Sneaky peeky

What's it all about?

Busy bee is me

Bit quiet on the Silly Gilly blog front.... it's been too long!

The Silly Gilly family headed off last month to our now yearly jaunt to Bali. It was a lovely 10 days of swimming, eating, drinking, sleeping and shopping. Bliss! We stayed at the same hotel we always visit when in Bali, the Melasti Beach Resort. Highly recommended. It's so nice to arrive and have the staff recognise you. We also spent a few days at the Hard Rock Hotel. Boyo boy this is a nice place and great for the kids with beach parties in the middle of the pool every day at 4pm. The shot below is poolside. It was hard staying here but someone had to do it!

Back home I've been getting the studio organised for next year. My daughter is off to school next year and I am beginning to feel various levels of excitement varying from mild amusement through to jumping up and down 'oh my golly gosh, think of the hours of sewing time I will have'.

It might be spring or it might be me clearing the decks for some serious work in 2011, but the studio has had quite the beginnings of a cleansing session. I'm even selling some sewing machines! Yes, that would be plural. Machines. I have too many ie, more than five, so am making some room and clearing the space. A new built in robe/cupboard is also in the works to replace my white melamine rickety ones I have at the moment. Much excitement there too! Custom built cupboards!! It doesn't take much to get me happy.

Many exciting preparations have also been afoot for my new secret squirrel project that I will be unveiling later this week.

And the sewing has begun in readiness for Prospect Food Fashion and Wine Affair which is coming up next month. Mark your calendar - Sunday November 21st - if you are in South Australia and and would like to come and see some Silly Gilly wares in real life and off the screen!

So pics of new products to come soon. Pics of the new cupboard coming soon too! And the big unveiling of my new project to come later this week, once I complete the finishing touches. How exciting!!!

Ah, the serenity...

I have packaged up and posted my Gingerbread House off to it's next destination, to be seen early next year in another life form. The relief of meeting that deadline and sending it on it's way is fantastic. More time now to whip up some Silly Gilly stock for the shop.

Aprons cut, ready to sew.

Bakelite buttons found.... destined to be sold.

Lots of kicking back and admiring the view.

Tieing up loose ends

Continuing the major clean out, destash and finishing WIP binge of late. I attend a felting and knitting class during the week which has the divine option of a free creche for my little poppet to attend whilst I get my dose of craftiness and adult company during the week.

This class has prompted me to start knitting a hat for my daughter whichI will felt in the washing machine or full it if I want to be completely technical. Here it is two thirds of the way through. I found the yarn at the op shop for 50 cents which makes the project even more delicious! And here's a tip for beginner knitters who haven't used double pointed needles before.... I put little rubber bands on the ends of my needles so that the stitches won't slip off. It stops me worrying about dropping all those stitches!

The test sewers Gingerbread House kits got off in the post yesterday express mail. That is a relief as now I can sit back with that project on the back burner for a little while. That is until I hear how tricky or not my instructions are!!

Don't forget I have lots of vintage sewing patterns and some modern ones finishing their auctions on Ebay tonight, including the one below for a very vintage bathing suit. Click here if you would like to have a gander. More to be listed soon over the next week or so. Just have to be a good seller and check all the pieces are in the pattern envelopes.

Happy mail

A lurvely parcel arrived in my letterbox this week, from the creative Amy of Badskirt. I had won a giveaway over on her blog and Amy was wonderfully kind to bring me back some fabrics and other goodies on her recent trip to Japan. How gorgeous is the fabric and the tape!! Definitely some personal sewing stash goodies there.

I am also clearing out some vintage 1950's sewing patterns and modern craft patterns via ebay at the moment. If you want to have a looksie, have a look here. A couple of those I have for sale I've pictured below.

I have found 3 pattern test sewers so thank you to those of you who offered your services. Much appreciated! I'll be sending out emails in the next couple of days requesting snail mail addresses so that I can post the kits out.

Off to Brown Owls tonight! My first one!!! Just a tad excited. I will be taking along a hat which I am halfway through but struggling with knitting rib. My knits and purls aren't lining up between rows!!!!

Calling for 3 test sewers....

I am in the final throes of writing the pattern up for The Gingerbread House. I understand my written instructions but will other crafty peeps???

So if you are able to sew one of these little houses up and give me feedback on how well you understood my instructions by Wednesday 29th July, then let me know in the comments below. I will be sending out kits to three sewers.

If you get lost in the woods....

you had better hope you come across this little house.

Made from gingerbread, lollipops, cupcakes and candy flowers, this little house should provide more than enough sustenance until your rescuers arrive!

Featuring a little roof which can be easily removed by young fingers, this little gingerbread house is for imaginative play, carrying precious treasures or even storing secret messages!

I am over the moon that my secret project is now finished. Thanks go to Mr Silly Gilly for some initial ideas and Ms Ric-Rac for your help along the way.

So what do you think? Is this something you could see yourself making? Do you think your kidlets would play with it?

Edited to add: Okay so perhaps this is my roundabout way of saying..... here is a new design I have created that I am thinking of releasing as a pattern. What do you think? Should I go ahead and write it up???

Done. Finally.

The big mysterious project is finally finished. Mr Silly Gilly very kindly removed the garrulous gremlin from our house for a few blissful hours this afternoon so I could concentrate on finishing off the project.

A couple of sneak peeks this evening and then tomorrow I'll set up a few photos in the lovely sunshiny weather I'm just hoping will appear.

Also, more bags in the Silly Gilly store this evening, made from some of the delicious Michael Miller fabrics I received a while ago from my fabric coop in the US. I do weep a few tears now and then when I think of how I didn't order more fabric whilst the AU dollar was doing so well against the US dollar.

Where have I been?

Busy as a beaver in my studio, creating all sorts of things and working on the secret project!

I have discovered a new love for felting, and have been scouring the op shops for woollen jumpers to felt down so that I have a delicious supply of felt for new brooch designs. I'll take some pics tomorrow and show you the new ideas. Let's just say alpaca and merino shrink a lot when you launder them the way you're not supposed to!

A lovely arrival also landed on my doorstep. All the way from my fabric coop in the USA. Have a looksie at this box of absolute delight...

Michael Miller overload!! I have gallons of the Rocket Rascals now. I'm seriously in love with that spacey print. More bags and smocks to come in that soon.

I've overcome my hurdle on the secret project (thanks Jodie) and am coming along in leaps and bounds. Perhaps I will let you in on a little bit of what it is... you can put things in it and little kiddies might like it! The goal is to knock it over by the end of next week. Wish me luck!

I have an op shop which is quite close to where I live. I thought it opened every Thursday morning but it was always closed when I visited. But when I visited on the correct day it was open... Wednesday... I discovered the mother lode of button collections. I purchased one big bag which happened to be a blue collection and found some beauties within.

I just love the black button with the flower transfer, the mid blue button with the tiny flowers embossed and the greeny-jade flower buttons too. Next week I'm aiming to find some red buttons to add to the collection.

And of course, I just happened to cast my eyes across to the cookbook section and wouldn't you know it??! There were a couple of 50's cookbooks there that I don't already own. I thought I would share a few recipes from the latest find. Perhaps you'll serve the third recipe on the children's milk drinks list for the kiddies this weekend? And perhaps the lamb salad for yourself. Bear in mind this is a recipe book for a blender....