Gentle Footprint

This is the name for my dream. I am going to take a risk, and publicly talk about my dream as it develops.

I have made things all my life it seems. I remember sitting on the back steps of our house (a typical Queenslander house on poles, and the laundry was under the house), learning to knit a head band on a day home from school - my mother was washing the clothes. It was orange wool, I remember, and I proudly wore that head band.

The perfect birthday present I remember from my childhood was 2 pieces of material and a pattern - and then the privilege of making up those dresses. I remember one was light blue floral, and the other was pink. I think Mum made up one, and I made the other. It was a princess style dress pattern. The house I can picture this in means that I was younger than a teenager when this happened - my 10th birthday I suspect. I told my mother recently, that SHE is to blame for my obsession with crafts and sewing - and she is, and should be proud of it.

I went on to do Home Science throughout High School, and through the enthusiasm of an extraordinary teacher, 8 of us went on from Year 12 to become Home Economics teachers. Sewing was always my favourite part of Home Economics.

Life has proceeded, and I left the teaching field, and brought up my children, making all their clothes for many years. For some time I earned some pocket money making clothes for others.

I have seen home made clothes move from a necessity in life, to the a sign of being "poor", to a freakish, unusual thing to do - and now I see the tide turning again where making clothes is a valued and precious skill to have.

It is my dream to pass pass on the skills of making your own clothes and home essentials to other people.

The other side of this dream is the need to live gentler on our earth. We are all finally becoming aware of the need to make sure out footprint on the earth is lighter and gentler. My dream is to be a catalyst for encouraging people to tread lightly on the the earth in our home and family life.

Watch here as this unfolds.

Do you want to join me in this journey? If this ignites a passion in you in any way - please let me know. I don't know how things are going to develop - and maybe there is already something happening out there that is achieving this dream that we can work together with.

Cheers
Janet McKinney

Life changes...

I give up with the fast changes of life.

I have been working on a Maternity fill in situation - for a while it was part time, and then it was full time. This didn't work out satisfactorily with all the health issues etc I have had, and for a couple of weeks, I went back to part-time. Today, I was informed that this does not work for the position - they need me there 5 days a week, without breaks for Drs visits etc.

The upshot of it is that from today, I am not working again - well I am fortunate enough to be paid out for 4 weeks notice so I will have a chance to look for other work etc.

As I said yesterday, there are a couple of ideas I have been working through in my mind - I will have time tomorrow to tell you. Sometimes these things happen to force you into a change that you suspect may be needed in your life.

Long time no ... well ... write I guess

Yes it has been a couple of weeks hasn't it. I keep checking up on lots of other people's hauls, and overhauls, and stashes... and creativity too.

Life has seemed a little hectic lately - family stuff that needed attention.

I went to another auction, and this time got the contents of a sewing cupboard to bring home - lots of nice materials, and bits and pieces. This has meant a major overhaul of my crafting area. Out of desperation, a lot of "stuff" got packed into big plastic bins, and placed in our storage area downstairs at the units. So my cards, and miniatures, and many dolls, and wool have been stacked up and stored for a while. Just think of all the fun I am going to have when my mood changes, and I want to take up a different hobby! I have rearranged the craft cupboards to store the piles, and piles and more piles of material I have gained over the past month. Many of the clothes I bought at the auction that I didn't want to wear have been prepared for re-purposing, and I have added to my collection of zippers and buttons.

Now it is sewing time. I have been doing some - but the camera needs charging, and the charger is .... well you know what happens. I will take some photos shortly. This is all with the goal of setting up an Etsy / Made-It shop online, and also going to some markets.

In the midst of all of this, I have gone from full-time at work back to part-time - 3 days a week. It seemed the best thing to do in all sorts of circumstances, but there is a definite gap in the finances as a result - hence the sewing ideas.

There are some other ideas on the back burner - I will get them into writing some time soon too - I will be looking for your feed back about them

Cheers - I have to finish the big move around in my crafting area - and make the lounge just a little tidier....

I have been counting...

I have hung 25 dresses and 32 jackets,cardigans, jumpers into my wardrobe. I am trying on the three winter dressing gowns one at a time, - discarded one. The second one is yummy and warm. One more to try out. I only need to keep one!

I have enough nighties now to stay in hospital for a week - yippee. I was a bit concerned when I spent a couple of nights in hospital recently that I didn't have any winter nighties to wear.

Now I have to sort through the 50+ skirts, and as many tops...

The good news is that I have also scored a heap of coat hangers to assist with the hanging up crisis. But I am running out of poles to hang them on!!!

Unbelievable

This morning I went to an auction - they had some sewing material and such like for sale. I didn't get much sewing material just a few bits, BUT....
I bought the hugest collection of clothes - probably 300-400 pieces. I have yet to sort through it and identify exactly what was there.
What is unbelievable is that I had lost so much weight since last winter, that I have almost no winter clothes to wear - and it is getting COLDDD in Canberra. You would have thought that whoever bought all these clothes fitted them on me first. Everything I have tried on fits - now that NEVER happens in a shop for me. They all fit over my generous hips and thighs, and even accommodate my batwings/ large arms. There are a few in colours I don't wear - but so many of them are my favourite colours.

So far I have identified - 8 winter nighties (I had NONE), 3 winter dressing gowns - and all I need is one - and I need one, as well as 3-4 summer satin nighties. Skirts so I could wear one a day for a month and not run out - and I have only sorted through 1/3 of them. Dresses by he dozen - including a fully beaded (as all over beaded) silk sheath that fits me like a glove. There was a little disappointment with a half a dozen gloves - and only one of each :( A fur (imitation) lined jacket - fits me perfectly, and just the thing for a cold night out in the cold air. A woollen Jade green jacket - perfect as a cover up in the cold Canberra winter mornings. Oh and hundreds of more still to be sorted out. So many things I have been in desperate need of, and been looking for in ops shops with no success for several weeks.

What did I pay - $35 for the LOT!!!
UPDATE:
I told a lie - in the end it cost me negative $4 - because in one of the jackets I found $39...

Wheeeee