Matching Pegs

I have been busy today with the fusible web, whipping up a quick Library Bag for Michaela.  If I had more time I would have needle-turned the flowers, but we were only given a weeks notice that we needed one for Kindergarten.  I am planning on raw edge appliqueing, on the machine, around all the shapes.

These pictures don’t really do the fabrics justice – it is awfully grey around here.  Playing with different fabric combinations for each flower was lots of fun, and although I am not really a big fan of fusible applique, it can’t be beaten for speed.

In other news around here, Rory has just received his first pair of glasses.

This means four out of five of us in the Matching Pegs family now wear glasses.  I think they really suit him, and at least poor vision is a relatively easy thing to correct.  There are much worse things to pass onto your kids.

It is hard to see in this photo (thanks again to the winter light), but the outsides of the glasses frames are bright blue and the insides are bright green (like a light-sabre), so we have both of Rory’s favorite colours covered.

I may have knitted this scarf 2.6 times.  That is to say, I have knitted, unraveled, knitted, unraveled, knitted, until finally I am happy.

Yes it is skinny, but that means you can actually see all the colours in the scarf.  The re-knitting has also allowed me to cut the knots (one half way through each of the two purchased balls of noro) and re-knit each of the 4 sections in a better order, to facilitate a smoother progression of colours – fussy aren’t I (bit wordy too).  The only sudden colour change now happens behind my neck (coral pink to dark green) where I don’t have to look at it.

Taking a photo of yourself is quite tricky isn’t it- especially without a tripod and timer.  I quite like this one, but of course, it doesn’t show all the colours in the scarf.  It does show one of my favorites though – that periwinkle blue colour that actually got hidden in the wider, shorter scarf I knitted up first (and second).

In the interests of truthful reporting – this is what it was like, taking the photos.  That’s Michaela, standing on the toilet, trying to sneak into shot, and directing my efforts.  She is not really interested in staying in the background.

Speaking of backgrounds, I’ve painted one.  There is quite a few layers to go, but so far it has been fun.

Done and unraveling lately?

Today is my Mum’s birthday.  Instead of taking the time to write about how amazing my Mum is here, I made her the pink scarf, baked her a chocolate cake, and had her over for afternoon tea.  Take my word for it though – she is amazing.

While she was over, we had a laugh at the new “Old Spice Guy’s” responses to viewer comments.  You can see them here.

If I was really technically proficient, I would use this response as the phone message on my mobile – after altering it appropriately for my phone number etc.  “If I was” being the operative part of that sentence- I am not quite sure if Mr Matching Pegs would like to help me.

If you don’t know what I am waffling about (and have not seen the Old Spice ad) pop over here, where you can see what all the fuss is about (Mia has a post about it on Mamamia.

While you are over there on Mamamia, have a look at this post about the printer competition and send me some love (ok – not love – but a chance to win a competition) by giving my photo of the cups a thumbs up .  Please.

Thanks.

Which Old Spice response made you snort coffee through your nose?  Was it all the ones between Alyssa Milano and the Old Spice Man?

This week I have made up two test blocks, both stars.  They are going to feature in a border for my Tea in the Garden Quilt.

Above is the Sawtooth Star, which features a centre using the last of the fabric, that I have since purchased again, to make a skirt.

This block is an 8 point star, made up with half square triangles.  I really like both blocks, so now I have to calculate all the cutting details, and work out if I have enough, of the fabrics that I am hoping to use, to make up the quilt.

I finished knitting my noro scarf, but was disappointed with the progression of colours – each ball had a knot where the colour changed suddenly.  I have unravelled half of the scarf, and I am re-knitting the second ball (the other way around) so that the sudden change of colour happens only in the section that will end up on the back of my neck.  Un-raveling was painful, but it will be worth it.  I will show you it when I have finished.

Now I just have to get the kids back to school on Monday, after two weeks off.  We have had a busy holiday, with sleepovers, bike riding, cooking, dentist and optometrist visits, manicures and visits to the skate-park (including a nasty fall for poor Mr Rory) as well as a sad farewell to our friends who have moved back to our nation’s capital.

Michaela was so enamoured with her silver nails (on one hand) and pink sparkly nails (on the other hand) she insisted I take a photo “to show Madi”.  So this photo is for Madison, Michaela’s best friend who just moved to Canberra.

OK, the yarn made me do it.  It tied me up in it’s loveliness.  It seduced me with the spectrum of “me” colours.  It blinded me so much that I barely noticed the price per ball.

I was that gauche woman in the corner (yes I was actually in the corner) at the Dayleford Craft Experience, who was knitting when everyone else (and I do mean everyone else) was sewing!  The crazy thing is that I am not really a knitter – I’m an occasional scarf-only lady.  I visited Purl Palace the night before, and I got the wanties, aaaaannnnd there was champagne on offer.  It tipped me over the edge, and I found myself the owner of some sparkly needles (number 7’s) and divine Noro Yarn.  Silk Garden Chunky, in colour 6, for those that are interested.  45% silk, 45% kid mohair and 10% lambs wool.

Luckily Melly knows me – so she was not offended.  Jodie and I had met before, so she excused me, and all my sewing NOTYQ Guild friends were too happy to care.  I just hope Anette didn’t take it the wrong way.  All the designer’s things were super lovely, but I was just enchanted by the yarn.  In my defense, I did buy it from Zoe – one of the organisers, and Merrilyn seemed to friendly to be cross.  Everyone at out table agreed – it was the best organsied sewing day out, and the venue was wonderful, food=yummy and lighting=perfect – topped off by fantastic, massive smarties on every table.

I did end up buying just a little pile (or two) of fabrics on Saturday, as we visited 5 patchwork shops in the region (two in Gisborne, One in Kynton and two in Daylesford).  The two purple fabrics above are old favourites that I bought last year, and have since used up.

This floral (above) is another old favorite I have just used up.  When I bought it last year, I was tempted to buy enough to make a skirt – so this year I did.  It is going to have chocolate brown trim.

I found some more fabrics that tone in with the Amy Butler floral, that will be going in my quilt.

Tomorrow I will show you the test blocks I sewed up, that I am hoping to use in my design.  Have you let loose with any fabric, or yarn purchases lately, like me?

For The Daylesford Craft Experience, which I am attending on Sunday, we were sent a postcard to embellish with some stitching.  We were asked to stitch a message, saying, or something about ourselves, and who we are.

Of course I have one defining habit, so I shared that .  The postcards are going to be swapped on the day.  You can see Melly’s one here and Jodie’s one here (they are both teaching at the event).  Clearly (pun intended) the variegated thread I chose is not that good for readability, but I enjoyed using it.

Now I just have to be strong on Saturday as we tour the region’s patchwork shops.  “I do not need any more fabric”….”I do not need any more fabric”……I do not need any more fabric”……..

You see it has been an expensive week, as I have been to the dentist and optometrist with the kids.  Amelia has just had new lenses fitted.  Rory will need glasses in the very near future, and braces on his teeth in a few more years time – definitely.  Michaela (at 4 1/2 years) is the only one in the family with perfect vision, so far.  Sigh.  There are worse problems to inherit from your parents.

Last Thursday I met this lovely lady at “Patchwork on Central Park” for a little shopping, tea, chat and political discussion.  I am sure that many of you will know that this is Patch Andi, (on the right, that’s me on the left) and I was recently lucky enough to win her giveaway.  Rather than mail my winnings, (see below) I suggested that we meet for a cuppa.  When Andi suggested meeting near Patchwork on Central Park, I certainly didn’t need my arm twisted.  I used to pass this shop twice daily, back when I lived nearby and was working in the neighbourhood, but I had never crossed the threshold!

As I drove over to meet Andi, there was the successful leadership challenge in parliament, resulting in our first female Prime Minister.  I was glued to the radio.  Political talk was everywhere that morning, including at our table.  Andi is really easy to talk to, I fear I talked her to death.

I was excited that the book I won was signed by the author, Kathreen.  I have followed Whip Up from the very start, (and had two tutorials on the site).  The book is full of loveliness.  The Anna Maria Horner fabric is already spoken for, Mum loved it, so it is to be a scarf for her birthday, with the left over going to both of my girls for mini scarves.

While we were at Patchwork on Central Park, I fell head over heels.

How had I never seen this Gypsy Caravan Amy Butler Fabric before?  I quickly put together this little pile to compliment the divine fabric (on the right) which I believe was from Amy’s first fabric line for Free Spirit in 2003*.  I have decided that this is a birthday present for me.  I have made a much larger pile or co-ordinating fabric from my stash, and have spent hours and hours planning a quilt with graph paper and Illustrator.  It will have an applique medallion centre which I have already designed and stitched up – Tea in the Garden.  I will make it again in this colourway.  I have added 5 borders which include pieced stars, and a little more applique.  I can’t wait to get started, but the 2 weeks of school holidays will slow me down somewhat.

I finished off the day at the regular Thursday night “sit and sew” with the ladies from the Guild, where I received more birthday presents (my birthday was the previous Friday).  The pressies including some very special handmade ones – check them out here and here.  I am off this weekend with some of the NOTYQ Guild ladies to the Daylesford Craft Experience, which I am sure is going to be lots of fun, and brighten up the darkness of winter.  When the sun eventually shines I may even get a chance to photograph the fabric postcard I have made for the official swap – It took me 4 days before I got enough light to catch the fabric pile above.

Thank-you Andi and the NOTYQ ladies, for a day that was like another birthday.

* I have since called the shop to buy a little more Gypsy Caravan- my quilt design got quite big.  Have you even needed a fabric that much?

I have this theory that certain colours and textures make fantastic partners.  The right texture makes a colour, that might be ordinary in another texture, sing and dance.  This red/orange (that us antipodeans know well as Jaffa red) looks fanatically deep and sumptuous in velvet – a match made in heaven.  I digress, but another wonderful texture/colour combination is jacaranda purple in translucent, sand-blasted glass or plastic.

I bought 30cm of this velvet (in this case 100% cotton) recently at The Fabric Store in Fitzroy, after a visit to the nearby hospital where my brother has been.  Mum and I kept taking ourselves there to cheer ourselves up when things were looking very grim.  What is more cheering than a piece of beautiful (and reasonable priced) velvet?  This colour is perfect for the middle of winter, especially as we just passed the shortest day of the year.   BTW, I digress again, but in this post you can see my other pair of new glasses, which are dark metallic green.  Now back to the point…….

It is kind of hard to tell, (thanks to my shaky self-photography) but I made up this scarf by backing it with a piece of deep chocolate coloured suiting which has a subtle sheen.  Jaffa Red on the outside, chocolate on the inside, can you see why I am calling it the Jaffa scarf?

I bagged the two layers together, which sounds easy, but was extremely frustrating.   I should probably have looked up some tips on sewing with velvet (no doubt there would be some in one of Mum’s “Threads” magazines).  It kept sliding out of place, in relation to the other fabric, which I am sure was caused by the pile.  It is so worth all the trouble though.

It is actually unfinished.  The end, that I turned it out through, is still open.  I have not decided how I am going to close it, but I am thinking that I may stitch a running stitch around the whole thing in chocolate floss.  Stay tuned folks.

On to another topic.  Recently I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening of the new movie “Mother and Child“.  It is a fantastic, nuanced movie.  One for real grown-ups, because it is thought provoking and even though the characters are not necessarily that likable, they have an authenticity about them, and are superbly acted.  The ticket giveaway was run by the excellent website Mamamia, and if you click here, you can see a short for the film.  You can also see that I am a teeny tiny bit “famous” (in my dreams) because my friend Danya and I met Mia, who mentions us in her post.  Actually the “fame” really belongs to Danya, who has a very particular turn of phrase, and has had a very hard year.  She comments regularly on the MamaMia website and is very well known and loved there.  You can read her story here.

So, if you get a chance to see “Mother and Child”, take it.  Perhaps you have seen it already – did you like it?

Also, what do you think of my theory – do you know of any outstanding colour/texture partnerships?

We have three birthdays in our house, within 12 days in June.  Mr Matching Pegs (Luke), Rory and finally my birthday (which technically I share).  That’s why things have been a little bit quiet on the blog front.

There was a certain amount of switching celebrations around, to fit in around the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.  This meant that Rory celebrated his birthday yesterday, with 6 of his friends over for a “Masterchef” birthday party.

The boys made 2 mini pizzas each (with dough prepared beforehand).  They shaped their bases, and topped them with their favorite toppings.  After pizza, they moved onto decorating biscuits as footballs, and then in their football team colours.  There was probably too much colouring involved – 8 year old boys do not need extra hyping up – but they had a great time.

Luke outdid himself, making “The Ghostly Galleon” from the much loved “Women’s Weekly Kids’ Birthday Cakes” cookbook for the party.  We put the candles in, on an angle, in order to keep the flames away from the paper sails, but we thought they also looked like cannons.

On Rory’s actual birthday, Luke made “Zappo the Alien” from the same book, which the kids decorated themselves.

The most meaningful cake experience for me involved a very humble, store bought cake, last Friday.

I was able to blow out the candles with my twin brother Julian, who has spent exactly a year in hospital, and has just been discharged.  The last year has been very, very, hard.  My family is feeling like we are emerging, tentatively, from the depths of a very dark tunnel.  We are all very changed by the experience, but so amazingly grateful that we are coming out the other side.  It was really the best birthday present possible, to be able to share it with Julian, (which is as it should be, when you are a twin).  The photo of us is less than flattering, being an action shot of us blowing out the candles, but it amuses me that Lotta, who is on Julian’s lap, looks like she is blowing out the candles too.  Oh, and you can see my new red glasses!

My birthday present from Luke arrived this morning, some Lilac Ugg Boots to warm up my tootsie this winter.  As you can see out the window, it is cold and grey, and foggy.  They match the cake at the start of the post, which is a little something I am working on for someone else’s birthday.

So, have you made any amazing cakes lately?

Last night I finished the “Multipetal Flower Cushion”.  Actually, it’s a terrible name, but I have not yet come up with a better one.  Having recently purchased some cushion forms, filled with feathers, (from IKEA) I decided to make the whole cushion cover bigger than I had planned.  This meant adding a border around the front.  I chose to use the same fabric, but made it a bit more spiffy by mitring the corners.

I am really happy and excited about the whole tile/grout look, but admit that Mr Matching Pegs is probably right, about the fact that the design itself doesn’t quite work.  The leaves need to be different, perhaps not so attached, or of a more uniform colour than the flower.  It was such a pleasure to make, I am sure I will try designing with this look again.

Luke, being much more Minimalist than me, prefers the back.

It was quite a struggle to get these pictures, it is exceedingly grey around, here, which is not surprising for winter in Melbourne.  I had to turn our arm chair around to face the window, which was not that bright because it faces south (like a north facing window if you live in the Northern Hemisphere – they get less light, and no direct sunlight, if they face directly south).  In “real life” the cushion is slightly warmer in colour.

If you would like to see a spectacular quilt which is similarly inspired by grout, check out Cathy’s delicious “Fassetted Mosaic Quilt top”, it will thrill you.

So, want to help me name this design?  Just don’t call it Rabbit, because it is a flower (he he he)!