Domestic duties

Got a request for an apron this week and here is the finished product:



Am very happy with it and must remember to make more when I have some time.

It's too hot to think of anything else to write. Oh other than that I bought some beautiful Japanese fabric from a couple of sellers on etsy last night. Can't wait for it to arrive.

Insights

A conversation with an intriguing new friend got me to thinking again about me and where I live and how I live. The basis was that Sydney can be unfriendly and fast and ugly, but you can find your little niche and live happily in it. I really have found that and I totally get what he meant.

I have realised recently that I need few friends. I need plenty of acquaintances but very few close friends. I am so used to not seeing friends often that I feel smothered quickly if I do. So I like it here. There are many familiar faces, but none on my doorstep unless I want them to be.

I also realised that I don't care much for curtains or blinds, or closing them so the neighbours can't see in. The neighbours are incredibly close - just a few metres away, yet I don't feel the need to close the blinds and windows so there is not even the tiniest gap. I don't think that anyone is looking in them and if they are, well that's bad luck for them if they see something they don't want to see. I like looking out. Even at night because it's never dark here and the clouds are often pink and pretty.

It's a long way from what I grew up with. I like that the neighbours are close and having the curtains open. I think it's hard to be lonely when it's like this.

Op shop finds

Last week I had some pretty good luck at the op shop!

Firstly, I got this mint condition vintage fabric. It was made into curtains, but I'm sure they have never been used as I have unpicked the panels and there is no fading whatsoever. I'm not quite sure what to do with it yet... A skirt, a little girls dress, or bags most likely.



Then, this old Mr Men doona cover. I'm thinking of making some pj's for Rol and Marshall, or Cal and Declan, or all of them. I have to inspect all the images first and see if any will work as appliques on tshirts for day-wear.


Then, I got some Baby Wool. I got 5 balls of it (plus some yucky nylon stuff) for $4 which seemed good. Then I dyed it with food colouring. Then I spent the following few hours untangling the messy but pretty skein and winding it into equally messy balls. Then I spent the next 3 days crocheting it into a scarf. I used the Solomon's knot stitch and it looks really great. It's got a lovely lacey effect and the thin 3 ply wool works really nicely. I had to touch up a few bits of colour once it was finished cause I wasn't quite happy with my dye job, but I love the outcome! I don't wear scarves often, so I will sell this one, or perhaps give it as a gift if I can think of the right recipient.

I really want to do more of this but it takes sooooo much time and I could never charge what it costs to make and it keeps me away from proper work. I will have to figure out a way to limit myself to a short amount of time each day for the next one.

I've been busy!

I've been really busy since before christmas, but have made some pretty neat things...

Including this handbag...



And this other handbag...



And this other handbag...

Turning Japanese

Been very busy... With work and mums visit... The visit was ok. I got some beautiful shoes.


I also got some pretty great Japanese fabrics, but they are frustrating at the moment since I don't have the brain power to think of what to do with them. Too lazy to take pictures of them.

Oh and I made some soap, but it didn't turn out well... Might forget about that til the new year...

Sock monkeys

Here's the present for Cam and Annette's bubba... I modified a pattern that I found and basically it took longer to make up my pattern than to make the dress. It's super cute and hopefully they will love it. I wish I had a bubba to make cute clothes for!

Hmmmm another update

So, I seem to be about to have a day off whether I like it or not, cause I'm getting sick... I have RSI amongst other things which I won't mention here cause they involve far too much information! The problem with having a day off is that I don't know what to do on a day off. I have some things I want to do, but they're so similar to work that it kind of defeats the purpose!

One of the things I want to do on my day off is one of those smock dresses for Cam and Annette's baby. Yep, I've changed my mind about that. Got to find some fabric to suit a baby girl. I doubt that will be too difficult.

The singer machine and I aren't getting along so well which is a bit of a shame. It was going fine and then it decided to start skipping stitches and is very fussy about what bobbins it uses. Apparently the ones I got which look just like the existing ones, aren't the same... It kind of sucks cause it's really nice to sew on.

In other news, I'm kind of missing my rock'n'roll friends. Must catch up with more of them... Ohhh that is something I could do on a day off! Must call Millie and McBurnie.