Little things of happy

Do you have 2011 Michael Leunig calander?  The one that came free with The Age.  If you do, you will know that the cartoon for this month has this little poem:

Happiness is just a little thing

Humans mostly are too large for it.

If you cannot feel the joy of Spring

Shrink yourself and maybe then you'll fit.

Leunig

Its made me think about the little things that make me feel happy

Josephine pears - scrumptious at the moment

Sweet peas - my favourite flower.  Love their fragrance and their understatedness - and the soft shades they come in

 Oregano growing in a little tiny space between a wall and a path. Weeds were growing here so I thought I would plant these herbs - and they are growing. getting bigger every day.  Much better than sour sobs

This brown dog is having a holiday here.  She loves to chase balls, go for walks and sleep on my feet while I work. Nice that!

Just a few small things of happiness.

Savers

I've just discovered Savers, Melbourne's Recycle Superstores.  Dunno how come its taken me two years to find them - and even then it was only lucky that it came up during a conversation with a friend about op-shops.  After hearing about them I headed off to the one at Footscay the very next day. There I found some little treasures of fabric.  Two pieces are pictured below.  The first is an iconic Ken Done print, I think from the early 1980's.  I got two skirts out of this.  The second was a souvenir of Western Australia table cloth.  100% linen.  I love the colours in both of these.

 

The next week I was at a market at Brunswick and popped into the Savers there and found some more amazing pieces of fabric that I will be upcycling soon.  Cant wait!

more red white and blue

Those scraps left from the quilt cover have been put to use as lovely deep pockets - that makes four garments now.  There is still some left. Not much but given my current attraction to the three aforementioned colours, it is sure to appear somewhere soon. 

While we are on the topic of red, white and blue,  I recently posted the above skirt on etsy.  Etsy have appointed an Australian manager and they really are the best known site for hand made everythings.  I think Etsy is a much better place to sell now that shoppers can elect to see the prices in Australian dollars rather than USD, as well as being able to select  'shop local'.  So I'm going to give them a go.  I'm not including shipping to countries other than Aus. and NZ - the cost of international shipping from Australia is just outrageous.  Over the next few weeks I plan to put a whole lot more stock in the etsy shop and in a day or so when I get time I'll add a button to the side margin on this blog.

Tomorrow is Sisters Market at Brunswick.  Hope to see you there :)

Red, White and Blue, I do love you!

Some time ago I bought a quilt cover.  It was a second. Not much wrong with it that I could find but  I happily cut it up and used it to make new things.
First I made this skirt, using cut off jeans for the top.

Then I made this skirt

and lastly I have made this dress

It still needs a belt but that will have to wait until I get to the shops to get some petersham ribbon so that I can finish that.  The belt is in the check fabric.  The pattern for this was a 1960's one

  Just for fun I added the fox applique - coz I know only a foxy woman would want to wear this rebellious little dress - well it was back in the 60's when women were challenging the status quo in all sorts of ways.

The first skirt has already gone to a good home.  The second one is for sale in my Blue Caravan shop
When I finish the dress it too will be for sale in one of my on-line shops.   There is still a little bit of the quilt fabric left.  Not sure what I will do with that yet but in the mean time - here's to red, white and blue!

Vogue 1225

Oh so many pieces!  The pattern looked daunting.  Did I really want to make this dress?  I'd chosen to make the dress out of a piece of Kath Kidson jersey - from a quilt cover second.  And having taken the trouble to pin the pieces on to the fabric I figured I might as well continue.  The image of the dress is kind of deceiving as it looks simple but this is a Designer Vogue pattern (Tracey Reese) so that should have alerted me. 

Surprisingly though, as I begin to construct the dress, following the pattern one step at a time it is much more simple than I had anticipated.  Just as well as jersey is not very forgiving if it needs unpicking - and the dress very much depends on the drapey qualities of a knit - all those gathers!
It's not fast going but I am enjoying sewing this dress.  Way to go yet but think this is a pattern I would make again.  We'll see how it looks when it is all done.

is there life after masterchef?

For fourteen weeks i've been organising my life around watching or at least being able to tape Masterchef five nights a week. I did discipline myself not to watch any Friday night episodes  - that would have meant almost a complete take over of all other night life!)  Now it's over.  I didn't mind who claimed the title in the end: both Kate and Michael would have been worthy winners.  But what now?  What will I do tonight?  I feel the absence already but I also feel relieved - like I have a new found found freedom.  Full of possibilities. Like going for a walk after dinner.  Like curling up in a lounge chair  with a good book.  Like getting back to craving good wholesome, healthy fresh food instead of drooling over succulent meats and decadent deserts.
Perhaps I had an inkling this was coming last week in the Post Office when a little book of 100 Everyday Vegetarian Recipes caught my eye. I bought it and I'm looking forward to putting some of the recipes to the taste test but not tonight.  Tonight I'm going to cook scrambled eggs. No recipe.  No fancy ingredients. No plating up skills required.  But in terms of an evening meal it ticks all the boxes - and makes very few dishes, to boot.  I think there just might be life after Masterchef... at least until next year's series begins.

Melbourne Made Market tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm heading off to a new market...Melbourne Made Market at Canterbury Girls' Secondary College Drama Space, Irilbarra Rd, Canterbury. The market is part of the 2011 Girls' Bust Out: a bi-annual event, run by Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. At the centre of this event is an exhibition of sculptural busts made by students. Surrounding this is a whole weekend of inspirational creativity, hands on workshops, delicious food, music, works on paper and sculptural bust artworks from a host of well established and respected artists from around Australia.

Girls' Bust Out provides a unique platform for both established artists and students to exhibit alongside each other and provides an insight into the creativity of practising artists.

The event this year is supporting the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre. 


(Photos from the Girls' Bust Out website)