Moora & Barbed Wire Balls!

Eliza & I drove to Moora (2.5hrs) to do a Fashion Talk for the Moora Fine Art Society to drum up interest for the up-coming 3day RE-inventing Workshop I'm doing at the Winter School - it worked.
It gave us a taste of things to come. I will definately need some talking books and music for the drive East - we leave on Saturday!

We were invited to one of the committee members homes for lunch.
At the entrance to her driveway you are greeted by these impressive Barbed Wire Balls.

Her husband made them by rolling them down the hill out the back.

My Room NOW!

Welcome to my new world - as opposed to my old!

It has only take me a lifetime to work out that keeping your room tidy is a bloody good idea. Look out girls I'm like a reformed smoker!

It's a Tardis! I seem to have gained all this extra useable space - it was there before of course but useless 'cause it was cluttered all the time.

It's fantastic and I love it, in fact I feel exhilarated when I walk in and am excited to start new projects where as before I felt weighed down by it all.

It's not quite finished yet as the table needs legs, it's sitting on top of plastic bins which isn't ideal but practical for the moment.

I'm especially loving how I can colour co-ordinate the garments for easy identification. The plan is to do the same thing with the fabric.

Yay for an uncomplicated life - it's a start!

I am in the process of nuno felting a surprise for a special someone who shall remain nameless just in case she reads this before I see her - no Mum and Melanie it's not for you!

Oscar was a girl

...just picked her up from a party.
She turned 17 yesterday!

Through my whole pregnancy I had myself & everyone else convinced I was having a boy. We referred to 'him' as Oscar. When he was a girl Dan put the announcement in the Birth section of the paper which read
'Oscar is a girl'.
Then it took us 2wks to come up with her name!

a Magic Moment!

What I love the most about RE-inventing is just how organic the process is. When a garment evolves it's like magic!

This frock started life as a skirt - two sizes too small.
My initial thought was just to make it bigger by adding a wedge of fabric from a pair of pants but because I didn't want whatever I added to compete with the gorgeous tucked detailing I was finding it difficult, added to the fact that on my short arse frame I wouldn't have worn it - usually my line in the sand for deciding if to go ahead.
Then I decided to make it into a shortish tunic which would sit mid thigh over pants however the detailing had me looking like a burnt meringue and my collar was going to be hideously bulky - again I wouldn't have worn it.
It was then I stumbled on the idea of having it sit mid calf so lengthened the whole thing with the fold over part that once sat at the top of the pants, cutting straps from one of the legs.
Voila a drop dead gorgeous frock I'm tempted to wear this Saturday night!

Patience is a virtue

I am constantly astounded at how much I learn from my kids - when I take the time to look it's usually always the little moments that speak the loudest.

Stella waited very patiently for her turn (last) at Pin the Tail on the Horse

and her calm diligence was rewarded with a 'bulls-eye'!
(nothing to do with the very thin scarf they used as a blindfold)

I know it's not about winning but how we play the game - this one is very good at playing the game so I'm prepared for years of note taking.

Taken for granted

You know how sometimes the importance of everyday things have a way of sneaking up on you and other times they hit you right between the eyes.
I've been experiencing a bit of both lately.
I'm going to try and avoid sharing the sledgehammer moments on this blog however I'd like to share a sneaky-tap-you-on-the-shoulder-whipser-in-your-ear-moment I had yesterday when I stopped and looked at my work space at the FAC . This is where I spend every Tuesday morning with my loyal band of RE-inventors.
It's not that I take my workshops here for granted however I haven't taken the time to admire the space in which I conduct them for quite a while.

This room is offically called the 'Function Room' and I share it with whoever else needs it when I don't - like band members before gigs (messy!).

This is the calm before the storm
which I decided to take advantage of & took some photos which act as a visual guide if you're ever around on a Tuesday and want to find us.

Across the road heading into Freo is the Fremantle Swimming/Leisure Centre.

Being that it was once a womens prison there are bars on quite a few windows

on the other side of the room is the 'grassed area' where the bigger name concerts are held.

Out my door directly across the hall is the back stairs

leading down to the main gallery area

where at the moment an exhibition called 'Secret Life of Plants' is on display -

it's very pretty and not at all pretentious, unlike some of the art-for-arts-sake exhibits the FAC houses...

I could live with any of these.

Then around the corner is the main Gallery corridor leading up to reception and out the door to the carpark and home.

This staircase is the main one heading up to the floor above
which is where all the workshop rooms are
so in actual fact this is where you'd start.

Typical of me to do it backwards!

In body if not spirit

We all had something other than left over Birthday Cheesecake on our minds?!

Here's where I'll be

...after the girls and I return from our drive to Victoria.

(click poster to enlarge)

~~~ooOoo~~~

Oh, number one child turned 25 yesterday!
I was thinking one of us should be feeling old and seen as though it wasn't me and Sam assured me it wasn't him, we figured it must be his Dad!