Learning to stitch

I have been remiss - all this encouraging other children to get crafty with my re-sew-cool sewing kits and I hadn't even bothered to teach my own kids to sew. I know! Bad mother! On the weekend they were imploring me to help them make softies and Sunday turned out to be the perfect rainy afternoon to get crafty in the back room.

Pepper and Wanda drew a picture of the critter they planned to sew. (Yes, for identical twins they have very different drawing styles.)

 




















I helped Joe with his shape. Then we selected felt and got cutting and stitching. Pepper didn't have the patience to wait her turn and so just got started with glue - which is perfectly cool I think. She stitched the outer seams.

Joe showed surprisingly good concentration and managed to sew on a button.

Wanda was very patient and tenacious. She even put a pocket on her softie.

  Wanda has called her creature "Pom Pom", Joe has called his owl "Parsley" and Pepper has called her bunny "Hermione".

Best of all - all of the softies are made entirely from recycled materials. 

* and just a postscript: after we finished I gave Joe a hair cut! He doesn't look like a wannabe Paul Weller mod now!

Farewell for now, Gleaners Inc

Long live the Queen - Our Queen Liz, Queen of Glean.

Alas, Gleaners Inc has closed the shop doors. Sparta Place sure is a lot more Spartan without it too! As the main brain behind the gorgeous ethical gift shop, Liz has been gone above and beyond the role of a stockist. She has been the champion of all things hand crafted, recycled and ecologically sound AND she's super cool.

With the shop she has supported makers around the country by promoting, selling and just sharing the love.  She has even packed our stuff up in vintage suitcases and taken them to the BIG markets like Finders Keepers to further our exposure and to represent us there.

 As a curator, initiating various group shows in the Stairway to Nowhere Gallery, she  has been inspiring. The Gleaners Inc art challenges have been open and inspirational. I really feel Liz has given me opportunity to extend my creativity and skills - to be brave and experiment. The exhibitions have allowed me to participate in larger festivals like Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed and Melbourne Fashion Week - something I could never have achieved as an individual.

And that's where the "Inc." part of Gleaners Inc is so important.  Liz has welcomed us all as part of the whole group hug that is Gleaners Incorporated. I feel lost without it already!

The good news is that Liz will still be the chief designer cutter gluer at Betty Jo Designs and that she has a new light filled studio in the hood to continue her work.  And I also have the feeling that Gleaners Inc may pop up again - I know I still feel incorporated.

The Queen's Birthday Weekend Queenspiration!

Well. You know it isn't even really Queen Liz's birthday but, with an extra day up my sleeve (kept up there like a carefully ironed hanky) I've been doing some blog housekeeping and visiting early blog posts  - back when I was the shy retiring type. So I'm showing you some of my Queenie things again! This coronation coach which was my mum's.

And you know the rhyme, "I went to London to visit the Queen"?  When I went to London as a nineteen year old I actually did see the Queen. At fairly close quarters too.

A childhood friend, Brendan, was touring England with a special cricket team called the Victorian Crusaders. Part of their tour was to play various teams, including the Queens Guard at a private match at Windsor Castle – really just a back yard cricket match at Liz’s place. I didn’t have a clearance to attend as a guest, but, being young and rather foolish, I decided I couldn’t possibly miss out on seeing my friend Brendan actually meeting the Queen. And besides, I was in the neighbourhood!

So I headed up to Windsor Castle. After wandering around the grounds a bit, I worked out where the cricket field was and literally, like the country girl I am, I jumped the fence.........where I came face to face with a burly beefeater guard. 

After I explained to him the significance of seeing my lifelong friend meet the Queen and telling him I’d come all the way from Australia, well, he....simply let me in. I wandered across the cricket field toward the gathering of people. Brendan couldn't believe it! (I was probably waving at him like a maniac, grinning like a Cheshire cat!)   I wouldn’t say I slipped in unnoticed into the garden party as I do recall wearing rainbow striped leggings with a short black dress trimmed in fur, a big black bouffant bob and false eyelashes.

There I was! At a private bbq in the Queen’s back yard! Then suddenly, there was the Queen. I was star struck and took a couple of terrible photos. Lucky I did though because if I didn't have the photos to prove it I probably wouldn't believe this story myself.

After a while in her presence, the Queen just seemed to be a little old lady – in black patent shoes and bright blue frock. It made me homesick for my granny.

Our re-sew-cool vintage stamp brooch was the brainchild of fellow sister outlaw, Lynne. It works well with our lovely recycled jumper felt and vintage mini ric rac! So "happy Unbirthday" Queen Elizabeth.

New Stockist! The Crafty Squirrel!

Yes! Our re-sew-cool craft kits will be hanging out in "the 'Rat" (as we called it when we were teenagers....) - The Crafty Squirrel in Ballarat has added some of our more woodland themed recycled felt sewing kits to their shelves. And I have to say - it's a match made in heaven. 

The brains behind this wonderful store is Morgan Wills who has been creating wonderful recycled jumper scarves and blankets for years now. She's a stalwart of the Melbourne craft scene and I must admit to being a bit intimidated by her expertise and general wonderfulness before I met her. After I met her I was even MORE impressed because not only is she clever, crafty and skilled, she is also the warmest soul you will ever encounter in a vintage apron. 

 

Morgan's blog is Things that Make My Heart sing (isn't that a terrific title?) and you can find the Crafty Squirrel on Facebook here and online shop here, blog here. Morgan's online shop is here where you will find her limited edition scarves and blankets and best of all - these Babushkas with babies!!! So yes - you can see why I was so dazzled!

The Crafty Squirrel has a vintage aesthetic with old-fashioned haberdashery, vintage inspired toys and gifts - all with a touch of nostalgia magic as combined with other stylish modern hand made loveliness.

Now I just want a trip to Ballarat to visit! I'll wear my own apron!

On the 12th day of Market, My true love gave to me.....

Lots of re-sew-cool bag-tag kits,

many re-sew-cool brooch kits,

heaps of re-sew-cool Christmas kits,

a bundle of Milgros medal brooches

loads of Mexican paper flags,

a selection of candle sticks,

a swag of sweet by and by necklaces,

 a few painted nichos.

  A couple deer garlands,

three sugar skull garlands,

two turtle doves

and a new sample felt fruit tree.

Phew! Sister outlaws will have all of these goodies at The Maribyrnong Maker's Market tomorrow!

new and improved sugar skull bag-tag kit!

Are you like me?  Do you have a tendency to over complicate your life? (have I mentioned the five kids???)Now that I am a few years into this designing-eco-craft-kits lark, I have realised that some of the old kits are unnecessarily over complicated. What was I thinking? Well I think it was a lack of confidence in the product and that I was perhaps trying to over compensate. In any case I'm older and wiser (and more confident. Yay!)and so I'm re-vamping some of the more fiddly kits.
And the sugar skull bag-tag is getting a special re-vamp in readiness for some muchos Mexicana mayhem which is coming soon to the hood of Brunswick. Will tell you more later....

New and improved skully bag-tag kit is still bursting with colour, recycled trims and lots of decorative floral fun but is now a simpler shape, smaller and only single layered (but still double sided.)

So if your life is overcomplicated then I hope you can find a way to simplify something today too!

Mr Fox Giveaway Winner!

A BIG thanks to my daughter Mattie for being camera person AND voices!!!

Thanks to Liz from Gleaners Inc for sharing the giveaway on Facebook. It gleaned many responses so I will get her to choose a Gleaners winner too!
Donna and Emma! Email me at julianne@sisteroutlaws.com.au with your postal addresses ladies!

New and Improved Mr Fox giveaway

While making a new mr.fox sample for the recent market display, I realised he was very fiddly. And really - does he have to be so tricky? Nope! So I made some slight adjustments and simplifications, changed the drawings and hey presto! Here is the new improved simpler more user friendly Mr Fox bag-tag craft kit! (here is the old mr fox for comparison)

To celebrate I am giving away 2 new and improved mr.fox bag-tag kits. Leave a comment here or over on our facebook page 
Giveaway will be announced in one week's time on Tuesday the 24th.

Maribyrnong Makers Market - TOMORROW!!!!

If you are in the area come and check out this wonderful market - the Maribyrnong Makers Market. The sister outlaws have only been there once and we just LOVED it.  What lovely people, gorgeous church hall and all round atmosphere of hand made goodness!
We will be selling a range of re-sew-cool craft goods - perfect for keeping the kids busy in the up coming school holidays. We will also have some sweet by and by  crocheted beads, necklaces  and bangles to brighten your Spring wardrobe.

Winter Artisan Markets

Ah...The fickle nature of markets.

The past three weeks I have had a market stall. Same place. (The Northcote Town hall). Same time. (Saturday 10am - 4pm) Same stuff (Recycled woollen accessories, craft kits and crocheted stuff...you know the sort of thing!) 

So you think there would be some consistency over the weeks as to what sells, right? 

Well….ah….No.

And that’s why I love markets. Even though we repeat the event each week, each week throws up surprises. One week it’s the re-sew-cool kits selling like hotcakes....

- the next week it’s all the recycled cable jumper scarves 

– and the next week the beads have their moment in the sun.... 

 And next week? Who knows!

One thing is consistent – I have a great time meeting people. I’ve come across old friends, old neighbours and many new faces. I love chatting – talking with people about how I make my rope scarves, encouraging them to crochet, recycle and make. 

Little girls look at my fairy floss beehive hair in wonder. Older ladies give me tips on my knitting and crochet – yesterday a lady told me how to use jelly crystals to dye wool!(Yes! I will be trying that!) Dorian, a toddler hanging out with his mum at another stall, peppered my day with lovely soft cuddles. Yesterday as I sold something – I would go and buy something from one of the other stalls…thanks Grandma Chuckles! These are the most wonderful toys!

 

I'm not there to make money (Goodness knows I have been known to give the stuff away!) but for the great day out and the people.

So thank you to all who have visited my stall, complimented the work, shared the craft ideas and brightened my day like the winter sunshine streaming through the amazing town hall doors. One more Saturday to go - Northcote Town Hall 10am -4 pm. 

Come and say "hello!"

NEW KIT! chook egg cosy

A few years back, I had a German neighbour, Kathrin, who really went all out to celebrate Easter with decorations, mobiles, embroidered tablecloths, ornaments and crafts. Easter can be about so much more than chocolate!

So it is in this spirit that I have whipped up the re-sew-cool chook egg cosy. Like all our kits, it comes with everything you need to make a little crazy chicken egg cosy, all from recycled felt, vintage fringe trim, embroidery yarn and buttons. 

TO be honest, I am having far too much fun with these gals.

 

More creative spaces here