making and baking

More bears, Harry is made using the Moda wool in Aqua.

Lola is rather posh and made from a cashmere wool.

And on the plate.... Afghan biscuits and Louise cake ready for my cousin and her family who are coming for afternoon tea tomorrow...of course we had to taste test them.

Happy Friday!

Fabric-a-Brac - fabric junkie heaven

Fabric-junkie heaven is back!!  Pick up fabulous vintage, unusual and modern fabric at fantastic prices at this free fabric fair.
Here is just one of the fabrics as a teaser...

And there are always yummy buttons and trims...

This Saturday at St Anne's Hall, Emmet St in Newtown, 9.15 am to 12.30 pm.

Proceeds from the fair support the Mary Potter Hospice.  Josie the wonderful Fabric-a-Brac organiser has had to stop receiving fabric for the fair there is just so much.  Tomorrow I will be halping measure and price ready for the big day on Saturday - we hope to see you there.

This is my haul from last year's Fabric-a-Brac. 

Melboune - the ultimate girls' weekend away - suggestions please

The excitement is building as my two sisters and I get ready for the ultimate weekend away in ...... Melbourne.

This is the time that we leave our families at home alone, eating bread and water and generally economising so we can have FUN!  (I wish - it is usually when Mr S purchases major electrical appliances).

We take this very seriously - we have a girls' weekend bank account and every fortnight we put in $30 each towards our trip.  Because we do not live in the same city we justify this in that we would most probably spend that much seeing each other for coffee and cake if we lived in the same city. 

We have been doing girls weekend away for about 11 years now.  Sometimes life plays cruel tricks and we need to get together and support each other in other ways - one year my eldest sister's partner was terminally ill, another my Dad was seriously ill and yet another my dear brother in law had to have a quadruple by-pass.  But even when things are tough we know that next year it will still be there and we will have a bit more money squirrelled away. 

So we have four days in Melbourne at the end of this month and I would love to know what recommendations you have for eating out, crafty girl spots and good shopping.  We are also thinking of a day trip to Daylesford - is it too far for a day trip?  Once there what would you recommend we see and do?  And if we went on a Sunday would shops etc be open? 

11 more sleeps to go.....

the pips have landed!

Yes Sherbet Pips are now in store!

OK -  so there is a lot of media hype about this range - but I still love it!!

I also received 8 free patterns for a Sherbet Pips Snowball Quilt and I will send these out with the first eight orders, but if you miss out don't worry because you can always download a copy from here.

Happy Mother's Day

To all the Mum's out there Happy Mother's Day.

"It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have...

one pair that see through closed doors. Another in the back of her head... and,

of course the ones in front that can look at

a child when he goofs up and reflect

"I understand and I love you' without so

much as uttering a word."

Emma Bombeck 

Oh how I wish my Mum was still with us so I could give her a big hug.   

gorgeous handprinted fabric

Heleen of Ruby in the Dust is the designer of this wonderful range of fabric.  Heleen and I talked about my stocking it in store - and believe me I definitely would - the quality and the design of the fabric is beautiful BUT and this is a big BUT if I stock it in my store I would have to put a mark up on it (I know commercial reality sucks sometimes!).  My concern is that many buyers may not appreciate the difference between a hand screen printed design and a commercially printed fabric and the premium price that it deserves. 

Plus I want Heleen's fabric designing to be a success and for her to sell truck loads of fabric and also make a good return on her creative design skills.  So here it is - I am not selling Heleen's fabric but she is in her Etsy store here.  Plus if you order before the weekend Heleen is offering freee shipping in New Zealand if you enter the code MAY11FREESHIP. 

I know I will be placing my order, I love the In the Neighbourhood design above and the Early Birds...

Heleen also has a wonderful blog - Ruby in the Dust.

P.S. This product endorsement is done because I believe in this product and want to support NZ made creativity, not because I have been paid to do so or have received free gifts, which I do know goes on in blogland!

book club is at my place tonight

All of these books except for The Passage were bought from The Book Depository (I always think of "suppository" when I hear this name - childish I know) for book club tonight.  The Passage was a Christmas present which I loved, so have decided to share in book club as well.

In our book club we don't all read the same book at the same time.  At each get together we each put in $10 and the next person hosting it takes the money and buys the books for the next meeting.

I have read all of the new books in the last two weeks except for Water for Elephants and I enjoyed them all.  I didn't realise when I bought it that Sarah's Key has been made into a movie, but I have heard the book is a lot better than the movie.

Also while I was on line I could not help clicking add to basket for Block Party, which is not due for release until 1 June.

Anybody else got any good books to recommend?

crappy day

Everyone has them I know, but today is one of those all time crappy days and not that I believe in using alcohol as a crutch (yeah right!) ... I think I need...

..... and in my google search for this image it came up with HOW MANY CALORIES IN A GLASS OF WINE?   To that I would like to say P*%@ Off and pass me the chocolate.