button crazy!

after a small frenzy at the wonderful buttonmania (in the miraculously undeveloped nicholas building on the corner of swanston street and flinders lane, melbourne)






and then trying out a layout on the wool quilt (which now has a name)

wool quilt progress

i have finally moved onto the next phase of the wool quilt: today i embroidered the celtic moon and started sewing on the pearl beads. i found some great free share celtic patterns here. i knew i wanted something with an interlaced pattern and in black so you see the texture rather than a new element - initially i crocheted a long chain with intermittent abstract 'petals' but it wasn't quite right and would be too three dimensional. i thought i had some black darning wool in the stash i inherited from my mother's elderly cousin but the darning plait had lots of colours but no black. the black tapestry wool i have is too think and the cotton embroidery thread too thin for the purpose. then yesterday i went to the op shop in fairfield and there waiting patiently was a huge cone of fine black wool :) perfect!



the problem of embroidering black on black and onto knitted fabric which stretches was solved by printing the image and pinning the paper straight onto the fabric and just sewing through. the stitch perforates the paper and it comes off fairly easily - i will make it even easier tomorrow by dampening the paper. i'll also use this wool to quilt the top onto the other layers.

i'm alternating between enjoying the creative process and watching how the quilt unfolds and almost shapes itself and berating myself for having the cheek to think i can make something worthwhile, as though my other self won't allow any self-congratulation.

stuff

i have been putting off posting until i had some more photos but the light is really not good enough - too close to the solstice.

i have however been chugging along:

• turning an old maternity skirt into a bag
• making the quilt backing for my wool quilt and sewing all the applique bits

• making a's big quilt
  
  
  this photo was taken at the 'draping blocks over the kitchen table' stage - now sewn together they look much better. but this gives you an idea of the colours.
  
  and (ta da!)
• sewing up those pesky blocks that i was on the point of cutting up (see here)
  

(sorry for the blurriness - think of it as monet's, or pissarro's view of the quilt)

pincushion in action

pincushion in action
Originally uploaded by Hopkinsii.

my favourite pincushion bought years ago from the Plant Cottage, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and in constant use ever since. Wearing its usual adornment of pins (of course) threaded needles and buttons rescued from w.

bummer

well the hat she is finished (hurrah) BUT is a tad too large for the intended recipient who plucks it from his head and throws it aside :( i can't have it because i look terrible in hats and it's a little snug for m. it's a bit lairy for a and e has a surfeit of hats. maybe i will send it to alice springs for the great beanie festival





in other news i am pleased to report that i have broken the creativity barrier and the top of my wool quilt has been mapped out and pinned (more hurrahs). i stopped trying to think of what to do and just jumped in.