The Sewing Sisterhood Easter Challenge & a FREEBIE!

Yes another one, how freaking generous am I!

Here's my submission for The Sewing Sister Easter Challenge! Don't forget you can play along too! Just head over to the TSS blog and find out how!

It's a FREE printable set, which includes cake bunting and cupcake toppers perfect to use for your Easter entertaining!

Hoppy Easter Cupcake Toppers | Hoppy Easter Cake Bunting 1 | Hoppy Easter Cake Bunting 2

If you use them I would love to see pics of them in action!

Tonight it's Eastside Crafters which I can't wait for, have been hanging out this month, it seems such a long time between catch ups! If you're interested joining us your more than welcome! We meet at the Lilydale Lake Community Room, 435 Swansea Road, Lilydale (Lilydale Lake) 7.45pm - 9.45pm, $5, bring something yummy to share if you feel like and and bring something to create of come for a coffee and a chat!.

Till next time...

It's beginning to look A LOT like.... Easter!?!?!

I seem to have been bitten by the easter bunny, well I not really but I did actually get bitten by my pet rabbit, once, and on the boob! bloody hurt too!!

Nothing says the Christmas season is over more than heading to the shops on boxing day and seeing the shelves filled with Easter eggs, bakeries churning out hot crossed buns at a dizzying rate, and a certain white furry creature featuring more and more in advertising etc. I'm not religious so Easter holds no real meaning for me other than chocolate (which I'm not a HUGE fan of) and fruit laces bread.

So I wanted to "get in the mood" so to speak so have decided to create some Easter themed graphics, am planning on having them as freebies in the coming week along with some other cute eastery treats (of the non edible kind).

I'll show you an example in a moment but before I do I want to tell you about the easter challenge that's been set over on The Sewing Sisterhood blog!

Here's a bit from the blog:

The first theme is EASTER and you can make anything you like. It can be sewn or crafted, it can be baked or decorated. It can be digital craft or traditional craft. It can be a kids craft or activity! It can be anything CREATIVE you like, as long as it fits the them! Challenge yourself and try something new, or try out a new technique or material. - The Sewing Sisterhood Blog

You get get all the dets over on the blog and while you're there you should check out all the talented "sisters" who contribute!

So who's up for the challenge? I am!

Now back to my eastery goodness, here's a little taste of what's going to be on offer in the coming weeks.

These are greeting cars, cute, no?

Till next time..

Obsession, yes another chevron theme post…

OK so I know I’ve already posted you about my love of all things chevron, but I just can’t help myself, I am seeing it everywhere and it makes me so happy!

I’m not sure why a few lines please me so much but hey, simple minds….

So I decided to go to old reliable Pinterest to find some chevron inspiration. (Is it strange I always think of Charlie Brown when I look at chevron?!?!)

{Click image to go to the source.}

Random fact, a chevron other than being an fab decorating element is also a bone found in the under side of the tail in reptiles, dinosaurs and many mammals (kangaroos, manatees)! It’s function is to protect vital elements in the tail such as nerves and blood vessels from being damaged when these animals use their tail to support their body weight or uses it to push itself against a hard surface to propel itself! (thanks wikipedia).

Here are some of the many gorgeous, delightful, and just down right bloody awesome chevron images found on Pinterest!

{Click image to go to the source.}

 

{Click image to go to the source.}

{Click image to go to the source.}

{Click image to go to the source.}

OMG I could just die, there are so many ways to incorporate chevron loveliness into your life, why not give it a go!

On to other things, here’s a little hint of what I’m working on as a group project with some awesome chicks from here.

I hope you have a lovely day and don’t forget to…keep crafting!

xx.

Good bye little man.

As you may have read in this post, a beautiful friend of mine lost her beautiful baby boy, Sebastian Levi, he suffered from Trisomy 18 which in very basic terms is where an extra or partial chromosome is present on the 18th chromosome. Most babies do not survive the pregnancy and those that are born, do not survive long after. If you would like to learn more about the condition check out this website. If you would like to read about Natalie's & Seb's story you can by reading their blog .

His service yes yesterday in his home town of Brisbane. Unfortunately I and a few others from The Sewing Sisterhood (the sewing group we are all members of including Seb's Mummy) we'ren't able to make it up so instead we all met at our local park, which is full of the laughter of children, and big wide open spaces to release red balloons in honor of this precious little man.

As the balloons gently floated away we all said our little goodbyes to Seb and our thoughts were all about our 'sister' at this utterly devastating time.


All over Facebook red balloons decorated walls, people also chose to wear something red. It is amazing how much a community can come together even an online one!

I would like to share with you two songs that we used at our daughters funeral, they mean so much to me and express so many different emotions I had during our short time with our beautiful angel.

To market to market...

I've been sewing, and gosh it feels good!

This is a market apron I made for one of my sewing sisters for a Christmas in july swap we were doing! What do you think? I used fabric bought from Verri Vintage. Sam from Verri Vintage was my recipient and she didn't even realise I had bought this to use for her present!

I was going to use a free pattern I had found online to create the apron but I couldn't get my head around it so I just thought I would make up my own, at the end of the day it's pretty basic and straight forward. There are a few things I would change if I were to make it again but for a first go I am pretty chuffed as to how it turned out.

Sam was very impressed which is the main aim :D

Do you participate in swaps? Do get them done as soon as you get your partner or leave it till the last minute (like me LOL)?

What a massive weekend!

How was your weekend? Mine was flat out! Actually most of last week I was either socialising or shopping (I know such a hard life, if only it was like that every week).

This weekend I was lucky enough to be shouted by my gorgeous friend M, a girls weekend. We had our makeup done, ordered room service, drank cocktails, ate over looking the yarra river and dancing to music from the 80's through to the 90's and had a blast!

On the Saturday I spent the morning and part of the afternoon with my sisters, not my blood sisters but my sewing sisters, we came from far and wide and assended on Jeff's shed (Melbourne exhibition building for non Melbournites).
There were a few who I hadn't met yet and it was great to put voices to faces and names, one including Gill who has taken over the reins at Oz Handmade but also some I've known for YEARS! So it was about time we met in person.

The girls who attended were...

Jane - Lil Pip
Bec - Baby Chilli & Chilli Tree
Ange - Perigren Creations
Bel - Little Sew n Sews
Mel - Handmade by 3 little b's
Gill - Frilly's Designs and Oz Handmade
Sarah - Skip Chasey
Kylie
Lynda - Stoked Designs

Here's a pic of us with Martha, the traveling doll I told you about a few posts ago, yes she has a name!

(And no I'm not going to say who's who cos I hate the photo of me so for now my identity will remain a mystery!)

FTR I actually didn't buy up big at the show, I got a few fat qtrs and some thread, I didn't really have time to slowly look around as I had to be at David Jones at 3 for makeup. Oh well, It was still great to catch up with my awesome sisters! I'm hoping we can do it again in Oct when the new craft show comes to town!

Have you been over to check out the new look Oz Handmade? It was released at 9pm last night and I love it's new look. Although I will miss my wee birdy, maybe he could pop up somewhere in a new form some how :D When you have time be sure to check out Oz Handmade, for all your handmade buying and selling needs! You can also be kept up to date on the Oz Handmade blog, where you will be the first to know about all the goodies which are going to be stocked in the Oz store, these include patters, supplies etc etc. Very exciting things are a foot in Oz Handmade land!

Till next time...

TSS traveling doll UPDATE!

There are some new photo's of the dollies first stop over on the TSS blog! Check it out here. I am hoping to meet this wee dolly this sat YAY!

Here's a sneak peak!

In other craft news I am stalking the mail box this week as I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Melly and Me's new book, Sewn Toy Tails! I was luck to met Missy Melly herself at the recent Daylsford Crafters Retreat and she is just so lovely and very talented! It's coming from the UK and was orders over a week ago so I am hoping it arrives this week, fingers crossed! I've had a look through it and fell in love with all the little creatures Melly has created.

I have to let you in on a secret, maybe I shouldn't maybe I should keep it to my self.... ahhh what the heck, it's not like anyone reads this new little blog or anything...


OK my secret is one of a unlikly place where some very cute (and inexpensive) 100% cotton can be purchased. OK ready, wait for it...It's BIG W! The next time you've popped in head over to the haberdashery dept, there are little rolls of FQ as well as remnants usually just over a mt of the cutest fabrics! There isn't a large selection but I never walk out with less than 4 FQ's when I rummage through. Check it out.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter N...

As promised the letter "N" button monogram.

Hanger Detail, cute hey!

Would you believe I bought more buttons today, I am button obsessed! I can't go past an op shop without scouring their habadashery section looking for gorgeous old buttons.
I love when you find them in old coffee jars or Vegemite jars as you know someone has spent their time collecting any spare buttons they find to be put away for a rainy day.

Now for something exciting, I'm a part of a group of talented creative women called The Sewing Sisterhood.

The Sewing Sisterhood are a group of creative and talented women from all over Australia who make and sell their wares on Facebook, Madeit, Oz Handmade etc.

A number of the girls are participating in a special project, they are raising money for charity (charity yet to be confirmed). It all started with a rather un attractive piece of golf themed fabric Belinda from Little Sew and Sews  received in a fabric bundle. Her first idea was to send a piece to everyone and see what they could come up with and sell but, well, that went down like a led balloon, but it did plant a seed for the "Scrappy Softie".
The doll (yet to be named) has been created using a gorgeous rag doll pattern from Dolls and Daydreams, Big Doll Softie Pattern . Using fabric donated by a number of the girls Belinda pieced her together resulting in a gorgeous softie doll.

Isn't she just divine, she will be making a number of stops all over Australia before finally being auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the nominated charity. Along the way she will be added to resulting in what I am sure will be a gorgeous addition to any child life. Her first stop is in WA with Tina from The Sewing Fairy, then she is back to Belinda so she can personally accompany her over to Melbourne to meet her new host family! I am hoping I'll be able to see her in person when a large contingent of TSS are convening on Melb for the Quilt and Craft fair being held at Jeff's shed in a couple of weeks (11 days to be exact!). So look out for some pics on the blog. I'll also be added her journey pics as they happen.

Well that's all from me today, catch ya later crafty peeps!