++ sister of an ironman

if you're on this blog it's probably just because you're intested in craft but i just wanted to say my brother became an ironman yesterday and i am just brimming with pride. i felt quite tired yesterday after standing in the rain for 8 hours so i can only imagine how tired he felt after a 3.8km ocean swim, 180km bike ride

and a 42.2km run... intense. i can't exactly say i understand why so many would put their bodies through that but I am just as proud as punch!

Fabric stash a little late...

Vroom...

Got this fabric on a cycling trip to Alexandra in country Victoria. Honestly the best op shop I've ever been to! It's actually an old sheet set.

I'm gonna make it into this playsuit. It's going to be sweet. total outfit for under $5! Pretty great.

I'm always on the look out for great oppy's so let me know any good ones you've come across.

++ The Skill of Modesty

Skills Saturday

I'm on holiday at the moment in New Zealand and lots of free time has given me a window to work on this bikini I'm knitting for my friend Nelly for her 21st birthday. I've always wanted to knit lace even since I learned it was even a possibility!

I was a little daunted at first but I think it would be a real shame is skills like this were lost. And as it turns out it's not actually that hard.

To be honest I think the real skill be keeping your nipples under wraps... maybe I'll have to think of a crafty way to line it. I'll post the pattern for the lace when I get back to Melbourne. In the meantime hei kona mai i roto i nga mihi. Noho ora mai ra. (Goodbye for now and thanks. Look after yourself.)

Thrift - Reluctance to spend money unnecessarily

As this is our first Thrift Thursday, I thought I would keep this post simple.

Thrift - Reluctance to spend money unnecessarily.

I'm Lucky because..
- I got my favourite red dress when i was 15 from a friend of mine.
- I got my cat, Bing, for free ( he invited himself into this picture).
- My kind of music ( Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby) is always in the $1 box at secondhand record stores.
- Every baby- boomer is throwing away their tapes.
- Classic books are plentiful at the op shop, as are doilies.
- People throw 'ruined' chairs onto their lawns.

I love the second hand, ruined, and unused. It sustainable for our planet, kind to the pocket, and so often lends its self to day dreaming of other times.

Keep a lookout next Thursday for a project using our thrifting philosophy.

handmade romance

This is our first Wednesday Wisdom post, and I am excited to tell you all about a favourite Melbourne crafter of mine, Handmade Romance.

I have been reading Evie Barrow’s blog Handmade Romance for a little while now, and as a brooch lover , have fallen head over heels for her and her bearded men. A graphic designer by day, ninja crafter by night, Evie is a great example to every new crafter and I suggest you check out her blog!

Currently handmade romance has a window display at Craft Victoria’s enCOUNTER window titled 'Travelling Circus' – which is inspired by her newest brooch range, which includes characters from the circus. The window display will be up until the 5th of March, an awesome site, that you should make time to see. For more info check out http://craftvic.org.au/whats-on/encounter/handmade-romance-and-the-travelling-circus



Luckily for me Craft Victoria’s blog recently included an interview of Handmade Romance due to the window display and also because they are a stockist of her amazing brooches. For my post today I have grabbed a couple of lines from this interview, but I suggest you head to this link to see it in it's entirety.
http://craftvictoria.blogspot.com/2011/02/studio-visit-interview-handmade-romance.html
… this includes lots of photos from Handmade Romance’s colourful workspace, which is something I always find very interesting .
( Ainsley and I plan to put up some photos from our own workspace soon!)



Evie talks about getting started with her online store “ I didn't know how my work would be received but one thing has lead to another and in just over a year my work has appeared in Frankie magazine and online magazines such as Maeve and Babiekins as well as various blogs.” But how does she balance her full time graphic design work and her craft which has become a full time job in itself “mostly I feel that balance is a bit of a mystical word in my world right now.”

Her inspiration is from “everywhere. I especially love the every day and the ordinary. Observing the simple things. Overheard conversations. Train rides. Supermarkets. Cafes. Walks. Pattern. Colour. Nature. Music.” Handmade Romances parting advice “ it's important to remember to enjoy the process as much as the outcome when it comes to crafting and creating. Trust your instincts and do not be afraid to follow your heart.”

Check out Handmade Romance’s Blog and Etsy
http://handmaderomance.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmaderomance?ref=pr_shop_more

++ take a bow

bows are pretty great. they are nice in your hair and nice around boys necks. they're a pretty good embellishment and to be honest a good hand sewn bow is a bit of an art form. we've had lots of practice.

my pockets and handbag have small stashes of scrap fabric and a needle and thread and now i can rassle up a pretty dandy bow in under a minute. they are a lot better if you press them though but also a bit of a bus- time- passer and pretty good still iron free. i like to be able to craft wherever i go and this is a good on the go past-time.

so here a few ways to make bows. this is my first ever tutorial so be gentle. it might seem obvious to some but it's also sometimes a little tricky. we're going to add to these techniques over time until we have a whole ca-bow-dle.


ok so first cut a rectangle. it can be any size. the bow will end up roughly a quarter of the size of the rectangle. my piece is as big as a $5 note



cut a second piece 2 fingers wide in the same or contrasting fabric



fold the long edges of the large piece in towards the center with a little cross over and then the short edges in to the center and press



sew together using a running stitch



pull it tight and wrap the smaller piece around. be sure to tuck the sides in so the seams don't show and without cutting the thread sew the small peice together at the back of the bow.



slide a bobby pin in the back and you're ready to rock-a-billy it. make some for your besty or sew a safety pin in the back of a big one and pin it to your boys collar.

have a great day!

++ Organised Chaos

hooray tuesday.

march has nearly arrived and we are soooo excited! and scared. and excited. we've decided on some topics which our blog will revolve around for the month. This is them:



+ themaybepile... Monday - where we write about everything themaybepile... wants to do, is doing and has done as well as sometimes things themaybepile... is selling and making

+ how-to'sday - tutorials, projects and lists of links

+ wisdom wednesday - this is where we write about the people, blogs and products that are inspiring us

+ thrift thursday - all about saving precious pennies and our precious planet

+ fabric stash friday - our obsession, our muse, our greatest desire and the greater taxer of our paychecks as well as our favourite medium

+ skills saturday - skills

+ say it on sunday - anything else left to say. here you can find reviews, discussions, books, projects, recipes and insights to our lives and hobbies. also maybe some nice stories and photos.