A bit unwell, buttons, and some things to tell you...

I've been feeling a bit poorly lately, or as my darling grandfather used to say "she was a bit crook", so I've been spending quiet time winding down and recuperating. My husband waved his finger at me and declared I needed time out, bless his heart, and that's the real reason I rested. He knows I will push till I drop so he steps in before I crumple.
In the middle of this week our sweet Slicer had his 17th birthday but he's such an easy going lad that the day's celebrations were also simple and slow - a good movie to watch, popcorn, chocolates, and his favourite dinner - my Lasagne. He didn't want a birthday cake, just a huge bowl of jelly (jello), peaches, and ice-cream, which was handled easily and enjoyed by all. How did that little waddling boy turn into this tall, gangly, hairy man so fast? Hold onto those boys of yours tonight and give them an extra cuddle - in the blink of an eye it seems they morph into men.

I'm responding to the easier pace of the days and feeling much better today. The downtime began on Sunday when Blossom and I decided we'd finally sort out the button bags...

All done! Now I just need to make pretty covers for the colour-filled bottles and jars, but I'm keeping all the blues and reds in slide out stackable draws.

What else have I been up to?
Here are a couple of gorgeous fabrics that are destined for a bag design...

...and I discovered another way to use my Moda Twill trim! This is on the pocket of a Christmas gift I finished stitching this morning.

What have you been doing for the November Trims Challenge? Have you found some interesting uses for your trims? If you have, please leave a comment and let me know - photograph it for your blog and I can share the link!
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All the parcels for the Very Quick Christmas Fabrics, Buttons & Trim Swap should be posted no later than tomorrow, November 13th.
I have received a couple of emails from swappers who did not receive notification of their partner - I did send all my list, as did Vicki, but it seems some of my emails have gone astray! If you signed up and have not heard from me with your swap partner's details please email me immediately so I can re-send the information for you.
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I would also like to clarify about orders for my design packs made through Etsy. Occasionally I receive emails from customers who have ordered a pattern wondering why they have not received it. Usually it is a simple mis-communication with the Etsy process - ordering through Etsy is not paying through Paypal. That is a separate transaction and you must do that 'after' you make your Etsy purchase. Paypal will send you an email receipt once the payment is made, which they also send me. As soon as I receive that receipt I email the pattern to the customer.
If you have ordered a pattern from me through Etsy, but have not received an email receipt from Paypal, then you'll need to revisit your Etsy account and follow through with the Paypal side of the transaction.

The other reason a customer may not think they have received their pattern from me is that it has been dumped in their Junk email box and is not noticed. This has happened many times, and always the dear customer feels foolish after sending me a reprimanding email about tardiness of delivery. Please, if you order from me make sure you check your Junk email box if the pattern has not arrived within the promised 24 hour period.
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Robin asked about the Hummingbird Cake that I had the other day when out with Blossom. I made one a few years back and they are lovely, but do not have the recipe handy so I'm sharing this link with you, Robin.
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
It's made with banana, pineapple and coconut, and I have no idea why it's called that! :-)
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And lastly, have you been loading photos of your finished Shabby Roses blocks onto the Shabby Roses Flickr Group?
Please do! It's lovely to see all the different fabrics being used - it completely changes the blocks and I find it so inspiring to look at what you have made!

Happy stitching days
hugs,
Jenny
xxxx

Some pretties for next year, the Challenge, and some tea anyone?

Some gorgeous fabrics arrived in the mail this week. I took advantage of Fiona's sale and bought some Clementine for Blossom (she loves it so we're using it in a new bed quilt for her), and the rest of them will find homes displayed in lovely things for around the house, and in new projects from my 'Secrets" folder.

I also bought lots of gorgeous "Somerset Cottage" by Robyn Pandolph...I am totally in love with this line of fabric, and this is the second parcel of it I have bought in the last month. Of course, I'm in my blue phase right now so I bought the blues pack and some yardage, but Blossom was horrified when the first order arrived in the mail and it didn't contain any green for her...

...so this time I bought a greens fat quarter pack just for her!

The "Somerset Cottage" will be used in one of my Block of the Month designs for 2010. Has that aroused your interest??
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Blossom and I had a lovely morning. We went for coffee and cake in a quaint little coffee shop that has wooden farmhouse-style tables and chairs in a breezeway between itself and various book and gift stores. I had Hummingbird Cake and she chose the Ebony and Ivory Cheesecake. We got to sit in the cool setting and catch up on those girl things we love to gush over without the boys at home butting in with guffawing male responses. It was wonderful! :-)

Afterwards we visited *that* shop to choose a gift for whomever wins my 600th follower giveaway on Monday. Now seeing as I tend to love having afternoon teas and Blossom and I only drink tea from a pretty tea cup, we decided on this as one of the prizes in the gift box....

It's beautiful, isn't it!? We thought you'd like it. It looks especially nice resting on some of my Somerset Cottage fabric.

I'll also make a little something to go with it, so if you haven't entered the giveaway yet, you'd best leave a comment quickly on THIS post.

While we were at *that* shop I also found something new for me. I know, I have no self-restraint in that shop!! But I think you'll agree it's just so lovely.

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Now, how are you going with the November Trims Challenge!?
I discovered another way to use more of my Moda trim...

...how cute is that? And doesn't Blossom's pretty watch-modeling bring out that beautiful blue in the Somerset Cottage fabric. Sorry - I just really love this fabric!!

Oh dear, I am looking around my sewing room and it needs to be re-organised again! I'd best leave you to your cuppa and go do the right thing so I can play in here again tomorrow. I have bags of buttons in a rainbow of colours waiting to be sorted into little drawers. I think a little girl would enjoy that chore, don't you?

Oops, forgot to mention - ~thank you~ to the men who follow my blog!! I am so sorry I have not acknowledged you before. I am so excited that sewing and quilting is enjoyed not only across the globe, but across genders! If you are a guy who quilts please leave a comment here for me so I can enjoy your blog with my morning cuppa. I'd love to see your own creative works! :-)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,
Hugs
Jenny
xxx

November Challenge!

I'd like to say thank you to all who enjoyed my 48 hour Etsy sale! Wasn't that so much fun?!! I enjoyed chatting with so many of you who bought pattern packs - it was encouraging from a designing stand-point to hear of your enthusiasm for them!

Now what are you going to make with your Seasons stitcheries I wonder?? Today I used my Winter one to make a Winter Recipe book...

...it's seemed like such a clever idea to have all my favourite winter recipes in one book.

Now I will be making a Summer, Spring and Autumn recipe book as well! And I think a Christmas one would be a good idea...hmmm...I feel a design coming on. Remind me about that next week will you? ;-)

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Now, the Challenge for October is over. There were no giveaways because it was a very personal challenge - to look with fresh eyes at out houses and see what we could do to make them feel more of a home. If you've been following my blog you will have seen a number of projects I completed around the home, but I intend to keep challenging myself for the rest of the year to keep working on those touches here and there to beautify our living environment. What about you? How did you go with this challenge in your home?

It's November now, and a new Challenge to be had! Remember when I showed you these?

I have been 'collecting' them every time I buy a fat quarter bundle, a layer cake, a Jelly Roll...they just pile up and I hate wastage so I pop them in a zip-lock bag for one day.
Well, girls, one day has arrived. It's the 1st of November and I have used them in a project to kick start the Challenge!
Finally, I did something with my original Garden Set designs...don't they look so cute as a bunting!? If you click on the photos you can see a much larger view of them.

But look at what is threaded through the little blocks!

Yes...it is the Moda cotton tape!

I put little hanging sleeves behind them and threaded it through. It's fantastic for this purpose because they do not slide along - the cotton has grip so you can separate the blocks as far apart as you like and they do not slip.
I have more ideas for using the rest. What about you? Do you have any of this lying around that needs to be used? Or perhaps you've already had your brainwave and given them a purpose - would you share with us what you did?
Now I'm not restricting this Challenge to cotton tape! I think the Challenge should be about using all that trimming we seem to accumulate - ribbons, lace, other cotton tapes etc. So lets call it the NOVEMBER "TRIM MY TRIMMINGS" CHALLENGE!
Let's see if we can lower that surplus we've got stored away and make some cute things along the way.

Righto! I'm off now to watch Blossom in the school Play-off...the six school houses all have a 12 minute play and the teacher vote at the end for the winner! Exciting stuff.

Hugs
Jenny
xxx