hello 45 :)

Another year, another number... I really like being in my 40s... 
they're going quickly though! Halfway to 90 people ;)


I'm off to lunch today with my mum, aunty and sister.
Hope you have a great day too! x

Our Creative Spaces: Finishing cushions

I'm playing along with the Our Creative Spaces meme again this week. 

To sign up or see other spaces visit here.

In my space this week, I've been finishing the ripple cushions. Actually, 

I'm a bit stressed at the moment because my machine is playing up... I take

my foot off the pedal and it won't stop  :( 

I'm investigating solutions... Meanwhile, this is literally my space...

I really like details and finishing touches that have a practical application 

but also work aesthetically. Linen tape, found here, binds the cushion seams

to shape and looks pretty cool too I think ;)

Hope you've had a wonderfully creative week ... and sewing machines that 

work well for you!

So in love :)

Look at what arrived in the post today! 





I love it so much and wasted no time putting an insert into this delectable 
creation and getting out my camera. Isn't it gorgeous?





It's the work of Mrs Eliot Books, otherwise known as Francesca. You can 
find her envelop store here and her fabulous blog here, where she designs 
other wonderful things like this...





Thanks Fran - I love it :)

Moment of reckoning...

So, the moment has come... I've finished the 'new-improved' chevron 
but now I really can't choose between them.


You remember the first one? I thought it looked like a football jersey 
and decided to try again...



Well, this is the 'try again' chevron... I think I prefer it, but it's not really 
up to me I guess. I'll let the buyer decide which design she likes. 
Which do you prefer?





It's been a tumultuous week full of teenage angst and drama in this 
household. I'm ready to slump in a heap ;) 
The Little One has her indoor hockey grand final tomorrow... I'm hoping 
to rally by then ;)


Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Cost Price Sale!

I'm having a cost price sale on my cushions... Have a peek at my Etsy Shop.

Our Creative Spaces: Finished Ripple Blanket

It feels like ages since I've joined in with the Our Creative Spaces meme. 
Visit here to see more spaces or to sign up yourself.





So, in my space this year has been a massive order for 16 ripple cushions 
(front panels finished but not made up into actual cushions yet)... 4 crazy 
chevron cushions (only 1 panel made up with plans to re-design the pattern 
and start again)... and a ripple blanket (finished!).











I love how it's got a lovely bumpy form to suit the pattern.








The yarn is Biggan Design and the ripple pattern is Lucy's.





It's so nice to have something finished :) Must get back to finishing the rest of 
the order now. Hope you've had a productive week? Happy creative space day!


UPDATE:
I've crocheted some matching bunting to go with the blanket...

Crazy Chevron fail

I've been absent again I'm sorry...
Things have not been going well with the crazy chevron.
To begin with, it took me a week just to complete one front panel...



lots of tiny triangles... 
but worse, the finished result is not as I'd envisaged it.

I think it looks more like a football jersey than a chevron ;)

I feel certain the buyer is not going to like it so I've done up a new pattern.

I plan to finish off the making up of the ripple cushions and the ripple blanket

and then I'll crochet the new chevron pattern for the buyer to choose which 

one she likes.

I know it sounds silly but I'd really like her to be happy with this order.


In the meantime, I've been working on the ripple blanket this week... and it's 
made me feel a whole lot happier :)



Hope you've had a good week.

Happy hearting

Happy Valentine's Day!






Found these lovelies here.

Identity

My big girl came home with her year 10 English assignment the other day... 
she has to write a personal reflection on what it is to be Australian and do a 
presentation. It was a difficult concept for her because she said she doesn't 
feel Australian; she doesn't identify with any of the generalisations with 
which we are constantly bombarded. 


I couldn't think of a thing to say... I don't feel Australian either. We talked 
about the nature of identity and how it can be formed in many different ways. 
I made a flippant comment: The only time I feel Australian is when I'm overseas!


And then I came across this image....

My Home is the Sea by Matt Wisniewski

It vividly reminded me of when we used to live in London and how I longed 
to see the sea. The Mr and I would hire a car and drive to Brighton or 
Ilfracombe in North Devon and just gaze at it for ages, taking in our fill. This, 
then, reminded me of how I also used to long to smell freshly cut grass... 
weird I know ;)


Anyway, in the way of meandering thought processes.... it all made me realise 
that I am very Australian, inside me, at some integral spot... I really need vast 
spaces every so often to feel at ease, and for me that is symbolised by the sea. 
I'm guessing because I spent so much of my childhood at the beach. Also, the 
smell of freshly cut grass is symbolic of our outdoors way of living here. Again 
from childhood, it's warm summer days spent playing outside.


Of course, my big girl can't use my reflections but I'm hoping this will help her 
come up with something meaningful for herself.


How about you? Do you feel Australian, or wherever you're from? Do you feel 
connected to where you were born or can you only see these connections when 
you're far away from there? I'd love to hear what you think :)

Crazy Chevron in progress

The ripple cushions are all crocheted - yah! Now I just have four more cushions 
to crochet in a different pattern... this one I call Crazy Chevron.





Based on my original triangle patterns, this one combines different sized 
triangles to form a large chevron pattern. The cushions will be 50x50cms to
give you an idea of its size and scale.





The yarn is an Australian made first cross merino from Biggan Design in 
Lime and Dark Turquoise.





Thanks so much for your wonderful encouragement on my last post. 
Have a lovely week!

Onto the green

I'm going to be busy busy busy doing green ripples this week.





I'm running behind schedule. This is only no.13 of 20 cushions... Was it a full 
week ago I was on no.11? 





The first week of school has been very distracting. Yes, I'm starting to panic.





The pattern is Lucy's and the yarn is Jo's.





Hope it's a good week for you :)

More recycling...

I've posted on these guys before... They are amazing artists and so inspiring... 
luzinterruptus.





They staged an installation in Warsaw called Recycling Sunday to not only 
encourage recycling, but also familiarise the residents with the colour codes 
used to separate different kinds of recycled garbage... blue for paper, yellow 
for metal and green for glass.

1000 bags in these three colours were inflated with lights and distributed

around a plaza.

Apparently, Warsaw has no recycling program... it'd be interesting to find out 
whether this installation had some impact on that :)


photos by Gustavo Sanabria

Inspiration: Recycled/Repurposed

Love this! A recycling feature in the US Elle magazine.
Designers given the task of creating a piece of couture from 
a selection of garments.








That ruffled skirt is just magic! :)


Found via Blue Moss

Been busy + getting distracted...

I've been a bad blogger lately, but I have been busy. 
There's been a lot of crocheting going on hereabouts... I'm currently working on 
the 11th out of the 20 cushions ordered. I still have a baby blanket to do as well, 
so not quite halfway yet. 


It's been quite a lesson in staying focussed for someone like me who seems to flit 
around from one idea to the next ;)

















I haven't quite managed to stay focussed though... I've been crocheting some 
more covert bunting... My cousin had a baby girl the other day, so I dropped 
everything to get together a little something for her. (Thank goodness I have 
so many triangles I've already crocheted in my stash).


I tried something slightly different from last time. What do you think of the white 
border?... or does it look better plain?





As per usual, though, when I must be doing something all I can think about is 
something else ;) I've been dreaming about getting back to printing some fabric.
Hope you've been doing fun things?