:: what have you been up to? ::

We have been busy working through some post-market orders, some Christmas sewing, more market sewing, and at this time of year - lots of pre-Christmas and end-of-school year busyness.

Here are some pics ... they're all iphone pics sorry ... need to download from my camera and I was a little too laz-ay to go get the cord.

First up, quilt-as-you-go bag panels for teacher-pressies. 

{{computer-bag for my younger child's teacher ... who is originally from England ...}}

{{tote bag for my older child's teacher, who wears a lot of red}}

Next up - and I need to do a full and proper blog post about the awesomeness that has been Kara's Secret Santa Swap - my Secret Santa Swap pressies arrived!! 

.

My Secret Santa was the lovely and very crafty Ros from SewDelicious.  Ros made some very sweet Christmas bunting, a gorgeous whale drawstring pouch, and included my favourite Lindt Santas (I'd share but they're all gone ...).  I promise I will take proper pics and do a whole blog post about the Secret Santa Swap.  It was really fun to be a part of it.

I grabbed a few minutes this afternoon to finish the binding for a (mahusive, 14-inch square) pot-holder that is headed to the US to be part of Amy's Mum's Christmas pressie.  

{{Aneela Hoey's Cherry Christmas + Bliss binding}}

{{the back - I do love the red stitching for the 'x'}}

We have a few new cushion-panel designs to show you too - the awesomely clever and creative brain that is Vee, whipped up some new ideas last weekend.  Vee emailed the file to Spoonflower on Sunday night .... and they arrived on her front doorstep on Friday!!  So super fast to print and post the designs, we were so impressed.  

The panels are already in our Etsy shop (click across and check them out!!) - but you will have to wait for pics here, as I've only got the instagram pics I stole from Vee's photostream, and I'd rather wait til we can share camera pics.

Here's to a happy week.    xoxo cat

:: thank you ::

We had a great time at market last Friday.

{{cushions, zip pouches, panels, sewing kits}}

Fuelled by our oh-so-cleverly-packed chocolate-coated muesli bars and water, we made it through the market evening.

{{teatowels, bracelet kits and Christmas decorations, sitting on the contraband extra-table we managed to snag}}

Lots of passers-by, lots of lookers (as in people-looking, I don't mean spectacular-looking-people, though perhaps there were a few of those too ...), and lots of buyers.

Lots of lovely comments and feedback.

Lots of our stuff went home with lots of lovely people.

{{are you loving the cute signs and cushion?!}}

So - thank you very much to everyone who was able to come along and join in our market experience.  

((I should mention that the above pics were all taken after we had finished our afternoon set-up, and before the market had actually opened ... a LOT of people come through the market ... honestly ... note to self, take a few 'atmospheric crowd shots' next time)). 

Our hot market favourite was our 'Normal Family' cushion - sold out, and we have had a few orders since.  

Over the weekend, the awesomely creative brain that lives inside Vee's head, came up with a few new - very clever, very funny, you need them on your lounge - cushion panel designs.  They have been sent off to Spoonflower and will be cut up and ready for our next market.  We will also upload panels to our Etsy shop (which has been looking a little empty lately).

Vee and I met for a coffee and debrief on Monday.  We have our printing and sewing lists sorted for the Brisstyle BiDM December 8 market.  We are ready to roll. 

Considering how exhausted we were by the end of the night last Friday, we think we'll be needing a little more than a couple of muesli bars and water to get through a whole DAY of marketing.   A little lie down during the day might be in order too.  

Hope your week has been a good one.  'til next time  xoxo cat

:: to market, to market ::

Today is the day.  Today is the reason we have not blogged for nearly two weeks.  Today .... is .... our first market! 

A sewing, ironing and packaging frenzy has been happening at my house and at Vee's house.  And we were ready with two days to spare, oh the surprise of that.

Vee has been on cushion patrol, while I've been on zip-pouch and Christmas decoration duty.

All of these:

.

Became these:

.

Except for the pi-pouches, they're all large enough to fit an ipad.  Handy to know.  An excellent Christmas present idea, wouldn't you say.

And here are the Christmas decorations, hanging out with my new reindeer:

.

Vee's car is packed.  My car is about to be packed:

.

Ted's been helping:

.

We'll be taking pics tonight - the Twilight Christmas Market at Fig Tree Pocket.  

It's going to be fun!! 

'til next time     xoxo cat

:: popping in ::

Happy weekend to everyone.  It's been so nice and cool in Brisbane, perfect sewing weather.  

I've been doing a bit of production-line-sewing.  There's a pile of 45 ipad zip-pouches sitting by my sewing machine, waiting for the fronts and backs to be quilted.  Then it's on to cutting lining fabric and adding zips.  I'm planning on getting through some quilting while Homeland is on tonight.  Love that show.  My husband has already told me he'll be watching it in the other room, since he gets annoyed by the whirring of the sewing machine while he's trying to watch the TV.  Ah well. 

Whipped up a cute little zip pouch yesterday for a small friend's birthday. 

{{cute}}

The cute little hedgehog is from Spoonflower.

{{she's carrying her own cupcake to a tea-party}}

If you're in Brisbane, and keen for some Christmas shopping at some fun markets, there are a couple of dates to lock into your diary.

Vee and I will be at the Twilight Market at Fig Tree Pocket State School on Friday, 16 November.  This market will have over 40 stalls, a bar, food and an ATM van on site, and will run from 5.00 pm til 8.30 pm.  It's the second time the Twilight Market has been run, and is returning by popular demand since it was such a fun event last year.

And then, we have been lucky to snag a spot at the Brisstyle Indie Designers' Market in the grounds of St Augustine's church on Racecourse Road in Hamilton, on Saturday 8 December, from 9.00 am til 4.00 pm.  This is a gorgeous market, with all the stalls being run by people who have shops on Etsy.

Lock in the dates and come along with your shopping bags.  And make sure you come over and say hi.  

Hope your weekend has been fun.    xoxo cat

:: Hello November - Helloooo Kelani ::

Far out October was busy, and November is gearing up to be cra-zay too.

Vee and I have a market on Friday the 16th, and then another on December the 8th.  We are sewing and screen printing like mad women.

Meanwhile 'normal' life rolls on - family stuff, Vee's been studying, heaps of stuff happening at the kids' school, all the usual pre-Christmas happenings, and we're thankfully almost at the end of piano and violin exam season.  

No sign of Christmas shopping starting yet. 

In other news, we had an awesome afternoon yesterday - a little anti-Halloween gathering at Vee's house after school.  While we were there, Elissa from Kelani Fabric Obsession rang to let us know our panels are now for sale in her shop!!  Gahhhhh!! 

{{ooooh hello}}

And oh, what section of Elissa's amazing shop are we in, we hear you ask ...

{{that would be Australian Designers}}

Excuse the iphone shots, they're all we've managed so far.

We both love Kelani, and Elissa is so lovely.  Please click across and take a look at Elissa's gorgeous fabrics.  And pay particular attention to the Australian Designers' page ;-)

Vee and I are screen printing again tomorrow.  We're not stocking new stuff in our Etsy shop until after the two markets are over - just so you know.  There are a few panels and teatowels still, but everything we are printing and sewing we are keeping aside for the markets, so our table will look oh-so-awesome-and-inviting. 

Hope your week has been a good one - we're nearly to the weekend!    xoxo cat