Granny Squares for the couch

We have been given the go-ahead to show our Sample Swap offerings at SIT in Canberra this weekend - this is where 6 people form a circle, do a little dance (yes, compulsory), and place a item that they have lovingly made for the other 5 participants joining in.

It is great fun - both to make (well, maybe a little nervewracking, cos, you know, it is a huge representation of the quality of your sewing (NO, not really!!!)

People make allsorts of really different things - exactly what SIT is all about - different people with different crafty loves and blogging styles, but we want to hang out together and learn about each other and catch up with each other's lives.

My winning collection (from Hawthorne Threads) of Washi Tape by Rashida Coleman-Hale (she even posted a comment on Flickr that she loves them - big hug to you Rashida!)

Thanks Louise for the suggestion of Granny Squares cushions

These are 3.5" (not the regular 2.5") with Quilter's Linen by Robert Kaufman for the 'background' solids.

Just realised I hadn't taken a full size photo of the magenta one - 2nd from the top!

Too lazy to do it now

Wacky photo but here are the backs - this was harder to choose than the fronts, that's for sure - I'm not a big user of solids, even a non-solid solid like this fabric, so it was a bit of a struggle.

Some recycled ribbon for the stays.

Not a zip in sight

For this, I should be thanked. You really didn't want Me to sew that in!!

I hope others like them
Hubbie has put his order in; he likes the magenta one the best - who'd thought!

Animal Farm skirt

Simplicity 2226

Saw it round the traps....Jennifer, Anna,(Anna has a sew-along tute of this too - ACE!) and Bec too, with a super cute skirt worn to latest SASE with MMQG

Had some g-or-geous linen blend fabric by Isso Ecco

Thought I would cut it up!

I am actually 3 days late for Curly Pops May Skirt Sew Along - but that's me, always trying to catch up to the popular kids...besides, I was thinking and planning in May, does that count?

 I am absolutely amazed that I have 99.9% finished this skirt and it is not bad, if I say so myself....not great, not terrific, not spectacular, but not terrible too

Clothing patterns typically do my head in; the instructions never seem to match the pictures (if there are any) and the jargon is beyond me sometimes

 But

After a few curse words with gathering (so hard to get it right and the threads always break), then unpicking the yoke 3 times, the zip was a whole other matter  - I got through it on a wing and a prayer...please don't ask me how to put a zip into a skirt...I still don't know ;)

 the end result I think is kinda cute and hopefully I will wearing it to Canberra this weekend - I'm going to need thick thick tights and merino singlets and my biggest cowl neck scarf I can muster

Ruby's not so sure about the 'all animals are equal' business...she definitely is more equal than others!

Sample Swaps

Sample Swaps, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

Just a little photo of some pressies made for SIT Canberra - not just blog ready, but ready ready!!

Hubbie wants some for ourselves...well, I might just have to do that.

On a side note - I have to learn how to crochet before end of next week  - cos I kinda booked myself into a not-so beginner class - yikes!  Okay, I thought, I will just head to the op-shop for some practice wool (I have a crochet hook from eons ago) and they. had. no. wool.  The lady had to tell me 3 times, cos obviously the look on my face was telling her that I thought she was a liar!!

Something's wrong in the world, when you can't get a naffy bit of acrylic wool from your local oppie.

Anyone suggest a really really good tute for beginner beginner 'hooker' (okay, I admit I have made a scarf before but nothing has stuck in my mind regarding this craft at all)  UK terminology please - why different names I just want to know!!!!

Doing lovely things for others

This is my Mother's Day breakfast - my new new favourite breakfast - thick fruit toast with Maggie Beer's Burnt Fig Jam with Honeycomb and Caramel ice-cream - oh my word - it is GOOOOD!

Plus the ubiquitous cup o' tea - strong, with milk please!

I also got a lovely pot of white cyclamens - Gorgeous, and some skin cream - well done family!

Had a lovely lie in reading my Good magazine I get sent from NZ.

More on that mag later.....

Talking of lovely family doings........

'Doing it For Sarah Jane - our Favourite Companion"

This was our motto last week!

My DD2 had a brilliant idea - "Let's raise money for Breast Cancer Research, in honor of Elizabeth Sladen, who died of cancer last year"

"I will organise it all "- (was music to my ears!)

You Go Girl!!!!

A beautiful start to the morning, but then rain rain rain!

Cold, but well fed, sheltered (of sorts!) (well done Hubbie!), hours and hours of waiting for customers, chatting to them, inviting them to make a donation 

and 

$301.60 later

What a wonderful thing for a young girl to do!

My Girl is a Star!

EDIT::  Vintage gold velour couch still available!!! 
It is really cute with wingbacks and arm covers
Just picture it recovered in AMH fabric - I know you can.
Email me and its yours!

Edit 2#::  anyone keen on vintage chenille - I have tons!!  Again let me know and we can work something out (Aussie post only - ta muchly)

Getting my ACT together and sewing it

How silly is my title??

Just a quick shout out to all those in need of some R&R in our nation's capital

CANBERRA!!  Check out my sidebar button and click for details!  Then check out my checklist hehe!

Plane Tickets - Check!

Bus Shopping Trip - Check!

YHA bed - Check!

Group of crafty crafters, crafting crafty things - Check!

Crochet tute to attend - to be checked!

Dinner organised - Check!

Crafty crafting to continue - Check!

Some kind of length of time sleeping  - hoping!

Stencil printing workshop - Check!

Maybe a quick tour around the Canberrian sites - last hurrah!

Home again home again, jiggety jig!

Winner winner chicken dinner

My Mum Won a Brother!

At the recent AQC, Mum wanted to see the Brother stall to see a very very inexpensive model of machine - hers is sooo old the Driving Belt!! was broken and needed fixing,

sooooo,

we wandered past the stall at the show, found a little pad of entries for a comp.

Why Not? we said,

filled out the details,

 and 

WaHOO!

Mum's snazzy wazzy, super smart, mother of a Brother!

We are at a Brother sewing shop, in Moonee Ponds - Evelyn taught (us both!) for a solid hour - she was very patient and informative,

but actually, 

I think the machine has self-awareness - I'm just waiting for it to say 'good job'! and 'want a neck massage?'

Mum has been wanting to get on my blog for awhile now - nothing like 'asking'!!!  

Now all us bloggers are expecting big things, Mummo; first thing first - your bag pattern needs some fabric!

A random shot of a very quick (think 45mins) date with the hubbie 

- while both DDs are dancing, we have an opportunity no to be missed!)

Goats cheese, red onion, prosciutto pizza and a very guzzley glass of savingon blank (exactly as it's written!)

Martha Negley 'Farmington'

Martha Negley 'Farmington', a photo by the workroom on Flickr.

Martha - you make my heart flutter like a feather!

My next range to 'stalk' hehe!

Does anyone else do that? Find a fabric that sings to you and you do a million searches to find the best photo, the best price, the best creation from it? Thinking, planning, desiring, holding back, letting go.... Or is it just me?

Photo by 'the workroom'

A play in the treehouse....

Well, my machine is growing cobwebs at the moment, mainly because just when I hit the business end of my uni subject, work gears up like never before!!!!

BUT

a day just for me was scheduled into the groaning calendar

at 

Treehouse Textiles

to learn how to sew a dress - a Schoolhouse Tunic to be exact!!

5 girls with Sarah (Emma's mum) lavishly handing out coffees on order, macarons, and serving up lunch DELISH!!

Emma was on call the whole day - she was exhausted, at least she should have been! 

maybe as much as me!

This is Emma - one half of the team at TT (she is frantically working on someone's tunic, cos I  she came out of the bathroom with a look on her face as if someone had stolen her toy!  I  she didn't like it! I she claimed! It just didn't fit right, too puffy all around and made me look like an inflatable beachball!!  (you guessed it was me? big sook)

One of the gals, Anne, made one just like this - it looked fantastic!!!  Just make sure you get the print up the right way! (we all sighed with relief when Emma noticed the pattern pieces just before cutting!!)

What an invention!!  An Overlocker - new toy to me - never seen or used one - not an O.Virg..anymore hehe!

I did happen to choose (at very last minute) a random piece of remmant I bought v.v. cheaply the day before, and thinking it looked sooomething like a light flowy denim, I wanted to use that.

Best laid plans and such.....it was fairly horrible to sew with, and not that nice to wear - kinda scratchy and ugh nylon-y ugh.

Super hard to iron - went all shiney and did not behave.

So wish I had chosen my other stash cottons I took....will be using a light voile next too!

Emma WHIPPED it off me and set to work, determine to make it look decent - bit of tweak here and there and a lowering of the bodice by unpicking seams and whatnots and 

here it is.  Won't show you the back - back pleat is really unnecessary for me - so next one is definitely going to be worked on to reduce puffy puffy!

Finders Keepers Market

SERIOUSLY thinking of going - it looks absolutely fantastic!!  WHO's WITH ME???

(Going Fri night - gotta work Saturday to pay for the goodies bought night before hehehe)

Quilts of talent and making a connection

The beautifully spacious and grand Exhibition building hosting Australian Quilt Convention

Just a few random photos - they were all really lovely - I enjoyed this year alot!!

(I've tried to match quilt with detail, hopefully correct!)

Sarah Fielke

 I think it is stunning!!  Well done artist!!  I particularly love the background fabric - the randomness of the circles complete and chopped up appeals to me, for some reason??

 

Don't think I have the details of this one - love love love the light pouring through the trees - so so so clever!!!

The Japanese contributions to the Quilt Show were spectacular - I love quilts that are organic, artistic, full to bursting with colour and form and idea and thought and emotion; 

it is what I would love to do one day

if only I had some talent???!!!

Can I just encourage retailers who have a stall at a show like this - SELL you wares; don't just hand it over and take the money, with barely a smile, a word

Give me, the customer, a reason to remember your shop - there must have been hundreds and hundreds of potential new customers to add to your customer base - if you don't interact with the person in front of you, then your business is NOT going to grow!

Upsell to a another product; suggest ideas to go with the pattern just purchased; add a business card; a flyer  with incentives to increase traffic to your online/bricks shop; a reason for people to come back you!

Online shops are plentiful and if you don't make the very most of Every Opportunity handed to you, we, the buying customer will go elsewhere.

Don't complain to me about Aussie shops being undersold by overseas - the ones that do well KNOW how to have a connection with their maybe one-time buyer and that connection is what makes us talk to friends about them, recommend them and ultimately spend our money with them again and again!

Okay, rant over!