Grandmother

This is one of our favourite books in our house. I have adored Jeannie Baker's books since I was in primary school and "Where the Forest Meets the Sea" came out. I still remember sitting on the library floor being mesmerised by the story and the pictures as the librarian read.

The way Jeannie Baker uses collage is amazing. It doesn't matter how many times we read her books we seem to find something new on every page that we hadn't seen before. The detail and texture are incredible.

I love "Grandmother" because it encompasses the beautiful simplicity of spending a day just being with a Grandparent. It is what happy childhood memories are made of, playing the piano, learning to knit, finding treasures in the garden, having tea parties, collecting washing and picking flowers.

The Tale of the Bobbin Thief

Everyone has one don't they? A member of the family that adores an item so much that he or she will go to extreme lengths to get their hands or in this case paws on it. Oscar aka "the boss" is my two year old moggy special from the RSPCA. He runs the show in our house but of late has found that bobbins make excellent cat toys.

Oscar had waited patiently watching me sit and sew, all a while pretending to be sleeping. Then I made the mistake of leaving one lonely little empty bobbin sitting all by itself on the chair. Oscar of course was overcome and had to leap onto the chair to rescue it from the impending doom of being forced into that noisy machine. Oscar now has a consuming bobbin addiction. The crazy cat adores them. He bats them around the floor with great gusto of a miniture lion stalking its prey (instead it really is a suburban moggy looking more than a little silly). After great excitement and courage he will catch the wayward bobbin and stalk smugly with it in his mouth until of course it breaks under his unbelievable strength. The girls and I have spent many a happy moment watching him play. I now have to make sure all bobbins are secured and put away as he has also has a liking to those full of thread.

So boys and girls lock up your bobbins for Oscar is on the loose.

Oscar garding the sewing machine and all bobbins.

Little Bits of Nice

Life has been crazy busy at the moment. Running after the girls, three sports days in the last week, packing a house, rescuing stolen toys from Lily the golden retriever, etc, etc. Not too much sewing but oh well you can't have every thing.

Although I haven't had much time to list any new items in my etsy shop, I had one of the most lovely convos sent to me from a buyer. She thanked me so nicely for a small purse that I had sent her. She had brought it for her twin sister as a birthday present. Making her happy with something I made was a really a little bit of nice that I particularly needed right at the moment.

I remember hating art classes at school. I had an art teacher who only believed that those who could draw and paint well were the only ones who were entitled to artistic merit. The rest of us pathetic students were left to believe that we had no creativity or any other ways to express any artistic side. It is nice now as a semi grown up to find out that creativity isn't just being able to draw or paint and that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

Letting go

My Messenger for Mary bag sold has found a new home. I am all happy and sad at the same time. I loved the way this bag came together - a little baby almost. I am sure it will be well cared for with its new owner.

Oh well I shouldn't be too sad as I made one for myself too!

Well I'm off to make doll's nappies for baby Annabell.

Messenger For Mary

This sweet little cat purse has a home currently in my etsy store. Pippijoe's fabric is much to lovely to be relegated to the scrap bag, so I fused a cut out of one of her designs onto a denim purse.

This purse makes me giggle a little as last weekend at my Mum's there was a rather large cat stuck up a tall gum tree that the fire brigade couldn't rescue so the RSPCA had to come and get it down. The poor love. Every time I look at the print it reminds me of it. Why do cats do crazy
things like that?

Above is a picture of the latest bag I have made. It is a very simple denim messenger bag, but with the delightful Pippijoe orchard fabric on the flap it came up a treat. The off white of the flap with the rich red ink on the denim looks so lovely. I liked it so much I was a little naughty and made one for myself.

Just a quick note

Just a quick note to say that I have my etsy store up and running. If anyone wishes to have a look please click on the link in the next collum. I think I have a lot of learning to do but I am enjoying the challenge.

Lovely Finds

I had the most wonderful pleasure of attending The Hearts for Africa fabric sale at Greg Hayes Upholstery on the weekend. Wow, there were some of the most beautiful fabric, many pieces for just 40c. The girls, my Mum and I had a fantastic time. I have now been able to add a whole 90 litre container full of fabric to my stash. Some of the finds were unbelievable, I even managed to snag the end of a roll with 2m left of lovely Osborne & Little fabric for only $5. The girls loved going through the 40c pieces (some were up to 2m in length and still full width!) and selecting some very vibrant colours and textures to make clothes for their dolls.

But I have to say that the best parts of the sale were the lovely ladies that volunteered at the sale and the fact that the proceeds of the sale go towards The Hearts of Africa charity that helps fight poverty in Tanzania. It was such a lovely treat to go fabric shopping like that. Now I just have the hard job of deciding what to do with it all! My head is certainly swimming.