It looks like Christmas

Most of what I have been working on this week has a Christmas flavour about it.  All those Christmas Fabrics that I showed you in my last post now look like this

Lovely Christmas Aprons - some of which have already gone to be tucked away as Christmas Gifts.

I have also been working with these fabrics which are going to be turned into a Christmas Table Runner to match its new owners Christmas Scheme. 

And after all the Christmas Sacks that I have been making for others my two girls wanted to know where theirs were.  So after discussions about which colour and characters each wanted I have been working on completing one for them each. 

Love Birds

Well I finally got to take the picture of the Machine cover that I had made a couple of weeks ago at Sunday Stitching.  This sits on my mum's sewing machine, well one of her machine any how as a few months after making her the first one, mum upgraded her sewing machine only to suggest that she would also need a cover for her new machine!!!

The revamp has continued in my sewing room.  Many, many months ago I bought this big white frame from Ikea, always with the intention to fill it with some sort of birds to go with the birds in my Babushka Quilt hanging on my sewing room wall.  After the clean out I knew it was time to finally put something in the frame instead of continuing to trip over it.  So this is what I put together (mostly with the inspiration from Claire!).  The birds are simply machine stitched onto the fabric with a decorative stitch just inside from the edge and then I free hand quited the white background.  I love that my sewing room is now coming together as I had imagined it.

These Matryoshka Dolls are from Kristen Doran. I was lucky enough to meet this very talented lady earlier this year in Melbourne.  We share a love for variegated DMC thread and these dolls. 

Under construction this week is this pile of Christmas Fabrics which just arrived in the mail.  They are destined to be turned into an order for Christmas Aprons. 

Sunday Stitching

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.  Every few months there is a group of girls who gather to craft.  It was my turn to host this time and there were many different projects on the go.  There was knitting

There was some fabrics that were being turned into cushions

And a couple of the girls were stitching Tied with a Ribbon Felt Kits.

These are Bouncing Bunnies

And this is the start of Gingerbread Men

And I was making a sewing machine cover for my mum.  However with all the hosting duties and excitement of the day I forgot to take a picture of it.  So I will go to my mum's today and do this so I can show you all next week. 

Even though there was lots of chatting and plenty of cups of coffee everyone finished what they came to complete - surprising !!!

One beanie

One bunny.

Giveaway winner

Many posts ago I said I would show you my progress at my Christmas range.  Well today this order of Christmas Sacks was collected by a special customer. They are large personalised Christmas Sacks, each has a different Christmas character on them.  Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year so to be getting in early just means I can enjoy the season all that much longer.

These felt cut out people have been another custom order now completed.  I really enjoy custom orders as makes me have to think outside of my comfort zone.  These felt people with mix and match clothing will be going into a classroom for some young kids.  I hope they enjoy playing with them as much as I liked making them.

And now for the winner of the Notebook Keeper Giveaway.  Thanks to you all for leaving such kind and encouraging comments.  Most people said they had looked over at my Etsy shop so thank you for your support.

The winner is -  katiemorgan1976

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Timestamp: 2010-07-22 02:06:07 UTC

Congratulations Katie, I will get your prize to you.  

Will be back next time with some progress on personal projects.  I am hosting the bi-monthly Stitching Day at my house with a growing group of girls this weekend.  I love these days as they are a great chance to get to some of the things in my own sewing basket and a great day for sharing ideas and tips.  Plus the food is always good too. 

A clean room - finally and a GIVEAWAY!

Well at least now I can work in my sewing room!  While the amount of sewing still is no where near optimum, I can now see the floor and have space to work.  I like to be organised as those who know me could well say so.  Being in a state of chaos just causes me angst. 

I have worked on some little projects this week  like this custom order brooch.

And this special quilt is now finished.  If you have read my earlier posts then you may recognise this quilt that was under my sewing machine at the time.  This quilt belongs to my friend Katrina.  I hope she likes it.  It has been a well travelled quilt as once I finished hand sewing a set of blocks I would send them to her in the mail (all the way over to America).  When she came home last Christmas a large pile of squares was given back to me, to be all sewn up into this Chelsea Bloom Quilt. 

Last post I said how it was my goal for the week to get my little online shop "Online".  Well I did in the end achieve this.  I have set up an Etsy shop - there is a link on the side bar.  I have listed a small number of items at this stage and as the weeks go on I will continue to add new items in my shop.  Go and have a look at www.tiedwitharibbon.etsy.com .

To celebrate this big milestone I am having my first Giveaway. 

 If you would like to win this Notebook Keeper sewn by me:

1. To enter leave a comment on this post (one comment only please).
2. Leave a comment before Wednesday 21st July and I will announce the winner in my next post.
3. I will post anywhere so if you live internationally you may also enter.
4. I will use the random number generator to pick a winning comment number.

EDIT - Giveaway is now closed

Not much sewing going on around here!

Well since the Upmarket I have battled.  Battled to get on top of this flu, battled to find the bottom of the ironing basket and battled to get anywhere near my sewing machine or sewing of any kind.

I have spent much of the week sorting, rearranging, tidying up, and doing bookwork.  My sewing room was in desperate need of an over haul and this mess has had a makeover after several trips to Ikea. 

I have such grand plans for all the sewing I would like to get done but I feel a little defeated at the moment.

There has been some sewing with this Christmas tree decoration getting finished.  I have had the plans in my head for a while. With many orders to complete I am going to have to get a move on. 

Another thing that has taken alot of my time is looking into Online options for my shop.  I have been researching all the different ways to sell online and with many to choose its hard to decide.  I think I will go down the Etsy line.  I have set up the shop and profile,  now all I need to do is to fill it with items so hopefully by my next post I will have some great opening news for my online shop. 

Wow what a day!

Wow what a day!  I was blown away by the amount of people at the Upmarket.   In the past I have been to buy and look myself and always known it was a sensational day out but being on the other side was a totally different experience.  Many people came and said hello who had said that they have read my blog and I didn't realise that there were other people out there other than my friends and family who have come across my little craft and sewing blog.  So a special hello to new friends and fellow blog readers. 

The day was busy with a constant flow of traffic.  Part of the success of the day has to go to Rae - my dear friend who had her own kids looked after to help me out.  Rae has been there from the start and has been encouraging me all the way.  Thank you Rae.  Along with many of my other friends and family who came along to support me bringing with them others as well.  Thank you all.

Besides getting ready for the upmarket there were orders to complete and new projects on the Horizon.  These Felt Santa's were finished in time to go to there new home.

This Custom Order Cushion was also collected at the Upmarket for a very special girl.

The school holidays start next week so I will have some more time with my own two girls with lots of activities already planned.  I will also be teaching some kids classes at Hot Possum. Check out their website for details or give them a call. We will be doing some hand sewing projects like this owl.