Found New Blog - Also an antipodean

Just been commenting on Petal's Stash
http://petalrose-petalrose.blogspot.com/2010/10/these-patterns-are-searching-for-new.html

I wonder when I will be ready to share out the patterns? I was looking on TradeMe yesterday and a few that I have were there for sale - but the prices were pretty high, and I think it would be much nicer to just use Karma and let the patterns go around for free or for the price of postage.

I am hoping to go the Swap at Pioneer Hall, Port Chalmers in the weekend with some patterns, knitting bits and bobs and some clothing. I like the idea of re-circulating things. Barter, trade, call it what you will. Just been thinking too, that its nice to make something for someone, like 'Ema's Top, and just do it for someone, for no reason other than you like them and you would like to make them something. It is possible that 'Ema thinks I have forgotten about her, and the top, but I have not. In the weekend, I retrieved the top and had a good look at it - it needs washing and ironing, and a button and then I can send it to her. Familiar readers, you know I was looking at it because I cut out my own version of it.

Petal sounds like she has the same space issues we all have when we love sewing. Where do we put all that fabric!!! Well, I use those plastic sets of drawers from the Warehouse. I can get quite a lot of fabric in there - cottons and cotton mixes in one shelf and synthetics and chiffons in the other, leaving the top for braid, ribbon, lace etc. The braid is carefully put in Glad bags and labelled - if needed. I also keep my knitting needles (well some of them) in there, also interfacing and bias binding, and all the haby things. For larger amounts of fabric or bulkier amounts of fabric I have an old wicker laundry basket which is full to over flowing. Then there are a selection of supermarket bags with Trademe purchases and a brown paper bag from St Clair design stuffed with off cuts. Lastly, there is a tote bag made of bamboo or something which is full of belts - skinny, leather, plastic, fabric etc - like a pile of seething snakes. Buttons are in honey pots sorted by colour on a shelf. Patterns are in a big plastic storage container in a cupboard, protected from sunlight (sewing room = computer room = reading room = sun room = 1960's addition to house facing harbour = inspirational.