Making sewing plans

Remember my first sewing project of a skirt with Thea and Sami pockets almost a year ago?

Well, for some time I'm been planning to make another one. I figure I should get a much nicer end result now that I've made this pattern a few times! This time, I'm going to have one pocket instead of two, and the pocket fabric will this time be Thea's 'Marguerite' design on black linen (a big thanks to Thea for the lovely sample that was in my ABCD goodie bag!).

For many months now, the pattern pieces have been cut and waiting to be assembled. Alas, when I went to sew them all together (back in March, I think), my machine was not cooperating, so there was nothing to do except buy a new one!

Of course, I've since gotten myself extremely sidetracked, what with a new job and studying and holidaying, so I still haven't made my skirt. Sometime soon, I will get there.

Office plans

Our second bedroom serves as both an office/art studio for John, as well as a spare bedroom for guests. As both our families live outside of Brisbane, we need to have a bed available for visits, and the current solution of the futon sofa bed has long outstayed its welcome. Although I've managed to improve the look of the hideous mattress by hiding it inside a quilt cover, it's not the most comfortable option for sleeping.

After considering the options, including a double bed, sofa bed or new futon, we've decided that the best solution for us is an ottoman sofa bed with an innerspring mattress. That way, the sofa won't take up much room, but it can be converted into a comfortable double bed when needed. We're currently narrowing down fabric options from the Wortley and Warwick ranges, and are leaning towards a dark charcoal or grey. Originally I was planning on stripes or something with a little bit of visual interest, but the samples we have look to 'busy' against the carpet. I'll have to add interest with cushions instead!

The next step will be to remove the tiered desk in the corner for something a little more understated (like a simple white desk) so John has more room for his drafting table (which is currently squished in to the right of the desk).

Has anyone out there got a sofabed ottoman (or slept on one)? I'd love to hear your opinion of them.

Greetings...

Hello my dear (neglected) readers. I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet. I have been settling in nicely at my new job, so much so that I am no longer asleep on the couch at 8.00 on a Friday night! Therefore, rather than sitting on the nerd box all weekend, I took the opportunity to spend some time catching up with some wonderful old friends and colleagues, many of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. This little furry friend was also there...

This coming long weekend will also be one of relaxation, when I head with my family (sans husband) to Coffs Harbour to pop in and visit my grandparents. I intend to spend my time sitting in the sun catching up on my growing pile of unread magazines.

Until my return, here's a little taster of what's been going on in the Flying Ducks house lately. The office pinboard is still updated on a regular basis (except for a few things that seem to remain there every time I change it!). This is its current incarnation.

 

Solid wood

We recently became fed up with our old Ikea chopping board. It looked pretty, but needed regular oiling where it had warped and split due to moisture seeping into the joins. It probably wasn't the most hygienic chopping board, either.

I embarked on an online journey to find the perfect rectangular solid timber board (none of these 'freeform' types). My search led me to to the 'Rocky', a beast of a board made from sustainable camphor laurel, and with red gum handles. It also turns out that the seller lives close by, and was able to drop my board off to save on postage. I can most certainly say that the investment was well worth it!

I was also recently given this adorable strawberry chopping board from Freedom. I have a feeling that it will end up making an excellent cheese board!

Farewell gifts

On my last day at my job, I was treated like a princess! It's no secret that I love my cakes, and I was certainly indulged in that department. This is just a small selection of what was provided for morning tea...

Lovely Laura also baked me this platter of amazing brownies!

My colleagues all chipped in to buy me some truly wonderful goodbye gifts. My love of both books and design must be really obvious!

By far the BEST (and most thoughtful) present was this vintage milk glass vase, complete with a red bird print! Followers of this blog will no doubt recognise just how many boxes are ticked by this gift. Apparently this lovely item was hurriedly shipped over from the US. How lucky am I to have worked with such thoughtful people?! 

Ampersand

The day I accepted my new position, I decided to treat myself to a little gift. I've long admired the wares of Bespoke Letterpress, so when they released a French navy version of their ampersand print I was ever so tempted. As I am an editor, this print really was an appropriate purchase.

Thank you to everyone who left kind comments and sent emails in response to my last post. I finished up at my 'old' job yesterday, and I have a couple of days off before launching straight into the new one on Monday. I got some truly lovely farewell gifts, and I promise to reveal them here soon.

My heart wanders...

Yesterday Tracey and I had the pleasure of attending an afternoon tea at St Francis in Milton to celebrate the launch of Pia Jane Bijkerk's new book my heart wanders.

We had a little hiccup on our way there (as a delightful little canine chap named Tedwin needed to be rescued from his adventures on a busy Nundah road), but we still made it with plenty of time to spare. We sampled some of the tasty treats on offer, and couldn't resist sitting on the very green (and very soft) grass. Later, we were lucky enough to meet Pia herself and have our copies of her book signed, and I look forward to reading it one winter's day with a blanket, a chocolate slice and a big cup of chai.

A big thank you goes to Kylie Johnson of Paper Boat Press and, of course, Pia for organising the event.

Also, just a little note to explain my diminished blogging activities of late. Recently, my heart has wandered a little bit too, and this has just last week resulted in me resigning from my job of more than nine years in order to move on to a new adventure in educational publishing. I'll be packing up my things over the next couple of weeks and the tears will no doubt flow, but I am excited to begin this new chapter in my working life.