lovely organics

The samples from All Eco were a tad smaller than I thought (they were free afterall). I've been able to get a feel with my 'fingertips' and they seem just lovely. The Handloomed Hemp is just awesome! I got these samples as well as the ones from here in source of a good quality organic fleece, and I must say the bamboo and organic cotton fleece from the Bamboo Fabric Store has won my heart. Now I just need to find it in black and chocolate brown.

my creative space

Having a little play with some felt and fabric brooches. I've been wanted to do something with this wool felt for so long now...actually I've tried but nothing seems to have worked for me so far. They are swatch sizes so I can't work on anything 'big' but it is amazing wool with a great thickness ($150 per metre apparently!) so I'm feeling felt jewellery would be the go. I'm also wondering how to make the blue felt bracelets work - they look quite cute snapped around the wrist but they need some detail of course. So here in the warm room we have some...

• wool felt


• beads


• embroidery thread


• liberty fabric


• organza pleated and some screen printed by me


• snap fasteners


• and lots of mess only I can see!

I'm looking forwarded to catching other creative spaces this week...thanks Kirsty :-)

Bamboo...I'm in love

Photo and product of Wink Design

I've been wanted to purchase some organic fleece for some scarfs that the talented Marina from Wink Designs has inspired me to make. Marina sources her organic fleece from the US but I was shocked and disheartened at the cost of delivery and knew there must be some place I can get some delicious soft organic fleece from my own home country. Oh, and how I love what I found!This small collection of sample fabrics is from the Bamboo fabric store in QLD - and I was so excited when the parcel arrived today because I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with these beautiful beautiful (I want to eat them) fabrics. From bottom to top:

• Bamboo Heavy Fleece - 70% Bamboo 30% Organic Cotton - delightful
• Bamboo Fleece - 70% Bamboo 30% Organic Cotton - still delightful & melts in your hands
• Bamboo Organic Cotton Jersey Natural - 70% Bamboo 30% Organic Cotton
• Bamboo Silk - 60% Bamboo 40% Silk
• Bamboo Hemp Jersey - 70% Bamboo 30% Hemp - the hemp gives a lovely texture
• Bamboo & Wild Nettle - 80% Bamboo 20% Nettle - my favourite, stunning texture but still so soft
• Bamboo Single Loop Terry - 70% Bamboo 28% Organic Cotton 2% Poly
• Bamboo Weave - 100% Bamboo - just beautiful...as light as a feather

Bamboo Weave

Bamboo & Nettle

*Now I'm just waiting on my free samples from All Eco - Natural & Organic Living - check it out & kindly ask for some, they were very quick to respond :-) How kind hey?!

fabric envelopes...

Photo from Design *Sponge

Came across this very cool project for fabric envelopes whilst reading the blog of paper and thread which was actually courtesy of Design*Sponge. Great way to use up scraps of fabric - love it!

magical moments

We had a black out on Friday night. 7pm til 9.45pm. Luckily dinner was finished, one babe asleep and one on the way. My goodness it got cold so quickly. We didn't have any wood to light a fire and we really didn't think it would be off for so long so we didn't bother buying any. In that short time without power I realised how much we take for granted...

*no kettle for a cuppa

*no microwave to heat my heat pack

*no t.v

*no Internet

*no phone connection

*no lights - but I consistently kept flicking the light switch - there's NO POWER Cindy

It made us...

*STOP and sit in silence - which I loved but it was so damn cold

*light candles in every room - which was beautiful

*talk to each other - with no distraction

*read to my big little girl by candle light in her big day bed and have her fall asleep in my lap whilst reading - that's never happened before, in fact I was convinced it only happened in the movies...that moment was magical.

I was in bed early and had a great sleep, unlike tonight.

When was the last time you were forced to just STOP?

more inspiration

Apart from my mad postings right this minute it has been a quiet week on the blog and crafting front. I've done little bits of craft (very little) nothing successful - I have been working (paid work) lots! However, I'm always looking at the world around me and trying to capture things I love.

I'm so in awe of these little creatures. Their incredible making and gentle pulsating moves had me hypnotised.

It was nice to spend some quality time with DD and our big little girl at the aquarium, our destination a little advanced for our littlest munchkin. Soon Miss May xx.

inspiration everywhere I look...

DD and I were lucky enough to experience a very memorable lunch at the Flower Drum recently. Such a wonderful experience. If you're ever in Melbourne and want top quality Cantonese I highly recommend it. I couldn't resist a quick tour of some of the stores located in China Town. Bought the big delight a fan. Love the pleats and repetition.

fine drawing for a little person

I've been really impressed with my big 'little' delights drawing skills lately - I thought this one was a particularly fine effort for a 2.5 year old. She wasn't too impressed when I got the camera out and tried to cover her work with her feet. Funny little person she is...

Night Owl Paper Goods

I'm so in love with Night Owl Paper Goods - that I just had to share (once again). They print the most simple yet beautiful designs on eco-friendly sustainably harvested wood. We have a small collection, mainly in Heidi's room - but I want more. Simple.

Happy Birthday DD

It's DD's birthday today and I wanted to show off his awesome talent. After many years of painting miniatures he finally joined a group where he can actually play his painted up Blood Bowl teams. He designed this stadium for his Slann team (very cute froggies) which he will play in a tournament today. All made from scratch - I'm so impressed!

Good luck Aspa - you beautiful man...Happy Birthday xx.

Lovely surprise...

I received this in the mail yesterday from my "crafty buddy" it was a thank you from her to me for making her this to give to a friend in the UK. It was so nice to open a parcel of fabric (more special when it's purchased from London) and a delightful handmade brooch made locally by Kathy Davidson, a bit of info on her here. Thank you Jude, I love it all!

my creative space

My creative space this week follows on from my last post "letting go". I have piled all my fabric pieces left from my aeronautical project (many years ago) and will now attempt to make something with them...just not sure what. It may just sit like this for the next week...NO! It mustn't! Although, I am working 3 days next week :-( so it may...

*most of the fabric pieces are organza that I've dyed and printed using discharge inks. This website gives a good description of what discharge printing is for those that want to know.

Check out more creative spaces here - it's fun thanks Kirsty.

P.s. I've added a 'followers' gadget just because everyone else has one - so if 'ya follow me' I would love to know who you are!! I know there are a few of you out there that are not bloggers but still pop in to visit...but I think you made need to have a blog to show who you are...ah, who knows...

Letting Go...

I've finally decided to clear out the last of my bits and pieces from my Textile Design degree (1995-98) AND some of my Brighton Bay work (1994-one of the best course around!) - it's taking up space we don't have :-( But I'm ready to let it all go...sort of...maybe I'll cut into some of the fabric? Frame some of my gouache designs? I've taken photos of them now so I can remember some of what I did, although it's not the same...
The fabric samples are still mounted on card, stored the same way I exhibited them (that's tragic, I could have thrown the card out long ago) and I don't know why I kept the storyboard, but I did.

I chose an aeronautical theme. The illustration in the middle right is what the fabric was made into. Yep, a dress with a kite attached. I have the dress stored away - I was very tempted to hack into this fabric but I needed to keep SOME memory, plus part of the project was to collaborate with a fashion designer and I was very fortunate to have worked with my high school friend and now very successful fashion designer Toni Maticevski. So, that dress ain't being cut up!!! It's a Toni one of a kind :-) I'll get my sister's long legs to model it one day and post a pic of it. He's incredibly talented I believe he whipped it up in a day. He was born to sew. I've never met a more down to earth bloke who is extremely passionate and dedicated to his work. For goodness sake he knew how good he was when he declined an offer from Donna Karen to be one of her designers.
Some fabric samples I need to pile up...

I will post some of my gouache designs as I unpack and re stack them into a smaller box (until I decided what I'm really going to do with them) is that still letting go?

brown owls fabric swap...

It was lovely and relaxing at the Brown Owls craft session tonight, I hadn't been in ages. I work on Tuesday's now so the night before is always crazy getting organised (and Spooks is on) but it's school holidays so I was looking forward to going and participating in the fabric swap and learning a new skill...crochet. Thanks to Pip the fabric swap idea was sweet - it's nice to be surprised! Great to meet Leah from Mini Monty and Cinti from My Poppet. Also, Jo you rock! Thanks for teaching me the beginnings of crochet - what patience. I got home and was like "oh, what do I do now? a treble? a chain? yeah I think it's a chain, ooh but how many again?" Hmmm, I need a pattern in front of me, can't rely of this mummy brain. Oh yes, and thanks to Kirsty who convinced me that my crochet technique wasn't that tight after all :-)

Maybe I can make one of these now! Yup...

Circles...

I'm really liking circles at the moment...here's my big little girl at the Melbourne Museum park.

She's fun.

Oh my goodness...

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness...as Annie and her friends would say - I made it a week without blogging or looking at anyone elses blog....yes I missed it but it was such a nice break from the computer. I really can't believe it's been a week already and truthfully all I got finished was the scarf I'd been working on for ages. No other craft making :-(
I did Op shop though...and I'm sharing with you what I bought :-)
*Recycled wool scarf with a touch of Liberty finally finished. The permanent (ironed out) pleats add character to this piece - it finished up much stiffer than I wanted it to be, but it's hard to avoid that when you applique and double up on wool thickness. *This was my lucky buy for the day. As I was holding it in my hand a lady in her 60's came up to me and said, "Oh I just dropped that off, it's ancient my mother had it forever I think it was my grandmothers" well of course my face lit up - I'm hoping it's over 100 years old. An egg cup & plate holder I believe with no markings. It cost me $10. If anyone has seen or knows of this design and the year it was made (approx) I'd love to know! Sorry, another dark and gloomy day terrible for taking photos indoors - but I did.*Some vintage aprons and fabric pieces.*Two silk scarfs and one cotton.I've never seen a scarf designed this way before. Has anyone else?*This orange mohair (very large) shoulder throw feels beautiful! *Some books...My Fairyland book has the most delightful illustrations - I wanted to share but the day got darker and darker, as it does and the photos turned out horrible...so next time. Yes there is another Heidi book in the pile but we do already have this version, except the condition of this one is so much better so I had to buy it. *There was a weird sticker over the embossed marking of this tin plate - I thought I was in for a winner. I gently removed the sticker with Eucalyptus oil to find: Scandinavian Design Made in China - damn it!! Oh well, Heidi smiles at her so that's enough for me. This photo doesn't do the colourings much justice, but it is the most delicious red and the girl is ever so sweet - very Scandinavian looking! *Yep, I do love my Liberty and because you would never be able to purchase a Liberty tie in Australia (unless some fancy menswear store imports them and then they'd be well over $100 anyway) I had to have it. It can go in the dress up box. Or I can just store it with the rest of my fabric stash at look it every now and again and smile (I do have a life, promise!).

*Lastly, a blue vintage Royal Stafford saucer - the design in the centre is a little worn but the blue colouring is just so pretty I couldn't put it back down. Bird jug given to me by my mother in law.

Three Op Shops - $30 spent. It was fun - I love it.