Colourful Pencils

I have been AWOL for a while because I am working hard on a new quilt! Very exciting, but I can't show it here yet... In the meantime my Colourful Pencils design is in this week's fabric contest at Spoonflower: School Supplies. If you go here you can vote for as many of the designs as you like (including mine, I hope!). No need to sign in. Thanks!

More burlap items

A while ago I lost my mobile phone case, so I thought I'd use the piece of threaded burlap that I showed in the last posting to make a new one. I made a nice case - but it's a bit too small! Silly me. Maybe a strap at the top will help.



I also made this burlap card and added it to the shop. Have you seen Barack Obama sing this song? My eldest and I love the video! (pay attention at the start - such a cute smile!)

Burlap Pencil Roll

UPDATE 2016: The pattern for this pencil roll is now available in my Etsy pattern store.



As you may have noticed, I have a soft spot for pencil rolls. I love how colourful they look with all those pencils:



In combination with my ongoing love affair with burlap, this pencil roll was of course inevitable! (now for sale in my Etsy shop)



Weaving threads through burlap is fun:



Might do some more of that!

Blue jeans prints

Remember I did some screen printing on the legs of discarded jeans? Here are the art cards and the canvas I made with the prints:



Looks good, doesn't it? They are part of a set of new items for Reverse Garbage. The plan is to bring them tomorrow, but my eldest son got sick today, so I might not be able to go tomorrow.

This morning I had a nice email telling me that my sports quilts are featured on the Quilt Inspiration blog. They asked me a while ago and I was happy to agree; it is a beautiful blog that showcases lots of quilt artists.

Robbie was proud to see himself on another blog: Blue Jacaranda is one of the sponsors of Tractorgirl this month. Do check out this blog; Julie shares her craft finds, has great design tips, beautiful photography and more.

Now I am going to switch off the computer and read my book - I'm reading Shadow of Night, part 2 of the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Witches, vampires, daemons, ancient books, Oxford, France... Irresistible!

Sunday

Today my friend Yasmin and I visited the Wooloongabba Antique Centre, where they have this ginormous shoe-shaped bicycle (or tricycle?). A note on it said that it was used in the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. My friend thought it also featured in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Anyway, it looked awesome! Inside they had this beautiful little sewing machine. I've never seen one like this before! (unfortunately it was too expensive to take home...)



I bought this piece of vintage neon-green fabric:



Yesterday I made this small toy for my middle son - he drew it and I created it out of some pieces of felt and a few buttons.



(it's the Golden Super Leaf from the Mario games)

Tomorrow I'll show you the items I made from the prints on blue jeans fabric!

Eyeglass case

Yesterday I made this sunglass/eyeglass case, in a gorgeous piece of black and white Aboriginal fabric. It's up for sale now in my Etsy shop.

My contract at Queensland Health ended the 30th of June, so I am now unemployed. I am looking out for another research job and still doing my PhD part time, but in the meantime my Etsy shop is where the money needs to come from! Time to take it even more seriously than before. I am investigating a number of things that I can do to promote my shop and make it grow. if you have any suggestions or ideas about things I should sell, I would love to hear from you. Thanks!

Hats

I suddenly realized I haven't shown my monochromatic quilt for Art Quilts Around the World here yet! (the reveal was on the last day of June, when we were in Holland, that's why). Here it is: Hats.



It is based on a photo I took of my two eldest sons walking home from school in 2010:



I used pieces of fabric from an old school hat and shirt, and a handdyed blue fabric for the background. I love how the backside looks:



I made a postcard based on this photo in November 2010:



... and ever since I have wanted to make a small quilt of the same image, so here was finally my chance. I love this piece; it is now hanging in my sewing room studio.