Needle vs Thread (old)

New blog!

2011-01-27T17:11:00.002+11:00

I have a new blog! Please visit and follow it over here: Needle vs Thread.

I will be posting from there now on!

Not by halves!

2010-10-22T15:40:00.009+11:00

It turns out I don't do things by halves. In the last 5 weeks I've moved house and had major jaw surgery! So if you're wondering why I've been a little quiet, that might help explain it?

The house move was as easy as it could possibly be. I moved 7 houses from where I was. But it still meant packing every possession and cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. Settling in has been much easier than last time though.

2 weeks after I moved, and 3 weeks and 1 day ago was my surgery. I had a very bad underbite (ie my bottom teeth were in front of my top teeth - by about 1cm), and after 4.5 years of braces to prepare, I had both my bottom and top jaws moved, in what is known as a bi-maxillary osteotomy.

Due to some concerns by my surgeon about possible excessive bleeding and a few other things, I didn't know when I went into surgery whether I'd come out with anything having been done. We had 3 different plans. The first was to move my bottom jaw back. If that was tricky, they'd stop there. If they drilled a hole and blood squirted across the room, they'd stop there and nothing would be done. If the bottom jaw went as per usual, they'd think about doing the top one on the spot. So it was all a bit unknown, but I woke up 3 hours after they put me under to be told by my brilliant surgeon that they'd done both jaws and all went well.

Recovery was bad but not as bad as I'd expected. The surgery was on a Thursday morning and I went home on the Sunday morning. The only downside of going home so soon was a serious drop in the amount of painkillers I was getting. But I got through that and am healing well now. I've had a checkup with the surgeon and orthodontist and they are all thrilled (as am I!).

Now I just need to be patient. I'm not allowed to chew for another 3 weeks while the bones heal. My face is swollen and uncomfortable but it isn't really too painful any more. The main pain comes from the evil elastics on my braces. They're used to retrain the muscles of my jaw and also to continue moving my teeth. I'll need braces for a little while yet just to fine tune my bite. Hopefully by the middle of next year they'll be off and I can get on with life with a perfect bite for the first time!

Oh and I have 6 plates and 20 screws in my head!

Hide & Seek Market

2010-08-10T17:59:00.005+10:00

In less than two weeks time, I'll be at the new Hide & Seek Market in The Hills District of Sydney. I'd love you to come and visit!

Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: Wrights Rd Community Centre, Kellyville
More info: http://www.hideandseekmarket.com.au

And if you go over here, you can read an interview I did!

It should be a great day and I'm really looking forward to it!

Pick me! Pick me!

2010-08-03T15:21:00.002+10:00

I wrote a little Pattern Review the other day. And besides wanting people to know that Nikki makes fabulous patterns, there was a motive behind doing it. There's a competition! If you liked my review and purse, I'd love it if you could vote for me over here. A little bit of good luck would be very welcome right about now! And if you do vote for me - thank you!

Fail...

2010-07-31T23:15:00.001+10:00

Ok people, I need help. What do YOU do when you seem to be a on a run of failed projects? It's been a week now and there has been very very little success and a lot of screw ups. A week doesn't sound like long, but when you're trying to make this your job, a week of no productivity is bad! New products aren't working and even very slight (ie different fabric type) variations on old products aren't working. I'm not sure I can face another failed project and another day down the drain, so, help! Please!

Pattern review: Nicole Mallalieu Design - 150mm Purse Frame Kit

2010-07-27T23:30:00.004+10:00

1. Name of the pattern
150mm Purse Frame Kit

2. Difficulty rating
A beginner really could do this because the actual sewing is very simple (mostly straight lines) and the instructions are incredibly detailed.

3. Were the instructions easy to follow? (And did you learn anything new from them?)
Nikki's instructions are the best I've seen. I'm normally terrible at following patterns/instructions - they always seem to be written in a different language, but not these ones! It really is like a sewing lesson in a kit. Lots of extra little bits of detail to help you improve your sewing techniques and I learn something from each pattern I try!

I'd tried to make frame purses without Nikki's patterns and they were one of the most frustrating things I've ever attempted! Nikki's work EVERY SINGLE TIME.

4. Did the finished project look like the one on the pattern cover or did you 'tweak' it? (If tweaked, what did you do change?)

The basic shape is exactly like the pattern cover. My only tweaks were extra embellishment in the form of the fabric flower and the beaded detailing.

5. Were you happy with the finished project?
Absolutely! Every purse I've made from this pattern has been a success!

6. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love that you learn to make a purse 'properly'. All the edges are finished - no raw edges shoved into the frame like other pattern makers suggest. The purse is glued and crimped into the frame unlike so many that I've seen. I also love the general shape of the purse and the fact that extra attention is paid to things like interfacing to make a nice professional finish.

7. Would you make this pattern again? Would you recommend it to others?
I've made it many, many times and will continue to do so! And I would absolutely recommend it to others.

What I am not...

2010-07-25T12:36:00.003+10:00

Is a quilter!

I have a baby niece due any day now, so I got it into my head that I wanted to make her a quilt. I've made one before (although I didn't quite finish it) so I should have known this would be hard work. Backing it with dot minky (stretchy and slippery), didn't make the job easier! I cheated and didn't do a traditional binding - instead choosing to make a fringed type of border that will fray and soften with use. I definitely don't enjoy the quilt making process. Probably something to do with being a perfectionist and it being so difficult to wrangle a big heavy quilt and sew perfectly straight all at the same time.

I love the outcome though!

The prints are from the "What a Hoot" collection by Camelot Cottons.

24 hour sale on hand embroidered clutches!

2010-06-29T22:33:00.002+10:00

Just a really quick note to mention my really quick sale! 20% off all of the hand embroidered Adorn clutches in my Plus 1 Design Etsy store. The sale ends at 5.30pm Sydney time. While you're over there, you might notice a small announcement too!

Studio rearrangement

2010-05-30T18:15:00.004+10:00

This week my studio got rearranged! Previously it was cramped, and with the addition of the ironing press and overlocker, it was getting difficult to work in there. So a trip to Ikea and I'm all set!

New shelves and containers (from my kitchen actually) to organise all the little things! And a home for the overlocker.

And another new shelf for the ironing press and other assorted bits.

Now the only problem here is the ironing board, which no matter where I put it, is in the way. It's currently stashed under the cutting table as you can see, but that's not practical. Think I'm just going to have to take it out and move it around everytime it's in the way. It's a million years old and weighs a tonne, but what else to do?!

Oh and trying to add a little life and colour in there too... I love indoor plants - especially these babies that I've grown myself!

PS. Please just pretend that I've emptied the recycling bin and vacuumed the floor!

Who knew that $12.50 could buy love?!

2010-05-27T14:01:00.004+10:00

Despite being one of the busiest people I know, Nikki is amazingly generous when it comes to giving advice and sharing her knowledge. When she told me a few weeks ago to try to find a second-hand Elna Press because it would be a lifesaver when it comes to fusing interfacing to fabric, I figured that this was something I definitely needed to do. The timing couldn't have been better cause when I looked on ebay, there was one - local pickup only, just 15 minutes down the road. Now the crazy thing is that I managed to get it for $12.50. Yup - you read right - $12.50.

I picked it up this morning and I'm in love already. A little bit of elbow grease (and some bicarb and vinegar) was needed to clean the plate, a $5 ironing board cover for the base, and we're in business!

Oh and fusing this interfacing takes approximately 10 seconds!

The ebay equipment love doesn't stop there either! In the last couple of months I've also managed to get my hands on a second-hand overlocker, and a brand new electric rotary cutter. All of this has cost me about $300 and means I have all the essential appliances for my studio!

And speaking of the studio - these recent acquisitions mean that I need to rearrange it, so I'm in the midst of doing that now. If I can get some decent photos when I'm done, I'll post them here. Even though it looks like a bomb has hit it at the moment, it's already looking bigger and more user friendly!

Preserves

2010-05-23T19:17:00.002+10:00

I sold these two pieces outside of Etsy and realised that they aren't really preserved anywhere anymore, so I thought I'd blog about them. I have a feeling I've mentioned the first one before:

Such a pretty one off piece! 3 days of work... Luckily it's gone to my next door neighbour so I can visit it if I need to!

And a piece that few people would have seen:

This was the first of my new Inessence range of bags etc made from natural, eco friendly, reclaimed and vintage fabrics. The outer is a very nice recycled hemp/organic cotton blend, with a scrap fabric applique. It's lined with a vintage fabric. I'm looking forward to making more like this!

Friday feature

2010-05-14T16:42:00.003+10:00

I'm going to try to do a regular Friday feature post from now on... Starting today with the robot treasury I curated on Etsy!

I'm sorry!

2010-05-11T23:39:00.002+10:00

Dear blog and the one person who reads my blog,

I'm sorry (again) that you have been so neglected! I am going to blame it on two things. Being busy. And that since I got my new computer, I couldn't login to flickr. So I couldn't post pics on here. And I didn't want to bore you to death with pictureless posts.

Now, I'm still busy, but I do promise to be back soon with something vaguely more entertaining!

Arghhhhh

2010-02-13T00:35:00.004+11:00

Apologies again for my absence!

I would like to blame it on the curse that seems to have been placed on me. The one that involves one thing after another going wrong. One of the latest is that I managed to kill my computer almost two weeks ago. I don't recommend doing this because getting a new one is an expensive pain in the bum.

I type this from my shiny new Compaq Presario which is running the 64 bit version of Windows 7. It's the same machine that my printer refuses to install on. And the same machine that the sound is only half working on - as of yesterday. And the same machine that when I restarted it earlier tonight, changed the screen resolution all by itself. And the one that some of my software won't run on because it's too old.

Oh yeah and the apostrophe and quotation mark keys don't type apostrophes or quotation marks when you press them - they show up when you press a key afterwards. That one I can live with - now that I've worked it out.

Shiny new computers are supposed to be exciting... This one is lucky it hasn't been thrown out the window.

Due to the ever growing list of dramas I've encountered over the past 3-4 weeks, I have no new work to show you. Oh wait - I couldn't show you anyway because I can't login to my flickr account. When I try, it sends me into a crazy loop of - this is not the correct login, click here to have your login details sent to you, this is not the correct login, click here to login...

You're all totally gonna go and buy a new computer tomorrow aren't you?!

OHHHHH and I forgot - it's the same computer that didn't know it had a DVD drive/that the DVD drive didn't work on... Because it WASN'T PLUGGED IN when the machine was built. At least that was easy to fix....

Hello! I am still alive!

2009-12-04T12:44:00.006+11:00

Ahhhhh I've been neglecting this blog terribly lately. I have an excuse, really! I've been busy.

I underestimated how much time it would take to prepare for regular markets. And when I say regular, I've only done three of them and two of them were a month apart. Next weekend is the last one for the year. It has been fun! But yep, like I said, I underestimated how much time it would take to prepare. I've developed some new products for the markets which has been fun. Some of them will make their way into my etsy shop eventually. Not all of them though. The time it takes to photograph and list and the listing fees involved, mean that some really aren't viable products to sell online.

And otherwise I have been busy completing the most complex bag I've ever made! I'm not sure that the photos really illustrate the detail and planning that went into this. My customer had a very specific list of needs and I think and hope that I've covered all of them with this one. It is a variation on the nappy bag concept - two smaller bags that join together to create one large bag. It took 2 months to plan it and a month to sew it together (there were a few stops and starts due to the laptop it was based around dying and needing to be changed to an entirely different one).

I learned new skills and pretty much had to pull out every trick in the book to get this one done! There are magnetic snaps, zippers, d-rings, purse feet, rivets, bias binding, PVC overlays, pockets with gussets, 3D pockets with dividers, a shoulder pad on the strap and a grand total of 18 press studs. Oh wait, 19 press studs if you count the one on the laptop sleeve too!

Oh and did I mention that the print is from Liberty of London? Talk about nerve wracking!

I'm a guest curator!

2009-11-03T17:10:00.002+11:00

This is so exciting for me! I'm a guest curator at Etsy Stalker! The lovely ladies asked me a few weeks ago if I would like to curate a Spring Bags and Purses Exhibit and I jumped at the chance. It was a really interesting challenge. I had some very specific criteria in my head, so that helped narrow the list down, but it was still difficult to choose from all the beautiful work on Etsy.

I hope you go and visit the exhibit and enjoy my choices!

If I had to put one of my pieces in there, I don't think I could go past this one.

Shortening nylon zippers - tutorial!

2009-10-13T18:19:00.004+11:00

Zips too long? Here's my method for shortening them the neat way.

One of the most common problems I have is not having the right sized/colour zipper for the job. It doesn't seem to matter how many I have, I'm always missing the one I need! Sometimes you can get away with just cutting the end of the zip off. But sometimes, you need the metal stops on the ends, and you need to be able to fold that little bit of zipper tape on the end over to get a neat finish - like on the top of zippered coin pouches etc. So having the right length zip can be crucial.

I need to make some teeny tiny zippered pouches at the moment and don't have the right length zips, so I spent a little time today working out how to shorten them and it's really easy once you know the tricks.

First get a large needle, or something sharp and pointy, and lift up the prongs on the back of the big metal stop at the end of the zip. Once they're up a bit, you can finish straightening them with your needle nosed pliers and then pull it off. Don't lose it!

Then just measure and mark your zipper at the required length. For me this time it is 10cm.

Take the metal stop that you just took off, and put it back on where you just made the mark. A gentle tap with a hammer works a treat for flattening the prongs.

Then cut the excess zipper off, leaving about 1.5cm between the stop and where you cut. Treat the end of the zipper tape with some fray stop, or cut with pinking shears or whatever you like to stop it fraying.

Then separate the excess zipper.

What you need to do next is remove the nylon coil. It is threaded through the zipper tape, so it is not just a matter of pulling the end and it unraveling. It won't go further than a few coils this way, and gets really messy.

So take your trusty unpicker and push it through the middle of the first few coils and cut them. Keep doing this until you get to the metal stop.

Then grab your needle nosed pliers or some tweezers and pull the little bits of cut coil out. Repeat on the other side. You may need to snip the end off the very last one on each side to keep it neat and not spikey.

And voila - you're finished! And have a nice neat** zipper end and a zipper just the length you needed!

**This one is not as neat as my first one, but those end bits will be folded over and sewn under fabric so it is ok!

New adventures and other little things

2009-10-13T01:09:00.003+11:00

So firstly, the Mountain Makers exhibition was awesome! Lots of sales, met lots of people, had lots of fun! Can't wait to do it again (when we can talk Tess into organising another one). You can see lots of photos of how pretty it was if you go and look at Mandy's flickr set.

It was so much fun that I decided to do one of the local markets. So my first market all by myself with no hand holding was this past Saturday at the Ivy Market in Springwood. I'm pretty happy with my first one. Lessons learned, things sold, lots of smiling faces. I'm especially happy with my display:

I'm still working out whether I can go back to do the next one, but the chances are pretty high at this stage.

At the market I debuted a new product which I'm really excited about! I've wanted to make wrist cuffs for ages, but it has taken me awhile to settle on a style and design. Finally it is done! Here is a sneak peek:

I'll be listing them in my Etsy shop in the next few days. Just got to get a chance to finish photographing them... I'm juggling too many things at once at the moment.

Exhausted but very happy

2009-09-25T21:36:00.002+10:00

I just not long ago got home from setting up the exhibition. The hall looks amazing! So much beautiful stuff. It was hard to imagine until it was done, but it's fantastic. Here's hoping all the people who said they would come, do!

I meant to take more photos, but didn't manage to remember to do so on account of the very long day it's been. But here are some very average photos of my display (which I am very happy with and have to say a big thank you to Carley for all the help with!).

Not long now!

2009-09-24T18:57:00.002+10:00

This time tomorrow, I'm hoping to be finished setting up my display at the Mountain Makers exhibition! The show opens on Saturday morning and I'm feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. I have almost finished* making things for it... Tomorrow is going to be busy. I have to finish tagging/labeling everything (ummm after I make more tags) and then work out how to display everything. And how to fit it in the car to get it there.

I can't wait to see everyone's stuff all set up. It should be a really fantastic show and hopefully I see some of you there!

*As much as you can ever be finished getting ready for these things!

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-09-01T20:18:00.002+10:00

Things are very busy here! Did I mention the exhibition I'm showing my work in? I might have done so briefly. It's time I did so properly! But this image should do the trick!

A bee in my bonnet

2009-08-25T19:05:00.014+10:00

I'm not going to go into specifics because I don't want to offend anyone, but I do want to write about this anyway because it is really important to me. I hope this comes across the right way!

There's a certain product that hundreds of people make and sell and some of them do very well with, but very few of these products are made 'properly' **. It's a very simple product, but making it 'properly' is actually quite tricky and time consuming. I'm not sure whether the people who make it the 'wrong' way are entirely aware that they are doing it 'wrong'. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and think that, like me once upon a time, they don't know how to make it the 'right' way. I hope that they're not doing it their way because it's quicker.

I initially thought this was a dilemma for me. I could make it 'properly', but if I wanted to charge for my time to do so, I'd need to charge at least double the average price that my competitors do, which is tricky. So at first I thought that maybe it isn't worth me making them. Or that maybe I could make them the 'wrong' way. No one seems to mind/notice, so why shouldn't I make them quickly and easily?

Tonight I decided why, and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

The reason is that one of the main things that I strive for in my work is to make it as well made as possible. That is not something I want to, or should compromise on. It just isn't worth it.

I still haven't decided whether to make that certain product or not yet. I think I have an alternative that can be as good, if not better in mind.

** Now, the question has been posed - what is 'properly' and who says it is 'properly' made? Well I'm not entirely sure of the answer to that. I think that there are basic techniques that anyone who is trained in sewing should know/learn and use. It's hard to point them out without giving away the product I'm refering to so I won't right now, but I think that is the way that you determine if something is made 'properly'. Or at least that is the method I use at the moment.

DIY hang tags

2009-08-25T17:29:00.002+10:00

Y'know those days where you just want to go back to bed by lunch time? Today was (is?) one of those days. There's no reason for it and it's not a big deal, but I was good and decided that instead of going back to bed, I'd do something easy, but productive...

In 1 month, I (and many others) will be exhibiting work at a local show. It's exciting and daunting all at the same time, and I have a very long to do list to get ready. One thing on the list is hang tags for my products. I was going to use my mini moo cards like I normally do, but I'm almost out of those and short on money to buy more. Plus, I really need each tag to have a price and some basic product info on the back, so I figured I should make the tags myself.

I've been working on the idea for a few days. First I decided that they should be stamped or screen printed on the front. Screen printing would work well, but it's more complicated to set up, so I did some research online and learnt that I could make my own stamp (carved from a vinyl eraser)! This would be perfect for a simplified version of my logo. I also finally found another stamp I have with letters spelling out my website address. So the printing bit was sorted. Then I decided that cereal boxes would be the perfect cardboard base that I need - cheap and no need to go find them.

So today's simple, repetitive task was cutting out the cereal boxes, stamping the logo and URL on them, adding a string, gluing a second piece of cardboard to the back, and then stitching around the outside with the sewing machine. They look good and when the time comes I can write on the back and everything will be ready to go!

Housekeeping

2009-08-04T21:45:00.002+10:00

I have to say again - I'm sorry that my blog is so neglected lately! Just lost the love a bit and also quite busy at the moment. I'm sure I'll return with more regularity eventually.

In the meantime, here's some more new work to keep you entertained!

This one is available for sale!

This one is sold already!

There are also other new things in my shop - tea towels, shopping bags, some new wallets... More to come soon while I'm building up stock for an upcoming show (more details on that as soon as they are confirmed)!

Branching out

2009-07-15T23:37:00.002+10:00

I'm working on a whole lot of new ideas at the moment. There is much frustration when things don't work and then little bits of glee when they do.

Today, there was glee. The first of my new Adorn Pendants is all finished. I'm wearing it as I type, just giving it a good trial run to make sure I don't need more stitches or glue or anything else.

It has been an interesting process to get this made. Lots of figuring things out on the run, despite having a few pages of my work journal full of sketches and notes. I have a tonne more ideas, so I can't wait to make more.

I'm hoping to list some of these for sale in the next few days.

What do you get when...

2009-07-02T16:36:00.004+10:00

What do you get when you suddenly decide you NEED a work journal, but can't find one that you either like or can afford? Well you make your own. This couldn't be further from perfect, but I like it and I didn't have to outlay any money to make it since I already had all the bits.

So, what/how? I started with a pile of photocopy/printer paper which all got folded in half and put into little sections (editing to add: little sections are called signatures! Thank you Kirsten!). Then cut up an old binder to get cardboard for the hard cover. Then I stitched each paper section (signature!) to the cover. Then I used some red leather I have been trying to find a good use for to make the jacket. The buckle was a slider that I introduced to the pliers and mini bolt cutters.

Like I said, not perfect. It's crooked and the edges are rough. But knowing me, I'll decide in about 3 days that I don't really need a work journal at all. Plus, the imperfections are quite likeable!

Dear blog,

2009-06-25T22:02:00.001+10:00

I'm sorry I have neglected you so much lately. I just need a little more time and then I will come back and give you the attention you deserve.

Reborn

2009-05-21T20:14:00.003+10:00

The bustier that is!

I've spent the past two days working on a purse that I've had the image of in my head for a month or so. It all started with a pink bustier that I bought at an op shop years ago. The boning was all warped and it was too small for me, but I kept it anyway - thinking it would be useful for something, sometime...

Images from the vintage issue of Dujour magazine have also been in my head for awhile and the two kind of meshed together and the bustier turned itself into a purse!

It literally has been two days of cutting, sewing, unpicking, sewing, putting in a frame, sewing, unpicking, sewing and more sewing. I should learn to plan better, but like the origami bag, this purse kind of took on a life of its own once I started. I thought I was finished last night, then decided that it needed some beads, so spent most of today sewing 99 of those on. Like adding a zipper to a completed bag, adding beads to a completed purse is not easy and not recommended!

Anyway, the end result is a very pretty, romantic, one of a kind purse that I really love!

I hope someone else loves it too! If you do, it is available to purchase in my etsy store!

Featured

2009-05-16T11:58:00.002+10:00

My spring fling purse has been featured in a blog! Thank you Amy!

I don't think I posted the purse on here, so here it is:

And it is still available to purchase here.

Improvements

2009-05-14T20:47:00.002+10:00

Over the past few months, my studio started to become more and more cluttered. Even when I cleaned it up, it was still cluttered and it was starting to really annoy me, so something needed to be done! The biggest problem was that the only place for the ironing board was in front of the wardrobe, which meant getting to the wardrobe was virtually impossible, which meant I didn't use it, so stuff ended up everywhere.

My mum rearranges her furniture about once a week (ok, maybe slight exaggeration, but every time I go there, something is different), so I figured that while she was here, it was the perfect opportunity to get some ideas on how to fix the studio up.

A quick consultation with her and the solution was found. A few hours of cleaning up and rearranging and I have a tidy, organised and rather spacious studio again!

So here is the finished result (minus some decorations I plan to add one day soon):

This is important

2009-05-13T19:30:00.002+10:00

(3 in one day!)

I meant to post this days ago. It's really important that people read Nikki's post about Intellectual Property.

Origami

2009-05-13T14:41:00.005+10:00

Two posts in one day - see, told you I am back now!

I got this picture in my head about two weeks ago, of a very simple fold over bag... I thought it would be something quick and easy to make - perfect for my current busy situation. So I sketched out a few ideas and still thought it was fairly simple. Then I started making it and it very quickly got complicated - rivets, d-rings, purse feet, machine applique etc etc. Not so simple anymore. Then I decided to use some upcycled curtain fabric. It is gorgeous blue/grey rubber backed canvas. And it is very hard to sew! More than two layers was killer when it came to putting in pins, so this further complicated things.

I muddled through for a few days and thought I was almost finished, but wasn't at all happy with it, so I added rows and rows of uneven top stitching, moved the rivets and did a few other bits and pieces and suddenly it worked! Suddenly, a bag I was considering abandoning, came together just the way it was supposed to!

I finished it and listed it in my etsy shop. Then my mum arrived and I asked her to pick out some fabric for the shipshape bag I was going to make her for Mother's Day. She didn't love any of my fabric (?!), but she did love the new Origami bag, so now it is hers. I'll make more for the shop - but probably not with that same fabric!

What may not be obvious from the first photos is that the bag expands via the 3 different adjustments that can be made with d-rings attached to the front. It can hold a tonne if you do it up on the last setting, or is perfectly sized for your wallet, glasses, phone and a drink bottle if you're on the first setting.

A day or two after mum started using it, I decided it needed a zipper for quick access to your purse/keys/phone etc. So I added one - just near the top, on the back side of the bag. I don't recommend adding a zipper to a bag that is already complete - crazy difficult! But done! Future bags will have the zipper added before they are finished. I forgot to get a photo of it, but I'll show you on the next one.

Oh dear!

2009-05-13T14:20:00.004+10:00

I have been a bad bad blogger. Sorry guys! Am back now though.

What's been happening? Lots of work. Then my mum visited for a week, so very little work. Now, much catching up to be done!

But one thing I haven't shown off on my blog is one of my new purses...

My friend Katrina has the cutest drawing tattooed on her arm and I've loved it since I saw it. I decided a few weeks ago that it would be perfect for an adorn purse. Luckily for me, Katrina's parents taught her to share and the image arrived in my inbox shortly after begging for it.

So here it is - up close:

In all its glory:

It is coming in more colours soon, but if you love this cute pink one, it is available here.

Ohhhh wow! Famous!

2009-04-22T00:34:00.005+10:00

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I just found out that one of my Adorn purses is featured on the fabulous Etsy Stalker website!

Check it out here: Etsy Stalker

I discovered the Etsy Stalker girls on Twitter a few weeks back and have been stalking their site ever since. I'm so thrilled to be featured! What a great way to end what had been a pretty average and very very long day.

Back to your regular programming!

2009-04-20T15:34:00.003+10:00

I'm glad to hear that you guys aren't bored of my work (yet!)!

So here is some more for you.

I just finished this nappy (diaper) bag and it's accessories today. If you've never seen my nappy bags before then I should explain a little. They're actually two almost identical bags that are snapped and clipped together to make one big bag. The idea is that you can just take one (half) out for quick trips, or the whole thing for longer trips, or more kids! They have fancy things like water resistant lining that can be wiped clean, a key clip, insulated pocket etc etc. And you can even turn one half into a backpack! And you can get a matching change mat, wipes case and snap in wet bag too. They're a bit of a labour of love for me - over 12 hours work in each one.

I haven't put one on my blog for aaaaages, so I thought I'd show this one off.

And I finished this little bag off last week. It was a custom order for a customer in the US. It is a small version of the shipshape bag that is in my etsy shop. I love how cute it turned out and I hope its new owner loves it as much when it gets to her in a few days!

And lastly I put this new Adorn Purse in my etsy store a week or so ago. It is one of my favourites so far! And it is still available if you love it too.

I'm still buried in custom orders (one totel bag, one shipshape, one nappy bag to go) so I am not sure I'll get a lot of new things into my stores for the next couple of weeks which is a bit of a shame, especially with Mothers Day coming up, but I'll see what I can do. Might sneak a couple more purses in!

Something different!

2009-04-17T21:07:00.003+10:00

I've been a bad blogger of late! But there's a reason. Kind of. I've been quite busy. And I read that it gets boring if all you ever put on your blog is things you've made that are for sale... So I've started blog posts many times recently, but they've always been of those kind so I changed my mind.

This however, is something different! I just got an email from my mum with a photo attachment and and 'aren't you cute' subject line. I was a bit confused since I have my photo album so wondering what on earth the photo could be... Turns out that mum has just bought a film scanner and is scanning OLD negatives... And she found this pic of me as a 2-3 year old. It is hilarious! She thinks I am wearing my cousins school uniform and my brothers hat. The dog in the background is Fred. I don't remember him at all.

I promise that my fashion sense has improved since then!

Another custom bag

2009-04-06T14:31:00.005+10:00

I just finished and posted this bag off to a lovely customer in South Australia today. I hope that she loves it!

It's a new style for me, with a zippered gusset at the top. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I don't think I could have made it any more difficult for myself though! Luckily I learn from my mistakes so when I have a chance to make another one like it, it should go much more smoothly. Fingers crossed anyway.

Please excuse the not so fantastic photos - was in a bit of a rush this morning.

Oh and I decided at the last minute that a zipper pull would be really useful, but of course I didn't have any. So a quick dig through my box of shiny metal things, and we have a cute little ring pull! I like how the rings kind of mirror the circles in the print.

New blog design!

2009-04-01T22:39:00.002+11:00

Incase you didn't notice! What do you think? I'm liking it a lot. Designing your own stuff has got to be the hardest job, so I'm pretty pleased I got this far. This time last night I was trying to redesign my etsy shop banner and it was just looking dreadful, so to get that and the blog all done today is good! Next up will be my website, but not this week...

False starts

2009-03-31T23:02:00.019+11:00

After a little bit of a false start, I'm just going to post a new purse quickly. There was a bit of confusion about this over the weekend, so I ended up deleting my original post. But now that everything is cleared up, I wanted to show it off!

The purse features Japanese Floral fabric by Florence Broadhurst from Signature Prints. It is just the most stunning design, a gorgeous colour and so beautifully printed!

I really love how this turned out. To see/read more about it or if you'd like to be the proud new owner, go check it out in my Etsy store!

Funnily enough, when I logged on to write this post, I stumbled across a post on another blog about Florence Broadhurst too! Go check it out: More Ways To Waste Time.

PS. I have gained permission to use this fabric for commercial use. Thank you to those who contacted me previously about this issue.

PPS. I totally forgot - if you like this purse, I would love it if you would vote for it in the latest Etsy poll!

Please someone...

2009-03-30T18:10:00.007+11:00

Take the temptation away!!

I made another InReverse bag last night and I really really want to keep it for myself! I'm hoping that someone will buy it quickly and take the temptation away...

Not much else to be said, so just some pics...

To save me from myself, please go here!

Oh and next up is one for the boys!

InReverse!

2009-03-29T13:12:00.006+11:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned some new bag designs were on their way, including one ohhh so simple bag. Yesterday I started work on them and the first one is complete and ready to go to its new home!

It is the InReverse bag! And since I'm a bit sleepy (lazy?) on this Sunday, I'll just copy and paste from the description I already wrote: It's a cute little bag with one outer pocket that features two different prints. Unlike most reversible bags, you're not turning the whole bag inside out, just the pocket. Turn the pocket to one side and you are showing off one print. Turn it in the other way and you're showing off the other print! Like I said - simple!

The idea actually came about when I was making the bags for the Rainbow Comfort Packs for the bushfire kids. You'll note that it's very similar to the car one that I made then. When I was making that bag, I turned it inside out (as you do a thousand times when making a bag) and the pocket was inside out, but the bag still looked and worked perfectly. That happens all the time, but on most of my bags it doesn't work well. But for that style of bag it is perfect and seemed so logical to make the pocket look good on both sides so you could choose what you wanted it to look like on any given day.

I've been saving the last little piece of the Echino Bird fabric for months and months to make my own bag. There was just enough of it to make two InReverse bags, so this one is for sale and one day soon, I'll make my own! And it will have the cars on the other side too cause that's my second favourite!

Oh and if you love it, you can buy it here.

Regarding the post I just deleted

2009-03-28T14:41:00.003+11:00

Thank you to the people who commented on the post I just deleted about the purse I made using fabric by a certain designer. I called the company who makes the fabric. They said it is ok to use for things I am selling, as long as I don't use the name of the company or the designer to market it. I hope that I understood correctly.

At this point I have taken the purse out of my store until I get further clarification as to whether I am allowed to sell it or not.

Shipshape!

2009-03-21T21:05:00.008+11:00

My plan to make one thing a week that is not an order is coming along well at the moment. I've just finished another new bag! And it is another zippered bag! I've been wanting to make one like this for soooo long, but was a bit stuck on the zipper vs lining issue. Everything I could find said that lining had to be hand stitched into this type of bag. My Adorn work may give the impression that I like hand sewing, but that is not strictly true! Slip stitching is NOT my forte! So I turned to Nikki again. I knew she'd have the answer, and she did - in the form of her City Bag pattern.

Now I know my bag looks an awful lot like Nikki's, but I didn't actually use her pattern. I just used the instructions that came with it! The main difference with mine is that it has a completely separate panel for the base because I didn't want the seam to run through the middle of it. So the pattern is mine, and the techniques are very gratefully borrowed.

All in all I'm pretty happy with The Shipshape Bag!

What's up with the name you ask? Well, I usually find that naming the bags is harder than making them... So as usual, I wrote a list of the words I associate with this one, then hit up the thesaurus. One of the words on my list was tidy, and when I looked that up, I got shipshape. It also works with trim, which was another word that should have been on my list.

Ship"shape`\, a. Arranged in a manner befitting a ship; hence, trim; tidy; orderly.

If you like it, it is available to purchase here.

And, thank you Nikki!

Zippedy...

2009-03-15T01:20:00.008+11:00

I'm too tired to write much about this, but wanted to post my latest bag on here tonight. It has been quite a challenge to get this one done, and as a result, I nearly named it Plan E! It's the first I've made with a top zipper set in like this and I'm really happy with the outcome. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the vintage fabric and will be just a little bit sad when it goes off to its new home.

Anyway, enough of my rambling - here is the Spring Zip Bag!

SOLD!

Why is it?

2009-03-05T21:52:00.003+11:00

... That the best ideas come when I have a splitting headache and already too much work to do?

Most bags I make (with the major exception of the nappy bag which took months to perfect) work the first time. I've been really lucky like that. The one I just thought of will take some experimenting I believe. We're talking loops, circles (ie curves galore), pleats. But if it works, it will be very cool and I don't think I've seen one like it ever before. Except in a dress!

More will be revealed as soon as I get a chance. There are others too. One which is so ridiculously simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it before, or haven't seen it everywhere. It will probably come first.

But for now, my eyes are blurry and my head is throbbing, so I best stop looking at this screen cause as much as I like to deny it, it doesn't help!

Another something new

2009-03-01T22:43:00.008+11:00

I've decided to make a concerted effort to make more new things for my shops. I think it is the best way to beat the monotony of custom orders which sees me making the same bag (or two bags) over and over. So below is a new one. As often happens, it is not exactly what it was going to be when I started, but it turned out pretty cool!

The print is Joel Dewberry - Orchid in Raspberry and it is teamed with a purple boucle for something a little different.

SOLD!

Something old, something new

2009-02-26T20:22:00.007+11:00

I made this bag for a lovely lady who saw a similar one on my website. The one she saw was one of the very first bags I ever made and seems like forever ago (really only about 3 years).

When she first asked, I was sure there was none of the fabric left. But double checking is always a good idea and I found some scraps. Not enough to replicate the bag exactly, but enough to make a newer and better version.

I'm really happy with how it turned out and it goes off to its new home tomorrow!

Bags for the rainbow comfort packs

2009-02-18T17:57:00.008+11:00

I spent all of my working day yesterday (and some of today) making some bags for the Rainbow Comfort Packs for the bushfire kidlets. Unfortunately, I'm the worlds slowest sewer, so I have only gotten 4 of them done so far. If I get any more time over the next few days I hope to whip up more, but duty calls on the work front as well and there are only so many hours in the day.

So here are the bags so far:

First a backpack for a little guy. The pocket is made from one of my favourite vintage fabrics. I am not good at backpacks, despite Nikki's fabulous instructions, so I have left it at one of those!

Second is a cute girly bag with yo-yo and felt flowers.

Third is another boy bag and my favourite so far. I am seriously considering making one for myself. I LOVE the echino car fabric so much! Hopefully a car mad boy out there will love it too! This one has an adjustable strap with metal slider and d-rings. Just a little fancy...

And last is another girly bag - pretty funky too! You can't go wrong with matryoshkas! This one is hand appliqued on.

I went a little nuts with the rows of stitching on the handles! I decided some extra red was a good idea and it turned out looking really great. Am considering adding a couple of buttons somewhere on this one too.

The good thing about all the bags is that I didn't have to buy anything to make them. Everything I used is stuff I already had here. There's plenty more fabric, so I really hope I can find some time to make a few more.

More pressing issues

2009-02-17T00:33:00.005+11:00

This is a little bit exciting! One of my handbags (just sold) is in this month's Virgin Blue Voyeur magazine! They did an article on handmade stuff and I was lucky enough to be featured. Nice huh?

And while we're talking about the 'news', I'm sure everyone heard about the horrific bushfires in Victoria... It is hard to comprehend what has happened there, but amazing to see the generosity of people in such situations. A lot of money has been raised and a lot of fantastic initiatives are up and running to raise money, or give items to the affected people. I have been working on being involved in a few of those.

Firstly, donating a couple of items to the Ozbushfireappeal store on Etsy. The store has raised a tonne of money already and it is amazing to see people from Australia AND abroad, donating items (and postage) to this cause.

Secondly, I've just finished making some woollen pouches and liners for them for WIRES. They are basically sleeping bags for the animals. I can't even guess how many little critters have been killed and injured in the fires, so I hope that this at least helps a few of them to get well again.

And thirdly, I am working on some bags to go in the fabulous Rainbow comfort packs for kids who have lost everything. I have started one, and have a huge pile of fabric ready for more. Just got to find some more hours in the day to get them done, but should have a good crack at it tomorrow. Will post pictures when they're ready!

Third time is the charm?

2009-02-08T21:04:00.004+11:00

No, you're not imagining things, this post is almost exactly the same as a previous one which was almost exactly the same as a previous one. ONE OF MY PURSES WAS JUST ON THE FRONT PAGE OF ETSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo cool!

Ohhhh I just caught it! I refreshed and it's gone again. Phew! So glad to have seen it!

Thank you to Spazzy for choosing my purse for your treasury.

A neat trick for transfering images to fabric!

2009-01-31T02:22:00.009+11:00

I've been trying all sorts of ways to get images onto fabric so I can embroider them for the Adorn purses. The images start as a sketch on the computer and are printed out to be transferred to the fabric. It shouldn't be too difficult a process you'd think...

I did some searching around on the internet and it seemed like the way to go was a transfer pencil. Draw your image with it on paper, then put the paper on the fabric and iron it and the pencil marks will transfer to the fabric. Great!

Except the olive coloured fabric I've been using DID NOT like the transfer pencil I bought, so I was at a bit of a loss as to how to do it and tried lots of different things. The first few ended up being done by piercing holes with a pin around the outline of the image on paper, then rubbing over these with a marker until a tiny dot went through onto the paper. It was effective, but time consuming. Unfortunately on the linen I just started using, the marker bled waaaay too much, so that option didn't work. The transfer pencil worked ok on that though. The problem with that was my ability to trace the image accurately on the back of the paper.

So I decided to just draw over the print and go from there. And when I put the paper on the fabric and ironed it, something I didn't quite expect happened. The transfer pencil transfered and so did the black toner from the (LASER! don't think inkjet will work)printer!

A few more printouts and ironings later and it works a treat!

The process goes like this:

Draw the image on the computer.

Flip it since I want a mirror image of the print out.

Print the image with as much toner as possible.

Place it face down on the fabric and put a hot iron on it for around 30 seconds all up. I lift a corner of the paper to check its progress after about 15 seconds and keep doing that til I'm happy. Any spots that get missed are easily filled in with a fabric marker.

I should have known this may happen since toner binds to things when heated, but it didn't occur to me so I'm glad I made this accidental discovery!

Here's one I prepared earlier!

A bit of a belated thank you!

2009-01-28T20:06:00.003+11:00

I meant to post this a few days ago. The Adorn purses are popping up in all sorts of places at the moment! I just wanted to say a big, big thank you to Dikla from Israel for featuring my Etsy store on her fantastic blog for the past few days. There's a tonne of really cool stuff on there, so go check it out!

In other news, I just found out that an adorn purse made it to the front page of etsy for the THIRD time in about the last week! YIKES! What's that saying about 'it never rains'?? They have been viewed and favourited a lot of times - just got to wait for the right person to come along and buy them I guess.

And in terms of work, yesterday I made a light box for photographing the small stuff. First test photos came out great and looked like they'd save me a tonne of time with lightening up shadows/backgrounds in photoshop. So today, I finished off 8 Travelites, put them in the light box and took 36 photos in the heat under the lamp... And all the photos are terrible!!!! I really like the colour orange, but not when it's where a white background should be! So I then spent the next several hours playing with 3 different lamps in various configuations and nothing came out right.

So tomorrow, I'll take it outside and see if that helps. It will be great if it does, though I'll have to get used to photographing in daylight hours instead of the middle of the night. I love just getting something finished, photographed and listed straight away, hence the midnight photoshoots, but lately I've been spending more time touching up photos than actually making the item, so I'm really hoping the lightbox will cut that time right down.

And speaking of work and purses, I've got one to finish off, so I should get back to it!

Again!!!?!!!

2009-01-25T01:58:00.005+11:00

No, you're not imagining things, this post is almost exactly the same as the last one. ONE OF MY PURSES IS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF ETSY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo cool!

Ohhhh I just caught it! I refreshed and it's gone again. Phew! So glad to have seen it!

I'd call it famous!!!!!!!

2009-01-20T23:23:00.006+11:00

Ok, so I've been talking about Etsy treasuries just a little bit lately... And here I go again.

ONE OF MY PURSES IS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF ETSY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo cool!

Would it be wrong to sit and stare at it for the next few hours (I think they stay up that long) while it's up??

Oh wow again!

2009-01-19T02:31:00.005+11:00

I just found another one of my purses in another Etsy treasury!. Etsy people, you rock my world! Thank you Walrustusk!

As always it won't be up for long, but the link at the moment is:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=39838

Ohhhhh wow!!

2009-01-19T00:41:00.007+11:00

I'm so excited right now! The lovely Simone from Huismus picked one of my adorn purses for her treasury on Etsy! It's one of the prettiest treasuries I've seen so I'm incredibly flattered.

It won't be up for long, but the link at the moment is: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=40003

Hey Nikki, I had another idea!

2009-01-11T22:13:00.005+11:00

Hey Nikki, I thought this may interest you, with your abundance of seam rippers and all!

I find it a bit annoying that my industrial sewing machine doesn't have a thread cutter of ANY kind. Despite the fact that I own too many pairs of scissors, there are never any right there when I need them. So for the past few days I've been dreaming of how I could add a thread cutter to my machine. And tonight, the idea struck!

So far it works a treat! It may get in the way when sewing around the top of a nappy bag or something, but hey, sticky tape is easily replaced.

And more good news - one of the customs that has been weighing me down is finally finished. Seems like it took forever, but gee I feel better now it's done! Can't remember how many to go since every time I cross one off the list, I seem to add another one.

Also itching now to make a new wallet with some adorn action. And a tote. Must do customs first. Must do customs first. Must do customs first...

PS. Yes, the sewing machine is threaded kinda weird. But that's what you've got to do when half the tension assembly is missing!

Two in a row!

2009-01-02T23:22:00.006+11:00

I got a second treasury! As per last time, since it expires after a couple of days, I thought a screenshot was in order:

I really hope this one makes the front page!

Funnily enough, I was looking for things along the same lines as my adorn work, but it is hard to find. Either I'm not good at searching, or it's not being done much which is really good news for me.

For the moment, you can go view it on etsy if you click here.

Pretty!

2008-12-31T16:33:00.009+11:00

Ohhhh I scored my first Etsy treasury (as a curator, not something of mine in one) today!

Since it expires after a couple of days, I thought a screenshot was in order:

I wonder if it's good enough to get on the front page? That would be very cool!

And someone just asked me about a wholesale order for my Travelites. They want to sell them in Singapore. It will be interesting to see what comes of it!

I am sooooo supposed to be working at the moment, but seem to be having another one of those horrible need to sleep phases. One good thing - I took the sheets off my bed to wash this morning and so I can't have a nap until I put more on!

Oh and Happy New Year everyone!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2008-12-17T21:58:00.004+11:00

I. AM. SO. TIRED...

I can't wait for Christmas to be over! I'm sorry to all those who enjoy it cause I sound like a big fat meanie, but seriously it just means crazy times regarding work and then a few days visiting my family which involves a lot of driving and quite a lot of stress. This year though, instead of having a few days after that to myself, when I get back I'll have 3 nappy bags, a wallet and a tote bag to get made, and a visit from my little brother so I'm going to be busy for about the next month.

There is some good news though - I was starting to panic because I couldn't find any showerproof nylon for the nappy bag lining and I ran out a few days ago. I got some samples sent from a company in Melbourne which helped me work out exactly what I needed. The problem with them was they have a 50m minimum and it would end up costing me nearly $500 which is a huge outlay, so I kept looking and around 3 o'clock this morning I found a website for a relatively local company who had what I wanted. 5 hours later I called to ask what their minimum was and OH MY GOD they don't have one and OH MY GOD yes I can pick up 5m this afternoon. They were so incredibly helpful and it's just what I was after. I am very very relieved!

And now I need to go make a nappy bag ish version of The Adorn Handbag which needs to be posted to its new owner tomorrow. The embroidery is done (except the handle), but that's all so far. YIKES!

Ohhh coffee first. Which will hopefully help my headache.

More Adorn(ed)

2008-12-13T01:44:00.006+11:00

I'm really supposed to be working on other things, but I was very patient and had the purse kit for a whole week before making a purse! I've had the embroidery done for days too.

What am I talking about? The cousin of The Adorn Bag is here - The Adorn Purse! The basic purse is made using the brilliant purse kit from Nicole Mallalieu Design. It is such a great kit! I tried making little purses a few months ago and it was one of the most frustrating and infuriating things I've ever done. It was impossible to make it all work properly and look good. But the kit is perfect - simple instructions, great shaped pattern and it was EASY! No mistakes, no fiddling, it just all went together exactly as it should. I'm definitely going to make more of these!

And now I've ALMOST run out of distractions and can get back to the work I'm meant to be doing!

Adorn

2008-12-06T20:21:00.007+11:00

I've been wanting to design a new bag for awhile now. I've also been asked to make some kids hats. So yesterday I bought some red embroidery floss which I thought I'd use to embellish the hats. Then I stopped at the curtain shop and found a remnant of the PERFECT fabric for the new bags. It all kind of came together, and the new bag is finished and I love it! Hopefully someone else will too and it will go to a new home soon.

There's been lots of different talk of patterns lately and I thought while I was making the pattern for the new bag that I'd talk about the process a little and include a few pictures.

I don't know how other people work, but I start with a very rough sketch of what I want to make.

Then I use whatever paper I have that's big enough to start cutting out the pattern pieces. Most often I end up using greaseproof paper stolen from the kitchen because it's easier to manipulate than thicker paper and the see-thoughness is handy. The new bag has pleats, so it took a few goes to get the pattern for the bottom piece right.

But in the end it looked like this:

<

Then I got kind of carried away and forgot to take more pictures of the pattern making/cutting process. What distracted me, was the red embroidery floss that I'd bought for the hats. It seemed like a perfect match for the fabric, so the next few hours were spent embroidering.

The rest of the bag went together very smoothly and the end result is The Adorn Bag!

If you love it, it can be purchased here.

New work

2008-12-06T20:14:00.005+11:00

A few months ago a new friend asked me to make her a wallet but she couldn't decide which fabric she wanted so she left it to me. I couldn't decide either, so I thought that the best thing to do would be take some of the emphasis away from the fabric. My wallets are normally one fancy print on the outside, so they're kinda hard to miss. I thought something a little more subtle might work. It really did and I nearly kept the wallet that I made her. Since then I've meant to make more and introduce them into my shops, but haven't had a chance.

Then last week another friend who is art director at a magazine said they were doing an article on handmade gifts and that he would try to include some of my things in it! Very exciting! So he chose a handbag and asked for a wallet to go in as well. I thought this was a good opportunity to make another of the more subtle wallets. So this is it:

In the works

2008-11-24T20:24:00.005+11:00

I'm a little busy at the moment on customs, so not a lot of new stuff is showing up in my shops, especially in the way of bags and wallets.

I do however have some amazing fabrics here or on their way and they are destined for those things, so I thought I'd post them here so my loyal followers (!) can see what's coming as soon as I get a chance.

So, for totel bags, a couple of the new fabrics are:

And

And for a wallet there is this Amy Butler fabric:

There are some others, but I don't want you to get over excited, so I'll save them for later.

A blast from the past

2008-11-11T22:34:00.005+11:00

My mum suggested a few weeks ago that I make mushroom bags. At first I didn't know what she was talking about. Then she explained and I knew exactly - we had them when I was a kid, but I've never seen one since!

So what are they? Simple - a drawstring bag made from calico and used to store mushrooms. It's a great idea - they keep the mushrooms fresh, and they can be reused, so they save paper/plastic.

And they're easy to make! And quick to screen print! So now, there are some in my Ozebaby store.

PS: I'm hoping to thank the money gods on Friday - at last!

Something new!

2008-11-02T23:24:00.008+11:00

I've been struggling with the construction for a new bag. I know what I want, but I'm just not sure how to achieve it and it's hard when the supplies aren't nearby to go and look and try things out.

I've also been trying to come up with something smaller and cheaper than normal to put in my stores. Something that can be posted overseas cheaply and something that would make a good, inexpensive gift (especially important with christmas coming up). I wanted to make some of those cute little key fobs I've seen around, but couldn't get the metal parts locally.

Then yesterday the idea hit for a tiny little purse/key fob combo, and The Travelite Key Fob was born! They're small, easy/cheap to post, inexpensive, not time consuming to make AND a great way to use up fabric scraps. They hold a few cards, or a little cash, or a small tube of lip gloss, as well as your keys (obviously!). And they're small enough to fit in your pocket. Sweet!

Up and down

2008-10-30T19:22:00.002+11:00

This morning I got woken by a phone call to say that my orthodontist appointment for Monday has to be cancelled and the next available one is in a month... I argued that a month is a long time away, but booked it and asked her to get the ortho to call me. So far no call, but we'll see what happens. It's been six weeks since my last appointment, so waiting another month pisses me off. It's nearly three years that I've had the braces on my teeth and it feels like this will just be a waste of a month. So I'm hoping that he calls and I can get him to squeeze me in to do a quick power chain change to get me through the month. Also annoyed because I was looking forward to a quick Sydney trip to see my friends etc and am supposed to be getting cat food and now my main reason for going doesn't exist anymore.

Also just felt wrong today. Basically having a panic attack and feeling teary all day for absolutely no reason. Short tempered as well.

It's weird though cause otherwise I have had a good day. I know what I'm making Dad/Clint/Greg for Christmas and while I was looking online for supplies for that, I stumbled across a supplier for some shiny metal things I need. The prices are really fantastic, so as soon as some money lands in my bank account, I'll be making a big purchase that should see me through Christmas and beyond and save me some much needed money. It also means I shouldn't need to increase my prices which is something I'd been seriously considering doing.

Anyway, this is all pretty boring and I really should be working. A half finished nappy bag calls my name.

Oh and there's a new bag design in the works! Just got to find the time to do the prototype, and get my hands on some leather!

That explains that!

2008-10-27T14:13:00.004+11:00

I have been waiting weeks for a parcel (containing fabric of course!) to arrive from the states. I really expected it to be here a fortnight ago and had just about given it up for dead. It arrived today and the stamp on the front of the envelope explains the delay pretty well:

Not sure why I find it so amusing, but I do.

And now that it's here, I'd better get to work...

That's better!

2008-10-25T14:25:00.002+11:00

I woke up this morning and for the first time in 6 or so weeks, I felt like me! I had a good sleep, woke up at my usual time and just felt normal. Miaowy didn't keep me up half the night and actually I only remember waking up once, just for a second.

So today, I played with Mr Z, hung out some washing and now I'm cooking some lemony rice lentil thing. Had to go to the fruit shop (the closest shop) and buy new lentils since the ones I bought yesterday had bits of wheat in them. So not impressed about that, but lesson learnt.

Now I'm doing a little work while I wait for the food to cook, and watching car racing. Will finish off the nappy bag I'm making today and then have to start a pad order. Then got a couple more nappy bags to make as well. Am starting to get the urge to work back as well which is good. I realised this morning that I really need to get geared up for Christmas and have lots in my shops for people to buy, so I'm looking forward to getting all my outstanding orders done so I can make some new stuff.

Now, I've got to go stir the food.

Watching paint dry

2008-10-19T14:52:00.002+11:00

Well I was. Then I thought that was a rather large waste of time so I am here instead, telling you about it. If you're interested, I was painting my bedside cupboard to match my new room. The colour of the paint isn't quite as it appeared in the sample pot, but I think actually it's better. It's called Black tea and it's a really dark olive green colour which will match perfectly. I'd show you photos but the camera is in the car, and I don't feel like going outside to get it.

It's been about a month now since I moved into my house. Unpacking is ALMOST done and setting up is also almost done. I am ignoring the rest (once the cupboard is painted) for a few weeks because I desperately need to catch up on some work. My mum spent a week here (she left yesterday) helping me set everything up so it's all looking good, except for the disasterous curtains that I made for the loungeroom. I'm really mad about those. I wasted a lot of expensive fabric and they don't fit and they are crooked and I still don't know why they don't fit since I measured, calculated, measured, calculated over and over. Mum is going to re-buy the fabric and make the curtains herself and send them to me which will be great because my mess can't stay up there - it's downright embarrassing. Who would have thought that curtains could be so hard to make? They're rectangles... I can make wallets and fairly complicated bags, yet I can't make a curtain to save my life. Oh well, at least I know now and I'm oh so glad we bought ready made curtains for my bedroom cause otherwise I would have ruined two sets.

I realised a few days ago that I have been moving now for about 5 weeks and I was so exhausted and everything mum and I were doing was going wrong so I was pretty awful while she was here. After she left yesterday I took the rest of the day off and cut my hair, watched a movie, took a nap, watched the rest of the movie etc. Today I woke up at 9ish and let the furry kids out and went back to bed until after midday. Then I got up, took washing off the line, made coffee and started the paint job. Soon I will tidy up the sewing room and get to work. I'm feeling as refreshed as I'll get and running so short on time. Yesterday I was feeling awfully unsettled and lost. Today is not so bad, but I'm also ignoring it. Still not sure I like my new life and already missing being able to go down the street to have coffee with my friends. I'm sure this will all pass once I'm properly settled and have a few days back in my normal routine.

Anyway, I need food and to get that tidying up done. Hopefully I'll have more interesting news soon and perhaps some photos of my new house (after the new curtains arrive cause I'm not showing anyone the ones I made!)

Long time no post...

2008-10-05T21:48:00.002+11:00

Firstly I must apologise for the lack of updates of late. But I'm almost back! Almost finished moving (still a bit to unpack and one last bit of cleaning at my old place). Almost got broadband (and this is my excuse for not posting sooner - blogger and dialup don't play nice). And almost got something to say...

It's been a really busy couple of weeks. Today was a quiet day - slept in, made banana bread, watched football and did some unpacking. I really needed the rest today. Hoping to get some work done tomorrow which will be nice (yep, I'm looking forward to working!). Then I think on Tuesday I'm off for my last trip to my old house. Wednesday, not sure what I'm doing. Then Thursday I think my parents will be here. Dad is going to build me a ramp so it is easier to get in and out and mum is coming to do mum things - decorate, shop etc etc. It will be the first time mum and dad will have stayed at my house in a very long time and the first since I got dog and cats, so it will be interesting given that they don't like them inside. Oh well, it's my house!

So anyway, it looks like another busy week coming up. I have so much work to do but can't imagine getting much done. I've also got to make the heater cover and some curtains and possibly some lounge covers as well to finish off this place. Still got some unpacking/sorting to do as well.

Probably should get off here and do something else on my list...

Almost famous

2008-09-21T10:23:00.004+10:00

Ohhhhh I just woke up to find a message to say that one of my little pocket pouches has been featured on a blog! Very exciting! It might not be there later as they rotate, so here's a screen shot (mine is the first one!):

So a huge thank you to Sharon of Redlady Art! You just made my day!

Admitting defeat

2008-09-21T02:48:00.002+10:00

It's almost 3 in the morning. My back is killing. And I just broke a needle and threads and stuffed up the timing of my machine again. I fixed it and finished what I was sewing, but then decided it's probably time to stop for today.

The unexpected wholesale order is proving to be a major pain. I'm hoping to get the hemp component of it done and delivered on Tuesday. I've done just over half of it, but first I didn't have enough hemp washed, so it's out to the washing machine at midnight and I hope it dries quickly tomorrow (if tomorrow is like today it will - hot and windy yay!). And second, I've run out of organic cotton thread and of course it is not sold in Australia. So I'm seriously contemplating ditching that thread. It kinda sucks to sew with and keeps breaking and I'm not convinced it's very durable. I don't want to upset the folks who want organic stuff, but if the snaps are plastic, does it matter if the thread is polyester?

On that note, I probably should go to bed, or pack some stuff in a box or something...

Just quickly

2008-09-19T19:14:00.005+10:00

Time is really getting away from me at the moment. This moving on short notice thing is tough! Actually it's not even the moving that's the problem, it's the work that needs to be done first. But I'm slowly getting through it and taking advantage of the lovely customers who told me they can wait a few weeks for their stuff. I'd be on track if a certain wholesale customer hadn't sent an unexpected urgent order through. Not sure I'll get to it, but doing my best.

Anyway, that's all very boring so I'll leave it at that and instead show you a picture of my backyard-to-be.

From little things...

2008-09-14T22:47:00.002+10:00

Big things grow... (that's a song by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody by the way)

I was talking to my mum today and she thinks that I should turn the studio at my new house into a shop. It's a very interesting idea and I'm very seriously considering it. I'm thinking just a couple of opening times a week, or by appointment kind of thing. Obviously I wouldn't expect many customers, but who knows?!

I'm also thinking the studio or workshop (or garage) would be PERFECT for screen printing and printing in general, so that's another thing on my to-do list - work on some printing ideas.

Of course I have to sign the lease and move into the house first!

Oh and I looked at my new house on google earth and discovered much more backyard than I realised was there (because I didn't actually go look properly on Friday). Am going to check it out on Tuesday and am really looking forward to it. Thinking I can try my hand at a vegetable garden...

PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-12T22:08:00.002+10:00

So I got up early today and started my drive up to the mountains to check out the house I mentioned yesterday. Halfway there the agent called and said that if I had time, she had another place to show me as well. It sounded promising so I said that would be great.

The first place I looked at was so so so small. Basically a tiny loungeroom, a kitchen/hallway, a tiny bathroom and a tiny bedroom. Infact, I think the backyard was bigger than the 'house'. There was a gorgeous dog next door who I made friends with while I was waiting and also a lovely little ginger kitty, but the place was so small that there was literally nowhere I could put my sewing machine.

So, off we went to the second one. I'd seen it on the website but it said no dogs, so it was not on my list but the agent said she was pretty sure the owner could be convinced since they were having a hard time getting someone in. So I look and I like and I apply and an hour later it is mine!!!

3 bedrooms (2 with built in wardrobes!); a studio, workshop and lock up garage outside; a cubby house(!); a big front yard; a crazy winding up the garden path kind of backyard; a blue bathtub; the UGLIEST poo green shagpile carpet; wood paneling on one wall in the lounge room and a big old heat bank/radiator thingy sets the lounge room off beautifully.

So it's not so pretty inside, but I really like it for some reason and anyway, old ugly carpet is good - I don't have to worry about the kitties wrecking it! It's all nice and private and sunny and not too far away from the city so I'm happy.

I still have mixed feelings about the move and I just had a sad 'I'm not going to be a city girl anymore' moment, but I'm also incredibly relieved! I sign the lease next week and can pick up the keys next weekend. So I probably should stop blogging and get some work and packing done!!

Is it possible?

2008-09-11T16:46:00.003+10:00

I wonder if it's possible for a persons brain to spontaneously explode? Cause I must be nearly at that point. I have soooooooooooo much work to do and this house hunting thing is driving me nuts. I don't do well with things being up in the air. So I'm moving at some point, mum is coming to visit at some point and in between I have to get an absolute tonne of work to do. Oh and it's my birthday on Sunday, so that's most of a day off work too...

I'm off to look at another house tomorrow. The price is good, from what I can see it looks fairly flat. We'll see what it's like inside when I get there.

Now, got to run, work calls....

It wasn't me!

2008-09-09T18:20:00.003+10:00

Dear nappycino people, if you're looking for your swapper, it wasn't me! I'm not in the swap. I can only guess that all the hits from the NC blog ring are people searching for their swapper! I wish I was in the swap, but am just too short on time... Probably because I spend most of it on the computer instead of at the sewing machine...

Industrial sewing machine repair: Lesson #37

2008-09-09T13:05:00.003+10:00

When you undo a screw to adjust something, be sure to do it up TIGHTLY!! Failure to do so will result in the timing you set so well being totally ruined and two hours of time wasted figuring out what is wrong and then fixing it.

I did fix it and I did finish the bag I was making at the time. And now I've got 3.5 bags still to make. Better get back to it!

Something new

2008-09-06T16:36:00.005+10:00

It's raining and freezing and I've got at least 5 bags to make in the next week or so, and what am I doing? Well first I slept in. Then I washed the dishes and stared at the kitchen ceiling for ages to see if it was indeed leaking since I found a suspicious looking puddle on the floor. Then, I finished a new little product that I started last night.

You can't see it in the photos of the sewing room, but for months, I've had this little piece of paper stuck on the side of the cupboard... On it is sketches for bags that I want to design. So the new little product is one of those, finally being made. Very happy with it and hopefully they'll go well. I really needed to make something smaller and cheaper than my other bags and something that I can post overseas cheaply so I can get some sales happening on etsy.

So here is the new Pocket Pouch

If you'd like to buy it, go here.

As promised...

2008-09-01T16:43:00.004+10:00

I said I'd be back with photos so here they are. Please excuse the crappy quality. But looky at the new fabric storage system (its the slat base thingy from a bed)!

Moving

2008-09-01T00:53:00.004+10:00

Just the furniture at this stage. The rest is another story (in short, they're putting my rent up by $100/week so I'm outta here - when I find a new home).

Yesterday I did some serious rearranging of the sewing room. My desk is no longer a bed, but an actual desk/table. The industrial machine is in there next to it. There's a new storage system for fabric. It's tidy and rather spacious and makes me happy. I seem to still be recovering from the effort it took to move a double bed, single bed mattress, desk, cupboard and 400000kg sewing machine though.

I will be back sometime tomorrow with photos.

Oh and the beast is going well and I sewed 14 pads on it today with no dramas. Wasn't brave enough to top-stitch them though. I really need more bobbins before I do stuff like that as it involves many different thread colours. No rush to use it more and I don't want my other machine to feel too neglected! I also sewed a bag on it since my last post too.

And lastly before sleep, I don't know if I dreamed this or not, but I think I know why mousey (naughty kitten) has been waking up so early and whinging every morning. I'm sure this morning I woke up to find him shivering. I'm sure I then put him under the doona and we all went back to sleep. I hope I didn't dream it and the solution to combat the pre-7am starts is to keep the little guy warm.

Right, now, sleep.

Woohoo!

2008-08-28T16:45:00.009+10:00

I seem to have got the industrial machine working!! I found a service manual for it online and after a few hours of cursing and breathing in the awful fumes from the oil that sits in the reservoir underneath, it seems to sew. The timing was all out of whack but after reading the instructions for fixing it about a thousand times, I finally worked out where the timing marks on the needle bar was, and then what the sewing hook was and the problem was a little arm that's meant to hold the bobbin in place. I couldn't unscrew it to move it, but after hours of trying, I got the chisel out and bent it a little today and the bobbin seems to be staying and I just sewed a piece of fabric and the stitches look good. Hopefully it stays like that. Man it's scary fast when it goes!!

Actually just went back and tried again. It sews 16 layers of calico without blinking!

Got a few little things to adjust. Looks like I may be able to slow it down a little by adjusting the foot pedal which would be nice. The upper tension is a bit loose and the tension dial is broken, but I'm hoping I can steal the one that's on the other Singer I have which doesn't like me.

Here's what she looks like... (complete with most of the tools I own)

And what she does...

Am back an hour or so later to offer a word of advice to fellow wanna-be sewing machine mechanics. Fixing the tension dial is not something to be undertaken unless absolutely necessary. It's easy to break. I think though that with some tricky threading* I've got it working. It doesn't help that it's missing a bit, or two. Oh and the foot pedal adjustment idea worked. I can get it to just sew a stitch or two at a time now instead of about 5cm of stitching before I've even started!

*Now, I don't actually know how to thread the machine (just taking a guess), so what appears to be tricky threading, may actually just be the correct way to thread it... Who knows?

Quite the day...

2008-08-25T17:05:00.002+10:00

So I've been to see the dept of housing. I think they can help. Still don't want to move, but it's not so traumatic if the money bit is mostly sorted.

Got some cat food that the devil seems to like - YAY! And the lovely Ali didn't charge me for it since I got ripped off at the other store last week.

Posted my order that was due today. The fabric for the next order still isn't here, so I still have an excuse to have not started that, though I could cut the rest out.

Then after a long day running around to dept housing etc, I find half the suburb is closed for some reason and there are police. So it takes an extra 10 minutes to get home. But I drive in the driveway and see my neighbours have just put an INDUSTRIAL SEWING MACHINE out on the footpath to be collected by the council. They tell me it doesn't work properly but I take it anyway. A random guy walking past helped bring it inside cause man it's heavy. So in a minute after I've had lunch etc, I'll go look at it. I already found a manual for it, so maybe it's easily fixed and will be a gem.

Oh and I have to look this up but the awful back/hip pain I've had for months might have a name - bursitis.

Lunch. Now. 5.07pm

Argghhhh I may be pushed

2008-08-25T10:35:00.002+10:00

I've been toying with the idea of moving for months. The main reason is the rent here is so expensive. I need to share to afford it and I hate sharing. The options for moving aren't a lot and I figure the best place would be the blue mountains. It's vaguely affordable, nice enough and not TOO far from my current life.

I've kept putting it off though because I like it here. I really like it here, despite the rent.

This morning didn't start well. The kitten was up before 7 and refused to go back to sleep so every 5 minutes I got woken up. That wouldn't sound so bad to some people, but I didn't go to bed til around 2, or after. Then I'd been up for 10 minutes and I hear a loud voice at the door. There's a strange man and a woman. Turns out the woman is the owner of this house and the man is extra loud, but I think he was here because his english is better than hers. They want to inspect the house. I tell them they can't right now, but tomorrow will be ok. Maybe this way something will get done about the leaky roof. Anyway, then they tell me that the owners family are thinking of moving up from Melbourne, so they might need me to leave.

SHIT!

The hardest part is actually coming up with the money to move. I have to pay the bond at the next place before I'd get the bond back here. Then there's a few other expenses and the actual moving part, but the big one is the bond. Better talk to the dept of housing...

Argghhh better think about it all tomorrow - supposed to be finishing a job and sending it today.

That was fun!

2008-08-23T17:10:00.006+10:00

Yesterday I went to the Stitches and Craft show and met the lovely Nikki of Nicole Mallalieu Design fame! I had a great time and it was great to see all of Nikki's stuff up close. As soon as I have some spare $$ to my name I think I'll get me one of her purse frame kits. Not sure which one though cause they all look great!

I didn't look at too much else at the show cause a. it was a long day and b. I have no money so looking at pretty things makes me sad cause I can't have them. But it was great to go to the show and nice that it wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it might be. I think we can thank the rain for that. But I'm not so thankful to the rain for the mud we had to traipse through. But we survived.

I also survived a little 'incident' in the carpark at the supermarket. Basically I had a little stack (yes, next time I will pay attention to the drain on the road) and landed on my groceries and then my ass on the bitumen. But the good news is that not only did I not break any bones, but I also didn't break any of the eggs that were in my groceries! Had I not landed on the milk and the bag of kitty litter I think things may have been different. I have a rather large bruise and a slightly sore arm, but all is well!

It's my Mum's birthday today and she got her totel bag and reports are that she "loves her new favourite bag!". She also wants another one and gave me a good idea for a design variation. So I think that it was a good choice! The one I made her was very similar to this one, just different (not pink!) lining.

I'm almost through my orders - just two day trippers to go and I'm waiting on the fabric for one of them, so I DO have an excuse for not doing it right now. Instead I'm making a new totel bag. Something a little different colour-wise this time. Better get back to it - if it's not finished today I'm not allowed to touch it until at least one of the day trippers is done because I promised that that particular one would be sent on Monday, so I'd probably better make it tomorrow! Here's a little sneaky preview cause this blog doesn't have enough pictures:

Oh and I've set myself a small challenge - to not go to the fabric store unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary (eg I can't make an order without it). I stocked up recently on enough fabrics and zippers to make quite a lot of (totel) bags. I am also trying to use up fabrics that I already have. It's going well so far. The red striped upholstery fabric on the bag pictured above came from one of the piles on the bookshelf. It's been sitting there for a good year and today saved me from going to buy something new with money I didn't have. Looks good too!

Is it bedtime yet?

2008-08-20T22:39:00.002+10:00

Please someone tell me it's bedtime? I'm exhausted. And still have 3 bag orders to do before I can make anything new for the shop(s). I really want to put some new ones up, but got to finish these orders first. It's going to take a good few days. The good news is that I got mum's birthday present AND dad's fathers day present done and sent yesterday - early for a change!

Anyway, I'm going to bed. No point working when tired and sick. I already stuffed one thing up tonight. Luckily not too badly!

A dilemma...

2008-08-17T00:39:00.000+10:00

I just made a nappy bag using an amazing echino print. There's a teeny bit left and I've decided I need a new bag for myself. Afterall, I am a bag maker - I should have a good bag to show off. Now, what's the dilemma? The girl who makes bags doesn't know what kind of bag to make herself!! It must be practical but it must show off the most amazing of fabrics at the same time. I think it's best to make it the same as my others, but hmmm, maybe I should add a gusset so it's bigger? Ahhhh life is tough.

Oh and the nappy bag took about 4.5 hours less than last time I counted! It wasn't a particularly quick one to make either, on account of a few dumb mistakes and also a pattern that only has one way up.

Progress! And a new shop!

2008-08-16T01:22:00.002+10:00

It looks as though I've been neglecting this, but really I've just been very very busy! I have lots of bag orders to get through at the moment, as well as a totel bag to make for my mum's birthday next week, and a present for dad for fathers day which is very soon and I'm trying to get organised enough to send his present with the one for mum.

I've also been busy setting up my new shop! What? Where? This, here: www.plus1design.madeit.com.au. There's not a lot there at the moment, but as soon as I get through the current work, I'll add to it. Fingers crossed I get some sales!

A few other plans in the works as well and a few decisions made and a little maths still to do. Currently timing how long it takes to make a nappy bag. It's looking like quite a lot less than last time I counted which is good!

Now, it's time to try to get some sleep.

Right!

2008-07-27T21:34:00.006+10:00

I think I need to work harder at my job! Actually I probably need to just make it more like a job than like just doing stuff when I feel like it. I hope that doesn't take the joy out of it, but I think it's important.

So this week, I tried making more. It was late in the week when I decided to do this, so more was only two things. One thing was a birthday present, so that one is not sitting on the 'shelf' and the other thing went on the shelf and then sold within 12 hours - so the shelf is empty again!

And the totel bag was well received and sold quickly and I realised the problem with making such a great looking bag... The bar is set REALLY high now and I am a bit stuck as far as making an equally great fabric selection for the next one. I'm really nervous that a bag with a different fabric combination won't look nearly as good. Of course the only way to know is to make it. I just have to decide now between the frogs and the retro...

And back to making this a job. First, I need to make more stock. Wallets, handbags, tote bags mostly. Then I need to sell it on etsy, madeit and anywhere else I can find. I need to branch out from the current store. Then, I need to blog better/more and join in forums etc to promote my work.

I read something tonight that made a lot of sense. I have been worried about listing on places like etsy because the fees add up (even though etsy fees are such a bargain). But then I read this article and the idea of looking at each listing as an advertisement (which is really cheap at 20cents!) is a really good one.

I need to think more about pricing too. It's a tough one. The balance between paying myself decently, and the 'market price' for something is tough. I'd love to charge $200 for a handbag, but if it never sells then it defeats the purpose, right?

I SHOULD be able to make a good living from what I do. Just gotta work a bit harder at it!

Not enough hours

2008-07-23T22:13:00.003+10:00

Ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day? I sure do. What do I need more hours for? Well, firstly, making more things. And secondly, promoting what I make. I need to network and blog and advertise and sell at markets and chat on forums and I have no idea how to fit any of that in. Probably less time thinking about it and more time doing it!

Totely finished!

2008-07-22T22:26:00.007+10:00

The tote bag is finished and I'm very happy! I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

It's all in the details...

2008-07-21T18:54:00.003+10:00

Even though I own an amazing book which covers every sewing technique known to (wo)man, I've not thought a lot about extra detailing until now. Simple things, like top stitching the outer of seams. They make SUCH a difference!

I was going to write more than this but I'm too tired to think now. One of the neighbours kids came over for an hour tonight. I had no idea how tiring a 5 year old was! An hour and I'm exhausted!

Oh, there's a new tote bag on it's way. So far it's looking amazing! I made a huge mistake when I cut the first pieces of fabric, so it's nothing like it was going to be, but I love it when the bags just kind of make themselves. Pictures coming as soon as it's done. I'm just having an all day debate with myself about how to do the straps... I'll decide soon.

Happenings

2008-07-19T23:58:00.002+10:00

There are many.

The first one of note is that I got rid of my awful flatmates. It took a few days for me to unwind and now I realise how stifled and stressed I was with them here. Things are flowing much better now - life seems so much better and I'm about as close to happy as I get!

Then, I've had lots and lots of orders placed lately which always makes me happy! It's nice to need to work, so that there is stock in my shop.

And speaking of stock. There are whispers of a market stall! And a hint of terror, just thinking about how much I'd need to make for one and how long it would all take! Sometimes I wish I made tiny things that only take half an hour. I made a couple of handbags this week. They each took all day. Ahhh well, I love making them. Must make more.

Now it's just past midnight and time for sleep.

Neglected

2008-07-02T23:04:00.014+10:00

Ooops have been neglecting this! I've been busy actually. Nothing too exciting, just work stuff mostly.

I think I've worked out the worst part of my job. Too many ideas and not enough time to make everything I want!! I've got a whole bunch of new fabric and I'm all inspired to make stuff. The problem is that I'm supposed to be working on an order. And even when I finish the order (and looks like I've got a quiet week coming up), I won't have time to make EVERYTHING I'm thinking of.

What a terrible curse!

Oh speaking of the new fabric, I've made a very nice handbag with the very first piece which I scored last week.

Make-n-fabric

2008-05-25T14:23:00.008+10:00

I've been thinking about printing some of my own fabric for awhile. The only catch was the design. Then about 2 weeks ago, my flatmate put his bike in the outside bathroom, which means the door is open, which means I saw the tiles in there for the first time in awhile. They're very 70's and very cool. And, the design would make a fantastic fabric print. So, I took photos of it, and last night, drew it up in Illustrator. Then I printed it out, and stuck it on the wall and spent the next little while last night, and quite a bit of this morning looking at it. I've since added a little. There might be more. Or some different interpretations of it. And I need to work out colourways. And scale. Then I will print it. But here is the design so far:

Crochet

2008-05-25T11:00:00.002+10:00

This is the first thing that I have crocheted other than beanies and scarves! I'm pretty darn proud of it and it looks so cute on it's new owner!

Insomnia

2008-04-15T00:17:00.004+10:00

It's after midnight, and two hours after I took the phenergan that's supposed to help me sleep and I'm still wide awake, again. Normally this wouldn't really bother me, but I have to get up a bit earlier than usual tomorrow, so it's annoying. I probably should be in bed instead of complaining about it here, but I'll get there soon.

This is the least creative based post ever. Tomorrow, I hope that Vance's Darifree Original will arrive on my doorstep and that it will taste ok to me. What? Why? It's a potato based milk. I think I have some kind of intolerance to dairy (as well as wheat), so I need to try going off it for a few weeks to see what happens. The problem so far has been finding an alternative for milk. Rice milk and soy milk both taste gross to me - especially in coffee. The Darifree has been recommended to me, so I really, really hope that it's ok. I can live without cheese, and cream, and sour cream, and yoghurt, and milkshakes and all of that, but that one cup of coffee in the morning, with it's 3/4 cup of milk is just something I can't live without at this stage. And putting yucky milk into it isn't an option.

So, if the Darifree is good, then tomorrow (or the next day - whenever it arrives), I will start my dairy elimination. I hope that it will mean the end of the itches, the reflux, the allergy shiners, and the insomnia.

Oh and I got a new kitten a month ago and he's sooooo lovely! Sooooo different to devil cat and so snuggly. Yay for friendly kitties!

And I finally posted the PJs and they fit the boys and look awesome!

Hot off the press...

2008-04-06T20:17:00.004+10:00

Or something like that! Just finished this lush bag tonight. Very, very happy with it. My customers choose such great fabrics and the faux suede I found to go with the print is so nice! The bag looks extra expensive to me. I hope it's new owner will love it!

Mixing and matching...

2008-03-09T11:40:00.007+11:00

I needed a little change of scenery and have had some great fabric sitting here for weeks and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. A couple of nights ago, while half asleep, I decided to try my hand at a patchwork scarf. Of course I couldn't do it straight away as the fabric needed to be washed, but I'm sure it benefited from the delay, which meant I was actually awake when making it. Anyway, I'm really happy with the results of the first one! Oh and if anyone is interested, the fabric is Amy Butler 'Gothic Rose - Turquoise' from the Belle range, with a little 'Oxford Stripe - Lime' from the Lotus range, and a few other odds and ends. The back of the scarf is an acrylic boucle. And last but not least, there's a zippered pocket at one end... Good for keeping tissues etc in when the winter sniffles kick in.

There is another one on the way, as soon as the next lot of fabric dries...