Sweet Fabric:
MAD

I've banged on before about how I've lived my life on Map 46. I was born on the map, grew up on the map & married a boy from the map. Both our siblings live close by & we spend a lot of time with our families.

It was a tearful farewell when my sister & her husband made the move to Darwin 5 years ago. We've visited often & they came back each Christmas. I thought they'd never come "home".

The decision to move back was made swiftly and definitely.

They've moved into a gorgeous house (just a stone's throw from us) & I've been helping to get them settled in. She's done a sensational job of decorating on-a-shoestring. I finished off the family room with half a dozen cushions made from Warwick Fabric samples which serendipitously pull everything together.

It feels like she never left. I'm so grateful that she's made it home.

Just look what the big girl made for her tiny cousin!

I can't believe how beautifully it's come up.

She was reluctant to try something new but once she started playing around with the fabric it came together very quickly.

All about the speed she certainly wasn't interested in the quilting so that was outsourced (to me).

She's enormously proud of it so I think the next one will be quilted entirely "in house".

I've eased myself in slowly.

The style was was limited by my fabric choice (just one flour sack).

The bag is lined for strength. I had a bit of fun with the raw edges and the stray threads & an Op Shopped suede belt was hacked into & fashioned into a bag strap.

Slouchy & casual & fun.

They stink!

I actually did a U turn on the highway to take this pic. The alpacas were yarded & I guess ready to load onto a truck. It was very considerate of the alpaca farmer really as having them in a confined space made it easy to photograph them.

I haven't really taken much notice of alpaca before except for the fact of how divinely soft alpaca yarn is. I had no idea they smelt so rank nor did I know about the possum like hiss they make.

Dear FriendO,

Today I ran a long way.

I haven't been on the long run for a couple of weeks. Before the break I was afraid of stopping & last night as I drifted off to sleep I was afraid of starting again.

I certainly needed a little break from this space & I'm glad I had it but as I ran up the hill this morning (& thought I was actually going to die), I realised that if I didn't start again today I really never would.

I'm going to have to make the habit all over again...for me that's 21 days.

I'll probably bore you witless with drivel because to be honest I haven't made anything for ages...the machine's lying dormant...the hooks have cobwebs on them...and I frankly can't think of anything less appealing than a skein of floss...but I'm always planning & thinking & reworking.

Perhaps just think of the next 21 days as kootokoo rather than kootoyoo & I'll understand completely if you don't stop in.

Looking forward to another year with perhaps a bit less of the fear.

Thanks for being ace!

Love

Kirst
x

The wedding on Saturday was a real group effort.

Friends of the bride & groom shared their talents and helped out with cake decorating, invitations, photography & personalised chocolates as place settings!

I had a hand in the centrepieces for the tables. They looked beautiful and created a lovely romantic ambient glow. These are just perfect if you're planning a DIY wedding because they can be made well ahead of time.

The glasses were picked up for 50 cents a piece at local op shops. We chose to wrap in bamboo which had a lovely sheen & looked very pretty in the daylight.

wrapped tea lightView more presentations from kootoyoo.

Obviously these can be used and reused for different events & as either tealights or vases.

Perfect for your holiday table too.

Christmas stars or festive flowers ... totally up to you.

The beauty of this speedy project is that the flowers can be enjoyed all year round. You could make a garland or use them to adorn gifts.

Another 5 minute craft. I'm all about the speed at the moment. Maybe you've made something similar out of strips of card separated to make a bauble?

no sew star flower decorations
View more presentations from kootoyoo.

Other decos I've seen around & loved...

Meg's dove
Blair's doily tree
Maya's countdown

Enjoy & have a great weekend.

It's totally faker crochet! If you are a purist...power to you. Hook yourself some little caps for soap.

I confess I find the gifting of handmade items something of a challenge. It's one thing to give something you've painstakingly hooked, or stitched, or knitted, or sewn to someone else who makes things & appreciates them. It's quite another to gift the same items to folk who've no idea of the time involved. Faker or not - it's all the same to them. So...at this time of year when you're crafting to give I heartily recommend the faker route.

I got lucky at the oppy a couple of weeks ago & picked up a set of 6 crochet coasters which were a bit stained & yick. I slung them in the washing machine & stared at them for a while & wondered if a soap cosy might be just the ticket? Loofah & soap in one...yep! Time to have a crack folks.

Five minutes flat per soap...maybe less.

How to make faker crochet covered soap
View more presentations from kootoyoo.

I wasn't quite ready to pack away the remaining pony fabric.

Words scrawled by me & then embroidered using two strands of floss. Stem & chain stitches...play to your strengths I say.

I've never upholstered anything in my life so it's absolutely the have a crack make it up as you go along type of thing & really more for decoration than feet which is a bit daft...

Made for someone very special who occasionally needs a little reminder. xx

Isn't it excellent?

Of course all our bathrooms are unisex so this little cross stitched bit o signage is just perfect.

Tarn made it for me! It does actually hang in the doorway of the powder room...just as intended. I love it & am absolutely chuffed that she took the time to make something just for me.

I've been thinking a lot lately about relationships & marriage. The Date & I are fast approaching our 15th wedding anniversary. I'm just ever so grateful really ... for all the things he is & for all the things he isn't. I'm mighty glad to be sharing my bathroom with him. x

The kid will play netball (& she might enjoy it).

I figured I might as well help the cause & I've made Harriet a coaching aid mobile.

This is exactly the kind of thing you might find on Regretsy or What not to crochet but I'm semi-confident that the netballing freak mother of the child will like it.

I'm quite fascinated by still life.

I went to the library & did a bit of research recently. Not content with the traditional symbols I made up my own & have made his & hers portraits.

Have a cracker weekend.

PS: The subjects of these portraits are still very much alive & kicking.

is still filled with the "ask me no questions" craft from last week. It's inching ever closer to completion.

I seem to be ridiculously busy & pre-occupied at the moment. This usually lends itself to a total kitchen rebellion but I'm loving being at the stove at the moment. Last night I made these delicious (& really bad for you) potato stacks & today I'm planning on whipping up some banana bread & white chocolate cookies for the school lunches.

Happy Thursday folks.

Do pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.

I'm starting something else experimental. We'll see if it translates from head to hand eh?

I am thrilled to be using vintage Sunbird cotton. It was made in Brazil especially for Woolcraft. I picked it up at the Op Shop for $2.

I only seem have the head space for the hook at the moment. It's interesting the way things happen in phases isn't it?

Do pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.

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.

OK so this is really more about my homework than the making of bunting. The chips just needed to be glued to a piece of paper but there's no fun in that is there? So I made two...one for the homework & one for the smallest.

I think the bunting's super cute & will be making more. The robot is of course by Jodie.

Happy weekend folks.

I had such a great day with Aunty Cookie and the Meet Me at Mikes guys yesterday. Finders Keepers was a fabulous day out. You can read about the day & see fabulous pictures of the stalls & the event over at The Design Files or Mikes.

Shaz gave me this lightly hot water bottle vase & it joins Kate's hand in the bathroom (ring is by Victoria Mason) .... I know you need three to make it a collection so shall buzz off to etsy now.

& a bit on finding & keeping friends too...

I'm endlessly amazed by the number of really truly gorgeous mates I've made because of this bit of online drivel. My goings on are hardly ever poignant, personal or even humourous. But something in the way I've presented myself has led me to a growing number of found & kept friends & for that I will be eternally grateful. xxx

This is a little something I made for a giggle & for you.

I'm hoping that I'll give Pickering (mine's safe for work folks - I promise) a run for his money & grace the back of toilet doors globally...nationally...locally...ok at least at Claire, Christie & Shazza's places because they encouraged me to take on this project in the first place.

I've been tinkering away on this for a couple of months...since you first got a laugh out of my noticing & beret shots. All crafty "disguises" have been fashioned by me, some especially for the project & some were just loitering about the house in various states of completion.

I dragged the little guy in to check out my "folio". He watched in horror as I flicked through the images & then we had this conversation...

Little guy: "Mum, this is terrible. Nobody is going to want this."
Me: "It's free buddy."
Little guy: "Even then Mum. Only your friends will look at it, because they'll feel sorry for you."

I'm confident that anyone who reads here regularly will enjoy the calendar & take it in the spirit in which it's intended. For any new-to-me folk who are saying to themselves "This girl's got a touch of the Warren Beattys about her." - well, there's something in there for you too. x

Get your free 2011 calendar here.

A very happy weekend to you all.

PS: Thanks Jod for the scribd assistance.

Liberty pin cuff.

I did get excited about these & made more than one & less than a few. They are in the shop now if this kind of thing is up your alley. There's a "steak knife" sweetener too you know...matching pins & free postage in Australia.

In other balancing act type activity ... I am preparing for the smaller two people to finish up school on Friday. We've got a pretty full couple of weeks planned. The September holidays are my favourite. Everyone really needs the break & we're all excited about a less rigid timetable for a couple of weeks.

The little white quilt has taken me in a completely different direction than my "head sketch". I admit that this is quite unusual. Usually things translate pretty much as they appeared in my mind. When they don't I can say in classic 4 year old style "I meant to do that" & just incorporate & push on.

I've made a few errors in judgement with the white number & after spending considerable hours on it over the weekend I've decided it's simply not for my swap partner.

I'm keeping on however because I said I would (I am a magnolia), I've invested a LOT of time & I think I'm going to love it.

This is a bit more traditional but I hope perhaps more up my partner's alley.

You can see other minis involved in this swap right here.