my creative space

Today I've been sitting right here, in this armchair, stitching antler boys and girls for this shop, and a few for my shop. It rained a bit, I watched movies and drank a lot of tea, and thought about all the things I want to make.

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See more creative spaces here.

my creative space- bunny love cushion

I've been seeing lots of gorgeous valentines day posts in blog-land, and they inspired me to get all mooshy and make this love bunny cushion. It's made from recycled sweaters and is extra soft and huggable. It's in my etsy shop now.

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I've got lots of ideas for Valentines Day, but really should have started thinking about it in January. Not yesterday. Darn.

my creative space

I've made some Christmas cards, watercolours printed on cardstock, with matching envelopes and all. Although I kinda missed the Christmas card timing while everything was upside down. Oops. (the inside of the top card reads; (Good Luck Dave) Merry Christmas. and the bottom one reads; ho ho ho) These are my first cards and I was a bit chuffed they turned out nice.

a finished custom team mascot watercolour. Go the Tigers!

wrapping orders

new pink foxes

yellow fish waiting for their embroidered eyes

I've also been looking through old craft books and magazines for new ideas, and considering collecting salt and pepper shakers. They're so darn cute.

my creative space- pattern rage

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I found a pattern for dolls clothes at my local op-shop for one dollar. I couldn't resist and have sewn two little dresses and a pair of overalls, but not before throwing a bit of a tantrum and making several parts up as a went along.

The overalls were okay, but attaching the collar to the dress? Oh My!

The pattern says; with right sides up, pin collar sections to neck edge, matching notches, placing circles at centre seams.. Baste. Stitch.

Okay so far so good, done that.

Then it goes on; Turn collar seam allowance toward bodice (um..what the?)

On outside, stitch on bodice close to neck seam thru (sic) the seam allowance. Okay WHAT THE HEL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

The picture gives no clue. I have no idea. I ended up ripping seam and starting again, this time putting wrong side up, so I could flip the collar and sew again on the right side. But it is slightly messy and obviously-not-quite-right.

Does anyone know what I'm missing? And do you get pattern rage too? I'd love to hear about it, it would make me less likely to shred the offending section into little-eeny-tiny pieces..

my creative space- Penny!

Results are in from the name poll to name my new sewing machine, 56% voted for the name Penny, so Penny she is! (Alice came second at 35%, and Jane last). Thanks everyone who voted!

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Other things I've been doing in my creative space
- sorting fabric by colour and size into lovely new plastic tubs and stacking them up high

- freaking out when the now-named Penny flashed and blew smoke (she's better now. phew)

- madly calling repair centres

- staring out the window instead of sewing. watching dog walkers and cranky birds.

- being unsure of what to do first. watching movies instead

- writing lists. crossing out lists. merging lists and then rewriting lists neater

- spending time shopping instead of sewing. finding old patterns and materials and possibilities

- spilling tea on everything and swearing

- cutting out sweaters for cushions

- planning a giant giraffe. Giant. Giraffe. you heard me.

- feeling a little bad for not sewing much. going to the pub instead

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VERY productive, as you can tell.. (*cough*) But now that Penny is named, we can chat and sew all week long. Uh-huh.

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more creative spaces here

the struggle for space

(apologies for not-so-good photos. Sue is still M.I.A. and this is Max, a pleasant but not very bright fellow who's filling in. In the interest of making his blurry images a little more palatable, they're all polaroids. 'Cause everything looks better in a polaroid. Even Max.)

Sometimes I wonder why I had to go and love a (past time/ interest/ does anyone say 'hobby' anymore?) that takes up so.much.darn.space.

What if I loved, say, collecting matchboxes? playing the violin? drawing portraits? all of these would undoubtedly take up less space then the menagerie of fabrics, buttons, pins, felts, wools, stuffing, beads, tools, papers and books that I have managed to amass in an offhand accidental way.

I have never taken sewing very seriously, so it has always been regaled to a chance corner or spare space, but now it is starting.to.bug.me. It bugs me when I reach backwards while sewing a quilt and bruise my elbow on the edge of the bed. It bugs me when I have to uncover the bottom suitcase to get the matching fabric, and toy with drawers that only-just-come-out to find tools that must be put straight back to save the tiny workspace available on a 70's kitchen table. It bugs me that I slow down so much pulling out things for each stage of a process. It bugs me so, that I have stopped sewing, and started eying off studio spaces in the area. Hrmm.. Floorboards you say? Natural light? How many square metres? So if I stop eating, on say, Tuesday and Wednesday I can afford it?

In the meantime, part of my 'I'm a grown-up darn it and I can do what I want' that seems to be going on this year, I have rearranged the space I have. Plus I was ultra inspired by all the amazing craft studio spaces in the 'Make Space for Craft' series here at Craftzine. Go check it out, but not if you want to prevent drool in your keyboard.

I have added a large desk (my computer now perches on a small cabinet) in front of the window and a small bookcase, and have rearranged, tidied and have a BIG space to work, with a LAMP.

And another space set up for cutting out patterns, and ironing ANYTIME I LIKE. All my buttons, ribbons and fasteners are in neat little boxes, and some of my fabric is easy to reach (the rest is still in suitcases, but you can't have everything).

I made a new thread holder from an old noticeboard and some spare nails (I should have known that small one would.never.do) Wonky, but functional.

A small change, really, but already it's making a big difference, just being able to reach things, move around and work without interuppting the flow to clear space. I have read lots of posts about people's craft work spaces, and what it means to them. What it means though is that my bedroom is now more about craft and sewing and inspiration than it is about sleeping and relaxing. Hrmm.

I would like to know how do you find space? Does it bug you? What space have you given up to feed your craftiness?

And do you say 'hobby' or 'interest'?

my creative space

One day late, and in a different font due to various issues with blogger. I know not why. It irks me, this disparity in fonts. Yes, I am thatkindofperson.

(edit) Aha! fixed it!

This is my creative space at the moment, an old drawer on the coffee table with
1. knitting for some of this graffiti
2. a custom order from this exhibition
And also some more drawing and sketching for drawing a day

The drawer is handy to shift around the house, depending what I'm doing and if I'd rather be watching a movie, curled up in bed or sitting on the porch in the sun. Do you have portable craft stations too?

my creative space

This is part of the craziness that was last weekend. Now I'm off to wander to the library and sit in the sun.

also on my desk

Or, 'Why I've been a slack blogger'


plans for melancholy monster for this exhibition


playing with new watercolours


almost-finished-scarf and bigger-than-I-meant shawl

a doll-in-the-making

On my desk at the moment, the beginnings of a little doll with a summer dress. She's destined for adventures, this girl, she's part of the Craft Hope Project#2.

Craft Hope is a lovely blog, 'spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time'.

(image courtesy of Craft Hope blog)

Their current project is for the casa berne orphange; Craft Hope is working with Eren and the ORPHANetwork to provide handmade, soft-bodied dolls for the children. They're asking for participants to sew a simple doll, with dark skin and hair, to be collected and distributed and loved to bits!

(image courtesy of Craft Hope blog)

Dolls are already arriving, visit the Craft Hope blog for more info on the children, the project and how you can participate too! Go on!

aah

Creating a plush for tryout for entry into this exhibition. I love the teeny eeny green scarf.


Wanderings, festival and music on a Saturday afternoon.

Beer on the steps. Aah.

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How was your weekend?

cosy poles and caterpillars

I took this pic a while back, some guerrilla knitting in newtown. I've seen a few poles all snuggly like this, it makes me smile. Makes me think of children's stories and talking inanimate objects and randomness that nudges into the un-ordinary. Oh the whimsy!


My Creative Space today. I've seen some other creative spaces in blogs around and thought I'd share mine today.
I was little hungover (I'm never drinking again.. again.) Spent most of the day on that lovely blue couch continuing the 'Great Monster Sew' while watching entire season 5 of Scrubs. Love that little basket I picked up at op-shop (with horse head bookends) makes all that little fiddly sewing stuff portable and looks darn cute. Note the cup of tea. I've started a tally. Do you think 8 cups a day is too much?


Thinking of joining the Black Heart Anti-Valentines Day Contest, thinking my skeleton is going well and might fit the bill. Or something maybe dripping with felt blood.. I ought to be getting some office work done, but imagining twisted little heartbroken creatures, designs, patterns and details much more satisfying. Will get back to you on this one.

In between episodes I battled the Caterpillar Invasion. All week we have found dozens of these hariy critters wriggling across our floors with freakishly long spiny hairs. Why??.... why???