Daffy&Melis

Patternmaking = love

2010-08-10T12:36:00.002+10:00

My shoulder healed, I started my pattern-making course 3 weeks ago and I love it.

I cannot think of a better way to spend a day than wielding ruler and pen and creating wonderful dress, skirt, shirt and trouser shapes.

If you have not tried it and you enjoy dressmaking, check out your local TAFE (or similar) and sign up for a course. You can find night classes and day classes and they really are SO much fun!

Are you sold?

My favourite things

2010-07-12T22:23:00.004+10:00

Red beads!

Lemon tree!

Dressmaking!

Coffee and Cake!

Happy New Financial Year!

2010-07-01T11:43:00.002+10:00

...and now it is July!

I have injured my shoulder, which has put a dent in my plans to do a pattern-making course :(
I do not have enough mobility in the shoulder to wield a pen and ruler without rather a lot of pain.
I am very disappointed, but this gives me the opportunity to take some time out to rest, recuperate and renew.
I have tested my shoulder a bit with various other crafty activities and am relieved to say that I can sew without pain! Hurrah!

Happy Daffy Day :)

Photos at last

2010-06-11T10:37:00.004+10:00

Good morning!

Its Friday at the end of a strange kind of week...I can't really describe the strangeness, which makes it even stranger.

So many creative potentialities have come out of this week though - from an invitation to a friends baby shower to an invitation to be maid of honour at another friends 'date-yet-to-be-set' wedding!!

The greatest creative potential has come from the end of my Certificate III course in clothing production: no more 'must do', just plenty of 'want to do'!!

As promised I have remembered to take photos! Here is one of the cute little boys jacket (XS, KwikSew pattern) I made as my clothing production assessment piece:

It will be getting a brother in the next few weeks, in blue corduroy with brown lining but the same buttons.

And can I just point out the fact that this garment has three welt pockets. That's right, three of them. I'm a pro now. I can sew a welt pocket with the best of them.

My friend also sent me a link to a rather fabulous online fabric store and I'm thinking of buying some fabrics to make cushion covers and table runners for international Christmas gifts this year...will post if I do buy it and do make them.

Tis all for now,
Daffy!

Umm, its June

2010-06-02T09:11:00.003+10:00

Well, didn't May fly by in a flash of purple and orange with little bits of pearl and sparkle?
It did for me, at least.

In May, I have:

thrown a fabulous 50th birthday party for someone who does not wish to be identified as being that age
finished my clothing design course
finished my intermediate pattern making course
almost finished my clothing production course (collar, lining, sleeves, hems and buttons to go...and three hours to do it, sigh)
realised that I will probably never win a golden globe.

Still no photos...I will get to it. Perhaps as my new financial year resolution I will endeavour to be more prompt with lovely photos for all to see.

Have a lovely winter, everyone (in this hemisphere)!

Toile

2010-05-12T09:46:00.002+10:00

I just wanted to share my favourite word...toile.
It is fun to say and fun to write.
Toile

I was thinking of this word, because last night I submitted my pattern-making project (complete with calico toile): a fitted blouse. I am so proud of the pattern I made and I have a photo (not a great one) of the pattern pieces all laid out here....

I was going to take a photo of the toile (there it is again!) but I didn't remember that until after I had submitted it.

I also had a lot of fun with draping last night. I just love smoothing out fabric. I do it all the time on clothes I'm wearing and on clothes other people are wearing (usually just people I am quite good friends with). So it seems that I am naturally inclined towards the draping of fabric on a form.
I think I like that word too...draping, drape, draped.

That was a complete exaggeration!

2010-04-22T11:31:00.003+10:00

I just realised that my last post (two seconds ago) was an exaggeration...I haven't caught up at all!
I'm still catching up on my catch-up posts from the beginning of the year (see Feb 21).

This is what I will do: I will summarise. Sorry, no pictures.

Catch-up Part 5: 22 Grannies today...
I started (late) the 'A Granny A Day' challenge (see image at right). I did 22 Granny squares in one day! I decided at the end of March (see, March DID happen) that I had enough to do what I wanted to do, which was make a tiny little blanket for a little girls dedication. I have nearly finished sewing them all together. I will post a picture when it is done.
I love a good granny square, so there will be more, but one a day is just too hard to commit to!

Catch-up Part 6: I'm back at School...
I have started (and almost finished) my Certificate 3 in Clothing Production. I am down to the project-end of 'Fundamentals of Design' (Design Portfolio of 'farm clothes' for Bloke, Father and Brother) and of 'Intermediate Pattern Making' (A wrap dress with cap sleeves and fitted bodice); and am working towards my project in the sewing part of the course (lined jackets for two little boys birthdays).

Catch-up Part 7: Sunhat for Mumsy...
Ok, this is the bit about me looking at fabric and seeing clothes. I collect tea towels. I love tea towels. In those tea-towels I see cushion covers, chair covers, skirts, shirts and sunhats. I have made the first three and the last and am working on the shirt. I made a tea-towel sunhat for my Mumsy to take on an island resort holiday. It needs a slight modification (slightly deeper crown). Its ok though, I've got plenty of tea-towels to spare :)

Now I've caught-up.

Have a truly beautiful day and I really will post pictures of my craftyness soon!

Daffy :)

What happened to March?

2010-04-22T10:58:00.003+10:00

I'm sure March occurred, because there would have been an international outcry if we went straight from February to April, but I can hardly recall March at all! What have I been doing?
The answer: working, sewing, crafting, and traveling!

Work: I have made a decision to cut down my work hours by half-a-day a week. I am not sure how and when I will implement that, but I am getting run-down by trying to fit full-time hobbies and full-time work into just one life.

Sewing: Now that I think about it, I may have over-exaggerated slightly. I've hardly done any sewing at all! I have been thinking about sewing, and designing things to sew, and buying bits-and-pieces that will make the sewing work...but haven't actually done the sewing just yet.

Crafting: Lots of granny squares half-stiched together, a few beaded things, the beginnings of a fascinator and a birthday card thrown in for good measure.

Traveling: I went to Fiji! Enough said, I think :)

Well that's me caught up...

Daffy

I almost made a quilt

2010-02-22T22:28:00.003+11:00

Late last year, my friend tabbed some quilt patterns in her magazines that she thought I might like. I chose a cute little applique bird house and we went shopping for some quilting fabrics for my first quilting venture. I laid the fabric out and prepared to cut the first pieces and then...this happened...

Yep, my quilt became a t-shirt.
And I have to say, it is my absolute favourite at the moment!

You see, I have this little problem where I look at fabric and I see clothes (see my next post, and you'll understand what I mean).

Stay tuned for the actual quilt, it is on my Project Roll-Call, so it will get done...at some point!

Catch-up Part 3: I own a house!

2010-02-22T21:53:00.003+11:00

I am a house-owner!!
Whats more, I am a house decorator! I am a very homey person, so owning a home I can decorate and create in and garden etc etc is a dream come true. Its a cute little 3-bedroom cottage on the coast, with lake and ocean views (glimpses). My friends are living in it at the moment, which helps me with the repayments, and helps them save for their own place.

I've put together a little montage of my favourite redecorated rooms, below.

(Clockwise from top left: Dining Room feature wall; Repainted bathtub and tiles (used to be pink); Sunroom (my favourite); Repainted kitchen bench (was brown))

Catch-up Part 2: Happy 2010!

2010-02-22T21:46:00.002+11:00

2010 has been a really exciting year so far! It is flying by, but I'm also flying through my craft and sewing projects and really feeling that I've reached a new level of competence in a number of areas. 2010 is going to be a Very Creative Year!

New Years Eve was a fairly low-key affair: family fireworks with my family-in-law, loved watching the kids experience fireworks, had a glass of champagne, then babysat so the parents of the kids could go and have some fun. I admit to falling asleep just before midnight and waking up just after, so I missed the transition to the new year...could it be, I'm getting old??

So, Happy New Year, once again, and I hope you are all having as wonderful a year as I am!

Catch-up Part 1: Merry Christmas

2010-02-22T14:30:00.006+11:00

Merry Christmas 2009!

Some would say that is a rather belated seasonal greeting...

...I say it is prolonging the joy.

I had a wonderful Christmas and hosted for the very first time at my house. This meant I was in charge of decorating and catering. I spent a wonderful two days cooking up a storm of salmon, ham, potato salad and best of all, Trifle. I wish I had a photo of that trifle, it was a masterpiece and kept the Christmas spirit going for two days following (along with ham and mustard sandwiches). Everyone, that is Mumsy and Dad, Grandpa, my darling Bloke and I, had a wonderful relaxed day and I have to say that this was one of the best Christmasses I have had!

Thank you to Melissa at MumbleBumblings, my Christmassy Swap partner, for the most beautiful and inspiring Christmas stocking and bauble (plus some dotty fabric flowers, ribbon and a hand cream). I went out immediately to purchase more Christmas stockings to 'match' and all the grown-ups relived Christmasses past, opening their stockings on Christmas morning! I've posted terrible cropped photos of the swap gifts above, I'm sorry Melissa, it just doesn't do your creativity justice!

Catch-up posts

2010-02-21T21:58:00.002+11:00

And February is almost over!!!

I haven't been blogging, but I have been busy and thinking about blogging. The proof is in the photos I remember to take for when I eventually write the post that belongs to the event that the photo was taken for.

The next few posts are my catch-up posts, roughly in this order:

Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
I own a house
22 Grannies today
I almost made a quilt
I'm back at 'school'
Sunhat for Mumsy

and then I'm caught up!

Deep breath...and...blog!

Daffy

Yikes! Its 2010!!

2010-01-01T16:01:00.002+11:00

I can't believe its more than a month since my last post. My excuse? I've been flat-chat!
But then, who hasn't?
For my part, work was pretty hectic for a while there, then there was Christmas, oh and I bought a house!
I promise, promise, promise, that once I get back to some semblence of normalcy, I will post and there will be pictures!!
I wish everyone a very happy new year in 2010, and hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
D&M

Stressed!!!!

2009-11-23T08:44:00.003+11:00

Wow, I am stressed.
I didn't realise it until I yelled at my Darling Bloke this morning because I forgot to do something. Hmmm, makes perfect sense.
I have major deadlines at work, I'm trying to get a lot of sewing done for Mumsy and my market debut this weekend, my head is overflowing with ideas for new skirt patterns and shirt make-overs and to top it all off...Christmas is coming!
I'm feeling a bit crook with hayfever and some other underlying lurgy as well, which isn't helping. Its just not fair!
So for anyone who might be popping in on Fridays to read my Thursday updates, my sincere apologies. Daffy is a little wilted this week.

On the upside - nature is wonderful (apart from dastardly grass-seed, the cause of my itchy nose and eyes)!
Some of the plants I thought I had killed have miraculously regreened and one of them is about to flower. Yay, nature!
And anyone who recalls my post a couple of weeks ago about the spider who had taken up residence in my rain gauge (still sitting just above 3 inches), well, she has had babies. Hundreds of little tiny spiders. Despite my fear of spiders in the house, I am perfectly amazed at these little creatures and since they are in their natural habitat I don't have the heart to flush them out. So in the rain gauge they stay.
Have a good one - I sure hope to!
Daffy and Melis (on a Monday)

So, its Friday

2009-11-06T15:03:00.002+11:00

Had a delightfully busy long-weekend, a short and snappy week and am gearing up for yet another busy weekend of food and fun.
I don't have a picture for today, but will post the photo of my little rose bush in bloom next time.
I am also thinking up all manner of exciting crafty projects for Christmas presents and helping Mumsy prepare her lavender for sale at the local markets.
I've signed up for 'polka dot daze's' Christmassy Polka Dot Swap, so my creative brain is swimming in polka dots :)
AND my friend was lovely and tagged a bunch of beginner quilting projects in her collection of quilting magazines for me to look through on the weekend. I have chosen one, purchased fabric and am very excited about getting started! I could be a quilter yet...
Today, being Fascinator Friday, I am wearing a cute little clip with multi-coloured fabric flowers (pinched from a hawaiian costume) and bows. My colleague also wore her hot-pink/cerise/fushia (?) flower clip today, at last! Fascinator Friday is a hit!

Hooray for....

2009-10-29T22:55:00.004+11:00

Spray tans - glowing, summery brown, and no skin cancer!

Long weekends - refreshing, relaxing and special because other people are working (cheeky!)

Cushions - bright, effective and an inexpensive way to change the mood of a room.

You guessed it! I had a spray tan this afternoon (I'm munchkin borange), I've got a 5-day long weekend coming up and I made cushions...cushions and a throw for the couch (or is that threr for the carch?)

Have a good one!

Getting the word out!

2009-10-22T23:16:00.008+11:00

Wow, a week flies by! My news for this week is that I finished a skirt, learned how to draft circular constructions (there will be many a flounce) and had a lovely chat to my sister, who lives far far away. My sister has been putting the word out about my creative endevours and has commissioned a bunch of button bobby pins to hand out to work mates. I am so flattered!!
This is what I came up with tonight:

Sister-dear has also asked me to email a photo of the wedding cake I decorated for our parents' 30th wedding anniversary. Her good friends are getting married next year and she thought to recommend me as an option for their wedding cake (well, just the flowers). Again, so flattered, and here is the picture (below). I'm quite proud of it!

Thats it for now. Bed time!

D&M

Crochet fascinator and Rain - Rain - Rain

2009-10-15T20:54:00.005+11:00

As promised last 'Thursday', here is my fascinator for Fascinator Friday! I have just learned to crochet and I have made many, many circles and turned these into many flowers. This little cluster of flowers is accentuated with little faux pearls and stitched onto a brown velvet band : )
It rained quite a bit today (as it has almost every day for about 2 weeks) and in the afternoon sunlight the grass was SO green and the gum leaves SO silver sparkly. Just beautiful. It has rained so much recently that I have been saving the rain in my rain gauge since early September, and will have a little celebration when we get to 4 inches. We are already at 2.5, so not far to go. The only downside is that the garden spider who has set up house in the rain gauge will have to find another home. I will post a photo of the great moment (the 4" of rain, not the spider eviction).

Thursday and Fascinator Friday

2009-10-09T16:20:00.001+11:00

Thursday is supposed to be 'Blog day'. This week it was not.
Only days into my my Blog-life and I am already behind. Not a good sign.

This Thursday I had planned to write about why Daffy and Melis, and what this Blog is going to be about.

I guess Friday will do just as well.

Daffy is short for Daffodil. My favourite flower. In Norway they call them 'Easter Lillies'. I like that too! As a primary-school child I wished that someone would give me the nick-name Daffy. I thought that would be really cool. It never happened. So Daffy is part of my nom de plume for this blog.

Melis means 'icing sugar' in Norwegian (Mel = flour, is = ice). I really like the word and it describes perfectly what my hobbies are all about: adding the icing to the cake. I love scrapbooking (although it has been a while), sewing, pattern-making, knitting, crocheting, beading, millinery, cake decorating, card making...the list goes on. All of those are about 'prettying things up'. And so Melis is part 2 of my nom de plume for this blog.

That sums it up!! Daffy & Melis, is all about the things that make me happy and joyful and the things I make to bring others happiness and add a bit of joy to the world.

Incidentally, today is the very first 'Fascinator Friday' at work. Sadly, my colleague and I (who also happen to be the creators of this great day, and the only two people who know about it) completely forgot and so it was a bit of a fizz.
I will make something wonderful for next Friday. There will be a picture when I post again NEXT Thursday!

Until then,
Happy Daffy!

A clean page

2009-10-06T10:52:00.000+11:00

I have always tried to keep a diary or a journal. I have never really succeeded. I am not sure why I think I will have more success with a Blog. If my poor attempt at FaceBook is anything to go by I am sure to last about 2 months. I am, however, prepared to give this a go. It looks like so much fun!