Cramming

There's a distinct lack of sewing happening at my place at the moment.

Between my own ongoing medical dramas and constant appointments, and that of Mr Limpy Houdini Dog, all of my available sewing time and energy seems to have vanished into thin air.

I'm hoping that this lovely stack of teatowels from Margaret at Konstant Kaos will give me some much need inspiration and motivation to just get on with it!

Well that, and a motivating kick up the behind from the NCB girls tonight!

A tea towel bonanza

Somewhere in between moving back to Australia from Japan (while pregnant), and having a beautiful new little bubba, the lovely Melanie from Kimono Re-incarnate has taken the time to send me an amazing package of tea towels.

Melanie's Grandma was cleaning out her linen closet and was going to get rid of them, but now they'll be transformed into new creations instead!

My favourite one is the bright yellow tea towel from Zimbabwe (top right). If you look really closely, you'll see that there's a town on the map named Wankie.... that really tickled my fancy and made me laugh.

Have you also spotted the handmade card with a paper crane.... so cute. I think I need to find a shadow frame for that one so I can add it to my art wall (that is, when I actually get art on the wall, and have an art wall)...... my white walls are ooooooh sooooooo boring.

Thankful

I'm always thankful when I collect the mail and there are no bills....

I'm even more thankful when I collect the mail and find crafty packages waiting for me....

I'm not thankful when the postie folds and then tries to shove those packages through a tiny mail slot instead of just reaching around and putting them in the mailbox from the rear.....

Luckily, there were no breakables - just pretty things.

I won a giveaway over at Willy Wagtail - and hilariously (given the rate at which I seem to lose these) - the giveaway was for A whole weeks supply of seam rippers. There are actually seven of them, and Cherie also included a lovely Bendigo tea towel (where I used to live), and a sweet little doilie. Thanks Cherie!

The next package contained all of these lovely tea towels and a beautiful handmade owl card.
Ngaire contacted me and said that she had these left from a garage sale of her hubby's grandmothers things. Ngaire doesn't have a blog but she liked my aprons, and so she generously offered to send them to me. Isn't that sweet? Thanks Ngaire.

....and then this little suprise package arrived in the mail from Amy at Badskirt - it's the perfect floral print for me! Thanks so much Amy. I'm going to whip myself up a little zippered purse, using the trim as a wrist strap - perfect for hands free shopping..... adding it to the list in my head as I'm typing....

In my mailbox

I was lucky enough to recieve two amazing packages in the mail this week!


On Thursday, the postie arrived with this wonderful pile of goodies from Amanda at Krafty Panda - beautiful tea towels and sweet little cat doiley (putting my thinking cap on to work out what do with that one)!

....and then on Friday, another package from Linda at Two Pink Possums. This one has tea towels, lovely fabric, and some new sewing needles (just what I need actually).

Thankyou so much Amanda and Linda - as usual I'm completely blown away by the generousity of all the crafters out there. I've received so many lovely things in the mail - I'd love to know what my postie thinks I do with all my packages!

Have a happy Saturday...

A thankyou and a giveaway

I want to begin this post by saying a great big huge monstorous thankyou to each and every person who has lovingly packaged something up and popped it in the mail to me. It's just amazing to open the letterbox and find a pretty little package instead of a bill!


This lovely package of tea towels arrived yesterday from Katie from May the Cloth be with You. The citrus one is my favourite.... it'll make a fabulously bright apron. Thankyou Katie!

It's about time that I shared the love, so I'm going to start having regular giveaways.... things that I've found, or things that I've made. They'll just be randomly listed whenever I get around to it.


The first giveaway is this lovely little box that I found at the oppy yesterday. It looked old, and that was enough to trigger my intrigue...... so I opened it up and found:

This little vintage doilie embroidery set.

It has the original instructions, the little doilie which has been premarked, and also some emboidery threads which I'm sure are not actually original, but I'm sure anyone who loves embroidery will have some thread in their stash to use.

All you need to do is to leave a comment by Sunday night at about 7 PM Melbourne time and I will draw a random winner.

Good Luck and May the Cloth be with You!

In my letterbox

Lovely things have arrived in my letterbox this week....


I won this beautiful flannel bunny in Miss Muggins' Easter Giveaway. She doesn't have a proper home just yet, as I'm a little disorganised, so she's currently minding my books in the bookcase.

I've christened her Missy. She looks like a Missy, and I think it suits her to a tee.

I'm planning on making a new home where she can join Jane the Kiwi, Esther Bunny, and Cherry.

I also received a lovely package of teatowels from Selina at Selina's Vintage.........

They're all beautiful, but this one is my favourite. 1974 was the best year! .

Thanks so much Laurel and Selina!

Roosters and Barns

I've been busy sewing up a storm and getting ready for the market.

This is one of yesterdays creations - gorgeous vintage tea towel that I received in my pay it forward gift from Bec early in February, which has now been transformed into a teatowel apron.

I still have lots and lots more to do!

My Creative Space

My creative space is still a bit of a work in progress - I've just moved the furniture around again thismorning.... trying to find the perfect combination of floor space and work space.

I have lots of tea towels just freshly washed and ironed and waiting to be transformed into new creations for the market.

... and some more new tea towels too. The two on the right arrived on moving day from Silly Gilly - beautiful colours and the perfect year too (1974)!

The one on the left was delivered by my sister yesterday after a visit to RCH. Moo Moo had a bike accident a couple of weeks ago and had to go in to have his two front teeth removed. Poor little munchkin!

Find lots more beautiful creative spaces at Kootoyoo....

Love Fridays ...... love handmade shopping

I saw this beautiful Mellimoomoo Storybook Journal on the Handmade Help blog last week, so of course I just had to snap it up quickly. After all, the proceeds were all for a good cause!

I'm saving this to give to a friends little boy for his second birthday next month, with a packet of crayons or coloured pencils, so that he can scribble away to his hearts delight.

The ever so lovely Megan also sent me this beautiful bright floral teatowel. I'm having visions already, of a gorgeous tea towel apron and some cupcake baking!

Megan also included this stunning card which was made by her friend Kelly, who is another Byron Bay local. Kelly doesn't have a blog but she does have a website here with her contact details. If you're ever around the area, she has a stall at the Byron Bay and the Bangalow markets. The colours are just magnificent.....

38 degrees celsius forecasted for today.... moving van arrives at 8.00 AM - ugh what a day to move house!

The home of Love Fridays.....