Hi all, I haven't been on the boards for ages, but with my wedding coming up in March I think it's time to step back into the fold!
So, I've hosted a lot of parties in my time, and I'm a crafty DIY demon, so organising the wedding is not phasing me the way it does for most noncrafters. I've hosted many a party that involved complete reworkings of decor, all the catering plus costumes etc

So, I know what I want for the wedding cake, and I'm really struggling right now with the idea of paying a baker $400-500 for something I can do myself. I'll be doing something like this http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/50-great-cakes#slide_45

As well as my own baking skills, 2 of my bridesmaids are handy with a stick of butter and some sugar, and have some experience in making celebration cakes. When I've talked of it though, most people have reared back in horror at the idea, and keep telling me I'll have too much else to do. The women at work started talking of having a collection to pay for a baker so I won't do it. But the baking would be done a week ahead and frozen, which I need to do to dowel it anyway. I'll probably even buy the base layer as the DH wants chocolate mud, and in Oz the Cheesecake shop do an excellent mud cake and will ice it for you for under $100. That's how my cousin did his cake last year. I just don't like mud or I'd get the whole thing from there
The decorating yes, the day before, but it would be white chocolate ganache (bugger fondant) and then glueing the confetti with decorator's glue.

so, especially those who've been there, am I crazy? It seems to me that the lead up to a party where I don't even have to cater seems a little relaxing, and I'd have helpers and it's something I enjoy

It's World Wide Knit in Public Day again!
This is an unofficial event
Meet us at the entrance to South Bank Gardens at 11 am (when QPAC ends and there's a fountian) or if it's raining in the piazza
Bring a blanket to sit on, and maybe a snack, and of couse your knitting/crochet, handcraft (we're not knitcentric)

Hi folks

Just realised WWKIPday is up, and we've nearly missed it! Too late for official sign-up, but who'd be keen to meet at 11 in King George Square next Saturday?? Cross posting in the Brisbane SnB thread

My brother came into a yarn store with me a couple of weeks ago, and decided after bothering me for years to make him a scarf (which I've never quite got around to doing) he'd just knit one his damn self.
 He taught himself how to knit out of a book a few years ago but never actually made anything. So I taught him to cast on and pearl, and went home. Yesterday I helped him cast off over the phone and he is now the proud knitter of a very larey scarf!!  



I'm pretty proud of him too- now he's got to pick his next project- suggestions?

I crocheted this corset out of video tape on an 8mm hook, using double and triple crochet. I didn't have a pattern, I just crocheted until it matched a corset I already had.

This was a sculpture piece from uni- I was looking at body alteration and mutilation. Being bound by the media and constricted by existing images of femininity etc... I'm quite proud of it, but it deeply disturbs my boyfriend. I think this means it's getting the point across 

Front and Back




Front and back details



Working with tape wasn't fun- it squeaks, black stuff comes off and gets under your nails and into your carpet and lungs, you can't frog AT ALL. But it looks great and squeaks like a real corset when you move it around at the waist.
Maybe if I win this contest I'll be allowed to bring it out of the corner of the living room behind a chair where it hides to preserve my SO's peace of mind 

I've always thought the empty body for a sock monkey looks like a frog, so I made one. He's pretty funny. His new owner's named him Google



He was easy to make
Here's the pattern from the socks


Follow a similar construction to a sock monkey once it's all cut out:
-Stitch legs inside out, leaving the gap in the crotch open, bag out and stuff. Slip stitch the crotch shut
-stitch the arms inside out, bag out and stuff. THis bit was difficult because I made them quite skinny and they're running diagonally across grain of the sock, so they don't stretch.
-Once the arms and legs are stuffed stitch 3 lines down the feet and hands to create the webbing
-stitch arms to frog
-run a gathering stitch around the edge of the eye circles, gather and stuff and stitch closed
-stitch to the top of the frog's head
- then embroider a mouth (I followed the line of the toe seam) and add some crazy buttons for eyes

Viola! A sock frog!!

I made a mini-Sarah for my friend's birthday. She's an exact replica right down to the tiger striped hair and brass studded leather clutch





Hee hee,i gave her red knickers

I made this cloche for determinedimprovist ion- she's reallyy nautiluses (nautili?)
So I made up a cloche that looks a bit like a shell and crocheted a little nautilus that goggles his little legs where the flower would normally go...



I was pretty pleased with the nautilus- I just freeformed him using a couple of pictures. I didn't even know about the knitty pattern until determinedimprovisa tion told me how much better mine was (doh!) (But I think mine does look better  )



Hope you like!

Meet Teabag- a badassdnky dofo with a taste for speed, fast ass and grass.
Made for teapotdnky to add to the donkey stable for the summer fling swap  Complete with piercings, gold tooth and some nasty tats!







I adapted him from the gogo pets fawn pattern in the japanese Palm-sized Stuffies book ISBN 4 8347 2244 9 that I found out about here on craftster (that's where the pattern for the little puppy stuffies comes from)

 You can see clearer shots of the embroidery on teapot's post http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=106169.msg1066829#msg1066829

I had a great time making him, I think he came out pretty funny. Thanks!

I made this for sissychrissy1 in the fruits and veges swap- she likes to ride her bike alot, and while picnicing with myself on a lovely sunny day I came up with THE PICNIC PEACH!


It's essentially a cushion that is quite hollow and filled with everything you'd need for a picnic for one: cutlery, picnic mat, zipper pouch for food (or project)  and napkin. And the container is a cushion, so you can have a nap in the sun 





I made it out of this shiny terry towelling i've had for ages ( I secretly have always wanted to make little roller skating shorts with it), and the gingham stuff is a plastic flannel backed tablecloth I picked up cheap- so everything is waterproof and insulated a little bit.
I also used fusible webbing to applique a peach to the napkin.

I think I'll need to make one for myself- maybe an apple...