Something Special

This week I had the week off work.  I lost my voice and teaching History to classes of hormone ridden teenagers without volume is just not feasible.  The doctor told me to rest... which is all well and good... but I have a three year old and a four year old...

Rest?
On Wednesdays I have two life-saving women who come to my house and look after my children while I work. My dilemma? If I am in the house, even with alternative supervising adults, my children have the uncanny ability to track me down and want to join me... ("Having a sleep, Mum? Me too!" "Reading a book? Let me turn the pages for you." "Watching a movie, Mum? Let me put on something we can both enjoy.") Even shutting the door doesn't help... one child can reach the handle and the other can move a stool to reach the handle...

This Wednesday, with no voice, instructions to rest and childcare already organised The Room came into its own....

When we first conceptualised The Room, we wanted it to be 'a space' for women. The idea was that the  space would have no set purpose but would be available and flexible to fit the needs of the women who used it.  Can and Ros meet at The Room on Thursdays for some quiet creative time, Jen uses The Room to study, and Dot sometimes goes there to quilt but Wednesday was the first time I have utilised The Room during the week...And I realised we had achieved our goal of a flexible space in spades...

My Wednesday at The Room was quiet and calm. I had a couch, a sewing machine, a tv and a stereo.  There was a kitchen if I wanted a cuppa, heat a meal or even cook something...

Or I could wander across the road for a coffee and piece of cake (Woods St Cafe on the right), or browse in the "First Look Op Shop" ( old bank building on the left - also known amongst women as the "Donald Department Store"), I could borrow a book at the Hub, the local library across the road, or even, should the mood take me, nick into the pub next door for a quick drink and a $10 lunch....

The House in which The Room is situated is shared by other groups... The National Australia Bank donated the building to Donald Friends and Neighbours when it shut its doors.  The front bank is now home to the Donald branch of the Bendigo Community Bank and the residence at the back is home to The Room, the local Art group run by the talented Jan Bird...

the Toy Library...

and the Community Garden, under the guidance of Kerri Punton, is currently transforming the backyard into a creative wonderland...

Donald Playgroup is soon to take up residence in the back shed of the garden....

So, I spent Wednesday sewing pillowcases for my children out of fabric the ever wonderful, Dot sourced for me at the Op Shop. I met my husband at the pub for a $10 lunch, I browsed in the Op Shop and bought a new top for $3 and I had New York cheesecake and a cappuccino for afternoon tea, and for a sick day, they don't come much better...

You know there are a lot of things that this small town of Donald does not have... but I am starting to appreciate what we DO have, is something quite special....

And Friday nights are always special!  Remember the skirts Can and Ros made last week for their daughters?  Well Can, appliqued a matching top to complete the gorgeous outfit this week...

And Ros, completed her quilt top for her daughter, Edie...

and resumed quilting her own quilt...

"Whatcha doing, Ros?"

Ros is quilting the blocks with a free motion swirl... only 3000 more to go!

Yours Truly has plans for making insulating curtains to keep the warmth in our lounge-room this Winter... My grand plan was a Jelly Roll of Robert Kaufman's Elementals should be enough... of course it wasn't even enough to complete one of the two curtains needed so now I need to track down another one AND some co-ordinating fabric before I can continue...

As next week is Good Friday we will be having our Friday session on Wednesday night next week... so have a great weekend and the next post should be on Thursday.
Have a great one!

Sharing - Gems and Germs!

Welcome to another week at The Room. Forgive me if this Blog is less inspired than others... This week brought with it a blast of Winter (Did I sleep through Autumn?) and with it, the return of what I (charmingly) label "Snot Season".  It never fails to amaze me how small children pick up every germ going around and then share them with their parents... Oh we struggle to share toys and lollies, but "Here, I have a cold. Would you like some?"... Grrrrr....

Anyway, rant over... One of the great things about The Room is the sharing of ideas, resources and inspiration.  Unfortunately there will never be enough time in a week to make every project that inspires us so it provides a vicarious satisfaction to witness the creation of something beautiful made by one of our friends.

I don't have little girls but looking at these gorgeous skirts made by Can and Ros for their daughters makes me wish I did!

Can knitted a skirt for her daughter, Piper, last year and it finally has elastic in it...

Ros has an older daughter, Belle, and she wants to make a skirt for her too.
Ros said, "Now I just have to work out how to make this pattern bigger..."
Can's response... "Hmmm, wouldn't you just make it wider... and longer...".
Yep, I reckon that would work for bigger...

After weeks of this....

Dot has finally finished quilting her ZigZag quilt. She has shadow quilted all the zigzags and it looks fantastic...

Dot has picked out this beautiful binding which echoes both her colour choice and the zigzag pattern... It is going to look amazing.

Tennille finished Buzz's quilt last night.  For those who don't know, Buzz is Tennille's Mum's dog... (please avert your dog's eyes if you don't want a jealous pooch on your hands)...

It is fantastic and Tennille has done a great job working with the furry binding!

Robyn continued to knit her football dolls and took a little time out of scratching...

And yours Truly has continued her obsession this week with strip piecing... I have explored different foundations (don't use paper, it is truly annoying to pick out later), colours and patterns...

and now continue my obsession into monochrome....

Another week over.  Hope your weekend is a good one and you all remain germ free!
I will leave you with a word from our sponsor.... you may work out yourself, what that word is!

Bling for Buzz

The Room of One's Own is not even two years old and during that time we have gone from an idea to a room with no power or running water to this....

Last year we were awarded a grant from FRRR and we used that to buy tables, shelving and a sewing machine (Nothing quite like a road trip to Ikea to make you smile ... and that's even before I recall the speed 5 women can shop at when they suddenly realise Ikea shuts in 30 minutes and they are only half way through the store!). But as any good crafter knows, a well equipped space is not really about the furniture. The furniture is the bones but the heart of a creative space belongs in its 'stuff'. The moment that defines a good creative space is when you are halfway through a project and you realise you need something that you didn't think to buy... Do you have it in your stash or do you have something that can be adapted to work in its place?

The Room has a special Heart. It comes from the generous donations of its members and from women who have donated materials and tools to our space.  A lot of our stuff comes from My Mum's sewing room and I feel her smile every time someone says, "I need a so-and-so... I wonder if Pat has anything?" (She always does!) Pat Osbourne also donated boxes of her mother's prized materials - gorgeous vintage prints and fabrics - which regularly make their way into member's projects. Debbie Borden gave us boxes of wild and funky fabrics that are adding zing in the most unexpected places!

I do admit, there are the occasional pieces that are donated, which I look at and wonder, "Hmmm... what the heck are we going to do with this?" Last night I was reminded that even the most seemingly bizarre fabrics can be that special piece that brings a project together.

Two pieces of fabric - one is fluffy blue with paw prints on it. The other is hot pink and black in faux fur....

Remember Tennille's quilt that she is making for her Mum's dog, Buzz?

Last night we were searching in the Room's stash for something to back it with...

Absolutely perfect! Tennille is now considering making the binding out of the hot pink leopard print faux fur (somehow...)

We had a new face at The Room last night. Karen finally made it down and hopefully she enjoyed herself. She was working on hemming some baby blankets for a gift...

Dorothy gave her hexagon quilt a rest and began knitting a very funky scarf...

Our illustrious President continues to grow her rag rug. It is looking beautiful but as it grows, she is now faced with the prospect that it may not quite be a 'mobile' project for much longer...

Dot continued her quilting marathon...

Robyn brought along her football dolls that she makes at a prolific rate...

And Yours Truly fiddled around with some string piecing...

Have a great week!

The Power of Creativity

I first began sewing when my Mum died.  Dad gave me her sewing machine and in it I discovered a way to express grief and creativity in a way that defied words. There was something incredibly personal about making this journey of creativity on the very machine that my Mother had made hers.

My Mother had a lot of material... correction... My Mother's stash could have supplied Spotlight for a year and much of it has found its way into my stash. It is kept in its own containers, "Mum's Fabrics" because they are my Special Fabrics. They are the fabrics that Mum selected - they spoke to her in their beauty, their form and their colour - She looked at each of these fabrics and saw a potential for creating something bigger, something beautiful, something that built upon the vision of the fabric's creator to enhance the vision of a new creator...

This week my baby sister had a baby. It is her first baby and it is the first Grandchild where Mum and Dad were not here to hold her and hug her and give her a cuddle that only Grandmothers can give...

This baby is named Jordan Patricia Allen. Patricia was my Mum's name and I have no doubt that Mum will watch over this baby as closely and fiercely as she continues to watch over all her grandchildren.

In my Mum's stash were several Works in Progress and sitting, unfinished, was a bright and beautiful Shaggy Quilt. She had picked out soft flannelettes in colours just perfect for a baby girl.  I don't know who she originally intended this quilt for... maybe she was just making it knowing the perfect recipient would emerge as the quilt was finished... maybe....

I have nearly completed this quilt now.... just have to snip the shaggy seams (hmmm, now there's a big job!)... and the perfect recipient has arrived...

Jordan Patricia Allen, I hope each time you are wrapped in this quilt you feel the warmth of your Grandma's love. Each of these fabrics provide a connection between you and your namesake; may your life be filled with the fun, colour, creativity and love in which this quilt was made....

That seems to be the thing with quilts... they are so often made for someone else and into that making goes love... with every stitch, with every colour selection, with every step of the process is the hope that this quilt will bring warmth and joy....
Last night Dorothy added more hexagons to the 2000+ she has already done for her daughter...

Ros arranged, and rearranged the quilt she is making for her daughter....

Can sewed on the binding for the quilt she is making for her daughter...

 and Tennille began making a quilt for her Mum's new 'child', the dog...

Dot kept quilting her amazing Zig-Zag quilt for her daughter and Robyn worked on her checker boards that she makes for charity...

Andrew kept embellishing his monster...

and Pam backed her gorgeous wall hangings...

The detail in these is fantastic and Pam is going to run a weekend workshop in September at The Room teaching us how to create these beautiful pieces of Textile Art (so stay tuned...)

I took a photo last night that, for me, sums up what The Room is all about...

This photo shows women of all different ages, life experience, personality and interests... They are all working on individual projects but within that there is a companionship and a sharing of knowledge and skills...

Despite all our differences, there is always something that connects us....

Have a great week and enjoy your long weekend.