Taccolina

Mindful gardening

2012-02-22T21:42:00.002+11:00

I bought a book today - which in itself isn't unusual, because it happens all too often, but this one looks different, interesting.

One of my most cherished books is Zen and the Art of Quilting, by Sandra Detrixhe - I have read it, and re-read it nearly a dozen times. Thinking of that quiet book with calm confidence saying yes, I do know what I am doing with my quilts -- I picked this one up. The Art of Mindful Gardening, by aptly-named Ark Redwood. (If he was a character in a book, you'd never believe it.)

It helps that it's cute. And so 1930s in style (I freely admit that I'm a sucker for 1930s design ethic: I am reading a biography in the 30s now, and I love classic prints in the style like this cover).

So, what am I doing, blogging about a book I've barely read? I'm excited and I wonder if it will live up to the dippings-in I have tasted and enjoyed.

The garden is lush now, the tomatoes this week measured not in numbers but in bucketfuls. The season is changing and mists in the morning on the farm tell me the days of summer are almost gone.

I read, once, that the true measure of a garden is in the delight it gives you as you notice daily changes. The slow ticking turning of the year. Today I admired new shoots on the scarlet runner beans (maybe another crop is coming) and enjoyed my rustic wooden trellis, the red flowers all tied up with scraps of gingham red-and-white fabric. I delighted in snapdragons pushing out second shoots short but fat with flowers, seed pods rattling dry - break them open to gather next summer's colour. Zucchini for dinner, round ones the size of a tennis ball and two little long dark, dark green ones. Black beauty, they're called. Grilled. The sweetness of tomatoes from the bottom of the bucket.

I can't think of anything much more mindful than a garden. Let's see how this one goes...

Cuttin it up

2012-01-30T21:10:00.001+11:00

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!

Grey

2012-01-25T11:56:00.000+11:00

Grey but happy, I love this quilt!

See how there are patches of flowers and writing in the trucks and cars? I wonder if each vehicle was hand-appliqued or created on foundation paper and then applied.

Gorgeous. Fun but not hokey. Just right.

Another bit of gorgeousness from Luana Rubin's photos of quilts from the

Tokyo International Quilt Festival. One of these days I've got to go!

Turquoise green

2012-01-22T11:53:00.000+11:00

More inspiration from summer holiday thinking.

I'd love to make a quilt with these colours, or to try to paint this vase.

Photo by Luana Rubin courtesy of her Flickr Japanese Textiles and Flea Markets collection.

I love the shape and how you know it would just be the right heaviness in your hands. Also, the mottled surface in each colour - it's old, perhaps not top quality. (The photo was taken in a flea market in Japan.) I even love the rectilinear lines at the bottom that at first read like Greek key designs (you know, square maze trails) but turn out to be irregular compartments.

I think most of all, I want to watercolour paint this image with wet swirly colours bleeding into each other. An inspiration - and a challenge!

Lilac

2012-01-19T22:22:00.001+11:00

Last post was golden, this is a soft shade of cool lilac.

On a hot day before Christmas, off we went to Castlemaine to visit the excellent art gallery. I've been there before but like all of the best museum galleries, the Castlemaine gallery seems to reveal something new every time.

This is, if I recall correctly, a WW2 era bridesmaid's dress. I wonder, was fabric in shortage when it was made? If yes, then those bias-cut panels on the bodice must have been even more stunning: extravagance added to elegance.

Or maybe it was a refashioning of a pre-war dress? Something about the bias cut makes me think twenties, even teens - but not the colour. Maybe an old dress was reshaped, dyed, made new.

And as for the colour, that lovely cold shade of lilac. Summer skies and spring grass, tiny flowers and cool mornings.

I love to wonder about the hopes and thoughts of whoever made and wore it. I hope it was a magical wedding.

I can't decide whether I like the cut more, or the colour. They're both so fantastic, you just want to wear a dress like this and twirl and twirl and twirl...

Golden

2011-10-09T14:12:00.001+11:00

A Big beautiful bag o lemons were given to me this week, each one perfectly yellow, fat and tight with juice. Smelling like lemon oil.

I'm going to want them in summer when all the lemon trees are sleeping, so here's what I did:

Slice clean lemons and layer in a sieve, with coarse salt sprinkled between the slices.

Leave overnight, over a bowl and under a teatowel.

Pack tightly in a sterilised jar, paprika sprinkled between the layers. Cover completely with olive oil.

And in about three weeks they'll be perfectly soft and not bitter. Amazing in salads and with roasted veg.

Time to plant some zucchini!

Breakfast beasts

2011-09-02T08:51:00.000+10:00

First extra day off after a very long time of hard work and travel. Yes indeed, that means it's a long weekend for me! (chorus of angels) And how should we start? Why, with a large cup of coffee and a sit-down to check out all the yumminess of fabric that's out there on my favourite online shops. Yeeeah.

Truth is I can't wait much longer for the parcel winging its way to me from Sew Mama Sew. This breakfast fantasticness of munching beasts is by SammyK at Spoonflower.Roar.

Update: I ordered a fat quarter of this fabric - now what should I make with it?

Promises to myself

2011-03-08T21:03:00.000+11:00

There are things you promise yourself you'd never do.

You know, things like:
- If I were a teacher, I'd never give my class a quiz just to shut them up.

And if I were a parent I'd never give my kids sweeties.
Oh yeah, right.

And if I were a gardener, I'd never, no never, plant too many zucchini plants or fall into the magic land of the pump-action inflating summer squash. No, never that either.

Good thing Mom's zucchini bread recipe is so damn fine.

- - - - - - -
Ma's Zucchini Bread

(Makes 2 loaves)

3 eggs, beaten until frothy
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups loosely packed coarsely grated zucchini (about one zucchini or half a monster)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Beat the eggs in a large bowl; stir in the sugar and vegetable oil.
In a separate jug or bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a fork.
Add the zucchini to the egg/oil mixture, alternating with the flour. Stir to combine.
Pour into two lightly oiled loaf tins and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour - when they smell so good you're eager to eat zucchini again....

What became of the pumpkin?

2011-03-03T21:29:00.001+11:00

Well, we ate it, of course.

My goodness, we liked it! I was trying to think up a name for the recipe. 'Agent orange' is not appetising, neither 'Fromorange' - an unholy union between the words 'fromage' and 'orange'.

It's been a long week.

So when my tired stubby fingers hit the keyboard and typed "Pumpklin", I thought, hmmm...

Pumpklin - Stuffed

This is for a small pumpkin or hard-skinned autumn squash like turk's turban, Queensland blue or any of the others of that ilk.

1 small pumpkin, about 1 kg
1 clove garlic
a shred of bacon, about half a slice (only necessary if you live with a carnivore)
1/2 onion, chopped
silverbeet (chard) or spinach leaves, 2 or 3 large ones
1/2-3/4 cup chopped pieces of cheese - I used raclette and a bit of rock-hard parmesan. Needless to say it should be good cheese....the dry bit near the rind will melt nicely if you chop it finely
2-3 tablespoons cream
salt and pepper
nutmeg, for grating
1-2 potatoes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F).
Wash the pumpkin and carefully cut a slice off the top at the stem end to make a lid.
Scoop out all the innards with a spoon. (You might want to save some of the seeds for toasting, or even for planting in spring!)
Put the pumpkin in a small baking dish so tht it sits firmly upright, pop the clove of garlic inside with the bacon (if using). Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Put the pumpkin in the oven, its lid perched in place.
Warm a frying pan over medium heat, add some olive oil and saute the onion slowly 5 minutes, until soft and transparent.
Strip the leaves from the stems of silverbeet (chard) and slice them finely. Add to the onions in the pan, and stir.
After 2-3 minutes, rip up the leaves and add them. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.
Tip the onion and greens into a medium bowl, adding a grating of nutmeg. Dollop in two tablespoons of cream, and add the grated or finely chopped cheese.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven, remove the lid and stuff in the onion and cheese mixture, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Pack it quite firmly and pile it up a bit, jamming the lid down when you're done - the cheese will melt and fill any holes!
Any remaining stuffing (I had more than I needed), can be layered with thinly sliced potatoes in the baking dish around the pumpkin base. They'll cook nicely and catch any sweet juices coming out of the pumpkin.
Put the whole lot back in the oven for almost an hour, checking regularly after 40 minutes. When the pumpkin if soft and yields easily to the tines of a fork, it's done.
Slice in half and serve half per person - or just a quarter if your pumpkin was larger and if you serve something else (or dessert) with it.

Peter pumpkin, pesto perfect

2011-02-27T17:36:00.001+11:00

Isn't this pumpkin the most beautiful thing you evah...?

Well, I did.

The blackboard in our kitchen advertises the crop of the moment: a beautiful bounty of cooking pears.

Those who suspect the food processor is new would be correct.

It made pesto shortly after this picture was taken.

We went to the Lancefield Farmers' Market yesterday and bought this from a guy who looked like a young Aussie version of Lourdes' Dad. We said hello to the beef lady and had a chat with the nice guy from Goldfields Farmhouse cheeses. Their white cheese is yummy and a staple on our list. (I learned how to make it at a cheese-making course I took from them last May, but you know what? It's easier to buy a couple of rounds a month...)

Past the guy from Red Beard Bakery who was wielding a hammer with intent (thankfully his intent was to hammer a tent peg) and we found a new stall, the Piper St Food Co., with wild rabbit rillettes - like the sweetest loveliest textured pate you ever had. If you see them at a market, try it.

We had all-important chatting moments, bought sheafs of summer basil -- one large green genovese bunch and a bunch of the purple that I couldn't help holding like a bouquet and sniffing all the way back to the car.

So the pumpkin? I think it's going to get roasted, hollowed out and the innards mashed with roasted home-grown garlic and a bit of cream, mashed back in and drizzled with basil pesto made this morning, and mmmmm I can hardly wait!

City circle quilt

2011-02-23T21:16:00.001+11:00

Recently, a friend asked me to teach her how to quilt. We started with some squares and we practised sewing them together. We also looked at easy patterns to get started with, and flicked through some books. Them we met at a fabric store - a really good one, and one I haven't been to in a while.

After I'd paid the hundred-dollar 'exit fee' and was heading off with a bag of new fabric, I was totally stoked about quilting again! There's been too little of it of late.

The quilt top was all ready and sitting in a drawer. I called it "City Circle" because I did the hand applique of the circles onto the blocks while riding the metro each day to work. And I remember where I was working so I have an inkling of how long it's been sitting in that drawer...

Backings, why do I hate backings? It's been Great Mount Backing Blockage that stood in my path to Finished Quilt Gloryville. All I had to do was to let the quilt fabric frenzy endorphin high carry me through making and basting the backing.

It even sustained me through a measured-the-wrong-dimension meltdown (thanks Mr. Tacc., for maths rescue assistance).

Now I'm cruising through the quilting, and loving the colours. I'd forgotten what fun it is to quilt in perle cotton, and seeing all the quilts at Amitie reminded me.

Now I'm posting this, and I found some old photos of when I started the quilt.
No, not last year.

Not even the year before.

An old picture, from BB - "Before Backing"

The file says "City Circle Quilt, 2006-2008". Guess I thought I'd finish it almost three years ago.

Late like the trains - but at least it arrived eventually.

Plats du Jour

2011-01-23T21:09:00.000+11:00

I picked up this beautiful cookbook in a second hand bookshop last weekend.

Front and back covers

I'm shameless. I bought it simply because I love the cover. Both front and back. Plus it was $4. And it's full of basic classic French and Italian dishes, with a very few Eastern and Northern European recipes, too.

Thankfully, no photos frighten the reader with bilious coloured late-50s carrot flowers and piped mousses, yet it's clearly written for a British public who were just getting an inkling about Continental food (published 1957).

But that's not what I bought it for. I bought it to read and enjoy the period piece it is. And for the illustrations, because they're just plain gorgeous.

David Gentleman is the illustrator. I knew it was a bit of a classic cover, but I hadn't realised what a famous illustrator Gentleman is. His long and varied career has covered illustration, poster, book and stamp design. Apparently, he's one of the UK's most prolific stamp designers ever. I couldn't find a lot of his other work online (book illustration is mainly under-represented as art), but there's this nice collection of Gentleman's works in the Tate.

Gentleman draws hairy-armed men on bicycles with swags of onions, but he also depicts the cuts of beef and how to cut a schnitzel (across the garin of the meat, in case you are wondering - which Marcella tells us means the meat won't curl in the heat, of course). He draws hunters standing around with a dog, and the kitchen range, and a variety of lovely things I'll scan and share when time permits.

Clarity of line and good humour. But not too cute. I love it. (The wine was nice, too.)

Looking to the open sky

2011-01-07T23:01:00.000+11:00

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

Colourful vegetables; vegetable colours

2011-01-04T12:09:00.000+11:00

I'm having a little fun this morning, playing with colours.
Well, more like - playing in colours, as I'm just browsing the palettes made by other people.

From left to right, this reminds me of kale, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (roasted) and, mm, very dark carrots.

Tomatoes and peas and - oh my! That's exactly the colour of the green caterpillars I've been picking off my broccoli plants. (Ate the plants to twigs, damn them.)

And watermelon on a hot day. Dusty grass. Cicadas. Tree bark.

I'm looking for something that reminds me of what a lovely vegetable garden looks and feels like. It's for a project on Spoonflower, some bunting flags for a garden. Or reminiscent of a farmer's market; a big basket of vegetable goodies.

This one's what happens when the blueberries roll to the bottom of your calico bag and mooosh...

Yes, something like this, only with lots of blueberries:

(My goodness, the nectarines are amazing at the moment. Can't stop eating them...)

And this one? Not vegetables, just lovely retro bright happy sunny colours. Blue skies, painted aeroplanes, that sort of thing.

Have a look for yourself: the site is ColourLovers, and they have millions of palettes to distract you, trends and patterns and all sorts of colour fun.

I'm trying out the discipline of choosing a palette and making a project with the palette in front of me.

Reawaken

2011-01-03T08:30:00.001+11:00

Well it's been a while, hasn't it?

Life took over, what with the move and a new job, exciting gardens to be established and a lot of recipes to test and trial and cook in my new kitchen, which of course needed painting...

Good things have been happening, not least the fresh garden produce and all the cooking that's been going on.

Happy new year!

Groink, the reprise

2010-07-08T21:26:00.000+10:00

So, I may be back in business. My sewing machine has been to see the nice Mr Librarian who also fixes machines, and it's had its innards cleaned and oiled and otherwise looked after. The auto needle-threader doohicky is broken but otherwise, we should be >groink<-less. We hope.

I got back late last night/this morning from a conference in Perth. Four days locked into conference centre, casino and 'entertainment complex'. And they write books about travel between worlds, eh. I feel like I've travelled between two worlds: the fake world of the casino and the real world of the farm. I'm so glad to be back in real farm-world with cold-morning attachment, lovely husband 1.0 and dog 2.1 version attached. In fact, I'm off to enjoy my Crackling Fire app. bye-bye

Hexagons growing - could it be spring?

2010-06-29T18:41:00.001+10:00

So I went out to the old pear tree, and what did I find? Flowers everywhere, even in the cold winter sunshine!

I'm sure anyone who drove past thought I was crazy, running about in the cold, windy field, trying to get a quick picture before the wind ruffled my hexagons and sent them spinning across the paddock.

Stacks of hexagons, all ready to sew together. Do you find yourself obsessively counting them? I do.

I'd set a target of 45 hexie flowers in May, which was almost right -- I think I hit 42. It's amazing how quickly a project grows when you work on it every day, even if only for a little while (I do half an hour to one hour each day on the train). All different colours and shades. Lots of blue, plenty of red, and a little yellow and black to add excitement.

Now I'm sewing them all together and making approximately 72 billion plain white pieces to surround each of the flowers. I was sitting on the train, production-line making white pieces, and the woman next to me said, 'How many of those do you have to make?' To which I could honestly reply that I haven't calculated the total (because if I did, I'd lose heart and stop this crazy project altogether!)

That nasty >groink< noise

2010-06-28T08:40:00.001+10:00

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!

My reindeer cometh in

2010-06-16T22:07:00.000+10:00

Not a ship, not a plane... my reindeer arrived yesterday with a saddle-bag full of goodies from the design ladies at Ottobre.

Does my nose look big in this?

Not merely content to replace the magazine I so wantonly lost, I also got a back issue and a copy of one of their basic multi-patterns, the excitingly named 'Die besten Damentops'. I'm sure I said damen-something a few times last time I tried sewing with jersey knit, but this set of patterns has got me all revved like the reindeer and ready to tackle stretchy plastic seam tape with the best of them. Wish me luck. This weekend is tops for Damentops.

Bits and pieces

2010-06-08T21:29:00.001+10:00

I've been editing a book in which Little Red Riding Hood features. Or LRRH as she is known, for short hand, to her friends. It reminded me of this image I had stashed away in my 'Inspiration' folder, a Japanese stitching magazine idea that always makes me smile. I think my favourite bit is the playing card people, looking a bit out of place like a cross between extras from a filming of Alice in Wonderland and the old set of Dr. Who. Waving their arms. Oy!

I've been meaning to update you on the hexagon progress (good), but I have no photos. I feel a sense of having let down the blog but I'm never home in daylight. It's dark grey dawn when we pull out of the farm, too early even for the dog to have done much but stumble out of bed and gaze blearily at me as I whisper goodbye nothings about rabbits in his ear. Uhhnh, says the dog. I know how he feels.

And then home in the cold full dark, the stars are bright some nights. I put on my wellies over my work tights and a big fuzzy jacket over my dress and me and the dog, we go out in the pitch dark to say hello to the Totoro tree. Hoo-ho. Hello tree. It's huge in the dark and seems to go up forever.

http://www.totoro.org/images-totoro-sketch.shtml

D'ya remember when...

2010-06-01T21:09:00.000+10:00

.. I got a copy of Ottobre magazine and was all excited about it? Well, I also bought a single back-issue, of their autumn/winter designs (it being autumn then), and when it arrived, I pounced on it with glee, took it on the train with me to read on the way home from work-

- and promptly lost it.

I spent days convinced it had just slipped out of my purse under the filing cabinet, but no. Completely gone.

No more lovely autumn coat, cute trousers or funky overdress shirts for work. Humph

So today I finally bit the bullet and re-ordered a copy. I've seen it (briefly), so I know I want to make several things in that issue! And while I was there, I ordered another one, and a t-shirt pattern pack, too. In for a europenny, in for a europound.

Now I just have to sit and wait for the boat (plane/mule/reindeer) to get here ALL THE WAY FROM FINLAND. It could be a long wait, but luckily I found fifty-two billion unfinished projects when we moved, so I have plenty to do to pass the time...

Rain, rambles and roses

2010-05-29T18:03:00.001+10:00

It's one of those quiet, blissful Saturdays at home. The first weekend in many that we're just 'around', settled in, not packing or unpacking, enjoying. It's cold and rainy, and a perfect weekend for staying in with the fire crackling and something nice in the oven. Pottering, I think they call it.

Pic by Mr. Tacc. Morning misty.

It's been a busy and stressful couple of weeks, so I didn't sleep well last night, my brain ticking over and wakeful. (I keep looking for the 'off' switch, no such luck yet.) So I got up, made a cup of coffee and sat in the window of the study, watching the ducks waddling one-by-one down the farm track past the window, the galahs scrubbing under the tree, and the misty rain falling. Pretty soon, the rain stopped and the dog was all too happy to go out with me (in my stompy-spotty galoshes) and wade through the long grass down to the other end of the farm.

When we got back, we found these beauties! Lettuce mix and coriander for seed. I'd cleared out this old barrel pretty soon after we moved in because I wanted to get a few things in before the cool weather. These are the first to grow, but there are twenty or so garlic plants shooting up from quiet spots tucked in under the roses, and broad beans just sprouting, to be the first home veggies in spring. They're up a good three or four centimetres and going well.

Lettuces and coriander for seed

So the day turned out well: some sewing, some baking (shortbread, and a lemon tarte), and a nice brunch out together at a gorgeous tucked-away local cafe that Mr Tacc discovered on Friday with the writers' group. We're definitely settling in, and weekends at home are grand.

I hope your weekend is shaping up to be sweetly relaxing too!

Hexagon update

2010-05-23T22:08:00.000+10:00

Pic by Mr Tacc.

End of the weekend, and I thought I'd better drop in with an update on the progress of the hexagon quilt. It's been cold and sunny, misty mornings, and there has been a lot of sewing on the train recently.

Last weekend, I laid out all the squares with Karen's help, and we decided that they would look lovely and sunny if each one was surrounded by a white or off-white ring of hexagons. In for a penny, in for a pound, or a bushel, or an eyestrain or something (if a bunch of sheet is a 'flock' and a bunch of crows is a 'murder', then a bunch of hexagons should surely be 'an eyestrain of hexagons', right?)

Well. So I'm up to number 38. And one with a nice white surround.

But I've run into a little problem. Not the eyes, not the fingers, nor the scraps of fabric falling out of my bag onto the floor of the train. I've got to check my hexagon template and probably re-cut some of my recent-est pieces. (That's a word. Trust me, I'm an editor. Ha.) It seems I may have fallen into the age-old trap of letting the paper template get a little trimmed on one corner, and now the latest pieces don;t fit together so well, not without some jiggery-poggery.

So it's back to cutting paper templates, and re-sewing the pieces onto them, and then maybe I can finish the remainder of my May target of 45 hexagons towards a little quilt.

Hexagoning, humming and hawing

2010-05-07T12:28:00.002+10:00

So, the hexagons were unearthed from somewhere third-drawer down. We've had a few visitors, and that meant that some of the recently unpacked stuff got hurled willy-nilly into drawers and suitcases, and ignomiously shoved under beds. I think this weekend, with showers forecast, is going to be the time to sort out the front room, aka the sewing room.

I've had a little fling with the hexagons on the train, and I think I've made another six. Idly mulling while I stitched, I worked out that if I can make 2.2 hexagon flowers per train journey, that would be 92 in a month. Of course, I've got reading and proof reading to do on the train too, not to mention a few nice little naps like this morning's cosy snooze (I do like these big comfy quiet country trains) -- so let's set a reasonable challenge of 45 by the end of May. Ha. Let's see!

(Image of an antique doll's quilt from Fiber Fantasies)

This all brings to mind pleasant consideration over what sort of layout to use. I'm thinking that once I have 50 flowers I may go back and add an outer ring: I really like the double-ring flower garden patterns I see out there on the web. But then again, maybe not: I also like this antique quilt style of layout, too.

(image from article about historical quilts)

Mine is definitely a scrappy unplanned colour scheme. There are pinks and dusty greens, shocking orange and some wild large prints. I didn't love the look when I laid the single florets side-by-side, so maybe they need the unifying influence of a second ring to each flower in a coordinating colour. I'm thinking of choosing a soft green or two, or a petrol blue and navy. We'll see. It's a work in progress!

Country crafting

2010-04-28T10:06:00.000+10:00

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.

Exciting sewing stuff

2010-02-23T08:01:00.000+11:00

Well!

After my sewing frenzy (way back at Christmas), followed by the incredible illness (boring), and the working too hard February, I finally got back to the sewing machine on Sunday night.

And just in the nick of time!

Look what showed up in the mail yesterday:

MM-hhm! I had been hearing about Ottobre magazine online for a while now. Lots of sewing bloggers rate it very highly, so I quietly put it on my Christmas list, and my lovely parents got me a subscription. Just the women's clothing magazine; I don't have kids to sew for, but I love what I've seen of the patterns and wanted to give it a try.

You can preview what's in this issue on their website.

I can't decide what to make first! I'm not likely to make the cover top, but look at the preview to see the retro trousers and tops, and my favourite, the blue silk and linen ensemble. I think I'll need to practise before attempting the delights of the blue tulip-skirted coat.

Yippee! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Can you help your national library?

2010-02-19T08:16:00.001+11:00

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."

Note to self: buy a bigger sketchbook

2010-02-11T22:57:00.002+11:00

Sometimes it's annoying when you hit the edge of the page.

Still painting, still sketching. Stomping the streets, sketchbook in hand.

This is the first layer of watercolour for a portrait I scribbled tonight. It might stop there, as it's so delicate I rather like it...

For Zachary

2010-02-01T07:49:00.001+11:00

This one's for my little nephew, just turned one.

I've been keeping up with the plan to draw something every day (or almost), which cuts down on blogging time a bit. And still some days I'm out there wandering the internet, looking for inspiration.

One of my favourite places for a bit of fun and a reminder of all the wonderful ways the world can be drawn, is Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty. This blog is a Dad's postings of his kids' drawings, but boy, these kids can draw. It's a fun place to hang out for a few minutes to see what they've been doing. A year or so back, before I'd found the site, they posted a challenge and asked any ilustrators out there to respond to their drawings with a version of their own.

So my challenge that day was set by a four-year old. I had to draw and paint something inspired by her image.

Here it is:

Seems to me they're having a great deal of fun!

For Jennifer

2010-01-01T22:42:00.001+11:00

I hope the fun run was ... fun! (Lack of sleep not withstanding.)

P.S. I promise that tomorrow there will be some crafty goodness here. God knows, this used to be a craft blog! Well, there's been sewing a-plenty today, at one point it turned into a downright, no-doubt about it, bona fide finishing frenzy!

Details soon, but first, sleep.

Don't go on a date

2009-12-31T17:41:00.004+11:00

... Where I can see you.

Or you might get scribbled.

As seen from my unobtrusive stool in the corner of the window. I couldn't work out why he was slumped so stiff in his chair until they left the cafe and I saw that his arm was in a sling. Not fun for Christmas!

Oh, and happy new year!

Looking and thinking and thinking and looking

2009-12-27T22:55:00.000+11:00

The thing about out and about sketching is that it's hard to start. Daunting to sit there in full view sketching people as they pass by. I keep waiting for someone to challenge me for capturing their likeness, but increasingly I'm realising that they just don't give a damn. Or don't notice. Yippee for me, as I sketch away in the corner!

Now that we're on holiday, I've been out and about doing some more drawing. Yesterday (Boxing Day), down to the shops -- not to score bargains but to draw the bargain-hunters themselves. It was ripe pickin's!

After diving in, a few tries and it gets easier. The lines come more easily and they remind me of what I saw. It's learning to look as much as learning to draw.

Here's an early drawing from my second or third outing with sketchpad in hand. I'll share some of my more recent ones, too. Big scanning session yesterday, and now there's loads to show.

Excuse me, but I'm at the winebar

2009-12-26T14:32:00.001+11:00

I'll be the one in the corner, quietly sketching the crowd as the bar staff serve wine and nibbles.

I'll be the one starting tentatively (oh what if someone sees I'm drawing and takes offense?) - So I'm the one who convinced my husband to come with me, not just once, but several times. (Hallelujah for free wireless hotspots!)

I'm also the one who draws tight cramped little drawings at first, sip, sip, and then looser lovely lines, sip, sip, slurp, and then great wild whacking scrawls half-imbued with the fumes of the nice sauvignon blanc or the sangiovese.

Yes, it's true folks: there's a limit of one glass for a reason.
I definitely can't drink and draw.

Some days the paint just muddles

2009-12-02T07:27:00.003+11:00

... and puddles, and goes grey and bloopy. (That's a word).

So, some days I draw instead. Here's a recent scribble. I was wishing I could go to the market more often, but when it was done, I was surprised that she didn't look like she was having a grand old time.

Wonder what's up with her?

B

Away...

2009-11-29T18:13:00.001+11:00

Painting!

I was struggling with the concept of a post a day, when I realised that the thing I really wanted to be doing was a painting a day. Just like my friend Eileen's been doing with dedication and charm! So I've been just over there at the table sploshing and splodging and trying to learn. Here's one of the efforts.

This was painted after a quick late night sketch from a photo we took in Malta a few years ago. I had a lovely time flicking through photos in the album and thinking about that trip. Bright memories of pale yellow stone houses baking in the sun, dark shaded alleys, cyprus trees and the most delicious honey and fresh-baked bread I've ever tasted.

Memory lane is fun, and memory lane with scribbles and paint splots is even more enticing.

Tweety boyrd

2009-10-18T18:16:00.000+11:00

My love is like a tweety bird,
It sits up high anon -
With furly wings and purty things
I wish I had got done.

It's time I know to see the light
I'm almost out, have lost the fight
To post a day
There's just no way
Weekend again has taken flight.

My love is like a whirly bird
Of thought and colour and song!
To draw and dream and spin a wheel
And run around in the sun.

I've been out on my bike today, checking out the streets and smelling the jasmine in old gardens caught in roadside glimpses as I swander by (yes, that's a word. It's for cycling slowly and looking at the sky!). I saw a house that looked like it came straight from Yorkshire, plomped down in the middle of Richmond. Tall gables for that snow we so often get in Melbourne, oh and the sleeting rain. High blue stone walls and green-sashed windows. I need to go back to take a photo.

My friend is house-sitting and the house-sat cat tried to eat my sewing bag, too. Much careful investigation and sniffing. Is this a suggestion I ought to wash it? (I might - now!)

Memory

2009-10-10T21:59:00.001+11:00

Memory feeds imagination.

Amy Tan

US novelist (1952 - )

1977. Or so the picture says. I remember the garden and how it went forever. When I wanted to run away, I packed a bag with the essentials (doll, bear), and I ran off to the end of the hedge. Not on the driveway side: the other side, just so I could stay inside the garden but look back at the house. Too far away. I think that's far enough: I'll go back now.

I'm the one on the left, at about that age. Lovely sardonic sister on the right. (Big sis, how did you know everything?)

This week after the last class of my editing course, a bunch of us were splitting a bottle of red wine down at the bar around a chunky dark wood table. One of the classmates said; "Tell us about something you saw on your travels. Something that really stays with you. That was unexpected and surprising".

The result was an amazing storytelling session, with wonderful flights of description and fascination. Memories shared. All the senses. The silly things we do. Moments of mistaken irony, surprising gorgeousness, startling and unexplained. Painted word pictures. Such imagination, memory.

Aren't you glad we've got it?

Flashback Friday portrait

2009-10-09T08:11:00.000+11:00

One of the magazines I love to read is called History Today. We get it from the UK on subscription, and it's chock-full of images and articles about interesting times and people. I love reading it for the unexpected things I'll find.

This is a drawing I did after a portrait miniature in the last issue. He's my Friday flashback.

Fashionable cats...

2009-10-08T08:15:00.000+11:00

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. )

So, today...

2009-10-05T21:47:00.002+11:00

Today, moments after I was introduced to her, a colleague said,
"I'm doing something for the Melbourne Cup".

And I said, "Melbourne Cup?"

"Oh," I said, "I'm not that much into football."

Which might reveal just how much I'm into horse racing, too....

Travel to textiles, take away inspiration

2009-10-03T21:16:00.003+10:00

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.

Thursday blue: what to do?

2009-10-02T08:16:00.002+10:00

It's Thursday night, you've got a case of the blahs. Too much to do, too little time, stuff harassing you, things you're not getting stuck into even though you really want to.

Sometimes the blue sky seems like a steel lid: other days it's up there floating and everything is possible.

What do you do on evenings like that?

Start a new quilt. (Silly question!)

Stitch in some sunshine, pull out a length of fresh breezes, grab some fat quarters of freshly-mown grass and lazy spring picnics. Stitch together a summery sky.

There, now that's better, isn't it?

Arise, Blogtoberfest! A Pome.

2009-10-01T08:12:00.000+10:00

I wandered lon'ly as a blog,

Crafting slowly through the fog

Of work and life and lots of things

But -Hark! O'er there! A clear note rings!

Raise high the bugle,

Tootle the horn.

Trumple the tuba --

Blogtoberfest is born!

Craft love, appear

again this year.

Trailing clouds of glorious

Ricrac stentorious!

Mascots and memes

And silly schemes

Let forth the host,

of Blogtoberfest posts!

Marmot vom Großglockner
Originally uploaded by _stebo_

Back to the mmm-market

2009-09-27T12:06:00.003+10:00

Queen Victoria Market
Originally uploaded by Taccolina

I'm hoping that life will calm down a little now that the launch party has gone off as a success. You know, sometime in between work and studying and interesting projects, perhaps I'll have a little time to sew? Maybe I can start drawing again? (Caus heaven knows, I miss it a lot.)

I took the day off on Friday, and he took the afternoon: so we had a long leisurely lunch with a friend we don't see often enough. All three of us gleefully escaping from the usual hectic round of activity, sitting in comfy booth with milkshakes, parmas, burgers, big breakfasts and all the accoutrements of a good catching-up session.

Saturday morning, off to the market. Being completely and utterly ignorant of football and all things AFL-related, it was nice to go when everyone else was rushing off to the game/game parties/getting ready for game parties. Meanwhile, back at the bratwurst stand... 'A second coffee, dear?' Hhmm. Back home to finish the latest Lindsey Davis that I've borrowed from the library. And then some sewing.

Some weekends are about re-claiming the basics. Shovel out weeks' accumulation of clutter. Re-acquaint myself with my sofa. My sleep in. My sewing machine (sorry about all the dust!). My bag of library books. My dog on my lap.

I hope yours has been glorious, too. I've still got half a day of playtime left, so I'm off...

Careful consideration of chocolate cake

2009-09-25T08:37:00.002+10:00

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

Cookbooks and cake

2009-09-22T07:55:00.001+10:00

The cookbook launch went well! We had a party at Kinglake on Sunday evening, and much fun was had by all. Dinner from the cookbook, prizes and face painting, music and delights. Not to mention, much cake.... Here are a couple of shots of the pre-launch preparations chez Taccolina on Saturday afternoon. I'm still sorting the photos from the launch itself, so I'll show you those soon.

Saturday afternoon, getting sorted: cake boxes, muffin cases, mm-mm.

Baking and icing, mm-hhmm.

Cupcakes finished and starting to fill the cake box... (Little silver sugarballs on top.)

I'm not sure if I took a picture of our kitchen table before we left, but it was piled high with white cake boxes full of baked goodies. Many lovely people dropped off a cake, or three -- and the assortment was beautiful, and turned out to be delicious.

At the party, a very serious 10-year-old wanted to discuss the various merits of the cakes with me. The Chocolate Truffle cake was pronounced 'Very dark. But nice.' - and the Orange Cardamom Sour Cream Cake was 'Really, really good.' That's one sophisticated ten-year-old cake taster, not mincing her words.

We had dark cakes, light cakes, coconut cakes and pink-iced cakes. We had three tiers of cupcakes on a gorgeous stand. There was a strawberry-adorned chocolate beauty. Glossy icing on a tall dark number. A double-decker chocolate cake, with butter cream icing and german cherry jam in the middle. A clown cake. Ring cakes. They all made new friends. Large white boxes were last seen being borne away by happy Kinglake residents full of assorted pieces of cake (the residents - and the boxes, that is!)

Hurrah to the cake bakers, one and all of you!

When I can't quilt.

2009-09-18T08:13:00.000+10:00

Life's kinda busy at the moment. The party this weekend, a small matter of dinner for 200, editing and ideas and chocolate cake and - oh, I'm not going to bore you.

We all have times when we're just unable to quilt. Or to draw, collage, stitch or embroider. Whatever yoiur craft addiction, I'm sure you know what I mean.

And at times like these, I like to flick quickly through pictures that inspire me. It's like slurping down a chocolate milkshake all at once, because you can feel it filling you up for hours to come. (Okay, so that's not the best analogy in the world - note to self: revise.)

Tiny bits of inspiration can percolate while everything else is going on. And I promise myself that soon - soon - I will draw something like this.

(This is not a slab of chocolate. I know what you were thinking, Curlypops! No, it's the carved wooden screen across the quire of a cathedral in northern England, near the Lake District. note to self - look up cathedral name...!)

Jam on top

2009-09-14T12:55:00.005+10:00

Six days to the launch and counting... I've been working on a few interesting recipes for the second printing of the benefit cookbook. Yes, that's right, Homemade: The Handmade Help recipe book will be reprinting. Thanks to all of you who bought copies we're really close to being able to fulfil our goal, which was to have enough copies to provide one for every one of those 2000 families who lost their homes, should they want one. (We've been selling copies to raise the money to print extras, and any money left over from the sale will be donated to the Salvation Army. So when you purchase one, you give twice: you give a cookbook to a family AND money to the Salvos for the work they do all across Australia).

Thanks to the oddnesses of printing and presses and production stuff, if we add a couple of pages to the book, it costs less to print. (And wastes less paper). So, let them eat JAM! I've got a couple of jams and a marmalade to add to the back of the book.

The new copies won't be out for a good six weeks yet, so in the meantime, your copies are jam-free (but jam-packed with great recipes). It's a sticky situation, knowing we need to add something extra to the book, but we think we can spread it on lightly and the result will just be that much sweeter.

Book and bag

2009-09-13T21:23:00.000+10:00

While I was away, I did a packet-load of crafting. Here's just one of the things I made which has been in my handbag ever since. It's just a pouch, but useful, very useful! Two kinds of fabric fused to woven interfacing, with a vintage sheet lining. (More of that sheet later!)

We're gearing up for the launch of the cookbook this coming weekend: lists and ingredients, lots of helpers to muster. It's plenty to organise but I'm starting to look forward to it, too. We'll celebrate and start giving the cookbooks away through some of the community groups in the bushfire-affected areas. Should be lots of fun.

Kinda good, kinda bad...

2009-09-12T09:13:00.001+10:00

... kinda happy, kinda sad.

Up until my last post, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were still away in North America. There's been a period of silence around here: not much blogging, even less drawing, and no writing at all. Shortly after we came home from our wonderful trip, we were thrown for a loop on life's rollercoaster, and over the course of ten sad days we said goodbye to a grandmother who was very dear to us both.

It's been a couple of weeks, but time contracts and extends. It flexes and coils, so that sometimes you are crawling through each day and other times you find yourself thinking it was only yesterday, I was there, holding her hand. Enjoying the flowers together. Or snorting with glee about the latest crazy fashions and sewing patterns, and just talking 'girl stuff'.

Some families pull together for the mourning process: others don't. We've had a couple of weeks in full riot-gear and the fun never stops. I'm old enough to realise that just one or two individuals can spread toxic poison, that you can't hide from all of the tricky people in your orbit and you need to draw in and look after your own. With the bombs flying, there's been no time for words or grief, or for memories and sad joy that we had a good friendship. And that, my friends, makes even pacifists like me just a little bit angry.

I hope we turned the corner this week. We're looking forward and thinking of good things. We love each other and will protect each other. Some of our family is fantastic and I give thanks for them every day. But I'm tired, and there are no words and the drawings are few and tentative. We need good soil, gentle breezes, sunshine and soft rain to grow again.

Things I like

2009-09-06T09:04:00.000+10:00

Sunday morning, up early and baking cakes. There are a few things I like about a quiet Sunday at home.

An early walk with the dog. We've got the streets to ourselves and we can admire the sunlight sparkling through the trees. Be nosy and stare at things in gardens, mutter to ourselves (should we wish -- the dog's good at this), and generally slouch around the block.
Time to sew. Well, when don't I appreciate this?
Quiet. Quiet all around. And more quiet.

Ironically, I was awoken rudely, early today, by an obnoxious bird sitting in the tree outside the bedroom window.

He/she has been there every morning this week from 5:30 to 6AM.

Squeek-SQUONK, SQUEEK-SQUONK, SQUEAWK-SQUWONK!!

Honestly, I never knew birds could shout so loud. Must be spring.
He's probably yelling:

"Look at me, ladies, I'm a hunka-hunka birdy luuve, and I've got this here tree ALL TO MYSELF.

Ladies!?

LADIES?!!

%?$%#!!"

Etcetera.

Mr. Tacc asked me why I thought it was a he. "Maybe it's a she", he said.

Hmm.

Who said birdies sat in trees and delicately twittered? Hah. Damn fool, them.

I've got a linen jacket all cut out and awaiting the very important decision about lining. The jacket is heavy linen, dark blue. I'm thinking batik, red and white gingham or some crazy floral glazed cotton I've got somewhere. It's a casual short sleeved jacket. I've never made a jacket before, so wish me luck. If you don't see photos, even progress shots, you know it's all gone badly and I'l be making a quilt with very small linen triangles in it, all in a nice coordinated blue...

Now, for a piece of warm cake, a cup of coffee, and I'm off to give it a go!

Please pass the salt and pepper...

2009-08-27T08:02:00.004+10:00

... or could that be, the kitsch?

What delights! Our first stop in Amerrr-ica included a Saturday in Seattle, and while he went off to the Museum of Flight and the Flying Heritage Collection, I went to Pike Place Market.

Now, I admit that I am a spoiled girl, with Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market right on my doorstep, and so while I enjoyed Pike Place Market, it wasn't a life-changing experience (You see, I had that, in the Queen Vic, and I went back to the UK and applied for a visa. That's definitely life-changing.)

So, you can see why I wished that the girls of blogland and the TCB could be here with me when I hit the motherload of all salt and pepper kitsch. An entire shop devoted to crazy character salt and pepper sets.

(I'm sure they're used to women circling their windows and aisles, giggling quietly to themselves.)

But I wasn't sure if they'd want me taking pictures, so there are just a few.

B

Looking and thinking, travelling to some summer

2009-08-25T20:25:00.004+10:00

I've been playing out in the wide world, looking at the colours and thinking of pictures and creations. As usual, getting away reminds me of who I am and of all of the images and ideas, colour and creations I want to be part of my life.

Travel opens possibilities. It wipes the veneer of weekly, daily, monthly work and routine out of my head and reminds me that life is short and is here to be lived to the full. Bloom and fade: celebrate and burst with colour.

The things I see make me want to draw all day, paint all evening, dream all night.

I did do a little painting on this trip, and lots and lots of drawing. Constant doodling. I made the commitment not to worry if it was any good; just to do as much drawing as I could. Even though we're back and the wind is wuthering (and we've got the traditional post-air journey sniffles), I'm doodling most days. It feels great.

And this is one of the photos from the trip that I find most wonderfully, richly satisfying.

Doesn't that just make you tingle? They look rich and full but pokey and prickly all at the same time. Can you see how big these barrel cacti are? I purposefully poked my toe in the bottom of the photo so you could see just how bloody enormous they are. I imagine if you sat on them, they'd pop. Or slump. (And poke billions of little cacti-holes in your delicate derriere.)

These photos were all taken one sunny fine day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as I went around the botanical gardens and sculpture park. Big thanks to my lovely host, Jennifer, for suggesting it -- somehow I never fail to find inspiration in a great garden.

Especially one with vistas like this that remind me of the summers in Canada and big fields of wildflowers.

Now all I need is a big floaty dress and a sunhat. (Too bad they lost my luggage and all I had was my Melbourne winter black. But that's all forgiven and in the past now, right?)

Ahh, holidays. > dream <

Homemade In Epicure

2009-08-08T11:33:00.002+10:00

HomemadeInEpicure
Originally uploaded by smallcloughs

I'm on holiday at the moment -- did you miss me?

I'm on the patio, sitting in the sun in Canada, enjoying the summer breezes, the prospect of more barbeques and swimming in the lake.

Meanwhile, at home, the little cookbook we produced for the bushfire benefit has attracted some attention and was in Epicure last week. Yay!

If you don't already know all about it, go to www.handmaderecipebook.com. (I promise you it's delicious, I edited those recipes and some of them looked great...!)

More soon, just wanted to share the (belated) news. If you'e already ordered a copy of the book, apparently they have arrived and will be shipping very soon if not already. Double yay!

xx
B

The wedding quilt is finished!

2009-07-18T21:19:00.005+10:00

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

2009-07-12T18:53:00.005+10:00

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?

On my desk

2009-07-10T21:01:00.004+10:00

I've forgotten what day of the week we do this, but this is a recent picture painted and drawn with a crafty soul in mind.

I wanted to paint it as if the sun was shining through the tree and it was a brisk spring day. The house was in a photograph of -- San Francisco, I think. I look at this and see how far I still have to go -- but a lot of distance covered, too. Halfway towards a goal and walking steady.

Inspiration and some aspiration have been coming from UPPERCASE today. Have an explore. I'll be showing some of my favourites this weekend.

--

Just joining in My creative space for the first time in months! Much more gorgeousness over at Kootoyoo.

Fun for me

2009-07-09T22:30:00.003+10:00

I love buying myself presents. Today I wandered to the station and missed my train, so of course I just *had to* go in and explore the lovely shop in the Degraves St Subway, The Cat's Meow.

I saw many things I liked very much, but I'll be wearing my one of these tomorrow. Yay, Friday! Hoorah, pretty crafty clothes.

Tirrah, me luvs!

2009-07-07T21:42:00.010+10:00

Toodle pip and what not, this is the Queen.

Hellew, hellew, that's the Royal Queen in the back, doing the Royal Wave.

We have just enjoyed ourselves immensely with the sewing peeps (I mustn't say plebs, so they tell me) at their dainty little shack, which is frightfully marvellous dreamy little place called Sewjourn.

(Hem, hem - whatever happened to simple names like Balmoral, wot? You could have a place called Sewmoral and then they wouldn't do all that silly business with the red wine and cackling over faintly off-colour jokes. Not morally lady-like, we can't help but feel).

Be it as it may, we are reliably informed that what happens at Balmoral - er, Sewjourn - stays at Sewjourn. I shall not pass judgement on the contents of the recycle bin at the end of the weekend

>crash, clank - sound of another gin bottle being chucked onto the pile< -- Whew, it's too exhausting being Queenie. Here's a quick picture show of the weekend's delights. The moral ones, that is. The mornings of looking at the view.
The days of sewing and talking, and the afternoons of messing about.

Bev and Serena: Hey, if we get a picture of our reflection in the window and the mirror ALL at the SAME time, that would be COOL!

Them: Didn't you say you were making tea?!? Come on, where are those hot steaming mugs of fuel for sewing superstars?

Us: ...oh yeah.

The evenings by the fire...

... my, my, I think the censors had to edit out some bal-morality problems with this image for the poor blogless Queen.

And finally, the product of a busy weekend:

And with borders on, resting on the sofa -- oh no, we have to pack up and GO!

What a great weekend, and a lovely, talented bunch of ladies.

Wonderful.

Ideas, ideas

2009-06-25T11:42:00.001+10:00

1467_1024
Originally uploaded by malkuth_ro

Always looking for ideas now... I'm about to head off on a lunchtime drawing expedition into the sunshine and lanes of Melbourne. Just before I go, I've been checking out some educational blogs and classroom websites for work stuff, and I came across this amazing image of a carved decoration. Looking at the caption, I realise it comes from the amazing castle we visited this time last year in Denmark. Synchronicity.

I'm drawing every day now, and it feels like all I have to do is pick up the pen and stuff flows out the ends. Some drawings are better than others, but it's not the result so much as the action.

Don't you love that groovy pose of the cherub on top?

Learning to fly

2009-06-15T21:44:00.006+10:00

... with little baby wings.

I once had rather a nice boss, who recognised just how frustrating was the place we were working. Every time we accomplished something against all the odds, she used to say: "Just baby steps. Little baby steps." Every little forward movement was celebrated with that phrase I'd never use. "Little baby steps!"

So here I am, trying out my little wings on the tasks and ideas for the children's book illustration course, and thinking and writing every day, and so it comes to mind. A silly phrase, but so true. Taking little steps - or flops and flutters and bounces, in my case - towards something fun. I don't know what it is, but I hardly care. I'm having fun!

boing, boing.

(In other news: I got stuck in the lift again at work today. Popped out for a coffee, to get back in three broken lifts, ran up six flights of stairs; tried every floor all the way back down again, only to discover that all the doors were locked. And after 25 minutes? Ended up at the ground floor again. Cold coffee.)

bing, boing, bong. CRASH.

Verdict: the dog likes

2009-06-12T22:25:00.005+10:00

.
Lemon delicious pudding.

After licking the bowls across the floor, he licked the rims of the bowls. Then he licked the outsides of the bowls. Then he licked the floor around the b0wls for good measure.And you may ask why I'm washing part of the floor at 10:15 on a Friday night?

Out and about

2009-06-11T21:56:00.005+10:00

This drawing is not by me, but it encapsulates what is going on over here. A bit of skipping girl artistic life being gleefully skipped through. If that's fair to say. Now that I've been captured by a cold and forced to sit still, I can tell you a bit about what's been going on.

Lots of drawing!
I started my children's book illustration course last Saurday, and enjoyed myself enormously. Since then, I've been drawing every day. Everything from good old mundane things (traffic lights, rubber boots and a pot of anchovies) to wild characters (a dragon on a trampoline).
Also surreptitious drawing of fellow-commuters on crowded trains. One of them clearly paid me back by sharing their germs. (Atchoo!)

Lots of editing
Since I took on this job over six months ago, I've seen quite a few titles onto the page and off to press. The fun part is always choosing the designer, working on the design, getting illustrations (if the book needs it) and seeing the whole thing come together.

Last Friday, there was a little bit of dancing around our offices: the book closest to my heart came out and it's FAB! Super-fantastic material, great cartoon illustrations, fun design and the coolest program for kids to make and analyse videos. If you're a teacher, you need one of these. I've seen a lot of educational books, but don't you love it when one of them falls together so perfectly?

Lots of thinking
I'm still working on the Artist's Way program. This week, I'm supposed to avoid reading, to allow me time to let my own voice come back above al the words, words, words that fill my life (life, life - it's like a song!)

How does an editor not read? I asked myself this question with much incredulity and some angst. Well, very effectively, as it turns out. The funny thing is that my boss commented today on how I am hauling butt this week (not her words). The secret? Write contracts, briefs, emails and harrass people by phone. Next week I'll read.

Lots of organising
My passport expired. My tax returns were a mess. My bookshelves were dusty. My shoes in the closet were in a heap.

Did you notice the past tense? I'm getting to it. It's all going away.

Lots of sneezing
And finally, a cup of Lemsip and a little sit down. Sorry I've been away.

Spoonflower fabric

2009-05-30T19:03:00.006+10:00

Last weekend, I posted pictures of the first (and my favourite) of the three fabrics I got printed by Spoonflower. Here are the rest of them, and some thoughts about the process.

When I first signed up for Spoonflower and resolved to try it, I became frozen by the limitless potential. (What to do? Oh, what to dooo?) Sound familiar?

I explored what others were doing, and I hunted through all the contests on their blog (quite addictive, if you like voting each week on a favourite fabric design!)

It seemed that there were so many possibilities:
- Should I use it to print large swatches of my drawings onto fabric?
- To print computer-generated ideas?
- Or to transfer my existing (black and white) drawings directly onto fabric in quantities and width of yardage that it just wouldn't be feasible to do on the computer or with a stencil-cut screenprinting process? (If you were around last year, you may remember the glee and enthusiasm about stencils and screenprinting).

I sat down and thought about it, and I decided that the only way to go forward was to do a test. I like telling myself that spending money via Paypal is a test. It makes it feel so noble and elevated.

What I was testing with this batch of fabrics was the colour matching and the effect of different sort of designs. I chose three designs: one with a strong drawn black outline (the teapot), which I had coloured on the computer. The other two were scanned versions of my farmyard stencils, which started to look like a lot of fun when I repeated motifs and played with the placement.

Repeats
It took quite a while, fiddling about with the file to find the best proportions for a repeat (white space on one side of the image turns out to repeat across the fabric). Well, yes, of course it does -- but I found that the repeat was not quite what I expected, and half the fun of the process was tinkering about to get it settled so that I liked what I saw. So, for the folksy village fabric below, in the end I had a long, thin file, with each element in a line, staggered, and lots of white space to one side. When it repeats, it just looks like openly-spaced images across the fabric breadth. Hmm.

I had a small sample of the flying birds print, from a stencil. This one wasn't fancy: just one element, repeated across the fabric in a half-step format. I mucked about with the scale, and what I have got is small birds, perfect for button covering, badges and brooches, or for applique. I only ordered a swatch.

Colours
I had done some reading, and I was forewarned that the colours will be less intense on the fabric than on-screen, and also that the reds have a tendency to shift. I pumped up the colours on all of the designs, and I'm glad I did: the teapot fabric design on-screen is quite strong, but in real life it's lovely and soft, without the colours being flat. Big tick in the box for that one!

The village fabric, below, originally was designed with red, blue and green -- but the fabric turned out a very fine orange, blue and green in real life! Initially startled, I have come to rather like it. (Even if the apples do look a little poisonous.)

If I were serious about this, which I'm not (yet), I would get a colour chart printed, with its number references on each square of colour, so that by formatting my final artwork by colour I would have a real, live piece of fabric to match it against. -And I'd know what I'm getting.

There's quite a lot of discussion about this online, and I found it useful, even if the colour calibration of the machines themselves at Spoonflower is subject to change. There's some excellent resources on the Spoonflower blog's FAQs pages.

The verdict?
I quite enjoyed the slight uncertainty about what I would get. I sure ripped into that package when it arrived, a mere 7 days later! I wasn't investing in a lot of fabric or expecting to match it to existing projects or ideas, and so a certain degree of colour shift was fine by me.

As for designs? I feel that the strong outline of the drawings works best. No point translating one fabric printing medium (stencil) into production: better to play with drawings, colour them on-screen, pump up those colours, and take the risk.

I'm working on my next batch of designs as we speak... Surprised?

Drunkard's path

2009-05-26T22:21:00.003+10:00

No, I'm not talking about me. Or anyone else for that matter! It's the name of this quilt pattern -- a classic red and white design from sometime at the end of the 19th century.

The photo was taken by Mr Tacc some years ago, when he was invigilating an exhibition on quilts from Canada and the UK. Needless to say, we talked about that show endlessly, and as he had plenty of time to look at and think about the quilts, he had lots of interested questions to ask and ideas to discuss.

I remember this quilt because I loved the clarity of the red and white scheme, and the way that the simple repeated shape (quarter circle on square) became complicated and fascinating when you looked more closely. It sort of weaves and dances. Drunkard, indeed -- I think it's just someone having fun, or a kid in a candy shop, or me at Haigh's chocolates (isn't that the same thing?) Looking everywhere at once.

I'm thinking about drawing a lot and reminding myself that in order to draw, you have to look. So pardon me if you come across a gal in the street, giving an intent stare at passers-by, clouds and the sky (today I was taking photos on Collins street at lunch). It's just me, and I'm just looking.

Good colours

2009-05-24T18:04:00.005+10:00

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....

Sign up

2009-05-16T07:06:00.001+10:00

I've signed up for that children's book illustration course.

Hurrah!

One sign fits all
Originally uploaded by neil-san

This time last year

2009-05-15T19:13:00.008+10:00

On exactly this day last year, this is where I was:

In front of an amazing chunk of history, an effect of architecture, a monument of achievement. A cathedral like this one is not just a cathedral, a building: it's lives and deaths, laws and mystery, religion, belief, families and locality. Ego. Perhaps baser impulses of envy, pride or greed.

This time last year we took the train from Rome to Orvieto. On the tourist trail, I was suspiciously holding myself aloof, even while we piled out of the train station and whooshed up the funicular carriage, climbing the rock to the town.

Our self-catering place was in the unpopular end of town. It required a bumpy journey on a little bus with our big bags - all of which made us grin with glee because it cut out the loud Americans. And I hate loud American tourists in Italy. Sorry. But it's true. Luckily, they won't -- or don't -- walk, so we were spat out by our surly bus driver at a nondescript little square, some judicious directions in improving-but-rusty Italian leading us down an alleyway, to a door, a long dark staircase upwards, and some negotiation.

'You talk into the speaker phone.'

'No, you.'

Poke.
Nudge. Scuffle.

'Argh.'

BZZZ>>crackle-crackle<< -'Eh, umm, Buon Giorno....' We explain. We think we are understood. We start to rattle and babble along in broken words, but she understands: we are the Australianos, but he lived here in Italy, when he was small. Short. Little. Piccolo. The Italian flows around us, long streams of which we gather, 'How lovely! You are welcome. But you were once small! (a poked finger toward his tall frame, and much laughter) My daughter comes soon. She speaks English.' The creased old face of a nice woman, late in life meeting and interested in strangers, much though they present a difficulty of language, perhaps slightly worrying. We're all right. Paying guests who are no problem and who even understand Italian. We get big grins.

Late that night, still jetlagged from the flight from Australia three days earlier, we drift through the deserted town. Sit on cold stone benches. Sigh at the soft light. Stare intently at scultpured reliefs on the cathedral front, carved when the world was young, over 600 years ago. Hands were once alive.

It's like filling up on a long drink of water - or milk, and feeling the sustenance of the art and the power of the images filling you back up again. Yes, this is why I studied art history. This is the Renaissance and its tangled precedents and the master artisans of Europe. The Christian history and its worldly remnants. Myths and legends: of the master craftsmen, now, as much as of the religious rites they depicted.

It's hard to explain my love of Italy and how I feel more alive there, but this comes close. It's something in the comfort of inspiring but understood old friends: art works that I have loved and studied with curiosity since the first days when I heard of them, and saw them in books.

Sometimes life is quiet and sometimes it's loud. Some days, like the day exactly a year before today, it fills you with a richness you can feast on for decades.

Good morning, baker boy!

2009-05-06T08:07:00.005+10:00

Here's one of the characters who showed up in my sketchbook last night. I reckon he's apprenticing in specialist petits fours pastry techniques. Don't you?

If time is a river

2009-05-05T21:20:00.005+10:00

If time is like a river, when you hold your hand against the current, does time wash around you? Push and pull you. Slip around you. Hold tight: push it back. Twirl and whirl, like flying hands flipping the current of air out the window of a car.

Did you do that when you were a kid? Let your hand bounce and sway in the air as you rush along. I don't do that much now that I know how to drive. Being a passenger I can't let go of mantle of responsibility. Mirror, shoulder, mirror. Watch the traffic. Even when I'm not driving. To let someone else drive and to sit back - that's a little pleasure. I do that sometimes when Mr Tacc drives. Trust to know that you are safe, like you were when you were a kid, with your family, going places.

I'm rowing upstream at the moment, like so many of us. I wonder what the banks of the stream are like, and if there are picnics to be had on grassy green banks. Flowers to pick. Time rushes but playtime, it stretches.

Tonight I have spent the evening on my own, drawing whatever comes to mind. Not this wistful rower: she came along a few months ago. Solid things. Coffee cups and pear trees. A strange little llama. And a coupla characters I'm rather pleased with.

I'm thinking (deep breath) - I'm thinking I'm going to sign up for a night class in children's book illustration. I don't feel like I can afford it, but who cares? (And that's my own fault for not doing last year's tax, silly girl -- so far missing out on Kevin's play money. Sorry; stimulus. I reckon some drawing stimulus and a challenge from someone outside would be good.) The moral of the story I need to illustrate with my own life is: catch up, do your paperwork, get your beans and take them out to the drawing garden, where they might grow.

Do you think there might be flowers?

Beautiful things

2009-04-26T21:00:00.003+10:00

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.

Seeking peace

2009-04-23T20:51:00.003+10:00

I'm in a strange old space at the moment. Not a lot of blogging, but I don't apologise. I feel as if no one's reading (the old radio trick of feeling like you're talking to yourself) and frankly, I've lost a bit of interest in what I have to say. No point talking to yourself when you're not even interested!

This autumn I've struggled against burn out. I know I need to break free of the burn out cycle, but like many people, I believe I can do everything in the time that's available. I think I'm capable of getting everything -- and I do mean everything -- out of every day, and I'm confused and baffled when it doesn't happen. Even more so when illness comes along to force me to stop and rest.

Why write about it? Well, sometimes speaking our demons is vanquishing them. Naming names to take away the sting. Sometimes I need to recognise that the only thing that stops me from being happy is me. Looking in the mirror and worrying whether or not I am happy.

I may take a break from posting here, or I may not. I do want to feel that I am not 'letting myself down' if I do. If I'm not here, I'm just away, sitting in the sunshine, looking at the sparkles, counting the warm fur on my dog's neck, and loving the green of the grass.

I've just realised that I need to do this one thing: to go slow for a while.

Clever clogses...

2009-04-16T19:39:00.005+10:00

...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

2009-04-15T22:17:00.002+10:00

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

Do you like the colours?

Bright boots for sunshine spring

2009-04-13T11:43:00.002+10:00

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!

The colour of fun

2009-04-12T10:14:00.006+10:00

Today is the colour of fun. Sunshine and shadows on green bright leaves. Blue sky and milky-coffee brown. The rich red of the tiny strawberries ripening on the bushes. Yellow. And blue. And gold. The colours of warmth and peace and optimism.

I spent half the day yesterday drawing. Tussling with, wrestling with, struggling with my drawings. Blog less: draw more. Sorry kids. (Not that you hang on every word). Fancy a thousand images instead?

This morning's bright delight sparked by an idea. An idea of the ah-ha, Eureka! and so forth running down the garden wet from the bath (look it up). Fortified and ready to give it a go. The paints are out, the scanner is humming: I haven't anything to show you yet, but boy, is it exciting.

Here's one of the drawings I was wrestling with yesterday. Trouble with the angles on the coffee machine, but I quite like the look of concentration on her face, pursing her lips as she focuses on making the froth for the cappuccino.

Sunshine, dreaming

2009-04-10T18:56:00.004+10:00

It's been a tough couple of weeks, with life flying past at a rapid rate and much to be done. So the poor old blog (not to mention crafting!) has been somewhat neglected of late.

There have been a few snatched moments of sunshine amidst a lot of long days' work, the best and brightest being: lunch with the girls at Madame Brussels.

Pretty in pink -- and we love those curly chairs!

BEFORE: Sunnies out, Sharon watches the sandwiches and the stunning - rather alcoholic - punch as it arrives.

AFTER: Now, why has the camera gone all tilt-y?

Just kidding: I had to get back to work for a meeting, so it was the non-alch variety with a small side order of 'sulks' for me. Why? Because they went on and ate cupcakes! (By which time I was pondering project deadlines and talking budgets whilst sorely wishing I was on the rooftop, cupcake in hand...) The world is not fair, my friends.

I've been looking forward to Easter weekend with such anticipation. Planning long sleeps-in; plotting crafty ideas; looking at tasks to be attacked; assessing recipes and making lists to be bought. It's a fine time for me to read, relax, snooze and cook a few new recipes that I want to road-test on ourselves.

Chocolate mousse-in-waiting.
Notice the careful cropping to leave the word 'Light' in at the side? Fooled? No, I didn't think so. Especially not by the tub of CREAM on top, ready to be dolloped in luscious gloopiness all over the top of the thick, creamy dark choloate mousse (with a hint of rosemary). Rarw.
I have no idea what else we are having for dinner. Does it matter?

Recently, I have to admit, I've been overdoing it. Trying to cram too much into one day, all of it computer-based, much of it to deadlines that are too tight, and steadfastly insisting that I'm fine, even if it's not fine. And then that feeling of being caught on a rushing train started to catch up with me: get up, work,work,work, come home, work some more, sleep, get up....

The solution? I've got it. Last night was the revelation.

To solve OverCommittmentitis, follow these steps in no uncertain order.

1/ Call your nearest takeaway curry cafe and order up big.
2/ Argue gently about who will go and pick it up.
3/ While he picks it up, throw in a load of laundry and feel virtuous. See, I'm accomplishing something, you think, as you crack open a bottle of wine.
4/ Watch something 1980s and funny. Mr Tacc's inspired choice was Midnight Run. Truly hilarious.
5/ Pay scant attention to your crochet: after all, someone's got to watch the movie and keep an eye on the chocolate, right?
6/ Bedtime, sleepyhead.

What a great start to a weekend!

Winking by candle-light

2009-04-02T22:04:00.003+11:00

Earth Hour was on Saturday, but I wanted to show you the event:

Candle light, good company, dinner and some wine. All the elements of a good celebration.

A peaceful moment in the midst of a frantic, computer-harnessed, crazy busy week.

Now back to it! Cheerio and pip-pip.

Once upon a time...

2009-04-01T08:12:00.006+11:00

Have you noticed, recently, that the word 'Stories' keeps coming up?

It's usually plural, and I'm seeing it everywhere. First it was that national book chain, advertising that they have 'All the best stories' - and one of our TV channels boasts about their stories, and the library, too.

The Duke and Duchess of Urbino (1465) by Piero della Francesca. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
More than just an interesting story.

Today, we received a flyer from a second hand bookshop, promising to deliver a new story for my Enjoyment! (Their caps). Not only do I hate random capitalisation (it's okay; I won't rant), but I'm beginning to get annoyed by this use of the word 'stories', too.

What does it mean? Why are all books suddenly 'stories' as if we are kids at bedtime needing to be soothed to sleep? Maybe we do want escape and fantasy reading. Are we really that stressed out? (Or are we listening to the media too much?) I'm not sure I want a juvenile relationship with words and books and the amazing strands of people's lives that make up the incredible wriggling mass of interesting, odd, and complicated humanity.

Do you?

Yours,
Puzzled

What's Cookin'?

2009-03-28T18:58:00.006+11:00

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

2009-03-27T19:32:00.003+11:00

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.

Looking on the bright side

2009-03-26T22:32:00.007+11:00

We're moving slowly here at Tacc Headquarters, due to a nasty cold virus that took up residence almost a week ago and refuses to leave.

I remain cuddled on a sofa with a quilt, crochet to hand and a good Michael Pearce historical whodunnit. Drinking lots of tea.

Wouldn't a tea cup like this in my favourite shade of yellow make it all a bit better?

Photo: teacup and saucer from my dad
Originally uploaded by loveitaly

Were-wabbit

2009-03-23T21:38:00.004+11:00

Scary rabbits ahoy!

hop... hop... RaWR!

Last night, I sat up far too late trying to read a library book that's due back tomorrow. I've already renewed it once, perhaps even twice. So I know our days as associates and friends are numbered.

magical mystery moths

The book? Traditional Embroidered Animals, by Sarah Don. It's a compendium of animal embroidery images, including some patterns and plenty of stitch diagrams, for stitchers who are inspired by medieval and Tudor embroidery.

My, my, what handsome tailfeathers you've got!

I've been inspired by gorgeous old textiles before. When we were in London last July, I spent whole days in the V and A's Textile Study room, staring at the amazing embroideries, pulling out drawers and gazing at the delights. (If you go to London, slip away and get to the Textile Room. The guards will show you what you can access, and believe me, it's a lot! Give yourself an hour or more, just for that room alone....)

So far, so good, I was thinking... I like the peacock, and love the owl in a pear tree. The rabbit's a bit on the wild and woolly side. But then.... holy frogspawn, batman -- what's this?!

What's going on here?

(click on it to get a better look)

Apparently it is a youth riding a frog. We are told it comes from Konrad Gesner's collection, Historia Animalium, of 1551. Must have been a wild year, that year of the big frogs. C'mon historians, now's your time to jump up and yell "Allegorical Significance! Allegorical Significance!" Meaning -- "We haven't the faintest idea."

Up to the blue -- or should dad be boo?

2009-03-20T08:00:00.002+11:00

I got eight hours of sleep last night: this is an achievement! Up and out in the regular early, not the dark and extra-early early, and these autumn days are gorgeously crisp. Lots of dog walkers. Balloons in the sky.

I took this photo at about exactly this time last year, and although I forgot my camera today, this was just what the sky looked like. Pearly clouds and the jewel-bright balloons.

Sadly, sometime in that long sleep, I seem to have caught a cold. I've been sneezing my way around the house this morning, and it's not looking good. I've got one more busy work day ahead of me, and Sewjourn's quilting bee tomorrow, and dinner out, and more catching up with friends on Sunday, and I just want to go to bed and sniffle.

Do not....

2009-03-19T21:52:00.004+11:00

My parcel for Do Not Leave Unattended arrived today. And like any kid at Christmas, I couldn't resist tearing into it right away, to see what everyone's been posting in this little art journal that's been around the world.

There are quotes and notes, drawings and portraits, a painting, a sweet story with kimono fabric and vintage envelopes and more. To see what's happening and read about the project, have a look at the Do Not Leave Unattended blog.

I did three rather serious pages. All the time, harassed by the cuddle monster, Mr. Toby. So my last page was dedicated to him. Fancy feeding that monster? I do!

Up early; out in the dawn

2009-03-19T07:40:00.006+11:00

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.

2009-03-16T23:07:00.004+11:00

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!

Doing the train stitch

2009-03-15T22:31:00.006+11:00

I don't know whose quilt this is. They didn't tell us whose quilt this is! Lovely colours.

Today, I went to the Stitches and Craft show. Yesterday's rain scared me off, and 'though I had planned to go I stayed at home snuggled under a quilt reading Georgette Heyer novels and eating chocolate frogs.

There, I said it really quickly so that you wouldn't notice.

So today, off to the show! Down to Flinders Street.

- Doesn't that awning look like ric-rac?

I've never been in a completely empty train carriage before. How truly odd. Good thing I had some crochet in my purse to entertain me. And what does a girl do when she's making a scarf on the train? Why, the train stitch, of course!

The show (of which there are few to no photos: conjure up visions of colour in your minds, me lovelies) -- the show was in large buildings, threatened by rain and valiantly guarded by market makers in was proposed to be a merry, fun outdoor market. They looked very cold, actually. Not too merry, but trying with true spirit.

The main hall held lots of cheery friendly faces -- Hello blog girls! Familiar faces and new, lovely fabrics, lino badges, zine-scene, stamps and paper and bags of delight. It's great to see you there and all showing off your fabulous talents. We have so much to offer!

The show was a mixed event for me: the demographic is, as it always was, a mixture of kittens and cats, a little muddled as to what it is and who it's at. Maybe, in this first year of Living Creatively ownership, not sure where its best audience is. While a part of me wants to say that I would love to see a craft fair of the indie type here in Melbourne, I also know it's already happening, on a smaller scale, at different locations.

Part of the lovable likefulness (I just made that up) of the crafty scene here is that you have to look for it. But, like dust bunnies, and cute ones too, once you see it, you wonder how you missed so many places and things to see. It's just not mainstream, and the big shows need to cater for the big groups of people -- which is, by nature, the main stream. We've just got to make sure our little rivulet doesn't dry up.

A real highlight of the day, and something to get me thinking about the mixed love-hate relationship I have with the Stitches and Craft show, was watching 'Handmade Nation'. This film was put together by Faythe Levine, who wanted to document the stories of the crafters across the US who were defining the Indie Craft scene. Go see it if you get a chance! I thoroughly enjoyed the personalities in the film, the enjoyment in crafting and the questions it raised. Is this a passing fad? (Not for me, mate.) Whay do we love craft? (It's authentic! It's fun. It has a heart and a sense of humour, just like a good date.) Later, I bumped into Faythe on the train station platform, and wanted to tell her what a key part of the day the film had been. It was nice to chat, even though she must have talked herself hoarse after days of promoting and introducing the film. Thank you!

A word of advice to marading crafters?

I should be off, but I wanted to say a big WELL DONE to all of the blogland superstars who bravely put their wares on show, invested time and love and colour and spirit in the show. I'm proud of you. You lot done good.

So, about these quilts then...

2009-03-09T08:03:00.002+11:00

There are so many thing whirling around in my head that every time I sit down to blog it all flies out my ears. Or something. And so I read all your posts and forget and have to dash...

I've been meaning to post about the quilt convention since last Sunday. I wasn't sure whether or not to go this year: in the past, I've been disappointed -- not by the quality of the quilts, but by the venues. (Though to be fair I might be remembering a poor Stitches show of years past -- let's hope those days are gone).

So, I had to go in the end: couldn't resist seeing the show quilts. Up off the sofa, hop on the tram and down to the the Australian Quilt Convention (AQC), in the fabulous Royal Melbourne Exhibition Building. Have I mentioned before that I love that building? I love that building, and so does Mr. Tacc.

As for those quilts. Well, they fit right in to their lovely surroundings. Wonderful and awe-inspiring, zany (those doughnuts!) and zingy -- there was lots to see. Sadly, I left my camera at home, but what I did write in the sketchbook gets my ideas going again. This is what I wrote:

palest green border and high-contrast applique swirls -- Berneice Sayer's Magical Medallion with Loops - All I can say is: 'Whoar!'
quilting grids of black and yellow (there were close-together lines, and ochre dyed textiles: it looked like burnt wood)
Nichole Bridges' Ginko Garden quilt: lovely colours, all jewels, and fabric with calligraphy on it.
Pretty octagon florals -- in the Brigitte Giblin Retrospective. And then I've written at the bottom of a rough sketch: "So that's what to do with those hexagons!" We have hexagons, we can make beauty.

But don't worry, that didn't stop me from buying just a leetle bit of fabric....

I want to post a link to this video and song that I have been enjoying and watched a few times this week. It's in my head!

The yarn lady's laughing at me

2009-03-03T07:51:00.006+11:00

Well, after yesterday's excitement, posting the photo of my stitching practice piece, I could hardly wait for the day to end.

Not because there was anything wrong with it: just because when the work day is over, I follow the stream of commuters down to the station, and -- oops! -- trip over the doorstep of Cleggs. Now, I know their selection and prices are a little less and more than I'd like, but the fact that they are on the way home makes popping in as easy as picking up a take-away coffee. It has the same illicit pleasure too: I know I could look around, but it was just here, see, and it's so soooft, and it's blue!

Anyway, I was quizzing the lady in the yarn section about hook sizes for various yarn and asking her advice aout trying my first and one and only crochet scarf. She started to get a twinkle. She was very helpful. - And as she popped my skein of wool and hook in a bag at told me to have fun, she cracked a huge grin at my perky response: "I will!"

Oh my ears and whiskers! - As they say.

Uh-oh. Hooked!

2009-03-02T08:05:00.004+11:00

So, last week I mentioned oh-so-casually that I was teaching myself how to crochet.

There was a little bit of confusion in the works, and some cussing, and even a few chocolate buttons (says she, implying that this is an unusual occurrence. Did you fall for it? No. I thought not.) And perhaps those who saw the way I failed to remember the simplest knitting stitches from one craft day to the next stood back, waiting to pick up the pieces.

But then something clicked, and I woke up dreaming of making double crochet stitches, and I've been carrying balls of wool around in my purse ALL WEEK and setting myself a nightly task of learning a new stitch.

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you:

A photo of wonky home-made geekiness viewed by the maker with much pride and barely-suppressed glee. I'm going to point out that it's not as twisty as it looks because I propped it on the potted plant, and you can believe me or not. I don't care: I'm in love.

I am soo going to make me a scarf with scalloped edges now. Woo!

--

You may have noticed some colour changes around here as I'm trying to infuse some autumn colour into the blog. I wanted fresh green, because there are little leaves sprouting about as the summer burn fades from memory. But after a tussle with Blogger, this is what I got. Still contemplating de-camping to Wordpress. Any thoughts from anyone about that?

--

I went to the Australian Quilt Convention yesterday, in the gorgeous Royal Exhibition Building. But I forgot my camera! (No room in my purse, next to the two balls of wool, the crochet, and the half-depleted bag of chocolate buttons). But I did remember my sketchbook and hardened my self-consiousness against the people who think that sketching in public deserves STAAAARING at. (jeesh!)

More about the lovely quilts tomorrow. My train departs in - ohholycrap - 8 minutes.

whooosh!

Eye spy...

2009-03-01T10:08:00.004+11:00

Something that makes me happy.

Last year, we went to Italy. I can't quite describe how happy I get when I go to Italy. We both get a little silly, actually -- he used to live there and I used to go there alot, so it's comfortable and fun. We love the people. We adore the food. And I get quite completely doo-laly when I see a Brunelleschi building, empty, waiting just for us to sit and enjoy.

Eye Spy thanks to Cindy and this week's theme from Iris and Lily.

Good things! Gettin' on the bus

2009-02-27T07:52:00.004+11:00

Bags for kids, big and small.

Remember the sewing bee? (Like we've forgotten already...) Well, the Rainbow Comfort Packs are on their way up to Kinglake. In fact, they should be there by now.

I'd like to think there's some kids enjoying their new notebooks, coloured pencils, softies and stickers, one of the many fun hair ties, or their t-shirts!

Applique items, ready to go onto bags and t-shirts.

There's a report on the delivery over at Beyond Pink and Blue -- drop by and say hello.

Waiting for the Department of Human Services bus to Kinglake...

Handmade items and help are still needed. You know where to go! And check out this article from the local press.

Cheerio,
B

Post by post

2009-02-23T22:33:00.000+11:00

I can finally post these pictures of recent crafting completed-ness. The reason? They've reached their destination, and their new owner -- 'me Mum -- is delighted with them (at least I think she is: she sent a beautifully-written thank you card, but then she always is the well-brought-up one!)

Just kidding, Mom, I can tell you love them!

But there was no way I would post the pics before they had arrived, so here you are with a retrospective post of sewing goodness, now cheerfully residing in Canada.

The pillowcases were made using a tutorial from the wonderful Lily at Block a Day. Her pillowcases are always zipped up in record time (I'm not that fast!), and they look lovely. So I started with a test batch, which I adored, and then dived right in for a set for Mom and Dad for a very belated Christmas present. (The first person who says "But it's nearly March!" gets prodded with a knitting needle, you hear?)

These notebooks are just covered in simple slip-in cases, which will help Mom choose the right one for the right birding moment. If you know any birders, you'll know what I mean. Notebooks are important (and I think you need one for every outfit, right?)

Tonight I'm cussing a little, and relying heavily on the chocolate cavalry (you know, they always appear just when things look really dire) because I'm ... teaching myself to crochet from a book.

Am I mad?

(It's all Thornberry's fault for making gorgeous hats that I covet. And then she emailed encouragement and advice, so what was I to do? Get hooking!)

Good thing I had just the thing: a bag of semi-sweet chocolate buttons and an evening to myself to cuss away. Arrh ye maties.

Around the world on a Great Melbourne Day

2009-02-22T17:25:00.012+11:00

I love the way that this city is sometimes a playground. - Or, at least that's the way it feels. Yesterday's activity took us from Italy to the Lebanon, through the Middle East and then to 1970s Australia. Into the city and it's the 50s, before Portugal, Italy (again), and a dash up to handbag heaven. Oh, and a short stop in Korea. Finally, music under the stars with an Italian in Algiers, two Spaniards and an Austrian. All in Melbourne.

Coriander, parsley, spring onions, fenugreek, turmeric and lamb. Mmmm...

How did it happen? With a morning start at the Mediterranean Wholesalers (coffee and canolis), we explored north to the A1 Lebanese Bakery, which was our landmark as we hunted for a shop that would stock fenugreek leaves and dried limes. We've been inspired to try some Persian cooking, and tonight's dinner of lamb with quormeh sabzi is quietly simmering away as I type this, sending interesting and delicious smells throughout the house. Sure enough: a very kind shopkeeper helped me to find both fenugreek and dried limes. This is why I love Sydney Road.

Dried limes. They smell amazing! Tantalizing. Fantastic.

A quick dash to Fitzroy to say hello at Meet me at Mikes, where a special stash-tastic suitcase of 1970s ladybird books was the pick-up for this secret agent. (Two old guys stopped later on and said it was a cool suitcase. "1950s!" said one guy, "And it's even been overseas...")

Off next to meet a lovely friend for lunch, I hopped the tram and - ding!ding! - down to Federation Square, where a flashmob of swing dancers were cutting up the concrete, swing jazz style, to the sounds of big band in a beatbox strapped to the back of a bike. Swing Patrol, kids! Do we love it? We love it!

Can't you hear those grooves? This is not Melbourne, but it's the same gorgeous style. The Swing Patrol site is down, so this is a photo from the Calgary swing dancers.

(Just lookit all that water. Can you believe that's where I grew up??)

But I couldn't find my friend.... Hmm, she said she'd be at Fed Square. Up the steps, down the steps - hmm, one of the dancers is waving at me between twirls - it's her! Turning a neat toe in keds and gingham, having a blast. We settled in until the beats moved on up to Town Hall. I'm not a dancer, despite some two-left-footed attempts, but I enjoyed watching the action and spying the tourists whose open-mouthed delight made my day. There's nothing better than a mob of people spontaneously breaking into dance! (and me without my camera)

Journal Cafe at the City Library refreshed us with Portuguese Custard Tarts (Go there. Have one. I never liked custard tarts before meeting these beauties.) "Let's go handbag shopping!" said my friend - so it was up to Catherine Manuell to try on all of the bags. She didn't tell me she'd been haunting the place and that I was to provide final colour call between two favourit es (see pages 4-5). We left with her new bag proudly on-shoulder.

Could it get better? A stop at an Asian stationery shop was pretty divine and only cost a dollar ten (that stuff is addictive) -- and then it was time to race home, pack a picnic, and head out for a free concert under the stars at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Two cups of coffee, free music, and thou...

Nan went to the opening night, 50 years ago. We snuggled under the stars as my lovely Melbourne day ended to the sound of Rossini's overture for "The Italian Girl in Algiers", Spanish guitar from Rodrigo (Concerto di Aranjuez), Albeniz, and Schubert.

We're a little tired today. But happy, oh so happy.

That cool feeling of detachmnet

2009-02-21T08:16:00.003+11:00

Ah yes, Saturday morning.

Doesn't the end of the week leave you feeling all to pieces sometimes? Things just don't seem quite to match up. There's that - floaty - feeling around the head area.

Or maybe it's just me...

Stunningly scary artwork from the Dover Sampler . These two truncated tootsie-wagglers are from Famous Movie Dance Stars. Oh yes. Just what I always wanted.

Here's a link to the rest of the strange world of this week's sampler, in case you missed it. Its a doozy.

Felt fun

2009-02-18T21:43:00.004+11:00

One of the lovely ladies at work brought me a bag of fabric to drop off this weekend for the re-stash a crafter project. An enormous, see-through, plastic shoulder bag FULL of gorgeous fabrics. Beautiful colours, fabrics from Amy Butler to sock monkeys. As I took the train home today with this bag of gorgeousness on my shoulder -- it was like a game of 'spot the crafter'.

I saw you. You were the ones who ogled.

Recently, a crafter who lost her home said in an email that she missed not even owning a needle!

Along with the fabric, wouldn't it be nice to donate scissors and pins, needles and glue? -And even nicer if they were packaged in something really pretty?

So here's some fun with felt -- feel free to felt along -- it's very quick and loads of fun!

1. Cut some rectangles of felt. I did 3" by about 5" (approx)

2. Fold them in half.

3. Decorate one side with felt and embroidery.

And you're almost done!

4. Next, I will cut some cotton fabric squares, slightly smaller than my rectangle (loose-weave cotton is best as it won't blunt the needles). Pinking shears or a zig-zag around the outside to stop them from fraying.

5. Line up your rectangles like pages of a book: one felt cover and a couple of cotton 'pages'. Sew a line down the back on the machine (your sewing is like a line down the spine).

6. Fill 'er up with needles and some pins, and send it off to a new home! If you want, mark the pages with the type or size of needle - I've bought some multi-packs, and so there's everything from crewel to betweens - big to little!

Let's make it easy for sewing to start again.

B

Simple applique t-shirts

2009-02-17T21:08:00.009+11:00

Several people have asked me this week how to applique original designs onto t-shirts.

I know lots of us make these, but now might be a good time to do a very quick tutorial, given that many of us are crafting handmade gifts and donations at the moment -- or have been inspired to try some t-shirts or teatowels after seeing them at the sewing bee!

Here's what you need:

A t-shirt, sleeveless top or teatowel
- I often use old t-shirts with the neckband chopped off to make a wider scoop (zig-zag or bind the edge) - or if I'm buying for this purpose, I look for plain knit tees that are not very thin or ribbed.
Double-sided fusible interfacing
- Vliesofix is a popular brand name. Just ask for it at the counter of any fabric shop.
Fabric scraps
- Quilters' cottons and similar cotton works best.
Thread

First, I draw my pattern on paper until I get it right. Remember that you will curse the skinny bits later, so hold off on cows with skinny knobbly knees if you are a beginner!

The pattern for the red t-shirt shown below.

Don't forget: your image will come out reversed. That's why I always do motifs that can face either direction - less thinking for me!

For ideas, I look for simple, chunky images in books of decorative patters, online, in kids' books and in the Dover sampler email I receive each week - which has images like these, below, that you are free to use for personal craft:

Aren't they great? (Sign up here.) Trace around the edges, simplify the idea, and you're all set.

Once you're happy with the pattern, draw it onto the papery smooth side of the vliesofix. Cut around it roughly, and iron to the BACK of your cotton scrap.

Now cut very carefully along the outside lines you have just drawn.

Iron your t-shirt to make sure it's flat. Peel the paper off the pieces of your vliesofixed scraps, place them (carefully) and iron them down. A temperature setting at about 'wool' on the iron seems to work best.

Now, to the sewing machine! Sometimes you might need to add embroidery stabilizer at the back, but I generally don't as long as I am using an open-mouthed zig-zag, not a smoothe run of satin stitch.

I select zig-zag, set the width to 2 and the length to 2, and try on a scrap first to see if I'm happy. Sew slowly around all of the edges, ending with a back stitch. You can use contrasting colours or matching colours. I often also do a wild freehand swirl of zig-zagginess across the middle of the patch, just to hold it flat and add some fun.

Clip the threads, add any embroidery or other touches, and wear (or give) with pride!

Two and Two are Four. Four and Four are ....

2009-02-16T21:54:00.005+11:00

... well if you didn't know by now, your sewing would be even more free-form than mine!

Six and six are:

Can you see it? Two feet and a hot dry Domain, reflected in a hub cap, lovingly shined for the Australia Day RACV Picnic.

If you haven't been before, it's rows and rows (and rows) of classic design details masquerading as shiny cars. Linger long enough looking with a silly grin at deco details and the old blokes who own the cars are likely to saunter over and say hello. I met some lovely people, heard some great stories and fell in love with a car I'd love to drive away in. A few times over.

Oh, and if you love massive purple American fins-n-tail jobbies, this is the place to be, too!

Top picture is the sixth image from the sixth folder of photos. Nice choice! More here.

The steady hum of activity - sewing-bee style

2009-02-14T22:16:00.008+11:00

What a day.

Nikki, I sweep off my hat and make a deep bow to you (scrap that curtsey nonsense) - you donated your week to organising today's sewing bee, and you made it possible for so many good people to find a way to bring colour and cheer to families affected by the bushfires.

What was the best bit of the day?

Serious discussions about yo-yos was fun.

And super sewing stars ready and willing to learn new skills...

... and producing gorgeous results!

That was ace.

The hive of activity and the contented hum of concentration as bags were constructed. (Spot TinnieGirl thinking hard).

The lovely cutting shop, with slices and dices turning out the bags lickety-split, and the sorting area, with the goodies laid out by age group and gender....

...carefully observed by a sofa full of dolls, waiting to go to new owners.

Meanwhile, over in the embellishment room, zig-zags and fusing made merry!

While the first bags were being built, we got to work on yo-yo hairbands, yo-yo embellishments, fused applique animals, cowboy hats, pirate ships, flowers, ice cream cones, butterflies, matruyshkas...

...and more onto t-shirts, bag fronts, pockets, flaps and ... oops, a bag lining. Ah well. Beccasaurus kindly stitched a yo-yo over my most serious oops. It's a design feature! (But of course).

But the best two bits?

One was the way that everyone who walked into the sewing/bag construction room stopped and said "Wow!" spontaneously.

Wow for the lovely hum of many machines running together. The quiet, determined activity. And the results, oh boy.

The results! The piles of bags were stacking up as we took our weary souls home. Fresh sewing souls were still flooding in the door, so I'm sure the pile of presents grew. Notepads, pens, t-shirts and a toy in every bag - at the very least.

I'm thinking of the donors and the recipients, the families and children whose little bags of fun have so much potential for healing handiwork (drawing, making and colour), hugs -- and a reminder that we were all thinking of them with today's sewing bee.

I met so many lovely people, and it was a wonderful day.
Thanks everyone.