My Creative Space

This week I finally got around to making some little sand/bean/rice throw bag type things for a little fella whose birthday was now a few weeks back.


I've been meaning to make them for some time but I got a bit bogged down by the question of the content - what's best to put in these things? Sand - too fine and leaky, rice - susceptible to pests, beans - expensive, potentially too lumpy, and a bit wasteful.


I ended up with rice with some lavender thrown in to deter pests. Fingers crossed. They were wonderfully easy and a joy to make of course. Satisfying sewing.

More Creative Spaces over at Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

Courtesy of some creative kiddies...


Just muckin' around as they do.

None of us has been very seriously creative lately, although Rohan's drawings are getting pretty good, I may have to gather a few for showing off...

I've even invited someone else in to muck around in my creative space recently - to make some curtains for me (wish I was clever enough to do it myself!). Pics to follow soon...

Itching to do some sewing, hopefully will find the time soon.

More Creative Spaces over at Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

Some simple and satisfying sewing: a cot size doona cover for Angus. It was surprisingly hard to buy one and oh so simple to make that I feel slightly chastened that I looked around for one for so long!


The fabric is nothing to rave about but it is free from licensed characters and lurid colours, and it's 100% cotton. Besides, it was reduced to $4 per metre, and I can't argue with that when he could be in a big bed in a year or so!

Pop over to Kootoyoo to see more creative spaces!

My Creative Space

I have started to get organised and have been cutting a lot of lavender. All the vases in the house are full of it and when it starts to fade I'll set it aside to dry for making lavender bags for Christmas.
The bees have been buzzing around me wildly while I cut but there's plenty left for them - we have so many lavender bushes!

Check out all the other Creative Spaces over at Kootoyoo!

My Creative Space

Thanks for your wonderful comments on my creative space from last week! I hadn't expected you to say I should keep the parachute silk but it got me thinking and I'm not going to rush into anything.

I think I was in such a hurry because I had forgotten it existed so I had less attachment to it than I had previously.

Anyway for now its next assignment is as a prop for a photo shoot a friend of mine is doing. Lovely, ethereal, floaty curtains as a background to some lovely female forms.

Sorry for the pictureless post - my creative space has been the stuff between my ears this week as I've taken a mini blogging break!

More visual Creative Spaces over at Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

Help please?


This is some beautiful parachute silk that I have had practically all my life: my Grandfather was a bit of a collector, bit of a hoarder, bit of a salesman who opened a shop selling Army surplus, hardware and the like after the war. Family legend has it that there was a whole bolt of parachute silk that my Aunt said no-one was allowed to touch because it was for my wedding dress!?!? Sure enough the (somewhat reduced*) bolt eventually made its way to me and although it would have been very romantic to use it for my wedding dress I felt more romantic in Luci Di Bella.


However I am a rather sentimental person and wanted to incorporate the silk into my wedding somehow, so I cut two 10 metre lengths of it and it formed the aisle. It was beautiful!


The following year (2002) I lent it to friends for the same purpose then promptly forgot about it. They went to Peru for their honeymoon, we went to live in England for a couple of years, and nobody thought of the silk again until they stumbled across it last week and returned it to me.

Now this is where I need your help, what do you think I should with two 10 metre lengths of this stuff? It's quite sheer and slippery and it's 92cm wide.


I was thinking of dieing some to make children's play silks and giving them as Christmas gifts (spoiler alert to my friends with kids), and using some to wrap presents instead of using paper. Wait - at a metre each that makes only 20 silks, I think I just answered my own question!

Oh well, I do have the rest of the bolt so please tell me, what are your ideas?

*my grandmother used it to make her own underwear, ooh la la!

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My Creative Space

It's been a cold week here so I've been spending a fair bit of time by the fire writing, cutting bits of inspiration out of old magazines, drinking cups of tea and munching the odd bit of chocolate. Oh yeah, and avoiding the work I brought home in that yellow envelope.

More Creative Spaces over at Kirsty's place.

My Creative Space

My creative energy this week has been spent with more time camera in hand, creating nice juxtapositions around the house and taking LOTS of pictures of the boys.

More Creative Spaces over at Kirsty's place.

My Creative Space

I am so excited about the latest addition to my creative space: a Husqvarna 2000 (6010) that I picked up at a local op shop yesterday for $30.


I've mentioned my fondness for the Husqvarna 6020 before, my Mum has my Grandmother's machine that was bought new in the 60s. Well this one is almost identical and is almost complete. It even has the original Husqvarna guarantee and the Myer guarantee from when it was sold to Mr Symes in 1968.


Next I'll have to take it to Barry for a service, can't wait to take it for a spin!

I'm also excited to have finally hung my little shelf of threads away from prying hands. I capitalised on my Dad's visit at the weekend and got some gardening tips and this shelf hung, thanks Dad! It's not as gorgeous as Kirsty's creation which made me seriously consider ditching this one and joining her HAC workshop.


Notice the new Husky getting comfy already? I love my modern machine too and will probably continue using it for most sewing, but it just feels right to return to my sewing roots.

Thanks Kirsty for hosting My Creative Space, there are tons of great spaces to see every week.

My Creative Space

This week I've turned a little creativity towards the boys' rooms with the help of my lovely cousin Ruth who gave us a 'no longer needed' bookshelf. The 'new to us' bookshelf went into Rohan's room and looks MUCH better than the lilac one that had been there before (really didn't go with the deep red walls).


We have quite a lot of kids books really so a big bookshelf is great, but I really love having a couple of shelves for toys and the third shelf down is the perfect height for Rohan to tuck a few things away that he doesn't want his little brother to reach.


Rohan's old bookshelf went to live in Angus's room which is perfect because it matches the chest of drawers in there and the colours used in the room. I didn't want too many books because he just pulls everything off the shelves at every opportunity so less is more (or at least more easy for me). It will evolve over time but what I am loving right now is that both their rooms seem less cluttered now that they each have more shelving - hallelujah for that!

More creative spaces over at Kirsty's place!

My Creative Space

I'm joining Kirsty's My Creative Space this week. The sewing bug has got me again, I am feeling the pull towards the sewing machine and I'm finding knacky little things at op shops like these colourful buttons and this vintage pattern.


Just excuse the dodgy applique above, it had been a while since I'd done any so I was a bit rusty and I rushed into it of course. The T-shirt below was more successful.


And here are a few little things I picked up on my recent trip to Blighty.


I thought it would be nice to bring home a few sewing things so I'd be reminded of the trip when I used them. I never indulge in glass head pins at home but when it's a souvenir I can justify it!

My Creative Space

I love seeing other people's creative spaces here and I'm really happy with how my own is coming along thanks to a garage sale at the weekend where I picked up the two shelving units pictured here (for $2 each yay yay yay), and my recent stash purchases (thrifted and new).


I love seeing the fabrics displayed like this and just seeing it there makes me want to get down to work on something crafty right away. In fact it makes me happy just passing by and seeing it all there ready for me, I feel so fortunate just to have a little space like this.