march...the rest of

surprise!

it's still march (just) and here i am again with a quick round up of the rest of march.

i have started doing a monthly round up on Instagram and i am really enjoying seeing the month as a whole...even though only 9 pics means there are a lot of omissions...still, it's a nice flavour.

march saw the 2 main quilt tops i had been working on finished and quilted. that alone makes it a successful month in my book.

the one on the right is courtesy of my lovely Bee a Brit Stingy Flickr group gals and all the wonderful blocks they made for me. i just love this quilt so much.

the one on the left is the first of a series of "kisses" quilts. i wanted to try pluses on point...i like it...there will be more. in my casting not hoarding resolution of 2014 this one is for sale...or at least it will be when i get it listed in my Etsy shop...email me if you would like to know more.

speaking of Flickr...well i was before i got sidetracked...this month saw me finishing blocks for queen bee Sheila...but you will have to go here to see them as i appear to have lost that pic. Sheila is making 20 mini quilts for her grand daughter for a princess and the pea story...lucky Ava i say. they are going to be so darling.

march was also sending off time for the sewing room swap. i hit the jackpot super big time with these unbelievable makes and generosity from Carmen. i think i put Carmen through the mill with my solids/orange/lack-of-too-much-else requests. i honestly wouldn't have minded if she had deviated but i was floored when my goodies arrived.

i, in the meantime, had been sewing a social tote for my partner. to say i was nervous about sewing for my partner is an understatement. i was sewing for Amy of Badskirt, someone whose work i admire greatly and am a huge fan of. seriously it was scary stuff. i really didn't think i was up to the job. Anyhoooo, the tote and pinnie and a bundle of other goodies that i sent her finally arrived in the land of Aus and Amy said all the right things and wooed more than enough, so hopefully i got away with it this time. nerve-wracking stuff tho sewing for one of your heroes.

march saw edition 2 of Blueberry Park Fabric Club. i can't tell you how much i love the Club. i love picking the fabrics and deciding which prints to use and designing projects for the members to try. i love folding the little pieces of fabric and putting them into neat piles! but most of all i love the feedback from the members themselves (thank you members x) and seeing the delightful posts of things people make with my fabrics. i seriously never tire of that.

for those that don't know about the club, i produce a collection ever other month, which gives me just enough time to order fabric, print it up, design projects and send it out. 

the next month is early May (2 pics above give a taste of what's to come) which means i am now finalising numbers and doing the above. if you would like to know more about it and sign up for the next edition go right here. there are a choice of size bundles...start small with a charm size to try it out...and have fun creating with my hand printed fabrics. 

sign ups for this month finish on april 2, unless of course i print up too many, in which case you have plenty of time!

so that was march. april is already looking chocker with projects and commissions on the To Do List and several exciting things I'm working on too. 

I'll be back sooner rather than later to tell you all about that. 

x

It's Brit Quilt Swap time...

I probably should have done this post yesterday to give those Brits amongst you that wanted a chance to sign up to do so (sorry, sign up closed today).

I'm excited to hear who I'm going to be sewing for and see what amazing piece (no pressure there!) my secret partner comes up with for me.

Here's the mosaic I constructed to give my partner a feel for my likes at the mo but please head here for all the links to these stunning pieces as I forgot to save them to post here.

Other participants have posted some fantastic treasuries and it's going to be lots of fun following what everyone is up to.

Keep an eye on it all too here... 

This is my last full child-free week until November 7. How crazy is that? With the way the Jewish festivals have fallen this year, Ruby, being at a Jewish school, breaks up on Wednesday for 10 days. She goes back the day the boys break up for 2 weeks...yes, 2 WEEKS!!

Of course I am panicking just a tad about the stock I have committed to get to stockists by end of October, knowing I have just 4 more child-free work days before then.

But I am also panicking a little about other commitments I have made, like this Flickr Pillow Swap. As usual I got off to a flying start, but as usual if the project doesn't get completed in that time, it tends to sit to one side when other things jump the queue. I hate letting people down and as pictures were being posted about completed pillows I glanced to my half-finished one in one corner of the studio. So last night, as I was spurred on by something - guilt, most probably - I finished the pillow. I had so many more plans for this pillow that time wouldn't allow but hopefully my partner will love it and won't think there is anything missing... I've also included a few nice surprises to soften the blow.

You'd think I would learn and not commit myself to any further challenges on my time...but oh no, I've just signed up for this...

p.s. thank you for all your advice on fabrics for the European Pouches...I really appreciate it...and if you haven't done so already, you've got until tomorrow to give me your opinion and enter my giveaway x

I'm playing along with Our Creative Spaces today. I keep meaning to play along as it's such a lovely thing to see what everyone is up to and I love WIP pics.

It doesn't normally work out that I am actually creating on a Thursday, let alone have a moment to blog that I am. But this week, as you know, I have been working on my Flickr swap pillow and today I had a little time to not only do a little more, but also have time to join in Our Creative Space.

I'm at the stage where I have finished piecing and now just deciding which colour thread to quilt with. I'm actually thinking of using all of them.

Coincidentally, Ruby has been working on her own creative space too...

Today I have mostly been playing...

I had a really productive day yesterday, but today I couldn't settle on anything, so instead I started picking fabrics for the Flickr group swap.

Now I'm going to go play some more and turn them into a pillow...

...and tomorrow I SHALL be productive and do some work.

Another Flickr group Swap, another mosaic...

Another Flickr group Swap, another mosaic.

I have to admit one of my favourite things about a new flickr group swap is seeing everyone's mosaics. It's the Flickr equivalent of an Etsy treasury...all those delicious pieces all together.

It's so inspirational seeing work that I wouldn't normally notice...colour combos that wouldn't ordinarily enter my radar.

Having said that, my mosaic is looking rather predictably me, don't you think??

Go check out all the other delicious mosaics right here.

Ode to Kate...

Sometimes very special people cross our paths in this world of blogging (not that all of you aren't special to me, oh lovely readers). Every now and then we meet someone who we click with, even if they happen to be thousands of miles away and we have never actually met over a real cup of coffee or glass of wine.

I've introduced you before to my kind and clever pal, Kylie and I think I have introduced you to another Aussie friend of mine, Kate.

Well, Kate and I were chatting, as you do - for that hour cross over in time difference, one of us was up with our kids, the other was trying to put them to bed - about Flickr group swaps and the like and before we knew it we decided to have our own little swap.

By the fact of what is coming to me and what I am sending to Kate is true testament to the fact that you don't have to physically see people to know people. Kate has got it absolutely spot on with what she knows I will love and I'm pretty sure I've got it right with her too. When Kate posted the cushion pics last night (obv I didn't see them til this morning), I gasped at the sight of them...that was even before the realisation sank in that the cushion was for me.

The hoop at the top, by the way, is something I did for Kate a couple of years ago now, in a Flickr Group Swap we were in. Apparently it takes pride of place in her kitchen. I'm pretty sure this cushion will be taking pride of place in my home when it arrives.

My pillow for the Pillow Talk Swap is finished...

...i sewed the strips of fabric together and then appliqued the hexies in place...

....a finishing touch of embroidery was added...

...and an envelope opening back using my favourite new striped linen and it was complete.

All that's left is to send it off to my secret partner and hope and pray that she feels the same way about it as I do.

I'm taking part in a Flickr Swap at the moment. I have mixed feelings about them as I have been 'stung' before by a swap partner not holding their side of the arrangement and actually making something in return. Time is too precious to spend it making something only to have your partner not do the same.

This swap enticed me however. First of all, how could I resist an invitation from Heather? Secondly, it's a Cushion Swap (or Pillow, as it is called in US). How could I resist? I simply love cushions. And not only am I excited about receiving one from my secret partner, but to make one too is sheer joy. In this busy work time of working like an automaton, wrapping up orders, it is a lovely distraction to have a bit of creative time.

This swap is a secret swap. We are given someone to make for and someone different will be making for me. I am given some info about my partner's likes and dislikes, colours he/she (can't give the game away!) likes. The rest is up to me.

Having had a good nose around their Flickr site and blog, I've come up with these fabrics and am now working on the design. I'm not quite there yet with the design, but I'm pleased with how it's all coming together. But above all, i hope my partner will be.

If you want to see some of the amazing talent in this group, go check it out here.

The house renos have taken somewhat of a halt for the last few months. The initial steam ran out after we had the majority of the work done and we have just been enjoying what we've had done without the hassle of having people in, decisions to be made, worrying about what still needs to be done.

It's time now to get on with Round 2. Round 2 will certainly not be as disruptive as Round 1. No building work. No overly chatty decorators getting in my way. Round 2 is all about finishing touches.

First off it's a couple of wardrobes being fitted next week in our room and Samuel's. This will make for neater, tidier, cleaner rooms...and that's us too...not just Samuel.

So our clothes will have a home, shoes can be out of sight, computer desk taken downstairs - thanks to my lovely new baby, my Macbook. (who incidently has been my easiest baby yet - no sleepless nights, no dirty nappies - just pure pleasure.

With the end in sight in our bedroom, I am now ready to think about the final finishing touch of a throw on our bed.

I haven't been totally sure what kind of style quilt I wanted. The colourways was obvious, the fabric choices are all picked out, but what style? Nothing too fancy (you know me). Something to let the fabrics speak for themselves and something that fits in with the dramatic wallpaper, but is beautiful enough to stand out in its own right too.

I've recently joined a new Flickr Swap Group and found the inspiration I was after, right there...a brick patchwork.

There is so much inspiration to be had on Fickr and these 3 are just a few of the masses of amazing examples of Brick Patchwork.

This first is by a favourite blogger of mine, Red Pepper Quilts. Rita is one of the most prolific quilters I know and is a real inspiration of dedication and skill. I adore this quilt. Rita uses alot of the same fabrics that I am drawn to, so I think that adds to her appeal.

Aren't these pillows amazing? I have just discovered Megan from 100% Philistine Made and love all these pillows. I love the consistency of colour that Megan uses and this is something that I want to take from her for my throw.

This final example from Cinnamon Toast Design jumped right out at me. It's so calming. The colourways and fabric choices gel so well and I can imagine one never tiring of a quilt like this.

So, I know what I like and what I'm after. Here's hoping I can achieve it as, due to the size of it, this is going to be a rather substantial project.

I've been involved in a Hand-stitched Embroidery Swap on Flickr this month. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it as my last swap ended in tears as my swap partner disappeared off the face of the earth after receiving my lovely bunch of goodies and I never got to get hers (I am genuinly concerned that something awful did happen to her as she has literally fallen off the end of Flickr with not a word from anyone).

I was invited to join the swap by Kate, my lovely friend on the other side of the world, so I couldn't refuse her. I have to say it was a fantastic experience. This is my first 'making' swap. The others were swapping fabric and I think this made the whole thing such fun. We all posted our progress pics and oohed and ahhed over the ones we hoped we'd be getting. (It was a secret swap - noone knew who was giving to who)

I was very much oohing and ahhing over the progress of Tacha's pics of the embroidery I subsequently received. Even from the first posting she did, I was intrigued and mesmerised. As for the finished article, well, just look at it, it's stunning isn't it?

Tacha had obviously done her homework on me. I mean, would'ya just look at all tha blue and red?? I could not have bought a more perfect embroidery. And I love it's position in my kitchen.

Thank you, Tacha, it is more than perfect.

As for my creation...this is what Kate received from me...

Yes, that's right, Kate ended up being landed with me as a partner! Apparently she loves it...or so she says...

Above all, this was a fantastic experience, meeting lots of talented, wonderful people. Can't wait for the next one!

Flickr Swap #1

I was invited to join Fat Quarters Fabric Swap with a Twist Flickr Group last month, my first Swap Group and it's been such fun. July's theme was entitled 'When Life Hands You Lemons', which as you can imagine was full of lemony themed items. For those of you that are novices to the whole Flickr Swap Group thing going on (I was until very recently) you receive a list of items that are in the swap and if you fancy signing up that month you reply to the discussion. A little later you receive your swap partner and send off your goodies. This was the list of our items this month...

Min. of 3 F/Q's of lemony colored fabrics

Lemony recipe

Small lemony colored gift (Not mandatory but a nice little handmade item is always fun)

Min. 1 sewing notion (ie. thread, trim, buttons, etc)

My swap partner is the lovely Cheryl all the way over in Missouri, USA and my gorgeous pile of goodies arrived this morning.

As I said, this is my first swap and the effort and the quality of items I received from Cheryl has filled me with enthusiasm to do more. She was so generous and thoughtful. Not only are the fabrics oh so scrummy, but the other items she included are just fab. I love my notebook cover and the apron is already a fave. I was thrilled to receive a fat quarter of Free Spirit Katie Jump Rope, as I had recently used up my little stash. And I'm in love with the pretty ditsy white floral 'Holly Hill' by Laurie Bird.

And how on earth did Cheryl know that I love chocolate - dark chocolate - more than any other confectionary in the world. And I simply can not wait to try out her Mom's Lemon bar Recipe.

So if all this has persuaded you that it's worth giving a swaps a try (did you notice the buttons? Did you? My goodies were never ending), go get 'em and enjoy! And if you do, cross your fingers that you get Cheryl as a partner, because she is such a thoughtful and incredibly generous swapper. (I just hope you aren't disappointed with the swap I sent you...I'll post that when I know Cheryl has received it)