"Our " creative space

Oops! I just popped over to Beck's Dandelion blog and realised I missed "My Creative Space" yesterday after only joining in for the first time last week.

Usually, my girls love being involved when I sew something and particularly like playing with the fabric and pushing the sewing machine pedal thingy. But I thought my big girl was big enough now to actually try and sew something herself. One morning when she woke up early (as usual!) I suggested sewing instead of computer/tv and she was very keen. So she chose some strips of fabric and sewed some straight seams and made her first patchwork square (well...it will be square when I trim it). It was a beautiful sight seeing her concentrating at my machine in the morning sunlight. She wants to make some more squares and then sew them together to make a pillow case (not that I know how to make a pillow case but I'm sure I'll find a tutorial).
Here she is with her first sewing and her beautiful gappy smile.

Love you, Poss Poss xxxxxxx

more sewing!

It's been a big week sewing wise. I finally made the Lazy Days skirt that I first saw on Tammie's blog. This one was for my big girl, seen giving her new skirt a twirl in the above photo. I fell in love with this green ladybird material months ago when I was buying patchwork material for baby quilts. I thought it would make a pretty skirt so I bought some elastic and some red ribbon for when I was feeling confident enough to make it. After rereading the instructions several times and emailing Tammie for extra advice, I took the plunge on Sunday afternoon when Scott took the girls to his mum's place. It was easy peasy! And the first skirt (or any item of clothing for that matter) that I have made since Grade 8 Home Economics in 1978. Which I hated by the way.

Here's a close up of the material as from a distance it looks like large red spots. I have some matching blue material with ladybirds and daisies to make a skirt for my little girl. I want to get some yellow ribbon for the edge and don't know how I will face traipsing back to the shops before Christmas to buy it. I have to drive through about 5 suburbs for goodness sake just to buy ribbon. The local shopping centre is HUGE with a zillion upmarket shops but no ribbon!

Next exhibit is me (looking a wee bit grim but just wondering whether my girl could fit both the quilt and me into the camera viewfinder) with the quilt I made in the beginners' quilting class I took for six Saturday mornings. The pattern is called "Rail Fence" or something similar and it is apparently a perfect beginner's quilt as it is very "forgiving" (ie doesn't matter if your seams don't match up perfectly". Thanks to the patient women at Quilt Essentials for all your help.

I had to put this photo in of the back of the quilt as my big girl chose the material for the back. I didn't think it would go with the colours I wanted on the front so I said we could put it on the back and now I really love it.

So...now I'm ready to make a quilt for both girls (E wants blues and golds and horses and stars and G wants a "rainbow" quilt) and one for the special baby arriving in our family in April. I guess I'll have to keep neglecting the housework!

A parcel from Florida

Here is a photo of the lovely box of goodies that winged its way from Florida to Queensland in Australia courtesy of the generous Tammie. After sitting for a week or so in the local Post Office after I mistakenly threw away the notice from Australia Post with the junk mail, it was waiting patiently for me when I had the bright idea of checking to see if it was there. Getting a letter or card in the mail is always a joy. I am maybe from the last generation who grew up without email and so wrote thank you letters, letters to friends, and love letters that went in the mail with a stamp. I've got a bit of a mail fetish actually and once, in Sydney on my own, spent an hour or so looking through the postal museum (I'm not sure what its official name is). Anyway, the only thing better than a letter is a parcel and one from another country is so exciting. Have a look at what was inside.....(there were also an assortment of little packets of exotic (to us) lollies but of course, they have all vanished).

When I saw this beautiful bundle of fabric from Tammie, some of which I recognise from her various sewing endeavours, and some of my all time favourite rosebud material, I literally got tears in my eyes. There's something so lovely about friends passing on loved pieces of fabric to take on a new life with someone else.

There was also this gorgeous little bag that Tammie made. I'm so impressed. And I don't know if she somehow made the button, because it seems to magically match the fabric. I'm not sharing this one with the girls, but keeping it for myself to keep something nice in. (I'm not sure what yet).

So thanks again, Tammie for my box of treasures from Florida.

A bit of me time

I found myself with some precious childfree time yesterday prior to going to the dentist for my fifth (and hopefully final) filling. So I visited my favourite quilting shop where the ladies are friendly and helpful and bought my first sewing supplies - a rotary cutter and two fat quarters to start my fabric stash. My Mum also donated some old pink gingham which I know will come in handy. Plus, the quilt shop has a huge bookcase of quilting/sewing magazines which customers can borrow and return or replace at leisure so I took two home to feast my eyes upon. Now I just need to get my hands on my sister's sewing machine (and have it serviced) and I can embark upon some sewing. I think I might start with a dolly quilt before I move up to something more tricky.

Fabric giveaway at Krafty Kash

OK. With perfect timing for me (as I am about to embark on my sewing career and am currently obsessed with looking at quilting books and sites and the "lazy days" easy girl's skirt on Tammie's blog), I hear that one of Tammie's mates, Krafty Kash, is giving away some lovely material to celebrate her 100th blog. It looks perfect for making a little quilt so I have my fingers crossed. Now all I need is my sister's sewing machine and I'm almost ready to go.

Here's the link to Krafty Kash if you want to check it out.