Made it!

I'm stoked to see two of my items on the front page of Made It this morning!

Just the impetuous I need to spend the afternoon completing that pile of half finished items on my sewing table and get them listed.

When shall we three meet again?

In garter, stocking, or in tarsia?

Seriously though, tonight wasn't all about a reunion of three Knitaholic bags, but the first Stitch 'n' Bitch night at The Front Cafe in Lyneham.

We had a good turnout of crafty gals, some bloggy, some not. With a really interesting mix of projects.And Caffeine Fairy seemed pretty pleased with her Pay it Forward gifty from me.

Same time same place next month*, gals?

(7pm Sept 10th, The Front Cafe Lyneham Shops, if you'd like to join us)

Where to find modern miniatures: Part 2 (Furniture and accessories)

Have you caught the modern mini bug after last week's round-up of houses? Or perhaps you're thinking that maybe (just maybe) you could bring your Victorian dolls house kicking and screaming into the 21st century...

The following is a list of some of my favorite sources for buying modern miniatures (and a couple that look interesting but I haven't bought from. Yet!).

Unfortunately some of the best ranges (in my opinion) are now discontinued, but it may be worth setting up eBay alerts for if you're truly dedicated.
1. AG Minis. Alas, now discontinued and fairly highly sought after by collectors, this range was produced by American Girl between about 2000 - 2003.

I was fortunate enough to stumble across their sell-out sale and bought all the pieces I loved at about half the regular price. They had a particularly good range of diner furniture (Lil's Diner) and a rather fabulous shoe shop (Petite Boutique) if you're into that sort of thing.

Voltage was 12 volt but the plugs needed to be changed if you wanted to use the lights in your standard 1/12th lighting system.

My pick: Orange "inflatable" chair and blue atomic cushion from the Blue Room add-ons set. From this set I'm also currently using both (reversible) pictures and the vase of orange flowers, so it was money well spent. 2. Delph miniatures A UK based company with a wonderful range of appliances, office furniture and supplies, prepackaged food everything you might need for your miniature hairdressing salon. Well worth a visit.

My pick:I snapped up the coffee plunger the minute I saw it and also have their CD rack and Electric kettle in my Kaleidoscope House living area plus their binders , a document box and wallet in the study.

3. The Dolls House Emporium has a selection of modern furniture and accessories (but won't let me borrow their images...) Be careful though as some of their pieces run rather large. I bought their Bang & Olufsen stereo and ended up sending it back as it was just too big...

My pick:I believe their modern bathroom pieces are the best around (and very Starck)
4. ELF Miniatures Another UK based company who specialise in up-to-the-minute kitchens, bathroomsand bedrooms for your dolls' house.

My pick: Can I just move into that kitchen above? Pretty please with a cherry on top? 5. Kaleidoscope House furniture. Now discontinued, of course.

The furniture was designed by Jasper Morrison, Ron Arad, Michael Graves and Karim Rashid. Accessories by Jonathan Adler and artwork by Peter Halley, Carroll Dunham, Mel Kendrick, Mel Kruger and others. What wasn't to love? There was even promise of a 1/12th scale Marc Newson car which never eventuated.

My pick:Hard as it is to decide, I'd go with the Jasper Morrison sectional sofa. 6. Kari Bloom Miniton Miniatures for great modern (and retro) sofas and chairs. Loving this 50s style rita chair!

7. Lundby. As I said last last week, this range would work if you were happy to move into 3/4 scale.

A number of the accessories would also work well in 1/12th scale, especially those that in real life come in a range of sizes (lights, bowls, books, rugs, pictures, dogs, cats and plants, for example)

My pick: I particularly like the rice paper ceiling lights and metal lights, although if I wanted them to be working lights in a 1/12th scene I have to change the wiring from 4 volt (Lundby standard) to 12 volt (1/12th scale standard).8. Our Generation Miniatures Also discontinued. They were similar to the AG Minis line but cheaper (I believe they were mainly sold in Target in the States, but I also spotted a couple of sets in a department store in Windsor, England in 2003.)

My pick:They had fabulous iMac computers!

9. Reac Designer Chair Collections 1-5. You've heard me praise these several times already, and with good cause. 1/12th scale models of some of the most famous chairs in the world? At decent prices (around $24.95 each of you buy them retail in Australia, less if you buy them direct from Hong Kong on eBay)? What's not to love?!

My pick: Buy them all!

10. Re-ment My Room furniture and accessories. (Watch out as Rement does a large range of pieces in 1/6th Barbie/ Blythe scale. You're not after those, you're after the smaller (now discontinued, I believe - the story of a modern miniaturist's life!) versions. Once again, eBay is probably your best bet.)

My pick: I particularly love the shelf cubes and the bubble clock.

11. The House that Jacq Built. Another UK based company which I don't know much about but has some interesting-looking pieces...

12. eBay. A standard Houses, Miniatures search for (modern,contemporary) can often pull up all sorts of interesting bits and pieces. Make sure you check the 'Worldwide' option for the best selection of goodies!

Baby steps

I've just opened my Made It store, even though there's only one thing in it at the moment. Yeah, I thought I'd go for the whole minimalist approach...

Seriously though, I figured I had to start sometime and if I waited until I had a huge teetering pile of beautiful goodies to list it might just never happen.

I'm thinking a small constant stream of new things might be easier all round than nothing for ages and a huge deluge once a month.

So there you go. Notice the nice new badge link over there on the left for your convenience.

Comments, ideas and (constructive!) criticism more than welcome!

A random Sunday afternoon post

It was a late night last night as it was J's 40th birthday party. So I had a slow start this morning.

I tried to do some sewing but the sewing mojo seems to have gone elsewhere for the day. After the second stuff-up I decided to give it a rest.But not before cleaning out my sewing machine tool box. I've had my sewing machine since 1983. So why is it I've still not worked out exactly what all these bits that came with it are for and how to use them? Maybe I should add that to the list of things I want to learn this year (Is there a sewing machine feet course available, do you think?)Since actually sewing wasn't going to be a happening thing today I thought I'd have a play with the idea of selling some of the vintage fabric I've collected. This is one set of fat quarters I put together which I plan to list on Made it.A post-lunch supermarket chocolate run was in order and I discovered stealth Kiwi food supplies!

I've not been focusing on the Woolies Select chocolate biscuit line but today realised it seems to be pretty much the entire NZ Griffins choccie bikkie line, repackaged!

Also discovered were "Pineapple Blocks" which I found in the lolly aisle skulking on the bottom shelf half hidden behind a pole. I can attest that they don't taste too different to the real thing (not that I've had the real thing for months)And I found a new time-waster: virtual Message in a bottle, and a rediscovered old favorite: Rockstarter - Make your own damn band!

And now I think it's about time for an afternoon nap...

Second Hand Saturday: all fabric, all the time!

Guess that answers my question as to whether I'll be partaking in Use What You Have Month for a third month running, then...

At least my faith in the op shops of the Canberra region is restored. On the other hand, my faith in my ability to actually get through all my stash is looking very shaky.

Do you think there's a market for vintage fabric fat quarter bundles?

Mirror in the bathroom...

Who do I see?

My small lunch guest on his best look don't touch behaviour.He enjoyed the company of my smaller lunch guest (who didn't seem so sure about his new friend's exuberance!)and happily modelled his favorite jumper for me:

How was your lunch?

Today is Singapore's National Day...

...and also the day my final payment was due for my November cruise to Singapore. Sort of fitting, I thought.

I'm a sad woman though - I was toying with the idea of buying a portable sewing machine to take with me to set up in my cabin. The thought of 18 days with no sewing was just too scary. Luckily I saw sense and talked myself out of such a mad cap scheme...

(Image courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board)

"What I've got for free" Wednesday

I had other plans for today's post but since I've not been able to deliver my first Pay it Forward gift as planned that will have to wait... (which reminds me - I still have one spot free if you'd like to join in!)

Instead here's a twist on my old Friday Frugal and Free posts. I've been pretty lucky this past week with free stuff:

* On Wednesday last week I got free tickets to see Boynton Beach Club coutesy of Canberra Theatre. I wonder how Hopscotch Films manage to stay in business when there are free tickets available to pretty much everything they release? I shouldn't complain as it makes me a happy girl indeed!* Also on Wednesday, the latest issue of Inside Out mag dropped into my post box with a set of free postcards attached. Pity I'm in no mood to update my notice board at the moment...

* Then Made it offered me free credit to list stuff this week. Unfortunately I'm running way WAY behind with this plan (blame the order fairy. Not a bad thing!)

* On Thursday Princess B and I noticed this sign in the window of Rowie's:and now Princess B's fridge is decorated thus:

(my cake was free anyway since Princess B paid for it. Just as well as I made a sticky mess all over her car...)

* On Friday I got a very nice bottle of wine from work (plus a slap up lunch) Both were consumed before pictures could be taken.

* Saturday saw Princess B and I get free entry to The Powerhouse Museum since I've got membership for the next 3 years...

* ... and we both got a free Home Beautiful magazine. Princess B also got a free newspaper but I wasn't interested.

That damned rabbit...

It would seem that Trudy has been lead astray by Lulu and got into the yarn stash at Knit 1 Blog 1.

I think I need to go and have a talk with her tomorrow...

My kitchen has reached a state of satorial splendour

Today at Woolies I spotted white sponges!

After doing the happy dance (luckily there was no one else in the aisle), I scooped up the entire supply and whisked them home. Which means I now have a three and a half year supply of sponges to go with my black rubber gloves. (I'm stopping myself from visiting every other supermarket in the city and cleaning (hardy har) them out too.)

My dish washing accessories coordinate. My life is fulfilled.

Where to find modern miniatures: Part 1 (Houses)

I'm very aware that finding modern dolls houses, furniture and accessories often takes a lot more digging that buying the standard Victorian. So over the next couple of weeks I'd like to share some of the sources I've found for modern houses (this week) and furniture and accessories (next week).

All items are standard 1/12th scale unless I mention otherwise. If I miss something out, please leave me a comment or drop me an email!1. The Dolls House Emporium stocks the Malibu Beach House (see above) which is available in a number of kit options plus fully assembled. They also have a miniature Mackintosh House and furniture and a Lutyens House for the 20th century purists among us.

2. Across the pond, Real Good Toys offers a contemporary ranch house kit.

3. If you're lucky you might be able to track down a Kaleidoscope House by Bozart Toys. eBay is probably your best bet at this stage as it's been out of production for quite some years. 4. Villa Sibi by Wolfgang Sirch & Christoph Bitzer is a true modernist house (and is currently on sale at Modern Nursery.)5. If price was no object I would have commissioned Mark Turpin to build me a house like Diamante .6. If you're happy to consider 3/4 scale, check out the new Lundby Stockholm house (with pull out patio and pool!)

Do you find this odd?

These are the adverts at Canberra airport baggage carousel...Betya don't get that anywhere else!

(Oh - and does that first one come in pink?)

My day in pictures (because I'm too stuffed to write screeds)

Today was:

1. An early start down at Pyrmont for the Good Living Growers' Market2. Followed by a wander around Darling Harbour while waiting for The Powerhouse Museum to open3. And the first Krispin K tour of the season (cue applause and cheering)Which, as self designated Head Nigel Sutton Groupie, I have to say was fabulous. (Luckily it's the truth!)4. This year we were extremely lucky to have not just the Krispin K tour, but also a Krispin K show in the afternoon
Which was just brilliant. He's promised it'll be up on the Powerhouse site sometime soon so I'll keep an eye out for it and add a link.