squawk!

OK, so I'm not sure what penguins sound like.

Turns out that when you become an aunty, it's essential to expand your repertoire of animal sounds beyond Mooooo, Meow and (my favourite) Raaaaaaarr!

Here, it's same same but different. Still making stuff and having fun. Last year, we tied the knot and travelled a bit. This year, we're gonna keep it local and visit all our interstate buddies - watch out guys! I'm also enjoying reading many new sewist blogs - very inspiring.


Anyway, this is a penguin from a finger puppet collection for little M, all the way in Germany. Welcome M (squawk), Happy Easter!

your adventure is about to begin...

Ah!!! I've been ready to embrace this weekend for a few days...

Moving further into an early nana-hood (!), I had a couple of requests for baby blankets and so, I have been learning how to embroider from this op shop book. This book is fantastic: clear diagrams and simple instructions. I treated this first quilt as a primer of sorts, using chain, laced chain, twisted chain, lazy daisy, feather and sheaf filling stitches around a few animals on a children's textile from Ikea.

I think it's safe to show a small reveal of the rest of the pressie (otherwise, look away sis!).

Petals/leaves ready to be assembled into Autumn bunting...

:: Autumn leaves before ::

...and this perfect papercut card for the new parents: Our Adventure Is About To Begin.

You might recognise papercut artist Rob Ryan's distinctive style; we found this at Ryan's wonderful London shop at the Columbia Road Flower Market and simply couldn't resist!

Tell Mama All About It

You may or may not have noticed a slight proliferation in toy related posts.

Yes, it is that time in life when folks all around us are sprogging.
As one former, ahem, backbencher used to say: one for mum, one for dad and one for the nation?

It's fun. We get to play with the kiddies when they're well behaved, and then we return them as they become spewing/pooing/crying... well, babies.

This is for Tamsin's 1st birthday this weekend, Mama Bear from the Softies book.
I debated with myself: is it right to present the apron on the bear?
I wouldn't want the 1-year old to think that a woman's place should be in the house, apron in tow, ready for domesticity. I spose you could use an apron for...woodwork? ....or something else associated with little boys.

[I can already hear my siblings groaning at me...GROAN]

Would a 1 year old even register this thought? Even subliminally?

Feel free to tell me that this is political correctness gone mad (my siblings would), and I should get over it already!

Though, I quite like how the apron is reversible...

Rewatching: Flight of the Conchords, Season I
Relistening: Sunday Night Safran podcasts

good golly miss polly

Deja vu: another Softies toy- this time a Miss Monty from the Miss Polly pattern by Nest Studio.

I must confess, I am jealous of this Miss Monty: she will live with Miss Leila in Karratha, a mining town way waaaay north-west in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Before I went back to uni, I travelled from Perth to Exmouth, some 1500 kilometres along the coastal highways of WA . The expanse and deep colour of the west coast ocean is something to be savoured - breathtaking clear greens and blues us East Coasters simply miss out on.

We slept in swags on the beach, committed small sins against the environment by going sand boarding (beware of this activity if you don't encourage sand going where sand should _really_ not go), and climbed majestic gorges in Karajini National Park. The absolute highlight was snorkelling in the Ningaloo Marine Park at Coral Bay, a small town that sits just near the Tropic of Capricorn.

Maybe it's because these experiences are all pre-Phud, but I can't help but associate a sense of calm and warmth with this part of the world. Perhaps all the Melbourne Spring rain is just making me a bit nostalgic for some sunshine?

of late...

it's been really busy lately (what? it's july already?!), so i have come to treasure the time i can spare for some sewing.

* my third attempt at crafting a baby quilt.
i confess that i'm making it up as i go along, but i think i'm improving a little bit with each attempt.
the fabrics are a mix of brand new, op-shopped or gifts from our circle of friends...

with a shinzi katoh frog for good measure...

* recently, i accompanied lise and d-man to ikea when they went to buy a kitchen (as you do).

i went exploring, discovered (apparently) better ways of living and, of course, complete disorientation ensued. do not veer from the ikea path in ikea world peoples!

it was with joy that i discovered the textiles section: this print is from the Gunilla range and i found a matching, plain canvas to go with. i snapped up a half metre of each and had to hold myself back from the other bolts of fabric.

i felt so inspired that i made this bag that very evening. this bag features a magnet snap clasp, a small pocket inside and a hook to hold keys. it's just big enough to hold A4-size documents, perfect for laptop free days to work... huzzah!

i always seem to come away from ikea feeling that life is poorer without a modular/minimalist/flim-flam organisation system.

(ok, alright, i want a clean-living, clutter-free, sweet ikea life, damnit!)


PS: we've been wanting to get out of the big smoke for a while, so we took advantage of a free weekend and went down to the peninsula.

a while back, i did some weeding and planting with a volunteer group.
how amazing is this transformation: compare this to our visit last week

our little grasses are so big...and it's so green and lush! it was very exciting to see =)

Sew-sew

Yesterday, i taught my first sewing class; we made reversible tote bags and a pinch pouch (at least, this is what i've been calling them! here is another example). the blokes were banished from sewing central, and we listened to the radio all day and ate pizza bread in between bouts at the machine.

the pinch pouches use a flexible metal frame that pinches at the side to open and snaps back in place to close shut. we found these frames (and cute fabrics) at amitie.
i made this pinch pouch during the week to test out the pattern (also from amitie).
i do love the grumpy saucepan and the talking cup of coffee on the print above. i used a sunny, floral japanese print inside.although the frames were a bit tricky to deal with, these pinch pouches were relatively easy to make. i was left a little unsatisfied with the pattern and might try another one next time...

elmo came home from overseas with a very kool, special request book from kinokuniya...
which inspired this morning's project. this is a present for a gorgeous three year old, perfect for colouring pencils =)
elmo's derwents look so sweet in this pencil case! in the 80s, derwent pencils were a much prized possession. your school projects immediately went up a grade if you used derwents doncha know!

creative fix

with the piano at my parents' place, i find myself at a loss without some creative release. all-day-every-day: experimenting, confocalling -scan-scan-scan, writing, experimenting, reading, writing, photoshopping, reading, more writing, procrastinating, experimenting, ... arrghhhhh!

i bought some red fleece on sale to make a hoodie for winter. out of pure laziness the fabric remains all rolled up, hanging in a spotlight bag on the back of my bedroom door. i did manage to pin the pattern pieces on (huzzah!) but the project remains eerily silent, inert. meanwhile, winter soldiers on, taking all with its icy tentacles. every morning i see that fabric as i leave for work and think, gee i should get onto that soon. before winter's really over.. then again, i could use that fabric to sit on the beach... mmmm.
[Procrastinators Unite Tomorrow! i'm currently claiming lack of time. on the plus side, all this practise at procrastinating means i'm going to be SO good at it!]

my current favourite quick and easy creative burst is to play with paper. i looooove paper. cammers and i went to a paper expo at st kilda town hall many moons ago (yup. they exist. and we actually went). we were amazed / somewhat frightened by how many other people really looooooove paper. despite the fact that the majority of the crowd were middle aged women, it was roll-up-your-sleeves, elbows out and into the fray.
and don't think that it didn't cross our minds that we may well have glimpsed our future either!

i like to make cards for my mates: it's so simple and each one is unique. it's really so satisfying! i have finally given this lot away, so they can be posted without spoiling any surprises... ;)
now, back to procrastinating, er.. writing, experimenting, more writing, confocalling -scan-scan-scan....