Thursday, October 13, 2011

....spring markets

 this Saturday
15th October 2011
are you in Melbourne?
come along for a feast of handmade & fun

2 locations ... yes I'm splitting myself in half!
how you ask?
well I have sewed up a storm
(& my Mum is a legend, is also creatively minded so she 
is attending one of these markets with my stall!)

My computer has been having a meltdown so I can't add images at the moment without it crashing .... so please use your imagination & refer to previous posts ....

EXCELLENT GIFT IDEAS...
little kids cooking aprons & gadgets sets
baby suits
kids tops
bunting flags - short & party lengths
girls skirts
baby wraps
bamboo baby quilted travel blankets
fabric magnets
cute crochet flower hair pins

Where?
TASTES & TREASURES @ TRINITY
Trinity Anglican Church
9am - 1pm

and also
10am - 2pm


Monday, October 10, 2011

soap box tags ....

made some little extra tags for all my market items .... its a little preachy but i figure i have something worthwhile to say ...
"THANKYOU for choosing to own or gift this HANDMADE item ...
... it seems that in our Post-Industrial world as humans we have 'sold out' to the mindset that we 'need' to have it 'all'
& that it must come at the lowest price possible ...
the true COST of this 'need' is usually out of sight ... often ending with the people behind the factory turnstiles ... so in light of these thoughts THANKYOU kindly for supporting the concept of HANDMADE ... made with care by one human who'd like to encourage all to seek out the handmade, the up-cycled, the ethically made, the kind to earth & the unique objects of our world ... 
... not so that you have 'more' but so that you love what you have with an ethical & environmental mindset !!!"

I'm currently having ethical issues with where the cotton that makes the quilting fabrics I love comes from? how it is grown? use of pesticides? how the humans that help grow it are treated? & paid? & at what cost? how the cotton is transported? what kind of 'fabric miles' has it truly done & at what consequence? what other environmental impact this has & what kind of non-fair trade is evident? what kind of dyes & inks are used? how do they affect the environment? how do they affect the people using them? what kind of impact does this production cost have on water supplies? who & what issues are involved in the whole process? crikey .... we know more about eggs than any of this??
me thinks our chickens are more fairly treated than most likely the humans in this chain
... i still value of course our part in the world of handcrafts & art ...
that very need to create is innate & simply human at its roots

what do you think or know??

Sunday, October 9, 2011

a handmade gift ... for Oscar

a really good friend of mine .... (her name is Wendy also!)
made this quilt for Oscar for when he was born
I have got to share this little story:
I've made it a little 'thing' of mine that 1st born babies of friends & families are given a cot sized quilt made by me ... now that is no revelation!
you can see some of these here & here & here & here & here
so my friend Wendy decided that i or rather our 1st born should have a special surprise quilt also .... but Wendy didn't sew back then ...
she signed herself up for a patchwork course, bought herself a machine the day before, rocked up to the classes not even knowing how to thread her own machine ... she tells me that she probably made the quilt twice as she un-picked most of it .... remembering to sew the right side of the fabric facing was apparently the 'issue' .... she had a friend help her to bind it after she had it professionally quilted ...it was a truly wonderful surprise & a heartfelt gift & we love it
i promised myself that i would take photos of Oscar with said quilt to show how he grows ... here are a few to fill in the story ...
 May 2008
10 days old
Aug 2008
10 weeks old
2008
Feb 2009
Aug 2009

Saturday, October 8, 2011

layers ....

 you've got to just love layers of weathered thick peeling paint that has just as many stories to be told ...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

... and more sewing



 made to order & for my markets
light weight baby blankets


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

.. and some more sewing

 pretty patchwork dribble catchers
thanks for the 'snaps' coaching Karen!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

visit to Healesville Sanctury ... today

 these little mates ... thick as thieves
 they loved seeing the wedged tail eagle
here they are at the entrance with a wonderful giant bronze sculpture of one
looks like Oscar is being pecked on the ear ...
 she flew right over our heads .... twice!
i felt her wing on the top of my head
above & below are my efforts at trying to capture an action shot while holding down the 3yr/o who was starting to lose the plot!!
as you can see the camera had no time to focus ...
crikey she was close ...
 magnificent creature
stunning sunshine
could have done without Oscar's major melt down 
while waiting to see the Tasmanian Devils ...
but a great day ...

i have been sewing ...

 cute little simple skirts for my hARTylittlepeaces market stall ...
sizes 1-3 and 3-5
finished with french seams too!!



Monday, October 3, 2011

prayer quilt

my SIL needs a little prayer her way today ...
my mum & her friends at
made this quilt a few weeks ago for Betsy ...
we're all hoping for a 'negative' result in this case!
... this quilt is not 'quilted' with machine or hand stitching
its done with 'ties' that are attached & left loose until someone comes along,
says a prayer & ties the knot ...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

BH ... family time



Oscar with his "3rd" cousins ... Matthew, Rachel & Emma
whom we rarely see ... great times!
Thanks for visiting!!

... but we cheered so loudly!!?

... the maggies may have gone down to a great team
but at least they went down fighting like lions - exhausted ones!
what a shame it wasn't quite the fairy tale ending for Mick ... ce la vie
there were x4 cute b&w skirts made for some little Collingwood supporters ... 
(only 2 would be in the pic!)
my Dad even decided to back them!
... and those B&W bunting flags looked great!!!
They will be well used in the years ahead!!
... thanks Karen you made me laugh ... I do have all my teeth!!
I wasn't actually born & bred on the B&W
 ... i had a very interesting inspiring Eddie experience up close & personal and thus decided for the sake of a one team family it was a good choice!!
anyway it was a day spent with extended family & was a wonderful time

Saturday, October 1, 2011

cheer on the black & the white....

b&w bunting flags
made especially to cheer on the magpies today!!!

Blogtoberfest ... my first

have held intentions to do this other years but alas
life & other things got in the way
so lets see if I can join in the fun
of actually posting everyday in October ...

if you too would like to join the crew 
slide on over to Cathy's place
cute button on the left designed by the talented
so 1...2....3
here we go!!