Catching up (sewing and awards)

This is the catch-up post I've been meaning to do all week. Firstly, I have a very belated thank-you to give. Florence, from Flossie Teacakes very kindly awarded me the ArteyPico award for being creative and inspiring! If you have visited Florence's blog before, you will understand why I feel very humbled by this. I find her blog inspirational on so many levels. Her projects are always brilliant, she parents her children with joy and creativity, and she just has a lovely way of looking at the world.

And so I get to do some award-giving myself, which will be fun. The three people I would like to pass this award onto are:

Leah from Hyena in Petticoats - because she creates fabulous creatures called 'nongs' using gorgeous fabrics, has such an eye for great op shop finds, and because she writes so well, and with a wicked sense of humour. Reading her blog always leaves me feeling uplifted and keen to get cracking!

Vanessa from Knit too! because I love the insight into her creative life, and watching as she discovers new aspects to her craft (which is, obviously - knitting). She has an amazing knack for choosing textures and colours that are 'just right', and she constantly makes me wish I could leave the sub-tropics for a while and spend some time in the snow - just so I can wear cabled beanies and fingerless gloves! And I'm SOOOO jealous of her 'crafternoons'!

Tiel from Tsk Tsk because for one thing her art is beautiful, and she is also very generous about sharing it (you can download some gorgeous wallpapers from her website). I always enjoy reading about what is going on in Tiel's life, as it is full of all the good stuff - art, sewing, food, children.

OK, now onto a couple of meagre finished projects. I feel like I've been working away on lots of bits and pieces lately, but not actually finishing anything. So last week, in desperation, I made this:



Hardly anything to boast about I know. It took me all of 5 mins, and I was looking after four kids under 3.5yrs at the time, so 5 mins was about all I had. And of course once it was made we had to share the wearing of it around (surprisingly, there was not too many tanties!). I'm not sure what it is...I guess it's a tu-tu? Actually it's a piece of scrap tulle I found in an Op Shop for next to nothing, and I thought it would make a fun dress-up skirt. I'm trying to build up a dress-ups collection for the kids, so I'm collecting plastic jewellery, funny hats, and any interesting fabric that can be turned into princessy, ballerinary, cowboyee or piratee things (yep, now I'm just inventing my own words...)



This item is marginally better, but I can only say marginally, as I didn't do a great job on it. In my desperation to get something started and finished in the same day, I made this smock top for Kate on Sunday. It took about 40 mins total, but I think had I taken a full hour and used a bit more care it would have been great. Luckily I have two big flat sheets of this fabric (yep, more Op Shop material) so I can have another crack at this. But this one is fine for just wearing around, and it looks quite sweet on.



I just created a pattern from another smock Kate already owned, and it mostly turned out well, except for the obvious shoddy work that I'm not going to point out. Ah well, I can only say that speed demon sewing is not for me. Clearly. Ahem, next project please!!!