patch happy

I've been a good girl again tonight, TV off and music on and a pile of clocks made. I am trying to work my way through all those unfinished jobs that I have been procrastinating over. There are even new clock designs on the wall downstairs and the gingerbread heart wall that has been looking very sad for the last month is now covered in hearts and looking very pretty.  I'm attempting to deal with each job separately and not trying to see the overwhelming heap of things still to be done.
I stayed in the studio today and managed to get the new blanket quilts finished (yay!) and treated myself by starting work on the New Project. I've been stockpiling vintage quilt tops, many going back to the Depression Era and I've finally had the first batch fabric-to-fabric quilted onto calico. I very in-love with these quilts and the process has totally changed them giving them solidity and a fabulous wonkiness at the same time. First off the rank is a cone skirt lined with stripy shirting and a vintage print facing.
I had a hexagon patchwork skirt I made a few years ago and I wore it to Sydney when Miss Beck and I went up for a day trip adventure. We were most amused by the looks we got from Sydneysiders who we were sure were muttering to themselves that we were definitely from Melbourne. Our skirts were too long and our shoes weren't thongs..... and we were both too pale.

I'm reading books set in Appalachia (thanks Library Girl!), listening to the Corn Sisters singing Long Black Veil and quite possibly going a little hillbilly mad. All this patching is stitching my life back together, it feels good to make stuff.

mistress winter knocking on the door

I worked again until late last night. Gingerbread hearts this time. We have been so low on them and the wall above the 'knitting table' in the shop has been looking a little sad (as has the table, new spotty knitting needles due any day now and hanging out for a shipment of wool from Nikki too). The pay off for the late nights is that I just can't be bothered getting out of bed in the morning, perhaps it's the frosty mornings as well, in some ways it seems silly to work all evening when it only means I can't prise myself from under the blankets the next day.
Winter is here and almost half a year gone.
I picked the quilting up yesterday and started 'releasing' the quilts from the 15 metre roll. It was so heavy and cumbersome that I could barely carry it up the stairs to the studio.Today I'll fire up the binder machine and get them done and hopefully in store this afternoon. I didn't get a moment last night to do the tea cosy window but I'll do it this week I promise, tonight perhaps. I also picked up the first batch of new quilted fabric yesterday and am itching to get this new project started as well. And there are new vintage Welsh blankets to be made into cushions too.
I wonder how cold the studio will be today and whether I will need to drag the heaters out for their first Winter whirl. There was icy fingers creeping around in there yesterday. Well I will just have to keep working to stay warm, think of me in my cold crafty garret.

just how much can a koala bear*?

Decorative tea cosies stashed everywhere at the moment. The owls have been breeding and the coral formation ones are piling up. This fellow is so damn cute. Yep. A koala tea cosy. I love his slightly off kilter nose and eyes and his pompom ears.  
I'm thinking of doing a tea cosy window as it is winter tomorrow. I'll see how energetic I am tonight. I worked until late last night clipping and pressing all the gloves I dyed yesterday afternoon and then couldn't manage to get out of bed this morning. I'm now running late and slightly flustered.

*I know they aren't bears but it is such an old joke I couldn't help myself from using it. I often date tea towels by whether they have 'koala' or 'koala bear' on them, 1960s and early 70s at the latest- and we do have some stunner koala cushions in at the moment.

kiss me quick

I found this fellow in the tree down the road the other morning. Strangely very large soft toys often appear on Gertrude Street. My favourite was a very large dirty cream teddy leaning drunkenly against a tree looking like he was vomiting in the gutter one Saturday morning. Big night on the turps by the look of it.
It's Monday again.
I was up early to let the painter in to finish touching up the inside of the new windows. I've spooned in my porridge and am on my second bucket of tea but am feeling like I would love to go back to bed. Now the fog has lifted (outside not in my head) it is a shockingly bright Autumn morning.
I need to spend today dyeing gloves and sorting out wholesale orders. Answering and sending emails too. I've managed to pull everything out from under the shop counter too so I better get that sorted before Dell arrives. And there is a big box of herbs and spices sitting in the middle of the shop floor that I need to find a home for. It's funny how all those little sorting chores just pile up.

blink blink where am I?

I woke up out of a dream this morning, one of those dreams where reality impinges on the Sleepworld. In the dream I was trying to get the shop open on a Saturday morning but people kept dropping in and I couldn't find anything to wear and I was putting clothes on in the wrong order and getting tangled and frustrated and annoyed. Then I came downstairs (in my old house just to confuse matters) and there were police in my kitchen and a bag snatcher trying to steal my bag from the table and as the police encouraged me to bash his head against the wall (really must stop watching police procedurals on ABC before going to bed) there sounded some strange klaxon and we all stopped and looked around trying to work out where the alarm was coming from...... Jethro had knocked my phone off the bedside table so there was much fumbling about trying to turn the damn wake-up alarm off and get my befuddled brain working.
So it's Saturday morning and I need to sort out all the booty from the last couple of days op shopping and stock pick up. Jethro has been ferreting in bags and giving everything a good sniff. I have scored some fabulous tapestries and they will be going on the wall upstairs when I get a day to take everything down and re-jig it all. It's going to be a total obstacle course out the back today as I really only have time to lug it all out the back and dump it for later unpacking and sorting. More clutter of course. This is the problem with collecting, the never ending piles of stuff waiting to be transformed into something else.
Putting out some new hanks of handspun yarn (they have been drying while I was away) and we have some stunning new afghan blankets made by Ann and her daughter, part of our country crafting team. I might even get around to taking some photos of some stock in the shop this weekend. Better dash- lots of shop cleaning to do!
Thought you'd enjoy a country bakery pavlova- kiwi fruit AND peppermint crisp!

quilty pleasures

While I was away this appeared in today's Age Melbourne Mag.
Lovely Lucy did a spread on quilts to snuggle under now that winter is barely a chilly whisper away.
You might recognise our lovely blankie quilt on the left (sadly that one has been sold), we have 3 in store and a whole new batch on the way.
I picked up lots on lovely stuff today from our fabulous country ladies and I'll get to and price it all up as soon as I can.

hitting the highway

Lots of mini mufflers done. Some 1200 row skinny scarves done too, I haven't done these ones for about 5 years, there are a few going in store today.
I'm off today for a country jaunt, I should  be in the studio but there are things I need to pick up so the decision was to go this week with the hope that I can get a few more days in the studio next week (although to tell you the truth the commitments are piling up and I don't think I am going to get all the time I need- no surprise there). I am taking the op shop guide with me of course, just in case I have missed any on past runs. I'm also hoping to be the passenger so I am taking some crochet with me, my Op Shop Compadre is delivering her art to Wangaratta for the textile show that is coming up so we are going for two birds with one stone. The problem is that up until Wang I'm not allowed to load the car with big op shop finds, which normally wouldn't be a problem but what do you want to bet I find some fabulous huge piece between here and there?!
Hopefully there will be some stunning autumn colours along the way. I must choose myself some fingerless gloves, it might be cold out there!