Mikey in progress, etc.

Mikey Relaxing, one of the bigger pieces I am making for the Craft Victoria window, in progress, above.  I found embroidering the hand rather enjoyable, in a giggly-twelve-year-old kind of way.

Above: a cushion that I made some time ago, relaxing as well.

Above: a small detail from an illustration that I completed last week.  I couldn't resist showing you this little fellow, even though I think I smudged him a little on the scanner.  Oops.

Portraits of two gorgeous children

Really happy to be able to show little details from a couple of portraits that I finished painting last week.  Gorgeous kids and the loveliest mum, who was very patient with me as I worked on these in between other things.  They are currently en route to their new home.

Bed Strange Fellows

The 'Under the Couch' fabric print which was initially printed in navy for my patchwork quilt, also looks quite nice in green.  Above: giant cushion for my Bed Strange Fellows window at Craft Victoria, starting next week.

Above and below: my memoir has already been published in two editions, though reviewers have dismissed the work as "somewhat one dimensional."

Around the place this week (and some rewind)

A little textile-y section of my hallway, photographed during its five daily minutes of brightness.  (Actually the quilt on the left was only there as it was drying over the heater.)

I wish I owned this outfit.  I wish it was warm enough in Melbourne to wear it.  (I am actually wearing mittens while I write.)  Carina magazine, 1981.

My ceramic would-be Apple Man lost an arm this week.  I wish I cared.  Why do I keep breaking things and not caring?  I never used to be like this!

More loveliness from an early 80s Burda magazine.

 I made a giant Lady Village Head for my Craft Victoria window!!  (Almost a metre wide.) I think she's pretty funny.  Tick!  I love making lists, and I love crossing things off them even more....

Another item for the Craft window....Mikey Relaxing.  I am embroidering Mikey in a relaxed fashion, on account of still having a somewhat dodgy back.  Lots of hairs on his legs to go, though.  And the all important hand down his pants.  Dying to embroider that!!

Rewind.........to May 2013.  Props for the television 'drama' Winners and Losers: somewhat kitsch lampshades painted with Hawaiian motifs.  I really enjoyed doing these, channelling my days in the early 2000s when I designed a LOT of surf wear for Target and Myer.  I was lucky enough to be able to choose a lampshade to keep when I was visiting my friends at the set today.  Thanks so much Ineke, you made my day.  So thoughtful!

Illustration for Gardening Australia magazine, August

My acrylic on plywood illustration for Gardening Australia magazine, August 2014.  This month Michael McCoy writes about the incredible feeling of being completely submerged under the green canopy of an enormous old oak tree.

'Under the Couch' quilt in progress

Hello again.  I found some photos of my quilt in progress and thought that I would document them here.  The photo above was taken in a fairly dark front room, so apologies for the lack of quality.  I sewed the fabric lengths and patches around the central fabric in rows, but laid them out first to ensure that similarly coloured fabrics weren't sitting too close to each other.

 Above and below, pinning the patchwork rows to the main area of the quilt prior to machine stitching.

Above: finishing the back of the quilt by hand.  (No wonder my back isn't happy.)

Getting ready for the Craft Victoria window.....

My window 'show' at Craft Victoria is looming!  Here is some work that is ready, and some other work that is not-so-ready....

Above: Three of the four knitted cushions are ready to go!  They have even labelled already and have a swing tag, thanks very much.

Mikey Relaxing: the last of the cushion-like-objects to be made (phew). He has now actually been cut out, and is waiting at the kitchen table for my embroidery needle to attack him.  However when this photo was taken in the studio above he was still reminding me every time I looked out the window that I hadn't even begun to think about him.  Poor Mikey.  Saving the best til last?

A very small photo of the largest object for the window above, the Under the Couch 180 x 180 cm quilt.  Finished.  Hooray.  Yippee.  Yippee.  Yay.

And --TA DA! -- my favourite item of all: the STAY/GO pillowcase set, above.  Hand embroidered, pure linen.  They will make those big life decisions that little bit easier.  You'll thank me in the morning.