My Creative Space

My first creative space for the year!  It is exciting to be back on deck again with everyone in blogland.  I have been busy drawing and drafting for the past month.  I haven't done much sewing except for two friends who have had babies.  One girl and one boy.  So exciting!

Out came the material and with a flurry of scissors and thread a couple of Monkeys have started to be made.  I really enjoy making Melly & Me patterns.  They are very cute.  Perfect presents for babies.  I have even tried some of Melly's new range 'Sew Little'.  I will put a photo up when I am done.

Below are the other fabrics I chose and the start of the ABC123 cubes.

So that is what is on my workspace today. Hope to finish at least the monkeys today and start on buttonhole stitching around the letters.  Better go and get into it!

Today I Feel....

This morning I feel quiet, satisfied and relaxed.  We are all sitting together as a family, relaxing.  My veggie garden is growing fast and new veggies are flowering.
I'm always daydreaming about designing new patterns.  For some reason I have lots of ideas buzzing around in my brain.  I am not complaining!
My nagging inner voice keeps telling me to get on and finish the Reindeer Xmas quilt, work faster and write more patterns.
My thoughts that roll around in my head are tweeking a new design that I have been working on.  I like the pictures that I have done so far but they are missing that special something that makes you say wow!!
I long to finish the quilts that I have been designing and drawing during my summer holidays!
What I am most afraid of is that people will think my designs are awful :(
My inner critic tells me  "You aren't a real designer....."
What I am most grateful for is that I don't listen to my inner critic, or my fears, and do what I do anyway!  Most of all I am grateful that you all enjoy my blog and read the thoughts I share with you all.  Thank you xo.

Fundraising Awareness

A quick blog post to draw attention to the fantastic efforts of my bloggy friends who are hosting give aways and raffles and other fund raising ideas to raise money for those affected by the floods in Queensland  Please check them out!  I will be participating in some of them.  Not only do you get the happiness from giving you get the chance to see the generosity of others.

A master list of participating blogs should be up on Make it Perfect by Sunday.  Please go visit your favorite blod and donate.

Finished Stable of Ponies

Hello everyone!  Hope you have all enjoyed your festive season and if you had one, a nice break.  Chris and I have had visitors, been bush walking and checking out all the beautiful sights around our area.  The recent rains have boosted the water falls and so many gorgeous wild flowers.  It was so relaxing.

Anyway I have not been doing a lot of craft lately but I did get to finish the 'horses' for my little nieces just in time for them to be Christmas presents.  A couple of late nights stitching (after midnight) and a few needle pricks in my fingers and all the little ponies were completed.  I look very industrious!

They were worth the effort though.  They were really amazing.  Melanie Hurlston you are one awesome designer chicky!   Corey and I had races up the hallway.  Of course my horse was fastest and won the race. :)

I couldn't stop taking photos of them.  Corey and Chris became my photographer and photographer's assistant.  The one with the horses on the rocks hides Corey behind it stopping the horses from slipping.

My little cutey nieces loved them to bits.  Melanie has named hers Flower and it sleeps beside her bed on its own special pillow.  Brooke (not quite 2) can't ride hers properly yet but sits on it on the ground and holds the reins.  I think my smile was so big it made the Cheshire cat's grin look lame!

Special thanks to Emma from Ballarat Patchwork for helping us out and loving the finished product, Chris for making tea while I stitched and cracking the whip and Corey for not whinging because his Mum was so preoccupied for 2 whole days. Hugs and kisses to you all.

More Preparations

More Xmas fun! Our house has been a flurry of tinsel, wrapping paper and stuffing.  The tree looks awesome.  We found some really beautiful decorations this year and I have struggled to choose a favorite.  I am leaning toward the glittery white reindeer but I also really like the birds we found.

Rather handsome bird isn't he?  Talking of  handsome things my lovely son Corey graduated from Junior School last week.  It was a mix of emotions; sad, exciting and nostalgic.  We are extremely proud of him.

*Sigh* they grow so fast!  At the risk of getting nostalgic I remember when he went off to Prep in his first school uniform. Good luck Corey and enjoy everything!

Christmas Crazy Busy!

I am sorry it has been so long since my last post!  I have been working a fair bit and doing some of the volunteer roles I have. Things have really mad here even though I have been organized.  Xmas shopping has been done, menu set, cards sent, tree decorated and house almost finished..... I need a holiday!  Still have plenty to do unfortunately.  My lovely husband Chris is turning 40, two days before Xmas so there has been plenty of 'secret squirrel business' going on. It is so hard to keep secrets from him.  He is such a sticky beak.

Would you like to see what I have been up to?  I finished, hung and filled the advent calender for Corey to plunder every morning.  After all the hanging dramas it looks really colorful hanging in the hallway above the real stockings.  Corey has enjoyed eating the choccy every day.

I had a chance to finish off the xmas stockings I made a few years ago and hang lovely sparkly name tags with them so we know who they belong to.

These are the little name tags we made. Chris helped.  Late at night we were both up sticking, cutting and filing the cardboard baubles.  The red rhinestones make them look very special.  Everyone loves a little bling.

I have begun making some cute little elves to go with the little lit up houses I have.  They are very cute.  They will have a little white hat, red felty shoes and olive green scarves. 

He has a cheeky little grin this elf.  We are debating names for them.  Any suggestions? Off to the makers market tomorrow in Main Rd Ballarat.  Sounds like heaps of fun.  Do go and check it out.  It is on Sunday, Dec 12th between 2 - 5 pm.  There will be some awesome things there!

A Herd of Giddy-ups!

"There was movement at the station for word had passed around,  That Christmas was coming and three little girls needed a pony".  He he.  A little poetic license there I know but we thought it was fitting.

We were Christmas shopping the other day when Chris (husband) noticed Melly & Me Giddy-up hobby horse.  We had thought of some fabric horses for our little nieces as presents but had been unable to find any.  I started off planning to make one but the herd grew to three! 

With my trusty fabric consultant (Chris, who is suprisingly good at coordinating color!) we now have enough fabric for three steeds.  These are the body fabrics that we chose:

The birds are really very cute. 

Thought the apples were fitting seeing it was for horses!

Between what seemed like a million trips down the street yesterday I was busy cutting out horses heads.  I got Chris to do something handy (shock & horror!) and drill holes in the poles needed for the noble steeds.  I wanted to keep the fabric selections all seperate so they have a kitchen chair each.

That big bag of stuffing means work!  And lots of fun.  Here is a close up of the fabric choices for each horse that goes with each main fabric......

Have a great day and I will keep you posted!