Africanaussie

 While sorting clothes at the op shop, last week, a dress caught my eye.  I loved the fabric, a bright cheery floral.   There were a few problems though, it was short - above the knee, and the lace was totally see through.  Luckily, I had an old turquoise skirt, that I thought went quite well with the colours.  Layered and gathered, I didn't even have to do much, other than cut the bottom two layers of gathers and add them to the hem.  With the remaining fabric, I cut some strips an inch wider than the lace and turned it under on each side.  I just sewed this down either side of the lace, on the back.   A little piece of the skirt made a pocket, bringing the colours together.   These colourful very short dresses are quite popular these days, and everyone always says, "oh I love that dress, but it is too short"    Well, now I have the answer! The dorset button earrings match perfectly too! I have been busy getting my t...

 Do you ever get halfway into a project and then think "Ohmigosh, what on earth did I think I was doing when I signed up for this?" A year ago I received a grant to write and publish an e-book on upcycling, and that project has kept me busy, at the expense of a quite a few other things in my life.  Keeping up with the gardening, blogging, cleaning (shhh).    This last month I was feeling very unsure about the whole project.  I love to teach others how to do crafts, and for the last three weeks my daughter and grandchildren have been visiting me. My daughter was very helpful with the final editing.   Imagine my delight when my 8 year old asked me to show her how to twine a mug rug.  This was her first try!   Yes, my instructions are clear and do-able!   I think it is important for us to share our talents and gifts, and I do hope you will consider purchasing  Here is the link to my book:  Crafting with the fabric w...

 I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately because I have been busy!   Last year I received a grant through our local government to write an e-book on upcycling!  I have been crafting, photographing, and writing, but slowly it is all coming together and I am due to publish on July 4th!   Upcycling is a cause really close to my heart.  I volunteer at our local op shop and it is terrible to see how many donations come through our door.  Too much to sell.  We package up boxes to be sent to remote areas in Northern Queensland, but so much really has to be thrown away as well.  I read about #MendInPublicDay run by Fashion Revolution.  You can check out their website  here  . So, I am gathering a group of my crafternoon friends, and we will sit at the op shop on Saturday 26th April. My plan is to have a few little crafts, and one of my favourite items lately is this little bag to hold loyalty cards.   It is ...

   In our hot and humid climate, jeans are not big movers in our op shop.  We had a $1 a pair sale rack, and still have full racks..... so I decided to make up a few different bags to see if we can somehow save these items from landfill.  Re-fashioning those items into something useful.  I made a few variations just to try out the market and sold this one on the first day they were put out! Each one is individual, depending on what fabric I have available. I tend to lay things out, and then just play around a bit.   Here I am laying out all the options before I start sewing.  I have joined a facebook group which is so inspirational and supportive.      Up-Cycled Cloth Collective | Facebook So often, it is just a case of seeing what is there, and then using it in the best way possible.  I was excited to find this tote bag, which was perfect as the lining of a bag for a teenager. this was also snapped up quickly. The bags were hu...

 I purchased another class from Craft school of oz!   I was inspired after doing a couple of free classes learning Shashiko stitching and decided to venture more into this meditative method of stitching.   I have been re-purposing unsold garments to sell in the op shop instead of sending them to landfill.  This made a white ripped pair of shorts into a more interesting piece before I turned it into a bag.   For Christmas I enjoyed making some little needle cases, it really is quite meditative to sew random little stitches. I tend to look at descriptions of crafts, and then run with them and make them my own.  I love the idea of sashiko stitching, but some of it seems quite rigid.   I have been playing around with a few samples, and then thought that would be an ideal way to personalize some of the phone bags I have been thinking of making.  I didnt have a washable marker, so marked out a sort of grid with my tailors chalk....

  Walking the Camino Oh dear, it is ages since I posted here, and I have lots to catch up on.  On the first leg of my round the world trip that started in May, I got to do something I have always dreamed of doing.  I walked the Camino with my daughter and her husband.   Since we cannot bring scallop shells back into Australia, my daughter printed our scallop shells on her 3 D printer! After trying on multiple pairs of shoes, in the end I purchased my favourite kind, Orthoheel, that I often buy from the pharmacy. I packed silicone sleeves for my hammer toes, and soft woolen roving, to add extra cushioning. We bought special socks that have a ribbed area around the instep, packed and re-packed, and weighed our backpacks.  I took two sets of thin lycra capri pants, one long pair, and two short sleeved tops, plus one long sleeved one. Socks and undies, 3 sets, one small microfiber towel, and a small bar of shampoo/soap, toothbrush and toothpaste.  Thi...