Busy bee

Paddy had to have grommets (small tubes, not small surfers) put in his ears on Thursday. He's come through really well, but is very quiet, doesn't want to go outside, and only wants to watch Dora. Poor poppet. But that means that I've been able to get a bit of crafty stuff done that I've wanted to do for ages.

Firstly this.
I think I'd seen something similar on the web somewhere. So on Thursday arvo I painted up this random piece of wood (mdf) blue, then brown. I wanted it to look like a eucalypt forest so just drew some long tree shapes, then yesterday morning started carving them out with my lino cutting tools.

Too easy. MDF is totally the wrong wood - no grain showed through, just that fibrous wood. I was going to clean up the edges, but they look better not being 'sharp'. From a distance it looks great. I can't wait to try it again with some decent wood.


Then this.


I cleaned out my embroidery box the other day and gathered up all the stray floss laying around afterwards. It looked so pretty and so I thought I'd use it for something. I was going for a eye type of image and was going to have all the threads coming out as eyebrows.


But it looked pretty good when they kind of exploded out of that shape. Now I don't really know what it is, but I like it!

I'm hot

Gentle reader. Please allow me permission to boast. I'm hot, and new according to craftster!!!

I'm positive this is random - but how cool to be on the front page of craftster???

More embroidery

I made this for my sister last year. Another thing that wasn't blogged!


She loves this haiku

Here is the dark tree
Denuded now
Of leafage...
But a million stars

Shiki




I love it too.


I love this embroidery too.

Homage

I first drafted this post before Paterson was born, in mid 2007. I never posted it and I don't know why. The link doesn't have the image i used anymore - but it does have her other work on it.

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Wandering the net one day I found the wonderful Muffin's site... all her illustrations are just delightful, but there was one that truely resonated.

I was so taken with it that I decided to embroider her. I'm nearly all finished - barring the legs. I'm not so happy with my take on her mouth and head incline - Muffin's version captures perfectly the exhaustion? exasperation? resignation? Whatever it is, she's got it right.

In mine she looks almost pleased. And her face is sharper than i'd like. Either way, I'm delighted to have embarked on this endevour, and to know that I once felt that way. Because once this bub is born then I'll never turn my mind to pregnancy again. I also learnt alot about drawing with floss - its hard to get it to look exactly how you envisage it.

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I did email muffin to and had her permission to post her image. I loved working on this. But three years on, its still sitting in my embroidery bag. I must do it some justice sometime. Check back in 2013!

Embroidery from the past

My paternal grandfather celebrated (I use the term loosely) his 90th birthday in Bathurst on the weekend.

(we lit the candles and he walked away... overcome? pissed that we took him out for dinner when he didn't want a fuss? just sick of having family around? who knows...)

I've never really spent much time with my paternal grandparents but I remember the bits and pieces that they have around the house. The last time I was there was for my grandmother's funeral. A combination of having my husband and his insatiable curiosity about family and history, and the children's brazen invasion of the whole house made me look at some of these things anew. Like this incredible cross stitch map of the Netherlands (where my family is from).



My dad was born here in Leeuwarden.



The work in it is amazing.


Its filled with lovely little details - an ice skater, a horse, a boat (and three things that look like nuclear submarines - but I suspect not)

It makes me so sad when I think that she could have shared so much with me about her love of craft and her country. But we never really felt comfortable with each other. But she certainly had skill and talent and she must have shared some genetically with me...

Cruel embroidery

I had this idea about doing a cruel embroidery (play on crewel embroidery) last week. And here it is!Its not 'nice' but I've found that a side effect of this new medication is an unreasonable amount of anger and aggression. There is a theory that says that depression is anger turned inwards. Ergo as you get better the anger is projected outwards. If that's true I'm much, much better. I'd rather channel it into this kind of creative output than yelling abuse. Which is what I've found myself doing to the fuckwits that walk their dogs around my suburb and who don't pick up their dog shit. Seriously. Stopping the car, winding down the window and yelling out 'toser!' or 'Oi, are you going to pick that up?' and then spending quite some time planning how I could pick up the poo, following the offenders home and then flinging it at their front doors... not entirely a positive use of energy.

Vote for Toy Society!

Vote for Toy Society in the Handmade Olympics! (click on image)

See more here!

http://thetoysociety.blogspot.com/2010/02/vote-for-toy-society.html

Ever seen a hug?

This is what it looks like.


It requires two people and arms. And this does. One wonderful friend Georgie, and her two arms made this amazing gift for me. To cheer me after the last couple of dark weeks.

I love it. I love the fabrics. I love the hand-stitching on the binding. I'm so touched that such a busy woman spent her valuable spare time making something to make me feel better.


And it does. I can get a Georgie hug anytime I want now.

Thanks George. Its one of my most prized possessions.

Twitchy?

Have you ever checked out your stat counter? Ever looked at the google search terms that lead people to your blog? I've done it a couple of times (blogged here) and have always felt sorry for the poor folk who went looking for some information on how to control errant twitchy fingers and got stuck with my ravings... Here are some recent searches...

• twitchy (fingers, causes of etc)
• twitchy stitch logos
• twichety fingers (only three hits come up when you search that!!! And I'm one of them!! Don't know why that excites me... )
  
• sans clothes (referred to an image I had of some old-style barbies)
• Knitting in literature
• Mother's Day bags
• Twitchy number 1
• Knitty Topaz
• this is as good as it gets

Also still get the odd hit from the old Front Debacle of 08 on Riot Act.

I don't have any pictures to accompany this post so I'll add this one of some FO's from last year. (And because I promised images of FO's last post and didn't deliver. Cos that's what I do - promise and fail to come through. Cos I can. Cos its my blog.)

What's not to love about a first day back at work?

I started work again yesterday and it was lovely! On the first day back to an old job no one needs to show you around or introduce you (except to the new staff who are finally meeting the 'Naomi' they've heard reference to for the past 11 months - they appear underwhelmed), you spend time going through emails and setting up all those preferences that seem to have disappeared from your computer profile, you chat, have coffee, catch up on all the gossip and generally have a nice time.

I know this is going to change, but it was so refreshing to have a day totally in my own headspace. As a parent you much have very little time to ponder the direction of your day - its all dependent on the little folk and their wants, needs and desires. To be able to have a thought, and follow through with it (ie mmm, coffee, i'll get one, oohhh that's what hot coffee taste like!) was nice. And I feel heaps more motivated to do stuff at home, knowing that the time here is precious. I think I need work. Anyhoo, the kidlets won't know much different, Nath has gone part time too so Paddy doesn't have to go into childcare and Lily gets a whole day with her Dad.

I also made a little project bag the other day... I don't often get time near my sewing machine, what with trying to be an attentive parent and all. But Lily decided to play games on ABC kids site so I got to sit beside her and sew - periodically helping her to find Iggle Piggle or dress Mixy. I got the fabric from Calico Patch at Gold Creek, and put a little pvc window in so I can see what project is contained within. It was such a quick job, but it does the trick!

And here is a look at some poppies that my mum gave me... they looked stunning in the 6am sunshine... Sometimes I'm grateful that my little man gets me up at 5.00.

k2tog

How wonderful is this???

Check out this talented artist here and here...

Time, time, time, see what's become of me...

Last month I made this.

It's an ongoing project, and I'm working on it every day. Its grown 1kg (2.2 pounds) since I started it primarily because its feeding incessantly. Some days I've been unable to put it down because of various problems, but I think they're all ironed out now.

Since I've been so tied up with that project I've not had much time for anything else... But I did embroider this little picture - a facsimile of a picture that Lily drew of her family.

The egghead on the left is Daddy, the amoeba with eyes was 'the baby' (the picture was drawn before PJ arrived), the one with the big smile is Lil and the one with the wonky head (or enormous ear coming out of her head) and insanely long legs is me. Apparently the tallest person in a child's family drawing is the most important (or perhaps that should be 'most scary' given aforementioned head/nose issue)...

I decided afterward to add a clock so we could hang it in Lil's room, but I need to paint the hands black because it looks odd as is.

And in other news, I got this delicious package from Miss Dot - resin artist extraordinare. My dodgy camera skills do not capture the majesty of her work.

My favourite is the lady in profile.

Thank you to all of you who sent kind wishes welcoming Paterson - and for those Canberra folk, we promise to pop in to an SnB soon. And hopefully I'll be able to get posting/crafting a bit more regularly now that things have settled into some kind of routine.

Making house and cleaning house

Its a miracle this house was built at all - my child seems to have an insatiable desire to eat/lick anything that I mix in a bowl...

And this is the result of clearing some cupboards that were horribly stuffed full of useless or meaningless consumer items. Off they went to the Salvos.

*Edit* I would love to take credit for the gloriousness of the gingerbread house - but its beauty is primarily due to the idiot-proof mould I used. Its from a Chefs Toolbox party plan thingo I went to (this was my 'oh jesus I have to buy something' purchase) because I too have long harbored a desire to make one, but knew that attempting it on my own would result in a saggy, baggy, gingerbread humpy.

Admiration of others

We went down to Nowra last weekend to see my Nana for her birthday. While we were down there DH's aunt gave Lily a 'Jemima'. For anyone who doesn't know, Jemima is a doll on Playschool. So this new Jemima is actually Lily's third Jemima.

Each of them is handmade. The non-knitted Jemima (known as 'other Jemima') was made by my Nana for my little sister. Its about 20-25 years old, and barring the lack of elasticity in her knicker elastic she's doing pretty well. Occasionally her hair becomes detached too... Her dress is beautifully made and I know was made with love. I'm grateful that my sister has shared her with my daughter.

The smaller of the other two is 'Jemima'. She's one of those reversible dolls. The other end is called 'Princess Fiona'. DH's great aunt picked her up at a church fair.

And the big 'Jemima mummy' was the gift from Aunty Jayne; provider of cuddles, kisses and fun, as well as piles of books and toys.


In terms of detail and craftsmanship, these two knitted Jemima's are just incredible. Jemima Mummy has roses, and hair ribbons, and picot edging on her clothes. Jemima and Princess Fiona even more so with individual flowers/patches on the dress, hair and hand ornaments and many-coloured clothing.

I know they're a little old-fashioned and some of the yarn is a little '$2 shop' in colour, but the work that must have gone into these... well I'm speechless. And I just want to throw out to the blogmosphere my thanks to the two old ducks that I don't know who are the artisans who crafted these treasured toys... as well as to the old duck that I do know (hi Nan!) another artisan who has inspired me so much to try and replicate her talent. And has given me half of her sewing room under the guise of 'cleaning out'.

We saw another talented old person, my Pa, on the weekend too. He's been bragging about the bag I made... saying it's 'bloody beautiful'. This is high praise from Pa - not that he's not generous with his praise, but its usually reserved for when I grow something he's struck for me, or bear him a great grand-child. And better yet, he's made a template of the handles from the bag and is going to make a stack of them for me so I can make some more! You rock Pa.

And to finish off this mammoth post, I attach a picture of my bubby girl with her two new miniature favourite toys - Sleeping Booffie (Beauty) and her Daddy-boy (Prince - but a pretty high accolade as she calls her father Daddy-boy. I'm just Mummy). She waltzes around the house singing the theme from Sleeping Beauty 'I know you, I've walked with you, Once Upon a Dream'... She possesses at least two of the things I prayed for in my child - a great imagination and a love of singing. She's also a very happy child so I guess I got the bonus deal!

Hello, and welcome

I have toyed with the idea of a blog for some time ... having seen and enjoyed so many blogs, I wondered how I would stack up against them. But I suppose the voyeur in me {that enjoys other people's blogs} encouraged the exhibitionist in me to 'just do it'. So here we are.

I've got too much on the go right now...

• Heart design scarf from Knitty
• Wavy scarf from Knitty
• A cardigan for L that Nana is knitting the front of, and I'm knitting the back
• Finishing off a cardigan for L that I started last year and that probably won't fit her till next year
• Making curtains for our whole house
• Hemming a dress my mother made for L
• Finishing lots of little projects for a kids/baby swap on Crafster (obviously swapping stuff for kids/babies, not swapping actual children...)
• Jacket for L
• Three miniature felted dresses to frame for L's room
• Stuffed felt toy for a friend
• Doing the ribbing on two baby sleeping bags for M's daughter

I fit them all into a box so they don't haunt me so...

I have finished one thing, a little place mat for L, inspired by whipup

I've managed to get going on at least one project - {while waiting for stupid Big Brother to finish so I could watch Law and Order} the little green monster for J at work. He's a little misshapen and hasn't any eyes as yet, but he's not looking too bad. Another girl at work wants one now too... in red. They're based (fairly heavily) on ugly dolls.

And I finished some little booties a couple of days ago. They are pretty cute, but they need something else to complete them. They fasten at the ankle with a little bit of velcro, so I'll need to sew that down, so perhaps a little embroidered something? I don't know. I got the pattern from the Martha Stewart site. This is my second attempt at getting this blog up and running… for some reason blogger wouldn't let me post new posts…