Blogtoberfest - Day 10 - Happy Birthday Kelvin!

A year has really just flown by - my little baby boy has just turned one!

He had some help opening his presents.

Then he helped put them together.

We had cake (from the original Women's Weekly Birthday Cake Book). It was his first time eating cake - I think he enjoyed it!Happy 1st Birthday Kelvin! Here's to another fun year of learning, laughing and growing.

Blogtoberfect - Day 9 - I like your old stuff better than your new stuff...

I bought this book...

and was disappointed by the roll out fondant and pack mix instructions - so I bought this one...

and all is well with the world!

PS. A fabulously generous giveaway over at Lila Tuella - go check it out for your (quite remote - 1 in 600+) chance of winning a jelly roll, layer cake and patterns from her lovely new fabric.

Blogtoberfest - Day 8 - Skirting the Issue...

I have finally finished the first of many Market Skirts.

Dana's tutorial makes this really easy and maybe next time I'll add a pocket or two!

And so I have signed up for the Lazy Days skirt-along at One Crafty Mumma. Join in - make a skirt for yourself or a little girl in your life. I'm hoping that this will help me put a dent in my Christmas to-do list!

Blogtoberfest - Day 7 - Where is Sadie?

And here are the honest photos of our house! This is what my house normally looks like at 8pm at night - the kids are just into bed and we're probably crashed out on a couch or on the computer or in the sewing room or making a well deserved cuppa!

Toys are spewing out of tubs...

Dirty clothes are on the floor where they were taken off... And the kitchen looks like a bomb has hit! Oh well, I feel that these are far more honest than the pics from yesterday.

Hopefully I'll get onto some crafting tonight to post about tomorrow!

Kevin McCloud - eat your heart out!

As a child I always wanted to be an architect (but I became an engineer instead).

My favourite TV show would be Grand Design (or The Amazing Race).

I love Better Homes & Gardens Magazine and the best bit about the Sunday Paper is having a sneaky peak at someone or others lovely house featured in the Home section.

So when we dicovered a steep block of land overlooking Hobart's northern suburbs we jumped at the idea of building a house (although we'd never dreamed of doing it since I'm anti urban-sprawl - it was an in-fill block).

Anyway, we got a fabulous designer on board (Mike Cleaver), a great builder (Andrew Scott) and we've ended up with an award winning home! We won Best Residential Building upto 250 m^2 and Best Use of Colour at the Building Design Association of Tasmania. Go check out the pics at Clever Design.

Please note - our house never looks this tidy! A lot of our furniture is hiding, along with all things associated with people actually living in the house - I am not a neat freak and live a lot of the time in clutter, a brand new house does not change this (although great storage does help a bit).

Sewing Green!

I picked up a copy of this from the library today and was perusing it during my lunch break.

Now I just want to go home and read and sew or go op-shopping rather than doing my day job!

PS. There is also a very generous blogiversary giveaway over at BubbaChenille. If I was in Brisbane next week I'd have to join her at The Handmade Expo and sing along with the world record attempt to sing Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes! Alas, I will be at my day job, dreaming of crafting and probably humming along on my own...

I think I need a market stall - & the Mystery Quilt

I went to the Hobart Makers Market this morning for a bit of a look-see (but forgot to take my camera) but there was some gorgeous stuff and all the stall holders seemed so happy to be there selling their wares, chatting about stuff and many were even stitching behind the scenes! It looked like the perfect way to spend the day (I'm ignoring the hours of preparation before hand, the difficulties in knowing what and how much to stock, etc) and maybe something I could aspire to (although I need a good idea of something to make and sell)!


I even plucked up the courage to introduce myself to Rosie and Gemma who's blogs I have been following for a while. I felt like I needed to talk quietly to these people I have been cyber-stalking - what is proper etiquette for introducing yourself to a fellow blogger?


I was very restrained in my spending and only bought some little ladybird magnets for my Mum for Christmas - from Pili Pala Pieces.


I was able to enjoy my time at the Market because Matilda was playing with a friend (why are 3-year olds easier in pairs)!
And here is my Mystery Quilt top finished! I promised Rosie that I would blog about it so here it is - mainly Basket of Flowers fabric, now to buy some backing and batting and get it quilted for Christmas!
[Sorry about the crap quilt-top photo - no clothes line to drape it over artistically, maybe once it's quilted...]

Look who I met today...

It's Grug!

Blogtoberfest Giveaway

I've still to decide what I'll giveaway for the Blogtoberfestivities but I reckon it'll include some fabric and other bits and bobs floating around in my craft room. Some of it may be thrifted, some of it may be new.

How to win?

Anyone who was following me when I posted this already has one entry (thanks to those 19 devotees)!

Anyone who is following me at the end of October will also have one entry!

Anyone who comments on any of my blog posts during October will also be entered - one entry per comment (but please make them constructive and/or interesting comments - I like useful feedback).

I might have an oldfashioned - drawn out of a hat method of winner selection. I'll do that in early November! Good luck.

Op Shop Finds

A few months back I signed up for Wardrobe Refashion and although I stuck with my pledge (apart from buying a winter jacket) I didn't really get much time for refashioning. However, it did renewed my love of op-shopping and I have discovered that I work in the middle of op-shop central! There is a Vinnies, Salvos, Red Cross and ADRA op-shop within easy walking distance of my office - I could even visit them all in my lunch break if I was so inclined!


I also discovered the Vinnies Furniture and Haby warehouse during the week and found some gorgeous things (including a CurlyPops pillowcase - on the right!)...
...I nearly squealed with delight when I saw these two butterfly single-flat-sheets. I'm definitely making these into some Oliver+S pj's for Tilds!!

...This sheet reminds me of the birdie fabric in this dress (maybe Joel Dewberry?).And they threw these button in for nothing (is it poor-form to enjoy getting a freebie at a charity shop?).

Little Kokeshi

Look what I started and finished last night - took about four hours from start to finish!

Don't look too closely at the stitching - it's my first attempt at freehand stitching (I'm a cross-stitcher from way back, but it's funny how you rely on the evenweave of the fabric in cross-stitch to get a good stitch length).

It's a Kokeshi stuffie - a freebie pattern from Melly & Me. I actually printed it out at A3 size so the finished dolly is a bit bigger - especially for a special one-year old whose birthday we're celebrating today with a bbq.

And here's a picture of the beautiful fabric I used for the back. I won it at Helen's Mystery Quilt Marathon. It was donated by The Fabric Cupboard and from the Botanical Fantasy range - very pretty.

OK, so I'm still in my pj's but the kids are dressed (and plonked in front of the TV watching the Umbilical Brothers) but I have achieved my first post for Blogtoberfest and can now get on and start my day.

PS. I also received one of these in the mail on Monday - to give my grandma for her birthday. Thanks Jennie - it is beautiful!

Get Ready for Blogtoberfest!

OK, in a weak moment I have signed up for Blogtoberfest. I have been blogging for nearly a year and if I stick with the Blogtoberfest challenge I will increase my total blog posts by 50%.



Hopefully I can find something interesting to post about...

Hopefully I manage to take some photos to accompany my posts...

Hopefully it doesn't send me over the edge into total insanity (or has that already happened)...

Anyway, in order to make it more interesting for everyone involved I think I'll join in on the Blogtoberfest generosity and have a bit of a giveaway. But I won't post about it all today - I have 31 posts to do over the next month, don't want to put all the good stuff in here now!

Girls Night In!

I'm having a Crafty Chat as part of the Cancer Council's Girls Night In! If you're in Hobart and want to come along on 16 October from 8pm then let me know. If you'd like to donate then click on the link below. Thanks (and I bet you can't wait to see photos from our Crafty Night In).

Girls Night In!

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Look what I read about...

...I have copied this idea for a post directly from Splitting Stitches! But there are plenty of giveaways and bargains out there that I want to share.

Firstly, Fiona over at Mother's Cupboard is having a sale in her shop and a giveaway to celebrate. Go check her out at http://mumscupboard.blogspot.com/.

Also, you can win the bits and bobs for a quilt top, some already sewn, most already cut out at http://greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-new-new.html - half the work already done for you if you win!

I've also been checking out the Spin Spin shop and blog - I wish I was this clever (or i could resign myself to the fact that I work hard enough and earn enough to buy this stuff)! http://spinspin-handmade.blogspot.com/

Oh, and Sandra is having a giveaway at Pepperberry & Co. http://pepperberryandco.blogspot.com/ - gorgeous handmade cards!

Happy Birthday Trev!

Yes, that's 8 candles on the cake meaning that Trev is 35! Happy Birthday for tomorrow and enjoy your few days in Melbourne for work.