.: giveaway day :.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered out little giveaway - here, on instagram and on Facebook.  

I checked all three sites this morning, wrote down all our new comment-names and 'like'-names and snipped them into the bowl.

Gave them a bit of a mix ... sadly there was no knee-slapping-drumroll as both the girls have now caught my cold and stayed in bed, just as I'm nearly back to normal ... 

 And drew out ...

{{the FB means Facebook ...}}

 Yay Jess!  I emailed Jess just now, and will pop the pincushion into the post later today.

We have honestly been very overwhelmed by all your comments and support, and really appreciate your taking the time to read our posts and to comment, it has been a really happy experience.  As of this morning, we had: 35 comments on our giveaway blog post + over 50 commenters on our instagram pic + 210 FB-likes + 574 people had seen the giveaway FB post.  For us, those are reeeally big numbers!  

Five gorgeous ladies took the time to share our giveaway - via Facebook share, retweet and also by having our blog-link on their own blog - and in turn, it was so lovely that people took the time to let us know that too.  So thank you very much for sharing the giveaway-love to Jeannette, Ros, Cam, Debbie and Susan.  

We are already planning another giveway ... stay tuned!   Happy Monday xoxo cat

.: giveaway countdown - post #199 :.

So we skipped a day - I caught a bad cold and took most of yesterday off from sewing, so I could rest up with a book and regular doses of Sambucol.

All our giveaway details are on Thursday's post #198 here.  Thank you so much for all your lovely comments, and also for letting us know how you found us here or on Facebook or instagram (link on the left side-bar, over there).  I have emailed everyone back - I think - who has an email address linked to their blogging-commenting-account.  There have been quite a few 'no-reply' commenters - we used to be one too, until someone let us know.  There's something you can tick or untick in your blogging account (I can't remember exactly what it is, sorry) - that will mean you can attach your email address when you comment.  Otherwise the 'no-reply' email address comes up.

But please be assured - if someone with a 'no-reply' address wins the fab pincushion, we will track you down!! 

OK, on to today's crafty adventures.

This is a secret surprise for someone, so I really don't want to say too much for fear she will see it here and guess it's for her.  So for now, I'll just say it's a mini-quilt, made as a little pay-it-forward pressie.  And if you squint and turn your head slightly sideways, you'll totally get that it's supposed to be a little beach-side scene.  Totally.

And can I just take a moment to point out the super-cute Pam Kitty Morning spotted binding fabric.  I really don't know how I hadn't discovered this perfect spot before.  Found it at our LQS during the week - forgot to buy it - and then had to ask our friend T to buy it for me, as I knew she was popping in yesterday.  

{{cute measuring-tape fabric on the back}}

And now I'm pondering my Hottie Challenge entry.  There will be pom-poms.  I keep changing my mind about how many and where and how they'll be attached.  But I do know that there will be pom-poms.  

For details about the Hottie Challenge, pop across to the gorgeous Cam's blog - Curly Pops.

See you tomorrow for post #200!! - oh, the pressure of what to blog about!   And then we'll be back Monday for #201 and to announce the pincushion winnnnerrrrr!   Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  xoxo cat

PS one last pic - a reminder of what our giveaway looks like! 

{{Prettified Pincushion from Ayumi Takahashi's Patchwork, Please!}}

.: giveaway countdown - post #198 :.

So somehow Vee and I have made it to 198 posts.  Which means that after post #199 tomorrow, we will hit post #200! 

Crazy times, I know. 

To celebrate, we thought we'd do a little giveway.  And here is the giveaway-goodie.

Oh yes indeed, I have sewn up another Prettified Pincushion from Ayumi's fabulous book, Patchwork Please!  (that link is to Booktopia Australia - Ayumi's book is of course available elsewhere online ... and in good bookshops). 

The pincushion top features Heather Ross fussy-cut peg-doll girls from her Macaroni Love Story line (which I think I bought when it was available on Spoonflower), and also teeny Heather Ross gnomes, which are from a little scrap that lovely Amber from OneShabbyChick included in a package, when I bought something from her lovely shop a while ago. 

The fab orange/pink/yellow checks are by the gorgeous Cam from Curly Pops.

And the yellow button is a vintage one I found in the button tin.  

Around the sides are the fabulous glasses on purple from the new Riley Blake Geekly Chic line - these glasses are Dorothy Tsang's design (our gorgeous friend Amy from PennyCandy designed the fab records and mixtapes, which are part of Geekly Chic).

And I really need to find out who designed this fab word print that I love so much - I only have a small piece with no selvedge. 

Next up are some cute pink spots - again, from a lovely scrap with no selvedge. 

And last - with a slightly sunburned glow to the photo - is I think Denyse Schmidt.  If you know any of the fabric details I've missed out, please let me know via comment.

To complete the photo-a-thon, the bottom of the pincushion is Essex linen in flax, with a cute button from the button tin. 

And so - for your chance to win this super-sweet pincushion, sewn by me (and please do remember I am not an expert-sewist) - you have three different ways to be in the running.  

Vee and I are really interested to know how people find us - whether it's here via the blog (or Bloglovin'), on Facebook, or on instagram.  We love instagram like crazy but are only slowly coming to grips with Facebook, and we still have so much to learn about good blogging. 

So either (or do them all!):

1. leave a comment on this post #198, or yet to be posted #199 and #200 - and tell us how you found us.

2. 'like' us on Facebook - our page is here - we are cat & vee.   I have never in my life typed those words before.  And no, we do not have a Facebook button here on the blog, because we haven't figured out how to do that yet .... 

3. comment on the instagram pics I'll post of the pincushion (I am @hellofromcat).

We're aiming to upload post #200 by the end of this weekend, so the giveaway will close midnight, Australian EST on Sunday 5 May.  We'll announce the winner on Monday, 6 May.  If we get lots of comments and 'likes', we will grab some panels from the shop and choose some more lucky ducks.  

When I say 'choose' - I should make clear - winner/s will be chosen totally at random - I'm going to write down everyone's name on slips of paper, and where they commented (here, instagram or FB - just for our own interest's sake), put them into a big salad bowl, and get the girls to draw one name out of the bowl.

As simple, and embarrassingly basic, as that.  

Good luck!  Let the comments ... and 'likes' (oh I struggle with the neediness of social media language!) begin!!  Happy Thursday.     xoxo cat