And after an interlude of three and a half years...

Driving with a glorious sun shining over the Bolte Bridge - Melbourne I love you!

January 2012 is a long time ago, and life has changed significantly since I last wrote. Indeed for the past three and a half years, it is possible you were forgotten dear blog. Forgotten you existed, forgotten passwords, forgotten how to make the settings hum...

And life has gone on. There has been babes - two delicious girls - there has been long periods of time with no work outside of home, lots of walks in the wee hours of the morning, lots of laughter and joy. We have baked, we have swum in the ocean, we have made new friends and build friendships with childhood acquaintances. We have knitted. We have read books galore. Life has been good.

Many, many, many things are sparking creative interest. A post was read yesterday by Made by Rea, where it was reflected about days where one has just too many ideas and simply not enough doing power. And perhaps this is what periods of time in the past few months have been like here. The possibilities of what to do, what to make, what to create seem endless...

But here are a few things that are loved and being made or explored further...

Sewing is kicking on, with two finished and three somewhat constructed Purl Bee everyday swing skirts. How it would be wonderful to have time and space to learn this skill well!

Knit, knit, knitting. A delicious Fort jumper from Brooklyn Tweed is on the final sleeve. Perhaps it will be completed for the second half of winter? Warm and cosy Harvest yarn from the Bendigo Woollen Mills is being used (although no longer available to purchase).

Anzac biscuits with apricot chunks are baked weekly. Each time they are made, it is wondered if they really are a delicious as the fella things. And indeed they are...

Instagram florists - such as Gladdish, She's a Wildflower, Passion Flower, the Flower Dispensary and Sweet Pea and Honey Bee.

Hurrah!

Musings...

Loving: riding my push bike, getting my lunch daily from pickings in the garden, using the fella's mac, holidays at the beach

Making: a Thomas the Tank Engine knitted jumper for a stellar nephew

Drinking: english breakfast tea with milk and half a vanilla sugar

Wearing: clothes for the hot Melbs weather, and my lovely new Gorman sandals

Hearing: the chooks brood in the backyard

Doing: job applications - looking at applying for a senior job

Enjoying: the Australian Open

Sweating: not the small stuff! Rather on my daily bike ride in the super lovely summer weather

Anticipating: the end of my current read - 1Q84 by Murakami

Wishing: for more time to craft

How about you?

The Nordic Festival

Last weekend, our family went for an adventure in the country. The car was packed, an itinerary was agreed on, accommodation booked and off we went to Warburton. Only just over an hour from Melbs, Warburton is a little town in the east, nestled in amongst the hills. The sky was clear and still. The country side was gloriously changing from green to orange with deciduous trees. The leaves on numerous grape vines were going this way also. It was gloriously relaxing and felt like a holiday.





So why Warburton you ask... For an inaugural Scandinavian Festival! Who would have thought? Certainly not me. I didn't really have any idea that this sort of thing occurred. But a few months ago I was going to the Nord Living shop on Glenferrie Road to purchase a gift for a baby shower, and sure enough the proprietor asked if I was going to the festival. With the details scribbled down and plans being hatched, I discovered more. Not only was there to be a smorgasbord dinner prepared by a Danish chef, but viking re-enactments, a film festival, vodka tasting, two art exhibitions, an opportunity to discover one's Nordic roots, lectures on social policy in Scandinavia and a market. Oh, I am quivering with excitement just recalling it all!


So we explored the town and found great cake and some nifty second-hand shops. We ate Swedish meatballs and Danish open sandwiches. We purchased Finnish glass wear. We spoke with women dressed in Norwegian traditional costume. We made friends with fellow scandies, and discovered where in Melbs to by lenkisauna (sausage to eat when having a sauna). What a weekend.


As for crafting up there, a number of stalls at the markets had beautiful crafted things. I did feel too cheeky to take pictures of their creations though... So imaging an army of comical vikings, made from felt and faces obscured by wispy woollen beards around 15 centimeters tall. Or hand-knitted hats featuring Nordic designs. Lovely!

For some Scandinavian links I picked up over the weekend, try the following:

Fine by Nature - Finnish textiles shop in Warburton
100 Hats - hats and creations with Scandinavian designs
Nordic Festival information - where we went, the program, etc...
The Mud Factory - Swedish bicycles and Scandi-inspired ceramics
Nord Living - Scandi shop in Melbourne

A change is as good as... a crafternoon.

A floral twist crochetted up for the S&C Fair - I needed to practice my trebbles and double crochets!

There has been a lot happening at our place. Most significantly, I've quit my job and am now on a week's holiday before starting the new one. I work as an occupational therapist, and simply love my profession. I love how practical it is. I love how creative it is. The philosophy of OT fits with my value system and beliefs as well. It is about enabling people with skills to get on with what they want to so. It recognises that spirituality is core in who people are and how they function. It recognises what makes people strong and encourages them to build resilience around this.

So when we moved back to Melbs, I had work which was great. But after only a few weeks I realised it wasn't for me. It may have been only a few days after starting that I figured this out. It wasn't a bad job, it just didn't fit with what I love about being an OT. What to do? I had a contract for 12 months, so there certainly was no sense of obligation from my employer. But should I leave after so short a period? And what about the important thing, like the fact the pay was the best I will get for a long time in this job that I didn't like. It was hard to way up the short-term gains, like money and security and familiarity, with what I wanted to long term.

So I was brave, applied for a few things and offers of interviews came flooding in. But the job I took was just the one I was after. I get to work with people who experience enduring mental health issues. I get to work with them around establishing goals for recovery and getting on with life. Can't wait! My last day of the old job was on Thursday, so I've got a week off to rest, clean the house, go on adventures and craft.

Speaking of craft, the Stitches and Craft Fair has been on since Wednesday in Melbourne town. Come along and participate in a craft bar. You can learn how to knit, or stitch, or refashion clothing. What fun!

Other thing have been happening too. Lots of pasta eating, MasterChef watching, netball playing. What fun times...

Friday, lightboxes and community-based craft...

Wondering what to get a Friday morning started with. Maybe some mellow guitar based lyricing. Mixed with craft if you will. The lightbox background of this clip is very sweet, with owls perching and flying fish. The transparency layering is very effective and makes for an interesting clip. Enjoy.

By the by, walking through the streets of in-Melbs and I've discovered a craft encouragement shop! Yep, it wants people to craft. Don't think it is about selling craft, or selling products. Rather about selling a love of craft to the community. I had a sticky beak in the window - a couch strewn with crafting off-casts, bunting, home made softies. It looked delicious. At the desk was a lady who looked like she had been crafting for many a year. Oh, why didn't I go in? Want to go on a craft excursion with me?

Maybe Martha...

Lovely images from www.marthastewartliving.com

Is it just me, or do you have a secret desire to be in the audience of Martha Stewart? She is on telly around 4 p.m. ish. I've not figured out the exact time so I'm pleasantly surprised every time I find it on. Today she was featuring rescued dogs, who long to be loved outside of the RSPCA version that they have in America. Yesterday (on St Patrick's day) she featured valentine's Day. With super candy brownies and pop up kissing Valentine cards. Very sweet. Martha does not seem to get all that excited though. She is a little dry. But boy the show is crafty and creative. Cooking, craft, pets - delicious! Maybe one day I'll be on holiday in the US and get tickets to her show....

Glenferrie Road wandering...

Well my day off today has not been too crafty, but it has been one of discoveries. I went for a stroll down Glenferrie Road with my sister Sue and took in the sunshine and loveliness of it all. What did I discover?

One of the classics, Nordliving where I ordered a Finnish sticker for the car.

Some granny square prink leggings from Romance Was Born - think this dress by in stretchy pants.

Too much curry at Tandoori Express.

The second Tea Cozie book, following a request from Sue for a tea cozie. Who wouldn't want and I heart T cozie?

Plus scoring a generous offering of free clothes from the lovely sis. She is too kind.

After this great day, I'm keen to sew and craft and create. All I want to do is make some Scandi inspired things, contemplate an adorable stars and moon mobile that could be made, get out the needles and whip up that cozie, and perfect the granny square. Oh, drats... back to work tomorrow.

Crafting reflected

While I am a creative person, I tend only to craft when I get an itch. It is perhaps not a part of my daily life simply just because. Well, maybe it is. But I don't feel as though I've always got a creative and inspirational idea. Or that I'm just whipping something up as a last minute giftie which will be just so perfect. Or that I'm planning the next home make over. Or that I can tailor the perfect shirt/skirt/bag. Does this make sense? Perhaps I'm a crafter who loves crafting but it takes a little effort.

Yep, think that's right. Like when I got into art school. I could have done it and would have loved it. But I reflected on the thought that there are so many people out there who love painting, who paint daily, who sacrifice comforts and nice things in life in order to paint. Was I one of those? Did I have the passion. Nope. So why take up a place that others will be devastated to miss out on? Sure, I still enjoyed painting but I'm not a naturally 100% painting person.

Given this is the case, how to I imbue more crafting into my life? Cause I do craft and create. I am a creative being, really I am. I just create in different ways. Like loving my herbs and watering them daily. Like making scrumptious bickies for my fella. Like knitting a tea cozie. How do I do this more though, how to I inspire myself to unpack the sewing room, to set up the machine? How do I scratch that itch. And it's driving me crazy...

By taking time out for the little things, that's how. By spending thirty minutes to decorate a giftie with a little something extra. I need to do this more often. Hurrah for hearts. Hurrah for wool. Hurrah for old ikea fabric. Hurrah for Matt and Fi's engagement party, and their upcoming wedding.

Bits and bobs that have made me happy!

Launceston Marina
Originally uploaded by Kah Kit Yoong

A beautiful photo of Tassie for your viewing pleasure. Not my own photo unfortunately - I'm yet to unpack the camera.

Life continues to get more organised! Hurrah. Friday was a day off work, and was the rejuvenating lift that I needed - morning markets, hot bratwurst with sauerkraut, cups of tea with sisters, sister-in-law, mum and dad, house cleaning, repair men fixing things, coffee and red wine in St Kilda while reading the Big Issue. What a day - then off to Tassie that night. I felt so relaxed, the fella commented that I was happy (I take it I've been a grump lately!) and I had good friends to spend the weekend with.

As for crafting time, I need more in my life. But I'm getting plenty of book time (reading Sense and Sensibility), and a fair dose of the tennis too. I am looking forward to the crafternoon this Saturday! Which will give me some crafting hours, some cups of tea and some good chats.

But until then, I need to clean more. I need to organise the house - particularly the shared study/craft room. I need to do our grocery shopping as you can't get everything from the markets. I also need to spend some more time reading blogs, linking with people and loving the creative world that is online.

By the by, thanks so much to MMAMs for putting the crick-star up on their photo gallery in December. It was part of the meme that was running around the theme of "My Place and Yours". Now all I need to do is get the real Cricket back as our house is inhabitable at last.

New things contemplated

A ball of creative potential - uncovered from the boxes in my house, exciting to rediscover what I own!

We have moved from one side of Aus to the other! We have stuffed out little flat to the gills (and it isn't that little really), have unpacked most of the boxes and started to explore the area. What a great place to live it is too! Not quite city, not quite beach, not quite fun-filled inner suburb. How I love it! The best of everything, My mum went so far as to say it is the place to live if you are moving to Melbs. So sweet of her.

In the midst of the busyness of moving, I've made some new crafting discoveries. Thanks to Laura, I've now visited Morris and Sons the wool shop. They were having a sale and I made some new purchases - a pink embroidery hoop and a tapestry for a special someone. Also purchased the Crafty Minx, a new craft/recycling book by an Aussie author. While the projects are not particularly challenging, I'm enjoying the book's layout and the author's choices of fabrics. Also bought some of the beautiful cloth-bound Penguin classics (Sense and Sensibility by Austen, Cranford by Gaskell), after being inspired by reading Persuasion. Poor Anne, overlooked and bullies by those around her, appreciated by a family she chose not to be part of, eventually securing the affection of her heart after rejecting him previously!

As for creating. Oh boy, it has been fun! No sewing, as the sewing/study is an absolute mess. But rather knitting tea cozies. A great project to learn a new knitting stitch. Not too big that you struggle for hours, but large enough to ensure practice ensues. Also achievable in a few days. And who doesn't want a cup of hot tea poured from a vessel protected by a band of golden sea horses? Tea cozie number two is currently underway. I've finished the garter stitch band, then I will learn how to gather/runch up my knitting to get a pleated effect. Chosen purple and blue for the project, simply as I've got two balls of each, the colours are not offensive together, and the resulting combination should be very easy to gift in the future.

Plus, looking forward to a meeting of fellow creating beings! A crafternoon is planned for a few weeks time. We are hoping to have a monthly get together of creating, with lots of tea and cakes too. I need to toute it amongst my circles and coordinate further with my sis-in-law. What will I create...

Introducing Archie

Can I introduce you to my new friend? His name is Archibald. He doesn't mind if you call him Archie. He likes meeting people who are friendly, just like you!

He started life as a cardie, given away to the local Red Cross op shop.

He came home with me, flat packed you could say...

Before being transformed with the help of this book.

I like my new friend, despite his zombie eyes. Archie likes me too. He has made his new home on my bed, giving the fella some shivers as he peaks over the top cover of the fella's spine-tingling thriller. Maybe he needs a friend?

Raceday get up

I'm not one for the horses. I don't like getting to much sun. I am somehow too sensible to gamble. I don't enjoy drinking too much champagne. But I do like hats. And head wear in general. I also like dresses. And boys looking dapper. And nice high heals. And a filly. And the luciousness of racing silks. Maybe I should like the races. What about you?

Facinator
Originally uploaded by the_bashful_owl

Since leaving Melbs two years ago, I have found that I've done more on Melbourne Cup Day than when I lived there. People take the afternoon off work to have lunch and watch the race. Sweaps abound. Hats are sold out. And I made a facinator. My facinator is simple, in that I just sewed stuff on that I bought from Spotlight. But it is fussy, with feathers, velvetine leaves, lacy trims, bits and bobs. The green is very me, and the brown adds depth and anchors it into my hair well making the green bits glow. Will I ever wear it in Melbourne? Probably not.

Facinator details 2
Originally uploaded by the_bashful_owl

Facinator details 1
Originally uploaded by the_bashful_owl

Strange things to embroider...

Given that my last post was about feeling flat and uninspired, I can understand if people will worry with this one. But fear not, my mental health is good and I have been encouraged (thanks Maudry!). Rather, while trawling some blog or another I found these images. They were created by an army wife in the U.S. Given that it is Mental Health Week, I'm all for promoting destigmatisation of mental health issues. I'm also all for promoting craftiness. Will I be embroidering my favourite psychotropic drug onto some cutesie linnen? I think not. I will will smile and giggle when looking at these.

I just don't know what to do with myself...

How does one find inspiration?

I'm going through a dry patch, and there does not appear to be much rain in sight. I can't be bothered reading, I can't complete any crafting, my healthy eating may be slipping, where has my solid night's sleep gone too?

So, I'm in a rut. Perhaps it was resigning from my job due to our move in a few months. Perhaps is not helping that I don't know where we will be in three months. Perhaps it is that my fella keeping coming home and then going away again unexpectedly. Perhaps it is that someone I worked with died suddenly in the context of tragedy. Ahhhhhhh! I need to get going, really I do.

What will work? Perhaps it could be the lovely letter my bestie Ris wrote to me that arrived today! Perhaps it will be finally finishing off this baby jumper for little Sam. Perhaps it will be dreaming of future renovations while perusing Design Sponge's blog. Perhaps going to a debriefing session around the death tomorrow will help. perhaps I just need to take some time out, read a good book and have some time talking with God. Perhaps we need a fixed and functional digital camera (will it ever be fixed?). Maybe gifts of love like Maudry's heart will help.

Any ideas...

Fantastic rediculousness craft-tastic

Seriously silly. Seriously craft-tastic.
Hurrah for Frankie and nifty links.

If only every Monday started like this...

I've got a few days off work due to having a knee investigation last week. Mum has come up from down south to look after me too. So today we spent the morning crafting quilts, drinking tea and flicking through old cooking magazines. It was wonderful.

Mum is finishing off the top of a quilt for my nephew the J-Man. He is eight months old, and the son of a die-hard trucking father. The quilt has trains and cars and planes on it. I can imagine my brother making engine noises to the J-Man while rocking him to sleep.

My project is the old-world star quilt. The quilting is 95% complete. I just have to get it done. I also have two quilt tops waiting for their turn.

And after all the magazine flicking, there is so much I want to cook. Chicken with rice vermicelli salad, baked olives, meringue ice cream, lamb with roast eggplant salad, cream cake, orange and poppy seed cake, chocolate and pistachio whirley-gig buns, pumpkin and prosciutto cannelloni...

How did I survive without....

So, he did it again. Left me alone without technology that is. Yet again the fella is away and this time he took the laptop. Only being able to check email at work was infuriating! Plus I've got so much work to do I felt too guilty to blog-surf.

But I braved the maniacal German florist-cum-computer repair lady (surely this is a terrible combination and we should have never gone to this shop in the first place as she uses fake flowers). She had taken our desktop hostage and refused to cooperate. We were going to call the dodgy computer repair ombudsman. They must exists, surely....... But lack of technology, a malfunctioning DVD player and looming knee surgery compelled me to fork out the exorbitant amount of cash require to redeem the computer. I must say I do feel more gleeful than this girl.

She is from a cute little group of articles I found all around the theme of tips for nerdy girls. They are as follows:

How to look less nerdy in glasses

How to make a room look nerdy

How to be smart without being nerdy

How to like nerdy things without being a nerd.

For some reason I get the sense that some people have a problem with being nerdy. Not me, not that I'm that nerdy. I don't wear glasses, I didn't study chemistry at school or uni, I don't know pi to any decimal places, and I've only just gotten in to hyperlinks. My fella though is nerdy. He will even wear his sunglasses over his glasses when driving. Love him!

Crafting: a few cows for the herd, working on the final sleve of a jumper, contimplating some embroidery.

Some breakfast eye candy

I'm desperate to get to work on time, but was distracted by these images of my recent creations. Yep, the fella is back with the camera and hopefully our upcoming trip down south will result in the decent camera being repaired. Until then, these substandard images are not too bad.

A pin cushion just for my quilting pins.

Pieces of the pinwheel quilt made at my recent sewing class.

I particularly like the deeper green fabric with the amethyst and coral flowers.

Possibly the ugliest thing I've made - colour wise, what was I thinking? Think the fella likes it though, so it may become a blokey quilt for our bed.

Hope your day is filled with creative things and beautiful textiles (and good coffee).

Crafting and reading - getting a balance

What I'm creating:

Back of a baby's jumper - front done, back and sleeves to go;

Udderly lovely cow from the Meet Me At Mikes book - one finished, another half cut out, more fabric purchased to make a few more (so many babies out there and no camera to take pics of the finished products);

Two quilt tops finished - can I be bothered quilting them?

Pincushion for my quilting pins - appliqued a brown bird onto some bright blue felt, perfect for stabbing and grabbing.

What I'm reading:

Wren handmade - linked from the design sponge blog, and will be crafting some DIY daily this week!

Spool sewing - can't believe I've not read their blog before, I'm so in love.

Udder handmade friends - the lady who designed the cute cow.

Recovery in mental health - a new work textbook that arrived today.

Overall I'm inspired to create and to change the world around me. I love reading what others are doing and am attempting to get the balance between wanting to create and needing to work. How I do love what I do though... hence being sucked in to the work text today.

Back in the real world

Why no blogs?

1. Smashed camera - trying to photograph the last storm for the season and camera fell off the tripod. I was so devastated... missed the incredible lightening and couldn't take picies for a while. We've got a cheapo replacement, trying to find the receipt to have the good camera fixed.


2. Holiday went wrong. Car broke down in the beautiful but isolated Kimberly region of Western Australia. No technology, no food, no insect repellent. Challenging times all round.

So, currently needing to create some postcards with ice cream recipes for a over-due swap. Also need to make a birthday giftie for my lovely sis Rach (thinking a project from this book). Also slowly working on hand-quilting a long-term project, and inspired by this beautiful tin...

Happy days.