When you sew, you end up with lots of scraps of fabric that many crafters cannot bring themselves to throw away - including me. And even if you mend, items do degrade to the point they can’t be used anymore and they should be thrown away… but it’s fabric!

Enter the Scrap Foot Pouffe. I am on a mission to use all my bits of tiny scraps - and unwearable clothing - for something useful. I found a pattern online at Closet Core Patterns that I drafted my own pieces from. The idea is to make an inner bag that you can stuff with all your scraps, and put it inside a lovely outer, pretty cover sewn up with bigger scrap pieces of lovely fabrics. This also allows you to remove the insides and wash the pouffe when needed, and you can top up the filling as it flattens over time.

I set about making my inner bag, and this thing turned out huge. A photo of it doesn’t really do it justice so I will have to post progress pictures as it fills. It already has a bunch of scraps and a heap of my husbands discarded socks inside and it’s still mostly flat.

I’ve cut the pattern pieces ready for the outer pouffe, but I haven’t started cutting fabric for it yet. I'm about to start a project with red polyester fabric lining, and I will cut that for the bottom of the pouffe. It doesn't have to be pretty as it will always be on the floor!

My husband thinks it’ll take me years to fill the pouffe with scraps and have a usable item… I think it will take between 1 and 2 years. We will see!

This is my first post about my hobby of cycling!

Friends got me into it years ago as part of triathlons. I only ever did a couple of short ones, then continued cycling as an active commute. I was living 7 kms from Brisbane at that time and a cycling commute helped to keep me healthy, saved me money on transport, and gave me autonomy from transport and building my day around rigid commute times.

I like the idea of cycling as a more sustainable way to travel than by car and even public transport. You’re getting to your destination through human power alone! Brisbane has really upped its bicycle infrastructure over the years and I’m incredibly lucky to be able to access and use a huge variety of bike paths.

A few years ago, me and my husband moved a bit further out from the city, 13 kms, then COVID-19 hit. It was good to explore our new suburb by bike and get some exercise outside of the house. My challenge in 2020 was to cycle every single street in my suburb - and I did!
I did mostly social riding with friends in 2021, and a few of us rode the Multiple Sclerosis Brissie to the Bay 50 kilometres together. It was a great day out for a good cause. A friend challenged me that if I could ride 50 kms then I could ride 100.

Come 2022 and that was my major physical challenge of the year. I started riding fortnightly as training, adding 10kms each time, while also doing normal rides either as commutes or recreation.

I signed up to the MS B2B 100 km distance as soon as it opened. I worked with a local massage therapist all year to help me recover and stay strong. I started riding with a backpack from about 60kms with snacks and extra water. This really helped me get used to riding for long periods carrying a little bit of weight, and I started wearing the clothes I would wear for the event every time I did a training ride.

By Easter and into May the weather was super wet, it was really awful riding in it but I got the distances mostly done and my resilience was getting a workout too. I did a 103km training ride a few weeks out from the event and I was on the bike for seven hours. It was such a good feeling, and boosted my confidence that I could do the distance on the day, with a better time and with less of a shock to my body.

A Sunday in June was the big ride. I spent some time Saturday preparing all my snacks and water, preparing my bike and gear, and packing it all into the car. All I had to do on Sunday morning was get up, play with the cat, have breakfast and go!

From Wynnum the next 30kms or so took us along the bay towards Wellington Point and into Cleveland. It was so cold in the wind! I saw my friend and her family as I was nearing the second rest stop and it gave me such a lift! This stop was just over halfway at about 55kms. Everyone was having a slightly longer rest, and I swear I have never seen so many bananas consumed as I was seeing that morning. It was pretty cold still so once I’d refueled myself and rested as long as the temperature would let me I was off again.

The second half of the ride wasn’t nearly as pretty as the first. That made it even more tough as you start to really feel each kilometre the longer you ride. I still felt pretty good and was certainly in better spirits than some of the people I overheard around me.
There were a few sections on major roads and the volunteers and police did a great job keeping the cyclists and drivers safe from each other. The course then took us through Carindale as we came back to the city. The third rest stop was at the Carindale Pony Club at about 83kms. Everybody was groaning as they peeled themselves off their bikes for a rest and more bananas!
I was definitely tired but knowing I was seeing more loved ones in just a few more kms kept me focused. I got back on the bike and headed to the finish line.

It didn’t take too long to get there, me and others were getting energy as we got closer. Musgrave Park came into view, we rounded the park and headed into the chute, and there were my people! They were so loud I could hear them as I went past and rolled over the finish line. I was so happy I had completed the challenge and in great time too. When my friends came over a few minutes later I burst into tears from sheer exhaustion and overwhelm.
We had a bite to eat together on the grass and I saw a couple of friends finish their ride, they had done the 130km distance. Everyone headed home and I slowly made my way back to the car. It had been a big six months of focus and a big day.

I think I would ride 100kms again if I did it with someone. I know I’m capable of it now so I’m comfortable to drop the long distances on the bike and stick to commuting and social riding! Some of my friends might want to do the 50km again next year and that will be a lot less training to prepare for.

I have just been given a mountain bike by a friend and that will bring a new dimension to my hobby. I’m hoping I can do different social rides on that, and it’s a bit more suited to local riding around rather than a full road bike! I’ll be more comfortable leaving an older mountain bike in front of places like the local pool or grocery store so I’m hoping this bike will help me do even more active travel where I can.