Lili Wilkinson

Among the awesome loot I got for my birthday, there was this book:

I am curled up on the couch with endless cups of tea today, learning how to guddle (or tickle) trout, skin a rabbit, make cider, sweep a chimney, lay out a hedge maze, make a weathercock, right a wheel, craft a Welsh love spoon and paint a canal boat.

Is it wrong that now I’m actually kind of looking forward to the apocalypse? So I can wow everyone with my ability to work scrimshaw and make my own besom broom?

So I didn’t do EVERYTHING home made this year, but I still got my crafty oar in.

teacher gloves for a @jellyjellyfish

strip quilt cushion for Michael’s mum

patchwork cushion for Erin

coasters for mum and dad

strip quilt cushion for mum and dad

So ages ago I bought this book, called Bears by Kent Rogowski. It’s bears, inside out. I just love it, because while I am very fond of bears, the saccharine-ness (saccharinicity?) of teddy-bears is a bit grating. And I love the idea that inside every cuddly teddy, there’s a rather strange monster inside, waiting to get out.

And I meant to do my own version, and bought a lonely bear from the Salvos. And then I forgot about him for a year or so, and rediscovered him this morning.

So here he is, my inside-out bear.

And here he is with a friend:

Don’t ever let it be said that craft isn’t awesome. If Architecture in Helsinki AND Tricot Machine are doing it, it’s cool.

Architecture in Helsinki – Like It Or Not from helsinkids on Vimeo.

Tricot Machine – Les Peaux de Lievres

A cosy flowery scarf for winter… Pattern here.
A not-turtle* for Not A Turtle‘s Birthday. Pattern here.

And some elfin boots for baby Figgy. Pattern here.
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*because it’s a tortoise.

If you live in Melbourne, and haven’t been to Buttonmania, now is the time. They’re having a sale. Even if you’re not into buttons, you should go anyway. It’s in the Nicholas Building on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Lane, which is one of my favourite buildings in Melbourne. It’s full of twisty corridors and strange little shops and studios, and has a creaky old attendant lift. And a man on the top floor who makes cyber-fairies.

This is my haul – under $20 – think of all the creatures I can make!