ginkgo lindy bag

Another bout of sewing due to a zip which stopped zippering /zipping (?) on the old faithful handbag.
Mental note: Stop Stuffing Too Much Stuff Into Small Spaces!

Some inspiration from one of those glossies, a spot of measuring, draw up a pattern and a couple of hours later...
I also gave this Ginkgo Lindy Bag some extra love in the form of a few sprays of waterproofing (as you would you use to protect suede shoes).

laneway festival

Sunday last, I was a lucky ducky and scored a freebie to the sold out, happy vibe of the Laneway Festival (BIG cheers jas!). Who says no to ‘we have a spare ticket to the laneway festival, are you free?’

From humble beginnings at St Jerome’s in Caledonian Lane four years ago, the festival now spills out onto Lonsdale Street with crushing people traffic to and from multiple stages. Most folks are pretty friendly and cruisey: hang on tight and go with the flow.

We caught Okkervil River, The Panics, a bit of local doo-wop-sters Little Red, Broken Social Scene, CYHSY! and Feist. We found ourselves wanting more from all of these bands – the organisers were pretty keen to stick to the tight schedule.

The Panics and CYHSY were favourites – The Panics are a great band to see on a sunny afternoon (finally got to see them – yay!); and though the vocal stylings of Alec Ounsworth of CYHSY can be difficult to listen to on record, on stage, the band was compelling and exciting.

Feist was clearly a highlight for many in the crowd: her short set had such a fun, sing-a-long vibe, even a hardened cynical heart like mine could not hold sway. When fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene and Stars were invited to join Feist on stage for the finale, the kids went nuts and all the tallest-men-in-the-world sighed (they follow me around at gigs those tall guys, I swear. Damnit being a shortie).

A chill out area –somewhere- anywhere- would have been good to just get out of the crowd and rest the legs (very overwhelming for someone who has been solidly working on the phud with a laptop for company ;p). An exhausting but fantastic day!

Go easy on the clutch...

A couple of challenges this week: repeating the felt dice for a surfer friend, perhaps to adorn his station wagon? I like to imagine them swinging their way down to Bells, heavy metal blaring in the background. I even bought a thimble for the next time anyone wants to pay me a bzillion bucks to make another damn set ;)

My second challenge was inspired by this tute, found through here.

Mum used to have a couple of matching sparkly purses using these metal frames. I like ‘em cos they’re a little bit old fashioned and a little bit elegant. Also, they’re the perfect size to pop in keys, lip gloss and tissues (especially for weddings. I hate that I’m such a sucker at weddings, bah! plenty of tissues for jfox please).

The purse itself is a cinch to sew together, it’s a simple pattern to draw up and I added an inside pocket (for a tram ticket maybe?). It was a bit fiddly getting the fabric into the frame but it wasn’t as hard as keeping the glue from blobbing out onto the purse. Don’t look too closely ;D

Glue issues aside, I’m rather chuffed with the end result.

And how awesome is the burnt orange!

lomo schlomo

In recent years, the digital revolution has exponentially and essentially wiped out film based cameras. My first camera, a Pentax PC-303S lies dormant, though not forgotten (so rare to find a developers for film). It was with immense surprise and delight to simultaneously receive a kool digital cam (thanks heaps bellas!), and the more curious, a plastic toy, the Diana camera (big cheers to cammers and mike!).

Revived by the lomographic society (of the reinvented Russian lomo camera fame), the Diana camera recreates the 120 film camera which originated from the Great Wall Plastics Factory in Hong Kong during the 1960s. According to the accompanying booklet , this camera appears to be somewhat of a sleeper hit. Although upon immediate release, the Diana failed to find a market and was discontinued a decade later, lo-fi and experimental photographers have sustained a cult following of the Diana and its many 120 film cousin cameras.

It's been so much fun to be introduced to a medium film format and the resulting photographs have a gorgeous vignetting on the edges. The camera itself is lightweight, a little bit fragile and extremely bulky by today's standards. There are basic aperture and shutter settings, although there are some light leakages (got myself some electrical tape jaye!). The updated version includes a panorama or pinhole function and a tripod mount.

I loaned the camera to jaye who took some great shots on a jaunt to st kilda, and who sadly returned to SA before the prints were developed. Great photos jaye ;)




These were printed at the glorious Vanbar (excellent service, well recommended) and the suggested glossy finish results in a striking contrast between the grainy / tactile /slightly fuzzy quality of the image with the smooth shine of the paper itself.
If you're interested, you might be lucky to find one in an op shop or elsewhere on the internerd.
Can't wait to take some portraits with this!

Presenting the Mega-rous Tote

This lovely gold print comes from talented local designer, Lara Cameron. I stumbled onto Lara’s blog in the last 18 months and have become a big fan of her elegant, simple designs. Sitting on top of the Riverside fabric are some letterpress cards with the Birch design also in gold (bah, my glare-y photo does these no justice).

To make my purse’s heart beat just that little bit faster, Lara has recently started printing on a gorgeous linen/cotton blend, ack! Her blog is well worth a visit and if you write to ask about her goodies, she’s helpful and friendly (damnit eh, flygirl? ;p ). Resist temptation if you can!

Since my el-cheapo handbag is beginning to resist all repairs, I decided to make myself a mega-rous tote that would be big enough to hold the papers for my studies (how’s that for procrastinating, huh?).

Anyway, every girl needs a mega-rous tote.

This prototype was simply put together using a length of denim, with a lined outside pocket consisting of the Riverside and a green Amitie fat quarter. The front pocket is split in two with stitching down the middle, and fits a rolled up Good Weekend. Happily, it also houses the good bits of the Saturday Age, my heavy-as laptop or all those damn papers.

I originally made the button flower for a badge, but thought a splash of red wouldn’t go astray. The whole thing closes with a magnetic snap fastener (these things are great!).

For take 2, I might include some inside pockets and a zip for added security (of the cities I’ve travelled, the only place I’ve been pickpocketed is good ol’ Melbourne. It’s sad but true).

When I passed Take 1 on to mum, she coo-ed at the mega-rous size and immediately filled the bag with her water bottle, notebooks, pens and other important stuff.

Maybe this is where I get it from? Yesterday, I read in an esteemed daily rag, er MX, that a chick will, on average, lug around 3kg of stuff. Don't know about you, but try as I might to be minimalist, I always end up with bag full of useless -but potentially useful- s.t.u.f.f. (damnit! ;p ).

lately...

does anyone else have that dizzying uh-oh-everything-is-happening-at-once feeling?
and where did the last 11 months and 5 days go?
i'm asking santa for a big wallop of time, thanks very much!

in between my poor attempts to make up for all that lost time, i've been enjoying my sis' herb garden - looking rather chipper below - and loved Royal Crown Revue at the Corner last week.

the akira fabrics are from his recent annual sale at the gpo. it was fascinating to watch a room of women very politely, but very firmly, pushing and shoving towards boxes of trims and racks of beautiful dresses. the man himself patiently refolded his clothes and chatted to punters about their weddings or how to use his threads.
now what to do with my stash?

it's a good life...

cheeky monkey

a load of hot air

who would have thought so many people were up before the crack of dawn?

after a couple of false starts due to inclement weather, including a cancellation at the ungodly time of 3:45am, we finally had the chance to go for a hot air balloon ride (elmo did well to keep this a secret for so long!).
.
we started at southbank at 4:30am, headed out to monash uni and were in the air by 5:30am. this was the best part of the morning: watching half a dozen giant deflated balloons gently roar to life one by one, the air swirling around inside as they begin to lift off the footy ground. we waved the first balloons off, then a quick scramble into the basket and away we floated, waving goodbye to the ground crew ourselves. not sure if it was the lack of cawfee or the lack of sleep, but this was a truly magical experience.
despite the low cloud, the view was spectacular. from the air, we saw the synchrotron, trains and cars on the freeways, the racetrack, various universities, many a dream suburban home (so many swimming pools in the eastern suburbs. tsktsk ;p), elmo's old high school, the amazing greenery surrounding melbourne and folks on a morning jog or walking their dogs.

other than the odd burst of flame to keep us afloat, it was eerily quiet, so still, so peaceful.
as we neared the cbd, the winds became more temperamental so our pilot, marlon, landed us with a few soft thuds on an unsuspecting school oval. for this honour, the groundsman was more than happy to accept a bottle of champers, a tradition harking back to French pioneers who appeased folks with their local sparkling, when landing in their fields. marlon tells us this also served as assurance that 'balloonatics' were not messengers of the devil.
we ended the morning with a champagne breakfast with our fellow basket ballooners to celebrate various anniversaries, weddings and birthdays. incredible to think we can still experience this technology, and an unforgettable, breathtaking start to the morning (thank you so much elmo :) )

Words and Music

Paul Kelly @ Corner Hotel
20^th October 2007

I must confess that my appreciation for Paul Kelly is only new. This is an atrocity given that I’m surrounded by massive Paul Kelly fans (dr b, pierre burkensoir and elmo to name only a few ardent devotees); and that his words and music are so intrinsic to the place and character of Melbourne, the only town I would ever really call home.

My new found admiration comes via his words. When plotting a birthday surprise of tickets to the Corner Hotel gig, I wanted to plant postcards bearing Kelly’s lyrics all around Elmo’s abode. It was through this process that I began to appreciate the universality of his stories and the simple, poetic economy with which he uses language. Kelly says so much without saying anything at all.

As a new recruit, I don’t feel that I deserve to comment too much more. Only to say that the gig at the Corner Hotel was amazing; there was an incredible energy from the crowd. Kelly’s set opened with They Thought I Was Asleep and featured plenty of material from recent album Stolen Apples such as You’re 39, You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine, Stolen Apples Taste the Sweetest, The Ballad of Queenie and Rover. Other treats included How To Make Gravy, Deeper Water, Leaps and Bounds, Before Too Long and Careless.

Support act CW Stoneking and band joined Kelly during the first encore highlight ‘Stumbling Block’; the tuba from CW’s band providing a carnival-esque, ominous sound to the rousing chorus. The second encore featured an acoustic sing-a-long version of Everything’s Turning to White and From St Kilda to King’s Cross, ably backed by nephew Dan (Lovely Dan) Kelly.

The band, composed of established musos, sounded incredible, so crisp and clean, with a driving rhythm section from drummer Peter ‘Lucky’ Luscombe and bassist from Bill McDonald. I was excited to see ex-Even singer/songwriter Ash Naylor, resplendent in a ratty but smart pin-stripe suit, providing appropriate rock flourishes. All the band members variously sang harmonies, of particular note, Dan Kelly’s falsetto during Careless; and it was wonderful to see such a genuine camaraderie onstage.

Kelly’s songs elevate the familiar into poetry, hearing the opening words of Leaps and Bounds, I felt immediately at home: I’m high on the hill /Looking over the bridge / To the MCG / The clock on the silo / Says eleven degrees. I can imagine that ex-pats would feel a pang upon hearing even a flicker of Kelly’s words and music.

No wonder his gigs regularly sell out, the mutual warmth between Kelly and the crowd was undeniable; we’ll be sure to see him again soon.

in a nutshell: ryan, hoodoo bruise, dig it

excuse me for being slack, i never did end up writing up ryan adams and the cardinals at the palais, or the hoodoo gurus / radio birdman / the stems at the forum {sorry yoss!}.

in a few nutshells:
1. ryan adams has a beautiful, heart-melting voice and his band is amazing, but the evening was lacking a certain something. however, to my delight, the band played plenty of tracks from Cold Roses and their recent album Easy Tiger.

2. hard to believe the stems/radio birdman/hoodoo gurus originally started gigging around in the 80s - they all sounded so dynamic and present. i couldn't believe how RAWK the hoodoo gurus were. ever the consummate professionals, they even happily played requests from the very noisy crowd (this was unlike at the Ryan Adams gig where a Cardinal remarked, "we appreciate your requests. but we will not be honouring them"]
it was an all-killer-no-filler-set spanning most of their recordings and included leilani, like wow wipeout, i want you back, what's my scene and waking up tired.
to my embarrassment, i sustained my first gig injury during the hoodoo gurus - two big bruises on my right foot from the over-excited crowd. not sure if this is a testament to the frenzy whipped up by the band or my own old-aged-ness :)
maybe i'll go and see behemoth and aim for an bruise to brag about!!
[in fact, this is an extremely unfair stereotype that testosterone fuelled bands are more dangerous gigs to attend. we went to see the datsuns a few years ago, and the punters there were the most polite and thoughtful we'd met at any gig. they variously stood aside to let us through, and made sure we could see dolf de datsun striding around on stage.]

3. finally, may i present: the latest project from the shed of jfox.
a camera pouch for a lovely, generous, surprising gift (thank you bellas!). a grey, stripey sock wasn't really doing the shiny digital camera any justice!

although i wouldn't normally plan too much, it was well worth it taking a few basic measurements. this is also the first time i've tried my hand at using quilt wadding (such a deliciously odd/not-quite-right word!).

feel well chuffed with the result, though i'm not quite ready to launch into quilting territory; just not sure about all those florals and pastels ;)

:: almost finished, unplanned stitching begins... {and no idea what i'm doing!}

:: pouch perve...

:: the finished product, a snug-as-a-bug fit

beauty in chaos

collins street ~3:30pm

Surprise!

i'm extremely bad with surprises; i always ruin them.

if i'm planning a surprise for someone else, i have big problems keeping my big mouth shut cos i can't wait to present the gift.
conversely, if someone tells me there's a surprise coming, i stoopidly guess away until i wear them down, thereby ruining it for myself. i should just learn to enjoy the anticipation huh?

and it's not because i can't keep a secret (don't worry folks! it's all in the vault).

two cases in point: the previous pressie hadn't even been mailed when i posted it... i'm really hoping that a certain someone's track record of only checking this blog when the link is sent will hold true. anyway [lame justification ahead], i needed to ask someone else's opinion on the matter... ...

and now: i can't even wait two measly weeks to give little miss and master buttons away.
a piddlely two weeks.
ended up passing them on as soon as i made them, "surprise!"

the glass-half-fulls out there might say, well that actually adds to the surprise. it all works out, see?

mmmm.

basically, if you like being surprised, never ask me if i have a secret plan, cos it will all come tumbling out. ;)

the pattern and fabric for miss buttons comes from the magnolia square market stash (damnit, the goodies in the maru bag are also meant to be a surprise!). miss b seemed lonely so i used some more of that fetching vintage kimono loot for master buttons.

wanna try? we've seen this pattern around town (eg Meet Me At Mikes) or you can try the original source here , check out the photo gallery of other little misses - it's like an army.

Vintage Schmintage

my friend lisa, whom you may or may not recall as a self proclaimed Bogan, recently went to a recording of Deal Or No Deal. sadly, she didn't get a chance to swap witticisms with andrew o'keefe, but the funny thing about this tv show caper were the rules about dress.

Strictly Smart Casual.
No Denim.
No Stripes.
Apparently stripes or loud patterns don't go across the teev waves too well. And how would a self proclaimed Bogan cope without denim I asks ya?

i was reminded about this quirk of teev land when trying to snap my latest project.
granted, my lazy pics are generally fuzzy but do the polka dots seemed especially fuzzy??
or was it the influence of a double dose of cawfee?
:D

yup, i've moved away from the too-cute prints and pinks to some more muted fabric. i found these in a knitting/japan-o-phile shop in daylesford. the place had only just opened and the shopowner, a former textiles lecturer at r.m.i.t. informed us that these were sourced from vintage kimonos. the texture of the fabric is sturdy and lovely - how anyone could bear to cut them up for patchworking is beyond me!


considering how unplanned it was, i'm quite happy with this spontaneous project. this gift will be winging its way across the oceans to another hemisphere soon... am crossing fingers that the cat isn't out of the bag before it arrives!