Sewing with Grandma -
Well, not exactly sewing, but cutting out an apron. :-)
My mom took some fabric and pattern for an apron for my niece. She wanted to try to sew it with her while we were there, but they only managed to get it cut out. Still – great memories.
(Mom is going to love me for posting a picture of her with curlers in her hair. hehe)
Meanwhile, my sister-in-law was sewing diligently in the background.
One of our first adventures in Australia was visiting a fabric and craft store called Spotlight. It is similar to JoAnn in many ways, though they do offer some housewares as well. The prices there did seem high to us on many things, but the sale prices seemed quite good. There were some good sales on while we were there, as well as some interesting Australian themed fabrics, and I did come home with a nice pile (mostly) to add to my stash. :-)
The kookaburra in the foreground is actually printed on a handkerchief which I bought at a gift shop. I hope I still have my mom’s vintage hanky collection somewhere around here, as this would make a nice addition to some project with those. The yellow fabric with the strawberries was a sweet gift from my sister-in-law. :-)
The fabric wasn’t the only “stash” we brought back, however.
Even better! :-)
Most of the chocolate was a gift from my brother and his wife for all of us here to enjoy together. Some was already eaten before this photo was taken. <grin>
And, of course, I couldn’t leave without taking a photo of this amazing stash! So much visual happiness!
My sister-in-law has inherited and been given a lot of fabric and has also bought a lot herself. This is a great blessing from the Lord. As you may know from previous posts, she has her own Etsy store where she and the children sell handmade items. She also makes custom orders, which keeps her quite busy. After seeing this fabric stash I hope my husband won’t pester me too much about mine – at least for awhile. ;-) It’s a lovely arrangement too, because in that dark closet her fabrics stay well away from the light, but they are easily accessible for choosing what to use next. Ah! What to make next! Sweet thought.
Love reading your Australian memory posts. Great memories! :) I'll have to send you a pic of the apron when it's finished. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, please do send a photo! :-)
DeleteFrom memory that room contained books!! I see the books have gone to be replaced with fabric :))))) Its a good idea as finding fabric will now be much easier. I only have a tiny collection of material but as you say, it is expensive here - the fabric I buy tends to be $10-15 per metre (some Japanese lawn can be $20 per metre) and I often need two metres, however it is still cheaper to buy and make than buy a ready made outfit which would be $50 plus. Your buys look really good, any plans on what you are going to make?
ReplyDeleteI do like the dark Lindt chocolate, in particular the orange dark chocolate :)
Well, since you asked... :-D
DeleteThe red with stars and the zigzag fabrics are flannels and I'm thinking of using them as baby quilt backings.
The calico Union Jacks may go for pouches or a tote or something like that. It's a heavier weight.
The Australian flowers and eucalyptus I'm hoping to make into something for our house - maybe a table runner.
The pink on the bottom, which is not a vivid as it looks here, will probably end up in a skirt or jumper (pinafore).
The yellow with strawberries may end up on an apron as contrast fabric.
And the rest are undecided yet. :-)
The minky fleece is so incredibly soft I'm tempted to make a winter scarf, but the print is a bit "loud". :-)