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!

Nani Iro Spotty Spring Scarf

Mostly, we try to be sensible and not splurge too much. But I confess, there are some things that I don't think twice about:
1) Gigs - anyone else excited about the pairing of Joe Pernice of Pernice Brothers and Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub?
2) Fabrics. Too much is never enough.

(Un)fortunately, Elmo is an excellent enabler, so we recently splurged on Marimekko lovelies at Kiitos (more on this later) and a bit of this Nani Iro Pon Pocho print from Patchwork on Central Park, (closing soon to make way for a second Scarlet Jones, make sure you drop in and snap up some lovelies for yourself!). 

This bright and happy fabric is lovely and soft, perfect for a spring scarf. I simply cut along the grain, and hemmed in on all sides. The lady in the shop also suggested that I could leave some edges frayed which I will try on a second version.

But first, this is on its way to Ms E who is now mum of two - congrats eky and mr a, and welcome little s.k.h =)

winter crafting

now that it's the coldest coldest weather (toe-freezing overnight temperatures of 3.2 and 2.3 deg on the weekend*), i'm making summery tops and dresses.

it's a bit upside down: my friend c is sensibly knitting a cardi and she wonders why i wait until summer to knit chunky wool scarves. c suggested wearing layers of all sorts underneath my new tops (you could wear a singlet! no, a skivvy!). i wonder if i could bribe c to make me a cardi to wear =p

but doncha think this print calls out for a spring/picnicy/bbq type top?

 

this is another DS quilt collection fabric from spotty, with the wiksten tova top pattern. i adjusted the seams on the side and sleeves, but other than that, it's a good fit!

grabbed a lovely brushed cotton bargain yesterday, so might make a tova dress version while i've got a bit of time between deadlines (sorry c!)

*secretly enjoying the palindromic temps!

Ch-ch-changes

happy post-winter-solstice winter! or happy new financial year!?

we recently moved from a small city apartment to a small house further out. reality check: all our romantic notions of growing vegies in the backyard were swiftly replaced with new hobbies of lawnmowing and saving plants from bugs unknown. yup.

we do love our new neighbourhood though, especially now that we've stopped feeling like we're living in a b and b that just happens to have all of our stuff in it!

work grows apace: busy busy busy but good. during a brief breather, i've managed to do a bit of crafting.  here's a wiksten tank, made with an art deco style DS collection fabric. loving the orange and navy combo.

And, whilst on my craft spree in japan last october, i picked up these gorgeous polygon beads from idola in kyoto, a little shop adjacent to the avril yarn shop. idola has the winning tag line: Smile buttons & Dragon beads. i couldn't pick only one so grabbed one of each colour, score!

happy 2012!

Happy new year! may you work less and play more in 2012!

We sweltered in glorious 40degC+ scorching heat over the holidays, and being a sensible person, i took this time to knit =p. luckily, this week we tipped back towards the wintery weather (thanks melbs). i was very grateful to have this scarf...just in time for january (!?).

this wool is from avril in kyoto, and it is the most vibrant, orangiest, orange colour. this pic doesn't quite show off the brightness of this gorgeous yarn. thanks mum for sharing knitting secrets and expertise.

The pattern comes from this awesome book, which contains clear instructions and photos for the knitting newbies. Godsend!

Below is the last of the 2011 softies, the ever reliable miss polly pattern for dr k's newest family member. this sweet 1930s style fabric is from Patchwork By Sea in RADelaide.

we've been spring-cleaning a bit around here, and happened upon elmo's old teddy. look at the love in this little guy...

i hope all the softies going out there become this battered and worn out.

beautiful japan

whilst in japan, many locals from both kobe and kyoto highly recommended a visit to the kinka-kuji temple (also known as the golden pavillion).

this is the stunning view when you walk into the impeccably maintained gardens, accompanied by a steady sound of clicking cameras and ooohs and aaahs in the background.
seriously! picture perfect, huh?

this was taken in october - you can see that the canopy of some trees are beginning to change into an autumnal display. can you imagine how stunning this view would have been a few weeks later with the warm oranges/reds/yellows of autumn? better timing next trip!

and a friend for one of the newest aussies-via-france in melbs. mr m's maman is an excellent home pastry chef and makes the most delicious macarons i've ever tasted. this japanese fabric dotted with little sweets and cakes seemed perfect =)
bienvenue petit m!

top of the morn and slip of the day

of course, now that it's december, things are beginning to balance out. better late than never =)

it's been a tough and challenging year, but also one of the most rewarding and exciting in a long time. here's to good things for all in 2012.

i've had the pleasure of piecing together a few more softies for various folks and their new littlies - this little guy is heading to a white christmas in europe. safe journey cosmonaut!

and i guess this may seem like another boring photo of crafty goodies, but seriously, check out the colours of the felt in the back!! such vibrant and bold colour can only come from one wonderful place.

a few months ago, i had the good fortune to travel to kobe in japan for work. my long-held dream come true: i squeezed in a few days in craft mecca kyoto, truly a beautiful city. i stayed in the east, nestled amongst the many temples and their immaculate graceful gardens. my suitcase was proudly loaded up on wool, lovely fabrics of all types (from many places including here) and other awesome crafty supplies.

more softies in line for their publicity shot soon =)

advice from a craft genius

do you ever feel that you don't have enough hours in the day? that you don't own your own time? i read this post by aunty cookie who made the pertinent point that you actually choose how to spend your time.

regrettably, i'm one of those annoying people she talks about, who wonders why they don't have time to do things. work vs family? vs friends? vs crafting? vs reading-a-book-for-goodness-sake**! vs life admin? (aunty cookie would definitely disapprove in this department - mmm, change subject!)

case in point: elmo's got heaps of work too, but recently, he baked lemon madeleines for the first time (just imagine that our cupcake tins are shaped as madeleines =) ). these are a much more enjoyable end point than, say, the lame-oh choice of working longer hours.
totally delicious elmo, thank you!

how shameful i feel. so no more complaining, my fault for choosing how to fill the day. but it's time to get tough with those hours!

in an effort to redress this, i made a quilt to welcome a lovely new bub, mr s, to the world via sunny brisvegas. after piling on every cute new fabric in the stash, i exercised some restraint and kept it simple.
Besides, I had to include this awesome animal origami fabric from Ikea.

And hooray, I have mastered the mitered corner (yeah yeah i'm slow)! I used a ruby red bias tape from Bird Textile (found at Wilkins and Kent) to bind the quilt, and all other fabrics are from Ikea or the lovely folks at Patchwork by the Sea in Adelaide.

congrats dr e and p! and welcome mr s, we're looking forward to meeting you.

ps: and yes, i WILL make time for more projects.
** i have read (a MEASLY) one book this year: Zadie Smith's, Changing My Mind. Does it count if it's a collection of essays as opposed to a complete narrative? Sigh.

Listening: 60 Second Idea To Improve the World podcast, BBC world service.

thai dye

when travelling:
the first thought is for the stomach - what to eat? where to go? what to try?
second thought - maybe some countryside scenery or some cultural insights?
third thought - what stationery can i get my mitts on! (donut shaped tape dispenser anyone?)

this last trip, a new one: unrestrained fabric frenzy craziness.

check. it. out.now, this fabric buying thing is not new. i randomly buy fabric at home all the time, but overseas? that's space that could be filled with FOOD (we lugged home SO many jams and preserves from Paris last time, so YUM) or cute notebooks!

in thailand, something un/clicked in my brain and i gleefully bought ~25 yards of fabric.
at least.
isn't that crazy.
half my suitcase thanks.

here is a small bit of the stash:
can't wait to get stuck into them!

these lovelies are from Khomapastr Fabrics in Hua Hin, a coastal resort town in Thailand (there are also branches in Bangkok). Just behind the shop, the Khomapastr textile factory in Hua Hin has been screenprinting all these gorgeous fabrics by hand since 1948.

(...wish i had chosen a few more... =) )

ps: elmo's travel obsessions: drawing pens and, er, pork floss! do you have any travel obsessions?

hello animals!

This weekend past, we welcomed niece #2 into the world. Congrats C and S!

For her first gift, a felt animal mobile inspired by the Aranzi Aronzo book "Cute Stuff", a gift from C and S from one of their overseas soirees.

Why have I been slaving over quilts with all their batting and binding and matching fat quarters?
These felt animals were HEAPS more fun to make!
No need for patterns: I cut out these shapes freeform from my felt stash, embroidered their faces, stuffed a little bit of polyfill in their bodies and used blanket stitch to put them all together.

The animals have 2 inch lace loop at the top where the ribbon goes through. The other end of the ribbon hangs from a embroidery hoop - my makeshift mobile frame.
Yes, the animals look innocent enough, but they were slightly uncooperative models for photos. Maybe they were nervous about being stuck over the balcony? =p

Next time: need to figure out a better method to hang the mobile, but am feeling well chuffed with the final result!

Welcome little baby p! We look forward to getting you know you =)

miss hazel

i've been sick for the last week, i'm officially over it.
and during a lovely warm spell in melbs too - damn you virus!

daytime tele is so unappealing - who watches this stuff? so in between coughing, sleeping and eating congee, i made this monkey from the mabel pattern in my favourite softies book.

this is for one of the newest little people in the world, welcome hazel.
i left out the fabric button from the tail - it never fails to amaze how little folks like to put everything in their mouths!
congrats dr h and mr p =)

for cindy

another miss polly, this time for cindy (xin yi).

recently, xin yi moved to melbourne from northern china with only a few phrases in english, and now, in only a few months, chatters away about this and that in perfect english.

cindy's favourite colours are pink, light blue and light green (light, not regular ok!).

welcome to melbourne cindy!

PS: the ladybird button is from Adelaide's Button Bar, courtesy of Eky - thanks chick!

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!

cherry blossom girl

After collecting these books for a little while, I have finally made my first dress from a Japanese pattern book - hurray! Luckily, the diagrams are clear and numbered (and I did have help in deciphering instructions =) ).

My sis picked this dress and fabric; I quite like how the shoulder straps double as little cap sleeves. I hope she likes it!

Watching: and loving New York shows! Project Runway Season 7 - back in NY after a season in LA, and Bored to Death, an HBO "noir-otic" comedy starring Jason Schwartzman as an unlicensed detective, Zach Galifianakis as his comic book artist best mate and Ted Danson, his editor. Dry humour, silly stories, special guests stars - including Jim Jarmusch and Parker Posey, and awesome soundtrack to boot.

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?

ground control to major tom

elmo is about to become an uncle for the first time, so we are sending this cosmonaut over to london, all wrapped up in a kitschy australiana teatowel i picked up at the vic market. the pattern comes from the softies book and was a breeze to make.

we had been to see the Blackeyed Susans at the Forum that afternoon, so i spent a few hours listening to old susies ceedees while making Cosmo. i think this is why his smile looks so sly, like he knows something we dont know. yet.

one down; three more toys for three new bubs due before the year is out.
back to the sewing machine...

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 =)