Our Creative Space

I just got a call from my mate LC wondering why I haven't written on my blog for a while. So here I am, back on my blog with a news filled post. We just did a very quick trip to Sydney (500kms away). Busy did not love the car trip as in "are we there yet?' when we were not even on the highway from here ( less than 10kms) she lost it about an hour before we arrived saying 'you told me this was going to be fun and it is not and I am angry and next time I am going to fly in an aeroplane to see grandma' and on and on the abuse went.

We went to visit old friends and their new arrival. This old friend of ours- has met the woman of his dreams and had a baby and everyone is a bit excited, cos we thought he might never get 'round to it. We call him Dork. Apparently he has been Dork since high school. I try not to call him Dork anymore- now that he is a grown up but it is hard when someone has a nickname? Busy calls him Dork. EVERYONE calls him Dork. His partner calls him by his name unless we are around then she finds herself calling him Dork too. He is Dork.

 So when they had a baby of course I knew she would be ADORKABLE so I made some fabric just for her and sewed it into a little blanket. Its a bit wonky, as is my way, but most certainly made with love and one- of- a- kindness. How cute is she? I made the beanie as soon as they told me they were pregnant....I did not make the cardi but I wish I could have!
She is four months old and we all love her so much. She is so smiley and lovely.
When I got home I was met with 10metres + of black organic cotton, several hundred zippers and a huge stack of map fabric ready to be cut and sewn............

It was almost confronting in its enormity.

LUCKILY, lovely Alisa also sent me a package of her beautiful fox cards and some other goodness... have you seen Alisa's blog inkcaravan ?- it is very lovely.

Thank you for making my mail not all "work" related Alisa.
More spaces here

What have you been making if anything?

My Creative Space

The thing with floods is you get lots of inside things done. Like almost overdue wholesale orders. Two bears and 12 rattles.

I always feel a bit bad when I put them in the bag to post, like I should put airholes in it or something.... 

 My embroidery poem cushion was on the front page of etsy twice the other day which meant I got lots of hits and now have two of them to make. The always sell in twos. Always.

This is issue 2 of Mollie Makes a new UK magazine that you would have seen around blogland. My cushions are in but I cannot show you the page as they kindly send it to me as a PDF and blogger does not like pdfs. They featured this cushion.

***** Thank you Susie for making the below a jpg so I could show you!!and also thankyou to Nic yesterday who tried to help me but I am a bit crap with stuff like this *****

I DESPERATELY want to get my hands on a copy but do not want to subsrcibe to it- for about $100. I also don't want the digitial version which I know you can download.  If ANYONE wants to pick me up a copy of issue 2  if they see it not only will I be eternally grateful I will pay for their issue 2 as well AND of course the postage to get it here, and will also provide chocolate of thanks.... *and a new car... a holiday to the Carribean....

For more creative spaces pop over here.

*or maybe not 

Our Creative Space: Admin and whatnot

Admin. Lately I seem to be spending a lot of time doing admin. Punching holes and threading strings, cutting out labels and printing off tags, addressing envelopes, wrapping orders, answering emails. But that is what running a business is I guess. I did not know this before. Chef has been helping me and that has been great.

The thing I like about etsy ( one of the many many many things) is the way parcels are wrapped when they arrive. I take special care to make sure mine look nice too and  often people comment on the packaging in my feedback. I just fold the cushion cover and tie red and white twine and add a few tags and a little thank you note.

I also seal the envelope with some lovely tape. The bottom one is the New York subway- love it!

These are the latest cushions.
Top row: Haiti, Washington DC, New Zealand
Middle row: NSW coast, Maldives, United Kingdom
Bottom row: The Arctic Circle, Greece, Germany

One lovely lady snapped up Germany about two minutes after I put it online.  I really like the Arctic Circle one. If anyone wants one that is currently sold out just send me an email, AND until Sunday night at midnight you can use the coupon code: IREADCHUNKYCHOOKY at checkout for a 10% discount.
More of our creative spaces over here

My Creative space: Warning!! quilters avert your eyes now!

You know what I have learnt?
Just because someone  dares you to do something doesn't mean you have to? How old am I? 15? Apparently, yes!
It all started with this. I have been tempted before by this lovely bloggers quilts, but Kirsty's made me want to do it.
Kirsty even sent me Kates pattern.... But I read it and cutting all those pieces the same size all perfect and neat... Chest tightens, heart begins to beat faster, ( not in a good way) I know I am not capable of this kind of sameness and oneness... I looked at it again over a few days, even got out fabric one night, got overwhelmed, put it away. But because I was dared... it was on my mind....I went looking on the interweb for inspiration, felt worse, even more overwhelmed... But on Sunday morning at 2am I woke up with plans!

Perhaps I might do it differently next time though.

So here are some things I learnt that will make it easier next time. MOST of them are obvious to anyone with any sewing experience, unlike myself who still considers herself very much a beginner.

Perhaps think about how big it will be before you start
Perhaps some planning, a little sketch or something... With measurements!

Perhaps cut out shapes on a hard surface ( not the lounge room rug)

Perhaps use  that modern device called a tape measure, like actually get one out and measure your pieces of fabric.

Perhaps cut the pieces in a straight line on a hard surface by using things like a chalk mark and a ruler

Iron AND ironing board:

Get them out!

Perhaps iron all the squares before you start. Perhaps buy an ironing board bigger than the one you sit on the table that you currently use! ( I only iron small things like toy pieces and cushion covers it is about half the size of a normal sized one.)

Perhaps have some kind of system when you sew the pieces together where you decide to fold the seams over to one side or iron them open before you start sewing them all together.

Perhaps have those special pins with the bend in them.

Perhaps have chocolate biscuits for the pinning it all together process which proved quite painfully tedious and stressful in trying to keep dog from laying on the "quilt." and the 4 year old from walking on it.

Sew: Perhaps pop a new sharp needle in the machine so the one you are using doesn't break so when you are changing it half of it doesn't fall down in between those dog teeth looking bits causing you to lift the entire sewing machine over your head and shake vigorously and when it didn't come out just pretend that it didn't happen and put a new sharp needle in and start sewing again hoping for the best.

Perhaps have chocolate biscuits and dog treats ( for Zac obviously) again for the now I have to unpin it turned it right side out and realized I now have to pin it again!!! ( as am using this method- so as to avoid binding)

Pin.

Have dilemma about how to "quilt" and need to ask a stupid question...call in the expert who provided not only her phone number but links to examples to help answer my dumb question. Thank you Andi for always being very kind and encouraging.

Decide to use little ties method of quilting as I cannot decide what colour to use for the lines I wanted to sew like the original one Kirsty made- which was the whole point of this quilt to begin with - to make a quilt with all those lines across it....

So basically I started here, got overwhelmed, popped over here  and came back with this. 

It is backed with chenille and well, someone loves it and loves that I made it for her.

So would I make another one? Yep sure would! But this time I am going to cut on table, measure with chalk and ruler and iron and be patient and slow and maybe even be in the house alone for the pinning bit.....and I already have plans for the next one which will be more about quilting than actually about the patch- worky bit....Well that's the plan anyway but really anything could happen.

Andi will be running a quilting workshop called Embrace The Wonk ( LOVE it!) later in the month, details are over here.
Here at chunkychooky we embrace the wonk, we revel in it. We poo poo people who tell us it has to be perfect, it has to be neat, it has to be this it has to be that. I am Embracing the Wonk and am pround of myself that I faced up to the challenge and I finished it and I am not completley embarassed about it, but mostly I am thrilled that it will keep my little one warm on the lounge, which really is the whole point of a quilt right?
 More Creative Spaces at Kirstys place.

My Creative Space: balance

Balancing- not going under yet... but barely keeping head above water some days..... rattles, rattles, rattles ,then a few of this cushion then a crazy amount of the others, flying out the door.... have literally doubled production to keep up.... thank goodness I have help with the actual sewing.... the admin alone is crazy.... this is what I always wanted.... to be making real money from my craft.... but concerned over the amount of time it takes up.... too nervous to cut work hours back.... knowing it is going to get even busier over the next few months- in fact I just found out this morning that a big feature I thought was going to be in a couple of months is on this SUNDAY!!!! (EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp)  worried about Busy... am I hanging with her enough? What is enough?  I think I need to set specific work hours or something??

After this lot I think a break in rattle production is called for. I want to make something for Busy, for myself... plus I just want to sit down one night without  hand sewing something.

Find some  perky up beat Creative Spaces here, thanks Kirsty.