Monday 18 February 2013

A Step at a Time



What a beautiful day we are having here - strong sunshine and outdoor play all round!

I've been visiting friends this morning with the boys and wonderful hubby, who took 12 children to the play park while 4 of us mums chatted and caught up.

This particular friend is the gorgeous one who started Make Space with me a couple of years ago.  She shares my love of Vintage fabric and has a fantastic eye for colour and detail which never fails to leave me inspired.  Going to her home is like walking into the Spring air.  It's always a wonderful thing for me to find someone who is not at all phased by the noise and mess that comes with bringing 5 children to here home.  Mainly because she has 5 of her own!  We spent most of our time there flitting from one vintage find to another - funky green fibreglass curtains, fabulous retro circus fabric, cast off singer sewing machines left out in the rain.....


I've come home and felt freshly inspired to keep going with the home.  After Christmas we had a bit of a blitz of throwing out, leaving us room to create.  Since we moved in 7 years ago we have had 3 children to add to the two we already had, so it's not surprising that we haven't had time for anything other than practicalities.  We are both creative people though, who like our home to reflect our ideas about life as well as the hustle and bustle of a family of 7.

So, we have a new bookcase, which houses my collection of vintage children's books....oh, how I love them!  And, now that I can get to them, I have been creating with them too! (Have a peek at the pictures of the Stock Sale).


This year, our collection of biscuit and sweet tins had been put to good use, so now when I go to this cupboard for a fuse or light bulb it will make me smile too!



I had lots of fun covering the back of the shelves with some of my most treasured fabric.


I have also done a bit of simple "covering" of neglected items and messy corners.  Nothing special, expensive or particularly skilfully done, but done none-the-less - and that is the point!


I have found a place for my birthday sewing machine too!  (eeeek!)


 I've also been preparing for a little Stock Sale on Face book, which has been fun.







 I'm also still in BIG love with a little bit of applique and have several projects on the go, including this one....


and this one for a very precious little girl....



Recently I've also been revisiting my first love again - creating artworks.  Usually it's a frenzy of fabrics round here - threads stretched across the living room as the children unwind them and fabric stacked in toppling heaps amongst the ironing piles of laundry.  I have been yearning to create some pieces of art again though.
This week I've been having a little play around with collage and to be honest, it feels fairly hard going at the moment.  I've had these scary moments before in my artistic life though, so although I am worried that I can't make it work, I am not anxious that I will never know how to do it again - like I used to be when this happened.  I'm sure it must be like this for most creative people, whatever their art form.  Sometimes you just don't have the power in your fingertips.  Your brain freezes and your heart sinks.......it just doesn't flow.
Dad, who was my best critic and mentor in these things used to say you have to learn to work on the days you don't feel like it too.


So, that's what I'm going to do.  It's a discipline after all.  And hopefully at some point I'll have something a bit more finished to show you!