Sweet Fabric [Search results for Sorry] 

This bag was made as a long overdue birthday gift for a very special friend. She's been waiting patiently & I'm finally ready to gift it.

You might remember the fabric. Selvedge notes: Robert Kaufman(?) Screen Print 3855 Boomerang Beat. One of my best op shop finds ever!

All components of this bag were purchased from various op shops. The embroidery floss came from my stash.

I know I've banged on before about how much pleasure this sort of crafting gives me, but honestly it's true.

I really want to keep this for myself - she's going to have a fight on her hands.

PS: Yesterday's post was supposed to say that my gorgeous sister made an entire pillowcase wardrobe for her sweet as anything little girl. I was also going to say how proud I was of her & how thrilled I was to have given her a hand...

Sorry about the total abandonment of the post...sometimes the heart wins.

Edited to add:

A few people asked about the how. I'm really sorry but I'm not ready to share my process. It's very much a work in progress & a pretty organic sort of construction. There's no pattern cut. I just get all the materials together & go for it. Maybe one day, but not yet. I hope that's OK.

The original was inspired by a bag made entirely of leather strapping by Danny Seo (which I've tried to find via Google & can't), as well as these tooled leather bags which my mum had in the 70s.

I will leave you with a quote from my hero found via his interview with Victoria Everman.

"The simple truth is that I think of what I want, then use what I've got on hand to make it".
Justin "Scrappers" Morrison

I've thought about this daily since I read the interview.

Elsie found the Danny Seo bag. Thank you Elsie.

Welcome back!

I've been super busy trying to get the old house ready to sell. We are hiring furniture for the sale but my decorator mate has allocated me the bathroom. She flounced in saying "splash of colour there" ... "choose something bright".

I did go to The Works over the weekend & purchased some new towels (on loan to the old house before they become the kids). I found any "splashes of colour" to be absolutely awful. So I'm refashioning these bits & pieces that used to be in our old bedroom. It's quite fun. Someone else has been handy with her hook & needle on much more lively foliage.

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

Edited to add:
My creative space is just a super casual bit of fun. You can drop in & out whenever you like. All you need to do is add your link to the link list. Just make sure you've posted your space for the week before you add your link.

I don't want this to be so full of rules that it's no fun but the whole aim of the game is to share what you're working on. If you're just linking to a shop or a homepage then I'm sorry but I'll be deleting your link.

Friday am: I came in here with my coffee ready to check more creative spaces but the blasted link seems to be on the blink. Sorry & check back later eh? Thanks

I've made a pretty solid start on my square for the quilt project. I can't wait to get home from curtaining so that I can stitch a little more.

I'm really enjoying the slow & steady as I'm feeling there has been so much rushing. Rushing the kids around, rushing to make decisions about the house, rushing to pick things up...you know the drill.

You can visit last weeks favourite space here.

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

OK :: The link isn't working...again! Sorry but this is the perfect opportunity for me to plead with you all to sign up to JS Kit. Then we can all just visit from your name. It will take us straight to your blog if you sign up! Even better if you upload an avatar then I can see at a glance exactly who you are.

Have tested further (& now rushing to curtaining...argh). So...if you comment with your blogger id or JS Kit it's going to work. I'd still love you to consider an avatar if you're so inclined. I really like to know which "Kirsty" just by seeing your little image. It seems this is actually a JS Kit issue. I've logged a help ticket.

THANKS & sorry.

Mum’s woken me up and made sure I’m dressed in my very best outfit.It’s a pale pink suede A line skirt with a raspberry coloured love heart pocket. The matching waistcoat is getting a bit small and is starting to pinch my underarms when I walk. The pinching reminds me that soon I will be too big to wear it – I don’t complain.

My hair is brushed and plaited. The plaits are thick and tight and even. I stretch myself so that I can check my appearance in the mirror. I feel a bit sorry that my hair elastics look so bad. I wish that I had some raspberry ribbon to cover the frayed ends of the hat elastic cut and tied by mum in haste one morning.

We make it to Tullamarine with time to spare and I swing and climb on the guard rail in the entrance hall.

Finally, Non comes through the doors from customs, I can’t remember what she’s wearing but her smile is almost as big as her suitcase. I’m so excited to see her, she’s been away far too long. She cups my face in her hands and then plants a kiss on my cheek and gives me a giant squeeze.

We struggle to the car with the suitcase. I’m trying hard not to imagine the presents inside that case. I don’t want to seem rude.

When we arrive home Mum puts the kettle on and Non sets to work unlocking the suitcase and sifting through her clothes and shopping. There are plenty of international treats for everyone. The clothes and dolls are lovely but what I’m aching for is a tiny little package. I’m starting to feel anxious. I can’t see anything small enough to be a charm.

Non carefully unfolds one of her jumpers and pulls out a little package wrapped in tissue. She presses it into my palm and tells me the story of how she selected the charm and then negotiated and finally purchased the little cupid in Rome.

This little thing will be taken by Non to Precious Metals and soldered to my bracelet alongside the other charms that have been gifted to me from places far away. I resolve it that moment to have charm bracelets for my own grand daughters.

is mine.

I found her in the Op Shop (thrift shop) on Friday.

& she sews beautifully.

I know by now it probably seems like I'm just a big fat show off - sorry.

If you'd like me to share some of my recent Op Shop luck please sign my Op Shop Wishlist.

Edit: An Op Shop is an Opportunity Shop or Thrift Shop.

This made my heart skip a beat.

Five envelopes and then the card. I love the run-on of daught
er.

EDIT: It's not my birthday - sorry. I thrifted this yesterday. See the date? 1 January 1954.

Happy weekend.

Remember the eyechart glasses case?

I've taken that a wee bit further & made up some cases with lines from "eye" songs & sound waves.

I'm staying inside today...the wind is howling! It's a good excuse to sew, stitch and avoiding the curtain making with a bit of mixtapezine reading.

PS:: Sorry about the schmozzle that was yesterday's creative space! Hopefully everything will be working again next week.

This gorgeous girl has kicked off a bit of Friday fun & always up for a challenge I thought I'd have a crack.

After all...I went to a fabulous school that offered ceramics, printmaking, textiles, painting & drawing, garment construction & photography. True to form I tried my had at all of these and had wonderful parents allowed me to do Art 1 & Art 2 (read 8 hours of art per week) instead of maths! I was always more about the experience than the end result. I thought I'd have some giggle worthy stuff to share.

I had a feeling that most of my "folio" (& I use the term loosely) had been skipped during the most recent clean out. No great loss there I can assure you. BUT...I thought I had some stuff under the ranch. I donned the head torch & went for a rummage - I came up short. I did find all the letters the date & I wrote to each when we first hooked up! That gave the two of us a giggle but they have now been ceremoniously binned. I wanted to fire up the incinerator - if only it weren't illegal!

Anyway, enough of my drivel. In short - my Friday Archives offerings will be thin on the ground I think. Sorry Claire.

The above is a mother bird guarding her eggs. I made her when I was 3 with my next door + one neighbour who had a ceramics shed & her own kiln - incredible.

Ahh Betty was gorgeous wasn't she Jo?

Actually rushing out the door to enjoy someone elses creative space today. I'm off to curtain school to learn to make roman blinds properly.

So my offering this week is my creative preparation (for saturday afternoon's HAC session):

-Kit bags
-Vintage basket filled with vintage & thrifted fabrics
-Vintage milk caddy filled with glues & cutting tools

I forgot to update the favourite space for last week (I'll do it now). I think that last week was our best ever week...lots of lovely, fresh, inspiring spaces.

My very favourites were:

myrtle & eunice
buttontreelane
74 lime lane

I'm looking forward to seeing what's in your space this week. Pop in & add your link if you're playing along.

The link man seems to be having a lie in...maybe try back a little later - sorry.

4:00pm: Still not working. I've tripped around from the comments so far so maybe that's the best bet for this week. You just need to make sure that your URL is included.

Fold, originally uploaded by kootoyoo.

BigPond is down due to the storms in our area. Have managed to upload a pic using fancy phone which I've yet to learn how to use properly.

I'm feeling almosst myself today and looking forward to checking out the creative spaces once we are back online.

The Gambler is pretty important in my life.

I'm notorious for thinking everything will take 20 minutes (including moving house). I really need to get the old life resolved ... quick smart! I have (as per usual) bitten off more than I can chew.

I've given my apologies to the Daylesford Makers Market girls. I'm sorry not to be there but I'm folding before the whole house of cards comes crashing down. Hope you understand and if you're going to Daylesford for the market - have a ball - it promises to be a great event.

Almost good for you.

Banana Bread

1 cup Self Raising Flour
100g Almond Meal
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
3 eggs lightly beaten
4 ripe bananas peeled & mashed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cap of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180C.

Line a 4 cup loaf tin with baking paper.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another bowl beat the eggs, banana, olive oil & vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry & mix with a spoon.

Pour into prepared tin & bake for about an hour (just until the top is golden & your skewer comes out clean).

I've made this 3 days in a row. The kids LOVE it & I'm freezing left overs for school lunches next week.

PS: I came in here with my coffee ready to check more creative spaces but the blasted link seems to be on the blink. Sorry & check back later eh? Thanks

↑Weave/ladder stitch from wrong side

↑Join as you go (liking this less than I thought I would)

↑Double crochet (front runner)

When I started my granny squares last year I decided that this would be a "go slow" project & that all the yarn would be Op Shop purchased.

I started running out of contrasting yarn about 30 squares in & have had to purchase bits & pieces along the way (I'm really not good at slow). I did have a huge Op Shop stash of nasty Panda acrylic which I've been finishing each round with. I ran out of that too...70 squares in.

On Saturday I went to purchase more & of course the dyelot is different & when the two dyelots lie next to each other the difference is quite obvious. I had a little tantrum & totallly dropped the ball with my granny a day. I've missed 2 of the last 3 days. Sorry Pip.

I had planned to "Join As You Go", making the biege the main colour & allowing the contrasting colours to "pop". If I go with this method (& not worry about the dyelot difference) I need 80 squares before I begin joining.

But now I just don't know. I think I'm liking the double crochet in a contrasting colour.

If I go with the other options I think I'll need at least 100 squares...

Cute apron from this girl

Badge making night was lots of fun.

Gemma helped everyone out with the rolls royce super swank badge makers, Pip shared a cute as a button house badge & Anna Laura showed us all how to make gorgeous felt badges.

Everyone was very busy & very productive. It was lovely.

Now onto matters blog...

I've totally dropped the ball. I don't have wireless & I've been popping down to the office to post & that is absolutely it. I'm so behind in my reading & comments & replies - sorry.

So, I'm just shoving all that dirty washing under the bed & starting from scratch.

diverged in a yellow wood,
and sorry I could not travel both
and be one traveller
long I stood & looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth
then took the other,
as just as fair & having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy & wanted wear...

excuse the inaccuracy of my memory but you get the drift.

Not one to make New Years resolutions - I prefer to make it up as I go along.

But I do want to make sure that in 2008 I choose the road not taken more often. I've found the rewards to be plentiful when I've trodden this path in the past.

I don't mean to sound like someone from a bad reality show but ... it really is all about the journey

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

in Op Shop love!

I've been on the lookout for a few weeks now.

I used all of my cream blanketting at Brown Owls & I'm a little ashamed to admit I was feeling a wee bit sorry about it.

The very last piece was used to make this little madam & she so badly needs some friends... I took a deep grown up breath & sent my "field of dreams" Op Shop wish out into the world.

They popped up this week & for only $3 each!

Note: I fully appreciate that a pic of a couple of old cream blankets is not very exciting to many of you, but for me...a totally thrilling find.

Thrifted Tuesday hosted by Leah.

I took this pic last week as part of the photo a day (which I've totally dropped the ball on). I have been taking daily pics but not the suburban shots I wanted to...sorry Megan.

I wanted to say a big giant thank you to all you lovely folk who left comments & even posted about my spool holder. I'm so grateful for the giant springboard that this space, the commenters, the blogs I visit & the casual passers by provide. You keep me wanting to try harder, be better & make more.

Sorry for being a tease. Quite a few people had guessed they were slippers anyway so I don't feel too awful.

I really didn't mean it, they just took so long to make up. Stitched entirely by hand over the Easter break & finished off in haste this afternoon so I could snap a couple of pics in the fading light.

I think that I probably could have achieved a very similar effect by sewing them up on the machine (in around 15 minutes)!

I do feel enormously proud of them though & maybe I wouldn't have if I whipped them up on the Janome?

The embroidered embellishment came about because after I'd stitched the first slipper I noticed the blanket was almost worn through on the soul. I did a bit of decorative darning to buy a bit of time & liked the way it looked so much that I've added it to the top of the slippers as well.

So there you have it... Urchin Mary Jane slippers fashioned from an old blanket.

getting back to basics with a bit of crochet.

I am just like this...just visualise the chest as my head. I've been overstuffing for a couple of months & it's all just spilling out all over the place.

I'm using the granny squares & this lovely swap as packeruperers. Then I want to make a new handbag & get on with my doodle/quilling idea & my quilt plan too.

Focus.

I can't even remember last Thursday so no favourite from last week...sorry. I've got my pen ready for this week though!

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

You can see the standard Kirst mess is starting to creep back in.

Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

I've been working a lot more than usual so I've dropped the ball a bit on the blog front...sorry. I'm planning on popping in for a cuppa tonight. Put the kettle on will you?

Waiting for me when I get home from work:

- Research
- Something to make me laugh
- The big girl's polaroid diary from 2001
- Mess left over from our printing date

On my desk...the players

Desks of the week: crafter, arter & maker.

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by kootoyoo.

The no internet thing has worn off pretty quick! I'm a touch typist and this pointer finger typing is just beyond a joke.

I'm wearing my poker face about the whole market thing but I will say that I may have made a few purchases and chatted with some lovely local folk and plenty of Melbourne girls too. Sorry about the lack of links folks but it's all about the pointer finger y'know.

Yesterday was very productive on the house front and began pulling something apart ... The image above is part of it's inners ... care to offer a guess?