Chill the champagne, SEWN is about to launch ... so roll on up for a giveaway

An innovative new site for sewers called SEWN will be launched in early June 2009. This site promises to be fantastic, with forums, online advice, free patterns, tools, interviews, tutorials, and an online buy & sell area!

To join in the celebration of the launch of SEWN, I have joined the the Blog Party Giveaway and I am giving away this:

In honour of the fact that SEWN has talented Aussie girl Sarah Fielke at the helm, please leave a comment & tell me something that comes to your mind when you think of Australia - something you love (or hate?!) about my country, or for overseas visitors, a question you've always wanted to know but haven't had an Aussie on hand to ask! Just any random reflection about Australia that you feel like sharing. 

My giveaway will be drawn at 8pm on Monday 8th June, 2009.

Please ensure I am able to contact you if you win!

The bag is made from Amy Butler's 'Midwest Modern' fabrics and the pattern is called 'Fat Quarter Bag' by Melly & Me.

The side panels of the bag are in an Urban Chiks '1974' spot, and form a cute little pleat.

I have used bag rings & magnetic clasps from Nicole Mallalieu Design for this bag. I can strongly recommend Nicole's business - really high quality product & fast service.

So comment away, and please support Sarah with the launch of the SEWN website. There are giveaway opportunities galore, here and here, to celebrate.

SEWN giveaway in progress!

I got a job this week - nothing earth shattering, just casual, but it has involved blowing the cobwebs from the science side of my brain. I have worked two days and am now certified as competent to identify 15 types of fruit fly!! I'm so proud! The upshot of this news is that my giveaway gift for the SEWN launch is behind schedule, but under construction. It involves these fabrics ...

... and this Melly & Me pattern:

Really hoping it will be finished tomorrow & ready for comments. Nice to be thinking about fabric again rather than fruit flies!

They don't call me Bloom for no reason!

I am expecting visitors for the weekend & tomorrow I am playing parent-helper on a school excursion to the zoo. So I am SUPPOSED to be cleaning the house today. But as so often happens, I am avoiding the mundane & have become distracted by blooms! I came across this treasure at the Michael Miller site.

'Flower Shower Brite', free pattern here. 

I LOVE this quilt! It is made from a new Michael Miller range called 'Jewel Tones'. You may remember the gorgeous 'Birds of Norway' print that Janelle sent me recently?

Kathy Miller at Making It Fun explains in this post, that the colours used in 'Birds of Norway' worked so well, that it inspired the whole new 'Jewel Tone' range. 

These fabric manufacturers are killing me! Can't they just release some dead ugly fabrics for a while & give my addiction a break?!

Almost a quilt

I spent 24 hours with these girls on the weekend. Always lots of fun, copious amounts of food & some serious stitching productivity. I worked non-stop on this quilt:

Awful photos as it is a miserable, dull day here, but you get the idea. Just need to add a white border & this top will be done.

The pattern is 'Ava Rose' by Hatched & Patched, the fabrics mostly 'Barefoot Roses' by Tanya Whelan from this stash that has been sitting around looking pretty for far too long!

Finish #1

The needlecase for my Mum is all finished & ready to post ...

... buttons stitched on, binding sewn down ...

... it opens up to this ...

... amd then opens up again to reveal spots for scissors & needles.

The design is called 'Simple Stitches Needlecase' by Lynette Anderson.

For a friend ...

Another small stitchery I am working on for a friend. I am enjoying the serenity of my needle & thread in the evenings, but it is time to set the machine whirring & transform some of these stitcheries into the items they are meant to be. Hopefully back soon with some finishes!

For my Mum ...

I have been working on this stitchery design by Lynette Anderson. It will be a needlecase for my Mum, & is from Lynette's Weekend Projects range. 

I bought this as a kit for Mum last Mothers' Day & she hasn't had time to make it up. She is having a tough time with her own mother at the moment. My Grandma who has dementia has deteriorated badly in the last little while. She is in hospital presently & Mum is doing her best to care for her, but Grandma has become quite abusive, so Mum is doing it tough. I am not able to be with them, so phone calls from afar & stitching gifts is the limit of my comfort unfortunately.

Among my mother's many good attributes is an enormous capacity for forgiveness - a good thing really, as this Mothers' Day gift will be late - love you Mum!

Mesmerising ,,,

I found this link on How About Orange, and couldn't resist sharing it here too. An enchanting little film by Keith Loutit & a sweet window on my beautiful country, Australia.

The end of my winning streak ... but perhaps the start of yours?

As I mentioned, I have been winning giveaways with an embarrassing regularity. This delicious little bundle tied up in red & white ribbon is my third (& final!) win.

Sarah of The Last Piece generously offered up a Moda 'Snippets' layer cake, oooh, and now it is at my place! Sarah, until very recently, was one half of the dynamic duo who made up Material Obsession. Along with business partner Kathy, they have wowed Australian, and indeed, worldwide quilting circles with their innovative use of colour and design. I'm talking serious talents here, and seriously famous! They know Kaffe personally!!

My first thought when this little bundle of goodness arrived was that it was surely destined for one of Sarah's designs, 'Dottie for Dresden' (and I am even more convinced having seen this post)!

Sarah has recently flown the Material Obsession nest & is spreading her wings in a very exciting new venture. She is the creative director of an innovative new site for sewers called SEWN which will be launched in June 2009. This site promises to be fantastic, with forums, online advice, free patterns, tools, interviews, tutorials, and an online buy & sell area!

To celebrate, there are giveaway opportunities all over the place! Sarah is giving away fat quarter packs of Lizzy House's new line, Red Letter Day. SEWN has all sorts of amazing prizes to celebrate its launch here. And bloggers are sharing in the celebration too, by inviting themselves to a Blog Launch Party! Check here for blogs who are also having giveaways to coincide with the launch of SEWN on June 8.

So of course, considering all my amazing giveaway wins lately, it seems only proper to even up the score a little! I have joined the Launch Party (any excuse for a champagne!) and will be having a giveaway very soon. The Launch Party giveaways will all be drawn on June 8, so that gives me a little bit of time to stitch something up. Please check back soon!

Need a little inspiration?

Some more eye candy from Weigela Design in Warren, New South Wales. Unfortunately, I neglected to write down details of some of these designs, but I hope they give you some inspiration for the start of a new week. Hope your Monday is a great one! Best wishes, Bloom.

Lots of Moda goodness, & some sweet although forlorn little angels.

A Christmas angel stitchery quilt

A version of 'Tim's Things' by Hatched & Patched - a great boy's quilt.

A new layer cake pattern by Weigela Design using 'Beach House' fabrics by Blackbird Designs for Moda.

Another Weigela Design, made from 'At Waters' Edge' fabrics, again by Blackbird Designs for Moda. This quilt can be made from jelly rolls or layer cakes. Love the jumbo ric rac on this one.

A really simply but effective jelly roll design, incorporating buttons & ric rac. Made using Moda's 'Collection for a Cause' fabrics.

More Weigela loveliness here.

Who's a lucky girl then?

In an almost embarrassing run of good fortune, here is another of my wins in generous blog giveaways! The lovely Sheree of Sheree's Alchemy was offering a giveaway of new release Wonderland fabrics.

I was able to choose eight fat quarters from the entire range of 'Wonderland' by Momo for Moda. It is a Japanese-inspired range, and is beautifully soft to the touch.

 

Sheree has a great blog, makes very cute children's outfits to sell, has amazing weekly giveaways and has a wonderful shop, full to the brim with fabric temptation! So what are you waiting for? Head on over there! I'm off to dream up what I might make with my new Wonderland fabrics ... hmm ... Camille over at Simplify has a very cute 'Wild Thing' quilt made from Wonderland amongst her new patterns that I'm loving ...