I am currently inspire to create the following to sell on Etsy: - I-Pod and I-Phone 'socks' using fancy fabrics and cross stitched motifs
- Note books covered with fabric with a fancy quilted front
- Apron with matching oven mitts
- Lap quilts (selling them for over $100!)
- Framed cross-stitched quotes
- Dresses or skirts, or even corsets!
- Fascinators and hair accessories
I think it would be nice to win lotto, quit my job, buy a nice place that has space for a craft room, and spend my time creating things. At the moment my apartment is so tiny that if i make a stack of stuff I wouldn't have anywhere to store it!
What do you think - please vote in the survey on my blog!
Christmas is coming (I actually can't believe how close it is) and I thought I would write a little Christmas list. Writing this list is actually quite pointless because I already have my present from my Mum, and my Dad will hopefully be getting me an ironing board...but it's something to do.
The Duchess's Christmas List
- Ironing Board
- Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow (on DVD)
- Transporter 3 starring Jason Statham (on DVD)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman (on DVD)
- Overlocker - and a new apartment with a sewing room to put it in!- Book on how to do vintage hair styles
- 3 to 4 meters of any kind of lovely fabric for dresses (with that much fabric I could make basically any dress, and possibly a skirt or something as well)
- Fat quarters of quilting fabric
- DMC Cross Stitch thread (any colours)
- Cross Stitch fabric (any type)
- a Quilting book or Craft type book- Hand bag making supplies (although this would be at the bottom of my list because I think it could be too much hassle to make a handbag)
- Dress patterns
- Hair straightening Iron - one with a large flat bit for straightening my long hair
I think that is about it. I might add some more stuff to this list later, but to be completely honest I don't actually need any of this. But I think for Christmas it is good to get something that you want, rather than something that you need.
At the moment I find I am at a crossroads in regards to my hair colour. I have naturally dark brown hair, but at the moment it is an auburn colour (kind of a "natural" red head colour). The problem with this colour is the maintenance. But apart from that I actually quite like it.
I need to go to the hairdressers for a hair cut, and at the same time I will make a decision about my hair colour. Either he will turn it back to dark brown, or keep it red.
The question is: do I want to be Poison Ivy, or Wonder Woman?
I have been very lax in my blogging and my dream diary keeping. Sorry! I have also been having a few strange dreams so I really have no excuse for not posting them!
The strangest dream I have had of late will really make you laugh! So in the dream I am walking up the street near my home, it's day time and I'm just walking along (actually I think it was around 2pm exactly). And it is a lovely day, the sun is shining, and the inhabitants of the neighborhood are sitting in their front yards or on their front porches enjoying the spring air. The funny thing is....the inhabitants are all bears! There are hundreds of bears roaming around, mostly in their family units. Some are gardening, some are sitting in rocking chairs and knitting. They're all very friendly! They are sitting on their balconies in my apartment complex and sing out to me "hello! Lovely day isn't it?".
Strangest dream ever!!
Today is the 11th day of the 11th month, and at the 11th hour we will pause to remember the many men who lost their lives on the battlefields of France (as well as in the other pointless periphery battles).
I spent an entire year studying the World Wars at University, and for my class on World War I I wrote an essay on Shell Shock. There are so many victims of war that are not counted on the casualty lists.
Howard Hughes famously stated that he "stood for 60,000 dead", but how many more were walking dead. Men who couldn't exist after the war because of the extreme conditions they were placed in. Nowadays men, even soldiers, complain about the most minor of inconveniences without a thought to the men who were living in trenches for 5 years, locked in a stalemate in a pointless battle that was simply about mens egos.
Even though I think that this war, and all wars, are pointless and painful I will still pause to remember the brave men of yesterday who we lost to their own heroic actions.
After a couple of months of hard work and tireless instruction (from some of the most patient women in the world) I have finished my first quilt!!
It is a lap quilt that measures about 40" x 40", with natural cotton batting, and all cotton fabrics.
If you ask I can point out many mistakes that I have made in this quilt, but from a distance you can't tell! And as one of my friends keeps telling me "it adds character"!
I have decided that I am going to enter a couple of items in the local Royal Show in February next year. I am going to cross stitch a photo of my friends at their Vietnamese Tea Ceremony, and I'm also going to create a quilt using the techniques that I learned while making this quilt.
Apparently I'm meant to name my quilt...hmmm...I will name this quilt "Briar Rose".
I think I want my next quilt to be a bit Gypsy inspired, I will call it Esmeralda!
This weekend made me realise that a good friend is one who will take time out of their lives to patiently hold your hand and teach you a new skill. A couple of my friends have been teaching me how to quilt, and with my swearing, sulking and drunken cutting, it can't be an easy task. But they keep going, and keep laughing, and I have almost finished my quilt. That is friendship.
A good friend is also one who will wrap you in a garbage bag, cling wrap and duct tape while drinking champagne. I sent a text to this friend on Saturday asking "do you need me to bring anything apart from champagne and duct tape?" - if someone intercepted that I'm sure they could take it the wrong way!
What we were actually doing is making a "Duct Tape Dress-Makers Dummy" so that I can use it to make clothes. It makes sense, really it does! But it was definitely a funny sight. We were wondering how we would explain it to the paramedics should something go wrong, or the people on the street should we have to evacuate the house all of a sudden.
Only a really good friend will go to so much effort! And you would only trust a really good friend to do it and then cut you out of it!
As they say - a really good friend will help you hide the body!
I know I'm an old lady before my time, but I do really enjoy cross stitch. There is just something about it that is relaxing, and you end up creating something which is a really nice feeling.
Recently I completed my Antique Rose cross stitch, which was from a pattern in a book given to me by my Aunty Phyl. All of the patterns in this book are quite old fashioned, but they are still nice, although I would prefer some more modern patterns.
I have purchased some patterns on Etsy, which I received in PDF format via email. You simply print these out and you're ready to go. People create these different cross stitch patterns by converting photos or pictures using a particular program.
I have finally realised that I should purchase a program that does this myself! After some googling I have located a couple that you can download for free, so when I get home tonight I will download one of these programs and get to converting. I will do cross stitches of my friends and freak them out!!
As I get older I find myself more and more attracted to younger men. I still favour my older men (especially Eric Bana and Gerry Butler, oh and Jason Statham...) but these younger guys, and I have never been attracted to younger guys before, seem to be getting cuter and cuter!
Do you think it's a biology thing? I'm getting older...maybe I'm reaching my sexual peak, and I'm looking for a guy who can match it? Hmmm... interesting theory. Just last year I was caught flirting with a boy who was still in high school! And he looked it! Now that is dangerous.
I found myself perving on Daniel Radcliffe (AKA Harry Potter) when he was on Oprah once. He wasn't 18 then, so I turned off the TV. But now that he is 18 (or maybe older) it's fine...isn't it?
And Zac Efron in 17 Again...well he was playing a grown up and he is oh so cute! And he can dance, and even sing a bit. Yummy!
Then there is Prince Harry. He is younger than me, but I've always had a soft spot for him!!
So it has to be said: "Lock up your sons!!"
It has been so long since I've blogged! To be honest with you I don't know if I have very much to say at the moment, so this is really a blog for blogs sake!
It is hot! Summer has finally come, and it has come with a vengeance! But I doubt it will stay. Last week we were have 15 degree days, today it is 30 degrees!! And our air conditioning in the office is broken, so inside it is 28 degrees!
I had to laugh, one of my colleagues asked if I'm the type of person who gets grumpier as it gets hotter. I replied with "aren't I quite grumpy throughout the year? I'm not sure the weather really has much impact!!". But that isn't the case with some of my work mates who do seem to be getting grumpier as the weather gets warmer!!
Luckily tomorrow is a day off. Technically it is "Family & Community Day", but in reality it is Melbourne Cup day, which is so much more better!!
And on Thursday it is Crown Oaks Day, and at work we're having an Oaks Day Ladies Luncheon (organised by me) to celebrate Fashions on the Field! Which means that tomorrow I will spend the day working on my fascinator!!
I am currently inspire to create the following to sell on Etsy: - I-Pod and I-Phone 'socks' using fancy fabrics and cross stitched motifs
