recovery

Last weekend was craft camp, this weekend the school fete.

There's been a lot of making, organising, coordinating and reflecting.

And after a 12 hour shift on fete day - 12 straight hours of standing and talking and lifting and serving and setting up and packing up without even a single toilet break - there's been two solid days of recovery. I've never felt quite so shattered without the involvement of alcohol, drugs or emergency medical care.

And I took no photos on fete day, or even any photos of the wares I made to stock the handmade stall that I coordinate. [Though I admit to a quiet gratification that all the linen aprons I made, all the linen tea towels I printed, all the Japanese style wrist bags I made and all the scarves I knit sold.]

I have finally taken some photos of the craft camp wares (minus the aforementioned fete stuff that I spent a whole craft camp day making).

Bags and hats for the kids featuring fabrics received in a kids printing swap

A downsized version of the Tessuti favourite 'our fave top' for Amy in a fabric she's been hassling me to make up for her for months.

Some work pants for me in a two way stretch woven cotton

And a skirt in cotton elastine, with circular motif pocket and patch featuring my current obsessionally favourite colour orange.

It compliments my grorange shawl, finally finished and much loved.

I finally used up this fine black and white stripe knit I've been holding onto for a while and was overjoyed to realise there was enough for both a short sleeve T with shirred details,

And a giant oversized long sleeve top with a very long and bulky cowly neck.

Another zippy toiletries bag from crumpler scraps to take my swim shower stuff in.

I also finally got around to sewing myself a leather bag too. Uncharacteristically for me, who in general fits into the cut first ask questions later category of sewists, I spent a lot of one day sitting staring at the leather, cutting pieces up, stitching them then sitting staring at them a bit more. In the end I opted for the simplest shape and construction I could possibly manage to cut down on the opportunities for the difficulties of sewing leather to impact on the end result.
It has my customary complicated interior pocket organisation, but the outer is cut entirely in a single piece from a lovely thick but soft hide.

I'm very happy with this one, I love the size and shape and there's just a few imperfections to keep me humble. I haven't started using it yet, since my last bag hasn't actually fallen to bits but it's very nice to have a new bag just waiting in the wings for when it does.

I will also be perpetually amused and heartened by the process of making it, and the involvement of others as I thought out loud about different ways to go with it. I'll also remember with great fondness a certain inventiveness about substituting for the template plastic I didn't have for the base.

It is in fact the quintessential craft camp project - too involved and large scale to be tackled easily at home, with both learning and a bit of teaching involved, so much the more polished and well executed for the discussion of details with others, a bit of improv demanded at the last minute, and something that has a real ta da! I made it! wow! about it.