Quilt Exhibition - "Dear Jane" quilts

Flipping through the current RACV magazine today, there are a couple of interesting listing in the ART/CRAFT  events section.  Coming up the weekend after next, 8-10 February, at the Box Hill Town Hall, is the "Dear Jane" quilt exhibition. We will definitely be going because my very talented quilting mother in law has a quilt in the exhibition! Google  "Dear Jane" and look here for some amazing pictures and the fascinating history of this quilt design.
Also coming up is the "festival of glass" in Drysdale, 17 February. Caught my eye because I was re-reading my pile of "Making" craft magazines during the hols, and saw an ad for a similar event in the UK.  I have always been fascinated by glass blowing, and the kids stood for ages watching a cool necklace piece being made at a craft market in the Northcote town hall last year sometime.  We were also  talking about leadlighting with the kids the other night, watching "Restoration Home" on the ABC, the house had an amazing collection of lead light/stained glass windows - so this would be a great chance to see some close up, and watch how it is made.

The first day back!

Well we have survived the first day back at primary school, and the big first day of high school! The preps at the special school I work at started yesterday, and I have a little girl I work with at my EI program starting tomorrow. A big week of firsts! (And I went back to work yesterday!)

Now I will hopefully get the house (and more importantly the kitchen table!) to myself for a few hours here & there, and start working on making some new cushion covers from some of this bargain $10 bag from Rathdowne Remnants.


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My brilliant craft idea #1

You know what it is like, you buy several lengths of fabric, bring it home, wash it, fold it, put it away.... Then when you go looking for it, is the piece of denim here the good $15 metre one for the skirt you were going to make, or is it the $3 remnant to make a shopping bag with? Or do you look at the fabric and go "hmmm...I'm sure I had a specific project I bought this for, but cannot for the life of me remember it now". Sound familiar?
This problem has bugged me for a while, til the solution came to me when I bought a few remnants/ pre cut lengths from GJ's recently. I love the little hand written labels stapled on, describing the size & type of fabric. How to replicate this I thought...ah ha- use scraps of rubber backed curtain lining fabric! I have always got some on hand for backing magnet closures in bags, making labels on kids clothes & toys etc. It doesn't fray, you can write on it with a pen, & it's washable.
So I copied the info from the paper tag onto the curtain stuff, safety pinned it to the fabric, then washed, folded, and stored the fabric! Genius! Even my sister thought is was a great idea, she had the same problem, buying fabric for a specific make,and then coming back months later & not knowing which is which!



***Oops sideways picture - but at least ( thanks to finding the BlogPress app) I can finally take photos and post from the iPad!!!!

Happy hottest 100 day!

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Adding to the stash

Ok, so Spotlight Brunswick will be closed in a week. I am not happy. So I had to go & buy some interfacing while I still could. Then I just had to have a quick look at the discounted fabric...and ended up with this lot. Just a metre or 2, here & there. New cushions for the couch ( the blue & green on the left) a few skirts... And 15m of the $1 a metre fabric for making up patterns/muslins- cheaper than calico! Now I have to stick to my plan of a full day's sewing every Monday once school/ work goes back.


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My new favourite cake

I inherited my husband's grandmother's Women's Weekly "Cakes & Slices" cookbook last year. Have tried out a few cakes, and the choc orange marble cake is my new go-to cake. It makes 2 bar cakes- one to keep, one to give away! I don't bother with the orange rind, just make it up as a marble cake. Very easy and lovely and moist cake too! Made one to take to share with friends today for our kids play/ car afternoon catch up, and the second is to take to my sister in law's for a BBQ on Saturday. Too easy!


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Pom pom fun!

More pom pom making, but big ones this time. I had seen instructions on line & in craft magazines for big paper pom poms, made from tissue paper. They look lovely- especially outside- but what happens if it rains? Could you make weatherproof pom poms?



Yes you can! These are about 12/15 cm across, made from plastic tablecloths! I am going to do a lunchtime session at school next term to show the kids how to make them, then they can hang them up in the "friendship tree" at school. And not have to worry about the weather!

Random holiday musings...

Still not much crafting happening here, but I have been reading some craft mags and scribbling little note & sketches in my "ideas" book.  Playing around with cutting vinyl shapes with the sizing. Thinking about vinyl pencil cases with Minecraft "creeper" face on it....need to go to Rathdown Remnants to look for green vinyl.  Reading books & working on The Age mega crossword as a family activity. Contemplating life without Spotlight 5 mins down the road- might need to go & stock up on interfacing & craft bits& bobs soon. Especially annoying that GoLo closed in Cobug too, used o get lots of craft stuff there.  One good thing- NQR are opening at the GoLo site.
Lucky the local Janome shop sells thread & hobby supplies. Might need to check out some of the other little fabric shops in Sydney Rd. Like I need more fabric, really......

Happy New Year!

Good Morning! The boys have had a weekend with their grandparents & cousin on the other side of town, first time we have had a weekend without them EVER! We went out to dinner, and out to lunch twice while they were away, plus had a nice stroll down High St Northcote, wandering in & out of shops without having to drag the kids along! Should do this more often really....
They are back home now, and sitting in their jammies playing their new Dr Who monopoly game.  (and how BRILLIANT was the Christmas special, with the return of "souffle girl"!!!)
They let the bunny out for a run, but she kept trying to chew on the board & run off with cards & things, so she was  soon put back in her box again!

No major holiday plans - just lots of reading (bought "Just my type" in Northcote the other day, very amusing & fascinating history of fonts, their development & influence  etc.); catching up on recorded tv; hopefully some sewing!; hanging out with the family; SORTING LEGO & mega cleaning up our house!!! And going to Brickvention later in January of course!