I don't usually blog about giveaways, but I couldn't go past this one at Retromummy - such lovely fabric and such a generous prize by Corrie :)

Ok, so I suddenly found myself with some free time tonight, and it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to post on my blog before the new year! So here is the first post in a new series: Working on. That way I can post snippets of my WIPs without feeling that I have to actually finish something before I can reveal it :)

And my first WIP is a baby quilt that I'm working on for a friend's baby girl. I am using Ginger Blossom by Sandi Henderson - how I love her fabric *sigh*. It is going to be yet another Disappearing 9 Patch, simple but pretty, which is perfect for a quick baby quilt.

Ok so it's been a few months since my last blog entry, but it's been so hectic around here that I've had neither time to blog nor time to do anything to actually blog about. Things have calmed down somewhat so I'm starting to get crafty again, mostly knitting, although I have just bought some fabric for another couple of quilts. So hopefully I'll have something to show before too long!

Gosh I have trouble thinking up blog titles. I can only hope that most people are like me and just barely glance at the title before going on to read the blog entry.

I just love Japanese sewing and craft, and one of my favourite blogs is Mairuru - she makes the cutest things, and I get the impression that they're all hand sewn, something I can't even imagine having the time or the patience (or the skill, for that matter) to do.

One of the projects she's blogged is a cotton scarf, and I loved it so much that I had to make one of my own. Of course mine was machine sewn :) I bought the two very thin and fine cottons from Spotlight. I designed it and cut out the patchwork pieces from paper first, and I've kept the pattern pieces because I'm thinking of making another one sometime.







The scarf is warm and soft to wear, and not prickly like wool scarves can be. I am so glad I made it, thanks for the inspiration Mairuru :)

I finally completed my Soiree quilt - it was very difficult to get hold of enough white homespun to finish the top, and then I discovered that since I had enlarged the top the backing was no longer large enough. A day of fussing and measuring and sewing later, and it was all done.






The backing is a lovely soft coral minky fleece. I didn't use anything in the middle, so there are just the top and bottom layers. It will be just right for a summer weight quilt.




It has also been used as a lounge quilt, but the combination of two children and two cats with all that white makes me think that it will be staying on our bed from now on.

I love the recipes that Retromummy has shared on her blog, especially this one for melt and mix banana bread. I thought I'd give it a go, since I'm all for not-much-effort cooking - the only cake we ever make around here is a similar type of recipe, where you put everything into one bowl, stir it up and then pop it into the oven. No creaming butter & sugar or any of that fussy business.

The original recipe calls for 125g melted butter. I had no butter so I thought I'd try olive oil instead, since that's what I use in my chocolate cake with great success. And it worked out in this recipe as well, so delicious! And surely just a teensy bit more healthy? I always try to remind myself that olive oil is a 'good' fat since I use so much of it :)


I also found that I had no baking powder, so I googled a substitute combining cream of tartar and bicarb. Worked out so well that I used it again the next time instead of buying baking powder.


Yummo!

I do like making softies, especially because Miss M thinks that they are wonderful, so much better than store bought toys since she gets to see them being 'born'. This time she chose a kangaroo and her joey.


She has named them Rosie and Taylor.

I am participating in my very first online swap, and it is both scary and exciting :) In this swap I had to buy my own fabric, cut it up and send it out to be sewn into 11 different blocks by the other participants. In the meantime I get 2 lots of their fabric a month to make into the block that I've chosen, which I then send back. At the end of 6 months I get back 11 blocks from my own fabric, along with the one I've sewn from my own as well, and I can make a quilt. It's a great way to do the round robin, because we have chosen our own fabric - it is also scary because we have to cut up and sew someone else's precious fabric. I can't tell you how nerve wracking that was!

This is the fabric I've chosen for my quilt - very bright but I just love it.


And this is the fabric I received to make my first swappee block - of course I posted it back without thinking to take a sneak peek of the finished block.


And here is a sneak peek of my finished block.

I have been so lucky lately - I won another fabulous blog giveaway, this time on the Sew Busy Mama blog. Anna is so talented, and she sells her creations on Etsy and Madeit. She sent me a little coin purse, two hair clips and one hair tie, some quilted coasters, and an Amy Butler bag pattern. Her handmade gifts are so well made, and the care that has gone into making them is impressive.

Here is the whole collection that she sent me - her business name is Tillytom Designs:


The coin purse, in some of my favourite Wonderland fabric on the outside, and a lovely surprise inside of a very different and pretty fabric:


The coasters, in another favourite fabric of mine, Soiree. I'm a bit scared to use these because they are so pretty :)



I didn't take a separate photo of the hair clips and tie because they have been claimed by Miss M and she's currently wearing them :) That's saying a lot because she never wears anything in her hair! She has also claimed the coin purse and she's put some precious little toys in there to keep them safe from her brother.

Thanks so much Anna, I just love everything you've sent me!

This week I received a package in the mail - some lovely fabric from the Retromummy shop, which I had been lucky enough to win on the Retromummy blog. To add to the loveliness, Corrie had included a pile of fabric scraps as well, which I'm going to put aside to use in a scrap quilt.

Even the envelope had some cuteness on it:


And the inside of the envelope was even better :)


Here are the beautiful fat quarters - they are so pretty, and my photos just don't do them justice:



And the fabric scraps:




Thanks so much Corrie, you are so generous :)

And to top it off this arrived as well: