Worlds biggest procrastinator

Not working my paid job again today – last day of over 4 weeks of school holidays – so I really should be sewing. Have 4 pairs of pants *almost* finished, and then a beautifully busy and social weekend interrupted the flow :)

I am excited to finish them…esp a little pair of vintage fabric flares with a cool patch on the bum:

What do you think?

I did some reading yesterday on an etsy thread about “design theft”, which my friend (Jaemart) who steered me to the thread knows all too well that a lot of my designs were outright copied last year by a CUSTOMER of mine! (I know!! How rude) So I’m pretty protective of my work and it doesn’t take much to shake my confidence – hence my long hiatus last year after that whole awful time. I am also hugely respective of others work and the idea of anybody thinking that *I* am copying makes me cringe. So much so that I would often search for an item similar to what I was about to list – and if there was anything handmade even remotely like MINE, then I would hold off – for fear of looking like a copycat.

Anyway – I had a bad dream last night that I listed these pants on etsy and then saw another pair of vintage floral flares with the same circular patchy thing – only the other seller had hand embroidered a spiral stitch over. I’m too scared to look – what if there IS such a listing??? It isn’t as crazy as it sounds as Kate (Eviegreenpixie) and I have for years crossed over with our styles, and she’ll often make something that has been inside my head for months. So uncanny.

Oh, oops. I got on a little rant. What I meant to say was: I should be sewing but I’m suddenly feeling sleepy :)

Simple pleasures

Hanging freshly washed, new fabric on the line to dry in the shade.

What made you happy today?

Fabric…

In other news, I received a lovely bundle of vintage fabric in the mail last week.

mmm…..*love*

Can you believe i actually forgot all about it until downloading photos just now??

Rearranging

I’m questioning everything in my life, lately. It feels that quite suddenly lots of things feel wrong… eg: I don’t want to work anymore. Not unless it’s school hours, I don’t have to work during school holidays and my work is worthwhile. All I really want to do is sew for the family and sell enough to ‘get by’, grow my own food and be there for my children.

Anyway.

It’s no surprise that my children sense the growing tide of change in me and have requested their own changes: they asked to share a bedroom again, after having separate rooms for the past year. LOVE that idea.

So yesterday we disturbed the sleepover setting in Maisie’s room (Lily’s been ‘camping’ in there on a spare mattress for 3 weeks as a trial) and made it permanent. Hmmm….I’m noticing that great expanse of mellow blue wall and thinking it needs some decorating. Decals, I think!

I like these Growing Hearts by lewas designs!

Their bedroom now is just for sleeping, reading and resting. All their toys have been moved into what was Lily’s room – which is now their play room.

I’m quite excited about setting it up for them, but I will be needing a few things to make it easy for them to keep it organised and tidy: bookshelves and containers – boxes, baskets etc…

hopefully should get it sorted very soon :)

rock hopping

Lily and I decided to go for an impromptu walk on the beach this morning – only the tide was so high it would have been a very short walk.

So we climbed around the beautiful powdery rocks instead, with the water lapping up against them. I love the plinky plonk sounds.

I realised, as soon as I put my feet on that powdery surface, that it has quite possibly been a year since I walked on those rocks. It was a weekly occurence with my Mum, when we walked every weekday morning – all before I went back to work.

I long for those days of walking, trawling the beach, and then going home to sew all day.

Here’s a crappy mobile phone photo from a couple of years ago – I wish I had my camera this morning, but all we were meant to be doing is dropping Maisie at daycare and buying some cough medicine for my Mum. I think these school holidays we’ll be spending a lot more time down there in the mornings. Especially high tide which I love so much.

Lily brought some ochre home to make up a paint – we’re having one of her school friends over on Friday and she wants to paint the box, and then for the three of them to play in it. How two 7 year old girls and a 4 year old girl are going to fit in it, I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll work something out :)

The special pillow.

The almost-finished pillow.

Originally uploaded by monsoonsandmangoes

All finished today. The idea was that the pillow would be a holiday craft (we’re on the second day of four weeks!) but because my daughter and I are both obsessive, it’s already done.

Don’tcha love her spiders? For their eyes, my clever daughter cut two petals for each spider.

And the butterflies – keep an eye on those, because some have made their way onto the beautiful patchwork skirt I made today.

Phew! Patchwork feels exhausting today. My back started off twingy this morning, so little wonder it’s aching now. It’s worth it though – the new skirt (pics later) is a masterpiece.

Onwards now, for some tunic dresses.

you can never have too many mothers

I really do like to see the things that these people like, and read the things people want to write. And I feel really lucky to be privy to all that. That’s the beauty of blogging. Blogs are for sharing and remembering and documenting and venting. Blogs are for showing and wondering and hoping and teaching. Blogs bravely invite discussion and acknowledgement and connection. Blogs are about what is happening right now in people’s lives. Blogs are kind of like a warm hug from a friend

Sweet post by Meet Me At Mikes. One of my favourite blogs to read.

Maria’s custom work finished~

All for Maria

Originally uploaded by monsoonsandmangoes

I’m so thrilled with how these turned out! It’s been forever since I’ve done any shirring and the pants – well they are just incredible! I want them for ME! :)

Need to lengthen the top to get a couple of years out of it, but then they’ll be all wrapped up and shipped to Wisconsin today.

beautiful feedback

This might be my favourite comment ever:

“…he has received them and loves them and wears them a lot. My mother was trying to convince him to save them for special occasions so he has something nice to wear, but he said pish posh to that. He said “They’re very well made. I am wearing them in the woods.”

About the custom patchwork mens shorts.

That is just beautiful and it makes me so happy that they will be worn as I had hoped.

♥

Rainbow fleece skirts

I’m beyond excited about these skirts. I want to buy 9,276 metres of this stuff and turn it all into clothes. I LOVE sewing with fleece. particularly: how the fabric puffs up on either side of a stitch. Oh, and it feels DIVINE, too.

I need one of these, too!!