A Few New Things

I know I have been a very regular blog poster lately, but my internet connection is behaving and I want to do it while I can.

So today I am here to tell you about a couple of things have noticed lately.

1st There will be a blog tour in the new year that sounds quit fun. There is a button over there on the right hand sidebar that will take to you to some more information if you want some great freebies and prizes.

2nd, There are a few other buttons on the sidebar that you may like to investigate.

There is Tea-cup tuesday which is lovely.

The bloggers Quiltapalooza which sounds so fun and is still quite a surprise yet.

There is a Layer Cake Quilt-a-long and a heap of other things.

NOW FOR THE REALLY GOOD BIT...

A Brand new E-Zine that is arriving with the New Year.

It's called The Quilt Pattern Magazine and it sounds wonderful.

Apart from being a monthly magazine with 2 BOMS, lots of other patterns and lots of wonderful information and articles.

The cost is amazing... You can get in now and get a subscription of 13 issues for $11.99 USD.

I don't know about you but I can't find another quilt magazine at that price.

There is a great blog-hop running where you can win a yearly subscription (or your money back if you already have one like me).

Just have a look HERE for the blog hop page with the link to all the people giving away this wonderful prize.

Go here: THE QUILT PATTERN MAGAZINE and look around to see what will be on offer.

Just so you know, I am not being paid or offered anything to do this post. I just though people may want to know. Not that I have that many readers or anything...

Bye

My Favourite Time of Year - The Florin Street Band (Christmas 2010)

I found this on another blog I read and I just had to share.

Read some of the comments and you will agree, it's a good old fashioned Christmas song about getting together and having a joyous time, not about the commercial side of Christmas.

It's just lovely and I hope you have a listen and it makes your Christmas that little bit nicer.

Merry Christmas to anyone who reads this blog and to all my family and friends.

See what I made

I have been busy making some thankyou/Christmas gifts for 2 very special girls.

They helped their mum look after my 2 rascals during our local football season this year and I am ever eternally grateful.

I would trust my children with these 2 girls more than I would trust them with some adults. I know some parents wouldn't be too fussed about a 3 and 1yo but I am. There are too many wierdo's out there and just too many things that can happen if you do not watch them.

So after 15 rounds of football where I umpired 2 games per week and even managed to play about 7 or 8 games in between I will be forever grateful that I had a bit of normality to my season and that my children were well cared for.

This is the quilt for Bridget, she is off to Boarding School next year and I hope she will love it enough to take it with her. It ended up about 50" wide x 68" long. I used 12 fat quarters and just a simple stack, slash and shuffle method.

The fabric is "Santorini" by Lila Tueller and was so lovely to work with, I like that the big pieces let the fabrics do their thing.

I quilted it very simply using "organic straight line quilting" as I have seen it names. Simply started in the middle and went straight down without marking a line and just eyeballed it. I was amazed at how straight I can sew when I try hard!!!

CLICK ON ANY PICTURES TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!!!

The dress is for Emily. It's a pattern from Ottobre Magazine 6/2009, #32 Jolie. It's actually a winter pattern but I jazzed it up by making it in the lovely "Summer Song" fabric range. I made the yoke in a different fabric and you can't see it very well but there is a small ruffle at the top of the yoke in a yellow version of the mail bodice fabric, the ruffle goes all the way around.

I must have mis-read the instructions somewhere along the way as I got to the neckline and just couldn't figure out what they wanted me to do. I ended up making some binding using the same fabric as the yoke and the neckline worked beautifully.


I cut it out in 152cm height but it will be too big for her this summer unfortunately as she is a petite little thing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AND A SAFE NEW YEAR.

Before I go here is a picture of my kids on Tuesday. It has been the craziest weather lately. Today it's 30 deg and hot. The other day it was snowing on the mountains... go figure.

Oh and I nearly forgot about the "Knights" costume that Sam wanted me to make him the other day. I did a google search and got a pillowcase and was going to do a fancy hem and applique on the front but he was happy with head and arm holes, who am I to complain that I don't have to do more work.

Then there is Jess. I cut this outfit out for her last Christmas but didn't get around to putting it together, thank goodness I cut it out so big as it fits her this year.

The pattern is from Ottobre Mag 3/2009. The dress is #5 Alicia & the pants #2 Cassia. I didn't put elastic in the arms as I thought it was going to be our usual hot christmas. I also omitted the elastic in the shorts lets and opted for the red ruffle instead. This was her modelling the other night before bed, she screamed when I had to take it off. She has had a hair trim since then too and is nice and curly again, not fuzzy.

Then last but definately not least is my gorgeous niece whom I still haven't met because she lives in Baltimore. Isn't she cute. The spitting image of my brother and I don't usuallay say things like that. That's the quilt I made them for their wedding, I am so happy that they seem to use it so much, it's in nearly every photo I see.

Don't Walk & Definately Don't Run!!!

There is a giveaway but I really, really, really don't want you to enter.

Corrie of Retro mummy Fame who has the Gorgeous Retro mummy shop

is having a super fabulous giveaway but I want to win it so please don't go there!!!

Kaffe Fassett ***GONE THANK YOU***

***THANK YOU EVERYONE THIS HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY SOMEONE***

I have booked and fully paid for a set to the Kaffe Fasset workshop being held in Canberra on Wednesday 16 Feb 2011.

I just found out this morning that there is a very important personal commitment that is happening around that date that will make it impossible for me to attend the workshop so I would like to try and sell my seat to someone.

Please e-mail me if you would like more details and are interested.

I have already contact Addicted to Fabric in Canberra to make sure this is o.k. and it is, we just need to notify them of the change if one happens. They don't have a wait list but they know I am looking for someone to take my ticket.

Fingers crossed I can find a taker or I am very much out of pocket.

Tea Cup Tuesday

I saw this recently on this blog:

and just loved it. Plus I need something to motivate my blogging!!!

I know most people think that Tea Cups are a thing of the past but I love them and think they are just beautiful and have decided to participate for a while.

I inherited some lovely tea-cups from my Grandmother, plus my Mother-in-law has a wonderful collection that I will be sharing with you.

I myself just love a cup of tea throughout the day and it feel so much more special if you have it in a pretty china cup.

So here is the first one for you to admire:

This is actually one of a set of 4 that I picked up a yard sale, it doesn't look like much but I love green and I love glass and it's made in france which makes me love it even more.

Here is another one for you for this week

This is part of a massive set of the "Old Country Roses" collection by Royal Albert - Bone China from England.

I inherited this set from my mum who didn't want to cart it around anymore so not it lives with me. I have a teapot, salt & pepper shakers, massive platter and complete 6 piece dining set plus more.

And lastly I thought I would share my latest win!!!

I was lucky enough that the planets aligned one day and the kids were being good for half an hour one Thursday morning and I called into the "Creative Mojo" internet radio show to say hi to Mark Lipinski. I just wanted to say hi and say how much I enjoy the show and would you know it, they were giving away these great mugs to all callers and they sent one all the way to me in Australia.

It's a great show that runs every week, I subscribe to it in my I-tunes podcasts so I can listen to it when I like. There are all sorts of different guests talking about heaps of different things and Mark is just a hoot. Go and check out the blog to see who's on this week:

MARK LIPINSKI'S BLOG

IT'S GIVEAWAY DAY!!!

I am not hosting one here on my personal blog.

BUT

You can go here to my shop blog and enter one there.

Then press this button

and go and enter the rest of them, you may have to wait a while for the post to appear at Sew Mama Sew as it's not the 13th in the USA just yet, but I guarantee it will be HUGE and well worth the visit.