doresu : kiku

I've been in production overdrive this month.  Lots of new dresses and other bits and pieces.  This dress is the same cut as my 'doresu', although it incorporates a panel of Japanese fabric - katazome kiku or stencil dyed chrysanthemum fabric.  It's such lovely fabric.  These have already made their way to both Olive Grove and I Dream a Highway. Hope your weekend is treating you well....

my creative space

Tucked away at the back of the house, I have a dedicated creative space.  It's a tiny room, but it's mine.  It crammed full with sewing machines, silk screens, two tables, books, miles of fabric, patterns, card making stuff, soap making stuff, and random stuff.  It's amazing that so much is in such a little space.  But it works for me.

My creative space today is filled with projects on the go.  Freshly gocco printed owl cards, newly made swing tags, and all the other stuff that usually lives in my space.  These pictures are a little glance into my space.  Many many more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

why

Why is it that at bedtime, Ash decides to tell me it's crazy hat day tomorrow? 
Why is it that my iphone has decided to crap itself? 
Why is it that I cut half of a big run of pattern pieces the wrong way? 
And why is it that the corner across from my kids school always has a bizarre assortment of forgotten chairs?  Why?

zested

A couple of weeks ago, we picked up a bag of lemons and a bag of limes from an honesty stall out near Kangaroo Ground.  Since then, lemon or lime has made it into many things.  Tonight lime was zested into our pasta, and I made a lemon delicious pudding.  Yesterday I made lemon and coconut cupcakes.  I'm thinking that soon I'll have to made some lemon butter, or a lemon and lime tart.  I have a lot of lemons and limes to get through!

(At Day 25 of Blogtober, I'ce got to say it: more power to those who blog everyday, always, and with something new and interesting to say.  You are amazing!  I've tried to post everyday, but have missed a few here and there.)

sunday

Joy is: gardening with my family
enjoying the sweet taste of borage flowers
learning to make daisy chains
goccoing cards, filling all surfaces
recycling drawers into mini vege plots for the boys
coffee in the backyard with home made lemon and coconut cupcakes
finishing the day with dinner outside.

on freedom

I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom lately.  That is, the freedom of my children.  My partner and I have always given our kids as much freedom as possible in our city environment.  We’ve taught them how to be safe around roads.  We’ve set boundaries.  They have our trust, and trust themselves enough to be alone to discover new things.  Isn’t this an important part of growing up, and learning to be a normal functioning human being?

I continue to come across people who afford their children so little trust and responsibility.  Their children are cloistered and rarely have any opportunity to develop independence.  What have we as a society become?  Why is it that children no longer roam free, are restricted, and always have eagle eyed parents on their backs?  Children are given so many no's.  So many opportunities for learning and growth are taken away.  

Instead of telling children no, and teaching them to be afraid, shouldn't we instead provide them with the tools for independence?

A couple of weeks ago, I heard Lenore Skenazy talk about letting her 9 year old son navigate the New York City subway alone to find his way home.  At first, I thought "what???" - but- is this necessarily a bad thing?  She has provided her son with the tools for independence.  He knew how to read a map and buy a ticket.  He grew up knowing that it was okay to talk to strangers, just not to go away with strangers.  He knew what to do.  He made it home.  I bet Lenore's son would be able to walk to the milk bar alone, or ride his bike to school, just as we did as kids!

Are things really so different now that we can't give our children even a fraction of the freedom that we had?  I don't know that it's so much different.  We have just as a society become more paranoid, more fearful, and far less trusting.  And sadly, this transfers to our children and their life experience.

You know, it's okay to let go a little bit.  Really, it is.

my creative space

 A little while ago, a couple of women came into Olive Grove and tried on my cowl necked dresses.  They asked about the possibility of having them made up into bridesmaids dresses.  The thought was kind of horrifying (my god what if I stuff it up!) and exciting (how cool that someone likes my work enough to customise it into a bridesmaids dress).  They chose a silk duipon for the dress, and lovely Japanese fabric for the contrast.  I'm rapt with how they turned out- I hope they will be well received tomorrow when we meet for a fitting.  

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

in progress

 I have been cutting all day, literally.  I think I am giving myself a permanent ding in my fingers from the scissors.  But it's all good... I'm excited about what I'm making.  Dresses with gorgeous Japanese fabric panels, and more bags finished with lovely handmade wooden buttons.  I think I have officially cleared The Friendship Tree out of all their button stock!

searching...

I'm not really a shoe person...  I tend to go for practical-wear-it-with-everything shoes.  This summer is going to change things a little though.  I can't wear my favourite (erm, only) summer sandals anymore.  I got orthotics a few months ago, and now have to wear shoes with a full back.  Bleh.  But.  I've been looking at shoes here and here.  Maybe Summer's not looking so boring after all?

If you know of any great shoe stores, or interesting summery shoes, please let me know!

Image found here.

Ninja

The small boy had a birthday party this afternoon.  Which is great.  It really is.  Except when you realise maybe half an hour before leaving that it's actually a dress up birthday party, and that he wants to be a skeleton.  Not today, sunshine.  All good though...  he decided to be a ninja instead.  One karate uniform, a pirate sword and a quick head covering later, and he was happy.  So happy that he wore it out to dinner later that night.  Ah yes.  All is good in the land of Ninja.

(BTW- I'm playing around a bit with my template, so it's all a bit all over the place at the moment...)

my creative space

I'm sure that like many women, my bag has a tendency to become full of... well... crap.  I like making myself little pouches to put in my bag to contain the chaos.  This one (made this morning) is big enough for a little notebook, visual diary and some pens and pencils.

More creative spaces at Kirsty's, and Blogtober players at Cathy's.

self portrait

I'm cheating a bit.  I just came across the blogtoberfest self portrait bit that's going around, so I'm grabbing a picture off my phone from the other day... I was sending a picture to a friend to get her opinion on the sleeve length on a dress I'd just made.  More self portraits over at Tinniegirl.

pressed

I was working at Olive Grove today, so I made use of the huge printing table to iron some interfacing onto larger lengths of fabric.  I thought it would be okay to use the iron at the shop- it’s just interfacing.  My god.  I know I’m pretty anal about ironing as I go.  I know I’m a bit of a perfectionist with pressing.... I just didn’t realise how much of an iron elitist I have become!  It’s kind of funny.  What would have taken a short amount of time took an age longer, and it didn’t even fuse.  It just shifted, scorched, melted and generally did not adhere.  I gave up in disgust and did it at home later.  Yep, I’m blaming the tools.

If you’re new to sewing, invest in a good iron.  A good, strong sturdy heavy iron with a good burst of steam.  Leave the $20 cheapie on the shelf.  And while you’re getting a good iron, consider an iron shoe.  These things are brilliant.  No more scorching or leaving a sheen on your fabric.  No more pressing cloths.  These things are brilliant.

 Um yeah.  My name is Sherrin, and I am an ironing nerd.

doresu

It's been a long process involving a lot of procrastinating, but I finally have a new dress pattern ready and firing!  The first variation will be at Olive Grove as of tomorrow.  I'll take some full photos then.  I couldn't get a clear one today, no matter how hard I tried.  I'm excited about the variations I've designed into this dress; incorporated obi belts, contrasting panels.  Or, just simple, like this one.

It's nice writing this post after yesterday.  It shows that even little steps take you somewhere eventually.

taking time

My relationship with time is fraught.  I always feel busy, and yet often feel like I am achieving nothing.  From the outside looking in, I’m always doing something.  I have three children, run my own business and am part of a handmade retail collective.  I do a lot of things.  But I always feel busy, rushed.  Little is done properly or to fruition.  When I’m not rushing around, I feel stressed that I should be doing something.  I tend to take too much on, and let my ideas and dreams get ahead of me.  I jump from one project to another.  I get overwhelmed.  I need to stop, focus and breathe.  I need to slow down.

Usually, I drive the boys to school.  We live just a little too far away from school to make walking feasible.  But today, I didn’t have the car.  We caught the tram to school, and afterward, Zeph and I had coffee with Cathy.  Walking back to the tram, Zeph scooted ahead on his balance bike while Cathy and I talked about time, and making time.  Every so often, Zeph would stop, pick a flower, or marvel at a caterpillar.  He is present, in the moment, now.  Racing around, I miss so much of these very real things that truly matter.

So, what do I do?  Bemoaning a lack of time and energy doesn’t get me anywhere!  Experience has shown me that creating a timetable for myself is a waste of time; I never stick to it.  Plan better?  Maybe, if I knew what I was planning for.

You know what my problem is?  Beyond expecting too much of myself, I don’t think I have a goal.  I don’t think I really know what it is that I want.  I haven’t refined any dream to focus on and work toward.  This is why my time and focus is so fractured.

So, I need to:

·         Let go of unrealistic expectations

·         Set some goals- be realistic, I can’t do everything

·         Focus on one project at a time

·         Slow down

·         Breathe

Reading back over my list above, I can see that it doesn’t address an overall goal.  That’s a big one.  That’s big picture stuff.  I’ll get there.  But in the meantime, I’m slowing down.  I’m smelling the roses. 

kids craft :: postage stamps

I collected stamps as a child.  Now, I'm really wishing I have have hung onto all those albums.  I'm thinking of all the incredible things I might have done with with them.  I've seen them as brooches, and sewn into belts and bags.  A quick tour around the internet, especially flickr, opens a whole other realm of invention and possibility.  My smallest small likes stamps too.  Together we removed the stamp from his letter from Grandma, then he glued it into his scrapbook and created a world around it.  We're collecting stamps together now.

gold

Sometimes you see something you have to have.  Yesterday, this was it.  Op-Shop gold, in the form of a tin.  Nice.

on soap

For nearly two years, I've been making my own soap.  I love making soap.  I love the process, but I especially love cutting it into bars the next day- big earthy, chunky free-form bars of soap!  I love knowing what's in my soap, and especially what's not in my soap.  I won't rehash my anti-palm-oil rant here, but if you're even vaguely interested, please have a look.

Before giving soap making a go, I always thought it would be hard.  But you know what?  It's really not.  The recipe I use makes a fair bit, but my Mum has used the same recipe and halved it, and her soap has turned out really well.

If you want to give soap making a go, then do!  Try it!  I use a recipe I found over at the Down To Earth blog.  It's fantastic.  And palm oil free!

to gift

All of a sudden, it's Spring.  Gorgeous warm weather, friends and picnics.  Good stuff.  This is how we spent our afternoon, this last of the September holidays.  A whole afternoon in the park with friends.  So very good.  (One of these friends had her birthday last week, so I made her this little coin pouch this morning, and added a bar of handmade soap.)

today, in pictures.

Today, in pictures:

Coffee at Chair 14.  So lovely and quiet while the Grand Final was on.  They've got Oktoberfest on at the moment, and were also talking about pumpkin carving on Halloween.  It falls on a Sunday, so it could be good.

Tea at home.  I love this teapot.  It was my Grandma's.  The collage in the background is an amazing piece done by a friend of ours.  He did a whole series around water, mostly reservoirs.  Some pieces he collaged, others were stencilled.

Homemade pizza, topped with pine nuts, roasted pumpkin, soft goats cheese and baby spinach.

And now, a quick look at other Blogtober players, and then I'm making myself comfortable in front of the tele.  I read Running With Scissors a while back... I hope the film doesn't ruin the book!

Blogtoberfest

You know, it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day of life.  It’s easy to move through the motions of life and suddenly days, weeks, even months are gone.  I’m like that.  I get ‘busy’.  I get caught up.  I forget to do things and push things down an imaginary list.  Blogging is one of those things.  I love it.  I really do.  I love putting my thoughts and ideas out there, seeing what others are up to, and feeling somehow connected to other creative types.  My problem is I find it hard to maintain my energy for it.

But now it’s Blogtober.  And it only takes a few weeks (hopefully that wasn’t a few months!) to form a new habit.  This month’s new habit is going to be daily blogging.  For the whole month of October, and hopefully beyond. 

Cathie of Tinniegirl fame is hosting Blogtober again this year.  Feel like playing along?  Yes?  Then go visit Cathie and add your link.