Weekends away - Melbourne and surrounds

A little birthday present to myself.  A weekend away to Melbourne to catch up with a friend. Who's birthday just happens to be on Valentine's day. 

We started here on Saturday.  If you cant see the name on the building it is Costco.  OMG.  Talk about needing a scooter to get around that place.  A tad full on.  But fun to go and have a look and check it out.  It would be great if you are feeding a family.  I think there is one coming to Sydney soonish.....  If the big Muper Sarkets stop blocking it.

 

Some architecture in Kensington.

Then on to breakfast, at this place (below)....  Retro heaven.  Great coffee.. 

Did I tell you I can sniff out a craft shop at fifty places :))  http://www.onabee.com/  Same street.  Some very lovely little things.  They are carrying hand crocheted heirloom scarfs by Sophie Digard from France.  Which I must say "spectacular:.  Add that to your bucket list or want list you can check them out on the above link.

Then off to Anglesea, which is on the Great Ocean Road.  Just for a bit of fresh air and good food.

Lovely trees.  Their colour is amazing.

 Home...... to find this in my letter box.  The directions are great.  Thank you Big Sister ;).

Have a great week
K x

The Eve of the big 40!

Goodness me, well I wonder where the past 10 years have flown off too. 
One minute, turning 30 and being a 30 something year old. 
Well now the the 40 is seriously looming.....  on the horizon.  Oops it's hear already.
I'm my thirties, I managed to do heaps of travelling, amazing jobs, wonderful friends and family.

I wonder where the next 10 will take me! Different goals and aspirations that will pop up along the way.  Education, Long service leave soon, I'm off to renew my passport this week... The world is open and i intend on finding some new destinations..

Woo hoo.......  Bring it on.. 

I'M GOING TO BE A NAUGHTY 40 YEAR OLD. ..... . . . . . . .
;)
K x

Things that Ive wanted to try and test out........

So today has been the day of experiencing new things.... 

This is just a little quilt, I have been wanting to finish it for ages.  The fabric was purchased years ago (6 oops) in Christchurch, New Zealand.  The fabric is 100% patchwork cotton but has been up dyed and
re printed on.  So the bit that I had been wanting to try, is machine stitching on binding.  Talk about time saving.  Pit falls, cause you know there are always some of them.  :)  I'm not the most confident machine sewer.  So it is a little funky in places eg: corners.    But you know I figure, for a small girls doll's quilt, or new born tummy time blankie, its OK to get thrown around and chucked in the wash.  It isn't going into any competitions, or the like.   Oh not to mentioned. IT IS FINISHED...  WOO HOO... :))))

Overall Happy with this. 

Bircher Muesli.... yum yum just a little bit sweet.  Fresh blueberries and yoghurt

Yes I will be having that again for breakfast.. ..  but less apple juice.

 

And the above 3 pics, are of a covered journal.  Cause I have been wanting to cover one as well.  There isn't any stitching on it yet.  But it does have pocket flaps, and is reversable as you can see. I might pop on some stitching and pop a Tye on it to jazz it up a bit.  :)

Happy sewing.
K x

Oh how I love Saturday's . . . .

It has been a tad Hectic in my world this week.

But I did manage to squeeze in a little vicarious living!

So a very big thanks to Jennifer over @ http://movinghands.wordpress.com/author/movinghands/
She has been busy uploading pics from the 2011Toyko International Great Quilt Festival, that she recently attended.  Can I say each year, I sit with my eyes glued as close to the screen as possible to see her pictures..  Just to make sure I don't miss anything.  :)  Because I love to meander through her photos wishing that I had been there myself to see them in the flesh.  So many fabulous quilts again this year.  But I must say.  This one did catch my eye.  I'm not sure if it was the template design, the different fabrics used, colour or the extra bits stitched in detail.  You can see the detail on a closer up shot of the quilt on Jen's Flickr photo stream.  Which you can link off to from her blog.  Check them all out if you get a chance.  Because they are truly inspirational.

 Sometimes the biggest isn't always the best.. . . .  sometimes it can be the detail or the colour.  Or maybe something that we haven't seen for a little while

So while I was out pottering about this morning, trawling through one of my local thrift shops I found this.

Yes I know it looks tacky.  But this template was in it.  Spools or perhaps better known as apple cores.  Which you know got me all inspired again.... 

You never know.  I might just find my way back to my sewing room this weekend... 
Thinking about what fabric I could use in this project.....  hmmm  best I go for a dig through the cupboard. ;)

Happy sewing all, oh and happy drooling over all of those beautiful Japanese quilts... 
Kath x

But WaiT thEn MorE CamE

Fabric, Fabric everywhere.
Oh my....  Best I get into some sewing...... and get creative....  with all this beautiful fabric. 

Happy Sewing..
k x

FabRic ShOppInG online???

Well there is a first time for everything.
With all the pros and cons of buying on line.
How can one argue when the dollar is so exceptionally good.  As much as I want to buy local and support my local patchwork shop (Hobbysew or a couple in Southern Sydney), I'm also on a hideous budget.  So I took the plunge and tried buying online and some of it has arrived.  So excited....

The rest to arrive over the next couple of days.
Well this is one happy customer...  And balance is aways a good thing.
Little bit online, and off to visit the local in a couple of weeks. 

Kath x

DeCiSiOns DeCiSiOns DeCiSiOns

Hmmm....  Circles or drunk......

kath x

GetTing CraFty WiTh it...............

Some time during this year, I happened to purchase a template for a Drunkards path.... another thing to squirrel away in the craft room.  :)

Well, after much procrastinating over some stitching down of binding this afternoon, I went for a wonder to my craft room.  Just to see what it looked like oh and to see if my sewing machine still worked with a years worth of dust collecting on it. Well guess what?  It did work, and then this mad woman kicked into gear......
Trawling through the scrap box, I thought I would just see if I could get this template.. . . .I had also previously purchased (a couple of years ago at the Sydney craft show, after much harassment of the demonstrator, But will I be able to use it right when I get home? YES) A roller and these tweezery things specifically for this purpose.  Because apparently you need to roll the seem flat NOT IRON IT OUT....

So then it was the massive digging through the fabric stash.  I have managed to use fabric that had only been cut previously and scraps so far.  Go figure.  Looks great huh.  A few more to go yet.  But I'm loving the results.

. 
Happy sewing...

Kath x

HaPpY NeW yEaR - 2011 here we are

Happy New Year everyone. 

Well 2010 was a bit of a whirl wind of a year for me.  It was hard to keep up at times.  But after having had a lovely restful week of swimming, sleeping in, gardening and reading.  Im now ready for the new year and to hit the ground running.  I have my list of goals cooking away (I kept them to a page :)  ), so watch this space..... 

I have been busting to do some fabric and dollie dyeing after visiting with my Sister and her partner up in gorgeous Bellingen (Northern NSW).  So where does a girl get dollies?  Raid Mum's linen cupboard (thanks MUM) with all of her starched out doilies.  The starch still isn't out of them.    
Not to worry the colour took anyway.

 Pink - ooh nice. 

 I think this one is my favorite.  This one is for my bedroom.  Purple, mmmm lovely purple....

This set is lovely too.  The colour just makes them pop.





What to do with old 100% white cotton sheets????  Dye them of course. 

Stage one.  Tick, dyed.  There is a slight difference, not that you can notice in the pic.  I was trying for one dark and one light.  Lesson learnt.  Leave the first one in longer with less water.

Stage two.  Silk screen them.



Put this book to use.  Thanks Cath and Kirsten for the inspiration http://www.printscharming.typepad.com/.

Best I get cracking.  I'm looking forward to seeing the end results.

Enjoy the holiday period.
Kath x

Weekend happenings...... Sydney arhhh

Well what a crazy week/months, studying and exams.  It was all over for the semester on Saturday.
And what a relief to walk out of that last exam.. sigh..

Baggie packed and off to sydney for a couple of days rest.  Catching up with Jen, Pete, Rod and the other usual suspects.  Shared meals, and loads of conversations... just to remind myself of life outside my bubble...

Rods exhibition is all set up.  The bois spent Sat doing the lay out.  Lucky for me i got a sneak peek since I cant make the opening for Wednesday... 

 The Zebra is one of my fav's just the concept.  Sensational......

 Georgeous Pete, tired and sweaty after a hard morning......

Off to the Pub for a beautiful seafood lunch with beers on,.......
After a lovely lunch we, Jen & I poddled off for a walk, Woolloomooloo....  (so many ooooo's) upto the Cross for a Toffee Apple Martini.  Just what the Dr ordered.  Views grabbed on the way lapping back....  The Jacaranda's are all out in full bloom this time of year in the city.
Just beautiful...

 Some passionfruit flowers out...  The colours grabbed me...

Im off to Bellingen this coming weekend. Which should be another adventure filled weekend.

Kath x