my creative space

It has to be said that most of my family think my recent obsession with sewing and in particular, quilting is a bit, well, obsessive. 

So it's nice to know that at least one member is highly appreciative of my efforts 

For more creative spaces with no doubt less fur, pounce on over to Kirsty's place! 

I found my thrills ...

... on Blueberry Intense Lindt Chocolate hills! Well actually, on the couch eating Blueberry Intense Lindt chocolate but you know what I mean. Previously I have been an Orange Intense girl having tried all the other crazy combinations (chilli anyone? It was indeed a fine line between pleasure and pain). I like to think I am channelling Audrey Hepburn when I snuggle up on the couch and down some of this delectable chocolate. She was known to do that you know. Except in her case it was kept to one square per night ... *ahem*

If you're like me and can't bear to buy fresh blueberries until they go under $5 a punnet then maybe this will give you the feeling that you are being vaguely healthy? Surely a couple of squares - or in my case, half a block - of this could be considered one serving of fruit?

And while we're on the topic of healthy has anyone tried this?



It's organic! And in my book organic = you-can-eat-as-much-of-it-as-you-like healthy. My bestie put me on to it yesterday and today one packet (yes one whole packet), made for a very no mess no fuss "lunch" while I sewed my little heart out.

Anyhoo they are just some of my suggestions for how you can get into shape for the warmer months. I didn't say what kind of shape ...

her creative space

Sometimes it's just as much fun to watch as to do ...

"I'm painting mountains Mummy", is what I was told :)

ahhh that's better!

ok I am feeling slightly self conscious about my previous, "look at me mum!" post (but thank you for all the lovely comments!) so I thought I'd move on with another picture of my lovely Leonie pin cushion with new and improved non-el-cheapo-flouro-blunto-spotlight pins. 

*Sigh* I feel much better now!

correct me if I'm wrong ...

... but I just may well have come up with a semi-original idea!* After months of being a complete copy cat I had given up hope of ever thinking up something that didn't involve me following somebody else's pattern. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

So the story goes like this. The other day I convinced the kids that we needed to go and get some new hand soap ... at the health food store ... that's a few doors up from the Salvo's. Having been inspired by the thrifting tips in Handmade Home I was hoping to find some fabric in the form of pillowcases, bedspreads, tablecloths - whatever really. And I did find those things but what I also found was a dusty old mosquito net for TEN BUCKS! I have looked at mosquito nets for above Sienna's bed since she was a baby and just never committed to one but geez, $10?! How could I resist?

We got it home where it was duly soaked and then hung on the line for some solar treatment in this gorgeous spring weather.

Fast forward to that evening as we were reading one of our favourite Charlie and Lola books and *pop* light bulb moment! I suggested my plan to Sienna whose face promptly lit up with excitement at out new "project". 

Perhaps it would have been a better idea not to suggest it to her so close to bed time because she was standing at my side of the bed at 5:55am the next morning wanting to get started on, "our work".

A few hours and a few caffeinated beverages later saw Sienna and I busy cutting out butterfly shapes a la Charlie and Lola style (see, not totally original), to sew onto the mosquito net. After two lunchtime sewing sessions we have .....

... one butterfly embellished mosquito net. And just quietly I'm loving that the butterflies are outside the net not in it ;)

Moments after it was hung last night Sienna said, "I want it to be bedtime now!" Excellent. 

* I completely understand I am not the first one to come up with sticking stuff on to a mosquito net. Just that I haven't seen this particular project anywhere ... :)

the man in the white van

As I was saying, i just love it when a white van rolls up. I get supremely excited when the man driving the white van gets out and comes to my door (and a bit sad when he doesn't), even if I am still in my pyjamas. Which I was during almost all of these deliveries. 

So the week started on Sunday evening when my neighbour handed me the mail she had been collecting for us while we were away only to find the first of many parcels from my friends at The Beehive! Just look at what I have so far!

Unfortunately blogger has decided to shave all my photos at the sides (and if anyone knows how to make the margins smaller please let me know!) Anyway, the makings of a darn fine quilt if I do say so myself! And such an awesome treat to come home to all those parcels.

Monday morning rolled around and just when I was feeling a bit down about the holiday being over there was a knock at the door. 

Look what arrived

And signed too! 

And can I just say what a superb second offering this is from Amanda. My only beef would be that it is so good I have had to stop reading it at night before going to bed. I just get too excited about all the projects I want to try and lay awake picturing them. (I was just saying today to a friend that I lose more sleep these days thinking about craft projects I want to complete than I did when I worked full time and had the worry of managing twenty five people!).

And last but certainly not least the week was rounded off with this little beauty

Lovely Leonie had a giveaway recently and I won! 

But not only did she send me the most gorgeous wool she made me a pin cushion to boot! It is made from the most divine Ink and Spindle print and is flawlessly made ... like flawless. 

Sienna declared it, "beautiful", before taking off with it down the hallway. I found her transferring my pins into this gorgeous new pin cushion. Hmmm perhaps it's time to replace my el cheapo flouro Spotlight pins now that I have such a pretty thing to stick them in :)

lucky dip

There is nothing like a bit of procrastination crafting. Even better when the craftiness actually serves a purpose, thereby lessening the guilt-that-I-am-procrastinating factor.

And so it was that I found myself whipping up some handy little drawstring bags late the night before we went away. Instead of packing. Or sleeping.

I had a brainwave that if I filled these bags with odds and ends and a few snacks that they might keep the young ones mildly amused on our eight hour car ride.*

Look, I'd be lying if I said there weren't still a few hairy moments here and there but on the whole the presentation of these bags at choice moments worked a treat. When they weren't looking I'd whisk them away and refill them with a few more bits and pieces. 

And the most excellent bit of all? All the bits and pieces were things they already had at home which seemed to just take on a shiny newness due to the bag. 

Oh and the second most excellent thing was that I actually used fabrics from my stash. A novel concept  for me (i.e. "oh so you actually cut up and use the fabric that you buy?")

The bags were loosely based on the drawstring bags from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing. I say loosely because I was just too darned lazy to actually get up and consult the instructions. And so there were a few hiccups to an otherwise easy-peasy little project. 

Does anyone have any other tips for long-haul trips? If it involves some sort of crafting for the Mum than so much the better! 

*can I insert a rant here about portable DVD players in cars for kids? If I survived endless car journeys in a non air-conditioned car in Queensland playing eye-spy then so can my kids. Phew! There I've said it. 

chasing winter

I was very naughty and slipped (literally), away on a holiday without telling anyone! Well, actually I did think I was going to get to share our plans before I left but someone was hogging the computer paying bills and silly stuff like that the night before we left so yeah, no message was left!

Anyhoo here's a snippet of the several hundred photos (I jest), I have taken of our trip away ...

Much fun was had by all and no horrific accidents unless you include dents in my pride. I even got a tonne of hand quilting done and by a fire no less! Oh and on the topic of craft look what I spotted being used as a backdrop for a window display

Starling! There was almost five metres of the stuff in the next window over. I almost broke in later that night. Stuff the thousands of dollars worth of ski gear, I wanted more of that fabric! 

Now to catch up on what everyone has been up to as well as the Mount Kosciuszko of washing in my lounge room ... I shall return shortly with news of my love for the postman/delivery guy/basically-anyone-who-pulls-up-in-a-white-van.