Spinning and Snapping
March 31st, 2011 § 9 Comments
Thursdays are great fun. I have my little buddy home with me. Don’t you just love four year olds, they can make even the most ordinary, everyday goings-on extraordinary. We come up with better, simple ideas when she desperately wants me to play and there is an almighty mountain of domestic chores to sort. Necessity is most definitely the mother of invention around here.
Today washing quilt fabric and playing ‘very important photographers’ was just the ticket. How lucky am I, that’s one cool little playmate! (In case you were wondering, headbands are apparently essential hip photographer equipment and not just for mini Bjorn Borg impersonators. Who knew!) I love how the shots turned out. It’s so interesting to see how the colours blend in those big blurred swirls. Now I’m itching to get piecing.
In other news my wish for vintage sheet fabric was answered by Kate’s Creative Space Post last week, thanks Kate. I clicked over to Leah’s new shop, Sweet Sheets and in a blink of an eye a fabric rainbow arrived. So, so pretty! I absolutely adore them, as does the pending mermaid quilt. Thanks so much Leah.
Don’t forget to head over to Kirsty’s Creative Space, where wishes do come true.
Making Good
March 24th, 2011 § 11 Comments
These are the fabrics and the inspiration for the smallest ‘chicken’s’ quilt. A really sweet, completely girly number that hopefully she will love, love, love. I only wish I’d had a couple of vintage sheet scraps to go in here and there. But who knows, the gods may smile yet. I used one of her gorgeous little summer tops, long outgrown, as my main colour guide. Aqua, turquoise, sea greens, soft coral shades and little bursts of orange. I know she loves the mermaids, I guess there’s no surprise there, she is all of four. But hey, I have to be honest, I still love the idea of mermaids and I’m… (ahem)… quite a bit older.
The whole idea of making a single bed quilt after only having finished a doll size before is a teeny bit scary. But, a promise is a promise, especially to your kids. And after all, I have got my much loved copy of Patchwork Style and there has been so much quilty support around the Kootoyoo traps lately, I figure why not. I’m ready and rearing to go!
On the other front is this; a warm up sketch that just grew and grew (haha little pun there). I must have been enjoying myself. Love it when that happens! Wishing you all a wonderful relaxing weekend.
Pop on over to Kirsty’s for truckloads of amazing creative spaces to visit.
Amelia is Published!
March 10th, 2011 § 25 Comments
In my creative space today I have a freshly printed stack of books. My first published children’s book!
I can hardly believe it’s here, actually in my hands! I am busily photographing it for my poor neglected folio.
‘Amelia Has Cancer‘ is a non-fiction children’s book designed to help parents and teachers explain cancer to newly diagnosed children. Alison came up with the idea when her little girl, Amelia, was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma cancer and Alison had to explain to her children what it was and what was going to happen. She soon realized that there really wasn’t a resource to help. Everything was too dry, too clinical and way too dull. They were books that simply wouldn’t hold a child’s attention.
So Alison, a mother of five and a science teacher, came up with one that would. A book that spoke directly to children informed by her families journey from diagnosis to recovery. She took her idea to Carolyn Dodds at Cure Our Kids, another incredibly inspiring woman, and the project was underway.
I found the beginning of the project hugely challenging, it’s a difficult subject to face let alone understand. It’s difficult not to get emotionally swept away. But I couldn’t think of a more worthwhile project to work on. And I think Alison’s straightforward voice next to the gentle images manages to strike the right note on a threatening subject.
I enjoyed the whole process, particularly having the opportunity to design the book in conjunction with the illustrations. And it was fantastic to be working with such driven, inspirational women. If my future holds more projects as satisfying as this one I will be one happy girl.
Check out lots more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s wonderful Kootoyoo.
A New Chapter
March 7th, 2011 § 11 Comments
Howdy stranger, hard to believe it’s been a year already. I hope life has treated you ridiculously well and 2011 is turning out to be fab.
Since my last post change has been the order of the day around here; lots of change and new beginnings. Sprucing, selling, exploring, finding, renting. In fact a big rethink. The caravan has hitched the ponies, pulled up stumps and moved south to Melbourne. And we’re loving it. This place is chock-full of surprises.
What can I tell you about the leafy green suburb of Northcote… we are only 8 minutes from the city centre and yet have whisper quiet nights. So long flight path! We have found sweet weatherboard cottages, environmentally-minded peeps, a gurgling muddy creek, amazing street art, a grand old picture theatre and a wonderful mish-mash high street. We have seen hot air balloons in the skies at dawn and vast fruit bat flocks at dusk. The coffee is pure perfection and everywhere you look people travel by bicycle.
We have a new city, new projects and new adventures to blog about. It’s a brand new chapter.
