Little Lady Liberty blog hop

Liberty of London has been producing its exquisite, fine quality lawn fabric for as long as I've been alive. I have been a fan for almost as long!

Liberty's trademark pretty florals are timeless. And for a girl who calls her blog Bloom, you can imagine how thrilled I was to be asked to review Alice Garrett's sumptuous book of projects made from Liberty florals.

Little Lady Liberty, a collection of over 20 sewing projects designed primarily for little girls, will have you swooning. 

This is Alice Garrett's first book, and she is well authorised to do her subject justice. Based in the UK, she owns Alice Caroline Fabrics, and sells an extensive range of Liberty of London fabrics and gifts. She designs and sells her own patterns and shares her passion for sewing on her blog. She is also blessed with a daughter!

If you are a fan of Liberty fabrics, Little Lady Liberty is a visual treat! Page after page, brimming with images of pretty prints.

The book is a delightful mixture of projects, encompassing garments, home decor, toys, bags and purses. The projects are simple, achievable and adorable. What little girl (or even a big one!) wouldn't love this swirly, whirly skirt?

This book is perfect for anyone new to sewing, but inspiring for any level of sewist. Alice's instructions are detailed and very well written. She has a PhD in cancer genetics, so she is well trained in writing methods accurately! Her diagrams are excellent and explain construction concisely. And throughout her book, she includes some great tips on fabric choice and colour.

While many of the projects are designed with little girls in mind, there are enough versatile projects to justify this book's place on any sewist's bookshelf. This gorgeous floor cushion could definitely find a home at my place, and I have teenage daughters!

The release of this lovely book seemed good enough reason for me to indulge in purchasing a little Liberty! I bought a 5" charm pack and, to put Alice's instructions through their paces, I made up her pencil case. 

My effort is less sweet than Alice's rainbow version. With limited fabrics, I opted for a more random fabric placement. However, Liberty prints blend so beautifully together - you really can't go wrong!

After making up Alice's pencil case, there were enough surplus fabrics to make another smaller purse. These little squares of prettiness are addictive! And just to change things up a bit, there is a sweet surprise on the reverse side ... but I will tell you about that in my next post ;)

Warmest congratulations to Alice on her lovely book. There will be a month long feast of luscious Liberty to celebrate its release. Join the party by visiting all the blog hop contributors. You can find the full list here. You can visit Alice at her blog or through her website. 

You can purchase the book, Little Lady Liberty, here. Or as an e-book here. Other sewing titles published by the same author are available here.

I'd love to hear any Liberty-inspired stories from you. When I lived in Sydney in the '80's, I loved visiting the Liberty of London shop, I think in Elizabeth St? It was heavenly! 

'Studying' the inner city

I had forgotten just how long the summer break is for University students! After three months of being at home, our eldest blossie has been champing at the bit to get back to Sydney. 

She is studying at the University of Sydney, which means I get to re-visit familiar places from my time there 25 years ago.

I also get to hang out with the girl in Newtown and Glebe - 'hang out' is probably wishful thinking; 'stand out' is more accurate. These days, I loiter around the windows of florist shops - actually I did that 25 years ago too! But oh, how amazing inner city florists are now.

We were waiting one evening at a bus stop in Newtown, conveniently located outside an amazing florist called The Flower Room. The photos are confusing because of reflections from King St, but can you see the fabulous aloes growing suspended from sea urchin shells? So imaginative, and very spectacular.

I will definitely be returning in opening hours for a closer look.

The coffee shops were good in my day, with many an hour wiled away at Cafe Latte in Newtown, or Badde Manors in Glebe. Today, they are mind-blowing (and waist-thickening)! The girl took me to La Banette, a French pattisserie on Glebe Point Road. Oh my! Where to start?

We started with mille-feuille and coffee eclairs, and finished by walking out with a sample box for 'ron!

The benefits of having a daughter in Sydney ;) I haven't even made it to the fabric shops yet!

Special offer

One of my local quilt shops is sadly closing its doors on 22nd November. After over 10 years of supplying sewists across the Central West, Allyson Tilston is closing her beloved Marally Craft. However, in her usual optimistic style, she is seeing this as an opportunity for a new direction in her business life.

The good news for you is that Allyson has several kits of two of my quilts available at drastically reduced prices.

Spin to Play quilt

Size 53" x 57"

Detailed description here and here.

All kits include hard copy pattern.

Quilt kit (without backing) 

WAS AU$150 

NOW AU$75

plus AU$14.50 postage

Quilt kit (with backing) 

WAS AU$195 

NOW AU$97.50

plus AU$14.50 postage

Lovebird flannel quilt

Size 58” x 56½” 

Detailed description here.

All kits include hard copy pattern.

Quilt kit (without backing) 

WAS AU$160 

NOW AU$80

plus AU$14.50 postage

Quilt kit (with backing) 

WAS AU$220 

NOW AU$110

plus AU$14.50 postage

If you are interested in these quilt kits, give Allyson a call on (02) 6362 3860. I'd be quick though because they won't last long.

Allyson has reduced most of her stock, including fabrics and many other quilt kits, by 50%.

Tool of the week

Behold, my favourite gadget right now:

Any clues? Its footprint is barely bigger than my phone, making it compact and lightweight.

It unfolds to reveal a handy portable light! For a whopping outlay of $11.25 at Officeworks, it has thirty LEDs, three brightness levels and recharges via a USB cable.

While it won't compete with a dedicated craft lamp, it wins on portability and ease of use. Perfect to throw in your bag for sewing group.

I use it on its brightest setting, and it is certainly adequate for a short stint of stitching. Nifty, huh?!

TGIF

Friday ... time for a little end-of-week tipple in the garden - and to play with photos in Picmonkey!

Still admiring my purchases from The Home Patch last weekend, including some of Anni's 'Love to Garden' fabrics and some sweet-as thread keepers from The Red Thread that I've been searching for.

Hoping to make some progress on Anni's 'Heart & Soul' pincushion kit in whisper-soft Tilda fabrics.

Although too much tippling might put an end to the sewing - or perhaps lend a more relaxed look to my stitches :) Happy Friday evening everyone!

For the fabric tragics

The latest & perhaps loveliest marketing ploy to entice us all to buy more fabric ...

... lusciously shot, imaginative and clever films on YouTube ...

... by Art Gallery Fabrics. Tempted? Ooooh, yeah!

Layer cakes and shortbread

After working with Joanna Figueroa's 'Strawberry Fields' to make this quilt, I knew I would find her next line all but irresistible. Didn't I tell you?! And so a layer cake of 'California Girl' arrived today from the lovely Jane @ Want It, Need It, Quilt.

The colours are fresh and happy, and I love the brighter blue that is new for Fig Tree. I'm not sure how Joanna does it, but there is always a soft vintage feel about her designs, which reels me in every time. 

Jane is generously giving away a 'California Girl' layer cake on her blog, 'Quilt Jane, Want It, Need It, Quilt'. Hop on over here to enter.

There has been a frenzy of creative activity in the house since the kids finished school. I will be back soon with some of their action.

In the meantime, I have been busy doing some Christmas cooking for friends. I stayed with two of my fail-safe recipes, rocky road and almond and white chocolate shortbreads. Packaged in cellophane bags with cute printable tags from Martha Stewart.

Feeding the fabric fetish

Since moving to town four years ago, I would guess I have visited my local quilt shop at least once a week. Yet in four years, I've not managed to spot this treasure ... until today! It is a rare piece of 'Up Town' Paint by Number by Erin Michael for Moda, and incorporates two of my favourite things, birds AND blooms. If your heart misses a beat at the sight of this fabric too, I'm sure the girls at Marally can help: their email is info@marallycraft.com.au

In other fabric news, I picked up these pieces over the holidays. I am loving using grey just at the moment, and I have these ear-tagged to make up a boy's version of my Little Abracadabra. They are mostly Michael Miller fabrics ('Zoology', 'Play Dot'  and 'Play Stripe' in sea, 'Dumb Dot' in grey, 'Feeling Groovy' in charcoal) with a little bit of Jenean Morrison's 'Silent Cinema' thrown in.

Before the holidays, I had the enormous pleasure of playing with some pre-release fabrics from Amy Butler's new line, 'Lark'. This line is everything you've come to expect from Amy - dynamic, bold, large-scale, colour-saturated gorgeousness.

This is another one of those annoying 'secret projects', I can't reveal too much just now. But I can tell you that there was some applique involved ... 

 

 ... and that there is much excitement afoot for next year's issues of Australian Homespun. Just sayin' :)

Some kind of wonderful ... indeed

It just happened that my youngest blossie was selected for a CWA Public Speaking competition in Bathurst this week. I could hardly visit Bathurst without popping in to The Home Patch. As serendipity would have it, Annie Downs' new book, 'Some Kind of Wonderful', had just arrived and was ready for purchase! 

Annie never disappoints. This book is filled with sweet and whimsical projects. Here are some of my favourites, and will be added to my ridiculously unachievable 'to do' list!

A very sweet, birdy cushion, embellished with felt daisies and jumbo ric-rac.

Surely the prettiest heat bag ever, with Annie's distinctive felted woollen blooms.

And a simple, and very lovely daisy quilt.

These are just three of sixteen projects in Annie's book, available at THe Home Patch, hot off the press!

Hey, big spender ...

After weeks of relative restraint on quilting purchases, I have weakened lately in preparation for a flurry of creative activity (ha, so don't quote me ... lots of plans, no prospect of any spare time)! In my mailbox this week:

A soft & sumptuous 'Strawberry Fields' layer cake, by Fig Tree & Co for Moda. Purchased from Jane at the very appropriately named Want It, Need It Quilt Store. I highly recommend Jane's store for her prompt delivery and competitive Australian prices on Moda precuts. I have a new quilt planned for these lovelies.

A spring clip and chain from Marg Low Designs, to make Marg's 'Delightful Blooms' purse in this month's Australian Homespun - a perfect little Easter holiday project, that will surely be accomplished in a wink?

And a new quilt pattern from Shea at Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio, at the request of my son, who says it's very cool and wants in it exactly these colours! It is called 'Seeing Squares' and is available here. On first reading, it seems a very clever and well written pattern. I am looking forward to getting my teeth into this one. Son is even offering to learn to quilt, knowing full well how long his last quilt took me to make! Perhaps I'll take him up on it!

Hey, big spender ... S-P-E-N-D a little time with me!

Bloom x

The birthday wish list of a 9-year-old girl

It was my youngest daughter's 9th birthday last weekend. My handmade gift for her is late - nothing new there! I am in the process of converting this 'Sweet' jelly roll ...

... into a version of Janelle Wind's 'Flowers for Daisy-Mae':

If you happen have a nine-year-old girl in your life who you need gift ideas for, here are some of the things that were on my blossie's birthday wish list:

Kimidoll jewellery, in particular this bracelet & matching necklace:

Penny Scallan Girly Bird toiletry bag:

Style Me Up glamour purse:

Klutz 'Fancy' Paper fashions:

Crayola Slik Stix super smooth crayons

My personal favourite was a special edition Pippi Longstocking book (my choice!), purchased here. It is a beautiful hardcover book, delightfully illustrated by Lauren Child, who we both love.

My sincere thanks to each and every one of you for your best wishes and prayers for my health. At my best, I have convinced myself that all will be well - that God has taken good care of me in the past, and can again. At my worst, usually laying awake in the dead of night, I relive my previous tumour experience & dread what may be ahead for me. All prayers and good vibes will continue to be gratefully received!