Fat quarters from the Craft Fair

I never used to buy fat quarters - I only discovered them early last year, as a cheaper way of buying small pieces of groovy fabrics.  I used the first one to make-over a plain grey satchel bag from an op-shop, and a couple more to make covered fabric buttons for the craft stall at the school fair. And I used a couple bought from GJ's sometime, to make my first patched scarf.  I have bought a few more as I have taken orders for the scarves, and had on my list for the Craft Fair to find some more reds, and a couple of black/grey prints. Then I found owl fabrics, and these cute little Japanese prints, and ended up with all this lot!
I do have a project in mind for most of them - I finally got around to trying out Nikki's zip coin purse pattern which I bought ohhh... about 18 months ago! But I was so excited with the results, after doing a little dance around the house ( I'm not generally good following patterns you see, I tend to just make stuff up as I go, and also am zipper-challenged) I had a BRILLIANT idea! Zip coin purses for everyone for Christmas! Last year I made the journal/note-book covers for friends, family and the kid's teachers; this year it will be zip purses!  Sorry if  that has spoilt the surprise for some people reading this...just forget it by December, or act surprised ok?

Off to the Fair!

My usual Thursday client has cancelled tomorrow so I am off to the Craft Fair!!!   A fellow craft-grouper and I will be dropping the kids at school then jumping on the train to head in to the show!
I will be looking at some beads and jewellery findings to fix a couple of things; maybe a couple of fat quarters for craft projects ( I have sold 2 scarves and have orders for more!); and just looking forward to a few hours of browsing through some amazing craftwork, fabrics and ideas!
*** Craft Group is on NEXT  MONDAY night, 7:30-9:30 as the Post Office pub - see you there!

Up-coming craft markets

There are a couple of craft markets coming up soon. The  Made'n'Thornbury market is on this Friday 4pm-7pm. Leinster Grove Thornbury - see the link on the blog roll on the right.
The Sisiter's Market is on at the Brunswick Town Hall on Saturday 14 August.
The North Melbourne Market, presented by The Thread Den, is an indoor event held at the Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St. North Melbourne; 10am-2pm, $2 entry fee. Dates for the  rest of the year are 22 August, 24 October, 5 December.  For more details  -  http://www.northmelbournemarket.com/

PLUS the quilt and craft fair is on at Jeff's shed July 22-25, look at http://www.craftfair.com.au/ .

Craft Group next Monday night!

Half way through the school holidays, it always goes so quickly.

Lots of this going on in our house during the holidays, plus the boys have been getting up about 7:30/8am and have worked their way through 5 Star Wars movies in a row for the last 5 mornings.  I wonder what they will watch tomorrow? (we won't let them watch number 3, it is a bit too dark/scary at the end). Clone Wars animated series perhaps, or maybe it is time for some Pokemon, hmm...

 I should remind them that we have Toy Story on video - went to see Toy Story 3 at the Westgarth yesterday, quite good movie, lots of funny scenes,  but a little dark in places (the big baby doll stomping along in silhoutte could be a bit freaky for some kids) I was a bit  worried at the end, how would our heroes survive this one!!! And when we got home, Tigerboy got his box of Buzz toys out and played with them for the first time in ages (which is really what the movie is all about!)

Craft Group is on next Monday night, 12th July, the day school goes back!
7:30-9:30 at the Post Office Hotel, see you there!

scrap circle brooches

I just couldn't sleep last night until I had tried making one of these, it was all I could think about all day!

So I made the one on the top left - orange, brown and burgundy circles on a base of black felt- and wore it to work today.  Had a couple of people admire it at work!  I tried out a button hair clip idea too - buttons sewn onto a small strip of black felt, then glued to a hair clip.

When the afternoon tea after school visitors went home and the boys were busy battling each other in Mario, I sat down to make a couple more scrap circle brooches - but this time I got out a compass and made some pattern pieces first, 7 circles starting with a 6 1/2 cm one, gradually getting smaller. Easy as! The only hard part is playing around with colour combinations and choosing the right button for the centre.

AND we have a FEMALE Prime Minister! What a day!  For the first time in my life I turned the car radio away from Triple J and tuned into 774 to hear the anouncement on the way to work this morning! (thanks to a mate at school telling me about it, I don't get to hear the radio much in the morning at home).

  Although the kids were listening to Michael Winslow on breakfast with Tom and Alex the day before.  They watched "Spaceballs" the other weekend, which they loved, - a send up of Star Wars- and know Michael Winslow from a cameo spot as the radar guy making cool radar sound effects. They thought it was hilarious, the "jamming the radar" (with jam) and "combing the desert". But we  told them they are NOT allowed to quote the couple of naughty words in it!

school craft market sewing

My motto (well, one of them) is "it doesn't hurt to ask, all you can do is ask nicely. The worst that can happen is that they will say no!".  So I put a note in the school newsletter asking for people who can sew/knit if they would like to help out making stuff at home, in their own time, for the school twilight market next November.  And WOW about 8 people so far are have taken home kits to make pincushions (like the one in the left hand side of the headline photo up above), scrap circle flowers to make hairclips and decorate an assortment of up-coming projects, and working on some simple softie ideas.  Plus some fabric was donated, and I found more donated fabric in the PFA storeroom, already have plans for that!
THANK YOU all you wonderful helpers, I have to get organized and work on making more kits - instructions, finished  "demo" item, fabric etc. ready to send home next term/over the holidays.

But first I do have to try out a larger version of the scrap circle brooch that I was admiring  this morning! And I have 3 patch-piece scarves to finish for   work colleagues who spotted mine the day after I made it and wore to work, and immediately all put an order in for me to make them one!

Next Monday night...

Next Monday night is craft group at the Post office pub again, see you there from 7:30pm.  I will be there early with the kids to order some dinner from Antalya since my H will be away at a conference. 

These are the finished - and one not quite finished - Cozy Creatures!  Other craft achievments - I have knitted a beanie! (Hey it's my first time, ok!) a bit big but it fits over a pony tail/hairclip so the extra size comes in handy. So  then I worked out how to make it smaller and did a kid size one  for Tigerboy.   Started a pink one for my neice, and my nephew wants a brown one "but with the bit in front, you know, like a cap" he says. The pattern I used - guaranteed to work, since it is printed on the band on the ball of wool - does not include a brim. Not sure how to solve this one yet...