:: Spoonflower contest!! ::

{{no crackers for me, thanks}}

Just popping in to share that Vee has entered Hello Gorgeous into Spoonflower's weekly fabric contest!! 

We would love it if you would pop across to Spoonflower and vote for Vee's fabulous Hello Gorgeous design.

It's a really straightforward process - click to go to Spoonflower's home page. Then click on the 'connect' tab and then the 'weekly contest' hyperlink.  Once you're on the weekly contest page, you click on the 'Australian Animals' link.

To vote, you just click on each design that you like {or only Hello Gorgeous, if you want to ;-) }.  In the Australian Animals contest, there are 11 pages of designs, so just click through all the pages and designs, voting as you go.  At the bottom of the last page, you write in the verifying text, and that's it.  A box saying something like 'I'm done voting' will come up, so you click that too.  

That's it - super easy - you don't have to enter in an email address or register with Spoonflower or anything like that.  

Thanks so much, fingers crossed!!        xoxo cat

:: more x+ and a sweet zip pouch ::

Just checking in with some more x+ blocks and a sweet zip pouch.

Here is block number 8 - Melody Miller typewriters, so love them.  There are also Curly Pops Clark and Edna specs (woo hoo!), Center City, Chicopee, Metro Living circles and a cute Timeless Treasures computer keyboard fabric.

{{block 8}}

Block 9 finally uses some Echino - the buck in specs and the purple owl.  I saw on the #xplusalong on instagram, that Krista from LolaBlueOcean had used a buck in specs in one of her fab x+ blocks and thought how awesome he looked, so had to copy.  There are also long-hoarded Kei kerchief girls, Heather Ross gnomes, Push Pin lego men and a cute treasure hunt fabric that has made a small guest appearance in my long-overdue-to-finish Ron Swanson quilt.

{{block 9}}

And I'm so happy to have hit block 10 - that was my goal for the school holidays.  Now I'm hoping to push on for two more blocks before school starts back.  Really love this one - Heather Ross three little pigs for the +.  How fab-u-lous is the shopping pig?!  And a Lizzy House 1001 Peeps horse, Tula Pink lines (really should check up on the proper names of some of these fabrics), Aneela Hoey reading girl, aaaaaaannnnndd a Winterkist gnoma by the fabulous Monica Happy Zombie!  And also, gorgeous Anna Maria Horner flowers / spots for the triangles, and some hoarded-V+A books.   

{{block 10}}

And I've finally finished the front of my Sweet Pouch Swap zip pouch.  This swap has been organised by the gorgeous Ros from SewDelicious.  All the swappers make a zip pouch (or a little drawstring bag, or something similar) and pop a few delicious lollies and chocolates inside. 

{{so love the Pam Kitty Morning button-card fabric}}

My partner lives in the US, so I will be sure to choose some Australian treats to send - at this stage I'm thinking Natural Confectionary Company party-mix lollies and a bag of Freddo's.  Or maybe Caramello Koalas, though I was worried they'd get a little squashed on the way over.

Hope your week has been fun so far.  One week to go until school starts back again, boo.    take care, xoxo cat

:: AusModBee ::

I'm not sure I've properly mentioned the AusModBee yet.  It's my first-ever quilting bee, and I'm really excited to have been asked along.

The 'bee mamas' are Jeannette and Danielle, and there are 14 of us altogether, from all over Australia.  I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone as the months progress.

We've all chosen a month, starting now and running for the next 14 months.  Every bee member chooses a block, and when it's your month, all the members sew two blocks for you from fabric you've sent out.  

Lorena is up first, and has chosen Anna Maria Horner's gorgeous feather bed quilt pattern. 

{{my test-block for Lorena's feathers}}

The girls and I met up with Lorena and her gorgeous daughter last Saturday at The Quilters' and Embroiderers' Store - which was a real treat, since Lorena and her family live in Sydney - they were just in Brisbane for a few days.  It was great to meet someone I've only known so far through instagram and Flickr, and to talk about a mutual love of fabric and sewing.

My bee-month isn't until August, and after much book-and-internet research, I've decided on a Japanese x+ block.  There's an excellent tutorial for the block on Badskirt Amy's blog.  Since sharing my first four blocks in an earlier post, I've made three more.

Block number 5 is crazy bird party.  I was so happy to use some more of Leanne's owls (The Little House Martin) and to mix them in with Karen's (Blueberry Park) hand-printed fabrics (the triangles and flowers).  And I so love the chickens, which I bought from Frances (Miss Matatabi ). 

{{bird party}}

Block number 6 has some Kyla May 'best Dad ever', mixed in with sweet Heather Ross peg dolls from her Crafty Chloe line and some of MsCurlyPops' Cam's gorgeous hexies. 

{{best Dad ever}}

And block 7 has some total favourites too.  Happy Zombie Monica's Holiday Happy gnomas and Violet Craft's Madrona Road and Peacock Lane.  

{{love}}

I am loving making these blocks, they've become really addictive and I'm making the most of having a bit of extra time during the school holidays to sew as many as I can.

Have you popped across to our shop yet to check out our fabulous new bird cushion covers and cushion panels?  They are awesome, and so much fun.  Can't wait to sew up a few for home.  Vee has a pink 'Hello Gorgeous' cockatoo on her lounge already and it looks fabulous! 

Hope your week has been a good one.   xoxo cat

:: holiday sewing ::

How are your school holidays going?  Brisbane continues to be super hot - though today is blissfully overcast and a little cooler.

We got going early this morning and ticked off back-to-school haircuts, groceries, the post office and the DVD hire-place all before 10.30.

Which meant lots of time back home to sew for me, and a movie marathon for the girls.

I don't think I've shared this instagram pic - eight QAYG placemats, using gorgeous Melody Miller fabrics.  I still need to back these - they're so close to being finished!! 

{{so love Melody Miller}}

And yesterday, I sewed up a test block for Lorena's Anna Maria Horner feather bed quilt.  I wanted to make sure I was ok with the pattern before I cut into Lorena's fabrics, since I don't have a huge history of excellent-pattern-following-ability.

{{it worked!!}}

I am so happy with it, I love the feathers.  Lorena's quilt will be beautiful - her fabrics are all AMH - looking forward to sewing them up for her, and the AusModBee kicking off!

My AusModBee month isn't until August, and I've been deciding between a few different blocks - lots of looking through books and online.  I had just about settled on a Japanese x+ block - I even sewed up a test block on Sunday, with my own guesstimate measurements adapted from Badskirt Amy's excellent tutorial.

{{Tammis Keefe dogs + Pam Kitty Morning buttons + Martha Negley feathers + Heather Ross patchwork}}

And then the very next day - yesterday - I discovered that the second informal instagram quilt-a-long, is to be the exact same block.  AND that Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations, had published cutting instructions for a 12 inch block - exactly what I was after.  

I think I'll stick with this block for my AusModBee as I really love it.  The quilt-a-long (known on instagram as the #xplusalong) will be great incentive to sew up some blocks now though - as my AusModBee quilt is destined for our king-size bed.  I need a looooot of blocks ... I made three more today. 

{{Spoonflower + Yuwa + AMH + Lucky Penny + Martha Negley feathers + Lizzy House}}

{{Spoonflower + Melody Miller + Aunty Cookie + Lucky Penny + Stof  + AMH + a texty print}}

{{Spoonflower + AMH + Push Pin + Love Notes + Flower Press}}

And here's all four - so far - together.  I'm aiming to use all text prints in cream/white/grey as the triangle pieces, so that they bring a bit of calmness to all the crazy colour.   Really happy with them - it's a block after my fussy-cutting-loving heart.

{{loving them}}

And due to all the sewing time, I've now finished watching Season 1 of Once Upon a Time - I've really loved it.  I've seen it on TV when I've been flicking through channels, but never actually watched it.  Now I'm all caught up and ready for Season 2.

And in cat&vee news - Vee took delivery of a box full of Spoonflower awesomeness today!!  We'll be uploading all our bird designs to the shop over the next few days, and post more pics here soon.  

Hope your week has been fun.   xoxo cat

:: baby snail quilt ::

How's your week been?  Brisbane has been hot hot HOT!! 

The husband went back to work last Monday.  We've had a pretty quiet week - catching up with friends, a little pottering around, and hiding out in the air-conditioning have been just about it.  Total bliss.

I made a quilt for a friend's new baby, Evie, which I loved doing.

{{it's a snail}}

The pattern is from Boo Davis' very awesome book, Dare to be Square.  I think it's the first time I've followed a quilt-pattern completely.  I even stuck to mainly two colours for the snail-shell - blues and oranges.

.

For the back I used one of my favourite Ikea sheeting prints, and the binding is made from a few strips of a Riley Blake chevron jelly-roll.

We met Evie last night, so the quilt has been made, washed, dried, wrapped and now handed over ready for action.

.

I've got my fingers crossed for more sewing time tomorrow - finishing up some QAYG placemates (using all Melody Miller fabrics, yahh!), finally finishing a couple of cushions for the girls, and sewing up another 'x and +' block.  I'm trying to work out my block for the AusModBee (more about that later), so figure I'll make a few different test blocks and make them into cushions while I'm deciding.

I'll try and post some more sewing-pics tomorrow - everything lately has been on instagram and I've been so bad at downloading them from my phone.  There's also our trip to The Quilters' and Embroiders' Store yesterday - to meet Lorena and her daughter, which was so much fun and such a lovely morning.  Tell you about it tomorrow.    Stay out of the heat   xoxo cat

where the bloody hell is vee?

Cat is going to fall off her chair and spill her G&T all over herself when she sees this.

Hello Gorgeous Cushion Cover available 20th Jan 

I. HAVE. NOT. BLOGGED. FOR. SEVERAL. MONTHS. 

Budgie Smuggler (of course!) cushion cover

"What has Vee been doing" you ask??  

I got the moves like Jagger cushion cover

Well....... she hasn't been too drunk to blog**  OR  fired by cat for her potty mouth & blaspheming  OR  just too bloody boring to report anything newsworthy....SHE has been studying like a mad woman and is taking a breather over christmas before she starts again in February to complete her last year.

Cam the Lorikeet cushion cover

** on several occasions Vee's tutors have contacted her asking if she was drunk when submitting her assignments. (Well....sort of AND 2am also has alot to do with it)

Footloose Cushion Cover

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am still an integral part if the dynamic duo and we are having fun putting my graphic design studies to use.

We have a new range of witty australian bird cushion covers about to hit our store in 2 or so weeks. (available from around 20th Jan)

So now you know that I haven't been dumped by cat .....back to my wine (bottle of) and happy new years y'all.  xoxo vee

:: new year sewing ::

I made a mini-quilt for Alice Shine, the American Girl doll belonging to my youngest.  

My 'instructions' were to make a house, using mainly purple, pink, blue and orange.  

Voila.

{{Out to Sea mermaid answering the door. Kei Kerchief girl looking out the window}}

{{poodle wondering how to sneak inside}}

The quilt was just about fat-quarter size, so I used a pink + spots fat quarter from the stash for the back, and added in our label and a sweet piece of twill tape that reads 'because I love you'.

.

I'll take a pic of Alice Shine, the AG doll, all wrapped up and ready for the Brisbane summer.

In other sewing-news, I've made a fabric scrap-bucket from the pattern in Sunday Morning Quilts, by Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts and Cheryl Arkison from Naptime Quilter.

{(purple}}

I figured I'd start with purple, since that's my smallest scrap-colour pile.  I wanted to make sure the buckets were big enough for all my scraps, before I made more.  The pattern was great, really easy to follow, and I am definitely making more - in fact, I've started on red and pink this afternoon.  The fabulous lining fabric is washi-tape by Amy from her PennyCandy shop on Spoonflower.

And speaking of Amy - a big box of goodies arrived yesterday from her, all the way from Seattle.  We'd done a little Christmas swap.  Amy has been SO generous, thoughtful and kind.  She is such a talented designer - the card and gift-tags are hers.  I'm really wishing I'd bought some of those tags, they're awesome.  I still haven't taken good pics of all the goodies from the box - will post them when I do.

{{Holly Jolly for me, Be Merry for Vee}}

I love that Amy included a box of Lucky Charms for the girls.  I'd mentioned once in an email, how much we loved them when we were in the US (what's not to love about toasted marshmallow-charms for breakfast?!), and she's filed that little tid-bit away, to surprise us with now.  I was so blown away by the package, and feel so blessed that Vee and I have made this gorgeous friend through the magic of the internet.  

Last pic.  I made a little Hello Kitty heart as part of a swap.  It's a surprise, so I won't say any more now.  It's kind of cute though, in its own little wonky-way - I am loving the Hello Kitty cat mixed in with pink flowers from the lovely Leanne of TheLittleHouseMartin and Melody Miller typewriter keys.

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OK.  Time for a gin and tonic, which is my new drink, since it has less calories than wine.  ;-)  Always happy to share handy household tips with you.  

xoxo cat

:: new year ::

Happy New Year, and may 2013 being good health, peace and happiness. 

We've had a really relaxing, quiet and happy time over Christmas and New Year.  Our family alternates between my and my husband's families each Christmas.  This year it was my family's turn, so we headed to Lennox Head to join my parents, brothers and sister, and their families, to celebrate my Mum's birthday on the 23rd, and then Christmas Day.      

{{Lennox Head, taken from the boat-channel, where the kids swam each day}}

{{super-creepy 'Welcome to Lennox Head' Santa.  why the black eyebrows and mustache?!}}

I grew up in Lismore, about half an hour from Lennox Head.  My parents built a little house at Lennox when I was about 10.  It's changed a lot in 30 years, though it's nowhere near as busy and over-crowded as nearby Byron Bay.  There are some great places to eat, shop and drink coffee.

{{make a wish - outside the bookshop on the main street}}

{{street window of Riley Burnett - surprise - also on the main street}}

We always buy new pyjamas for Christmas.  The girls were ready for Santa, thanks to Peter Alexander.

{{baby reindeer?}}

We were back in Brisbane for New Year's Eve, and had our own mini-celebration - we finally saw Skyfall (gotta love Daniel Craig), and then had dinner at the Barracks, ice-cream on the way home, and then sparklers in the backyard just to confuse Ted.

{{cheers}}

{{in love with these lamps ... need to go back during shopping-hours}}

Hope your Christmas and New Years were fun and relaxing.   We'll be back soon with some pics of the sewing that's been going on over the last few days.   xoxo cat