a wee step

Here's what the leather straps were for, and if you live in Launceston you can buy these little chaps at Cocoon. Yep, that's me, a person who makes stuff and sells it.

It's all a bit exciting and very daunting, I've never properly sold stuff in a shop before and the whole time I'm making these the fear of "will they be good enough" is bouncing around my brain - ricocheting off confidence and paranoia. I'm a good sewer, I know that, but am I good enough? This is where Tara would start yelling at me to not be such a doubter, but then she sells stuff all the time.....

The fabric is from Pippijoe, one of the talented Melbourne designers who are printing their own designs onto cotton/linen/hemp and blends thereof. It's incredibly exciting what these Melbourne girls are doing - Lara, Shannon, Bianca and Kristen inspire me so much (there's also Danielle in Western Australia), oh and I can't forget Prints Charming! I feel honoured to be able to make a little something from their offerings.

Suzie at Cocoon sells a certain style of items in blacks, reds, greys and a little bit of green (more khaki) and blue (smokey blue) which look wonderful and I never get tired of prowling around the shop. I'm also varying my colour scheme bag-wise so I've decided to open an Etsy shop as well, this way I can sell worldwide but would recommend local buyers to go to Cocoon first. Now I just have to build up some stock!

Have a good weekend everyone. :o)

don't be crewel

So this book, The New Crewel, been around for a wee while but what the hey, it was on sale at Purl Soho along with the fabric. What other excuse do I need?

I love how traditional methods, hundreds of years old even, can be used in modern ways without being over-the-top or too try-hard. The book is full of small, manageable samplers which can then be used on their own - such as below. Aren't they sweet?

There is also a chapter of larger projects, for example embellishing the hem of a skirt with twirls to create a 3 dimensional/tactile feel but again, without looking tacky and overdone.

So what will I tackle? There's a butchers apron pattern in there which uses one of the small samples as a patch, I need a new apron so this may be the place to start. I really enjoy hand embroidery but just don't get the time to do it, any spare hand sewing time goes to quilting. Tara makes the time to embroider, but this is what she does and is doing her best to earn an income from it.

And the fabric? Who knows, the colours are an odd departure for me but I was really drawn to them. Salmon of all things, more smoked salmon I suppose. I think they're the type of fabric I'll leave sitting around for a while, waiting for the right project to come along. :)

PS. I've only just discovered that Blogger decided that comments weren't allowed on my last post, this explains why I thought nobody liked me any more (just joshin'). I've fixed it now, not that it really matters I suppose.

what's this?

Hmmmm, just something brewing in the background - so to speak. I shall hopefully have some more to show soon...... ish.

I love my Thug, sews through leather like a hot knife through butter. Although not long after I took this photo it got jammed up and the timing went out. Problem? No! I can actually re-set the timing myself, along with a little help from a good friend (and previous user of the beast).

Now to change the subject in a big way. We watched Top Gear the other night - about the only show on telly that we make a point of seeing. This story just make me giggle the whole way through, and yeah I know we're about 6 months behind the UK with this series.



I'd love to say "I want one!" but I don't. This is what I'd like!! :o)

sunday walk

It was such a lovely weekend, especially after all the rain last week. So Lucy and I embarked on a nice long Sunday morning walk. I've been wanting an opportunity to take the camera with me, as normally I'm up at 6am of a week day and at the moment it's too dark to see much at all.

I love gables.

Launceston Tasmania is pronounced - "Lon-sess-ton", as apposed to it's namesake in Cornwall England which is pronounced "Lawn-ston". I've never found out how we came to mispronounce it, being one of the oldest cities in Australia I suppose the name has had plenty of time to evolve. Australia is a relatively young country, only 220 years since the first settlement and Launceston was actually settled before Melbourne. So there you go.

Launceston and East Launceston have some of the oldest and most beautiful houses. Over the past 20 years a lot of them have been restored to their former glory, nice.

The winter light is so pale and serene. Everything seems hushed and in hibernation mode.

West Launceston viewed from the top of Franklin Street. The first house I bought is over there, just off the left of the photo.
We have some beautiful examples of Georgian architecture. We'll just pause here while I have a Jane Austen moment.Melbourne is the city that is most renown for it's Victorian terraces, but we've got a few too.

Back into the sewing room and I've whipped up this little creation, inspired by a leather version I saw the other day. Whatcha think? It's only small, the type of purse/bag thing that you'd take out somewhere nice. You know, big enough to hold your money, phone and lippy. This is the left over fabric from the other top I made, so I'll look very smart when the time comes to go out on the town. :)You'd think I had fussy cut the fabric but I didn't, it was just 'meant to be'. he he he

fun but cold

This is what I looked like crawling out of Waubs Bay on Sunday night. I really wanted to do this dive as I've only done 2 night dives previously, and the first was rather scary considering my mask was broken and kept leaking and I could hardly see a thing and and and..... *deep breath*. The second night dive I did was also a shore dive up at Kelso on the Tamar River which was perfect, so I wanted to keep the good vibes happening at Bicheno.

There are members of our club who have been diving for up to 20 years (Ant included) and they never get tired of diving in Waubs Bay, day or night. Step off this old boat ramp (that I'm crawling up) and you're straight into a reef with oodles of sea life. I found this site with photos of the things we saw Sunday night, including those beautiful leafy sea dragons. I'd love to have an underwater housing for our camera but they're not cheap, and then you have to buy a strobe flash etc etc etc......

keepin' warm and feelin' all link-y

So this is the second top I made with this pattern, it's a New Look one - 6683, nicely quick and easy to make too. The bodice is lined and I also lined the skirt for extra warmth and shape. I bought the fabric off Ebay late last year and had been waiting for the right project to come along. It's pure wool so my nose was receiving some yummy wool goodness whenever I ironed it. The first top I made is in a black and white cotton print, which I fully lined also as the print was a bit too thin and flimsy. I've been wanting a nice top to wear if we go out somewhere a bit posh and want to tart myself up a bit, so for about $15 I feel I've done good. Plus it seems to make the boobs look smaller, yay.

Yeah I know the photo's a bit on the crappy side, but this is what one has to do when one sits the camera on the ironing board and gets the self timer happening.

Now, the bunny pattern is from here. I used Prints Charming fabric plus a bit of Kristen's for the legs and ears. Me being the intrepid softie maker that I am didn't find this pattern too difficult, so I can highly recommend it. I think my biggest problem with softies is that I don't make enough of them, plus the fact that they're rather fiddly.

This weekend is a long one (Queens Birthday) and we're off to Bicheno for the Combined Club Weekend. Most of the dive clubs from around the state will be converging to take part in the event. There'll be a few dives, social stuff and the scuba Olympics - which is always good for a laugh. The water is pretty cold now and as I only wear a wet-suit I don't know how much diving I'll do, one day my dry-suit ship will come in.

stitch 'n bitch

Well, not that much bitching which is nice. You see I've finally found a lovely little stitching group that meets at different members houses. This is Leanne merrily sewing away, she's a stitchery power house this woman - which is pretty impressive considering she's got 3 young boys!

I must confess I'm not all that into this latest stitchery craze (although it is very sweet), so I've been taking my quilting instead - which is about the only time I get to work on it. Just as well I've joined the group then.

On the sewing machine front, I've made another top for myself which I'm really really pleased with. I'll have to organise myself and take a photo. I don't have any sewing to do for Tara at the moment as she's in Paris, house sitting amongst other things. Lucky cow.