Melly & me

Confession

My name is Melanie Hurlston, and I am a fabricoholic!

Yes, I have way too much fabric and I know that I never could and never will use it all.  One of the habits of being a fabricoholic is going to Sample Spree at Houston Quilt Market and just grabbing multiple random fat quarter bundles without knowing what you are even buying.... Part of the fun is bringing them back to your hotel room and opening them up to see what they are, almost like a lucky dip!

I do give my stash a good clean out every 6 months and give a large chunk to local charities which is a double win, getting to buy it in the first place and then getting to give it away to be used for a good cause. My stash is getting to the point again that it needs a good cull.  I find that when I have too much it overwhelms me and I cant see the forrest for the trees.  So that is a task to add to the "to do" list for the next week. While I was contemplating this yesterday I spied this gorgeous fat quarter bundle that I purchased last market just begging to be used.The colors are amazing and so tantalizing, but I know with the deadlines I have for the next 6 months, these 40 fat quarters will not be used by me until they are no longer available in stores.  The rage is called "Botany" by Lauren & Jessi Jung for Moda - you can see more of it here on their blog.  So I figure, what about a giveaway??!!  I really want to see these fabrics put to great use by someone who really appreciates them, rather than just gathering dust while I work on other projects.

Instead of just a standard "leave a comment" giveaway, I would love you to leave a comment letting me know how you would use this bundle if you were to win.  Perhaps a link to a design you want to make with it or any other idea you have that you can tell me about.  Then in a week's time I will choose my favorite idea as the winner..Until then, I will try my hardest to resist the urge to add to the stash until I have given it a good clearing and will get back to being lost in this box trying to decide on the threads to use for the next retreat project....And, yes, my threads box is a disorganised mess!!!!

Melly.

Stitching away

Sorry for my quietness!!!  I have been in major stitching mode and may be here for another week or so. It is always nice when there are hours of hand stitching to be done and while working I have the excuse to sit down nice and comfy, watching DVDs.  At the moment I am making my way through the 3rd season of "Angel" and a Korean Drama, "Boys before Flowers" and enjoying myself thoroughly. 

The reason for all of this exciting stitching is that I am designing and creating three lovely new projects for the "Daylesford Craft Experience" retreat coming up in July.  I am really looking forward to this retreat being run by the gals at Threadneedle Crafts and Purl's Palace.  The venue and location is just sensational and I know it is going to be such an amazing weekend.  Places are beginning to fill, so here are the details for any of you who might like to come along and spend some time with fellow craftsters, Jodie, Anette and I 

(you may want to click on the above poster to see the details clearer)

I cant reveal the projects that I am working on, as they will be seen for the first time at the retreat, but you know me and my evil pleasure in teasing you.... so how about a sneak peek! 

As you can see, I am using those stunning "Sugar" fabrics that I shared with you in the last post.  They are so yummy and I am having so much fun playing with them!  Two of the three projects are coming along really nicely, now I just need to dream up the third project.  So please bear with me if I am a little quiet for a little while longer.  

Back to stitching I go.... and I do hope I will get to meet up with some of you in Daylesford this July!

May the floss be with you

Melly.

What a week....

Ok, so who was one of the people who told me that I was going to have all this free time on my hands when both kids were going to school??!!  That I wouldn't know what to do with myself???  Well, after this week, I think you are all wrong!  It has felt like one of the most hectic weeks for ages.  After the leisurely 6 weeks of school holidays, lazing around in PJs, enjoying the outdoors and the lack of schedules, this week has felt insane in comparison.

That said, it has also been an exciting week for little Boo..... She started her first day of school on Monday and she is loving every second!  She is such a social little butterfly and I think school is going to be a real blast for her (as long as she can remember to sometimes focus on her studies too!!).  Here is a picture of her on her first day of Preps along with her big brother Rooney who went into his first year of junior primary (grade 1) 

For the rest of the week, while I wasn't driving to and from school, I have been busy catching up on so many things for myself and others that I haven't stopped to actually notice that both chickens are gone. There was one moment of realisation when Rosie called and said she was around the corner and did I want to do lunch.  I hesitated for a moment before I realised, I CAN!!  It felt weird to just be able to pick up and go without thought for anyone else.

When people keep asking me how I have coped this week, I almost don't know what to say. In all that madness did my baby really start school?  Have I really had 5 hours to myself every day? Is January really over??  Maybe next week I will have an answer.....

I did however stop for long enough to notice this beautiful flower - isn't that shade of colour incredible!? It inspired me a lot that day! 

And another great moment of inspiration came when I had a delivery from my friendly post man.  I have been eyeing off the new "Sugar" range from Art Gallery Fabrics for a while online and couldn't wait until I could see it in the flesh.  Well, the lovely fabric fairies brought me some of the whole range this week and it is heavenly!!  I am feeling so inspired to use it and the colours are just making me so happy right now!! 

The same fabric fairy (thanks!!!!) also sent me some pieces of this amazing new upholstery weight fabric from Lecien called "Isso Ecco & heart"  It really is a great weight and the colors are wonderful - just loving that pink and lime one so much! 

So in a nutshell, my week was full of rushing around, new beginnings and brief moments of exciting inspiration... now if only that "free time" would eventuate so I could get stuck into that fabric......

Melly

Tips & Tricks returns

Thank you so much for all of your kind words about the new designs.  I am so excited that you love them as much as I do - it sounds like there may be a few Raspberry Ripples appearing over the next few months which I cant wait to see!  The three lucky winners of the giveaway are Penny (Jan 29 10:27pm), DianeY (Jan 30 3:06am) and Kim.  Please email me your choice of pattern and addresses girls!!  I will get them posted out ASAP.  For those who didn't win there have been orders going out to patchwork stores today so check with your local Melly & me stockist to see if they will be getting them in.

Now to start Tips and Tricks 2010.  Today I thought I would go back to basics a little as a few people have been asking how we stuff our softies so firmly.  I think that this all comes down to the equipment that you use so I thought I would share a few tips to get a firmly stuffed toy...

*The first tip is repeating myself but maybe through the repeating it will capture some new readers.  The first rule of a strong and firm softie is to always use good quality polyester thread.  It is really important that you throw out the "patchwork" rules and take that cotton out of your machine whenever you start a softie.  Polyester thread is much stronger than cotton and will make your seams able to handle the strain of heavy stuffing.  The second tip on your stitches is to always set your machine to a small stitch of approx 1 - 1.5.  This again creates a stronger seam, makes the stitches less visible and creates a better end result. 

*Another piece of equipment that is very important is your actual stuffing.  There is a big variance in the quality of polyester stuffings that are available.  Unfortunately one of the most available brands that is found in chain stores throughout Australia is very poor.  If you have been using this stuffing then you are probably getting lumps in your softies and getting a result that you are not happy with.  We buy our stuffing from a pillow factory as the quality is far superior and we need to buy in bulk but I have heard on the grape vine that Birch makes a good stuffing.  If any of you have any other brands you can recommend then please let me know so I can share it with everyone.  To help you in your search for the perfect stuffing, here is a little trick.  Grab a wad of the stuffing and roll it together into a ball in your hands.  If the stuffing remains in the ball you have made, with no spring back, then it is a poor stuffing and will create lumps in your work.  If the stuffing ball springs back then you know this is a great stuffing that will fill the space effectively without lumps.

*The next piece of equipment that I wanted to share with you is our home made stuffing tool.  I have already shared the wooden skewer with you on another T&TT for all of your tiny pieces but this next tool is the all purpose super stuffing tool!! Go to our local craft store and buy a cheap round wooden paint brush like this. 

They cost under $2.00 so they certainly wont break the bank. This becomes a great double sided stuffing tool.  The smooth round end of the wooden brush is used at the perfect tool for turning your softie pieces and pushing all of the seams out smoothly.
 

The bristle end then becomes the perfect stuffing tool with a little modification. Grap some scissors (of course, don't be like me and use your sewing scissors so you have to by a new pair!!!) and trim the paintbrush bristles to between a quarter and half inch.  No need to be neat. 

Play with the remaining bristles for a while with your fingers and by rubbing them against a hard surface until you have messied them up really well.  
 
It should now look nice and shaggy like this 

This shaggy end is now the perfect stuffing tool.  The reason that this tool is so helpful is that the shaggy bristles grip on to your stuffing.
This allows you to easily maneuver the stuffing into your toy and to keep shoving it in right to the ends until it is super firm.  When you place a piece of stuffing in with this tool the stuffing will stay with your tool so that you can get it right to the location that you want it to go.  

* The last tip is to just keep on stuffing!!!  A lot of people are scared of stuffing too much and of breaking the seams, but if you have followed all of the tips above and your machine tension is correct then there should be little fear of breakage. Make sure that you support the area you are stuffing with one hand, while stuffing with the other and then keep shoving it in for as long as it will fit.  If you have stuffed some sections less that others, you should still be able to maneuver stuffing to those places with your trusty tool.

I hope that this has helped some of you in some way and that your next sofies will be just the way you want them to be!

BTW please email me more ideas for Tips and Tricks as I am soon to run out of questions!!

Melly.