Japanese Charm Swap - Round Two

I haven’t been doing any swaps or makes this summer, as I really didn’t want to disappoint by being unintentionally flaky, but I have signed up to the 2nd UK & Ireland Japanese charm swap, which this time round is being brilliantly organised by Sarah@ NarcolepticInACupboard. 

After all, how difficult is it to cut up a yard of fabric into charm squares!? (use this fabtastic tute from Elizabeth Hartman@ Oh,Fransson!)  Actually, I say that, but as it is my ruler slipped and about four few squares are about 1/8th" off.  My Bad.

I received such fantastic fabrics first time round when Cindy@ FluffySheepQuilting started this … Yay, both of you!

As soon as I knew I was in, I scooted over to Superbuzzy – home of so many wonderful Japanese fabric delights - and bought this wonderful text fabric …



It arrived last week, and I was sorely tempted to keep it and order something else, but limited purse and strict stitchy moral code prevented me … just …

Isn’t it lovely?  Look how yummy these charm squares look …

There’s a really fantastic set of charms coming to us this round, you can have a little sneaky peek at the flickr group here …

I can’t wait!

Sorted …

I’ve been pretty much offline most of the holidays because I really wanted to get on with some serious Spring Cleaning so that I can feel less guilty about stealing time to sew in the evenings once this very busy exam term gets underway. 

I started with my clothes and books and managed to charity shop a ton of stuff and cleaned and re-organised the rest.  Major good feeling.  I had got to that point where the clothes I wear most frequently were just on hangers round the flat (!) while a writhing tangled mess slumbered on in the chest of drawers.  Not anymore.  Oh no. Everything in its place. I’ll spare you the pics …

Then I moved on to the sitting room (which is where I sew too).

I cleaned and polished and then decided to sort my fabric scraps (woefully long work for such a small amount of scraps!) but good movie or three and some Ikea bags to the rescue and all is now bagged by colour group and solid/print … *sigh*



Originally the scraps filled four of these bins! Now only the blue one!  Yay!  (the grey one has my neutrals and the green one bits and bobs like offcuts of fusible batting etc.



 I also sorted some of my fabrics into projects – either WIPs (not many) or Great Ideas (tons!). 

They now rest in my pic-a-nic basket … ready for action …

Then I had to vacuum and dust all over again … my goodness those scraps generated a ton of lint/dust!
Finally, I reorganised my space to give me a little cutting and pressing area that was easy to access and use, while at the same time disappearing when not in use … not easy in my limited space … but … looky here!
 


This space (which is the top of a ghastly cupboard that I inherited with the flat and ONLY fits in this alcove!) gives me a pressing area, a cutting area and a mini design table! It works a treat.  btw this pic really makes me giggle because I wanted to make a big arrow out of blue paper and stick it on the wall, but didn’t have the time for such silliness. 
  



Today, while I was busy making an assault on my jam jar mountain, it was being used as a slumber area too …




I’ve finally made a start on my siblings together quilt … you can see some of the blocks in the collage above,  it's a WIP that started about a year ago!  ... but more of that another day, for it’s time to have a bath and get sorted for tomorrow … yes, it’s back to skool … actually I’m rather relieved, these hols have been utterly exhausting! (but very satisfying)

Have a good week peeps and see you soon …

As one giveaway closes - another opens! - 4 ruby star FQs - closes 30th May!

Wow you guys rock!  We have some a-ma-zing questions to choose from for next week’s Melody Miller Interview … this is going to be so great … stay tuned for the winner & the interview next week!  Thank you so much!


You've still got until midnight Wednesday (25th) UK time to enter the Melody Miller giveaway here



If you wrote one of the winning Qs for Melody’s interview you will automatically get a bonus entry for this NEW giveaway too!




I first met The Eternal Maker at the Stitches & Hobblecraft show in Brighton, earlier this year.  Their stand was completely rammed with people, but I still managed to elbow my way in …







To get me some of these lovely Ruby Star Risings …





Now, one lucky YOU can get your hands on some of these too!


Anna at The Eternal Maker … described by Melody Miller as “the cutest little thing in all of the UK” … is kindly giving away 4 Fat Quarters of Ruby Star Rising to the winner of this second giveaway in my little Melody Miller Fest.


The Eternal Maker are based in Chichester, West Sussex, a mere stone’s throw from Brighton … and yet I’m still to visit their shop in real life - that’s because they have such a fantastic online service. 

They stock such a great range of fabric, including lots of Kokka, which probably explains why I use so much Echino & Ruby Star in my quilting!  I love the fact that you can choose by colour as well as brand/product …







They also have another shop - The Button Company










We all know how I feel about buttons
click the pic if you don’t






So what hoops do you have to jump through for this one?

Well, it would be really great if you could go and have a look around their fabric shop here, or their button shop here …  







… and then come back to leave a comment here telling me what would be top of your shopping list! 

• One entry for each shop you visit.
  
• Easy Peasy 
  
• International entries welcome!
• Closes Midnight (UK time) Monday 30th May 

+ 4 Bonus Chances (please leave a separate comment for each)

1. if you are a benign stalker of my blog = bonus entry !
   
2. if you follow the eternal maker’s blog  = bonus entry !
   
3. if you blog/tweet/tell someone on the bus = bonus entry !
   
4. if you belong to the Brit Quilt Group on Flickr = bonus entry !

I wish I could enter this myself, but then it’s probably just as well I can’t … as I’d just choose Me … and then you’d all stop coming by … and that would be sad.

Berlin Baumwolle - Frau Tulpe

Okay, so now on to the serious business of fabric shopping in Berlin …

Frau Tulpe, Veteranenstr. 19









Look how tempting that window is … shall we take a peek inside??








There is a really great choice here … another tardis of a shop … Now, with the Euro so absolutely pants for the British pound I wasn’t really expecting anything to be affordable, but in fact it was about £1 less a metre than buying online.  But oh, so much more fun chooosing!







Frau Tulpe don’t only sell fabric and notions, they sell ready made bags and mini pouches and handbag fixings and tons of other such vital stuff.



They also stock a lot of Echino … cue warm glow/hot flush from being able to stroke it all … oh, and you can bet I did … I think the next photo’s out of focus cos my hands were shaking with anticipation of the furtive fondle.








They also had some wonderful nylon Echino, for making roll-up-into-nothing eco shopping bags.  Most excellent.  You can get hold of it in their online store (which is also pretty bloomin wonderful) along with some fantastic Echino bag patterns.








The ladies who work there are young and vital, extremely helpful and speak perfect English.  They also take non-Europified debit cards … uh-oh.





So, I bought this little stack of fillers … super quality …







… and this yummy stack of Echino linen prints along with one of their wonderful plains, in lime.








and then these amazing tiny iron-ons, which I’ve never seen anywhere before, and which may or may not appear in a little giveaway soon :







Oh yes.  I had a very good time. 
A very good time indeed. 



It was a lovely extra treat after having had such a great walk there.  




These are some of the things I passed on the way, from Hackescher Markt to Veteranenstr.

(click on any of the pics to go to my Berlin flickr collection)

Birds nest in Hackescher Hof -  Memorial at Jewish cemetery Grosse Hamburgerstr.  - Apples 
Wonderful fabric in vintage shop - Great graffiti of the TV Tower - Tree in cemetery -
Camelias in Rosenthaler Hof - Fab mosaic on Grosse Hamburgerstr. - Bakery window

The only thing left to do was to sit in the glorious sunshine and enjoy the most fantastic raspberry tart & a triple shot latte at the Forum Cafe on Fehrbelliner Straße, 57 …







and take the odd sneaky peek at my purchases, natch ...







… tomorrow we might take in a bit of culture … what do you think?