a special photoshoot

While we are thousands of miles away this was happening. Ive corrected the link now people. Sorry the computer seems to be in asian and im winging it!

a heidi coat photo shoot

How cool is this? (scream)

Danielle of Curiouser and Curiouser was the happy recipient of my first Heidi coat.

While her baby was sleeping the other day she set up this little backdrop in her own backyard and took some photos of her little girl wearing her new coat.

Underneath she has her Little Tree Kids pinafore on too. As always, its so great to see my stuff ON.

Thanks Danielle!

Head on over to Curiouser to see the rest of the shots

 and to drool over the beautiful images Danielle takes.

She's one talented lady.

announcement

size 2 eskimo for Nadia

Things will be a bit quiet here this week while I prepare to close shop

and get ready to go overseas with the Mr.

Were off to Vietnam and Cambodia to celebrate our 25th from last year. There is no way we were organised enough to go away for the actual anniversary!

I will be making myself some holiday clothes and things dont get too hectic

I may pop in to show you what im up to.

I dont really pack until the final day but I sew a whole stash in the lead up to that day,

and then choose what I want to take in the final moments. Not the most practical approach, I know, as I always make too much to actually pack, but its a great way to boost my wardrobe. I dont know about you but when im about to take off somewhere it frees up so much space in my mind to create. I think im an adrenalin junkie when it comes to sewing. Its going to be challenging as we'll be going to really hot and humid and cold mountainous regions too. 

So far all ive packed is a raincoat. (not kidding)

The Mr on the other hand has been buying his stuff and hes all done.

Check the shop announcement for the details and dates for my kids clothes.

Ill be back the second week in May, depending on when Adelin has baby,

and production of the

Lumberjackets will be in full swing.

Ill be doing ladies sizes

 small   8-10,

medium   12,

large   14-16,

so just the three for now.

Some Heidi coats will be happening too! 

a shop update

size 5

I have set myself a goal of finishing five orders today. So far ive done only two but I have taken our poor Rustico for a walk along the cliffs, a jog actually. We both needed it.

It took me an entire evening to make the patterns for the boys vests.

About four whole hours and only five sizes!

This is for you, Maxabella. Its as close as I can get to the original.

size 6-7

I looove the purple ribbon. Ive had this since before the beginning of time.

It was one of the first batches of hand dying I ever performed. I like the quirk factor it gives this cardi.

Im off to try to quirk up some more things.

before the light fades

size 1-2

size 1-2

the first of the snozberry range

And this is what im working on tonight. An eskimo for Nadia.

 I have cunningly put some potatoes in the oven so when I get home from picking up the Mr from the train im just dicing up some of the best bacon in the country we got at the recent Mulgrave market (believe me when I say its the BEST) chopping a bit of cos lettuce, breaking open the sour cream and salsa.

 then its back to the machines!

 Did I mention beetroot?

Cant have baked potatoes without beetroot....

my creative space

Introducing the Heidi coat.

Only it doesnt look as Heidi as I thought it was going to as my fabric hasnt arrived from Japan yet.

But I couldnt wait. In between orders I need to do something fun. This was my fun this week.

The story goes...

as youre all aware by now ive been searching for woolen blankets lately. In my search at the local op shop ive been fossicking through the same pile for months. I would lift this very quilted nylon bedspread and look under it constantly and unbeknownst to me had started to develop a relationship with it and the brown one who kept it company. They had become very good friends as they were so unloved and orphaned atop a pile of not-quite-right-for-dog blankets. Well I decided to adopt them both.

I have been of the mind I needed to use up the trimmings id been cutting off my knits and I thought that maybe.... if I could only come up with a lovely jacket or coat..... where I could use them and make them feel loved.

I think ive done it. This is a size 7 and im placing it in the shop right now.

 Do you like the way the curve of these old bedspreads can highlight a little girls face?

Its a bit of a chance in the scheme of things and I do usually try to stay within natural fabric boundaries as that is so 'me'. On the other hand these are so wearable and quilted and still upcycled to the max.

What do you all think? Im sure youll let me know...

More spaces here.

shop update

So far today all ive finished is this custom order for a size 5 eskimo.

Some knits are in the final stages of choosing their laces and trimmings. There are about 15 or so

almost done.

The colour of this blanket is so beautiful. I had trouble cutting into this one.

Loving everything about the bicycle lining and the red ticking. It looks very french from where I sit.

How about you? Any crafting get done at your place today?

weekend

She is growing up. Her hair is now long enough to put into tiny little pigtails.

This is her camera aware pose. She knew I was there.

We had a rollercoaster ride of a weekend. A good one.

Im still sick and hardly slept last night from coughing. The Mr left me to it.

Today I cant focus, my head is full. Ive begun moving things around in an attempt to get sorted. Its slow going but Ill get there. I cant seem to perform miracles at the moment with the house.

Im sewing in three rooms. There are blankets and knits piled here and there.

Ive taken the clothing range out of the studio and its back in the laundry on a nice fresh chrome rod that Navarh helped me put up while he was here.

 It feels like I have a blank canvas again in there now. Plus the rail

kept falling down with the weight of the eskimos. I have a small goal of doing an inventory of the current sizings by the end of the day as I have no idea what I have left after the recent markets. Over the weekend I began trialing this method of taping custom orders to the wall in organised rows and it has already freed up some of my mind for pure creation.

So much so that I hit the op-shops this morning ready to bring home something a bit different.

I rarely do this style of op-shopping as I find it clutters my home and my mind. Not today. Today I shopped with an open mind ready for new things.

I can offer more strawberries and cream cardies. Any ideas for naming the blues? Something to do with dessert would be good. Blueberry sherbet? Snozberries and custard?

Today was gooooood. I found something exciting that will inject the shop with a bit of wintery fun.

So heres hoping ill be able to launch of a new style of coat this week.

For girls only this time and youll see why when they are ready.

Ill keep you updated.

shop update - knits

Heres the knits I finished last night.  Theyll be in the shop soon. Im getting orders for mums too.

Why am I not surprised...

(No Jo. I didnt iron these either.) Oh and if you havent checked out Jo's beautiful handknitted scarves get your pretty little necks over there pronto. Ive just put an order in for a 'pea green' number for winter. Yum!

I love the black velvet back of this one

and that there is the last of the strawberries and cream

for now. I know ill find more of this red somewhere on the planet.

I am TOTALLY loving making these and am having some

good old pure fun playing with the colours.

Only I have a big problem being happy with the choices of lace I currently have.

 Finding thrifted lace that is soft enough isnt that easy.

It looks like I have a whole big pile to choose from but that pile needs to be a lot larger for me to be able to pull out 'just the perfect one' every time to get the right balance of light and dark.

Im not completely loving these pastel ones I did the other day. Yeah theve got velvet ribbon belts

but they just dont do it for me.

Until now I had only put them on facebook.

Way too 'prettified' for where I want them to head.

I want these to be 'tea party' with grunt. 

 For girls that want to have a cake fight!

And for the mums who'll let them!

winners

I had help with the draw tonight.

 Bella had placed her name into the jug while I wasnt looking.

It seems she wanted to win too!

 I hope you can read my writing. She said she couldnt.

Shes still laughing about how sneaky she was.

So it seems

Andrea

Mandy

Christy

Kirsty

Angelina

Cherrie

and of course Bella

have won themselves a pin cushion extravaganza from Textured Leaf Central.

My advice?

Make room on those shelves.

p.s.  I just love looking at all the different faces she pulled. Shes such a natural beauty dont you think? Juuuust back in the door from school camp and unaffectedly ready for anything, like being photographed for my blog. (the other girls took hair straighteners and makeup)  I can see my sons attraction...

friday makings

 This is for Kate.

There are some loosely based piles of things ive been saving for these knits.  I had to do a quick trip to the op-shop to find some more laces as I ran out just as I got started and I thought I had a decent supply??

Its going to get chaotic in here with making over the weekend as my daughter and hubby are coming down.

Zjah said shes been doing cardigans too so well be able to compare notes and swap ideas.

Shes a fan of the frill where-as im a fan of the velvet.

And of course ill have a little person to entertain if I can prise her away from her Poppa.

Perhaps while hes cooking?

Im still sick (a cough that goes all day and all night, ive been sleeping on the couch) so wont begin the patterns for the Lumberjackets today like I wanted to. On the upside, my stomach muscles are getting a workout. Should have a six pack by monday.

I really wanted to ride the wave after all your great feedback yesterday. Its not meant to be. I got halfway through the first pattern and my supply of brown paper decided to run out after much posting at the beginning of the week.  

I had to clean out the freezer this morning and thought id do the fridge too while I was at it. I try to do this at the beginning of each month anyway but this time

there was an exploded beer bottle. Me.

To me its an odd thing to agonise about having to do a certain dreaded job housewise, then when you actually set about doing it, it takes hardly anytime at all. The more often I do a job,

like the fridge or pantry, the quicker that job takes.

I often have what I call a 'NIKE' friday. Just do it! So, ladies, heres to getting all those

 5 minute jobs done today!

In and around the 'making' of course.

Ill be drawing the winners for the giveaway today at around 5 oclock.

For anyone who hasnt yet seen it, theres still time.