disappearing blogger

I have been crocheting lots and lots, some simple purses, with hand sewn linings. My favourite so far is cream and cherry red stripes with lovely Japanese fabric lining.The lining fabric piece for this one was recycled from a worn out cushion cover. I made a large floor cushion many years ago for the comfort of my then toddler-who is now twelve years old-ye gods, time flies!

As I was stitching away I was watching a BBC dvd production called "who do you think you are?"

It was truly fascinating and moving to see how each person felt as they discovered truths about their families and past, social history.

It also got one of my kids really interested in the idea of a family tree. I think he thought I was going to create an actual magical tree when I said I would make up one for him.

I tried to make up for that disappointment by making a interesting one and gathered a collection of family photos and stuck them on the wall, siblings next to each other, under parents and so on. It was a really lovely experience and I recommend it to anyone who is separated by land or sea from their family as it really bought my kids and I a lot of joy. The photos were also great talking points to the events they recorded.

I am doing a bit of roaming lately, maybe in part to inspire me and fill up my soul with some light and happiness from lovely people like this little cherub above.

I am heading away again for a few days, up to Montville where I will rest and relax and enjoy a taste of winter in the mountains. And hopefully I will also experience a taste of fudge from the fabulous Montville fudge shop!

xdash

winter in sydney, its a mighty priddy city...

Just back from a trip to Sydney and oh my, I have picked up a flu in my travels.

I am not oinking, except when near chocolate(normal behaviour from me)so hopefully its not swine flu. Although a curly wee tail would be cute ;o)

Highlights were catching up with my lovely family, and enjoying all things American washed down with many a cocktail. Yummy cocktails. I also love sitting with Maddy and crocheting flowers for her('you doing some knitting-can you do some flowers-bigger please?') and bushwalking with Nicholas, who was the leader-but in the middle, keeping us safe and on the path!

And after all these sweet moments I spent one morning being totally nerdylicious!

I went to the state library and saw some very cool (for geeks) exhibits. There is some interesting objects selected from the libraries collection including an actual real schindlers list, one of the typewritten lists of people he typed up as he plotted out how to save the people he had come to know, a plain and simple list but special, profound to see. And also a first edition copy of Charles Darwins 'origin of species' book. There is such a lot to see in there, I just dig libraries SO much.

I popped into the NSW gallery but there wasn't anything that really grabbed me so I wandered up through the Sydney botanic , crunching dry leaves under my feet.

catch you all again soon when I am feeling better,

xkate

(oink, oink)

aging-eeeeeeeek!

I am not a big fan of posting up photos of myself on here, usually I prefer to pop up things like this, my collection of cute retro blocks, or some other nerdish thing, but I feel I must push vain concerns aside. A warning needs to be made. I look pretty calm don't I?

For someone who just discovered these!!

For anyone who wonders 'what is my natural colour now anyway?' the answer may well be grey. So don't say you weren't told. I can't believe it, I am only 21 after all....ahem.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

Okay. Onto more interesting things. It is finally getting a bit of a nip in the air, I have been snapping away trying to capture the feeling of that shift to cooler weather, these were all taken in my yard.

To break up the pictures a bit, heres my first ever atempt at a 'how-to.'

Felt making using a woollen garment.(glamorous title huh?)

So, have you ever wondered how to go about felting an old jumper? I am glad you asked!

First make sure whatever you want to use has at least 70% animal fibre content-sheep yarn, angora, whatever-(sure, whatever, even rabbit yarn if you have it!)

Pop your item into your washing machine on the hottest longest cycle you have, add a dash of dish washing liquid or other harsh detergent, if you have a couple of tennis balls throw them in(lets face it most of us are never going to play tennis so this is a great use for them!) A couple of towels will help too but they may come out covered in fluff.

By the time the cycle is through your jumper should have shrunken somewhat, the fibres should be matting together...and now for the tricky part! Ha, there is no tricky part! You just keep repeating the washing process until it is felt-y enough for your needs. I like a really tightly felted, very shrunken felt-as thick as I can get it, but this means the item will be a lot smaller-say reduced by about 30-40%.

If an item is not completely felted (and by that I mean the fibres haven't fully locked together) it may fray when cut, but depending on your needs this may not be an issue.

Felt is lovely. Soft and warm and cozy and I swear doing this will not only shrink your wool but any heart aches too, as craftster says, 'who needs therapy?'

xKate

oh I just love to ramble...

A gompa is a Tibetan temple or meditation room and is where Buddhist students gather. And recently Katie and I spent the day at Chenrezig monestery in the hinterland of the sunshine coast of Queensland. As we walked around we could have been practicing walking meditation or enjoying the view of the mountains but instead we were singing merrily "goompa, goompa, goompady doo, I have a tibetan prayer flag for you,"to the tune of the 'oompa loompa song' from the classic Charlie and the Chocolate factory film.

So I might not have moved any further along the path to ultimate happiness but it was lots of fun.

Back to Chenrezig it is so beautiful, there is peace that almost hangs in the air and your cares get lost on the windy roads up to the mountain top where it sits.

Aside from the buildings, the grounds are lovely, if a little to snake-filled for some peoples sensibilities. I am not at all scared of snakes, and the pythons and others that sun themselves on the paths always seem way to fat and sleepy to be bothered doing anything to anyone. They are like those full bellied Buddhas, content.

I am not usually content to sit still for very long or lay about, so its work for me to simply be for a moment. Just be.

Unfortunately I felt tired, worn out and stressed driving back to Brisbane, there is always a part of me that just wants to stay there longer.

Fortunately, after a cup of tea I remember there is much to enjoy being back in my normal life-my friends, cute doggies, markets, kids and sewing to reel off just some.

And speaking of sewing I have placed a few new sewn brooches with Sarah at her cafe "the juice tank' on Oxley Avenue in Margate. They are a new design I have enjoyed working on very much. The cafe is so close to home I could not resist, even though I was trying to hold off displaying them until I open my online store. I dont have any pictures to show but imagine brooches made out of cute retro fabrics like these

...oooh how I love these retro designs, I smile each time I work with them, when I find a discarded pillowcase of bright cheery flowers in an op shop I pounce!

The Juice Tank is a popular space with many local crafts workers who have been able to display/sell work. But it has just been sold!

So, I am not sure how long art pieces will be on display there, so maybe best to get in there quickish to enjoy not only the great things within, also the lovely coffee and the friendliness and warmth of the service.

xkate

Home life

We have had a lot of rain lately. In the midst of the heaviest rains I received a call from my sons' school requesting I come and collect them. There were concerns there would be flooding and that if they(and everyone elses kids)weren't picked up, they may be flooded in and stuck there!

We enjoyed being home together, doing jigsaws, painting and talking about monsters.

We also loved meeting our sweet little letterbox friends...these two have decided to beat the rental hikes and shift into a lovely cool industrial looking apartment,and despite the economic crisis, I am not charging them a cent.

Apart from staying in and chatting with frogs I must not forget to pass on my thanks for the support at the Sandgate market. It was a fun day, lots of lovely people stopped and spoke and 'bought for a cause'. It was lovely to be able to support Oxfam. This gorgeous woman bought a brooch from me and placed it on her own funky crochet hat, beautiful, huh? Thanks!

xkate

Market-supporting Oxfam.

Tomorrow, Saturday 16th, between 10.30 and 2.30 at the Sandgate town hall a market is being held. Please come along and check out some lovely treasures and support Oxfams important work.

http://www.oxfam.org/

xkate

round up

a joyful boy.

I have had a lil' blogging break because life has been too busy for words.

....celebrations, goodbyes, mummy lovin' days, sewing days, homemaking, launches and more besides.

making my house a home is a lovely thing to be able to do...

international fair trade day...

Lisa is a cupcake. And Biddy Bags has launched tea cozies-noice one.

I have been loving having a sewing room!

a lovely boy.

These two are my life, no matter where it is going, they are beside me and within me, heart and soul.

xKate

Yay! New home!

We have upped sticks(and knitting needles and crochet hooks of course) and moved again, this time to the lovely ol' seaside suburb of Brighton.

I am LOVING it.

The night sky seems so chock full of stars out here without the city lights over powering them, last night we stood outside and gazed and smiled. After tremendous efforts and heart wrenching stressful attempts to re-create a sense of 'home' in other houses and places this just feels natural and settled. I am so fortunate that home for me can now mean calm, light and comforting, sigh.

xKate

friends and real estate agents...

These are my latest little friends.

They have been having a coffee or two down at the Blackstar cafe, and have been guarding these.

You won't find them there now though-I have temporarilly removed all my things from Blackstar. But keep your eye out as I am working busilly with some beautiful materials. I have been really delighting in making up my latest pieces and feel full of enthusiasm. Inspired. Inspiration is available in moments of awareness, when I let go of my cares and really feel awake to the experience I am having...being caught in a sun shower and running across a bridge feeling young and alive. A beautiful grey gecko dashing up a red painted wall. Yummy spinach quiche and zucchini pizza for lunch. Afternoon tea and kingston biscuits. How could I not be feeling inspired?

I have been looking for a new house to rent closer to my kids school and to the bay, which I miss so much. I enjoyed being in Chelmer, the wide river and huge trees near were enough to keep my spirit alive. I grew up in Victorian rural towns, camped most holidays in the bush or stayed at Philip Island so being surrounded by nature is essential and familiar to me. Kangaroo point is near the river, but it's not the same. It is all hemmed in by roads, city scapes...so urbanised. I long for the expansive untouched view of natural space-the sea, mountains, deserts...so I am deeply happy about this shift.

Unfortunately I had to put one application in via a horrible agency in Sandgate. They are called "the professionals" in what I can only imagine is a witty display of irony, much as someone might employ when labelling John Howard "honest John." I could go on but the less said the better...much better to put my energy into these...

Hmm, I am feeling good really. Especially now I have vented! It is in fact a gorgeously sunny day, I have some workshops to go to and have been really loving making my latest crocheted brooches, developing many new styles and patterns. Using recycled sari thread in particular gives some amazing edgey-ness with gorgeous colours and sheen really jazzing up simple designs.

xKate

peace right now

I am thankful for each and every comment people make about my creations, they have always been so kind and the market night was yet another lovely night, with generous support and encouragement. It rained so it wasn't how I had expected it to be, but it was a good evening. I sat with sound people and had lovely conversations and my sons had a good night playing and enjoying being out.

Life is just what it is, never what you expect it to be, but the less I struggle against it and the more I focus on what is at hand, the calmer and happier I become. It doesn't have to be perfect things don't have to be going the way I wanted them to, or as this lovely song states it

'and I like the feeling of just knowing things are rolling,

even if I don’t know better or worse where we’re going.' Domino by Tara Simmons

The above message is one I take to heart. I think it is a sign that was placed around the streets of London during the 2nd world war(?) but I think it could go up on every wall of my house and on every cities walls, don't we all need some calmness, some peace and action combined?

have a lovely easter all,

xKate

new designs...

I am much happier with these...its all in the placement and colour of the type, indeed it is. Thanks for the tips.

Apart from making last minute posters I am in the midst of applying brooch backs, plushy faces and doing those fiddly, finishing off bits and am enjoying it all immensly. It is amazing how many un-finished projects I have around me! They are rapidly becoming lovely little finished projects and it is a joyful feeling to see the little bits and pieces all adding up to create little stacks of cuteness.
And speaking of cuteness this sweet book came home with me yesterday. I was walking home via the city and had just bought myself a hot chocolate to cheer myself up (relationships can be such fun, no?) Anyway, I promptly spilt half of it down my t-shirt. Not so happy. But there I was outside a bookstore-what's a girl to do? It was too hard to resist, I mean look at it, isnt it the sweetest thing...
'making is one of lifes great joys. The sweet simplicity of making something with your own hands...you don't need lots of experience, you don't need to be an artist, you don't need to be standing in the line that says good with hands...navigate the choppy-yet-pretty seas of crafty knowhow and you'll realise that sometimes things work just beautifully.'
pg7, Meet me at Mikes.
I hope art and life combine and things work just beautifully,
xdash