Melly & me

Toy Tales Giveaway...

I'm Baaaaack!!  After the most glorious and amazing wedding and honeymoon a girl could ever possibly dream of!  Every part of it was complete perfection and I promise to be back here with a wedding blog post very soon when I receive all of my photos!  I simply cannot wait to share my wedding fun with you!

But in the mean time I just had to share with you the exciting delivery that arrived while I was living it up in paradise. Yes.... eeeeek, my advance bolts of "Toy Tales" arrived and are in my hot little hands!  I am just so excited and so thrilled with how this collection has come together.  I keep looking at it and dreaming of what to do with them... and yes, there is a little stage fright, as always!

I have so many faves in here, and half of the problem is just in deciding which ones to use first!

So while I ponder such important dilemmas, I have had some fun making up some delicious fat quarter bundles!!  "Little bundles of Happiness" as I was calling them last night to my husband (hehe, had to use the "h" word).  And of course to celebrate I need to offer a fun "Toy Tales" giveaway!  I would love to share 2 advance bundles with you all.  One will be drawn from the blog here and one from my facebook page (feel free to enter both!).  Please just leave a comment to be in the running and maybe even mention what you would like to see me create from these fun fabrics.  So much fun!!!  Good Luck :)

And of course while I am talking about giveaways, I cannot forget to draw the names for the pattern giveaway I left you with. I have decided to draw five names, which are.....

Deborah, Michelle Dickie, Cara Rotter, Bard Conroy and Erin.  Make sure you all email me with your choice of pattern from 2012 and your postal address so I get them out asap, and congrats.

So, until I can come back with my fun wedding post, make sure you comment to be in the running for your own pre-release "little bundle of happiness". I cant wait to see what you will do with it!  Oh an just so you know, "Toy Tales" should be hitting stores in the next month or two (YAY!!) and is produced by "Windham Fabrics".

xx Melly McNeice (cute new name hey??)

Urban Stitches 2013 - Melbourne & Sydney!!

Yes we have finalised all of the details for our new Autumn "Urban Stitches" retreat for 2013!!  

And after so many requests we have added a Sydney Urban stitches as well!!  Yes, you can now choose to attend Urban Stitches in Melbourne on the 16th and/or 17th March at the Novotel Glen Waverley, or at the new location in Sydney on the 23rd and/or 24th March at the Novotel Darling Harbour.  We are so so very excited!

In 2013 you will recieive fully kitted designs and tuition from little old me of "Melly & me", Rosalie Quinlan of "Rosalie Quinlan Designs", Jodie Carleton of "Ric Rac" and Simone Gooding of "May Blossom"... too much fun!

Now make sure you get your bookings in early to avoid disappointment as this year's Urban Stitches sold out in a matter of only a few weeks.  If you click on the "Urban Stitches 2013" link on the right side bar you will be taken to the information flyer and registration form.  Or why not register immediately to secure your spot?! You can do this immediately at the "Under the Mulberry Tree" website here.

Also, if you happen to be making a weekend of the retreat, make sure you keep your ears open to find out about our fun "Pyjama, Pizza and Pina Colada" event on the Saturday night.  We can't wait and will let you know all the details a little closer to the date!

We truly hope you can join us in 2013.

A couple of new friends & a massively overdue Giveaway!!!!

I would love to let you all know about two new friends to join the Melly & me softie pattern family!!

These two patterns are now ready and set to head off to your local patchwork store, yay :)

Here is Pookie the Panda (previously seen in the Vignette magazine)

And just in time for Christmas is sweet little "Merry Mouse"! (previously seen in Homespun magazine)

I am also embarrassingly aware that it has been a HUGE amount of time since I last did a giveaway.... 

As I will be very happily otherwise occupied getting married and heading on a lovely honeymoon in the next few weeks (eeeek!!), I wish to leave this blog post open as a mega giveaway!!  There will be multiple lucky winners who will all get to pick one of the my new patterns from 2012.  I will draw the names when I return to "melly & me" blog land in the beginning of October.

Until then, may the floss be with you and good luck!!! 

Melly

Delicious Mauritius

Wow what a journey we had!  Mauritius was simply stunning and I think that all of us fell deeply in love with the country and those AMAZING beaches!

The whole trip went in a whirlwind of indulgence, fun, new friendships and experiences...

There were the breathtaking beaches both at the resort and beyond...

New (and sometimes awfully amusing) friendships formed...

Cocktails consumed, and contrary to the photographic evidence below I can assure you that it wasnt just us 3 teachers knocking these back!

Lions walked with....

And somewhere is there we also handed out some great goody bags full of yummy kits and did a few classes...

WOW - what a great time it was.  Nothing like looking through your photos to relive the experience!

And now that we are back I can share my two new projects with you that I was teaching in Mauritius as they are all ready to head out to your local patchwork store!

There is this cute travel wallet "New Horizons"

And a new Creative Card "Happy Scrappy Cushion" which uses paper piecing and your scraps to make this fun cushion.  This pattern is also PERFECT to use up any charm packs that you cant decide what to do with!

I hope you like them and I hope you enjoyed a little taste of our fabulous "Imagine... Mauritius" experience!

It is now only 2 and a tiny bit weeks until my wonderful wedding day, so I must get back to that wedding crafting - so much fun!!!

xx Melly

Birds of a Feather.

Well what an amazing weekend we had at Urban Stitches 2012!!!  It was such a hoot that I almost can't wait for next year!  

There were so many smiling faces, friendships formed, ideas swapped, goodies purchases, stitches stitched, and jokes shared... and I probably shouldn't forget tummies filled!  What more could you possibly want in a day?

So now that Urban Stitches is complete for the year I can share my project from the weekend with you all. This pattern is now released and the best news is that it comes with the pre-printed linen for the peacock stitchery panel enclosed!! All you need to do is pick your fabrics and matching threads and you are ready to stitch!

A cute little carry bag that is also super suitable as a project bag (perfect size to fit your hoop and bits and pieces).

Now that Urban Stitches is complete it is also time to start madly focusing on "Imagine... Mauritius" which is only 3 weeks away, as well as my wonderful wedding which is only 7 and a half weeks away.... EEEEEK!! I am so unbelievably excited!!

This part of the year really holds too many wonderful things that it is difficult to not let my head get stuck in the clouds. But I must keep stitching. I hope this bags inspires you to some new creativity too!

xx Melly.

 

Mini Magoos!

Ever since I first created my favorite softie “Magoo”, I have been hoping to make him some cute little children.  Well the time has finally arrived and I have had ever so much fun making this gorgeous pair and their cute as a button outfits!  Meet Max and Mimi.

I know there have often been many requests for a smaller version as well as for a girl Magoo, so it was time to put together my thoughts over the years to match your requests.  It certainly wasnt a chore to have to make this sweet dress for Mimi! And Max's overalls are just as much fun!!

These monkeys are the perfect size to become children of your own Magoo or are an easy to handle version for smaller babies and toddlers.  To give a little perspective on sizing, here they are being cuddles by my well loved original Magoo.

The pattern is all written up and ready to go, so if you want to create your own set of Mini Magoos be sure to ask your local patchwork store!!

I hope you adore Max and Mimi, I know I am gonna have trouble parting with mine as they begin their life as samples.....

Melly xx

 

 

Back to the land of Melly & me!

Oh my goodness, I just realised how long it has been since I was last here!  Time really does fly by when you are too busy to look at the clock.  

Since my last blog post I have spent my week in Kansas City for quilt market, which was absolutely fabulous!  And since then my fiance and I have been madly getting a house ready for sale which has consumed most of my waking hours.  But that is finally done so I can get back to designing, sewing and blogging! Hurray.

I was lucky enough to have the wonderful Emma from Ballarat Patchwork with me on my journey to Quilt Market.  It was a great market and it was so much fun meeting more fun new people as well as catching up with much loved friends and seeing familiar faces!  Here is a little corner of my sweet little booth that I called home for market..

And of course I came home with plenty of new fabric loot to drool over and dream about what to do with over the next few weeks

While I was at market I started on my new stitchery for "Urban Stitches" next month and in between cleaning, painting and gardening I have somehow managed to get all the stitching done

And after a trip with Rosie and Leanne to Charles Parsons I have the fabric all selected and ready to start working with. That will be the goal for this week!  I hope those of you coming along to Urban will love what I pop together!

So that is pretty much what has been happening is Mellyville, besides good old Hard Yakka.  Oh, and you also may have seen my adorable "Pookie" in the latest edition of "Vignette" - She is such a cutie!  Make sure you check her out in the mag or she will also be available in pattern form in September.  Hope you love her!

8 sleeps...

The countdown continues for Quilt Market with only 8 sleep to go!  

I cant tell you how excited I am to meet any of you who are going to be there.  It has been 18 months since my last Quilt Market and I cannot wait to be a part of that exciting buzz once again.  If you are going along, please make sure you come see me at booth 1429 or at sample spree to say g'day! 

I have been packing the patterns to ship off to myself today which includes the new look "The Fat Quarters Bag"  I just felt a need to give this pattern a facelift with a cute new sample and photo, hope you like the new version.

I also finally made up a little something extra to go with my Sew Little "Rubber Ducky" quilt.  This cute little matching rattle is so sweet in its simplicity, I just love it.

And here is the pattern photo of the set. 

In other "non sample sewing" news, I also wanted to let you know about a couple of up-coming classes I will be holding in Ferntree Gully.  Please see the following for further info. There will be sure to be more classes in term 3, so keep an eye out!!

Ok, back to work now for me... I will try to pop in again before I head off, but make sure you follow "Melly & me" on Facebook for updates from the Show. YAY!!!

Melly.

Samples, samples and more samples!

Only 2 more weeks until I head off to Kansas City!! Half of my brain is in major excitement mode and the other half is obsessing over a to-do list that seems to keep growing daily. One job ticked off and two more added seems to be the motto.

I know that sometime in the next two weeks I will get to the point where I have to say "I have done all I can do" and cut myself some slack, but for now I am still sticking to my grand dreams of making a trillion new samples and then starting on some decorative items for the booth. I seem to love setting myself unrealistic goals!

I have already managed to make a number of new friends who I will be taking with me to immigrate to the US.  I love seeing the collection grow - they make me so very happy!... A few playful "Scotty McSpottys"

Two delightful new "Dawns" (Oh how I adore them!!!)

And a few cheeky "Little Ninjas".

This is the last week I have put aside for sample making, so I had better go and quickly reattach myself to that sewing machine!!  

I think a new Tally & Tripp is next on the list, off I go to pick the fabrics (seriously the BEST part!)...

Melly

Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you

Over the past week I have been in major quilt making mode, trying to find a cute way to display my new "Toy Tales" fabric collection for Quilt Market, using only the small strike off pieces I was lucky enough to get.

I decided to make a cot/lap sized quilt for the little ones and here is the result.... This is the girl version using the more girlie based half of "Toy Tales"

And then I also whipped up a Boy version using the remaining strike off pieces..

Needless to say I was singing the "Rubber Duckie" song the entire time I worked!  Oh how I love Rubber Duckies!  

I think I will still make another little something to go along with the quilt before I give it a name and write up the patterns, but for now there is relief that one more thing is ready for Kansas City!!

Melly.