3 Spirals per day....

Pip's doing a Granny a day till the end of May, but over at my place I've been participating in '3 spirals a day till your wrists give way'. I do get a bit of RSI when I have crochet marathons, but I'm not faring too badly after completing this Helix Scarf for the awesome Jo.

33 spirals which are 30 ch long, each containing 4 trebles.

Thar you have it.
I'm actually a bit sad that it's finished, the weather is so perfect for woolly creations, maybe I'll start another one. Anyone keen? What colour: black, chocolate or wolf grey? I have a lovely jewel one in stock if they take your fancy. Let me know!

Off to plant some more broad beans and garlic, batten down the hatches and put on a pot of chai.

Listening to : Santogold - Lights Out

In the Shoppe

Mother's Day is coming folks, I know this because I've put a reminder on the fridge about the present I would like to receive, and also I've entered an 8km run on the very day.

If gifts of precious jewellery are out of your recession struck budget then consider this - a fabulous Postage Belt showing Australian gemstones stamps. There is one available in the shoppe, and there's even free postage within Aust. Woohoo!
Spend some more Ruddy $.
Cross that pressie off your list.

In other news I cannot stop looking at the BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) website, my Adelaide peeps have alerted me to a huge amount of rain on the way, and I just can't resist a radar image. Have positioned water holding receptacles under downpipes etc, and did some serious laundry today in anticipation of a cold, wet weekend. Here's to pots of soup.

Listening to: Bob James - Nautilus remixed by Nicolay

In the studio

Time for some patterns, new territory for me which is all about boots. I have made many a boot when I worked for other footwear designers, but the pattern making side of it is a new world. As I've mentioned before, my methods of making patterns are mixed and varied, mostly drawing on the last and the geometric method.

So for this new-ish venture I consulted good old George Koleff's book on geometric pattern making. It's a really thorough look at traditional shoe and boot styles, and also gives info on pattern grading, last making, size comparison charts etc.

At first when I sat down to this task I was a bit overwhelmed, I had to turn off the radio and stop getting out of my chair when it got too hard. The instructions are pure geometry - 'measure a line at 83 degrees to the H-L line, which is half the C1-C line, plus 7ml for women and men but not for children's boots ........' It was a bit tricky, but I persevered and lo and behold by the end of it I had a recogniseable boot pattern.


Today I cut all the pattern pieces in card, and will assemble them in paper or do a leather mock-up to see if it's all behaving. I have a few other boots on my list of things to do, so I'm looking forward to becoming fluent in this whole new language.


I also discovered that if you pour hot tea into a cup, and nestle some tiny easter eggs next to it on the saucer, by the time the tea has cooled enough for my taste, the eggs are lovely and gooey, and unfortunately a bit addictive.

In other news, the studio is rather chilly now in the mornings, I had to get my Cottage Industry fingerless gloves on today. Also the broad beans and carrot seeds are up, garlic is mostly all planted, and I'm loving 'Around the World in 80 Gardens' on ABC 1, tonight at 8:30, but alas I will miss tonight's episode as I'm off to see Dylan Moran.

Residing at Mike's.....

These belts are currently in store at Meet me at Mike's, go in and visit Cam, listen to his great selection of records, say hi for me!

Gorgeous 1960's Yellow Tailed Thornbill, grey patent leather.


A mixture of International blue stamps, yellow patent leather.


Trés shocking colour combo for Queen Elizabeth, red patent leather.


This one has had the most views in my shoppe, must be about to find a home, methinks! Aussie Balloons, in bright colours, pebble textured leather.


Listening to: EPMD - You Gots to Chill 1988!!!!

Works in progress

Have been taking advantage of a visiting Granny, and hiding out in the studio while the boy is still on kinder holidays. It is still a little bit hard to concentrate with all the sandpit action and frequent visits, but I have some new belts on the go, so I must be doing more than just drinking tea and listening to the radio!


I'm also doing a bit of procrastinating regarding imminent pattern making, I have 2 lasts taped up and ready to go, but I keep putting it off. I think the bank balance would suggest I get right to it and finish the damn shoes. We are employing a few cost cutting measures around here, instead of buying some of my favourite magazines, I'm borrowing them at the library! It's quite lovely, I'm not one of those piles of magazines that I can't bear to throw out kind of people, rather I rip out (from my mags) or colour copy (from the library) the pages that appeal and file them away in specific folders - yes I have Virgo rising if you were wondering.

Another treat that comes with a visiting Granny is that of an evening we have our very own craft night set-up, complete with pot of tea, Easter chocolate, knitting, crochet and embroidery. It's all happening here, we cackle at the same gags in Frasier, are eagerly awaiting tonight's inaugural screening of Mad Men, and curse the cat for wanting to sit on our woolly creations with her marching feet and sharp claws.

Listening to: Wind in the eucalypts; it's rather breezy!

Chinoiserie Version 2

I'm really enjoying crossing things off my list, as I started making these at Craft Vic last August!!! Oh that makes me sound like a complete slacker, but it is really hard to finish projects pour moi, when there are paying customers waiting in line. Poor Leo still hasn't got his Robot Sandals, please remind me to get these underway in late Winter!


The originals were exhibited a few years ago, and they may make another outing later this year.

A Sneaky Peek

Can't tell you what it is yet, but I can give some clues.
Obviously it's embroidery, I am making 4 of them, one is finished, another on the hoop.
I am LOVING the making and doing of this project, perfect for telly nights and casual afternoons watching the boy in the sandpit - gotta take advantage of the daylight.
Very satisfying for a lover of colour spectrums.....

Listening to: Bahamadia - 3 The Hard Way

Classic

During the making of these I was a bit worried about how they would turn out, but now that they're finito I am pleased as punch!
They are rather classic 60s-esque, for some reason I am imagining them worn with a wasp-waist dress and some of those iconic cat-eye shaped spectacles. Don't think my sister will sport this style though.
I think she may be wanting another pair of these shoes in the floral patent leather I used for the Botanica Sneeks - now that's something to look forward to!


Listening to: Damn huge thunderstorm! footage from the home of storms, Oklahoma USA