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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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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.

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!

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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

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.

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!

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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..

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.

See you next week!

Claire

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!