Woodpile

Sometimes the colours in your stash just have to be put together. I spend entirely too much time 'saving' favourite fabric for some perfect as yet undesigned project. I'm trying to be bold and just cut into it. (After all, it's a certain bet there will be more gorgeous fabric along soon to woo me.)

A mini quilt is just the right size. This reminds me of being inside the summer cabin my family had when my sister and I were kids. It looks like roughly stripey cabin walls. Reminds me of red flannel pajamas and that plastic drawer lining paper that's supposed to look like wood. I love the chips of cornflour blue, almost lilac but not quite.

It's all making me happy, especially the red and white backing.

A cup of tea and sitting in front of the fire while it rains outside. Snoozing dog at my feet, I am planning the quilting pattern to go on top of these rough hewn logs.

Cuttin it up

Yesterday a crafting friend loaned me the very inspiring Prints Charming book. It's full of ideas for very simple screen printed motifs, often combined in projects with plain fabrics, like natural linen.

It's a very modern look we've come to expect from craft these days but because the screen printing has its own roughnesses and slubs, it doesn't fall over into being too clinical and cold. It looks hand made, and that, with simplicity, is its charm.

 One of the motifs from the book - done by stencil, not by screen

I haven't got any screens for printing, so I got out my trusty stash of freezer paper so kindly sent to me by Jennifer years ago, whipped the safety catch off my scalpel (i.e. removed the piece of cardboard I keep over the pointy end) and got carving.

Tonight I have heat-set the paint and they look finished. I wonder what I will use them for?

 

My own idea - trying to blend orange and yellow in the poppy petals. The faint grey line is for stitching a quilted circle around the motif in several colours of thread. Next project!

Looking to the open sky

I'm working on a little crafty project for work at the moment. I know, yes, I do savour this moment.

We're printing an alphabet of bunting flags for kitchen gardens. Everyone's sent in their artwork or great ideas for words and images. If this works, we'll do a cooking themed one, too.

This is one of my flags for the row of bunting. The triangles will be cut out and the plain coloured ones (which will be complete) go in-between. I'll show you some more if and when I finally finish it!

We're printing via Spoonflower, of course, and this is the project for which I chose the palette, below.

Can't wait to see it fluttering in the breeze!

B

That nasty >groink< noise

So, first seam on first damentop, let's call it 'shoulder number one'. I've measured and cut, pinned and checked, bought seam tape and consulted my book on how to sew knit jersey. The machine's feeling a little odd, but I think it'll be fin--GROINK. End of damentop sewing.

So this was last weekend, and I've been hunting for a sewing machine repairperson ever since. Me and the old Janome went for a drive on Saturday, but the sign I'm sure I saw advertising sewing machine repairs, isn't there.

In the meantime it's back to planning my garden for the spring. How about this photo for inspiration? This was a B and B we visited years ago not far from here, which had all sorts of 'junk' scattered amidst the plants and the trees. It was a wonderland -- although I felt a little sorry for the singer sewing machine (in the picture above).

So far, progress: I've almost got out all of the mint that bound up the vegetable patch -- mint will take all the available root space and spread like mad. I think it's had 5 years, maybe more, and some places are a solid heavy lump of mint roots. Over the last several weekends, we've hacked and pick-axed and ripped out all of the roots we can find. Most of the bed is resting gently under a nice warm blanket of manure (do your job, wormies!) and there's just a bit that remains to be done. A couple of months of organic rest, and then we plant in spring.

In the meantime, it's back to the hexagons, which are growing like mad (we've hit the upper 50s in hexagon flower production). Nothing like being forced to work only on one project, for results!

Country crafting

We're getting used to living in the country. It's taken a while, but gradually the heap of boxes has receded and we can see the windows again.

We're spending some time indoors and a lot of time out there, exploring this new place. Kookaburras in that tree, incredible mushrooms over there. Cold mornings, frosts and quickly lighting the fire in your jammies, then sunny afternoons and quick dark to night. Stars. Mist.

Why didn't we do this earlier?

I've unearthed the sewing machine, and with all this cold wind and with mornings and evenings on the train, I think there's going to be some crochet happening. We'll see.

Can you help your national library?

If you are in Australia, and you're hanging out in op shops or other vintage-treasure hunting spots, you might want to have a look at this plea from the National Library of Australia.

Quoted from the National Library eNews for February2010:

"Wanted: Missing Issues of The Australian Women's Weekly

Are there any old issues of The Australian Women's Weekly gathering dust in your shed or under the bed? If so, we want to hear from you.

The Library is digitising issues of The Australian Women's Weekly dating from 10 June 1933 to 15 December 1982. We have checked our holdings and identified missing copies - we need your help to fill these gaps.

The Australian Women's Weekly has been published for more than 75 years and offers a unique insight into the social fabric of Australia.

In association with Australian Consolidated Press and the State Library of New South Wales.

Visit The Australian Women's Weekly Digitisation Project homepage to view our list of missing copies."

 

Fashionable cats...

Now fashionable cats, they know their mind.

They like a bit of black.

A swishy tail.

And if they happen to be fat red-and-white stripey softy Antonio Banderas cats, they like to dress as pirates and thrill the ladies....

(Softie made for Sharon, because Flickettysplits was amazed I'd never made one. )

Travel to textiles, take away inspiration

Today was a day to be marked on the calendar.

No, not 'the day before Mr Tacc's birthday and last chance to buy a present', nor 'nice Saturday' -- today was the Open Day for the Textile Fibre Forum at Geelong.

Some of you may remember that I went last year and was startled and amazed at what I found.

The Forum is like summer camp for over-excited girls who love fibre. It's a haven of creativity, a fun week of intensity, an institution, a revelation, a colourful holiday, better than a trip to a resort, essential.

I heard it described as all of these things today as we wandered the grounds of the school, looking at what the talented participants had made over the course of a week of red-hot creative production.

It's a conference for fibre-a-holics, put on by TAFTA. On the last Saturday, each class puts on a display of their week's productions.

So this morning, bright and (far too) early, Karen and Sonia picked me up and off we went. A road trip. Whee! Watch me fall asleep in the back seat, get giddy with delight at being out and on textile treasure hunts again. (Thanks, Karen, for reminding me not to leave my coffee mug on top of the car when we drove away...)

It was one of those days.......

Distracting,

inspiring,

exhausting,
colourful.

There were beautiful, delicate  embellished pieces of felt:

In all sorts of colours.

 

Printed fabric, dyed and glorious.

 

Some had made clothes from the inspired textile pieces they had crafted.

If there was one thing I wanted dearly to wear, it was this dress/coat!

 (Don't worry, I'd wear black coverups underneath or it would not be art, it would be chaos in a bag.)

Speaking of chaos, getting crazy in the kitchen, one class made Domestic Goddess aprons for a frenzy of cake baking. These aren't tame little coverup aprons: they're definitely for the goddess who licks the bowl and loves it. Mmm!

 

Given the recent production around here of the Chocolate Cake Hall of Fame, I was partial to this cake-themed apron. Go, girl!

I love how the recipes on this apron randomly show through the blackboard-style scribbles.

Never ones to go without accessories, handbags were in evidence. These lovelies got nicknamed 'killer handbags' for their velvet-covered knockout-anvil style crazy beauty. 

Sort of wild and chemically pumped all at the same time.

(I wouldn't eat those strawberries if I were you, Bambi...)

The sun shone:

The traders kindly sold us buttons and felt, beads and yarn (well, would you resist?)

It was exhausting and inspiring -- and I was only there for 4 hours!

And now I'm going to go and put my feet up while I dream of colour.

Careful consideration of chocolate cake

Careful consideration of placement
Originally uploaded by Taccolina

Another photo from the launch party.

It's a pleasant consideration to have, right? One medium-sized table plus about sixteen gorgeous cakes. Where to put them? Oh, what to do?

I'm pleased to report that the Chocolate Cake Hall of Fame took its pride of place in the cafe and was duly demolished. Remnants of fame were last seen disappearing in large white boxes borne away by happy Kinglake locals.

(Do you like my op-shopped Salvos store tablecloth? I love it!)

B

The wedding quilt is finished!

I've spent nearly every spare hour these past few weeks stitching on this quilt, which I can finally reveal to you! It's an exciting day when a quilt's done, mingled with sore fingers and pride. And I'm really, really happy with this one -- super-snuggly, just the right size for sofa sitting and curling up in style.


I made this quilt as a wedding present for a very dear friend and her husband. It was started many months ago just after they ran away to Italy to get married in a fabulously romantic rush. (A proper elopement.)

I had already decided that red would be the main colour, when she and I went for a shopping spree in Amitie one summer day. She oohed and ahhed as I oh-so-casually unrolled bolts of red fabrics across the table. 'Ohh, this one's nice! What do you think of this one?' Apparently, she didn't suspect a thing: I'd already bought half of the fabrics and had them in my bag. Little did she know that we were choosing the other accents to go with the red and large print floral. Should it be dark blue? Grey? Or even sage green?

I settled on a scheme of red and white with little bits of pale blue. Sky blue, a lovely colour.

And then the sashing: I'd been thinking very dark grey, or that sage green, even maybe a linen or linen blend, but the black with a subtle pattern, well, that just sang.

So, lots of hand quilting in sweet silver perle thread, a backing of black and white check, and a white bird appliqued on the back as a label. Red, red binding. A red, black and white quilt to go with their modern apartment and their big red and black Italian poster. Yay!

I was sewing the last stitches on the bird label today when she arrived. Oops! After the presentation, I had to take it back and set the last few stitches. But that's quilting to deadline!


Faithful to the end. >Toby thinks: Perhaps jumping on the sofa right now would be a BAD idea. Can I have a biscuit instead?<

Whew. Now I can concentrate on trying to get ready to travel halfway around the world. Only 6 more sleeps!

B

Sleepy Sunday

Ribbon that's good enough to nibble...

Sweet stitching, working on a project I can't show you yet (she reads the blog), drinking tea with a lovely friend while kids go wild on an old pogo stick out in the yard. They're popping up and down on the path and they occasionally hit the grass, where the pogo plug takes out a round ball of grass and dirt. Surreptitious looks at us inside, pretending we don't notice as they quietly pat the grass and dirt back into place. Nice kids, her pre-teen and a friend.

I've had a headache all day and it puts me in a dreamy space. Not unpleasant, not really, apart from the ache and the way things sort of -shift- as I look at them. Won't be on the computer for long.

But what I have been doing is astounding me with the beauty of what people create. Look at this.

Illustration by Finnish artist, Hanna Konola - whose quiet little people are deceptively simple.

And this, also by Hanna Konola.


And so many things at the Buy Olympia site - such as

- Papercuts by artist Nikki McClure, who inspires and delights with her intricate and quirky 1930s-looking papercuts of people, trees, and the world.

- Or these gorgeous cards from Jill Bliss and Saelee Oh. How tempting to order up big and have them delivered to my North American address, for happy hopping all the way home with me...

And planning for travel. I've been researching gorgeous crafty destinations in the Seattle area, as it turns out I'll be there for the weekend, the weekend after next.

Hunting online for markets, studios and interesting places. Finding out about neighbourhoods (seeing as I choose the hotel, I'm choosing one somewhere near a good market, right?) And great suggestions would be welcomed! (I've never been there before and so it's a solo craft adventure while Mr Tacc admires aero-planes.) I find a weekend on my own in a new, foreign city inspires me with equal parts anxiety and glee. Excitement at exploring; fear at not knowing how things work and where they are, but mainly concern that I would miss something WONDERFUL, AMAZING, FANTASTIC.

Do you get like that at times, too?

Good colours

Today's good colours were the muted tones of autumn. Tinny grey sky, dark green leaves and the spots of colour from gumtrees in bloom. I love this time of year.


We stopped at the most excellent cafe for a couple of cappuccinos and some chit-chat. Chocolate croissants appeared, and disappeared almost as rapidly. The dog had his own special bowl of treats.

But what's this? Something in my pocket...

Could it be, a cafe-themed piece of my own design Spoonflower fabric, carefully tucked in a pocket for an on-location photo shoot?


Could be, could be....

Beautiful things

All packed up and on the way to Kinglake tomorrow. As I packed the tote bags full of lovely things, I was thankful yet again to the people who made or contributed to the quilts and the knitted blanket, the softies and restash packs. Everything is so incredibly gorgeous. On a cold weekend like today I'm glad that these warm bundles of colour will soon be bringing good cheer.

Some good things begin on this blustery cold, biscuit-baking, nap-taking, sleeping-in, movie-watching neighbour chatting weekend.

Clever clogses...

...spotted the textile design. (Well spotted, girls).

Yes, I have asked for a Spoonflower gift voucher for a very belated Christmas present from my lovely sister, and just the thought of it is making the heart go pitter-pat.

pattity-bump.

In case you haven't heard me witter on about it before, Spoonflower will print your own designs directly on to nice crisp white cotton. Mmm. Let me just savour those words again:
nice. crisp. white. cotton.

Melts like dark chocolate in your mouth, doesn't it?

I bought a yard of one of the winning designs from Spoonflower a few weeks ago. The quality is good: not as lovely as many of the Japanese fabrics we see at Amitie, but good. I've been reading online about colour calibration and registration and repeats. And I've been attempting to learn more about my design package. All in one conveniently-timed Easter weekend.


I spent much of the long weekend devising designs. Two-stepping tea pots, spots and spoons. I've been drawing a lot recently, some of it to my pleasure, some of it very frustrating.

I'm so comfortable with a good black pen in my hand. Some facility is coming back after years of rusty half-attempts. Mysteriously, most of these drawings are food-related. Oh, and animals. Inspired by images like the ones you see here (which mainly come from the Dover weekly sampler, also blogged here before. Can't say I'm not a steady kinda gal.)

But the 6-million dollar question is: what should I make with the fabric when I do get the colour register right and get it printed?

Is there anything you've seen here that screams to you: Make me in teapots! or Cover me with bluebirds and strawberries! Wrap me in folk villages! Give me yellow dancing bunnies!

Whew. Now I'm overheating again. Time for a cup of tea.

Just a thousand words

In one image. (Too tired for lots of 'real' words tonight.)


Do you like the colours?

Bright boots for sunshine spring

These little booties were finished off last night whilst watching a ridiculous and overblown epsiode of Poirot. If this weren't the last in the series, I'd have been mumbling to myself; 'Zis iss more than she can bear, no?'

So with one eye on the screen, most of my attention went into these. Soon to be kicking on the end of little legs in the Canadian springtime sunshine.


The pattern is free online at Heather Bailey's website, and it's very easy to follow. - And it's lots of fun to decorate those tootsies!

What's Cookin'?

Today was a recipe for a great day. Sort of in the ethos of the Slow Food movement, today was a Slow Saturday of cheer and sunshine.


It began with hot cross buns and coffee, a walk in the park and a chat with neighbours (and their dogs).

We don't buy hot cross buns very often, and I've sometimes tried to make my own, resulting in a hot cross me with little lumps of dough, rapidly turning rock-hard. Mr Tacc saved the day when he came home from the Vic Market on Friday and casually announced that he'd bought some hot cross buns. Not just any hot cross buns: gooey, sticky, yeasty, spice-laden raisin-hoarding buns from the bakery ladies. I forgive them a year of a mild taciturn tendency for these buns.

So, nice buns, tick. (giggle) Coffee, tick. Off I went to the market at Thornbury, to meet with lots of lovely crafters, gossip and eye the cupcakes, and generally just mooch around the colourful stall of goodness known as the Curlypops and Tinniegirl shop. Yay!

These two did a super job, and their colourful wares looked amazing. So amazing that I had to take some home with me.... yes, Ms Curlypops, I secretly had my eye on that orange apron from the moment the teatowel was glimpsed in the corner. And when it was revealed, well -- I decided that if the gods were smiling, it would be my new apron.

-It is!

So, welcome! Come on in, and make yourselves at home. Something nice is cooking and the chef has a silly smile at the thought of her lovely new apron.

Last year, I decided Earth Hour was an occasion, worthy of celebration with a fantastic dinner by candlelight, and maybe a game of cards to follow.

Here's what's on the menu tonight:


Organic chicken braised in wine with olives, tarragon and home-grown tomatoes.
Baked jacket potatoes, crusted with Murray River salt.
Pumpkin baked in olive oil, dusted in cumin, chilli and rubbed with garlic.
Crisp green salad.

Oops, we ate dessert already. Maybe a zucchini cake will get made while the chicken finishes roasting (says she, spying there's about 6 minutes left on the time).

Dinner's on! Must go and set the table, cloth and candles, while the bird browns. Earth's worth it.

Sniffling the roses

The cold continues to hang around, but how can I be entirely grumpy when this is part of the view out the front door? We had the door open to the sunshine and the breeze this afternoon, while I snoozed and he worked. The dog monitored all.

Later on, a teeny bit of crafting even happened, in a sort of slow and lazy way. These are three scrap lavender bags, sweet smelling and bright-coloured, for a bit of summer when winter comes.

Up early; out in the dawn

I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Dark and still, only one apologetic hoot from a train and no traffic on the road. But I couldn't sleep.

I don't think I've had a full night's sleep, or, more certainly, two full nights in a row, for weeks.

I read a book recently in which the same thing happened to the main character. Eventually, she got used to operating on less sleep. She started getting up and going out for walks. Today, I found myself doing the same thing.

Sleepy dog wondering what's going on, but happy to be out. He's a darker shadow in the grey gloom, still so dark that I can't see the shadow of his tail, but I know it's wagging merrily. The parrots are shouting at each other from the safety of two popsicle-stick trees, one on either side of the road. Not a light in most houses. Cracks of orange in others.

Soon, dark morning walks will be the norm. It's been nearly two years since Toby and I were up and out in the dark every day. This time last year, I was getting ready to leave my job. To quit corporate marketing and make use of the round the world tickets we bought, before coming back and figuring out what happens next. Now, I'm here, back in Melbourne and in a new job and a different career that I enjoy enormously. Not every moment, but most of them, and many of them greatly.

We went to Italy last May. Slept the long flight and woke up in Rome. Despite my happiness in this moment, I want to do it again. To live in Italy, for a few months. To be in Italy.

Recently, I started writing daily pages -- thoughts and ideas, no design to the words, no audience, just stuff. It was a treat, today, to be up early and to write without one eye on the clock. Two cups of coffee and the mists of night dreams fading away.

I had a nightmare last night which is now making me laugh. Yesterday, the talk on our street was of the spate of burglaries on our block. Some houses have been done twice. We haven't (yet). I thought 'What if they took the laptop? All my photos of Italy!' I resolved to buy a back up drive, today, and to back up the whole machine and hide it.

So, then I'm dreaming, late at night, and I find myself on a lilo (air mattress), half-sinking, in a lake. I had a big camera, and I was trying to keep it above water, while sitting next to me was a guy (I don't know who, some New Zealander), and he kept saying, 'Don't worry; I'll download your photos and then they'll be safe even if you drop the camera'.

Then a shark showed up. And I woke up. (This shark was not very scary. Its teeth were remarkably tiny, like fig seeds, all in a row, and I think it sort of slobbered on my leg. It even looked more like an overgrown trout, because I've seen lots of trout and I've never seen a shark.)

- And who said that we don't dream our daily concerns? Back up those photos or the trout-shark will come and slobber on you. That's what I say.

---

As you can see, early mornings make for rambling.

Here's something gorgeous:


Spoonflower fabric of the week: Teacups, by Hannah Raeside of Manchester, UK. I've been profligate and ordered a yard. It's going to be cushion fronts, for the colourful scatter of cushions I am determined to make, inspired by the latest CraftSanity interview with Jennifer Paganelli. At some point in the interview, both Jennifers are chatting about how fun it is to have real colour in your house, and how everything doesn't need to be 'matchy-matchy'. Well, I agree. A light went off in my mind, and the cushions will be happening. I can't wait to show you the first pair!

Crochetastic.

I promise to return to quilts when I can get in the door of the front room. Which means I need to move some fabric. But in the meantime, here's my first crochet scarf.


(Yes, it's supposed to be skinny).


40c ball of yarn, scored at Lincraft. Even though it's a weeny little scarf, it's fluffy and warm and super-super soft.

Yay!