I love knitting, so I’m always keeping an eye on knitwear in the shops. I guess the shops I’m walking past each day would be classified as the Australian ‘high street’ (whatever that term really means) or perhaps contemporary designer? Must say the knitwear I’m seeing has improved, compared to around 5 years ago when I first started taking note. I’m not seeing so many knits stretching and sagging off the hangers, these days.

Clever knitwear always makes me smile. Here, I like the idea of ribbing used as contrast and decoration, not just as utilitarian edging. The ribbing’s curved, even along the shoulders in a kind of boatneck style. I often appreciate fashion ideas that might be somewhat awkward to wear … but this isn’t one of them. The ribbing gives a little more style to an otherwise simple, neat jacket.

The photo is from SABA, about a month ago. The next day they covered the mannequin with an even bigger scarf, so I couldn’t see the knitwear detail anymore. I suppose the jacket’s probably on sale now or even sold out (I can’t see it in their online store).

I went to a Crafternoon, and made this little skull. But it’s not the important bit… I loved it, the chance to talk with some great women.  About adult things.

I didn’t know anyone else there, except the hostess.  So it could have been really akward. Instead, it was affirming, to find out how much we had in common. To explore where our perspectives met, and where they divered. We talked like adults, I’ve missed that! We didn’t talk in the coded way parents must, when they know children are nearby, listening. And yes, we did discuss our children, amongst other things.

Best of all, we were able to move from the personal to the political. So often, with mothers I know well, who I see everyday, we just swap anecdotes and personal stories. Without drawing the political conclusion, making the link to what’s going on in society. I’m sure we all see it, but we don’t say. This Crafternoon, it was refreshing to say it.

I spent quite a while deciding whether my skull badge should have googly eyes. It looked cute with… but scarier, more real without.

Yes, I’ve changed the blog again. New background, new name.

Most crafts I like take time.  Handmade generally does.  Even cooking dinner from scratch seems to take longer (but maybe not always?).  True, I could probably sew a couple of garments in a day’s worth of uninterrupted time (if I ever had an uninterrupted day…).  I might also knit a hat or cowl in a day, with thick wool and bigger needles (probably…).  But most things I want to make I calculate as taking almost a month, if I can only craft for an hour or so each day.

So often, I get distracted.  By life, by study or by other crafts with a deadline attached.  Or I get stuck, and realise that sorting out the problem, recalculating and redoing are going to take even more time, so I stop.  I’m rather pleased that didn’t happen this week, I actually worked on what I said I would.  This is the first pieced strip for my kitchen table cushions.

It did take me rather a while. Because I’m learning. And because my sewing machine was cheap, not good, and takes time to coax into sewing neatly.  At the moment, I can’t wait to piece the next strip, and the next, and the next … but I can’t promise I won’t be distracted again by next week!!

And welcome everyone from Kirsty’s creative space, I’ll be visiting your blogs today, too.

I mean, there’s clearly a lot of interesting stuff that could be said about fashion from a sociological point of view.  And fashion, at least high fashion, is often about experimentation with shape, proportion, colour, pattern.  It’s the playing with shape, colour and pattern I enjoy most when crafting or making things for myself.  And fashion is an industry.  I absolutely adore understanding how industries work.  I don’t know why: I like having an overview, I guess.  You could talk to me for hours about the beer industry, for example, and I’d still be fascinated (I hate the taste of beer).

I used to subscribe to some of the myths about the fashion industry.  For instance, that gay male designers make clothes only suitable for skinny boys to wear, clothes that are totally unwearable for real women.  But then I thought again. There was a time when I was much younger, skinner and went out more.  I could fit, and have fun wearing, a lot of those “unwearable” “impractical” clothes.  At the time, I didn’t want to wear the latest fashions, but I could have.  It’s perfectly reasonable for designers to make clothes for people like I once was.  True, I’ve always been rather curvy.  Genetics, I presume.  But not everyone is like me, and why shouldn’t designers make clothes that look good on people other than me?

I’m not saying there isn’t a grain of truth in criticisms of the fashion industry.  There definitely is. Particularly the intersection of the fashion, magazine and adverting industries. I’m not denying that.  But I’m training myself not to reflexively greet the newest fashion with: “Ugh, that’s totally stupid and unwearable!”  I try to think over my initial responses, without ignoring them completely.

So this is by way of introducing a series. On Wednesdays, I’d like to review my favourite bits of recent big fashion weeks (NY, London, Milan and Paris).  You might have seen the clothes before, but I hope to add my own twist in the commentary.  And I don’t think those fashion weeks are irrelevant, even to us far away in Australia.  A few months ago, the shops in the city all had dresses similar to those in the Mad Men inspired Prada Autumn/Winter show.  (Yes, funny how her Autumn/Winter designs got used for Spring).  And there are so many clogs in the shops now, like Lagerfeld designed for Chanel in Spring last year.  Actually, I like clogs and hope to buy myself a pair soon (but not Chanel ones, obviously!)

I’m finding the cutting part of starting a quilt rather meditative, with a rotary cutter.  I know that doesn’t sound meditative … and yes, I am keeping my fingers well out of the way!

It’s my first time using a rotary cutter, and I’m enjoying the sameness of about 100 tiny triangles, all squared off with a ruler, cut nice and straight down the sides.  (I made more after I took the photo – and even managed to finish before the children came home).

I’m using this pattern for a kitchen table cushion.  And 2 random packs of fat quarters from Lincraft.  I actually don’t love the fabric, particularly.  I think I’ve seen it too many times before.  And the pattern is fine, too, but really I chose it as suitable for a beginner.

I think the combination of focus on learning to use a new tool, and not caring much about the outcome: that’s what I’m finding so calming. Hope it continues.

I guess not, based on this experience.  At least not in a washing machine/dryer.

I know for garment sewing, you really, really do need to pre-wash fabric (or calculate shrinkage).  And yes, I’ve heard of hemming fabric before you wash it (and even done it, for a few precious fabrics). But fat quarters? They’re so small, I thought hemming before washing was a bit other the top.

So what do you do in quilting? Not worry?  Maybe I should have cut with pinking sheers?

By the way, no sympathy needed: I don’t mind detangling and they’re all separate and neatly folded now.

You see, I’ve been planning to learn quilting for some time.  Properly, following traditional patterns. With exact measurements.  And seams lining up precisely and neat corners.  At least to begin with.

It’s a skill I think I should have. And something I can really imagine enjoying, once I get good: playing with colour and pattern, within geometries and repetition.

But after all this time thinking, I still haven’t started yet.  Something’s slowing me down.  A worry.  I’ve finally worked out what it is: the product of quilitng … is a quilt.  I don’t have room for a quilt!!  Well, maybe one.  Two at the most.  Possibly three, but what if I really enjoy quilting and want to make more?  There must be more than 3 techniques I’d like to try.

We live in a really small apartment, with four people.  I have trouble enough storing the Winter doonas and blankets.  And everything else.  I don’t really want to add to our storage problems.  I could throw a quilt or two over the sofa (to be dragged on the floor by the kids?), perhaps give one or two as presents (gift the storage problem to someone else?).  I could put a quilt on the wall, but I don’t fancy drilling into these walls than I have to.  And then I’m stuck.  I do like to justify to myself that most of my crafting is useful.  Knitting produces gloves, scarves, hats, jumpers… sewing produces dresses, skirts.  But quilting?  Just produces more storage problems.

And then it hit me: cushion covers!  Lots of finicky little mini quilts.  Different fronts and backs.  We’ve at least four chairs.  And we’ll need a change of covers – eight.  And at this age, with the rate kids spill stuff – twenty!  Or more!  Plenty of opportunities to explore pattern & technique!

So here is my inspiration, courtesy the library:
- an encyclopedia of techniques;
- a modern quilt reference (I’m always drawn to modern looking quilts);
- the quilt book recommended by the librarian;
- an apartment therapy, for storage hints!

Our apartment is rated “small”.  Pity the other examples of small apartments don’t seem to include children.  And their toys.

And welcome everyone visiting through Kirsty’s creative spaces.

… was far more successful than Autumn’s.  I finished something!  Yay!

Only one thing ‘tho, I was hoping for at least two finished things – I have 2 children.  And actually, it took all “day.”  Although a “day”, for me, is a frequently interrupted period of time, so perhaps 6 hours straight? Or less, allowing procrastination time?  Perhaps I did my week’s worth after all, just on one day?

The skirt is for the littlest.  She doesn’t seem as into clothes, or as critical of them.  I’m glad she still accepts jeans without complaint.  Particularly on cold, windy, rainy days.  And I’m glad she isn’t too influenced by preschool yet, she has her own mind. All the other little girls seem to wear skirts or dresses, everyday.

She has occasionally commented she doesn’t have many skirts.  Trouble is, most of her clothes were her sister’s.  And her sister keeps almost all the skirts, they’re the favourites, even when they’re getting short.  So I’m glad the first handsewn item was for the littlest – she has something first, for once.

The pattern is “b.f” from 女のこのお’洋服 (ISBN 978-4-529-04437-0).  I chose it for the little tucks at the sides (front and back).  I’m not sure the polka dots show them off that well.  The fabric was her choice, she often chooses red clothes, although she says her favourite colour is still blue.  Even after starting preschool.

It was easy enough to sew.  Yes, I can read the instructions, so I did!  I took my time sewing, to make sure it looks neat.  Even if she isn’t fussed how her clothes look now, she might change her mind later.  I made size 110cm.  But, realistically, that’s her big sister’s size, she’s closer to 100cm.  I just wanted to make sure littlest could enjoy the skirt for a good long time.

By the way, here is nearly the first time she appeared on this blog – hasn’t she grown!

I’ve been meaning to show you this little fellow for a while.

I like the expression on his face; his pose; how strongly his attitude is drawn.

Snapped on Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Sitting neatly on the edge of a bus stop, the background is a poster for some vampire movie or other.

I can’t help feeling surprised how cute some sticker graffiti in Sydney is. This guy’s not cloying cute, I agree. But still a little cute. I’d expect (and saw) cute graffiti in Tokyo. Kawaii, you know all about that.

Reminds a little of this (painted) Sydney graffiti – which I still love. And still think would make a great soft toy.

…is writing out words in Mandarin Chinese again and again.  And again.

I’m normally pretty skeptical when Chinese teachers (or Japanese teachers) tell you to learn the characters just by writing them out, many times over. I assume that’s how they learnt as a child (all my teachers, so far, where born overseas). It might(!) be OK advice for a child, but I’m really doubtful it’s applicable to adult learners, who don’t have the reinforcement of hearing the language around them, everyday.

I much prefer to make up stories about the characters, to help me remember them. And understand their origins (pictograms) and components.

But this exam, we have to answer everything in Chinese (the questions are in Chinese, too). We even have write down, in characters, the conversations we hear in during the listening test. So I’m practicing speed writing – I’m thinking it’s like muscle training.  And yes, my writing is a bit messy.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE writing the characters.  I think they’re beautiful.  They’re a big part of the reason I wanted to learn Japanese, then Chinese. But wow, there’s a lot of them! Over 2,000 just for daily use. I know around 600…