markets

Well, as you can see on my sidebar I'm getting out and about this year! Here are the dates and locations for your diary and I try to update this regularly!

Mathilda's Market 27th June 2010
9am-1pm
Canberra Park Hyatt, Canberra (my home town!)
www.mathildasmarket.com.au

Mathilda's Market 8th August 2010
9am-1pm
Lane Cove, Sydney
www.mathildasmarket.com.au

Handmade Market, December 2010
10am-4pm
Kamberra Wine Company, Canberra
www.handmademarket.com.au

I sure will be busy this year but I really like getting out and about and meeting you and new friends.

prepster

we have a little nickname for finnie......because of my love of dressing him in little polo and button up shirts!! I've lost count of how many he has!



so preppie, so cute.....

say cheese!

mummy has a new camera!!!!! I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and see a short course on the horizon but I am in love! I am now the proud owner of an olympus e-620 and since my old camera was an olympus it does make it a bit easier to find my way around. I tried to get a crash course from dad this morning but there is only so much you can learn over coffee and banana bread....so I've just played around with the art filters....grainy for the twins



check out the cheeks!



and for keira I played around with the pin hole art filter which I really love



this is actually my birthday present for later this month thanks to my generous hubby and parents....thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!



keira is such a natural offering plenty of poses except when she'd stick her white unicorn up in front of her face....I've spared you those shots

all in the shop now

phew, I've photographed each little puti de pome iron on and popped them in the shop , there are 10 different designs to choose from.



and if you're in Sydney I'll be bringing them along with me to markets too! Now back to waiting patiently for my new camera which I'm getting tomorrow....wooooohoooo!

more puti de pome

I went a teensy bit crazy over puti de pome when ordering and have oodles of cute iron ons and some super cute buttons going up in the store tomorrow....a few of the ones perfect for boys!



and a few of the girly ones



I can't wait to use them to finish off cute projects!

puti de pome giveaway

oops! I'm a day late but I'm going to giveaway 1 metre of this gorgeous puti de pome fabric...just leave a comment and I'll draw it next monday.....



and the lovely new fabrics are in the store now...more lovely new fabrics coming soon

a sneak peek

I've long admired puti de pome and was so excited to be able to stock it this year! Here is a sneak peek of what is going in the store now...for the girls



and for the boys



and more for boys



these will be up in the store tomorrow with lots more new fabrics arriving in February....I feel a giveaway coming tomorrow too............

boho girl

I asked keira to model her new dress (made by zimmerman not me, even I don't own any zimmerman but my little fashionista does thanks to my friend ingrid)...



and this is our how photo shoot went...we had just come back from church and I think she might have been thinking of a statue of Mary rather than a fashion model!



and we followed up with one of keira's favourite activities...colouring!!!!!!!! here is today's self portrait.....long blue hair and a little hat as a girl must always accessorise! I love her explanations as she draws and shows us her work...we also get the odd letter and number in there which is also cute as I know what I'm teaching her isn't going in one ear and out the other!

and more books...

a couple more books added to the store! No crafting for me though as I've been trying to keep cool and not do too much. Lazing around, drinking lots of diet coke, eating peaches and nectarines, reading magazines and watching keira do double somersaults in the pool.....not much pool time for me as someone has to mind the twins....



and that patience I was talking about must have paid off as my first fabric delivery from japan arrives monday! 2 big boxes....watch this space! Until then, stay cool and keep hydrated if you live in my part of the world where it's so hot hot hot.

new in the store

while I patiently wait for all of the new fabric to arrive....I really am trying....I've added some cute new japanese craft books to the store! This is one of my favourites with lots of gorgeous new childrenswear patterns.



I also have charm square packs coming back in next week!!!

one night crochet

I had one night to make up a few cute crochet hats for a magazine and I did it, I'm soooooo tired but here they are.......



thankfully there has been some good tv to keep me on the couch crocheting........big love (one of my all time favourite shows), sicko by michael moore and real housewives of NJ (ok not good tv but you just have to watch it.... think big hair and big boobies!)

all quilted out

Ohhhh thank you so much for all the quilt love! Yes, I am so proud of my nicey jane quilt...I love walking past keira's room and taking a peek at it again! But, I'm not ready to start another quilt this week! Instead I've been whipping up a few dresses for my markets this year and trying to avoid the late nights I had in December!



The first dress was made from 2 fat quarters of ginger blossom by sandi henderson and is one of my new favourites!!!

nicey jane

ta da! here she is! I made nicey jane for the spare bed in miss keira's room and it hasn't disappointed! Just to recap, I used crazy mom quilts pattern, Nicey Jane fabric from here and loads of white homespun (because I ran out of quilters muslin but now have 2 bolts to myself to keep me going for a while).



The machine quilting was done in 2 nights on my trusty Brother and the binding in 1 night...I am so in love with the binding fabric which was a recent find from the quilting section at Spotlight. I emptied the bolt and knew it would be perfect for binding



and it was.....I must just press those little corners into shape but I'm getting better.



I must admit that it is sooooo satisfying to make a single bed quilt and I will definitely be making another one this size as my next quilt project.....



and of course there is the all important verdict from Keira.....and.....she loves it! We have one happy customer.....



who quickly accessorised her dress with a scarf before I took the photo!

a little bit of crochet

you might remember these hats I made up last year! I love my easy pattern as it's a no brainer and one of these days I will write it down and share it! one of these days.....



I love it because I don't have to think too hard and can just sit on the couch and churn a few out in a week....and I'll be bringing them with me to Allies Attic in February!!!!!



and my lovely model had just woken up but co-operated beautifully! Well this photo is probably proof that she had just got out of bed!

giveaway winner

oops, sometimes I need a post-it note for everything in my life so I don't forget!! Here is the winner of the Izzy & Ivy Giveaway......

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

18 Timestamp: 2010-01-13 23:55:27 UTC

and 18th comment is...drum roll please.....Kate ! Well done, I'll be in touch soon for your address and happy sewing! I'm hoping to get that binding started tonight as I was too tired last night for anything more than tv and a bit of crochet!

oh sew tired

Well here is a sneak peek of nicey jane now that she's quilted! I was up till 2am doing the quilting on her and it sure makes for one tired mummy! I see a lot of coffee and sugar in my day today, yaaaaaawn.



I'm going to make a start on the binding tonight. I like to sew mine on the machine and then fold it over and hand sew it to the back of the quilt, so it could take a few nights on the couch but then I'm done! I really love this quilt already and so does keira, she was a little upset that I wouldn't let her lie under it this morning!



Now, the quilt back looks so simple but seemed to take forever to find large enough fabric pieces but I'm pleased to report all 7 pieces came from my stash!!!! The back also reveals a couple of spots that need a teeny tiny fill in but overall I love seeing the improvement in my free motion!

for the love of....

cute japanese fabric! You might think I have cute japanese fabric coming out of my ears......but no....I just luuuuuurrrrve cute fabric and when I saw that leslie was back in Japan on holiday and had a few things on etsy, well I couldn't resist a little something for my personal stash! the one on the left is for keira and the one on the right is for my dear little twins...



they just look like a little tillie and finn, don't you think?????

weekend photoshoot

my parents popped over yesterday and my Dad is always snap happy especially when he has a new camera! First up was my mum's latest crochet project..I must get her on ravelry..this gorgeous blanket kept her mind off things when she was in hospital recently.



and my quilt..which sadly won't be quilted this weekend as I need more fabric for the back!!!! boo hoo I was so close with my pieces but need slightly longer fabric for the back as its a large quilt! I'll see how I go today.



neatly folded and lovely ginger blossom fabric by Sandi Henderson for my next project (I must finish the nicey jane quilt first before I start anything else)



me and my girls



and my beautiful Tillie...hmmmmmm I think I might like a new camera!!!



My Mum and I were talking about what I might like for my birthday next month (the big 3-4) but I really want a machine for quilting (juki 98P or janome 1600P), she said oh ok we'll get that...um Mum they are over $1700.... so I'll be getting a nice donation towards it!!! Now I just need to work on retro daddy!

more cute fabric for boys

I couldn't resist this cute Michael Miller fabric at Spotlight today.....adorable! This fabric is definitely going to do some cute 3/4 shorts for Finn this afternoon and if only I could sew and stay cool in the pool at the same time!



I'm also hoping to do my nicey jane quilt back tonight so I can get cracking with the quilting tomorrow! I am all stocked up on white homespun and will do a simple strip of charm squares with the white for the back!! Totally inspired by crazy mom quilts who I'm so sad to see isn't blogging anymore. I can only imagine how many more quilts she'll turn out now she isn't blogging!

Ava Tie Dress

What a cute dress and model!! I can't take any credit for this gorgeous outfit...it's made by my clever sister in law Julie (fyi our hubby's are brothers and aren't I lucky to have someone with shared interests in the family!)...all I did was supply the pattern and she did the rest!!!!



gorgeous dress, gorgeously modelled by ellie mae!



I am definitely motivated to whip up a few for my little girls this summer!



and this cute label is included with the pattern too! Julie tells me the pattern is easy to follow and she's raring to try another one...go Julie!



and a big thank you for making such a beautiful dress to show off the patterns in my store!!!!

sewing for boys

long time readers know I just don't sew for boys! A lot of sewing goes on but for Finn there has been nothing. But for one of my projects coming up I needed to get out the brown paper, french curve ruler, pencil and eraser and put my patternmaking skills to the test...the first size was a baby size and I went up from there which I find is the easiest way to go.....I decided a slimline, nothing fancy pant was the way to go....



and here is Finn's size from the rear....made up in a Michael Miller print I picked up a while ago from fat quarter shop (I found some on etsy for those of you who love it)....soooo cute and I must admit it is cute to sew for boys. It may not be pink but the results are still cute! I'm sorry to say my patternmaking teacher has packed up and gone back home to Japan but you'll find local community colleges offer basic classes that set you up with the basics, lots of homework, the tools and a great understanding to help you make your own patterns. I loved all the maths and right angles!



This is the smallest size made up in cute chambray that was 50 cents at that amazing garage sale last year!

giveaway extended till Sunday....

oops! I forgot to put a closing date on my Izzy & Ivy giveaway....so I've extended until this Sunday............



hope you've entered, you just need to leave a comment on the original post...too easy!

another day in paradise

yep, just one of those days! Mummies you know how it is, you seem to get nothing done, everyone is fighting with each other, you chase your tail all day.....the twins have learnt to climb onto the table and just want to spend all day up there and no sooner do you take them down do they climb up again....so after bathtime I just gave in, let them play at the table and got a bit of peace and quiet (and some cute photos)......



but once I pushed in the benches there were tears.......oh their little sad faces but it was getting dangerous as they were shoving each other to reach for things.



at the end of the day they have been fed, watered, cleaned and loved and someone once told me so long as you do that you're doing well with twins. Tomorrow is a new day............and hopefully there will be craft tomorrow!

the quilt top

Well here is the nicey jane quilt top, in need of a good trip to the iron but I needed to quickly grab retro daddy to hold it for me before he left for work!!!! Progress has been a little slow as the babies have decided they don't like their 6pm bedtime......so I haven't been able to get sewing till much later at night!



I love the colours (pink and green is one of my favourite combinations) and just love the pattern (from here). It took me a little while to cut and put the 20 blocks together as well as the white sashing but it's such a fun project and will fit a single bed in little keira's room perfectly. I think I love it so much I feel another one coming along in the sandi henderson ginger blossom! I also discovered I've been using a 1/2 inch seam....ahhhhhhh.....so my blocks turned out to be 10 1/2 inches instead of 11!!!!

now trust me

Now I know that these look a bit messy but gosh they are good! My trusty one cup cookie recipe with mini marshmallows.....somebody stop me



1 cup SR flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup muesli
1/2 cup choc chips + 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (I used a bit more)
125g butter/margerine melted

Combine dry ingredients and stir in butter/margerine and roll into balls, flatten and bake for about 20 minutes in 180 degree oven! yummo....this now means I have broken one of my resolutions for 2010 but thankfully I haven't eaten the whole batch!

new year new look

Hope you like it.....just needed a change from all that pink and wanted bigger photos too!!!!!

me - in a nutshell!

I'm a real sticky beak and love knowing lots about the blogs I read so thought I'd write my own 'About me' page for my new look blog!!!!! Go on and write your own, it's fun!!!!

So hi, I'm Corrie (you already knew that) and live in Sydney, Australia with my gorgeous husband and 3 beautiful children. I live everyday for my family and am totally devoted to them, they come first and always will. When I'm not cooking, cleaning, changing nappies or playing with them then I'm crafting. I can't pick a favourite but I love to sew, quilt, knit, crochet, stitch and do a bit of baking and shopping too!

I'm a qualified accountant by trade and worked in investment banking here in Sydney as well as London. I married an accountant (ha ha very funny I know) but after 10 years in the city I knew that I didn't want the long hours and a career anymore so left work and started having babies. I didn't expect to have 3 so close together but they are a blessing to us and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I try not to whinge on my blog about the hard times with the twins but if I make it look easy I don't mean to. The last year and a half have been hard work but it's just starting to get a little easier and I love my life so that helps. Am I done yet having children? No, I think one more would be lovely but not just yet!

I started sewing like most people in year 7 home economics and was absolutely hopeless! I'm surprised I even passed and scraped through making a skirt and quilted cusion. I didn't sew again until I was at uni and decided that doing a major in accounting was going to get a little bit boring however necessary it was. I took a sewing class at tafe, bought a shiny new bernette and started sewing cute little skirts, bags and shorts. Sometimes my uni friends would even pop over for a bit of sewing too. I didn't start sewing again until I discovered Amy Butler in 2005 and started buying her fabrics and patterns and got the machine out again. I had keira and started sewing again and haven't stopped since.

My first quilt was for an Essential Baby Doll Quilt Swap a few years ago and I've been an on and off again quilter but have really taken to it recently and am just addicted. It's a great way to use up my stash and the results are so satisfying.

I now sew on a Brother Innovis 600, it's a nice modern machine with lots of nice features I love. I find it easy to use and also have a new Brother overlocker too. I'd like to get a faster machine for my quilting some time this year but we'll see how we go.

I started knitting in primary school when we were all taught one winter but I never did finish the legwarmers or baby matinee jacket I hoped to make. I did make a scarf or two from memory. Many many years later living in London, I discovered Debbie Bliss and Rowan and retaught myself to knit and haven't stopped since. I'm fairly new to crochet but love it and its a fast way to use up your stash.

My weaknesses are craft books and magazines, fabric, nice soft yarn (so I guess you could say shopping), dresses, coffee, anything sweet, sushi, anything pink, babies (I'd have 10 more if I could) and of course my own little darlings.

So that's me in a nutshell! I love my life and wouldn't have it any other way and thank goodness for my blog and wonderful friendships I've made online!

more grannies

As always happens, I've set aside the pink grannies to do something else! I just couldn't resist using the white heirloom cotton (which is actually made by bendigo) for some crochet. The rest of the colours are all Bendigo cotton by the way and I'm thinking another cushion with 9 of these babies!



It's another rainy day here and perfect curl up on the couch and crochet weather, but I'm going to finish putting the quilt top together this afternoon and will get quilting this week...I think I was a bit ambitious to think I'd be quilting this afternoon!