I promised a giveaway!

I'm a week late on my giveaway promise, but better late than never!

I saw this post over at Quilting Mick during the week, and got all inspired to whip out the mens shirt that had been hiding in the stash (my BIL didn't like the colour of the stripes so it ended up in my chop up pile)

I haven't seen the Betz White book, so I just split the shirt at the seams, and reconstructed it to create a half apron.

Frances is a bit too skinny to show the proper proportions, but the apron body goes all the way around to her back, and the straps are extra long. This apron will fit any size.

If you would like to win it for yourself, just leave a comment by Wednesday night - 8 PM Melbourne time..... simple as that!

The rescued quilt top

You may remember this quilt top that I rescued from the oppy in November last year.....

Someone has spent hours and hours lovingly constructing it......

Quilting Mick let me know that it's a bargello quilt (I had to google bargello .... sorry but I have very little idea about anything regarding proper quilts).

Anyway, it's been sitting amongst a pile of fabric ever since I bought it. But then yesterday, I saw this post over on Handmade Help calling for quilters and / or quilting supplies. I emailed the Waverley Patchworkers - info(at)waverleypatchworkers(dot)com(dot)au , and the fantastic news is that I can send them the quilt top, and one of their fabulous quilters will transform into an amazing quilt to give to a bushfire survivor.

Alls well that ends well.....

Merry Christmas - part 2

The most amazing thing happened yesterday....

I was sitting in the study typing up my christmas post yesterday, when I spied the postie dropping off my mail in the letterbox out the front.

After I'd finished, I wandered out to the letterbox, expecting to find bills and junk mail.... but instead there was an unexpected package. Inside the package, I found a lovely homemade christmas cake and a beautiful card.

I am utterly amazed and grateful that someone would send me such a lovely gift... so thankyou so much Michelle for being my christmas fairy.... you are completey amazing!

Just a minute.......in August

Sheesh...time flies when you're having fun.
August is nearly over already so it's high time for Just a Minute....

Reading

.....at the moment absolutely nothing except for about 150 blogs and the online newspaper. I have an appointment next week that lasts for a few hours (and so requires a book and MP3 player while sitting there). I'll be raiding the bookcase Wednesday night to see what I can find.

Listening

.....it's been a weird mix this week. I've listened to a few cd's while sewing...George, Kasey & Shane, Ministry of Sound (no rhyme nor reason nor theme nor consistency) with this lot.

I also listened to the Emily Martin podcast yesterday courtesy of the link that I found on Michelles blog.....then the weirdest thing happened today, I had the Sunday morning Marthathon going in the background while I was cutting up fabric in the kitchen, and they just so happened to replay the episode where Emily was featured.

Watching

.....well, I watched a lot of the Olympics (tv on in the background while doing other things). The channel 7 coverage was abysmal as per usual. When did Peter Colquhoun and Tom Williams become qualified to commentate sports like kayaking and BMX racing??? Why did we have to sit through so much mens gymnastics when there weren't even any aussies in the finals?

I'm still loving Project Runway Australia and Flipping Out and Dexter. Last weeks episode of Dexter was fantastic...looking forward to tonights!

Eating

.....I bought some nice Danish Butter cookies from the supermarket, they are lovely with a cup of tea in the afternoon. I really want to make some of the yummy carrot cake that Sherrin bought along to the Thornbury Sewing Bonanza. I bought the White Wings Organic flour that has the recipe on the back....but I just haven't got around to actually making them yet.

Making

.....with lots of encouragement from others, I'm currently making some baby items for The CurlyPops Shop and more kiddies pants for my nephews. I still need to make myself a bag with the beautiful piece of vintage fabric that I received from Cathy.

To join in Just a Minute, head over to visit Jen and sign up!

Sorry about the weird spacing...blogger is having a coniption!

Incoming and Outgoing Mail

It's been a bit of a crazy mail week this week with lots of little packages zooming in and out of my house......

I'll start with the incomings:

This absolutely gorgeous Sunnyboy Quilted pouch that I bought from Michelle's Etsy Shop Buttontree Lane.....made using Aunty Cookie fabric for the exterior and a vintage sheet for the interior.

....and my pre-ordered copy of Mixtapezine

I don't want to give anything away but I love the cover design and the print format of this issue.....needless to say that I sat straight on the couch and read it from cover to cover to cover to cover. Once you get it, you'll get it. I'm sounding very cryptic!

Hopefully Corrie has received the little parcel that I sent up for the twins (due Monday morning). You'll notice that the fabric squares that were on my desk last Wednesday are now jingly baby blocks....one for a baby girl and one for a baby boy.

Of course, I couldn't resist whipping up a couple of matching bibs...one with pink stitching and snap, and one with blue stitching and snap.

I'll be back later for Love Friday......