Shan-I-Am Blog

I don’t crochet or knit but I have a very fond, nostalgic relationship with yarn (my mother and Grandmother were yarnies) so when Mister Domestic released his Art Galley Fabrics ‘Hooked’ range I just new I was going to have an absolute BALL working with it.

I started the process with thinking about my relationship with wool and a few things came to mind. 

• My 7th Wedding Anniversary this year (WOOL)
• Grumpy cat, yeah okay it’s a stretch but cats play with yarn right? 
• My Grandmother (Grannie Squares) and my Mother

I had an idea for a making a Grumpy cat cushion in solid AGF co-ordinates while I waited for yardage to get from the U.S. to me here in Australia.  I found the perfect quick block pattern from SewFreshQuilts.  At some point during the process I decided that it was too cute for just a cushion and that maybe I could design a whole quilt for Grumpy cat.  I work in construction so I decided a brick wall was best, I even used actual brick and mortar sizes!  I think at some point down the track I will design a few different things to sit on that quilt wall and maybe even release a pattern to celebrate.

I am BEYOND thrilled with the result that was supposed to be a ‘side’ project and honestly became much, much more. 

The exceptional quilting was done by Lynne at Quilts-A-Lot with organic wool batting from Hollyburton Farm right here in Victoria.  I even got a chance to take my new quilt for a spin out to Daylesford for a family picnic to celebrate hubby and I, our 7th Wedding Anniversary this year – WOOL!  

Of course I felt a little cheaty as I hadn’t actually crocheted anything so I commissioned my dear friend Amanda at Amanda’s Woolen World to make me a girl grumpy cat to lounge quilt-side.  She looks incredible and I have named her ‘Hope’.

My next Hooked project was hard yakka because my machine decided to go belly up leaving me very little time for finishing off but I got there in the end.  Perhaps not as many Grannie’s as I would have liked but I’m happy with the Grans that made the cut. These patterns are so, so sweet and are by the beautiful Minky & Friends. 

My Mum’s (who is a Grandma) is Margot so when I saw that there was a Grannie square called Margot I promptly decided it was fate and set about making 6 toy Grannies.  I would like to introduce you to them here;

Grandma Margot

Grandma Margot has 6 Granddaughters and 1 Grandson and is a very proud Gran.  She was a nurse all her working life and loves to give back to the community so does lots volunteer work.  During the lockdown she taught herself to play piano, to draw Australian Botanica and is working on her Italian.  She loves eating Chocolate Royals - crack the chocolate on your head, suck the marshmellow then and only then can you lick off the jam and dunk the bikkie in your tea.  She teaches all the grandies this trick ;)

MawMaw Mable

MawMaw Mabel loves to read and is really into Agatha Christie novels however her latest love is True Crime podcasts.  She loves nothing better that hopping into a warm bed with her earbuds in and nice cup of tea and listing to Casefiles.  MawMaw is also a real greenthumb and is currently teaching her grandies to grow their own vegetables.  They had a really wonderful radishes crop recently.  She is proud as punch!

Babcia Betty

Babcia Betty loves to KNIT but let me tell you something, she's pretty terrible at it if I'm honest.  That doesn't stop her however from knitting everyone she knows 3 armed jumpers and 7 finger gloves for winter.  Betty's other love is extreme sports including snowboarding and motocross.  She would really love to head over to New Zealand next year to try Bunji jumping for her 82nd Birthday.

Oma Emily

Oma Emily goes to Church every Sunday.  She sings all the hymns VERY loudly and VERY out of tune.  Emily loves old black and white films that remind her of her childhood.  'His Girl Friday' and 'Rebecca' are her favourites.  I suspect she knows every word.  Emily bakes and her specialty is Victorian Sponge!  Apparently the secret to the perfect sponge is to drop the sponge (tin and all) from about 30cm onto the floor as soon as you get it out of the oven.  I was a bit dubious but it WORKS.  Thanks for the tip Oma Emily.

Nanna June

Nanna June LOVES animals!  She's a huge David Attenborough fan-nan.  She has a quiet disposition but was quite the activist in her younger years.  Nanna June turns 98 on Christmas Eve.

VoVo Violet

VoVo Violet loves her garden especially her David Austin roses.  She also enjoys quilting and even through she only starting sewing 2 years ago (she got a machine for her 70th birthday) she has a natural talent.  Violet has one Grandson who she dotes on, she is currenly making him a very special quilt for his 7th Birthday, it is Minecraft blocks.  Violet isn't sure what a Minecraft is but she's happy to give it a try for the apple of her eye.

Do you have a special name for you Grandma?

 

Suffice to say i am hooked on 'Hooked'

 

Shan xx

 

 

 

 

A few months ago I was lucky enough to be one of a selected few to be chosen for the Mister Domestic Playroom Party.

It was a HUGE deal for me and I wanted to really try and create something quite different for you all.

I recently discovered Minky & Friends patterns and I loved them so much I thought they could be a great launching place for a unique little collection of Playroom love.

So with that said what I want to do is introduce you to my Playroom Pals;

Landon is an only cub, which is the same as being an only child except the lion version. He is very bored being stuck at home but he doesn’t want to make anyone sick especially his Grandlions so he’s going to be a very brave cub.

Landon thinks now is the perfect time to make paper planes with kind words and maybe some flower or veg seeds stuck on and fly them over the fence to the neighborhood cubs. He is very thoughtful like that!

Landon loves finger painting, making robots from boxes and riding his skateboard. His Mumma is teaching him to write so he can send postcards to his Grandlions.

Landon is crafted from AGF Mister Domestic “Fingerpaint Cobalt” woven.

This is Penelope but you can call her Penny. Penny loves to dance and pick flowers and dress up in all her Mumma’s pretty clothes.

Penny is bossy but she likes to call it “leadership” .. She can oft be found bossing AKA leading her younger brothers into elaborate games of shops, banks, hairdressers, libraries and schools. I think her “leadership” may come in handy over the coming weeks and months.

Pennyis crafted from AGF Mister Domestic “Flowers All Round” woven.

This is Keira. Keira made a list of the things she loves most;

Family, friends, gum leaves, cute kitten videos on youtube, the smell of fresh cut grass, peach iced tea, giggling, finger painting, dancing, Lego-ing, making block towers with her Dad, playing snakes and ladders with her Mum, cuddles before bed.

Keira is crafted from AGF Mister Domestic “Fingerpaint Pink” woven.

This is Brielle and she is going to be famous when she grows up. She LOVES to perform and can oft be found with a hairbrush microphone singing forlornly to her hoards of adoring (imaginary) fans.

Brielle firmly believes that in order to be a ‘good’ famous person she must also hone her pill-an-trophy skills (read Philanthropy) so when she’s not singing or performing interpretive dance she’s been checking on the elderly neighbours (from a distance) and making them beautiful artworks full of rainbows.

Brielle is crafted from AGF Mister Domestic “A Happy Life” woven.

This is Eli and Eli is VERY anxious. He doesn’t like people around people he doesn’t know or large groups, Eli is looking forward to the quiet days with his family.

Eli is very clever and loves to count. He can count all the way up to 400 but for some reason he always gets 16 and 17 around the wrong way and instead of 11 he says 11ty. He is hoping that by the end of the week with lots of practice that he will make his counting all the way to 1000!

Eli is crafted from AGF Mister Domestic “Funloving” woven.

And here they all are looking fun and fabulous at De’Lish Boutique HQ.

If you’d like to take a Playroom Pal home to live at your place, you can find them here (going live at 8pm AEDST)

“’Everything real has been imagined first”

I don’t know how long I have been dreaming about unicorns, maybe it’s been my whole life.

The second I laid eyes on Kokka Fabrics ‘Forest Friends’ I knew I had to sew with it. In my eyes it’s the perfect combo of sweet forest creatures with the added bonus of the perfect unicorn/Pegasus. The detail of the illustration has a maturity to it while being completely endearing. Being Japanese in origin the linen/cotton blend has an exquisite hand. I managed to source this fabric in Cobalt, Blush and Citrine for this collection.

Of course my adoration for ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and it’s timeless important messages was a natural choice to incorporate with this woodland vision. The hand-drawn illustration in the fabric was perfect and I managed to find magnificent complimentary velvets in the three chosen colours.

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.” – The Velveteen Rabbit

I’m a creative who relishes every opportunity to collaborate. It’s part of my DNA I think. I love that creative serendipity moment. It takes a level of generosity, openness and vulnerability which I think, for me, leads to better results. I also love having someone to bounce ideas off.

Collaborating with Sarah Scott (Piccolo Studios) has been straight up the easiest and honestly one of the most joyous collaborations I have ever undertaken. Sarah is not only a creative force of nature, she is also one of my best friends.

I am a firm believer in creative freedom of expression and I trust Sarah implicitly. A tip for those ordering handmade customs – choose a creator you trust and don’t be too specific and you are more likely to be wowed.

The abridged conversation went as so;

Shan: Sends photos of phenom Kokka Fabric
Sarah: LOVE! Heart eyes
Shan: Will you make Bunny Rugs (AKA ridonkulously beautiful mini quilts that belong on gallery walls) for me
Sarah: Send fabric stat
Shan: Sends fabric
Sarah: So i’m thinking …….
Shan: Whatever YOU want – mix the fabrics, do the things, do YOUR thing
Sarah: Okey Dokey
Sarah: Sends sneak peeks
Shan: Is lost for words and better than ANYTHING I ever imagined

Simples right?! Simple if you trust the person and understand, appreciate and love their vision and it complements your own.

I am blown away at how beautifully this collaboration has come together and how it so perfectly brings together all the whimsy of my childhood.

I hope you love ‘Piccolo (Little) Velveteen Heartstrings’ as much as we do.