Time to move.

With a new babe on the way, it's time for chez clutterpunk  to relocate. In less than two months, we will be packing up our lovely little two-bedroom flat and re-entering the Big Bad World of the Rental Property.

In truth, we've actually got it very easy. Friends have offered us a house two blocks away; an old, unrenovated house with a lots of quirks but lots of space. We know their intentions for the property and therefore know that it will be a secure space for us for 5-10 years if we want, in the local community we're already entrenched in. We're essentially 'staying put', except for our actual living space.

And unlike most rental options, we will have lots of freedom. Freedom to bang pictures into the walls, to make 'improvements', to negotiate directly with the owners, to plant vegies - freedom to put down roots. 

I'm feeling a great sense of possibility, mostly to do with space. There will be:

space to sleep - perhaps with more bedroom options we will iron out some sleeping issues? (ha!)

space to eat - room for a real kitchen table, now time to teach the boys how to sit at one

space to host - a guest room for interstate-dwelling parents, families and friends

space to play - the large backyard is concreted, in true inner-city Mediterranean style, but that's perfect for boys, bikes, chalk and people who hate mowing lawn!

space to hang - with plenty of room for stringing out clothes indoors I can avoid the dryer

space to grow - I'm already planning my above-ground vegie plots, compost and worm farm...

space to create - a room in which the sewing machine and iron can be left out, works-in-progress left undisturbed, and threads, pins and scissors left in reach without ramification.

But I'm a bit apprehensive too. Our family has learned so much from living in a small space together. We've learned to say no to stuff, both by buying less and by letting things go when they are no longer necessary to us. We've learned to be unpretentious hosts, sharing meals with friends sitting on the floor around the coffee table. We've learned to coexist in and negotiate the use of shared space in the dining-living-sewing-guest-TV-playroom. We've learned greater material contentment, and just how rich we are in this world.

But I know my inner aspirational, consumerist self is still lurking under the surface. And I suspect that with the move, and the potential for more accumulation, and the desire to make a new space homely, and the pregnancy nesting syndrome starting to kick in, I've got some big challenges and temptations ahead of me. Can I hold onto sustainable ideals? Will I keep my clutter and consumerism under control? I'd better stay tuned...

A bit of pea-green clutter

I think I may have recovered from the green quilt of death* because I've been noticing quite a bit of pea-green popping up around my house recently.

For example my M* jug cover, which I purchased out of adoration for both M* herself and her gorgeous crochet. (Currently NOT covering, but complementing perfectly, the little jug I found in a pile of hard 'rubbish' on the kerbside yesterday.)

Another kerbside 'rubbish' find, these pea-green 'I heart Billy' shoes which are in perfect condition, my size and everything. (Note: I do not go combing the hard rubbish. Apparently it's, um, illegal. Both of these items were found within a block of my house, sitting among the mounds of old TVs and broken flower pots... what is wrong with people?!)

My new pea-green lemon squeezer, not a thrift find but when my plastic one broke this week I decided to get something a bit more industrial. Especially now that I've made friends with the neighbour over the fence, who has a very, very healthy lemon tree. These bad boys are going to be pulverised tomorrow and made into lemon curd... yum.

*And where IS the quilt of death, I hear you ask? (Well, I hear Meg my sister ask. You've probably forgotten!). It's still sitting around, seams ironed flat, backing made up, waiting for me to take notice of it. I've been busy working on less lurid projects... but perhaps, just perhaps, I'm ready for a spot of greenery again.

decluttering the grocery shopping, 2010 - sorting out priorities

A few weeks ago I declared my decluttered crafting intentions for 2010. In the spirit of setting realistic goals and paring down my personal expectations, I have also been thinking about choosing just one area of my family's living to focus on moving in a better direction. I figure that if the inhabitants of chez clutterpunk work on living more simply, ethically and sustainably in one area, we might actually make some progress.

I've decided on aiming to declutter the grocery shopping. Because shopping and eating involve all of us, happen regularly, take up lots of time and energy, and bring together a whole clash of issues. What's more, my family needs to tighten our collective belt somewhat as the Beloved leaves full-time work to pursue further study (sigh).

This idea was planted after reading Angie's posts about working on reduction of food waste with her family, in which she included the following startling facts:

• 
  
  food production now accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse emissions and requires almost three-quarters of the world's fresh water supply 
• 
  
  today three quarters of the world food sales are processed items (adding to the resource used) 
• 
  
  half a person's eco-footprint is food related

But I wasn't quite sure where to start, and it was only after reading Meagan's recent grocery musings that I started to sort through my priorities.

See, for my family, there are a number of (sometimes competing) priorities when it comes to grocery shopping (as you can see on the scary-looking flow chart up there in the picture! Yes, I'm a flow-chart nerd). Below are the six areas I've identified as ones that impact on my family's food-buying habits. I've listed the priorities that we'd ideally like to work with under each category.

Health - make a variety of simple and nutritious family meals for everyone to eat (including the fussy toddler), avoid overly-processed foods

Family - establish a predictable mealtime ritual, enjoy meals together, get more organised in order to spend less time cooking and shopping and more time with each other

Ethics - buy fairtrade coffee and chocolate, free-range poultry and eggs, and boycott brands and chains who are ethically irresponsible (eg Nestle), avoid the dominant supermarkets

Sustainability - buy local, buy seasonal, avoid excess packaging, eat less meat, avoid FOOD WASTE

Finances - plan for shops, buy some things in bulk, avoid luxury items, avoid unplanned take-away food

Community - get to know my local butcher and green grocer and support their businesses, share meals with neighbours and friends without needing to be a gourmet

Currently, I'm in the process of working out how these things fit together and deciding which ones should weigh in more. I've come to realise that there are a few actions I/we can take that can help to achieve lots of the positive goals. But I also realise that some goals are going to be compromised by others. I'll share more of these thoughts at a later stage.

I'd be really fascinated to know what your priorities are when it comes to grocery shopping and how you sort it out. Is it all about health, or frugality, or perhaps sustainability? Is it a mixture? Do you have any bright ideas?

decluttering my approach to craft, 2010

How do you go about setting creative goals? Is it all about completing a list of projects? Learning new techniques? Maybe setting up a stall or shop?

I don't think I've ever really set creative goals before. I often make life resolutions around the new year (vague and sweeping, helpful but not binding) , and have done so again this year, but for the first time I've decided to nut out what I want to do creatively in a more specific way.

Part of my bedroom 'inspire wire', on which I've hung items with textures, colours and patterns I'm drawn to

First, here are some things I learned about myself as a crafter during 2009:
- I love trying different creative techniques, but am most drawn to fabric-related craft;
- I am prone to creative 'attention deficit', which has resulted in lots of unfinished or badly-finished items, as well as a few too many craft/stash related impulse purchases of which I am ashamed;
- I'm more naturally interested in the aesthetic side of sewing (exploring textures, layers, designs, embellishments, originality) than the technical side of sewing (following patterns, making complex items, using fancy sewing gadgets or finishing things properly);
- I like the idea of making clothes for me and for the kids, more than the reality of making them! (This has a fair bit to do with the lack-of-technique thing as well as the time-consuming factor);
- I have decided I have no interest in selling things, but I would like to work on making some 'signature clutterpunk' items to swap and give away.

Having identified these things, here's where I'm heading in 2010:
In general I would like to...
- Narrow my creative focus and go for a bit of depth and technique instead;
- Think through projects first and execute them more carefully to help avoid frustration and waste;
- Use what I have already and make few, if any, craft purchases.

And I hope to do this more specifically by...

1. Focusing on quilting

I have done some very simple piecing and quilting, by both machine and hand, and I have loved it. There is so much scope for playing and expressing yourself in quilt-making, and yet there is a simplicty that I'm drawn to as well. I have plans for a lap-quilt, a wall-hanging and an already-mentioned bedroom quilt (on which I would like to experiment with all sorts of techniques!).

A very simply-hand-quilted lap quilt I made for a friend's wedding, using plain linen on one side and this patterned echino double-gauze on the other.

2. Making ONE garment in 2010, and doing it well!

Yep, I'm really lowering my ambitions here... but I'd like to hang up the 'Hack Refashionista' approach for a bit and work on making something that will fit me well AND LAST. I am going to do this with the help of Thread Den Sewing Lounge, who run a heap of classes from basic techniques to pattern drafting. My Christmas gift this year was a voucher to cover a few classes here, and I'm VERY excited! I've not had any professional sewing help and I can't wait to check out the timetable and decide which classes to take.

3. Developing a 'clutterpunk line' of simple things to make for gifts and swaps

OK, so this is the most vague of my goals. I haven't made many repeat items in my time (apart from Swineys, but that joke was over a while ago...). I guess I would like to have several 'something up my sleeve' items to make for friends and crafty types which is useful for them, fun for me, and at least a bit unique. Hmmmmmm. At the moment I'm thinking about aprons - but kind of more wear-out-of-the-house-if-you-dare aprons than clean-the-bathroom types. Hmmmmmm again. Thoughts?

OK, so writing this down is clearly of more benefit to me than to you. But if you have read this and drop in regularly, perhaps you'll be able to prod and poke me during the year, to say 'hey, how's that garment coming along and are you fudging the seams there missy?', or 'boy you need to do something other than quilting, it's getting boring', or 'hey, if that decoupaged-macrame-scrapbooking thing isn't part of your quilt/garment, drop it NOW!'. Because that's what creative friends are for, right?

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...

My creative space...

In my space today I'm...

waiting for some fabric to dry in the glorious sunshine

drinking chai

watching my boys enjoy the simplicity of a better-late-than-never birthday present (thank you Peta for the idea, and the ever-thoughtful, random-gift-giving Nikki for the supplies!)

and regaining some perspective, on mess, clutter and parenting:

Thank you all for the reminder after my last post that mess and chaos are just par for the course. And in fact, according to Amanda, a healthy sign of creativity going unstiffled. Duh. That's kinda what I told myself when I started out on this little bloggy adventure.

Children + Mess = Good Clutter.

Concern about appearances + keeping up with Joneses = Bad Clutter.

Got it.

For more creative spaces, visit lovely Kirsty.

One Day...

Dear blog readers,

One day, I will present you with pictures of my wonderful children frolicking through fields in cute handmade outfits.

Note to self: youngest child appears to have astigmatism. Must book him in for his (long overdue) 1-year-old check up.

One day, I will give you a tour of my serene and stylish family home.

One day, I will tell you that we made it through an entire day without reaching for the growing pile of DVDs; without resorting to bribery; without mama raising her voice; without at least one kitchen cupboard being emptied; without anyone eating glue or running with scissors.

One day, I will become a Real Mother.

Today is not that day. But salvation may be at hand... I just received this book in the post:

Help me, Amanda Blake Soule, you're my only hope.

Coming clean at chez clutterpunk

Housework is a strange beast, isn't it? Pay it too much attention, give it too much value and it can cause resentment, stifle creativity (no Darling, those crayons are just for show), and be a breeding-ground for obsessive behaviour. Pay it not enough, and it can wreak havok in the home(um, honey, did you throw out my Passport again?)

I think I've lived at both extremes. Mostly, I've lived at one end (the messy one) and envied the other. But, as with many areas of my life, I'm now seeking the Middle Way. As I said when I started blogging, I'm trying to get rid of the bad clutter in my life, and celebrate the 'good clutter'.

So I thought I'd revisit this idea today, and write down my Cleaning Ritual. This is kind of a pep talk-to-Self, because this morning I came close to feeling overwhelmed and panicked at the thought of trying to clean my (currently chaotic) flat. And then I remembered to stop being a perfectionist, and voila, there is now a haven of beauty amidst the squalor - a clean bathroom.

How to Clean, clutterpunk-style:

1. Don an Apron

This bright, smock-style apron has been the best op-shop find ever. The colours are very happifying. Putting it on makes me feel cheerful and slightly silly, which is the best way to feel when doing housework. And of course, it's extremely practical. But mostly just silly.

2. Work while the kids are AWAKE.

There is precious-little kid-free time for me, so I'm not going to squander it on the housework! This has been a liberating decision for me. Some of you are probably thinking 'well, duh!' and others may be thinking 'What?! Do a non-child-centred activity?!' Yes, it can be a slow and frustrating process to try to clean while the boys are roaming around. But it's good for us all. They learn to entertain themselves. I learn to do a 'good-enough' job in short time-spans. Alternatively, they 'help' with the cleaning, which means it becomes an activity in its own right, teaching its own valuable lessons. And I learn to be patient with small 'helpers'.

3. Adopt the ONE ROOM rule
Very simple. I'm only allowed to think about cleaning ONE ROOM at a time. This self-imposed rule has changed me. It's so important to work in manageable chunks, to set realistic goals. The perfectionist in me wants to clean it all, brilliantly, right now. The reaction to such a ridiculous goal is inevitably procrastination, avoidance and feelings of failure. If ONE ROOM has been cleaned and there is time for more, then I'm allowed to think about it. But one is better than none.

4. Use the Tub Method

My first task after choosing ONE ROOM is to march into it with a big laundry tub. I then weed out everything that doesn't belong in that room, place it in the laundry tub - and take the laundry tub elsewhere, to be dealt with later.

This is where my method breaks down, and we usually have at least one laundry tub full of random items that floats from room to room, either because I don't get around to putting it away, or I'm still not sure where the 'stuff' should live yet. On the bright side, it keeps the surface mess down, and we know where to rummage if we've lost something.

5. Bicarb + Vinegar + Washcloths = Bliss

Sadly I'm only a relatively recent convert to these products. I tried once before and wasn't convinced, it all felt too hard, but since trying again almost a year ago, I'm sold. I could wax lyrical about them all day. Why? Here's a quick run-down:

• Effective - I've found cleaning soap scum a doddle
• People-safe - No big deal if the kiddies swallow them, which helps with point 2. I'm also doing a better job cleaning because I can jump in and scrub away without burning my skin or inhaling scary fumes.
• Earth-friendly - less chemical weirdies, less packaging, non-polluting, blah blah.
• Simple and Economical - yes, really, we do not need 18 different types of Wham-Bam-Whatever, just one lot of products for everything.
• Weight-loss - oh, I wish. But a bit more elbow-grease can be required, and thus I do consider scrubbing the bath or oven a bit of exercise these days!

As for using washcloths... good texture for scrubbing, absorbent, hardy, endlessly washable and reusable. 'Nuff said.

6. Meditate-while-u-wait.

This one might sound a bit weird. Oh well. Because really, a repetitious and mindless task like cleaning is the perfect opportunity to do some reflecting. (I'm defining meditation here as reflection/contemplation rather than emptying the mind). If I don't choose something to think about while I clean, my mind likes to go into default mode, which often involves grumbly, resentful thoughts about cleaning, or anxious thoughts about all the things I should or could be doing. Instead, I find that thinking deliberately about a craft project, or praying for people I know, or (gasp!) concentrating on the task at hand, is very soothing and a much better use of my time.

So, that's me. I've come clean. Got anything I should add to the mix? Before I head off to clean something, that is...

PS I'm having formatting fights with Blogger. Apologies for ugly layout.

My creative space... the Hack Station.

Finding a space for my creativity is a creative act in itself. My family inhabits a two-bedroom flat, and I've now had a number of friends and bloggers ask me exactly where I sew. So today I thought I'd show you the Hack Station:

This is the corner of our living room. My sewing machine lives permanently on this Ikea Norden gate leg table, which was a second as it came with only one of its drop-leaves. It makes a fabulous sewing table, with deep drawers on either side, space for the sewing machine to sit out, and a big deep sturdy table leaf when extended.

I used to keep all my sewing notions and tools in various compartments all over the place but it was confusing and frustrating. Plus, I'm not great at packing away and I kept finding sharp objects in the hands/mouth of my toddler and baby! So I came up with a cunning plan which my very obliging Beloved executed last weekend:

Peg board!

Now my most frequently-used tools and books are accessible but out-of-the-way. This board is to be an evolving, mutating inspiration board as well as a storage tool...

In our small space I think it's imperative to make art from clutter, to combine the practical and whimsical, to celebrate the everyday items.

Looks serene, doesn't it?

But let's not gild the lily... here's one I prepared earlier:

Visit kootoyoo to see who is playing along with their creative spaces this week. Edited to add: or maybe not, Kirsty's taking a break? But here's my space anyway!

My creative space...

Not a lot of creating, or SPACE, around these parts at the moment. I'm embarking on a long-term 'clutter overhaul project' (not so much decluttering as thoughtful recluttering), and the precious snatches of time I get to myself sans boys are being spent on finding new homes for things, sorting notions, folding fabrics, and dreaming about the big picture. I'm itching to get the sewing machine out again but just can't do it until some of the chaos subsides.

So my creative outlet this week has been this old corkboard. Previous home to uninspiring shopping lists, timetables and the like. Now home to some of the cherished bits and pieces I've found on my clutter travels, and awaiting more rediscovered finds as I continue. Propped on the kitchen bench near the computer, it's providing a little burst of creativity as I go about the endless mundane activities that are pressing all around.

Creative spaces c/o kootoyoo... go and have a peek.

On Clutter...

I harbour mixed feelings about clutter.

On the one hand, there is clutter that is probably universally acknowledged as bad. It remains quite a feature of my life. It includes:

• The clutter of laziness. Everyday items that have a home, but don't find them. Simple household chores that don't get done for no real reason. Things that get broken and not fixed because they are not valued properly.
• The clutter of greed. Stuff that we've accumulated even though we don't need, use, or cherish it. Things owned in multiples, because one wasn't 'enough' or because the original got lost in the chaos. The constant need to 'upgrade' to the next model even when the old one is perfectly fine.
• The clutter of selfishness. Waste. Food that gets chucked out because of disorganisation or because we 'felt like something different'. Excess rubbish and packaging because I valued convenience over common good.

However, there is also such a thing as happy clutter. I'm never going to be a minimalist. To me, clutter can be welcoming, reassuring, and beautiful. I love:

• The clutter of creativity. Evidence of things being created in the midst of mundane life - piles of fabric, bits and bobs waiting for inspiration. Old items being reused in new ways. Upcycling, punking, reinventing.
• The clutter of history. Precious things that have significance beyond their functional or aesthetic appeal. Books. Letters. Memorabilia. Gifts. Things that are accumulated not just because they fit the latest colour scheme.
• The clutter of real life. Children and their toys underfoot. A well-used kitchen. Books with dog-ears. Dirt.

In essence, my desire is to curb the bad clutter, and to cherish the happy clutter.

I aim to accumulate less, to take care of our household a little more, and to consume more thoughtfully.

I hope to learn to DEclutter, just enough to make our space workable and welcoming for all, but not so much that it is stiffling for young kids, or creative urges, or evidence of real life.

I want to take better care of what I have, to use it carefully and creatively, and to hold on to it lightly, knowing that we are not what we own.

Why am I here?

No, I'm not about to get all metaphysical. I'm trying to get a bit sorted out in my muddled, addled - oh, ok, CLUTTERED - head where it is that I want to channel my creative energies most. Frankly I find Meaning Of Life questions a doddle in comparison to the what, how, why and when of my next crafting endeavour.

I figure I should clear my head a bit and list a few goals here, so that
a) I can remember them (and no, I'm not amnesiac or alcoholic, just a mother of two young boys who subscribe to the motto somnus est deficio - Sleep Is Failure)
b) I can be more purposeful when I blog, and in general!

OK, enough pre-goal goals. Here are the real McCoys:

1. Live more creatively.
I already love making stuff - mainly with fabric, sometimes with paper and ink and paint and food and egg cartons. There's so much more to being creative than making the odd cushion cover, and I'm keen to expand my crafting skills, as well as using my creativity more in daily life while I mooch about at home with two tiny fascists.

2. Live more sustainably.
I'm no veteran hippy keen to tell everyone else where to go. Rather, I'm a recovering Eco-Jerk, and I want to spur myself on, find inspiration and hopefully bring some others along for the ride. Yes, living more thoughtfully and sustainably is good for everyone, but I'm discovering just how fun it is, too!

3. And, all together now: create more sustainably!
Buy less. Make more. Use what I already have. Recycle, upcycle and refashion. Buy secondhand and handmade. Turn old socks into urns! Make a wedding gown out of toilet rolls! Etc.

That's about it really.