making

Missy Moo helps alot with the  markets that I do and has a little side line business, which I call Baby Bird. She makes hair ties using buttons that she covers with different fabrics.  Stitchbird Fabrics gets a lot of samples and she uses these, plus off cuts from sewing (both hers and mine) to cover the buttons.  Up until now Missy M has been selling these at markets, but she now has some shops who are buying her hair ties.  A few hours of today have been sitting and covering buttons.  My role is strictly as a staff member (or should I say indentured slave, as this is a no pay gig for me).  But it is a lovely activity to do, we sing (badly and loudly) to CDs and chat.

This is from todays labours...

Also one of the perks of working on the school fair craft stall is you can buy before the day.  At this week's meeting I snaffled up this beautiful tea cosy.  Jo has made several of these and egg warmers.  They are fantastic.

Have a lovely weekend and happy making!

At the Oppy

I am an Op Shopper.  There are several op shops where we live and I always allow another 5 minutes or so when I go to the supermarket to just pop in and have a browse.  Most of the time I come away with nothing, but occassionally you strike gold and there are some real treats for very little money.  Today was one of those days...

Six of these little milk glass jars with lids.  I don't know what there original purpose would have been.

This great tin and a wonderful tea towel from Austria.  It could do with a soak but it still has a lot of life left in it.  I will have to think of a suitable use for it.  Should I use it for it's original purpose - to dry dishes or in some sewing?  Any suggestions.

I also picked up some lovely old buttons and two cute embroidered doileys which I will use either to make some needle books or as quilt labels.

Also from a couple of weeks ago these singer sewing table drawers which some silly person has painted gold.  I will need to get out with some paint stripper and see if I can restore them to there former glory.

I hope your day has been as rewarding!

Cramming/Crafting for School

Thank you everyone for your kind words and thoughts about Harley, each day it gets a little easier,but he has left a big gap in our family.

Next month is the school fair and tonight we have a craft stall meeting, where we have to take along our crafted items and indicate how many we can make and what prices we would charge for our craft.  I have known for sometime that I needed to get on and do this - but do you think I felt inspired.  NO.

I have put it off and put it off.  I tried to craft over the weekend but I had a bad case of EITTS*, which if you read Jodie's blog you will know about.  I gave up and had a glass of wine instead.

Well today had to be the day and I have got a few things done in amongst my other work, so I won't look like a total time waster.

I have made a bunny (and cut out ten more).  There is an easter egg tucked inside.  I got this idea from someone's blog (sorry I can't remember who) but if I do I will let you know as I think there was a tutorial.

I also made some babies bibs using the pattern from Chickpea Sewing Studio.  These are quick and easy to make.

I will also make some girls reversible headbands and monster softies.

Now the big questions is how many of these can I make (given I am self-confessed procastinator) and how much can we sell them for? 

* EITTTS - everything I touch turns to sh**t

sad

I have not been able to blog about what happened to Harley up until now.  We found him on Thursday night.  He had been hit by a car.  Our last big act of love for him was to have him put to sleep.

He was the best buddy and packed so much excitement and love for life into his 3 1/2 years.  I wish we could have had him for longer but we were privileged to have the time we had together.

I said to my sister "he thought the whole world loved him" and she corrected me and said "he knew the whole world loved him".  Everyone was a friend.

Feeling Sick with Worry

I am feeling kind of sick with worry.  Our wee boy cat, Harley has gone missing.  The last time we saw him was 3 pm today and he is one of those cats who is around and is always home for dinner. 

We have walked the neighbourhood calling him and looking in the gutters, in case he has been hit by a car, but there is no sign of him.  I am hoping that his friendly and nosey nature has got him into some place that he can't get out of - somebody's garage or shed.  He is well known and has many friends in the neighbourhood, including neighbours who feed him crayfish and salmon!  Fingers crossed that he shows up tonight or tomorrow,  because he is one very much loved puss.

Somethings been needling me

In January I was fortunate to attend one of Alison's printing on fabric workshops.  A small group of us had a lovely day creating in Alison's beautiful study in Carterton.  I cannot go on enough about her studio and her work, it is beautiful and I am green with envy.  Alison markets her beautiful creations under the name Agnes Coy. 

I wasn't particularly well prepared, having just got back from holiday and did not have a vision in my mind as to what I was going to use these lovely images for.  But one of the things that has been needling me lately is that I don't have a needle book.  My needles get stuck into my pincushion and there they seem to go into hiding burying themselves in that polyfill wonderland, ready to attack an unsuspecting finger when you pick it up or scratch the table.

So in the weekend I used one of the images to create myself a needle book. 

The outside is linen and on the inside I used a piece of Amy Butler fabric I had in my stash.  I also put a little ribbon on to keep my needlebook closed when I am taking it places.

I feel very grown up, having this, almost a proper sewist.  in my pincushion I found a wealth of sewing needles, there are most probably some still lurking there.

P.S. Alison takes the printing on fabric to a whole different level, so please check out her blog and visit her studio if you get the opportunity.

**SALE**SALE**SALE**

To celebrate the Year of the Tiger and to clear some space for my next shipment of fabrics Stitchbird Fabrics is having a 10 day sale from Saturday 13 February. Enter the word TIGER in the discount code and you will get 15% off all purchases.

There are also some remnants in the shop. Not many, but a few and these will be in the Sale section on the website. So not only will you get these fabrics at a reduced price you can also get a further 15% off if you are quick.

Also in a world where prices seem to be continually increasing it is nice to be able to tell people about a price decrease. The price of shipping from Stitchbird Fabrics has decreased to $2.00 per order (for New Zealand customers only). Orders over $50 are still free. I have found that most of the time I can package and send fabric orders under $50 in value for $2.00 and I think you should only be charged the actual cost of the postage and packaging.

Once you have bought what you want tell all your friends!