{ Mu'Mu }

Peeping Out From the Covers

Well, hello there!

Did I mention that a while back I was asked to contribute towards the sewing magazine Sew Hip?

One of my children's quilted animal cushions caught the eye of the editor and I was asked if I'd like to share a tutorial on how to put one together. Why yes, yes I would.

And I'm happy to say it did actually make it into print, and you can find my Flamingo Quilted Cushion tutorial in this month's copy, issue 18, of Sew Hip.

So why not give one a go? Hope you brighten up a corner or two! And as an extra helping hand I'm offerig the Flamingo Template free for your personal use!

Flamingo Template

No excuses! Get sewing!

Hearting

Some images that are doing it for me right now. And if you haven't yet discovered it, I'm back on We Heart It with avengence again.

I love this tool - it's so useful if you are trying to keep images together - if you are designing something or being inspired by a trend - they have a handy bookmark tool which you just drag and drop onto your menu bar which allows you to save almost any image on the net to your Heart It page. Brilliant. Do check it out, and if you sign up add me as a friend so I can see what interests you too!

X-Ray Vision

I've been getting some good responses about these new cushions in the store - X-Ray animals, and I realised I hadn't really talked about them.

Again, inspired by my boys - a twist on the animal applique thing - felt with embroidered details of what you would see if the animal happened to move past your X-Ray Vision. If you HAD X-Ray vision. Or an X-Ray machine. Or an X-Ray something. You get the idea. X-Rays.

My boys love them. I hope they say a lot about our humour. I think they say a lot about our love of animals. And my desire for a flock of egg-layers? Yeah, it's been playing on my mind lately....

Sorry!!

Gosh, what can I say? Where are my manners? Sorry for just bailing out like that. Life just took over for a while, y'know?

So. Where were we? Well, I've been hit by the painting and decorating bug AGAIN - just corners of our home badly neglected that needed some well-earned TLC. Firstly, our old lobby area (you thought the bathroom was small? Oy...), which with a lick of paint, a new light fixture and some re-arranging of nooks and crannies, has now been officially designated the laundry niche. Yup. I got me a utility space. Kinda. More a futility space. But pretty colour.

I have some (new to us) furniture requiring several layers of paint pencilled in for these coming days, as well as various other things, and if that wasn't enough hopefully a shop update next week insha'allah.

Busy, busy, busy....

Have a great weekend, people!

x

Selling Myself

If any of you have ever tried to sell in the handmade craft market you will appreciate how hard it can be to break into as a serious contender for making any money. Why?

The first reason is that the general populace don't know and care even less about having individual handmade items in their home. The only thing many people think about is cost, and let's face it, when you are up against slave workers from the developing world who live in cardboard boxes and have maybe one meal a day, you can't compete with that. Items from China are cheap for a reason.

Secondly, people place no value in handcrafted beauty or individualism. We want magazine spread homes which reflect nothing of ourselves, and for many this is simply because there is no personality for them to impart into the home in the first place...

Anybody who thinks making money from handmade is seriously deluded. So why do people bother??

For me the answer lies in my need to constantly create ; it is the only thing that centres me, calms me and inspires me to joyful living.

The second reason, like the reason I do anything in my life, is for my two boys {from whom the name Mu'Mu is derived}. They are my driving force for everything I do and for all the choices I make.

When I create for Mu'Mu I stop and ask:: what would my boys like to see - what are they into - what would make them happy and excited. That's my benchmark. And when I have an idea it is they who product-test it for me - what works, what could be better, what they like, and what they would like to see. In short, if it floats their boat it is a success. Period.

Right now? Well they are into animals (they're vets, remember), and trucks (no brainer), and so that is where my work takes me. First to animals, and on the worktable, trucks (to follow insha'allah).

But the other reason my boys inspire me to do this? I'm not ashamed to say - for the money (the very little that I make). I'm being honest.

I am not trying to claim world domination, or corner a market, or become a name in the field. Nope. I am making pennies so that this little homeschooling family get to make it to the theatre, the concert, the ballet and for days out, where little minds are stretched and wings can soar.

Mu'Mu stands squarely by and for my children, which is why, even though this handmade craft thing is so ludicrously low-paid, I stick with it. I love beauty, and I love my boys.

Shop is now re-opened, in case you didn't quite get it. And I'll be updating with new things next week insha'allah

Sew Storm

A few ideas brewing in my head; some things that are halfway into reality. Some new colours and themes for a spring opening of shop Mu'Mu in the upcoming week insha'allah.

Feels good to be sewing again.

Virtual Yard Sale - OPEN

 

So.

Here we are with a few things for the virtual yard sale. I had in mind more, but given that I am offering free shipping to anywhere in the universe some of the items would prove too costly to post (think pyrex, think plates, think ceramic nick-nacks, think BOOKS - oh the books), so have limited myself to only the things that won't shatter into a gazillion pieces in the post or leave me out of pocket.

At a real yard sale I would have offered everything individually priced and there would be so much more for sale, but because of shipping I had to bundle things together to keep it reasonable for both buyer and seller.

I don't know what you'll make of it all, but like any yard sale this is open for only a short while - not a day, obviously, but  two weeks for good measure? OK. Two weeks. 24th November is the deadline. These items are one offs NEVER to be repeated. Once they're gone they are GONE, and once the two weeks are up anything not sold in going straight to landfill - I will never list these again. EVER.

Mail me if you have any queries at qalballah AT gmail DOT com. I think the listings are pretty self-evident, but if you need to know more then convo me.

Shipping is free, so the price you see is the price you pay. Oh and as I've been listing things they've already been 'flying off the shelf' so grab anything you see while you can.

There is a selection of everything to keep you interested - and all my usual stock of shop things have BEEN REDUCED also - scarves, wraps etc.

Good luck! Happy thrifting! 24th November is deadline!

Virtual Yard Sale

Things are a bit busy around here at the moment; a lot of planning and rearranging in the works. A lot of letting go and a lot of change - good change insha'allah.

In tune with these changes, and in part to help them, I'm paring a down a few things - destashing, letting go. I thought it might be fun to have a virtual Yard Sale here? As well as a few new things to sell, of course.

So that's what I'll be doing next time I post insha'allah - a Yard Sale. Bits and pieces from here and there - some things found thrifting that I no longer have space for; some yarn I need to let go; perhaps some fabric destash if I'm brave. And a few other odds and ends you might like to snoop through.

Back after the weekend insha'allah.

Work from a sick bed

I've been feeling a little bit ill recently - kind of run down and in need of rest - my body has commanded sleeeeep and my family have been very patient masha'allah. I've even had a couple of little companions in my sick bed - you know, 'helping'.

Bored and tired I've been trying to do bits of work when I can; the inspiration board has been updated and the colours that I am working with are at hand for reference. Some sketches and an itching to get back to the sewing machine has surfaced...

After a mammoth few weeks all about knitting it will be nice to get back to sewing.

And needless to say I am excited about working on new ideas and seeing what these sketches will emerge as when they are beefed up with fabric!

Online auction :: the Flege Family need our help

Remember this pillow? Well it's up for auction.

Over on The T21 Traveling Afghan Chandos has organised a raffle for a special family who need our help. Here is what she has to say about the Flege Family:

Amy and Mike/Stacy have been married almost nineteen years. They have three children.

After losing his job last year before Christmas, Mike/Stacy was finally able to get another. It wasn't easy catching up, but the family manages to live on one income while Amy takes Mayson (who is enhanced with Down syndrome) to therapies, doctor appointments, etc.

Unfortunately, Mike/Stacy's new job does not offer any vacation or disability, etc. Therefore, while he recovers from his open heart surgery, the family will have no income!!!

Can you say stress???

This family is typically the ones on the giving side of life, so it's been difficult for them to accept being on the other side of things. They are greatly appreciative for their community and friends during this time.

Let's show them the love and support they've shown others over the years!

If you would like to take part in the raffle then all the details can be found on this page. If you would like to make a donation then you can do that too over on the same page.

I don't know this family, but I know what it is like to be stressed, to feel a burden and be so dizzy with it you think you might not make it. Small kindnesses mean a lot, so if you have a spare buck and/or you want to bid for one of the items in the raffle, please go over and help this family out.

Thankyou

Trunk Show - Urban Cowboy

Well, as promised, the store has been updated!

I hope you like the little trunk show I've put together :: in this update you will find things for Mama rather than child - sometimes Mama needs a little something for herself, don't you think?

I had a lot of fun with this update and made some new things I've never offered before in colours I adore (understatement)! I just cannot get enough of these gorgeous teals, tartans and new fabrics.

So in this little offering we have :: fingerless mitts in a gorgeous silky jersey fabric in teal/kingfisher blue. So so silky and yummy.

To compliment this we have included scarves in a blue tartan colourway, and a crepe aubergine thing going on. It's all about dressing it up in a dressed-down way.

Also, I think you are going to love the new Eco-Totes I've made - huge huge bags that have already found their way as a necessity in this house. Stylish (IMO!) yet I've kept the cost really really low to encourage us all to dump the plastic bags and start using reusable totes!

And finally the wraps:

There are so many uses for these simple, yet elegant wraps masha'allah. You can keep correspondence material in them, it is true, but I know one of my customers used hers for keeping study notes in. I myself have one for keeping recipe cards and knitting patterns. They also work well as overnight toiletries bags - enough room for soap, toothbrush and other bits and bobs. These make a perfect gift which the recipient can utilise in their own unique way. Truly, these wraps really are versatile masha'allah.

So there you are. A little shop update that I hope you'll all love as much as I do. And to celebrate Eid I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on everything until the end of September! Worldwide!

*********

We'll be enjoying the rest of today (Jumah Akbar) by getting the house ready for Eid, followed by celebrations on Monday through Wednesday. Have a great weekend, great Eid, great harvest festival and I'll see you here sometime next week! We have a lot of celebrating to do!

Shop Update Announcement

It's been a while since I updated the store (it's been a while since I've been able to work!), so bear with me as I try to get a few things ready for an update Friday (or thereabouts...) insha'allah

Meet you here Friday? Last one there's got square wheels  .... (waaaaay too much Chuggington in this house).

Mustard & Teal

You might recall me posting recently that I am still being inspired by the mustard colourway. It doesn't seem to be abating in the slightest. I think it has been a solid year now and I haven't lost my love for this colour one little bit.

But as well as loving it up with greys and marigolds, I have discovered a new colour combo that's doing it for me :: Mustard and Teal. Just crazy, dizzy loving this combo. So much so, that I have been including it in my work.

This latest addition to the store reflects the sucky weather thing going on over here, and hinting towards the coming autumn - ooh berry picking in woolens, walks with scarves and mittens. Summer may have been a complete wash-out, but here's really hoping that Autumn is going to rock insha'allah (pleeeeeeeeeease!!). And who could have an Autumn walk with the babes in the woods without something to keep the neck warm? It would be a veritable sin not to accessorize in Autumn colours in Fall!

I have made a really extra long one for myself, because I like to wind scarves around and around; and I love the way these colours dance together masha'allah. The eye is drawn from one patch to the next, and it adds such an extra dash of vibrancy to my usual dowdy attire.

Mustard and teal; I don't think I can get enough right now...

Simple Pleasures :: Colour in my Life

Simple Pleasures :: Colours in my life

One stitch at a time

Needles? 3.25mm.
Say What? Exactly. Teeny tiny. Might as well be knitting on toothpicks
Knitting? Summer shawl
For whom? Me, of course!
Started? Mid April
End in sight? Holy Mother of God, none that I can see
Colour? Tealy green
Material? Cotton
Stitches? Sixteen thousand million, and still casting on
Swear words used? Not many, but the urge to stick needles in eyeballs has surfaced.
Lesson learned? We've invented machines for things like this now. Move on.
Next project? On the sticks right now!



Will you ever learn? Never.

The type of mail I like

It's good to wake to parcels like this. It puts a whole new boing in your step!

Fabric Love

Sometimes I just sit and stare at colour and texture and contrast. I can't explain it. It makes me happy...

This indie fabric is making my very happy - giddy, in fact. I know I say that a lot, but just check out some of these prints by Laurie Wisbrun over at Scarlet Fig.

I tracked her down (hm, that sounds quite sinister...) after seeing her prints in the Spoonflower Flickr Group, 'Spoonflower Fabric Designs'.

I think I actually *gasped* when I saw this one::

And this one might be coming to live with me::

In fact, they are all so gorgeous in such clever retro designs and beautifully modern colours that my biggest headache this week might be just how much to order...

She's a clever girl, no? People like this inspire me and crush me at the same time. On the one hand I am psyched and want to log onto spoonflower myself and start making things just as amazing. And at the same time I feel like I am already beaten by genius whilst all I can do is stand and watch.

But lucky for me, I can never get tired of looking at fabric, nor the legal high it gives me. And this little lot? I'd say it should be making me smile for a while yet...

New Collection :: Sneak Peaks - the one where I waffle...

Yeah. So. Sneaky peaks. Here you are. Some new shots of my new stuff. Just so you know, I'm tired, afflicted with hayfever, and a bit mardy today. I am also going to waffle and drone incessantly about this new collection, so if you don't want to listen about new designs and fabric and colour then, well, tough.

So. Here we are halfway through 2009. Did I say 'halfway through'? Can I just stop there and tell you that for me I feel like it should be the middle of March and omigodwhereismylifegoing and the end is neigh, the end is neigh etc. etc

Somewhere in Spring of 2009 I sat down and started messing around with designing some new things on paper - I played with colour, I dreamt of form and I found my groove with these shapes and colours you are about to see.

 

You know by now my love of mustards, honeys, golds and greys. It is a colour combination I love with a passion right now and it was only natural that I started there; also, because I envisaged an Autumn start to the new stuff and these colours scream Autumn.

I was drawn, after a few weeks' scribbling, to the hexagon shape, or rather the way I see it - the cube shape. There is something very Jungian about the cube; something very complete and satisfying {read "The Metapsychology of the Cube of Space: The Dimensions of Consciousness & the Structure of Human Experience" here if that tickles your fancy}.

Of course, this resonates with me on a spiritual level as a Muslim - 'cube' in Arabic is of course 'kaba' and the Kaba in Islam is, for those of you who have been living on Mars since the last ice age, the sacred centre in Makkah.

I've always been drawn to this image even before Islam; it is deeply embedded in me. In an abstract way, as Form, the symbol archetype is deeply meaningful. It is not surprising, then, that it made it's way into my work at some point.

What I find absolutely thrilling about this interchanging of the hexagon to the cube is the transcendence from a two dimensional shape to a three dimensional one, simply in way the object is viewed. Without any change in the object reality the inner landscape can transmute the information depending on viewpoint and willingness to see beyond the two dimensional limitations.

The black hexagon, or black cube, at the centre of the work is therefore no mistake or coincidence.

Being at the centre also invites the mind to repeat the pattern; patterns are integral to the way we as human beings function. We are pattern-seekers; we make sense of the world in patterns, and we form our mind out of the patterns we either believe to be there or invent.

Repeating the hexagon/cube around the black centre made the work dance, and spin, encircling, just like bees to honey. That is the notion that immediately sprang to my mind. A honeycombe pattern effect is therefore pleasingly reinforcing of this notion of bees encircling, and I have further reinforced this by adding a 'bee line' in hand embroidered stitches on some of the work.

 

Starting with cubes as the theme of this collection, I have worked the design into many of the pieces I aim to offer. It is something that I hope brings a coherence.

As well as being (hopefully) stylish and beautiful, another concern of mine is to make the pieces highly practical as well. User friendly - child (boy!) orientated - beautiful and practical. These are the things I am working on, bit by bit, day by day, up in my work space to be hopefully ready very very soon.

Did you read all the way to the end of that?

Aw, you're so nice...

Work Space cont'd

I've been trying to tart up the work space as it was looking a bit uninspiring in there. Still haven't received the work table and chair so contented myself with just adding pretty things to look at. And some of my favourite pretty things just happen to be a bunch of vintage sewing patterns from when prices were in old money (what does 4' 6 mean??)

And after covering the faces I decided to just stick the patterns up to see what they looked like before committing to buying frames. And I actually like it just like that. Still with the patterns inside! Maybe I'll get frames at some point but right now quite like the funkiness of the rough-n-ready approach.

My inspiration board is now back up and I've added a rail too. Being surrounded by pretty things and colours really does help me in many ways.

And some sneaky peaks tomorrow insha'allah!
xx

Space to work

It's been a busy week here so far. As well as general life and homeschooling and and and going on, I have also managed to shift a space in my work area to actually DO some work! I know! I can hardly believe it myself!

The room isn't finished yet; I don't actually have my work table or a proper chair to sit on - still waiting for those to arrive - and the space isn't really the way I want it - it isn't tarted up and things aren't where I know they'll be when eventually I start sitting down properly and working, but after carting a coffee table upstairs and finding a baby stool to perch on, some work HAS been flying off the machine. Oh yes masha'allah.

And can I tell you what having a dedicated work space means? Oh boy does it help to have your own space, a place where the machine can stay out; a place where no one walks past; a place where work can flow without interuption! It's glorious! I'm giddy with joy.

And better than that? Gifts of course! Something pretty to flutter it's lashes at me as I sit and sew and Twitter and blog - a present which now contain essentials of sewing paraphanalia - just too pretty to make dirty with caffeine, don't you think?