The carnival is over...

And I'm back at work, after 10 funfilled days at home with a cold, flu, cough, sniffles, sneezing, and a runny nose... and not much sewing!  We did pack in a bit of activity, including the trip to Melbourne to the exhibition - and how lucky it was that we went overnight, rather than just the day trip I'd originally planned - because the gallery was closed on Tuesdays, except for an exhibition of Salvador Dali's work - now don't get me wrong, the man was a genius, but the art I like to look at doesn't involve lobsters on telephones! 

Anyway, luckily we had the next day to come back to see the exhibition, but I must say I was a bit disappointed - there were only about 10 garments on display, but quite a few references showing styles from the times, and some decorative objects and furniture and that was about it.  Not really worth a trip to Melbourne by itself, but I thought dinner might make up for it - and that too was a bit disappointing - but the fact that we both had no working tastebuds didn't help!

Hotel was lovely, though, we had a room overlooking the garden, which was quiet and spacious, and in easy walking distance of the Gallery - and we bought Series 7 of Spooks - if you haven't seen this show before, you owe it to yourselves - it's English, based on spies in MI5, and it's great - good scripts, interesting plots, great acting, great gadets - I love it.

Then we went to the Hunter Valley, and I made this:

and this:

lined with this:

Kaz has a pretty interesting Pig collection, and I did a bit of checking on Etsy for Pig fabric - there's quite a bit around, including this, which is supposed to show French pigs:

and I think it's really smart - and I am tempted, I must say!

And I also got a couple of orders - my friend Kaz's friend Clara wants one of those pouches, but lined with the pigs, and with the Eiffel tower on the outside!  Maybe I'll get the French pigs for her - she is French, after all!

And now, off for a nap.  I hope to feel better soon... maybe!

Warning, Small bragfest follows

So I finally finished making MaddieGal's pouches, posted them off to sunny California (where the weather has to be nicer than it's been here for the last week) and can sit back and brag about it. I'm thinking of putting together one of those brag books, just so I can carry it round in my handbag & whip it out when somebody wants to show me their kids, dogs, cats, grandkids, small stinky aliens they found in the backyard, whatever. I think it's perfectly reasonable to do this! Anyway, I've built a mosaic over at BigHugeLabs & put it in here for you to enjoy:

I missed out on breakfast this morning with my friend Deb and her two lovely children, because I'm still infected with the filthy cold - and of course I've also infected MWH*, who is not quite so wonderful when he's sick, let me tell you. It's a sure sign that he's sick when he gets up & immediately puts the fire on (at 9.30am) - usually it doesn't go on until about 4.00pm & that's only after we've put extra jumpers, socks and scarves on. I blame his Scottish blood...


Anyway, I now have the most exciting task of sorting out the 2 foot (60cm) high pile of papers acquired over the last year, some of which relate to last year's tax, which I am about to take to the accountant in the vain hope of getting some money from the government... hah!


Think of me kindly, gentle reader, as I may never be seen or heard from again...



*My wonderful husband

From little things...*

So, on Tuesday, when I had to go into town to work, even though I'm on holidays, I treated myself to a new perfume... and the purveyors thereof had one of those 'gift with purchase' thingys going on... (note I didn't say "free gift with purchase"...)

Well, the thing for me wasn't so much what was in the box, but more what it was all delivered in - these three pouches, in pink, coral and white plastic, with contrasting stitching - and I thought, Thank You nameless purveyor of cosmetics and perfume, for giving me the perfect sizes for my next sewing venture - I'm thinking of making a series of these using some fabric from a co-ordinating range, probably not Erin McMorris, only because I'm now dreaming in Wildwood, but maybe something a bit more blue and green.  We shall see.


Now, it's nap time.  I've been fighting an incipient cold all week, and still feel bad enough to be in bed at 9.17am... shocking.


Nighty night!


*Copyright Paul Kelly

Gone, baby, gone

I am so done! All of the pouches for Lovely Carmen in California are finished!  I've put a couple of nice surprises in the parcel for her (which I will post about after the parcel arrives!), and hopefully she'll love them all - I'm sure she will.


This is probably my favorite:

- it's the world largest pencil case - and it's lined with gorgeous pink & green - which sadly I can't remember the source of...


but it's nice to have them all finished (all 15 of them!) and be able to shut up shop for a week - MWH* & I are off together for a week now - cry havoc and let loose the dogs of whoar!


*My wonderful husband

Holiday? What holiday?

So, at 6.28am, the clock radio switched itself on. My side of the bed, no less. Then the light came one. Ditto. Hmmm. Who's having this holiday, anyway? Then his nibs decides to get up at 7.00am, and by then, of course, I'm wide awake, so I reach for my book, hoping in vain for a cup of tea and toast from the 'working one'.. ha! Get it yourself, you're on holidays. It's no wonder I have the lawyer's number on speed dial. But that's only because he's actually a friend of mine. His. Ours.Anyway, I eventually staggered out of bed at 8.40, only, note you, once I had finished the book. It was good, I must say. My WMIL* lent it to me yesterday & I stayed up very late reading (because I'm on holidays, did I mention that?) and couldn't wait to find out what happened! Of course, I never doubted for a minute that she was innocent... ... ... that might be enough about that. Don't want to spoil it for anybody else!

Other things - little trip off to the stainless steel shop for the carabiners with the ring in them that nobody else in the known universe seems to sell, he had 23 hanging in the shop & I took 20. Didn't want to be greedy.

Also bought some stiff interfacing, they must have used it for wimples & veils in the 11th century, it was so stiff - I made a single pouch with it, but no more. It was so stiff I could barely turn the damn thing inside out - it actually made my hands sore, trying to manipulate it for the corners. I peeled it off the other

fabric I so efficiently ironed it onto this morning & have consigned it to the rubbish bin, to be fallen upon by builders looking for material to shore up falling down buildings, or maybe repair the space shuttle. Waaaaay too firm for me! Anyway, I've fallen back on the pellon & interfacing option, which gives a nice firm finish but is still soft - hopefully that will be okay with Miss Carmen, for whom all this effort was!

Other pieces of effort in the same burst:

And then this:

I have to say I love this combination of grey & rusty brown - I've never considered that they went together in real life before,

especially when you see a middle-aged man with a combover wearing a grey suit & brown shoes, but this definitely does not pop up that mental image! I'm really happy with the combo, and the lining just finishes it off nicely:

Very swish, and for sale, of course, here.

That's it for now, more tomorrow. Holidays are fun!

What a difference a day makes...

24 little hours...


I just finished my 3 1/2 month stint at Parramatta, and said goodbye to some really nice people.  I can't believe the difference in my send-off compared to the last thing I worked on - I'm sad to leave them, I've made some great new friends (isn't it nice to be able to make new friends at my extended age!!!) - and I've enjoyed the culture and the atmosphere.  Shame about the travel, but hey, it's done now...


I just got this in the mail:

How cute is he?  Or is it a she?    I'm thinking the lipstick could be used as an indicator of gender in some cultures, but I don't want to pass any judgements here...  Also, another need for names has now arisen - any suggestions?  Small prize for the best suggestion -and of course my fabulous DSSIL* can join in this one! 

Going, going, gone...

So, my three and a half months in outer mongolia are up tomorrow, and I have holidays to look forward to, a week at home by myself (with a huge list of chores) and then MWH* & I have a week off together... which should be lovely - Monday we've got two doctor's appointments and a visit to the accountant, Tuesday & Wednesday we're going to Melbourne to see this - Fashion in the time of Jane Austen - at the National Gallery of Victoria - I can't wait!

Thursday is my wonderful Mother-in-Law's birthday, and Melbourne presents the ideal opportunity to get her a gift she'll really like - (she loves art) ... and then Friday we're going to spend time up here:

Can't wait.  Pictures to follow, as achievements register themselves on my horizons!