:: oh how I love Melbourne ::

It's school holidays here in Queensland.  Woooo hoo. 

Family Cat headed to Melbourne for a few days.

We did a heap of great stuff - but in this blogging space, I'm all about the fabric ;-)

Top of my list was Amitie - the super gorgeous fabric shop, and home of all the creations of the super-talented Jen Kingwell.  I'm limited to showing instagram and phone pics, since my camera died a sad death after taking a photo of a meerkat at Werribee Open Range Zoo ... nothing sinister ... it just stopped working and I have to send it to Canon ... apparently.  Phew, lucky I got that meerkat photo ... 

{{it was way better than this photo ... }}

Anyway, back to Amitie:

{{bought the awesome pattern by Jen Kingwell, for the whole alphabet, not just the Live Laugh Love!!}}

Amitie is just such a beautiful shop - seriously gorgeous - and I was so happy to meet Jen as well.  It's all set out in gorgeous colour-blocks, with lots of patterns and notions too.  I meant to go crazy taking pics, but I was a little overwhelmed by the awesomeness.

Jen has designed and made some truly beautiful quilts, including two brand new ones she brought out to show me (almost fainted).  I bought her Green Tea and Sweet Beans pattern, as well as the gorgeous alphabet pattern.  Oh, it was a happy, happy day.

{{I just love that amitie means friendship ... }}

Next was a new discovery, L'uccello.  I saw an ad for it in a Homespun magazine on the plane - I'd never heard of it before.  Good grief, it's an awesome discovery.  Here's just a sneak peek of the goodness to be found amidst its vintage haberdashery shelves:

{{just such a gorgeous shop ... reminded me of Tinsel Trading in NYC}}

There is an online shop coming soon ... 

Next ... could I BE so lucky ... we decided to drive to Ballarat, home of Sovereign Hill, which was the real reason for the drive ... but also ... home to Ballarat Patchwork!! 

{{gah, can you believe the awesomeness!!}}

Ballarat Patchwork is another shop that is just so beautifully set out - all colour-blocked, heaps of fabric-awesomeness, great patterns and gorgeously folded little fat quarters and bits and pieces.   Lots of beautiful quilts too, all made by the gorgeous Emma, who I was lucky enough to meet.  

I just can't believe the sew-ers of Ballarat are so blessed as to have this gem of a shop in their little town.  "Just can't believe", meaning I'm very jealous.  Imagine having Amitie and Ballarat Patchwork as your local quilting shops.  I'd do every class they offered and just never leave ... so perhaps it's really for the best ... 

{{even the door is cute}}

Rounding out the trifecta of fabric-shopping awesomeness was Patchwork on Central Park.  We had been here before, and it is truly gorgeous - they have an amazing range of Liberty and Echino - but I just didn't love it as much as Amitie and Ballarat Patchwork.

This is their gorgeous window. 

{{cute}}

So that was Melbourne.  Home of beautiful fabric and vintage haberdashery.

Yes, we did other things, such as shopping at Haigh's for chocolates several times, and also:

{{lots of walking around the beautiful city ... this is Flinders Street station, en route from L'uccello to Napoleon}} 

{{Napoleon exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria.  Loved it.  Have got pics of my kids posing amongst these letters too ... did NOT love the Chinese man butting in and snapping away taking their photos as well til I started walking towards him ... }}

{{our own private screening of Madagascar III ... seriously, no one else turned up!!  the kids were running up and down the aisles and dancing in front of the screen}}

And now, we are very happy to be home again.  Ted's back from the pet motel - I avoided that little trip thanks to "needing to" immediately collect my machine from its holiday-service at the lovely Patches.

{{sorry about the spider incident, Jenny}}

Let the sewing begin.

happy weekend to you    xoxo cat