Balloon Nursery: Fabric dilemma
July 30, 2010
This morning I laid out all the fabrics for the quilt. This is one of my favourite things to do, I love that you never know which fabrics might work with others. Guaranteed some that you thought would be perfect together suck, and others make an unexpected match.
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I thought I was all set to go after discovering quite a funky look with some umbrella prints fabric that I adore, the clouds and Heather Bailey’s stripes. Loved it… quite pop retro but surprisingly working well.
Then, of course, I had to keep playing around with some idea fabric I bought ages ago with this quilt in mind. I don’t like the whole piece of fabric but when I folded it to just show the strips that I like it worked. Suddenly the quilt looked all whimsical.
So my dilemma is this: pop retro or whimsical?
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I also spent the morning creating a pattern for the balloons and sketching out the clouds which, I’m pleased to say, has worked. It’s all very rough but I just wanted to get the pattern pieces ready so as soon as I can finalise my fabrics then I should be able to whip up the mobile.
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Look Mum… it’s me!
July 29, 2010
This morning I dashed out (well, as fast as a pregnant woman can dash… perhaps more of a waddle at speed?) to buy the Sydney Morning Herald. There’s an interview in the (Sydney) Magazine with me talking about my softies, crafting and babies. I was really quite nervous about it and, in hindsight, probably should have bribed the photographer more to get stuck in with the airbrushing but there I am. With all my beloved softies. In real print. A whole double page spread. Wow!
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The gorgeous Kristen Doran and Alison Brookbanks are also in there. Go crafters!
Update: Here’s a PDF of the whole article with myself, Kristen and Alison.
Vintage Tuesday: Poodle Bottle Cover
July 27, 2010
It’s been a while between drinks on Vintage Tuesday pics so I thought it fitting to show you this crocheted poodle bottle cover. Solid Gold I say. It’s from an Australian book called Handcrafts by Kit Harrison. Published in 1972, this book is so packed full of gems I sat on the floor of the op shop giggling for 10 minutes before I managing to haul myself out of there. The inside flap reads…
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“….Mrs Harris draws from her broad experience to expound a varied range of needlecrafts from beginners’ items such as curler bags and oven mitts to the ore complicated lamp shades and fancy dolls”.
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Fancy as they are I think these words are underselling the craftacular creations inside. Stay tuned for next week when I post the pink Tulle swan and toilet seat cover!
Balloon Stalemate
July 26, 2010
I have ground to a bit of a crafting halt on the Balloon Nursery.
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Not really a good time to halt with only four weeks until the bubba is due but a halt nonetheless. I find that this happens to me when there’s something just not quite right about what I’m creating. Something in my subconscious is trying to tell me that another approach is needed. This leads to craftstipation.
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Finally over the weekend I figured out what it was. The socks. I had done a little sock prototype which worked out fine, the shape was good and it was so ridiculously easy. Still something stopped me from carrying on. While the sock idea is easy it just wasn’t allowing me to get the colours or style that I wanted together. While this might sound like a disaster it’s actually a big relief to realise what it is that has been bugging me. So now I’m back to feeling enthusiastic and have been planning the construction of balloons using fabric. This leads me onto one of my favourite things to do – choose the fabric.
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So far I’ve planned on using Cloud9 Blue Yonder and white linen for the quilt. With that as a base I’m looking at cherry reds to go with it. The other colour I’m tempted by is a yellow but I have a bit of a vision of red bunting so we’ll just have to see.
So now all I have to do is hope that this baby waits long enough for me to finish it!
Images: Bunting by GiggleBerry, Cloud9 Fabric at Duckcloth, Heather Baily Pocketbook, Pop Garden at Hawthorne Threads, Cosmo Red Stripes, Amy Butler Full Moon Dot and at Kelani Fabric
Baby Jessica’s Owls
July 22, 2010
It’s still all sickness and flu around here but I’ve been working on a little string of owls to go across a pram for the gorgeous baby Jessica. This was meant to be a newborn baby present and she’s now nearly four months old so I think it’s safe to say that I’m a little behind!
I put bells in a couple of them to make a little noise as she kicks them.
All the owls are finished, I’m just trying to track down some pink coloured elastic to thread them all together.
Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair
July 18, 2010
Last week was manic getting a big order packed to go to the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair. Kelani Fabric are having a stand there and will have a section just for Craft Schmaft patterns and kits – hooray! I made up a new Sausage Roller with legs rather than wheels (the pattern shows you how to do both) just for the occasion.
The fair runs from the 22nd-25th of July at the Melbourne Exhibition centre. I wish I could go but I think security would be called if I even attempted to get on a plane with my belly at the moment!
The mushroom pincushion
July 17, 2010
Hello? Sorry, I am here. It’s just that we’ve all been sick. Typical winter stuff. I should have seen it coming really. A big order to get out, a million things to do, of course the mumchkin would come down with something!
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I have managed to sneak some crafting in though. I entered a flickr scrappy pin cushion swap. Nothing like a deadline to get you going! I wanted to see if I could make a pincushion out of socks and fabric. Yes, I can tell that you’re surprised by the used of socks. I had attempted a rough sock mushroom back in January so I knew that I could get the shape but I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Lots of sketching and doodling followed..
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The first attempt kept toppling over because there wasn’t enough weight in the bottom. So I added little plastic pellets used for teddy bears to the stalk of the mushroom so it would stand up. Those things are little buggers to get in but I got there in the end.
Then I decided to add some buttons on top so it wouldn’t look quite so bare. I’m not entirely convinced about the buttons – what do you think? I mean really the pins in the top could be the little spots if you used pearl ones.
Oscar sleeping for 15 mins gave me the chance to play in the garden with my camera. Note to self that I should probably stop crawling around on the grass at 8 months pregnant.
Lots more pin cushions to be seen over at Flickr..
A crafty return
July 11, 2010
Well I’m back. I have to say that winter is a bit of a shock to the system after two weeks of tropical Queensland. I find myself desperately wanting to crochet or knit. To cuddle up with sticks in front of a fire and while the hours away. Cosy as it sounds there is simply no time for knitting. This baby of mine is arriving in 5 weeks and has yet to have a stitch of crafting done for him.
All that aside I had a fantastic morning on Saturday teaching a baby owl class for Notebook Magazine. It was a small class which was just an absolute joy… stitching, Tim Tams and lovely laydeez to natter with. What more could you want on a frosty winter morning? Here are a couple pics of the gorgeous owls that were made. We happened to be in a studio with Trees set up for a shoot so snuck a few of our own shots in. I had no idea that this photo was being taken of me at the time but thank you Kiri! As you can see from the bump and butt, birth isn’t far away.
A little break
June 29, 2010
I’m up in Far North Queensland for a little pre-baby break. I’ve come without any sort of craft project… zip… nada… none. Already experiencing craft withdrawals but I do have my sketch book running wild with ideas.
See you next week!
Claire
The woman cave in progress
June 22, 2010
As you may know I’m working on a woman cave. A crafty place where I can be creative, a bit of a refuge from toddler and baby. After attempts at buying timber for shelving failed I followed the clever Bianca’s advice and went to the tip in search of recycled hardwood. I can’t say that I was looking forward to this – my childhood memories of the tip are of a big stinky place filled with rubbish as far as the eye can see. My how things have changed, kimbriki tip has embraced recycling and has a wealth of treasure to be found, all stacked in neat little piles just waiting to be transformed into something new.
I picked up beautiful old hardwood planks for $12.
I found two old ladders under the house.
Stacked the planks between rungs of the ladders.
Instant shelves for $12. I’m considering sanding the planks and have a lot more work to do on the storage boxes and things on the shelves themselves. I’d like to find another ladder that is the same height as the green one to replace the big old brown ladder. At the moment I’ve had to prop a few shelves up to get them level. Its a start though!
Actually I’m going to have to replace the brown ladder because the kiwi boys upstairs use it to break into their flat when they forget the keys.
No softies here yet and the full fabric stash has yet to be transferred but I think it has potential. I have some vintage bowls from my grandmother that I’d like to put in there. A few more little plywood drawers. Then it’s onto the work table. Stay tuned!
Hello. My name is Claire. I have a sock toy addiction. It began two years ago when I was pregnant and nesting. At first I dismissed it. I hadn't sewn in years. "Craft Schmaft" I said. Well it seems this crafty thing is here to stay. This blog brings you the delights of making sock softies, fabric finds and crafty inspiration from round the interweb.
