Wednesday 19 September 2012

Dream Machine....


This baby is on my wish list....

Pfaff Ambition 1.0
We have met just once but I think she's the one. She is a little bit purple and - I like purple! She can sew leather and has a walking foot! She does automatic buttonholes in 4 different styles! I can drop her feed dog and do wacky stitching!

She's a little out of my league but I think I'm ready. She costs more than I thought I would spend, but  she is WAY cheaper than a Bernina. Those babies are expensive!

Just think of all the different things I could sew. More importantly - I could sew leather to leather! Dream come true  ♥♥

I can see some leather birds in my future.....


Saturday 15 September 2012

Screen Printing fun @ Koskela


I've been looking longingly at Harvest Workroom's screen printing workshops for ages now - but seeing as I don't live in Melbourne I'd given up all hope of doing a workshop....

And then, whilst reading the interwebs, I found out about the beautiful Koskela workshops held at Rosebery. When I saw Prints Charming were teaching a paper stencil screen printing workshop I knew I couldn't miss out on the fun!

Koskela workshop space with printmaking friends

Here's some pics from the day. I had a ball - and have no doubt found a new obsession. Now all I need to do is organise that studio space .....

pink triangles go down first....

followed by bright orange triangles....

then the magenta cluster of mini triangles over printed on top.....

and some more medium sized triangles in turquoise!

Daggy pic of me post printing....

Sunday 26 August 2012

Bird making frenzy


Julie needs more birds at ClothFabric...

So I am making a mess at home and finishing the three birds I started a little while ago. But because I chose the fabric, stitched the base and cut the shapes out a couple of weeks ago - it feels like these birds are taking a looonnnggg time. And I've been a bit undecided about wing colours and finishes.

But I think I've made my favourite one so far. Its peachy and cream and he's very cute. Maybe I should keep him?


Monday 2 July 2012

New bird pattern time?

I think it's time for a new bird pattern....

I've always wanted to do a duck. They are very big and awkward but oh so cute!
And although everybody hates pigeons, there is something about them. They seem to have a bit of a personality about them and I like the idea of short stubby legs....


Maybe I want to make a pigeon because of this gorgeous little clip of a two year old girl reading Mo Willems' "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!"



Yep - I agree. A pigeon it is!

xx

Saturday 30 June 2012

Cloth Fabric Birds


A little while ago, I went into Cloth Fabric in Surry Hills to buy some fabric off cuts for some birds and other unrealised projects. After rummaging through the piles for the choice cuts,  I started chatting to the lovely Julie Paterson (owner/artist of Cloth Fabric). To cut a long story short - I showed her some images of my birds, she really liked them and asked me to make a bird for her if she supplied the fabric. How could I say no?!

Here is the fabric she gave me and a bird mid-way through production....




One bird is a "Sparrow" made with the brown/green/cream/neutral colours and has a leather beak and little leather feathers on 100% wool felt wings. The other is a "Night Heron" made from the red/cream/black/orange fabrics. He also has felt wings but with a circle detail hand stitched on and some little holes.




I really like them paired together. They look like good friends already!

xx

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Big Cartel Store!

Updated!
Soon to be ready for sale once I visit the the Post Office to sort out postage cost. Go visit my Big Cartel store !!


Thursday 17 May 2012

Umbrella Prints Bird

  I love to use printed fabrics in my birds. Especially Australian designed prints.

So when I heard about the competition the Australian company Umbrella Prints was hosting, I was in! Competition Rules? By a Trimmings pack from one of their online stores and make something with it. Hello new bird!

Here is the trimmings pack I received all spread out on the kitchen bench....


Here is the bird mid - creation being pinned and cut on the ironing board....


I used all the pieces except for 2 [which are on the right hand side of the first photo (heart printed fabric)] I patch worked the pieces together onto a base cloth of muslin, cut the bird pieces out and then assembled the bird. I had stitched on a tan leather beak, ochre wings and leg cuffs all made from 100% wool felt and then finally - twig legs from a fallen tree!

handmade and fragile
one of a kind - no two the same
[madebykilljoy]

100% cotton - Umbrella Prints fabric
100% wool felt
Tan Leather
twig feet
polyester stuffing





I'm pretty happy with how this little fellow turned out. I had a lot of fun making him and I really like the colours. I don't often choose neutrals [I over did it with the linen for a while] but I'm loving yellow right now and the earthy yellow in these fabrics is really lovely.

I took these shots in my back yard in the afternoon light against our fence line. There was a kookaburra above me keeping an eye on the proceedings and I was hoping he would fly down a bit closer so I could get a shot of both birds together but I think the Kookaburra was waiting for my neighbour to appear with his afternoon snack of mince!

Photo shoot in backyard. Kookaburra top left corner...

I also Instagram-ed [hellokilljoy] this pic of the bird but I didn't think it was so crashed hot [too much yellow sunlight and green weeds] so I nixed it....



If you would like to vote for my bird - you need to head over to Umbrella Prints Pinterest Board. Pin it, like it = ♥

And if you'd like to buy the bird - I think I'll list him in my etsy shop or big cartel shop at the end of the comp. Or you could email me? madebykilljoy [at] gmail [dot] com.

Wish me luck, xx








Thursday 19 April 2012

Back on the birds

I'm still waiting for the casters to call me about making my leg molds, so in the meantime I thought I'd try making some leather birds because I'd like to make an edition of leather birds with pewter legs.

But it's hard. My machine doesn't like sewing leather. My Indian Rajdoot industrial machine isn't up to the task yet (needs so fine tuning!) so I'm a bit stuck. I can sew leather to fabric but not leather to leather.

On this bird I'd like to sew on a pleated frill. But I can't fit it under my machine foot. Crisis!!

Sunday 18 March 2012

Bird leg production line - the last legs

Its been a long time since I posted....

These are the last of the bird legs. The fallen tree from which they came is well and truly gone and these are the only ones that are left. We are currently doing some research into having the legs cast in bronze - making them never ending!!

Whilst I think the idea of cast bronze legs is a total winner, I've always loved that my little birdies had twig legs and that each pair was unique and a bit wonky.

Maybe I just need to SEE the bronze legs - I'm sure they will be super beautiful. It also means that we can patinate the legs black and green or have them shiny. More options.

Stay tuned...
(promise I won't be gone so long this time, xx)