Saturday, December 17, 2011

First Day. First Post. Introduction.

Well hello,

The intention of this blog is to give me a place to record the craft and textile projects that I begin and sometimes complete successfully, to be used as an archive and reference for myself and other interested sewers and crafty people.

I have been addicted to fabric since I don't know when. My Mum was a quintessential Australian 70s domestic goddess and a small family gave her plenty of scope to exercise her considerable artistic and craft abilities. Cane weaving, cloth doll making, smocking, dressmaking, window treatments, macrame (it couldn't be the 70s without macrame) along with the whipping up astounding culinary feasts for all occasions.

So I've always been surrounded by hand-made objects, worn hand-made clothes, and thought it was the norm to spend hours in Drapers and Homewares stores and to collect trimmings and fabric and notions with the intention to use in future projects around the house and body. And by the time I was earning my own money I had my own collection on the go, and being a thrifty body I sourced alternative and creative ways to build it quickly. Thrift stores and flea markets were regular haunts for me and I developed a consuming desire to help friends and relatives unearth possible treasure in their junk rooms and under beds with the zeal and industry of a shipwreck salvor bent on Spanish gold.

I now have a dedicated sewing room in my post-war Queenslander, filled with lots of wheelie boxes of fabric sorted by colour hues a dressmaker's dummy whose name is Ruth, boxes of buttons/ribbons/broken old jewellery, Patterns and books of quilting designs and sewing ideas. Glue, glitter, beads: You name it, I have it somewhere in a box or jar hidden away. I've kept anything that I can use to create something unique, colourful and purposeful.

And I know there are other people out there who do this too. I've seen blogs showing pics of craft rooms that have made me swoon in envy! This will be my contribution to sewing posterity. Small and inconsiderable though it may be.

This blog will be infrequently updated. I admit that now. But I hope that it will over time, teach me some discipline by keeping it maintained for myself, if for no other.

So, that done; it's back to bed for a lounge with coffee and an unread Julia Ross book for me.

See you anon,
ElleKay

4 comments:

  1. Hmmm...You've never wanted to raid my junk room for fabric treasure...

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  2. Never asked isn't the same as never wanted. I've developed a level of restraint of late.

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  3. Perhaps I purge too much and add to your restraint?

    ReplyDelete