Sweet Fabric [Search results for the good life] 

What I've been doing for the last month (& a bit)!

Thought you guys might like a tour of the old place.

Obviously not our furniture but I did do the bathroom & had to kitchenify the kitchen (nobody I know has three pairs of vases in their kitchen).

Trades I've used (& heartily recommend). This should be the "go to" list for Melbourne folk.

A bit of back history...I used to work in Property Management so I've dealt with a lot of tradespeople in my time & these guys were all amazingly accommodating & just a pleasure to deal with. I'm sharing them with you because I know how hard it is to find good tradespeople & it's so helpful to have referrals.

Garden Maintenance:
LC Mowing
Lucas 0409 998 508
This guy is a machine! I have never in my life seen a skip packed so neatly or efficiently. He just goes & goes until the job is done. If you need your lawns done, weeding & general garden tidy up then Lucas is your man.

Builder:
Glen Johnston Home Improvements
Glen 0414 325 722
Professional, helpful & extremely particular. Just absolutely top quality workmanship. Glen's the man if you're renovating or building in Melbourne's East.

Plumber:
Marty 0438 771 007
Just a complete champion. It seems to me that finding a good plumber is like the quest for the holy grail. Marty is it!

Electrician:
Armadale Electrical
9509 9133
Gary was "my" electrician when I worked in Armadale & frankly I'd never use another electrician. The guys from Armadale Electrical are all super professional & just lovely blokes.

General Maintenance:
Polished Properties Maintenance Group
Mark 0438 019 994
Mark was recommended by our Real Estate Agent as the guy "who does it all". He co-ordinated painters & carpenters & general maintenance items. He's professional & a pleasure to deal with.

Concrete:
RL Concreting
John 1300 790 775
John did the driveway at our new house (which is exposed aggregate) & also helped us out at the old house. He's professional, prompt & a pleasure to deal with. He went above & beyond offering advice & options for us.

Render:
Jolley Textures
Reegan 0425 773 684
The house was rendered about twelve months ago & it's transformed it! Probably the best thing we did for the place which was previously a hideous orange brick. Reegan was extremely flexible & professional & will be coming back to the new place to render our new fence.

Garden Design:
Imperial Gardens
Tracey 0419 200 116
Tracey came in & offered practical advice on excellent low maintenance (& not too costly) garden design. The difference the plantings have made to the house is unbelievable. Imperial Gardens have some pretty impressive "cap feathers" in Toorak & Hawthorn & Tracey is offering consultations so that you can DIY. She works with what you have & offers no nonsense solutions to maximise the look of the property.

Further details on the house can be obtained from Tom Ryan (0413 872 550) at Jellis Craig.

30 days of the everyday.

First things first, let's get the housekeeping out of the way. Here are the contents of my packages from yesterday.

These beautiful necklaces from Chocolate & Steel. How cute is her receipt - a little paper plane.

Some of Lara's fabric. I'm looking forward to making something special with these.

Finally a not photoworthy little book which I purchased online & I'm pretty excited about.

And now about the 30 days...

I have gained so much from this 30 day gig. I'm pretty much a head down bum up kind of girl & I really thought that having this blog had made me "stop & smell the roses".

The 30 days proved me wrong. I've found myself really taking stock of what & who is around me & valuing & appreciating the hand I'm playing at the moment. It's a good life - even when it feels a bit out of control. I'm so lucky & I'm really focussing on living my life to the full & making the most of every minute.

I read this interview with Kristi Arnold on Design for Mankind during my 30 days & I wanted to share this snippet...

Best advice anyone ever gave you?
K: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Seek them out, create your own options. I think a lot of people get stuck in places...waiting for something big to happen...then 10 years pass by and they are still in the same place, wondering what happened.

Fabric from one of my favourite vintage dresses

Every once in a while something of mine turns up somewhere super lovely.

Just for the record:

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Apartment Therapy
The Apartment Therapy Mission
Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.

What We Believe
A calm, healthy, beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world.

Creating this home doesn’t require large amounts of money or space. It requires inspiration, connection to resources and motivation to do something about it.

The basic elements of good home design can be learned and achieved by all.

Simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive.

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Craftzine
Introducing CRAFT: The first project-based magazine dedicated to the renaissance that is occurring within the world of crafts. Celebrating the DIY spirit, CRAFT's goal is to unite, inspire, inform and entertain a growing community of highly imaginative and resourceful people who are transforming traditional art and crafts with unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials and tools; people who undertake amazing crafting projects in their homes and communities.
Christmas Decorations, Corner Bookmark, Granny Square Necklace, Spool holder

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Craft Gossip
Confused about everything crafty out there? Not sure where to go and what to buy for your latest craft idea? Can't find that kitsch pattern that everyone else is talking about? Well worry no more! CraftGossip is all the latest news from real craft people telling you about the real stuff. We scour the net looking for the best craft ideas and projects and review them for you.
Corner Bookmark, Embroidery on Dark Fabric, Hand pieced Pincushion, Photo to embroidery pattern, Twisted Cord

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Mixtape Zine
Mix tape zine is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch it features recipes, eco tips, crafty people profiles, ethical business practices etc - you can purchase back issues here or find out more here. Find Justine here and Nichola’s blog here.
my collection in issue 6

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Nuts about Needlepoint
An encyclopedia of needlepoint and thread information for all stitchers. Learn about Janet M. Perry's needlepoint projects, read book and product reviews, and find articles about techniques, threads, and more
Twisted Cord

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One Pretty Thing
One Pretty Thing is a daily website dedicated to bringing you inspiring projects for a more beautiful life.
Corner Bookmark, Drawstring Bag, Embroidered carry all, Embroidery on dark fabric, Fabric Notebook Cover, Photo to Embroidery Design, Quilt Quiver, Tealight Holder, Twisted Cord

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Quilting Board
The Quilter's message board.
Thank you Sondray for linking to my projects.

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Sew Mama Sew
You’ll find some handy sewing tips and inspiration. Whether you’re just learning to sew, or have been sewing forever.

The Sew,Mama,Sew! blog is pulled together each week by Kristin and Beth. Who both sew whenever they can and love fabric with a passion.

If you’re looking for fabulous fabric and patterns, please take a look at the Sew,Mama,Sew! store.

Drawstring Backpack, How to fold a fat quarter

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Tipnut
I think we all have them, those mile high piles of household tips and life hacks that we’ve collected over the years. They’re messy, disorganized and once they’ve been ‘filed’, those tips are nowhere to be found again.

TipNut.com isn’t anything fancy. It’s simply my way of putting together all the cool tricks I’ve accumulated over the years into a simple, searchable, online filing box–this website. Some of them I’ve tried, some of them I don’t know if I’ll ever try. But I do know they’ll be here if I need them–and I’m happy to freely share everything with you too!
Simple square pincushion

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Whip Up
Whip up: To prepare quickly. To excite. To create. To incite. To build. To invent. To conceive. To push. To upset. To manufacture. To provoke.

This website has been created in order to bring the best original and exciting crafts to the attention of many.
To create a community of artists, crafters and makers and share ideas in a central space.

Embroidered Carry All, Embroidery on Dark Fabric, Corner Bookmark, Handpieced Pincushion, Pillowcase Shoulder Bag, Sausage Dog CD cover, Simple Square Pincushion, Toadstool Pincushion

Yesterday the girls amused themselves happily making their Rummage Peggies. They had such a lovely time developing their characters & choosing outfits. They assure me that this leading man is in fact French Nobility.

Today they've patiently sat in the car for hours while we ferried the little guy to gym & then picked him up again for lunch.

The Smallest picked me flowers & The Big Girl paid me the very best compliment ever. "....you have a unique mind". I'm not entirely sure she meant it to be a compliment but I'm a glass half full kind of girl.

It's a good life!

Thank you all for your generous response to the "x marks the spot" bookmark. I'm working on the how to & should have it up in the next few days.

Last night The Quilt Project quilt was displayed at Abbotsford Convent. Lots of lovely folk came to have a look at our beautiful quilt. It really is something special. Our online community have worked together to make something really amazing.

I feel immensely proud of all of us. To quote the smalls...

"We did a big achievement".

On a personal note...

When the project began I felt confident that the community quilt we were creating was going to be something special and I thought it would be a bit of fun. Certainly, both those things are true but The Quilt Project has meant so much more to me than just a bit of fun.

As each block arrived I traced the designs with my fingers and imagined the maker hard at work. When each row was stitched together I stepped back and nodded and thought yes, yes that looks good. It wasn't until I sewed the last row onto the quilt, draped it over the couch and let it spill onto the floor that I was fully aware of the magic that is this project. It took my breath away. Each of these squares is a moment in time, a piece of each maker's life, a memory anchor.

I will be eternally grateful to all who participated for trusting me with these very precious squares, thank you.

The Quilt Project now has it's own space. I hope that it's a space that the contributors will be proud of and one that everyone interested in making can enjoy.

Two extra special thank you's to Bec for travelling to be there & to Nikki for being a fabulous support.

I loved reading Nan's post on The Frenchman & so I've put together one of my own. I confess I've not received questions about The Date. Hailing from suburban Melbourne doesn't really conjour the same romantic ideal does it? I do know that he's won over more than a few of you with his taste in music.

Where did you meet The Date?
The Date & I have known each other for 25 years! We met when I was in Year 7 & he was in Year 10. Our family homes were about 2 kilometres from each other. In those days he made himself scarce when I was in the house because he reckoned I was way too loud and annoying. We've been together for 19 years...more than 1/2 my life.

Does The Date have an accent?
No accent but he is guilty of mumbling and he and The Boy do speak a language that I don't understand. They speak in tongues about all manner of sporty things.

Is he a romantic?
Nup, but he is thoughtful. He makes lunches, pretty drinks, brings me coffees & is very kind about being the "crap courier". To be truthful I don't think I respond that well to romantic gestures anyway.

Would you recommend The Date (local) as a life partner?
Yes I absolutely would. We've grown up together, so very different from when we met and so very much the same. The Date is pretty cruisy. He's my very best friend, a really good person and an amazing parent. If you can snag yourself a version of him...hang on tight...they are pretty hard to find.

Image source

for a Kootoyoo Slide Night. I hope you'll all come along.

I'm stringing up an old sheet in the good room & lighting a fire. There will be fondue & a cask of Mozelle - you can even smoke your Alpine ciggies in the house!

I've only been to a couple of Slide Nights in my life (both when I was very young) but I remember them well. Even the boring bits are fun when shared with a good friend & a laugh!

I love holidays. The kids break up from school today - yay hooray! Looking forward to a couple of relaxed and lovely weeks. We've made a few plans & we are really going to enjoy this break.

That means things will be a bit quiet on the blog front ... I'll be sharing holiday slides each day though. I won't be talking much but that doesn't mean you all can't share a giggle & a glass of wine.

You are welcome to bring a plate of classic 70s fare, some slides of your own & a beanbag.

...oooh I think I'll have chicken liver pate as well! 41

Today I was given this pack of Japanese Fabric scraps.

My mother in law gave it to me to say thanks for rigging up a DIY grey water system at her beach house. The washing machine now flows out onto the native garden and the bath has a garden hose syphon.

This little gift in the middle of a craft-dry couple of weeks was a lovely surprise & so thoughtful. Gifts given for no reason are the very best kind don't you think?

It's a good life.

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we dont we might as well lay down and die
You and i
ABBA

During 2008 I've been inspired, changed, shaped, encouraged, befriended, touched, moved & helped by so many of my real life & online friends. I really wanted to take the time to list my desert island blogs for this year...

meet me at mikes
kaotic kraft kuties
loobylu
bricolagelife
allsorts
angry chicken
soulemama
bluebirdbaby
hop skip jump
maya*made
thornberry
pigeon pair
ric rac
h&b
three buttons
boobook sausage dogs
one red robin
you SEW girl
design for mankind
62 cherry
potty mouth mama
earl & cookie

There are many more (of course) but I wanted to keep this list absolutely "overnight bag" rather than a trunk full of goodness. I do note the top heavy Melbourne girls. I love the locals & it really does prove that "in the flesh" is best.

& the people on this list too.

Happy New Year.

May the pretty drinks flow tonight & the next year overflow with good stuff.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

Here I was thinking I was done with the archives & little treasures keep popping up.

These tassles were made by my sister & me (attached to the scissors) in about 1991. Our gorgeous & super talented next door neighbour ran Saturday afternoon workshops for us all.

Those Saturday afternoon memories are so vivid. All the women & girls in our little community (3 houses, 7 girls, 2 boys, 3 mothers, 1 father, 5 dogs, 1 cat & a lot of laughter), gathered at number 7 for long afternoons of stitching & giggling.

It's a good life.

* I'm back from Darwin...Thank you to all the wonderful people who left such lovely comments on my marathon post. I'm popping in for a cuppa, just running a little late.

He's my finished Softie for Mirabel.

I’ve become very emotionally attached to him - we’ve been through a lot together.

He began life as left over wool suiting & a remnant from an after 5 number…I’d been patiently waiting for the silver since November last year & I’m pretty sure he’d been waiting for me too.

Together we’ve struggled, fought & made a more than a few mistakes but we’ve dusted ourselves off and made firm friends.

I knew it was all going to work out because he never stopped smiling. Now he’s here and he is going to be hard to say farewell to. I’ve poured my heart & soul into this little fella.

You know…he’s a bit rough around the edges, he’s had his share of knocks & he’s got a few battle scars to prove it. But look at what those tough times have revealed…

a silver lining - it has made him who he is, given him character and fleshed out his personality.

He’s a good sort

He’s off to have his 15 minutes of fame in the Meet Me at Mikes window & then I know he’s going to make some somebody a very good friend.

You can find out more about the Softies for Mirabel appeal here.

I'm normally not that fond of the sewing machine - it's a means to an end in my opinion. But...I've had so much joy in the making of my silver lined cloud!

To enjoy Pip in the spotlight…

She’s so totally centre stage…brave & colourful with lots of thoughtful lines, not just in Home Beautiful but in life too.

I’m so grateful for all the creative jumpstarts Pip has given me over the last couple of years & it’s not just me you know. Pip generously promotes crafters & shares her virtual/audio/print space with others…I admire that.

It’s pretty unAustralian to celebrate the success of others. I wonder why that is? Our international mates seem pretty good at it…

Pip’s done a pretty good job of dragging a lot of crafty people out into the spotlight.

Encore Pip!

I did note a bit of backstage influence & a couple of well placed props in that Home Beautiful spread & for that Miss Pip – I thank you!

my true love sent to me:

6 stuffed mushies
5 glowing gifts
4 waiting sacks
3 chrissy trees
2 drinks with bubbles
& a sp...i...i...i...i...ng santa

Stuffed mushies are pretty popular. They look festive & pretty with their red & green filling. I wouldn't know if they taste any good or not because I don't eat mushies but the mushie lovers in my life reckon they are great.

Stuffed Mushies
Bite size mushies (as many as you like)
Jar of good quality pasta sauce (I use spiral foods organic pasta sauce with basil & garlic)
Pesto
Toasted pinenuts
Parmesan cheese

Brush the mushies & remove the stalks. Place on an oven tray upside down.

Fill each mushie with a teaspoon of the sauce, a little pesto, a few pinenuts & then sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu

Shot of the school girls at my big fat bogan wedding - 1995.

Eeek...one of my very bestest friends from school has just started a blog.

I owe her a lot. If she hadn't helped me pass Art by giving me all her art history assignments in Year 10 I'd have been doomed to a Year 11 full of Accounting & Economics (no pre-requisites). Instead I spent a glorious year swanning around the textiles, garment construction, ceramics, print making & painting studios.

Anyway, she would really love some feedback on what I KNOW will be a journey in creative writing worth following.

I'm loving reading all about the life & times of Jamie (much like many of us with small kids & an exec husband) & her twin sister Lisa (humanitarian & student of life).

She's really good at drinking games. So if you feel like a relaxing Friday afternoon this is the place.

last night has given me another chance to blabber on about community.

Brown Owl's crafty clubhouse was a lovely relaxed but busy space last night.

Everyone brought their own projects to work on & we had a bit of show & tell too. It was wonderful - all those women with different skills & interests happily sharing their knowledge & resources. That's what I'm talking about!

Samantha Mathis said it best...

I have a dream of my own
And it's mine all mine alone
Its been my friend since I was just a girl
It has a life it has a heart
It has a soul and it's a part
Of everything this woman gives the world

And it's a big dream
Big enough to share
Like a rainbow, hanging in the air
And I thank God, for making it come true
Makes me think maybe God's a woman too
Makes me think maybe God's a woman too

There's a full moon tonight
And I'm bathing in its light
Naked as the day that I was born
There is no shame beneath this sky
I have kissed the past good bye
And mended up my broken heart so torn

With a sweet sound only I can make
And it gets stronger
With every breath I take
And it's all apart of making me feel new
Makes me think maybe God's a woman too
Makes me think maybe God's a woman too.

Thank you fabulous Brown Owls near & far for contributing & sharing.

This gorgeous fabric was purchased at my best Op Shop recently. It's really special & I want to do it justice. I've got a few ideas kicking around but nothing firm yet.

We had a fantastic time at Brown Owls last night. The clubhouse was jam packed with lovely crafty souls stitching away on their uniform panels. I'm really looking forward to next week. You can see all the stitching goodness over at our Flickr group.

Finally - a little note about friends...You know - you think you've got enough friends & in this busy life it can be pretty hard to keep up with the friends you've got. Then someone extra specially good comes along & you find there really is time & room in your heart for someone truly good & golden. Mmmm - it's like babies really - there is always enough love. Thank you.

What Your Latte Says About You

You don't treat yourself very often. You find that indulging doesn't jibe with your very disciplined life.

You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious.

You have a good deal of energy, but you pace yourself. You never burn out too fast.

You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it.

You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree.

You are complex and philosophical, but you are never arrogant.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

Hmmm a very tricky This is... week for me. Steph's theme is a curly one.

I've really thought a fair bit about this & I'm offering my addictive personality as my demon. I don't think I'm dangerously addicted to anything (except maybe coffee). However, it is certainly something that I have to be mindful of.

Some of the things that I consider teetering on the edge of becoming demons are also the things that I am successful at or work hard at...interesting isn't it?

Milk bottles are so good. They absolutely positively must be fresh though. A stale milk bottle, just like stale milk is really gross.

I've been in discussion with my husband regarding the lolly freshness factor. He thinks I'm ridiculous for insisting on freshness. But I know I am not alone in insuring that my lolly is "fresh is best". My beautiful sister won't buy lollies from servos or ye olde milk bar because she reckons they don't do enough trade to ensure freshness. I think I'm in agreement on that one.

As far as the sweetness in my life I have to give a shout out to my blogless buddies (who I sadly cannot link) for keeping their eyes out for items of interest for me. One of the sweet girls I work with sent me this link. There is nothing sweeter that Audrey and "Funny Face" is my favourite of her movies. I'm going to see if I can track down a copy. Thanks Amy.

While I was at Urban Outfitters I noticed this which all though it's a little old is pretty close to home.

Jessie Jamieson on yet another adventure. Her travels have taken her to Lakes Entrance in Eastern Victoria.

This image shows the Entrance to the sea.

How exciting Jessie's life was. I can't even imagine what a big deal it would have been to go on a holiday to Lakes Entrance in the 1920s. I've found it challenging enough to get down to Lonsdale for a couple of days!

I've mentioned before that things are very slow down at Lonsdale. If I owe you a visit - I'll stop in when I'm back in town. I'm not patient enough for dial up...perhaps a bit of Jessie's influence would do me some good.

Edit: Bricolagelife has pondered about Jessie's camera. Now I NEED to know what sort of camera it was. Anyone know how to find out?