Friday Flickr Faves....on a Tuesday

Seeing as i haved just moved to my new house....here's some pretty little homey items...

1. My house in the middle of the street 2. Pillows with bird 3. magical lands mug rugs 4. SUTK - Finished Product (1) 5. KJR kaleidoscope pillow 6. please come by... 7. Cushions for patio chairs 8. Fabric containers 9. apple tea towel

I'm SoRRy!!!

Yes i know i have been terribly neglectful in the past two weeks! It's because i have been organising everything for our move, which has officially happened [yes i am now blogging from the big city people!!] so now i should hopefully have more bloggy time avaiable!!

I will jump back on later today with another post and will have something wonderful for you all tomorrow :)

ANNOUNCING....my new home!!!

Yes the rumours are true...the Browns are moving to the big city! This is the house we are renting - it's on a super busy street about 15 minute drive from the heart of the city. It's smaller than our house now and quite old, but sooooo cute!

This is my CRAFT ROOM! EEKKKKK! Don't you just love the bay window?!

Now i'd love to say that i am 100% thrilled about moving, and although i am super dooper excited, i don't handle change very well...at all. So since we decided to make the move, my anxiety has come back ten fold and i am teary...all the time! But i keep telling myself how brilliant things will be and try not to think about all the friends that we will be leaving in the country. I have convinced myself that i'll be visiting all the time so it wont be all that different anyway.

Tomorrow i am going to check out a day care/kindy for my little ones...wish me luck!!!

Easter inspired!!!

So Easter is just around the corner and i am totally inspired to make some goodies for my gorgeous babies!!

Today i purchased the pattern for these adorable bunny softies from [Retro Mama] and they are sooooooo cute! I intend on making them into warmies [otherwise known as wheat/rice packs - warmies is the nickname my kids gave them when they were babies!! hehe how cute!] instead of softies so that the kids can cuddle them when they go nigh nigh.

I think i will also make them a little fabric basket each [like the one below by freshlypieced - don't you just love Ruby Star Rising fabric!!!! eeekkkkkk!!!] in some nice kiddie like fabrics for our Easter egg hunt!

As usual, we will also dye eggs just before Easter and hopefully they will turn out to be as pretty as the ones below...

[source]

Have you got any crafty plans for Easter?

Keeping you informed...e-crafting expeditions!

Here's a few e-crafting adventures you may like to hitch a ride on...

1. such a star. 2. Wonderland sewing machine cozy 3. uhgmixercovertwosides 4. Hangin with my gnomies 5. stitch love 6. Scrappy Patchwork Cover 7. 47 | 365 8. Sewing Machine Cover 9. My sewing machine cover!

Sign-ups have commenced for the [Sewn Spaces Swap] where you are to make a sewing machine cover for your partner. Make sure you head on over there to sign up by 17th March if you're interested!

Patchwork Squared [Modern Solids Quilt Along] will be commencing on the 28th of March and those who are interested in participating can purchase pre-made Kona Cotton kits or yardage for the quilt along through the [Fat Quarter Shop] at a discounted 20% off.

You can learn more information about the quilt along by visiting [P2’s Website] or joining the official [Flickr Group]

[Lily's Quilts] is also hosting a Quilt Along to complete six of the below Dresden blocks in 8 weeks which will form a 60" x 90" quilt! For further information about time lines please go [here] and to check out the [Flickr Group] as well!

Grand Plans...crafting gone mad!!!!

Here's what i have planned to make over this coming loooooong weekend [whether i get it all done or not is another story! hehe]

i will be making two of these [retro bags] for a friend at work

i will be making the [uptown girl] jacket for my Heidi Bear

i plan to begin hand quilting this beauty...

+ make another skirt or top or something out of [this book]

Possibly even whip up a pair of leggings or two from in [this book]

Finish putting together the above [bag]

and maybe even start knitting [this cardigan] for Heidi...yeah i know i'm dreaming but at least i have a list right?! 

Oh! And on top of that i plan to begin the items for the [kitchen goodies swap] and create a fluro outfit from lycra for an upcoming hens night i'm attending...there's just never enough hours in the day!

Friday Flickr Faves

1. Homage to Mondrian 2. Slices 3. Bar Code Quilt 4. Element's #19 5. Squares quilt 6. Geometric Pillow for Pillow Talk Swap 4 7. mod baby quilt 8. Map Quilt Block 9. Pillow for the TDF quillt

New babies in the family!!!

Nawwww! And they look exactly like their mummy too! They were scrambling around too much to get proper photos but there are three new, gorgeous, healthy baby kittens in our family as of today :)

Paying it Forward - spreading the crafty love to YoU!

I read about this cool thing over at [The Undercover Crafter] called Pay it Forward - a way to spread all of our crafty love. Here's how it goes:

"I have one year from this date to make you something handmade. You don't know when, but sometime in the future this special gift will end up on your doorstep. Then it's your turn to Pay It Forward and pick three lucky people. You'll make something for them and then it keeps going from there spreading the goodness."

[source]

So i'll be choosing three lucky people to pay it forward to! To be one of those people, leave a comment below but remember - once you receive your gift, you too will need to pay it forward to three lucky people too! This is open to all - international and local and if there are more than three comments, i'll be choosing by random number generation xo

New month...new swaps!! YAY!

I am very excited to have signed up for two new swaps starting this month [as both the Urban Home Goods Swap and the PinCushion Swap are both done and dusted with both packages on their way to their partners!].

First is the [Kitchen Goodies Swap] and i am very excited to spread all this crafty love into my kitchen as it is feeling a little neglected as of late! I should be getting my partner at anytime now!! eeeekkkk!!

 and second is the [Down Under Doll Quilt Swap] which is still open for sign up for Australian and NZ residents until the 13th of March so if you're interested, head on over!

In April i will also be participating the the [Teeny Weeny PP Bee] for the very first time which is super exciting. The aim is to make 2 - 6 inch paper pieced blocks and the beauty is you can decided how many blocks you wish to make in the month and the amount you choose to make is the amount you get back :) I can't wait. here are some of my favourites:

1. Teeny Weeny PP Bee - JGmehlin 2. TWPP Jan 11 3. Star #2 for Kristy! 4. Jan 2011 For Popcorn1960

i Heart...Surprises in the mail!!!

When i came home yesterday after a long day [doctors appointments, visiting relatives in the hospital etc. etc.] i was so exhausted that i totally forgot to check the mail!! So at about 8pm it struck me and i went out to find these:

i received my pincushion which is just the cutest little thing EVER from [Sarah @ FairyFace Designs] and i just adore it to bits!

AND on top of that lovely gift i also found this in there...

the Japanese hexie craft book i had ordered from etsy! And even though it's all in Japanese...i get the drift [they're great at drawing illustrated instructions!]

i also spent some time mailing yesterday...

This package is on it's way to my UHGS partner and i really hope she likes it!

i Just Can't Get Enough!!

...of making cute little kiddie clothing that is! As you may have read, i have already made 2 items in the past week [the knotty apron dress and the twirly girl skirt] but i still want to make more and more! Next on my list is this:

The Uptown Girl Jacket by [make it perfect]. Although i will need to wait until more $$$ come in the bank because it required 3 metres of fabric and at $22 per metre [at least!] from the local quilting shop i can't really afford it right now...but it'll totally be worth it!!! It's reversible too so i plan to use 2 quite different colours so that it can be worn with a number of outfits and therefore be even more useful.

And in my recent book binge i also purchased [Sew Clothes Kids Love] which has a number of just gorgeous patterns and the first i'll create from it is the gorgeous leggings with 3 rows of gorgeous ruched ruffles on the bottom. In fact, i am going straight after work to purchase some knit fabrics so that i can get started!!

I also plan to purchase the pattern below for my son [also from make it perfect] because i think he is feeling a little left out...i think he will love this jacket [i think i will line it with flannel so that it is all snuggly and warm seeing as winter is coming...here is Australia that is hehe] and i plan to also make him some shorts or maybe even a pair of pants from [Sew Clothes Kids Love] to go with it :)

Charley Harper Quilt Along!!!

I have decided to join in on the [Charley Harper Quilt Along] and i am super excited [..and yes ANOTHER quilt along!] because i just love Charley Harper illustrations!!!

For those who don't know much about Charley Harper, here's the low down...

"Charley Harper (August 4, 1922 - June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations. Born in Frenchton, West Virginia in 1922.

During his career, Charley Harper illustrated numerous books, notably The Golden Book of Biology, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, and other works. As his subjects are mainly natural, with birds prominently featured, Charley often created works for many nature-based organizations, among them the National Park Service; Cincinnati Zoo; Cincinnati Nature Center; Hamilton County (Ohio) Park District; and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. He also designed interpretive displays for Everglades National Park.

Charley Harper died on Sunday, June 10, 2007 after contending with pneumonia for some months"

[source]

[source]

The above is my quilt inspiration...just aMaZiNg!!! This mural can be found at the John Weld Peck Federal Building, Cincinnati OH and it is made up of tiny little mosaic tiles in different solid colours. So the plan is to take out the animals that i just love, arrange them so that they all fit together nicely and make them out of 1 inch solid squares with white in between as shown above.


Here are a few more close up inspirations found on [Flickr]:

Check back for more updates or visit the [Charley Harper Quilt Along] Flickr page to play along too!

GiVeaWaY WINNER!!!

Congratulations and thanks to all who participated in my very first giveaway [granted there were few but i'm not fussed!!!] and now onto our luck winner [chosen by random number generation]. *cue drum roll!!!* And the winner is...

Kelly!!! YAY!!

Kelly said:

'that is so cute! you're on my sidebar which is how i follow. :)'

Stay tuned for more giveaways in the near future!!!

Heidi Bear: Little Girl, Big Style

[source]

I recently purchased [as you may have read] Mary Abreu's book 'Little Girls, Big Style' and it is by far my favourite book going at the moment! The designs are absolutely gorgeous and just sooooooooo easy to make. S far i have made two items from the book [with plans to make many more!].

I first made the 'Knotty Apron Dress' which was super easy, both to make and to modify. I ended up taking three inches off the length of the lower panel as my Heidi Bear is quite a shorty.

Last night i made the 'Twirly Girly Skirt' [which i also made shorter by taking about an inch off each tier] and my Heidi Bear can't wait to wear it today :)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves making adorable kids clothing both beginners and us old hands hehe

Pretty Little Dresses (aka Friday Flickr Faves)

1. Poppy Party Dress 2. Christmas dress 2009 3. Analise 4. insa1 5. Valentines 086 6. IMG_5126fb 7. Red Spotty Bubble dress 8. Cupcake Dress_Front 9. Swell Baby Dress