repeat pieces I am still finding this challenge easy. But boy - it's fun, and I have more clothes on the sewing machine at the moment. Hopefully I'll be able to finish at least one piece before the challenge finishes in a week.

Working week

2011-03-18T19:47:00.003+11:00

Thanks to Canberra Day on Monday, this week was a shortie when it came to work. Oh I do love a short working week!

March 15 was my first day back at work after being away for ten days. To say I was excited was an understatement. I am truly astonished that this photo doesn't better reflect that excitement. Top is me-made (same pattern as day 11 and 13) in a vintage-esque shirting with floral print.

March 16 - the top is the same as day 1, but I mixed it up with some black trousers that I didn't make. Not for variety mind you - it's because the usual bowtie skirt is in the mending basket waiting to be taken in.

Day 17 - This is my favourite me-made dress. Heck - it's my favourite outfit, full stop. I've been waiting for the right day to wear this, and today was the day. Yee ha!

March 18 - Finally a non-iPhone photo, and I got rid of that ridiculous brick wall. The thing with the iPhone is that it is easy to shove that into the Mister's hands first thing in the morning as we walk out the door past that red brick wall in the near-darkness. Much easier than handing him a DSLR is, anyway. Plus Kuka and I text each other our daily photos each morning (to keep each other honest, I think, but it's also a lot of fun!) and that's harder to do with a whopping great camera. But this morning's photos were positively grumpy, probably because I knew I had a horror morning of nuclear medicine and scans in front of me. By this afternoon I was mellow with the Friday vibe, and getting a decent photo in the front garden was possible.

Anyway where was I? Oh - my first me-made crochet items for the challenge, being the cardigan and the brooch.

Conclusions from the week - I seem to really, really love wearing red. And sandals. As a rule, closed in shoes don't get worn until after Anzac Day (that's my rule).

We have Brown Owls tomorrow and we are making brooches. That should keep me out of trouble as the weather cools and more cardigans and jackets come out of the cupboard.

Enlightened

2011-03-17T23:31:00.004+11:00

When Canberra has a birthday, she celebrates over a few weeks and with a festival or three thrown in. At the moment, we are being entertained up by the Enlighten Festival, which runs over 10 days and finishes this weekend. There are a variety of music concerts and events, but the main attraction for me are the fact that some of my favourite buildings have been painted in lightand i can see them from free.

Like this.

This is the National Library of Australia, a stunning building at the best of times, always looking so imposing by the lake. But tonight it was bathed in some very beautiful images.

I could have stayed here and watched all night, but I moved on to the National Gallery of Australia. Space to set up my tripod was at a premium as a photography class turned up at the same time as I did. That was kind of fun, and made me extra excited about the photography class I'm starting in a few weeks. If I get the time, I'd like to go back and take some of the shots at the gallery on a different angle.

Finally, the lights on Old Parliament House, or the Museum of Australian Democracy as it is better known these days.

These photos took a long time to get right. When I first set up my tripod, I was too far away, even for my zoom lens and tripod and the shots were over exposed and blurry. Eventually I walked right up to the pond, across from the Tent Embassy, and set up there. Much better.

There were a few of us photographers standing by the pond, all taking slow shutter speed photos. It was quite peaceful, just the sound of our timers beeping and the occasional utterance of "cool" and "nice shot". I like photographers.

A lady turned up as part of a group, and started using her camera with a flash. Which was kinda silly when we were standing 100 metres from the building, but also annoying because we were all taking slow shutter shots about 8 to 10 seconds long, and we were getting un-stunning flashy bits in our shots. Luckily she decided to turn her flash off before any of us could turn into Wanker Photographers and growl at her.

But oh - isn't the old lady beautiful?

Clever hem marker

2011-03-15T20:50:00.003+11:00

One of the things I'm loving most about Me-Made-March is the discovery of new-to-me blogs about sewing clothes. And in finding those blogs, I'm find other blogs, and before you know it my Google reader is full of beautiful sewing blogs!

Last night I came across the most beautiful blog called Crochetie, written by a Japanese girl called Ophelia. And in one of her posts, she has made a video of a hem marker she has made.

A hem marker? Seriously, you should watch this. I'm amazed that something so simple and beautiful could be so damn USEFUL.

(Now I want to get some washi tape and make my own, and one for each of my sewing friends)

A Me-Made Long Weekend

2011-03-14T13:43:00.003+11:00

Since we last met, I've been lounging around the house on my sick leave planning outfits to wear each day for Me-Made-March. Ha! As if! In reality I've just been opening my cupboard each morning and pulling something out to wear that I've made. No really - I have. I'm not trying to boast, but at some stage in the last year, most of my clothes have become me-made. When did this happen? How did it happen?

And most importantly, can I keep this up through autumn and winter?

So let's catalogue the last four days, three of them which were a long weekend. Happy birthday Canberra! I think you're awesome!

March 11 - This is my "I can't believe you are making me drive you across town in peak hour traffic for a training course when I'm SICK. Can't you take a bus or something?" face. The black and cream madras top is me-made, using McCalls 5640.

March 12 - A lovely hot day, and we were off up the street to sticky beak at a house for sale. The weather was perfect for this dress! This is the dress I promised to blog back in January but never did. I will blog it properly one day. It's a beauty to make, and to wear, I love it. It's Simplicity 2929, the shorter version of the dress I made and blogged here.

March 13 - It's still lovely and hot, so I'm going all summery while it lasts. Plus I'm going fabric shopping with Carrie for our next sack/yarn club installment this morning, and I need to wear something comfortable if we're going to lug blots of fabric around the store. The top is me-made (the same as March 11), and it is the first version of it. This was the version than made me realise how ridiculously oversized this pattern is. It's far too big for me, but boy is it comfy. I now make it four sizes smaller (no really - I do) because, ooh, bra-strap alert!

March 14 - Oh hey! This is what I am wearing RIGHT NOW!! Coincidence? Oh wait ... Anyway, me-made top again, this time a buttoned back top courtesy of McCalls 2873 and some nice double gauze cotton. I'm doing a little skirt sewing today, so comfort is paramount.

Thanks for everyone for your kind thoughts and good wishes in the comments on my last post. I can report I am feeling a lot better and the pain has mostly gone. The tiredness is still there so going to work tomorrow will be a test, but I'm looking forward to spending some time with my crazy work peeps! It's been 10 days since I've seen them and I miss them!

Days 2 to 10

2011-03-10T14:19:00.003+11:00

I know I've been quiet about Me-Made-March 11 lately, but I've had a good excuse. So let's summarise, shall we?

March 2 - I rode my bike into work and showered and changed there, hence the crappy iPhone-in-the-locker-room-mirror-shot. I'm wearing a me-made linen/cotton skirt and a me-made cotton top.

March 3 - Taken at the end of the day so I'm looking a lot scruffier than usual. I'm wearing a me-made skirt and possibly some tea spilled down my front.

March 4 - after a spectacular night of out-of-the-blue abdominal pain, I awoke very tired but in a lot less pain so decided to go to work. I was ready to kick the world's arse. Hard. I went for no-nonsense red and white stripes with a me-made skirt.

After two hours of kicking the world's arse, hard, at work, I admitted defeat and went home sick. Six hours later I was in the emergency department getting my own arse kicked by severe pain but enjoying the effects of morphine. 24 hours later I went home again, having slept in my black me-made skirt all night. It was actually quite comfy to sleep in, but that may have been the morphine talking.

March 5 - In this photo, taken a few hours after I escaped back home, I am wearing what is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever made - McCalls 5896. It doesn't fit well, it's baggy, the bodice sucks, it's in freakin' green gingham, for heaven's sake, but yet it is the most comfortable and coolest thing I own. I'm all about the comfort on March 5. Also, my belly hurts so much I can't wear trousers.

March 6 - oh, this is a special look, it really is. Me-made skirt, Myer-made top, and me-made dark circles under my eyes.

March 7 + 8 - Oh yes - I wore the same outfit two days in a row. I'm on sick leave. Shoot me. Me-made skirt. It's my favourite - an Ink and Spindle fabric that I don't think I've ever blogged before.

March 9 - by this time my bloating had gotten really bad so I feel and look 8 months pregnant, and the pain is worse and worse. I would have stayed in PJs all day except I had appointments. Do I look like I care what I'm wearing? No? Well I don't. This Me-Made-March thing can seriously GO. TO. HELL.

March 10 - isn't it amazing what a good night's sleep and a haircut can do? Also, the pain has reduced significantly, and I'm thanking that foul lime cordial tasting liquid I had to drink for my CT scan yesterday for that. It's coincidence, I know, but one can imagine. Anyway, I woke up this morning and it was raining. Lovely! So I decided to get all sunny. Me-made skirt, me-refashioned top. I had to put a jumper on an hour later because it was so bloody cold.

So there's where I'm up to with Me-Made-March 11. I still have at least another four days at home and my casual wardrobe is starting to look a little dull. Also the temperature is decreasing so it's time to maybe stop with the bare legs and get out some tights and leggings.

I was hoping by this stage in the challenge I would have finished sewing another couple of things, but alas I haven't been able to do much of anything, so I'm stuck with what I have in the wardrobe.

Luckily that should be enough, but I really do need to do some adjustments on a few more skirts.

Dessication

2011-03-06T15:43:00.003+11:00

Autumn is here.

A feeling of sloughing off the old stuff pervades the air so richly, that I can smell it.

I'm really tired and worn out. Last month I started a Twitter account, but I suspect it's days are numbered. I almost deleted my Ravelry account last week, but stopped myself at the last minute.

Why is it that autumn makes me want to take a loofah to life, scrub it all off, and put on something fresh to wear? And I'm not talking about sewing something new, either.

Maybe a holiday is in order.

My Creative Space - Swap

2011-03-03T08:02:00.000+11:00

This week I have been planning the name badge I am making as part of the Sew It Together name badge swap. We have to make something using the colours of orange, yellow and brown.

Even though these three colours are amongst my favourites, I am still finding this colour combination a challenge. Together they could be very country toned, or 70s inspired, or like a child's paintbox. Finding the right combination of colours to put into a name badge no bigger than 9 cm - that's where I get to be creative and have a lot of fun as a result.

More creative spaces at Kirsty's.