My creative space

My creative space
of the future...

We are moving house later this year. Plans are well underway for an extension and a renovation (that our little family will have the pleasure of living through!) And I am very excited about my new 'creative space' that is in the plans (above pic may be difficult to inperpret, unless you are me and spend A LOT of time staring at this little line drawing - The grey shaded bit in inside the house, you can see the windows opening to the outside. My creative space of the future is really just a length of desk, but imagine the possibilities!).

It will have nice big windows overlooking our backyard. Particularly looking out at an existing White Cedar (scientific name Melia azedarach - Persian Lilac) and the rest of a lush garden (that will be there eventually). But at the moment it just looks like this - a tree (a nice one at that) and some grass. It is amazing the excitment I have for imagining what this little corner of my life will be like. It's a while down the track to reality, but the dreaming is fun!

On a more practical level, this is what I am working on at the moment. Finishing off a cool breezy summer top I started last year (not much of a need for it this time of year, but hopefully I will have finished it before next summer...)

Visit Kootoyoo for more in the present creative spaces...

My creative space

Starting to get back into the swing of things this week. In my space this week is a work in progress. More embellishment for little person's clothes. This one hopefully transforms a boring old plain skivvy into a cute, warm winter garment.

Take 1 op shopped skivvy. Add a couple of squares of polar fleece in a warm wintry pattern.
I'm thinking a big square sewn on the front and some lengths doubled over and sewn on as cuffs to the edge of the sleeves.
The creative juices must be flowing readily around our place at the moment, as the hubby has some scrap metal pieces picked up this from the scrap yard. Bits of car engines and brakes and chains. He is going to weld together an outdoor table for my parents.
Visit the very creative Kirsty at Kootoyoo for see many many more creative juices.

My creative space with automobiles

This week in my creative space is a sneak preview of a project recently finished.
Its all about automobiles, bright colours and summer.

But I can't show you the whole thing. Its a present for a friend. Or for their little dinosaur. So instead you get to see little bits and pieces.

It turns inside out. It has a nice stripey brim to shade out the sun.
And a neat round top to hold it in place.Hopefully it is liked by its owner to be.

What mysteries are going on in your creative space? Check out Kootoyoo to connect with others.

My creative space

How lovely to be back...
Although to start off my year of creative spaces, I am sharing a frustrating moment.

I was THIS (imagine finger and thumb not very far apart) far from finishing - yes I mean finishing - my latest project. When one of the needles on my twin needle broke...

Just like that.

Very calmly, I managed to make it to my local haby store to pick up a replacement (plus a few other bits and pieces - making it worth the trip). But I was not impressed. Now the challenge of finding the time to finish it.

Head on over to our lovely My creative space host Kirsty at Kootoyoo for (hopefully) less frustration, more construction.

my creative space

...is freakin out about Christmas.

After reading this recent post on starting the Christmas present-making by Bianca Jae makes stuff I got inspired. I realised I had this ideal in my head that I would make a few presents for my family and how wonderful it would all be. I also realised that unless I got busy, and committed, an idea is all that it would ever be.

So this week my creative space is about jotting down my Christmas ideas, so I can get started and take some action. So far we have

Belts for the two sisters in law. Fabrics belts like this one I made a little while ago.

A bag for Mum. I'm thinking a clutch bag. I need to investigate patterns as well as fabrics!

Skirts for my sisters. Feature panel skirts, but I won't go into too much detail as I know my sisters sometimes peek this blog and I don't want to get hopes up, or spoil the surprise if I get around to it..

XXX for the hubby. (You'll have to wait until after Christmas for this one as I know he often checks out the blog)

Pram blanket and pram insert for the pram. (O.K. I don't actually give presents to my pram usually, but these two need to be done)

A quilt for my baby daughter. We'll see how this one goes though.

There it is. In writing, in all its green and red Christmas glory.

Head on over to Kootoyoo for more creative freaks.

my creative space

... is all about belts this week.

I started making belts a year and a bit ago and they turned out really well. Nice fabric belts with buckles or d-loops. I gave them to my sisters for Christmas and they were very much appreciated (at least that is what they told me).

This week I pulled out my belt making box again and found a very-almost-finished belt sitting in there, along with all my other bits and pieces (it is becoming a bit of a theme in this blog that I am finding all my unfinished projects and finishing them off. It is very rewarding at least! To say nothing of a possible personality trait of never finishing things properly...). So I attached the D-rings and voila - a finished belt which I can now wear (and am, today).

The belts are quite quick and straight forward to whip up. And they are a nice way to showcase some really gorgeous fabrics. I think I might try and make a few more for my sisters in law - on the other side of the family - for Christmas this year. And maybe another one for me too.

Whip on over (sorry that's a bad belt reference) to Kootoyoo to check out other creative spaces.

my creative space

Unfinished project back on the drawing board. We are talking about 5 years in the making for this one. It got pulled out about 2 years ago and had some work done it, then obviously got put in the too hard basket or don't have time category for some reason.

I'm thinking maybe of having it finished for the Quilt Project evening tomorrow night, but let's not get anyone's hopes up just yet. Plus I have no idea if it will still fit. I had to rummage through my habby supplies to find the matching zipper i bought (years ago). Then came the disappointment as I realised it was just a plain normal zipper. I must prefer invisible zippers these days as they are easier to put in (I think) and they look better. It might smell all musty and horrible so I won't want to wear it anyway. Maybe it will just sit there perched over the sewing machine with me looking at it for the next two days. Maybe it won't? So many possibilities. So little time...

Visit Kootoyoo for more creative space musings.

my creative space

Is working out pattern sheets... This week I have been tracing patterns from my Ottobre magazine. I was a bit shocked when I first saw these pattern sheets and wondered how I was ever going to work out the design I was looking for. Ends up that the system is actually really easy (once you read the instructions) and it is amazing how your eyes can focus and find the line number and colour you are looking for. Plus it must be good training for the brain too, so I am stimulating my intellectual intelligence at the same time. Love multi-tasking!

Pop over to Kootoyoo for more creative intelligence.

my creative space

From this:

To this:

Things are a changing as my almost-ten-month old is almost crawling. I wouldn't actually say crawling yet, however she seems to get around pretty well. This morning I had my back turned for a half a minute and when I turned back she was having fun pushing the sewing machine pedal. How did she even get there? Time to pack up the cords (x 2 sewing machines plus the laptop cord) and machines and put them away for now :(

However I have almost finished my projects for the week (seeking two perfect buttons - why are they always so hard to find?) so there should be show and tell tomorrow.

Visit Koototyoo for more creative space antics.

Pinch and a punch for the first day of the month!

my creative space

Is pink.
This is my first ever attempt at a quilt, well actually more of a patchwork quilt I believe. This is the centrepiece and the rest of the quilt will be built around it. Behind you see all the long strips already cut and sewn together ready to start sewing.

The colours are pink, red, grey, black, white and a sprinkling of teal. I was inspired by this quilt made by Onegirl using similar colours. It is very pink (not something I would have thought I would have chosen, but there it is). For my little 9 month old baby girl, when shes gets into a big bed - I've given myself plenty of time. I have hand embroidered a tree pattern adapted from an Ottobre design. The fabrics are probably a bit too busy so the embroidery doesn't really stand out, however I suppose that it will one of those surprises when you look closely, rather than jumping out at you immediately.

The quilt pattern was one adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens issue back in February I think, but I changed the dimensions and things. As such I have absolutely no idea if I have cut enough or WAY too many strips for a single quilt. I was given a rotary cutter and cutting mat by father in law's wife Robyn (thanks Robyn!) and it has completely changed my world. I have a feeling I may have cut WAY too many strips as the cutting was just so much fun...

I forgot to add this to my to do list last post. Expect more updates on this quilt as I get to the fun part. Putting it together. I've no idea how it is going to turn out, I really hope it looks good and not just awful pink.

For more creative spaces, visit Kootoyoo. I finally worked out how to add the My Creative Space badge to my site (thanks for the tip Yardage Girl), so now it sits proudly over to the right.

My creative space

Today I dragged out my pinking shears, inherited from my grandmother. They are so heavy and so sharp, even after years of use. Even the box is in excellent condition. Must keep it that way. Maybe I will pass on to a granddaughter one day..


Cutting back seams to ease curves. Two warm baby wraps in the making. One due tomorrow, the other the end of August. Today's creative space includes my laptop, so I am checking out other spaces at the same time as cutting and pinning.
Check out other creative spaces over at Kootoyou...

My creative space

This is my first addition to My creative space, by Kootoyou.

This is my new blog, which I am having fun with so far. My creative space today is the leftovers from yesterday's efforts. Seems to be a green theme going on, projects sitting there waiting to be finished (maybe not finished today, but hopefully progress made). I like the light through the window, and the way it is overexposed.

A green jacket I have had for ages, but never wear. I am going to refashion it so I like it more, replace the buttons, add some contrasting cuffs to the sleeves and trim to the hem (maybe). On the chair is a green and blue playmat in the making for the bubba. It's a smaller one that can hopefully be taken places along with us without being too cumbersome. Picked up the bright fabric at the Amitie sale last Friday. Love it. I am having trouble with it though and the more I think about it, the more I think I need to unpick and start again. Oops. I tried backing it with a fleecy material, which is stretchy. And its fine, I can control the stretch on the edges (sewing stretchy material to non-stretch is always difficult), however I was also hoping to top stitch some of the pattern to keep it together and so the other plain side is also decorative. I think this will be too difficult to achieve. So I have two choices, unpick and get new backing material. Or hand embroider it. Hmm.