Ortakoy Cafe

My mom visted over Christmas, and as is our 'tradition' we went ot Ortakoy, we saw some 'interesting' sights - more to come.... these nargile were inside the cafe....

ha ha ha.... so there you are?

At the behest of my Dearest Antipodean friend who lives in my most favouritest city, I have decided to get my self back into the blogging mood, that is if blogger lets me.....

I will promise to keep up the Wordless Wednesday.... maybe add some more photos that T1 takes, she's got an interesting eye, lots of pictures of her feet mind you...... what else comes along I don't know..... we'll see..... what's been happening here?? lots, lots and more......

We have 2 weeks of school holidays, and to celebrate the first week, we got snowed on.... sadly missing a big birthday party due to the inability to get out of our 'village' ..... just to prove it snows in Istanbul...... it has gone now - thank goodness....

Fringe making

First I cut a piece of card, with an opening, wide enough for the presser foot...
then I cut a second identically sized piece of card, holding the cards together I wound the cord onto the two, until it reached the desired size.

I gingerly slid the uncut piece of card out and laid the card with the window onto the base fabric. I sewed through the window - just a simple straight stitch, up and down a couple of times. I then tore the card to release it - ta-da! Super thick fringe....

In the future I would be tempted to sew onto a ribbon then placement wouldn't be an issue - easy! (I trimmed off the stray tails after sewing it all down!)

Birthday Party

We were at a birthday party this afternoon - the cake was a cute mix of home made (all the cookies) and cake shop (the base) delicious, and fun! Instead of the usual home setting and party games, this was afternoon tea and horse-riding. My kids were quite specific about the horses they wanted to ride, fortunately they were lucky - the place was really busy - T2 accepted his substitute horse, T1 was happy with hers too - her first choice, totally by chance. 9 littles rode to the pond, had a run about, fed the fish then came back for cake..... The fish went crazy for bread...... No3 had her first sit on a horse (to my knowledge!) she liked it.....

Yep - gold fish! some of them are real monsters! Whist the kids were running and the moms trying to discourage anyone from getting really too close to the fish..... the 'stable boys' took a break.... quite funny really - they all seemed to smoke.... you can't see T1's big black horse properly, but T2 had the white one on the left..... It was a great day for this, 12 degrees and mainly sunny.....

24 November - Teachers' day - part 2

These were T1's cards, 3 to her English teachers, and one to her home room teacher, all made a similar way - a petal and then another flower cut to make the skirt - very clever..... lots of writing - She is into letters at the moment big time.....

Miss M - another English teacher - 'Happy teachers' day, my special dostum! I like you because you have long, long, long, long hair'

Miss Happy - the regular English teacher - ' Happy teachers' day, I like you because one day you painted my face and it tickled'

Miss I - home room teacher - 'Happy teachers' day, I like you because you always smile in the morning when you see me, you sing nice songs and help me. You give me nice hugs too'

Miss R - T1's English teacher whilst Miss Happy has been sick. 'Happy teachers' day, I love your class and you have very nice brown hair'

I broke out the gel pens, whilst they are a little messy - the effects are great! a lot better than felt-tips...... that's all for this year..... * dostum means friend/pal

24 November - Teachers' day

As Ataturk said 'New generation will be created by teachers'. Since next week is bayram, then our school has brought the day forward to tomorrow. Cookies were suggested, being short of cookie making time this evening we opted for chocolates, and home made cards. I asked the littles what they liked best about their teachers, and which teachers they liked best, they had no choice with their home-room teacher or English teacher, T2 chose the classroom assistant - T1's tomorrow.

Miss Happy (yes it's her real name!) - 'Happy Birthday (he says it was yesterday?) and happy teachers' day - I love to play with you'

For the classroom assistant - Miss S 'Happy teachers day because you are nice'

For Miss C - the home room teacher, 'Happy teachers' day because I like it when you tell stories'

Rosette Making

I cut a circle out of card, then with a compass drew a line about ¼ if an inch from the edge. I set my machine to a zig-zag, then attached the ribbon, making pleats as I went. I have miles of this Genuine Hungarian ribbon (not sure why though!)

I lined up the 2nd row of ribbon with the stripes of the first, but there is no reason you couldn't line another row up with a drawn circle. I attached the 'tails' with this layer.

I cut a circle of paper, a circle of felt and a button. With a Glue stick I assembled them and sewed the button on to secure them all. The threads from sewing the button were left on so that I could attach the rosette. Easy - we should all be decorated!

Wordless Wednesday

Electric Substations

These lovelies are on the edge of a new development. The basıc structure ıs poured concrete and very different from the recent pictures. Thıs substation also hums - not sure what that means. There are a few others painted ın this style. Their location makes it hard to stop - but I will!

Follow me blindly - day 5

'take your fabulously embellished piece and trim off the excess backing fabric, for those who haven't done this already. now - fuse or glue a final back fabric - to cover up all those embellished threads... then stitch all the way around your piece, to bind it.you will now "sculpt" your piece into a vessel of some sort - a fiber art vase. ;) think out of the BOX!! be creative! roll, wrap over, fold, tuck, pucker... even cut if you want... and sew it into place. the most unusual shapes will lend themselves to a unique form/structure. ;) if you want to add any final embellishments to your sculpture, you can do this once it's complete.'

So today was the last day of the challenge, I was 12 hours late on completing this one I guess, I wracked my brain about turning it into a vessel, I don't need any 'clutter' I am on a slight purge to get the house straight - and the idea of something that catches dust turns me straight off. I do need a folder type thing to keep projects in, but the surface wouldn't stand up to that, I also need a 'change dump' to empty my pockets and keep all the debris in one place, I made simple folds and stitched them down, the felt base has given it a certain substance, the slightly circular shape holds with the design. I may go round and zig-zag a piece of wire into the top edge. I may not. I will probably work on it some more and turn it into something else, It's got a nice motion happening, just not enough of something.....

Follow me blindly - day 4

So today's mission.....

EMBELLISH YOUR PIECE! use hand-stitching, beads, etc... ;)

Due to a total lack of time, the piece just got a few beads.... no stitching, sadly. I may come back and add to it once the challenge is over...

Follow me blindly - day 3

Today's step was
'Take a pair of scissors and carefully CUT UP YOUR PIECE! ;) yes, you read it right. cut it up. you must cut into it AT LEAST 5 times! ;) you can cut strips, circles, puzzle shapes... whatever you want to do... but keep in mind that you are going to be sewing it back together into a NEW shape!...'
So I started with about 5 cuts, then a few more, but wasn't happy because it wouldn't go together without becoming 24 inches square - somehow, so I did this, well there are a few bits left over, but that will have to be..... I FME'd it to black felt with red thread.

Follow me blindly - day 2

Day Two:.... layer your cloth onto a piece of batting, felt, or similar and machine stitch all over with contrasting or complimentary threads. (optional - layer some organza on top first, then machine stitch all over 3 layers with rayon thread... then using your burning tool, melt away the spaces of organza between the stitches.)

I put some net over, since I didn't have a suitably coloured organza, nor a burning tool..... I don't like it, it looks too stiff...... but it's not the end, lets see what happens.....

Follow me blindly - day 1

I take part in some of the FAT stuff, I like the group there is a real cross over between crafters and artists, it's a good environment for me. Leilani set the 5X challenge a while ago, I enjoyed the way it made me think and the kick up the backside to get making stuff..... this is her latest challenge. I have lifted this from her mail to the group.... it started Monday the 9th in real time.... I did it for the following 5 days....

Leilani's Follow Me Blind art quilt challenge:work on one quilt for 5 days straight.
New instructions given each day you must follow through, no matter how painful! ;)Day One -- create a 9" x 7" fabric for the top of your quilt. this must be an altered piece of fabric, i.e. surface designed. you can paint on it, stain it, dye it, rubber stamp on it, color it, applique on it... but you must do something to itThis fabric is from last year (I think!), it's painted with acrylic paint then for the challenge I stenciled and stamped with inks..... will see what 'tomorrow' holds

Wordless Wednesday

10 November 1938 - 09:05

It's 71 years since the death of Atatürk - the normal remembrances were observed. The photos of that time are SO neat...

Electric Substations

This one is in Sariyer, on the watefront. I am now recognising a distinct Sariyer style. There is perspex over the 'windows' of this one - neat?

Aşşk Kahve

I had a lovely late lunch with one of my girlfriends today, sitting out by the Bosporus, at Aşşk Kahve - 'Love Cafe'. The cafe and neighbouring buildings have these Dali-esque eggs on top and a quirky style. Tucked away behind a supermarket this is a bit of a surprising place. Super cute and beautiful patrons, quirky waiting staff to say the least! .... I would have loved a snap of the girl's footwear from the neighbouring table. High, red satin peep toes - totally Sex in the City, slightly outrageous. I didn't have the guts to ask - taking a sneaky picture would have not been on.....Not quite what you expected when you looked down, nor was the weather, 22 degrees, t-shirts and jeans, gorgeous. A happy birthday to us both....

H1N1 ?

I saw this berry on a bush. It so reminded me of the pictuers on a poster for the H1N1 Virus. Now I realise that it is just a nice medical type picture and the virus looks quite different....

Atatürk Arboretum II

Atatürk Arboretum I

We are lucky to have this close by, it's a huge expanse of planted and tended gardens, focusing on trees rather than municipal planting. In the summer it can be quite busy, but is perfect for a session of leaf catching, duck feeding or both. The autumn weather has ranged from 6 to 26 degrees, with ice laden rain to glorious sunshine which would pass for a summer day. I am not complaining, but have the constant morning dilemma, layers? long trousers? skirt? boots or flip-flops?? I can live with it...

Wordless Wednesday

Even more or less Halloween - Count Dracula

In our quest last week for Halloween costumes T2 went through a phase of wanting to be Count Dracula. We had the cape (from his Zorro phase, dress shirt and trousers) Not possessing a suitable sash I made one, I made the fringe then added the large silvery button. I had fun making the rosettes. T2 came to check my handy work and pronounced he would not be going as the afore mentioned Count..... but.... as an astronaut. Grrrr.....

He then went through a snake related phase before settling on a Doctor. We didn't snag him any tongue depressors but he did manage to loose his stethoscope.... The rosettes were fun to make.

The red/white/green one and fringe are in the tutorial to follow. The tartan ribbon one was super simple, the large green one was a long length of wired ribbon from a box of something I had salvaged, sewn onto felt, the center being a flattened San Pelegrano bottle top..... The square-ish one simply card covered in scraps of paper and an old uniform button. All waiting for a suitable occasion to be used now.....

More Halloween

T1 designed this dress when we had her friend over, it is so simple, 3 layers of heavily gathered net, 1 layer of shimmery thicker fabric, all on the gross grain ribbon. Tied with a bow. The flower was made from trimmings, the shoulder straps are a elasticated velvet. Easy...... I picked up the veil at the market.
Getting her to have the vampire bite on the neck was impossible. She wanted to be the bride.....

Halloween...... part 1

It's going to be a slow week.... this is my hair from the Halloween party..... and a peek of the 'lovely' dress. We had planned to go en-mass with snake related costumes, which fell apart slightly in the last couple of days. More of that to come. I was the lone Mesusa, 15 little snakes woven into my hair, slightly over the top make-up and this fabulous full length dress - loaned from a dear friend who has a collection of what can best described as 'Florida Cocktail Wear' - 60's and 70's stuff - made for ladies who went to parties, rather than partied. Great stuff...... Whilst I would have loved to have fit into the tiny weeny sequined black and white tiger skin slinky number, this floaty green chiffon number was chosen over the acid yellow halterneck full length dress.... both significantly fancy by anyone's standards, and very comfy to wear.....