Making Heirlooms

Happy Weeks

I have had a great couple of weeks.  You know that feeling when some weeks work out better than others?  Kids have been good.  Hubby has been good AND I got sewing done, now that makes me happy!

I finished this bag for my friend Kerri.

 

Kerri not only owns the gorgeous bear shop in Woodend, Victoria, but she also organises a great Teddy Bear Show every year.  This year it is on Sunday October 25th, it is a great event.  If you get a chance to get to it I would love you to drop into her shop on High Street and say hello to me.

I also made this table runner in a day!

 

I want to thank two ladies blogs for the inspiration for this.  This lovely lady.

She has a great tutorial on pinwheels,so I couldn't help but give them a go.  And the reason why I got it done in a day is because of Alissa.  Alissa completes a queen size quilt in two months and is disappointed because it takes her so long!  What the?!  Now that is inspiring, so the least I could do was finish this table runner in a day.

And see that lovely pink gerbera in the photo, well my gorgeous 16 year old turns up at work with it last week, how cute is that!  God Bless Girls!

Wishing you a happy week!

Love Michelle xx
 
 

Thank You....

This is just a very quick post to say Thank You.

A day after we returned from our week away I managed to burn my upper thigh quite severly.  I had made myself a cup of tea in a cup my daughter gave me for my birthday, I some how knocked it over just after I had poured the kettle and decided to save the cup from dropping on the floor with my thigh.

All this resulted in a home visit from the doctor and still now, some sleepless nights.

I just want to say a very big THANK YOU to DH, my girls and my lovely neighbours who have all been so helpful to me.  DH was away the night it happened and my sweet nine year old girl slept with me to look after me in bed.  She awoke the next day to me making a cup of tea and was just horrified.  She was so cute, it put a very big smile on my face.

This is a picture of the cup I saved taken on my birthday morning!

 

Well I had better get back to bed, it is 4am and my alarm is set in just under 2 hours to get up for work.

Stay safe!

Love Michelle xx

Seaside Holiday and Birthdays!

Well off we went to the seaside for a week and although it rained most days we still had a great relaxed week.  During the week I also celebrated my birthday.  Here are some beach pics....

All 12 feet, from oldest on the right to the youngest on the left.....in order!

And one of my favourite scene's of the sun peeking through the dark clouds...

And just incase you are wondering if I got any sewing done, well, as always, I went away with about 5 projects to complete and I only completed one and I started another!  Why do I find it easier to start projects instead of finishing them?  Here is a picture of what I started, it actually wasn't sewing, but crochet.  I saw a crocheted flowered mat in a Better Homes & Garden's book and thought I would give it a go.  Of course the kids just looked at me crocheting and it didn't sound like they liked the idea of the rug, so maybe it will be completed and hidden from view!

Hope you have had a great week.

Love Michelle. xx

More Glen Harrow Pics..

I have awoken to the most glorious day today.

I thought I would share just a few more pictures from my lovely day at Glen Harrow with you.

Did I mention what a fabulous time I had?  :)

Rosalie should have her new book coming out shortly and these were some projects from the book.  I sat right next to this table, what fabulous inspiration it gave me.

Here is another picture of the chickens outside!

And lastly,Leanne (who I met at last year's Glen Harrow) told me that I am actually appearing on Leanne Beasley's blog!  Very exciting!

I hope you have a lovely weekend.  I plan to just relax over the next couple of days.  I hope you get a chance to do the same.

Love Michelle xx

Spring Stitch-In at Glen Harrow

Well I attended my second stitch-in at Glen Harrow on Saturday and I can honestly say this will be an annual event for me!

I ventured there on my own and joined a lovely group of stitching ladies from Cranbourne. 

I sat down to a lovely package of fabric, patterns, cookie cutters just to name a few.  I chose to do Rosalie's pattern this year...it was a delicious stitchery of chain stitch in lovely fresh spring threads and I finished it tonight!

 

I did purchase the border as I fell in love with Rosalie's new fabric range called Grandmothers Garden.

And I couldn't help but take some photo's of the grounds of Glen Harrow to show you, it is such a beautiful setting!

This was my favourite......

 

And of course a bird house!

 

And this....

 

Gates and Bird Houses have to be my favourite things!

And lastly, how devine is this display, perfect for an afternoon of stitching!

 

I hope you enjoyed the photo's, can't wait for next year already!

Happy Stitching.

Love Michelle xxx

My Favourite Season!

Spring is here!  How I love this season.  Mostly because it means my birthday is nearly here, but I love the happy flowers that you see everywhere too.

I have noticed it has been two months since my last post.....hmmmm.

I made my girlfriend a quilt for her 40th birthday!

I made a dress for my daughters confirmation....I also spent a week in the Children's Hospital with my 13 year old daughter for a burst appendix.  I have to say that that week was a wake up call for me.  A week in any hospital is an eye opener to how lucky we are to be happy and healthy.  The reality of what is really important to us.  It is no surprise that the kids are my world.  They make me laugh, they are honest, they have the most beautiful smiles!  So when Georgia had to be operated on I felt my world fall apart. I have never had a child needing an operation before, so it was a very difficult time for me.  I have very supportive work mates and I am grateful very much for that!

I will post some picks of the quilt and the dress, but for now I want to show you what my darling hubby made me this week.  A couple of months ago he built me my sewing table and I saw a picture of some shelving that I loved so I showed him a picture of it and this week I came home to these up on the wall above my sewing table!

 

And just when I thought that was the best thing ever, well yesterday he came home with that gorgeous Angel you can see on the top shelf.  She is holding a butterfly in her hands.......what he doesn't know is that I have another idea for a small shelf just wide enough to hold her on my sewing room wall! 

So today he can be forgiven for putting his feet in my gorgeous room!  It has become so much more than a sewing room for me, it is where my seven year old reads her reader to me, it is where everyone finds me!

 

I hope you find a moment to sit in your favourite room this week!

Love Michelle xx

Look What I Have Finished!....(well almost!)

Good Morning everyone,

I finished my 'Butterfly Garden' for my little seven year old.

Well, I finished the top, not the entire quilt!

I had it laid out on the kitchen floor as I was piecing it together and she was walking around it reading all the gorgeous little quote's that Leanne Beasley threw in along the way.

Thanks Leanne for another gorgeous design.

 

I have the day off work today, so I am actually going to make a new design and pattern hopefully!

Enjoy your day!

Love Michelle xx

Books For Inspiration

Well today you are going to see what I have been inspired by lately.

My gorgeous 16 year old went out and bought this gorgeous book and I am so proud of the inspiration it gave her.

The pages are just delightful and what lovely creative juices it inspires in us.

 

I have never really thought about printing my own fabric.  I live to dream about being a great artist like Amy Butler and Anna Maria Horner and Heather Bailey.  That dream is merely a pipe dream.  But this book makes the process to dable quite easy.  I really recommend it.

Look what Jessie created in just a few hours of having the book.

 

And this is a book that I purchased for myself today.

I don't really spend money on myself, but I picked this little book up and read the title and thought, ' Hey, that's me!'  The book is set out as a page per day, so it gives you a reflection on each day.  Today's reflection was titled,  'MY LIFE'.  It talked about how our life is not up for criticism, just our work.  I found it interesting as I know one of my faults is that I am way too sensitive and take things too personally.  I don't really differentiate between someone giving constructive criticism and taking it personally on myself.  I hope this book gives my self esteem a boost.  As a working Mum, I am struggling with the balance of work, kids, home duties and my business seems to come a poor forth.  Please give me a heads up on any tips you may have in the balance of life!

Love Michelle

Cutting Material to Gorgeous Smocked Dresses

Is it just me, or is anyone else scared of that first cut into fabric too?

I don't know why I always have that fear that I am going to make an incorrect cut, but it sure does keep me on my toes with checking my dress patterns. 

 

Here is my first cut!  I had the pleasure of making my favourite neices baby a Christening dress, but I hadn't smocked for a few years, so a bit rusty!  I fell in love with this gorgeous fabric.  Very sweet.

 

All pleated up and ready to smock!

 

So what do you think?  Some embroidered roses into the shape of hearts, bows and bead droplets.

I was very happy with the end result.  And here is the little girl on her day.  Love you Iyla!

 

Happy Stitching.

Love Michelle xx

To Falls Creek and Back!

Just wanted to show you all some fabulous photos we took last week.

I got taken to Falls Creek for the first time and I cant believe I have never been there!  We saw some amazing views and I would highly recommend everyone to visit it and the near-by towns.

 

These wild flowers were my favourite for the whole trip.  How gorgeous are they?!

 

This is Wallace's Hut.  The aura here was just amazing.  I have never experienced anything like it.  I would love to know if anyone else has been here.

I love the corregated iron and the solid wooden logs.

And my last favourite photo.  How gorgeous is he?  Greg took this photo of a flame robin.  I just love birds and my favourite is a blue wren, but after seeing this gorgeous robin, I think the blue wren has some competition! 

Love Michelle