Local textile designers

I love working with textiles that have been designed and printed in Australia, or even Melbourne. If you haven't checked out Ink and Spindle in North Melbourne, then head over to their web site and see all the lucious prints that they have. Mattt Bags, uses a lot of their fabrics ... if you are in the general area of Fitzroy, his studio is located on Gertrude Street.

But last week, I ordered and received these two lovely prints through the mail. They are not earmarked for anything special through my etsy shop or a market stall, they are for me! So they go into the chest of draws in my sewing room that has "special fabric just for Margaret" in it.

The first one is by Spin Spin, a lovely typography print. I saw her prints at the Sisters Market recently, and then eventually ordered online via her etsy store. She has an interesting blog to follow documenting her crafty adventures.

The second print is a print of an Eyechart by Shannon Lamden aka Aunty Cookie. I keep on missing opportunities to hear Shannon speak. I love her range of fabrics and avidly follow her blog. She makes the most beautiful craft panels. My first exposure to her fabric was when I made Trudi's knitting bag. I bought the length from Patchwork on Central.

Not sure what I will do with the eyechart, I might make a pillow or I am thinking it might become a good diary or journal sash, which of course wasn't what it was intended for. But I like to think differently....

Longitude Pencil Cases

A friend wanted me to make some longitude/latitude pencil cases, so I battled with my embroidery machine yesterday to get them done. I don't like to have numbers or letters embroidered with large stitch lengths. They catch in things and the embroidery gets wrecked. So I had to persist with the cheaper thread that kept on breaking .. grr... this afternoon while the family swanned around The Glen, I bought some expensive thread in the colours I was working with.

My "map material" stash is starting to run low, so I might have to go on the hunt for some more. There seems to be real interest in the pencil cases/pouches that I have created. But they really do hinge on the lining material to create the interest. I might have to create some interesting designs at Spoonflower. I hear through the grapevine that their material prints are of a high quality.
I have always had a facination with longitude and latitude and when I was teaching Year 7 Humanities mapping was always my favourite bit of the course. Unfortunately next year I am not teaching Year 7 Humanities, but rather Year 7 Religious Education. I might have to think about how I can bring maps into the course!

Another project that I finally finished was a knitting bag based on the tutorial at Dragoknit. The knitting bag was based around the Shannon Lamden fabric called Knit One that I bought at the Patchwork on Central sale in October (or was it November ..).

The lining fabric sat in my workroom for weeks until I decided what to do with it. Then I decided to use red velveteen as the outside fabric.

I am pleased with the result, but I am also aware that this is the "first prototype" of this type of bag that I have made. So there are undocumented enhancements (flaws) in it. I have a scrap left over, so I might make something small and cute from it.