First sewing room 'revealing' and madly quilting

Here it is - the first reorganised, sorted space in my sewing room/creative space. I know it's only a small area, but positive thinking - it's a start:) 

I love the old treadle machine but don't use it and at one point used to have my machine sitting on top of it but it was at totally the wrong height to work at. So now it can hold my baskets, which in turn hold my fabric scraps and patterns. The one on the pedal has my stash of new and vintage buttons.

        

The cape on my big torso is one the team at school made for me a couple of years ago when I finally completed the last few papers for my degree and graduated. It is very much 'me', covered in bright funky paper flowers.

The wee, blue suitcase was my first schoolbag - I remember swinging around with it on about my third day at school and hitting a girl in the mouth and knocking her tooth out!!!!! The nuns were not impressed. I've yet to decide what to store in that. Above it is a sewing basket I have had since I was a young girl, and perched atop that is a little tin sewing machine I used when I was a girl. Many a seam was hand cranked with that little treasure. It's past it's use by date now, but I do love it.

So that's possibly 1/6th of the room sorted. 

As for what else I've been doing ....... still waiting to hear about the job I applied for...... 

found this bright, rainbow mat at the op shop

  

which I think my lappy quite likes sitting on while I work on it in the dining room. Certainly makes tapping away a lot brighter:)

Then there has been the mission to de-fabricate an old lampshade that Gran gave me. Man has that ever been a mission.

Ripping the fabric off was fine, but the problem was the it seemed to be almost glued as well as stitched to the metal edges. SO I soaked it all day on Friday in a hot bath, then spent more time picking and peeling. FINALLY I managed to have success. My plan is now to wire and bead it and make a funky sort of chandelier for my creative space. Watch this space.

Oh, and in amongst all this was our midnight trip to Hamilton to collect our son from the airport after his 5 months working in Jakarta. Was lovely to see him, even if he was the last one to get through customs as they decided they would check every single item of his - and I mean every single item!!!! We were literally the last people to leave the airport at 1.45am, so didn't get home until 3.30. Ah, but he's worth it.

And since Saturday I've been madly working on putting together some blocks I got back from a block swap....... but more on that in a couple of days.......

Ciao, 

Wee collection displayed

It was such fun to be able to put up my wee sewing paraphenalia this afternoon. Took longer to find a couple of flat head nails to bang into the wall than it did to display everything!!!

Tomorrow I might even be ready to share a first photo of a part of the sewing room that is actually decluttered and organised ..... don't hold your breath though but I am pretty pleased with this wee small piece of tidiness:)
Not quite sure why it has taken me quite so long to get round to doing it but it sure is satisfying.


Off to a day in the classroom first though so will do the "photo shoot" in the afternoon.
Ciao, 

New look and whizzing week

How exciting - the launch of the 'midgetmagic' prototype logo via the banner for the blog. What do you think???? I reckon between my initial in-my-head idea and Emma's design it has come out pretty jolly well. Yippee!!!!
Still not 100% sure about the background of this page but will give it a week before making my final decision......
Anyway, it has been an up week - definitely no more blah. A walk up the Papamoa Hills to set me off on Monday 

I must admit I struggled going up, but actually managed to run most of the way down. Gee I hate going up hills but looooooove coming down:) Was a bit windy up the top but simply stunning - roll on spring.
By the time I got home after a slight detour to the op shop in Te Puke to see if there were any teapots for cousin Belinda (and no there weren't but I did somehow come out with a bag of goodies) it was early afternoon and I was suddenly struck by an overwhelming guilt at how neglectful I had been towards my poor wee car. So for the next hour and a half I lovingly washed her.

(and no, that photo is not taken at home but when I was in wet Auckland a month or so ago). She is now amazingly brighter in her yellowness and far happier I am sure. I do wonder, though, why I had children? Was one of the reasons not to have them washing dishes and cars? Must make sure I vacuum the inside before the week is out though so she is completely spic and span. 
Ongoing is the decluttering and organising of the sewing room, and I am constantly finding treasures. 

I found these poor gathering of angels scrunched up and rather dishevelled, looking the worse for wear. Funnily enough I had found the patterns for them earlier in the week.

Obviously when I stitched them I had some wonderfully masterful plan for their final outcome........heaven only knows (pardon the pun) what that might have been, especially now that there are marks on the fabric that will not come out.
Now must be the time for Plan B to come into action, whatever that might be.......
Watch this space.
The other thing keeping me busy this week and stopping me from being truly creative is that I have been working on my cv

Uggh - not the best of photos of the cover as it's in a plastic sleeve but you get the idea. Need to polish my covering letter and then drop it in tomorrow - oops, that'd be today. The position is an interesting one that is for a period from September to December and would add to my current skills, while still allowing me to develop the 'midgetmagic' journey. Will see what happens.


Ciao, 

CIrcle of Hearts on a Blah day

It's been a strange sort of week so far - a blah week. Can't put my finger on it really. Not achieving a lot and just doing the 'have tos'.
I managed to head into my sewing room yesterday afternoon and distract myself for a few hours sorting the cabinet that my sewing machine sits in (yes, the beginning of the very public challenge I issued myself here on my blog about sorting that room).  It's actually quite satisfying once you start to get going, although I know I did do a lot of moving things from one spot to another!!!!!!!
However I did find a surprise - a bag containing a project started two summers ago.

Cool ay? BUT they didn't look quite like this when I found them! I had started them but they were in various stages of 'unfinished'.  I decided that I would use them as a wee extrinsic reward for working on sorting my room.
Every so often I would stop, and spend some time finishing one.

The love beads have been with me since I was a teenager - I can't remember how many times they have been tipped accidentally out of the jolly container onto carpet and then painstakingly picked up complete with bits of fluff!!!!!!!! I still have a bit of finishing to do on that heart.  I love the look of paua - can never tire of the beautiful mix of ocean colours, and particularly like the blend with silver.  The outline for this one is actually a kiwifruit tie (at least I think that's what it's called).

Another yummy paua one, and the one I feel super pleased with - the copper and mini starfish heart. The copper wire came from electrical wire Vince had been using when doing our renovations and was throwing out. Me being the scavenger I am had stripped the plastic off and dah-dah ........ look what I produced! Just the right colour to offset the gorgeous wee starfish. And no, they don't smell!!!!


I'm thinking they would make great Christmas decorations for a Kiwiana Christmas, or else lovely brooches. Or would look nice just hanging and being.


What a nice momentary break in a blah day.


Ciao, 

Working on reverse pyschology in sewing room organisation!

Right - taking a big deep breath as I am about to bare all......... no, no flesh is involved but something worse in some respects - my craft space!!!!!!!! I am really very spoilt in that I have a whole room that I can call my place but it is not very organised. In fact I keep procrastinating when it comes to sorting. I do make small inroads but then get sidetracked and start another project and ...... well I'm sure you know how it is. SO I figured that I would use reverse pyschology of sorts. Without further ado I am going to show you my space without Photoshopping!!!! I am hoping that by baring all it might just make me actually do a bit of decluttering and sorting so that in December I can post some "after" shots and you will be amazed. As will I.

I love my library catalogue drawers but as you can see they are just a wee bit lost currently. But hey just wait til December ... nothing like a challenge - especially now I've made it public! Mmmmmm maybe I should head in there now and spend half an hour doing a wee bit of sorting. But where to begin????? Any ideas would be more than welcome. 

Ciao,