Sweet Fabric:
hope

I think I'd like to have a crack.

It seems like polo without the ponies. I've got a very clear picture of myself in bare feet with a mallet in one hand & a capiroska in the other. I hope they're licensed.

Just look at that INCH high stack of full size pattern pieces from Pip Lincolne's new book!

Always one to appreciate the details...imagine my excitement when I opened the pattern envelope at the front of the book & was greeted with this pile of deliciousness.

I'm still unsure what I'm going to make but I'm fairly certain it will involve the ponies.

See you tomoz with a (hopefully finished) something from Sew La Tea Do.

PS: Hooray for Pip for totally getting off her butt & making stuff happen.

birthday that is!

It's become a bit of a tradition to make her something & I really couldn't justify another bag.

So I've fashioned this little bracelet from some 4 ply bamboo.

It's just a double crochet corkscrew with a pretty silver closure stitched into place.

I hope she likes it.

This is the finished mini for The Downunder Doll Quilt Swap organised by Kate.

The centre panel is embroidered using stem, chain stitch & a fair few frenchies too. You don't see much stumpwork about on blogs so I thought I'd break a bit of that out too.

The outside 3D border/quilty bit is based on the scrappy number I picked up at the antique shop.

I really hope my partner likes it.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.

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.

Hello!

I hope you've had a gorgeous weekend.

Melbourne has turned on another rainy miserable day today. The girls & I have spent the day in the craft room though so I'm not complaining.

I'm wondering if you might be able to help me out? I would really like to know your very favourite foodie blogs.

If you're a reader of cooking blogs please leave your recommendations in the comments.

Thanks muchly in advance.

See you tomorrow.

Kirsty
x

The "worst" house in the best street. It's a very posh street in Canterbury & all the other houses are quite beautifully kept. I love this place.

I'm feeling heartily sick of myself & kootoyoo in general.

I feel I need a distraction & with the kids on holidays for the next couple of weeks I think it's the perfect opportunity to down the craft tools & pick up the camera. I'm noticing stuff (& hopefully I'll have the camera ready when I do).

Not all the good stuff can be clicked mind you ... on Saturday morning the kids & I actually saw the end of a rainbow. This has never happened to me before - it was magical & amazing. I shan't be sacrificing these noticings digging around in my bag for the camera.

If you feel like noticing some stuff right along with me...feel free. I'd love to have some company.

I staged a little hook intervention this week & I'm back on the stitching. I've been working on a little flocked embroidery project which I plan to finish off today.

I'm making plans for the upcoming school holidays & thinking a lot about basic shapes too.

Hope you're planning a fabulously creative day.

Don't forget to pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.

I'm just all about the hook at the moment. I'm mucking around with this gorgeous blue trying to get the right hook to yarn ratio. BUT I have been seriously side tracked by some lovely brown Rowan Tapestry which I started a sample square with & it's now grown to almost scarf proportions. I hope they've got some more at Sunspun (if they don't it was always meant to be a scarflet).

For those of you who know about the brown granny disaster of '09 please pick yourselves up off the floor. I'm loving the brown again. x

As for the poor granny shrug that's also on the hook - it's been temporarily sidelined.

Don't forget to pop in and add your link if you're playing along this week.

I'm supposed to be stitching.

Instead I allocated myself one hour to work on something new. I've already spent double that. I can't decide if it's one of the cooler things I've made or just a complete disaster.

I hope to have it finished tomorrow either way & let you guys decide.

The Big Bite is here!

I've been mucking around with spacing of holes & I'm almost ready to make a start. It won't be today though (I'm working). It won't be tomorrow (I've friends for lunch). It won't be Saturday either (I'm ferrying kids around all day). Pity about life getting in the way really.

Hoping that you're finding time in your life for plenty of makings.

Lovely space from last week right here.

Sorry about the Link man having an afternoon snooze last week. Hopefully he's had his coffee this morning.

Don't forget to pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.

I've quite a collection now. They are employed as weights for so many of my makings.

My childhood neighbour's Grandmother collected them. I loved visiting her house in Walmer Street & watching the reflections cast both inside and outside the spheres. There's something quite magical about them.

I hope one day to have a collection just like Gran Stewart's. One that excites and delights my grandchildren (& their friends).

Our house is (hopefully) not going to require much in the way of heating. We're trying not to turn the heating on & have instead been snuggling under blankets in the evenings.

Whilst the granny blankets are excellent, they do make it hard to change the channel on the Teev or play playstation games or hook/stitch/knit (the plot thickens). I've got the little guy & the big girl ahead of me in line but I'm totally making myself one of these!

The first shoulder blanket fashioned for the smallest from the same old blanket used for the slippers & 1/2 a ball of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which was lounging in the stash. I think it's a left over from when the big girl was granny squaring. I'm feeling pretty good about my $2 outlay at the Op Shop (& there's still enough for 1 more pair of slippers).

I wasn't sure if the yarn was going to make it all the way around the blanket & maths really isn't my strong suit. Luckily my brother in law was at our place, we did a quick calculation & figured I should just scrape it in. Just scrape is right...I think there's about 2 metres left.

Note to self: Figure out a much better, faster, less painful way to make the holes.

This I want to do this weekend...

- paint a bookshelf
- refashion a couple of bedside lamps
- finish off some stitchery
- practice with the sticks

What I'll probably do...

- none of the above & just concentrate on this little distraction.

Oh & I might go to the market too.

Hope your weekend is fabulous.

I had a couple of false starts with this one.

I wanted the pincushion to be functional & once I ditched the can everything came together pretty quickly.

I chopped the heads off some quilting pins (which are MUCH longer than regular pins) so that I could add the popped corn & still keep the pins useable.

I've had fun with the pincushion swap & hope that my partner likes it.

in about 1/2 an hour the blocks fell away from the quilt.

It struck me that the quilt is exiting my life in the very same way it entered. The blocks have little white stitches as a reminder that they were part of something bigger.

There's still a bit to do but I hope to have everything in the mail by 31 March.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful people who were part of the quilt project.

Did you guess?

You might remember last year I made the perfect bag for a friend. Well, this is my perfect bag but it's also for a friend. I plan to make myself one over the weekend! I based the bag on one I already owned...a very nasty op shopped piece of rubbish but with great bones.

I love the way the embroidery finished up & I've added the bright red zip to keep things interesting.

Everything came together really well except the flaming zip! That thing drove me nuts. I've got a "can do" attitude & I'm pretty confident with zips but really sewing a zip into a curve (& then trying to top stitch) proved impossible.

I ended up unpicking the top stitching. You know that rule about cooking something new for a dinner party? Well it's the same for gifts for friends, I've discovered. I'm pretty sure that she won't mind though.

Just a peek of the vintage sheet lining.

worn across the body, single strap, slouchy, soft
tick, tick, tick, tick
(with the added bonus of being machine washable)

I hope she likes it too.

I do love French Knots & I trot them out at every opportunity. Time consuming if you cluster them - yes. This lot represents about 4 hours of knotting!

But I remember they were mystifying for such a long time. Maybe it was the quick movement of Vicky's hands...they always seemed beyond my reach. I always ended up in a French mess!

I've had a few people ask about French Knots so I've prepared a little video of how I French Knot. For me the key/secret is the "correction" which you'll here about & see if you watch the video. I hope you find it useful. It's a great stitch to have in your "kit".

I'm working on my video skills. Obviously I was holding the piece too close to the camera...ah well...practice, practice, practice.

Video made using The Flip.
Thanks to Flip Video, I love this piece of equipment.

I've not been around much. It's all been smoke & mirrors...just logging on to update & then getting over to the old place to work. I'm hoping that it will all be worth it & I'll be able to justify another 12 months without paid employment because of all the "renovating" I've been doing. Anyway enough of the excuses.

It's poor & I'm sorry. I've really appreciated the lovely comments, favourites, visits & encouragement despite my "help yourself & slam the door behind you when you leave" attitude lately.

I thought you all deserved a little present & I reckon this is one you'll appreciate.

More signage!

I've sent it to Flickr nice & large so that you can download & print as you like. Ours is hung on the pantry door but I think nice for the studio/craft space or master bedroom if you've got co-sleeping issues you're trying to work through.

Anyway...lots of love to you all & see you soon (I hope). x

We all know I'm a huge fan of just about anything "on wood" but I had no idea just how much I was going to love the crochet table cloth hacked & tacked to a couple of pieces of thrifted furniture.

Things are coming together quite nicely in the new house. If you've had a peek inside my place you'd notice that there was only a tiny patch of our bedroom photographed. We've been looking for something nice & skinny for the TV to sit on. It's in an awkward place because it's very close to the ensuite door.

I'd picked up this glass fronted cabinet at the Op Shop (for $5) intending for it to be hidden in The Date's office & reserved for his "straight to the pool room" golf trophies & such. It looked ridiculous & he pitched it out into the hallway earlier in the week. I seconded it for this maybe temporary maybe permanent fixture in the bedroom.

I'm not a huge wrap for the basket shelves (which came out of this unit) I've fashioned below & prefer a more open look. I've got another idea for that (which will hopefully still hide the power cords). I'll keep you updated.

While I had the glue gun out I worked a bit of crochet magic on this sweet chair (also Opped for the princely sum of $5).

Beautiful floaty images by Bricolagelife.

So I think I've managed a pretty nice bedroom makeover for under $20! Unbeatable value & my very favourite ... reused, repurposed, recrafted, upcycled.

If you fancy having a go at this yourself it's just super-easy-thrown-together fun.

You'll need...
double sided tape, spray adhesive, hot glue gun, a thrifted crochet table cloth ($2-$8).

For the cabinet...
Using double sided tape create a frame on the inside of the door (as close to the glass as possible).

Then...
Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.

Now...
Expose the double sided tape & position your crochet piece.

And...
Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.

Finally...
Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.

Repeat for the other door.

For the chair...
Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.

Then...
Spray the wrong side of the tablecloth piece with spray adhesive.

Now...
Position on the chair.

And...
Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.

Finally...
Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.