violetandmay

St. Kilda Festival

2012-02-12T18:25:00.002+13:00

Today I went to the St. Kilda Festival. Along with the rain and many hippy types. St. Kilda is the seasie suburb of Melbourne- I hadn't seen the sea since sometime in January, so I was a little excited about that. There was live bands, nausea inducing amusement park rides, trashy market stalls and food stalls (the best bit). Look at how dark those clouds are! It only got worse, believe me. I was kind of relieved to get home, make a cup of chai (with honey and golden syrup in it..). I've got a little project on the go which I am happy to continue with, and hope to complete tonight.

thread mess

2012-02-11T19:37:00.001+13:00

I've found some new threads to work with. A local art and craft store was clearing their DMC threads for 50c a skein. Cheap! Still no sign of the elusive fluro yellow thread though..! It is so hard to know what colours I have and haven't got, so I just grabbed a selection of blues that I thought would help with embroidering the sky on GG's embroidery. I also got questioned by the shop assistant as to whether I was doing embroidery "like, from a chart or do you make it up?". Obviously she was not accustomed to seeing embroidery outside of a kit...? Anyway it was kind of funny. I haven't really had the space to embroider much since returning to Melbourne, perhaps I overdid it a little over Christmas! I might start a fresh motif on GG's Embroidery and see where that leads me...

Have a happy weekend!

the country

2012-02-05T23:57:00.003+13:00

Today I visited 'the country'. I took a train out to Castlemaine, which is about an hour and a half west of Melbourne, and is where my sister lives. Castlemaine is a pretty little town from the goldrush days, which now attracts arty/hippy types and has an abundance of cafes. And since it was Sunday there was also art markets and farmer's markets. It was nice to get out of the city, but unfortunately it was a rainy-ish day, so we couldn't get out as much as I had hoped- it looked like a great place to walk about snapping photos like my tourist self likes to do. How was your weekend? Did you get away to somewhere interesting?

simple dinner

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000+13:00

I was impressed at how picturesque my dinner looked, that I had to take a photo. Chopsticks would have been better, of course. Miso soup with buckwheat soba, chicken, tofu and pak choi. Simple.

quiet

2012-01-21T19:26:00.003+13:00

It's been very quiet on this blog. Seriously, I don't know how many times I have lamented about my lack of posting. Its too late for me to bother with the whole 'New Years' post thing. Anyhow I have given the blog a much needed renovation- something that is clean and simple, and doesn't hurt my eyes. Or yours for that matter. I had finally decided that I did not 'need' a patterned background- this idea was OK in 2006, when this blog was started, but not now.
Did you have a lovely holiday break? I went back home to New Zealand and caught up with my family and friends, and generally spent a bit (ok lots) of time lazing about. Actually I think that I needed a decent break- moving countries, settling into a new home and re-learning your job is plenty to take in.
So in that lazy holiday time my embroidery certainly did not suffer. Early in 2011 I had set myself the goal of Completing Georgie's Embroidery, which turned out to be a bit of a fail. By the time my niece's birthday rolled around in late December the embroidery was still only partially complete. Little girls do not forget things so easily and I was asked where it was. Thankfully I could hint at the things I had added recently.
Spending time in Napier with my parents brought on an embroidery blitz, which resulted in some fab additions:

The Cats. Meet Putty and Pipsy, the two family cats- now in embroidery form.

The Kawaii Carrot. GG loves to eat raw carrots all the time, so I thought that a kawaii carrot would be appropriate. And this too. It was nice to work with a simple and graphic forms, as opposed to the more finely shaded stuff that I normally do. I also added the speech bubble above.

The Night Sky. I guess that adding the Night Sky was the major piece of work here- all those teeny tiny stitches took ages. I was kind of aiming for a 'Van-Gogh-Starry-Night' effect, which I partially achieved thanks to variegated yarn. I'm planning on blending this more with lighter blue shades on the daytime side to achieve a brighter look.
I finally named the unicorn 'Aurora', which I thought suited. I still need to shade the banner, but baby steps.

The Witch and The Moon. Work on this piece has stalled as I'm now on the hunt for elusive DMC Flouro Yellow thread. When I moved into my house it was the rainiest day possible, as in torrential rain rainy. The taxi dumped me outside my apartment block with my gear, and I then had to get my housemate to help me haul in all my stuff before it got completely soaked. When I got inside I was very quick to make sure I put the embroidery somewhere safe to dry. However I had separated all the yarn I was using on the witch/moon into a red bag. Which was not colourfast. I discovered this about a week later. Flouro yellow thread was now a bad shade of orange, glow in the dark thread was red-ish and anything blue looked distinctly purple. *sigh*

So, overall (progress):

Since returning to Melbourne I have barely picked this piece of work up. Perhaps I need a quiet weekend with decent light and a dash of motivation to make a little more progress.

Bye!

making the move

2011-11-06T14:03:00.000+13:00

Melbourne- looking towards Flinders St Station.

Melbourne- looking towards city buildings and Federation Square.

So, I've been in Melbourne for a week now. Craziness- I can't believe that things have gone SO quickly since my last post for me to be here now. I'm slowly sorting my life out- there are things that you don't normally consider to be difficult, but are- alot of that has to do with not having a permanent residence (yet). I have just spent about an hour (!!!) trying to set up a prepay cellphone....! However I am lucky enough to have found a new flat which I should be moving into in a couple of weeks time- its a little further out from the city than I had initially planned on, but it is on a nice leafy street and there are shops nearby. It is also close to my work, which is good as I am public transporting it at the moment.

Today I've decided to visit Ikea to get some ideas as to how I can decorate my room..! Its kind of exciting as we don't have Ikea in New Zealand so it will all be novel and new for me. I have told myself that there is no point in shopping until I move into the house, so I'll have to wait a little. I am also waiting on all my tax and pay stuff to be settled as well before I really hit the shops- I suspect with 40 degree summers on the horizon that I will have to update my wardrobe a little...

Living at a hotel is kind of weird, as you can't cook properly in a mini kitchen (hello takeaways!) and everything is in (messy) suitcases. I've started to be worried about my lack of fitness and the other day I went for a long walk around the neighbourhood of my hotel nosying at all the houses....! I still have my craft with me and I have done a little bit of embroidery, but mostly I am reading about everyone else's craft instead.

Oh! And I've just started reading Harry Potter- talk about catching up on lost time. Its funny though since I've seen most of the movies, that everything seems very comfortable and familar. Loving them, and suspect that I will inhale these books within a couple of weeks.

Will promise more updates...!

Anna

Lucky Penny October (and some news)

2011-09-26T23:21:00.000+13:00

Hello there! Just a quick wee post to say that Lucky Penny is on next Tuesday!! I'm going to be bringing a fine selection of crafty things to give away to the Lucky Penny-ers (uhhh.. something like- wool, origami paper, buttons, perhaps some fabrics and other interesting things).

Why, you ask, are you giving away your craft supplies?

I'm going to be moving to Melbourne at the end of October- there have been changes with my work, and I've now accepted a job as a designer (yay! But same-same but different). So this will probably be my last Lucky Penny (unless I take it with me to Melbourne and hit the craft circuit there) Perhaps I could become a Brown Owl and hang out at Meet Me At Mikes? I'm lucky that Melbourne is such a creative city, but I must say that I am kind of fearing the 40 degree heat that the summer brings... But seriously, I think it could take me a good few months to even feel remotely settled there, you know, get used the changes with the job, find a new house (and decorate...I think Ikea is going to be making some money from me), and in between that really try and make some new friends. My brain at the moment is really ticking overtime- there is an incredible amount of things that I need to achieve before I board that plane, and connecting with the people who matter most is high up there (as is selling may car...) I remember my jewellery teacher once saying to me that I was nomadic as I seemed to change my address at least once a year. Now I think he's right as this is the third time I've moved this year. So I'm hoping that this blog can be a little outlet as I move into another chapter in my life
Anyway enough for now! Catch you on Tuesday!

shoes and cupcakes

2011-09-11T17:39:00.001+12:00

I like nice shoes. And I have spent an unmentionable amount of money on them this year (but not like, Carrie Bradshaw level. I think Manolos and Louboutins are kind of tacky...) But I have been scanning through the Camper website as of late. I like these ones. And these ones. And also these ones. And these ones too! Hmm... too many choices...
(Note to self: It is not payday yet. And you have bills.)

In the midst of all the RugbyWorldCupMania which has been gripping my city lately, it has been hard not to be swept up amongst it. I have watched 1.5 rugby games this week, which surely must be a record. And my work did an international themed lunch- the country I was allocated was Ireland, and given my lack of knowledge regarding Irish food, I chose to make green cupcakes instead (chocolate mint). Mmmm. And I cracked the Holy Grail of buttercream icing- I fiiinallly got the slightly-crispy-edging on the icing happening. Success.

whoa... its September!

2011-09-02T21:22:00.001+12:00

Whoa... it's September! Firstly- Spring- yayyyyy! I love Spring- it's such a great season since I love blossoms. And speaking of Spring-y newness September also means that I now have a new nephew (hello Joshua!). And September means here in New Zealand we are in the middle of Fashion Week. I attended the Trelise Cooper show, usually not my kind of look, but a few nice pieces were spotted. For someone who is into fashion, fashion shows terrify me. Actually it is not really the shows per se, but the people they attract- think major wardrobe anxiety... September also means the Rugby World Cup is about to converge on Auckland, and more specifically my neighbourhood which is very close to Eden park (I am worried about parking, traffic, and whether I'll be able to get anywhere near my gym...) Ugghhhhh...

But not to worry as a perfect foil to rugbymania.... I present... Lucky Penny September- all details are on the pic- see you there!

so, its very nearly spring

2011-08-14T16:13:00.006+12:00

So, its very nearly spring. Well at least this beautiful tree outside my house thinks it is. With all the local news fuss over an impending polar chill that is set to sweep the country, I thought that I'd be best to rush outside and photograph the blossoms lest they be swept away by the winds.

I hope that you have been having a lovely weekend! Mine has involved lots of shopping (jeans, new weekend sneakers, hoodie and various other things) And while I was at the mall I stumbled upon this cooking demo hosted by NZ Masterchef's Simon Goult (and handsome assistant). They covered classics like risotto- reminding me to add parmesan cheese, cooking wine and arborio rice to my shopping list (risotto is frequently cooked by moi), and fancy sorbet involving liquid nitrogen cooking. Oooh fancy!

outlines

2011-08-11T22:35:00.009+12:00

My what progress I have made! I am totally in the embroidery space right now- talk about working to deadline (something that I am very familiar with my line of work). You can see here that I have added the outlines for a cat, a witch flying in front of a full moon (on a broomstick of course, pedigree unknown- most likely not to be a Nimbus 2000 ;)) and a unicorn. Whew!

I can’t wait to start stitching the unicorn, which is where I can experiment with pastel tone variegated thread, rainbow metallic thread and hopefully some iridescent thread if I can find it. I’m thinking she needs a unicorn-y name- like Aurora or something like that… ideas?

The witch is going to be a black silhouette, which is why its looking a bit rough stitch-wise- especially as I was stitching a little more freehand than I have been lately. The moon is going to be flouro yellow and glow-in-the-dark thread- I have been wanting to use the flouro yellow thread for a while and now have the perfect excuse to. I’m a little concerned about colourfastness of the flouro yellow, so I’m thinking I may actually have to test it- I don’t want the colour to run and ruin the rest of my work, or fade...

The cat- also known as Pipsy- will be black and white- the trick here is capturing the essence of her face and in particular her eyes (she is not the smartest of kittys and her eyes are a little reflective of this)

embroider me a face

2011-08-03T18:48:00.007+12:00

Well, I sort of jumped the gun when I mentioned in my last post that I would not be attempting to embroider the face on Georgie ballerina until much, much later. Turns out after completing the arms and neck, due to the rather addictive nature of this type of embroidery, that it seemed rather natural to continue and embroider her face. I don't know if I am 100% happy with it- I think the eyes are OK, there is a hint of a nose, but the mouth was met with several disasters that would have made a plastic surgeon proud. First there was a trout pout, then she looked like a Bratz doll, then she was Bratz-doll + smiley-face, and now simply a smiley-face smile. I was trying to capture a level of innocence appropriate for a young ballerina on this embroidery. I am not entirely sure that the face 'works'- I think its cartoony in a slightly wrong way and looks out of kilter with the work that went into the dress and the body. I am tempted to fix t, but my common sense is telling me not to touch it for a long, long time...

Anyway... here's a bit of step-by step:

Adding the shading- you can see that I embroidered the cheeks and then added satin stitch shading in a darker flesh-tone. Here I am adding the lighter flesh tone.

With all the base shading added. I was slightly creeped out by this...

With eye, nose and a smile!

happenings

2011-07-26T18:08:00.013+12:00

So alot has happened since I last posted here. I have moved across town to a new house ('across town' is like, two suburbs away from where I used to live. Miles! I know!) So as a consequence I have taken much of an interest in home decorating, but when your'e flatting your are kind of restricted to what you and your flatmates can pull together, so the results are looking mish-mash-y...

I have completed the dark grey border on The Blanket. So now I only have to knit the brown border and I will be done with the knitting bit. I have also found the ideal solution to the woven backing- pre-made quilted fabric- in calico, which is a great match to the design. I was so excited when I found it- I had been grappling with the idea of quilting the backing, which frankly seemed daunting for a non-quilter like me. So this all means that I should be able to complete this project sometime next year, all going well.

I have baked these, which I brought into my office. Next time I'm trying them with peanut butter icing...mmm...

And these.

And these, which I also brought into my office. I have never seen such a large batch of cookies. Ever. I still have a tin of them to eat through at home.

Baking in action. Yes I am a modern girl and I bake directly from the internet (although I do have to be careful as flour and computers do not mix).

And if you think that my baking is wholly American, think again. I'm keen to try making Matcha Daifuku Mochi with Red Bean Paste, which I come across at sushi shops occasionally and are my new favourite things. I didn't like them at first, due to some weird flavour/texture combo, which put me off them for a while. I only wish that I liked these when I went to Japan- they were everywhere, especially in Kyoto.

I have embroidered a little, but not alot (bad lighting in my new house and my winter knitting addiction has much to account for here). You can see that I am working on embroidering Ballerina Georgie's skin, which is a very delicate process which I am approaching with a high level of caution. I am betting that her face will be one of the last things that I will be working on in this whole piece. The blue blobby bits are where I have marked out motifs to be embroidered. I certainly need to do lots and lots more embroidery as I have a deadline (late December birthday) so frankly, I need to make this, not knitting or baking, my obsession!

I'm taking my nieces to Kraftbomb tomorrow- I'm looking forward to seeing crafty Auckland and my old neighbourhood.

And not to forget! Lucky Penny is on next Tuesday- see you there!

Lucky Penny June!

2011-06-05T19:19:00.002+12:00

Lucky Penny May!

2011-04-30T14:45:00.003+12:00

Two Lucky Penny posts in a row..! My craft time has been slipping but hopefully I will have something new to show you soon. But don't forget..! Next Tuesday is time for our monthly Lucky Penny crafty-ness. See you there!

Hello Lucky Penny April

2011-03-30T22:27:00.003+13:00

Hello there! Its nearly the start of a new month and I thought that it was time to let you know about Lucky Penny for April. Bring your craft to town and join us for some coffee and chitchat!

Mezze Bar from 7.30pm.

Durham Lane (above Queen St Glassons)

Auckland

See you then!

moving moving

2011-03-28T21:38:00.003+13:00

Packing up. Dust abound (my poor nose!). Putting my life into an array of boxes, bags and cabinets. I'm on the move again! This is my 4th move in the last 5 years, but this is a short one- just to my sister's house, where I'll be staying until I find my self a lovely new home..! My nieces are super-excited that Auntie is coming to stay (knitting lessons have already been requested. But like this picture, things will get messier before they get tidier. Finding a new flat is never easy, and doubly hard when you have to pack and manage major work deadlines at the same time. Something has to slide, and at the moment it my craft and my exercise, both of which will return when my life has its sense of stability back. Wish me luck!

helping out

2011-03-09T21:27:00.003+13:00

I'm putting my craft to use by making a softie for Christchurch kids. Thanks to Leonie from Kiwi At Heart I have found a fantastic and cheerful way to help the people of earthquake struck Christchurch- and signed up straightaway. I'm not quite sure of the design or even what it will be made of yet...possibly a doll or a teddy- classics but easy to understand and relate to. This weekend I will be a-crafting- updates to follow. So, my question is- would you like to help?

Lucky Penny March!

2011-02-24T19:58:00.003+13:00

Hey there! The last month has just flown by and its time for Lucky Penny. Same time, same place!

...from 7.30pm onwards

Mezze Bar

Durham Lane (its kind of above the Queen St Glassons store)

Auckland

Bring our craft to town-see you there!

sashiko

2011-02-19T18:29:00.005+13:00

Sashiko. Sa-shi-ko. I love the sound of this word. And I love sashiko, which is a Japanese form of embroidery. I first found examples of sashiko floating around the net a few years ago, and added it to my 'crafts I like' list (no, not an actual list. I'm not that pedantic). So I was very excited to find a kit at the local Daiso shop (yayyyy!). I really loved some of the wording on the packaging- so funny, but kind of true. I carried the kit around for a year before I decided that the time was right for me to work on it. And that was when I came back from Vietnam. It is summer here in New Zealand and sashiko is the perfect summer embroidery- fast, portable, non-commital and most importantly, simple. It helps that it looks good too! It took me about a month to finish these two pieces, which is incredibly speedy given that I have a penchant for long drawn-out projects (Georgie's Embroidery, the knitted blanket, the silver hair-comb to name a few). I'm not quite sure what I will do with these pieces now that I am finished. At the moment they are simply pinned to my wall, loose threads and all. One day they may get transformed into patchwork-y but modern looking cushion.

So what is next? Well.... I have a dress to finish from some gorgeous 50's fabric, and perhaps it is time to return to those big projects. Or perhaps I could make felt donut magnets.. also from the craft aisle at Daiso...

Lucky Penny- Back for 2011

2011-01-25T21:11:00.002+13:00

Just a quick note to say that Lucky Penny Crafty Club is back for 2011. Next catch up: Tuesday 1st February- details on flyer above. Would be great to see you there!

re-work

2011-01-16T17:29:00.001+13:00

I've been checking the blogs... and have decided that mine is well overdue for a makeover. Expect more progress sometime soon. Have a fab rest of the weekend!

vietnam

2011-01-15T17:48:00.006+13:00

Not long ago, I was in Vietnam. It was a spur-of-the-moment-hastily-booked-and-plannned kind of affair, but great all the same. I simply decided that I had a great opportunity- longer holidays and my brother planning on being in the country at the same time- it may be hitting me in the pocket, but was simply too much of a good idea to resist. I spent some time in the north around Hanoi and Halong Bay (the pictures show exactly why it is popular with the tourists). Hanoi is like Kyoto to Tokyo- so much more culture. I took a liking to the perilous and crazy traffic- my number 1 tip for crossing the road is to simply forget about your personal safety and walk across. In Halong Bay I went sea-kayaking, took plenty of pictures and endured badly sung Vietnamese karaoke on New Year's Eve. From there I ventured south to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as everyone preferred to call it- rolls off the tongue much better don't you think?) and hit the markets, sweltered in the Mekong Delta, and squished into a war-era tunnel. The south of Vietnam is so much warmer and relaxed than the North- less communist propaganda (which incidentally, contained some great illustration). I also spent some time hanging out with my brother there, which was fun- just sitting around drinking coffee/beer/tea/mojitos and watching the local life unfold around us- the streets really are your best form of entertainment there.

So where to next? I'm thinking perhaps Argentina.

embroidery for my nana

2011-01-11T19:37:00.006+13:00

Craft has a strong re-purposing, 'make-do-and-mend' ethic about it. So what do you do when you kind of realise that you are just not going to finish an embroidery? Patch it up, frame it and give it to your Nana for Christmas! Looks good to me!

(There were meant to be 3 houses in the original embroidery, but the open-weave fabric and multiple other projects got the better of me. This bit of work is now cheering up my Nana's new room in the old folks home)

russian dolls and a palomino pony

2010-12-22T18:41:00.003+13:00

This year I decided to paint my nieces their birthday presents. Actually, scratch that- last year I decided to paint my nieces their birthday presents, this year I finished them. For E I painted a palomino pony, for she is absolutely mad about ponies and horses. I haven't much experience with drawing or painting horses, but this one has developed a life of its own- look at the expression in its eye- like it was caught stealing apples from the farmer's orchard!

For G I created a family of matryoshka dolls, which I am hoping she'll like. It was lots of fun coming up with different designs for their bodies/dresses/scarves (?!) but also lots of work to paint them. I could only manage short bursts of painting before my hands were shaking or my patience was shredded!

This is most likely my last post for the year- I'm soon to head away to see my family for Christmas (and gift my nieces their paintings), then to be a Kathmandu-clad traveller off to Vietnam! Whew! So here's to a Happy Holidays and a relaxing and fun festive season :)

gingerbreadness

2010-12-11T21:26:00.005+13:00

Well, it has been a while..! A lack of internet has put me well behind on blogging about the Amazing Gingerbread Cupcake Cookies... which I had made several weekends ago.

When I had left my last job, as part of my cupcake-themed farewell gift, I was given some cupcake cookie cutters.. what to do but make gingerbread cupcakes. Easier said than done, as there was some technique involved in getting the cut cookie to the tray without it turning into smoosh. Decorating was the fun part, with heaps of brightly coloured chocolately cookies being the result- which only lasted a few days in my household!

Recipe found here.

Are you ready for Lucky Penny November?

2010-10-31T13:57:00.002+13:00

Hello! Its very nearly the start of a brand new month.. and you all know that means its time for a crafty catch-up! Just a quick wee note to remind you all that Lucky Penny is on this upcoming Tuesday- so don't forget to pencil it in to your diaries! See you there!

Tuesday 2nd November

from 7.30pm onwards

Mezze Bar

Durham Lane Auckland (above Whitcoulls/Glassons on Queen St)

Bring your craft to town!

embroider me a garden

2010-10-18T18:07:00.006+13:00

So, I have been a little busy. After getting derailed by a some knitting I am now back on tack with my big project for the year- an embroidery for my niece. I can see a deadline (December birthday) which by the looks of things, I will miss. Perhaps another year won't hurt this project... So from my last update, you can now see that I've added a Ballerina Georgie, a French Knot rainbow, and now a chain-stitch garden (with rabbit) is a-growing. I am really enjoying working on this at the moment- I've managed to get past the 'intricate embroidery' a little and am working on more freestyle shapes, which allows more progress. Also if you happen to be working on a project like this it helps to have several motifs on the go at once- you can see here that the ballerina isn't quite finished- I'm trying to figure out how I will stitch her skin and face- and trying to find the calm space of mind and patience to do that! So in the meantime I'm working on a chain-stitch garden, which will eventually help frame the lower half of the embroidery. I've also added some more thread colours to my collection- I'm now wondering if I may need to invest in another thread box!

Time for some close-ups:

And signs of things to come:

on the border

2010-08-01T09:49:00.008+12:00

Well, this is one of those epic projects that never really seems to end. Several years ago, not long after I picked up knitting again, I had the mad idea to knit a blanket... which kind of grew... as I decided that it simply must cover my bed. The last little section that I have worked on has been hovering on my conscience for quite some time (due to a lack of wool, and a high level of procrastination regarding a trip to the wool shop in town).

Adding The Grey Border has become a bit of a big deal for me... and now its finished! Yayyyy! I had even taken to using it in its unfinished state, as I had realised it may be a very, very long time before I could use it. Also it was cold, and its wholesome homespun look was very appealing.

The knitting of this blanket is a bit of a journey, considering that I started it back in 2007- by the time I am finished (maybe next year..?) it will have a bit of a story to tell.

Its quite satisfying to say that I finally can tick that one off my crafty-project-list (blank available here). Oh! But what's this? The Dark Grey Border. Uh-oh. This one isn't over yet...

Lucky Penny... Back for August!

2010-07-29T22:34:00.005+12:00

Hello! Hope you are enjoying the craft-inducing winter coziness (or coldness, whichever you prefer..) and are clocking up some quality time with your friends, family and various creative pursuits. I know that I have many on the go-go (sometimes its actually hard to decide what to work on as some of my projects will have important future sentimental value, but others are just there for mindless relaxation... like most of my knitting. I don't go for genius in that category).Its been a little while since the last Lucky Penny- a whole month without a craft catch up and so much has happened... so without further adue:

Lucky Penny August

...from 7.30pm onwards..

Tuesday 3rd August

Mezze Bar

Durham Lane

Auckland (its above the Whitcoulls/Glassons on Queen St)

See you then!

ps. Sorry for the absence of advertising material (aka. the usual poster) But at least I managed to include a picture..!

magnolia

2010-07-18T18:05:00.004+12:00

Today, when I was hanging out the laundry, I glanced upon the neighbour's magnolia tree. It was enough to stop me mid-morning chore to run and grab my camera for a little impromptu photo session. Photogenic, no? I love photographing flowers- especially when they fill the frame of the lense. I don't have a good photographer's eye, but I like these. I really got into photographing cherry blossom trees when I was in Japan- as did everyone else there- people really do seem to appreciate how lovely they are.

This early evening, when I was collecting said laundry, I glanced upon the neighbour's magnolia tree. Again I just had to grab my camera- it looked so pretty in the twilight. And I just had to share, while I'm feeling a little impulsive!

ps. Please excuse the very muddly order or this post- me and new computer are trying to make friends with Blogger- I can't seem to move the pictures where I want them, and until I figure it out, they can stay put. Did I just say 'new computer'?! Yes, sure did- so that means that there will be more posting from now on. Yay!

Kyoto

2010-05-31T15:25:00.005+12:00

Temple gardiners, Arashiyama, Kyoto.

The best Buddha ever, Arashiyama, Kyoto. This is my number one favourite photo- how can you not like that smile!

Photogenic Buddha 's, Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Boats on the river, Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kyoto. As pictured in Lonely Planet etc. What you don't see are the tourists!

About a month ago I returned from a trip to Japan. Here are a few photos from Kyoto, just a few mind you- I took well over a thousand pictures all up. Kyoto is definately a temple-tourist place- lots and lots of people looking around, and I don't think that I got to understand the place until about my last day there. And it was then that I started to miss it, especially when travelling back to Tokyo. Tokyo of course has a charm of its own, but that will be another post, devoted to neon lights, kawaii cute and shopping.

Lucky Penny June!

2010-05-31T15:23:00.001+12:00

See you there!

Lucky Penny May!

2010-04-28T17:21:00.003+12:00

For the crafty-inclined of you, the next Lucky Penny Crafty Club is so so soon! Next Tuesday 4th May, from 7.30pm at Mezze Bar, Durham Lane, Auckland. See you there!

ALSO... those of you who know me personally.. as I have been promising-there are indeed photos from my very very recent trip to JAPAN which will make an appearance on this blog... once I have sifted through 1000+ of them (whew!) I'll also be bringing some of my gorgeous new Japanese craft and fashion mags to Lucky Penny for a show-and-tell. Yay!

Lucky Penny April!

2010-03-31T16:35:00.002+13:00

See you there!

new motifs

2010-03-17T15:11:00.004+13:00

Well, its been a little while since I have last posted here. And a little while since I finished working on these motifs, so I think I'm well overdue for a little show and tell...

I at longlong last finished the hot air balloon in the corner (complete with French Knot clouds) which I remember starting about 2007 or 2008. It took me a ridiculously long time to work on. Ok. There was admittedly alot of stop/start stitching and 'put down' time, all simply beacuse all that tiny tiny stitching on the balloon itself was driving me nuts. A labour of love (and an exercise in patience) you might say. Am I pleased with the result? Sure am.

Boo! Next on the list is the ghostie. My niece, who I am making this for, doesn't mind 'the scaries', so I decided to add a ghost. Glow in the dark of course. I couldn't resist checking it out in the dark after working on a section. This time I got an opportunity to work with lovely variegated blue thread which I have been trying to find a home for. Perfect place. A little more aware of the time when working on this motif, I decided to fill in the body of the ghostie with a squiggly couched texture.

So whats next? A ballerina dancing across the middle of the fabric. So pink, pink and more pink. And a candy garden. Of course.

Lucky Penny March

2010-02-23T10:15:00.003+13:00

Just a little note to get the word around- Lucky Penny March is on in a weeks time! All details on the flyer above- see you there!

Lucky Penny February!

2010-01-27T17:35:00.003+13:00

Well, the time has come around for me to mention Lucky Penny... Bring yourself and your crafty things for a night of gossip and craft on Tuesday 02 February at Mezze Bar, Durham Lane, Auckland. See you there!

first post of the new year (no photos)

2010-01-14T15:54:00.003+13:00

Ok, so laziness has gotten the better of me, and not only do I delay posting until halfway through the month, but also neglect to add some appropriately summery/crafty photos. Ah well, nevermind... So can I just go onto a 'new years' spiel as to how I'm going to change things around at the Violet & May HQ? I can...? Fantastic.

Somewhere in my new year's resolutions is the words 'blog more' (or was it 'be a better blogger?' Can't remember) Blogging can be a little tricky if you only have intermittent computer access on the sly at work. But blogging would be nothing without some kind of content, so I'm hoping that I can craft enough to make things interesting around here...

Another one of my new years resolutions is to finish the embroidery for my niece GG- think of it like a monogamous relationship with my craft- I won't be able to finish it for her 6th birthday if I get toooo distracted with other crafty things. 2010 is the now the year of the embroidery. Yikes! (If you are wondering at all what I am getting myself into... see what I made her big sister..)

I'm also calling it quits with any market-y or commercial crafts... as fun as they are, I found that I was losing the enjoyment of just making things. This may come as no surprise to those who know me personally, as I've been hinting at it for a while... but don't despair- I'm still a Kraftbomb groupie! And I'm looking forward to kicking off with the first Lucky Penny Crafty Club session this year (February 2, Mezze Bar, Auckland- be there or be square).

Other assorted new years resolutions include: learning something new (I don't what just yet... Am debating if a few words of Japanese for my upcoming trip actually counts.) and to do something charitable- I need to get in touch with my charitable self and contribute back to society.

There you have it. Something to thing about.
Bye!

Lucky Penny December!

2009-11-27T10:27:00.003+13:00

So, so soon! I'm really looking forward to the next Lucky Penny- the last one for 2009 can you believe?! Catch you there!

Also on this weekend in wholesome organic Grey Lynn (aka. the neighbourhood) is the Grey Lynn Park Festival, which I am told has great markets, music and a relaxed atmosphere. 9am-6pm Saturday 28th November, Grey Lynn Park, Auckland.

And the November Kraftbomb is on for those needing a cupcake fix, kooky/pretty/crazy crafty things and a chance to do some Christmas shopping! Thats on Sunday 29th November 11am-2pm Grey Lynn Community Centre. Yay!

a good excuse...

2009-11-04T18:50:00.002+13:00

I have finally found a good excuse to use up my hoard of felt... a Christmas ornament swap! Yay! I signed up today and can't wait to get started. But be quick.. head over to Twenty Cent Mixture and sign up pronto as applications close on Friday 6th November.

Meanwhile... Lucky Penny was good last night- catch the full report here.

Lucky Penny November!

2009-10-30T11:39:00.003+13:00

Wow, its very nearly November! And that means on the first Tuesday of the month its Lucky Penny Day! Lucky Penny is a monthly craft-friendly social event run by the lovely Heleen (Ruby in the Dust) and me! The next event is on the 3rd November, 7.30pm onwards at mezze Bar, Durham Lane in Auckland. There you go, just like the poster above.

catch you there!

fading beauty

2009-10-28T15:07:00.001+13:00

For a week now I have been watching these flowers. When my flatmate had brought these ‘magnificent’ peony roses home, they were a dark, bright pink. Over several days the buds opened, and the intense colour that the flowers had began to fade, from hot pink, to coral, to a soft blush pink, then cream. It is quite remarkable. Such perfect photo opportunities! Sigh.

marvelous

2009-10-19T11:50:00.004+13:00

Couldn't resist taking a snapshot of these cookies, fresh from the oven! Recipe found here.

horse parade two

2009-09-25T10:42:00.004+12:00

I just love taking pictures of my niece's many, many horses. Sometimes they are in a perfect arrangement.

Also: Kraftbomb is on this weekend! Sunday 27th September in the Grey Lynn Community Centre- yay!!

traditional and monograms

2009-09-23T11:53:00.003+12:00

So, I’ve hinted at this for a while, and just had to wait a little before I could blog about it. For a few months I have been chipping (ok. embroidering) away at a set of super-matchy-same-initials- monogrammed pillowslips for my sister and her husband as a luxe wedding gift...

Never having worked in a traditional manner before, I found it a bit of a challenge… you have to be careful when you work light-on-white (white-on-white was just a little too scary). The piece was worked with a design traced onto it with a water-based disappearing marker, then the outlines were backstitched on, then finished off with a whip-stitch, which really polished off the look! Part of the effort involved was keeping away bits of fluff and fibres which would get caught into the stitch-work. Particularly difficult when working in the presence of a very fluffy black cat…!

I was able to take a few pictures upon completion. I really love the crumpled up-look of the just-washed-pillowslips, particularly as they catch the morning light.

Once I had ironed them- starch spray is your best friend when working with good quality cotton. I folded them into a box, tied a bow, then added a gorgeous Rob Ryan card.

thank you

2009-08-31T11:45:00.004+12:00

Just a little note... Thank you to all the people who have brought violet&may over the last year of craft-fairs (especially Kraftbomb). I'm going to take a little holiday from 'commercial crafting' (as I like to call it) for a while.

But don't fret! I will still be making things! At the moment I have a handful of projects on the go-go so I will try and try to post them as I finish them :)

Also, soon soon (tomorrow) is Lucky Penny Crafty Club! Please come along to Mezze bar (I will point out that we will be sitting at the couches at the back of the bar.

p.s. please approach knitting socks with extreme caution. More about that later.

the design inspiration rant (please bear with me)

2009-08-22T20:41:00.009+12:00

Ok, so this will be yet another post without pictures, but that is what tends to happen when you own an archaic computer, and don't have the 'take your camera everywhere philosophy'. But I'm not going to post about my own work this time round. I'm going to talk about some design inspiration, simply beause thats what I'm looking for. I'm in two minds about those 'inspiration blogs', you know by people who are A. Well connected "my friend is a designer..."; and B. Seem have good taste in everything. Sometimes after a while they just seem to be a bit same-y, especially if you go through stages of reading lots of them. You might not like me saying that... But in the end it can take a little more now to impress or inspire me thats all.

So today I took a bit a backtrack to to 2005 when I did a couple of weeks fashion student-y internship (thats right- internship usually means handsewing) at Akira in Sydney. Akira is this Japanese designer based in Sydney who has been in my favourite books since, I'm guessing (gasp!) the late '90's. Lots of textile work and quite a distinctive silhouette. I remember a cloud print fabric that was in shades of golden yellow and purple, and somehow that translated into my line-y clouds that tend to pop up everywhere. Going overseas for what was essentially a uni assignment was quite a good idea in my books- I got to know a different city, and meet some new people. I left with a good dose of inspiration, yet when I checked out the website for the first time in a long long while, I found that the same sense of inspiration is still there. My graduate range was very Japanese inspired, but not necessarily in a beautiful, fragile way. A sense of softness and fragility is what I'm wanting to pursue more in my creative work, like embroidery on fine fabric and muted colours. I like the craft world and its community-mindedness, but sometimes I just want to create something that is beautiful, not necessarily kooky and crafty. I understand that what is considered 'beautiful' is incredibly subjective and not worth arguing about. All I would like to do now is get back into that creative frame of mind again. And perhaps make some beautiful clothes.

making up the rules

2009-08-06T16:33:00.003+12:00

A couple of days ago, Heleen and I hosted the first Lucky Penny Crafty Club. It was great to be able to host a gathering of crafters (or so to speak). It is nice to make up the rules (ok there arent any rules, but I just like saying that).

I'm in a little bit of project overload, so I've decided to list, just for the sake of listing:

Bridesmaid dress x1- my sister is getting married soon, and I'm a bridesmaid. For lack of anything suitable to wear, I've decided to make a dress. Simple and stylish is all that is needed.
Gift for aforementioned wedding- a gift that will have to be kept a secret at the moment. But when complete (and post wedding) I shall show you.
Borders on the blanket- my endless project, a luxe yet homespun looking (bed-size, not knee-size) patchy blanket; presently on hold as my wool supply has run out.
The new jewellery project- thankfully I can only work on this in class time. I'm making a hair-comb with a large turquoise stone set into it. Very mermaid-y.
The scarf from bad wool- a multicoloured scarf from a kind of yucky acrylic wool. Knitting for the sake of knitting...
Additional extras- a barely started painting, new things for craft fairs, and I've been wanting to make a matryoscka doll softie (but think I will leave that for Lucky Penny time)

...Is that all???

introducing... the Lucky Penny Crafty Club!

2009-07-28T11:33:00.004+12:00

It has been a little long in the planning, lots of emails, phonecalls and checking out venues, but the Lucky Penny Crafty Club is here! The lovely Heleen from ruby in the dust and I have created a crafter's night held at the cozy Mezze Bar in Auckland Central. Feel free to bring you craft-of-the-moment into town to hang out with other like-minded crafty types. We are busy setting up a blog, which is a little work in progress-y at the moment, but hope to include updates on events and happenings in Auckland craft-land.
The first Lucky Penny will be held on the 4th August from 7.30pm, so I hope to see you there! All for coffee,cake and craft I say!

kraftbomb! next sunday!

2009-06-21T14:23:00.001+12:00

parade

2009-06-15T18:14:00.002+12:00

One day I spotted this parade of horses on my niece's table... I especially like the rebellious (or confused)horse facing the wrong way. I do have many things to post about, but not today. And I expect time to slip so far by that it is almost not worth posting about...

2009-06-09T11:36:00.001+12:00

dream

2009-03-30T14:45:00.003+13:00

Do you? It would be a lovely thing to dream of…

This is a little smidgen of the embroidery I’m creating for my niece which is my current crafting obsession... I told you all that new thread would help!

simplicity and complexity

2009-03-23T16:11:00.004+13:00

You can say that humble things are beautiful- especially when photographed well! Somehow my work is never quite like that- I can often get over indulgent and carried away with the design process… especially when making jewellery. I have been longing to show two very different pieces on this blog- a brooch that I made for my mother and a necklace which I had made for my sister.

Complex. I love art-deco. You may recall this piece from this drawing from an earlier post. I was trying to push myself with learning new skills which made for a challenging piece. I added lapis lazuli for a jolt of colour, and enamel for its glass-like effect.

Simple. With a deadline and a need for a break from complex pieces, I chose to make a simple necklace for my sister’s birthday. I took the time however, to consider how you can make a simple cut-out shape more intriguing. Lovely. I’m now re-using the shape (same-same but different) for a necklace for myself, which I will show you in time.

colour

2009-03-19T16:07:00.004+13:00

I love new embroidery thread. Yuh-huh. And until now I’ve never taken the opportunity to take photos as I collect them. There is something quite sumptuous about embroidery thread- I just love the colour. Hopefully this newness will add inspiration and variety to my embroidery…

hello!

2009-02-21T14:00:00.001+13:00

Its kraftbomb tomorrow! See you there!

introducing...Piggilina

2009-02-09T20:04:00.004+13:00

Still in 'catch up' mode, here are some pictures of a softie that I have been itching to show you since about December. I normally don't make softies, you see. But with my little niece's 4th birthday coming up (ok- been and gone now!) this was a perfect excuse to try something new... and as this little girl thinks that little piggies are very cute, Piggilina (as I called her) was born.

I was trying the 'quirky' soft toy think, but somhow it ended up having an Auntie spin to it. I especially like the bow on her tail! This softie was a hit with Miss G :) Who knows- I could make more softies in the future!

new year, new sewing

2009-02-06T12:35:00.005+13:00

I think that there has been a bit of a delayed response with my blogging this year (so far). It kind of goes like this.. do some craft/sewing/see something inspiring. Think about blogging about it. Then watch the time slip by...

So now I am seizing the moment, and finally blogging about something (if only about a week too late!) I had been hoarding some luscious Liberty 'Mim' fabric for some time, and have finally turned it into something worthwhile: version 3.0 of the 'ever versatile top'- this time a ray of sunshine! This time I had accessorised with some very cute little cross-stitch buttons from the lovely Heleen at Ruby In The Dust- which I had purchased at a craft fair earlier and just happened to be a perfect match colour-wise!

the christmas-y one!

2008-12-18T17:45:00.004+13:00

Wow, I can't believe how quickly this month has gone! I've been busy managing my day job, Christmas shopping for the family and crafting like a crafty crafter! I'm jumping from one craft fair to another, and this week it is Kraftbomb! This time round there is two whole rooms of craftiness- so lots of people and lots of crafts. I'm going to be selling some fresh new collars (dots and cute little butterflys), a few necklaces, and I will be introducing a range of collar- inspired girl's singlets which are going to be ridiculously cute!

So come along- Kraftbomb runs from 11am - 2pm at the Greylynn Community Centre!

the next one: craftwerk!

2008-12-09T17:38:00.002+13:00

I've got another craft fair up this week- Craftwerk! So I've been busy sewing more collars to sell... and some are very cute! But I'm not going to stress out over it- I already have some scary looking dark circles under my eyes! The last Craftwerk was goodness and madness, so I am hoping that this is more of the same.

Hope to see you there- this would be a great place to buy some handmade Chrismas prezzies!

c'mon!

2008-11-28T15:26:00.002+13:00

Only 1 and a bit days to go until the next Kraftbomb! Until then there is a bit of sewing to do.. I'm looking forward to sunday! Kraftbomb is at the Greylynn Community Centre, Richmond Rd 11am- 2pm!

all stitch'd up

2008-11-16T12:13:00.004+13:00

I do like tattoos, even though I must confess that I don't own any (some combination of my Libran indecisiveness and slight fear of needles)! So I brought a Stitch'd Ink design at Kraftbomb a few months ago and have finally finished the design. Somewhere along the lines I forgot that cross stitch is very addictive- I'm sure thats because you don't really have to think much while working on them (that happened once or twice and I ended up forgetting to do a row or two! Oops!). I did add the word 'Auntie' an old-school tattoo font which was a bit of a challenge- especially the 'A' which has all sorts of odd angles. I chose to add the word 'Auntie' as I've been an auntie since I was 6 (most of my life) and I thought this would be a great way to make it some kind of badge. I do like the charm and irony of a piece like this. I will get it framed eventually- most likely in a type of frame that is at odds with the design.

I've also been working on a little painting- I'll post that when it's done!

changes and sensible advice

2008-11-10T13:04:00.003+13:00

I like the nature of this post. Especially the line about 'the girl in the mirror'. It is a nice reminder about personal change expressed beautifully.

I also like Lara from Kirin Notebook's (a long time read for me) craft/design business advice, which for someone who is starting out a little something is all so relevant.

Thats all for now!

notes from the craft fair

2008-10-26T16:53:00.005+13:00

new necklaces

suzy-lee collars

button collars

Today was kraftbomb day, and it went really well. There was a really positive atmosphere with this craft fair- lots of friendly people, neat crafts and live music which really added to the atmosphere. I had some new collars to show (they were not very photogenic... I am a terrible photographer, and the ones I really wanted to show you turned out blurry. Oops.) I also added some necklaces with a bow shape- an idea to use up left over fabric and to try something new. I left feeling really positive about the whole craft thing. Sometimes I think its so nice to be able to participate in something like that.

Another piece of news-news that I've been neglecting to mention is that my collars have recently been listed on Toggle, a website that sells New Zealand craft, which is quite special. So even if you can't make to the craft fairs they will be online (yay!).

Its a long weekend in New Zealand, which is nice. It is so relaxing to have an extra day off- I plan to spend it finishing off reading Sense and Sensibilty (Jane Austen of course!) which is surprisingly good. And I will dip into my Liberty stash and make myself yet another smocky top from my super-easy and useful pattern.... Perhaps I will show you the results in the next post.

the next one!

2008-10-20T19:49:00.003+13:00

Wow! I have been really busy crafting here and there for the next kraftbomb! This one looks to be exciting with a Halloween theme and much more stalls. I've been developing some new collars ideas (going nautical!) as well as some necklaces (I love accessorising!) so I'm really looking forward to it. Its going to be great to see what other vendors have up their sleeves as well! Catch you there at the Grey Lynn Community Centre (Auckland) 11am-2pm.

cupcakes!

2008-10-12T15:29:00.002+13:00

Last week I baked some birthday cupcakes to share with my family. They were ridiculously cute and didn't last long! Very much a treat and my new favourite thing to bake!

kraftbomb

2008-09-28T19:08:00.008+13:00

Whew! After that mad mad rush of sewing I can relax... The stall at kraftbomb was a bit of a slow one, but thankfully I sold some collars (which keeps the morale up!) and made a great looking batch of raspberry muffins. It was great to meet some new people and see a few familiar faces about. Creative-wise, I'm thinking of some new designs and ideas to keep things fresh- like more necklace-y things and an Eton collar style. And summer colours!

I brought one of City's Stitched Ink cross-stitch kits which will be great to stitch up- I havent made a cross stitch kit for years... I have strong memories of spending a long amount of time stitching a teddy-bear wedding kit when I was about thirteen- my mother is threatening to get it framed....

And last but not least is a picture of some gorgeous wisteria at my sisters...

violet&may at kraftbomb 2!

2008-09-22T18:56:00.005+12:00

In a mad mad rush of sewing... I'm off to the Kraftbomb craft fair (or should that be kraft??) on Sunday at the Greylynn Community Centre this Sunday 28th September 1-4pm. I have some super-cute new violet&may collars which I just can't wait to show you! Come along for some craftiness!

moving!

2008-08-21T19:08:00.002+12:00

I'm moving blog! to a slightly less confusing (to those who brought collars) sounding violet&may. Its very much nothing at the moment, but I will keep you posted as it develops.

Bye!

ahoy there!

2008-08-06T19:03:00.004+12:00

There is a good reason behind those ridiculously cute collars! CRAFTWERK! Next thursday at St Kevins Arcade in Auckland. Me and my collars will see you there. In the meantime there will be alllllot of sewing... (sorry for the small image. Blogger didn't want to make it bigger!)

Bye!

little collars

2008-08-03T18:40:00.006+12:00

These little peter pan collars are ridiculously cute. A sort of a mix of something that references jewellery and clothing all at the same time. And did I mention that they were cute? And ric-rac is now the best thing since sliced bread- I can't believe that I haven't used it before in my crafting...

makeover!

2008-07-11T13:40:00.003+12:00

A little impulse came over me today to make-over this blog- well overdue I thought! Nice and clean and very pink!! And spotty. What do you think? I'm trying to decide if it is a little OTT, which is why I'm counteracting the pink with grey.

Anyway I'm getting used to my new job (have been working part time there until my months notice at my current job peters out) and a daily (un-ecofriendly) trip on the motorway- my car has not yet broken down! I think I will learn alot from this one.

Bye for now (just a short short post today)

new places to go

2008-06-27T10:25:00.000+12:00

I have a new job. Forget the last post where I was speculating as to whether I would finish making my new dress in time for an interview (I haven't. It is hanging on my wall in all its unfinished glory, awaiting to be lined).

Forget the tedium of preparing for yet another job interview- there is only so many times that you can explain your portfolio, and only so many times that you can explain why you're looking for work, and only so many times that you can explain how you work in a team situation ecetera (I'm a compromise-r, very Libran of me).

However it is far more fun to tell people that you have a new job. A new job where I'm going to have to prove myself all over again. It's good to start something new. I'm all about making changes right now. I'm making that move into working with womenswear which I shouldn't regret. In time, I hope that it can be creative. Wish me luck.

Have a great weekend!

a scarf for my sister

2008-06-24T15:28:00.003+12:00

Another scarf, knitted a while ago, for my sister. Stripes are good! My photos do not do this scarf justice- it is so much more vibrant in real life.

new scarf

2008-06-23T14:16:00.001+12:00

A new scarf is always a good thing. Especially when you made it yourself.

the absent blogger

2008-06-09T09:13:00.003+12:00

Well, here I am again. Not surprisingly with not much to show or talk about, so again I'm feeling like the laziest kind of blogger, but sometimes life just gets in the way. Or perhaps I should say that life is what happens when you're trying to do other things! I'm still looking for a new job. Very tedious I tell you, particularly when your industry is in a slow moment jobs-wise- since I started looking a couple of months ago I have only had a grand total of two interviews. Maybe I need to work a little harder at finding work!

I finished my graphics nightclass a while ago, the class was O-K, but not life changing- like it wasn't quite in depth enough for me. I think I've realised that it may not be quite as easy as I would have thought it would have been to take up graphics or do some kind of career change.

Im still crafting, but in a slightly schitzo kind of way- start one project, get partway through it- then start another! So maybe I should finish this dress (hopefully in time for an interview!):

upskill me (part two)

2008-05-20T09:16:00.005+12:00

A while ago I had posted about doing a Photoshop/Indesign course. Here is some of the results- magenta and chartreuse green. So so very 80's and somewhat foreign looking compared to the graphics on this blog! After using Illustrator for a while, Indesign is ridiculously easy...which I suppose is a good thing!

oh, hello there

2008-05-14T18:15:00.003+12:00

Hello, I hope this finds you well. I'm being a bit of a slacker and not posting any pictures remotely design or craft related, even though there are a few things I would love to show here...

Things have been more than a little bit busy in my world, especially as I have the rather lovely task of finding a new job... But you know, if I have any downtime my creative output may increase! It would be great to spend sometime on my own ideas... and I have a few interesting ones in the pipeline!

However, over time I have noticed that I have a very good ability to talk and talk about my ideas and then never get them of the ground for some reason or other. So for that very reason alone I won't air them on this blog until I have convinced myself that they will go ahead... I do have some envy of those more motivated people out there, but I know that it takes time, money and effort to get a great plan (or any plan) off the ground...

Anyway it is dark now and I'm going to go home and cook a curry and knit. Cold winter nights huh?? :)

new things

2008-05-01T17:09:00.004+12:00

A few new things for my list on the side.

... daydream lily for lovely + collage + art. Based in Melbourne. Seriously so many creatives are in Melbourne. Is there something in the air?

... fortysixth at grace. Clean, lovely clothes in muted tones, and a sweet way of writing.

... The Sartorialist. Why didn't I check this one out earlier?

Anyway I have more brewing in the craft department especially with jewellery and knitting, so will do a real post at a later point...

Bye for now!

crazy socks

2008-04-29T09:54:00.001+12:00

Wear if you dare.

comments, comments

2008-04-28T09:01:00.005+12:00

By all means, I love your comments and feedback. But I do not love spam comments! So I have now got comment moderation, which of course adds an extra step for me, but stops the spam from appearing!

Thanks! Have a great week!

stitch lines

2008-04-24T17:11:00.001+12:00

I have a bit of a thing for drawing stitch lines. I think that it actually comes from patternmaking rather than fashion drawing as I often end up drawing a dashed line curve like an armhole shape on little bits of paper. So there is no wonder when this rather reptilian like figure appeared on a bit of paper, that I had to add more than a few stitch lines to her. I decided that she was a bit on the reptilian side via her dress, which reminded me a little of an art deco fashion illustration of a woman in a very reptilian dress. I also decided to differ my way of drawing for a change and tilt her neck forward a little, kind of like the Applet drawings at Inside a Black Apple. I think that I quite like it, but it has put her body out of kilter a little...

Anyway winter is encroaching here in Auckland, and I am kicking into my winter craft- and that means knitting! I am about halfway through a gorgeous dusky pink basket-weave scarf, which I will show you when its finished. And of course I'm adding a little to the blanket that I started last year- but I have promised myself not to spend all winter knitting obsessively!! I am also nursing an early winter cold (a sore throat and the sniffles), so will be in for an evening of chicken noodle soup and knitting tonight...

Sniffles or not this long weekend I am also planning to chip away at my sewing- I hae two projects on the patternmaking/cutting/generally very much unfinished (or unstarted stage). As I have a huge fabric stash, including some rather lovely Liberty fabrics, I'm getting behind the philosophy of the Use What You Have Flickr group. Using up your stash of fabric (or crafty bits) makes perfect sense to me- I now realise that there is no point in being too precious about your fabric and not using it!

And to make you smile I am looking after two of the cutest babysitting charges- my two little niece's mice! They are ridiculously cute (and very speedy on the mouse- wheel!). I will try and put a picture online of them.

Bye for now!

sometimes, I try cute

2008-04-16T17:35:00.006+12:00

Sometimes, I'll try to create something cute. But you know what? I don't really think that it works, like its an aesthetic that I don't quite understand. I think that this picture is just too twee and kind of insipid. A friend once described my fashion drawings as 'sophisticated cute'. I think she's right- I work with a more sophisticated style with a touch of cute, but not 100% 'awwwwww' cute. But for those with an innate sense of cute design (I know a handful)- well done! Its harder than it looks!

PS. ...by the way this is post #100 woohoo! It took me a good year or so to get this far (I is not Miss Frequent Blogger). Here's to another 100!

the neverending cuff (part two)

2008-04-15T09:21:00.002+12:00

I have been wanting to show this to you for a good while. And despite the time that it has taken me to get this far (hence the title 'the neverending cuff'), its not quite finished yet. You see, I'm wanting to drape some silver chain over it and link it through the gaps made by the butterfly wing shapes. Thats if it doesn't look too silly, which I suspect that it could...

This cuff is made from sterling silver which has been cut, soldered, riveted, hammered, textured with a scratch brush and polished to within an inch of its life. Am I proud of it? Certainly. Now I just need a good excuse to wear my extravagant piece of jewellery!

ghost grey

2008-04-14T12:35:00.004+12:00

If I was making a range of clothes, I would be sure to call a shade of grey like this 'ghost grey'. Unfortunately, due to my photography skills, the photos do not do this top justice! I have been dipping into my fabric stash as of late, and this is my newest piece. I thought that I would play around with some stitching detail this time, and have wound up creating an art deco meets handcraft bit of stitching on the yoke, which is very endearing...

a tree and a babydoll dress

2008-04-10T16:41:00.002+12:00

This girl appeared on a piece of paper. I like what she is wearing and thee whimsical landsape that she is in.

deco jewels

2008-04-10T09:26:00.002+12:00

This is just a little sketch of a little brooch. It is on a bit of an art deco meets butterfly wings trip, and is to be quite three dimensional. I've brought a couple of little lapis lazuli stones (the blue ovals) which have lovely little flecks of gold (or something gold-y) through them. The blue-y green areas are to be enamelled. So there are a few new things which I will learn through making this. All I've done so far is cut out the plate for the back and daydreamed...

a mottled green dress

2008-03-18T13:39:00.003+13:00

I would like an outfit like this. Including the socks.

coat of arms series (part 3)

2008-03-14T16:44:00.004+13:00

I like this one. Today's coat of arms have a wintery feel to them. Not surprising as I am wearing not one but two black on grey prints... both of which feature owls and birds and trees. All the winter deliveries appearing in the shops are definately promoting a mad sewing frenzy- in a black on grey Liberty (of course) which will turn into a dress!

And I have just discovered the scribble tool in Illustrator, which is very, very good indeed- once you get rid of the default colour! Its good to learn something new every day.

diamonds

2008-03-12T10:38:00.004+13:00

I have jewels on my mind. This little illustration/print appeared one night after jewellery class. I love the jewel bright colours. And this weekend I'm off to check out some gems for a couple of jewellery designs I plan to work on.

a blouse-y top

2008-03-11T09:03:00.006+13:00

I've managed to do some sewing at last. At this stage it is a matter of not getting precious over my stash of Liberty fabric. No point in wasting fabric or time waiting for the 'perfect' project. Here I have used Liberty Christelle along the neckline and Liberty Jean B, all available from here. I really like the mix of fabrics, and the vintage buttons look very cute. This is a great style to wear tucked into skirts as it has a nice amount of volume. I'm going to make another one or two of these in different fabrics, and I suspect that I will probably do a bit of altering to the pattern (hey! I am a patternmaker afterall!)

And in case you're wondering, I used McCalls pattern M5538, which is easy to find as it has a Rachel Bilson lookalike on the cover.

a leap year day

2008-02-29T08:59:00.007+13:00

It is a leap year day. And I'm going to post simply because this opportunity will only present itself once every four years. A 'Happy Birthday' to those that are born on February 29. This extra day of the year is a good day to think.

I've been doing a little inventory (as you may say) of all my projects and ideas that I am presently working on, or really really want to work on. It is a bit of a long list. A while ago I took the list of projects off the sidebar of this blog as I realised that I wasnt really working on them. This weekend I would looooove to start sewing again, as my high- rotation of favourite clothes are looking a little tired to me. My stash of Liberty is asking to be (very carefully) used up.

So my little long list is as follows...

sewing
... A blouse-y top for myself, made from one of my Liberty fabrics. I'm going to hunt for a good pattern.
... To finish the butterfly top for my sister.
... A couple of t-shirt dresses for my nieces.

knitting
... To work on my blanket every now and then.
... And to knit a basket weave scarf in a gorgeous wool in time for winter.

painting
... Simply to pick up my paints again after they have been in storage for so long. Especially when I have some ideas to develop.

embroidery
... To complete the first motif on the embroidery for Miss G.

crafting
... And to create a great cushion for myself (coat of arms)

design
... To finish my 'goodbye' illustration. Eventually.
... And eventually learn how to do textile prints.

jewellery
... To Finish the Neverending Cuff. By the end of the term. So that I can move on to...
... An extravagant necklace.
... And a brooch for my mother.

Now my question is- where, just where do I find (or make) the time?

geogeousness and cleverness

2008-02-25T17:00:00.003+13:00

Oh, there are more than a few inspirational things in my world at the moment. Which ones should I choose? Here are a few...

...Georgeous ginko sketch at Abigail Percy. There is something quite exquisite about the lines in this drawing.

...The recent burst of activity at Sugarloop. Lovely!

...Drawing on transparent paper. Still one of my favourite things from back at uni. There is a great quality about it

...Paper folded marvelously into books and smaller books at littlepaperbird.

...I love blues based songs and The White Stripe's 300 M.P.H Torrential Outpour Blues is number- one- favourite-often-played-song at the moment.

...Ideas to work on (once I set myself up!)

...And a tempting pile of books to read...

upskill me

2008-02-18T09:12:00.002+13:00

I'm on a mission to upskill myself. No longer content with just working in fashion, I want more creativity in my workspace. So I've enrolled in a Photoshop/Indesign night class, which won't start for a while, but I'm really excited about it. I'm wanting to work more in a fashion graphics type role, which would make the most of my experience in working with offshore manufacture, with more of the creativity that keeps me going. This is the first step.

moving on. moving in.

2008-02-11T08:48:00.000+13:00

After a good two weeks of hanging about, I finally moved into my new flat. Thank goodness! My last flat just didn't work out. But the new one is off to a promising start, and hopefully I will be happy there once I settle in. I did the move (of the heavy stuff anyway) in a record one-and-a-half hours. My room is still chaos and disorder, and I am now taking a liking to reading up on clever storage, as my room doesn't have a wardrobe, so I have a few things to sort out. And my sewing machines are out of their boxes and a small list of projects is floating around in my head. Fantastic.

coat of arms series (part 2)

2008-02-08T16:14:00.001+13:00

Oh this is so preppy! But thankfully more interesting than the last version.

the coat of arms series

2008-02-07T15:57:00.001+13:00

I've taking a liking to the coat of arms as of late. I actually did a Google image seach to see if my family had one- we did apparently, but it is not as pretty as I had hoped. I think that you have to be one of those people who appear in the society pages of Tatler magazine to have one of those! So I'm now playing around with motif- maybe I'm well overdue for a move on from my favourite clouds now. This is a first little attempt at a print repeat- so its very, very simple. Not overly sure about the colours, and I think that there could be some more variation in the shapes. What do you think? I'm going to be working with this motifs in a few guises from now on, which is quite exciting!

hello February

2008-02-01T16:27:00.000+13:00

Oh hello February, I hope you treat me well. I can't believe that it is February already, and here I am still adding '07' to the end of dates. Oops. I'm trickling into doing some new crafty things (more about that another post) and new other things...

...I'm moving flat again. To a snazzier part of town- walking distance to cafe's and Ponsonby Rd shop. I eventually found that living in a little space was getting me down- no sewing makes Anna go crazy! And I'm looking forward to the challenge of decorating my room- at least I will have a bit more space to unpack.

...February also tells me that it is time that I will have to make more effort into conducting my life to move the way I want it to. Sounds dumb, but I'm sure that Dr. Phil will agree, as I think that I'm moving into some mid- twenties crisis... So from now I want to try and focus on those important things, like friends (I find it really hard to maintain friendships, but am great at making what you would call acquaintances or friends-in-context), family and figuring out what on earth I will do with myself. The art of happiness indeed.

I hope the month of February treats you well too! Have a wonderful weekend!

a little bit of craft

2008-01-30T16:02:00.000+13:00

Sometimes, a little bit of craft is all you need. I made this cute little pincushion for my sister. I'm really liking this working with text and embroidery thing at the moment. I thought that the green colours would go perfectly with her vintage sewing tin (unfortunately the photo of it turned out frighteningly bad, so you can only see a snippet of it in the first photo).

This little sewing tin has some seriously good finds in it, including 'The Glenda Double Fold Bias Binding' and the remains of an old- fashion rose sewing kit. Very tempting to use I say, but somehow they just belong in that tin- I think that it would almost be a waste of a little time capsule (and lovely vintage typography)...

...don't you think?