Thrifted Tuesday on Flickr
Super cute teeny tiny camping stove.
It packs up into the tiny blue vinyl carry back. Complete with instructions & butane & still in its original box!
I'm not a box keeper but I love the image of the original owner packing this away after each use & placing it neatly on his shelving unit custom built for his single lock up garage.
Just perfect for an overnight hike at The Prom. I reckon that this would leave plenty of room in the pack for a bottle of wine.
Woodish Loveliness
1. ACEO- She wore Beauty Brown - Original fabric/colored pencil on wood art, 2. Live stump, 3. rabbit companions flee scene, 4. Green Room Sketch- print of original drawing on wood, 5. powerful books, 6. Wood slice
Just to let you know that I have reinstalled JS Kit comments on this blog.
I really like the chatty nature of the comment system.
How to make the most of JS Kit comments:
Sign up to JS Kit OR comment as a guest BUT be sure to leave your email address.
I have configured the reply system so that you should receive an email when someone (either me or another blog reader) replies to your original comment.
I quite understand that some people find email replies annoying and in this case you should choose not to provide your email when you leave a comment.
I honestly think that this system is the best that is on offer if you have a blogger blog.
If you are one of the few people who do not receive the reply emails despite including your email address, I apologise. BUT you will be able to find your replies in the comments of the original post.
I welcome your feedback on this system. If you've got something to share please do & sorry for the flip flopping.
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.
Today I'm fighting with my machine over button holes & thinking that maybe I should just buy the buttonhole foot & be done with it!
In the space today:
-my "cheat sheet" for the music boxes. I have each step written down to avoid "doh" moments.
-a bit of yarn & wool suiting which I've been doing some felting experimenting with.
-a few more stackers for the collection
-& super cute Aunty Cookie original. I'm sure that there are several of us who fit this description.
Have you had a chance to visit last week's favourite space? It's over in the sidebar →
OR you could just click here. I'll update this week's sidebar link once I've been visiting.
Also, a big thank you to the people who do use the link list to pop around & visit the other players.
Pop in & add your link if you are playing along this week.
I'm so pleased with my MP3 music box. I do love the wind up, plinky plunky version but this is something quite special, I think.
The Story
Someone contacted me via the website to ask if it would be possible to have a music box which played The Cure. I did a bit of research & found nothing. Then another person asked if they could have an original piece of music added to a music box.
I got to thinking & originally purchsed one of those "record your own" greeting cards. It wasn't at all satisfactory. The quality was terrible and you could only record about 20 seconds.
Then I wondered about making a little pocket for an iPod or MP3 player. There is also a speaker below the "false floor" of the music box. The wiring is all hidden in the lining and both the speaker and iPod/MP3 can be used outside the music box. The only element that is fixed is the wiring.
I did manage to break one speaker trying to force it into my standard size music box. The final version is 800g tinned tomato size.
So...a couple of casualties, much swearing & back to the drawing board moments, but I'm thrilled with the end result.
I'm also grateful to people who ask questions & push a bit.
I am so enjoying my Tuesday morning with Auntie Pat. Although I am enjoying the knitting it's really not about that at all.
Last week we talked about Politics, lucky babies, lucky mothers, great coats, perceived inappropriate behaviour and Woolcraft Nominees* and Fantasy 8 yarn. Do you remember Fantasy 8? Are you old enough?
When the conversation turned to Fantasy 8, Auntie Pat went to retrieve her "blog". An unassuming little book. Long and thin with dog eared pages. A green marbled cover and partially perished canvas tape binding.
I knew before the first page was turned that I was going to love this body of work. It's a catalog you see, of patterns. Patterns written by Auntie Pat. Each and everyone numbered. From 1 to 1072!
And don't you worry about the original patterns. They are all filed in ring binders. In plastic pockets. In sequential order from 1 to 1072!
I have no idea what a cocktail tunic is but I know I want to make one.
*Woolcraft was Auntie Pat's shop (chain actually). They had yarn stores around Melbourne from the 60s-80s.
Eeeek...I taught the big girl to granny square. She's really, really good. Her granny square is lovely & square & even.
Pt Lonsdale is home to a beautiful shop called Wildpurl so the lucky girl learned to crochet using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. This was absolutely the perfect yarn for a small person to learn with. It doesn't separate at all.
Our break was really lovely.
The pace at Lonsdale is super slow & the only planned activities for the day are the run, coffee & the dog beach.
I devoted my down time to crochet & was feeling quite pleased with my efforts until I laid these squares & the 21 I had at home out & realised that I'm probably only half way to my goal. I really think that I'm going to have to revise the original plan & just make it big enough to drape across the foot of the bed. That would be OK wouldn't it?
Found photos hosted by Bricolagelife.
Jessie & the gang are staying at Kerami. This place still exists & I've read a bit on the history, it's interesting.
I wonder if it was Jessie's family who built the original house. I should really get in contact with the current owners as I'm sure that they would appreciate some scans of Jessie's album.
I'm not too sure about the "party" (maybe it was a slumber).
I know ... nice expression.
Snapped in about two seconds on the way out to gift it. So it's the only photographic evidence that the thing existed.
I modified the "design" from the original & still I think one more tweak for the next one.
I used the leftover paintbox for the knitted component and the black hood is made from an Op Shopped scarf.
The recipient is absolutely thrilled so that's a tick in my book.
See more images here
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.
Hausfrau is a vest that can be worn at least 4 different ways.
....Then I re read the terms & conditions.
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.
It's all about keeping up with the Jones isn't it?
Teeny tiny magnifiers.
PS: While your visiting Gemma you should buy a raffle ticket for "Art fights Fire". There are some absolutely brilliant original artworks to be won & you'll be aiding the bushfire survivors too.
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.
There is absolutely nothing original about this idea but I think it's a goodie.
I nicked it from the gym coach who filled them with the fabric used to make the girls' leotards. When I told her I was going to pinch it she said ... "Go right ahead, I stole it from Cirque du Soleil"
I love the idea of souveniring elements of a year gone & I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out.
The baubles were purchased from Spotlight a couple of years ago & the little reminders of 2009 were knitted, typed & shaved by me.
A super last minute gift methinks.
Edit...
The teeny knitting is suspended using invisible thread which I taped to the rim of the bauble.
HOT
-Mao's Last Dancer. Everyone in the family is reading/listening to Mao. The Big Girl (who is reading the original) says it's hands down the best book she's ever read.
-Being three quarters of the way through piecing the top of The Red Quilt.
-Coffee
-Jubes
-The promise of the move.
-The Date playing good golf despite the weather.
-New babies! My sister just had one & my sister in law is just about to pop.
-Where the Wild Things Are. It's everywhere! Hottest wild thing this week.
NOT
-Having a sore back from kneeling on the floor all day.
-Head rushes from standing up too quickly.
-Less than ideal Melbourne weather.
-Running out of jubes.
What else is hot/not? Find them here.
my most recent bag on Ebay (was listed but has now been removed by Ebay).
Free postage & .99c start. Full sale price to be donated to Red Cross.
***Edited to add: I'm happy to post internationally at my own cost.
Made by hand with much love.
See original post here.
So...I was planning a move away from blogger but you know, I've worked pretty hard in this space for a while now & it seemed a bit like going back to square one. The main reason I was considering a shift was that was the flash commenty systems going on elsewhere.
I've been enjoying the friendly chat over on twitter & was hoping to get something like that going on.
I'm trialling JS-kit comments which seems to be pretty good.
However ... I did transfer my comments from blogger yesterday afternoon so anyone who left a comment last night or today - your comment had disappeared. They are still saved behind the scenes in blogger & if I dump JS they will magically reappear. I'm sorry girls.
Anyway, let's try it out for a few days & make a call after that.
Note: All those trial comments are live on this post. Feedback most welcome.
EDIT: Oh yikes...it seems as though all previous comments are not properly readable. Need tech support.
UPDATE: I think I'm going to keep on keeping on. I can always reload original template tomorrow morning.
Yesterday while I was waiting for all the muffins to cook I spent some more time in the pool room trying to sort everything out.
I love to fold. The pillowcase collection looks magnificent but the other set of shelves is looking a bit sad.
I've seen a bit of sorting & folding going on around the place & this morning I popped in here. It made me want to rush out & buy lots & lots of lovely new fabric. (contradiction?) Then I remembered...I don't do that.
So, I got to work with the vintage sheeting. This little exercise required the use of my maths brain as well as my very rusty dramatic skills...OK so I totally got stage fright & the video is pretty awful but I had fun with the logistics. I set myself up a ghetto rig for the flip & away I went.
How to fold a fat quarter...the video.
This may or may not be an original way to fold squares of fabric. I was trying to hunt down a folding technique last year as I seemed to remember this sort of thing from Patchwork House when I learnt to quilt (about a million years ago). But Mr Google turned up nothing. I combined my memory of nappy folding (which I also loved) with my idea of how I remembered the fat quarters at Patchwork House.
Formula: width of shelf (w) x 4 is the size to cut your squares.
So...if you're a collector of fabric & your shelves are six inches wide you need to be buying 24 inches of fabric to make them fit snuggly on your shelf.
Amy likes to fold too...check her tute out here.
Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.
Probably the last of my offerings. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here.
Original kinder painting Circa 1976.
Poster paint on architectural working drawings.
Classic kinder mediums.
It now hangs alongside the kinder paintings of the smalls.
The popcorn plans are complete.
The original idea for this came from yoghurt tubs. We eat quite a bit of yoghurt & consequently I've collected a good number of the 1kg tubs. I thought that they would make good popcorn buckets & set about preparing the embroidery.
It didn't work out as I'd planned because the tub was considerably narrower at the base than at the top. So I've gone back to the old faithful tin can & I'm pretty happy with the result.
I've been nodding along with Lara, Jodie & Stacey as they've been struggling with their crafts being suitable/cool enough for boys & teenagers.
I reckon this ticks all the boxes & will make a really cute Christmas gift. I'll be packing a sealed bag of popcorn & a movie ticket into each tin. The large (800g?) can of tinned tomatoes is perfect for the job. It doesn't look like it fits in the pic but it does - I promise.
Best of all ... it's cheater craft!