Monday, February 21, 2011

A bit of everything avant garde

I'm just going through the motions with this post ...

This is what I've been up to.

A lot of sewing ... I like to sew and think.


I've been making a lot of avant garde pyjama pants. I'll show them to you when they're done because, as I said, they're avant garde and I like to push the envelope when it comes to night wear.


This is my overlocker. I could overlock 'til the cows came home. 

I've had a headache for the last three days and I can't shake it. I can barely shake my head.

Deb wanted to see the quilt progress ... so I thought I'd throw open the factory doors and reveal all. I've been watching lots of videos on YouTube done by nice American ladies explaining how to make nice American quilts. 


There's lots of bulldog-clipping involved.


And pinning every-few-inches ... and later there'll be sewing along 'ditches' which will be difficult because my ditches don't matches.


Some would say, unmatched ditches are avant garde.

Regardless of avant garde unalignment, everyone shorter than me, bar the blind/deaf dog, has put in an order for a quilt, so quilting seems to be the way of my future.

Deb's daughter has a blog. I don't know why more people don't follow it. She's a scream.


This is the makeup I bought, if you're interested. It's nice. It didn't really make a difference in terms of looks, though. To be avant garde, I think I'd have to buy a lot more which I'm not prepared, while I have my full faculties, to do.


 Speaking of avant garde, I saw this on Etsy the other day .... 


 and decided I liked it, and then realised I'd already been down that path.


It's called 'Dog surrounded by Blue Glaze. Days.' ... I made it when I was six as part of the Gold Coast Saturday Morning Kinder Pottery Movement. Without a doubt, what we were producing, at that period, with clay, between say 9 and 11 on a Saturday morning in the back-blocks of Surfers Paradise, was very "AG".


Remember this chair? I pondered covering it in Marimekko and got a quote to do so, which was probably reasonable, but I thought for that price I could get it completely done in something avant garde ... and then lovely Ariane sent me the below photo and this link.


I'm now thinking this sort of design may solve my 'What do I do with the Australian politically-incorrect-export-dollar-earning teatowel from the 1960s?'. Recall it came from Heidi?


The husband wants to see some tassles like this one.


I really need to take some Panadol.

It was so hot today, we all jumped in the pool.


 PS I showed my 'Member of the Surgical Collegiate', The Sartorialist blog, and he sighed and said 'There are too many women".
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21 comments:

  1. willywagtailFebruary 21, 2011 at 3:41 AM

    Can't wait to see those AG PJs. Actually I think your pottery is almost equal to theirs, especially when you divide it by the number of years of life of the respective makers. Hope the panadol works. Cherrie

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  2. KerryFebruary 21, 2011 at 3:48 AM

    Oh Carmel. I read your posts, late at night and I wish I wasn't so tired so that I could say something terribly witty to match yours (wit that is) because we know about the ditches! But alas, I may just have to leave future commenting until the daylight hours :)

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  3. melissaFebruary 21, 2011 at 3:51 AM

    You are busy! And look at that quilt ! IT IS GORGEOUS! and if you looked closely at mine you would see that my ditches dont match a lot of the time either! it looks fabulous so keep quilting! Do you need more squares? and i could throw in a couple of teatowels too!

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  4. A Farmer's WifeFebruary 21, 2011 at 3:53 AM

    No wonder you have a headache you poor thing. So stressful being that avante garde all day...

    Am now eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the AG PJ pants.

    Take care (and some panadol)

    AFW
    xx

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  5. LyndelFebruary 21, 2011 at 4:16 AM

    oh hope your head's feeling better tomorrow. Love the long fringe on the Ttowel lounge chair, and your Dog and Blue Glaze is def. A.G.

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  6. LittlemissairgapFebruary 21, 2011 at 4:33 AM

    I think I have a whole Australian animal naff tablecloth that would cover your chair. I'm curious though, is it comfortable???

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  7. annieFebruary 21, 2011 at 4:43 AM

    I am so impressed that your quilt looks like a quilt and that you had the foresight to study quiltin' on line before going at it, overlocker and tongs. The chair is a treat but I believe your husband's penchant for tassles to be a clue as to wear DD got his sartorial leanings. The make up should last you until you do lose your faculties and I have had the same head ache. It may be something to do with the oppressive heat and humidity. We had to hide from it in the Kenmore library today, where M slept on a cushion and I found an abundance of Moominism...even board books! The librarian there is a moominphile and led us with barely contained delight to the moomin shelf. Her first book ever was 'Comet in Moominland'. She may be a little avant garde for Kenmore...

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  8. DebFebruary 21, 2011 at 5:14 AM

    Oh you make me laugh! Your quilt looks lovely and very avant garde. Your clay making abilites are brilliant and so ahead of your time.
    That's about the size of our swimming pool too. Tell your surgeon there can never be too many women.
    xo
    Hope your headache's gone.

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  9. DebFebruary 21, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    You have a serger! The Husband's going to be jealous when I tell him.

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  10. IngridFebruary 21, 2011 at 7:16 AM

    Hi, i love your quilt blanket and I am very curious at your avant-garde pyama.
    A hot day...jumping in the pool, aaah ..it's 3 degrees here, and cloudy, I'm gonna make a fire in the woodburner (is that a word) but you know what I mean, I think..
    ps. I want a tea towell chair too ;-)

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  11. HeidiFebruary 21, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    Love your quilt and I have to say the souviner chair is fabulous....big 6in tassels the kids can run their sticky fingers through...I agree!

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  12. LFebruary 21, 2011 at 9:13 AM

    Great post for just going through the motions.
    I am envious of your sewing equipment! Your avant-garde quilt looks delightful.
    Thanks for the shout-out. 'preciate it!
    How was the MAC visit? What colours did you buy. Are you liking the primer? That's the one I use everyday.
    ps. I love your children.

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  13. FionaFebruary 21, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    I'm sharing your pain.
    Horrific headache I'm blaming the high heat and humidity for! A blissful 26 mm of rain from a rather dramatic storm through the night has given us some relief.
    Love your sewing efforts. My beloved sewing machine has lost its ability to zig-zag ... know how it feels!

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  14. DebFebruary 21, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    I have some nice tea towels from Scotland if you'd like your chair to go International.

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  15. Bayside RoseFebruary 21, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    Loving your quilt its looking gorgeous. The fabrics are fab.

    Can't wait to see what you do with the chair and how you push the envelope with pjs's.My mind is boggling :)

    Have a gret day today - at least it is a little cooler. Pam x

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  16. Sarah BFebruary 21, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    Your quip (quilt in progress) really takes me back to when I was young and Mum would go out to the "Silk & Textiles" factory and buy offcuts of sheeting and fabrics to sew together. Yours is looking fabulous by the way :)
    Yay, you got your makeup. I didn't commit to the primer so I wonder what it is like? I love Bad Gal lash too (I need all the help I can get in the lash department).
    Love your dog in blue background piece. I agree, very AG :)

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  17. Reader 3February 21, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    MMMC,
    Your quilt is looking fabulous.
    Skip Panadol and go the Panadeine. You poor thing.
    Note to Annie.
    Kenmore is full of the avant garde

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  18. white cat vintageFebruary 21, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Love the quilt and I adore that chair, it will rock, cant wait to see the 'afters'. Bring on the AG pj's. Hope you get rid of the headache :( I can sympathise, this weather has brought on a charming 3 day sinus headache here, over it. Megan xx

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  19. Farm GirlFebruary 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    Loving the quilt progress - doesn't matter if the ditches deviate slightly - far more AG that way. Hope the head is feeling better now - bet the swim in that pool helped (looks like it helped someone anyway!)

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  20. Happy Homemaker UKFebruary 22, 2011 at 12:22 PM

    Love the quilt - I actually have those Liberty and Amy Butler fabrics too :) XOL

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  21. Ariane ReichardtFebruary 23, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    Oh, what I've found on your blog, dear Carmel, now in terrible silence...the Towel-Chair! and a link to my blog...thank you.
    Hope you're fine and need no Panadol, it's medicine I guess. It works even for turkey?
    ;-)
    Love,
    Ariane. Hamburg, Germany.

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