Friday, January 28, 2011

Nice days

A few snaps from the last few days.

Little Miss (or The Kid, I like both now) has been nagging me for ages for another Build A Bear, she was spoilt by her uncle a year or so ago with one (she got a penguin back then). It doesn't matter how many softies I make, her heart belong to that bloody place!

I couldn't say no when she got given some money for b'day and Xmas, and could buy her own....

Silly me said I'd buy the outfit- it cost as much as the bear!


Welcome Sunny! I didn't get a bit choked up when she made a wish and kissed the love heart, which was then inserted into the bear. She had to 'test squeeze' for the right cuddly softness; it even has a bar code inserted, like a microchip for a pet- if you find a Build A Bear toy, you take it back to any store, they scan it and reunite it with it's owner. Awwwwww......


My happy bit of the day was a full day wearing the dress my pal Sue knitted for her (me, really)

I thinks she's forgiven you the pockets, Sue!


Another find this week- how cute is this? A pack of four of the toothbrushes for $1.99- the kid has never brushed her teeth so much! Yep, I'm all into gimmicks sometimes.


And a big thank you to blog land, in particular Brenda. Reading her blog as I do I saw a gorgeous quilt pattern she is also admiring- sorry, Brenda, I couldn't get it out of my head! I don't think the pattern alone would have grabbed me, it was the pics of the made up version.  


I have found a project for my fabric pile! It uses 35 fat quarters for the queen size, and I have 40, so there's no excuse! Might not even have to buy anything extra, I hope not.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Raffle drawn!

Had a lovely sleep in this morning, and woke just in time to draw my raffle!

I decided on the old fashioned draw....



And picked a winner! We had 12 entries, so raised $60 for the flood appeal, yay!


Thanks to Toni and Carli for the fantastic job they did coordinating this, I don't feel I did much but watch from my lounge room, so I appreciate their efforts immensely. Stealing a line from my friend "You're good eggs!"

So can Mac please email me your details, as I don't have any! Or leave a comment with your email address.

And everyone have a HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Spotted by the kid.....

a chewed-gum heart. Sweet!

Flea Market Finds

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but thought today's not too far behind!

A while ago I came across this kit while op shopping, for $4. It was the same as my first calligraphy kit (which I used to do place cards at my friends wedding, another crafty talent, eek!)

So I snazzled this up, and put it in the sewing room cupboard.

I opened it up when I was having a clean out, and put all the inks etc with my other ones (I'll do more of it one day, I promise!)


Along with a few blank pages to practise on etc was someone else's practise page-


 and maybe their original project? Or one they copied off? Wait for the really
spooky bit....

 

The RSVP for this is around the corner of my old house! (OK, would have been spookier if it WAS my old house, but this is pretty close).

I'm wondering now how the wedding went....

Friday, January 21, 2011

Yay!

Few, my gag is off! I can show you my new pics- the problem, for you bloggers, was that I couldn't upload photos due to 'Cloud Picker'. Thankfully, I checked out the Help Centre, where some others who had the same issue told me how to fix it! (clear your temp Internet files and cookies)

So, onto more technical things, and so I sound less like a nerd, I'll show you the Happy Campers quilt I finally finished. I got a wriggle on finally as a V.I.P is coming to stay, and it will be a gift!

I used a Turnover, which was a great way to get all the range, pre-cut for us lazy/ time poor quilters! I did have a few spare triangles, but they'll go in the scraps bucket.


I used my old 'house' sheet for the back, so white homespun and spotty binding.


I took the pics yesterday at work (on my lunch break, of course!) in the most amazing sun, aren't the colours amazing?


 And this pic help me realise I'd left half the quilting unfinished, phew, glad I noticed!



I had a block leftover, so made a matching cushion, perfect as a couch blankie and pillow.



I'm soooo getting an invisible zipper foot, so I can make the backs a bit neater.

The pattern came from this pic, thanks to the person who posted that! I did a search under half square triangles, there were so many clever designs.

Now I'm finished that, it's off to tackle the ironing pile, so I can offer my guest a couch to sit on!


A short break in transmission...

No, nothing nice like a holiday, for some reason Google won't let me upload photos!

So this is a quick message about my raffle.

It will be open until Wed 26th, let's say 6pm. Yes, Australia Day! So if you still have something left to donate (can you believe we've raised $45,000 so far?) and have missed out on the auctions, come on over the more the merrier!

And hopefully I'll be back with some pics soon! I have a quilt, new style lunch bags etc etc

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Raffle Number One!

I, like the rest of the country, have been watching the floods in disbelief, amazed our country can provide floods and bush fires at the same time!

Disappointed I can't afford to donate any money, I made a few things that I was hoping would help the fundraising, and I'm going to do a raffle. I'd hate to be that person that has no bidders on an auction, so even if I get one 'ticket', I'm happy (and you've gotten yourself a bargain!)

This is actually being raffled on behalf of my friend, Krafty Panda. She's up in Rockhampton, and has been in the 'flood zone' since the beginning. The clean up must have started for them, and as she won a giveaway of min, I asked her what she'd like. She replied with "How about you make something for me, but then have an auction for it to raise money for the flood relief?" (she's also having a fabbo auction, I have some of these pins, they are gorgeous!)

So, here we are :





A Nicole Mallalieu Design, it is a great bag that I've made for friends, who have loved it. This one has a single strap, and on the opposite side in the lining is a 3 pocket compartment, for phone, keys etc.

So, the rules. Please read carefully:

                            •This giveaway is open to everyone no matter where you live.


                       •I will cover all postage costs.


                       •To enter this giveaway you must donate $5 to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.
                      
                       •You may enter as many times as you like but each entry / donation  must  have  a separate receipt number.

After you have done this , return here and leave your comment with your receipt number.


Even if you don't have a blog, leave an anonymous comment with your email address, or I won't be able to contact you, therefore no entry. And that would be sad!


Toni is going to have a master list of all the auctions, so keep checking in with her (there are so many helpers now, having auctions etc I can't keep track!


Good luck, and thanks for bidding!





Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Lookee lookee

I spotted this yesterday in my 'lunchtime window shop' of the op shops near work. $5. Too good to be true.


 Willow brand, metal tin, plastic lid with no cracks. Great stuff!


And seeing as I'm getting all the luck, I'll be passing it along to help the Flood Appeal

See over here to join the auctions, see a list, and then bid on the sellers!

Happy to have any idea's for an item to auction, too, or I'll just have to make a fab bag!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

PJ time

You say pajama, I say pyjama, let's call the whole thing off!
Oops, not really, just wondering how you really do spell that word!

I finally got some new summer jarmies made for the kid, however getting as pic was proving elusive...


until I had a donut bribe! I used an oppyed doona cover, it was check on one side, floral on the other, in her favourite colour. They are a really thin cotton, she wakes up and comments how comfy they are! (yep, strange)


 The other bribe was taking this OFF her- she's in love! She's nagged me for ages for a dressing gown/ robe, and I pulled out the pattern yesterday, and here it is! (My pattern cover is an older version, from an op shop I think).


I made an 8, but it went to the floor, so chopped a heap off the bottom and the sleeves. She could have gotten away with a 7, but as she said, she can wear it 'for years and years'. I may be sick of it before she is!


And what I discovered overlocking chenille- oops, when did that happen? However, purple fluff EVERYWHERE! Why do we do this to ourselves???? So I guess she'd better wear it for years and years!


We did some window shopping for bikes this afternoon, now that she can ride a 2 wheeler without training wheels. No luck on the bike front yet, but managed to con her into Savers (it's getting harder and harder) and she scored some fave books for $1 each!

Have a good week!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Let's not even pretend this is funny.....


Surveying her handiwork.
I've been making a few things over the NY holidays, but a few are belated Xmas gifts, so can't show them yet. But I thought I'd document my first 'FAIL' of the year- I'm sure there'll be more!

I decided I was going to make more knit stuff this year, instead of paying for it in the shops. I saw this pattern (when I was looking for another style, of course) and with the 30% sales at the fabric outlets, thought a simple, cheapey dress would be good for work.

Not having much experience with knits, I bought a one way stretch knit, and I'm not sure now if the stretch was going the right way! And it is too small. I don't have a six pack to show off in this fitted number, just a 2-pack (2 x rolls, that is). But I like the top, the sleeves and the neckline, all above the waist, really.



The top part from the back is pretty flattering too.


Love this delightfully straight seam, don't get many of them in this house of wonk! So, back to the drawing more, going to hunt down some op shop stretch stuff to practise, 'cos if it were looser around the tummy, perfetc!


I want to start showing a few pressies off, too, mainly the ones I got for the Little Miss. This Victoria mason necklace is so cute, as the kid is a real bookworm, I thought this pendant was fitting, and she loves it! However, I don't think she appreciates good jewellery yet- she asked me yesterday when it was going to turn gold! Oops!

Edit: I didn't realise the last comment could be taken both ways- it wasn't that she prefers expensive, gold jewellry, it's that her silver jewellry usually tarnishes or the silver plating comes off in about a week!

 

PS There is a stretch class I want to take, but in the meantime, I'm envious I can't go along to this one! Can't quite qualify as a beginner anymore, I'd be taking up a spot on of YOU guys could have! I did a course for better bags not long ago, and it helped soooo much, I would defiantly recommend it!
Anyone know of any other good stretch sewing classes?

Sunday, January 2, 2011

2011

Happy New Year!
I've been a bit remiss in the Xmas/New Year posts, I never know quite what to say.
No-one wants to come and join my pity party, and there's really no need for it, with all the good things going on in my life at the moment (and so much worse for others).

So we have had a quiet week, hanging out and not doing much, no stress, a bit of sewing, and a room reno (pics later).

 Yay, I took a great photo with my new camera!

There's been a bit of op shopping, and couldn't resist this (disgusting) top!


It's now chopped and added to the stash!!

So I haven't done it before, but I thought I'd write a list. Inspired by all my favourite bloggers, of course (too many to name).
  • no relapse of depression for this year
  • enjoy the challenge of (nearly) full time work
  • getting out socially at least once a week
  • find a craft group that potentially will become the last point!
  • try to feel a little bit proud of what I've achieved and have
  • EXERCISE! (ain't getting any younger)
and I have the right to change or add to this at any time!

I wish you all the best in life and crafting for 2011!

xxoo