CRAFTERNOON OF THE WEEK - GEMMA JONES, EMMA GREENWOOD, HML

tea, baby shoes, skeining, looms and eccles cake

The ladies were well overdue for a crafternoon so we were pretty thrilled to get the call from Royal Melbourne Show open category embroidery first prize winner Emma Greenwood letting us know that she was opening the doors on Sunday. Interestingly I'd just been reading the Sunday Age cover article about the importance of adult play (no not that kind of play people) and considering how much good crafternooning is really all about putting the hard work aside and sitting with friends and food and playing about. Brilliant. 

Ramona and I packed our trusty kids tapestry looms, home made cheese sticks and garden picked spring flower bouquet and headed over to enjoy the company of some of Melbourne's finest. We were pretty thrilled when Gemma brought out a tray of ye olde eccles cakes, which are kind of like mince tarts but lighter and more gingery, and because they were made by Gemma, vegan. Yup - perfection right there -  I ate three. DELICIOUS.

Ramona hard at work

my weaving which is clearly channelling Gemma's eccles cake tray

It's always interesting to see what we end up bringing to the kitchen table to craft, old knitting, skeins long overdue for balling, last minute leather baby shoe production work and seventies inspired weaving. We're still finishing off the pieces that we started on the day, and pretty happy with the way they're going.

Ramona's Ryamania 

my Back in Blacktacular

Possibly the best bit however is Emma's killer soundtrack bee-bopping its way in the background of some seriously stream of conscious conversations on everything from contemporary feminist  pornography through the history of heavy metal and onto new options for kids school holiday activities. Thanks ladies, a perfect afternoon. Next time HML will host - who's up for an afternoon in the indigo vat? BECK

You can watch Emma at work here

or go and make your own Eccles Cakes (be warned you cant eat just one)