BEAUTIFUL GARBAGE

 

gar·bage/ˈgärbij/

Noun:   A thing that is considered worthless or meaningless.

 

There has been a Council Cleanup,  that means people put out their unwanted items onto the kerbside and the Council will collect them and dispose of the garbage.

I love council cleanups and I firmly believe that "one man's trash is another man's treasure" and much  to my families horror I have rescued some great things from throw out piles. Sometimes my family are definitely lacking imagination. If they can't Google it or find it on a Wiki they don't want to know about it!

Red paint, imitation bird= new garden accessory

Anyway giving a  preloved item a new lease of life and a brand new home is a community service, it's both reuseing and recycling.

Currently I am reading a fabulous book "Alabama Stitch Book" by Natalie Chanin. http://alabamachanin.com/journal/

In her book she writes about how during the American Depression people reused everything. No one had a bin. They didn't throw out anything, just about everything was reused or recycled.  Today we are a "throw away" society.  I want to move away from throw away.

Spike's new Casa.

This weekend is a long weekend, so I will make time to cleanup all my treasure, toast marshmallows around Luke's soon to be "mobile brazier" and best of all celebrate with my family Jack's 15th Birthday!!!

A wash and re gluing the trim on the front leg VOILA!

I have the perfect spot for this mirror.

 

 

Winter is here....

May is finished and I am sort of glad that it's over.

I was so excited to participate in MMM but the realization has been that there is a massive hole in my wardrobe, a big cold weather chasm. For me a MM in any of the summer months would have been better. I had more rpeats than I pledged but I still wore something me made for 30 days straight. there will be more challenges and I will think a little harder before I commit.

Where does the time go? I have been busy sewing for others and sewing cushions and aprons. Working in a  production line style would probably be more efficient time wise but I can't do it. I make each item individually. I work slowly and methodically as I hate unpicking and redoing. I get such a great feeling of achievement when an item comes together.

Maybe next week will be a little less frantic. Either way I am going to make time to catch up with friends and get through some of the books and mags that I borrowed form the library.

It's a Friday night, pretty cold for the first day of Winter and it's raining. Those big fat drops of rain that make  that pitter patter sound on the roof - lovely.

It is the perfect night   to read  and I going to sink into a book that I just started today "This Beautiful Life", by Helen Schulman.  I have read about a dozen pages and right now I am hooked.

So, goodnight and sweet dreams....

Week Four....

There's five days to go until the end of
May, not that I am counting of course.....

This week I have had a few repeats, more than I originally anticipated. Never the less, everyday I have worn something Made by Me.

There is a  definite black and white theme in my wardrobe. Black and white and spots. That's fine, I am happy to go with the flow as it all goes together and adding to what I previously stated "You can't beat a good spot  - or black and white.!"

 No clothes sewing has been happening this week. I've been continuing with aprons and cushions. Whilst I haven't made any wearable art my family are all being very creative in their own individual ways.

Number one son Jack is currently writing two plays to enter into the QLD Theater Company's Young Writer's Program. he is v busy tap, tap tapping on his laptop. I can't wait to do the proof read.

Liam, number two son, is continuing his guitar lessons and loving it. His practice is regular and whilst he wants an electric guitar, I really like the sound of an acoustic. Currently he is learning "Wonderwall" which I love and I  have that tune stuck firmly in my head.

Luke is baking. He is experimenting  for our market stall, what will work, what won't. He is quite good at it but not so good at the cleaning up part! Choc Chip Cookies  have been popular at home and away so I think they will be on the list.

That leaves my husband Bruce who is being very creative in our out door room, the garden. We have heaps of passionfruit, the lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are thriving and he has just planted some rhubarb, baby spinach and corn. Yum.

Bruce also did a great job designing me a Mixed Bag of Threads logo and the boys helped me create a FB page.

If you have time, please pop on over and "like" me on FB.

https://www.facebook.com/#%21/MixedBagOfThreads

 This photo is pf a local property being developed. It makes me laugh every time I go past. It  makes me wonder "What came first, the fence or the gate?"

Week Three Me Made May '12

This week it's been all about the bag, aprons and only a few repeats on work days.

I wasn't expecting this sudden plummet of the mercury for May and my MM wardrobe just doesn't cut it.
I admit it, my sewing skills don't yet stretch to a winter wardrobe.
I was born to live in the tropics, that is for sure! Light, flowing fabric, summer dresses and swishy skirts hold enormous appeal to me. I'm convinced the best way to indulge that feeling is to holiday in Bali, Darwin or Nth QLD for the entire winter season!
This week has been busy. I have been sewing cushions for a friend, trying to get stock together for my soon to be  market stall (ha, in winter what am I thinking?) and work and and general family life in the mix too.

Anyway my garden always provides some winter joy. The lavender is growing like mad, the Camellia's are just beautiful and the Bougainvillea is vibrant all year, summer, winter, flood or drought..

My lens on Brisbane

 I spent some time photographing Wickham Terrace, late on a May Sat afternoon. The shadows were long and the light was perfect.

Windmill

Reflections

Astor Hotel

Down the stairs

Up the stairs. Jacob's Well- Edward St

Brisbane architecture is a "mixed bag' and there is beauty, or not,  to be seen everywhere if you take the time  to look.

Week 2 MMM

Now at the end of week 2 of MMM, I have worn items Made By Me all week withe exception of the "Sharron bag" which is "Made by Sharron" . I have had a  few repeats of the resin rings and bangles on work days and added a "Kate touch" to my comfy slippers.

"Made by Sharron" bag

Skull and crossbow pants

Winter slippers

"Ghastlies" skirt

Little ferry on the river

Handmade May 2012

Resin rings n bangles made by me. The perfect handmade accessory with my corporate wardrobe. Repeats allowed.

I have worn one item "handmade by me" for the past 5 days. So far so good.

Right now Sth East Qld, weather wise,  is the most glorious place in the world to live. Cool mornings, but not too cold to not get out of bed, mostly clear days of 25 plus degrees and cool, crisp nights.

Sew Serendipity "Emmaline"

Spotted top (New Look pattern) by the pool

Leftover bag

Yes,  just glorious but.... I HAVE  NOTHING TO WEAR and this sudden plunge into Autumn, unusally wet and cool, wasn't quite what I was expecting for May!

My handmade wardrobe doesn't do "transitional" very well. Basically I have summer or winter with only a few in-be-tweeners hanging in my closet.

It's all good though as part of my pledge for MMM '12 was to organize my wardrobe, acknowledge  and fill the holes.  The remaining 26 days are a great opportunity to be creative with my layering and to fill in the gaps. I definitely have my eye on Vogue pattern 8634 that's been made so beautifully  by Sharron (Made By Sharron Blog).

 Ha. ha lets hope the weather stays mild but surely I can grant myself some dispensation for climate cooling.