Valentine's Day Yarnbombing

We don't usually do much for Valentine's Day - a book, a CD, something like that - but this year I decided to yarnbomb the tree outside our house with knitted and crocheted hearts, for something completely different.  Amusingly, George is so used to me doing bits and pieces of 'stuff' that I made all the components with no attempt to conceal them, and he asked me when I had found time to make it!  I got the kids to help me tie it onto the tree and we had heaps on fun (and yes, they are 19 and 16!).

I kept it up there for about a month...

I was going to take it down after a week, but after finding this note attached to it I decided that I would keep it up longer.  I don't know who left the note but I was so chuffed to find such a sweet recognition of what I had done!

My Creative Space

Another week fraught with tedious personal and work stuff.  But at least I got to play with the new sewing machine at the weekend, and a love affair is definitely in progress!  I tried out lots and lots of stitches and stuff :)

Then I did some more playing in black thread (rather than the white which I had been using for the samplers), realising that, on the random fabric I had pulled out of the stash to practice on, it would look good for something specific I was vaguely thinking about.  (Can you think vaguely about something specific?  What I mean is that I was thinking I could use some of these stitches on fabric and then cut them up and make brooch/hat adornments from them, and then realising that the black and red would work well with the yarn I was using to make hats).

And the hat with the attached glasses and antlers?  From the other day?  Well, I canvassed opinions from people on here and on various Facebook groups and decided that it might be better to make it a little more mainstream.





So it now has a gum nut type scrumble on it.

And these are all going to be adornments for other hats in a similar style.



This was meant to be a brooch in the red/orange MazeyPrettyThings collection, but somehow got left out when I was sewing backing fabric on them.  So it is going to be sewn down to a slightly larger piece of the red and black, machine embroidered fabric.


This a dreadful photo, don't know what happened there!  But there is a glittering green button in the middle of this.



And another green button on this one.

These three will probably have brooch backs sewn onto them and pinned to hats and sold together, so that they can be worn together or separately.

Please go and enjoy some other people's spaces :)

My Creative Space

What with the (currently stalled) Knit Along, and this lot 'ere, I am behind in the Bead Journal Project.  But I feel an urge to bead returning and will catach up sometime soon!

I finally had some time, and some courage, to pop into Open Drawer (see last post) and hopefully they might be able to sell some of my things.  And I was asked to make some more things, which I took in at the start of the week.  These are they - my creative space for the last couple of weeks:





Patchwork scarf - a variety of yarns of completely different textures and weights, with some of (now specially named) Mazey Patchwork on the bottom.  Because I was running out of time (this was the last one I finished) most of the embroidery on that was done on the tram, the train and in the Melbourne Central food court at lunchtime.  It got a few weird looks, but who cares!





The first of two feral hats.  This one has some of the ends pulled out through the top and tied with big beads.  It is a floppy tam-o-shanter type of hat.





The other feral hat.  Again floppy.  This time the ends are like a fringe down the back seam.






This blue hat is what you do when you find half a scrumbled hat and don't have the time to finish making it properly.  You knit a tube, using a hat block and pins to judge how long it needs to be, then you carefully sew down the scrumbling to the tube.  Add an extra row of stitching underneath the scrumbling (repetition, and tying the design together) and hey presto!





Simple scarf knitted lengthways in a variegated yarn, and some crocheted bits sewn down in a viney pattern (plus I needlefelted the long ends of theyarn in a similar pattern).  Finished off with Suffolk Puffs and cute buttons.






The final, blue, scarf, knitted lengthways and the ends turned into a feral fringe.  They were lightly needlefelted crossways for the first third or so of their length, so hold them together but still keep them defined as separate yarns, and then I sewed buttons and beads all over the ends of the actual knitting and the start of the fringe.

These were fun to make, and all my own designs.  Currently working on a prototype new design which I might try to sell through my new Made It Shop.

For more yummy, inspirational Creative Spaces, pop over here.

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 4

I've tried to be more original this week and not repeat anything.

On Tuesday I wore these earrings (my own design, a similar pair has appeared at least once this month) in pinks and greens, with a pink floral skirt, a white Tshirt and black leggings.

On Wednesday I was on a roll with earrings.  These are also my own design, a slightly truncated version of the long ones because of the bigger beads.  I doubt if the 'turquoise' chips were real turquoise but I liked them anyway.  I wore them with grey pants and an embellished, asymmetrical top in shades of teal and turquoise and mauve and black, the sort of thing I would like to have made myself but actually bought.

On Thursday I wore the third of the quick, simple scarves, with a favorite plain cream rayon shirt and black pants.  The purple and the satin-cum-burnout velvet effect looked pretty damn good, though I say so myself!  It is the same width all the way down, honest, I just folded it badly when I took the photo.

Friday was the wedding!!!  I missed Casual Friday at work, but on the other hand, I HAD THE DAY OFF WORK.  I had had once had grand plans to make a dress to wear to the wedding, when it was announced six months ago, but that was before the whole Move House and Get A Job thing happened.  So I bought something in a sale, and then a 'pashmina' in another sale.  And wore nothing homemade.  Unlike the bride, who carried ...

Actually the Matron of Honour carried the mostly white one.  In the mostly blue one, the ruffly rosette on the middle right hand of the picture is the one I made at the bridal shower, previously blogged about.

It was the most gorgeous wedding and I cried buckets.  They were so happy and radiant with joy.  And nothing beats the Astor Theatre as a wedding venue!

And as it was cold, when we got home I changed into jeans and socks made by me.  Knitted from one of those soy/chiton/cotton/etc blends.

On Saturday I could have worn something made by me but I wanted to show off another of my favorite hand towels.  Made from leftovers of Rowan Dk cotton from long ago.

On Sunday I wore jeans and a grey top with spooky silver and grey and black printing all over it, and this cuff.  It's another of those crazy patchworky things for which I need a better name.  I think it looks pretty wicked, and it's surprisingly comfortable.

As the last week of Me-Made-March 2011 only has another four days to go, I am finishing off this post here and will do the last four days at the end of the week.  I will be quite sorry when this is over!  There may be a repeat or two next week though I will try to remain original, but I suspect that Monday, at least, will be a repeated brooch because it goes exactly with the clothes I want to wear.

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 3

This is definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be!  The danger is now that I will get addicted to telling the world what I wear every day, which, believe me, is not actually that interesting in the long term :)

On Tuesday, you guessed it, I wore the glass brooch again.  Baby Bear paid me the compliment of saying that 'it doesn't look like something you made in a workshop, it looks like something someone else made and you paid lots of money for'.  At least I think that is a compliment!  When I get moved and settled in and unpacked - like in the next decade - I will dig out the microwave kiln and glass supplies that I bought in a flush of enthusiasm after that workshop, and make more of them.  Maybe even sell them!!  Oh yes, this week I wore it with the same purple top as last week, with a smashing skirt in a Japanesy style in assymetrical panels of black fabric interspersed with the same black fabric printed with a purple stylised floral pattern, and embellished with some random lengths of black grosgrain ribbon.  I am rediscovering clothes that I have only worn once or twice because they were too good for everyday, and wearing them to work!  I love this skirt and the pattern would be easy to copy, and I will.  When I have moved and unpacked, etc, etc.

On Wednesday I wore one of the scarves from Sunday's quick sewing session.  This looked really nice with a white shirt and black trousers.  I often wear that combo now, it being pretty damn corporate and also just begging for a nice embellishment of some sort.

Thursday was St Patrick's Day.  Being of very Irish origin on my mum's side, I wear green, though I draw the line at green beer.  (I only tried Guiness once, and yes it was the real stuff on tap in a Dublin pub, and thought it was GROSS).   This scarf looked nice with a muted green top, bright green earrings and a green watch.  The only green shoes I have are Crocs, NOT suitable for work, so they stayed at home.

Casual Friday, I do love thee.  I still get to wear jeans!  I wore this brooch with jeans and a red top.  Im ust think of a better, or at least more consistent, name for my raggedy frayed crazy patchwork textile jewellery.  Then maybe I could try to sell it.  Maybe I will run a competition when MMM is over.

I worked Saturday morning.  Again, I consider Saturdays to be more casual than the normal weekday, so I wore jeans again.  This time with a grey top.  And this brooch.  I thought it looked wicked.  It also worked well with the grocery shopping and the dinner with the old friend from England who we have not seen for AGES, and who is out here for work for a few weeks.  Oh, and I wore little diamante skull earrings :)

I have finished the crocheted felted bag.  Inevitably, I don't like it much.  I really should know better than to be seduced by variagated wool when I am felting.  It always looks like dog's vomit when it's been felted.  But for better or worse, I made it, and I used it on Sunday.  At least I like the embellishment.

For Monday, I present a bookmark.  The round bit is a crocheted - well, round bit - which I bashed about with the embellishing machine and then attached it to a couple of pieces of novelty yarn, all with the machine.  (So it is all thoroughly needlefelted together).  You probably can't see the subtle sparkle in the long bit (because it is subtle!) but it pleases me to use it.  The round bit probably makes it a bit thick to use in a good book, but it works for the tattier things I carry around in my handbag.

What will I wear tomorrow?

Bobby the Ram Has a New Hobby

 

Bobby has found knitting needles.  Though he is still having problems with the whole issue of hooves/feet/paws.  But he means well.

See, he crocheted this whole flower all by himself!!!

And he hasn't lost his touch for photobombing.  In this case, a bridal shower with a difference.  We were knitting and crocheting flowers for bridal bouquets!!  Bobby was a big hit.  I think he might be getting an invite to the wedding :)

Beady and Wooly Bits

Creative Tuesday

Ah, scrumbling, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Thy wondrous colours and textures, thy randomness (or not), thy portability (until the whole sewing it together bit), thy ability to look great in photos .. what's not to love?

A cape I made several years ago when I discovered the frabjous Prudence Mapstone and got all excited about stuff. It is far too hot and heavy to wear in a place like Melbourne, except once or twice a year, but I still love it. I haven't scrumbled in a while but I always keep coming back to it.

Creative Tuesday

This scrumbled hat dates from the days when I was trying to create and sell patterns as PDF files. It failed largely because most of the people who bought the patterns off Etsy.com seemed to be completely ignorant about the nature of PDF files and tended to berate and abuse me for notposting them a paper pattern. (Yes, I did make it crystal clear what they were to expect). I did however sell some hard copies at the now defunct Yarn Fest that used to be held at The Highway Gallery in Mt Waverley (now, apparently, also defunct).

Being scrumbled, this one did not have a 'pattern' as such, more a recipe with lots of pictures. It was great fun to make. I also consider the beautiful model to be one of my favorite creations, though she is a lot older and taller and more grown up now than five years ago!