macro 24 of 30: green cuff detail

green cuff detail
Originally uploaded by djbebe

Tomorrow night we're going to a friend's first solo art show, somewhere in the country, so I decided I needed something new and fabulous to wear. This is the result - green and brown cuff, featuring velvet ribbons and some sort of smocked knit fabric that came in the latest big box of fabric sample discards from Lyssy May. I finally had time and courage enough to open it. Them, actually, there were two. I think the side you can see here is meant to be the inside of the fabric, but I liked the more structural look of this side. More on flickr if you care to see the finished product. Inspired, I think, by Ms brown sparrow who I just discovered this week.

adventures in vinyl

wasp bag and matching wristlet
Originally uploaded by djbebe

I got so many things crossed off my todo list this weekend that I didn't even have time to blog them. I got this wristlet made - loosely based on a Denyse Schmidt pattern - and possibly the beginning of a love affair between me and vinyl. So easy to sew with, once you have a teflon foot, and no need to worry about finishing edges. More experimentation required - but I can see brooches, cuffs, hair thingies, napkin rings - the possibilities are endless!

I also finished off a batch of cuffs - they've been waiting patiently for press-studs for oh a couple of months... Then I filed some stuff in our new filing cabinet - hopefully it will magically make all the piles of papers in our kitchen and everywhere else disappear. I'm still in denial re tax time, however.

Don't tell anyone, but I also vacuumed the house. Don't worry, I'm over it now.

flowers

flowers
Originally uploaded by djbebe

I made a long todo list at the start of the weekend, and as per usual I did lots of things but didn't get many crossed off the list. But that's ok because in my world, the list is just to remind you that you once meant or wanted to do something, as opposed to my good friend Kim who makes lists so she doesn't get distracted by other stuff - my list is so that when I come back from being distracted, I remember where I was.

Plus, since this is my first weekend home in 2 months, I decided I could do whatever I wanted for the whole weekend.

So from my list, I finished an order for brooches, made covers for my mp3 player and started on some new shirts for me. Ali, I aim to finish them tonight!

Not from my list, I baked 3 kinds of cookies, planted tomatoes, beans, basil and cucumbers, made ginger and lime granita, started some bean sprouts, arranged some flowers, and made a big mess in my craft room. I also hemmed a dress, sewed the buttons back on some shorts and rearranged the entire kitchen. The plates are so much easier to get to - I can't believe it's taken me a year to figure that out!

And then, see, the remainder of the things on the list just get carried over to the next list - that is if I still desire to do the thing. If not, too bad, thing, you had your chance.

And now, I can cross 'blog post' off the list. Yay.

Jungle brooch

Jungle brooch
Originally uploaded by djbebe

Thanks for the good thoughts and karma - got back from Parkes last night so we're both a bit exhausted from driving (almost 20 hours all up), funeral matters and family overload. I know what you mean about crafty diversions - if I wasn't a crafter I might be forced to clean the fridge or something. Anyhow, today I made some more coasters and this brooch, in the aforementioned not-quite-leopard-skin rayon. I think it works. I scored a handful of these upholstery buttons at an op shop a while back, and they go perfectly with this vinyl which I also thrifted - for a dollar a metre.

And now I'm waiting for HandyMan to cook me dinner.

pink elephant quilt

pink elephant quilt
Originally uploaded by djbebe

This is a closeup of the hand-quilting I'm doing on the baby quilt (my third - quilt that is, not baby) for my brother's second baby, due in February. Aren't I organised?! Should be finished in another week or two. I'm quilting it from the back, using the print as the template. So I'm stitching around pink elephants, and tigers, and flowers and giraffes. Easier than drawing templates! I went to visit my nan for lunch and went with her to the retirement village's "craft ladies" group; I took my quilt and did a bit of stitching, while listening to the ladies chatter in the background. What are you doing there Madge? Ohhh, I'm just crocheting around the edge of this hankie, the cotton hankies that my Cheryl used to get for me down at... Oh here's a pattern for 3 ply, you can't get that any more, it's all gone 4 ply... Yes it was all Azalea and do you remember when Jet came in? Oh yes it was 12 ply - that was fast knitting! Ohhh, and have you been listening to the news? My Beryl's in Phuket but thank goodness I got a text message from her yesterday and she's ok... And how about Dulcie, she shouldn't be still living on her own in that house...

A very relaxing soundtrack to hand quilting!

I also spent some time in Brisbane on the weekend with Kim and did some ironic? satirical? handquilting while sitting next to a machine-quilting frame. I can see the benefits of machine-quilting, especially for large projects, but I still prefer the more forgiving, meditative approach of handquilting. I'm about a quarter of the way to being finished!

green wasp bag

green wasp: exterior
Originally uploaded by djbebe

Based on the now famous wasp bag pattern I made this. (And I got to be the first, apart from the original wasp bag, to post it up to flickr - yay!) All from my stash - which is why it doesn't have a magnetic clasp but I think it has enough body to overcome that - and I like a basket bag anyhow. I got this roll of green vinyl thrown in for free when we bought a timber and glass cabinet at a furniture closing down sale - bargain! I think I was much more excited about my roll of green vinyl than I was about the lovely cabinet. So this is its first use - turned out well though the vinyl was a bit of a pain to sew. Gotta get me a teflon foot.

reverse garbage and old-school cinema

I had a super excellent weekend - starting with Friday off and a visit with HandyMan and ex-bridesmaid Sponky to various fabric stores and spare car parts shops (something for everyone!), Lyssy May's shop and - finally got there - Reverse Garbage. I've been meaning to visit Reverse Garbage for a while and I read about an art exhibition here so decided to have a look. I love making things from recycled or rescued materials so it was right up my alley. The art exhibition was small but interesting, and I found some fabrics that have reuse potential - though I think the art exhibitionists may have cleaned out the haberdashery section! Worth a look for supplies if you're in Brisbane and don't have anything specific in mind.

And then, on Saturday night we finally got around to going to Toowoomba's Icon Cinema where one weekend each month they show old movies from the 30's and 40's and you sit in old bench seats with a blanket over your knees and watch a pre-movie serial and drink wine and have intermission. Intermission! Fabulous. I can't believe we haven't been before. We saw Mr Deeds goes to Town, and it was sweet and funny and starred the handsome Gary Cooper.

And Sunday, I had the whole day to myself in my craft room, and got lots of things done.