Lo !

And so she entered the kingdom of sewing and saw that things were good.

The sewing gods smiled,

and lo - she stitched a shoe.

Joke's on me !

Yep, I was totally cracking myself up over this......

I wordled and steam-a-seamed and stitched and stitched....and worked on my chain stitch....and then gave it a gentle squirt to remove the water soluble pen......

and the bloody thing ran.........................

Ironic really........

Decorum...........

Yesterday afternoon Mr Ric-Rac and I headed off to Bendigo to see, once again, the freaky genius of the John Butler trio. Sometime after lunch Mr Ric-Rac enquired as to whether I had my car-craft planned. YIKES ! With Izzy's embroidered dress completed I had nothing to do....

But there is always something on the back burner... Its not perfect by a long shot, but it was quick and fun and car-friendly

and shows a surprising amount of decorum.......

Obviously I am still not quite myself.

correlation

Miss almost-19 is on a gap year , you know that time taken between school and university- to learn about yourself,

to help you make those important who-am-I and what do I want to do with my life type decisions ? A time to cast off the childhood and become an adult?

Well , it is only May and already she has learnt one immutable truth

(I'm so proud)

Slugs and snails

Slugs

and snails

and puppy-dog tails.

A recent influx of boy babies (like 2) gave me an excuse to work on the buckets a bit more. Even though I love the buckets over in the side bar - I have always wanted to have a go at some that are more ...well...buckety, if you know what I mean.

So after a few wonky starts. I ended up with these.

This shape is definitely my new favourite for containers. The bottom has a fabric covered templastic circle sewn to it so they stand quite well and the wool blend fabric has enough texture to forgive the wonky hand sewing of the base.




The only thing I am not sold on , is the handles (artfully fashioned from some wire coat hangers).

Oh and I realise the slug kinda looks like an alien.

I still want them to be wire, so I don't want to cover them, I just want nicer wire-maybe black??? Any suggestions ?

In non buckety news

• I have a sore foot and it is all strapped up so I have learnt to accelerate my sewing machine with my other foot.


• Miss Jemma just scored the LEAD role in the school production (but you know, like it's no big deal mum , you don't have to go telling the whole world.) It is The Wiz, a jazzed up version of The Wizard of Oz. (I so want to make her a Dorothy frock...)


• I have joined Lucy Lockets Mini quilt swap and will be swapping with the very talented Monda loves.

and I thought knitting with wool was hard................can you imagine knitting with televisions?

Ticking off the list

Ok, So I haven't done everything in the list of the last post but I have roughed up a pattern for the doll for school (huge relief). I might actually try and sew one up this afternoon. (not even close)

I am not really into photos of myself (what an understatement) but thought I might use the same idea to make a doll of myself to put in my blogger profile ......stay tuned on that one- I am not promising !

I have finished the two frilly bags - I tried out my exceptionally limited embroidery skills. I mean that truly, I can only do one stitch - I just do it bigger and smaller as I need. I can live with them - they are very happy.

I made these with a combo of new and vintage fabrics - I have quite a stash of vintage fabrics that I rarely use but I love the way these fabrics came together. They have little frills on the last two layers.

The shape is simple and super easy. With Connor's help this morning I learnt how to insert into paint blah blah blah computer blah megasomething blah...... I had a few goes at this because it was hard to make it so enormous that it could be read.

Anyway that is the shape I used - I have made many many bags with this shape - with little carry handles or long shoulder bag handles. If you turn it the other way you get a more basket shaped tote and you can paper-bag fold the bottom corners (either way) to add a gusset.

You know I could have ironed that piece of fabric for the photo ......yeh right !!!

Its all True !

On Monday, after I had almost forgotten about it . This gorgeous Japanese embroidery book dropped into my letter box.

I had a little look right away and then last night had a longer drooling look and a quick rustle through the embroidery threads (purchased last week in anticipation) and then.........................

I put it aside - for I am the type of girl who finishes each project to the letter. I am the type of girl who sews on the last button , irons the project and immediately puts it to use. I am the type of girl whose sewing room is clean and sparse and minimalist. I am the type of girl who has folders of projects she may like to attempt in the future, colour coded and catalogued according to genre and sub genre. I am the kind of girl who sees the joy and wisdom in taking a project slowly and thoughtfully and enjoying every stitch right to the last final stitch where she can sigh a little self-satisfied sigh before she starts the next project.

I am the type of girl who lies through her back teeth.

My blog conscience or Jimminy cricket is not a crafter !

Dear Diary,

This week I promise to finish things off and not start any new projects until the THREE UFO baskets are empty and I have put the binding on the baby quilt.

Monday ...... Dear Diary, I finished off this little baglet. Yes I know I had cut out and partially sewn four of them but this is like totally finished -the base is covered and stitched and and the button is on - like totally finished.

Tuesday .......Dear Diary - Hows this? I finally machine embroidered the scarf that I started last winter ! Yes I know there are two others rolled up ready to be done ...I know . OK ?

Wednesday.......Dear Diary -

• Went op-shopping and bought a coathanger. Came home and hung it up on the wall. This is not a new project diary but rather an ongoing collection so it doesn't count ! NER ! (wish I could find nicer hooks)
• Bought fabric to make binding for baby quilt.
• Tweaked ongoing pattern (first started about 2yrs ago so it does count.)
• Fiddled with, but did not ACTUALLY start new handbag.

Thursday...........Dear Diary -

• Bought fabric for binding baby quilt.
• Googled embroidery stitching instructions (googling doesn't count).
• May have almost quite by accident kind of started the new bag a little bit.

Friday ................. Dear Diary

• Worked on new bag
• blogged
• threw away diary.