Just popping by...

...to let you know craft group is on again next Monday 27th Feb at the PO. See you there!!!

School holiday sewing pt.1

I did manage some sewing in the holidays - here is a bag made for my dragon loving friend Cheryl. She LOVED it, yay!!!

Dragon fabric from the craft show last year, vinyl & denim from Rathdowne Remnants, lining & inner pocket fabric from GJ's. This is about the 4th bag I have made from the Sew Hip "modern messenger" pattern. Very easy to make (once I figured it out, their patterns/photos/instructions never quite match. I have given up buying the magazine now!).

CRAFT GROUP - back on at the PO next Monday 7:30-9pm. I will put it in the school newsletter, and gave it a plug at the prep parents' morning tea at school this morning too!

Yarn bombing in Melbourne city square!

On our way in to Brickvention on Saturday, we came across a yarn bombing event in the city square! All the trees have been wrapped in beautiful knitted and crocheted pieces, including these gorgeous flowers! If you are heading into the city, stop by and have a look!

Brickvention was FANTASTIC of course, more about that next post. But one of the best things about it was that it provided motivation for the boys to FINALLY sort out their lego ( for about the first time ever without arguments/begging from me!!!), & they have had a major clean up and actually have room on the desk to play and build now!

Maker Faire last Saturday

We took the boys along to the maker faire last Saturday, it was really quite amazing! Lots of enthusiastic people showing off the amazing stuff they make in their sheds! Got to see the very cool MAKEDO cardboard creator kit in action - it's a set of joining tools, cardboard saw etc. safe for kids to use, to make cardboard boxes into all sorts creations! I was totally amazed by the 3D printer, I had seen the prototype on Catalyst on the ABC years ago, but to see one in action (and a home-made one at that!) was really mind blowing! Just goes to show you should never underestimate the power of imagination!

The Steampunk costumes were FANTASTIC! I love the book "The Difference engine" by Bruce Stirling, & William Gibson (who 1st coined the term "cyberpunk"); and the whole family loved watching "Going Postal" on the ABC recently (must find our Terry Pratchet books & read them again . The outfits on display - and worn by some people at the faire, looked like they had stepped out of one of those novels. Plus the designer and other people from clockworkbutterfly were so friendly, happy to pose for photos, talk about the outfits and how they are made etc. The designer said someone will contact her and say "can you make this dress for me? just like the one in this movie/picture/ book I read..." and she can do it! I am only just learning to read basic sewing patterns - this lady is AMAZING!

The only disappointing stall at the Faire, was the lady from the Steiner school, who just sat there doing some needle felting. She had some gorgeous felted people, trees etc. on display, but was a bit reluctant to actually talk to anyone! I said her creations were like the ones at the friendship tree in Northcote - she hadn't heard of it , and had to write it down! A man was interested in felting & thought his daughter & grandkids might like to know about it, & wanted to know more - all she did was give him a handwritten card for her blog! (Which I had a looked at when I got home and although it has some cute photos there are virtually no words ie. no tutorials, no lists of suppliers, handy hints or anything - just a label for the photos) Nikki has more felting info on her sewing blog! I told him that tools etc are available from Spotlight, but the wool is cheaper from the yarn barn in Coburg.

But thankfully all the other people there were a lovely, friendly, incredibly creative bunch, happy to talk about their passion for home- built technology! AND we got to see the very cool "robot" hands which can spin & solve a rubiks cube in under 10 seconds. I could only ever manage the bottom & middle layer, and that was with the book next to me. For the top layer I had to cheat & get my pocket knife out to take it apart!

Lazy January...

Made another batch of yummy lemon butter for a last minute Christmas present, it is so easy to make! Homegrown lemons (my Dad's lemon tree this time) and lovely brown eggs from our chooks of course!

Finally feel like the holidays are starting, this will be the first full week of me being home with the boys. Lots of sitting around in our PJ's & watching new Pokemon dvd's. Sitting on the couch watching the bunny run laps and do mad leaps in the air. Have to watch the little bugger though - last night it bit a button off the tv remote & ate it!!! Thankfully it was the settings button we never really use!

Hoping to get some sewing done too - now I have sorted out the massive pile of "stuff to be fixed" and the UFO's too. But I am itching to make some new skirts & bags. Excited about the maker faire we are heading to this Saturday! And of course we also have our tickets for Brickvention the following weekend, and the MSO Dr Who concert in Feb! wondering if I should try to print a Tardis t-shirt, or maybe make up a fez hat (I think I spotted a pattern over at konstant kaos) for the boys to wear!

Happy New Year 2012!

Welcome to 2012! Dunno where 2011 went, I'm sure I it was just here somewhere, then I turned around and suddenly it just disappeared!

Things have been kind of busy, with the mad rush to finish up at work for the year - try and catch up with all my families, 2 new referrals to make contact with in December - both of which involve booking interpreters for. Plus Christmas stuff, end of the school year.

My mum has been really ill & in hospital ( but came home just before Christmas & is slowly but steadily recovering), so I have been re-aquainting myself with country train travel a lot lately. Got some knitting a few weeks ago, but it is a bit too hot to knit at the moment.

You know it is really summer when you can't bear to even look any cool weather clothing - wool, polar fleece, even long sleeved t-shirts seem too much to even contemplate ever wearing again when the weather is pushing 35+!!!

One thing about train travel is reading - a great excuse to buy some extra magazines to read on the train. I have found a couple of really nice English craft magazines- "Mollie makes", "Craft Seller", and "Making" . I saw a copy of "making" in the hols in Leongatha of all places, but have yet to find anywhere near home which sells it. The newsagent in Bendigo where my Dad buys his lotto ticket has the best range of craft mags I have seen!

My new year's resolution - get more sewing/crafting done of course! And finally do something about renovating our house!

Crafty stuff coming up...

This Friday the Coburg Night Market - Vic Market is on at Bridges Reserve, next to the Coburg Leisure Centre. Brunswick East Primary are having a twilight fete after school, AND the Made'n'Thornbury craft market is on as well! I wonder if I can drag the kids to the school fete, then maybe nip across to Thornbury....

The Sisters' Market is on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December at the Bruswick Town hall. Guaranteed to find some unique Christmas presents there. Can you believe that it is DECEMBER already?!?!