Finally, my first gocco print

Inspired by Suzy I finally plucked up the courage to try out my gocco printer (embarrassingly, I was given the gocco last year for Christmas) and made some Christmas cards. They are slightly smudged and the first screen was a bit of a fizzer so I think it will take a couple of sessions to master but I'm pretty happy with them.
My crafting has been slowing down here due to Ziya & I having head colds, fractured sleep and planning for our 3 weeks in Melbourne (I feel like there's a lot to plan...with a baby) and then there's the unfinished projects beckoning.....
I can't wait to lie on the beach and drink campari in the afternoon sun.

Here's a snippet of my Flickr favorites. For a closer look and links to the individual artists take a peep here. It's all very inspiring and great motivation for those handmade Chritmas decorations!

Keeping me busy

2 single quilt tops and a cot quilt top.... now ready and waiting to be basted & quilted pre Christmas.



a cross stitch. Hooray, the end is in sight.



and, a couple of pairs of new pants for the Little Fella to kick around in. It was quite a productive week. I hope this week is too, for everyone.

Frock revisited

Remember this frock I made last year? Well, I love it. It's so comfortable (it may not look like it hanging up on there on that wire hanger but it's relatively flattering....even post baby).
So I've decided I'd like to make another. I started hunting around at Tessuti Fabrics and Belsize Square, looking at all of the amazing fabrics, trying to decide what I'd like and now I'm totally confused. Maybe just a simple black with grey trim? You can't really go wrong with that.

We received a gorgeous parcel in the post last week from Bekka (considering Rebecca's little Elsa was born on the 16th November, it's a wonder she had the time or the inclination to complete, package and post presents at this late stage of pregnancy. I'm amazed and very grateful. Wecome to the world Elsa!).
The parcel was a gift for Ziya, as part of Hey Bubbles' Online Baby Shower Swap. This sweet hat was one of the gifts, which I just love. He looks like a real live May Gibbs gumnut baby and I just want to squeaze him.
There was also a great play matt which we take everywhere with us. With handy ties it rolls up perfectly to fit in the bottom of the pram.

The quilt tops for Ziya and Angus are coming along (I promise to post more photos soon. Thanks you for all the lovely comments). They're just waiting on the borders. Ella's fabirc has arrived and waiting in line for my attention. So much to do and Christmas is fast approaching. Oh, my. One month today.

While waiting for the Ink & Spindle fabric to arrive I've started on the quilts I'm making Ziya & his cousin Angus for Christmas. Here's a sneak peek. I'll post some more photos soon.

Ink & Spindle

I've been trying to nut out fabric combinations for a quilt I've been commissioned to make for lovely little Ella Bella and I've ordered this fabric from Ink & Spindle.... lets hope it goes with the other fabrics I purchased at Amitie a while back on a trip to Melbourne.

We went for brunch with Kathy at Yuga Floral Design Cafe today and checked out Glebe. Kathy (who loves to walk) took us on a lovely stoll around the suburb, admiring the stunning houses as we edged our way closer to the peninsula. I think the LF is quite taken by Glebe....we could be heading back that way very soon.

The LF is cooking me dinner, so i must get going for a taste sensation. Hope you're all having a great weekend. xo

Recent Etsy purchase

I recenty purchased this adorable dress from Mountain Aven Baby over at Etsy. It's totally reversable and looks so sweet. It was a belated birthday present and thank you to little Coco, our favorite small Sydney gal.


Nielson Park
Speaking of favorites, I'm officially a huge fan of Nielson Park. It's kind of on par with Balmoral Beach but for totally different reasons. Take a look for yourself and see what I mean. I'd quite happily live at either beach side suburb....if I had quite a few million to spare.

For the lovely ladies with bellies out there

Here's a Lovely Maternity Dresses Japanese sewing book for the pregnant ladies over at a little goodness. I wish I'd found this during my pregnancy.... I so needed a style make over.
There's also a baby sling book. Something I never got around to making but the idea and images are just so sweet.
Then there's the pièce de résistance Mommy & Me Dresses. So incredibly adorable.
I kind of want them all, I hope you do too.
Hello to all your bumps out there. xo

One for the Cup

There's nothing like a bit of toilet roll craft and seeing it's The Melbourne Cup and the very first time I've not been in Melbourne for Cup festivities....I thought it only fitting.
Happy Melbourne Cup. xox

Grab a bag

This is today's creation. It's a mini shopping bag I can throw everything in to with a seconds notice and be out the door. It holds my wallet, keys, phone and sunglasses perfectly...no buttons, zippers or never ending pockets. Not much to it at all actually. That's why it's perfect.
I also made Miss Milly a mobile but it's a surprise, so you'll have to wait for that one. It's been a great day for getting things done because it was way too hot here in Sydney to be out and about.
I even had time to have a wee search around and loved what I saw, especially this lamp shade from ah-yi, these sweet mongolian slippers found via Angry Chicken and lastly this Stylish Dress Book over at Japan Craft Journal.
Have a lovely weekend. We're off for a mid morning picnic at Nelson Park tomorrow. xo

Needlepoint heaven

We took a trip to Newcastle on the weekend and ended up in Edith's lounge room. I thought I'd died and gone to Needlepoint heaven.
Edith's house is incredible. The decor is all 1960's original and very European (a tribute to Edith's Hungarian background). It was like stepping back in time, to a remote chalet, somewhere in the European Alps. I was waiting for Tom to walk in wearing leidenhosen and offering us butterscotch snaps at 10am.

I wish I'd taken more photos of Edith's amazing handy work (I envy her patience...if only I could complete one of these needlepoint pieces, I'd be happy) but I'm sure you get the jist from the images in the background. Thank you Tom and Edith for sharing your lovely home and making me feel I was somewhere a little more remote than Newcastle!

I got gifted

I'm so very lucky. Look at these amazing gifts. The tea towel was made by Suzy and it looks great hanging in our kitchen....I love it. The L.F. has been told it's not for use. The last lovely tea towel I hung up, a Third Drawer Down creation, was used to bring a meat tray in from the barbie...can you imagine my horror! I'm still trying to remove the stains.


The clutch was a birthday present from the Ladle. It's a Naughty Agapanthas and it seems to be premanently strapped to my wrist, even when it doesn't quite go with my outfit.

This Green to Grow bottle was a gift from Mel at The Hip Infant. I looked for these...pre Ziya...and couldn't find any in Australia. So here we have it. These Green to Grow bottles are made from PES plastic, giving them a natural golden glow. The bottles are Bisphenol A and Phthalate free (suspected hormone distrpting chemicals found in polycarbonate plastic)! So, we now have complete peace of mind that there is no leaching of nasty chemical into Ziya's milk. Thanks Mel!!
The Future Earth has written a great post on Plastic Baby Bottles without Bisphenol A and You can find the Green to Grow bottles here.

Thank you all for your generosity! Each gift is very much loved and appreciated. xoxo

bits and birds

My sister-in-law, the lovely Janan, made me a couple of Spool birds for my birthday. I've sewn them onto a branch I found down at Rushcutters and they're so sweetly sitting on our sideboard. Thank you Janan. They're so much nicer than the Ibis that parade up and down on our balcony (I'm positive I heard one squawking expletives the other day... is it true they can mimic?).



This is a sweet mobile I made for Ziyas room this week (not the best photo sorry!). His room needed a little TLC and finally it's sorted our with hand made tags for all of this clothing draws. I made it out of scrap paper from magazines, postcards and postage bags, sewn together on my trusty machine. He loves looking at all the colours and shapes. So, it's quite a winner.

I did it. I have sewn the zipper into the sleeping sheet with great success thanks to Rudolf. It's all ready to go... however, due to a lot of fitfull sleeping we've had to go back to basics and start swaddling the little man. So, it's not currently needed. He's 6 months old today, I can hardly believe it.

We had a night out and went to see a film last night, Caramel. It's set in Beirut and it's a playful tale of 5 woman who work in a beauty parlor. We both really enjoyed it and enjoyed the time out....at night...on our own....with time to sit and sip tea in the Berkelouw Books Cafe, pre film. Bliss.

(P.S. I so loved Rudolf's course, aside from the side splitting laughter and stupidity....no, I've never sniffed a chair before or made a poncho quite like Jane's...., I learnt to sew in a way I've never been known to sew before. It's a lot of fun and I'd highly recommend the course to anyone thinking of up-ing their sewing skills...even Colette from Tessuti is taking a class with Rudolf. He's a total whiz.)

Today

The LF & I started a 10 day detox yesterday...it's only day 2 and I'm exhausted. I'll make this post short because right now all I can think about is fatty food, a glass of wine and a strong coffee. It's crazy. I don' even eat that much junk food but do you think I can stop thinking about it now...no!
Ziya and I took a walk from Potts Point around to the Andrew (Boy) Charlton openair swimming pool (where I had a peppermint tea!). Sitting in the cafe there is just lovely on a beautiful day like today......watching all those amazing bodies doing laps and sunning themselves on the deck below is strangely relaxing.
We then walked onto the Botanical Gardens(where I ate my bean and brown rice salad) and mustered the strength for the return trip home and that hill up from Woolloomooloo.

Now, the couch.

PS. Still no zipper action.

Sleeping Sack

I've been working on a summer sleeping sack for Ziya. Practicing my new sewing techniques from Rudolf's course. It's coming along a lot faster than my projects normally do, which is a good sign. But I've come to a little hitch...the zipper!
We have yet to do zippers in class and prior to this sewing course I was blissfully unaware there was even a foot dedicated to zippers.
When they asked how I normally sew in my zippers. I replied that 'I just plough through....a little like someone driving mono on the footpath.....or else I avoid them like the plague'. So, it's obvios I'm no sewing efficionado. I'm just hoping that with a little more practice I wont be such a total novice.
It's been fun getting to know my machine. I usually treat it like a hijacked car, driving it as fast as possible to get to where I want to go before everything ends in one big disaster.
It's quite silly to be terrified of a sewing machine really... so I'm very pleased we're starting to get along a lot better these days. Now for the zipper!?

This is an image from Arthur's Circus, a lovely store in North Melbourne which I recently visited. They specialise in vintage toys and handmade goods. You're guaranteed to find something you'll fall in love with in their store. Natalie and Nicholas run the store, which is named after their three year old son Arthur. The whole experience is very fun. I'm itching to get back there.

Last night I was invited to a Sydney crafty blogger get together in Newtown. Evening outings are few and far between these days so it's always nice to take a break and head out for some adult conversation. It turned out to be a real treat because I was fortunate enough to meet these amazing ladies:
Suzy from Floating world
Bianca from Sadie and Lance and the Toy Society.
Bettina of BKH Design (website and blog)
Belinda from Taylor Street
Jade from My Art is my outlet
and a long time fave, Belinda, from Tutti Frutti.

I've spent every second of Ziya's nap time today jumping from blog to blog checking out all of the wondrful things they've been up to. It's terribly inspiring....which is why I should get off here and make hay while the sun shines.....so to speak. Enjoy your weekend. xoxo

Home town goodness

Well, it's just shy of two weeks since I last blogged and boy did the time fly.
To fill you in on what I've been up to, it goes something a little like this.... I started the sewing course with Rudolf Ramseyer. It involved a lot of theory, all the facts and practical tips I've never previously bothered to learn (which could be the root of all my sewing mishaps to date).
We then headed down the coast for a weekend trip to Bundeena.
Later that night my Dad arrived in town for a couple of days. There were plenty of sights to see, coffee's to be drunk and Poppa Baz raspberries to be blown on baby Ziya.
Celebrated my birthday with a night out on the town while my lovely cousin AJ babysat.
........and lastly, we took a flying visit to our home town, Melbourne. Dear old Melbourne. It was so lovely to be back visiting family and friends and discovering a few new friends along the way.

A highlight of the trip was taking a sneak peek of the tour Danielle Pumo and Lyn Gardener run A Vintage Outing with my friend Sheriden. I wont give too much away but you do tour around in a chauffeur-driven Fiat 1500s with old-time music playing on the radio. It's packed full of wonderful places to visit and...I must say, a yummy lunch pack (and to set the record straight, I didn't quite eat the whole pack before we'd reached home! Oink, oink). Sheriden's story will feature in The Age on October 18th, so keep an eye out for it.

Another highlight was a trip to Amitie to stock up on fabrics for....just a couple of quilts but more on that later.

Ahhhhh, we're now breathing a sigh of relief and lying low, so the little man can recover. The trip totally zonked him out and he's been 'sleeping like a baby' ever since.

X-stitch in the Park

We did a little X-stitch in the park today. Little by little this x-stitch is coming along. I wanted to make something for Ziya's birth, which recorded all of his birth details. I still have the newspaper announcement that my parents placed upon my birth but seeing announcements aren't really the done thing these days....I decided on a x-stitch. You can see my progressive updates over at Flickr here, here & here.



We then came home and did some more freezer paper stenciling and transformed the ugliest cushion in the world (but boy is it good for feeding!) into something more respectable using the templates from Lotta Jansdotter's Lotta Prints Book.

Then it was time to try some apple for the first time ..........and this is what happened.

There was quite a lot of gagging involved!

Tomorrow I start my sewing course here and then we're heading off to Bundeena for the night. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xox

Freezer Paper extravaganza

Here's a photo of my first Freezer Paper stencil.

For those of you who tuned in recently you'll remember I purchased Lena Cowrin's Printing By Hand. Since then I've patiently waited for my Freezer Paper to arrive so I could get started. (I ordered my paper from OzQuilts...although hoppo bumpo ordered hers through Punch & Judy). I'm quite happy with how it turned out and am eager to give it another go soon. If you'd like to try one yourself I found these helpful links to get you started.

Neither Hip Nor Hunky
Angry Chicken
Panjo Kids
Dabbled
Mrs Happy Housewife

Actually, Hoppo Bumpo has done some fantastic research on freezer paper suppliers and pricing, cutting out all the hard work, so head over and take a tip from her. Thank you Hoppo Bumpo!!!

So much to see

The TarraWarra Biennale 2008 is currently on in Healsville, Victoria. It's titled Lost & Found: An Archeology of the Present and it's on until 9th November. The exhibition features 21 of Australia & New Zealand artists who have reinvented traditional techniques "evoking historical forms, mythologies and folklores." I know I have two trips to Melbourne planned before the closure of this exhibition and I'm hoping to make it there on a least one of those trips. I love the Tarrawarra Gallery. the space is just stunning... even without the artwork.

Yesterday I discovered the work of Takashi Iwasaki , via Miss Woolly's blog. I think my favorites are the embroidery and the collage. The vibrancy in all of the work definitely evokes a sense of playfulness which totally appeals to me. Thanks Miss Woolly!

This weekend in Sydney the College of Fine Arts will be transformed into a carnival of creativity for the COFA Spring Fair. There will be all sorts of fun, including free workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions to see. It's on from 10-4pm and I can't wait.

Yoshimoto, no bananas here.

We've been on a walk to Double Bay today and and boy am I feeling it in my calves now. It's around 2.6km (one way) but the hills make it feel a lot longer, especially on the return trip. Armed with a copy of the urban walkabout Sydney guide for Double Bay I'd discovered there are plenty of shops to explore....

I left fashion for another, child free, day and instead of a beautiful Marni dress I bought the new Yoshimoto Nara book The Lonesome Puppy. It's Yoshimoto Nara's first childrens book. A sweet tale of a very big dog. I love the fact that it is dedicated to physically challenged children everywhere and explores with children (well, not just children, grown ups too) that although we are all different we deserve to be loved and appreciated in the same way. I bought it at As if by Magic, which looks a little like a fairy's supply store, but don't be put off by all the wands and wings. They have a wonderful collection of childrens books and the owner especially loves illustration, so she'll gladly point you in the direction of a real treasure. They even had the Jen Coarce book Little Hoot, about an owl who's parents make him stay up all night, which I'm sure I'll head back for soon.

The other favorite of the day was Rainbow Puppen. They sell all kinds of European toys and dolls, speciallising in wooden toys. Some kids stores give me heartburn but not this one I could have stayed in there all day. The absence of blaring, battery operated plastic toys was a breath of fresh air.

With a beautiful looking bookshop and plenty more stores still yet to visit I'll be heading back soon for another fix of....L.A., country style...I mean... Double Bay.

Calm end to a crazy day

I managed to lock myself in the car today with the lights flashing, alarm and horn both blaring........and subsequently a startled and screaming baby. Poor little Ziya got the fright of his life. I was trying to be ever so quiet and let him sleep in his carseat but somehow managed to press something (God knows what) and set the whole shebang off.
This came after a rather pointless trip out to Spotlight Bondi.
I think I've been totally spoilt by the new set up at the South Melbourne Spotlight. It was quite a shock to tackle the Bondi store...(to give you an idea it looked like a bomb had gone off in a Hot Dollar shop). I hope they have plans to renovate soon!

After a restorative afternoon nap we've managed to turn the day around. We had a lovely stroll this afternoon, along this path up above, did a spot of shopping and picked up some incredible crème caramel for dessert from the gorgeous little patisserie across the road.

Now I'm off to make home made pizza's and enjoy the bottle of wine I picked up while doing the spot of shopping. Have a wonderful weekend. xoxo

things to do.....

I'm feeling totally inspired today by this lovely book by Lena Corwin. It's called Printing By Hand and it's just delightful. I'm itching to get my hands on some fabric paint and experiment. Hopefully, when my Aunty comes over later today, I can duck out without the little one and pick some up.
I cheekily purchased the book last week while doing Father's Day shopping. I was going to pretend it was for L.F. but I don't think he really would have appreciated it.......the Top Gear box set was more in line with him.

I found this list of Sydney's child friendly places while surfing the next yesterday and I'm going to work my way through some of these. I figure it should be a good start to getting Ziya & I out and about while the L.F. is at work. We started off yesterday with a walk to Rushcutters Bay, around to Darling Point and then stopped in at the Canteen for a coffee on the return journey. It's quite the haven for a lady with a pram around there, I tell you.

I'm off to Cenntenial Park this morning for a walk date with someone I haven't yet met. She'll be there with a baby and a beagle.

Take a peek at this sweet blog by M.Patrizio.
Have a great day & cheerio.

Happy Fathers Day..to all ye fathers out there

The sun came out to play and so did we. Thank you Sydney.

It's Father's Day today so I'll start this post with a very special Father's Day wish to my Dad, big bad Baz. Thanks for being such a wonderful dad! We wish he was here in Sydney with us to celebrate.....and secondly, to the LF. It's his first Father's Day. Hooray, what a super Dad he is to the little 'Z' man too.


To kick things off we opened presents and ate pancakes (made from this recipe as none of our cookbooks have arrived yet). Then we set off on foot to discover our neighborhood.
Above is one of my favorite gardens in the area. I love the magnolia tree, the frangipani and the wisteria hanging from the gorgeous Juliet balcony. To my delight, there are plenty of fabulous old frangipani trees in Sydney. I'm a huge fan of the frangipani but unfortunately Melbourne's climate is not terribly kind to their slightly more tropical needs.
I saw a lovely Beci Oprin print in a little gallery on the corner of Burton & Crown Street's... the shop was closed and I can't remember the name of it. I'll just have to weave my way back there and take a look...... however it could be dangerous. When I peered through the window there were so many beautiful pieces of artwork. I fear I may not be able to come home empty handed.
We continued on to Object Gallery and took a look at the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award Exhibition. I particularly liked Stuart McFarlane's butterfly room dividers (well, that was my interpretation anyway) made out of recycled plastic.
After 3 hours of walking we wove our way back home, stopping at the Kings Cross market to by Gozleme's for lunch and a book by Murakami from the chatty second hand dealer, then we all headed upstairs to crash out for an afternoon nap.

Humpty

This little Humpty was given to our little Zed man when we were leaving Melbourne by our friends, Sherry & Ella. They found him at a thrift store in South Melbourne. What a find, hey!
Thank you guys. We love him and we miss you......come visit us soon, please. xox

Sunny Sydney...not this week

We arrived in the Deli Mecca of Potts Point on Wednesday and spent the afternoon touring Macleay St customising ourselves to all the gastronomic delights it has on offer. We are spoilt for cafe's and food stores here. There's a Fratteli Fresh above the Woolworths supermarket packed full of fabulous foodie treats to inspire anyone into the kitchen. I'm looking forward to having a meal this weekend at Cafe Sopra, where they cook up all of the fantastic produce.

Above is the view from of our bedroom window down Macleay St towards Woolloomooloo and below, if I pivot the other way, looking towards The Cross. I love all of the 1930's architecture around this area. There are so many wonderful wooden entrances to neighboring apartment blocks, with shining beveled windows, sweet letter boxes and ton of deco features that I can wait to explore in more detail.



The weather has been dismal the last couple of days. The wind was blowing so hard this morning that it completely flipped the wooden outdoor table on our balcony and smashed the outdoor light. That's no mean feat either as it's a 10 seater heavy wooden table, difficult for the two of us to even inch off the ground...let alone flip! It seems to have rained non stop since Thursday and I'm itching for some sunshine so we can get out and walk the streets down to Rushcutters Bay.

Rain, rain, go away! come again another day.

not quite the Antarctic

As we get organised to embark on our adventure to Sydney (I know it's not quite the Antarctic but we've packed enough provisions to make it look as though we're off to the Antarctic) I thought it fitting to feature Alison Lester's amazing adventure to Antarctica.

Alison Lester travelled to Antarctica in 2005 as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow and diarised her trip online so that school children around Australia could be inspired by this adventure.

Alison encouraged children to draw in response to her descriptions and photos. She has since used these illustrations to complete an exhibition of work which combines the children’s line drawings with her design and colour.
Books Illustrated are currently showing this amazing exhibition at The Angela Robarts Gallery at Gasworks Arts Park until 14th September.

Hopefully well before the 14th September we'll have already settled in nicely to our new home and I'll have the internet rigged up at home so I can start to diarise our adventures. In the meantime, enjoy Alison's adventure and adios. xox

Lost in Folk Land

I know I've been somewhat of a pseudo blogger this year with the new addition to our family and the looming move but my, am I out of touch. I took a little look over at mrs eliot books today and wow has she been busy.
She now has an etsy, dwanda and folksy store not to mention an exclusive website and she still manages to update her continually inspiring blog.

I've only just cottoned onto DaWanda and now I have another shop to explore. Well done Fran! I need some serious tips in time management from you.

PS. only 5 more days until the big move!!

Wrapping it all up.

Ziya sitting in his new chair, in the bathroom, while I get ready for the day.


Our new cushions. Made by me.

Things have been rather crazy around here organising for our big move. We have the expats moving into our place on the 6th of September, so I guess that means we'll be out of here and up to Sydney on the 5th. We've still yet to find a furnished apartment to lease.....but I guess it'll happen when the right one is ready (It happened!! We found an apartment in Potts Point today. Hooray).

I've almost finished my Baby Shower gift for Bekka and I did sew 3 new cushion covers the other day while baby Ziya was taking an extended nap. This however has been the extent of my creative outlet...unless you call making neat piles of things to go and things to stay and packing boxes a creative persuit?!

I did order this wrap cardigan pattern from 6.5 Stitches the other day.... it's a little project that will stay in the pipeline for Sydney though.

MixTape

Thanks to Nikki's newsletter updating me on all of her recent go-ings on I came across the Mix Tape Magazine and am now a subscriber! What a brilliant publication. It's a Zine about making time for the small things. How neat.

Being a mother.........

I've just been reading Kerri Smith's post over at the Wish Jar on 'truthful things about being an artist and a mother'.

Kerri writes so succinctly about so many of the thoughts that seem to be whizzing through my head...constantly. The only thing is I feel like I'm at the bottom of a valley looking up and seeing all my thoughts echoing off the sides.....thank you Kerri for such an expressive piece.
For any new mum or soon to be mum, it's well worth a read. It certainly made me smile.

These cabbages currently great me, every time I enter the house, from our little hall table. They too make me smile. I'm always buying fresh flowers for the house and this week I couldn't go past these.

Thanks Ladle

I came across these birds a few weeks back in a midnight blog-about session. I was anticipating the next feed and couldn't get myself off to sleep so, thought I'd have a look around and see what people were up to. I got so carried away I forgot to track where I'd been and subsequently couldn't remember where I'd seen these lovely birds.
My friend, Ladle, sent me this link to check out today and whala....it's the birds!!!
Hooray and here's the free pattern too! Take a look at all the other gorgeous treats over at Spool. I think the sewing machine covers are pretty special.