Pressies from Canberra

Going in the Name Tag Swap late did sortov mean that the thrill of revealing your own name tag to the group was lost, BUT I was thrilled none the less with the lovely one made by Danielle of Petit Elefants

Thank you so much Danielle!  I love the bunting (very me), the quilting is divine and I love the embroidery!

This is what I made for Danielle - just HAD to use my blue and white petit elefants fabric and I had this strange epiphany to made red elephant ears - I do hope others can see the ears! (not that easy to make I have to say)  I had a shock thought that maybe Danielle had huge ears and that these would be highly offensive - thankfully not true at all!!

The Sample Swap is truly a highlight of SIT for me - after sweating over my Granny Square Cushions - would people like them?  would they hate the colours? would they op-shop them quick as a wink? I couldn't think any more of them, cos I was just in love with MY presents from 5 other lovely ladies:

A gorgeous flower complete with real twig from Sarah of Giftscreated -

Lisa from theredthread - a super sweet birdie cushion - love the vintage barkcloth wing and the red polkadots backing - perfect for my couch!  I was a little bit worried about getting it into my suitcase to come home, but no probs at all!  Lisa also donated some lovely embroidery panels for everyone's goody bag - definitely a Christmas present idea!

Last but not least presents are from Cass - Snailblazer - organiser of Sample Swap for 3rd (?) time running - and she runs it well!!!  Cass made cup holders with SIT 2012 written on linen and lovely granny square fabric - had to pick the Granny!

Then a great zippered pouch from Fiona - from bee-abi - perfect for my new ball of wool, my so so pretty crochet hook and my growing Granny Square! (all from Renae of Suzy Hausfrau)

Then a lovely pouch and needle book from Julie of Relish - gorgeous colours and tiny patchwork - love the tiny donut!

The Handmade Market in Canberra was simple fantastic - very impressed with quality of goods and wide variety of things that made me want to part with my money!

Just a little bit of my goodies - a very turquoisey/aqua splurge - 

Something to hang on the wall to make me smile!

I can put myself in the middle of this picture and dream away!

by Marja Leena

Peoples from Canberra

Sew It Together Canberra 2012

and FB SIT

A very big Bloggy Thank You to Sheridan and Donna - the leaders of the team who make all of this happen - you guys are a driving force behind an event that is super special:

for many who don't have crafty bloggy friends to chat to,

for those who need a weekend away from everyday life,

for those who want to catch up in real life, when online just doesn't cut it for hugs and smiles,

for taking so much time and effort for all of us who come

we all appreciate the fantastic things you do, even when we don't really know how many womanhours it has taken to get this far.

Some wool bought was my only thing on 'need' list and some extras just happened to fall into my arms on Friday Shopping Trip - the Bison excursion was great - but absolutely confused me - cos I honestly couldn't decide - i walked around and around that store picking things up and putting things down - so confusing so didn't get a photo of the rainbow of colours - see Wendy's post for the colours!

Then lastly to Shop Handmade - great shop and very welcoming with glasses of bubbly and scrumptious macarons!

Here's part of our group digesting the treats!

 and here are some truly awful photos of Saturday's sewing and chatting and swapping and dancing!

A little bit of excitement/annoyance/v.v. cold wait outside on Sat night when the fire alarm went off at 2am!

I think Cas's face says it all!

Sunday was a bit of a blur for me - I'm not really sure if I got back to sleep after the fire alarm, so I might have been a walking zombie for Sunday's Stencil Workshop, organised once more by the amazing Sheridan!

These are my results - the first used a premade stencil - loved doing the graduating colour blends!

My own stencil - not really want I imagined - as inspiration I read an article on the newspaper covering the table - a very sad and disturbing piece about the people in Kinglake still suffering terribly after the Fires in 2009 - mental illness, hospitalisation and suicide. The word 'Angel' caught my eye somewhere else on the paper and I instantly thought that these people need angellic help - this became my image for my stencil - try as I might I could not draw angel wings to my liking and went a more simplistic style - I wanted a host of gold and silver angel wings, blue ones sky tipped - the stencilling was really relaxing and I enjoyed it alot.

Judy and Cas

Wendy's many designs

Cas's pears

Sarah's fantastic designs and Peta in the background

Top of Mt Ainslie - thanks again Kylie for our little bus tour around parts of Canberra then onto the airport

A great time was had by all - beautiful weather, smiley faces, hugs and kisses and 

lots of Hellos and Hugs Goodbye!

Granny Squares for the couch

We have been given the go-ahead to show our Sample Swap offerings at SIT in Canberra this weekend - this is where 6 people form a circle, do a little dance (yes, compulsory), and place a item that they have lovingly made for the other 5 participants joining in.

It is great fun - both to make (well, maybe a little nervewracking, cos, you know, it is a huge representation of the quality of your sewing (NO, not really!!!)

People make allsorts of really different things - exactly what SIT is all about - different people with different crafty loves and blogging styles, but we want to hang out together and learn about each other and catch up with each other's lives.

My winning collection (from Hawthorne Threads) of Washi Tape by Rashida Coleman-Hale (she even posted a comment on Flickr that she loves them - big hug to you Rashida!)

Thanks Louise for the suggestion of Granny Squares cushions

These are 3.5" (not the regular 2.5") with Quilter's Linen by Robert Kaufman for the 'background' solids.

Just realised I hadn't taken a full size photo of the magenta one - 2nd from the top!

Too lazy to do it now

Wacky photo but here are the backs - this was harder to choose than the fronts, that's for sure - I'm not a big user of solids, even a non-solid solid like this fabric, so it was a bit of a struggle.

Some recycled ribbon for the stays.

Not a zip in sight

For this, I should be thanked. You really didn't want Me to sew that in!!

I hope others like them
Hubbie has put his order in; he likes the magenta one the best - who'd thought!

Animal Farm skirt

Simplicity 2226

Saw it round the traps....Jennifer, Anna,(Anna has a sew-along tute of this too - ACE!) and Bec too, with a super cute skirt worn to latest SASE with MMQG

Had some g-or-geous linen blend fabric by Isso Ecco

Thought I would cut it up!

I am actually 3 days late for Curly Pops May Skirt Sew Along - but that's me, always trying to catch up to the popular kids...besides, I was thinking and planning in May, does that count?

 I am absolutely amazed that I have 99.9% finished this skirt and it is not bad, if I say so myself....not great, not terrific, not spectacular, but not terrible too

Clothing patterns typically do my head in; the instructions never seem to match the pictures (if there are any) and the jargon is beyond me sometimes

 But

After a few curse words with gathering (so hard to get it right and the threads always break), then unpicking the yoke 3 times, the zip was a whole other matter  - I got through it on a wing and a prayer...please don't ask me how to put a zip into a skirt...I still don't know ;)

 the end result I think is kinda cute and hopefully I will wearing it to Canberra this weekend - I'm going to need thick thick tights and merino singlets and my biggest cowl neck scarf I can muster

Ruby's not so sure about the 'all animals are equal' business...she definitely is more equal than others!

Sample Swaps

Sample Swaps, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

Just a little photo of some pressies made for SIT Canberra - not just blog ready, but ready ready!!

Hubbie wants some for ourselves...well, I might just have to do that.

On a side note - I have to learn how to crochet before end of next week  - cos I kinda booked myself into a not-so beginner class - yikes!  Okay, I thought, I will just head to the op-shop for some practice wool (I have a crochet hook from eons ago) and they. had. no. wool.  The lady had to tell me 3 times, cos obviously the look on my face was telling her that I thought she was a liar!!

Something's wrong in the world, when you can't get a naffy bit of acrylic wool from your local oppie.

Anyone suggest a really really good tute for beginner beginner 'hooker' (okay, I admit I have made a scarf before but nothing has stuck in my mind regarding this craft at all)  UK terminology please - why different names I just want to know!!!!

Doing lovely things for others

This is my Mother's Day breakfast - my new new favourite breakfast - thick fruit toast with Maggie Beer's Burnt Fig Jam with Honeycomb and Caramel ice-cream - oh my word - it is GOOOOD!

Plus the ubiquitous cup o' tea - strong, with milk please!

I also got a lovely pot of white cyclamens - Gorgeous, and some skin cream - well done family!

Had a lovely lie in reading my Good magazine I get sent from NZ.

More on that mag later.....

Talking of lovely family doings........

'Doing it For Sarah Jane - our Favourite Companion"

This was our motto last week!

My DD2 had a brilliant idea - "Let's raise money for Breast Cancer Research, in honor of Elizabeth Sladen, who died of cancer last year"

"I will organise it all "- (was music to my ears!)

You Go Girl!!!!

A beautiful start to the morning, but then rain rain rain!

Cold, but well fed, sheltered (of sorts!) (well done Hubbie!), hours and hours of waiting for customers, chatting to them, inviting them to make a donation 

and 

$301.60 later

What a wonderful thing for a young girl to do!

My Girl is a Star!

EDIT::  Vintage gold velour couch still available!!! 
It is really cute with wingbacks and arm covers
Just picture it recovered in AMH fabric - I know you can.
Email me and its yours!

Edit 2#::  anyone keen on vintage chenille - I have tons!!  Again let me know and we can work something out (Aussie post only - ta muchly)

Getting my ACT together and sewing it

How silly is my title??

Just a quick shout out to all those in need of some R&R in our nation's capital

CANBERRA!!  Check out my sidebar button and click for details!  Then check out my checklist hehe!

Plane Tickets - Check!

Bus Shopping Trip - Check!

YHA bed - Check!

Group of crafty crafters, crafting crafty things - Check!

Crochet tute to attend - to be checked!

Dinner organised - Check!

Crafty crafting to continue - Check!

Some kind of length of time sleeping  - hoping!

Stencil printing workshop - Check!

Maybe a quick tour around the Canberrian sites - last hurrah!

Home again home again, jiggety jig!

Winner winner chicken dinner

My Mum Won a Brother!

At the recent AQC, Mum wanted to see the Brother stall to see a very very inexpensive model of machine - hers is sooo old the Driving Belt!! was broken and needed fixing,

sooooo,

we wandered past the stall at the show, found a little pad of entries for a comp.

Why Not? we said,

filled out the details,

 and 

WaHOO!

Mum's snazzy wazzy, super smart, mother of a Brother!

We are at a Brother sewing shop, in Moonee Ponds - Evelyn taught (us both!) for a solid hour - she was very patient and informative,

but actually, 

I think the machine has self-awareness - I'm just waiting for it to say 'good job'! and 'want a neck massage?'

Mum has been wanting to get on my blog for awhile now - nothing like 'asking'!!!  

Now all us bloggers are expecting big things, Mummo; first thing first - your bag pattern needs some fabric!

A random shot of a very quick (think 45mins) date with the hubbie 

- while both DDs are dancing, we have an opportunity no to be missed!)

Goats cheese, red onion, prosciutto pizza and a very guzzley glass of savingon blank (exactly as it's written!)

Martha Negley 'Farmington'

Martha Negley 'Farmington', a photo by the workroom on Flickr.

Martha - you make my heart flutter like a feather!

My next range to 'stalk' hehe!

Does anyone else do that? Find a fabric that sings to you and you do a million searches to find the best photo, the best price, the best creation from it? Thinking, planning, desiring, holding back, letting go.... Or is it just me?

Photo by 'the workroom'