w.i.p wednesday

*can i just say THANK-YOU for all your lovely comments on my last post, seriously the quilting world has the nicest and sweetest people, so THANK-YOU :)*

it's a cold, grey, wet and windy day here the perfect excuse to stay inside in comfy clothes with my sewing machine and netflix!! do you remember this quilt from like ages ago, well it's been sitting basted for months, so i thought today was the perfect day to quilt it :)

ahh i love it and can't wait to finish it!!

question: would anybody be interested in a low volume charm swap??

rachael x

linking up with WIP  wednesday

a wall jumped out behind my car

yay! its monday and i have no college!! and it's (kinda) sunny! double yay!!

i may have got a bit carried away with the a beautiful mess app

you may have noticed at the top of my blog that a new little button has appeared, yes i have opened an etsy shop! see i would like 'the floral suitcase' to be my business, it's like soo scary putting that out there, but i'm slowly learning not to be scared anymore. i also have a facebook business page, i don't use normal facebook but it is soo fun for business purposes.

i regularly attend craft fairs to sell all my handmade items and i have to say i love doing craft fairs you meet soo many great people and they also get your 'business' out there. when most people see my stall they either think i didn't make all the items or i'm just doing this as a hobby, which makes me feel kind of stupid. by telling you all this i'm hoping it will give me the courage to tell people that no it is not just a hobby but that it is my business!

my most popular items are my animal cushions and these aren't even all of them, i have loved making each one and making them all a little bit unique. I have been running my business for a few months now and i love everyday of it, some days are harder than others but it's worth it to be working at something that i am passionate about and want to do, i'm still in the early, learning stages but each day i ;earn something new and have so many great people helping, and supporting me through it all :)

probably my most favourite cushion ever!!

rachael x

p.s this post took me 3 hours to write

and the winner is...

when you run a competition you have to pick a winner, ditzy me forgot this fact so I'm a couple days late announcing the winner but without further ado the winner is:

                                                                          Janice

Well done!! I'll get that pattern sent over to you right away :) and because a post without a picture would be boring, here is some watercolour trees.

rachael x

p.s can you totally tell I wrote this on my ipad??

ooh a new quilt-a-long!

megan from city stitches is hosting her very first quilt-along with her very first pattern!! i'll definetly be making this quilt because it's sooo a.m.a.z.i.n.g!! wanna see?

it's called hemispheres and you can get it here it's curves which i've never attempted but will definetly give this a go, its too cool not to!

here is the schedule:

Oct 21: Color and Fabric Choices/Cutting Tips

Oct 28: Piecing with Pins

Nov 4: Piecing with Glue

Nov 11: Piecing Freehand/Curve Master

Nov 25: Quilting

Dec 9: Link Up

Dec 10-12: Voting

Dec 13: Grand Prize Award

ooh and guess what there are prizes, yaayy!! tammy from marmalade fabrics is giving away the grand prize of a rainbow stack of 40 robert kaufman kona solids, good, huh?

GIVEAWAY

megan has given me the hemisphere PDF pattern to giveaway today to one of you lucky people, all you have to do is leave a comment and i'll pick a winner on friday.

join the flickr group  http://www.flickr.com/groups/2357757@N23/ and use #hemispheresqal on Instagram also check in with the other bloggers for more chances to win :)

Oct 8: Alyssa pileofabric.com
Oct 9: Lindsey lrstitched.com
Oct 10: Christina thesometimescrafter.com
Oct 11: Jennifer knottedthread.com
Oct 12: Sara sewsara.blogspot.com
Oct 13: Emily esposetta.blogspot.com
Oct 14: Angela cuttopieces.blogspot.com
Oct 15: Rachael thefloralsuitcase.com
Oct 16: Shannon littleluvins.com
Oct 17: Kelly craftytwinmommy.blogspot.com
Oct 18: Shannon masteringtheartofbeingme.blogspot.com
Oct 19: Diane fromblankpages.blogspot.com

check out megans blog for more details and to get a really cool button!!

rachael x

the sock theory

so have i ever told you the sock theory? i don't think i have. it's the theory that if you wear mis-matched socks, you'll have a really good day, and if you wear matching socks, you'll have a bad day. you should  try it, it's a totally full proof theory haha!

it's been very quiet here, i have started 'college' and i'm always soo tired, but i think i'm working out a routine. the reason it has been so quiet is this:

incase you can't tell it's homework coursework, now i haven't had to do homework for about 5 years so it's definetly a shock to the system. oh i'm doing graphic design, just incase i haven't told you all :)

i can show you my finished hat, it's been finished for like ages, commence posy picture taking...

i actually brushed my hair for this photo, and you totally can't tell haha. also you can't really see the hat but you get the idea, i've already started on my second one :) and can i just say this hat was a total lifesaver at cub camp, three days and no shower, it covered my icky hair perfectly!!

now for some pretty fabric...

this is lottie da by heather bailey, when i first saw this collection, i was just kinda 'meh' about it, but the suddenly i just had to have, i like really love these.

oh and i couldn't resist the birds from waterfront park!

also this totally awesome book arrived as well

now i'm not an improv-y person, but i completely love this book, it make me want to go all improv-y, i've already put it to good use

see there has been some sewing!! i just have to sew the binding on and then there will be a ta-dah! moment.

oh it's nice to be back, i have sooo much to tell you all :)

rachael x

it's friday the 13th!! and there's a fly in my bedroom

it's september which basically means it's autumn, so it's time for all the warm comfy clothes to come out, yay!! i always get the need to knit in autumn and the fact that i can't knit is completely irrelevant!! haha i decided on sunday night that i just had to knit me hat after seeing jeni's on instagram onto the computer i went, then spent ages dithering over what colour of wool to get, but finally it was ordered!! then i had to wait like an eternity (it was actually only 3 days) for the wool to arrive, i was watching the postbox with my binoculars haha. 

now i really can't knit and definitly not with circular needles!! but it only took me 3 tries to cast on and actually start my hat, eeekk it's exciting. i chose navy wool :) and i'm using the hannah pattern by luvinthemoomyhood it's actually not that hard, i think if you can quilt you can knit it's like magic.

well obviously i needed a pouch to hold my knitting, enter jeni's fab drawstring pouch pattern i made the 'project bag' size i love these pouches they are so quick and make such a cute bag.

i added a smile-y pink buuny cause i like pink and bunnies :) i also cut into the animal print from indian summer i love this fabric and soo wish i'd bought yards of it!

i also added some sketchy writing so i know that it is my knitting pouch. i'm about half way through knitting my hat (i've also ordered more wool to make more, yay!!) i'll be sure to show you a finished picture of me modelling it with my new haircut :)

rachael x

linking up with crazy mom quilts

i'm scared of night-time

coming soon: the tale of the tidy 'sewing room'!!

rachael x