My Creative Space

Well looky here, I actually have a creative space today! For the first time in OVER A WEEK. I know none of you are reading this though, because you are all at the Stitches and Craft show in Melbourne, you lucky lucky things. I curled up with disappointment when I found out I was going to miss it.

For those of you not in Melbourne and swanning about the show, you might remember my dilemma about what crafty thing to bring with me to Kununurra (known crafty spot that it is ..... not).

There were strong recommendations for embroidery (which I need to learn), crochet (which I need to learn) and knitting (which I will never learn because I am crap at it and my mum is excellent, so I don't need to.)

I was all set to choose embroidery, and then time got the better of me. I managed to buy a little book to show me how to learn the stitches, but I didn't even get close to buying the right needles, a hoop, or linen.

In a last minute panic, I shoved some scraps into my bag along with the necessary button-making equipment. So now in the evenings here, I'm going to make myself 200 buttons. I think that's achievable in the three and a half weeks I've got left.

My hands have been itching and tingling to keep busy, too, because I'm not used to being without my sewing machine. I gave My One True Love strict instructions to have it serviced while I'm away - it's the perfect opportunity - but I have this feeling that it might have fallen off his list of things to do. Poor machine, that means it'll have to wait until .... um .... er ..... Christmas? to have its service. Ah well. As my Greek tailor would say, What can I do?

My TIDY creative space

Okay, so Kootoyoo's My Creative Space meme has finally caused me to tidy up the horrible mess of a dining table which masquerades as my creative space. Thank you, Kootoyoo, I owe you one.

And look at this! Here is a lovely neat photo to show you as a result.

This is what's currently on my creative space. Amy Butler's (relatively) new In Stitches book, which is filled with lots of lovely projects. AND it includes pattern sheets in a little envelope at the front.

I bought this on the weekend ... I've been thinking it over for a while, and then of course I was possessed by an impulse and just bought it.

Of course, I'm never going to make some of the things in it ... like an incredibly complicated quilt, or a bed valance (I mean, really)... but there are others, like the cushions and the napkins and the placemats, that look really fun.

The book is lying on top of my new Cocoa Sugar Snap fabric by Melissa Averinos. Did I tell you she wrote me a comment on Monday night? I'm still quivering with shock and awe, but at least I've stopped hyperventilating.

I think I might use some of this lovely fabric to make one of my Perfect Picnic Rolls. It's just the loveliest, brightest fabric - the way the fuschia and tangerine colours pop is just beautiful. I think it would be the ideal picnic accessory.

And then over on the left of the photo is a small saucer of buttons. I got a button kit from Etsy recently and it's been great fun to use up my fabric scraps on lovely little buttons! Now I can coordinate the eyes of my various creatures with the fabric they're made out of.

Back to sewing tonight then! I have the Shirt and Skirt market coming up in late April, but before that I've got a cushion to finish, two Hoots to make, an Ellyfump, and a dinosaur as well....

I'm in buttony, soapy heaven

Aren’t weekends wonderful?

I use mine to catch up on all the sewing projects I’ve neglected during the week, when my hands are cuffed to the corporate wheel and there’s little time to relax and sew.

This Sunday I took the opportunity to go to a local weekly trash-and-treasure market on the other side of town.

The Amateur Actress volunteered to drive, so along with L’Auteur and The Renovators, we all squeezed into her tiny car (well, it was tiny with five of us inside it) and headed out for a morning of poking through stuff.

And what stuff there was to be had! I could not be-LIEVE how much rubbish there was. People seemed to have piled up all their old crap out of their garage and brought it along to sell. But what’s more amazing was that people were buying it.

I knocked around for half an hour before stumbling across the gold mine, which was a stall of vintage buttons run by a buttony old lady.

It was magnificent. I was delirious with happiness. I could have bought the lot.

Instead, I got four sets of matching buttons (red glass shanks, orange flowers, huge mustard velvet sofa cushion buttons and a quartet of glazed grey ones) for the grand total of $13. If I’d bought them in a real shop it would have cost me at least double.

She had so many buttons I could have happily filled up the bathtub with them and splashed around in them like some sort of habadashery dolphin.

As I wandered away feeling quite pleased with myself, I picked up a length of scarlet cotton velvet, a vintage orange and white checked tablecloth, and some cream suiting with a light pink pinstripe - for the grand total of seven dollars.

Then I rounded the corner and found a lovely little soap stall, where I picked up ten individual scented soaps for ten dollars.

This was PERFECT! I’ve been wanting to make some little soapy gifty things for my stall for a while now - fabric envelopes for soaps, tied with ribbon at the top – I think they’d look bright and colourful and they’re a perfect size for presents. Plus they’re a good way to use up my offcuts, as I don’t like to chuck anything out wastefully.

And these soaps were beautifully fragranced – I got frangipani, rose, olive, lemongrass, aloe vera, mango, patchouli, sandalwood, ocean and orange. Not to mention MUCH cheaper than buying them retail.

Then I scooted home and whizzed up some fabric envelopes using some of my scraps. I think they look really cheerful.

And now I’ve got the perfect source for all my buttony, soapy requirements – fantastic! I’m in buttony, soapy heaven.