Happy Birthday to Me

It's official, I've left my 20s.

It's not scary, or sad or any of that but makes me happy and grateful. I'm 30, married to the love of my life and have a beautiful daughter and gorgeous son. I'm working for myself, doing what I love and am successful at it while being able to also spend all of my days with my children enjoying this brief time in their lives that they are all mine. Just where I wanted to be.

Today was a perfect day to celebrate a new decade. I woke up after a nice sleep-in to the sound of two very excited kidlets bounding in the door with presants for me. They had been waiting over an hour before Daddy would let them wake me, and that's a long time for a 3 year old and a 20 month old. I got gorgeous cuddles in bed then hand drawn cards and showered in presants, literally. Poor Liam still does NOT understand how to pass something gently, you get it thrown at you. I was almost decapitated by a DVD. After that I had crumpets and coffee made by Isabella and a lovely laze around before we headed off to lunch at the beach with my parents and MORE presants. Sheesh I want to turn 30 every week!

To top it all off, after lunch we headed home to a birthday cake made by hubby. Yes he made me a cake, icing and all. Aren't I lucky? Told you it was a perfect day. Photos coming soon...

Go Mama Go

The Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is in full force. Luckily this time most blogs are leaving comments open for a few days because no way I would be able to go and comment on all the ones I like!

Fingers crossed that I win something and if you'd like a chance to win over here at my little 'ol blog head here and leave me a comment. Somehow I got left off the master list on the Sew Mama Sew website until I headed over to start commenting myself, it's all fixed now, but I hope no one missed me!

Getting Ready for a Birthday

Invites are done...

Finished The Princess and the Pea set to go with her new book. I was going to make a doll for the set, but we have SOO many around here I thought it was a bit of a waste so Jemima is the Princess.



And a pillow to match the Sandi Henderson quilt I made her for Christmas. (Thank you Hoppo Bumpo! I won the pattern for the pillow from her blog).

Just the party favours and decisions on cakes and I think we're ready with 3 weeks to spare. I'm feeling organised peeps.

My Satchel Bag

For me. Designed Monday night and made yesterday with a super soft suede outer and cotton inside. All day yesterday. Everything is interfaced and top stitched so it took me a while but I love it.

Kid's Mail Swap #2

I signed Isabella up for Pigeon Pair's Kid's Mail Swap #2. Together we picked out some cards, and while I drew a picture on the front and stamped the names, Isabella stuck a picture of her and Liam inside and a pretty sticker and wrote her name.

Then she dictated to me what we should write. I figured I better write it because they did need to get into the post before 2012. We headed to the shops and picked out a little animal pencil from Smiggle, some more stickers and a postcard with a picture of Cronulla where we live.

She can't wait to get a letter from the other kids. It's such a brilliant idea, thank you Pigeon Pair.

Afternoon Tea with Teddy

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

NOTE: My giveaway has finished. Thanks for everyone's entries, I'm overwhelmed that 180 people left comments to try win one of my goodies. Thank you to everyone for dropping by.

Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day is on again. Last year I took part and had a fantastic time, I found some wonderful blogs that I still read, inspiration for many projects and even managed to win myself something.


I jumped at the chance to take part again this year, and as always with giveaways trying to pick something to offer has been hard. I couldn't narrow it down to one thing, so instead, there are 3 goodies.


A blue bi-fold purse with 12 card spaces, a spot for notes and an attached zippered pouch for coins and other bits and pieces.

This clutch that I made from the Meet Me at Mikes book. I made it for myself to take a wedding and now it's up for grabs

One of my Itti Pouches featuring Amy Butler's Belle fabric, perfect sized for loyalty cards and receipts.


To be in the running, please leave your comment before Sunday 31st May 9am US Eastern time (11pm Australian Eastern time) and I will draw 3 names. I will ship internationally so everyone is welcome to enter.



Have a fantastic Giveaway Day and good luck to everyone. I'm off to see if I can win something too.

Photos from today

A big thank you to Tanya for taking our photos this afternoon. Can't wait to see the rest of them.

SEWN Launch Party

It's a party all over the place for the launch of SEWN in June. The SEWN website sounds fantastic... (From Sarah's blog)

The website will have just about everything you can think of that you would want online as a sewer. There are forums, online advice from industry experts, conversion charts, colour wheels, free patterns and class listings.

There will be interviews with all your favourite designers, quilters, patterns makers and authors. There will be tutorials with me and with other sewers from here and overseas, podcasts and coverage from shows and articles about all maner of exciting things.

Best of all, there are great unique gadgets - Fabricmatcher, which is an online tool which lets you match patterns to fabrics and see what your project will look like without sewing a stitch, and Find Fabric, which is the niftiest thing that will find the fabric you are looking for without you having to search for it for hours on the internet. It's so clever it even searches shops in your vacinity first to save you on international postage. How cool is that?

Plus there will be an online buy and sell area called SEWiNg, which is where you can sell the stuff you sew to the people out there who don't sew - and some of the ones who do :)

Sounds exciting right? So blogs everywhere are offering giveaways to celebrate and I thought I'd join in and offer a patchwork scarf I made.

The fabric is from Moda called Recess and the scarf is backed with a cream cordoroy and it measures 56" long.

To be in the chance to win, just leave me a comment before 8pm AEST on Monday June 8th on this post. I will ship internationally so everyone is welcome to join in.

I can't wait to see the new website!

Giveaways Galore

It's going to be a big week this week peeps, Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day is on Wednesday and I've just signed myself up for the Sewen Giveaway Day. I've sewen up all the goodies and tomorrow, fingers crossed the sun decides to shine, I'll get my photos done.

Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway will be posted for comments to start on Tuesday and is drawn on Sunday

Sewen Giveaway I will post tomorrow to start comments and runs until June 8th.

Let me know if you are having a giveaway on your own blog, I'd love to come and try win something!

Sew Hip Skirt

Pattern courtesy of Issue #5 of Sew Hip magazine, a skirt just for me. With pockets and a zipper and all. The instructions were a bit brief with no illustrations, but it didn't take too much to figure out how it all went together, even at 11.30 at night when I was sewing it up. 

I probably should have photographed it BEFORE I wore it out this morning while it was still nicely ironed, but I can report it is super comfy and I think it will go great with stockings for winter. The fabric is from Alexander Henry picked up super-cheap.

Birthday Crown

For Isabella's Birthday using this tutorial. A super quick project, the only time consuming thing was changing the colour of my machine thread 4 times.

Pram Blanket and Liner

A present for a little boy born late last week, matching pram liner and blanket in Michael Miller dots. Luck has it the new Mum & Dad bought the same pram we have for Liam (colour and all), so playing around to get the right shape and button hole placement was pretty easy.

Baby should be nice and warm don't you think?

The liner is backed in lambswool that my Spotlight has started stocking so it's reversible and the blanket is backed in a faux fur and is super soft.

Sewing up a storm

A patchwork scarf for me with some grey wool blend fabric pieced with lovely pink Amy Butler and a crocheted flower.

For the back I used a vintage pillowcase that I got from Meika last year.

A scarf for Liam with dark blue wool blend fabric and robots for the front and Michel Miller dots for the back.

My new cushion with the Kristen Doran fabric panel I got from the market

and denim with a strip of Kristen's Mollybirds on the back. I placed a zipper on the side.

Towelling backed Monkey bib for a surprise gift for a little boy.

All done in only a few hours last night while the babes were sleeping. I love the instant sewing gratification of quick projects.