Geo Quilt

Immediately after finishing my study for the semester I re- entered the woman cave, tided it up and began sewing. I had a stack of projects to finish, desperately wanting some new clothes to wear {more on that later} and was so excited to get to making and finishing off projects.

The first project I wanted to finish was this geometric triangle quilt. It is part of my new bedroom reno {I wont show you it on the bed till the rooms been painted} and I'm going to use it as my inspiration for the new look.

Originally I thought I would use batting this time round for a lighter blanket and easier quilting but after pricing the batting I reverted to my trusty thrifted wool blanket. I thrifted the grey backing a week or two ago and used the mustard as the binding. I'm pretty chuffed with the outcome and completly happy with the weight of the wool blanket inside. I quilted it in long straight lines down the gutter of the seams but could not quilt the triangles as I wanted to in the beginning as my triangles were completely wonky in regard to each other {lets not go there}.

I took some inspiration from My Poppet who was doing a triangle quilt along at the same time as I had started this quilt. My poppet has  has some great tips if you are looking at doing your first quilt.

Heart x

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Become a Great Tasmanian Maker

I'm all fired up.

Study is finished for the semester {ONE MORE SEMESTER TO GO EVER WOOOOO!!!} and I am recovering from a crazy busy period of my life. I am preparing to start my Artist in Residency at Wynyard High {super excited} and my bowl of ideas is overflowing again. 

The two day master class in event management was just what I needed.  A lot of what I had heard there was confirming a lot of what I had learned over time but there was the techno element to be incorporated in which I needed the most guidance. I wanted to know how to use my skills to do better what I do. I made a huge amount of notes in three categories of projects that I work with -  Made with Love, Artscape, and the Tulip Festival.

I feel like my thoughts have been focused again and I can see a path in which I need to take the next step on this journey. I can do this by myself, I don't need funding, I dont need support from other people but my-oh-my wouldn't that make it all the more sweeter to see everything succeed with other people involved, sharing is what this project is about. Supporting one another and sharing knowledge.

So the first step - it has been created - it has been launched ... the Made With Love blog and the Great Maker of Tasmania program. This new blog will be a little about the market but a lot about the makers, supporting the artist in everyone and promoting the uniqueness in Tasmania. It is going to be a great ride and I hope we can showcase everything lovely about making on our island home.

Pop over here for a sticky beak.

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Home Brew Apple Cider

There are a lot of apples at my neighbors house. There are only so many apples an individual can eat.

I have stewed them - made pies - dehydrated them and now its time for fermenting...yays!

I have a trailer load to do something with (yes you read rightly - a trailer) and I felt cider was the best use of those that can't be dehydrated. I have made a few wines in the past, some good - some bad. My favorite being carrot (yes you read right - carrot wine).

We juiced some apples and I got some cider yeast then followed this recipe here.

There are many varying ways - I used my juicer to get the juice (don't forget to squeeze out the pulp there is a heap of juice there) - I heated (not boiled) my apple juice instead of using a artificial tablet to sterilize the natural yeasts - I added two cups of sugar for a bit sweater end product - I added the yeast and yeast nutrient - stirred and put in the airlock. 

I can't wait for those little bubbles to start rolling.

I'll keep you updated on the outcome - fingers crossed it will be ready for summer...or maybe even Christmas dinner.

Nom nom

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Rescue Me

* This is not paid for by the company - Personal recommendation ONLY*

My diary is crazy - My studies are insane. I am feeling the pressure. 

Sleep is hard to achieve and hard to wake up from. I gave my little yellow bottle away to a friend in need and when I needed it it wasn't there. This morning I re-invested in this tiny bottle. It's my savior.

You know those butterflies - that sick feeling - stress and fatigue? 

A couple of sprays under the tongue and I feel it draining away. It's natural and it works.

One episode whist studying for an exam I re- read the same sentence hundreds of times but just couldn't understand the words - it just wouldn't sink in. I  had tried most herbal stress relievers with no success until I tried this. This was the only thing that clamed me enough to get on with it.

I use it prior to public speaking and anytime a social situation may bring about a panic attack or confidence hit.

I made a big mistake one day when waiting outside an exam room and seeing another girl in distress - I offered her my resuce remedy knowing how it would help her - we were immediately called into the exam and she quickly denied it. I couldn't expalin to her that it was completley natural and she had nothing to fear as we had to be silent walking into the room. I understand why she didn't take it, I mean who would take an unknown substance from a stranger just prior to an important test????

I felt like a drug pusher and took some rescue remedy myself to calm my guilt of what I had just done.

If you are under hardship and stress at the moment I strongly recommend you pop down to the health food store and pick yourself up some. Pop it under your tongue or in your water bottle. I promise you it is worth it.

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Destash

Here's a little thing I'm organising this weekend 

It's like a garage sale but craftier

Fingers crossed we can destash some of our hoard and not bring home more than we take

Open 9 till 12

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Music Mumma

Lorde - Royals



Andy Bull - Keep on running

Has anyone been listening to Triple J of late? They are currently going through past Hottest 100's and I am super dooper loving the memories captured in those mixes.... so for old times sakes:



U2 - Lemon



Rage against the machine - Killing in the name of



Blind Melon - No rain

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Good Press

 

People that know me personally are pretty use to seeing me in the papers. I've had to be in there a lot to use the free press available to us to promote the art centre and the market in their infant stages. My friends are so use to it I don't even get text messages poking fun at me anymore. I can imaging the eye rolling when they see me in there again and flicking the page as they don't want to read the same stories about community art over and over again. I've even missed articles because no one has told me we were in there till weeks later and I don't regularly buy the paper.

I feel like I had given everyone enough break and had recently been contacted multiple times for interviews for the paper and radio....I always get nervous for the radio ones - I also sound like a ten year old girl in my ears. But free press is free press and when its to promote something for the community I have to do my duty and talk to the media. The benefit of doing so many interviews is that to creates a great time line of events and markers of how far we have grown in time. Its nice to talk to someone regularly about were you are at - it really enforces that you are still growing, developing and succeeding. The stories we receive lately were lovely and positive - even though I don't feel like I gave positive interviews - its all about interpretation.

People may not believe it but I was very shy before I started hairdressing - I battled with talking to people and in front of people for a very long time. Its all a case of the more you do it the better you get at it. I also use Rescue Remedy (from health food stores) to clam the butterflies - I use it less often these days - its also great for studying stress. You should try it. . . what do you use to calm your nerves?

Mxo

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Snuggles

When a new special baby arrives in the world I like to make them something from the heart. 

The new parents probably aren't into "home made" and said they had everything - still - I wanted to do something special. I know how much my little girl wiggled out of her blankets when she was a baby and loved using a sleeping bag to make sure she was warm in the cold Tasmanian winters.

I had an old babies sleeping bag to draft a pattern off and it didn't take me long to problem solve a couple of things I needed to work out while drafting. I made the sleeping bags out of lovely woolen blankets and lined them with vintage material.

When ever I make one of something I usually make extra for the market, as in the two above. Itis always easier to make things in a "production" line sense - also I don't usually like to make the same thing twice so you have to strike while the iron is hot and before the boredom takes over.

I think I should make one in adult size - how cool would that be.
Mxo

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Weaving Along

Serendipity works in funny ways sometimes.

A couple of months ago I was walking past a local building  that houses exhibitions - seeing the sign that the spinners and weavers were exhibiting I decided to pop in. Inside was one of my old hairdressing clients doing demonstrations. We talked for ages - she was so enthused about weaving and generous with her knowledge. 

I had my teaching prac coming up and suddenly remembered I had been eying off a loom in the art room that had been sitting out of reach even when I went to school there. With my artist in residency coming up at the same school (the project being to do with refashioning and recycling) I thought I could combine a bit of weaving with the refashioning. My lovely old client volunteered to come help me sort it out.

In my first week of prac I organised (bossed around) the groundsman to get the looms down for me - My lovely lady came in and ran me through the equipment we had. Unfortunately the proper loom needs some work before we can use it (and money in school budget is hard to find) but I found three inkle looms hanging out in storage and so we set them up.

I also set up a huge interactive weaving loom but that story is for another day.

A few students got really involved and weaved out the first "bands" on the inkle looms and I kept going back to have a play every moment I could (top picture). I bought home one small inkle loom and turned out some bands of my own (bottom picture). I am in love with weaving - why are there not more hours in the day??

Whilst searching for weaving inspiration I found a project of weaves sticks - so into the bush I headed to find some forked sticks with the plan to make a wall instillation and more inspiration for the students (middle picture).

I'm all a fluster with the possibilities of waving - I love learning new skills and bringing the old crafts back to a modern context. 

Expect to see more posts about weaving.What new skill have you learned recently?
Mxo

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Its getting cold out

It's getting a wee bit cold here in Tasmania - inside it's cozy by the fire and uggies are my shoes of choice.  I love these cold winter mornings - the sun breaking through the gum trees and slow mist rising from the ground.

The veggie patch has been put to bed for the big chill except for a lovely out break of Bok Choy - self seeded thankyou very much - and the last of the chillies and pumpkins. I'll miss my fresh produce from the garden for a while but not the massive amount of preserving I've had to do the last few months.

I have my head down in the study books - trying to keep away the study blues and the coffee pot is in full swing. I am consoling myself that this may just be my last year at home before I have to find a real job and fingers crossed my last year of study .... EVER {over it is an understatement}.

I'm going to try to enjoy the Tassie coolness and the cozy fires. The snugly nights in bed. I usually resent winter for keeping me from my caravan, my beaches and the little girl from her playground. Perhaps this year I might try to see the lighter side of winter....Chin up now.

Mxo

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Destashing

Last year I was pipped at the post for the ONLY arts job in our region because apparently I did not have enough experience in management - again the job was given to someone that was not local. I now no longer support that project just on the basis that it did not go to someone local....AGAIN. ...bitter? No. Loyal to locals - yes.

Apparently all my community management work does not count because it was not a "paid" job. Even though I had managed a hair salon for a couple of years - started the local arts centre - run a festivals arts program for a couple of years - managed large grants - initiated and managed a makers market - and numerous small projects along the way. I think that unpaid management not only has as much credibility as paid management, but counts as more experience  given that the projects are self initiated and followed through correctly without anyone else overseeing.

Given my prattling on {and slight bitchy tone} I will continue on with my events and management regardless of others seeing value in what I do and what I have done. 

So for my next trick I will be organising this "De-stashing" event. Its not like our markets - its like a garage sale but craftier. Everyone has hoards at home that we will never use. This is the time to gather all those things together and try to unload them on to other crafty folk. I have this awful feeling that I may just be bringing home as much as I take - fingers crossed I don't get too excited about other peoples destashing.

Secondly - just for those that think I might be lacking in my event management experience I have applied for and been accepted to an event management master class run by Events Tasmania and features Paul Gudgin who was involved in The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Its a two day event that I just cant wait to be apart of. I feel this will be a really exciting refresher for me and I am super excited to be accepted. This is the brief about the class:

The Festival and Event Management Masterclass is an intensive 2 day programme designed to inform and inspire anyone involved in the business of creating, managing and developing festivals and events. It is a highly practical course full of ideas and examples to increase participants knowledge and improve their events looking at how they can survive and grow in the present harsh climate. It includes sessions on key tasks and challenges for festival organisers such as Marketing, Press, Programming, Evaluation, Sponsorship and Fundraising.
Paul Gudgin (UK) has over 20 years experience in the management of festivals and events and was for 8 years the Director of the world’s largest arts festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was an exciting period that saw the event double in scale hosting an incredible 12,000 performances and selling over 8 million tickets. Paul was appointed visiting Professor of Festivals and Events by Leeds Metropolitan University and is currently the Senior Consultant at the Edinburgh Institute for Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University. Paul has hosted festival management workshops in seventeen countries and been a key-note speaker at leading event conferences in Ireland, Canada, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, The US and China.– a former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, for eight years from 1999 to 2007.

So till next time - how are you going getting yourself destashed?

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Love in May

Photos curtsey of Naomi Fenton of Look See

On Saturday was our Mothers Day Made with Love market. It was a great day - everyone showed up - we had so many new makers - a visit from a busker - amazing weather and beautiful punters.

It still blows me a away with the talent in the area - how much we have grown and how far we have come from that very first set up.

Full set of Naomi's photos from the day here.

Our latest investment in the market was these three banners to sit around town to alert people that we are on that weekend. I even used illustrator to put them together - proud face. Whilst we loved the home made ones of the past they were a pain in the butt to put up and down and kinda died in the last wind storm. A step forward in our branding again.

Lastly I completed a "Mini Market Makeover and Photo Shoot" for Rock the Retro this Saturday at the market. Isn't she pretty - In fact everyone I have made over looks beautiful and classic. I just love doing them. 

Full set of photos for the mini session are Here

I'll be quiet again in the blogging world this week - Currently I am doing my Teaching prac and I am starting the workshops in Social media and photoshop on two separate nights. I hope people turn up - I think this information is so important to give to the community - fingers crossed.

So till next time 

Mxo

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Shoot My Family

Last week we had the pleasure of having a family photo session by Look See by Naomi Fenton. Naomi is a very dear and long time friend of mine and I knew she would do a great job....and indeed she made us feel very comfortable and the photos look fantastic. I am very thankful she could put up with my demands (ME?? Bossy?? Never).

I adore them and it's great to have some new memories with Trav looking healthy again and all his hair back to normal after his treatment.

Unfortunately I have had difficulty processing how I look and have felt really unease with some of the photos with me in them. It has nothing to do with Naomi's photos - I'm just enduring a very low confidence period again. The photos I have show you here I adore - plus there are a lot more individuals photos that I love but thought better of  bombarding you with them.

So pop over to Naomis Blog and check out some of her other lovely work  - it's pretty like 

Thankyou Naomi 

Mxo

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Support the Locals FFS

Yes.

This is going to be a whinging post.

But it needs to be said - regardless of how nervous I feel about hitting publish on this post.

This post also contains swearing - if this offends you - do not read on.

Every month I spend hours, HOURS, putting together our local makers market. Sometimes I ask myself, "What for???" if I struggle to get the locals to support us. Tourist adore our market and spend hours there - so where are the locals???

I get asked - why don't you run the market  fortnightly - I ask you - why don't you even bloody come to our monthly market!!! Organise it your bloody self.

Every week I get asked why there is nothing happening at the Art Centre. There is!!! How come you don't bloody come???? We advertise constantly - how come we are not reaching you? Are we over saturated with events/commitments/adverting? Or are you choosing to ignore us?

How much advertising is enough? How much money can you spend promoting an event if even the locals wont leave their house to support it. A community is not a community with out the community - GET IT!?!

I see facebook status complaining of "nothing to do" - when was the last time you attended an event or even organised one in your local community??? Do we all rely so much on our social media that we have lost the abilty to connect to our next door neighbors???

I challenge you all to go to a local event or better yet - create one yourself. Perhaps then you will see how hard it is to a) Organise and b) Get people to show up.

I'm having this spout off because I was SHOCKED to see some local makers complain of stallholders/punters not supporting a market over an hours drive away from us. Over the time of Made with Loves journey I had not seen this maker a) walk through our doors to support out local makers b) had a stall with us. Can you imagine how crabby I got - I mean the bloody gall of it!!! We DON'T need you to spend money at our events - but we do NEED you to support us by simply showing up. It's not hard to get out of the house - to offer some encouraging words to your locals - to talk - to chat to them about their craft.

Secondly if I hear one more person point to a stall and say "I can make that" I am seriously going to lose my shit. If you can make it - then bloody make it!!! It is just the rudest thing to say that within earshot of a maker!! RUDE!!! 

Have a go at making that item yourself - I bet you it costs you 100% more to buy the materials and 200% more time to source those materials and 300% more time to make it yourself. At the end of the day we know you think you can make it but are you really going to do it? No! You're going to walk out of the market and never think of it again. So stop being a smart arse and give out that $5 to a maker - have it in your hand that day - walk away happy - leave the maker happy and support your locals.

I can pin point the exact moment Made with Love local visitor numbers dropped. In town we had a "Cheap Shop" - one where things are made in China and go completely against our homemade values. However this shop shut down and our local visitor numbers plummeted. Who would have thunk that a "Made in China" shop would have been having a good effect on us. The location of this store meant that people who were stopping to buy their "Made in China" were also visiting us on their shopping adventures. Other business' in the community have also stated that their business has dropped since people are traveling to the next town over to visit the cheap shops and not spend their money in town - locally - where it is needed the most.

I am sick to death of people complaining of empty shops in our high street - how often do people buy online these days? I can't completely deny my involvement in such things - I do buy online - but not if I can find it locally. Locally shopping does mean that local business MUST maintain an online presence. It is beyond vital for a maker and the  home producer to have an online presence, therefore we can still shop locally in our pjs, without leaving the house at 12 midnight. There must be balance in support but we must be able to support "you" in a modern context.

Another thing I would like to know - is this unique to our community? Who out there in blog land runs events and programs? Does your community support you? Do you achieve large crowd number? How much adverting do you do for your event or do you rely on word or mouth and social media?

I have been doing community work here for over 10 years - it has always been the same people that support our events - and always the same people that don't. Is it even possible to engage with the "don'ts"?
With that rant out of my system perhaps I can feel better now and continue on as normal, with fingers crossed that one day our locals finally "get" what we are trying to do and create FOR THEM. We are creating community - are you?

Sigh

Mxo

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Rock'n the Walls Local Style

Yesterday afternoon I went down to our local council chambers to hang a small exhibition of mine, this is my second time experience int he chambers. Its always nice to have the opportunity to show locally.

The works are a bit of a collective of the last few years. I have work from my "New Nanna" exhibition - works from "Mad Hatters" exhibition and some recent work like my Woodland Rabbit. Unfortunately I didn't get my Sparrow finished in time (stupid study and assignments) but I have plenty of work to fill out the space - especially as my stuff usually tends to be on the large side.

You can view the works  during business hours of the council chambers - please feel free to make oooooohhhing and aaahhhhing sounds to show your appreciation for girly things on the local walls.

Mxo

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My Muse

There is no one more special to me in this world than my beautiful baby girl. She is my muse - when we go out to check the mail - feed the chooks and feed the cows. What a special little girl she is - growing up way to fast - developing in many ways - I want to capture every moment - she is truly a blessing.

Mxo

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Proper Vintage

One of my lovely friends asked me to make her some clothes out some material she had. What she handed over to me was down right amazing....a huge big pile of PROPER vintage fabric. ...it didn't even smell like smoke or cats. Amazeballs.

We decided that I could sew what ever I liked for her as long as it was a couple of dresses - skirts and midrift tops. Currently I have sewn these four things but still have a couple of orders yet to do for her. 

This is the first time I have made the mid-rift top. I drafted the pattern off a vintage one I already had and made some changes. It was very very easy to sew... perhaps I'll make some for the market soon. I made all the basic garments before I added details, I always like to leave the best bits to last.

What have you sewn this week?
Mxo

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