Moving right along.....

There's a sniff of Spring in the air, which means Red Hill Market is almost upon us - the first market this season is 7th September and I've been busy creating some new stock - I reviewed what I made last year and decided I'd been making things to sell, as opposed to making things I would want to buy - make sense????

So, I decided things needed a bit of a change up.......

I've been hand dyeing fabric, choosing my most favourite commercial fabrics, embroidering a little and obviously missed photo lessons (really MUST do something about that...).  I've got screen printed fabric drying ready to make up into some ipad covers, pouches and journal covers.

It's going to be difficult to let these makes go.....

ps - check out the awesome changes on Picmonkey - there's new features and I have to say, it's a lot more user friendly than Photoshop (which I also think is awesome, but it takes a bit of getting used to)

pps - England has retained the Ashes, so I'm pretty happy about that - good old Manchester rain!!

Quilt show bounty

Like many, many others, I joined the throngs at AQC in the beautiful Royal Exhibition Buildings to view quilts and NOT buy anything.

I actually drove a bus full of the wonderful ladies who come to my classes and we had a fabulous day - of course I forgot to get a photo of us all but I remembered the camera to take photos of the quilts...I especially enjoyed the twelveby12 exhibition - the artistry and work(wo)manship of the miniatures is very inspiring - I think I'd be breaching their copyright if I added photos of their quilts so I've linked to their website instead.  If you get a chance to view these beauties 'in the flesh', you should - photos really don't do them justice - especially not the way I take photos anyway :)

Another exhibition was from Korea - I had hoped to see a piece or 2 in the traditional pojagi style but unfortunately there wasn't one - but it didn't take away from the pieces on display.  I was particularly drawn to this next one...

It appears to be influenced by pojagi and the use of colour and the method of assembly is just brilliant - love it.

Given it's shaky beginning, AQC continues to get bigger and better and I really am glad I went - there was more quilts and they weren't limited to the 'traditional' - lots of 'art' quilts and different techniques displayed - something for everyone....here's a little montage of others that caught my eye...

I did take photos of the makers of these so if anyone wants info, please let me know :)

...and of course, best laid plans and all that......I bought stuff, including fabric (of which I have thousands of metres already....)

I bought fabric paint, gorgeous shot cotton applique pieces from Reece Scanell, English paper piecing templates, stamping foam, printable silk sheets, silk sari strips (to make cords from), aluminium for mixed media and some fat quarters: including Pure, Comma, Zen Chic, Urban Mod, a little Flea Market Fancy and a fabulous stencil of old London town.  I told myself that most of what I bought is for an upcoming exhibition piece, so I shouldn't feel so guilty.....

.....and now I have to go and get some work done - I've client quilts to quilt, some screen printing to do for my work-book as well as a portfolio cover to make, then after that some items for 2 upcoming markets........good job I like being busy :)

On the Friday night I attended a lecture by Judy Coates Perez, a mixed media artist from America who shared her inspirations and her works with us - lots of inspiration there - she also had a booth within the show so we could watch her work - and she is the reason I bought the aluminium sheets....

ps - Box Hill TAFE are advertising another Diploma of Textile Arts course to start mid-year - if you're interested, have a look at their website for more information.

Press this, sew that, print this.......

Busy - loving it....

I quilted and bound the little Apple Bugs child quilt last week - I had intended quilting it with a spiral but I didn't like it so unpicked and started again....

I bought some of Sarah Fielke's 'On the pond' from Spotlight, added a couple of other fabrics and pieced a little child's quilt top which now needs to be quilted.  There was a LOT of trimming which is one of the reasons it stayed at child size.....The block is called 'goose tracks' but I'm calling the quilt 'Duck walk' - hopefully the things 'in the pond' didn't get eaten by the ducks (ok, mind slipping away here.....)

I tried a few different layouts...

The main picture was the final layout and it's now all stitched together - my husband thinks it looks 'fresh'

Some time ago we learned about collographs at school - using bits and pieces glued and shellacked to a piece of wood which is then used to print onto fabric.  I spent some time at a school friend's place and we picked up pieces from her garden and arranged them 'artfully'.  Kristen kindly shellacked my 2 pieces as we ran out of time on the day and they stayed in that state until this morning when I had a go at using them....

I used acrylic paints as it won't need to be washed - I really love the soft effect of the printing - I tried a couple of ways to transfer the image to the fabric and the best result was a little less paint, no water and me standing on the print block on a printing pad - it was recommended that we use the car to run over everything but I had visions of the blocks flying out from under the wheel and sconning one of my chooks - so standing on it was the next best option.  I'm looking forward to adding some embellishment and stitch to these at a later date.

Now I best go prepare for my classes tomorrow - a new term and a new subject for my quilty ladies - thinking about playing with colour and creating packs of fabrics to be used in blocks that will ultimately become a quilt to donate to a worthy cause....

The wedding post.....and other stuff

Well, the wedding is done - the bride looked radiant and the groom (my eldest son) looked so incredibly happy that it made me all teary - one of  the most important things I want for both of my boys is health and happiness - and my Adam sure has both.  They're really enjoying living in Wodonga (about 4 hours from where I live) and are set to make as much of their lives as possible - excellent!

Here's the happy couple after being declared 'husband and wife' and after the obligatory kiss!

Lloyd and I with our great niece.  Miss Stella is just waiting for the signing of the register so she can give Dana a wedding favour.

The reception was an absolute hoot - there was much dancing and drinking - and my youngest son Ben had a 'dance off' with Dana's nanna - it was captured on a mobile phone so hopefully it'll be available on Youtube soon :)

So we're kinda back to normal - the unpacking has been done and the laundry completed and Lloyd went back to work today....so did I....I have another market coming up so there's sewing to be done......and I sold a quilt at the last market (I was sooooo excited) so decided to finish a top I'd had hanging around too long - it's now ready for quilting and binding and it'll be available to buy from Red Hill Market on 4th May...

Thanks Heather for suggesting a border of the 'scraps' from the main piecing -I really like it.

I also had a crack at some free motion quilting on the long-arm..........need more practice but definitely getting better.....

the pink is from my chalk marking

So onwards and upwards - have to get stuck into more market sewing (cos I'm also doing the Mornington market the following week, 11th May.....)

Market Survivor...

Well, a combo of aspirin (because the strong painkillers just made me loopy) and antibiotics, a strong dose of adrenalin and excitement and the best wishes and sympathy I received from my gorgeous readers got me through on Saturday - thank you.

The day started a little awry - my bff hadn't seen my face until then so it was a bit of a shock to her - and then we got slightly geographically challenged on the way to the market - I'm blaming that on the 5.30m start!

We set up pretty quickly then it was  matter of waiting for customers and getting to know our stall holder neighbours - both of them were old hands at markets so had a few tips for young players!

The swelling went down as the day progressed so I was looking halfway normal by pack up time.  A strong contingent of friends and family came to wish me luck - and buy something (which was the SWEETEST thing ever! - thank you from the bottom of my heart) - and even wonderful people I didn't know bought as well :)

I think I'm calling it a modest success - I certainly got some lovely feedback and have a better idea of the things I could make and how things could be better displayed (there was a surprising number of questions about what the soft baskets could be used for).  So I'm doing it all again on the 30th March for the Mornington Easter Market.....back to the sewing machine!

On the tooth front, it was removed yesterday and while not completely pain free, it's certainly on the mend.

Thanks again for all your kind wishes - onwards and upwards.......

Timing is everything......

Went to bed last night with a bit of a headache - woke up this morning with half my face inflated like a barrage balloon.

I have an abscess in my gum - the result of ignoring a broken tooth (cos I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to dentists) and now I have the look of someone furtively stuffing her face and not so furtively storing said stuffing in the side of my mouth.  The dentist won't see me and remove the tooth until the swelling has gone down - so that'll likely be Monday - and the doctor has given me an antibiotic jab today and some sooper dooper antibiotics and pain killers to have over the weekend.  The pain killers could have 1 of 2 side-effects - they can make me hyper or they can make me sleepy.  I rarely take painkillers - certainly not sooper dooper ones - so I don't know what to expect.

I have my first market tomorrow morning.

I'm going to look like a rabid squirrel storing her nuts for winter (at best) or comatose under my display table and hoping my bestie can cope with what we hope is an onslaught of buyers.

So if you're coming to Red Hill Market tomorrow, I'm just saying that it's the painkillers - whichever way it goes.....or I go.........

Just a couple more things to do..

the lettering is deliberately wonky and the raw edge applique deliberately frayed!

There's brown paper bags to buy, a 'float' to organise and that's about it - then it's 'D' Day on Saturday.

Last week I contemplated going in the garden to eat worms - definitely a crisis of confidence - but all good now and philosophical - it's my first market; I expect there to be adjustments and insights to be gained - which is just as well as I've committed myself to another market at the end of March - I so want to succeed so I'm surprised by my silly thoughts of:  "Hmm, if I sell everything, I'll have to remake and restock - maybe it would be better not to sell everything so I don't have so much pressure....(my eldest son gets married the first week of April and there's frock making and fabric dyeing and banner making to be done in the meantime - oh, and a couple of client commissions which have waited around long enough so have to be done now....)

but no, sod that:   I hope it all sells :)

I'll let you know how I go, good, bad or indifferent.

Getting closer...

So I made the 100 items - bit later than I anticipated, but life does intrude hmmm??

Now just have to make the banner, buy the bags, have a mock run, sort out the display............

matching soft baskets - beautiful printed linen with  a solid lining

wee pouch, fully lined, using Prints Charming offcuts

I was supposed to have this baby quilt/play mat ready too, but I put a narrow red border on it and it needs another - I just don't know what - so it's hanging off my long-arm until inspiration strikes....

a mix of fabrics, featuring prints from Oz designer, Saffron Craig

So it's Friday and I'm off to school - and we're doing screen printing today - bit excited about that...

Sewing, sewing, sewing...

In between keeping up with my Textile Art Diploma course requirements (creating a repeat design using hand carved stamps),

preparing sessions for my Community Classes (my themes this semester are Colour Theory and Techniques),

and other sundry domestic chores,

including removal of some water hyacinth from the fish pond - but that had to stop when I was bitten by a very large, and very aggressive bullant....

I have been organising business cards and advertising postcards, and sewing up a storm for my upcoming stall at Red Hill Market on 2nd March...

large cushion cover with zipped opening

boxy, zipped pouches

journal covers

cushion cover with buttoned opening

There's still a few other admin type issues to sort out (source and buy paper bags, signage, still need to finalise the display etc etc) and I want to have 100 items for sale - so I have another 20 to make........

Best get back to it......

Sewing up a storm

Like everyone else I imagine - Christmas is just next week and my 'handmade' Christmas sewing is only half way through - what the hell happened this year???

So, in between Christmas gift making I've been doing a little of this...

fmq in a hoop and re-purposed tablecloth lace

a little of that....

a 'prayer flag' reminder for 2013 - now hanging outside in place of the tree my husband  butchered

and putting a 'scene' together to accompany my application to have a stall at the Red Hill Market (something I should have done at the beginning of this year)....

and happy to say I've been accepted for my first market in March 2013 - so will be very busy sewing away after I've finished sewing Christmas presents...and entertaining about 20 for Christmas Day.......