Documenting the process (or am I just creating content?)

 Hello there fellow creatives! 

Scrap thread in a mesh pocket with felt surround.

Felt shape with mesh window, stuffed with yarn scraps.

We have reached the tail end of 2025. The calendar has just ticked over to December, and it's now that those of us who leave things until the last minute, really start to panic about the lack of organisation for Christmas day. As the years roll on, I'm less and less enthused by Christmas and all of the expected trimmings. In fact, I don't care for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day or any other day that I once viewed as nothing more than a day off work, but now view as a time when my inbox is flooded with marketing campaigns from corporations big & small. As others on the interwebs have noted, if you can't remember the name of that obscure company you bought that thing from 10+ years ago, just wait for Black Friday, Cyber Monday of the pre-Christmas/Boxing Day sales, because sure as shit they still have your email on file, even if you opted out of receiving email marketing.

But I digress. There has been quite a bit of creativity happening this year, and I've documenting it a bit more. Mainly for my own benefit, as I'm trying to document the time it takes to make things as well as understand any hurdles in the process I may have encountered. I also find it a useful tool for spring-boarding other ideas off.

The Summer was spent working on the needlepoint project. What began as random shapes stitched in the wool colours I had on hand, blossomed into a larger scale project with some thought put into the colour palette as a whole. My meagre stash of op-shop acquired wool has grown to a large hamper full of colour sorted zipped bags. 

Needlepoint shapes in abstract designs, on the WIPboard.

An abstract needlepoint shape in progress.

A needlepoint design that needs a backing and edging to be completed.

A larger scale needlework canvas, stretched onto a timber frame.  Still in progress.

I actually worked on it for most of the first half of the year. I had to pack it away for a while, because I was getting pins and needles in my hand from overuse.

In March, some very dear friends of ours got married. It was possibly one of the warmest Labour Day weekends we'd had for years, but honestly, the day was perfect, the setting was lovely and it was just an all round special day.  It's not often I put on make-up and a dress nowadays, but I was happy to do both on this occassion. 

Me.

I had an idea to create some Comfort Cushions, as an antidote to the sad state of the world and the constant anxiety that had taken over my days. The Real Job™ cash flow was very unstable, and it was causing me quite a few sleepless nights. I hadn't managed to sell any of my own crafty wares in the hope of easing our financial woes, and I needed a project that would, A)keep my mind occupied on something, and B) maybe generate some quick cash, as I planned to sell these at a lower price than my wall hangings. 

I was unsuccessful with the selling part, but really enjoyed the creative part. I'm fascinated by talismans and symbolism, and loved coming up with the imagery to go with the feeling I was trying to evoke.

Six Comfort Cushions in a small cupboard. The front cushions show the back with the token pocket.

If anyone is interested in buying one or more of these cushions, they're still available. You can find them here. 

As with most of my projects, once something is done and photographed, it's packed away and I move onto the next thing. Surprisingly, this time around, instead of starting on something completely new, I picked up a project I'd started on a whim , roughly 12 months earlier.  I figured it would be quick and loose, but of course, halfway through, I JUST HAD TO source some new (old) materials to create the vision I had in my mind. And then make some new hanger designs to display the finished piece from.

Stitching the shapes to the backing.

Adding the details.

Trying to get lots of texture and depth.

The finished wall hanging. Complete with hand painted timber hanger.

Other completed projects this year have been the stripping back and repainting of a small dolls cupboard, into a display cupboard to showcase my wares. And to hang behind that, an abstract fabric artwork, sewn onto linen and stretched over an Op-shopped canvas.

Abstract artwork behind display cupboard.

October rolled around and talk on the MadeIt socials turned to Christmas products. I'm not usually one to make things specifically for "Hallmark Holidays" as I like to call Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween etc. To me, they're days in the calendar marked by how much overpriced stuff we can have pushed on to us. But I'd really enjoyed making the Ugly Christmas Jumper cushions last year (which I can't believe I forgot to share on here,) so I thought I'd expand on that a little bit. 

Ugly Christmas Jumper cushions that I made in 2024. Made from fabric remnants, felted wool jumper scraps, beads, sequins, ric-rac & embroidery.

Whilst flicking through a book on A-frame cabins, I was struck with the idea to make a gingerbread house cushion, as an A-frame house.  I hunted through my fabric stash for some brown fabric that looked close to gingerbread, but didn't have anything suitable. I ended up finding a length of cotton flannelette at Spotlight on sale, and despite my better judgement about buying new fabric for my craft projects, I knew that if I didn't get this cushion made, it would haunt me. So I threw it in my basket and got to sewing once I got home.  It didn't come together quite how I visualised it, and it's not as bright and cheery as the jumper cushions. 

Gingerbread house A-frame cushion made from new cotton and remnant fabric, trims, beads & embroidery.

Because of this, I only made one. I was also struggling to reconcile creating Northern Hemisphere Christmas imagery for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas. Despite this, I have since seen an absolute glut of gingerbread house themed Christmas decorations in stores. I listed these cushions at the higher price point on the site, because quite a bit of work went into them.  I've since sold 2 of the jumper cushions (surprisingly to warmer states of NT & QLD) but have not had much interest in the newest one. I don't think I'll make Christmas themed decor next year. Unless requested by friends or family.

I'm actually having a big rethink on my craft practice in the future. I keep having big ideas, but then get derailed by the thought that I have to make things that I think people will buy. And then they don't, and the big idea has drifted away and I start another untethered project just for the sake of keeping my hands busy.  Or I start the big idea, do a deep dive on Pinterest or Instagram or even my vast library of craft books and magazines, only to realise that the influx of visual stimulation has thrown me off course completely, or knocked the wind out of my sails because I don't think I'm as good as other creatives.

So I'm going to go back to making things that make me happy or teach me new skills. (Gotta keep the brain active! Old dog, new tricks etc!)

I want to finish the wall hangings that I made the relief hangers for. I've got six hangers with no artwork that keep staring at me from my WIP board. I don't have the wall space to display them when they're finished, but that's a bridge to cross on another day. For now, it's all about the rush to get Christmas organised, buy presents, work out where we're having lunch on Christmas day and then breathe a big sigh of relief when Boxing Day rolls around. And we're back to that weird, in-between time when the days blur into one.

Spring Things.

 Well, hi there!

Can you believe that it's September already? I ask myself the same question every year. Where does the time go?

As usual, I had plans to achieve so much, but those plans were derailed by various life happenings, as is often the case. But that's ok. I'm a "go with the flow" kind of gal, so I'm not too stressed about not crossing things off my loosely scribbled to-do list.

I finished the quilted wall hanging that I was working on in my previous post.  I had some challenging moments when it looked uneven and then I was worried that I had cut my binding too narrow. But I persevered and finished it and I'm very happy with the outcome. It's listed here.

Finished abstract quilted wall hanging ©2024

I had a very different idea for the mounting, but despite spending a few days noodling around in the garage, I couldn't get that idea to work quite how I envisioned it. So I mounted this piece on some lovely scrap timber that I bought off a cabinet maker. I think it's oak.

I tried to get better at using power tools to do some of these timber projects, but honestly, most power tools are not made for small hands (and more so when those small hands are having grip strength issues!) I had to wait for days when The Bloke was available to do the timber work, because what would take me hours, he could knock over in a matter of minutes. I've got a nice batch of timber hangers in stock now, so that the next piece I make won't be held up by my not having them finished and ready to go. I've got a mix of plain timber, which I'll sand and then give a beeswax coating to, as well as some textured ply that I'm playing around with.

Textured wood hangers, painted in grey primer.

Timber scrap with an abstract pattern burnt onto the surface.

Timber hangers with paste applied to create a textured surface.

It's frustrating when you have an idea in your head, but can't work out how to make it a reality because you don't have the skills or the materials to make it work. And on top of that, when you try to do things in a sustainable way, that's an added hurdle to get over. Sure, I could 3D print something, or have it vacuum formed or moulded. But that's expensive, usually made from toxic materials, pricey or too slow for my impatient brain to wait for. The wood burning was a fail because the wood was too hard and the tool got stuck in the grain. If I tried that again, I would use a softer wood, like pine.

The wet, windy days we've had over Winter have been the perfect time to experiment in the garage. I did learn though, that sanding wood creates a fine dust that get's over everything! (I was wearing goggles and a ventilator.) All of the camping gear, exercise equipment and suitcases were covered in dust, so I need to invest in a better extraction fan or cover the stored items in tarps and boxes.

I haven't much felt the urge to start on a new project lately, but I have been working on some packaging/display options for the jewellery collection I made at the end of 2023, start of 2024. I really need to get them listed on my website, but wanted to make sure that if they did sell, I wouldn't be held up sending them off because I didn't have a suitable box to post them in.  I know that many businesses are all about branding and how they can be promoted on social media, but I have a problem with spending huge amounts of money on something that will be put in the (hopefully recycle) bin.  I sourced cardboard boxes locally, then have been using materials that I've collected from recycling facilities to create something to keep the necklaces safe and secure in transit.

Felt and leather jewellery display with cardboard easel. 

The biggest revelation was finally tracking down what I now know are called 'binding screws' or 'Chicago screws'. I had collected long ones from fabric sample books, but was desperate to get my hands on short ones, in a variety of finishes. I asked The Bloke if he knew of them, but his search came up empty handed. In frustration, I searched for "screws used to bind sample books together" and that's when my search yielded results. The screws give a nicer finish than using rivets. I also made some easel stands with scrap cardboard from Reverse Art Truck in Ringwood.  Now I just need to get them listed onto the website and fingers crossed, make a sale or two!  (Go and check it out and subscribe to the mailing list if you'd like to be kept up to date about new items.)

So that's what's been happening at Joystuff HQ. Cheers!

Trusting the process.

 G'day Stuffers! (Is it bold of me to give my readers a nickname? Does anyone else read this blog?)

I've just taken a break from the studio to make myself a coffee, wash a few dishes that I left soaking in the sink and take some pain medication to try and get rid of the headache that is forming.

The very messy studio before it had a major clean up last month.

I'm not sure if the headache is a symptom of my erratic period (hello perimenopause) or if it's from too much computer work/end of financial year stressors.  I finished what work I had to do at around lunchtime today, then headed in to the studio for some creative time.  I've had so many ideas forming in my head lately, but I just haven't had the time to get stuck in to it. I actually have to write myself a list to remind myself to make time for crafting. It's so easy to be distracted by Pinterest or Instagram (although I'm trying to wean myself off the latter, now that Meta has decided to implement AI scraping), and I've often said that I sometimes spend so much time developing an idea that by the time I get around to creating it, the urge has gone.

Improv patchwork made from decorator remnants.

                                          

I've spent the past few months thinking about making things to add to my Madeit store. I was so excited when the site was refreshed and relaunched last year. The new owner, Leina Broughton, has a wealth of knowledge about selling online, and she was happy to give us all pointers on how to market ourselves and our products, how to take better photos and write better headings to make SEO work for us. But the more videos I watched and the more things I read from other sellers on the Facebook page, I began to wonder if it was the right platform for me. The push to constantly post on Instagram, and to create reels and videos of me in the studio, didn't sit well with me. I don't want to be a content creator. I want to make weird little things from the many piles of fabrics I've collected over the years. I don't have a consistent look to my work. It's something that has bothered me my whole creative life. But I've accepted the fact. I make what I make because I enjoy teaching myself new skills. I like to use the things that I've collected. I'm not about mass producing products. And I'm not in it for the money. (Although it's always nice to make a sale and then donate 10% of that sale to a deserving cause.)

So, I keep coming up with ideas and I keep trying to bring them to fruition. But I just don't have the drive like I did when I was making bags to sell at markets. I think it's a combination of an oversaturated market for anything anyone could possibly want, coupled with a feeling of not being good enough, or not having the skills to market myself. 

Improv patchwork piece with added stitching, that I started in May. It's sat idle for the last few weeks.

I'll keep plugging away. I like the fact that when I'm in the studio sorting through fabrics and playing around with ideas, it helps me to destress from 'real' work. It also means that I get some time to myself, as the family tend to leave me to my own devices when I'm in there with the music turned up loud. (I can't tell you how many times they've startled me when they open the door.)
And hopefully soon, I'll have some new items to add to my shop and feel like I've accomplished something.