new studio :: week 1

so excited

... that i almost have no words

my longed for studio

is actually becoming reality

 it will completely change

how we use & what is housed in every room in our home

already there's been furniture juggling

& 'art resources' sorted

 so the build started last week

demolition done

those tricky levels sorted

we've had a bit of rain since then

so stump holes turned to muddy pits

gum boots squelched

timber has arrived by the truck loads

 the joists are in

progress so far has been quick

so studio plus a super huge deck plus a storage space

oooh yeah!

& we will still have the cricket ground

this space below is the floor area

of the actual studio

its going to have a 4m high ceiling

wonderful eastern morning light

will be quirky & have loads of character

just the way i like it

stud walls appearing

ugly exposed plumbing being hidden & sorted

window & door frames have arrived

my job ..... is to prime these this weekend

like to help??

i'm sure i could find you a paint brush!!

 

 stay tuned for further updates

i am enJOYing the journey

but .... there are some things about a reno/build

that seriously .... not much fun

but am so so so thankful that were are able to make this happen

lucky lucky me .... my cup runneth over!

i am the Lorax. i speak for the trees

 "at the far end of town

where the Grickle-grass grows

... is the street of the Lifted Lorax"

there is a favourite story about these parts

its Dr Seuss' "The Lorax" 

(in case you hadn't quite picked that up!?)

its so well loved that it was the theme for

Oscar's 5th Birthday celebrations held recently

  "..... I came to this glorious place.

And I first saw the tress!

The Truffula Trees!

The bright-coloured tufts of the Truffula Trees!

Mile after mile in the fresh morning breeze."

 the Onceler was there, seeds planted

a game or two  .... pin the mustache on the Lorax

some dancing to the "bad song" .... & others from

the soundtrack to "The Lorax" the movie ...

 "But those trees! Those trees!

Those Truffula Trees!

All my life I'd been searching

for trees such as these.

The touch of their tufts

was much softer than silk.

And they had the sweet smell

of fresh butterfly milk."

 the party table was set

with a valley of green

mini truffula trees

made with pom poms & skewers

party food to match

with barbaloot bears & humming fish

  "UNLESS someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

Its not."

  i so love the multiple messages within the story 

of the Lorax ....

with hindsight, the Onceler is regretful about his greed

there is an environment that we are given to care for

you, me ..... it always starts with the 'little' people of the world

 & there is always hope

it reminds me that really so much of what we have

we really don't NEED ....

  lots of lovely little friends joined in the fun

for in our village, there is always time to celebrate

these small kids & their families

are all part of our heart-felt 'village' & we love you
oooh ... check out this spunky Lorax dress made
especially to be worn to this party!!

how time flies - blink & your baby has turned 5 years old!

a No.5 cake, which when cut, was all 

green & orange & chocolate swirls

with some green-grickle-grass 

& 5 carefully picked Truffula Tree Red Velvet Cake Pops

mmmm .... yum!

  there were party loot bags with goodies

& truffula seeds & more barbaloots

special spontaneous moments with a grand-fatherly 'reading'

 we love you so much Oscar

so while you are slowly 'biggering' & 'biggering'

we hope you grow & learn & love & enJOY

... its your journey & we love having fun with you!

 all quotes are taken from the Dr.Seuss reference: "The Lorax"

first published in 1971

little bit of green love .....

well there may have been some 'partying' about these parts

a detailed post will come soon

but

thought i'd sneak in first with my

mother-of-the-birthday-boy skirt!

its a 'key' outfit to be noted on the day - but of course!!

there was some kind of topical green theme

going on ....

check out the most amazing gorgeous green dress

made by my very talented friend for her smallest

..... cool huh!

 so on the green theme & riding my recently re-ignited inspiration

for making clothes for myself .... & having just completely

re-sorted my entire fabric stash

... well there was this green cord that i have been hoarding

for longer than i care to admit ....

not enough for the entire skirt ..... but

 i do love a spot of problem solving

... bring on a great graphic b&w contrast panel & some black denim

there you go .... & 'had' to be finished all before church yesterday

as it was the plan to wear it ... yep

 .... um, might have been a few mins late!

another of Nikki's A line skirts ...

it sits nicely on me & i like the cut

& my invisible zipper was almost invisible!!

oh .... and

do you like the way those sneaky numbers smuggled their way into the facing??

bit of fun ... just for me to see ... but shhhh now you know too!!

apple of my eye

 so i'm joining in a little fundraising art exhibition

hosted by the framers where i do my ... framing, yep!

this is actually the first time in a long time that i have....

framed some of my own work

 do you remember this piece ?
was one of my pieces for our 'full circle' project

back last year .... well above is a sweet little water colour version

i'm quietly pleased with this outcome & it looks great framed up in white

the other piece ...

is a classic tree .... all silver trunked

a topic i love ....

works are for sale

in fact if you'd like to join me at the opening tomorrow eve

then you are more than welcome!

edit ....... SOLD

fundraising for the Mirabel Foundation

Art Exhibition is at the

Malvern Artists' Society Gallery

1297-99 High Street Malvern

Opening Night Friday 24th May

Open 25th May - 2nd June

Mon- Fri 11am-2pm

Sat&Sun 11am-4pm

more than 80 works of art for viewing & for sale

heart the craft: on b&w

heART the craft

a collection, or a single favourite image or idea

this is no.4

 home is where the heART is

isn't it?

love this 'pintrested' image

from 'kinderpendent' but can't find it's original source

great use of this fabulous ikea black & white fabric

i have a great stash of this ... just waiting

... i'm generally not into encouraging kids to 'colour in' someone else's image

but these images are so simple & they are kidd-ish without dictacting

that 'this-is-the-only-way-you-should-draw-a-house' .....

i love the creative play element as well

& they'd be simple enough to make it a learning sewing project

maybe mix it up & not use the 'traditional' primary colours plus green

yep ....

colour ... so yeah, here i am saying i like the way its used ....

sparingly with black & white .... um

generally i'd say that using colour in this simplistic way is conforming

& kind of sticking to the 'safe' side ...

or not taking advantage of the wonderful way that 

a colour responds to another colour

but i think these house graphics call for simplicity

.... might let you all 'in on' what i think about 

colour & using neutrals sometime soon....

(post on colour per request coming soon-ish!)

 

and when talking colour & environments for children

'well' .... i do have a few thoughts on that too

so anyway back to these funky houses ....

love all the colourful front doors

what colour is your front door??

we have a very conservative charcoal denim one ....

our previous home had a plum purple that i adored

my parents have a very happy bright yellow gloss

might change ours someday ...

but not yet .... will play it safe for a while longer!

you can always have a read on 

my thoughts re: children & drawing

over here .... that is while you're waiting for my

rant all about colour use!

 

a golden sewjourn

sewjourn certainly has a golden glow

went there with Karen & Lara

... met an awesome bunch of girls

Kathryn, Rachel, Tan & Megan

 different but just as lovely time away

the walking foot had an evening out

with a couple of quilts

one on behalf of my mum (little elephants just below)

is a wip - a post will be forthcoming

the other a real recent favourite (1st pic)

acidic stacked coins

&

then some secret Lorax piecing!

for a little boy who is turning 5 very very soon

he adores the Lorax ... both the Dr Suess' book & the movie

in fact, its the whole party theme!

stay tuned for this post too ...

'twas a rather grey day in Lancefield on saturday

all warm & cosy tucked in the studio

 .... everyone busy & machines humming

quite inspired by all the ideas really

a heartful thankyou to you all these girls ...

for both including me so warmly in on your special

sewjourn hideaway 

& also for all your encouragement & patient answers ....

you see ....

i'm a lucky girl .... as i have a new toy

my new janome overlocker

kind of a request for mother's day 

with some additional market funds making it possible

(excuse the very relaxed attire .... not loving this pic of me but keeping it real here!

still, a thankyou to Karen for capturing the moment!)

 i'm buzzing with ideas now

seriously had the most amazing time

learning & reminding myself how

satisfying it is to sew yourself clothing

that suits, that is a great fit 

& that really didn't cost all that much to make

 so my world has shifted

with a new appeal towards

wearing handmade that i've actually made

& for knits!! yep ...

two .... two Sewaholic Renfrew Short sleeve tops

had the advantage of trying one on for size last week!

.... here's a couple made by the lovely Karen ...

i made one silky purple-y (below)

& the other (not pictured) a deep purple/blue!

(i know i know did i say blue .... more purple-ish but yeah ... )

i made myself a Style Arc Laura dress

which fits me nicely & i will model it for you soon

what was so invaluable was Lara's stash of previously made garments

so generously brought along so that they could be tried on for fit!

here's her amazing Laura Star dress ..... yes ... 'nabbed'

& with her advice i tweaked it to my body shape

.... started off with a much longer hem line 

& then decided shorter was the way to go!

there were also some green comfy pants

or pj's really pattern by Make it Perfect

& there was enough of the grey&black knit fabric

left over from the dress that i made a

single layer version of the Style Arc Fay skirt

again i had the chance to try on Lara's & Rachel's for fit!

thanks so much ladies!

& the awesome spotty stretch denim above

is an unfinished A line skirt by Nicole Mallalieu

i also have another one of these started

so all i need to do is hop to it & perfect

the whole invisible zipper thing .... working on it!!

but these fit so nicely too ...

 sunday was a glorious shiny happy golden autumn day

a wonderful treat

a steep & very exciting learning curve!

love the journey

& enJOYed getting to know my

traveling companions for the weekend

gift-y goodies

 if you've not been to the Canterbury Primary School Art Show

make a mental note for early May next year

alongside the Art Show they host a Gift Shop of excellent quality

 its a 'by invitation' kind of thing .... was there last year too!

wonderful atmosphere

thankyou Canterbury families

for loving all my hARTylittlepeaces

 so from a few weeks back when most of these were still

little wip's .... here they are stashed in the gift shop!

love the pic above of the 2 girls studying each notebook carefully

mother's day gift perhaps??

yep ...

edit .... did i mention that all my painted brooches & dolly pins & clips

all SOLD OUT .... yep!