Merry Christmas.

It’s a funny old thing, Christmas. I’m not little anymore so it’s not quite so magical. There’s been some tricky stuff going on in the past 12 or 18 months too. The kind of stuff that takes the shine off things. Still, sometimes things happen that make you realise life can still surprise you. In a good way. And that just because nice things arrive from unexpected places, it doesn’t make them any less special.

Like the doorbell ringing on Christmas Eve and someone you don’t know , but who knows you- bringing you and your boys a gingerbread house. Just because they thought you might like it.

And spending the afternoon making lemony cupcakes with lemon frosting to take for Christmas day with your four year old who loves to bake.

Or the same four year old who’s over the moon with his new sewing machine (the one he asked for I might add!)- although a little dubious about the fact that santa bought him a girl’s sewing machine. So excited he went to my sewing room and helped himself to the Japanese kei spot fabric. Expensive taste, my child.

And finally the husband who knows you well enough to know how much you love Kirstie and her homemade home. And how you’ve had something of a creative blockage recently and maybe a crafty self help book might assist to get everything moving again.

These are the little things that make tricky stuff better. I hope yours was an awesome Christmas, but if not I hope you had lots of little things to help make your tricky stuff better too. xx

Look what we’ve got!!!

Look what arrived on Wednesday this week! I have been eagerly anticipating it’s release.

Don’t you love it when you’re all excited about something and when it happens, it’s better than you thought it was going to be? Well that’s what the Meet me at Mike’s book is like. I want to make everything in it. I could look at the pictures all day!

Here is a quick look inside at some of the wonderful projects:

…and the lovely back cover!

Go on, pop over to the store and get yourself one. You won’t be sorry!

Me and Amy Butler!

What an exciting weekend! We went to the quilting trade show on Saturday and have ordered all sorts of exciting new fabrics, patterns, books and notions for the fabric shop. This is me looking all professional (hahaha).

Lovely, lovely fabric.

And look who I met! I was so star struck, but Amy Butler is the lovliest, most generous person. We had a chat and she graciously signed some copies of Midwest Modern and Little Stitches for Little Ones for our shop.

Here’s some gorgeous new Japanese fabrics arriving early next year.

 That’s just the beginning, more next time.