The convent is located at 1 St Helliers Street Abbotsford in Melbourne.
More information about how to get there here.
What better venue to have our quilt stitched by (mainly)women displayed than at the convent?
If you've been following the project & you're available on the 23rd we'd love to see you.
Just RSVP by replying to my RSVP comment on this post or if you're shy you can email.
The Quilt Project site will be launched on this evening also & will be live on the 24th of October.
The decs are popping up all over the place & I'm making some too.
Strips of Liberty at the ready... festive but not too Christmassy so we'll be able to enjoy them all year round.
This is going to be the last Creative Space for 2010. We will fire up again late Jan or early Feb. Take a break from the making...if you like...or don't...but do put your feet up and enjoy some time with your loved ones. Thank you all for making Thursdays such a lovely community day...you're ace!
Do pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.
The pencil scribble turned into a lino cutting adventure.
I had a lovely busy weekend...on the hook, on the lino, on the click, in the kitchen & with my family.
There was also a minor (but controlled) adventure with fire.
I needed another "on the go" project.
Just a bit of meditative back & forth with a big hook & some lovely silky soft bamboo.
I'm calling it the peacock blanket.
Do pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.
I'm on the home straight with my "car craft" project...just one more side to go.
I now have my fingers firmly crossed that I've hit the mark with this gift.
In other news...
I may or may not have had a brainwave in relation to upcoming baby gift. Now I just have to figure out how to actually make the thing!
The Big Girl is on holidays.
I asked her to give me a hand this morning which she willingly did. After about 1/2 an hour she asked...
"Is this your life mum?"
"Just making stuff & gluing stuff?"
"Don't you get bored?"
PS: Someone has been watching a LOT of Harry Potter related stuff on YouTube. We are now on less.....than.....dial.....up.....speed.
Today is my only home day this week.
I'm not wasting a second.
Shall be on the sofa under a granny blanket...mini on my lap...binding like a woman possessed...watching listening to rubbish on the teev if you need anything.
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.
I'm all about the glue at the moment.
Glue & dorcas pins. I'm enjoying mucking around with all manner of pin & pincushion ideas in the foreground while I continue with a few more major projects in the background (I promise the white mini is one of those projects).
A lovely glass half full space from last week can be found right here.
I'm trying out a new link system this week which also has an end time. Fingers crossed it works out OK. If you've got any thoughts on this vs mr linky please feel free to comment. I decided to stick with the text link as I think it probably encourages people to get around & have a chat.
Patiently waiting.
It was a bit of a business I can assure you. The lovely flimsy drapery that is Liberty does have its drawbacks. I think I've got is sussed out now though.
I'm sure you can guess where these guys are headed.
Just to prove I haven't dropped the ball.
The mini quilt top is pieced.
Just as expected I like the back more than the front. I'm aching for lack of a mini clover iron & think I need to get in touch with the pigeon to get my seams looking the goods.
My original plan was to leave the edges raw. Apart from the fact that I love raw edges the quilt is an irregular shape & I frankly wouldn't have the foggiest on how to bind such a thing. I'm not entirely sure that my partner is going to get behind the rawness. So...do I forge ahead with the original plan or rethink*? Maybe I'll just go on as planned...post...& promise to replace with something a little more conventional if she hates it.
*if you say "rethink" then please point me to a tutorial for binding an irregular shaped quilt...thanks muchly.
Edit: You might want to show Pip what you're making.
Did you know that I'm part of the Down Under Doll Quilt Swap? It was organised an embarrassingly long time ago by the gorgeous Kate.
In true kootoyoo style I've left it & left it & left it some more. Don't get me wrong...there's been plenty of think time & in my head the finished quilt is really, really beautiful. In reality I have one (yep 1) block pieced and another cut out. Not a fabulous start eh?
No more new anythings until this piece is finished so I'm going to share my in progress shots. If you catch me wandering off course do you reckon you'd prompt me with a comment like "Hey Kirst, haven't seen much on the white quilt front...what's up with that?".
-----
In other news...
-----
I've been included in Kidspots Top 50 Bloggers which is hugely flattering. Considering this is a "just for fun" gig for me & there are heaps of professional writer types included I'm quite chuffed. Thanks a bunch Kidspot.
There's the opportunity there to win a holiday to Dunk Island which is pretty cool so maybe check out the list, see if you're favourites are there. If so - click to vote.
I've got to say that I think that the craft blog community is pretty under represented on the list. So many beautiful, thoughtful, productive, positive, creative women I love who haven't been represented.
A big hearty thanks to those of you who have voted for me & saved me from left-on-the-shelf embarrassment. Muchly appreciated. x
Wonking it up. I'm usually not good at wonk with hand work. My stitches usually end up even despite my best wonky efforts.
I've found the key to the wonk & thought you might enjoy being let in on the secret.
Hold your work at arm's length.
Lovely, lovely space (I've fallen quite in love - can you tell) right here.
Don't forget to pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.
Just a collection of things I've been reworking &/or making for my 2011 project.
Today I'm making plans for a bit of supply shopping & I have to make a pair of PJs for a nearly 8 year old mate. Millie drew me a sketch & even supplied origami papers as fabric samples.
Really the making of clothes (save a few pieces) began & finished in the Garment Construction room at school with Mrs Testro but who am I to disappoint.
I started out intending for the knots to be fairly sparsely placed.
I've progressed a bit further since I took this shot & find that my knots are getting closer & closer together. Just like my crochet & my knitting, my embroidery is pretty tight.
It's just the way things are.
Things are progressing pretty well with the sampler.
Some of these will certainly be added to my stitching "vocab".
I love...
up & down blanket stitch
pekinese stitch
feather stitch
chevron stitch
& open cretan stitch
with practice I think I'll like...
cable chain
knotted buttonhole
This certainly has been slow going. I was unpicking lots & then of course realised that isn't really the aim of the exercise. This isn't about perfect it's about practice.
I confess I am a creature of habit. I like routine.
I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday & recently I've noticed that I've become habitual with my stitching too.
I know I like stem stitch, french knots, chain stitch & the occasional back stitch. I'm pretty good at them...I like the way they look...I'm confident that I'll get the result.
I was at a friend's house the other day & really admired her grandmother's framed samplers. You can't really get the effect with my "soulmate" stitches. I've forced myself outside the comfort zone & I'm playing around with a sampler of my own. Of course it's not going to be just a sampler. I've got an end product in mind...
I can sniff the finish line on this one & I'm pretty excited about it!
Just hoping that the sucker doesn't collapse overnight.
share...contribute...give & take...support.
I've been up to my neck in it trying to get the old house ready for sale. It's been a massive job. It hasn't left much time (or inclination) for any making or even thinking about making.
All this means that I've been pretty bad at keeping up with things in this space. I'm looking forward to having more time to share with you here & see what you've all been up to as well.
As much as I love school holidays and having the kids around I'm looking forward to a bit of routine myself. I don't even know what day it is, but I do know that I'm looking forward to Thursday & getting back to My Creative Space.
Instead of cleaning, clearing, moving, skipping or even making today I'm having lunch with a few mates. It's going to be nice to take a break.
This is the fabric cover for the something I was creating from nothing the other day. Care to take a guess at what I'm making?
from the holidaying kids & from the red stuff to work on my softie for mirabel.
I had a bit of trouble with the embroidery for the face. It's really hard to embroider through foam...who knew?
So I've turned my attention to other elements. The pintucking has worked out pretty well. I'm planning to attach it today...fingers crossed.