Sunday 27 November 2011

:: long time no post::

It's been so long since I posted, I nearly forgot how to log in to Blogger .... nah, not really, but it's been a while.

Vee and I caught up for coffee this week and a market-debrief.  Oh my GOSH we had a fabulous market night!!  Over 800 people came through the door, so it was a little overwhelming, but so much FUN, setting up our stall, then chatting with all our lovely customers.  We barely had time to sip our champagnes, it was just so busy.  Here are a few pics of our stall:



Are you loving Vee's massive catandvee cushion?  We had one person ask if it was for sale ... (it's not).

Check out our brand new stamp, are you loving it?  Probably not as much as we are ... We bought it here.   We made 80 of the little jewellery kits, and only had three left, so we were really happy about that - we sewed so many drawstring-bags and were very pleased they went home with other people!

Here are a few close-up pics of our stall:




Phew.  So much fun.

In other sewing news, I've been busy this weekend sewing up two quilt tops (well, really, they're only 'throws', they're not that big).  They're for Christmas pressies for my kids' two fabulous teachers at school.  I'll post more pics when they're finished, but here are the fronts:
This one is for Mrs D - it's a disappearing nine-patch, using most of a Punctuation by American Jane layer-cake, with a border using precious jelly-roll strips from the Urban Chiks 1974 line. 

And I've had quandries over this one, for Miss B.  It's most of a Terrain by Kate Spain layer-cake.  I sewed it together first, just as basic cake-squares, and it was all finished, ready to roll.  But I wasn't quite happy with it, so sliced into it with the rotary cutter and re-sewed all the strips together.  I'm leaving it overnight and think I'll add a border tomorrow - I bought all the colour-ways of the gorgeous 'tear-drop' fabric in half-yards - it was supposed to be for binding, but I think it will stretch to borders as well. 

I love making quilts - small quilts - but I don't love following patterns, and much prefer really basic designs that let the fabrics speak for themselves.  Well - either that or I'm really lazy and am super-bad at the precision cutting and sewing required for points to match up and patterns to come together nicely... 

Hope your weekend has been happy.  Roll on school holidays, they can't come soon enough.    xoxo cat

Saturday 19 November 2011

cat&vee store back online in a day or two

We had a HUGE market night last night! 


It was our first one so thank-you to ALL if you who came along and supported us. 


We are just checking our stock this weekend and will update our online store asap.  xoxo cat & vee




Tuesday 8 November 2011

Rip Sh!t and Bust and oh yes!! the Mother of all Cushions

I'm not sure if I've confessed this..but yes....I am what's known as a 'Rip Sh!t and Bust' sewist. (Is that even a word?? Was going to write sewer..but sounds like I'm in the toilet!!)






I recently posted a blog with a framed 'cat and vee' sign that I had whipped together for our christmas markets....yes, I was entrusted with this task and was, might I say,  feeling quite 'gleeful' at accomplishing a finished fabric-sewn sign...ONLY to come home from holidays a week later to find it terribly buckled and warped from using the WRONG glue. 


In my mind I knew it was the wrong glue - but in such a hurry for 'instant gratification' I risked some dodgy shortcuts...which in the end did not pay off.


So..what to do??  Frame wrecked. (sorry could not bear to take photo. In my R S B fashion I immediately ripped out the fabric and tossed away the frame.  Couldn't bear to look at it for a second longer. You know...'out of sight - out of mind'.)  Decided in a PMT moment! to make a cushion out of the remains....Yes...the 'Mother of all Cushions'.


so here it is....and now I only hope there is room on the market table for the stuff we actually want to sell!!


xoxo vee 





Monday 7 November 2011

:: the home stretch (and thank goodness Vee's back!) ::

Well how glam and gorgeous did Vee and her sis look at the Melbourne Cup last week?  Scroll down to the last post if you missed the pic.

I'm so glad Vee's back in town!  I've missed bouncing ideas around with her and our many "ooh, look at this, what do you think" moments that happen during each week.  The sewing just wasn't as much fun without her.

We've had a great weekend - drinks with friends, a bit of shopping, lots of home time, and a birthday party.  Here's a little bag I made in place of wrapping paper for the birthday pressie (it was a Hawaiin-themed party):

There was a lot of finishing-off sewing going on over the weekend too - Vee and I are into the home-stretch and headed for the Twilight Market next Friday night!  Here are my six cushions, and oh yes, they - are - finished!!:



Am so happy with them, and completely overjoyed that they are finished.

We've made three happy little bunting sets - these will be pinned up in the entry way to the market, and will look super-noice near our garlands (scroll down if you missed that pic from a couple of posts ago).

And here are my five little mee-friend cushions, ready for market:

All the close-up pics are in our Flickr stream in the 'made by mee cushiony friends' set, but I do particularly love Pipsqueak's ear.  I don't know if you can see, but there are lots of little stitches in there:

We have lots of pricing, packaging and organising to do this week.  Should be fun.

'til next time      xoxo cat

  




Saturday 5 November 2011

...while the cat's away....


Technically the heading should read...while 'cat wasn't away......vee did play'!!





Yes! happy holidays to me.


Whilst Cat has been slaving over her beloved Bernina for 5 or so hours a day this week....I have been 'skiving' off and having a most fabulous time away.


And as I sit here reflecting and rested I vow that this will be the last night that my kids have 'tiny teddies' for dinner. 


A mad dash to rebook airline seats last Sunday (due to the grounding of the Flying kangaroo) saw us land in a very chilly Melbourne on Monday morning with the realisation that I had packed a fabulous, very summery Camilla Franks Caftan to wear. First stop was D.J's for thermals, and let me tell you, it's hard to look glam at the best of times....but with 2 layers of Merino wool + the nancy gantz 'suck in everything pants + the long johns AND a body 'alive' with static electricity...well...no more need to be said on that). We did notice a lot of 'tangerine' ladies at the races. (I didn't realise that 'Orange was the new Black' this season!)


On the 'home straight now' ...we are relaxing at the beach for one more day before we head home to school, sewing, work, study and the much missed iPad if you are three!!!


Have missed you Cat.  See you Monday.


xoxo vee












Friday 4 November 2011

:: let's hear it for Friday!! ::

Oh thank goodness it's Friday!!  The wine is in the fridge, waiting for 5.00 to roll around ...

In a nutshell, this week has been all about me and the Bernina.  Well, MY week has been all about me and the Bernina, plus all the usual happenings about the house.  Vee's week has been way more fun, I am sure there will be a blog post very soon ...!

Here's what's been happening at chez cat:

:: Monday was Halloween, which is big around here, even though this is Australia and not the US or England.  We had a few friends over for a mini-party in the driveway, and the kids trick-or-treated in our little street, thanks to lovely Eve (as in, Eve took a whole bunch of kids up and down the street while we sat in the driveway with bubbles).

:: Tuesday was Melbourne Cup - a girls' lunch at a local cafe, minus Vee who was actually AT the Cup.  She texted a super gorgeous track-side photo and we were all very jealous of her glamourousness and actually being in Melbourne.  We did have a really nice lunch though, and bubbles and laughs.  To my lovely friend K, who I know will read this, I ask ..... "has she gone?"

:: Wednesday, Thursday and today were spent sewing, sewing, sewing.  I've finished my six cushions and five mee-friend cushions - pics to come - it doesn't sound like much to type, but they took a looong tiiime to make.  Am really happy with them.  Will get pics over the weekend.

:: I've made thirty pin-cushions for our sewing-kits for market (some pincushions are stuffed, some aren't, and my lovely Mum is going to whip-stitch them all shut when she comes to visit this week ..... surprise Mum!):


:: I've made garlands and bunting to help decorate the entry foyer for the upcoming Twilight Christmas Market:


That's just the garlands - wool felt hearts, circles and a few other shapes.  A bit of tulle thrown in.  They're to hang in the front windows as you walk into the market, with a Christmas tree and some other decs underneath (but we're not doing them, thank goodness!).  The vintage tea-towel bunting up the top of the pic is from Cottage Industry  - a great shop in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy (Melbourne).

:: today's other news was Teddy's first trip to the dog-grooming-salon.  Here's a photo-sequence - before, then after his desexing surgery when he was super-miserable in his bucket, and then this afternoon!! (can't manage to line the photos up next to each other, so suffer along with me, sorry): 





Promise I will try and develop some blogging photo skills, so there aren't big white gaps all over the place, with random photo placement.  Oooh, bet you can't wait for that. 

:: aaaaand, finally, keeping me company this week (apart from Ted, and Pip's blog - have been loving her cute carcasts) while the kids are at school, has been daytime TV.  

We're talking The Circle girls, and Ellen - particularly the day there was a repeat of the Nicki Minaj girls - love them ((and omg, in finding that link, I just discovered the Nicki Minaj girls will be back on Ellen next week! - so worth the watch)).  Had never heard of Nicki Minaj before seeing the two little girls on Ellen, so I learned something too ; )  

Yep, daytime TV is my sewing-friend.  It was my bad-back-friend for a few months earlier this year when I was stuck lying down with two prolapsed discs, and now it is my sewing friend.  I do love it. 

Happy weekend. 'til next time xoxo cat.
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