applehead

blue wall

Damian and I were treated to a long weekend in the Blue Mountains...once I got over the anxiety of leaving the two girls for three nights,we had a ball.
Weather was perfect, luxury accommodation and wonderful food..what more could you want? Well, an abundance of second hand junk and book stores didn't hurt! Found quite a few treasures and an amazing old book store "Mr Pickwicks Fine Used Books" that I could have spent hours in.....( actually I think did!)
I came across a beautiful botany book and one on bird watching, both of which are intended for a rather large collage project I have been dreaming about. My only problem will be if I am able to bring myself to cut the books up at all! They are not rare or first editions but still.......
While we were driving about, we stumbled upon this incredible collage of junk on the wall of an old building. Judging by the signs it had been used as an art gallery but currently sits ,sadly empty...

a close up of the collage

When I arrived home I found a package containing these....

A wrap journal cover , a soap sachet that smells divine and two button bracelets for the girls..all from Jo,

who  you might remember as  "mummy jo" . Take a look at her new site and label,  Violet & Rose  ..... one busy mama that one! And by the way, Jo used one of my favourite fabrics on the wrap ....

And while we're on the subject of packages, I have been most remiss in showing off my parcel of goodies that Nikkishell sent to me. It was only when I was packing things into my vintage bag that it occurred to me that I had taken a photo but never posted it! The bag is a wonder...all bound seams and printed goodness. Nichola also sent me the most enormous bundle of sheet music for my paper packs, some very funny cookie cutters, a vintage pattern ( which I must make up soon), cute books and novelty erasers for the girls... I was  just in time to stop Charlie from eating hers!
Thank you Nichola...not just for the package but for being such an  inspiring dressmaker....pop over to her blog and just take a look at the clothes she has been making. We're talking quality AND quantity! Everytime I see a new garment Nichola has posted I am inspired to think about making myself something. And some day I actually will!

buttons, buttons...

Some red buttons that I "won" on Ebay....

and a lovely old apron from my local "junk" shop...

now who says you can't buy (a little) happiness?!!!!!!

on a roll.....

here it is , all finished complete with trim, button and a few bloodstains....I stick myself so often with needles and pins that I don't really pay attention anymore when I do.
Note to self: check to see just how much damage you did to your thumb before continuing to sew. Failure to do so may result in bloodstains on your nearly completed piece of work......

 

I managed to blot the bloodstain off so you can barely see it unless you look really closely (don't,please) and sewed on the button to finish it off.

No more fishing around for my size 2.50 crochet hook....

the trouble with vintage fabrics...

is that I can never bring my self to make things with it!
On my visits to other blogs I see people blithely creating lovely bags, clothes and bits and pieces from vintage fabric with seemingly no misgivings at all.
Which leads me to wonder why it is that I have such an issue with using any of mine. Apart from using tiny pieces as trims or embellishments that is.It's not as though I only have a piece or two . Actually I have quite a bit - and I somehow seem to keep acquiring more.
I decided that I needed a small project to ease myself into the right mindset for actually cutting up and (horror) using some of my vintage fabric hoard. I needed a roll for my crochet hooks and as I was about to press the "buy now"  button on Etsy, realised that I could make one myself. I drew up a  pattern and then out came the piles of fabric. After a bit of agonising over what was to be sacrificed, here it is ready to sew.

The black and white stripe and the pale pink piece are from a vintage obi I bought on this Melbourne trip,the French antique ticking is from the little shop down the street, and the thick,heavy linen is also French and vintage. Maggie ( my lovely M-I-L) gave it to me - something she had purchased and then never used. Both the obi and the ticking are faded and have some age marks but I really like the worn soft look of them. I still have to decide on the trim to tie it all up with- either deep red or cornflower blue grosgrain ribbon from my hoard of vintage trim. Maybe I'll even use a vintage button!
So, for me a big step towards enjoying using my treasured fabrics and bits.....I did all of the sewing today while Charlie slept and I have only to finish the hand sewing. I'll put pics up tomorrow to show you the results. Next up something bigger- a bag!

I went to post a letter.....

and came back with some wonderful old fabric and a piece of leafy goodness...the nearest postbox happens to be right outside a small second hand/vintage shop so I either need to find a different place to post my letters or remember to leave my wallet at home! Although the woman in the shop is most obliging about putting things aside for me....

The top piece is French vintage ticking which I probably paid too much for but had to have.The very bottom fabric is a huge piece of vintage linen or perhaps linen/cotton....it has the most incredible soft and worn in handle to it. And I know exactly what I'm going to do with it...

I will make a bag inspired by these pretties from this book .......the fabric had a loose weave that will make it perfect for adding a crochet trim.
And I am determined to actually make this bag as opposed to just thinking about it!
I went to put some fabric away last night and open up the cupboard- full.
Next stop, one of the big pull out baskets on the shelving in the living area - full. As were the other three baskets and wooden chest I put fabric in. That isn't even taking into account the stash in the roof space. So I have decided that in a week or too I have to do a big, big sort out. A SERIOUS ONE where I actually reduce the amount of fabric that I have. I'm a little scared by that one!

This pretty dish is not just an impulse buy - it has a purpose! I am currently working on my pages for the calendar swaps ( did I mention that I am actually involved in another one as well ?) I have decided on the theme for one calendar but couldn't quite decided on the second theme. And then I found it! I think that the line work and blocks of colour will work very nicely on what I  have planned......

There is a lot of creating going on around here at the moment..I am working on quite a few swaps, putting together a zillion paper packs ( or so it seems) and Rose is learning to French knit ( yours is here Melissa, just waiting for me to organise our little swap!) Loads of fun especially when the knitted tube finally emerges from the end of the little doll knitter.I remember making great lengths of it when I was a girl although I used a wooden cotton reel with nails in it - I made a few small mats, a hat for a doll and just played with the rest of it!
A good way to use up odds and ends and balls of wool.....and I have a lot of those as well. Best not to go there until I tackle the fabric.

Note of warning to all visitors to my house:Take care when opening any cupboard,drawer,storage space as there is a very likely danger of you being swamped by a falling pile of fabric....

things to do or pretend...

This "list of things to do or pretend" is from an old Progressive Phonic primer I found tucked under a pile of books at the local op shop. The book isn't dated but I'm guessing from the style of illustration that it from the 40's or 50's. Here's the list...

1. Clap softly
2.Sing sweetly
3.Speak clearly
4.Run swiftly
5.Breathe deeply
6.Eat slowly
7.Knit loosely
8.Write neatly
9.March smartly
10.Dance lightly
11.Walk briskly

If I didn't know better I'd swear that this list was written with me in mind...the only thing that I would add is
12. Go to bed early.....
and after a month of successive late nights , that's on my to do list for the week!

I have been working on an embroidery design from this book, "Broderies d'ici et d'ailleurs (ISBN 2-263-03704-7)  that I bought online at alapage.com. I do not speak French nor read it so it was an interesting experience filling out the details form!  I really only bought it because I loved the cover image of Babushka dolls ,which I haven't tried yet as I was distracted by the Koi fish pattern.

I'm going to make it into a bag of some sort once I've finished stitching- I was thinking maybe a semi circle shape perhaps? Probably should finish it first!

By the way, pop over to the Morphe II toyshop and have a look - its really exciting to finally see them all together.

Here are a few other bits and pieces I've been playing with...

3 very small cats( in a very poorly lit photo)

and remember "blue"?
.. ..I had a lot of trouble deciding what I wanted to do with him at this point...

I finally just added a face and  lots of hair - left him nice,simple and squeezable.

the aliens have landed....

Objective: to make a one piece doll with very long thin arms and legs....

Outcome: one very alien like one piece doll with very long thin arms and legs....

maybe clothes will make all the difference!

This is my recently acquired old typewriter...Rose is fascinated by it and I am having a ball with it. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to use a manual typewriter after years of using the computer.

Actually I don't think that it was that much fun when I had to do a school assignment way back when on it,as my typing skills were dreadful ( and haven't improved one bit - thank goodness for spell check!)

Now, however It is the perfect tool for adding text to ATC's, swing tags and gift cards.....some are in the works and hopefully I will get a few pics up soon. Not much spare time at present as it's the last week of school holidays.Lots of cooking, visiting and kid's craft happening but not too much else!

Did manage to find a few beautiful vintage buttons though that have come in very handy for a small project that I have been working on for a friend......I'll let you know when the site is all up and running...

little pictures....

Now that all my work for Morphe II is complete and the exhibition is about to open ( very excited about that) I have at last made the time to get back to a bit of artwork. With this in mind I signed up for my first two ATC swaps...

These were for the "oh so Blue!" swap - I decided to use mixed media for my set.

These were for the "handpainted ATC"swap. You were only allowed to draw or paint- no digital,collage or anything besides your own artwork.Now I'm not sure if I bent the rules a little by using a printed page to draw onto ....regardless I am really happy with the result and hope that I will be excused if I have broken the rules!

I had a botanical theme in mind but couldn't decide how to approach it. I came across this journal page of Marieke at Treats & Treasures and as soon as I saw those little bows on brown paper and white paint I knew what I wanted to do! Her blog is just wonderful - I am always inspired by the collaged pages of drawings..really, go and have a look!

I used a page from an old Yates Garden Guide as my background for the pen and waterclour drawings.
They're off to the USA tomorrow....and I'm off to do a few more of these little drawings....

my favourite floor girls

Been busy sorting through a bunch of old photos that I've found to go in the paper packs.Most of them are old black and white amateur snapshots - families,friends, travels, children....this group are among my favourites...

Look at those bathing beauties- the swimming costumes are wonderful.
The last photo has an inscription on the back - "My favourite floor girls: mary, Dolores & Peg".Where are they now, those favourite floor girls? And that apron? Perhaps part of someone's treasured vintage collection?
All of these old snapshots reminded me of some beautiful photos I have of my father as a baby and young boy.I dug them out to show Rose who is fascinated by the fact that she is a quarter Chinese.

This photo was taken in China probably around 1937. The baby is my father and the woman holding him is my Grandmother.My uncle , aunty and two maids complete the picture.

These two photos were taken a few years later but I don't know where.
My father is the smallest boy in the second photo and the little boy 4th from the left in the last. There are no inscriptions on the back - I really should ask my Aunty if she knows more about them.

Sadly, my father died 16 years ago when I was at an age where it didn't occur to me to ask more about his life in China and here in Australia. I really should have asked for many of his recipes as well - he was such an amazing cook. Fresh and full of flavour , complex yet subtle- nothing like your average Chinese restaurant.
Now I understand why all the neighbourhood kids loved to be asked to stay to dinner. I had not tasted anything like the standard of my Dad's cooking , until I attended a dinner ,last year,hosted by Kylie Kwong who is a master at Cantonese style food. That meal brought back memories of my Dad's food- steamed whole fish with ginger and shallots, prawn dumplings.......

My brothers seemed to have inherited Dad's talent for intuitive cooking.
Me, well, when it comes to Chinese food, I am a good and competent cook but there always seems to be a little something missing. And I know that the secret lies in the stash of bottles and jars of strange smelling ingredients that Dad always used - a dash of this, a bit of that. I think that being able to read Chinese would help too! I must say though, that since I have been trying recipes out of Kylie's new cookbook, I am definitely getting a bit closer!
Maybe the gene that skipped me will show up in one or both of the girls- fingers crossed!