My b day

Wonderful family and friends made yesterday very special. Another birthday bites the dust but good memories are added to a very blessed life.
Holly made a cute chocolate cake as she is on holidays...the kitchen was also a surprise when I got home, but can't be annoyed at that after the effort. The cake below was one she was practising for her Home Economics exam. It was delicious also. She didn't end up topping with the extra berries but it was crowned with toffee shards, a strawberry and mint leaf. We don't watch MasterChef for nothing LOL.

The sponge cake and custard were made from scratch and after quite a few attempts ( we didn't mind tasting the rejects) EUREKA!! she got it! Those food stacking rings are great tools.


This gorgeous bird was a very special gift. Made all by hand with paper mache, painted and decorated with gorgeous patterned papers and completed with hand fashioned wire legs. The craftsmanship ( or should I say craftswomanship) is absolutely exquisite. If you are like me and love crafted birds especially these I can point you in the direction of the artist. I will have photos of her other birds soon to show & going to aquire some for sale myself so I'll post more info later on this. Too lovely not to share.

I am lucky enough to have wonderful friends at work and made to feel special with lovely gifts & greetings.
The most gorgeous scissors ...heading straight to the studio. Arty earrings wich I love, beautiful flowers, crafty magnets, chocs and birthday greetings....yep, very special.



Yellow roses are probably my fav & these certainly brightened up my day as well as work space.

Take Care and hope your day is special also,

Deb

June happenings.

June is always a busy month for us. Two family birthdays, school holidays looming again and this year, preparations for Holly's school formal. This final senior year is flying along and it will be over all too soon. It is a very exciting one though as pathways for study and the future are mapped out. Better just worry about formal dress and shoes for now. That's drama enough!


The Textile Show was on last weekend and was a really interesting day out. I took a quick snap of this clever wearable art example...not sure about photography in there so It was very quick.

So much to see and do. I brought home some great new products for dyeing fabric, decolourants, wool & silk strands for embellishments and generally way too many things. Oh, I forgot the books...I love books and found two that were perfect additions to my resources. One was on interesting Shibori methods and the other on natural dyeing. I know I read too much and do too little at times but one day.........

The next exciting happening was the Surrealist exhibition at GoMA. Interesting and worth seeing if you are in town.

Rene Magritte, The red model

Back to Melbourne..... and down a little alley opposite Federation Square is Movida. Would like to eat at this Spanish restaurant one day. Heading down in August for the Tutankhamun exhibition so hopefully get a chance then. There is lots of graffiti and skateboarders too so plenty of atmosphere and colour.

Just had to show you these magnificent doors ( and daughter). I took this last April when we visited Nicola Cerrini's studio at the Abbotsford convent artist's community . The studio is actually to the left of pic and up a sharp flight of beautifully worn very old steps but I loved these doors too.

I've been playing around with Nuno felting scarves ( it's been extremely cold lately, well cold for Brisbane) and scarves have been on my mind. Dyeing, then embellishing. Hope I end up with something worth showing.

Take care for now,

Deb

ps. Thank you Stephanie & Bev for your kind thoughts, always appreciated.

Happy to be back

The last few months have been very difficult and I have tried very hard to get back into the swing of writing but the words never came. My dad passed away in March after a month in hospital. Watching him fade and waiting for the day he would no longer be with us was all consuming for our family. Mum has made us proud by the way she has handled it all and by her strength. This Anzac Day we scattered his ashes in a spot he loved and where we spend time as a family. It was a special day and the fly over by the Hornet jet in honour of the Anzacs was a tribute we took as a special little moment for dad as well.

In the midst of this life must go on and my job was to plan a school Home Economics trip to Melbourne again this April. The excitement seemed incidental and I didn't really want to go...but I'm glad now that I did. So many lovely other things to think about and keep me busy. Melbourne is such an exciting and inspiring place to visit. The weather for the trip was pleasant, cool enough to allow some winter dressing and keep comfortable while running from here to there. One of the first visits I had arranged was to RMIT. The Brunswick campus is home to the school of fashion and textiles. WOW!! I wished I was 30 years younger so I could sign up. I loved the screen printing area. So much room to play around in and so many gorgeous pieces of equipment. There is something about screen printing that is so addictive.
Below are some images I took on the tour -



A group of final year students working on fashion garments. The room had beautiful big windows and the light was streaming in. What a studio.

This was a weaving studio. I loved the way the large spools of colour were arranged on the shelves.
Well used screens stacked up.

Holly and I at St. Kilda. Had to walk off the yummy cakes we were instructed to buy from the delectable Acland St cake shops.. Mandatory I was told by Head of Dept.

Me again with some interesting grafitti behind. We had a very pleasant and informative foodies walking tour of Melbourne with Alan Campion. He is a well respected food author and critic and we really enjoyed learning more about the history of the Melbourne food scene as well as picking up some insight on out of the way places to enjoy next time.

I love this...think it was at the top of Rose St. Collaged image of a young girl with cards...they have fallen and are pooling on the pavement.

Have to talk about the food...we did a lot of eating! This is chicken with beetroot and yoghurt a main course -sharing plate at The Press Club ( George Calombaris's restaurant). Absolutely delicious, would go there again in a heartbeat.

This was the other main - wild Barramundi on spinach. Notice the black cypriot salt. This fish was also delicious.

For something a little fancy we finished the trip with a meal at The Flower Drum. You don't go there if your hungry you go for the experience. And it certainly was that. This entree was amazing...barra noodles, shitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots. I wanted MORE!!

Lastly a few of the pastries bought at St. Kilda to share. This one was apparently advertised as the best vanilla slice in the state. I think they were right without tasting the rest.

This one looked so pretty...tasted good too.

And lastly, our cup cake aficionado was quite pleased with taste, texture and aesthetics of this one, I think that's what she said...hard to enunciate with a mouthful of cake.

Talk soon, lots of inspiration for us crafters in Melbourne.

Deb

Newest additions

This is little Oscar...born 15th Dec. Olivier now has a little brother and we are proud grandparents once again.....beautiful boy!

My new Gypsy Bandana fabric by Michael Miller....the colours are magnificent. This, to me, was a standout at the Melbourne quilt market and I knew I just had to work with it. I have made bags and prepared kits from this fabric...just waiting on finishing the accompanying revised pattern.

Everyone is back at school and it's very hot...cyclones looming and all the other fun things that happen at this time of year. My friend Bohdana in Prague mentioned it's snowing there and they must wait 2 months for the sun.... what an amazing world. I must show you her beautiful award winning doll "Fire". She is a very talented doll maker indeed.

Another lovely friend, Angela from Brazil has sent images of dolls made from my patterns...they are always beautifully made and look fantastic. This doll is made from a Warm Hearts pattern.



Time for lunch.

Take care

Deb

Crazy rabbit season

Today I had fun making this little rabbit. The fabric has been sitting patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it....one of my fat quarter buys + some absolutely gorgeous felt. If you would like to make one too I have included step by step instructions & printable pattern sheet.
I have weighted the body with a little sand but you could omit the sand and depending on fabric choice work cross stitches for the eyes and it would make a fun baby toy.


front & back view of crazy rabbit.

Okay...these are the supplies required -10 x 12 " piece of fabric, stuffing, sewing (doll needle optional) needle, embroidery thread to compliment fabric colours, 2 small buttons (if using), matching sewing thread, 1 cup clean dry sand (if using), a turning tool ( stuffing tool or chopstick etc), Fray stop & general sewing equipment.

To make...Cut out pattern & place on wrong side of folded fabric as shown step 1. Trace around pattern (this is your sewing line). Transfer marks for opening on body.

Step 1.

Using a small stitch length sew completely around rabbit - leaving side opening.

Step 2.

Apply some Fray Stop to the outside of seams and allow to dry.

Step 3.

Cut rabbit out with a 1/4" seam allowance and clip into seams around curves...especially between the ears (Step 5).

Step 4.

Step 5.

Fold base so that bottom seam and side seam are together - forming a triangle.

Step 6.

Mark 1 inch down from point and mark.....repeat for other side.

Step 7.

Sew across on line and cut away excess as shown.

Step 8.

Turn body right side out using a tool. Starting at an ear, rub fabric so that it separates and forms a pocket so that you can insert the tool. Roll the fabric over itself gently pushing the fabric inside the body. Repeat for other ear. Pull the ears out through side opening.

Step 9.

You can make a simple funnel from paper or cardboard. Use this to pour sand into base.

Step 10.

Place a layer of stuffing inside rabbit to cover loose sand.

Step 11.

Place stuffing towards ear and push into place with tool. Keep stuffing ears then body until firm.

Step 12.

Stuffing should look overfull. using matching thread neatly stitch opening closed.

Step 13.

From a scrap of wool felt - trace and cut one nose and one tail.

Position nose using image and pattern for a guide.

I used a small amount of glue to keep the nose in place while blanket stitching the shape using matching thread.


Step 14.

Step 15.

Mark mouth using a pencil. Using 6 strands of embroidery thread back stitch mouth.

Whiskers: Using a doll needle threaded with 6 strands of embroidery thread enter one side of nose and exit the other - leave approx 5 cm tails on either side before cutting thread. Separate each tail of thread into 2 groups of 3 strands and knot close to fabric.
Sew buttons or work a cross stitch for eyes as shown on pattern.
Step 16.

Place the felt circle (tail) in place on rabbit (see view of rabbits back). Using matching thread blanket stitch around circle. Leave approx 1-2 cms open and push a small amount of stuffing inside. Complete blanket stitching.

Step 17.

Another crazy rabbit....yeah!!

I'd love to see what you come up with. It would be kinda cute for Easter with a handmade choc egg...yum!

Take care

Deb