息を弾ませる

I received these in the mail this week!
Here is what I plan on making (first) from each.

• Girly Style Wardrobe: every item. Starting with this "Milly Molly Mandy" blouse. Named thus because it reminds me of Milly Molly Mandy's adorable pink striped dress.

• Easy Embroidered Fabric Goods: this basket. I will use it on the bathroom shelf, to house my three-year-old daughter's hair accessories collection. Also these booties for my four-month-old girlie.

• Mom* & Girl Natural Clothes and Goods: this beautiful camisole, plus matching plain white one for me (couldn't be bothered scanning any more!) and this dress and blouse. Then everything else.

* Official spelling, not mine.

O. M. G. I F'ed an O!!!!

....and I was so close to changing the name of this blog to "Area 51" (get it?....UFOs?....yeah).

I finished and gave my dear friends M & B, the baby quilt I made! B gave birth to a darling little boy yesterday morning.

This is how it came out. Despite its imperfection, I am so damn pleased with myself. Purists will be cringing, my husband's female ancestors (he comes from a long line of quilting women) will be turning in their graves, but I like it. It's my first ever quilt.


(Shoes from japanesestreets.com)

Here is a close-up of the chou-kawaii animal fabric from Superbuzzy. I love how the hedgehogs are called mice. Please do not look too closely at my sewing. Please.


In other news, I finished the front of the Little Angel top (minus the yoke), and have started on the back.

Jap Mags

My Japanese magazines arrived!

Zakka Book is devestatingly disappointing. Like a catalogue for a country furniture/knick-knack shop (which it may possibly be, and I wouldn't know being as I don't understand Japanese!). Here is a scan of the MOST exciting page which is not too different from the least exciting page.

The magazine should be titled, "How to have a Totally Cluttered House." I know it's the country style, but it ain't my style. The most appealing aspect of Japanese craft magazines is their minimalism. (The fact that I have a totally cluttered house is beside the point. Or perhaps it is the point.)

Ah, but Cotton Time Plus! Mmmmm. Exactly the daydream-fodder I was after. Full of soft light and beige linen.

In other news, I am so close to a FO!!! I daren't believe it. One of the baby quilts -- for my friend whose baby was due yesterday but is still in utero, much to my friend's chagrin.

Nothing like performing best under pressure.

It never rains but it pours...

Oh I've been a busy little crafter:

• New yarn -- bought the Panda Zoomy pattern pamphlet, but do not like the yarn, so I asked the local wool-shop ladies for a suitable substitute. They recommended two strands of DK held together, but I could not for the life of me achieve the 12 st tension, even by adding one strand of 3-ply (aka "lace weight"?). So after three failed tension squares, I ended up ordering some Iceland by Crystal Palace from the U.S. and paying double for it (postage cost as much as the yarn itself). I'm sure I could have found some suitable yarn here, but when all's said and done, it would have cost more in time and energy. The ironic thing is that Iceland is made from Australian merino, so it's coming home. And now I have eight balls of beautiful greeny-blue DK alpaca with which I can make something else lovely for my daughter.

• More new yarn -- bought 10 balls of Bouton D'Or "Orion" (discontinued) on Ebay to add to the stash. I'm picturing a lovely cabled shrug/cardi down the track (something like Jennifer Thurston's Blackberry, although the yarn's not right for that one).

• Quilting -- discovered Superbuzzy! Although they are located in the U.S., even when adding shipping, the fabric is comparable in price to what is available in Australia. I am making two small quilts for two friends who are soon to have babies. Will post pix soon!

• Still plugging away on Little Angel. I'm all of 12 cm into it. I was dismayed to come across a little knot in the yarn (Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino) which came undone after I'd knitted it, and now I have two loose little ends which I have to try to somehow secure FROWN FROWN FROWN. Yarn isn't supposed to have KNOTS in it.

• More felted op-shop jumpers! I think I'm addicted! I heard my husband's muffled voice from behind the growing pile of felted jumpers telling me I should actually use them to make something now. Good point.

• Sewing -- bought some sweet apple canvas (and some pink bobble trim!) to make an apron for my 3yo chef's apprentice.

That's why I haven't posted for two weeks. Will add pix to this post shortly.

Chocolate

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Vomit (my 3-year-old). Please don't report us to the DHS.

And smoked eel and toast for supper.

Happy Easter!

(P.S. Those are chocolate-covered cherries -- I was so excited to find such a relevant pic that I had to tell you this.)

Some stupid play on the word "felt"

I'm excited.

Yesterday whilst walking my three girls (two daughters and one female dog) I finally worked up enough courage to steal some quinces from the people-up-the-road's front yard. Last autumn they were tempting me but I didn't have the guts, and I watched them turn brown and rot on the ground all autumn, but this year I did it! I picked four lovely heavy golden orbs! Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with them. I can't wait to watch the magic transformation of their flesh into ruby beauty.

Today I went to a couple of op shops and bought six woollen jumpers, which I put into the washing machine and turned the knob to the 95-degrees-celcius cotton setting. Now I have loads of wonderful 100 % wool (mostly shetland!) felt, all for $12! Yippee! And mostly in wonderful cooked-quince shades!

Inspired by mollychicken and angrychicken, I also ordered a couple of Japanese craft books from yesasia which are due to arrive at the end of April. "Cotton Time Plus" (ISBN 4391622866) and "Zakka Book 35" (ISBN 4391624192).

And I bought some Green & Black's organic chocolate with almonds. This goes into the "get fit" category, albeit inversely. Oh well. It is very yummy.

Hare-brained

I made bunnies today. Felt "chocolate" bunnies (out of acrylic felt *grimace* because it was the only type I could find at short notice). To take to playgroup in lieu of real chocolate for our Easter egg hunt.

By 11pm I decided it was among my stupidest ideas. They are cute, though.