Time to get back to a bit of crafting...

I ordered some fab screen-printed fabric panels from the lovely and talented Kayanna of June Craft and what good timing for it to arrive this week, when I had time to luxuriate in new fabrics.

I haven't quite decided what I'll be doing with them yet. I've been too busy holding and stroking them. Besides you can't rush a good thing.

I'm thinking they'll work really beautifully in my new found love of Log Cabin pieces. I've just been commissioned to do a couple of cushions, but since they are both for boys, I don't think I'll use any on them. If anyone orders a girl one, they'll be lucky enough to get a little snippet of these in it.

Kayanna includes an extensive ideas sheet with each panel. One such idea is to simply frame the entire piece, maybe doing a little embroidery on them to enhance the patterns. I'm liking this idea ALOT.

I also ordered this gorgeous Long Dog Kit, which comes complete with a beautiful backing fabric and easy make up instructions. Kayanna and I are planning a little something to make thiskit available on Blueberry park, for all you British customers out there, so watch this space ;-)

Ooh, it feels good to be back to my fabric -based life...

We survived!

We made it through the weekend!

And what a weekend it was. Seriously, THE best.

At the moment I just have a few photos of the party (translate that to over 1000 on-line if you're interested!), but I will bore you with the ceremony and other mini party when I get those.

Sam did AMAZING in Synagogue. It was one of those unbelievable jaw-dropping tear-jerking proud moments a parent feels once or twice in their lifetime. He had to sing a portion of the Torah and all the prayers with it. All in Hebrew and all front of over 300 people.

Another overwhelming moment of the entire weekend, was to be surrounded by so many of our amazing family and friends. And the efforts they all made to be with us. Some coming without their families from Israel. Others cutting their holiday short to be with us (REALLY appreciate that, Manda x) Others only able to be with us for part of it, but knowing how much it would mean to us, so did it anyway (seriously, Cari and Nicky, you guys coming up for Saturday was beyond the call of friendship). And EVERYONE for being so enthusiastic and playing their part in making it such an amazing weekend.

Mum had a smile a mile long all weekend and the little girls never stopped dancing.

A truly special weekend in so many ways that I can not even begin to describe. It's all over now. But the memories will last forever.

Having been enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend and sitting on the deck more than of late, I realised that the covers to our chairs were in serious need of replacement...and quickly...we have guests, lots of them, coming at the weekend and as you can see, these really wouldn't do.

We have a To Do list longer than the longest thing on the longest day in preparation for this weekend. I'm knee deep in pompom and paper lantern making, as you well know, so you'd think way down on the agenda would be recovering the deck chairs.

Apparently not.

A swift run up to the studio to see what suitable fabric I had transpired in recovering in this lovely fabric. Although not long enough later (5 mins? maybe 10) and the little bottom in the house had already torn it. Apparently it wasn't strong enough.

Many frantic tweets later trying to source fabric that I could get in time to make some more suitable covers in time for the weekend, a light-bulb moment occurred. We bought the chairs from Habitat. Habitat do replacement covers. I could be there and back within an hour.

And I was. With 2 sunshine yellow and 2 smart charcoal grey covers. Thank heavens for a bit of sense and quitting whilst I was behind.

Did you miss the Fresh Modern Bee...

Did you miss the Fresh Modern Bee...

... well why not head over to Me and Ma and sign up for their Fresh and Funky Quilt Block Bee! Maria and Julie from Forest Poppy were 2 comments too late for Fresh Modern Bee I and II so have decided to get together and start their own. Maria says on her blog: The Bee is to be called Fresh and Funky with an emphasis on modern, fresh quilting using bright fabrics balanced with neutrals and whites..Inspired by the likes of redpepperquilts, jaybirdquilts and of course lilysquilts...

so if you've been looking for/been thinking about/tempted by a Quilt Block Bee, head over there and check it out...

Good luck!

When Michelle announced on Twitter that a swatch pack of her new fabrics Beyond the Sea was now available, I think I'd clicked 'Basket' quicker than a quickest thing on a quickest day!

I have used several of Michelle's My Happy Garden fabrics in various projects and just love it. With her label Cloud 9 she produces the most beautiful soft, eye-catching fabrics, in the most stunning fresh designs. What's more they are made from organic cotton, thus providing a welcome eco-friendly element to them.

This new range is just delectable in every way. The fresh colours, stunning designs and touchy feely factor, make them top of my wishlist. Fortunately for us Brits, you can get them right here...

Race ya!

We had a busy night last night getting some BM decorations sorted...all aided by a few lovely girlfriends. Could it be they were tempted by the wine tasting going on too? Matthew came home with several bottles of white and bubbly to trial.

I don't think it was just this...they are very lovely ladies and we had lots of laughs sitting round the kitchen table making and fluffing pompoms. Not often you get the opportunity to do that, do you?!

I can't wait for them to go up in the marquee. I was inspired by seeing a virtual friend'd wedding piccies...thanks, Juliet, couldn't have done it without you!

After my new found love of making Log Cabins, my mind has been running over time on how to develop these further. This always happens to me...when I discover something new (to me) I am all consumed by it and can't think of anything else.

Consequently, even tho we are snowed under with BM plans, my mind was obsessing with log cabins and all the developments I want to do and I wasn't going to settle until I'd tried some of them out.

One of the things I have been thinking is how to incorporate log cabins with some personalising.

Again, as with the first, I got out a pile of my favourite fabrics and began to play. I use alot of hand screen-printed fabrics with my work. I love the added texture that they give and the rawness they exude. I am a big fan of the large posse of Australian designers that design and produce fantastic hand-printed fabrics and always want to use these wherever possible. They don't come cheap, but a little goes a long way, I think and in something like a log cabin you really don't need a large amount.

My starting point of part of an Auntie Cookie panel was a definite in my head before I'd even found it in my stash. It had this project written all over it. I love seeing pictures in log cabins (hence the birds on a wire in my first). I feel it adds a story to them.

Another obvious choice for this piece was from another of my favourite screen-printed fabric designers from the wonderful Lu Summers of Summersville designs. Her designs are perfect for log cabins as they tend to be small scale, so lots of detail. Lu also tends to use one colour, so again, not too clashing when using a variety of fabrics.

I haven't quite decided whether this is going to be the beginnings of an idea for a quilt, or cushions, or kept to wall-hangings. But for now I was eating into too much BM time and a little wall-hanging for Ruby was where it had to stay...despite the fact that Ruby wasn't best pleased that I had to miss the final 'h' off Shoshanah because I'd run out of room...she thought I'd spelt her name wrong!