a making for my son

i purchased a nice little book a few months back as it had some really sweet items to make that could be for boys or girls.... i like things that don't scream 'pink' for girls and are not 'thomas the tank engine' related for boys.

since a recent beach holiday, my son loves all things sea-related + one of his favourite books is 'magic beach' which is full of rock pools with limpets, crabs, sea horses and of course lots of mystical magic too!

so.... i chose to crochet this blanket for his room, as it looks a bit rock pool-ish  / sea anemone-ish

it used up 18 balls of 8ply grey wool + small amounts of other colours

each larger circle used up 1 ball each!

i did double the wool though to get it extra chunky.

i love it even better flipped over to the reverse side, as it 'pops' out a bit more.

my son loves to drag it off his bed and jump onto the circles, saying the colours as he jumps from one to the other.... so it kinds doubles as a memory game too.

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:: love to hear if anyone else made a special blanket for their kids or friends? 

feel free to leave some links below to share :)

ps: i have linked the books to fishpond if anyone is interested in buying them (i use fishpond, as its australian) 

other things i make -- indoor tent for kids

 i make lots of other things apart from my BIRCHseed products.... 

i started this series a couple of weeks ago with a post about some bespoke flower girl dresses i made for my neighbour....  & today i am sharing a cakies treat i found on the grossgrain 'free pattern a month' project.

its such a simple project.... the bug fabric i designed and screenprinted myself -- black ink onto a fresh cream cotton base-cloth.

i bought the timber and dowel from the local hardware store -- sanded the edges and drilled a few holes to fit the frame together.



next was sewing the fabric seams on my singer, tacking on a few ties and throwing the fabric over the frame, (adding a few pillows and teddies inside) to make the tent complete.

... my son is at the age were he just loves creating his own cubby house spaces everywhere! so, with this tent being portable and quick to throw up, its a perfect playtime addition for a 2 year old toddler. it's also a great space for mum or dad to squeeze into with our son to do bedtime reading!

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:: I would love you to share any blogs or websites you know of that have some great kids ideas.

more great stuff over at our creative spaces today!

my creative 'garden' space

as many of you would know the past week and a half have been a bit sad at no.4 baker st with the passing of my beloved 13 year old chocolate brown kelpie -- jackie brown

she spent most of her final days laying in the sun in the backyard, so the past week i've had a little bit of garden therapy... spending lots of time poking and pondering and just 'being' in my kitchen garden instead of in the printing shed.

so today i thought i might share this space with you

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no captions, no words just visuals...

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ok, some words now...

this is JB's new resting place in our garden...

river rock placed in the sun... her ashes scattered around.... native australian daisy's in flower

xx

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more from 'our creative spaces' here

a collection of inspiration

photo --  the age

last week i was spending some time reading back through a new blog i have recently discovered -- flourish & blume ... all about two gals revamping old chairs.

i don’t know about you, but i love opening the links that other people provide in their blogs, as they usually contain endless inspiration and provide me with new knowledge that i simply do not possess in my small young mind. 

& through some flourish & blume link love contained in their florence, the original style queen post, i ended up going on to read a biographical account of ‘florence broadhurst – her secret & extraordinary lives’ written by helen o’neill.

what an intriguing, yet controversial australian 'lady' for her day (1899-1977). if you have the time, go read the book for your self… or for a quick take on this dynamic lady & to view her extraordinary work, you can head on over to signature prints.

 

signature prints are the proud custodians of, and own exclusive world-wide commercial licensing to this iconic library. if you are into screen printing, then take a look at their site - its amazing! (i would certainly be knocking on their door for some work experience if i lived in sydney) 

photo -- signature prints

so, to say i have gained a little bit of inspiration from the broadhurst collection is an understatement. i am captivated by many of her designs (& there are reportedly 500+ in the collection). 

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& my favourites are...

scatter daisy - for its quaint delight..

 cockatoos - for its hidden australian quirkiness

& japanese bamboo - so strong & fresh

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:: if your up for a challenge, which of these three do you like?


ps: if you want to take a peek at the whole collection head over here