It's been a while since I posted anything actually made by me. So today I'm proving that I am a finisher & all those little teasy posts & half baked ideas do actually become something (still working on the knitting but I'm getting there Cathy).
This bag is made by me from entirely Op Shopped materials - no component was purchased new. It is the sort of craft that gives me a huge amount of satisfaction.
The bag was made for someone special as a birthday gift. The rainbow is one of the vintage Kick in the Pants iron on transfers.
I've made a few of these bags now and I have a huge tub full of fabric that has been Opped for exactly this type of project.
This jewellery box was give to me by the date a good long time ago. The "real" jewels don't get kept in here. They are in top secret hiding spots - this is my decoy jewellery box (a brilliant idea inherited from my Non) for the burglars. Now I look at the contents up close there needs to be some shuffling. I'd be devastated if I lost some of these treasures to thieves.
I've got the goods (either gifted from or created by or both) from:
Betty Jo Meet me at Mikes Boobook Sausage Dogs Three Buttons
as well as a huge assortment of items of great sentimental value:
-Antique clock key gifted by my dad & step mum for my 21st. -Charm bracelet gifted by Non & added to on each overseas trip. -Resin pendant & ring (green) gifted by my mum & sister -Sculpey pendant made for me by my gorgeous little boy to wear to a wedding. -Button necklace gifted by my mother in law & purchased on Brunswick Street some years ago. -Numerous lovely pendants gifted by the date.
A couple of months ago I picked up an Avant card for Do it with Denim, a competition run in conjunction with Jeans for Genes & in support of Children's Medical Research Institute. The Institute is celebrating it's 50th birthday this year.
I got all inspired & made this to enter into the competition. It's what the broomstick needles were fashioned for & what this tease was all about.
My dear sweet friend modelled for me & I got all my stuff together ready for the entry...
Hausfrau I have taken my inspiration from housewives of the 1950s for this project.
This garment has been constructed entirely by hand using handcrafts employed by a 1950’s housewife. The garment itself is knitted from hand cut strips of denim jeans (6 pairs) & the gold detail is crochet.
Many supporters of charitable organisations have been & continue to be housewives. They give their time to assist with labour & fundraising. I am proud to represent this group.
"To be a housewife is a difficult, a wrenching, sometimes an ungrateful job if it is looked on only as a job. Regarded as a profession, it is the noblest as it is the most ancient of the catalogue. Let none persuade us differently or the world is lost indeed." Phyllis McGinley Denim jeans are such an everyday garment & I wanted my recreated jeans to also be an everyday & loved as much as the original garment.
Hausfrau is a vest that can be worn at least 4 different ways.
....Then I re read the terms & conditions.
"Kirsty needs to read the question carefully before beginning a task" (quote taken from EVERY school report I ever received).Yikes! The competition is really for budding designers...that's not me! I'm just a girl who likes to make stuff.
So, I haven't entered. BUT...Hausfrau will be worn to death by me & maybe Trace too. It wasn't a complete waste of time.
Today it's one year since I pulled the blogging runners on & took my first step out onto the track.
Actually, the first step was taken sometime in 2005. That step was one taken my many others and it landed me fair & square in the middle of lovely Loobylu. I walked silently alongside Claire for a good long time & was hugely impressed when she began cross training.
Occasionally I took a stroll with Nichola and her lovely sidebar mates and Justine’s iPod seemed to be loaded with all the right tunes.
Late in 2006 when I was out for my stroll I tripped over this. Pip was setting a cracking pace & I loved running beside her.
In the middle of last year Pip stopped running to grab a Gatorade & issued an invitation. “Crochet yourself some laces for those Asics Kirst. You’ll need them if you’re going to run with me”.
I'm a huge fan of the run but I was a complete novice at running a journal of any kind. I knew I was going to need a training program if I was going to have any chance at all.
The program went something like this…
1. Post everyday for 21 days. Make the habit. Effortless, just like running on the flat.
2. If that goes well…make sure you return comments. A bit more tricky, running on sand (made more difficult by my cranky coach who only woke periodically from napping in the arm chair to deliver the message!)
3. Speak up…if you like something, say so. Nice & easy, running down hill with the wind behind me.
I think once I’d found my stride & was comfortably running in the zone I got a bit cocky & made this rule…
4. Post everyday for 1 year! This is probably the hill that’s been the toughest to climb.
Some days have felt like a sprint to the finish, a few have felt like a monotonous treadmill run, others have felt like a hill climb of epic proportions & I’m pretty sure on at least a couple I’ve limped into the first aid tent!
But I’ve done it. I’ve crossed the finish line & I think I’ve run a pretty good race.
I’m knackered though…I’ve tried really hard & given it my all.
So, if you've been spurring me on, cheering & supporting...
OR thinking I’m crazy as you watched from the comfort of your sofa...
OR if you've run a few kilometres with me...
OR kept the sugar levels high with beautiful eye candy...
OR most importantly, if you were there with me when the starter’s gun went off & been running hard with me the whole way,
THANK YOU!
Recovery is important. You’ve got to rest after a big race. I’m giving myself a few days off.
& as an added bonus the fabric is totally reusable.
We're all about the new house at the moment. The kids are so excited about their new rooms.
The smallest needed a toy box to store her super favourite things & so we set about covering an old Australia Post box. This is a great project to tackle with kids as they can handle much of it alone & therefore really feel as if they've made it themselves. I thought you might enjoy a "how to" for a bit of rainy holiday fun.
Select your fabric & trim the box up. You need to keep the "lid" of the box as this will become the base.
Position your box so that the fabric folds up the sides & down the inside of the box (just reaching the base of the box on all sides). Cut to size. Tip: we used a single doona/duvet cover & it was the perfect width for the standard Australia Post mailer, so we only needed to cut a bit off the length.
Spray both the fabric & the box with spray adhesive.
Smooth all the sides flat & secure with pegs. Once you've done that you can manipulate the corner fabric so that it gathers nicely. Once you're happy with the placement just masking tape the fabric down to secure.
Now just cover the base piece of the box (formerly the lid trimmed to fit) with a contrasting fabric & push it into the bottom of the box.
I say that this is temporary but I made one of these for the big girl 8 years ago & it's still going strong!
I love her treasure selections...owl by me, crochet granny square blanket by a family friend, peg bear by One Red Robin, knitted ballerina by Aunty Pat & the pink softie is Loobylu's project from Meet Me at Mikes The Book.
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
This bag made from thrifted "reverse ripple" fabric. Slouchy & casual when you're not carrying much around but able to hold everything a busy girl needs.
The size of the bag was determined by the only thrifted green zip I owned.
I think it works for this fabric. Something smaller really wouldn't have done the pattern justice.
The idea has been kicking around for sometime & then I had a conversation with Lara about just how much stuff you need to carry around when you've got small kids & a crochet habit. It's made of Thornberry green fabric & the belt keepers at the top are crochet string.
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.
I've made myself a new banner & am considering a move to Typepad. It seems like it's easier to keep everything under control over there? I'd appreciate your thoughts if you've experience in both blogger & typepad.
I've been feeling that things have gotten a little stale over here & am enjoying the friendly banter over at twitter. I want to make things a bit more friendly here too. We'll see how it goes...
This is the current blog roll. All well loved blogs I visit but I'm needing to shake things up around here.
I was tagged ages ago by the lovely Chalk & Cheese. I'd decided today was the day & then Arthur's Circus tagged me too.
Seven is the number of rings I wear all the time. It's ridiculous for a girl with hands my size & I look like a mafia wife but I don't care.
Friday is my favourite day of the week - I run like a demon, drink with friends & fall in a heap.
I love mornings best of all. The crispness of the air makes me feel alive.
My favourite piece of jewellery is my wedding band. One of my school friends told me it would be & I didn't believe her. I was so in love with my engagement ring I couldn't imagine that a little piece of gold would be more treasured - but it is.
I've known the date since I was 12 years old & we've been together for more than half my life.
Grant Caroll made me remember than 7 8s are 56. He tortured me with that table in year 4 it's just about the only "times" I can remember - I was always bad at tables.
I'm a details girl see image above...7 pins & 7 spots on the toadstool.
As for tagging other players - if you want to play consider yourself tagged.
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.
Spool holder made by me using bits and pieces I had on hand.
Pretty shadows too.
I guess it qualifies as an Ikea hack.
I have a free standing spool holder which is excellent but what I like about this is the fact that it hangs (leaving valuable shelf/table space free for more clutter).
You can see the evolution of the idea if you like...
1/4 of an inch 3 red buttons 62 cherry a little bird told me air: work in progress Allsorts Anna-Lisa Aprons & Hammers Art with a Soul August Street Beaded Lady Betty in the Kitchen Big Cats Emporium Boobook Sausage Dogs Bowerbirdz Bridget's Flame Bug and Pop Cassandra Allen Celestina Carmen Cloud Cakes Collective Elements Cooking my Life Cool.According.To.Kylie Crafty Doodads crafty remix: djbebe Creating Nunde Curly Pops Daily dose of inspiration Daisy Chain Daydream Lily Dear Fii Design for Mankind details homegoods domoshar doobleh-vay Dragonflies eat Mosquitoes Earl & Cookie Edward & Lilly fancypicnic florcita flutterby patch etc etc Glorydaze going green Growing Together G.R.Y.B at home Handmaiden Hanies Hanna's Life is Cool her heart my hands Hokey Honi Design Hop Skip Jump if only i had chocolate iSew janene renee Jelly Baby Blog Jogirl's Journey Journalette Judy's Notebook kerri's provincial patch Kiddio Kimberly Michelle Kittys Kaboodle Knit Owl konnykards Last Stop Muse Laugh Out Loud Dolls Lauren Williams Handmade Leni and Rose Lilli Boo little letters Loobylu Made by Molly Mainichi Design maya*made Meet me at Mikes Miss Muggins mon petit lapin monda loves musings from the fish bowl No life without wife no pod One Girl One Red Robin Owlet Peapods Pigeon Pair pink licorice life Pint's Palette planet treasures Pot aux roses Precarious Tomato Project Incomplete puddle wonderful Recuperation of Nathalie Brault Roots and Leaves September Bird Sew What Shabby Chicken Silly Gilly Slip cover Diva Starashan Strawberry Kisses Strawberry Season Studio Window Super Monkey Swirlyarts Taccolina Teacups on Treetops Teddy Bears Wednesday Textilosophy Oz turtle club queen The Crafty Librarian The Essess Twenty Cent Mixture Two Cheese Please The acorn collective The Bird Bath The Lark The Monday Project The Natchbox Thimbly Things Thousand Threads Three Buttons tis rhubarb Tissue papers TreeFall Design truth be told tsk tsk unbecominglily vanilla pixie whosies wide eyed wonderfuls you SEW girl your cover's blown
On my desk... is posted on a Wednesday. It's just a shot of your desk & maybe a bit of banter. Let us know what you're working on or what interesting bits & pieces have crossed your desk during the week.
There is a wonderful blog here - sharing the desks & creative spaces of really clever creative folk. I only found out about this blog after the Wednesday thing began...
Our Wednesday gig is just a bit of fun.
Comment on this post if you decide to play along & I'll add you to the link list.
This list will be updated frequently so feel free to join at any time.
There is no obligation at all - post when you feel like it. Just super casual & a bit of fun.
I’m sitting in the kitchen watching the minutes roll over on the digital oven clock. It’s only been three minutes since I last asked "Is it time yet?". I don’t want to bug Non but I’m just about bursting with anticipation.
I can’t sit still. The swivel chair I’m sitting on is moving constantly. Swivel left, swivel right, swivel left, swivel right. Non is busy preparing something at the kitchen bench and peers over her glasses at me. I know the constant motion is annoying her but I can’t help it.
I’m not sure how I successfully negotiated an afternoon alone at Non’s, but I’m feeling extremely pleased with myself. We can’t ever get the precious dolls out when the littler kids are around because of a recent breakage by Cal.
Finally, Non gives me a little nod. I’m up and out of my chair before she can change her mind.
I open the sliding door to the dining room. The air in the dining room is cold and moist and smells like a mixture of Mr Sheen and liqueur. I wrestle with the aluminium step ladder, being careful not to bump into the sideboard or the dining chairs.
I climb up the ladder and cup my hand under the olive green key tassel. I love the way it feels, heavy and soft at the same time. I turn the key in the lock of the glass doll cabinet.
The dolls have been collected from all around the world. They are just souvenir dolls but to me they are so precious. I’m sure it’s got something to do with the fact that they are stored up so high, under lock and key. Their glass and mahogany home is so decadent. Surely they must be worth an absolute fortune.
I carefully remove each one and lay them one at a time on the velvet runner on the sideboard. Once I’ve made my selection (always leaving the broken marketeer and his wagon behind), I lock the cabinet and carefully carry the little figures back to the kitchen.
The next hour is filled arranging and rearranging the dolls on the kitchen table and listening to the stories of where they were purchased. It’s clear from the way Non speaks that they really are valuable. They are memory anchors for her and memory makers for me. They well deserve to be treated with such care and respect.
I try to keep this space happy. I talk alot about the small things that I appreciate & make me happy. I know I've raved a bit before about the smalls, the date & the extended family. It really is true...love is all you need.
So...what makes me "happy" is 2 date made Capiroska. Chatty, relaxed, giggly... it's a pretty fun version of me. .
I know that a few people have problems with JS Kit & have had trouble with their service. Personally, I have had positive dealings with JS Kit support & am keen to continue with this system of commenting. Mainly because I think that the blogger comment system is less than ideal.
Why I like it...
-I like that I have the option/ability to respond to each comment. -I like that if used to full advantage I can click directly to a commenters site. -It's made me engage more with the folks that do leave comments on this site & afterall that's what it's all about eh?
I think that JS Kit is most beneficial if you actually sign up to it. It doesn't cost anything to register with JS Kit. They have a strict privacy policy & the site owner (me) doesn't actually have access to your email address...
-Then you have the option to receive my responses (or those of other commenters via email). -You can add a number of sites where people can visit you. It actually lists the name of the site so that people know where they are heading.
There are other options for logging in to leave a comment which are all fine but you may not see the benefits that I describe above.
Anyway, I just thought that I would include a how to as it seems a few people are stumped &/or confused when it comes to commenting using JS Kit.
...
I've said something or shown something that you'd like to make a comment about... Click "comment" This box will pop up. If you want to comment as a guest (& you don't have a blog) that's fine...just try to remember to type your name in the guest box so I know your name. <
OR you can sign in using one of the following in the drop down under the "From" Here's where you would choose "Blogger" or "my other site" or "JS Kit" . If you choose "Blogger" or "my other site", you still need to type your name where it currently says "Guest". You can also choose to upload an avatar but you won't receive email responses.
To get the most out of your comment... sign up to JS Kit (you only need to do this once)
If you do that your comment will look like this. I know it's Tania from Myrtle & Eunice before I even click. I recognise her icon (& I'm pretty glad she's stopped by). I can hover my mouse over Tania's name & I've got the option to visit her on her site if I like. You know I'm gunna because I'm loving what she's got to say & she's made it super easy for me. You should probably go & visit her too. She's good!
If you sign up to JS Kit you also have the option to change your avatar from your "comment box".
I hope this was helpful & I hope it might make commenting on kootoyoo a more valuable/fun experience.
If you give people the opportunity...the answer will usually be "yes".
I was recently asked a question by a nearly 8 year old friend.
She handed me an envelope & said "Can you make these Kirst?"
I opened the envelope, it contained one piece of royal blue origami paper & one piece of royal blue paper with white stars. There was also a rough sketch of the PJs she wanted made from said 'fabric samples'. The stars were to be for the top & the pants were to be plain blue.
Of course the answer was "yes" & here they are. I did add a rider "for your birthday Millie...OK?". I'm not entirely sure how they'll go down as a birthday gift but I'll keep you posted.
Way too much time invested into something you can purchase for next to nix at Target in my opinion but they certainly are made to order. The big girl drew & prepared the stars which were machine appliqued and also made a drawstring bag for the jarms. She saved me at least another hour & her work is most profesh.
PS: To the lovely people who said "yes" to my question yesterday. THANK YOU! I didn't expect such a fabulous response or such an amazing list of blogs. I will make up a proper link list so that everyone can easily navigate around your recommendations. It will be a fabulous resource for us all I think. x
