Retro Mummy Giveaway

Have been blog-hopping this evening (instead of sewing - my mind wants to sew but my body is tired). I started out at Two Little Banshees and then discovered that Corrie at Retro Mummy is having a giveaway.

I love this fabric - my Mum adores ladybirds so maybe I'll need some of this to whip up something for Christmas or her birthday!

And this pattern is lovely and I'd really like to make another jellyroll quilt!

Or maybe this one - I can't go past a good matryoshka doll!

Wish me luck or go check it out for yourself!

The blog-world doesn't know what's hit them now that The Gumtree Designers have decided to launch!

http://gumtreedesigners.blogspot.com/

Go and check it out! Tomorrow is the start of their giveaways and then the freebie designs start being posted from Monday 5 October - helping us all get ready for Christmas (AAAARGH - to much to do, so little time!).

A visit from Grandma!

We have had a lovely few days with my grandma visiting us from Devonport. She came down on the bus and we spent five fun days with her tagging along with our usual stuff.
We went down to the Tahune Airwalk and had a lovely time wandering amoungst the trees. She and my grandfather were avid bushwalkers but Grandma broke her hip a couple of years ago and it has slowed her down a bit.

We also spent a morning playing at the West Hobart Train Park, wandered around the shops before lunching in Salamanca Square and generally had a lovely time.

I think it's great that my kids get to hang out with a lady who is nearly 90! My grandma is hopeless with names and spent the whole time calling Matilda "Angela" - to which she politely replied "I'm not Angela, I'm Matilda!". After the five days Matilda was just answering to Angela - even at 3 years old you can work out when it's just not worth it!

Kelvin was also 11 months old during the week. He and Grandma had a wonderful time together - chatting to each other and just hanging out. I can see how raising children in a house full of extended family might work. The oldies would hang-out and play with the littlies, singing to them, chatting with them - not having to worry much about the running of the household.It was lovely having Grandma to stay - life gets a bit lonely for her since my Grandad died five years ago and I'm glad we made the effort to catch up. However, she was staying in the spare room (aka my crafting space) so I'm itching to get back in there!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I have been following Made by Rae for a while and she is giving away a backpack or a sewing pattern for the backpack at Grosgrain - check out the link below and wish me luck!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Marathon is Over...

...and this is what I have to show for myself (part of the "contemprary" mystery quilt)!

Last night I also laid out the sashing and attempted my first try of applique! I think vlysofix / "wonder-under" could be my new best friend and I have many ideas...

You can see my blocks on Helen's site - I'm not so sure about the colours but Matilda informed me the other day that her favourite colours a red and pink so this might have to be hers. I used fabric that would never normally choose - it was Basket of Flowers by Mary Engelbreit (the jelly roll that I'd won through Quilt Qua).

I was also lucky enough to win some fabric that was donated by The Fabric Cupboard (no photos but it's from the Botanical Fantasy range).

Oh - and here's Kelvin's most favourite thing in the house! Our washing machine - he'd probably stand there and watch a whole wash cycle if I let him!!

Melbourne, Finley & Sewing

We have just returned from a flying visit to Melbourne to meet our new nephew and cousin - Finley! Although we didn't fly, we took our car on the boat.

We had 3 nights in Melbourne and saw a lot of Finley, Kelly and Luke over that time. Finn slept a lot (as all good newborns do) but we did a couple of photos of Kelvin with his new mate!

We spent a day at the Werribee Open Range Zoo and Matilda really enjoyed herself looking at all the animals.
Today was a good day - lots of mail arrived. I have got some fabrics together ready to have a go at the beginners mystery quilt at the Quilt Marathon on Saturday. I'm making it for Kelvin. Decided to do chocolate brown, khaki/green and blue rather than the black, cream and lime green suggested so here's hoping it works out! I ended up ordering some fabric from Funky Fabrix and was really pleased with the service - some lovely fun fabrics that I haven't been able to find locally!I also ordered some woven labels a while back (they say "Built by Ange") - wanting to make my homemade clothes look a bit more professional and also to include them on my quilts (if I ever finish one)! I'm now inspired to get into sewing some more clothes. Matilda has pretty much grown out of her favourite twirly dress so I'll have to make her the next size up for this summer and might make one for some of her friends too.Farewell to the last day of winter - I'm ready for some sunshine!! Bring on the spring...

And congratulations to Meg and Ben who announced their engagement yesterday (on her birthday)!! Trev's youngest sister is getting married.

New Nephew has Arrived

My sister-in-law had a little boy yesterday morning - making me an auntie for the first time!

Welcome to the world little Finley Scott Mackie W - 7lb 15oz. Can't wait to meet you in the flesh next week!

M-A-T-I-L-D-A Bean Bags

Well I had a pretty productive day without Matilda at home. I managed to get the beanbags finished - inspired by Little Blue Boo! I didn't do the freezer paper stencils because I don't have any fabric paint in the house and I can't for the life of me work out what the Australian equivalent of freezer paper is! So I used t-shirt transfer paper and just printed the letters out and ironed them on.

Tilds helped to fill the first two bags before she got bored! Now I just have to get on and do some for Kelvin.

I have also nearly finished a pair of Wiggles pj-pants and another baby quilt top so plenty of sewing going on!

10 Months!

Kelvin was 10 months old earlier this week and I did manage to get photos!

Also, he spent his first night sleeping in real flannelette pj's - that just happened to match Matilda's pj's. They make him look very grown up (compared to the Bonds wondersuit he normally sleeps in).

Matilda is away tonight with her Dad and looking forward to spending tomorrow hanging out with her Mama-Ju (my Mum). Hopefully I'll get some crafting done whilst Kelvin sleeps!

Jewellery Tree Giveaway

I've just seen this great handmade jewellery tree and thought "I need one"!

And the great thing is that this particular tree is part of a giveaway at Missie Krissie who is the talented creator of these little artworks! Go check it out.

Scrapbooking (both Happy and Sad)!

Lots of crafting happening in my head, just not a lot happening with my hands!

The kids have been sick, I have been sick but we're back into the swing of things today and hopefully winter will be over and the colds and flus will be but a distant memory (until next year).

I have been doing some scrapbooking lately. I had a couple of 'sad' scrapbook projects to complete. I am a Creative Memories consultant (as a hobbyist, not to make my millions!) and when one of Matilda's friends from childcare was killed in a car crash last month I was pleased to donate an album so that his friends and carers could put together a beautiful album of memories for his mum. Also, a friend of mine lost a baby boy at 23.5 weeks gestation - they have some beautiful photos of their little man so I put together a personalised baby record book for them. Even though it was pretty depressing putting these albums together it was quite theraputic at the same time (I just had to make sure no tears ended up on the pages - soggy scrapbooking is not a good idea!).

Therefore, it was really nice to get onto some baby record book projects for two other friends and their little girls (who are both now 3 months old). Annabelle got her book over the weekend and I'm just waiting 'til I get a chance to catch up with Nellie and her family - soon I hope.

I have picked up quite a lot of retro bedlinen at op shops over the last week so am keen to try and get onto some sewing. I'm also in love with these and can't wait to make some for my munchkins (and probably their friends)!

Coin Quilt Coming Together

Well I found my rotary cutter so I have been able to finish piecing my stacked coin cot quilt - and here it is (front and back - probably should have ironed them before photographing!). Not as quick as the others in the quilt-challenge but getting there none the less!

Now I just need to get some batting and I'll be able to put into practice those machine quilting skills acquired over the last few weeks!! I'll have to get some binding too and then I micght actually get this finished before the baby girl actually arrives. My other baby gifts are more than 3 months late so this'll be a first for me!

Lost...

...has anyone seen the following?

• the orange Duplo flower
• the blue rectangular bucket
• the inflatable portable high-chair
• my rotary cutter
• the pizza cookbook
• Matilda's library book

Also, I want back the several hours I've wasted today looking for this crap!

Machine Quilting

The last three Sunday mornings I have been getting up, loading my sewing machine into the car, driving to Frangipani Fabrics and spending three hours learning how to do machine quilting and oggling the fabric! Stephanie Newman was the tutor and she has put up some photos of us on her blog - so go check out the latest graduates, zero to hero machine quilters (someday, if we practice...)

A 9-mth Monster!

Well Kelvin has been with us for 9 months this week and is bigger and brighter than ever (although suffering with some winter sniffles - but who isn't)!!

Matilda seems to be less and less of a baby and more a wise little girl, coming out with some lovely turns of phrase. Yesterday morning she joined me and Kelvin in bed and said "Kelvin is beautiful sleeping" - so true and out of the mouth of my gorgeous girl (seen here cooking pikelets).
We've had a tough week with one of Matilda's childcare friends for the last 2.5 years being killed in a car crash along with his father. I went to the funeral on Tuesday - "Twinkle, twinkle" is a tear-jerker at a 3-year olds farewell. It has really made me appreciate the people around me whilst I have them - and to not take my kids for granted! I've decided that I'm probably more of a practical person in a crisis rather than being an emotional support - give me something to do rather than get me to say the "right thing". My heart breaks for the mum and wife who's family has been shattered and who's house must feel very empty.