Sweet Fabric:
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It will probably come as no surprise to you to know that I'm an obsessive kind of person.

I run because I made a rule. I'm a creature of habit when it comes to food & I have the same pretty drink. The recent switch to Zubrowka (the original bison grass vodka) has meant I'm enjoying it more. A bit dangerous really.

It stands to reason that our children would also have inherited a few of my obsessive qualities.

When the kids were small I wasn't much about the making of things. There were no supplies in the house. No elastic or buttons or zips or even a selection of threads. I'd packed the machine away & only dragged it out for emergencies of the obsessive kind. I made a Melody costume for the biggest when she thought she was a mermaid. I refashioned a pinny when Madeline was the go. I made running repairs to the hot pink flowergirl dress (worn by all three) & one year I made them & all their mates Puffles when they were Club Penguin mad.

One freezing June morning when the little guy was three I fashioned him a loin cloth so that he could be Tarzan. It was made using an old suede waistcoat from the dress up box & the top of a pair of red tights. The total make time would have been around ten minutes.

I found the loin cloth last night when I was doing a bit of reluctant cleaning upstairs.

I remembered that tiny (but strangely muscular) little frame leaping about the furniture, springing from sofa back to floor and crouching and stalking me around the house.

It's good to be a maker...even a speedy, fakey only in case of emergency kind.

The photo I posted the other day is a photo of a disused swimming pool.

It is part of The Connault retirement apartments in Balwyn.

The house was built by draper Oliver Gilpin in the 1930s & named Idlewylde.

I've got a pretty good imagination & I lose myself for hours thinking & dreaming about what it must have been like when it was built & used.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu

Shot of the school girls at my big fat bogan wedding - 1995.

Eeek...one of my very bestest friends from school has just started a blog.

I owe her a lot. If she hadn't helped me pass Art by giving me all her art history assignments in Year 10 I'd have been doomed to a Year 11 full of Accounting & Economics (no pre-requisites). Instead I spent a glorious year swanning around the textiles, garment construction, ceramics, print making & painting studios.

Anyway, she would really love some feedback on what I KNOW will be a journey in creative writing worth following.

I'm loving reading all about the life & times of Jamie (much like many of us with small kids & an exec husband) & her twin sister Lisa (humanitarian & student of life).

She's really good at drinking games. So if you feel like a relaxing Friday afternoon this is the place.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

Here I was thinking I was done with the archives & little treasures keep popping up.

These tassles were made by my sister & me (attached to the scissors) in about 1991. Our gorgeous & super talented next door neighbour ran Saturday afternoon workshops for us all.

Those Saturday afternoon memories are so vivid. All the women & girls in our little community (3 houses, 7 girls, 2 boys, 3 mothers, 1 father, 5 dogs, 1 cat & a lot of laughter), gathered at number 7 for long afternoons of stitching & giggling.

It's a good life.

* I'm back from Darwin...Thank you to all the wonderful people who left such lovely comments on my marathon post. I'm popping in for a cuppa, just running a little late.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

This "diary" appeared during the week. It's my school diary from Year 5. The big girl thinks it's hilarious! She'd never get away with such crap.
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Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

Probably the last of my offerings. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

Original kinder painting Circa 1976.
Poster paint on architectural working drawings.

Classic kinder mediums.

It now hangs alongside the kinder paintings of the smalls.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

This teeny tiny pincushion made for my mum 20 years ago!

I'm really getting old when I can say I made something that long ago.

There was a needle rusted into it which I had to extract before taking the photo.
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Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu

This is the little guy as drawn by the big girl & stitched by me. Pictured with his golf "blub" which, as a 2 year old he was rarely seen without.

It just so happens that Friday is my long run day. That means lots of time to think...& think...& think.

Today I was thinking about all the hopes & dreams we have for our smalls. This train of thought stemming from the fact that the little guy had a birthday yesterday. My smalls are quite suddenly not so small.

So what do I hope & wish for the life that lies ahead for my not-so-smalls?

loved, loving, give, share, grow, dream, happiness, health, confidence....

And then I got to thinking about the music boxes & I'd really love to make a collaborative music box with all of our hopes & dreams for little people just beginning.

I'd love you to leave your hopes & dreams in the comments. A collection of words is what I'm after.

Thank you.
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Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

Another of the stitchings from the blanket for the smallest. This is the big girls imagining of what her new brother/sister might look like & the bear she gave the bubba.

This one is especially for Jess.
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Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

Just before the smallest was born we made her a blanket. Each member of the family was drawn by the big girl & then stitched by me.

Self portrait of the big girl when she was 4 (2001).

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu

One of my first attempts at hand piecing (C1997). As you can see by the fact that it remains unfinished I really didn't love either the fabric or the design. It's not a bad job though & I'm looking forward to a bit of had piecing at Brown Owls on the 23rd of June.