Little Fish Creations

I’ve started embroidering the tablecloth.

Little sprigs placed at the intersections of the square grid pattern which is part of the fabric’s weave stucture.  I think I got this fabric from Ikea.

I needed the motifs to be more or less uniform in size and shape so I made a template and marked the cloth with wash away texta (blue). 

I suppose these acetate sheets will become a rare item soon since nobody uses overhead projectors anymore.  Though I’ve got a pack which might just last me a lifetime 🙂

I live in the middle of nowhere and there are few opportunites for retail therapy.  The highlight of the day is going to the post office box… where I’m often disappointed to find NOTHING.

In order to keep my post office visiting self happy, I’ve been indulging in beautiful handmade goods from around the world.

The scarf above was made for me by Susan Johnson of Avalanche Looms. It looks fabulous wrapped loosely around my neck and I can’t wait to visit a cooler climate so I can wear it!  It is a summer weight scarf, but more of a Tasmanian summer rather than a Northern Territory summer where it’s already averaging 39deg every day in Jabiru.

Sue from Heritage Needlework has been busy weaving these beautiful bookmarks.  There are new ones on her site just now, so you should definitely check them out. 

Also, I love my brooch made by Karen Ruane. She’s having a sale at the moment- see her blog for the details.

Squares and rectangles of terry towelling, muslin, cotton knit, seersucker, flannelette and waffleweave. I get a lot of pleasure using, washing and folding baby items.  (we use disposable nappies which is why I’m probably still cheerful about laundry)

My second favourite smell is ‘fresh off the line sheets’ (first favourite smell is when rains for the first time in a while).  The clothesline is idle today, I wagged from washing… but see our banana trees behind… we’ve got another big bunch of bananas on the way!!

In the last few weeks I’ve been busy converting various stashed bits of fabric into functional household stuff.  I made this little hand towel from very light weight waffle weave cotton left over from my baby blanket making frenzy.

And just this morning I finished hemming a table cloth which I’ve had stashed for many years.  I’m dreaming up some simple embroidery to pretty her up.

The sample embroidery has already been rejected. I think my sketches might be leading me down the right track.

And finally, I’m thinking about getting some linen sheets.  I think linen may be a good solution for our sweaty tropical nights (even with air-con). Linen fibre has a hollow core which helps it absorb moisture and also it is a smooth fibre so dirt doesn’t stick…. I bought some linen tea towels to test this theory out.  So far, so good.

Mitred corners are a neat finish and are easy to sew as there is no great wad of fabric to sew through at the corners.  I’ve been on a roll with sewing up baby blankets and wraps in the last few weeks, so I can crank out a corner pretty quickly now.

Here’s how I do it.

Last year I made embroidered felt balls to hang on my Christmas tree.  But I seem to have lost them in our move PLUS they would be a major choking hazard for our little one.  So I started making some new, bigger ornaments from my home made flat felt.

This first one is inspired by Jude and Cathy’s use of the heart in their work.  A love heart, doodled by the thousands by myself as a child and now with renewed meaning.

Before Jasper was born, friends told me to expect to cry a lot in the first week… and I did.  Every time I looked at this beautiful creature, I felt LOVE.  Overwhelming and total love, I was full to the brim.  It took me by suprise and is still very, very strong.

This top took me 5 minutes to ‘make the pattern’ (ie trace a top that I already own), cut out the fabric and sew together with my overlocker.

Until today I was scared of sewing knit fabrics.  But I read this post over at Soozs and I decided to just jump in and sew something.  In my haste I cut the back piece with the motifs upside down… so lets call this a muslin 🙂

I also saw on the above blog TinnieGirl had come up with a concept called Blogtoberfest.   I’m a little late to the party, but I signed up anyway.  My aim is a quick post every day in October (starting today)…. wish me luck!

First off, I’d like to congratulate my sister, Megan Collidge, on her exhibition which opened last night at Devonport Regional Gallery.  It’s up until the end of October, so if you are in the area, make sure you drop by. 

There’s a group exhibition on at the same time and I noticed that Tara Badcock is part of the line up, which is one of those weird coincidences because I was only just looking at her work on flickr the other day.

In other links, I’ve enjoyed these interviews with Miso and Ghostpatrol over at Design Files.  I also rewatched this excellent ABC documentary. I particularly love Miso’s work, probably for the depiction of women and her use of pattern.

And finally, this exhibition of Macedonian Aprons at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney looks very interesting, the website is excellent for people like me, who can’t get there in person.  I particularly like how the aprons are linked to the stories of the women who own them… that sort of thing really floats my boat

I’ve been drafting a pattern for a pair of fitted shorts.  This time I’m using a commercial pattern and trying instructions from Pattern Fitting With Confidence by Nancy Zieman.

Dressmaking fabrics are starting to become an addiction, which is ok as long as they do, eventually, become clothes!

I couldn’t resist his sateen, which is destined to become a skirt.

The top fabric is a linen blend which I’ve used before in a differnet colour, it’s got a nice stretch to it, I think I’ll make shorts from this.  The bottom fabric is a black denim – lots of possibilities here.

This cotton print came from the christmas fabrics table at spotlight.  I really like red

I needed a moment there to catch my breath.  Infection, pain, a cold and just plain tiredness hit me at once.

Thankfully, Chris’ mum and dad have been here this week and I’ve been given respite and TLC and even a couple of sleep ins 🙂  So I’m feeling a lot better.

Before all that, I did sew up another skirt. I like the pin tucks even if the skirt hangs like a sack.  Maybe it wasn’t the best choice of fabric and maybe I’ll recycle it into a handbag if the mood strikes.

While recovering, I read Womens Work: the first 20,000 years by Elizabeth Wayland Barker.  An entertaining book about the history of textiles used as a tool to understanding the lives of women in ancient europe.  Highly recommended!

Please let me distract you with gratuitus baby photos while I recover from this excruciating breast infection.

Perhaps I should have saved this one for his 21st birthday party.

Cute romper supplied by Aunty Meggie

Jasper warming up after his first swim in the big, cold pool.