For nuts on the go...

Have you made yourself some of these cute and easy-peasey reuseable snack bags? You really must. They're so fast to make and so very handy.

I'd been meaning to make myself some for a while (trying to wean off the zip-lock bags, and also carry around healthier snacks). When Sally sent me these 3 funky embroidered pears, I knew it was TIME.

I had just enough velcro to make three little bags, and this fun kitchen fabric (a gift from my friend Rival Anna) was perfect for the lining.

At some point I'll make myself a few more with a waterproof lining for other types of snacks. But these cotton ones are just the ticket for those times I want to whip my nuts out in public.

Thank yous go to We Wilsons for the idea, Virtually Sally for the pear love, and Nobby's Nuts for the fact that I've never quite moved on from suggestive nut jokes.

My creative space...

My creative space began rather early this morning (5am to be precise) when the closer-to-3-than-2-year-old paid his morning visit to the marital boudoir and produced this:

"Daddy and Mummy-the-badger". Right-o.

I was too chuffed to be annoyed. Usually he hurls books at us. Today, he produced what I think is his first discernable drawing. Amusingly, his tools of choice were a scrap of heavy interfacing and my air-faiding fabric marker! (What were they doing in reach?!) So I've traced it already, and plan to embroider it onto something quick smart, a la Soulemama.

One advantage of the regular early visitations is that I'm given the 'opportunity' to get a few things done in those fresh, still hours of the morning. This morning I've been out at the line, airing a whole bunch of items that I received in the post from the wonderful Virtually Sally. Perhaps you recognise these gorgeous birds from her blog?

When I expressed interest in them, Sally offered to send me some, which she generously did... along with a few blank versions....

Oh, and these fabulous printed panels from her screenprinting experiments... (LOVE!):

AND these totally fabulous embroidered pears!!!:

But wait... there's more... she also sent two large calico drawstring bags with aeroplane prints, on which she'd embroidered my boys' names! Unbelieveable. They now have their Christmas stockings.

I thought it was apt to acknowledge this amazing package in Creative Spaces, because indeed this is where Sally and I first 'met'! Thank you Sally from the bottom of my heart. I'm having so much fun planning what to make with all your bits and pieces...

And thank you as always to Kirsty for hosting My creative space... it's a winner.

Linen therapy

Edit: oops! I completely forgot to mention that this bag is my take on Made By Rae's buttercup bag, which I can highly recommend as a cute little bag project. There is a free pattern available for personal use only, or you can buy a pattern for limited commercial use. It's very sweet!

It was with great relief that I sat down yesterday and Made Something.

It's been a little while. Weeks. I've fiddled, and played, and dabbled, but not completed anything.

With my sister Meg/Aunty Moo around for a visit, performing her saintly aunty duties, I was able to get to it and sew a little bag.

Thrifted floral drill material (vintage? reprint?) and lovely, lovely linen, beautifully modelled by Meg (she's seriously handy to have around).

Ahhhh. Is there nothing that can't be improved with a good dollop of linen? My mood, included.

Although there is also much to be said for an angelic sister/aunt visit... photo credits go to my 2-and-a-half year old son:

Thanks Moo!

::friday flickr favourites::

1. Patchwork scarf with lace, 2. Doily and linen garland, 3. woven linen quilt block, 4. Velo a Paris, detail 2006, 5. RDV a St Germanie des Pres, 2006, detail, 6. Paris Teacake; Single serving, 2003-2006, 7. Paris Teacake; Single Serving, 2003-2006, detail, 8. Highfield Wagga, 2002, 9. Jackson's baby quilt ~ Back

I couldn't pass up Tam's invitation to share some inspiration. I've been doing less making and more dreaming recently, and I'm starting to think about making a quilt/throw for the marital bed. Of course I have a zillion ideas I want to incorporate. I want it to be calm, muted, kind of ye olde worlde but also modern and funky, earthy but slightly frilly with a bit of doily action and maybe some thread sketchery oh and an ampersand or two. Are you with me?

So above I present to you my flickr craft crushes, very prominently featuring the work of the talented Tara Badcock, a textile artist of high calibre whose work I adore... errm, maybe I should just commission an artwork from her instead. Because she's hit the nail on the head precisely for me, and now anything I do will just be a cheap imitation. *SIGH*.

Whose work is floating your boat at the moment? Come and link in at 1/4 of an inch!

My creative space...

Thanks to a looming editing deadline, I've been practising great restraint in recent weeks and have barely sewn or otherwise crafted anything. I have, however, been employing those other tried-and-true forms of procrastination: Tidying and Redecorating. Or, as I tend to call it, Creative Redistribution of Clutter.

Mainly I've been focusing on the 'creative space' in our bedroom, which is where I keep my creative tools, notions, machinery and stash: 



From left: I've covered the wire shelving that holds thrifted clothing and material with some stash fabric. Mrs Doubtfire has been clothed in an old table cloth from my mother-in-law (the poor thing has been taken off her 'pedestal', which was the stand for our fan, and is thus back in use in the warm Melbourne weather!). And I swapped my open bookcase for this one that was in the boys' room, which is much roomier and easier to keep tidy. A vast improvement on THIS, don't you think?:

I've hidden away all my gorgeous bright modern and retro materials. Not because I don't love looking at them, but I've started to realise that in the bedroom I need a bit of calm. So only the most muted, subtle (oh ok, and BLAND) stuff is now on display!

Also on display (when not in use) is this bag, my absolute favourite bag in the world. It brings together my love of hessian, ampersands and of course, clutter! Bought at a lovely store called, you guessed it, Love & Clutter, in Hobart TAS.

More creative spaces at Kootoyoo...

Lunch to go...

Ahhhh. Nothing I like better for lunch on a warm day than a cold glass of water and a salad sandwich. Especially one that's been prepared earlier by a witty, creative, slightly daft and ridiculously clever friend.

If you think this looks good over at Myrtle & Eunice, you should see it in real life. The stitching is perfect. My boys have been play-munching for the last few days. Even the husband has been salivating. But this one is all MINE.

Rescued!

Friday is my day for treasure hunting around the neighbourhood. I live near a wealth of op/charity/thrift shops, and most weeks, during a little window of time I have without my boys, I like to wander through them, looking, imagining, finding inspiration and sometimes buying.

Mostly, I buy clothes. Yesterday, I rescued this:

A still life oil painting. The colours popped out at me and I couldn't leave it there. It's beautifully executed. I can't find out anything more about the artist, a Mr Paul de Steiger (full name and address on the back!) but he's a lovely oil painter and I'm so happy to have his painting brightening my kitchen. It's also fitting in with the general fruitiness going on in my head, (and I'm not the only one, see the lovely things Ellie is coming up with at Petalplum).

I don't usually take pictures of all my thrift finds, but I was particularly happy to rescue these bits and pieces on my travels yesterday too:

some lovely doilies and embroidered cushion covers. I am storing these up for a potential quilt idea that has been brewing away in my head for a little while now... a 2010 project I think;

this sweet little cross-stitched serviette, a bit stained but begging to be attached to a bag or something;

and this embroidered tablecloth for my (long-ago thrifted) chair, nicely hiding some of the grubby tapestry.

I don't know how all of this works in with the copious amounts of bold colour and pattern that I usually gather around me, particularly all the RED. But my aesthetic confusion is a topic for another post altogether...

What treasures have you unearthed lately? What's been catching your eye?