Melly & me

Three Wise Monkeys

 

 

 

Don't be too fooled by these monkeys!!  They are not as wise as they like to make out, I think a better word would be cheeky!!!

What a weekend!!

Rosie is sooooo busy moving house at the moment, but I am doing a post for her via phone!!  She wanted to share some of the beautiful photos from the weekend's "Spring Stitch-In" that she and Leanne held at Glen Harrow.   

I managed to pop in for a bit of a visit on the Saturday and was lucky enough to see how fabulous the event was.  There was sinfully delicious food, fabulous projects and great company!

Lots of beautiful show and tell from amazingly talented women was shared

The weather was glorious and of course the venue was absolutely perfect!

Since Rosie can't be here to type her impressions I will leave you with this photo of her taken at the retreat, which I thing Says it all!!!! - Melly

 

   

Daffodil day = Spring!!

What a beautiful day it is here today in Melbourne.  We are having a gorgeous week of weather that looks like it is only going to get better over the next few days!!  What great news for Rosie and all of those attending her and Leanne's "Stitch-in" this weekend. 

It is also Daffodil day here in Australia, which is a great chance for all of us to donate money to the The Cancer Council.  I love Daffodil day, not only because it is such a great cause and I love Daffodils, but also because it is a day that always feels like spring!  It is only a week away now and the garden in showing us all of the signs - Hooray!!!  I love the feel in the air at this time of the year.

On the designing front I feel like it is only the beginning of winter!!!  I seem to have lost all mo-jo for the last couple of months and everything I try to create ends up being added to a pile I like to call "get away from me until another day!!"  Sometimes things in this pile will be taken out and adapted another day and sometimes they will simply find their way to the scrap draw.  When I have these moods I get an itch to create things that I know will work out - the good-old tried and true patterns that we have already released.  This week I decided to use some gorgeous Japanese fabrics that I found here to make up some new Wallys and also felt the mood for some more Sangsangs and Little Kittys.  They were, of course, made just for fun and to give me a little pat on the back to say "I can do this thing" so they have all made their way to the etsy shop for sale.

Hopefully making these guys will give me enough of a boost to actually churn out something new.  As you can see they are celebrating Daffodil day too with some beautiful blooms I picked from my garden.

Have a fantastic weekend and may the floss be with you! - Melly

A kitting frenzy...

You may have noticed that I have written very few posts lately and Melly has been wowing you with her creative genius.  Leanne and I have been getting ready for the annual Glen Harrow Stitch-in that we host in early spring. As a result, we have spent the last week turning this:

into this....

Using a lot of elbow grease, an iron, cello bags and many hours of back breaking rotary cutting! It will all be so worth it on the day.

We are looking forward to this weekend sooo much as we were unable to host it last year. So, see you this weekend if you are coming!

By the way, did I mention that I am moving house three days after the Stitch-in??? Crazy planning there! Mr Floss and I have finally bought a house after years of renting and being moved on by landlords who want to sell or move back into their own homes. What makes it even more exciting for me is that we have bought the home Melly and I grew up in from my parents! I am so excited that I am not even thinking about how this move will happen when Mr Floss has a bad back and I am supposedly not allowed to lift heavy objects after my surgery! I guess thats what removalists are for if I can let go of the control factor!

Of course, Melly and I are still trying to get ready for our trip to Houston and have added some things to the etsy store. Take a peek!

Rosie xx

Scrappy Cabins & Beertje Zonn

This week I have felt some freedom to choose what to do with my time.  I have to tell you that this has been a long time coming!  So on Tuesday I said to myself "what will I do today?"  I had decided to take a sewing machine break but all that I wanted to do was sew!  I didn't want to design or make any more softies, I just wanted to have some mindless sewing fun!  So out came the scrap draw and I went into a scrappy cabin frenzy.  I enjoyed myself so much and feel that I now have some progress to share!  Rosie had been doing so well with her challenge but I am very sorry to say I only had 4 blocks completed before Tuesday - very dismal I know, but now there are 25!  The best thing is that I had so much fun and love the results, so I am very inspired to get that quilt made!!

Here are my 25 blocks all sewn together!  I have decided to border all of the blocks for my quilt with a 1" white border and random corner squares.  Looking at the size of this completed panel I think I am a quarter of the way to my lovely quilt - only 75 more cabins to go!  The problem is that I am now craving some more interesting scraps, I thought a stash addiction was bad enough, now I have a scrap addiction and want MORE! 

During the last week we have also come across a very inspiring blog after receiving a comment from Sonnja in the Netherlands.  Sonnja is an amazing woman who is doing a fabulous work making these beautiful "Beertje Zonn" for Aids orphans in the 3rd world.  

This week she has been able to hand over 100 Beertje Zonn to an organisation that will deliver them to 100 Aids orphans in Uganda!!  What an angel she is.  She is giving us all an opportunity to be a part of this amazing work and is asking for donations of fabric to make her beautiful Beertje Zonn.  Each little bear takes 12" x 24" of fabric.  If you would like to join Rosie and I in donating some fabrics then please visit Sonnja's blog and send her an email.

Now I need to decide what to do today as I again have some lovely free time...more scrappy cabins???  Maybe a flossie or two??  A shower and breakfast would be a good start, enjoy your day!! - Melly

 

What the?

Today seemed like an ordinary day; cleaning, running errands and a few cups of tea but then this afternoon, as I sat down to the computer, I looked out of my window and saw the most amazing sight!!!  I honestly thought these guys were supposed to be extinct but there he was in all his glory.  I thought that you may not believe me so I took a photograph as evidence!

He tells me that his name is Dilbert and has asked me if he can come and stay for a little while. Why not, dinosaurs don't take much room, do they???

As I was in the middle of writing this post I had to head off to pick up Little Floss from Kindergarten.  There really is something very weird going on as look who followed him home!!?

Apparently this dinosaur is called Flossosaurus-Rex! 

Two dinosaur sightings in one day, I can hardly believe my eyes!

Please share any strange happenings in your part of the world.  - Melly

Ten pretty Sangsangs

These little gals have been my project for most of the last week. 

Sura from Red Plum Linen asked us to make her 10 of our Sangsangs out of a section of her gorgeous range of fabrics.  It was so much fun to make some completely different looking Sangsangs with a much softer, prettier look that the usual funky fellows.  As always it was so hard to part with them, but I am sure they will be cuddled up in some warm little arms soon!

Another job I was working on is also finished up today so I can see there will be time for some designing fun over the next couple of weeks - Yippee!  - Melly.

Shopping Bags

Now, I have a confession to make....

I have been a little too slow getting on the reusable shopping bag band wagon.   Yes, I have bought them, but neglect to remember to bring them with me when doing my groceries.  I can feel the stares and my face reddens in shame!  Yesterday I was in the queue at my local supermarket where the people in front of me didn't even use bags for their vegetable purchases.  I waited as the register assistant sorted out their vegetables one at a time to weigh them on the scales. The people in front of me were doing the right thing and yes, I had forgotten my reusable shopping (canvas) bags again!!  I think this may be the last time I forget.  A song popped into my head from one of my favourite Australian comedians - Tim Minchin.  He sang this song as the grand finale of the 2006 Melbourne Comedy Gala.  I laughed so hard at the time but the message has certainly stayed with me.  We thought we would share Tim's wit and environmental consciousness with you!  Unfortunately, there is a small amount of bad language in this clip but it is well worth it! (please don't open around children)

As a result of my new "Canvas Bag" awareness, I have been browsing through Etsy and wanted to share some of the gorgeous bags I have seen. Don't forget about all the beautiful handmade products available to us all through Etsy.  If I don't get around to sewing any shopping bags I will definitely be shopping here.  

   

In order, these shopping bags can be found here, here and here.

Off to sew some shopping bags!  Rosie. x x

More show and tell!

My "show and tell" pictures folder is growing steadily so I decided it is definitely time to share some more marvelous photos with you all!  Here are some more great bits and pieces that you have all been making using our designs.  Thanks so much for sharing them!!!

Here is a stunning "Sweet Sixteen" bag from Rosalie Quinlan Designs made by Stephanie.

This fun "Sherbet" bag made by Chantelle which perfectly matches the gorgeous "Wally & Wristy" she made in one of our classes!

"This Silly Bunny" made by Claudine that I am totally in love with and want!!!

This yummy "Latte" set made by Letty.

And last but definitely not least for this "show and tell" post, this bright and funky "Black Forest" bag made by Joan.

Thanks once again for all of your fabulous photos, please keep them coming!!

Nothing new to show from us for this post as we busily work on orders and other projects.  The etsy shop has had a few new additions with us adding some "Poppy" bags as well as some "Rosalie Quinlan Designs" bags and there are lots of new designs and ideas burning in our brains.  Hopefully they will become a reality to share with you soon...... Melly.