One Hour Craft

Tuesday’s Thrift Shopping – Inspiration

It is fabulous +++ to not be working on a Tuesday and instead trying to start on the next hundred projects and get this blog really up and running again. There’s so much to do, how do I ever fit in work anyway?

What a lovely day! I spent the whole morning thrift shopping, or rather, hunting, for lace doilies. These are precious, precious, precious. And many things are going to be made out of these beauties. Can you believe I bought them for 50 cents each? I felt like I should grab them, pay and run back to the car before someone realised the mistake and took them back. Apparently, people do not value the hundreds of hours spent making these, the intricate patterns, the confusing arrangement of bobbins, all colour-coded and waiting to be weaved into the design. I do! When I was a child, grandma would sit for hours in summer with her lace-making on her lap, in the air-conditioned front room of her house and I would sit and watch her. Mesmerised by how she knew where and when to weave each bobbin.

I got this whole bunch at three different stores for about $5.

And as an added bonus, I found these lovely cross-stitched table runners (also ridiculously cheap). These will turn into something new also. Give me a few days and I will be able to make up my mind. I had one idea on the way home….. then it turned into another …..now my head is spinning with all my treasures and the possibilities.

And I found this gorgeous photo here. More pom-pom love. It has given me another idea. Maybe our favourite horses, Storm and Roman should have pom-poms for Christmas? I am sure they would like them a lot!
Now, I have so much to do and I don’t know where to begin…
Mia
xxx

Christmas Inspiration – Pompoms!

I can’t believe I am already writing about Christmas and thinking about it. Seems just a day ago when I was making my New Year’s resolutions and holidaying in Denmark.
This year I am loving pompoms. I am in the middle of making a tutorial for you all. I will have it up soon. But for now, enjoy some pompom inspiration.

I think that my presents will look a little like this, this year. So cute (via bleubird vintage)

Miss James of Bleubird Vintage has come up with this lovely pompom wreath. See how it is made here…
Here is a good tutorial for making pompoms. I promise it’s completely addictive.
Back with more soon…
Mia
xx

What a Great Night – Book Launch Photos

The book launch was so fun! Thanks for New Edition for hosting such a great party. Thanks to everyone who came and shared the party. There were about fifty people there. It was just the perfect number for the night. And thanks for your support. For me, it was a real landmark event in my life. Really it was the first party to celebrate nearly four years of work on the site and two on the book. It was time for me to get over the fear of sharing my book with the world and just enjoy it! And I did. I hope everyone had a good time.

Thanks to Emma for giving a speech and for all the help getting ready. Thanks to dad for the photos.

Here are photos of the event. There are lots and lots….

The display table, so much fun making all this.

;”>The book display table with the gorgeous embroidery made by Sarah, my sister

Me and my girl.

Emma and me

My favourite flowers – thanks Em

Glenys and Linda

Dilip

Andrew and Jason

Emma introducing me

Emma’s speech

Lisa, Linda and Anna

My speech

Emma, Carla and Clare

A goodnight kiss for Kate

Thanks again everyone for a great night. I appreciate it!

There are more photos on flickr here!

Mia

xxx

When life gives you lemons…….

Was thinking this morning….

When life gives you lemons(and not if, it’s a certainty there will be lemons) make lemonade, or candied lemons or lemon butter or pickled lemons, lemon syrup, lemon gelato or dried lemons, lemon meringue pie, lemon facial scrub, roast lemons???

What I am trying to say is that when life throws **** your way you always have the option of sitting down in that **** or thinking creatively and using your creativity to create many options for happiness. I believe there is a way to make every situation better.  Sometimes we just lose our way of finding these solutions.

My friend Kate teaches me this a lot.  She is the only person I know who could make having a lumbar puncture seem more like a trip to a great cafe for a catchup than the horrible procedure it is.  She always says, ‘just be fabulous’ and she always manages it.  She can make a gourmet meal in the middle of the Australian outback with only potatoes, sausages, a saucepan and a knife.  She makes a boring afternoon into a fun-filled day full of silk screened tshirts, mosaic mirrors, organic herbs and vegies. 

When really big lemons are thrown at us, there is always a way to make lemonade . I started making jewellery and silversmithing during a really hard time in my life. I sat at home each evening and made things. I found that gradually just using my hands and being creative gave me happiness and it also gave me options. Out of my sadness, came some really cool silver rings, and many, many necklaces. Somehow pouring myself, bit by bit, into the act of creating something gave me hope that life would be ok again — and it was.  Of.  Course. 

I just thought I would share this little story with you because I know many people who are going through hard times right now. When a mate asks me, ‘what should I do?’ I want to say, ‘think of a hundred different solutions, think creatively and make them happen but also, use your hands to make something, even something little. It will help you turn your lemons into lemonade…

Today a mate of mine, wrote a song out of one of my lemons.  I was so touched by that……..

Happy day,
Mia
xx
PS. The book launch was unreal. Photos coming very soon. Thanks for coming and supporting me. I am so appreciative.

One Hour Craft – Book Launch

Finally, it’s organised….

You are invited to One Hour Craft Book Launch

Date:  Friday 23 October 2009

Place:  New Edition Bookstore, 82 High Street Fremantle, Western Australia

Time: 6.30pm

Please send me an email at mariabinns@hotmail.com to RSVP just to make sure we have enough beer and wine for everyone!

And send these details to anyone you know who you think may be interested in coming!

Hope to see you there!

Mia xxx

Where I Surf….

Just a quick post to update you with the current sites I surf. I am giving up social networking but still love my daily surfing.  I follow craft sites, fashion sites, and lifestyle sites.

Sites I love (a motley mix I agree).  Click the ♥ to visit:

The Cherry Blossom Girl♥  A very cool Parisienne who works as a stylist, with a penchant for beautiful shoes and vintage-y things.

Bleubird Vintage♥  James, another fashion blogger, everything vintage and fantastic.

Ismoyo♥  A crafty designy blog, a lovely girl half-Dutch, half-Indonesian living in NYC.  Cute, quirky style.

Fashion is Spinach♥  Betsy a fashion writer and blogger, living in Washington DC.  Great fashion blog written in a very down-to-earth style.  Always well written and interesting.

Not Martha♥   A crafty site by Megan Reardon, Seattle girl.  lots of crafty links and great product links.  No fuss, quick to read and always interesting.

One Lucky Duck♥  Sarma Melngailis dishes on raw food benefits.  Will get ya drinking green juice and eating raw foods.  Eat raw, sparkle more!

We Like it Raw♥  Raw foodists site, interesting articles.

Crazy Sexy Life♥  Chris Karr has set up an on-line health community.  So many super-fantastic health experts and amazing people in one place.  Always interesting, always great read (even if you eat meet this will interest you. i’m sure). Vibrant.

Crazy Aunt Purl♥  Laurie, a southern girl living in LA.  Funny.  Funnier.  Knitting blog (sort of), more just tales of living in la la land.  She’s a staple in my internet diet.

Andrea Scher♥  Another staple.  Berkeley girl, photos are wicked.  Jewellery designer.  Posts to lift your spirits.  

Gala Darling♥  A New Zealander living in NYC.  Lifestyle, fashion, articles, photos.  Such a fun, amazing blog.  Always makes me smile.

I think I have covered everything I love, making things, eating good stuff, having fun, dressing up..

Oh how could I forget…Each time I get a chance I am working my way through all the episodes at..

Darryl Hannah Love Life♥  All I can say is…go and have a look.  It is the best!

Mia

Crafty Spaces in My Home

Because I have been writing my book and awaiting its arrival on shelves that I haven’t showed you the things which live in my house and also appear in the book.

So I did a little photo shoot….luckily I have the best daughter and kitty katty in the world, who says ‘never work with children and animals’?

Applique Cushion & Sweet Kitty Calvin

Humbug Party Bag – Ready to be ripped open…

Sweet Suzy Bag – Made with vintage Bugs Bunny fabric sourced at a local thrift store

Ripped fabric basket sits on my bedside table, holding my knick knacks

Felted lavender bear – made from a felted woollen sweater also sourced at a local thrift store. It smells too good and has a permanent spot on my pillow.

Etched bird mirror which also has a spot on my bedroom wall. This was one of my favourite things I designed and made for the book. So much fun!

Flower wall tablet – this lives above my bed…..yeah I loved making this too…

Well I hope you enjoyed a sneak peak around my home and into the book.

Today was very exciting. I walked into a bookstore and saw copies of One Hour Craft on the shelves – the first time this has happened since it is only due out in Australia tomorrow.

Other news – there is going to be a book launch in about three weeks time (will let you in on details in the next few weeks) at my favourite bookstore -The New Edition Bookshop in Fremantle. I can’t wait. Should be a great time to celebrate.

Also, we have a trunk show going around stores. If you know anyone who would like a trunkload of things from the book to make a display let me know..

And I promise that in the next little while, when all the craziness dies down, I will be back with other crafty loveliness. Until then, keep making stuff……

Mia

xxx

Maggie Doyne – A Creative Inspiration!

At the beginning of this year I heard about Maggie Doyne, a 23 year old American lady who has started up a home for orphaned children in Nepal. When I read her story I couldn’t believe her guts and her enthusiasm.

Maggie won the 2009 “Do Something” Awards, and this is what they write about her journey so far:

Maggie took off after high school to see the world and when she was trekking through the Himalayas, she stumbled upon hundreds of kids living in the streets, orphaned by years of human rights violations and war. Maggie knew she could stay and make a difference in these childrens’ lives, granting them the rights that every child around the world should have. She built and now runs Kopila Valley Children’s Home in Nepal, housing these innocent victims and saving them from lives of instability and hunger.
Through her work, Maggie has given shelter to 24 kids, sent 60 others to school, and assisted in the placement of over 700 orphans in the region. She has tackled human rights issues in the region, improving the lives of children affected by violence, child labor, sex trafficking, and poverty.

Frankly, I just had to get in contact with her.  So, I emailed her and I was even more inspired.

Well, I encourage you to read her story and be inspired and donate whatever you can.

Thanks Maggie for inspiring me and so many others!

Mia

PS Just to let you know I have been looking for a charity to donate to and this one is I really believe in.  I have decided to donate 10% of my profits from my book to the Kripala Children’s Home.

Mia

xxx

One Hour Craft (the book) Q & A

I have had a lot of emails asking about the book so I thought I would do a Q & A to answer those questions and some more…

What’s One Hour Craft (the book) about? The book is a way of encouraging people to start or continue to use their hands to make things, to create. The book contains quality crafts which can be made in an hour or less. If you only have fifteen minutes a day, it will only take you four days to create something from the book. I wanted to take the pressure off people these days, who are overwhelmed by the thought of starting enormous crafting activities that they know they may never finish!

Can you make a quality craft in one hour or are you kidding me? Yes, you can absolutely make something of quality in one hour. For example, you can sew a gorgeous bag in one hour, make and glaze a clay vase, make delicious tomato relish, make your own earrings etc. I do it all the time, and so do many of the readers of this site.

Who is the book written for? I wrote this book mainly for the female population! But I do have many male readers of this site and I welcome them on board. This book is aimed at a readership of 12 years old and up.

I have written the book for beginner or advanced crafters – I believe that there is something for everyone in the book. If you have been making things for a while, then this will teach you to make other things. On the other hand, if you have never crafted, this book provides you with easy-to-read photo tutorials to make the crafts.

I also think that One Hour Craft would really appeal to homeschooling mothers of adolescents. Most of the crafts are inexpensive to make and are written as lessons (me being a teacher and all). I know that a lot of homeschooling mamas read this site! Actually just buy it for yourself, forget the children!

What is the format of One Hour Craft? One Hour Craft is written in 10 chapters, covering crafts from across the design spectrum. The chapters are sewing & felt, plastic, soaps & lotions, plastic, clay, food, garden, jewellery, paper.

Tell us more about the tutorials in the book? Well there are so many (47 all together). I had so much fun making the book. I love the clay vase in the book, it is so easy to make and brilliant. I love the bean bag, the humbug bags, I love the earrings (you make the findings yourself). I really enjoyed designing the teacup bird feeder. Oh and I love the clock in the book – it is so fun and funky. Also the succulent crescent – I was so proud of myself for designing that beauty for the garden….. Must I go on? In this book you definitely get the creative best of me! Oh I forgot – The Sweet Suzy Bag *love, love, love* and the perfect tomato relish and the etched bird mirror is magical to make!

What was your aim in writing the book? To give people a way into crafting and creativity. To take any stress out of the process. Being a teacher, I believe that with clear instruction, you can learn anything easily! I also wanted everything in the book to be fun and bold and colourful!

What is your background? Firstly, I must say I am a crazy workaholic, who is trying to cut down a little and take more time out to, well, daydream . My day job is working as a fulltime lecturer at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. I love my work and my students – they give me so much in return for what I give them. I teach English and I am passionate about my work. Before this I taught in high schools and primary schools and at TAFE for about six years.
I have also worked in Public Relations. I enjoyed public relations too, but didn’t like working such long hours. I have also owned my own business, making and selling silver jewellery. Great fun!
My degrees are in English and French. I speak French and would love to go and live in the south of France for a few years. I have also studied jewellery design and manufacturing at TAFE. Silversmithing is one of my greatest passions (but one I rarely get to indulge in these days!)
As for crafting, I have been making things ever since I remember. My mother is one of the most creative people ever to grace this planet and she insisted that we find things to do other than watch tv or play computer games (for this I am forever grateful). She taught all her daughters to sew and to cook and to knit, to make candles, to embroider etc. I have been making jewellery for the last seven years. I am a passionate sewer (as you know if you read this site). But I am a person who likes to try my hand at anything and everything. If I see something I like I obsessively try to make it myself.

So how did you get time to write a book? That’s a good question and an obvious one. While I was writing, my schedule was to get up early (6.30 -6.45am), get myself and my daughter ready for the day. Out the door by 7.15am. Work all day. Pick up Millie from daycare and home by 5.00pm. Talk to my girl, housework, cooking etc until 7.00pm. Relax for half an hour. 7.30pm put Millie to bed. 7.30 -12.00 design things, make prototypes, re-make things while taking photos, type up the tutorials on the computer, download photos from my camera etc. 12.00 – 12.30am collapse into bed.
As a side, I must say I had a lot of help from a particularly lovely man in my life, who collated a lot of the data and spent night after night helping me with photo shoots, running out to shops for supplies, editing etc (and even more in his defense, I was not that fun to work with, impatient, perfectionistic and really tired!)

Will you be writing another book? Why stop at one more? I would like to write 100 more (is that possible?) I have two projects on the go at the moment. All I can say is that I am really excited and am going to be working with some creative and interesting people!

Back to the book, where can we buy it? You can buy it at the moment in bookstores in the UK and on-line at several bookstores (google it!) and on amazon.co.uk. On September 1 the book will be available in bookstores across Australia and I am excited about this. We will be having a book launch in Perth and some book signings around Perth – I will keep you posted. This is a really exciting time for me, where I get to sit back and enjoy.

*A big thanks to all of you for your support of me, this website and my first book and to A&C Black for publishing it.*

I hope this answers your questions….

Mia
xxx

50 Reasons to Keep Making Stuff!

(Homemade bunting to welcome me home each day)

I was asked the other day, “Why do you make so many things?” This comment was followed with, “I just can’t be bothered, I’d rather go shopping”.

When I was driving away from my gf’s house I thought, ‘why do I make stuff?’ and ‘what’s so good about making stuff anyway?’.

I came up with a few (a slight understatement) reasons to craft…

1. To make one-off items that no-one else has, like silver rings and brooches.
2. To re-use and recycle old clothing into cushion covers, quilts.
3. To give beautiful gifts like appliqued cushions that will be treasured for many years.
4. To save $$$ by using what you have in your home.
5. To get over a breakup. There is nothing better than putting yourself in front of a sewing machine for a weekend and creating a gorgeous, kick-arse dress.
6. To help get over a short illness, like the flu.
7. To recover, from a long illness or accident.
8. To keep busy so you don’t worry about your problems.
9. To teach your kids to be able to amuse themselves instead of relying on idle entertainment like tv watching.
10. To amuse yourself and not rely on everyone else to do the job.
11. To feel a sense of accomplishment when you have finished a task, like when I made my first quilt, that was awesome.
12. To build confidence in your ability to take on the world. I recommend building something with a hammer and nails (like the bird feeder from my new book).
13. To make some extra dosh by selling your things on etsy
14. To make your home look more beautiful and one-offish and a little less IKEA
15. To remind you of how great it is to be alive and to have two hands that can do so much.
16. To stop you from bitching about everything. When you get together with your mates, make stuff and you can see the conversation changes from negative to productive and positive really quickly.
17. To learn a new skill like knitting, crocheting.
18. To make heirlooms to leave with your children and their children and their children.
19. To keep your partner out of your hair for a little while.
20. To take some space for yourself.
21. To stop overthinking things. Have your noticed that crafting is therapy? When you are making things, you have no time to worry!
22. To become a doer and not a gunna (someone who is always ‘gunna’ do something.
23. To offer your gifts to the world. There is no greater gift to give the world than art and beauty. It changes everything.
24. To keep occupied so you don’t get bored (especially for those of us with over-active minds)
25. To learn to problem solve more accurately. Really creating something like a mosaic is solving a series of problems.
26. To develop your fine motor skills. If you embroider, sew or silversmith you will find your fingers get more and more accurate and you are able to complete finer tasks.
27. To make someone jealous (LOL).
28. Because you are jealous of someone else.  My sisters do this to me on a weekly basis (although I don’t think its intentional)
29. To let your imagination run wild and see where it ends up. Painting is great for this!
30. To feel free…..sort of the same feeling as running through the sand on the beach on a winter’s day.
31. To lose time. I remember making a silver bracelet once and looking up at from my bench to the clock and fours hours had disappeared. Where did they go?.
32. To learn skills like knitting and lacemaking from your old aunts and then be able to pass it onto your kids.
33. To feel like you belong. Join a group of people who make similar things to you
34. Because you just can’t stop no matter how hard you try
35. Because you love those shoes with the big flowers and think to yourself, ‘that would be so easy to make’.
36. Because you are stranded on a desert island and you need to craft a big SOS banner.
37. Because you just read a great craft blog and got completely inspired to make something.
38. Because you are having a party and want to make it really special. So you set about making all your own invitations, party bags, decorations etc.
39. Because you are getting married and want to have your stamp on the whole day.
40. Because your kids want to learn how to sew.
41. Because the front garden looks plain boring and you think to yourself that making a water feature and a few plaques couldn’t be that hard. (And it isn’t).
42. To live your life as a work of art. Live life like the French!
43. To live more sustainably and write a love letter to the the planet. Use materials bought at a thrift store, reupholster furniture, cover an old desk in fabric. Mother earth kisses you back!
44. To feel like a rocksar, wearing your one-off dresses that no-one else could possibly own!
45. To have a good excuse not to do your housework. You can’t possibly mop floors tonight, you promised to get that quilt top done by tomorrow.
46. To make some extra money selling your printed tshirts at a local market. Very fun!
47. To start up a craft blog?   OK is it obvious I am sort of running out of ideas at this point?
48. To meet Mr Right.  Not so likely unless Mr Right joings your knitting group.  Once again, not that likely either.
49. To give you an excuse to build a wonderful stash of fabrics.
50. Just because you can…

Any more ideas???

Mia xxx