Amali’s book owl

This week I’m going to catch up with my friend Dilka and finally get to meet her daughter Amali. In between doing other things (another batch of Hawaiian girls cushions have made their way to Absolutely Fabulous), I made this little owl as a present. I’m calling her the Book Owl because she looks so cute next to my craft books for now.

Hawaiian gals

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this Hawaiian print (although the fabric is getting quite hard to source now) and the black colourway has a completely different feel from the white one (that I made into these cushions) – especially teamed with this bright orange vintage trim! If you like them, you’ll find them at Absolutely Fabulous.

A stash of books

This is my stash of books from fossicking through the Lifeline Bookfest, a giant book sale that a local charity holds in Brisbane every six months. As well as all the usual crafty bits and bobs that caught my eye and seven cloth-bound Zane Grey Westerns from the 50s, I got some great examples of 60s illustration – the How & Why Book of Birds, the Modern Girls Annual (which has some super-cute pics inside and a beautiful rose outline that would look tremendous embroidered on a Western shirt), the Hare & the Tortoise (illustrated by Brian Wildsmith, who did quite a lot of children’s book illustration – yes, I already have an embroidery project in mind!) and a really unusual children’s folk tale from the USSR (the one with the fox on it, which is some kind of political allegory that I’m still trying to fathom)!

Hawaiian is the new black

I’m excited because I’ve received a package in the mail with this fun Hawaiian girls fabric! It’s the black colourway of the fabric I made into these cushions. One hot afternoon drive to my out-of-town getaway for vintage trims and I’m now ready to get sewing. Look out soon for black Hawaiian girls cushions with startlingly orange fringe!

Fancy a spot of baking?

Nothing like a bit of cute inspiration to get one rattling the baking pans! These lil’ matryoshkas are called M-Cups. I’ve never bothered with measuring cups before so I think these are a bit fancy.

Best of 2009

What a funny old year… I read a lot of non-fiction, went to heaps of art exhibitions, stayed in and listened to music instead of going to gigs, and collected an inordinate amount of fabric! Since it’s the last day today I thought I’d reflect on some of my favourite things about 2009.

Top 5 books
1. 100 Years of Fashion Illustration
2. Naive: Modernism & Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design
3. Vintage Dress Fabrics from the States: A Materials
4. Zakka Sewing
5. V&A Pattern: The Fifties

Top 5 exhibitions
1. The Golden Age of Couture – Bendigo Art Gallery
2. Namatjira to Now – Queensland Art Gallery
3. Against the Grain – Nine Lives Gallery
4. Modern Times – State Library of Queensland
5. Easton Pearson – Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane

Top 5 albums
1. Built to Spill – There is No Enemy
2. Odawas – The Blue Depths
3. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
4. Antony & The Johnsons – The Crying Light
5. The Black Heart Procession – Six

Top 5 fabrics
1. Mary Engelbreit – Recipe for Happiness

2. Joel Dewberry – Ginseng

3. Echino – Grassy Plain

4. Alexander Henry – Bird Seed

5. Kokka – Roses (if anyone ever comes across this one please let me know – I would love about five yards to make a 50s frock)

6. And just for good measure I’ll break the rules with a number six in my top five. Anything by Nani Iro. She is amazing!

Happy new year to you and here’s to 2010 – the official year of craft.

Embroidery inspiration

I stumbled upon this delightful notecard set when I was fossicking around the shops before Xmas. It features embroidery by Maxine Sutton, a British lass who makes beautiful textile art featuring Irish machine and hand embroidery, and applique. Quite an inspiration!

The cards come in a re-usable box that closes with a magnet – love that magnetic ’snap!’ and the sentiment inside…

It’s reminded me of a piece I made a little while ago on my machine. Since everything I make seems to be about being precise and neat, I don’t think I can adequately describe how liberating it was to use my sewing machine as a colouring pencil! Now the question is should this turn into a bag or a cushion or should I just frame it?

Alison’s not-so-nappy bag

The holidays have given me time to tackle some projects I’ve been meaning to get to for a while – like this bag for my friend Alison who’s about to have her first baby. It’s like this one I made a few weeks ago, but in Joel Dewberry’s exquisite ‘Ginseng’ fabric and lined in burnt orange to brighten it up.

Back to Dick and Dora

Remember the 1950s elementary readers featuring Dick and Dora? If you weren’t lucky enough to read the real thing (even the hand-me-down ones I got to see) you may have come across the reproduction fabrics. Well, thanks to my friend Yolanda I now have a Dick and Dora wooden bird brooch. It turns out that it’s made by a Tasmanian couple who produce all manner of pretty jewellery pieces and knick-knacks, mostly from acrylic and ribbon. If you check out their website, it does take a while to load but it’s very cute.

Bec’s birds

A little while ago my friend Bec said she was in the market for half a dozen little hanging birds… and here they are. They feature vintage fabric from my childhood (thanks to my Mum, who I’ve clearly inherited the collecting bug from), backed in ticking and hanging with grosgrain ribbon. I might delve into my fabric stash to make some more so let me know if you like them.