Melly & me

Something New

You would almost think I missed blogging on my break - 3 posts in one week, goodness!!

It feels really fabulous to be able to do a post showing something new.  I know it has only been 3 or 4 months since my last new releases, but for some reason it feels like forever since I have shown you a new design.

Over the last couple of days I have finished getting the new patterns all organised, and they will be printed and ready to go out to the shops at the beginning of next week.  So time to introduce them to you all - YAY!

This first one some of you may already be familiar with as it featured in an edition of Homespun last year. But for those of you who missed it, it is now available as a pattern, and she is ever so cute!  Meet "Dee-Dee" the Dolphin.... 

The second new design is a new handbag, and I think this may be one of my favorite bags so far!  I got a clever idea for playing around with pleats, and I just love the effect that this has created.  This bag has a really simple double zippered pocket inside and is the perfect sized handbag for every day wear.  I hope you love my "Raspberry Ripple" as much as I do!.... 

All of this excitement of new patterns means it is time again for a giveaway - I love having so many giveaways, I feel so excited using the random number generator and discovering who the lucky winners are each time!  So if you would like to go into the running to win a copy of one of the new patterns then please leave me a comment on this post.  I will draw the winners when I return on Tuesday with the next Tips & Tricks Tuesday installment! 

Until then I will be getting two kids ready for school and coming to terms with the fact that they will both be gone this year - such a weird feeling!!

Melly.

Getting back into the groove..

This morning it felt like time to dust off the cobwebs and get back into the groove of work.  Hubby has headed back to the workplace after some time off and school is just around the corner.  It has felt difficult to try and get back into that head space, but I am sure before I know it, I will be steaming full speed ahead! 

For the rest of the week I am going to be jumping in the deep end, writing up a few outstanding patterns. In my next post I will be able to show you my two new releases - a new handbag that I simply adore as well as a softie that some of you may have already become familiar with.

In the mean time I thought I would talk a little bit about my new Bernina 820 as I know a number of you have been waiting for my reviews.  I also wanted to show you the quilt I made over the holidays from start to finish with my new baby...I decided to make a simple whirly-gig quilt that would use up a small fraction of my ever increasing fat quarter stash.  I wanted it to be fun and bright and as uncoordinated as possible - I really love this feel of complete freedom with picking my collection of fabrics.

But enough about the quilt and more about the machine!!  I feel like I can only give a fairly informal review at this point as I still think I only understand about 5% of what this sewing computer can do!!  I keep telling myself that I must watch the DVD and learn some more as I don't even know how to find all of the amazing stitches yet.  This said though, I did get to know her a lot more in the process of making my quilt.  And boy did I love the results when piecing the blocks and putting the quilt all together!  One of the main reasons that I bought the machine was for the dual feed attachment as I had grown very frustrated with the uneven feeding of fabrics when piecing.  Let me say that after I had finished each block and was pressing the seams I gasped at the perfectness of my points, the squareness of my blocks and the fact that they turned out exactly as intended.  This point in itself makes the machine worth it in my eyes, but of course there are other huge benefits.Some of the features that I found really helpful while working were the automatic presser foot up position when taking your foot off the pedal (this could be programmed to lift as slightly as you wanted it to) which made strip piecing really fluid, I loved the automatic tying off/cutting feature, the adjustable presser foot pressure, and of course when quilting the endless arm space that made machine quilting just a million times easier.

These were some of the features that I had really been looking for, so they are the ones that I have played with the most and had fun discovering - I know that there are endless features that I have yet to discover and I look forward to getting the time to do so soon!  I am still waiting patiently for my 1/4" foot with guide that works with the dual feed, but looking at the perfection of this piecing without having that yet - I am in heaven.  I will admit that I find it slower in some processes as the computerised functions take time to change/engage and this did irritate me at times when I was so used to working at express pace in auto pilot, but this is just an adjustment period for me, and if it continues to give me such perfect seams then who am I to argue??!!So that is my up to date 820 experience, but please feel free to ask if you have any questions.  I will try to give an updated review in a few months time when I know her inside out.

So until I next appear here, I will be head down writing patterns and getting the kiddies ready for the school start - so much change in the next week!!

May the floss be with you!

Melly

Was that really a month????

They do say that time flies when you are having fun - but has it really been a month since I was last in blogland??  Although it seems like it has flown by, there has also been so much experienced in the last month that it seems like a lot longer - weird!! 

Today doesn't only see the return to blog but the return home from a much needed and enjoyed week at the beach.  Rosie's and my family headed to Inverloch for a week, staying in the most lovely home only 2 minutes walk from the beach and shops - ah heaven! 

I woke early every morning for a walk along the beach and cherished this quiet time to walk and soak in the beauty that surrounded us.  It was a real treat to have a quiet and peaceful holiday full of doing nothing but relaxing, playing, soaking in the sun, eating plenty of food that I shouldn't eat and just enjoying each other's company. 

Boo and Rooney had an amazing time with all of their big cousins around!!  There was always someone to make sandcastles with or roll around the grass playing games with. They really enjoyed every moment. 

And Rosie and I spent many a session scouring these rock pools for shell treasures which was a great childhood memory and gave us so much joy.It was a real treat of a holiday and it was enjoyed by all - young and old!  Why does it have to end???

Before the holidays we had a quiet buy joyous Christmas and New Year, it was so nice to have such beautiful times together with family to celebrate the season.  I hope you also had am amazing time too!!

It feels like today is the first day of 2010 after such a lovely month of relaxation and enjoying time together - so Happy New Year!!  Now the year begins, as we start to get ready for school and I get back to Melly & me.  This is a big year for our family as our baby, Boo, will start her first year of school in a week's time!  Both of my kiddies will be gone and I think there is going to be a bit of an adjustment period as I get used to 5 hours of kid free time each day - not that I have any problems deciding what I will fill my time with!!!

There are also some exciting new business endeavors this year that I hope to be able to share with you all really soon!!  I think it is going to be a great year.

I have had a little bit of a play with my new sewing machine over the break, making a cute little quilt from start to finish and a new bag design which I love to bits.... but I will share them with you in my next post as I know that you are all waiting to know the giveaway winners!

The first place winner, winning the baby Phoebe, copy of Kaleidoscope and a Melly & me kit of your choice is Cassie Hood!!!  Congrats Cassie!!  The runner up prizes are going to Madmoiselle Nuno and Laura Noble.  You girls can also pick a Melly & me kit (pattern & fabrics - quilts not included) of your choice.  I need you all to email me your postal address and choice of Melly & me kit so that I can get your belated Christmas present in the post ASAP.  What a fun giveway!

So a big HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all and I cant wait to share another year with you all in blogville.

Melly.