Some Craft-a-rama.

Got my bike today. I love it I love it I love it. Now I just need a Mike…

…We like our bike. It’s made for three. Our Mike sits up in back you see. We like our Mike and this is why, Mike does all the work when the hills get high!

Read “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” to Bubba J tonight and thought “Hey I need one of those!”

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Here’s some of my latest crafty goodness:

So proud! As a self taught- anything I make that is functional and pretty like this dress (with most of the mistakes on the inside so you can’t see!) makes me all chest swelling with pride. It uses Bird and Berry Stripe and Grassy Plains. Both by Kokka and available in the shop.

This one’s a project from Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan- it’s called Snappy Fabric Bracelets. I’ve had terrible trouble applying the snaps though. I got one of those Birch pack from Lincraft with the tool shaped a bit like a set of pliers. Anyway, no matter how careful I was opening and closing the bracelets, the snappers kept separating. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong?

This is one of those rare craft books where I want to make everything in it. The come along once in a while and are just so exciting to own. The pages are full of possibilities. The other one that jumps to mind is Meet me at Mike’s.

Sewing machine cover whipped up one evening. Made it with Cookies by Aunty Cookie (a fabric I could just stare at for hours- these attitude laden bunny girls sit next to me now while I’m sewing. Some tell me I’m doing great, some snigger when I reach for the unpicker.) Hey, my mum was right when she said I’d never be alone again! Only I don’t think she was referring to dolly pictures on fabric. She was referring to the person I had just birthed.

I didn’t realise at the time that she meant it as a threat.

See my pincushion in the foreground? Got it free in Mixtape a while back. Courtesy of Dear Fii. I luv it.

Fabric for Spring!

Here is another wondeful new Moda Fabric range that has just arrived – perfect for sewing on a lovely spring day!

“Eva” by Basic Grey is reminiscent of the French court, a mix of the exotic and the dignified, the gracious and the gallant. Eva is a collection of fanciful flourishes, exotic birds and quaint, finial patterns Gloriously deep, rich jewel tones impart an air nobility to this crowning medley of extravagant designs.

You can find this fabric collection and more in the Belsize Square Fabric store.

New season craftiness.

So much to share. I’ve been particularly crafty of late and doing my best to complete projects and not just start them and get distracted by making cups of tea, demands from the kiddies or distractions of little bits of fluff on my sleeve… oh sorry, now where was I?

I wish I was more organised and managed to ever take some before shots. If I had, this would be much more impressive.

These were little home made chairs that were sitting around my grandparents-in-law’s house. They were originally stained (a very pine-y yellow gloss) and had mustard yellow vinyl covers with these strange high backs. The new upholstery is a Moda Home fabric we sell in the shop, very durable heavy weave. I just love how they turned out (the kids are pretty happy too!)

As weak as it is- I do believe this constitutes an Ikea hack. Some Dulux spray paint in Volcano Orange and I’m very impressed with my glossy little kitchen accessory/ extra chair.

This one I did quite a white back, I just don’t think I ever got around to blogging it. I found the lamp base at Mill Markets in Geelong -oh how I love that place! The shade was a plain white one I bought for $2 (super bargain basement price) from Kmart which I recovered in some yummy Amy Butler Wildflowers fabric from the Daisy Chain range. It now graces the sideboard in my dining room.

It appears that I’m not the only one. The little guy has been painting to his heart’s content and is super keen to practise his newly acquired skill of turning one’s painting into a stamp (where you turn your painting face down and rub the back so that you get a mirror image). Only thing is, he doesn’t always have the paper lined up underneath.

Needless to say we did end up with some lovely reverse paintings directly transfered onto the table top.

New Japanese Fabric

Great new japanese fabric designs by Kokka.

Visit the store for more great New Fabric.

Hot Blossom Fabric by Josephine Kimberling

 Hot Blossoms in hot hues of pink, orange, aqua and chocolate and sharp shades of black and white. Vibrant, dramatic and fun!

Visit the fabric store for this and many other great new fabric ranges.

New Fat Quarters

We’ve put together some new Fat Quarter Bundles - a fat free way to have your cake and eat it too!

Our Fat Quarter Bundles  are a quick and easy way to purchase a co-ordinated selection of fabric.

Apple Fabric by Alice Kennedy

…even more great new fabric to tell you about.

Apple by Alice Kennedy. Stylised apples, apple trees and quirky owls in a thoroughly seventies palette of browns, greens and red. I’d love to see this one in a toddler pinafore.

Find it now in the fabric store

New Fabric: Mezzanine by Patty Young

Mezzanine is Patty’s new collection for Michael Miller Fabrics and was inspired by the fabulous stonework, ironwork, terraces, gardens and tapestries she photographed during her travels throughout Northern Europe. You can see the French, Belgian and Dutch influence of cathedrals, theaters, museums and castles in Patty’s designs.

Panache Fabric by Sanae

I absolutely adore this new Moda fabric range – Panache by Sanae.

Scrolls, spots and paisley in grown up muted tones.

Hushabye Fabric by Tula Pink

We’ve got some exciting new fabric to tell you about!

Hushabye by Tula Pink. Spring raindrops in the palest of blush and the craziest bunny toile you’ll ever see. This is a perfect range to make something for the spring baby in your life.

New fabric and cake!

New fabric about to hit the shop. Lovely yarn dyed mini plaids in pink and chocolate are part of the Charleston V range by Judie Rothermel. Mix them with the rest of the Charleston range or use them on their own to make up some of our children’s wear patterns.

Wee one turned three last week. Now not wee so much- maybe more midi. I think I’ll keep working on a new nickname.

We had a lovely party for him on the weekend to celebrate. Bouncy castle, helium balloons, gourmet Greek food as far as the eye could see (courtesy of my mother in law) and a Makka Pakka cake (as requested by the wee one himself) and lovingly- if not skillfully- made by me.

As always, it’s not a proper party without my Nigella cupcakes…

We were so busy with the party we didn’t take many pictures. Luckily a special friend deployed her husband to be our event photographer.

Fabric, quilts & birthdays.

Oh, it’s been too long between posts. Crazy, crazy sale, thank you to all the lovely customers who shopped ’till they dropped. We now have loads more room for the next round of goodies. Can’t wait (she says, rubbing her hands together in glee).

Super sale stash.

Also recently decided that the new Red Letter Days and David Walker Rockets ranges were far too yum to disappear without hacking into them for my own stash. The result?

A cute kinder nap time binkee for my pumpkin…

Tomorrow my wee one turns three- full of attitude, sleeping in a bed and giving up his dummy all by himself.

No more babies.

Sigh.