Tales from the Expedition.

We had a really busy 10 days on our travels. We caught up with Chris' family in Perth and my Grandmother. Unfortunately Chris was really sick last weekend and could not even get out of bed to go to the football (that is how we realised he was really sick).
I spent the week at Mum and Dad's. I always want to say 'at home'. Even though I haven't really lived there for years I still tend to think of the farm as home and it is always so great to be home. It would have been even better if there had been some rain. I can't believe how dry the ground is, not just there, but everywhere. It is really quite depressing.
We took the girls out to see some lambs which they loved, the poor dogs were chased everywhere as well.
It is good to be back here though at my other real home and to see Chris - the girls were so excited and Amelia in particular has needed to be near him all weekend.

Some pics from last week - Grace on the left and Amelia on the right.

Grace spent all weekend clapping and sitting on her tractor (well technically it is a 4 wheel motorbike, but tractors are more fun).Amelia quickly found the piano and snuck into the lounge to play.
I managed to finish one of Mum's bed socks last week - I hate the second sock, but I'm plodding along - I have incentive now - the gorgeous Fleece Artist Merino I recieved in the backtack swap.
Here is the proof Mum can knit. I'll admit I did doubt you Mum, but you have made a great start. Keep going, you only have about 62 squares left! This is going to be for my sister Jane who is having a baby later this year.

Backtack!!

I got home late yesterday from 10 days away to find this fantastic package from Angela at Food and Yarn. I am very spoilt! A gorgeous bunny (with a very cute K in its ear), little brooches for the girls, very cute little sheep, a pouch perfect for my crochet needles and Fleece Artist Sock Yarn - it is just heavenly to touch.
This bunny is just perfect and so petite. I am amazed as I had such a hard time making mine.
My label order has arrived as well so I can start sewing them into things I make or knit.

Going on an Expedition

Since having Amelia and Grace going anywhere is just not that easy and not that fun. You may as well be going to Antarctica with all the organising and packing you do, but I think we are on schedule to hit the road tomorrow. We are off to Perth for a few days and then I am off to Mum and Dad's for a few days and Chris gets a few days of peace and quiet.
We have even planned a night out together in Perth. We have only been out together once since the girls came home - to one of Chris' staff things, so I am a bit excited.
I have packed some craft to do and I am hoping that the bag actually gets at least opened. If I do anything there will be pictures on my return. Have a great week!
Just a couple of cute shots from the other day. Chris and Grace

Amelia pretty excited as she made it through the tunnel.

New and Improved Frog and Spider

Just the idea of Morphe II has inspired me to create. So this Sunday was sewing day. I have a new and improved frog. A little bigger and a happier face. More frog pictures here.

And I have a spider. I tried a bit of stitchery on the back which I am pretty happy with. I thought I would try something simple to see how it looks. I have been very inspired by Print and Pattern and a book called East and West. More spider pictures here.

Backtack 3 Revealed

The wonderful needlefelter and softie maker Marieke at Wol and Zo has received my backtack parcel. So here is my bunny I made.
Amelia and Grace love the tails on the elephants I make and they love to touch fabrics (I'm training them well). So I made a cube with many tails and some chenille. My plan is to make one with all the sides being different types of fabrics. A very tactile toy for babies.

Totally loving the children's clothes and sewing I've seen at Sweet Caroline, Farbenmix and Moonstitches.

It's a Beetle!

Chris thought this was a dust mite. It is definetely a beetle! I was inspired by Eric Carle's The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. I need to get a copy of this for the girls (can't have too many Eric Carle books). I am finding children's books to be great inspiration not just for softies, but for quilts and applique and colour schemes.
So this is my beetle prototype. I just need to fix it a little and the next one probably needs some stitchery or applique inspired by Jean Ray Laury on its wings. I can already see theis morphing into a new spider or a new frog design - yes still on the hunt for the perfect frog.
Chris has been to the toy library again. And the girls love it!

2 More Little Creatures

I can't believe how cold it is here. Who thought moving here was a good idea?
I finished 2 more things. A giraffe and a puppy dog. I'm off to sit next to the fire again.

Another Doll

I have taken a while to finish this doll. I wanted to do something very child safe with the hair. I often wear a scarf in my hair (saves getting the knots out!) so I thought she could do the same.



We have had a great weekend - it's been all about food. Mum, Dad, Jane and Ian came over for the day yesterday. We all went to the Cidery to celebrate my birthday and then ate one of Jane's fantastic chocolate cakes. I am just about to cook Chris' favourite curry from scratch to celebrate his birthday and then I think I might need to stop eating for a while.
The weather this weekend has just been fantastic (not fantastic for farmers and ducks though). The girls have played outside, all the washing is actually dry and Mum and Dad did a great job on the lawns. I love being outside in the winter sun.

Little Shabby Chic Bag

I was meant to making softies, but ended up making this. I couldn't help it. I just had to do something when I saw this material. I have seen a few bags with this kind of shape so I thought I would give it a try. It is the perfect size to fit a purse, or sock knitting. Do you really need an excuse to have more handbags?

In other thinking today. Soozs has summed up what I have been thinking about Spotlight and industrial relations. I have just discovered Spike Jonze is making a movie of "Where the Wild Things Are". I can't wait to see what he does with this.

Giraffe and Frog

I finished a big frog and a big giraffe. Not quite how I had drawn them, but I see potential. Both of them have stitching on their tummies. Bad flash pictures tonight, but you get the idea.

Grace is a big fan of the giraffe. She is not a big fan of the flash, so all the pictures look like this tonight.

I was looking through some Eric Carle books and have been inspired to make a six-legged creature. Hopefully more on that tomorrow.

Frog Stitchery

I have been inspired by the work of Jean Ray Laury. My doll was inspired by her book on doll making and now I'm being inspired by her applique and stitcheries. I keep seeing the body of animals with stitching.
So last night I tried to make a new frog. If you are familiar with the children's books such as "That's not my train" "That's not my teddy" etc you will understand my thinking when I finished my frog and had a look. "That's not my frog. It's arms are too long". Underneath it is a frog body stitchery in progress. How could you resist some yarn from a place called Beaverslide?Some good things about today.
1. Being inside with a fire when it's cold and rainy.
2. Making it down town in between rain.
3. Going to the little local library and discovering it has amazing craft books.
4. Grace and Amelia not eating all the playdough at playgroup.

Perth

We have survived the trip to Perth and managed to see people and get a fair bit done. I went to my first craft fair on Saturday. I haven't lived close enough to Perth to get to one in the past so I made a big effort this year. It was great to go and fantastic to see the Quilts on display and the Japanese Quilting Exhibition, but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of variety and different crafts represented. Having said that I did manage to get some lovely fabric and a skein of cashmere.
After the craft fair I wandered into the city to the new Borders and stared at book shelves for 2 hours - I kept collecting books until I sat in one of their nice chairs and could narrow it down to a sensible size.
The girls had a great time in Perth visiting my Nan and then spending Saturday with Chris' parents.

I have been dreaming of new softie frogs so I am off to try and see if I can translate my dreams into a 3D softie.

Hats

Grace and Amelia looked so cute with their hats on before we went to playgroup this morning. This lasted about 5 seconds and then they ripped them off and had hissy fits when I tried to put them back on.

Fabric

Chris thinks I have a textile fetish and I can't find any evidence to prove him wrong. It was all beginning to creep into everything and he hadn't seen the kitchen table for weeks. So I had to have a bit of a clean up. Here is some proof that I do use it, some little dresses for the girls.
Some bargain retro fabric I just couldn't live without.
My current favourite pile - Liberty lawn.
There is also still a big pile of little bits of Indian silk, but can't work out how to take a good photo of silk, it never looks as good as it does in real life.

A New Doll

These have been cut out, waiting to be sewed for the past week. Last night I had the chance to sew them up.

I have never made a doll before. I just drew out a pattern and I am quite happy with it. The hair was freaking me out, but I am happy with that too. Both are in the shop.

Backtack Completed

I finished my bunny for backtack. I think it has worked out well. I am quite happy and the pain of turning and stuffing little bits has faded. I don't think I could have done it without some hemostats. I don't know how I used to manage without them. I have collected a few bits and pieces to accompany the bunny on its journey to the Netherlands. For now though I just have a teaser shot.
Chris and the girls went on an adventure to the toy library this morning. Our living room now looks a bit like a fun park. Grace is sitting on top of the slide. Both of them can't seem to be without their soft dolls at the moment. They are meant to be just for bed, but I find both of them sneaking into their room and getting their dolls from their cots.

Amelia rocking on the angel fish.
Just a cute bath picture from tonight.

Backtack - new plan

This was a pretty easy quick knit. It just needs a button and a wash but it is pretty much finished, so Rose you can have the baby.
I have a new plan for backtack. I am just not a pointy kitty person. I love the way everyone elses look, but I can't do it, so I have a new plan and some new fabric. I was playing around with some fabric flower tutorials so there might be some of them. Hopefully the girls will sleep so I can create.

A little bit of craft

I had great plans of a quiet Mother's Day doing my own thing. It didn't really go to plan, but I got a little bit done. Two more pouches for the shop and I ordered some labels to put on my finished things. I tried washing some fleece. Mmmm not sure about the result. I may have felted a bit of it. The thought of carding it is not enticing. The words drum carder are echoing in my head.


Chris turned the girls car seats around yesterday. I am not sure they were much help. Grace annoyed the dog so much she ended up in the prison. I think they will be a lot happier in the car though being able to see where they are going and that we are still there.

Good Mail

A warning for non crafty people - this post is all craft.
I have been knitting for a my good friend, Rose, whose baby is due very soon. It is the little jumper from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and despite the mess it looks in the picture, it is not that hard and is quite a quick knit.
The best thing about getting rid of stuff on ebay, beside cleaning up some piles around here, is the extra cash. And that didn't last long. On the right are a couple of books from Amazon Japan. On the left is my first issue of Ottobre. I discovered it last week. It is a sewing magazine for children's clothes. Very cute designs.
Lorna's Laces in Daffodil. I think I can see some Jaywalkers in my future.

Glasses Case

I have been meaning to make something for my grandmother for ages and I have finished this in time for Mother's Day. It is a glasses case. The outside is silk left over from my sister Gemma's year 12 ball dress. (I have been hoarding it for a while!) and the lining is left over silk from the dress I made for Jane's wedding. The button is a spare one from the top I made for Mum for Jane's wedding. So now I just have to get to the post office.

Thinking Backtack

My plans for backtack have changed so many times. I was going to do the bunny, then the other bunny and now after seeing lots of pointy kittys I need to do one of them. I had a go last night and think I can manage it. It is just going to take me time to turn and stuff it right. here are some potential colour and fabrics, but I am sure they will change again too.

Good Mail

I have been eyeing off one of the prints from little flower for a while and was looking for an excuse to buy one. I just love them and had a hard time choosing which one. So my sister Jane is getting this for her birthday.

The girls are seem to know where we hide everything and this morning they were after the footy. I saw two little bottoms disappearing into our room and there they were up in the corner with Chris' footy. So I bought it out and they played with it and each other.

I think I can feel one of Grace's teeth coming through. It doesn't seem to be worrying her that much.