Recycling...

Can you believe I have been working surrounded by all this fabric for the past two months and today is the first time I have taken any home? I know it is a bit hard to believe, but well it doesn't actually belong to me and you know I just can't take things without asking the boss now can I? What you see here is a selection of commercial quality table linen which is no longer used by the customers and has been sitting on the shelf gathering dust for what seems like must be years, there really is that much dust in some places, it makes you wonder what kind of fantasy land the previous owners were living in. Anyway, where is all this going? The boss wants to clear out these colours. There are small quantities in various sizes from serviettes up to 72 inches square. I am thinking bags, or at least lining, the light colour next to the red and white check is actually a flesh colour just right for doll bodies. The red on the left in the picture and the green at the bottom are excellent Christmas colours, trees skirts and table centres come to mind. As he left before me today he doesn't actually know I took samples home - maybe I should just make some thing and surprise him on Monday? I'll let you know whether I am successful. Enjoy the weekend where ever you are and what ever you do. Happy Crafting

Sweet Stitching

The boss has been playing nice this week and we have had a couple of short days, not good for business, but sure is good for creating stuff! I got to play with Natalies pattern for the Sweet and Spotty Needlewallet project which she designed for the Stitchers Angel swap. I am liking this a lot and may not be sharing with my secret stitcher? So far I have completed the stitchery for the front using The Thread Studio hand dyed silk from the Opulent Collection - gorgeous colours and a pleasure to sew.

I hope you have found time to be creative today.

Happy Crafting

A Little Stitching

I traced these stitchers angel roses from Helens project on Saturday thinking I would have some time for a little stitching after dinner at the Health Farm, but instead we played with buttons from The Mothers collection. So far I have done this one which I really like, and maybe my secret stitcher will also as she likes Purple ALOT! I have used an hand dyed silk thread from 'The Thread Studio' Opulent collection, it is a very nice thread to work with and the colours really are vibrant. I completed this one using DMC threads 961 and 522. I like the way it has turned out too. Now to make the containers which they will adorn, not sure that I am making Helen's drawstring bag, but you never can tell what may happen next time I am at the sewing table.

I am already behind as the second project was released today, it is a gorgeous needle wallet featuring a design by the talented Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches. Go on over and check it out.

I chose to participate in Aunt Pitty Pats Bumps in the Night Annie swap and the dolly design this time is by the talented Brenda at Lilliemaes Crafts, who generously provided not only the pattern free of charge but an excellent tutorial on making Annie dolls. She sure has some gorgeous designs so pop over, say hello and check out all her designs. Oh and there is still time to sign up if you are interested just follow the link from the button on my sidebar.

Thanks to all the desgners who so generously share their work - today I'd like to thank Helen, Natalie and Brenda specifically.

Hope your week has started well and there is plenty of time to be creative.

Happy Crafting

A Good Evening...

was had by all at the Health Farm. Lots of yummy healthy food, oh and delicious desert too! Then after dinner SILJ asked about buttons and well The Mother was in a sharing mood, so we got to play with these lovelies and take some samples home of course. SILJ was looking for yellow and orange buttons for a project she is working on. I didn't get a before photo so most of the yellow ones are gone. Unfortunately The Mother did not have orange in her collection, maybe she shared with another family member already. We enjoyed finding interesting buttons among this lot for atleast an hour - Miss10 and Mr8 joined in and were very helpful cutting old threads off the buttons which had enjoyed a previous life!

Ooh... then The Mother produced these lovelies all of which are more than a metre in length. She finds all the good stuff for me at the Oppy where she voluteers weekly.

Oh, to have connections in all the right places.

Hope the sun is shining where you are.

Happy Crafting

I did It!

I made another one of these... You may remember I made one last month in coffee themed fabrics, well my sister who was the lucky recipient of that one asked me today for the recipe... I wasn't sure I could create another one as I just make things without taking too much notice of what I do. This one has been in the making for more than a week as I just couldn't figure out how I put the last one together! But I have been successful today and I am very happy with this one - maybe it will be for me?? I fussy cut some of the cute owls to make the ends,

and embroidered numbers on one side and math signs on the other.

So that is the only success from the sewing table this week ... the other project almost ended in disaster! I will need to do some unpicking to save it, and well I have to go to the Health Farm for dinner tonight, so I guess that will be a tomorrow (or the next day job).

Hope everyone else is having more success in the sewing room than me at the moment.

Enjoy the weekend.

Happy Crafting

Lucky Me

Jindi's mum came back from her big trip over the water last weekend and she brought a present back just for me. I got this gorgeous piece of fabric all the way from Liberty of London - it has the most beautiful colours and the design is very interesting. Mmm...what to do with this?? May just have to admire it for a bit, that wont be difficult! It really is pretty. Hey Jindi, tell your mum THANKS. Enjoy Monday. Happy Creating

A few more Crosses

Inspired by those of you in cyberspace who are focussing on completing UFO's (by all of their names), I have picked up this piece again after she rested at the bottom of the project pile for a few months. She has been keeping me company in the evening for the past week and I have made good progress on the border. Tomorrow will see Helen post the first of the free projects for the Stitchers Angel Swap, of course everybody is welcome to download the patterns, so check back every Monday for the next 7 weeks. Thanks Helen for hosting such a fun swap and to all the designers whose projects will be available. Have a fantastic week with lots of creativity. Happy Stitching

A Finish and Something New!

Not a lot happening in the sewing room at the moment but that should all be changing again soon. Warmer weather and some sunshine should inspire me to get back into my sewing routine. I finished this knitted scarf last weekend and I am very happy with the result. Not only is this style good for using up scraps, they knit up very quickly and can be made with any combinations of yarn. The furry yarns add texture and there is warmth in the mohair blends which I used in the alternate rows. This one is made in a combination of blues, purples and pinks. During the week I started a new bag but this is a s far as I got, I lost count! I had fun embroidering these numbers and need to do a few more before I put the bag together. I hope I will find time to do some work on this on the weekend. Finished is the desired outcome, I'll let you know if I succeed.

Ooh ... we got stitchers angel partners this week and I can hardly wait for the patterns to be up so I can get started, I am looking forward to lots of fun.

Find some time for creativity this weekend and Enjoy.

Happy Crafting

Surprise!

Thanks to the team at Australian Homespun I received this lovely surprise in the mail. I so like the Red Brolly designs. I was chatting with Ms13 about the book and the fact that there are no little people in our family at the moment and she suggested that most of the projects would be suitable for all ages. I think I may just take her advice and make some for me. Hope Life's good where you are. Happy Crafting

We visited Build A Bear Workshop

Before my neices left yesterday we visited the Build a Bear Workshop at Highpoint.

They made Miss Kitty for a friend of the family who had actually put in an order, and we had fun trying on different outfits. This is the one she wore for the trip home, well it is considerably warmer in Queensland than it is here!

Miss13 decided she needed to add to her collection and chose this silver cat to join her other animals at home. Here she is trying out the skateboard that Miss10 brought for her bears to ride when she gets home. Hope the sun is shining where you are. Happy Crafting

A candle and shopping

Sunday while we were at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, we did candle dipping. They give you a regular white candle and you get to dip it in the colours to decorate it. I tried dipping in multiple colours and ended up with this stripy candle, my neices ones turned out quite different, unfortunately I did not get any pictures. After work today I just had to go by GJ's Discount fabrics and found these two fat quarters in the specials basket, how could I leave them there. They actually have quite a lot of fat quarters left over from their sale last week and some of them were just a couple of dollars each. It would be worthwhile dropping in if you are in the vicinity any time soon. I even have a project in mind, so maybe you will see them used here soon?

Wishing you a creative Wednesday!

Happy Crafting

Where's the weekend?

I can report that Daisy May has made herself at home in her new residence, but before she left I had a couple of young visitors and we discovered that she is quite the gymnast, she performed this stunt all by herself. Okay, she was playing Queen sitting atop the Airer but a little bump and there she was hanging by her feet! As the 21st celebration was out at Ballarat I just had to take my sister and nieces from interstate to check out Gails Patchwork Emporium and well you know it is just not possible to leave without a purchase. I got these two gorgeous spots they currently have no specific purpose but I am sure they will appear in my creations in the not too distant future.

The only creative thing I did this weekend was a little knitting, a new scarf in the making, should be done soon.

Have a productive week and may the sun shine where you are.

Happy Crafting