ribbon giveaway

Did you hear me squeal?  At the end of last week a new shipment of ribbons arrived, which caused all sorts of distraction from my normal work routines.  (Is it OK to fondle ribbons because they are so gorgeous?  - I think so.)

To celebrate and thank you for your support I am hosting a ribbon giveaway. 

You can win 5 metres of any of the ribbons in store - your choice - you can have 5 metres of one ribbon or make up a dolly mixture of ribbons.

There will be two prizes given away and international entries are welcome.

To enter the giveaway just pop a comment on this post, or on my Facebook page over the next week,  letting me know your favourite ribbon.  If you are a follower or become a follower you will get one extra entry and if you like Stitchbird Fabrics on Facebook you can get a further entry (just let me know) - that is three in total - Yippee!!

Plus if you stay tuned you will see I have lots more ribbons and trims due into the Store in the next couple of weeks and if they arrive in time you can include them in your selections :0)

Entires are now closed - thank you.

Lots of remnants and scrap packs now available

I have been loading lots of fabric remnants and scrap packs into the store.  There are some more to come over the next few days.

It includes some long discontinued fabrics.  Enjoy.

Hutt Night Market

This Thursday me and a few of my market buddies will be trying out a new (to us) market, the Hutt Night Market.  It runs from 5 to 9 pm at the Lower Hutt Horticultrual Hall.  So Steph and Seb from Cahorel

and Maree from Minnie and Ree will be there.

Maree makes grorgeous skirts (recognise this one?) and swim wear.

It would be great if you could come too.

Big ideas but so far only small projects

That's how I feel about my making this year - lots of big ideas but so far only little things done and it is already mid February.

Today I have been playing with some stamping and water colour paints - nothing very brain taxing - very relaxing in the sun at the end of the dining table.

I have done a number of designs and will be packaging them up for sale at Saturday's market.

I have also made lots of reversible headbands - again for the market and my sister's shop.

I have quite a collection of vintage children's books and I love the quirkiness of this illustration.

I also had fun making some little thank you pressies, needle books, for Miriam and Melissa who very kindly sent me copies of the NZ House and Garden.  Thank you again to both of you.

Now if I coulld just get the time and head space for some of those larger projects I have in mind.

Going Going Gone.... Be in Quick!

This Saturday at the Underground Market they are having a Sale Day with stall holders offering special deals.  Meaning an already fabulous market becomes even fantabulouser.  Sound good?

So here at Stitchbird Fabrics we will be joining in the fun by having a going, going, gone sale.  Remnants, large fabric packs and lots of other goodies will be on sale.  Some fabrics that have not been available on line for some time (because we only have remnants, we haven't been holding out on you) will become available again.

The first stage of the sale will be at the market on Saturday and thereafter in the store on line.  Now if you are an on line shopper and are scared you will miss out on a fabric you have been hankering for, email me and I will see if there is some in the big pile.  This is just one of the piles....

At what point does a scrap of fabric become too small?

This is my question...

I have a bag that sits along side me when I am sewing and cutting out and all the little pieces of fabric are just popped into the bag.  We are not talking big pieces these are little bits and selvedges.

And as you can see my scrap bag almost runneth over, although I am sure I could fit a bit more in.  Which brings me to my question or rather questions: 

• How little is too litle when it comes to keeping fabrics scraps?
• How do you store your fabrics scraps?
• And how do you use them?

Nin's Scrap Bag Swap (which I have signed up for) has got me questioning my scrap habit and how to use them effectively.  On Saturday I decided to use some by sewing some hexies.

I used the free download over at Moxy Ideas for the 1 inch hexagon paper pieces. 

And I still do the bunting cards - but what other ideas are out there and when does that scrap become too small?  HELP!!

Sewing for Valentines Day

A string of hearts.  I made lots of these for the window in my sister's shop for Valentines Day.  They were very hard to photograph, each string was about a metre to 1.5 metres long (so a lot more hearts).  The length was dictated by when my machine decided to snarl up the thread when it wasn't actually sewing anything.  They were fun to make.

P.S. I have just read my sister, Lesley's blog and she has a good photograph of the hearts in the window and some amazing new nackaces.  Just skip past the bit about Stitchbird Fabrics to the photos! :)

LOST One Summer REWARD OFFERED

If you find Wellington's summer can you please return it, we miss it.

Reward:

Icecreams

Days at the beach

Family cooking - when there is not much in the house

We are having Pasta Bake tonight and both my kids are so excited.  It is the kind of meal that has just developed in our house and is the go to dinner when you don't have much of anything, but little bits of a number of veges.

Ingredients:
1 can of chopped or diced tomatoes (I usually mushy them up a bit more because I don't like the skin)
1 can of chilli beans
1 packet of spiral pasta just under cooked
Optional - 6 rashers of bacon cut into approx 1 inch square pieces lightly pan fried  

Then it is whatever is left in the garden or fridge in the way of veges - you can use carrots, silverbeet, spinach, corn, courgette, brocolli, beans, capsicum, mushrooms (anything really)  - the secret is that you don't need a lot of any one thing.  I lightly cook the veges - some I just pop in water and bring to the boil and drain off.  Mushrooms, capsicums and courgette I gently pan fry.

Put all of the above in an ovenproof dish mix around and top with grated cheese.  Pop in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at about 160 degrees C and you are done.

And my kids LOVE it!  Easy Peasy.

Typewriter Love...

New from Melody Miller Typewriter fabric in 3 yummy colours- a great fabric for making an ipad or notbook cover me thinks. Not that I have either, but maybe if I made the cover, someone may get the hint...

I also love the real thing.  I would quite happily have one of the beauties in my home.

Melody has also created this great retro clock fabric, which I totally adore