tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64802672852036319012024-03-19T22:06:48.899+10:30Jude's 40 thingsWatch me be accountable for stuff I said I'd doJudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-61167055899749420052014-06-11T14:52:00.000+09:302014-06-11T14:52:59.825+09:30in which I sew cushions and remember why I prefer to knitI really should not listen to ladies on the internet who say things can be whipped up in 5 minutes. Unless they're talking about meringues. Still, it is good to tackle sewing projects periodically, if only to remind me how much I love to knit.<br />
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You'd think if I made the same mistake on every single sewing project I'd learn and get better. But no. I suspect with knitting there is much more time for me to notice I am doing things backwards and that piece is THE WRONG WAY AROUND. Anyway, I tried to channel my mum (ie competent and composed, and swearing a bit less) and eventually got there. <br />
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Am rather chuffed with the result - finally I have done something with the fabric I printed at the workshop last month. The brown rainy fabric was in my stash and I stopped by an op shop this
morning to grab a few cushions to recover. Instead I found two inserts
for $1 each. Sweet!<br />
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The ladies were inspired by my morning coffee doodle, and the Billy Bragg line, "And there's you, a little black cloud in a dress"; although I made the cloud grey so it wouldn't be so dark overall. The suitcase was hard to include, not helped by the fact my little template insets stuck to the ink on the first printing and as a result all but one are blobby. Still, in my head she had a suitcase even if I can't recall the song explicitly saying she's leaving, so I wanted it there. I was rather keen on capturing an idea, or a "song image", rather than working from the aesthetic of what the sketch looked like and how the fabric would look. Given my head is full of hundreds of songs and drawing is not my strong point that seemed to work well. <br />
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In other news more worthy of a six-month wait to update, on monday I ate the first ever apple from my new apple trees (number 35 - plant mini-orchard). Tasty! I wasn't expecting to get any in the first year, and had completely forgotten one was growing. I hadn't noticed it since it was small and green so was delighted to find it ripe and ready. Can't get much fresher than this.<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-18618771367425244182014-01-17T13:05:00.000+10:302014-01-17T13:10:38.971+10:30A New Year’s plea to the women (and the men) in my daughter’s lifeBlimey it’s 2014. Time for some updates, but before that, an off-list project of mine. <br />
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Let’s start with background. While it’s true there are a complex set of influences acting to create a young person’s sense of themselves and their body, and while we live in a culture that has a toxic view of how women should look, and is shockingly pervasive in how it communicates this to girls, I believe this holds true: what YOU say still matters. <br />
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Right now my daughter - that's her up there with the groovy sunglasses - thinks her belly is awesome. She lifts up her top and drums on it and giggles and beams with delight. It’s heartbreaking to think how soon she will start despising that belly, and other individual parts of her body, and spend the rest of her life trying to fix herself.<br />
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Research indicates that the most powerful role model for a girl’s healthy self-image is her mother. But it’s not just me under pressure to perform. My daughter has clever grandmothers, independent aunties, and energetic cousins. She is taught by kind and thoughtful carers. You are her closest female role models, and whether you realise it or not, even whether she realises it or not, she cares what you think. Of course it matters what men say about women too. But the creation of her “self voice” will be most strongly influenced by the women in her life. Your self-flagellating words will model for her how to be critical of her own body. Your comments about other women’s bodies will normalise for her that it’s ok for women to be mean when discussing each other. <br />
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We might not be able to unthink what we’ve been taught, and most of us might struggle with contradictory feelings about our bodies. That’s ok. But we choose our behaviour. We choose our words. I’m trying to do this with my daughter and I would love all the women in her life to support us. I know some of you already do this consciously with your own daughters. For everyone else, here’s some specific ideas to consider:<br />
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<b>Don’t say negative things about other women’s bodies</b><br />
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This toxic behaviour may feel so “natural” you don’t even notice that you do it. <br />
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So you were out at an event and saw a woman who was quite large and you feel her fatness is somehow a vital part of the story. Don’t say it. Don’t comment on the dress or top she was wearing, and how unflattering it was given her size. Don’t say you were tempted to give her exercise tips. Philanthropic of you, I’m sure, but no. What you’re really being is unkind, while my daughter is listening.<br />
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Don’t talk about that obese couple at the supermarket who stuffed their trolley full of chips and sugary soft drinks, and how they made you feel really healthy. And how you were tempted to give them eating tips. Don’t tell us that your friend has lost weight and she looks fabulous. Don’t tell us your workmate is too skinny. <br />
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The way we talk about other women is learned behaviour, and we CAN change the way we do it. <br />
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<b>Don’t criticise your own body</b><br />
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You might not be fully on board with the idea that your body is wonderful. That’s fine, but don’t talk about it in front of her. Don’t say you have “tuck shop lady arms”, or “a big fat belly”. No “thunder thighs” or “huge bum”. Don’t tell us your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. In fact, don’t talk about dieting at all. Talk about exercise keeping you “healthy” and “strong”. <br />
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If you do think your body is wonderful, hurray for you! Feel free to share. But don’t say you’re wonderful because of all the weight you’ve lost. Or be mean about pictures of how you used to look. That person is still you and the message is still a nasty one.<br />
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<b>Praise your body</b><br />
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I’m not saying we should live in a weird amorphic vacuum where we pretend that bodies don’t exist. How about you tell her some of the awesome things your body has done? What about<br />
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How much fun you have in body combat class<br />
The time your legs carried you for that half marathon<br />
The time you broke your arm and the bone healed itself<br />
All those really cool things your fingers made that didn’t exist before<br />
How you got that scar where your skin grew back together or<br />
The time you created a new human being inside of you.<br />
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I can’t stop the awful ideas about female bodies that our culture is bombarding my daughter with, but I can call myself on the bullshit I say, and call out others too. So Happy New Year to all the awesome women in my daughter’s life! Let’s work on showing her how much we respect ourselves and each other. <br />
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Coming soon, some listy progress updates and some substitutions too. Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-90085392626589822402013-10-02T13:20:00.002+09:302013-10-12T15:45:40.326+10:30#35 de-grass, build shade shelter/bird netting, plant fruit trees, in the mini-orchard area. This one took a while. But finally, done! We have two apples, a plum, and a plumcot. <br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-70181529850231058492013-10-02T13:18:00.002+09:302013-10-05T17:35:57.097+09:30#7 run city-bay fun run faster than I did last time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last time (after Elly, before Martha) was 1 hour 24 mins. This year, 1 hour 17 mins. Awesome!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-37881658235990835292013-10-02T13:16:00.002+09:302013-10-02T13:16:26.147+09:30#40 gingerbread houseSchool holidays seemed like a good a time as any to have a go at my gingerbread house. While I know they can be tricky to stick together, I wasn't very inspired looking at pictures of all those boxy rectangular houses. I wanted something quite different. Instead I went with modular construction, with design influence from art deco. I also wanted to see not only the curves mixed with corners and sheer walls, but the bare bricks too.<br />
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Last night Elly and I mixed up a giant batch of gingerbread cake, then baked muffins and a shallow flat cake in our giant german cake tray. This morning - bricks, icing, and assembly! Elly's favourite parts were of course the periodic taste-testing, shooting the icing out of my clicky icing tube thingo, and shingling the roof. He lost interest during the build itself and took himself off for a ben10 break, which left me to potter on in peace for a bit.<br />
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Mmm gingerbread. Enough to sink a battleship, I think.<br />
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Design taking shape. I did a rough sketch and cut the blocks based on the radius of the circular pieces, then improvised a bit.<br />
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Butter icing lightly flavoured with chocolate. Do you know what happens when you chop up and microwave a milky way bar? If not, go try. It's a bit like microwaving marshmallows. Whee!<br />
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Most of the deco buildings I looked at had flat roofs. Or as Elly said, "no triangles in this house".<br />
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Testing the bricks again, just to make sure.<br />
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Yep, they're ok. Now for the roof tiles. Elly chose smarties.<br />
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The combination of curves with sheer walls turned out really well. And quite art deco! I also wanted a portico out the front. Check out that little pillar at the left corner, and curved lintel over the entrance - love! <br />
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Must remember when eating there's a toothpick holding those pillar pieces together. She's got curves all the way around the back.<br />
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And because he kept trying to stick his head into the cake pictures, a posed one to finish. <br />
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Gingerbread house, done!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-34684189086775852572013-09-08T11:33:00.004+09:302013-09-08T11:33:43.765+09:30On job satisfactionOn this morning’s run I listened to two interesting podcasts. One was a Richard Fiedler conversation with historian Sheila Fitzpatrick. The second was a Life Matters segment about the dilemma of being stuck in a sensible but boring job. Clearly I related to both of these podcasts in a different way. In the shower afterwards, where I do all my good thinking, I mused about my reaction to the second. To be honest it was a 5 km run so I didn’t get past the opening where a question was posed and reacted to. But I generally have an annoyed response to these sort of discussions where people who have either paid off their mortgage or found someone who will pay them to do what they love enthuse to others about the benefits of their truly engaged and fulfilling lives. And encourage others to Make A Change! My perspective on this has crystallized further recently as I've reduced my working hours to spend more time with the kids and been actively focusing my out-of-work time on doing more of the things I love. Life sometimes does feel like a crazy juggle. So here are my thoughts on the subject. <br /><br />I have a sensible job. It’s a decent job. I get paid well for what I do, and I think I’m pretty good at it. But I’m not passionate about it. I don’t love it, and if I’m not kept really busy there are times I will be bored and need to fight against my disengagement to keep being productive. But this does not mean it is a bad job, or a job not worth doing. I don’t believe that it is the equivalent of a Victorian workhouse treadmill where there are no outcomes except for my own exhaustion. <br /><br />I work for an organisation which has an agenda and tries to make change happen in the community. It’s a government agency so of course I make a productive contribution to budgeted outputs and outcomes. But regardless of the <i>what </i>of the work, there is this simple fact: I earn an income. That’s what I do there. We could be baking pies or counting frogs or killing cows. It’s a job. A good honest exchange of my time, energy and skills for money. I’m not sure how precisely we have started to think about this economic reality as some kind of dishonest thievery of our precious time. <br /><br />I think about my family history - there’s generations of hard working people who struggled every day to feed their families, to buy shoes for their kids and more than one pair of clothes. They were farmers, coal miners, and factory workers. My granny would find my office job an unbelievable luxury and my paycheck ridiculous. I look at the rest of the world and the staggering number of people who live below the subsistence line. In that context of poverty, degradation and disadvantage, sometimes happening within our own communities, the very modern notion that work must be self fulfilling or else it is a life half-lived seems self-indulgent. It’s a rich person’s conceit. <br /><br />If you have a job you love, if you spend your days being paid for something you are also passionate about, that’s great for you. That doesn’t give you any moral right to project this as a universally desired value onto others, to imply or suggest that a those with jobs they don’t love are “selling out” or living less of a life. <br /><br />In fact I could equally argue that mine is a life of perspective and balance. I value my own time so much more, and appreciate the sense of connectedness and peace and passion I can bring to the activities I choose to do outside my day job because I have had time away from them. It’s a compromise but I know it’s a compromise.<br />
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And having said that, it is now time to go out and play in the garden in the gorgeous spring sun and get that feeling of connectedness I get when I touch bare feet on green grass. I promise more updates soon!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-57046826308654747002013-06-28T19:52:00.001+09:302013-06-28T19:52:39.049+09:30bit o' boastingI would like to take this opportunity to mention how fabulous my mother is. Of course, most people have a fabulous mother, but I rather think my mum is much fabulouser. There have been many demonstrations of this over the years. <br />
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On this particular occasion, she has made Martha the most exquisite 2nd birthday present. I must admit also that Martha, Elly and I have all been playing with it since its arrival on Wednesday night. As you read you must at no time imagine that Martha is standing nearby, protesting vociferously that someone seemed to be hogging her present for the time it took to take these piccies. <br />
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First there is the wee cabbage patch doll, with hair and eyes to match the birthday girl. Note the snuggly PJs.<br />
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Because while in her PJs, every girl needs a place to sleep. This one has her own handmade basket (which naturally travels with convenient handles) and wee pillow and quilt.<br />
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But wait... every girl also needs clothes to wear. Cue a handmade case, zippers down each side.<br />
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And inside... a change of clothes for every occasion.<br />
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Oh yes, these are actually handmade outfits mum has sewn. Would you like to see a fashion parade? Or course you would. Cue some funky music.<br />
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I forgot to take a photo of the matching blue bucket hat, as was distracted by discovering this green skirt with trimming.<br />
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This pink top has to be my favourite. I mean Martha's favourite. No, dang it, I mean mine. Does it come in medium ladies size I wonder?<br />
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She isn't nekkid under there, either. To cover the cabbage patch nappies, there's some wee white bloomers.<br />
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Another yellow and green combo. As she says to Martha, I love your granny "this much". <br />
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But I've a few yellow things. Is there anything red? Any perhaps some stripes? <br />
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And if I fancy rumbling around in activities a skirt isn't best suited for?<br />
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And if it should turn chilly? Can I rug up warm? Why yes, and in style.<br />
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Martha was feeding "baby" this morning with her wee bottle. I tried to snap a picture as that would have been a perfect way to end this post. Alas she would have none of it. So I shall have to leave you with this cuteness instead. Nice work, mum. <br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-46301250788402159282013-05-20T14:19:00.001+09:302013-05-20T14:26:41.684+09:30Another DIY colour toy - tangrams!I adore tangrams. They're nifty and neat. Geometrically beautiful yet creative. Also easy peasy to make your own. I started with a $3 pack of foam sheets from the cheapy shop.<br />
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If you can't remember how to make tangrams from a square there are many internet sites to help you out. <a href="http://mathforum.org/trscavo/tangrams/construct.html" target="_blank">This is a nice one</a> you can use to make a paper template. Of course, my foam rectangles were larger than the A4 paper I started with, so I used it as a reference instead. <br />
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Make yourself a square. Then use the corners to mark one large and two smaller triangles. You can be neat about it and draw the shapes with a pencil, or you can wing it like I mostly did.<br />
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Cut these out, and put the two smaller triangles aside. With the longer side of the triangle at the top, fold up the point to give your self a crease. Here if you measured it might be more accurate but for my purposes this is close enough. Give the foam a good press to make a line.<br />
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Then cut along this line.<br />
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Put the bottom triangle aside. Now fold the top piece in half lenthwise.<br />
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Cut down the middle. Then for the right piece, I used my trusty quilting ruler to line up with the bottom right corner, to cut it into a square and triangle, like so:<br />
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Put the square aside. Take the small triangle and use it as a template for your last cut. Flip it over, and place the right angle on top of the right angle of the remaining piece on the left.<br />
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One last cut, and you're all done! Hurray!<br />
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Now you've done one, it's really fast to use the pieces as templates to cut out some more.<br />
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Aren't they pretty? I'm going to make up a bunch of cards with a gazillion tangram ideas that the kids can try to copy. In the meantime, they can freestyle.<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-43100137565575735722013-05-20T14:17:00.000+09:302013-05-20T14:17:51.999+09:30Easy DIY colour toysI know from pinterest I'm not the only crafty nerd who gets excited and inspired by paint cards from hardware stores. I think it's Taubman's that come in this nifty circular shape with a slit to the centre. <br />
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Slip a bunch together and you have an adjustable rainbow wheel.<br />
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I used an idea from pinterest to make this matching game:<br />
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I've also been working on tangrams... stay tuned!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-84676327386579471882013-05-20T12:26:00.000+09:302013-05-22T07:57:16.202+09:30More woodwork - a loft bed liftOne of Elliot's privileges of turning 5 was having his reversible Ikea bed turned up the big boy way. For anyone not in the know, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/30123995/" target="_blank">this is one of the most popular beds</a> for little kids. I've promised him some curtains to cover the new hidey hole below. In the meantime, I was distracted by a request for a lift.<br />
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Naturally, I sketched a few ridiculously complicated mechanisms with multiple pulleys and a crank winder. Then I picked up some cheapish awning pulleys from Lincraft, and mocked up a more sensible little hand pull model.<br />
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Of course Elly's first reaction to this was to run to the bedroom to look for the real thing. Sigh. Must stop making these projects seem so easy. Later that afternoon he came with me to Bunnings to get our supplies. We bought some 40x18mm untreated oak that matched the bed frame, a cleat, some 3mm awning cord, a hook and some support brackets. The blue basket was $3 at Neds. I kept the natural oak finish and sanded down the corners at the top for appearance's sake. And here's the finished product.<br />
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If I made this again I would use all screws instead of nailing the t-junctions. That was just sloppy woodwork, but the metal braces seem to have done the trick with eliminating any wobbles. Hard to get good photos in Elliot's room as it's a tad gloomy. Here's a dark action shot. Doesn't help he's wearing a hoodie!<br />
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It took him a few tries to get the hang of the cleat but then he was whizzing the torch and water bottle up and down like there was no tomorrow. Mission lift - a success!<br />
<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-73847542970238055832013-05-20T12:06:00.001+09:302013-05-22T07:57:16.201+09:30Birthday sewingThe beanbags proved such a hit I made up another set for Elliot's birthday. These are smaller and easier to throw and catch. The shape is also quite sweet.<br />
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And on the off chance someone might want to put them away again, their own drawstring bag.<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-64555753728867213072013-05-20T12:00:00.001+09:302013-05-21T21:34:36.005+09:30#19 make or rennovate a piece of furniture - done!For Elliot's birthday I made a play kitchen. In a timely co-incidence, it was finished just after he parked a plane in the real griller. When Dave went to make a toasty sandwich he inadvertently melted it. Our kitchen smelled rather peculiar.<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-55306973613363393272013-05-20T11:28:00.000+09:302013-05-20T11:28:04.830+09:30happy birthday Elly!Remember this little guy?<br />
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He recently turned 5. Much excitement! We had a great party with some of his kindy friends and, naturally, a superhero theme. I made some capes out of cheap plastic tablecloth. Elly chose the jellybean contact to put letters on the back.<br />
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Their favourite game was one where we lined up cardboard boxes and had them pretend to be the Hulk and smash the city down. Spiderman web-slinging game - shooting silly string at posters - also went down well. I didn't get any photos of these but I'm sure some of the other parents did.<br />
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A proper new bike for the big boy.<br />
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With clearly the coolest bike helmet ever... well done Dave who shopped around for this one!<br />
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Not a kid's party without some sugary treats:<br />
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Happy birthday, little man!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-41642054345891723792013-03-27T08:44:00.002+10:302013-03-27T08:44:43.281+10:30op shoppin' againI have a day off, so naturally am about to embark on an op shop crawl. I thought I would visit my old stomping ground on Prospect Road. Since I moved it seems to have become quite a funky area. Sure the two things are not related. To get me in the mood, here are a few pretties I picked up the other day:<br />
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You can't have enough fake-retro print brown mugs, can you? A nice size for a hefty cup of tea.<br />
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I fancied this wicket basket, wasn't bad for six dollars, in reasonable condition. Thought I could upgrade the peculiar catches and maybe put some interesting fabric inside. But wait, there was already something hiding inside!<br />
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Genuine old plastic. Not sure if this thermos works but it's rocking the orange theme.<br />
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Certainly matches the orange plates and cups. Hang on, what's that little brown and fawn do-dad?<br />
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It says to pull apart slowly. Ah - that would be because there is genuine vintage salt and pepper still inside. Bonus!<br />
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More to come later I am sure.Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-81804845222487551182013-03-26T20:25:00.002+10:302013-03-26T20:27:23.137+10:30#34 Make my own cards - linoprinting!<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-60069242341372849572013-03-17T08:35:00.000+10:302013-03-26T20:27:31.607+10:30#19 make or rennovate piece of furnitureActivity ahoy! I've been tinkering away on this one in mum's garage.<br />
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Can you tell what this is? No? Clearly some old drawers, about to become a play kitchen for the kids. Naturally, when I say "about" I don't mean in the next few days.<br />
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Meanwhile, I tried my first painted calico doll.<br />
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Elliot loves him, although we have since had an argument about why Iron Man isn't smiling. I went for the genuine creepy static mask but he thinks the mask smiles when Tony smiles. Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-43536654991710071732013-03-15T22:00:00.004+10:302013-03-26T20:27:39.935+10:30#31 WEA course<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was, as Elly would say, awesome.Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-55983402888017558032013-03-08T20:42:00.001+10:302013-03-26T20:27:44.846+10:30Mung bean madnessI was planning a post reminiscing about things I've made the kids over the last few years, but have been distracted making new things. Today Elliot got excited about beanbags. This would have been a super-quick project without a four year old helping. He "helped" with most parts, but I did draw the line when he crawled under the table and pushed the sewing machine pedal with his hand. Yeah, while my foot was on it.<br />
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Here he is helping me measure.<br />
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At this point he got a little bored and started to crack open the mung beans (while I made jokes such as "making some dal over there, darl".) This would normally be hard work but he happens to have a fibreglass cast on his right arm, which proved effective. A little tip for the future there, should you lose your nut crackers and have an injured child nearby.<br />
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A bit of sewing later, and ta da!<br />
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This first game looks mighty civilised. Naturally it soon degenerated into a pretend snowball fight and the institution of two basic rules for beanbags:<br />
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1. Underarm only<br />
2. No throwing at my face.<br />
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Outdoors, we had some fun last week in one of our dormant veggie patches. Elly's childcare centre installed a butterfly garden, so we decided to make one at home too. Builders hat apparently necessary because we were digging holes.<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-69996830319991497522013-02-28T15:56:00.001+10:302013-03-26T20:27:53.223+10:30Glorious op shop findsSince I have been such a shocking poster for the last year I thought I’d ease myself back in with some photo-heavy posts. You know it's bad when you can't remember your blogger password. <br />
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One of the things I love to do is to meander through op shops. I say meander because, as you know if you have tried to browse with children, there’s no meandering allowed. I have three favourite shops nearby that I visit regularly. Sometimes I take the kids, give them a few dollars and let them pick toys. Elly has brought home spectacular finds, including a number of things with functioning batteries that I’d thought would have worn out by now. Fireman Sam book with siren button - I am looking at you. <br />
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But nothing beats a slow meander round the shop, poking into all the treasures. If you’re like me and love to re-use and re-purpose things there is always something sweet to find. On rare occasions I buy clothes that fit me. On others I buy dresses and skirts and amend them. Or I pick up really large men’s shirts, pillow slips and pretty table cloths because I want to make something from the fabric. Sometimes I even do! Martha von Trapp sports a sweet little yellow dress at the moment that I made her from a pillow slip. On some rare days, serendipity is on your side and you find a stash of goodies. Today was one of those days.<br />
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Let's start with the first two things for me: some lovely handbags. I don't buy leather much, but second hand is less problematic for we veggie types. It's had a fair amount of use, and the cow is well past its use-by date. How pretty are these colours! About $2 each.<br />
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Because I can't help myself with haberdashery, some funky coloured zips and wee silver buckles. At 50c each this may be a better strategy than that time I bought a coat for $8 because it had about 20 huge wooden buttons on it that I wanted. My financial calculations were fine, but then I ended up with a button-less coat I didn't want to wear. <br />
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The obligatory pillow case so I can sew something with this purple birdy fabric... I haven't yet thought of what.<br />
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No little cat, they are not real birds. Please do not kill.<br />
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Great $5 find - a single doona cover with colourful alphabet animals. This is for a large single by the looks of it, and has the same pattern on the back. As there's only one side seam I can split it open and use the whole width. I'm planning one big floor rug for the kids, and there will be heaps of material left for other things as yet unthought of.<br />
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See the cute animals?<br />
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Look how life-like this one is! Spooky.<br />
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This is a neat little case, perhaps originally for a camera? I'm going to turn this into something fun for Martha. It's nice and solid and all the zips work well, which is important for kiddie bags or they get rather frustrated opening and shutting them. Car garage? Doll house with dressing room? Doctor's kit? <br />
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Lots of space inside!<br />
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But without a doubt this last one is my absolute favourite. I've been keeping my eye out for old board games. I was thinking it would be fun to customise a Monopoly board, with local places and activities the kids know. Instead I found something - if you'll pardon the expression - genuinely retro.<br />
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I haven't counted to verify the 56 claim, but it is packed with different activities. There are pieces missing of course, but disks and dice are easy to replace. We've been having half an hour quiet game time with Elly every night after Martha goes to bed. This will be fun to explore. Check out these boards:<br />
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I adore the design of the set. The colours and graphics are lovely. Here are some close ups:<br />
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And the truly best bit?<br />
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<br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-16675399595443230572012-09-26T16:53:00.001+09:302012-09-26T16:53:39.240+09:30# 21 knittingAs you'd expect I have had no problems ticking along with this one. The purpose was to knit 10 things from my Ravelry queue which weren't all hats. Here are some updates, and as you will see, they are not all hats.<br />
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Inspired by the colour scheme of these beautiful things I appear to be collecting...<br />
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... comes a hat with natural shades of brown and brown and more brown. And a bit o beige.<br />
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I say that as if I designed it to match the tins, which of course I didn't, having used a lovely <a href="http://brooklyntweed.net/blog/" target="_blank">Jared Flood</a> pattern. This one is also a hat:<br />
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And this one appears to be too:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25558478@N02/7520136976/" title="spidey hat blocking3 by diogenes_yawns, on Flickr"><img alt="spidey hat blocking3" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7520136976_b898cb6653.jpg" width="375" /></a>
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I made this one up when someone posted a picture of Emma Stone from the newest spider man movie wearing something awfully similar. But hooray, this isn't a hat:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25558478@N02/7834732574/" title="IMG1249 by diogenes_yawns, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG1249" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/7834732574_256381ca2a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Ravelry <a href="http://ravel.me/diogenes/jpfxh" target="_blank">details of the cardy are here</a>. And finally, my favourite of all. This is a hat, designed by me, for someone else, from the books about <a href="http://www.gruffalo.com/" target="_blank">The Gruffalo</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25558478@N02/6877316830/" title="2012 5:18 PM by diogenes_yawns, on Flickr"><img alt="2012 5:18 PM" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/6877316830_fd97cbf8a1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-28191771561786754452012-09-26T16:36:00.001+09:302012-09-26T16:36:09.923+09:30it's Jude... and she's doing stuffI had to revisit the list to check how many things I had incidentally, or accidentally done without letting anyone know how chuffed I was about them. So here's a few wee updates:<br /><br />
<i>no. 33 organise my craft stuff and work space</i><br /><br />Well hey I've done this. It actually took oodles of time because stage one of the project involved getting rid of an enormous number of books to free up space in the dining room, where my craft nook now sits. Ah yes, I sigh for the days when I had a whole craft room to myself. Clearly that was before it became Martha's bedroom. Now it's a nook. We gave at least 10 boxes of books to rotary. I used some nifty boxes with lids we were collecting by getting fruit and veg delivered. Actually that should be the other way around, shouldn't it? The purpose of the deliveries was produce, the box collection was incidental. <br /><br />In short, I collected boxes. Freed up space on bookshelves. Put things in boxes. I considered taking a picture, but honestly, who apart from me is very interested in crafty things having their own proper space? Suffice to say they have it. I even dusted!<br />
<br /><i>no. 15 go wine tasting with Dave where neither of us has to drive</i><br />
<br />It was a while ago now so it slips my mind whether Dave actually did drive or not. But I certainly got to taste. We went to a few nice places in the Barossa with my brother Hugh and sister-in-law Kim while they visited over Christmas. I know... I'm updating 9 months later. Shameful, isn't it. <br /><br />Still, even if Dave did drive that time, we have another venture planned. We are hoping to spend our 15th anniversary in McLaren Vale and I've heard a rumour there are a few wineries somewhere in that vicinity. I shall report back.<br /><br />
<i>no. 39 go to Gold Class cinema with Dave.</i><br />
<br />Hullo hullo. Young Dave seems to be benefiting a bit from this activity, doesn't he? Thanks to a lovely birthday present voucher from my sister Marg we took in a show at Marion, a low budget little pic from a favourite autor, Joss Whedon, called <i>The Avengers</i>. You may have heard it did ok. Given I didn't pay for the tickets I felt perfectly justified laying down some hard earned dosh for gourmet nibbles, choccie dessert (which I believe was actually compulsory given they make them with Lindt) and a few glasses of this and that. I certainly could get used to the reclining chairs and the people bringing me tasty morsels. Pity Marion was such a hike but well worth the trip. A lovely outing had by all.<br />
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<i>no. 7 run city bay faster than last time.</i><br />
<br />Err, no. Training going quite well. I now run regularly and even enjoy it! Then fell gracelessly during my last 10k training run and bunged up my knee. Boo. I shall be trying again next year. Stay tuned. <br /><br />And to wrap it all up with a jaunty musical number...<br />
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<i>no. 18 try out playing a banjo.</i><br />
<br />Err, no to that too. But I feel a step closer as I bought a beginner's mandolin. Can't say I can play it yet, but baby steps. Have learnt some scales and three chords. And perhaps sometime in the not too distant future I shall start practicing again. Why this should be progress towards learning a banjo is anyone's guess but I feel I should mention it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-11059707096377769792012-09-14T16:14:00.000+09:302012-09-14T16:14:15.670+09:30get down with your funky selfSomeone asked what on earth I would make with a knitting machine. Perhaps they did not realise that these were at their zenith in the 1970s. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzbv2pBnt74z6z5ZCxSh8cHkX_TQTXKIPdh6ZaX4sb3ZsQIFzlhWKxLjwGduUd_bqI-H2Oe1wg2w_9mYq9PVuyachi7vet4u6x7_lCZlSTAyYqSkI5OiIfx2cMSOq5hk1MBxnxzgNOi_K/s1600/DSC02976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzbv2pBnt74z6z5ZCxSh8cHkX_TQTXKIPdh6ZaX4sb3ZsQIFzlhWKxLjwGduUd_bqI-H2Oe1wg2w_9mYq9PVuyachi7vet4u6x7_lCZlSTAyYqSkI5OiIfx2cMSOq5hk1MBxnxzgNOi_K/s400/DSC02976.jpg" /></a></div>
<br>I rest my case.Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-78414174446673829132012-09-11T19:24:00.000+09:302012-09-11T19:24:01.286+09:30back againBlimey. It has been a while. Haven't blogged since I've been back at work. There has been activity at 40things central. Some progress has been list-related, and other activities have taken me off on tangents. Must do some catch up posting.
In the meantime, here is a little something that has been making me smile:
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It's a pre-punch card model. Luckily there are instructions, albeit with some amusing translations. Have been able to cast on and knit a sample. Still no idea how all those buttons on the top function though. Waiting for a replacement spongebar and then I'll be getting stuck back in.
Of course, because this cost me all of $10 at the op shop I have easily spent many times this getting a few supplies!Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-39393571884647885602012-02-23T18:44:00.000+10:302012-02-23T18:44:31.313+10:30rise and demise of Pinata man #26A few things I've forgotten to blog about. At Xmas, there was Pinata man, #26. Much fun. What I enjoyed the most was the kids' reactions. Most adults wanted to know things like: why? what was the occasion? how long did it take to make? The kids didn't care. They said, "You want us to what? With what? Righty'o then." Then smashed away. It fits with the spirit of the 40 list, I feel. Also with the spirit of crafting, where the fun of the process can be more important than the product. Forgot how much fun paper mache is! Messy, but fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGkoyvftfSCGNkAIOxEPew1aQCka4X49LN_iAR7lOVZ_FPCdX3L4NzNjKHfX8Yu707BbmbepihfLznmtskPPCq9gT-O_5wgpBEXaFjzI9GSU2cToLGztmPm0Wq9dLprLgXboSE5IW4HQf/s1600/pinata11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGkoyvftfSCGNkAIOxEPew1aQCka4X49LN_iAR7lOVZ_FPCdX3L4NzNjKHfX8Yu707BbmbepihfLznmtskPPCq9gT-O_5wgpBEXaFjzI9GSU2cToLGztmPm0Wq9dLprLgXboSE5IW4HQf/s400/pinata11.jpg" /></a></div>Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480267285203631901.post-85218546543607286342012-01-18T16:23:00.000+10:302012-01-18T16:23:16.621+10:30celebrationsWe are celebrating having lived in our house for 5 years. Naturally, there is champagne, and food shaped like houses.<br />
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I was trying to think of a way of explaining to Elliot why we were having a celebration without a cake, then realised there was actually no good reason not to make one. So one house-shaped cake is now cooling down, awaiting decoration. 'cause you can't have too much Betty Crocker chocolate frosting, I say.Judehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05553035133312379132noreply@blogger.com0