wearable origami

this is a pretty rad skill. give it a go here :http://increations.blogspot.com/2008/09/origami-bracelet.html

i want to make a fabric on spoonflower!

this is a spoonflower fabric design by papersparrow (andrea lauren). her designs are great. i'm going to buy a whole truck load of them...but first:

i really really really want to make a fabric on spoonflower but i haven't got the faintest idea where to start! i can draw a little and i love love fabric but how can i translate that into fabric?

if you don't know what spoonflower is, it's a pretty amazing website where you can buy fabrics by the metre designed by individuals and crafters and at home designers and self starter no good nicks like steph and me. AND you can design your own and pay for it to be professionally finished! MAGIC, right?

Anyway, instead of getting overwhelmed I'm setting myself the spoonflower challenge... check this space for themaybepile's designs. coming very very soon.

check out papersparrow's fabric's here.

i love love tania patritti

ok so i should've posted this on wednesday as it's about inspiration and wisdom Wednesday but (as is becoming a bit of a trend) i'm a few days late. i wanted to give this post justice because i've recently had a few (half-hearted) attempts at making softies myself and thus have a new found respect and adoration of this very talented princess of plush.





tania patritti sells har handmade stuffed creatures under the name of "ninon". I'd seen her stuff around for a while but only really honed in on her awesomeness when i read about her in Jo Waterhouse's book Indie Craft (which by the by is a pretty awesome publication if you get a chance, check it out). In Indie Craft tania discusses her method saying "I never make patterns; every piece I make is one of a kind... i usually cut directly on the fabric". Amazing! sounds super tactile and creative. I've been knitted a lot recently and fell sort of confined by patterns at the moment. I can't wait to bust out.

Like me Tania is a self confessed fabric addict and I'm definately going to give plush's another go this winter. give me something to snuggle in to on the cold Melbourne nights. maybe i could donate a few to charity. if you know of any good ones let me know.



you can check out more of tania's stuff on her blog www.superninon.blogspot.com

or on her etsy: www.ninon.etsy.com

do. yourself. a favour.

How to hold an Afternoon Tea Party

Today's tutorial is on How to hold an afternoon tea party!

Step One:
Decide on a date, place and time ( the best time for an afternoon tea party is around 3pm)
Then find some invitations and send them out to your friends and family.



Step Two:
Decide on what to bake, make and buy. Ive put in brackets what i decided.

Traditional English Afternoon Tea are served in three courses. Savouries ( sandwhiches and quiches), Scones ( freshly baked with cream and two choices of jam), and Sweets ( trifle, hedgehog slice, lemon slice, carrot cake, messy meringues with passion-fruit and blue berries, fairy cakes and birthday cake).









Then you need to select a range of teas ( english breakfast, french earl grey, green rose, and vanilla mint.) We also served coffee and punch!

To add a personal touch I made napkins, and table cloths - Easily done by cutting fabric into squares or rectangles of sizes of your choice, and then hemming all of the edges.



Ainsley then made tags for the tea and also name tags for our punch cups.





Step Three:
Once everything is prepared for the day, put on a party dress and enjoy yourself!!

to market , to market

themaybepile Monday

After one successful market at Parkdale Primary school early last year, when then had a second attempt at Elwood Primary school, but unfortunately it was a WASHOUT.



But you can learn from every experience, and we learned to come prepared for every circumstance!

There is a market at Elwood Primary ( Scott Street, Elwood Victoria 3184) on the 2nd of April between 9am - 1pm - so come and visit us, at our third attempt at holding a successful market stall.

Also if you have any advise leave us a comment!

++ 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.