:: the one about Red-Riding Hood ::

My sister-in-law G casually mentioned that my niece H would loveity-love-love her very own Red-Riding-Hood cape for Christmas.

Now, H is a girl who loooooves to dress up.  Can't stress that enough.  Wigs, shoes, accessories, the whole bit.  There are many awesome photos that I would love to share - but Vee and I don't even put pics of our own kids onto the blog, so you will just have to imagine a 4 year old girl rocking a Rapunzel wig, sunglasses and a Cinderalla dress on a normal day at kindy, with an awesome attitude of  "nothing to see here, leave me to my painting and don't get caught in my long, blonde wig". 

Anyway, now that the Christmas holidays have started, I thought I'd get onto the cape.   I had already found an excellent tutorial thanks to Allie's Freshly Completed blog - I had googled until I found the easiest-possible tutorial, since I am not blessed with garment-sewing-skills of any kind.  Can't stress that enough.  

I then made Allie's tutorial even easier by leaving out the lining and button.  I hemmed the cape and hood, and sewed in some cute candy-cane striped binding tape, so that G can tie a bow to close it.  

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Please go check out Allie's blog, as her how-to pics are excellent, AND she has a gorgeous tiny girl modelling her completed cape!    

So once H's cape was done, I thought we should find a little basket to go with it, since everyone knows Red was carrying a basket to grandma's house.  

But then I saw the cutest little 9-patch tote on Chase's Quarter Inch Mark blog, so I thought I would just copy that idea.  I already had some sweet red-riding hood fabric in my stash (that I had bought with H in mind), AND some cute basket fabric too (that I had bought with me in mind ... ), thanks to Frances' gorgeous Miss Matatabi shop on etsy.   

{{I love that it says 'walking in the forest with friends' ... ahhhhm, watch out for that wolf!!}}

{{the basket fabric is gorgeous}}

{{what big ears you have, grandma ... }}

{{Red is looking sweetly determined, and is surrounded by friends ...  }}

H's favourite colour is purple, so I used Lizzy House's pearl bracelets for the lining, and Heather Ross' Far Far Away 2 moon dot print along the bottom on the outside of the bag (scroll back up again to see the sleepy moons). 

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And here they are together.  I really do need to work on my photo-styling skills.  Particularly when capes are involved.   

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Very happy with this pressie, particularly since I'll be adding in a little name-star that just arrived in the mail today from Jeannette.  Her Wordz of Life shop on etsy is beautiful.  Jeannette repurposes old quilts and makes them into stars, hearts and other shapes and then hand-sews words onto them.  Every piece comes with a little bible verse and heart attached to it.  I ordered a name-star for my children, and one each for my niece and nephew.  So happy that they've arrived in time for Christmas.  

{{love}}

Hope your week has started well.  xoxo cat

:: what have you been up to? ::

We have been busy working through some post-market orders, some Christmas sewing, more market sewing, and at this time of year - lots of pre-Christmas and end-of-school year busyness.

Here are some pics ... they're all iphone pics sorry ... need to download from my camera and I was a little too laz-ay to go get the cord.

First up, quilt-as-you-go bag panels for teacher-pressies. 

{{computer-bag for my younger child's teacher ... who is originally from England ...}}

{{tote bag for my older child's teacher, who wears a lot of red}}

Next up - and I need to do a full and proper blog post about the awesomeness that has been Kara's Secret Santa Swap - my Secret Santa Swap pressies arrived!! 

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My Secret Santa was the lovely and very crafty Ros from SewDelicious.  Ros made some very sweet Christmas bunting, a gorgeous whale drawstring pouch, and included my favourite Lindt Santas (I'd share but they're all gone ...).  I promise I will take proper pics and do a whole blog post about the Secret Santa Swap.  It was really fun to be a part of it.

I grabbed a few minutes this afternoon to finish the binding for a (mahusive, 14-inch square) pot-holder that is headed to the US to be part of Amy's Mum's Christmas pressie.  

{{Aneela Hoey's Cherry Christmas + Bliss binding}}

{{the back - I do love the red stitching for the 'x'}}

We have a few new cushion-panel designs to show you too - the awesomely clever and creative brain that is Vee, whipped up some new ideas last weekend.  Vee emailed the file to Spoonflower on Sunday night .... and they arrived on her front doorstep on Friday!!  So super fast to print and post the designs, we were so impressed.  

The panels are already in our Etsy shop (click across and check them out!!) - but you will have to wait for pics here, as I've only got the instagram pics I stole from Vee's photostream, and I'd rather wait til we can share camera pics.

Here's to a happy week.    xoxo cat

:: in the shop ... ::

A spot of shop-sewing has been going on.

Just listed, the Divine Miss Ruby zip pouch:

{{love her a lot}}

And Starbee starbee night zip pouch:

{{hangin' with his rabbity peeps}}

More shop-sewing to come.  At last.   xoxo cat

: aunty cookie's ms bubbly :

Yep! That's me. Ms Bubbly!  

I LOVE this illustration by aunty cookie

A gift to 'moi' from my kind friend Cat.

Cat, you will note too that I have repurposed one of my kitchen frames

and highlighted 'moi' with your New York fabric purchase.

Happy Sunday Cat and Aunty Cookie and thank you to you both xoxo vee

:: keep the paparazzi guessing ::

The paparazzi have tracked you down to your kitchen, where you are the shining star of your own kitchen dramas.  Just listed in our Etsy shop - our Shining Star potholder.

:: make sure they capture your best angle ::

:: just one more song? well ok then ... ::

Do you recognise the words - we cut up one of our singsongs teatowels to see what would happen.  Next minute, tiny paparazzi are swarming the building.  Who knew?

:: give yourself permission to shine .... hang on, that's another whole song ... ::

Happy weekend    xoxo cat 

:: do the fandango ::

Just listed in our Etsy shop, our 'do the fandango' cushion!!

It's a biggie, about 58 cm square.  We've listed it as a complete cushion, with its own (made by us) filled insert, so it's only available to Australian buyers.

Snap it up for your lounge, so you can sing along as you sip wine and flick through a few mags.

xoxo cat and vee

:: loving my latest Etsy purchase ::

Much excitement around these parts, with our Etsy shop being alive and kicking, oh yes (AND a purchase has already been made (thank you)).  we.are.loving.it.

Speaking of Etsy love, check out my latest purchase, from the fabulous Penny Candy:

It's a 2012 calendar teatowel, look at how great it is!:

Love, it, thanks so much Amy!  We've got some of Amy's fabulous mix-tape fabric from Spoonflower winging its way to Brisbane - can't wait to get sewing with it. 

We are so happy to have joined the Etsy gang at last, I've been a bit of an Etsy addict for a couple of years - there is just so much great stuff to find, and it's all handmade, woo hoooo.

So - go check out Penny Candy, then click on over to us, then click some more, 'cos it's a bit addictive. 

Happy nearly-weekend to you all.      xoxo cat