Wednesday

Hi guys I am feeling a bit ranty which is a sure sign that I am tired and grumpy. It seems to be my resting state these days.

My fridge is almost covered in those postcards from kindly vets and eye doctors, and ladyparts doctors and every other reminder known to man. You know, the ones reminding you that missed a vaccination, examination, posturation, or elevation some months ago.  I do appreciate them, because it would not be possible for me to get a pet or a ladypart to the doctor every year without them. 

I thinking " we just went to the vet" and suddenly the dog wouldn't be vaccinated four years. The same applies to the ladyparts doctors... Two years ? Are you serious? I'm still wincing. It can't be two years.

I know Christmas is coming, and I have documented my growing disassociation with it here on the blog before. Can I be arsed digging out the tree, assembling the tree, decorating the tree, protecting the tree from whatever weird cat cult ceremonies they want to perform on the tree, for it to sit in the corner until the big day, upon which folks will arrive, ignore the tree and spend the day eating foods in the garden ? 

Maybe I could just throw some tinsel in the cherry tree.... (It would be more than I managed last year)

How are you doing? You ok.? Have you started, finished, ignored or ticked non-applicable to the craziness? Are you sick of every retail person in the world asking how you are going with your Christmas shopping? (Just laugh and say don't you mean Easter?- it stops them talking to you)

 I finish real work on the 20th and then I am going to do some baking. i'm quite looking forward to day in the kitchen, in the quiet, on my own, baking stuff and drinking tea. In fact it sounds like freakin Nirvana right now. 

My kids have given me no instructions and look set to recieve a stocking full of nothing on the day but we will have lunch under the cherry tree (weather permitting) and there will be tinsel.

(Oh yeah pictures aren't working. They can't be arsed either)

Free steak knives ! (not really)

I received some emails yesterday asking if I was offering discounts in my store.

 I thought it was a bit weird.... I had forgotten about the thing that is Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

I have never joined in before, because I am just not that organised (yep that's a surprise to no-one)but I did recently have a sale and may have forgotten to mention it here. 

(yes I do totally suck at business)

So yep, there is sale. 

Everything is under $10. Everything is cheap. Everything comes with free steak knives... not really.

I'm pretty sure you get the idea.

I'LL huff and I'll puff

and I'll blow your tree down.

and I'll take the fence and the clothesline with me ....

(no-one was hurt and everything is fine and I now know two very lovely arborists if anyone ever needs an arborist or two.)

Pass the Bex

Dudes, it was long and also short and freakin' steamy and I vomited on the plane for hours !!! There were good friends and diva tantrums and a few near misses on a borrowed scooter.

There was fabric and frivolity, lots of standing and lots of talking.There was the usual madness of sample spree and a bit of new madness just for fun.

I came home in dire need of a Bex and a good lay down.

At the starting line

The whole big adventure starts in a couple of hours and I still have one quilt to finish binding. To be honest, I just ran out of puff. I might finish it on the booth - (it would be a good excuse to sit down).

This is Sewing School (with thanks to Rita for the great photo).

I have made a whole bunch of stuff with it and other people have made some freakingly amazing stuff with it. The suitcases are groaning !

if you want to see it in all it's glory you can pop over to the Ella Blue Website and take a peek.

I won't be blogging while I am away as I am not taking the appropriate devices but I will pop some pics on IG and FB and tell you all about when I get back.

I am going to pace myself and keep my peopler intact this time.

Madness revisited

OK, So I didn't make it back here as quickly as I thought but the excuse is a 100% cotton one.

Introducing Sewing School  (by Me)

This range will shown at Houston at the end of the month and it will be needles down and jump on a plane in exactly 12 sleeps.

 It is the same madness once again, staying up late, getting up early and the brain and explosion of deadlines and to-do's and maybe's. I am hoping for a less eventful trip this time and will be taking extra care of my people-er.

I will do my best to jump back in and share some photos but right now I am heading off to boil the kettle and get back to it.

Yes it is a madness, yes there must be a better way, and no, nobody has the time to think of it.

Tilly & Ginger & swears

I am flying in on the last day of school holidays to introduce Miss Tilly. She is the cutest little thing - well actually she is quite big at 23 inches high.

 Tilly is one of my new patterns and she comes with her dress and cardigan

 as well as her shirt and shorts,

and her romper.

Her best friend Ginger comes with a dress and coat,

overalls and handbag

 and her shirt and skirt

The best thing is, they can swap clothes so you can create a whole little wardrobe. I am so glad these two huge patterns are done !!
These patterns will be available in all good stores any day now and the PDF versions are available in my Etsy shop....

along with a bit of fun ! I had these enamel pins made and there are a few up for grabs in my shop as well. This has been a whole new ballgame but I am happy with how it worked out and have another (crafty) pin due in a few weeks.
I am becoming obsessed.

I've been to Bali too

Only I haven't really. 

But I did go to Tassie and I slept a lot and I wandered around a bit

 Great view with a side of ugly fence

A boat

A person who doesn't know how to use her camera

I also taught a super-fun elephant class at Frangipani fabrics

 It was a great day !!! Look at these happy folks !!

It was a quick trip and now I am home waiting impatiently for my new fabric to arrive so I can once again sew a million things for the booth at quilt market (26 sleeps but who is counting). My roof is still leaking like a sieve because ironically it is too wet to fix it, my house is a bomb site and there is not enough tea in the world to keep things on an even keel this week.

That is all.

L is for Lion and litres

I had a plan. 

I was going to release at least two of these little friends every year. 

But this is my first little alphabet animal for the year - number eight. I have 16 letters left to go. I think I'd better get moving because I find it hard to believe anyone will still be listening to me in 2024 !

He is completely hand sewn and suitable for beginners.

He just needs a final final final proof read and he should be available pretty soon.

Things are busy here as usual. I am working on two new pattern releases before the next lot of fabric arrives and the crazy market sewing takes over. 

The hot water service went on the fritz, 

The dog is limping

 The bathroom ceiling has all but caved in with a massive roof leak.

The grandpuppy chewed the tap off the water tank so we have 5,000 litres of water trapped inside the tank.

 When asked what could be done about it , the lovely plumber said. 

"That's fixable but man, someone is going to get really wet"

Stay dry friends !

dudes - it was meant to be a giveaway

It really was meant to be a giveaway, but I got carried away sharing my angst with you all. Thanks for your comments about your lack of balance it makes me feel better to know that we are all listing to one side.

After I first found Helen's blog I bought a copy of her book and through no real fault of my own I may have ended up with two copies. (I blame red wine and Uncle Google.)

So, I have a copy of Simple Sewn Gifts to give away to you , along with four Fat quarters of Bunny Trail fabric.

(photo courtesy of Helen's blog)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post- tell me anything you like.

Actually tell me the first thing you think of when I say "sewing school".

(There was a boy called Peter in my sewing class in year 8. In politically correct times we might say he exhibited inappropriate behavior, at 14 I can tell you he was a grabby little grub and I stuck him in the thigh with a quick unpick).

I spent a lot of time outside the textiles room 'thinking abut my behaviour'.)

The winner is Bluebird !!!!

this is not where I was going

Some time ago I sent some of my Bunny Trail fabric to Helen Philipps.

Do you know Helen? I don't but I do follow her blog.
 It is the prettiest blog in all of blogland, full of great photography and sewing and flowers.

Helen made a bundle of the cutest things with BunnyTrail - but I thought I had better wait until the fabric was actually available  before I shared .

(The timing stuff with fabric design is bonkers )

Check out Lettuce - isn't she awesome ? You know how much I love a good name for a softie!
You should do yourself a favour and pop over and see the little quilt and the hexie ball as well as a great block that Helen made.

I have been glued to my computer for what feels likes weeks, finishing off two HUGE patterns. I have been working on another little alphabet friend, making suitcases, and watching the days fly by on the calendar.
I got an email this week asking me to teach in 2018 !!!! It totally fruck me out friends, and don't think it will surprise you to hear that I am failing at any semblance of a work/life balance these days. I keep saying things like "Oh it's just busy now because of the fabric, or because of market, or trade show"....but I think I need to realise it is always like this. this has become my normal.
How do you do it? Do you balance stuff?
 If you run your own business, large or small- how do you stop working?
Even if you don't run a business, do you struggle with the elusive 'balance'that we all must have in our lives?

(Must we have it? Is it in fact haveable? Is is a crock of shit?)

Why not ?

Hop to it - a giveaway.

If you saw a picture of my booth at Spring market you would have recognised the beautiful quilt made for me by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts. I always get so many great comments about her quilt at market and so many people know instantly that it is hers.

I am eternally grateful that Rita finds time to work with me.

But it is not all work - now it is giveaway time !!

 Pop over to Rita's blog and enter the draw to win a fat quarter bundle of Bunny Trail fabric plus a selection of patterns , all designed to coordinate with the range.

The winner will be drawn 11am (Australia EST) on Saturday 30 July 2016 and will be notified by email. Entries are open to all and sundry.

Go on folks - get moving !!

(I will be back tomorrow with a list of stockists )

The stuff that happened before the other stuff

While we were in Salt lake City , we went to Moab. I geographically useless so I can't tell you if we went North or South or into outer space. We went with my awesome friend Pinksuede shoe and her daughter and we truly had a wonderful time.

The scenery was like nothing I have ever experienced. My brain had a hard time getting around the vastness of it all.

 See the car !!!

I kept thinking of just about every cowboy movie I ever saw as a kid.

This is my favourite. It is all John Wayne on horseback in the front and Julie Andrews and Sound of Music in the background.

The colours in the rock and the sand were unbelievable.

We were able to stay for two days and apart from the Australians (who should know better) getting ridiculously sun burnt, we loved every minute of it.

I could explode this blog with photos but instead I will make a folder over on Pinterest  if you want to have a look. 

Right now, with snow in Ballarat and scarves and beanies and coats these photos feel like half a world away - which I guess they are.

Possession !

I know that life is not about the acquiring of stuffs.

I know stuffs do not make people happy.

This piece of stuff has just arrived on my doorstep

and I can't stop smiling !

 ( that little cardboard scalloped washer.....kills me dead. )

Salt Lake City

I know , I know, lets just pretend this is a timely blog post.

These kinds of posts are really little diary entries for me, snippets of what happened.

Temple Square

Loads and loads of sculpture in Salt Lake City, gorgeous gardens and fountains everywhere!!!

Everywhere you look there are these beautiful 'Sound of Music' mountains in the background. I wonder if people stop noticing them after a while? They were amazing.

Capitol Building- totally stunning.

Posted with Blogsy

On the left is the footpath, on the right a huge four or six lane road - and in between a babbling brook !!

Fun Fact : The roads in Salt Lake City are super super wide. This is because when it was founded by Brigham Young , but in the days of wagons and oxen, he wanted the roads wide enough that a wagon could do a complete turn. 

Seriously, I loved Salt Lake City - it was really beautiful and super super friendly. I don't think I have ever seen the middle of a city that is so beautiful. Hmm five years till quilt market visits again....