last minute crafting (aka priorities all wrong)

I should be packing. I should at least be making lists. But I can't stop sewing! Its a disease!
I am inspired by this new use of FOE (fold over elastic) and this stunning new echino print - this is a gift for a friend's daughter down south but I have many more of these in me:

You're just going to have to imagine it ironed, unshadowed and without the dirty cupboard as a background!

And birthday presents for my mum (mum if you are reading this, stop....):

Now this you're going to have to imagine this rotated clockwise! A-line skirt. The fabric is from Maningrida. Hand silk screened on linen.

back applique:

and a bag to match:

and an inner pocket from that (?) Marrimekko rip off recently found at Spotlight (anyone else?). Sorry the bird looks decapitated - its just the angle.

Ok. Feel purged now. Thanks. Better go pack.

Local crafts rule

I love Darwin - I love its personality, culture and sweaty nature. But as a crafty blogger it can sometimes feel really really far away from all the bloggy crafty down south action and funky independent fabric shops. And that's why it was such a treat to meet Bianca Jae at the Mararra craft fair on the weekend. We bought one of her fabulous chalkcloth rollups which has been a hit with both kids ever since:

I have met a handful of lovely local crafters now - in my more Virgo moments I am having dreams of a big (or small) Top End sewing convention thingy for those who sew and blog and sell stuff. A bit like Sew It Together. So we can get technical and talk geeky stuff like fold over elastic and echino furuya and stitch selection and other scintillating topics. Anyone keen?