wattlebee

Jam Drop Cookies Recipe

2012-01-17T13:09:00.007+10:00

Hope Christmas at your house was a lovely, relaxing day filled with love and laughter. We had lots of fun with the family at the beach this year, didn't really want to come back to the big smoke.
The holidays allowed reading, baking and general lazyiness. Today it is raining and miserable so I baked some family favourites -Jam Drops and have included our recipe if you feel tempted to try.

Needed: 125 g softened butter, ½ cup caster sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg, 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon custard powder, jam.

To make jam drops, cream butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Sift in flours and custard powder, and combined with a wooden spoon. Roll into balls (I used about 1 tablespoon of mixture per a ball) and place onto baking paper covered tray. Use your finger to make an indent, and fill with your jam (I used raspberry jam in mine). Bake for about 15 – 20 mins. YUM!

January also brought our newest contribution to Homespun Magazine - cover shown below.

I had lots of fun making these two dolls.

Just wanted to wish you all a happy 2012 before January is over :) Hope it is everything you wish it to be.

Take care

Deb

Come for a walk...

2011-12-16T13:45:00.006+10:00

Hi, Feel like a walk through GoMA? I took lots of photos (where allowed) on our Tuesday visit. Four exhibitions to see and worth a look. It's quite amazing that we don't have to travel far to see wonderful and inspiring art work...it comes to us. As much as I'd love to go to paris and Japan etc to see some of these works it probably won't happen for a long time, so for now, here's what I saw at GoMA.

Below -Yayoi Kusama - Japanese artist.

This room was amazing to walk around, along with the inflated spotty shapes below.

This is one of the children's activity rooms (Holly has worked in here). It is called The Obliteration Room, and you can see why.

Below is part of the Pip and Pop Exhibition. All in minature, pastel lolly coloured, and quite fantastic. Made from icing (cake decorating), folded paper, modelling compounds, plastics etc. I took this photo from above looking down into the room. Kids can lay on cushions and view some of the suspended works from below.

Some elements light up and twinkle. It's a whole little world and very magical.

The Matisse Exhibition was wonderful, I'm so glad I got to see his work. Truly prolific artist. The Drawing Room is another area of the Exhibition worth taking some time in ( not allowed to photograph anything to do with Matisse). The area is set up in keeping with the time and includes drawing materials ( digital as well as traditional) and plenty of beautiful stimulus. There is a lovely violinist playing and the atmosphere is amazing.

This was how I spent Tuesday.
Hope you are able to visit yourself or at least sit back and enjoy the view with me.
Take care
Deb

Two in a row!!

2011-11-25T13:52:00.013+10:00

A lovely friend in Brazil has sent images of dolls made from my patterns and I wanted to showcase them as she makes them with such skill and care...and beautiful fabric choices. Thanks Angela.

A proud mum moment! Holly's dream job is about to start and she is very excited. She will be working at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane at the Children's Centre. Her first exhibition job will be for Pip and Pop's "We miss you magic land". The exhibition looks amazing. Next, we just have to wait for an offer from QUT and she is off and running. Holly has done all the hard work and completed her senior studies, applied for a Fine Art & Visual Art course, had her interview and now awaits results I guess. Meanwhile it is nice to have her company and imput during the holidays.

A beautiful apron made especially for me. What a lovely gift. The fabric is really smart and the styling is perfect...I love retro! Thank you Amie. I would love a dress out of this fabric.

If you are experiencing cool or cold weather in your part of the world I'd love to be there too. I hate the hot weather and it is humid as well as just plain hot here at the moment. Hubby has some insulation batts to help in the studio and I have pestered him for air conditioning as well. Just have to afford the power now! How nice it will be though. I think it might be a good trade off, more time in my studio means more peace for him:)

Making Pizza for dinner tonight.

Take care

Deb

This month

2011-11-25T11:52:00.004+10:00

So much activity this month. November is flying away and I haven't recorded anything as yet. Thinking back it's been a month of preparation. Preparation for new projects, study, Holly's future and everything else in between.

Parcels have been arriving regularly...I think a couple delivery vans know the address quite well.
One such buy was my cute little bias machine. Okay, I guess it's not essential, but it was sooo cute! I saw it last year at the Melbourne trade show and decided I didn't want to cart it home on the plane. It works really well and very happy with it. The tray/extention table at the back of picture belongs to a deluxe rotary cutter that I also purchased. Now, the jury is still out on that one. I thought as I get sore wrists cutting with a normal rotary cutter it would be a good addition, but I can't seem to get a really straight cut which is vital if cutting for a quilt. I'm told it takes practise, will wait a little longer and see. If anyone has experience with this and can offer some advice I would be most grateful!
New triangle templates for my nursery quilt.

Oh, and I love wrapping parcels, so I have new string...loved the colour so that arrived too.

Nearly forgot! New tags.

And..my first clothing pattern has arrived. Olivier is my model so a few trials will be made over the holidays ready for grading. I haven't mentioned he'll be trialling the dress pattern yet...but he is only two so I don't think he will complain. Eagerly awaiting the rest of the patterns. Always dreamed of making childrens clothes especially when they can be good for us and the planet.

When I mentioned delivery vans heading my way, I wasn't kidding. Fabric, fabric and more fabric in readiness for the kids clothes has arrived. I love beautiful fabric and these are truly beautiful to look at and feel. The woven denim below is gorgeous, ethically & enviromentally manufactured and will be so comfortable to wear that I can't wait to get started.

Some interesting facts: hemp fibres are 25 times more durable than cotton; a low impact crop; breathe well, absorbs moisture and naturally resistant to damp, mould, mildew and bacteria, moths and silverfish. And best of all ( I have fair skinned kids) 100% hemp is 95%UV resistant.

This 100%hemp is soft and looks amazing. I have hemp/cotton blend t.shirt fabric also. Will be testing our screen printing and applique designs on these.

For now,

Deb

Pattern draw & feathered friends

2011-10-03T14:22:00.008+10:00

Congratulations!! Leandro please let me know where you would like your pattern sent. Hope you enjoy the making and result. Thanks everyone for participating. I'm only new at facebook but it is a great way of keeping in touch or to ask a question etc. A fellow doll maker has suggested kits so that the same fabric can be used and I'll work on that one. I usually need more hours in the day and helpers to make up advertised kits, but of course if I'm asked for them I will do my best (thanks Wendy).

These little guys have been preening and posing for their photoshoot all day. The species I believe is "delectibilus exquisitis" very rare and only one of each kind in existence. These beautiful birds are now available exclusively from the Wattlebee shop. Made locally by a very talanted artisan and sold under the Karrot Juice label.

Characteristics: Divine plumage and detail, light as a feather...sorry for the pun, and quirky stances.

Oh ! does my bum look big in this?

Back to dolls...Harriet is the latest soft doll sculpture on offer. These dolls look really cute on a sideboard or shelf and would make a great little companion in a sewing or childs room.

This is just a quick post as we are back to school Tuesday and I have tons of stuff to get ready. I had so much creative fun this holiday that I'm not really ready to go back yet.

Take care

Deb

What's New

2011-09-28T17:13:00.005+10:00

2nd week of holidays...going too fast! We had beautiful weather at Rainbow and the boy's went out fishing. Lots of walking, wiggling toes in the sand, reading and sleeping. The later was interrupted a little when our two little boys arrived for a short stay. It was a wonderful surprise and we loved spending time with them, but, I'd forgotten how much energy is required to keep on your toes around a 2 year old.

Finally able to launch our groomies...what are they? Holly is wearing one in her hair. I wanted to use some of the lovely Gypsy Bandana fabric and I think they work well. Holly has certainly been road testing them and they passed with flying colours. They have rubber coated wire that allows them to be twisted in place and are pretty comfortable.

We made short versions too.

and while we were on a roll...some felting. I love wet felting as you all know and combined with gorgeous sterling silver I think these drop earrings are a nice addition. They weigh nothing and feel beautiful on.

My latest news is something that I'm pretty excited about as it is an important part of who I am and what I would love to incorporate into Wattlebee. I have always played around with sustainable, eco and consumer friendly fabrics and ideas, whether through reusing, hand crafting and making items that are long lasting as well as beautiful or alternatives to mass produced items. Printing with non toxic dyes/inks and using natural fabrics will be our next endeavour in a small range of children's clothes. Creating with fabrics that breathe, don't contain pesticides and are produced ethically and sustainably in my mind will be so rewarding. Being able to produce something that could be cherished and then lovingly handed down in the old-fashioned way is my ideal and I think the world is slowly turning back to this.

updates on this soon!

happy sewing ,

Deb

Beach calling

2011-09-16T18:17:00.006+10:00

Thought I'd share a little more on the gelatine printing as we all use our products and techniques in different ways. (Bev)The fabric samples I showed previously have all been printed with fabric inks...such as shown here. They are water based and non toxic. They spread and intermix really well.The ink is runny but not too much and spreads well. Don't mind the gelatine plate it is looking a little worse for wear.....I threw it away shortly after as I hadn't kept this one in the fridge.

I rolled out the ink with a brayer which gives a good even coating.

I did use acrylic paint straight from the tube/bottle when I did some printing on paper but you need to work quickly and clean up straight away. I prefer the fabric inks. Hope you try it as it is lots of fun. I used my fabrics as feature panels on some IPOD cases during the week and it really makes something quite unique combined with commercial fabric trim.

This was the cake I was worried about as it was for Holly's friend turning 18, but all went really well. It was a Disney themed party with everyone wearing costumes based on a Disney film...Holly was a pirate ( Pirates of the Carribean). Our fav Op Shop was a great source as we found a jacket that I altered and trimmed with gold braid. All in all a great night I'm told. And yes, the cake was yummy. Holly's friend loves birds ( and pink) and was really pleased with the decoration, it also fitted with the disney theme perfectly. Oh, we made 4 doz cup cakes to surround the cake. Looked really pretty.

Yes, the beach is calling. It is the end of another school term and we are all ready for a break. The family have all had variations of cold and flu. I have had the flu and a sore back has had me walking around at right angles and feeling miserable, so a little peace, fresh air and sunshine should work wonders.

Olivier has turned two and he has a little party tomorrow to celebrate. More cup cakes!!

Take care and I hope you have a lovely week too.

Deb
ps. Not sure how to drive it yet but I'm on facebook so come and say hello.

Print some fun

2011-08-30T21:26:00.009+10:00

Have you tried gelatine printing? So much fun can be had with a little edible gelatine & water. You can buy ready to use plates that last a long time, but I just made one using 2 tablespoons of gelatine to every 1 cup of water. Dissolve gelatine in half the amount of cold water first then add other half of boiling water. Pour into flat dish and allow to set. Doesn't need to be in the fridge to set but keeps for 2-3 weeks in fridge afterwards. Carefully separate gelatine plate from mold, lift out and place on flat surface ....I used a small sheet of glass from picture frame. Roll, paint or spread dye, acrylic paint etc on gelatine plate. Fine detail can be obtained from feathers, thread, torn paper etc placed on top. Cover with paper or fabric and press smoothly with hands. Lift paper/fabric and you have a wonderful print. You can over print...just have fun. Try google for more info if interested as there is a lot to read by some very interesting artists.

a small sample of my first efforts.....

I used netting from an onion bag for this detail.

top and bottom ring of a cone of overlocker thread for these.

my messy collection.

I think I may use the squares to make unique little phone cases as they can be matched with plain fabrics to really showcase the designs.

One last show and tell...

This is "The CAKE" that has been an all consuming project for the last week. I made a white chocolate mudcake so that Holly could decorate it for her teacher going on maternity leave

(it's a little girl so pink was planned). I think she did a great job for a first effort.

We have another go at making one for the 18th birthday party this weekend.

Take care

Deb

Colours of the rainbow

2011-08-22T12:25:00.005+10:00

Well not quite but certainly beautiful and certainly the perfect thing to brighten up a miserable day weatherwise. It's drizzly rain and howling wind. Typical August weather I suppose. Did I mention it was cold? I know we are spoilt in Queensland but it has been a cold winter.
Back to colour....I have been playing with my felt and along with this great Gypsy Bandana print ..... ( and my trusty glue pen) which I don't normally use on dolls but has proved a great help.

Some scrunched, tea-stained muslin. Such a beautiful mellow colour and great texture. I have come up with this.

I'm so happy with the results.

Just wanted to say also that I am always ready and willing to share doll making tips or help with projects etc, so please ask or alternately, use this site to share any tips you may have, we all love to learn.

I'm thinking hot chips (naughty!) or soup for lunch....and then back to finishing the instructions for this pattern.

Deb

This week

2011-08-21T10:59:00.002+10:00

Holly and I have been practicing cake decorating on these cup cakes in readiness for an 18th birthday party in September. Holly wanted to make her friends cake as a special gift. Lots of work still to do on that but also lots of creative fun. These ones went to school so I wasn't tempted. I think we will try a white chocolate mud cake today. The weather is miserable...drizzling rain & quite cold, so perfect for baking.

You may wonder about the eclectic assortment today....these little guys are bandicoots courtesy of the Melbourne museum. I took the photo to compare what I have found digging up my garden. Little holes everywhere. I've never seen the holes before so whether it is due to recent floods or the cold snap I don't know but some shown above are endangered, some at risk. I suspect it is either the top middle or right long nosed species. They are so quick and elusive, and only spotted at night of course that I may never know.

Silence -2003 by Adrian Mauriks, at Dockside Melbourne.

And my little Tiger. He's almost 2yrs old...how time flies.

Take care

Deb

Sore feet

2011-08-18T21:38:00.012+10:00

I absolutely love Melbourne, the life style, fashion and innovative designers. But my poor feet!

A little colour magic....gorgeous mosaic
A window display( cute bird).....love the vintage lino......
and Kylie's bum......found at Dockside, along with a few other well knowns like Dame Edna Everage, Dame Nellie Melba and Graham Kennedy.

Mum, my sister and I had the best time away. I loved showing them some of the places I love to visit and that they had heard me yabber on about...quite a lot. We ate, laughed, walked, got lost a little, did I mention walked? We learn't which were the best routes down hill.

Mum & sis heading towards the Exhibition Building on route to Melbourne Museum.

A favourite shop is L'uccello - a vintage haberdashery store that I always make a point of visiting (mentioned this before..I Know!! ). This time was no exception and I arrived home with the most beautiful collection of wool felt. The colours are magnificent and I can't wait to use them. Oh, and a couple of the sweetest little cotton reels filled with linen and silk thread.

A cute gelato shop at Dockside.

We really enjoyed seeing the King Tut exhibition....well worth a visit. Each of us bought a silver scarab beetle pendant as a momento.

What I'm working on now? A new angel using some of the wool felt for applique. Bright and colourful with a little twist!

Just awaiting Cherry Pip patterns from Helen and she will be added to the shop.

Take care

Deb

Ideas!!

2011-08-04T12:50:00.006+10:00

Why not!
Cherry Pip has been keeping me company for a while and is now finished. I love working with wool felt and it felt nice and warm under my fingers during our cold snap. Still working on the pattern but will be ready soon.

Melbourne trip coming up quickly. It seems like yesterday it was 3 months away, but now next Friday is the day. Really looking forward to it. My sister and I are taking mum to see the King Tut Exhibition and then madly shopping.......more felt, yeah! Visiting the Press Club again also as I loved the experience during the school trip and would like to share it with them.

Talk soon

Deb

On the go in July

2011-07-18T17:52:00.005+10:00

Early July and our much awaited cooking class at the Spirit House, Yandina had arrived. The surroundings are lush and tropical. The perfect setting for a wonderful Asian (Thai in part) cooking experience. It was a fully hands on lesson and then lots of eating...yum!!

Forgot to take a photo before but this is an after...that didn't last long either. We cooked a delicious lamb cutlet marinated in fermented red bean curd and other ingredients and it was served with a beautiful pineapple salad/relish. If you like the sweet/sour and salty combo of Thai food you will know what I mean....so moorish. Malaysian Rendang curry, Thai fried rice with sticky pork and some extremely yummy spicy chicken pastries that were served with a cucumber salad/relish. Yes, it was a very nice day and I have cooked all of the dishes a few times at home since then along with a few new ones.

Something else that kept me busy was preparation for a Textile Workshop at school. It was a very big day but the students had lots of fun.

T.shirts were purchased for each student and they got to embellish using various mediums such as freezer paper stencils, fabric paint/spray, applique, suffolk puffs ( we had a little factory churning out suffolk puffs at one stage as some of the girls really enjoyed this exercise), and lastly simple embroidery stitches.

After they had used all the spray dye it was down to sponges and fabric paint.

Anyway, the girls were really proud of their results and it was a Friday....so all was good.

Last but certainly not least my baby had her school formal on Saturday...the last one, so a little sad. She had a wonderful time and we were very proud of her.

For now, take care.

Deb

My b day

2011-06-23T10:39:00.013+10:00

Wonderful family and friends made yesterday very special. Another birthday bites the dust but good memories are added to a very blessed life.
Holly made a cute chocolate cake as she is on holidays...the kitchen was also a surprise when I got home, but can't be annoyed at that after the effort. The cake below was one she was practising for her Home Economics exam. It was delicious also. She didn't end up topping with the extra berries but it was crowned with toffee shards, a strawberry and mint leaf. We don't watch MasterChef for nothing LOL.

The sponge cake and custard were made from scratch and after quite a few attempts ( we didn't mind tasting the rejects) EUREKA!! she got it! Those food stacking rings are great tools.

This gorgeous bird was a very special gift. Made all by hand with paper mache, painted and decorated with gorgeous patterned papers and completed with hand fashioned wire legs. The craftsmanship ( or should I say craftswomanship) is absolutely exquisite. If you are like me and love crafted birds especially these I can point you in the direction of the artist. I will have photos of her other birds soon to show & going to aquire some for sale myself so I'll post more info later on this. Too lovely not to share.

I am lucky enough to have wonderful friends at work and made to feel special with lovely gifts & greetings.
The most gorgeous scissors ...heading straight to the studio. Arty earrings wich I love, beautiful flowers, crafty magnets, chocs and birthday greetings....yep, very special.

Yellow roses are probably my fav & these certainly brightened up my day as well as work space.

Take Care and hope your day is special also,

Deb

June happenings.

2011-06-15T15:59:00.007+10:00

June is always a busy month for us. Two family birthdays, school holidays looming again and this year, preparations for Holly's school formal. This final senior year is flying along and it will be over all too soon. It is a very exciting one though as pathways for study and the future are mapped out. Better just worry about formal dress and shoes for now. That's drama enough!

The Textile Show was on last weekend and was a really interesting day out. I took a quick snap of this clever wearable art example...not sure about photography in there so It was very quick.

So much to see and do. I brought home some great new products for dyeing fabric, decolourants, wool & silk strands for embellishments and generally way too many things. Oh, I forgot the books...I love books and found two that were perfect additions to my resources. One was on interesting Shibori methods and the other on natural dyeing. I know I read too much and do too little at times but one day.........

The next exciting happening was the Surrealist exhibition at GoMA. Interesting and worth seeing if you are in town.

Rene Magritte, The red model

Back to Melbourne..... and down a little alley opposite Federation Square is Movida. Would like to eat at this Spanish restaurant one day. Heading down in August for the Tutankhamun exhibition so hopefully get a chance then. There is lots of graffiti and skateboarders too so plenty of atmosphere and colour.

Just had to show you these magnificent doors ( and daughter). I took this last April when we visited Nicola Cerrini's studio at the Abbotsford convent artist's community . The studio is actually to the left of pic and up a sharp flight of beautifully worn very old steps but I loved these doors too.

I've been playing around with Nuno felting scarves ( it's been extremely cold lately, well cold for Brisbane) and scarves have been on my mind. Dyeing, then embellishing. Hope I end up with something worth showing.

Take care for now,

Deb

ps. Thank you Stephanie & Bev for your kind thoughts, always appreciated.

Happy to be back

2011-05-02T14:33:00.012+10:00

The last few months have been very difficult and I have tried very hard to get back into the swing of writing but the words never came. My dad passed away in March after a month in hospital. Watching him fade and waiting for the day he would no longer be with us was all consuming for our family. Mum has made us proud by the way she has handled it all and by her strength. This Anzac Day we scattered his ashes in a spot he loved and where we spend time as a family. It was a special day and the fly over by the Hornet jet in honour of the Anzacs was a tribute we took as a special little moment for dad as well.

In the midst of this life must go on and my job was to plan a school Home Economics trip to Melbourne again this April. The excitement seemed incidental and I didn't really want to go...but I'm glad now that I did. So many lovely other things to think about and keep me busy. Melbourne is such an exciting and inspiring place to visit. The weather for the trip was pleasant, cool enough to allow some winter dressing and keep comfortable while running from here to there. One of the first visits I had arranged was to RMIT. The Brunswick campus is home to the school of fashion and textiles. WOW!! I wished I was 30 years younger so I could sign up. I loved the screen printing area. So much room to play around in and so many gorgeous pieces of equipment. There is something about screen printing that is so addictive.
Below are some images I took on the tour -

A group of final year students working on fashion garments. The room had beautiful big windows and the light was streaming in. What a studio.

This was a weaving studio. I loved the way the large spools of colour were arranged on the shelves.
Well used screens stacked up.

Holly and I at St. Kilda. Had to walk off the yummy cakes we were instructed to buy from the delectable Acland St cake shops.. Mandatory I was told by Head of Dept.

Me again with some interesting grafitti behind. We had a very pleasant and informative foodies walking tour of Melbourne with Alan Campion. He is a well respected food author and critic and we really enjoyed learning more about the history of the Melbourne food scene as well as picking up some insight on out of the way places to enjoy next time.

I love this...think it was at the top of Rose St. Collaged image of a young girl with cards...they have fallen and are pooling on the pavement.

Have to talk about the food...we did a lot of eating! This is chicken with beetroot and yoghurt a main course -sharing plate at The Press Club ( George Calombaris's restaurant). Absolutely delicious, would go there again in a heartbeat.

This was the other main - wild Barramundi on spinach. Notice the black cypriot salt. This fish was also delicious.

For something a little fancy we finished the trip with a meal at The Flower Drum. You don't go there if your hungry you go for the experience. And it certainly was that. This entree was amazing...barra noodles, shitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots. I wanted MORE!!

Lastly a few of the pastries bought at St. Kilda to share. This one was apparently advertised as the best vanilla slice in the state. I think they were right without tasting the rest.

This one looked so pretty...tasted good too.

And lastly, our cup cake aficionado was quite pleased with taste, texture and aesthetics of this one, I think that's what she said...hard to enunciate with a mouthful of cake.

Talk soon, lots of inspiration for us crafters in Melbourne.

Deb

Newest additions

2011-01-31T10:11:00.020+10:00

This is little Oscar...born 15th Dec. Olivier now has a little brother and we are proud grandparents once again.....beautiful boy!

My new Gypsy Bandana fabric by Michael Miller....the colours are magnificent. This, to me, was a standout at the Melbourne quilt market and I knew I just had to work with it. I have made bags and prepared kits from this fabric...just waiting on finishing the accompanying revised pattern.

Everyone is back at school and it's very hot...cyclones looming and all the other fun things that happen at this time of year. My friend Bohdana in Prague mentioned it's snowing there and they must wait 2 months for the sun.... what an amazing world. I must show you her beautiful award winning doll "Fire". She is a very talented doll maker indeed.

Another lovely friend, Angela from Brazil has sent images of dolls made from my patterns...they are always beautifully made and look fantastic. This doll is made from a Warm Hearts pattern.

Time for lunch.

Take care

Deb

Crazy rabbit season

2011-01-20T09:08:00.018+10:00

Today I had fun making this little rabbit. The fabric has been sitting patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it....one of my fat quarter buys + some absolutely gorgeous felt. If you would like to make one too I have included step by step instructions & printable pattern sheet.
I have weighted the body with a little sand but you could omit the sand and depending on fabric choice work cross stitches for the eyes and it would make a fun baby toy.

front & back view of crazy rabbit.

Okay...these are the supplies required -10 x 12 " piece of fabric, stuffing, sewing (doll needle optional) needle, embroidery thread to compliment fabric colours, 2 small buttons (if using), matching sewing thread, 1 cup clean dry sand (if using), a turning tool ( stuffing tool or chopstick etc), Fray stop & general sewing equipment.

To make...Cut out pattern & place on wrong side of folded fabric as shown step 1. Trace around pattern (this is your sewing line). Transfer marks for opening on body.

Step 1.

Using a small stitch length sew completely around rabbit - leaving side opening.

Step 2.

Apply some Fray Stop to the outside of seams and allow to dry.

Step 3.

Cut rabbit out with a 1/4" seam allowance and clip into seams around curves...especially between the ears (Step 5).

Step 4.

Step 5.

Fold base so that bottom seam and side seam are together - forming a triangle.

Step 6.

Mark 1 inch down from point and mark.....repeat for other side.

Step 7.

Sew across on line and cut away excess as shown.

Step 8.

Turn body right side out using a tool. Starting at an ear, rub fabric so that it separates and forms a pocket so that you can insert the tool. Roll the fabric over itself gently pushing the fabric inside the body. Repeat for other ear. Pull the ears out through side opening.

Step 9.

You can make a simple funnel from paper or cardboard. Use this to pour sand into base.

Step 10.

Place a layer of stuffing inside rabbit to cover loose sand.

Step 11.

Place stuffing towards ear and push into place with tool. Keep stuffing ears then body until firm.

Step 12.

Stuffing should look overfull. using matching thread neatly stitch opening closed.

Step 13.

From a scrap of wool felt - trace and cut one nose and one tail.

Position nose using image and pattern for a guide.

I used a small amount of glue to keep the nose in place while blanket stitching the shape using matching thread.

Step 14.

Step 15.

Mark mouth using a pencil. Using 6 strands of embroidery thread back stitch mouth.

Whiskers: Using a doll needle threaded with 6 strands of embroidery thread enter one side of nose and exit the other - leave approx 5 cm tails on either side before cutting thread. Separate each tail of thread into 2 groups of 3 strands and knot close to fabric.
Sew buttons or work a cross stitch for eyes as shown on pattern.
Step 16.

Place the felt circle (tail) in place on rabbit (see view of rabbits back). Using matching thread blanket stitch around circle. Leave approx 1-2 cms open and push a small amount of stuffing inside. Complete blanket stitching.

Step 17.

Another crazy rabbit....yeah!!

I'd love to see what you come up with. It would be kinda cute for Easter with a handmade choc egg...yum!

Take care

Deb

A new day

2011-01-15T13:46:00.005+10:00

I don't really know where to begin today. Home may never be the same for so many in Queensland after the devastating floods. It certainly is an amazing sight to see so many rallying to help others, it should make us all very proud to be Australians. The stories of survival warm our hearts as much as the stories of sacrifice and loss sadden them. Closer to home - Brisbane and Ipswich at least had warning, I can't even begin to understand the heartache of families in Toowoomba, Murphy's Creek and Grantham.

Even though we are told that it will take a long time to fully recover I believe the amount of work done already by voulnteers and authorities will surprise everyone in how quickly Queensland recovers.

It hardly seems significant in the scheme of things at the moment but hopefully it will brighten some ones day to know the latest Homespun magazine has some fun projects...as always.

I wanted to show you my contribution....at least looking at the picture you can forget all the rain and imagine a normally bright sunny summer on an Australian beach.

Best wishes

Deb

Flooding

2011-01-10T14:57:00.002+10:00

Hi,
Just a quick message. I'm unable to get back home from holiday due to the flooding in Queensland so please, if you have ordered and haven't heard from me....I'm stranded! Can't answer emails either...that's what you get for leaving technology behind. Hoping to get back by the end of the week....feeling really lost without my sewing machine. Til then...
take care
Deb

2010-12-25T19:15:00.002+10:00

Merry Christmas

Source

Wishing you all a safe, peaceful and joy filled Christmas.

Getting ready for Christmas

2010-12-09T18:41:00.007+10:00

Hi,

Well school has finished for another year and Holly and I have taken advantage of our freedom and been busy in the studio making some new collectables for Christmas. I know it is last minute but we only just thought of them. Holly was madly drawing while in Melbourne and came up with these adorable "Christmas Beetles". Exams and all that goes with end of year meant we could only start making them now. Hope you think they are as cute as we do.

Each beetle is approx 10 inches tall to tip of antenna...fully painted cloth and weighted so they stand nicely for display. Butterflies and wabbits to come...stay posted.

Melbourne was loads of fun. Met Helen and Lori from Pattern Press and was thrilled to see my quilts etc up there on display in Helen's beautiful stand. It was a really interesting day with lots of new fabrics ( OMG the new Michael Miller fabric) and lots of inspiration to take home. I picked up some beautiful felted wool fabric and can't wait to start using it....may be better in our winter as at the moment it is really humid and I'd rather be painting.

Some shots of Melbourne I'd like to share...

This is a facinating design journal on display at ACMI and the dress Nicole Kidman wore in Moulin Rouge.....

and a costume that Cate Blanchet wore in Elizabeth 1st.

This beautiful gown was so delicate...it was in 100 years of fashion at Federation Square....Ian Potter Centre.

This is where we stayed (the dark grey building) Breakfree Hotel in Little Bourke St. Everything was booked out in Melbourne so we gave it a try. The room was much nicer than the reception area....such a lovely heritage building but a lot of the charm had been built over inside. Still, a comfortable and well appointed room and certainly a perfect location.

Busy, busy Melbourne...what a great image....bikes, taxis, trams, trains and feet.
Great shot Holly!!

Chicken soup for dinner. It's been raining all week and really humid when it's not so we took a chance tonight and yes, it stopped raining....but we do like soup.

Take care

Deb

special people

2010-11-13T10:37:00.008+10:00

Something very special comes with having an online shop. Over the years I have had the good fortune to "meet" some very special people...you know who you are. It's the best part of throwing yourself into the www. On Thursday I received a parcel all the way from Brazil and after eagerly unwrapping - Oh! even the parcel smelt lovely, I held the most beautifully made "Country Seamstress" cloth doll. Angela, my Brazillian friend makes cloth dolls too and I felt very honoured to receive this one....so much detail and so beautifully finished. I really love the crotcheted bag.....and the small cotton reel earrings.......and the little rolls of fabric...everything!!

If you have ever watched "The Castle" you will know what I mean when I say she is going straight to the pool room (Studio). Thank you Angela.

Been busy, school almost over for another year...countdown on now. Can't wait to have full days sewing. Friday 19th Holly and I are heading off to Melbourne (probably mentioned that) we're looking forward to it. It is a trade show so it will be lovely catching up with designers and the lovely people that stock my patterns. I'm looking forward to also showing Holly a little bit of Melbourne.....whatever we can pack into 3 days. Melbourne is a really nice city to visit. Next April there will be a Home Economics trip for year 11 & 12 and as I work in that Dept (as well as art) and helped plan it they can't go without me..yeah!! I have booked a lunch at The Press Club, George Calombaris's restaurant, and the staff have been so nice in arranging a talk with the chef/kitchen staff afterwards, I hope George is there too :)

We have pencil cases and reading/sun glasses cases to make today, so lots of sewing and then I have a party to deliver Holly to. The boys are at the beach collecting worms...that's another story, if you are really interested I will dig up some info on beach worms..ha ha!

Oh! and a bit of wildlife on our verandah..the possum of course looks startled, who wouldn't with the camera flash, and the gorgeous parrots eating the flowers off my Golden Penda tree. The birds are very rough and break branches but the sounds and the flurry of colour is amazing.

Take care,
Deb

I'm Back

2010-11-06T13:23:00.005+10:00

October was too crazy a month, all forgotten now.

The stress of preparation for Holly's semi formal, last weekend, is over. She had a wonderful time, looked lovely and danced all night......everyone happy.
Starting November with a fresh slate and a few new additions to my studio.....another great find at Ikea. I LOVE MY ROOM!

On friday afternoon I visited the Valentino Retrospective. Amazing!

We are heading down to melbourne on the 19th for the Australian Quilt Market. If your going too pop over to the Pattern Press stand on saturday and say hello, I'll be there, looking forward to meeting you, and showing some of my quilt patterns. The latest -Pretty windows, will be there.

Back to working on new quilt. Olivier loves fish, boats and all things ocean related, living at the beach will do that to you, so that's the theme for this quilt.

Take care and happy sewing,

Deb

Lifting Spirits

2010-10-03T22:41:00.006+10:00

This has been the month from hell! Well maybe not quite that bad (there were nice bits as well, Olivier turning one and now walking)...but viruses, tummy bugs hayfever(family) and then the final touch a lovely case of severe allergy reaction to "something"by me. I won't frighten you with the gory details, suffice to say only a mother could love what I look like at present. Went to the doctor today and have medications to stop itching, swelling etc. Fingers crossed they work as I'll be writing the next post from hospital otherwise.

I took some lovely photos in between puffing up and they do make me feel better. Hope they bring a smile to your face too.

Pots outside my studio door.

I surprised myself by finishing a new doll for Christmas....

Playing with buttons.....

A few leaves...

and here's "Holly".

Well it's the end of the school holidays here and it is back to study for another 8 weeks at least and then Christmas holidays. Boy has this year flown. I'm looking forward to that time of year again though.

For now, off to medicate and apply a cool bag...try to sleep...........more importantly try to get up in time for a hectic morning.

Take care

Deb

ps. I finished a cute drawstring bag to accompany the pink/choc quilt. Will show pics next time.

Spring Sprung!

2010-09-06T13:39:00.007+10:00

The last of winter...

The birds are tuning up and perfecting the sounds of Spring. I'm sure I heard something that sounded awfully like a Barbara Streisand tune this morning. Chirping, trilling and tweeting abound.

I love this entrance....it's like steping into my own little sanctuary.

Okay, I also love IKEA. Don't they have some clever solutions. I finally found the perfect sewing table, even though I went for a computer station, but hey! It's nice and strong and for once really simple to put together.

A lovely shelf ( ready and waiting) to display some treasures and gorgeous fabrics to colour my world.

Working on some cute cases for glasses. They have magnetic closures and are padded for protection. I have been using up some of the gorgeous fabrics I brought home from the last Craft Show.

As promised some pics of the completed "Pretty Windows" quilt. I allowed myself a limited pallet to see what could be done and I'm happy with the results. Something for everyone I hope. I love applique so this quilt's in a combo of raw edge applique, embroidery and embellishment. It is easily adaptable for needleturn or blanket stitch...however you like to work it.

Not the best shot, but you get an idea. Pattern writing and testing to complete and it's off to Helen.

Take Care

Deb

Close up

2010-08-12T22:06:00.004+10:00

The finishing touch for my room is this gorgeous painting by talented local artist, Karen James. So many cute details and yes, that's me sewing....I even have a little "bee' pin.

Must get up early for a busy day tomorrow as I'm off to the Exhibition helping supervise a group of yr 10 students...then back to finish quilting my chocolate & pink quilt. It's coming along nicely and I'm really happy with it. Hopefully I'll have a picture of the finished quilt to share next post.

Wishing you a lovely day also.
Deb

Studio time

2010-08-10T19:50:00.004+10:00

Finally downloaded some peeks of my studio. I feel very at home there and it is a pleasure to work in. A glimpse from outside. I'm thinking of a cute little awning over the front door.

Still sorting, culling and finding homes for everything. I've had the big old table on the left for a long time. It has served many functions over the years and I suspect it had a pretty interesting life before I found it too. Later on I'm going to ask my friendly carpenters for benches to house my sewing machines and computer, but for now this is it.

No shelves either till I decide where things will stay.

I love collecting vintage sewing bits & bobs...didn't want to hide them away. Some of the buttons came from the vintage habby shop in Melbourne that I mentioned in an earlier post.

At the moment Holly & I are working on some cute projects for an upcoming Gala Night (early Christmas) at school.
The rain is pouring down tonight as it did most of the day. Tomorrow we have a public holiday for the Ekka (Exhibition) in Brisbane and then Thursday as well for school children..Yeah!! I'm hoping for a couple of lovely sewing days.

Whatever you are up to...have fun!

Deb

The old days

2010-07-29T16:12:00.003+10:00

Not exactly our flight home...but what a display! I love the glass and the open expanse of light and sky.

A panel of a very pretty quilt ( not the best photography through glass) made by Martha Bergin in 1843. Born in Ireland, she moved to Australia in 1851 and lived a full and adventurous life. This beautiful delicate handstitched work was spotted at the museum. Her father was a draper so she obviously had a great choice of fabric scraps to work with. So much detail.

Paragon shoes...I don't think I'd get too far in those.

No visit to Melbourne would be complete without seeing Pharlap.

A view of the city.

Just taking a break from transferring all my treasures to my almost complete studio. It is such a lovely space and I feel very lucky to have it. Will take some up to date photos to share as soon as it stops raining. We have little things like trims and the front door to paint but apart from that...it's all good! I'll get some benches made to suit the sewing machines and office area later but for now any old desk etc will do.

Is it raining where you are? I don't mind if it keeps raining until the weekend, so much nicer to work with the gentle sound of rain splattering over the metal roof.

Have a lovely day

Deb

All aboard

2010-07-28T21:02:00.007+10:00

Outside the Melbourne Museum...I love this image and I thought our fishing mad sons would be envious of "the big one" shown here.

An amazing transformation.

Lining up to board the Titanic. This exhibit was well worth seeing and beautifully presented. Without spoiling anything if you are going to visit yourself, the trip starts with being presented with your boarding pass. Bothy Hubby and I were first class passengers and after reading our little bio it made the experience much more interesting as at the end you can check whether you survived or not. I was really surprised to find I went down with the ship ( may have had something to do with the amount of luggage I was supposed to have taken)and my hubby survived....not sure about that one! I was also surprised to find quite a number of Australians had been working on the ship during the voyage.

Felt like I was being watched in the museum. An impressive display but also a little sad.

Take care

Deb

Back to normal

2010-07-08T12:27:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone,

Just in time to have a holiday from my "holidays". Yes, it's July already and I feel like time is slipping away. We will be getting ready for Christmas before we know it.

Melbourne was wonderful, apart from being freezing. They had the coldest day on record just after we arrived home so it could have been worse. Melbournians (think that's right!) are geared for the cold, unlike us, so they are better prepared. They also are very helpful and have setup helpful information centres everywhere (it seems) for visitors. I love the free shuttle buses and City Circle trams as they have commentary on route and you can't get lost. I was the guide, as I had been before, and I usually have a terrible sense of direction but we found our way around without hitch.

On the Sunday we decided to head to St. Kilda and the Esplanade markets. Lots of wonderful handmade goods found on a surprisingly clear day. The smell of salt and seaweed was strong walking along the boardwalk...not unpleasant though. And yes, we did indulge in a couple of St Kilda's famous ( rightly so) cakes. Coming back the tram broke down. We thought we were really clever finding an alternate one and it broke down as well. After walking along St. Kilda road FOREVER we gave up and caught another. Does this happen regularly? Couldn't believe I didn't have my camera strapped to my body as usual and it was too late to go back and get it so I missed getting any shots of that day.

Our room was cosy.........

Okay, not actually our room but in the 19th century a typical bedroom in Lonsdale St. I really enjoyed seeing the Melbourne Museum. They had some amazing exhibits and in particular, the early days of Melbourne.

Inside a huge shopping mall............and there is this incredible glass tower for a roof. it covers an old shot tower. Certainly unexpected.

Outside Federation Square and the Tim Burton Exhibition. Lots to tell about the Titanic exhibition & more.

Almost forgot, while exploring I found a gorgeous Vintage Haberdashery shop at The Nicholas Building 205/37 Swanston St. The owner was lovely to talk with and I collected some wonderful items to use in decorating my studio. She also has a Blog www.luccello.blogspot.com . L'uccello is open Thursday-Friday 10-6 & sAT 10-4.

Take care

Deb

Bring on July

2010-06-24T19:04:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone,
June has been a miserable month....it's my birthday month so that part was great, but having the flu makes me wish for a new beginning....bring on July! The weather has been cool/cold and fairly wet. Well it is winter here so I can't really complain about that.

I feel a bit lost at the moment which doesn't help either as my youngest is in Japan on a fantastic school trip. She has been studying Japanese for 4 1/2 years & I'm so glad she is having a wonderful time...she says Japan is "awesome"!! Just miss her though.

Also finishing off my secret squirrel project for Homespun Magazine. Really happy with the result. Will have some pics soonish to show.

I promise to brighten up the blog posts with some photos soon as well. Hopefully some shots of Melbourne as we are leaving early in the morning for a few days R&R. I'm looking forward to seeing the Titanic Exhibition at the Museum. I've always been fascinated with the Titanic so should be great.

Still waiting on the Studio. Windows are in and the walls are partly painted. Lights are hooked up, so not much left to do. My old area is not very inspiring at the moment as STUFF is everywhere waiting on shelves being finished. Now that would be a lovely surprise on our return....will have to speak nicely to the resident pixies!

Off to finish packing, just wanted to say I am still here. Will have lots to share next week.

Take care
Deb

Busy Bees

2010-05-24T10:31:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone,
The excitement is building in my little corner of the world. My new studio is becoming a reality. Step by step it's coming together. The boys have been working hard and Holly has been sorting buttons! We might get some pretty new jars or some cute old ones to house the colours and they will brighten up a shelf. Decorating is in her DNA.

Looking through one of the windows to a pretty wild garden. Outside is an old, very big mandarin tree with the worst fruit in the world. It's absolutely laden with fruit too, of course! It's fate is often a topic of conversation but I'd hate to remove it as it looks so lovely.

Inside, boxes of tiles to lay. The floor will be lovely and cool in our hot climate and easy to clean. And the best inclusion ever...a store room.

This is the lovely old door I have been saving. Now to strip the paint, clean & sand.

Not sure what colour to paint the door....will think about that!

This is the front. There is another set of windows on the right under the tarp. I can see a large pot of flowers will be perfect under the window.

Apart from all the outdoor construction I have been asked to work on a project for Homespun's Australiana issue out next January. Sounds like a long way away but as everything needs to be completed by end of June it is a priority right now. I really enjoy doing this particular issue and Wattle was my contribution for last year.

Well, back to organising some more patterns to be sent down to Helen in Tassie ready for her return from the US quilt show. As well as finishing off my pink nursery quilt.

Enjoy your day.

Deb

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:43:00.008+10:00

Stress levels normal...........computer drama fixed.....and it's a beautiful day. Thank goodness!!

Today started with a lovely breakfast, a leisurely walk to nan & pop's house for morning tea and then back to working on the studio. Even though I'm not doing any of the work ( except bring tea & biscuits)it's exciting.

The weather is lovely, just cool enough to be comfortable still in short sleeves and great sleeping weather.

Still working on my new quilt. I have made changes to design images as well as colour choices....that's what designing is all about. Drawings are great on paper but don't always translate to fabric well and some colours just fall into place.

I wasn't using any brown ( chocolate ) until I started arranging the design elements and it just happened. I guess everything really is a little better with chocolate! I'm really pleased with the result at this stage and will show more soon.

Also, there is a fashion show at caboolture 15th May showcasing some wonderful new designers. One creative and talented designer Antje Palandt will be exhibiting her felted wearable designs...check out these link: website, blog

Hope all mums enjoy their special day,

Deb

Drama!!

2010-05-06T10:45:00.002+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick post.....
I'm having a frustrating time getting computers working properly and just wanted to explain -should you not have received replies to emails or worse....orders not processed. I have installed a new "super dooper" computer that has Windows 7 and, well...it's different! Everything conflicts, can't get my internet or networking going etc, etc. The older computer that died and then resurrected itself has gone 'all wobbly' in sympathy. We are working at getting everything sorted so in the meantime, thank you for your understanding and patience.

Take care ( and say nice things to your computer).
Deb

This weekend

2010-04-26T17:11:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Thought you may like a preview of A Little Sheepish Quilt all finished. This was a joy to make. I love raw edge applique at the moment, it's quick and easy and gives a great result.

this is the cute little "sheepish" toy that is included.

And now for a sneak peek at my next project...well at least the colour selection. I wanted to do something really feminine and sweet....I think these will work nicely.

This is the best thing ever...a new custom built studio. My darling husband & sons are constructing an area that will hold all my paraphanalia and accommodate all I love to do. Holly and I are so excited. I will post photos of their progress as it starts to look interesting. I enjoy watching a building take shape and love to supervise whether it is appreciated or not. Actually sitting in the middle of things and dreaming is more like it, but it is pretty exciting!

Take care

Deb

Sheepish

2010-04-21T16:43:00.010+10:00

Sheepish!....In every way. What have I been doing since the first of April? Well, busily getting all my patterns ready for printing. Big job initially setting them up in the format required but all on track now. I've learnt new skills (the very hard way) and excited about the avenues I've taken. A little Sheepish quilt will be hot off the press and available as soon as the patterns arrive ...I will be watching the mail daily.

Thought I'd share some different "Dottys" by two ladies that have kindly pattern tested for me.
Sue made this top...love the variations.

and Glenda's ..... imaginative quilt back..
and an alternate -blanket stitched block... thank you both.

We made some scrumptious biscuits the other day so I have included a link...they are worth trying, but only have a small portion...yeah right! Brown butter toffee blondies from Martha Stewart. I don't think we can buy toffee pieces in the cake making isle in Brisbane at least so my tip is to crush 2 packets of Werthers Originals ( small ones) and use those. Yum! Let me know what you think.

Off to dinner,
Take care
Deb

Marathon run

2010-04-01T18:19:00.008+10:00

Hi Everyone,
No, I haven't actually run in any marathons, but the last couple of days have surely made me feel as if I have. It is nice to take time out and breathe.

Just before I tell you all the news...a little diversion. The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial is in Brisbane at Qld Art Gallery & GoMA. Beautiful exhibition and worth seeing if you are in town.

This is an incredible artwork by Subodh Gupta " Line of Control" using brass & copper utensils.
and this.... a communal art work making small flying devices ( planes, helicopters etc) from found objects.

My favourite...I think! This beautifully crafted artwork by Kohei Nawa " Pix Cell - Elk#2" this artwork transforms the body of a taxidermied elk ( bit yukky!) by covering it with transparent glass & acrylic beads. these beads fracture, distort & magnify the images captured inside the spheres.
Pretty impressive!!

Okay the water is a little BROWN ( silty I hope)
- view from the big ferris wheel at Sth Bank Brisbane AKA "The Wheel of Brisbane"

and another.

My news....well the new website is up & running...yeahh!! Still lots to do. After 6 years it was time to freshen up, rethink and reorganise. I have made some changes and one very important aspect is the Publishing and Distribution of my patterns in partnership with Pattern Press. I am delighted to announce this development. Helen and her team ( a BIG thank you!!) have been hard at work...now that was a marathon effort, processing the patterns. It will take some time before they are all in stock as despite all efforts there are only 24 hours in a day. As they say " it won't happen over night, but it will happen!

Let your favourite local craft shop know they can now order a supply from Pattern Press for a convenient option.

I'm looking forward to finishing " a little sheepish" a new nursery quilt over the Easter break and adding to the website.

I'd love to hear any comments about the new site/look.

Wishing you all a safe and peaceful Easter.

Take care

Deb

ps. Bohdana, best of luck with the International Doll Exhibition 9th of April in Prague.

Colour, colour, colour!!

2010-03-22T21:57:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone,
Such a crazy time. The felting weekend for our junior artists has finished and I am still trying to catch up on some sleep and feel human again. The weekend was once again held at Mt. Glorious and we were very lucky with the weather. The cyclone that was causing trouble up in North Queensland didn't affect us too much and light, misty showers were welcome. The temperature was fairly cool and comfortable.....perfect felting weather. Green grass everywhere.

We were surrounded by colour. This is a small sample of the beautiful wools and colours that we worked with.

Making flowers

Making a piece of Nuno felt

Making cords....that was popular and so much fun.

Our talented guest artist Antje provided inspiration and the technical skills to produce some amazing work. Her warm,fun loving nature and generousity of spirit was appreciated by all of us. Spending time with a group of amazing, funny women who are also incredibly dedicated teachers is such an enjoyable experience. I know I love being a part of it.

I would love to show you some of the finished images from the photo shoots later on, but for now these are small glimpses of the work in progress.

Almost forgot....here is a peek of something "sheepish". Almost ready for testing now.

Before embroidery....yes, they do have legs!

I know Dotty is already advertised in Australian Country Threads mag but due to some technical difficulties the pattern is complete but not yet available. Sorry for the delay but it's almost there!! The adverts as you may be aware need to go in months in advance and sometimes things don't go exactly to plan. But, I think it's worth the wait.

Take care

Deb

Laaambert!!

2010-03-06T21:12:00.012+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone remember Laaambert? Lambert the sheepish lion etc......, was a song mum sang to us as kids about a lion that wanted to be a wild and woolly sheep. It's always stuck in my head and immediately came to mind when I started working on my next nursery quilt. The quilt doesn't have any lions on it but it does have cute little sheep. Show & tell next post.

Dotty is being tested at the moment and should be in the store very soon.

I have a few more photos from Moreton that I'd like to share.

Some of the students walking out at the Champagne Pools at low tide.

And a closer look......

This is the lighthouse at the North end of Moreton Island. It was really windy on the walk up but worth the effort. As I got closer to the top I held my hat to sheild my view of the cliff. I don't like heights so I had to pretend I was strolling on flat ground. It worked! The view was wonderful and the colours magnificent but I did stay well away from the rail.

Stopped for a few close shots of the natives.

Can you smell the sea?.

Beautiful yellow sandstone cliffs.

On the Saturday night we got word from the camp staff that a Tsunami warning had been issued and that the alarm may go off later that night. There was a bus ready to take us to high ground if that should happen and we were to leave everything and follow directions. I decided to go to bed in my day clothes and even contemplated wearing shoes just in case, it can be pretty tricky finding things at short notice and in unfamilar surroundings, but I laid them out ready to step right in. As it was we were very lucky and the tide was just very full. I have seen the devastation in Chile on the news and my heart aches for those affected.

Take care.

Deb

Back from camp

2010-03-06T14:33:00.012+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Seems ages since I last wrote. I guess three weeks is a lot in blog land. The time between posts has been full of interesting adventures for two aspects of my life - school and Wattlebee.

School art camp was amazing, with such an inspiring venue, interesting people and creative program it was bound to be a memorable trip.

As many of you may be aware it is raining, raining, raining in this part of the globe. We certainly need the rain, but perhaps not on art camp. However, the rain really wasn't a problem. I found a new appreciation for walking in the rain ( cooled us down beautifully) and arriving on the island and having the sun come out, after a miserable start to the morning, was glorious.
This is taken just before we boarded the Micat ( vehicular ferry) at Port of Brisbane.

And arriving on Moreton Island. No, we weren't location scouting for another Pirates of the Carribean movie. These are the wrecks near Tangalooma. It's a good place to go snorkeling. I'm sure the sharks think it's okay too....we didn't go swimming. I'm also a wuss!!

For all of you that have visited or know Moreton Island, you will know what I mean.
All of our bags and equipment were loaded onto a 4WD bus and off we went to Bulwer which took about 30-40 min. Our driver took great care to make our entire stay lots of fun and the girl's appreciated his friendly nature and wit.

Area surrounding our cabins.

This gorgeous kookaburra kept a watchful eye over proceedings.
Lots more to show & tell in next post....we even had a Tsunami warning.

The new Wattlebee website is ready to go now and I'm so happy with the fresh look. It was a great opportunity to make changes and spring clean. I'm aiming for the 1st of April to change over as it will coincide with another new development. I'm really excited to announce that Helen Stubbings, a well respected name in crafting circles, and talented designer of her Hugs n Kisses range, will be publishing and distributing my patterns through Pattern Press. As life becomes busier it has been a challenge for me to balance all the things I love to do without compromising any of them. So for quite a while now I have been looking for just the right person to take over that aspect of my business, allowing me room to design and produce. The new website will reflect that and I will keep you up to date as things progress.

For now, I hope you enjoy a little of the Island paradise pictured above and some lovely day dreams.

Deb

A long day!

2010-02-11T20:52:00.007+10:00

Hi Everyone,
The rain has stopped for awhile at least and the sun is shining.

It's been a busy day today but very satisfying. Always good to feel you have achieved something. I have been making final preparations for a lovely new website. I'm really happy with it and can't wait for the turn over....hopefully next month. In April, Wattlebee will be celebrating 6 years of doing what we love, so a new fresh website will mark the occasion perfectly.

I have also been organising a big change....more on that soon!

She'll Be Apples ( or Toffee Apple) is finally out and I have a pic of the cover here.

Australian Homespun always present projects in such a beautiful way...don't you think?

I have some more gorgeous versions of my pattern Daisy to show. Angela from Brazil has kindly sent these images and I just had to share. She is a very talented doll maker and has a good eye for colour. Thanks again Angela, I love to see & share your work.

Sitting on the cutest chairs....they even have little 'beauty' spots!

On the school front, we have an Art Camp coming up to beautiful Moreton Island ( about 1 hr 15 min from the Port of Brisbane). White sand and clear water.....and lots of arty things to do. Really looking forward to that. Lots to do to prepare, but good company and so much fun. Warning! I plan on taking lots of photos...

Now I'm off to watch "Murder at the Vicarage" an old Agatha Christie story. Miss Marple is played by Geraldine McEwan...so it is an early one. Hope it's a goodie!

Take care

Deb

Exciting News!

2010-02-01T20:53:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,
I was asked for an interview with Australian Homespun recently and you can have a look at their Blog here. Such a lovely surprise and you can see the new doll project Toffee Apple.

Bye for now
Deb

Blink and you'll miss it!

2010-02-01T18:41:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone,

What happened to January? Can you believe we're into our second month of 2010? I hate having to write the whole 2010 thing, no short '09 anymore....I have to stop myself from trying to abbreviate it. That's my little whinge for today :)
On a brighter note Bev's comment was drawn out of the hat and I'll be posting out an Ada pattern to her in the next couple of days. Thank you all for taking the trouble to comment here and via lovely emails.
The weather has been quite violent with strong wind and pelting rain. There is a cyclone or two floating around and causing wet miserable conditions. My plants do love the rain though and it was really nice being inside catching up on some pattern writing and study, and cooler too.
I have some pictures of gorgeous dolls made by Angela ( from Brazil) from some Wattlebee patterns. Angela is a very talented lady and the results are fabulous. This is Florence looking very swish in her pearls and stylish black, red & white. I'll post more soon. Thanks Angela.

The wet conditions made this weekend ideal for catching up on some drawing for my next study unit. This is what I came up with for body in space. It could be out of scale/proportion etc, so I let my imagination run.

I used charcoal pencils for this. Don't think it means anything profound or deep...I just really like birdcages ( nice architectural lines) and this body shape ( I took a photo) worked well. I've been drawing lots of feet for this project...they are really quite nice to draw.
The Homespun Magazine project is out this coming week. I was under the impression it was a January issue so my appologies if anyone has been looking out for it.

Take care,

Deb

A new year

2010-01-19T17:08:00.012+10:00

Happy New Year everyone, hope it's everything you want it to be.
Back to reality for me after a fantastic break. Hope everyone enjoyed a great Christmas holiday season too. Just a couple of pics taken on our afternoon walk...too hot during the day, this is about 4.30 -5 pm and it was still warm yet pleasant. Decided to take the steps down to the beach, great going down but the legs start to quiver on the way back up:)

The life guard hut looking up towards Fraser Island.

This beautiful sea turtle popped up while the boys were out in the dinghy....very special !!

Does anyone recognise this? It is a very pretty sea anenome type thing that was near a crab pot. Probably deadly? didn't touch of course.

I managed to finish the "Dotty' quilt...really happy with it.

We were able to have it road tested while away and it passed with flying colours - this is Olivier meeting Dotty.

Pretty exciting stuff!!

Dotty's legs were a hit ...and yes, they went straight in his mouth!!

Would you believe this was in a fern just outside mum's back door. After a frantic phone call, we ( not me actually) managed to keep watch until it moved off. It was a very big carpet snake, pretty harmless I know but it gave me the creeps...really don't like snakes, sorry about that. I am definitely not a country girl and this was in the thick of suburbia/city.

It was an all creatures great and small kind of holiday...lots of fun and mostly relaxing.

Looking forward to showing you some new designs.

Take care,
Deb
ps. Homespun January issue has my new doll contribution.

Christmas wishes

2009-12-18T19:42:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,
Just a quick post to say we will be taking a couple of weeks holiday. Some of us are heading off to the beach and then Christmas with the family. It is going to be really lovely sharing the day with our baby.
I have finished the quilt top.....just a peak for now. It's bright, fun and was very easy to do....Holly designed 'Dotty' and we have used the toy pattern as an applique on this quilt. While away I will be writing the pattern so it should all be ready for the new year.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a safe entry to 2010.
See you next year!
Deb
ps. I have a doll project in Australian Homespun Mag - out January.

Playing with chooks!

2009-12-12T22:25:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,

Great plans and all that! I really wanted to start the month off on the right foot, but ...somehow I got side tracked. School has finished for the year and there are so many plans for the holidays with new designs at the top of the list. Holly and I have been working on nursery items and the theme for our first cot quilt and toy is......drum roll please.....chooks! Well, crazy, colourful and fun chooks at least.

This is 'Dotty' -She has been thoroughly road-tested by our little bub and we are well underway with the cot quilt. Can't wait to share some pics of the finished work very soon .

I have been busy sending out the last Doll Club pattern for the year. As we have had a Christmas Angel and knowing how quickly 2010 will be upon us, I'm wishing everyone a blossoming New Year with Ada -

I love how she turned out and she is quick and easy to make for all skill levels.

For now, happy sewing
Deb

2009-11-01T22:08:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post......

It's a mad house at present, Holly is getting ready for a night market and every surface that can hold something is covered with goodies she has made. It's hard to resist my daily cleaning routine.....not really!!

I did come home from the latest craft & quilt fair though laden with yummy fabrics and clever new materials. I bought some shrinking film that looked interesting. This product (looks a bit like stiff silk) gives a great effect when quilted to fabric ( & batting) then hit with a steam iron to cause the shrinking. That little experiment is on the 'to do' list. More beautiful coloured roving for felting ( going to a workshop soon) and a new lamp with MAGNIFYING glass so I can see what I'm doing.

Had to show you this photo of knitted bathers we took while visiting the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney....wonder how heavy they would be in the surf?

These are some of the fat quarters I picked up to add to my stash. You just can't come home empty handed.

The school year is almost over once again...around four weeks left before holidays. I love them just as much as the kids. Back to study though for me in December. I am looking forward to starting another unit..... think it will be drawing....better sharpen my pencil.....and find an eraser, ha ha!

Almost forgot...This is what I sent to my stitchers angel swap partner...hope she like them. I made a zippered case to hold all the things we like to cart around, just in case the stitching urge grabs us, a quilted and appliqued journal cover and a cute little pin cushion that Holly found the pattern for on the internet....I'll have a look later and find details on that. The theme for the swap was roses so I just had to use this beautiful fabric. Holly wanted to send some of her cute little buttons too.

Almost finished a new angel...a little bit of inter-crafting ( maybe a new word!) happening on this one. Show you soon.

Have a lovely day

Deb

ps. Stuffnthings I think is a very apt name for Holly's creations so she has renamed her blog.

Sydney part two & a lovely surprise!

2009-10-23T21:40:00.015+10:00

Hi everyone,

Something special arrived in the mail from my stitchers angel all the way from Germany ( I now know). The paper Heike wrapped the parcel in had the dearest little quilt blocks printed on it so I was really excited to open it up. As this is the first time I have participated in the swap I was touched by the generousity of spirit and the beauty of Heike's skill.

I now have a very special needle case for travelling, a beautiful Christmas wall hanging and the perfect bag to hold all my buttons. Thank you Heike. My swap items are on their way too, I really hope my swap partner enjoys her parcel as much as I have. Will show you what I sent after she receives them...can't spoil the surprise yet!

It's about time I finished my Sydney saga . Okay, I did mention the visit to the ABC studios last post but I have to show you a sneak peek of BIG TED from Play School ( an iconic Australian children's television show that has been on air forever ...well almost!) having a rest in one of the corridors. Couldn't not take a snap of that.

Our trip ended on a very high note with front row seats ( thanks to our very savy group organiser) to Street Car Named Desire - Sydney Theatre Company. It really was a fantastic performance by all and we really were excited to see Cate Blanchet up close and personal so to speak. Beautiful theatre and surrounds as well.

A bit of a walk, but a perfect evening. Lovely old cobble stones, walls and fixtures heading to the old docks. I'm pretty sure there was a fancy restauraunt on the other side of that door.

Creepy old stairs, but oh, so much character!

And we're here.

A little bit of inner city fun.

Bye for now

Deb

To Sydney & back

2009-09-23T20:51:00.014+10:00

Hi everyone,

Timing is everything and our Sydney trip was no exception. We had perfect weather for all of the planned activities. Roaming around the Sydney CBD yesterday on our last day the sky appeared completely grey as if we were surrounded by a veil. It felt as if something was about to happen. We were literally in the dark, without watching or listening to the news we were totally unaware of the encroaching dust storm that stopped flights out of Sydney this morning. We woke today in Brisbane to a red glow. The atmosphere was incredible, you could see and taste the dust in the air. People were forced to stay indoors with windows closed. This is a link to a news report which is quite interesting and has amazing photos.

The itinerary was pretty full so we were on the ground running for most of the time. Our first taste of the cultural treats awaiting us was at the Museum of Contemporary Art. After an insightful and stimulating introduction to some interesting contemporary artworks we strolled around the buzzing art/ craft world of the Rocks. I picked up a small print by a young 16 year old, autistic savant artist. His name is Ping Lian Yeak. The work is vibrant and full of life.....jam packed...just like Sydney!

Our evening entertainment was Fire - A Retrospective by Bangarra Dance Theatre which is one of Australia's leading contemporary dance companies. Someone was smiling on us that night as we made it JUST in time.... running up the MANY Opera House steps (then down again), some of the students with shoes in hand, trying to find where we needed to be. Above is a photo of Circular Quay. Cameras were not allowed in the Gallery or in the theatres etc so not too many of the fun shots but the links have beautiful images.

Sunday was completely mad but so much fun. Brett Whiteley's Studio in Surrey Hills was incredible. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised to look over and see him working on an unfinished painting. The studio is as he left it and the gallery showcased some beautiful work. I hadn't taken enough notice of his work to that point. This painting Balcony 2 was stunning to see 'in the flesh' it was so vast; the colours so vibrant and the images so delicate and true. This image doesn't really do it justice but you can see what I'm writing about.

This sculpture of two matches stands to the right of the door to his studio.

The 'mad' part of the day starts now - dressed and off to the musical "Wicked" ( which by the way was incredible) at the Capital Theatre, haven't laughed and clapped so much...by the end of the trip my arms were sore. Clever, witty, funny and a touch sad...yes, I wiped away a tear or two. I must confess though to crying during the movie Chicken Run when they finally went over the fence..well it was a very emotional moment, wasn't it! Anyway, straight after we were on the street flagging down cabs to take all 23 of us to Fox studios and Australian Idol. It was amazing to see how the production of the show is organised - what happens during those annoying add breaks - and cameras flying everywhere. Didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. I know I was asleep that night as my head hit the pillow.

Monday included a tour of ABC TV & Radio Studios at Ultimo. We visited the studio where Play School was filmed and bought Oliver a Little Ted. Today was a special treat for the Drama students as our next stop was NIDA - The National Institute for the Dramatic Arts where we had a tour and workshop. I can't say Acting is my forte so I just watched, but I did fall in love with the costumes displayed. I can show you pics of these.

This is the costume design studio at NIDA.

A gorgeous work board in the props room...filled with vintage bits and bobs that I'd love to play with.
These two costumes are entirely made of paper...how amazing!

Lots more to write about another night.

best wishes for now,

Deb

Special Times

2009-09-15T13:47:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone,

So sorry for being so quiet. How did that month slip by so quickly? I write in my head all the time but just didn't quite get to sitting here and writing as I am now.

It has been a month of waiting, waiting and more waiting, but at last our precious little bundle has arrived. Oliver arrived safe and sound last Sunday and in our totally unbiased opinion he is absolutely beautiful. Mum (and dad) are both well and nan & pop (us) totally besotted. Dad is already planning the fishing rod he will make for him...hope he'll like fishing! Now I can get on with making his quilt. I wanted to wait and choose colours etc that will suit. He will be living by the ocean so a fishy, watery theme sounds perfect.

It will be a mad rush tonight packing for our trip to Sydney. Getting anxious already.... I'm not really a comfortable flyer. Thank goodness it's a fairly short trip though. Lots to see and do and good company so I'll be happy when we land.
I'll have lots to show & tell next week, so until then...
have fun & be safe.
Deb

P.s forgot to mention a really creative blog, Cart Before the Horse, that just happens to be having a gorgeous give away! check it out.

cough cough!!

2009-08-16T21:15:00.007+10:00

Hi everyone,

Well, best laid plans and all that. Taken a little more time than I expected to post but who didn't want to have a flu shot? And, who was sick last week with the flu? Of course it was me. Actually half the family in turn has been left feeling like you know what. Never mind, we're a pretty tough old bunch usually so everyone will be back to normal soon.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post I really appreciate it. Marianne and Wendy W were the lucky two Pin Angel pattern winners this time, but there are more new patterns coming soon. Please let me know your address/ changes etc and I'll pop them in the mail.

Just wanted to share the new Doll Club pattern for October with you. This is Peace Angel and she holds a small appliqued quilt ( extra stitching) and has hands that are a little more challenging.

I have received the name of my swap partner so I'm pretty excited about joining in this year. We've exchanged some nice emails ( stitchers are always nice people) and it's fun swapping with someone from the US so I'm looking forward to the whole project.

Better get back to choosing fabric for Helen's swap project and finishing my last essay for this study period. Yeah!!

Bye for now

Deb

Felting madness

2009-08-01T18:49:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone,
This is not my new profile photo. It was actually our dinner. Well, it was pizza dough I left to rise and when I next looked it was staring back at me, magic! Had to wait all of 2 seconds until someone started to laugh and I had found the culprit. Silly sausages in this house.

Now I have to say...what happened to July! It's the first of August and I have been madly trying new things. Such as...my new felting/ embellishing machine....fav new toy. So far it's lots of fun and I have been making flowers for embellishments on items and packaging them as little fun trims to add to handmade goodies. They look really good on beanies and certainly dress them up. Just as well really as I have been collecting wool roving and felt for ages and only touched the tip of the iceberg/pile to date with some other projects, so everyone's happy.

Holly & I spent time today organising clothes for an up-coming trip to Sydney . Trying to find suitable items that are travel friendly and right for our adventures has been a challenge. All black and mixable seems to be the way to go....I can add scarves etc to dress up or down. We're both really looking forward to this trip as it was arranged by school and is mean't to be a cultural experience. Drama, Visual Art and Music are on the agenda with art galleries, Sydney Opera House back stage visit, Brett Whiteley Studio workshop and all sorts of exciting things. We didn't have excursions like that in my day and I'm tagging along this time. I plan on taking lots of photos so I'll bore you with those after September.

For now though....Just finished another doll project for Australian Homespun Magazine. I always love working with Homespun and will look forward to seeing the project in print ..it's out early next year.

I have also just sent off a large order to my friend Bohdana in Prague. She is running a very successful doll club over there and she puts a great amount of time into the workshops. All the patterns need to be translated by her and that takes quite an effort. Anyone interested in joining living near by -this is her site - Český panenkový klub

The boys have returned from their annual fishing competition at Rainbow Beach and a good time was had by all, and I do mean all. Us homebodies can relax and enjoy some alone time too. It's always nice to have them home though. The weather for the comp was lovely, which is a change from the wind and rain in previous years.

Almost forgot...the pin Angels ( pin cushions) pattern is in the Wattlebee Shop now, I was alittle slow in getting it there.

Best wishes

Deb

Over the line

2009-07-01T12:59:00.011+10:00

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know what happened to the first half of '09? I can't believe it is July already....better get used to it I suppose.

We had a great week away. The beach is always relaxing and I needed a de-stresser. How would you feel after this...... Oops!! .....You can drive on the beach, in places, but things can go wrong. Makes for an interesting walk though.

On a calmer note ....

First seagull that actually stood still long enough.

Pin dolls are completed and the pattern will be available very soon. This is the cover ..........

They turned out really cute..........I guess they could just be collectable mini dolls if you didn't want to stick pins in them, eitherway they are fun to make and would be great gifts for crafty friends. There will be ready made versions available online too.

Australian Homespun magazine has asked me to contribute another project, so I'm busy drawing up some ideas for that....I love doing those projects. It won't be out till next Feb, but everything needs to be ready by the end of this month....I'm such a sucker for punishment!

Doll Club project No.3 has been sent mid June....hope everyone is enjoying making up Fairy Queen. I would love to see your finished work, so don't be shy, send a pic and I'll pop it on the blog for show and tell.

I have decided to sell some of the dolls made especially for magazine projects to make way for newer ones. These dolls are the originals that were used for photography in Australian Homespun & Aust. Country Threads mags. They will be available in the ready made section of the Wattlebee Shop as soon as I can get them on ( next few days). If you are interested in any in particular please let me know before they are posted. Also, I will be adding some of the original Doll Club dolls in the ready made section as we are running out of room in the studio.

Until next time,
Deb

brrrrrrrr!

2009-06-11T19:02:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,
Just a quick note -
I'm not complaining...I always wish for the cooler weather, but it is surprisingly cold at the moment. I'm sure it's a direct arctic wind that blows. Out came the black tights, boots and maybe even a pair of gloves could be put to good use in the morning. Actually I love it when it's cooler. We don't usually have much of a winter and quite often anything heavier than a light coat is a waste so I bought flannelette sheets again today ( last purchase probably twenty years ago) and a new yummy blanket. Bed all made and looks inviting.....Medium ( a favourite tv show)is on tonight and I do have an essay due Monday so unfortunately not an early night ahead.

This is truly wacky, but I was cooking dinner the other night and saw this.........

The Yin Yang of onions! Maybe you need to see it from a distance....I thought it was amazing.

Okay, back to crafty things. I've been working at finishing the last pin angel and she should be ready to unveil very soon....that will be my next post.

Take care

Deb

Weekend endeavours

2009-05-31T21:35:00.007+10:00

Hi everyone,

This weekend is almost over....they always go far too quickly! I do have something to show for it though. I finished Pin doll No.2. She is a little cutie and I'm making quite a few for our Etsy Shop.

We had our first sale on Etsy, and lovely feedback, which was pretty exciting.

Here she is - all 5 inches of her ( I've been playing with Photoshop and having fun with brushes).

She has a tiny elastic topped pocket in the front for small things like buttons that you may like to keep safe while sewing. I love sewing with felt, so naturally I use it when I can and I had the perfect colours for her wings. It's officially the first day of winter tomorrow in this part of the globe so we are starting to think 'cosy'.

I would like to show you a couple of beautiful dolls made by Angela in Brazil. She has used a Wattlebee pattern called Daisy and made it in her own style. A very talented lady...thanks Angela.

Took a train into the city on Saturday to visit the Qld Art Gallery's latest exhibit - American Impressionism and Realism. Absolutely loved it! I had seen The China Project during the week with a school excursion, so we had a quick look again in GoMA ( Gallery of Modern Art) then across to the Impressionists. Certainly nothing like in a book, you really appreciate seeing these beautiful works in real life.
We all agreed our favourite was a painting by Charles Conder titled -Departure of the Orient- Circular Quay.

Today was quieter and a little cooler but all in all a great weekend.
The boy's went fishing again...they called to say it was raining where they were, so that was a bit of a shame. I'm sure they had fun anyway...better crabbing so I'm told.

Well, almost time for bed and setting alarms..... I don't want to sleep in and late for school. It's so easy to do that when all the early risers are away. Everything will be back to normal Monday and I'll be looking towards the next weekend.

Hope your weekend was a beauty.

Deb

Pins & thingmybobs

2009-05-16T21:47:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Can't believe it's taken me so long to write but I have been working on some things and at least now I have something to show. This little item was a lot of fun...it actually only took a couple of hours to put together from drawing the pattern to finish, but there will be 3 sizes and styles in the one pattern...so I'm pretty excited about showing the whole set when ready ( nearly there).

Here's a peek...........

I love working with felt....it's quick and always looks neat, warm too! The weather is really starting to cool down on this side of the planet. Blankets and slippers are being employed and yummy cooler weather comfort foods such as braised lamb shanks are on the menu. Did I mention porridge.........I love porridge, very good for you too.
This is the top of Inskip Point at Rainbow Beach. You can see two of the large barges that go across to Fraser Island. It's quite a wide expanse of beach and drops off to the water so you can only see part of the barges. This was taken a couple of weeks ago and the weather was perfect. I spent some time taking macro photos of mangrove shoots, drift wood and water patterns on the sand as inspiration for some Collograph printing plates that I am working on. All new stuff but I'm learning.
Just prior to that the boys spent some time building a back fence...they did a great job. Also went mad pruning!

Holly was playing catch and release with soldier crabs. They were absolutely everywhere until you moved and then they would quickly dig into the sand and hide.

Well, off to sew some more little thingmybobs.

Happy weekend

Deb

a little more...

2009-04-27T20:36:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Feeling pretty good even though it's only Monday. The weather is glorious and it looks like a good week ahead. Health on track and I've been trying to fit some sewing into the mix. Totally forgot a doctors appointment, remembered my hair appointment and started a new bag and it is only Monday! ( lovely pattern I am test sewing for school). I'll take a photo if it turns out okay.

It's about time I popped a free pattern on here so that's my next project. I'm thinking Christmas ornament? Any suggestions? More on this soon.

Here is a peek at Little Bird complete. She was so much fun to make. I made her a little taller so that you can arrange her with other dolls etc for display. She keeps me company at the moment as I have her on the shelf above my computer.

And a little detail..........

Well, I'm off to bed now so....

Sweet Dreams

Deb

Little Bird

2009-04-20T19:43:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to give you a little update on my latest design - Little Bird....here is a sneak peek. I'm delighted with how she has turned out. Sometimes a design draft doesn't always translate very well in fabric so I'll be very proud to send her off to club members in August.

I used bird wings as inspiration for her hair and she will have a lovely little bird in hand.

With only 4 months till our grandchild is born I've been very busily drawing up cot quilt designs. So many beautiful fabrics to choose from but I may wait until he or she is born before I decide on prints and colours. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it but I would like the quilt to suit the child. Found a beautiful fabric with gorgeous little bugs on it that I love ( they have beautiful fabric for everything). More on the quilt soon.

Meanwhile, back to work.

Deb

What's Next?

2009-04-15T15:35:00.008+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Easter break. The coast was cool and fresh after all the rain and surprisingly the days were pretty good with rain mostly falling at night....... perfect sleeping weather.

We had plenty of long walks and explored rock pools which are forming again on the beach.....used to be there years ago ......natural cycles and all that! Every man ( and his dog), as the saying goes, was there too!

This is our little black dog Lily( she thinks she's human), who just loves a run on the beach, actually she loves a swim too.

The boys caught quite a few mud crabs so we were pretty spoiled. The Easter bunny found us, bit worried he may have had to row across flooded rivers etc, as we only just made it home before roads were cut due to the flooding.

Just before the holidays I made Labne which is a Lebanese cheese made from yoghurt. If you like cheese and have a savoury tooth you will love this and it's so easy to make. I took a photo to show and used this recipe - http://www.sca.org.au/bacchus_wood/A&S/Yoghurt%20Cheese%20Balls/Yoghurt.htm Warm crust bread and Labne spread thickly....yum!!

If you try it let me know what you think.

This little Sugar plum angel will be on the website soon. She was a project in Australian Country Threads many moons ago, so in case you don't have early copies ( probably 4-5 years ago) of that magazine you will find her in the Wattlebee shop. She's very sweet and doesn't mind me arranging her legs in silly poses when It's time for a moments distraction.

Tomorrow hopefully will be another day for sewing. I have No. 4 project Little Bird to make up and she will be the next show and tell.

Take care

Deb

Some News!

2009-04-07T09:07:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd share a little news........Catherine Sanchez is back as Editor of Australian Homespun Magazine and I was very happy to oblige with the Breast of Friends promotion ( hence the logo on right) which will link you to the Homespun Blog and all the updates.

I also got up bright and early to take a snap of Fairy Queen. Here she is -

I'll be away for a short break and wish you all a very safe and happy Easter.

Deb

Sewing at last!

2009-04-05T19:06:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,

At last, everything is as it should be. I had a great weekend, sewing, sewing and more sewing madly. I really missed this.

Now, what have I got to show for it? Fairy Queen is finished and I'm thrilled with how she turned out. There are a couple of new designs that sprung from this fabric and I'm hard at work on those too ..........a good holiday project I think! Here are some closeups of her for now and I'll take a full photo in daylight for next post.

I just love embellishing fabric and felt is wonderful to work with. No need to hem the skirt either!

We've been having a lot of rain and everything is growing ...actually too much as the vegie garden resembles a jungle. I have quite a bit of weeding to do.....and mulching and adding some chook poo before I plant these guys. The new tomato is a berry variety, sounds cute. More cucumbers, zucchini and lots of herbs to plant.
You really can't help being inspired by all the beautiful fabrics out there. These are some of the gorgeous fabrics I have added to my stash recently.

The red and navy are destined to be made into a new bag design I'm working on. I have some gorgeous buttons that I brought back from Melbourne last year that will be perfect.

Well back to work, I have a printmaking unit to complete now. Learning about Monotypes and Lino / wood cut printing. Lots of fun but pretty messy.

Take care

Deb

Baking Bunnies

2009-03-30T21:39:00.004+10:00

Hi Everyone,

So much to catch up on and Easter nearly here. Do you have the same problem with grown children still not accepting they are too big for the Easter bunny's deliveries? Every year we decide to not buy eggs and every year there are the same disapointed faces....so of course I give in. I'll be looking not eating this time round but hey, I'm having fun collecting non edible bunnies etc.

Holly & I made some very cute bunny biscuits to share at school and had a lot of fun in the process. I was still stuck with clean up though.

A big thank you for the emails I really appreciate it. I'm being a very good girl and am doing very well. There is the slight problem still of blurry vision and having to wait another month before having my eyes checked. ... very frustrating when there is so much to do, but I'm getting there.

I've just purchased a great stash of yummy fabrics and just can't wait to work on them...... need new goggles first!

Bye for now,

Deb

p.s I'am working on a new look for our website. Don't get a fright when you have a look....it will be nice when it's finished.

wabbits

2009-03-17T14:11:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone,

Almost Easter, looking forward to another break ( always seem to be saying that), but it's true.

It's been a hell of a month. I was diagnosed with Diabetes just over a week ago, which explained alot about how I have been feeling lately, and just getting back on track now. My unpicker and I have become firm mates. I tried to sew last week and ended up leaving it in frustration as I had sewn the same bit three times, all wrong!

I do have something to share though.....did take a little longer than expected, but at least they are ready before Easter. I think they are cute enough to display all year actually, and now that I'm going to be a grandmother.....perfect for a little nursery decorating. There is a cot quilt to match coming too.

These little guys are made from cotton gingham lined with iron-on fabric interfacing. They have felt tummies, embellished with applique flowers, buttons and stitched with bright perle thread. I have weighted their bottoms with sand so that they will stand for display.

Fairy Queen, which is the third project for the Doll Club this year is almost ready to photograph, so she'll be the next show and tell.

Take care

Deb

ps. Beth ( Here's Harriet - comment) please forgive my slackness. If you are interested in a free pattern from the $16.50 range as mentioned in Newsletter, let me know a postal address & your choice. Deb

Time-Out

2009-02-17T08:34:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone,

It has been a shocking time for many. Major flooding in northern Queensland and the devastating fires in Victoria. My prayers and thoughts go out to all affected. I could only imagine the hardship and terror felt as I watched and read the news, celebrated the survivals and mourned those lost.....so many heros doing amazing jobs. ....so much heartache. I'm so proud to be an Australian, we don't give up and we rally when needed.

It's been a little while now since my last post but there has been so much going on and exciting news to tell. Firstly, we were delighted last week to be told hubby & I will be grandparents in September. It was certainly a surprise as we didn't think it would happen with our eldest at all but secretly thought it would be such a shame if it didn't. You can imagine my dreams from that point on......designs for cot quilts, toys....the list goes on. It still hasn't sunk in completely. I find myself breaking out in a big smile as I think about it.

This last Friday morning to Sunday evening was an interesting break away for me as I went on a school art camp. The senior girls were right into the workshops presented and the outcome was spectacular. We went to Mt. Glorious so the scenery was lush rainforest, just perfect for the "nature" theme. The photography students took brilliant macro shots and I had a play around as well. I watched shibori dyeing which was very interesting, played with silk painting again, something I have always loved to do and helped out with wearable art.....lots of fun! There was so much preparation before hand and so many activities; day and night, that I just collapsed when I got home and still feel like I need a good sleep.

I will leave you with some of my photography efforts.
The area was alive with small bush creatures and lots and lots of birds.

Well I was trying to be artistic! Tree bark with a little parastic bush orchid (I think).
I disturbed an owl on the path while walking back from the work site to camp one night and it flew up onto a branch and stayed long enough for me to catch this image.

Another artistic effort that could be used for a painting or fabric design.

Yes, another bottlebrush!

Some of the students dyeing efforts....pretty effective!

Part of the final performance. The girls altered cloth to form living backgrounds for projected images ( their photos). Quite stunning with dance movements, sound effects and a rainforest background.

Best wishes
Deb

Whimsy

2009-02-02T20:54:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone,

This is just a very quick note to tell you about an absolutely wonderful Etsy Store I have just found. If you adore whimsy and the cutest of cute little people then you must have a look. I think Henry is my favourite, although they are all loveable. The colours are beautiful and the faces.....well, I did say they were cute! It's called http://www.kazzmagorical.etsy.com/

Also show & tell two new buttons -

Bye for now,
Deb

ps. Thanks for your comment Beth. Yes, we women are very good at multi-tasking and I too wouldn't have it any other way.
pps. Stephanie, I guess the reality is a little further from my imagination. Just think how wonderful it will be when the sun does come out.

Here's Harriet

2009-01-31T15:10:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I have finally pressed the "send" button to despatch an essay I was doing on Renaissance painting techniques. I feel free, at least for the weekend anyway. The assignment was really interesting but time consuming and I will need to get reading again for one more essay before the fun starts with Print Making. Anyway, the break mean't I could show you Harriet. She is rather cute and once again fairly easy to put together. Her hair is painted on...so not too fiddly and her clothes are fun to applique while relaxing. I was stitching while watching the cricket.
Hope you like her. Harriet is No.2 (April) in Doll Club.

I used a lovely spotty Moda fabric to finish the sample and they work really well.....spots within spots!
This little iced vo vo biscuit will not break any New Year's diet resolution, it's a sweet little polymer clay button from the "Treat" collection. Holly has made lamingtons, choc chip cookies, jam on toast, lemon tarts, choc biscuits with vanilla cream.......all sorts of goodies! All available in mixed packs & singularly from the Wattlebee Website.

And as I take my victories where I find them.......I think I have also triumphed over the little bug that has been destroying my passionfruit. I was only recently feeling very smug having spied the biggest crop ever to then find spoiled fruit dropping on the lawn. So I put together a little trap and voila! I am at least retaining most of the fruit.
Deb 1 - bug 0, ha ha.
I've even sent out the first Newsletter for '09....good stuff!

Take care & happy sewing
Deb

Doll Club

2009-01-25T20:19:00.015+10:00

Hi Everyone,

We've been hibernating here trying to stay cool, it's too humid to do anything much outside that you don't need to do. Which I must admit is ideal for crafting.

I wasn't going to continue the doll club this year as I had so much on my plate I didn't think I could do it justice, but I had so many lovely emails asking about when it would start again that I knew I just had to do it. We will be starting in February and all the info for 2009 will be on the website in the next couple of days.

Here's a sneak preview of the first doll. She appears complicated but believe me she isn't. I love making items in a "cushion" type style and I have done the bunch of flowers she holds in this manner. I did a similar small bunch for the Australian Country Threads, Mother's Day doll.

So easy, and really effective.
The second doll is a real cutie, she sports a hula hoop and will be ready for show and tell soon.

Australian Country Threads this month also has a contribution from me called Happy Heart. It was for the applique special so she has some nice applique hearts on her dress.

Heres the cover.The boys are at the beach again trying to catch some more big fish, dare I say they are "hooked". We have a long weekend to celebrate Australia Day on the 26th. I'm sure the beach will be packed.

I mentioned our Etsy store previously and there are a number of new items that we had fun making. Here are a few pencil/office/locker cases that we have made.....Holly made matching charms to dress up the zip pulls.

This one belongs to the cup cake one.

I thought the cases would be perfect for bits & pieces that would be handy to keep at work like spare keys, deodorant, paracetamol, phone chargers etc. Holly likes them as pencil cases as they hold 'everything'!! Check them out at 2bees.etsy

These are the gorgeous versions of 'Kitey' being made by the lovely ladies in Bohdana's doll club in Prague. I love all the different colour combinations.

I thought 2009 should start with an updated profile photo with the addition of my brand new, super cool googles. I can see for miles now! ( The kids say I look like Rosemary from that tv show - Ladette to Lady.......... poor Rosemary!)

Now I should get back to Miss Hula Hoop!

Happy sewing,

Deb

Ps. Stephanie, wish we were in your winter wonderland.

Renewal

2009-01-14T12:12:00.012+10:00

Happy New year to you all,

I know this is a little late as we are already half way through January, but we were having such a good holiday that no one wanted to come home. I say that knowing that we love being home it's just so nice escaping for a while.

I always love the start of a new year. It really does seem like a chance to do things better and improve on what we learnt the previous year. I must confess we still have Christmas decorations and a tree to put away though, so it really doesn't quite seem like 2008 has passed.

A nice way to start the year is with a new project in Australian Homespun Mag. "Wattle" was a lot of fun to make so if you can get yourself a copy I'm sure you will enjoy making her.

I didn't forget about the competition. Thank you so much to the lovely ladies that left comments, it's always great to hear from you and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are fully invigorated for 2009.
Congratulations to Linny, her name was drawn and her pattern awaits - (Linny just let me know which pattern you would like and a postal address to send it to).

I wanted to share some images taken while we were away and some exquisite little flowers that were begging to be photographed. We used one of the images taken to create a new fresh banner for 2009.
This beautiful Crepe Myrtle from our garden is almost ready to open it's blooms. Each petal is so tightly packed into it's little bud just ready to burst.

This gorgeous Bougainvillea flowers in profusion at our front door. High maintenance as it is; grows overnight and is thorny....but how could you not enjoy that colourful sight.

This little plant(pigface) was found on the beach one morning while we were walking.
This is one of the boys worming. Drag something smelly like fish frames over the sand and up pop sand worms. Some of them are as thick as a pencil and over a mt. long. I haven't been able to catch one ( don't really want to either) but the kids have the knack.

This was the bonus for staying longer. My middle son caught this 25lb Golden Trevally off the beach. He was pretty proud of himself and it was delicious to eat as well.

Well holidays are over so it's back to work...new dolls available soon.

We also have an ETSY store( see side bar) for all the things we like to make that are a little different.

Best wishes

Deb

last minute

2008-12-10T10:44:00.012+10:00

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to show you our latest goodies for Christmas. We have made two new Spice Angels dressed in vintage doileys, linens and lace. Holly and I had a great time digging through the large stash of vintage materials collected over time to find just the right bits & pieces . It's been a while and I had forgotten some of the treasures packed away. We love making these dolls as it is such a lovely way to use gorgeous old materials. They smell Christmassy too; the hearts are filled with cloves.

The first one has blue accents with a lovely old blue bird doiley and "french blue" shoes.

The bottom doll features an autumn toned doiley and "maple syrup" painted shoes. The best part is bringing them to life by blushing thieir cheeks....they 'warm up'.

Holly has been busy on her own too. There are more licorice allsort buttons and the cutest little plum pudding buttons avaliable in the Wattlebee shop now.

Plum Pudding Buttons - so cute!
These cute Holly leaves and Berry Beads are perfect for making an original pair of earrings but could be used on any Christmas project.

Licorice Allsorts - New colours and styles

Holly likes to make sure all the holes are clean in her buttons and we have the perfect size drillbit hidden away, I say hidden as our drill went missing, then one by one the bits went too. Lovely sons like to use them but they don't remember to give them back. I have to hide my scissors too! I hope Santa brings me a new pair....I've hinted a lot! Perhaps ones that give an electric shock to anyone not using them for fabric...ha ha!

Hope you are well underway with Christmas preparations and not feeling too stressed.

Best wishes

Deb

Drum roll please......

2008-12-06T15:04:00.005+10:00

Apologies for being sooooo slack with saying hello. I don't know what happens at the end of each year, the world speeds up and time seems to speed up with it. Everything has to happen before the magical change over to another year. I think I'm my own worst enemy as I try to do too many things at once and end up not finishing enough of them.

Anyway.... an absolutely lovely thing happened recently. I was awarded a very special honour from a very special blogger in Ireland. Stephanie's blog - My Calico Heart is always interesting and a visual delight ( also updated regularly...unlike mine). I was really thrilled to receive this award and have posted the banner with pride. I feel I have found a new friend and it is certainly inspiring and rewarding to have people like Stephanie on your side.

As to new designs...well I just finished work at school and as the kids are now on holidays ( me too) I'm ready to go. I really love christmas and all those holidays so no excuses are allowed. Not sure I'll finish the small Christmas wall hanging. The Moda fabric is gorgeous but I want it to be perfect, and at the moment it's not so I'm just going to chill on that one. There's always next year!

Another enterprising friend in Prague is holding Doll Club classes featuring my dolls. I am thrilled that the classes are going so well for her. Bohdana is a very talented person and her expertise in sewing and classes is a vital part of the success. I'm very grateful to her for my part in introducing doll making to The Czech Republic. Bohdana has sent wonderful...joy filled photos of classes in progress. I will ask permission for photos to show.

Until next time...
Deb

Fresh Start

2008-11-09T18:37:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone,
Just a quick post to show what we've been up to.
Getting in early for the new year with a fresh new look. What do you think?
I love this funky, smart look and have started drawing up designs to match. That will be our next show & tell.
Check out Holly's as well, she's been having some fun too. Aren't kids great with computers.

I have added two new Blogs Hugs n Kisses & Hatched and Patched- lovely crafters.

Off to do a few things now for an early Monday start.
Happy creating
Deb

Just Steamy!

2008-11-06T20:18:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Another steamy day...weather I mean. It's been so humid we just don't feel like doing more than we have to at the moment. The humidity brings crackling storms and pretty impressive light shows....and rain. My fruit trees and vegies are growing at a rapid rate. Actually found a cucumber that the bugs had missed, they must have been busy on the tomatoes, lucky me!

I don't think the family was that impressed with the cucumber either as it was quite prickly and required intense dermabrasion before using.

We have such wonderful customers at Wattlebee. It's always so nice to receive an email and I appreciate the kind words and friendliness. Holly has sold two packets of her buttons and has been busily making more.....so exciting for her. I think there are only 3 weeks left of school for another year and I'm looking forward to the holidays too. Plenty of time for lots of creating.

I have been making quite a few aprons as a result of the Newsletter that just went out. I love screen printing so it's been so much fun. The little birds design will be advertised in the new year.
January will be a busy month as dolls will be appearing in Australian Homespun and Australian Country Threads magazines to start off the year. One is an Australiana doll the other is for an applique special.

Trying to finish the last of my study. Three weeks left until last submission - one more project to go. I'm working on a local site, an historic cemetery, it's pretty run down and sad looking and I'm mapping certain areas. I always feel better taking someone with me when I visit to take photos, as it's too isolated and over grown in parts....a big baby!

This is a view of the entrance to the cemetery...I must admit it was a gloomy day and it isn't that bad when the sun is out.

This is a very clever art work by UK artist Susan Stockwell - Titled: South America.
It is made from used coffee filters....how clever is that!

Best wishes

Deb

Aprons completed

2008-10-26T19:39:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,

Finished two of the aprons yesterday after finally tracking down just the type of natural tape that I wanted for the ties....just a tiny bit hard to get. Haven't had time to pop them in the shop yet but will over the next couple of days.
I had big plans for this weekend, all ready with the new fabric colours etc and as generally happens, plans change. But all for the good as we had a lovely relaxed roast lunch this Sunday, something we don't normally get to do, and this took up most of the morning with preparation. The boy's had been out trying to catch sand crabs from about 4 am and as you could imagine were pretty tired by afternoon but their efforts did result in a wok full of chilli crab. An early night for all I think! A pretty nice alternative weekend though.

Holly has been making the most gorgeous little softies. She made two this weekend and has drawn up a real cutie to make next.

Here's Bernie -he has a lovely doc flannel face which just feels wonderful to touch.
She's almost finished a cute little orange print with flower softie ( these are rabbits) and then the new design. The hard part is getting her to clean up afterwards though.

Well it's off to work tomorrow and there is a art exhibition for the senior girls to attend to so it will be a busy few days. Thank goodness it's part time as I wouldn't get anything else done. Just love it though.

Uni is coming along fine. I felt completely exhausted after first submission and felt like crying after mailing my work.....not uncommon as I've since learnt. But this second half is okay. I was ironing my last project and burnt a hole in the organza fabric...actually melted onto my iron, well it turned into a plus as it suits the theme even better. I'll never admit that it was a mistake and not intentional. Did have to buy a new iron though.

Take care and happy creating.
Deb

Show & Tell

2008-10-20T22:44:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post before bed as it's been a long day. Pretty happy with the journal covers...the dowel button worked a treat too! Easy to make yet smart looking.

Here are the two finished covers for the Poinsettia ( Xmas one) and the little birds.

I stitched around the middle bird and up & down the stripes for a little contour, you could do the same around the flower but I think they look fine as they are. I wanted to keep it simple and compliment the fabric.

Anyway...love to hear what you think. Will be making up the aprons next.

Have a lovely day

Deb

The most fun!

2008-10-19T20:37:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,

This weekend has been such a lot of fun, don't you love it when a plan works!

All I wanted to do in this long weekend was screen print and everything went really well. A few mistakes...I mean experiments, and we were off and running.

I have a few sneak peeks for you. The first print is a special one for Xmas as it's a Poinsettia flower ( which always makes me think of Christmas). I've screen printed it onto beautiful 100% linen destined to be journal covers - I thought they would make lovely gifts or just to record your special Christmas ( great for sizes, what to buy and wish lists too). Tomorrow is the big sewing day so I'll have a finished one to show after that. I'm also offering really yummy aprons for a great look on Christmas Day. They too are printed on pure linen and look great.

This one pictured is a mini version for a little kitchen helper.

The following bird print is really cute....decided to print in chocolate colour on natural linen. These are pre cut for A5 Journal covers. I'm padding and stitching before making up a sample cover tomorrow.
I'll package them as kits so that you will have a pattern and can make up the pre cut & printed fabric....great for gifts!

The linen makes them feel so special and will last forever. I feel ready to get stuck into lots more as Holly has been making samples with gorgeous bright, fun colours that can be embellished...more on that very soon.

Off to play an Agatha Christie mystery game with the kids then a good nights sleep ready for another big day.

Happy sewing

Deb

After the holidays

2008-10-12T21:32:00.011+10:00

Hi everyone,

Holidays were wonderful and the beach was perfect as usual...actually the weather wasn't that great for the first week but perfectly glorious for the second. I had to come home for a few days in the middle to catch up on some work but it was still a lovely break.

Unfortunately all the sewing I had planned didn't eventuate but then it only makes you want to delve in again when at home.

I finished the santa I was making from the spotty fabric and there are a few more to do still. This little guy is already spoken for and off overseas soon. He is in traditional red but the funky spot gives him a nice little twist. The bell and buckle were custom made by Holly from Polymer Clay and his black wire wreath is threaded with red wooden beads.

What do you think? In this photo he's not quite finished, but you get the idea.

Still trying to find the time to complete the small quilt, should be very soon though.

I hope everyone enjoyed making their Xmas Club patterns. All overseas members will receive their free gift pattern in November as the last Australian ones are sent. I haven't forgotten! It's really lovely...a surprise though for now!

I'll leave you with some shots of the coloured sands at Rainbow Beach. The day I took these the conditions couldn't have been better for photography. The sky was a deep solid blue.

My little fisherpeople.

Couldn't resist through the car window...still came out okay!

Almost forgot.....On the cover of Australian Country Threads magazine again with my birthday doll.
Happy sewing
Deb

Still here just tired!

2008-09-12T19:13:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,
Another busy week or so; started on study projects....Conceptual Art & the language of materials, pretty interesting but I haven't been able to switch off, I guess that's something you learn as well.
It was our 29th wedding anniversary last week and I cooked a special dinner...yes I know it's work but I love doing it. Beautiful roses were presented, it was a such an enjoyable evening. Can't believe the time has flown by so quickly.
Presenting proof of flowers....he's gotten better over the years so all my training hasn't been in vain.

Sorry, too many shots of roses? They just came out well & I couldn't choose just one.

The birthday issue of Australian Country Threads comes out 12th September with my doll 'Hip Hip Hooray", they may not have called her that in the magazine though. I'm almost ready to send the latest one for January's issue....just have to check the pattern and bundle things up.

Looking forward to the school holidays coming up next week. I seem to be saying that a lot, but luckily they do come up often ...thank goodness! All the Xmas Club members will be sent the first of the club patterns on Monday. All Australian orders will be received before school break up.
Don't forget to check out Holly's new buttons - Sushi....can you believe it!

Take care

Deb

school daze

2008-08-31T21:51:00.006+10:00

Back to school...back to school, my goodness the day has finally come. I'm really looking forward to it though....hope I'm up to the task. First unit is on textiles....perfect!!

You may have seen the new heading ...Holly's Handmade Buttons & Beads. This is an exciting little development that I am really pleased to promote. Holly is making licorice allsort buttons as I write, and my brain is going into overload deciding on a suitable project to showcase them on. She is always making something and particularly enjoys making small objects from polymer clay. The detail is amazing as well as the enthusiasim....just may not be able to pay the gas bill after all the firings. Can't stifle creativity though!

I am well underway with the Christmas wall hanging , using the 'Peace on Earth' range from Moda is a joy, the fabrics are so beautiful and the Charm pack is a great way to try them all. I don't have to cut my squares...all done for me. I'm working on the applique at present and will post a picture as soon as I can photograph it in good light.

First day of Spring in the morning here. The birds have been exceptionally active as one could expect. Even saw a small one building a nest ( or tending it) above the main entry door of our local shopping complex....right above the large 'C' for Centro. Pipi (cat) has also decided she would rather be outside 'to play', I wonder why! The weather is lovely too! (sorry Stephanie).

I have just finished packaging a really big order for Bohdana in Prague. She is starting up a Doll Club to introduce and encourage doll making in her country and I have had the pleasure of helping her in this endeavour. Pretty exciting stuff!

Well, I guess I should get a good night's sleep, it's been 1 am the last few nights getting patterns sorted, but everything that needs to be done is done....... maybe a little reading before shut eye.

Love to be able to show you a photo of my garden in full 'spring' mode, but it hasn't recovered, as yet, from the construction of the garage and all the big feet. So, I thought I'd show you the plum pudding that will be on 'special' for September. Hopefully I'll have the price changed on the website soon. It's a cutie and non fattening!

Deb

Smell the Roses

2008-08-21T17:25:00.008+10:00

A timely reminder. Saw this on the internet and thought..... perfect! I had a new delivery of fabric arrive today from Sandi at Crafty Lady.

The ' Peace on Earth' & ' Posh' range from Moda are absolutely beautiful and beg to be made into something special. The ' Peace on Earth ' Charm pack is definitely destined for a Christmas inspired small wall quilt.

Wow ! more spots, there's some yummy ones inside the bundle too.

Thank you to all who have joined the Xmas Club, I'm going to be very busy I can see, but I so enjoy doing it.

Till next post,

Deb

ps. I'm going to unwrap the bundles now.....they look so neat in their little blocks, but I just have to lay them out to see them in all their glory before I call it a night.

Getting closer

2008-08-21T12:33:00.003+10:00

How many sleeps to Christmas? Not many & not enough somehow, considering I leave everything to the last moment.

I have gotten this year's Xmas Club up & running though & the three angel projects are finished, photographed, displayed on my wall and info where it should be.

Angels always make me smile so I can never have too many.

I've added the embroidery on her skirt and tacking around the heart. Then to writing up the pattern etc. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've decided to supply these projects as complete kits so that you can get in and make them ( no excuse for UFO's).

I will have some interesting news regarding classes in doll making featuring my patterns overseas soon. It's an exciting new development and will help to spread the enjoyment of doll making in areas that are new to this craft. Best wishes to B in this endeavour.

Another fishing weekend coming up for the boys...ahhhh! the peace & quiet!

Back to work and perhaps a hot mug of soup....ahhhh! soup!

Happy sewing

Deb

Thank You - gift

2008-08-18T07:35:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,

The last of the Doll Club patterns for 2008 is on it's way to you as I write. Mixed emotions here; a tinge of sadness akin to sending your young out into the world; and also satisfaction & relief that it is complete for another year.

As a BIG thank you to all my wonderful Club members I made up a quick Christmas Santa pattern for you & have included a free ceramic button to complete the project. There is a small black & white photo of santa finished in the pack but he is shown here in colour so that you can refer to it also for a guide. As it was a last minute 'bright' idea, any clarification needed re: instructions happily given via email too. Should be fine though!

Stocking Santa is about 10-11 inches tall to tip of hat. You could sew a rusty bell to the tip or reduce the pattern (photocopier) and make a tiny one. I also forgot to mention in the materials required list that you will need some sand or something similar to weight the bottom. I had the buttons specially made and they are quite cute.

Information should be ready to pop on the website today for the Xmas Club. Looking forward to that. I will have completed photos to show also on the BLOG.

Wishing you a lovely day

Deb

ps. Stephanie Smith of Qld is the winner of the Doll Club $25.00 gift voucher...Congratulations Stephanie !

Renewal

2008-08-14T17:24:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone,

Spring has Sprung... almost. You can feel it in the air and all things are in a state of renewal.

Right at this minute though, I have the last project for this year's Doll Club to show - here's Daisy.....she's sooo cute!

I've incorporated a technique called raw edge applique, and it is exactly that. Fun to do because it's quick, yet effective. The daisy petals are made from a light white cotton allowing shadows of the dress fabric to show through, this gives a lovely light, 'washy' effect.

Frills, plenty of detail & lots of fun. I'll be sending them all out by Monday so all Doll Club members will be receiving their copy of Daisy shortly.

Sadly, Xmas Club this year may be the last Doll Club for a little while, only temporarily though, as I will be studying and need to get settled into a regular routine. So unlike previous years I won't be starting off 2009 with the Doll Club. This new chapter is something I've wanted to do for quite a while and I guess all things in their own time. I will still be designing just as much as before and there will be plenty of new projects in the Wattlebee shop as well as regular Newsletters and this Blog. I'll be working just as hard so please keep popping in to see what's on offer.

Happy sewing and follow your dreams

Deb

Red

2008-08-10T17:34:00.004+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I've been madly trying to catch up and finally have something to share. I've titled her 'Red' for obvious reasons, and after all, nothing evokes Christmas like the colour red.

I had so much fun playing around with this one as I love being able to use up scraps of fabric, and quite honestly you never really know what you end up with when using scraps. You can make her over & over & she will always be different. I love the cute little stocking and you could dress her up further for the season with a candy cane popped in the stocking.

All three Xmas Club dolls are ready now....here's a glimpse of the other one.

She's not quite finished in this photo, but you can get an idea of the end result.

Just have to organise the info for you all and have it up on the website......sounds like a job for the Exhibition holidays coming up this week. As I have mentioned before I really appreciate any school holiday and these two lovely days will come in handy.

Well back to work...and there's lots of it! If I'm good I may get to watch a little of the Olympic coverage tonight.

Happy sewing

Deb

Paradise

2008-08-04T16:55:00.003+10:00

Greetings from Paradise,

Well it seemed that way on the weekend. We had a lovely, much needed, 3 days away at Rainbow Beach (think Fraser Island) and the weather didn't let us down.

Just had to take a photo of the camels. They are a quirky attraction and are often seen taking passengers for a tour along the beach. Haven't done that yet myself...they are a long way up!

I went for a good walk, picked over shells and tip toed at the edge of the crystal clear water...such a treat and I made sure I took some close-up shots of some shells ( one of them is my new screen saver).

This is over from the shops on the headland, looking out at the water...Fraser Is is to the left of the picture just out of view.

Back to work now, I have the last Doll Club project to photograph, another doll for Australian Country Threads, three Xmas Club dolls to complete and lots more goodies to come.

Take care & I hope you have your slice of paradise too!

Deb

That time again!

2008-07-31T14:08:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm still here. Feeling a little sore & sorry for myself lately having had a few little health hiccups. All's fine now but everything else goes out the window at times like this and I couldn't think of designing at all.
Now I can't wait, still have those spots ( fabric not me) to have fun with....... definitely my next project.

The boys were all away last week at a major fishing competition despite their fair share of rain, a good time was had by all and I do mean all......my daughter & I enjoyed the peace & quiet too. I had lots of spare time (so I thought) to catch up on projects. Even though it didn't turn out that way we still enjoyed a little time to ourselves.

It's that time again with Xmas Club starting in September I wanted to show the first project "Evening Star". There will be three angels in the Club range and I will show them as I get them finished. I decided they will all be offered as kits as I think everyone appreciates having all the materials necessary on hand when they just want to get stuck in and create, as well as being time poor at that end of the year, so I can help out by providing kits. I have had buttons made to suit the projects and all the details will be sorted & available on the website soon.

Here's a glimpse of "Evening Star" She's a nice easy one. I also find, as handmade gifts are the best kind, that these Christmas patterns are used on many occasions for special gifts. My mum & sister do this for me and I can tell you, each doll tells a story and never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Off to do some creating...have fun & happy sewing
Deb

Seeing Spots!

2008-07-20T17:05:00.005+10:00

I'm finally happy to release the latest pattern ' pocket full of Miracles' and she is ready & waiting on the website. Stephanie, I'll be sending the promised pattern to you tomorrow.

Just in case anyone is interested....I finally found the original camera battery, knew I would, I suspect the cat found it and played a little game of soccer because we had checked the spot it was found in many times previously. Things are looking up.

Funky spots are in.
I wonder what I can do with these? I have an idea.....and I'll show you soon.

Happy sewing till next post.

Deb

I get it!

2008-07-10T17:28:00.005+10:00

I finally get it......having too much trouble with silly little problems lately surrounding this DVD. I need to step back, take a deep breath and let it be for awhile. Other projects have been put on hold & they need to be started so my new resolution is to get back to work and get them moving.

Forget all that....just had to have a little winge! I have some good news though, both the lovely ladies that commented recently on "Pocket full of Miracles" will receive a pattern ( as soon as I finish it). Debby & Stephanie, please let me know where you would like it sent and I will pop a pattern in the mail. There is still some writing & testing to do but I will let you know via BLOG as soon as they are ready to go. Hope you enjoy making them & thank you.

The weather was absolutely glorious today, out of the cold wind at least. So easy to fall asleep in a sunny spot. I was reading a lovely cookbook by Ross Dobson called China Town Sweet Sour Spicy Salty, the photography is beautiful ( Sydney Chinatown) and just looking through the recipes made me want to grab my wok and start chopping.

This is not Brisbane but Melbourne Chinatown....visited last year and yes, it's raining.

Till next time

Deb

Bermuda Triangle ?

2008-07-08T19:04:00.006+10:00

There have been some very 'spooky' things happening lately. Yesterday we were about to do some video taping again for the DVD when I removed the battery from the camera to 'help' recharge it....totally forgot that that's NOT how you do it. Couldn't find the recharger; which is not surprising under the circumstances, and in the process somehow lost the battery. I have turned the studio & house upside down in my effort to find it, but to date no luck. I couldn't remember even putting it down, couldn't retrace my steps because it was a complete blank. To make matters worse I'd been looking for some other item earlier in the day and had no luck there either. The last straw was losing a card while out purchasing new fabrics today. Did the search through the bag, patting pockets, going back to the sales assistant etc, got in my car & went straight home.............and no, I didn't trip over the battery when I got in.
It's all too spooky. I really hope it goes in threes and I'm over it. I'm sure I'll laugh about it later, perhaps when I forget about the cost of my new battery!

Lighter side...aren't these ribbons just beautiful? I found them today and can't wait to see what can be done with them. I love the colour combinations and simple, fun shapes.

Very happy with myself for finishing & sending the Australiana doll off to Australian Homespun ahead of schedule. I really hate to let anyone down so she is in their capable hands now and I'm looking forward to seeing her in print in Jan '09. Seems like such a long way away but I know it will be here all too soon. This following link has some projects & info on next issues -http://www.completecraft.com.au/projects

Christmas Club projects are on the design board now. There will be three, starting September through to Nov, and I haven't decided whether to make them as kits or patterns as we have done both before. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on this. I'll have some pics to show soon.

It is supposed to get really chilly tomorrow- 17 deg....I'm sure some of you will be saying that's not cold! But for here...well, it is a little nippy. Time for a hot chocolate right about now and check out my new fabric stash.

Happy sewing

Deb

Wet, wet, wet.

2008-07-05T13:55:00.011+10:00

Hi everyone,

Beautiful rain is falling outside my window, so perfect for sewing......... and chocolate eating unfortunately!

Thanks Debby for your comment, lovely to hear from you.

I promised to post a full image of "Pocket full of Miracles"...here she is -

It's also a perfect weekend to write up the pattern so it won't be long before she will be available in the shop.

I visited an interesting website recently and just love their fabrics, I'm a sucker for gorgeous fabric & these are delicious.... http://www.printscharming.com.au/home.htm

Sorry it's only a quick post but I wanted to show her off and I will have more news soon. Remember the competition...leave a comment by July 8 & you will go in a drawer to win a pattern for her.

Have a lovely weekend

Deb

It's a Miracle!

2008-06-30T18:18:00.011+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Finally made a start on "Pocket full of Miracles" I have a sneak preview of the pocket -

Had to complete the Australiana doll for Australian Homespun first and just couldn't get motivated to finish it. I put it aside to do other things instead and now it's almost due. I will finish her...I will!

I've made the wattle that she will hold, but I would like to redo the embroidery panel. I drew up a little kookaburra and stitched it in suitable colours but the cream thread on tea-stained fabric doesn't show up well enough so a re-stitch is necessary.

Speaking of Australian Homespun Magazine, Holly has her very first project in this June issue with "Bunny Love" wall hanging. It's been a long agonizing wait from July last year and the Young Designers Comp ( top ten finalists) but well worth it. She's looking forward to showing her teachers after the holidays.The blue version that is also shown in the magazine will be for sale soon on the website.

I'm reading the latest John Connolly novel "The Reapers" and trying to restrict myself to night time only (that time-slot may not be a good idea), otherwise I certainly won't get anything done.

Would anyone like to win a pattern for Pocket full of Miracles? To enter the drawer, please leave a comment about anything you like. If you've made one of my patterns, lets hear about it. Send the comment by the 8th July & I'll post a winner shortly after. Full picture of the finished doll next post.

Good luck !

Deb

Front Cover!

2008-06-26T13:26:00.005+10:00

Hi,

Another doll for Aust Country Threads. This is the "Down on the farm" issue with "carrots & Tomatoes" that is out now.

I had a lot of fun designing her & was particularly pleased with how the bag of vegies turned out. I enjoy incorporating embroidery where I can, so this was a nice little detail that's pretty quick to do....I like quick results!

If anyone would like to send a photo of her made up, I'd love to show her off.

Just finished proof reading the birthday doll for Australian Country Threads Mag, she'll be out around August I think...must check on that.

The sun is shining and school holidays are in progress. Looking forward to catching up with friends and finishing off some projects that have been put on hold eg. DVD.

Better get back to work.

Happy sewing.

Deb

Doll Club Gallery

2008-06-23T12:28:00.009+10:00

I wanted to show you one of the dolls made by a Doll Club member living across the globe.

Bohdana has produced this amazing result despite being new to doll making and having to have help in translating the instructions. It was so lovely to be shown this work. I also mentioned to her that it helps me also when questions are asked and I keep that in mind when writing and revising patterns. As materials & equipment were hard for her to find at home I was able to help in that regard, hence the same fabric as the original. I'm always happy to help....so it's all good!

It's always inspirational to see how others interpret a design. Bohdana has been experimenting with tea-staining some more since this photo was taken & working on new techniques with project N0.2, so the sky's the limit now.

Here is Katka ( Kitey)
Best wishes to all the budding doll makers

Deb

Cupcakes & Surprises.

2008-06-23T12:04:00.004+10:00

Recently I celebrated another birthday. Dad & the kids surprised me with a special kitchen item that I have long coveted. I rolled up my sleeves and set to work to produce these cup cakes. The gang came in at intervals during the procedure to witness the event and then we all sat down for a lovely afternoon tea. They may have not been the very pinnacle of cup cake sucess but they sure felt like it and it was a great day. Anyone like to share a good cup cake recipe? Bill Grangier has one too so I'll try that next.

Happy cooking & sewing.

Deb

ps. Happy birthday to anyone celebrating their special day.

Winter Chills etc etc.

2008-06-15T10:52:00.004+10:00

Talk about ironic, I will be sending out project No. 3 for our Doll Club this week. I called her " Winter Chills & Vitamin C ". I'm sniffing & coughing as I type, thought I'd escape this round but no such luck. To add insult to injury, it's a glorious day....sun shining....sales on everywhere and no energy to look for anything except where the tissue box has been hidden.

The good news is that I 'm really happy with how this project turned out and hope all the Doll Club members feel the same way.

Take care & happy sewing

Deb

All finished!

2008-06-12T16:40:00.003+10:00

Funny old day today, the weather hasn't quite made up it's mind to rain or not. A few family members are down with a cold and our tissue supply is running out....everyone is miserable!

I did manage to finish the sewing 'thing' though between medicating and comforting the troops. Thought you may like to see the finished article. It even folds up for storage.

I'm off to squeeze some more oranges & lemons.

Take care & happy sewing.

Deb

Sew Sweet

2008-06-10T17:11:00.005+10:00

I love going through my stash of fabrics, fabrics & more fabrics just to look at them, then refold & stack. I enjoy looking at the neat little piles of colour and sometimes that's all you need. I'm really pleased with this project ( a direct result of this activity), even though I didn't start the doll I should have & got a little side tracked, it was a lot of fun. I've taken a few pics to show you - I haven't put the binding on yet. I like making designs that are not only decorative, but are practical & useful too. This "Sew Sweet Tidy" lays over the arm of a lounge chair or similar and has a pocket for scissors, tape or cut threads ( I'm too messy....on the floor, clean up afterwards), a needle holder, pin cushion and a special pocket for your turning tool, pencil & brown pigma pen where children can't find them....yeah right! I'm going to make another for a gift.

This is my view at the moment looking out my sewing room window....remember the carport? Roof arriving tomorrow, should imagine it will all be on this weekend. At least it may curtail our cat's escape plans. She is obviously getting out through a window somewhere & having a ball on the framework while her silly owners are tip toeing around with a torch at midnight.

All happy endings to date.

Happy sewing
Deb

Who needs sleep?

2008-06-05T00:02:00.006+10:00

Wow! I'm absolutely amazed at the response to Reach for the Stars. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about her. I don't think I've been to bed till after 1 am all this week, with getting her ready and then preparing patterns etc.... going a little cross-eyed tonight.

This is the last long weekend for the year. The boys are building a carport to house the cars that seem to be multiplying at home.....children growing up etc. It will be nice when we don't have to do the early morning shuffle of cars.
While they are busy constructing, I'm hoping to do some of the same. I have bought just the right fabric ( I hope) for Inspirations No. 2, I've called her "Pocket full of Miracles" & can't wait to get started.

Love this small floral.

Show and tell soon

Deb :)

Reach for the Stars

2008-06-02T16:19:00.006+10:00

We were rained in this weekend...forgotten what rain like that sounds like. Hope it's going in the dams and where it's really needed too. The water is certainly doing wonders for my vegie garden.

It was the perfect weekend to catch up on some sewing and I managed to finish the doll previously mentioned for the Inspiration duo. I decided to enlarge the pattern and the finished result....well, what do you think?

The dress & body are all in one, she was really quick to make and looks fantastic on the wall. She also sports cute little wings - I like angels!

Love her legs....wish mine looked that good!

We had fun trying recipes for a new pressure cooker....where was this incredible machine when I needed it before!!.....when lost in sewing & having forgotten to put dinner on. We had lamb shanks, oxtail stew etc, in record time....delicious!

Also had a catch-up with my friends from "Heart of Gold Creations"- Andrea & Marianne are two very talented ladies as well as being warm & generous friends. I'm lucky to have met them as I'm always inspired after our catch-ups.

I'm off to work on " Pocket full of Miracles " show & tell soon.

Deb

Weekend Project

2008-05-20T21:41:00.005+10:00

Holly (daughter) & I came up with this idea for a handy study tidy to go on the wall behind a desk. She's tested it and given it the thumbs up. I love it when a plan comes together!

Holly will have her very first project published in the June issue of Homespun. As a budding young designer that's pretty exciting stuff.

This is a quick shot we took to give you an idea. There are 5 really cool pockets to keep everything in arms reach........ shouldn't have to be looking for calculators etc in the rush before school from now on.
The stitchery panel took all of 'Castaway' to do, so I can't say I haven't seen the entire movie anymore. (Love the whale bit).

Anyway hope you like it.

Happy sewing

Deb

wattlebee

*Jam Drop Cookies Recipe*

Come for a walk...

Two in a row!!

This month

Pattern draw & feathered friends

What's New

Beach calling

Print some fun

Colours of the rainbow

This week

Sore feet

Ideas!!

On the go in July

My b day

June happenings.

Happy to be back

Newest additions

Crazy rabbit season

A new day

Flooding

Getting ready for Christmas

special people

I'm Back

Lifting Spirits

Spring Sprung!

Close up

Studio time

The old days

All aboard

Back to normal

Bring on July

Busy Bees

Mother's Day

Drama!!

This weekend

Sheepish

Marathon run

Colour, colour, colour!!

Laaambert!!

Back from camp

A long day!

Exciting News!

Blink and you'll miss it!

A new year

Christmas wishes

Playing with chooks!

Sydney part two & a lovely surprise!

To Sydney & back

Special Times

cough cough!!

Felting madness

Over the line

brrrrrrrr!

Weekend endeavours

Pins & thingmybobs

a little more...

Little Bird

What's Next?

Some News!

Sewing at last!

Baking Bunnies

wabbits

Time-Out

Whimsy

Here's Harriet

Doll Club

Renewal

last minute

Drum roll please......

Fresh Start

Just Steamy!

Aprons completed

Show & Tell

The most fun!

After the holidays

Still here just tired!

school daze

Smell the Roses

Getting closer

Jam Drop Cookies Recipe