Monster Post

No nothing to do with Halloween, just getting back into the blogging game after a break. Have been sick since my last post and have spent a few days in bed, and taking a lot of cold and flu and cough medicine! My trip to Echuca was really good, my mother's side of the family all get together once a year and have a weekend away . We stayed right on the river and also went on a steamboat cruise.

 

The river is a lot higher than when we came up last year and the weather was great (not as hot as last time thank goodness). Also got to check out the three! fabric stores in Echuca and picked up these cute fabrics and this gorgeous pattern:

When I was about 4 or 5 I remember my Mum making me a Hickory Dickory Dock cake for my birthday (I am think of asking for another one for my next birthday after seeing this pattern!), and when I saw this pattern I just had to buy it!

I also went to Go Country in Pakenham a couple of weekends ago in Pakenham. My Grandfather (dad's side) volunteers every year and told as to come along. It was a fantastic day out. I highly recommend you come along next year especially with kids. There was a petting pen, lots of farming stalls and my favourite of all:

 

Cute little snakes! Dj would not have a bar of going any where near me with these around my neck, and my mum and grandmother were even farther away! They were really fun to hold and seem like easy pets to look after.

 

Also had fun looking at these little cuties! I had never seen a shorn alpacha before, it looked like a big poodle!

Have been doing a lot of stitching as well, but have some big news as well. Have started working 2 days a week here. I am loving being around fabric all day and are finding I am doing a lot more craft when I come home, which is good because some extras  are starting to sneak home as well! I am away for the long weekend, heading down to my holiday house at Phillip Island until Tuesday and will hopefully see some sun! Back next week with some finishes!

Missing in action....

Sorry for no posts this week, had a wonderful time in Echuca last weekend and then came back to 6 days straight at work (very long days and another 12 hours tomorrow to go!). Have now got a horrible bug and just feel like crawling under the sheets! Hopefully back on Sunday or Monday with pictures from Echuca and the pretty material I purchased.

My Creative Space....

Planning our trip to Echuca for the weekend. Hoping to get to as many fabric shops inbetween Melbourne and Echuca as possible (shhh don't tell DJ). It is our annual Family getaway and my aunty is a hexagon fiend so hopefully a lot of hexagons happening. Please comment and let me know of any shops along the way worth visiting (probably going up the Hume Highway). Really want to stop in here on the way, lucky it's open on a Friday.

Wordless Wednesdays

Back tomorrow with My Creative Space

My Creative Space....

I was trying so hard with my Anti Procrastination Week until I ran out of stuffing, and then found out my craft store had no more and I have to wait for more! So there are now two Phoebe's: one 3/4 stuffed (and ears pinned on for pic!), other flat out on the table; a  Bubbles Unicorn with only legs stuffed; and a Tilda Sew Pretty Homestyle Teddy all stuffed apart from head. I hear you all asking "why did you not just stuff one thing at a time?", and trust me I am asking the same thing as well!

    But I have been busy, finished this week are:

Prett Doily, bad photo sorry! Hopefully if you click you can see it bigger (but hopefully not big enough to see my uneven stitches!).

Also finished is this quilt. I love the colours so much! Put in the sun behind photo because I thought it looked like a stained glass window. Plus it has been blowing a gail here the past couple of days and has been hard trying to get a good photo. One day this will hang on my wall.

I couldn't not show my new shoes I got yesterday:

New Breast Cancer Volleys, have been wearing them all day and are thinking of going down and getting another pair as I love them so much!

Visit more pro-active people and finishers here. 

Anti Procrastination Week!

Sarah from Christopher and Me  has come up with a great idea, Anti Procrastination Week so I have decided to join in. Hopefully it means the end of these everywhere in my sewing room:

I seem to have accumulated a fair few snap lock bags with unfinished projects in them.

A lot of mine unfinishes seem to be softies. Although extremely cute I can never seem to stuff them properly. I always seem to end up a bit lumpy or not able to stand properly softies. I have tried almost everything (but are welcome to suggestions) but with not luck. So this weeks finishes will be:

Tilda Sew Pretty Homestyle Teddy 

Melly & Me Kaleidoscope Bubbles Unicorn

Two Melly & Me Phoebe Elephants

And NO new projects will be started until these are finished!

Alfred is finished!

After two late night (Friday and Saturday) he is finally finished.

 

I have decide to call him Alfred, as he reminds me of an old man playing golf! Am I the only one out there that names their quilts? At the moment I am working on Penolope, and hoping to finish binding Bluebell tonight. Am working at getting some projects finished before getting the new Kaffe Fassett, and the material that has to come with it (of course!). But these pretties from Twin Fibers are calling me...

Beautiful Vintage Sheets, I keep getting them out and re-arrange them and just looking at them! Jessica form Twin Fibres has been so nice helping me pick them out, sending me the instruction to make this, and generally being a beautiful person about me asking so many questions. Hoping to finish a lot of stuff this weekend so I don't feel so bad about starting another new project. Plus I really want another quilt for my bed. Hopefully a lot of finishes to show you after the weekend. 

Edit: Alfred is Argyle by Melly and Me from Kaleidoscope.

My Creative Space...

 

I hopefully finding some time to turn these bits and pieces into looking like the little pink one (I did start these last Christmas but only 2 got finished so fingers crossed). Sorry for the poor picture but it is raining cats and dogs here, and quite dark.  I was hoping to show you a picture of this in all its glory but silly weather:

 

Was a couple very late nights last weekend to get it finished so hopefully I can take some pics tomorrow. Dj is waiting patiently to take it off my hands as soon as he can! 

My Creative Space.....

 

I despise this quilt. it has been unpicked and resewn so many times and it still is not square. The only reason it is getting finished is it was DJ's birthday present and he loves it. So the plan for this weekend is to tease it into being square. Buttons are for the middle of the crosses and perle to sewn them on with. Wish me luck! 

Edit: Friday Night and I have spent 7 hours today trying to finish this quilt with no luck! About to unpin and try again. Thank you for all the love, it is keeping me going (and keeping the quilt from being thrown in the fire!).

Best Op Shop Find Ever!

I was in Beaconsfield avoiding (or taking a well deserved break as I like to call it) studying for my exam the next day. Thought I would look in the Salvos and see if I could find some vintage sheets (no luck). Was wandering around when I spotted these in a basket on one of the shelves:

I quickly picked them all up and hurried over the the register. Me "How much for these?", Salvos Lady "50 cents each", Me shocked "Are you sure?", Lady "Yes". So I hurriedly bought them before she changed her mind and almost ran to the car (completely not seeing DJ's younger brother who said hi to me and I didn't even see him!).

Closer look:

This is the only one still on the original cardboard, 100% nylon, Made in England.

Light and darker pink.

Love the white lace!

How cute is this colour!

My absolute favourite. Big very light blue lace. This is the only one I have taken of the cardborad the have a closer look at. A little stained or dirty, but had been unpicked off the bottom of a skirt of dress as there are small little holes at the top and it is been sewn into a circle. 

Also found this edge trim in with the lace.

So my 'Best Op shop find ever' cost me a total of $3, I still can't believe it myself. If anyone knows anything about vintage lace could they please comment or email me and let me know anything more about it. I have been told it is from 50s to 70s but nothing more than this. I'm off to the Op Shop now to try and better my luck!

Eye Spy....Something Blossoming

 

Beautiful Pink and Blue Flowers from my front garden. They are both Australian natives but don't ask me the names. So excited to be joining in on Eye Spy. Have been folowing for weeks and did think of posting for my creative space, but it was a little too messy and busy! I'll be back tomorrow with picture of my vintage lace if I can get it to stopping rain long enough to grab some pics.

I finally have some sewing to show! Made this Holly's Bouquet clutch pulse today from fabric DJ (boyfriend) picked himself and bought for me last Christmas. Love the pattern and are thinking of making another one tonight!

 

Have almost finished this as well

Unfortunately I don't get to keep this, my grandparents asked me to make it for my cousin's daughter for her first birthday. I think I may be making one for me, I was think lilac or any suggestions would be fantastic. 

Too much work, and not enough sewing makes Brianna...

Lazy and tired! Worked all weekend so no sewing to show. Sorry I have not replied to any of your comments, still can't work out how to click on your name and send you an email from gmail (keeps opening outlook :S). Was so excited to see your comments, was a bit worried when I started that no-one would read let alone post comments! Received a beautiful package in the mail on Friday from Bella and Vintage Chic who had a fantastic sale earlier last week, the package was almost too pretty to open. (sorry about the picture, taken about 11 o'clock at night after work)

Inside these beautiful fabrics:

and some (very cheap) patterns

I think the Holly's bouquet cluch maybe in the works for tomorrow, so hopefully some sewing to show you instead of all this fabric. Lastly just wanted to show you these cute plates that I picked up a couple of weeks ago. I think they may end up on the wall beside my bed. Hopefully I can get some good pictures of my fantastic (and unbelievable) op shop find to share tomorrow as well.

Hurrah! Finally found the camera, or Boyfriend (really need a better name for him than that) did at the bottom of one of my Ski boots!
Made a new Melly and Me sherbet bag for my Grandma this week but could take picture before sending as camera was still lost, so instead pictures of new Pretty Fabric. Not sure what I am going to make with these yet, but too cute not to buy.

Beautiful 1930's fabric that will hopefully one day be a hexagon quilt, 

And this,

being turned into this,

And hopefully soon, a Daisy Chain Quilt (Jelly Roll Quilts).