creative space

Today will be the first whole day ive had home and been in the correct frame of mind to tackle the new loft space that will become my studio.

Rustico has been walked in the fresh morning air before things heated up and ive even had some friendly banana bread wielding visitors that vacuumed and spruced up the house. As they wanted to stay but could tell from my body language that I was itching to achieve the big stuff. Plus the whole of downstairs is pretty much piled up especially all around the stairs, waiting, so they didnt have to be too genius to work out my next stage. 

The old shelves from way back have come out of retirement and, because they come apart, were easy to erect so fit nicely against the high wall. The loft access is a simple ladder, you see.

Im on a self imposed time schedule and hope to be back into full production this evening as ive decided to do the Carribean Gardens market tomorrow for something different. I didnt realise it was open on a friday morning as well as wednesdays and sundays.

Check out the other spaces here. 

boys t-shirts

Over the last week ive been slowly working on a pile of stripey t-shirts for boys. Not short sleeved but 3/4 as there are enough of the average short sleeved out there to choose from. So far I am doing sizes 1 - 5 and ill see how they go at market before doing the larger sizes. I used to make these sort of t-shirts for my three boys in odd striped fabrics I found, mixy and matchy. I enjoy the playfulness of putting different knits together, and creating with no restrictions, although I thought the creamy one looked a bit pyjama-like so have tried not to use it as a front. 

Ill be updating the shop over the next day.

My creative list is huge for the remainder of the year as I have some major markets coming up.

Things like

boys shorts

girls shorts

envelope neck tees

pinafore dresses

a few cot quilts like these

and most importantly summer clothes for me!

Stay tuned friends cos im revved.*

* Because I just folded three weeks worth of washing after helping a friend go through her wardrobe today.

Have you ever seen the movie Shopaholic? Well I acquired the most divine green scarf to bring home from Carol's cast offs. Yay!

More spaces here 

my creative space

I was able to get one lonely girls wrap top done today before loading the car with the tools and heading off to mums place in the country.

girls size 10 top

Im loving the square common doileys right now as they can be turned into pockets so easily.

Someone can sit up all by herself now and is nearly crawling really weirdly. Shes going to be an individual alright.

This is one of my Kitten Caps I made for the market table a few weeks back.

I dont often use the word cute but...she is. so. cute! I want one in my size.

more spaces here

my creative space

This week I had four creative spaces aside from my usual sewing room. One was this beach location for an impromtu photoshoot. My model is Lily,  daughter of a friend who has been patiently waiting on her size to be made by me. She took both of these dresses home to be worn to death (which may come sooner if she doesnt stop riding the motorbike on her country property at breakneck speed) even though she too had sworn to not like pink very much before today. My clothes have this effect on people, including me, which im a bit proud of. 

I couldnt do anything wrong with this gorgeous old pier as a back drop.

Lily, thankyou.

You are such a natural beauty. In the few short minutes we were here I had taken thirty something photos, all of them able to be used apart from the one where you are trying to remove the pricetag from your armpit!

The other spaces I inhabited this week were a friends home to sew for the day

the shop I have just placed some things in creating another photoshoot (announcing the location officially tomorrow if I dont get too distracted),

 I showed a young up and coming sewer how to finish off her first quilt,

and the Mr and I have been doing some much anticipated art piece framing. His and mine, yay!

Definitely a full week of creativity even for the likes of me, who thinks they sew all the time but apparently not so much.

In other news we joined a gym. Together. The same one. Very, very weird development for us as we were doing our thing seperately but from now on will be working out side by side. Kick boxing here I come!

I took the couch potato shopping and had fun for the first time because I decided to.

I think I may have giggled once or twice.

Im moving the studio around tomorrow as I woke in the middle of the night a few days ago and had an epiphany about the entire space and cant wait for morning now to perform some miracles.

Except im supposed to be going to the gym, damn....

a day sewing outside

We have been doing some sewing outside this week and it has been unusually refreshing to sit and enjoy the sunshine while going about our projects. Mine is a huge pile of nearly there wrap dresses of all sizes because thats what women want (in case you didnt know). I am setting myself the slightly unrealistic challenge of getting them done by midnight tonight. They are dragging me creatively down and I need to move on to other summery designs real soon. I keep getting stuck on which binding to choose only to choose the perfect one and run out.

I plan to keep setting this up over the weekend too while the menfolk are going about their beer brewing, bike fixing, furniture painting, shed sorting and whatever else it is that men seem to want to do. Ill be right here on the back deck if you need me.

Dont forget tomorrow is the last day to enter my giveaway! The winner will be drawn saturday morning.

p.s. There is a new link in the sidebar for anyone who wishes to see the vintage sheeting fabric

 in-stock at the moment. Amitie fabrics are also available to order and I have some nice news along that line too which I will chat about later.

my creative space with dorothybills

Eleesa and I enjoyed a long awaited sewing day on thursday. We have both moved house and are trying to get motivated to get back into the sewing way of life.

I just had to show you her new home. As soon as I entered I was squealing with delight at all the colour she had going on.

She is a master at the white vase vignette. Im not sure if you realise how famous you are Eleesa?

Even though ive seen this sort of thing before I stood and stared for ages at all her finds that must have been hiding away in a cupboard at the last place.

I found that the laundry was so soothing to be in.

And yes, im even showing you the toilet as my mouth dropped open when I spotted the original artwork carefully chosen to match one vintage weave basket.

Here is where we spent some of our day. We actually got stuck into setting up her studio

 but that is not my story to tell.

I broke a needle ten minutes into my first eskimo so was forced (happily) to cut out wrap dresses for spring/summer that I had been putting off doing for the rest of the afternoon.

The first one is in the shop tonight.

I really dont like cutting out when im home but find it easy to do while im at a friends. I think its the clarity of purpose and having no housework to distract me.

I am trying to come up with another one of my hairbrain plans

to motivate me on the sewing front. My focus just isnt happening like it usually does and I want to kickstart myself for the upcoming markets. A crazy unrealistic daily challenge again just for a couple of weeks or so should be enough to build up stock.

spring

Because its the first day of Spring it is time for something new.

Adi has been learning to sew and she is soooo good, I know, right? where has she been hiding?!

that here are her first dresses!

She will be opening up her own Etsy store and its going to be full of pretty but not princessy (her words).

Excuse us, were both a little bit excited here.

Ive made her her first pattern and she is already designing number three as we speak.

It seems like there is no rest to be had at our place right now but thank you all so much for the suggestions of what to watch while im on the mend.

Ill share what ive been up to later today perhaps.

Our creative spaces here.

my creative space

This project is one of those that has been in my head for over ten years. Dont you hate when you finally get around to doing something youve been thinking about f o r e v e r and it turns out way better than you imagined and only took an hour or so? Now I want to make more. 

So ive edged a normal everyday op-shop blanket but with a slight twist. I curved the edges in large dinner plate style curves and cut off any holes that happened through age at the edges. I missed one but if I dont tell you youll never know.

I didnt have enough of one edging so chose four similar in colour but not too same-same still not convinced they would look better than if id used the same all the way round.

Now im thinking of offering these on the market table! But maybe its just me and maybe they wont be popular, who knows...

Spring/summer orders have started to come in and im so not ready. Eeeek.

Today I was torn. I should be going off yonder to source samples and sorting stuff out and yeah.

But I needed to stay in more. It has taken me a few days to find my sewjo

 but this is one ive been working on.

Sorry Kaylee for the delay.

Dont know if you follow the blog?!

One down and ready for a shop update that has been weeks in the making, including some

Juniper boots. I know winter is nearly over but....  

in Melbourne winter is always just around the corner.

Or why dont you finish my sentence for me?

Off to catch up on what everyones been up to...

our creative space

This is a bit of a catch up post.

Eleesa and I managed to have a sewing day together the other week. Funny I cant recall if it was last week or the week before? Im a shocker with dates at the best of times so im not surprising anyone here.

She was working on a custom order for some couch cushions.

I began my day with a bit of jean taking in and then led into some serious eskimo stitching.

I have so many asking for size ones that im quite literally stunned.

Until now I havent even bothered drafting a pattern for this size.

Ill be on the hunt for more bias edgings while im out and about this weekend in anticipation for

spring wrap dresses.

Did you know im still being asked for these and its wintertime?

Odd but nice.