the magic mushroom
We love 'other peoples craft' here at hml, and regular readers would be aware that most of our craft finds of the week are the results of happening upon magnificent examples of both the weird and the wonderful output of the unknown crafter. While we have a big collection of ceramics, embroidery, needlepoint, shell art, knitting and crochet it wasnt until Saturday that we managed to find the most rare of OPC items - latch-hook. We don't know quite why they are so hard to find, but like the proverbial hens tooth they are... so when Beck saw this little number out came the wallet and home came the mushroom.
Ramona was a little disturbed when Beck pulled it out back at hml headquarters having had a particularly traumatising time with a latch-hook chicken as a child. Having toiled for many moons on her first latch hook project at the age of 12 she had planned on making it into a cushion for her bed (it went so well with the Holly Hobby sheets). Instead it got snafooed into the nursery of her newly born cousin. Ramona has never recovered.
Beck also found this excellento kids book while rummaging through the op-shop, a hml how-to for little people by none other than super illustrator Richard Scarry, including such fantastic projects as the lowly worm book and a hand-stitched felt Ms Mouse. We can't wait to get started on the projects.
The ladies of HML know you all well enough to guess that many of you have this $30 'benjamin' stool from Ikea...
As Ramona continues on her quest to avoid doing work and just make presents from now until her newborns arrival in November a bit of Ikea Hacking was in order...
It's for Miss H who makes a lovely tea and cookie treat on Sundays (Miss H and Miss B are the ONLY people Ramona drops in on unannounced) but alas they have no coffee table and usually use a wobbly chair. Now they have a spare spot for teacups and friends. Inspiration and free stencils template from (take one guess)! Now Miss H won't mind so much when she hears that all too familiar knock on the door...
We are big fans of furniture and lighting designer extrodinaire Erik North, BIG fans. So we've been waiting with baited breath for a chance to head off to see his latest exhibition "Making Plans". Currently on show at Twentybythirty gallery - it makes excellent use of the tiny space built into the front of the Pushka Espresso Bar, which of course is located in yet another of melbourne's uber cool laneways, Presgrave Place. North's brilliantly crafted railway brings to life the highly industrious architecture of a miniature wooden nether-world: 3D urban planning that is part Gullivers travels, part Fraggle Rock, part ant farm. 
which begs the question - just how would these two approach a tulip field inspired quilt project and can we please be on the short list if they do ever get around to one?
