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.....

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....

more little cloth birds

Bird making frenzy

Bird making mess. I need me a cleaner!, a photo by madebykilljoy on Flickr.

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?

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

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