koo-ki-nuts: From little things...

As the title alludes... from little things, big things GROW! Well, with a bit of help they do.

I'm working on growing my little koo-ki-nuts hobby into a real, proper, serious business. Some of you have been watching my progress from the get go, and others have expressed an interest in knowing how koo-ki-nuts came about. Well...

My mum is a very talented sewer. She made the majority of our clothes growing up, and probably most of her clothes too! She also spent more than 18 years sewing all my dance costumes (again, not to mention her own costumes, and my sister's).

An old newspaper clipping of my mum, when she was dancing

I love this photo. My mum is standing at the back, with her arm on the car.
The newspaper article had something to do with dancing.

A picture of me on stage, dressed in a Ukranian character costume

Clearly I have no shame. That's me on the right, in a 'Character' dance.
I was representing Ukraine... complete with crepe paper flowers.
Costume made by my marmie.

When I was about 8 or 9, I was very keen on a plastic toy sewing machine that I'd found in Big W, and I asked Santa if I could have it for Christmas. Well, I didn't get that little piece of junk, instead I got a ridgy-didge, you beaut TOYOTA sewing machine! (Who knew they even made sewing machines??) I even still have it, and it weighs an absolute tonne!

Mum taught me the sewing of basics on my little TOYOTA, and I used my newly acquired skills to sew embellishments on my dolls clothes (and goodness knows what else); however as I got older, I never went on to sew my own clothes, or anything adventurous like that. Even now, I really only know the very basics. I've never even attempted a zip! Or a buttonhole. But don't spread that around. ;) I went on to neglect both my sewing and my little machine, for years, and years, and years, and years... until recently.

In 2008 my dad had a heart attack and ended up in The Royal Melbourne hospital in Melbourne. while dad was kicking it with the nurses, Mum and I stayed with family friends. It was at our friend's house that I saw a book called 'Softies', and it's also where I saw my first Frankie magazine. (This makes me smile when I think how I recently received an email from Frankie inviting me to advertise in their mag... ha!) So, when I had a months leave in January 2010, I went and bought my own copy of the book (which the cat has kindly chewed!).

'Softies 22 friends for you to sew, knit and crochet'
(Be sure to check out the 'Album' page on the website)

If you ever look through the book, you will probably see a lot of crafters have been influenced by the softie designs on these pages. While I love nearly each and every one of them, I've only ever made one kind - the Beetle bug. (However, I did make 4 of them!) Check it out one of them below...