local crafty knick knacks

I don't mean to bang on about the joys of living near some major towns now that we have moved home to Gippsland, but seriously - when we lived at Ythanbrae the hour and a half round trip just to get to the nearest crummy town with an equally crummy Target (Target Country no less, the horror), was doing my head in for just general supplies. Let alone craft supplies.

Now whenever I go to nearby Warragul (our nearest 'big' town) I stop in almost every time at Yarragon, a smaller town on the way. You see, Yarragon has the sweetest little patchwork, quilting, fabric and craft store. It's down a little laneway and is full to the brim with oh so many fat quarters, lace trims, cute buttons and delicious craft books just begging for me to take them home. I always go in there 'just for a look' and come out with an armload of things. Not for any specific purpose or project. Just some pretty things that caught my eye, and just because I can. How indulgent is that?!

My most recent loot included some fat quarters of pretty girly fabric I am thinking of making into a cot quilt for some impending babies in my circles (and hope like hell someone has a girl?!) I also scored some vintage wooden buttons, some resin roses and swallows to make into bobby pins and a lovely Scandinavian book featuring lots of home projects and embroidery. Hence the pretty shades of embroidery thread. I don't even embroider! That's how 'retail blind' I was. 

 

I'm looking forward to sitting down in front of the fire to attempt some embroidery and cross-stitch this week. I've also vowed to really get knitting this winter (same as last winter, and the winter before...), so we'll see how that goes. Perseverance is not my strong suit.

Now just to sort out the mess of my sewing room and I will have somewhere to put all of this...bringing more in is definitely not helping to clear the clutter! 

Images by Emma Durkin for Cinderella at Brindabella.


P.S. As much as I like the 'civilisation' here I do miss the quiet of living in the middle of a 1200 acre property with a five kilometre long driveway. You win some, you lose some I guess.

make it perfect: the book

The oh-so-clever Toni Coward, the brains and creative genius behind Make It Perfect is about to release her first book of popular and easy patterns. I have multiple Make It Perfect patterns and have found them super easy to make and cute to boot. 

I contacted Toni a few months ago in search of a simple child's kaftan pattern to make for my friends little girls in PNG, as they need long sleeves at night to ward off malaria mosquitos. Toni emailed me back with a wink wink nudge nudge saying that there is a certain pattern in her upcoming book which will fill this role nicely. So, I've pre-ordered my copy and can't wait to get my hands on it and pop it on the shelves in my new sewing room. Oh yes, new sewing room, excitement x 1000000. Go here to pre-order your own signed copy.

P.S. Check out this pattern I got as well, cool easy Christmas stocking filler to make quickly with my yards and yards of excess fabric for sisters and girlfriends ;)

{ images}

Have a splendid weekend, I'm attending a certain someone's engagement lunch and have many salads, dips, cupcakes and the mother of all cheescakes to make tomorrow in preparation. Fingers crossed for a nice sunny day!

{ Book Love }

My latest order from Amazon arrived, and I have been immersed in the three lovelies ever since. To be honest I've actually only been reading Tara Frey's Blogging for Bliss and have only flicked through Atlanta Bartlett's Easy Elegance. The little cutie Old and New (Katherine Sorrell) I haven't got to yet but looks like a winner!

Hurrah for books! Have a lovely weekend reading a book in this glorious sunshine xx