sew sweet

Cat recently hosted the Sew Sweet swap, I was partnered with the uber lovely Talia. The colours that she liked were - mustard, rust and grey. Normally that palette would have stumped my fabric stash, but lucky for me, I had just stumbled upon a grey wool skirt at my local thrift store. One thrift store in town is currently having an "extended" $1 sale, all out of season stock is just one dollar! It's meant I've picked up some absolute bargains, merino tops in perfect condition, wool skirts, I won't brag too much, but I'm feeling lucky! I teamed the grey wool fabric with a little off cut of hand printed fabric that I bought last year in Christchurch, by the talented designer : In my back yard . In a strange twist of fate, my scrap bag swap partner also sent me a wee bit of the same fabric!

I made a very bad attempt at some free form sewing and popped some delicious chocolate in to hopefully make up for sewing!

I've got some plans to make a few more of these zip bags, them seem to come in handy for so many things don't you think?

a scrapin'

I've taken part in Nin's Scrap Bag Swap for the last few years. It's been a great way to pass on a little of my fabric collection and receive a surprise parcel in return. It's always so nice to get mail and fabric in the post, well, win/win I say! 

This years format is slightly different and also includes a blog-hop which started today! The oh so talented Juliet from Tartan Kiwi is talking about Paper piecing, I think it's above and beyond my sewing patience but Juliet makes it look easy with her beautiful patterns! 

Below is a list of the other bloggers taking part, you'll notice my name in the line up too! I'm looking forward to sharing a quick and easy scrap busting tutorial. 

Mon 10^th February             Tartankiwi – Paper pieced koru

Tuesday 11^th                      Make. Life. Beautiful. - Dolly Outfit

Friday 14^th                         Mousehouse – Pocket Organiser

Monday 17^th                      Catalina's Cottage – Hexie love 

Tuesday 18^th                      Make. Life. Beautiful.  Scrappy quilt Part 1

Friday 21st                         One Paisley Apple – Fabric Flowers

Monday 24^th                       Kiwi at Heart  -   Scrappy Rope Coaster

Tuesday 25^th                       Make. Life. Beautiful.  Scrappy quilt Part 2

Friday 28^th                          Works in Progress – Scrappy Pot Mitt and Trivet

Monday 3^rd March              NZ Green Buttons – Floral Wreath Tote

Tuesday 4^th                         Make. Life. Beautiful.  Childs Bike Seat Pad

Friday 7^th                            Catalina's Cottage –  Giant Star Quilt

I hope that you'll follow along some of these lovely bloggers, checking in to see the amazing scrappy projects.

ornamental

It's that time of year again to sign up for the Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap!

Click on the image to take you to Sew Funky to find out all the details. I've participated over the last three years, my kids love finding the little ornaments in the letterbox to hang on our tree. Handmade decorations are so much better than store bought don't you think? Will you join me?

inbox

As nice as it is to receive an exciting email, maybe from a friend that you haven't heard from in a while, or from somebody that wants to offer you something exciting to try, but nothing, NOTHING beats going to your letterbox to find it overflowing with goodies! Some expected and some not so expected arrived in my letterbox this week ......

The above three pictures were the contents of a surprise parcel from my friend Jessicah of Spinning a yarn. Last year she asked if I had a vintage embroidered linen tablecloth  from my collection that I might be willing to part with. She was putting together a very special 21st present for her sister and had been unable to find one. I said "yes" and instead of payment I asked for some fibre in return -she dyes fibre so beautifully, it seemed like a "win" for me! I didn't expect all the extras she sent, a beautiful bone crochet hook, a Japanese crochet book, that is going to stretch my chart following to extremes as there is no English instructions! But I'd love to make that shopping bag so it will be a good brain workout. 

This book, written and photographed by this lovely lady also arrived this week! It needs a whole post of it's own so I'll do that this week, I'm already part way through sewing something amazing from it. 

This Emma Makes journal made my day, I've wanted one of her Red Roman Sandal notebooks for quite a while. I love it! 

Also I'm spreading the word about a big sale on this weekend for Stuck on You! They are celebrating 1,000,000 customers! They have an amazing 25% off store wide and free shipping! A perfect time to stock up on some of their great products. I think their wooden name puzzles would make a lovely gift. The discount runs out at midnight on Monday, head over to the Stuck on You Facebook page for more info.

printed

 You may remember a hand printed fabric swap I mentioned a while ago, well the last of my fabrics arrived just before I headed away to Christchurch. Once the first wee parcel arrived, with some amazing fabric and a detailed account of how they went about printing theirs I realised I didn't let me swap partners know how I printed mine! So I'll let you know in case you want to do some fabric printing at some stage, with things from around your home. It's nice and simple and a perfect wintertime activity to do with your kids, very little mess!

I've always thought the bottoms of celery look like beautiful flowers as I cut them off, seems such a waste to be popping them into the compost. So I used the base of some celery as the basis of my design. 

 I inked the celery up with some Versa craft textile inks that I had bought kind of a long time ago (crazy craft supply hoarder collector here, ahem). Easy to use and just needs to be heat set for the ink to be permanent on fabric.

I carved some simple shapes from a eraser, a leaf and a twirly scroll.I also used the eraser tip of a pencil for the middle of the flowers. I tried to keep the pattern fairly consistent across the four fat quarters that I need to print, I cut them all initially, but I think I would have been better printing on yard and then cutting. 

All wrapped up ready to send! I really hope that my partners liked the fabric they received from me. 

These are the amazing fabrics that arrived in my letterbox! I'm really in love with the leaf one at the bottom, so much work went into that one, inking the leaves up to print, it's really stunning! 

Speaking of swaps, did you see that the travelling stash box is up and running for a second trip around New Zealand? I missed it the first time, but I've signed up for it to stop off at my house this time round! As a great craft supply hoarder collector I'm pretty sure I can find some crafting things to add to it. 

wasn't

 It wasn't the week I expected, or planned for that matter. But here we are nearly at the end of it, which is, to be honest a relief. The highlight of the week was getting a lovely parcel in the mail, from Miriam (my secret scrap fabric swap partner). A lovely tote with a doily and "hope" embroidered on it - it's already in use Miriam! The bag was filled with some lovely fabric scraps, Miriam must have known that I've got hardly any boyish scraps and included some great car pieces, I particularly love the seersucker piece with the yellow and red cars. There were also some sweet treats tucked in the parcel too! The disappeared into little mouths before I had a chance to photograph them. Thanks again Miriam - you made my week!

printed

I've just spotted this swap and I thought you might be interested? Sounds fun. Click on the pic and it will take you to all the info about how to sign up. Sign ups close this week, so get in quick!

scrapped

I've got what seems like a giant list of "to do's" over the next couple of weeks. I ticked a couple off today but added another couple too. One thing I did get sorted out and posted was my scrap bag for Nin's scrap bag swap. It's a secret swap so I send to one person and receive from another which means I can share what I'm sending as the recipient won't be expecting something from me, oh how sneaky! I took part in the swap last year too and I got some really nice pieces, fingers crossed that I'll get another great selection this year. I hope that my swap partner will love this little selection. I made a zip purse (to pop the smaller scraps in) with some denim and some of my "granny" fabric that I designed and printed with Spoonflower. I also included some little pieces of that fabric both in the large size and the smaller little squares. I also included a roll of this cute cotton ribbon, I love those little Russian dolls.

Hope you have a great weekend dear blog readers!

sweet

 I signed up to take part in the Sew Delicious - Sweet pouch swap over the holidays. All you needed to do was make a pouch add some local sweets/chocolates and send it off! My partner hasn't received hers yet so I'll won't spoil the surprise here yet, but mine arrived in the post this week! I love the pouch and I'm already using it for a little crochet project. The picture doesn't really show it well, but the drawstrings are printed like tape measures! Very cute, and it's sewn so beautifully. The pouch was filled with American "candy" none of which I have seen in the shops here (but I try hard not to go down that isle of the supermarket). The lovely lady that sent me all those goodies blogs over here at Me and Elna - Thanks again Kara, I love it!

Christmas ornament swap

(not what I'm swapping by the way - just couldn't post without a pic)

Sew funky is organising the NZ Christmas ornament swap again this year. Sign ups are open now. Check it out here. I've taken part in the swap for the last two festive seasons and it was lots of fun opening all the ornaments and hanging them on the tree, miss E especially loved the wee packages in the mail. I'm excited to see what will arrive in our letter box this year!

tis the season

I've just signed up! Click on the picture to take you to the sign up page :) It's open internationally and it's a one on one swap. So you just have one swap partner and one ornament to make!

ho ho ho #2

There is also this Christmas swap going too. You get partnered with just one person (great if you don't want to make lots of ornaments to send) and it's open internationally too. You can sign up here

ho ho ho

I've signed up again for the Kiwi Christmas Swap, it was lots of fun opening all the little parcels last year. A job perfect for miss E! I'm really looking forward to adding some more handmade decorations to my tree this year too. Pop over to Sew Funky to sign up!

lovely mail

I love getting mail, seems a bit of a rarity these days. This week I got a couple of lovely things arrive in my letter box. The first was a brooch from the Flowerpress brooch swap. I love it! It goes with my favourite cardi and I think I'll wear it a lot. It was sent by Megan from Australia.

The second wasn't much of a surprise as I bought it from etsy. It's some of Melissa's fabric called "planting seeds". It reminds me of picnics and making huts in the backyard, I'm looking forward to Summer already I think.

Swapped

This is the brooch I made for the flowerpress brooch swap, for my swap partner in Australia. There isn't really any sense of scale in the photo, but the button is quite large. I really enjoyed making it, there is something nice and relaxing about crocheting in a circle. I've got a few more of these in different stages, with all this rainy weather I might just get them finished off this week.

progress

Seems that progress is very slow around here this week. I think these rainy days we are having don't help progress too much at all, I just feel like curling up under a cozy blanket. I have however made some progress, I've finished off my brooch for the brooch swap and I'm also finished my tea towel for the swap too. Now I just have to find some time to wrap them up nicely and send them on their way.

Happy weekend.

swapping

just a couple of things I've signed up for, in case you are interested to. Click on the pictures to take you to the sign up pages.

swapped

These are the little trees I crocheted for the Christmas ornament swap. I crocheted them from some light green cotton/bamboo blend yarn and I dipped into my vintage button stash to decorate them and stuffed them with natural carded wool. The bottom photo shows the ornaments that arrived in my letterbox. The doily/wool star is from Dione, the apron is from Norma ( it hasn't made it to the tree, miss E's doll is wearing it), the little felt tree is from Krissie, the strawberries are from Hannah and the little photo frame ornament is from Katie. If you are interested in seeing more ornaments from the swap there is a flickr group.

vintage swap

I recently took part in a vintage swap that Heather from Shivaya Naturals organised. The top photo is what I sent to my swap partner Adrie and the bottom photo is what I received from Adrie yesterday. It was fun getting a few things together to send and even more fun having a surprise package to open. I was lucky to get some great fabric and I'm already planning in my head what I'll sew with it.