Pretty storage!

When I was down in Melbourne for "Let's Get Stitched" in March, one of the other tutors (and roomate!)  was my sweet, sweet friend Vikki Collumbine of Sew Useful Designs.

We have this adoration-of-each-others-designs  'thing' happening, always have actually. She's a talent and a half to be sure, and always good for eye candy projects. She wanted to make mine, and I definitely wanted to make hers!

I fell in love with the project she shared with the ladies on the Sunday.

This is Vikki's original,  "My Sweet PDFs", which she designed to store all your printed pdf patterns. Isn't it adorable!?

That cover captured my heart and when I eventually carved out a bit of 'self sewing' time a couple of months ago I stitched up her cover design and framed it in pretty Tilda roses and spotty fabrics. I didn't make the pdf storage folder like Vikki's design, though. 

I had a different purpose in mind....

You see, I usually have around 4 to 6 new Elefantz designs on the go at any one time, and I decided to use Vikki's cover design on a large folder for storing my projects that have been stitched but are still waiting to be made into something.

Inside the cover I've made a nice big pocket that fits A4 pattern sheets...

...and the folder itself holds quite a few velcro sealed plastic pouches that I fill with the completed stitchery, threads, and pattern sheets for safe keeping until I'm ready to sew them into a larger project, or just until I write the pattern...

 

Pretty cool, yeh?!

I'm sharing this to encourage you to look outside the box with designs you like but think you may never make because they look like they take a little more skill than you have.

Vikki is amazing with little trims and edgings and extras - but I'm not - and she loves what I've done with her gorgeous cover design, so win win all around. Thanks Vikki-love!

You can see all the photos of her original project HERE on her blog. Like I said, she is incredible.

And on to something else incredible!

Remember months ago when I made my pear placemats? 

Well ever since I have been searching for a 'just right' tablecoth to no avail.

Until last week when a Goldilocks moment happened upon me...

I don't know why, but delicious food tastes even more delicious with matching placemats *and* tablecloth!

Quinoa Salad with haloumi, pine nuts and grated beetroot...

Organic grapes fresh from the Atherton Tablelands just a few hours north of us...

 

Now that I have a full tummy and a sweet folder to store my completed stitcheries in I think I should finish piecing a quilt and empty one of those plastic folders...ready for another new design. 

Have a brilliant Tuesday!

hugs

A day with Vikki...

As I mentioned HERE I did not go on the Let's Get Stitched shopping days when I was down in Melbourne, but chose to spend those days with people I never, or rarely, get to see.

Vikki Collumbine of "Sew Useful Designs" and I have been online 'sisters' for about 6 years, but we've never had the opportunity to meet 'for real' until my trip to Melbourne this month.

The best thing is that we weren't just meeting up. We were also sharing a room for four days because, though she lives in Melbourne, Vikki's sweet husband had encouraged her to 'take a holiday' and stay at the motel with all the LGS girls!

Do you know how much there is to talk about when you've been waiting six years for a darn long chin wag??

After two plane flights on Thursday, unpacking, dinner, plus meet + greets with the other ladies attending Let's Get Stitched, Vikki and I, along with our other roommate Wendy, talked through the night, collapsing into bed sometime after 3am on Friday morning

(Vikki, me and Wendy - photo courtesy of Vikki's blog)

Three hours later, exhausted from lack of sleep, we were up and huddled with cups of coffee in our pj's chatting again, before waving goodbye to Wendy as she headed off for the LGS bus trip/shopping day.

After scores of phone conversations between us over the years, today was the day I would finally visit Vikki's home and meet her family! 

(photo taken at Vikki's home)

Meet Mr SUDS and Kayla the adorable pooch (who fell headlong in love with me!).

And have I introduced you to my sweet Vikki yet? Oops!

Isn't she a doll?

And speaking of dolls, she makes them.

She makes really GORGEOUS dolls...

...plus other sweeties too.

Late Friday afternoon we both realised we'd pretty much reached the limit of our wakefulness, so before heading back to the motel we took a very quick detour up the mountain to the little town of Sassafrass, where I was greeted by Miss Marple's Tea Room. We didn't go in as we thought falling asleep in a tea cup might not be the ladylike thing to do in such a quaint establishment...

Next door was the teapot shop!

Taking a deep breath, we decided to have a little wander inside before leaving Sassafrass, and what a wise decision that was...

There were hundreds and hundreds of tea pots and tea cups and different varieties of teas!

It was an Aladdin's cave of delights, and I just HAD to buy mugs for Vikki and I, as well as something for my sweet Blossom holding the fort with Mr E back at home - but I'll show you that at the end of the post. 

Back to the motel through Melbourne peak-hour traffic and I promptly fell onto the bed and into 'dreamworld'. One day I simply must go back to Sassafrass and have a proper visit!

Vikki was one of the secret designers at Let's Get Stitched and the ladies loved the design she shared with them on the Sunday...

She had made a gorgeous folder to house your pdf patterns that have been printed off the internet.

I have the pattern ready to make as it's such a pretty and useful project (which is obviously why Vikki's business is called Sew Useful Designs - smart cookie)...

Vikki's table display at Lets Get Stitched was beautiful, and I finally got to see her sweet "Rosetta Rabbit" stitchery, which is even more beautiful that the photos. 

(the pattern is HERE on her website, and with Easter not far away it might be the perfect project for someone special, yeh?)

Saying goodbye when Vikki went home on Sunday night was hard as we've no idea when we'll get to meet up again, but what a blessing to have made these lovely memories together. Love you little sis. xxx

Now, let me show you the mug I bought Blossom at the tea pot shop. I chose this because she is crazy about all things Alice in Wonderland...

It even enticed her down the rabbit hole...

I should say that I was an extremely popular mummy when I got home. 

If you have some time to spare why don't you drop over HERE to Vikki's blog and say hi?

She'd love to meet you!

I think I still have some sleep to catch up on...and tea, I need tea. ;-)

hugs

My friend Vikki and her gorgeous bunny!

I first met my friend Vikki back in 2009 through my blog - right at it's beginnings!

She bought my very first paper pattern when I was just 'feeling the waters of designing' and started selling through Etsy.

It was the original "Shabby Roses Cushion", which is still one of my favourite designs, and Vikki gave me such a moral boost by her purchase. She tells me she still has that pattern today, bless her heart.

Well, my very talented friend has become a designer in her own right, and I gotta tell you, the girl is GOOD!

Today she has released her first new pattern in ages, and boy was it worth the wait!

From Vikki Columbine, of Sew Useful Designs...

~Rosetta Rabbit~

Vikki has this gorgeous pattern available as a PDF download HERE in her shop today, or as a paper pattern HERE through her blog.

 

Vikki also has a limited number of kits available to make the project just the way it is in the photo!

Visit her blog HERE for more details.

I know it's close to Easter, but I'd hang this all year round, wouldn't you?!

Hugs

Jenny

xxx