What a week! I don’t think I stopped all week, it was brilliant. My fabric finally arrived and so now I have no excuse not to sew, sew, sew. It’s already started on a couple of projects and it’s given me that crazy, wake at 3am in the morning thinking about it all, feeling again. I’ve missed that feeling. (Haven’t missed the 3am wake up though!) There’s something so exciting about new projects and seeing something come to life.

I feel like 2017 is starting to get some really good momentum around it. I’ve got exciting things planned, I’m working with great friends, I’m making stuff happen – I hope it continues because I’m not going to lie… 2016 has been a battle. It’s really funny because it’s not been a horrible year filled with things that have broken me, it’s been a hard year because it’s been filled with things that have caused me to grow and forced me way out of my comfort zone. I wouldn’t say it’s been a good year in the traditional sense, but it’s been a great year for showing our little family exactly what we’re made of. My one (of who am I kidding I have many) hope for 2017 is that we have less time apart then we did this year.

In less navel gazing news, I crushed my Christmas shopping this week; did it all in one day. Yep. Left the house at 9am and was back by 11am with all presents in my hot little hands. They were wrapped and hidden by lunch time. I’m really excited about gift giving this year, not because I’m looking forward for anything or even because I know the Little Man is going to be excited, but because I cannot wait to see HUBBY’s face when he gets his gift. I can barely contain my excitement over it. It’s been years since I’ve been able to give a gift that I know the person receiving will love and will not be expecting it.

The boys are still sleeping so I’m going to sign off now and sneak back into my sewing room to have some more fun with fabric before the day gets crazy. Wishing you a most fabulously creative day!

PS. For those of you who might have missed it, the pattern for our Snail Paced Slow-Along Sew-Along is now available and you can get all the details about the patten and the event by clicking here.

FUN THINGS TO CLICK ON

Sometimes I can be a bit of a baking fiend and last year I made cookies & cream fudge and cookies in a jar as Christmas gifts for friends. Both were really well recieved and so I’m doing it again this year. You can join me and we’ll have a virtual baking party, just click here to get the recipe.

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Have you got a rainbow lover in your midsts? *points to self* Then check out this awesome Christmas Gift Guide by Bryan House Quilts. Click here for details.

I haven’t even started shopping for Christmas, whoops! This Christmas list from Bonnie Christine at Going Home to Roost will help me get it together quick smart. Click here for the details.

Dear Santa, if you’ve got the room I’d love one of these ombre mermaid tails in my size please. Great tutorial from See Kate Sew for making your little mermaid a tail of her own. Click here to get the details.

COMMUNITY CORK BOARD

Trixi from Coloured Buttons is hosting Sew a Softie for the Festive Season.The idea behind all the Sew a Softie events is to give mums and grandmas who want to teach their kids to sew, simple and achievable projects to do with them. Every day from December 1st until December 14 a simple, Christmas-themed softie tutorials will be posted online. This could include any Christmas or Holiday themed softie – perhaps a softie ornament for the tree, a festive softie toy or a hanging softie mistletoe, the list goes on! You can either sewalong or maybe you’ve got a tutorial of your own. Pop on over to the Sew a Softie Facebook group and join in! Click here to join in.

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Have you seen The Quilter’s Planner? The Quilter’s Planner is an 8″x11″ spiral bound book that includes standard planner fare such as weekly and monthly calendar pages, sturdy laminated cover and tabs, and stickers to add flare to your planning pages, but it also includes content created especially for quilters: project planning pages, 14 quilt patterns from top designers, swap organisation pages, project progress pages, weekly block designs, free motion quilting designs, beautiful quilt photography from the coast of Maine, a color chart from Cloud9 Fabrics, and plain and graph paper for recording your quilt ideas. This year, there’s also a small companion book for when you’re on the go. Stephanie has seriously thought of everything! The Quilter’s Planner is the perfect gift for the quilter in your life (especially if that quilter is you!) and can be ordered now by clicking here. Numbers are limited, so be sure to get yours before they’re all gone.

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Ros at Sew Delicious is currently doing a drive to help supply the NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) at the Northern Hospital in Melbourne with drawstring bags. The bags are used to help keep all the laundry and clothing in order for babies that are being treated in the Unit. The bags often go home with the baby when they get to go home. The bags are super simple to make and you can get the tutorial and details about where to send them by clicking here.

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Seven quilt pattern designers have teamed up to create Quilt Theory, releasing a new pattern line printed on small cards. Quilt Theory asks, “Where can your quilt take you?” acknowledging the wide and varied influences brought to the crafting of a quilt. Each pattern is simple enough to fit on the back of a small card or one-page PDF, making the patterns perfect for both beginner and advanced quilters. The cards are sturdy and aesthetically appealing, and at only $3 each, they are perfect for gift giving or collecting. Online download of the Quilt Theory bundle also includes coloring pages for each quilt design. Click here to find out more.

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