.: the Wee Bee - house block for Elnora :.

The Wee Bee is rolling along - I'm super late with Elnora's block - and good grief, I am not a fan of being late for anything!  Lovely Elnora has been very patient and not hurrying-us-along at all.

Elnora asked for a house block - around 8 inches, I think - with bright colours and a low volume background.  I chose Kristy's Quilters' Cottage and reduced the size a little so it finished at around about the 8 1/2" mark.

I went for a whole lot of fussy cuts, and a mix of low volumes for the background.  And I couldn't resist the Terra Australis kangaroos for the grass.  It's a pretty busy-looking quilters' cottage - there's even a hexagon-quilt hanging on the line outside, though it's kind of hard to make it out amidst all the low-volume crazy!

Even though I was running very late, I really wanted to make Elnora a little house-pouch to send with her house-block.  So I grabbed the Cotton+Steel and Liberty sitting on my cutting table (thank you Pink Castle, TQES and PolkaDotTeaFabrics), and added in a little Terra Australis for the chimney, and some hoarded blue Kei Kerchief girls.  

For the back, I started with the gorgeous 'get a dog' from CeriGwen's awesome 'Good Intentions' design, then an American Jane 'E', and then a little more Liberty, Cotton+Steel, Amy's Risky Business glasses, some Yuwa, and Prints Charming paisley and rainbows from TQES that I pounced on very quickly when I was there earlier this week. 

Inside the pouch are Terra Australis kangaroos and spinning sticks in 'ocean'.

The house-a-thon goodies are now on their way to Elnora at last!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.  Vee and I are off to an indigo dye workshop tomorrow with Cath from Prints Charming! - we are so excited and will try and take a few pics.   xoxo cat

.: patchwork house-block swap :.

The lovely Angie, who blogs at GnomeAngel, is coordinating a house-block swap.  I've signed up for the international swap, so these six little houses will be heading off to three lovely ladies both here and overseas.  

I followed the basic pattern that Angie shared on her blog, with a few little changes so I could ramp-up the fussy-cutting opportunities, the TINY fussy-cutting opportunities - the windows are a half-inch square, finished!  Each house is 6 1/2" unfinished.  Here they all are one by one. 

I think this next one is my favourite - not one, but TWO Laurie Wisbrun giraffes!

They're all pretty busy, I know, but I do find it very hard to tone things down sometimes.  Too much colour, all the patterns, throw them all in together, I say!  I even had to specifically buy plain, white, solid fabric for the borders - I just never use a solid white, ever! 

The swap houses are due to be posted by next Friday, so check out all the happy little houses that are now popping up on instagram and Flickr - search for #patchworkhouseblockswap and #thefussycuttersclub.  Pop across too, to Angie's blog, to join in with her second Fussy Cutters' Club linky party, and take a look at all the fun fussy-cut creations that some very clever peeps have been making! 

Hope you have all had a great week - the school holidays have been perfection here in Brisbane.  Happy weekend to you all.  xoxo cat