Sunday 17 November 2013

My, how time flies...

So... Gentle Readers, last Monday was the first anniversary of my Lovely Ma's death.  Blah.

 We went to the lovely Hunter Valley last weekend, and I gave myself a frozen shoulder by sewing a mazillion lavender bags...which MGF Kaz helped me stuff - we filled half a kilo's worth...



In other news, I have finally left the August Institution after five interesting years, putting travel, managing people and all the other managerial bullshit behind me.  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me, and I'm really enjoying being back in town, shopping, ducking and weaving through the pedestrians, and standing in a queue for a bus.  A bus!  Did I mention I'm not driving the 40kms each way to work any more?  A bus!!


This guy doesn't get a bus either.  

In other creative news, I made a cat. I hate cats.  I made it as a favour to one of my former colleagues... first and last time ever.  The dogs were easy - four parts.  The cat - 16 parts.  A complete pain in the ass.

But... a little cute, yes?


I made some Christmas reindeer, too...


This guy has already gone off to Singapore... and this guy... was a gift for the daughter of a colleague, somebody I've known for years and years, and who I've left behind at the August Institution.


And because I'm now working back in town, I can open my Etsy shop up to the big wide world again... the post office is 100 steps from my new building... 

And we saw this amazing sight last weekend:


Weird.


Wednesday 16 October 2013

That list...

1.  Pouch for Anne-Marie (18 months ago) (Anne-Marie retired before I got to this.  For SHAME!)
2.  Cushions for Mr Golightly's Big Sis (17 months ago) (Still waiting).
3.  Cushions for Lyndsey (6 months ago)   Finished (finally) & waiting to be handed over for her birthday.  Yay!
4.  Seat covers for Mrs Autrey (at least 9 months ago) Finished, just waiting for the Post Office to re-open.
5.  Dog for Effie in Canada (only Monday) Cheated just slightly & sent her nephew the one featured on the blog.  Hope she doesn't mind!
6.  Pouch for MBF's children's piano teacher (3 months ago) Let off the hook, she'd forgotten too & bought something.
7.  Pouch for MBF's children's dance teacher (ditto)
8.  Cushion for MGF Kaz (who knows, so long ago I've forgotten)  No change.
9.  Dolls for the children of people in my team (2 months ago). Finished, see previous blog post.
10.  Christmas Scarf for Clare in the UK.  Started but nowhere near ready.  No change.
11.  Christmas Gift for Gill in the UK.  Not even started.  No change, nearly two years later.  I'm sure I'll manage something this year!
12.  Welcome gift for Mrs Autrey's baby (knitted but not wrapped or posted).  Wrapped & waiting for the post office to open.
13.  Welcome gift for Clare's baby (not even started).  Baby is now 2 plus.  Oops.
14.  Kris Kringle gift for friend at lunch on Sunday*.  Lavender bags X 3.  Time?  20 minutes.  Easy.


I think I need a new list.  

It's 4.24am, Gentle Readers, and my brain is churning.  I dug out this old entry from December 2011 & I'm sorry to report that its the same colleague who's giving me grief.  Some things never change.  

I'm considering making a quilt for my nephew & his lovely wife (oh!  Did I mention there was a wedding in the midst of everything else that went on this year?  I'm sure I'll be ready to share more details later.  Really).  I just ordered this to go in the middle of the squares of the quilt - it's all made from Japanese cottons, and it needed something a bit ... lively... for the middles.  We'll see.  And here's one I made earlier:



All the quilters who read this blog (ha!) will be exclaiming about the terrible join in the border.  I know, I know.  At least I hand-stitched the binding on.  


Now.  Back to bed.


PS Why???? Blogger, Why?  Arggggg

Monday 14 October 2013

So... what's it been like, then?

So, I took the posts down about Mum dying because I read what Jane Brocket had to say about her mother dying, and I thought, "you know what?  I don't want to dump my sadness on everybody who pops along here for a dose of sewing, cheer and grammar."  I did think that, honest.  Well, maybe not quite like that, but something along those lines.

But then I thought, maybe the Gentle Readers will enjoy hearing about what's been happening at Casa Golightly whilst I've away.  So here it is...

December:

 Sitting on the work desk of the Uncle of the lucky recipient & in the organza bag, which is why she looks a bit weird.  Apparently Miss Three went ape & is still carting it round with her, nearly a year later.


A Christmas Reindeer for MBF Deb, which I is made from Dr Seuss fabrics I found somewhere & wished I bought more of!


Christmas themed reindeer which the lovely Kerry at Rapport Beauty Therapists in Newport let me put in her shop window.  Needless to say, they sold!

And finally:

I didn't actually make the one on the right, but the one on the left was a "Hey it's a baby" gift from me to one of my team...  Not traditional baby colours, but there's a bit of Danish blood in there, so red & white was it!

February:

This is Spot The Rabbit, which is a bit of an unfortunate pun here in Oz at the minute, as we're starting to see those pesky little buggers make their presence felt on the land again - this one was meant to be the mascot for the Project I was working on, but some stuff happened & he's ended up on the desk of one of the really really nerdy people.  Oh well..  I'm sure he's loved... maybe.

Bunting for the USA - a lovely lady ordered two lots for her nephews & I had a lot of fun finding fabrics I thought small boys might like - her feedback was "it was perfect", so I guess we hit the spot...
March:

The order was for some funky fridge magnets for the friend of someone I was working with - apparently they were also a hit (would anybody tell me if they thought it was crap, do you think?)

Then MGF Kaz ordered an elephant for Miss Camilla, the latest addition to the great-nieces & nephews... very cute indeed, and that led to an order from Miss Grace for five more elephants, for various friends and relations - and did I take photos?  Like bloomin' 'eck (that means "no"...).. they were pretty cute though.
Nearly as cute as these guys - I made them for Easter - I mean really, who needs more rabbits?  Miss Kerry at Rapport was kind enough again to let me put them in the window... and they sold.  Any ideas what the collective noun for platypusses/platypi is?  Me neither...
Then, for the June long weekend, where we celebrate the Queen of Australia's Official Birthday, we went to the Hunter Valley to stay with OGF's K&A, and Kaz & I had a lot of fun making magnets...




July

Then we got word that Mr Golightly's great-nephew, IPL, had some kind of pox, and a soothing green elephant was called for...

Which led directly to a Pink Elephant (and a truly terrible photo!).

And there's been other stuff, like the dolly I made yesterday for Miss Alix's gorgeous daughter Anastasia, but completely failed to photograph, some pouches, some lavender bags, and a very poorly filled box of stuff for the market stall I was going to attempt in September or October ... this year.  Not looking very likely now.

In other truly exciting news, I found Chipotle in Adobo Sauce in my local(ish) deli & I'm thinking now would be a good time for fish tacos.  Thoughts?








Thursday 19 September 2013

Oiling the rusty gates, brushing off the cobwebs...

Yes, Gentle Readers, I'm working my way back into this blog... stay tuned for more, same bat time, same bat channel.  And here's one I prepared earlier, to help you on your way...