Testing

Printing wasn't on my to-do list for today, but I couldn't resist trying out some new blocks.

I can't wait to start playing around with colour combinations tomorrow, when printing definitely is on the list!

Panels

As well as new bags, I've just added some screen printed fabric panels to my shop. There are 2 of each print, enough to make a bag or cushion cover from. The unbleached calico is gorgeously thick and creamy, but the grey and white print on the right is really hard to part with. It's printed on pieces cut from a sheet I found in a secondhand shop, and is so crisp!

The craft group knits!

Last month's craft group meeting fell on Nelson Mandela's birthday, so Michelle suggested that we knit for charity for our 67 minutes for Mandela. We made beanies and booties and bears, and today I took them to the local library. Their own knitting group regularly donates knits to the Mowbray maternity hospital; it felt great to be able to add a little bit to the pile!

The last bit of daylight

Phew! Just managed to get these finished before the last bit of daylight faded, so I'm afraid these aren't great photos.

On the left, a bag I'm tempted to call the Blossom bag, but I think I've used that title a bit too often - any ideas? It has 2 small pockets inside and a smart stripey lining. On the right, the Basic Bookbag - no bells or whistles or zips or pockets, just a big sturdy bag.

I made them from the panels I had printed a little while ago; each bag takes just 2 panels.

(Oh, and it's pretty door handle, don't you think?)

Small-scale embroidery

I spent a few fun hours this weekend playing around with printed fabric scraps, a badge maker, and needles and thread.

Mentions

Snippet from Design Indaba magazine

I'm featured on today's Pieces of Me on Sibling Mine - thanks, Casey!

There's a review of my comic in the latest Design Indaba magazine (the snippet above is from there). Outer Tumbolia also gets a mention.

And Emile popped up on Willow Decor a little while ago! Phew - what a household!

New brooches

New brooches in my shop, made from bits of broken plates and embellished with my transfers.

Inspiration

Detail of drawing by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Recently a client gave me a bunch of botanical drawings as part of a brief. I found them mesmerising, and have kept them stuck up above my desk since. When I finally had time to do some research, I learned why I was so captivated: they're by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Have a look at a whole lot here.

Taking photos of your own feet is really tricky

New socks, in luscious wool from Carle. I used this pattern.

M.I.A.*

I've been doing a lot of sewing. I promise I'll start replying to emails again soon.

*feels more like D.O.A. right now.

Isn't she lovely?

My new sewing machine, an Elna 3210! So far, it's great - things like transparent bobbin covers and sharp thread cutters are a complete delight.

And the best way to learn all about your new machine: sew 40 bags to a deadline. Nothing like flipping through the manual at 2 am to get bobbin winding fixed in your memory.

Presents

Pretty stitch markers and a beautiful print that I won in l'atelier's giveaway. Thank you!

Blossom bag

On sale soon, exclusively at Urban Degree shops, in a limited edition.

Tatting - first tries

My first attempt at tatting, and my second! A bit lumpy, I hope better tension control will come with practice.

And the winner is...

Sibling mine! (picked by random number generator.) Thanks so much to everyone who entered my giveaway; you all left great links!

Apologies for the patchy posting recently. An illustration job went from 'urgent' to 'not so urgent' to 'take your time' to 'very very urgent please can you stay up all night and finish this'. Planning around this sort of thing is tough. And tiring. So I'm going to spend this long weekend sleeping and making lists, and come back next week with plans and timetables and efficiency and new things in my shop at long last.

At least, that's what I intend to do. I might end up catching up on blog reading, because I'm so far behind I'm almost scared to open my Bloglines.

Silhouettes

Some drawings from a school book I did a little while ago. It's a book of plays. Figuring out how to convey expression and character using only silhouettes was really fun. It's easier, in a way, than when I'm able to draw in more detail.

Lace Exhibition

On Saturday I bunked work and went to the Cape Lace Guild's exhibition.


Alongside the more traditional lace was this piece, based on a cross-section of a plant stem:


A piece of what was described as 'modern' lace, which has a decidedly vintage "mid-century mod" look about it:


These pieces are made with sewing thread; they're so finely worked that they seem to have been made with variegated thread. But these are solid colours.


There was some lovely tatting on display too:


There are more photos on my Flickr page.

I hauled out some old craft books and scoured the internet for tatting instructions, being pretty sure that somebody would have come up with a way to do it without a tatting shuttle (it was Saturday evening, and I wanted to do this now). Turns out you can tat with a bit of card for a shuttle, and it's really easy.

Really easy, that is, once you give up on illustrated instructions and head for YouTube. There seems to be some sort of conspiracy going on with the illustrations. They make no sense, but have been drawn the same way for decades. The tatting elite seem to want to force you to learn from a real person, instead of a book. I will remedy this as soon as I have time: bad craft illustrations annoy me. All you need are a few slightly longer twisty arrows, people.