handmade

:: Brown Owls…

May 17, 2011

Sometimes I am doing way too many things and reaching ahead and I forget to remind you about some important things.

Brown Owls is an important thing. Brown Owls is a craft group. It started out with me trying to teach people embroidery at Meet Me at Mike’s Stitching night in 2007 :: you can catch a glimpse of those days here :: and then moved on to a clubhouse in Hawthorn (with Kirsty as co-Captain) in 2008 :: and then moved on to Start Your Own Brown Owls Group In Your Area (with my Fitzroy Group) :: in 2009, 2010 and 2011. (Fitzroy is not running at the moment!)

Brown Owls is a worldwide craft group. It is for newbies and for experienced crafters too. We do all kinds of things (although this year I have not been able to go to any meetings because I have been trying to run the shop and finish my book). Brown Owls have tackled sewing, embroidery, printing, Gocco, stationery making, penpal kits, brooch making, crochet, knitting… and some groups just get together and work on their own projects and chatter. There is often wine or tea or cheese or cake. Some groups meet in the pub. Others meet at private homes or community centres. The groups are run by extremely great people who you would totally LOVE. Yes.

There are lots of groups running this year, all over Australia and even internationally (in Dhaka and Finland!) You can even start your own group. Yep. It’s fun and easy. We are kind of like the CWA meets The Real Housewives of Craft City…. except a lot of us are not housewives. But some are. Basically it’s just a bunch of rad people sharing their skills and talking about stuff. It’s really fun. Yes.

You can join the Brown Owls Facebook Group here to scope things out.
You can read the Brown Owls Blog and see what meetings are going on.
And you can follow Brown Owls on Twitter as we try to tweet the meets over there too.

So there you go! Maybe you would like to start a group, or join a group? You can do it your way, and it’s totally not daggy. It is super dooper fun. Yep.

xx Pip

9 Comments

Jennifer May 22, 2011 at 1:44 AM

As a follower (not a leader) I do so hope that someone will start a branch in NY!

Pip May 18, 2011 at 10:31 PM

:: Ames and Tash : I hope you do join Brown Owls! It is such a good way to make new life long friends!
:: Kirst : Awwww. Yes.
:: Brooke : Those were such great days, weren't they?!
:: Kerry : It was nice and cosy and tea-filled, wasn't it?
:: Lamancanza : I hope you have a great time!!!
:: Lauren : I will see what I can dig up, and congratulations on your nearly baby!!
:: Scrapiana : lovely! These pears are from 2008! They are vintage pears!!

Scrapiana May 18, 2011 at 9:27 AM

Like the pears! Here's one I prepared earlier: http://scrapiana.com/tag/golden-pear/

Lauren Blakeney May 17, 2011 at 9:19 PM

PIP! I am going to be a Mummy in October. YAY! To a little girl. And while looking at baby stuff in the shops I've noticed that everything's the same. ugh. So I was hoping you could give me or find some tutorials of some super cute baby things to sew or make. Anything would be ace! Especially if kept simple (my favorite word). Cheers, Lauren.

lamancanza May 17, 2011 at 1:27 PM

Sounds lovely! I'm hoping to attend my first Brown Owls this Friday in Surry Hills, can't wait!

Anonymous May 17, 2011 at 12:13 PM

Yes, I did love the little meeting room in Hawthorn….
Kerry

Anonymous May 17, 2011 at 11:54 AM

Oh the pears!! Thank you for these days pips and for teaching me how to stitch!
Today I was thinking about brown owls when I was wearing my House Captin badge!
Xxx Brooke (boobook)

Kirsty May 17, 2011 at 9:31 AM

Awww, the good old days. xxx

Ames and Tash May 17, 2011 at 9:19 AM

I have recently moved and am planning on joining a group for the next get together. Thanks for starting this wonderful land of craftiness!

Hello

Brown Owls!

October 21, 2008

Last night was Brown Owls – with Kirsty‘s very exciting embroidered Christmas gift projects! Yippee! There was FREE slice de Hollie and Teeny Cute Cupcakes de Banana… and heaps of lovely girls and snacks and tea and stuff! We had a new (made up on the spot) feature – WHAT’S ON – WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN… kinda sharey newsy diary thing. Prizes. Just heaps of fun!

2008 Brown Owls will be drawing to a close at the Clubhouse in a few weeks time. But next year is going to be bigger and funner and more inclusive then ever (if that is EVEN possible!). You need to check the Brown Owls Blog for the exact details.

It’s been such a great year – and of course Kirst’s been co-piloting at the helm steering the Brown Owls boat – so big ups to the K-Dawg, she’s really done a great job with so many of the projects this year – and I think she’s discovered her talent de tute!

I’m super looking forward to mixing it up a bit next year….. but you’ll need to read the blog to find out more about that! I’d love to hear your feedback too – so send me an email and let me know what you liked about this year – and if you have any thing YOU could contribute for next year! mikesfitzroy@bigpond.com

I hope to see you all next year – if not at the Peddlar’s Picnic (please bring your family or friends or flatmates!!!!) or one of the final upcoming meets! Thanks to everyone who joined this year – it’s been so lovely and we’ve all made some special friends too! It’s been amazing to see Mikes Stitching Nights evolve into Brown Owls Clubhouse… and then next year into a new version of Brown Owls again! Hurrah!

I’d also like to thank Brooke and Jess and Gemma – because they’ve helped so much this year it’s just UNTOLD! Thank you most special Owly gals!

xx Pip

6 Comments

Hello

Brown Owls

May 26, 2008

Just some pics from last night’s Brown Owls meet!

xx Mikes

4 Comments

Hello

Brown Owls

March 12, 2008

Lots of beginning stitchers last night – and quite a few girls who just needed a little refresher in stitchiness! It was a fun night – not just us blogging gals – but some other girls too… girls who have never read a blog! Imagine it! As much as I love blogging and the blogging community – it’s always refreshing to meet people that don’t know everything I’ve been up to… I’m sure you know what I mean!

Amy brought along some stitching she’d done fifteen years ago – that is still unfinished. It was really gorgeous – and old sampler of Jungle Animals in every sort of stitch you’d find in your old Golden Hands Guide to Embroidery! She’s going to make a start on that again! Go Amy!

There was a bit of anarchic knitting in the back stalls too… from Brooke and Kirst! And some instruction from Miss-Sarah-of-the-Picnic-Frock!

Let me take you through the night…. In case you were wondering what goes on in the secret world of Brown Owls!

7.30 – everyone arrives, says hello, finds their allocated spot and makes a cup of tea in the mug that they remembered to bring from home. If you’re planning on attending a few meetings – you just write your name on the bottom of your mug in Sharpie – and it goes on our Muggy Friendship Wall.

7.45 – we make a start – last night we embroidered a cute vintage owl design onto lovely big hankies. So, you learn to stretch your hankie over your embroidery hoop so it’s nice and tight… you choose some floss (embroidery thread) from the gun Floss Station that Kirst made… and you start filling out your mini questionnaire which tells a little bit about you….

7.50 – Kirst does a quick stitching demo for everyone who needs it – and then Kirst, Brooke and I go around the table doing one on one how-to-stitch lessons for those stitchers that need it.

8.00 – Everyone has settled in, started stitching, opening up their ‘lunch order’ of biscuits, chatting and tea-drinking. There were a few jokes last night.. esp from Kitty! I show off a fair bit at this point.

8.30 – We usually draw the door prize – Kate was the winner! – and Kirst, Brooke and I read out everyone’s questionnaires so we can all find out a little bit more about each other – without the individual embarrassment of having to stand up in front of the class!

Then, for the rest of the night, we just chat and ask questions and get to know one another.

10.10 – The pack up alarm goes off – and we start to finish up

10.30 – Everyone heads off into the night!

You can check the Brown Owls website for lots more details if you are interested in being a Brown Owl!

xx Mikes

5 Comments

Corrie March 13, 2008 at 5:04 AM

oh it is so much fun and I know some of my sydney friends are super duper jealous!!!! you all put so much effort in and make everyone welcome!!!!!

Corrie:)

BigCat March 13, 2008 at 4:26 AM

I am soooo counting the sleeps till my first Brown Owls night next week. Only 5 sleeps to go. Yippee!!!!

kitty's kaboodle March 13, 2008 at 12:57 AM

Oh very fun and funny night. I like hangin out with you crafty chicas alot. Thank you for creating such a happy environment.
Til next laugh
Kitty x

Kirsty March 12, 2008 at 11:07 PM

It was a lovely night – they were a gorgeous bunch of girls. I’m loving you “showing off a fair bit”.

just like mama March 12, 2008 at 10:36 PM

oh this looks like so much fun! i would really love to come to the next one!
xx

Hello

Brown Owls!

February 17, 2008

Here’s us sewing up a Brown Owls storm!

Casual Tweenie bookings go on sale at 7am tomorrow morning! Be quick, as members have scored most of the places for the March 3 Meeting!

Kirst and Brooke and I got up at the crack of dawn to put in a good mornings work on our Brown Owls project! It’s coming up a treat – but I don’t want to reveal too much yet! I’ll let our lovely members do that!

xx mikes