:: new obsession ::

A new obsession.

Felt-balls.  Oh yes.

{{very hard to get a decent hallway pic at night-time}}

Bought a whole heap of felt-balls from this lovely shop last week, and they arrived with super speed today. I was quite excited when Frank (our local courier) knocked on the door with the box under his arm, and I realised what was INSIDE the box.  Frank however, was really not that excited - with a wave, he drove off pretty quickly.

We puttered around all day, enjoying the rare school-holiday sunshine, but then in the late afternoon, I stashed the kids in the playroom with the TV, put on 'The Help' DVD and threaded ball after ball.  Very calm, very soothing, much crafty fun. 

Really enjoyed it - it's great to have different little hand-sewing-type projects to do in spare moments in front of the TV.  Learning-to-crochet is on the list for next school term, so look out for updates on crocheting-ability.  I know you can't wait. 

Happy hols  xoxo cat

:: sewing BIG ::

More rain = more sewing.

Finished the hefty work-pocket for my friend Kirsten's classroom.  A bit over 2 metres x 1.2 metres.

{{two kids, standing on a bench-seat, arms stretched high to the sky, during a 2 minute break in the drizzle}}

This was an epic undertaking, mainly because I'm not too fluent in sewing-BIG.  But I did love it.  And it was for a great friend, so that made it a happy little project.

There are 30 pockets, all the same size, 6 in each row - I just sewed random strips using Ikea hippos in red and lime, some Sandy Klop ABC and connect-the-dots, a reddish spot, and some orangey Castle Peeps.  The pockets are lined in Ikea sheeting.

The navy/white background is a great Spotlight find, and on the back (no pic, sorry) is a very cute Ikea 'pacman' design. 

There may be sun tomorrow, so we may even venture outside the house.

Happy hols  xoxo cat

:: raining in BrisVegas ::

We in the Cat-household started school hols a week early due to hideous germy winter bugs hitting the kids with a vengeance.  Spare you the details but 'holiday' isn't quite the word I'm looking for.  Ah, good times.

Onto the actual school holidays and it's raining.  16 degrees and raining.  Took this pic via my instagram-addiction this morning.  Thinking that at least the bouganvillea looks nice in the rain.

We braved the local shopping centre yesterday to meet our very gorgeous friend Kate and her lovely children, to see 'Brave'.  I do love a Pixar movie.  Was not loving the breathing-in-of-more-winter-bugs that was going on in that cinema though.  

And sewing.  This weather is awesome for sewing.  Have become a bit addicted to hexagons, even trotting off to buy a sewline-glue-pen to make the whole process much quicker.

{{Gah!!  Summersville, Authentic and very cute measuring-tape fabric.}}

I made two sewing kits from the very-excellent 'Zakka Style' book.

{{Aunty Cookie cheater-patchwork + Summersville.  Gah again!!}}

{{the inside.  Added a strip of felt for needles}}

{{Aunty Cookie cheater patchwork + Walk in the Woods + Bliss.  Tiny hexies - gah!!}}

{{inside.  can't tell you how much I'm loving the tiny hexies.  or that Aunty Cookie cheater}}

There has been even more sewing, but will save that up for another time.   Enjoy the rain.  Or the sun, if you're lucky enough to have it.   xoxo cat

:: flash a smile, it's the New You!! ::

Vee and I have decided to expand our little Etsy range, so - hold the phone - we are branching out into zip pouches.

Hold on a second while my head stops spinning from that surprising news-flash.

So far, we've only embraced the zipper-foot for just the one pouch - which we've oh-so-cleverly combined with some words from our singsongs teatowels:

{new haircut? new house? new job? new weight ... loss ... gain? new love? new coffee shop?}

{the paps are onto the New You.  or is Lara Bingle standing behind you ... best to check}

{come back soon, we have so many questions for you!}

{super cute fabric and bees}

I'm off for a cup of tea in the sunshine.  My head's still spinning.  Off to the shop you pop.  

Happy weekend   xoxo cat

:: hola peeps ::

hola peeps.  No reason, other than that's what one of my kids likes to say.

Vee and I printed some more singsongs teatowels today - let me tell you, they are awesome, even if we say so ourselves.   They are just so perfect for your kitchen, your Mum's kitchen, your friend's kitchen, your neighbour's kitchen.  Go on.  Pop across to the shop and snap up a few for yourself and your pressie cupboard.  You'll be glad you did.

Popped home after our printing-and-coffee-session and whipped up a zip-pouch for a lovely friend who heads off for an epic European holiday with her family tomorrow.  Way jealous (says she who went to New York last holidays ...).  The trip includes Paris and Venice, so do please note the fabric choices:

{long-loved Michael Miller eiffel towers, and some eiffel tower trim I happened to have stashed away}

{V+A Venice fabric.  Do admit, as the Mitford girls would say, it is perfect}

Here's to a happy weekend.  We're on the fruit roster for netball tomorrow, so that will be an early highlight.

And did I post this pic yet - I walked into the living room the other day, and spied Teddy through the glass doors.  Secret life of dogs.  Mental note - spray-n-wipe that table again:

xoxo cat

:: bunkered down in BrisVegas ::

Another week has flown on by, ending with the perfect long weekend - cold and rain in BrisVegas, so we hung out at home, saw friends and family and did not much at all.  Loved it.  Here are a few pics. 

{mee friend kits, headed for Ireland - gosh it's a long while since we've made these}

{patiently waiting for the husband ... my husband, not Teddy's husband ... he'll sit like that for gee, whole minutes at a time, for no apparent reason, just waiting}

{hama beads, how we love you}

{chocolate + blackberry jam cake.  made this twice. and ate a lot of it.}

{made this for one of my kids' teachers who's headed for an England-holiday. Thought the V+A fabric was perfect}

see you xoxo cat

:: progress ::

Bam. Two more blocks done for what will from now be known as The Green and Purple (quilt) - let's call it TGAP.  Yep, it's an awesome name.  Thank you, rainy Sunday.

First up - couldn't resist this crazy Spoonflower fabric, with an assortment of dogs, all wearing buckets (or cones) - what's with it?  We had such a shocking experience with our dog Ted wearing his bucket, that it's forever seared into our brains, so I thought it would be kind of fun(ny) to include a memento in each of the quilts.

{why yes, that is a bucket on my head, and no, I will not make eye contact with you until it comes off}

And the second block - both my kids are massive readers, but TGAP's recipient is literally never anywhere without a book in tow.  Literally.  You have no idea how serious I am.  So - I've had some of Aneela Hoey's Little Apples stashed for a while to use in TGAP.

{isn't it awesome, I love that little reader}

Hope your Sunday was great.    xoxo cat