Shell Art by Amy Ramsey

Has anyone seen the recent Martha Stewart Living magazine with the Shell Art feature? You must watch this little video on the Martha site. I am very impressed! How about the cake?!

I'm going to be looking at the beach in a whole new light! Now I just have to check the laws on removing shells...

The above is the most beautiful work of Amy Ramsey. That's ALL shells! Amazing. You can read more about her in the magazine or here

Great new blog find.

Feeling Stitchy has just been added to my blogroll. So impressed! Especially cute is this great piece by Emily aka Floss Box who Feeling Stitchy tells me has an Etsy store to buy the pattern! Bravo!

Winter 2008 Quilting.

This is my first quilting project! It was an old quilt top pieced by my Aunt ages ago. She didn't know what to do with it so I seized the opportunity! When I was up visiting last week I got the batting and backing fabric and am now in the process of hand quilting the entire thing! One 5mm stitch at a time!

The quilt is more of a small single bed size currently and I think it'll be perfect for the couch or the base of the bed to keep our feet warm this winter.

I'm going to try and get a better photo of it next time as the colours are quite vibrant. Lots of great oranges and purples. Being all checks and I'm thinking of keeping the edging very plain when it's complete.

Has anybody worked on anything similar? How did you find quilting it all by hand?

Today on Ebay

Antique Cross Stitch on Linen - Home Sweet Home.


Vintage 1930's quilt top.

Pac Man Needlebook

I made this yesterday. It's a cute little needlebook so I can carry my sewing needles around safely in my bag on the trams and trains. Always a good thing!

Baby 66 has arrived!

Congratulations to Shef and Melinda on the birth of Ziya Joseph Bey today!!! I'm sure most of you have been ohh and ahhing over Melinda's beautiful nursery over at 66 Stitches.

I was supposed to go to Melinda's house yesterday to play with the Gocco printer but someone 'wasn't feeling very well'... I'll say!! Going into labour and all! Goodness!

So now I just have to complete my very excellent present that I have been crafting. I'll post something when it has been completed but I have to let you know that I had to make it twice as the construction involved got a bit mucked up the first time around. But now that I know better it is going to rock!

I shall let you all know that it is cross stitch (of course!).

I've been away.

Hello all. I have been up in the country being a bad blogger. But I was crafting! I went up to Bright in north eastern Victoria and spoke to my Aunt's year 10 textiles class. It's a bit intimidating, mainly because I didn't really plan what I was going to talk about! I just had a chat. I think it went ok though with only one student texting a friend on her mobile while I was trying to talk! Oh well.

But if I had planned something I probably would have had them interacting or putting something together or something... I dunno. Maybe I can go back and have them make something that I can post here.... Hmmmm.

Book I would like right now...

Macrame for Kids Knot Tying Book Owl Choker Belt Crafts via ioffer.com.

Tapestry Weaving

Woman
Tapestry artist, Hannah Akulukjuk Drawing artist, Elisapee Ishulutaq

Man
Tapestry artist, Igah Etoangat Drawing artist, Elisapee Ishulutaq

Cute images woven on a tapestry loom by Inuit tapestry artists at the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

Be Kind Rewind

If ever there were a super crafty movie I think this comes pretty close to it. I went to see Be Kind Rewind this afternoon as it's playing at the cinemas here in Australia. I just love Michel Gondry as a director.. His imagination and creativity is just so amazing and I love his whimsical adventures (especially The Science of Sleep). I think if you are having a bit of creative block or feel as if you've lost that spark today, this film is sure to inspire. I give this movie 4 and a half craft stickers out of 5!

Alexander Girard for FLOR

How lovely! As you all may know I'm quite a fan or Alexander Girard so you can probably imagine I'm a bit excited about FLOR & máXimo releasing the Girard line of FLOR carpet tiles. Based on Girard’s “sun” designs each six-tile rug measures 3-by-5 feet and can be purchased through the FLOR website here really soon.

Such a super cute and practical system! Especially if heavy and hard to clean rugs aren't your thing (I know they're not mine). Even better that the AUS/US dollar is so good right now. Stay tuned for more info!

If you could see me now..

I've kind of lost my glasses. When I say I've lost them I should say misplaced... I just don't quite know where they are and it's getting to me. I've looked in all of my usual places and no luck... Bummer. It doesn't help much either to have 3 embroidery projects on the go without them.

Oh well! I'm just sure they'll turn up someplace. Someplace really strange no doubt.

In the meanwhile I found these on Ebay. Cutely coloured depression era samplers from Texas!

Things to do today..

Today is my dear friend Melanie's 30th. This is the present that I am yet to give her. Well, this is part of the present I am yet to give her... (The other part is still under construction). I spent nearly an hour in a bookstore last week looking for something that said 'Mel' and naturally I found something that that was a bit 'Mel', but a bit more 'Me'.... Well, at least she'll know who she got it from!

The book is called Mrs Harvey's Sister-in-Law and it is the most lovely cookbook ever. Better still it has a bit of a cross stitch motif thing going on! It's also Australian, a bit 70's retro and set in Melbourne. I bought mine at Readings but you can also buy it here via Amazon (UK).