maggie and sparrow

monday

2012-01-30T12:13:00.001+11:00

While we were waiting for LO ("Little One"") to arrive mum and I started to work together on a new Maggie & Sparrow mobile. Knitted by hand by mum of course. This is just part of the mobile, and can be custom made in any color wool, fabrics and ribbon, I will have this available in the shop soon we just need to fine tune some details first.

Wait till I show you the lovelies she knitted to keep LO warm come this winter!

sunday

2012-01-29T19:23:00.002+11:00

Surfacing from my baby bubble just quickly to introduce the latest birdie to join our nest.

Elvis William ~ born at 3.23 on the 23rd of January 2012 ~ 7 pound 6oz

He has long skinny limbs, big hands and feet with long fingers and long toes. Already he responds to the sound of Little birds voice, has smiled......seriously it was a smile. Most of all he is the icing on the cake, its going to be wonderful for all of for so many different reasons to have a little boy in our home. I feel so blessed to be spending my days and nights with a wonderful man, watching our three little ones grow.

sunday

2012-01-22T13:31:00.001+11:00

I bought this vintage green bicycle fabric for a Bespoke Quilt order I have received. It is one of the loveliest fabrics to touch and hold. As well as being a beautiful shade of green it also resides with me on a personal note as my grandfather who I was very close to use to smoke the pipe.

Whenever I inhale that distinct tobacco sent (which I haven't done for years as its not really a habit kept in this day and age) I am taken back to a time when I was just a little girl sitting on his knee in a tiny flat in Port Melbourne, listening to the tales he told with his deep welsh accent.

Of course I had to have more of this fabric so I went back to my supplier and ordered her last lot. So now this fabric as well as some of the other ones pictured will be used in my quilt. And I will be reminded daily of that special memory. To me that is what a heirloom quilt is all about, connecting the past with the present.

saturday

2012-01-21T17:36:00.002+11:00

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")

Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
~ Bob Marley ~

I know your coming soon our 3rd little bird, and I cant wait to birth you, hold you, see you......you know I already love you!

friday

2012-01-20T21:10:00.004+11:00

And they just keep coming........and I only planted 6 seedlings. I took a drive through our little community and left them on friends doorsteps. It feels so good to share organic produce just wish our chickens would share some more eggs with us. Janet is consistent but the other 3 could lift there game. Their getting better now we let them free range through the whole garden instead of the acre they are accustomed too!!! I love looking out the kitchen window to find the chickens and 3 dogs all sharing the same space.

This is Jermaine, he (hmmm she is the biggest and darkest) , they were once the Jackson 5 till Blanket died. Now we have 4 Janet, Latoya, Jermaine and of course Michael who happens to be half white half brown in colour and is a very erratic chicken, a little nutty but very entertaining all the same!

P.S Imagine the void in response from the vet receptionist when I told her the name of the sick chicken was Blanket!

thursday

2012-01-19T13:12:00.001+11:00

This body of mine has been sending me signs that labor is not to far away, but then it fizzles to nothing. I know this baby will come when it is ready to be birthed, I just hope its soon! As I am enjoying opening the many parcels of fabric I am receiving from the post man far to much! A result from passing the time dreaming up new quilt creations.

If I could concentrate on a book then I would be reading, children's books are about my limit at the moment. Most of the time I feel like I am on a different planet, choosing not to drive to far cause I cant seem to hold concentration for to long. Its to hot to be doing some light gardening and almost physically impossible to do almost anything really, long gone are the days of picking up toys now at the end of the day I simply sweep it all into a corner ready for the next day!

So its quiet time indoors, making the most of the hours/days I have left with just the two children. Especially LB as she starts school in a few weeks........but that new adventure which we are all about to experience is a whole new blog post, as I am off to play a board game and perhaps bake some crunchy Quinoa biscuits while BB sleeps!

xx

wednesday

2012-01-18T08:45:00.000+11:00

The soil in our Parterre garden must be so full of goodness. Once seedlings are planted, and watered regularly (thank fully by an automatic watering system) I just sit back and watch it produce an assortment of things all very large in size and quantity. At the moment we have an endless supply of cucumbers......which taste amazing...nothing like the watery ones from the supermarket. 3 different varietes of Lettuce, Pak Choy and most recently Zucchini.

I love finding recipes to suit what our garden is producing.....Zucchini fritters with smoke salmon, fresh garden salad drizzled with natural yogurt infused with lemon and cumin are my favorite at the moment and for so many reason. Apart from the salmon and yoghurt everything is organic and homegrown. Dinner is ready in 10min and the girls LOVE them.

Corn will soon be introduced to meal times I have 8 plants in ground which are almost as tall as me and with plenty of husks forming. As I am a novice in the vegie patch I was shocked and surprised when I was told that they could produce up to 10 corn cobs per plant...that's 80 cobs of corn coming our way!

monday

2012-01-16T15:45:00.000+11:00

Taking day by day........its become my motto. Some day's I have boundless energy and then others I cant seem to leave the couch....today is a couch day.....yesterday was spent in the garden laying tan bark in the garden beds, on all fours mind you! Followed with a nap then up to sort out the girls clothes, some for the salvos, some for the baby if its a girl, a box of hand-me-downs from LB to BB and some that needed to face the bin, i didn't do this alone I had my mum and dad staying with us, just in case!

These fabrics arrived last week, as I bought them over the net I wasn't to sure if they would be as I imagined them to be. I am so happy that they are nicer then I thought they would be. I am defiantly going to be using the last one in a quilt that will one day lay on my bed.....

friday

2012-01-13T20:37:00.000+11:00

Ive been laying low.......with a mixed bag of emotions, as I reached 40 weeks today. I took a walk around the farm with camera, kids, dogs and a rather large bump in tow. I started fossicking through the sheds and found a rusty old gate, a vintage industrial light-globe and an wooden box which I carted out while the girls played with the chickens.

We ventured off to the vineyard to look/ sample Mister Birds handy work. Harvest is still some time away but the grapes are starting to change from being green to purple and the leaves are O-So lush.....

I read the other day that there is a particular species of bird that travels from as far as arctic Siberia and Alaska where they breed, to feed on the intertidal mudflats that border our property and are less then 5 min from our back door or 20min in my case!

tuesday

2012-01-12T10:44:00.000+11:00

These are the fabrics I have selected to go into the "Little Fairy Wren" Quilt. Which will be flying off with these birds to its new nest sometime soon........

wednesday

2012-01-11T09:07:00.001+11:00

One things for sure that any one that walks through our door when coming to visit the new baby will be asked to collect plums of at least 3 different varieitys, figs and crab apples to take home with them. I had all these hopes to make plum jam, crab apple jelly, spiced fig conserve and fig jam but that is beyond me at the moment.

I wish I enjoyed eating figs straight from the tree like I have been with the plums. But I think its a consistency thing? I need to cook them...or at least pop them under the grill with fresh prosciutto then serve them with Meridith's Goats Cheese and drizzle with honey and roasted walnuts..........hmmmm now that was silly of me dreaming up such a delicious breakfast when I'm 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant and missing some key ingredients!!!

tuesday

2012-01-10T17:52:00.054+11:00

Bespoke ~ Birds On A Wire. My latest client sent me a wonderful series of images including a photo of her exquisite little baby girl, her nursery and a favorite toy, when she placed an order for a bespoke quilt and these knitted birds. I chose the colour of the wool based on the images I received and enlisted in the help of a very talented and beautiful knitter - my mum Barbara to make the birds and ball coverings.

I then set about selecting the fabrics for the quilt, in keeping with the birds I was drawn to use greys, creams, shades of pink - including a request of hot pink, complemented with turquoise and shades of blue. I used some of the fabrics for the birds wings to tie the two pieces together. I will post images of the fabrics to go in the next few days....all going well.

saturday

2012-01-07T08:09:00.005+11:00

Although there are no storks flying over the bay caring a baby to our nest....... the postman did however deliver a parcel of goodness of other sorts. Some new fabrics arrived which will work wonderfully in the larger quilts I am envisioning, thankfully they complement some of the fabrics already in my stash perfectly.

I also want to pass on my thanks to you all.....The doors which have opened and the beautiful comments/emails I have randomly been receiving since featuring in Country Style are so wonderful and encouraging. Its really given me memento to take Maggie and Sparrow to another level although this may all change in a week or two, when Baby Bird 3 joins our nest!

I started dreaming about Maggie and Sparrow when I was pregnant with LB, 6 years ago. And launched my first line in 2009 and as my business grew so did our family with BB joining our nest in 2010. I have continued to work and see M&S grow and with the continue support I receive from family and friends ~ especially my mum, I foresee this continuing even with a new born amongst us. When you find something to do that your passionate about then it becomes part of you. M&S is not a job but a way of life for me so I see that it blends into our lives, sometimes with ease but mostly with a drive and determination I didn't realize I had!

x Kathryn x

sunday

2012-01-01T18:38:00.004+11:00

Happy New Year and wishing you many wonderful times for the year ahead. I hope you continue to stop by and watch this space unfold and evolve!

This is not a resolution but a goal, an aim, something I want to accomplish, sometime in the year 2012!

I have slowly been collecting vintage fabrics to use in a release of "grown-ups" quilts. Its always been a vision and part of the grand master plan for Maggie and Sparrow to venture into. I think I am almost ready to make the plunge, if not now sometime soon. I currently take custom orders for bespoke quilts in larger sizes, but I fancy creating quilts for the main BOUDOIR that will be available via my online store.

With only weeks left of this pregnancy (I hope!!) I am wise enough not to place to much pressure on myself. My gorgeous growing family come first. Its just a dream I have had for the past few years which I want to see come to fruition.

I guess its a value of mine to always have goals in life no matter what stage of life it is that I'm in. And it is also important for my own well-being to have the opportunity's I do have that come from running my own business. It allows me a creative outlet, personal growth and my own source of income and without these avenues I imagine I would be a lesser being.

x Kathryn x

friday

2011-12-30T15:11:00.000+11:00

Now that I know that the new owner of the Grey Teal Patchwork Quilt have opened all their Christmas presents one of them being this quilt. I can safely now post images without spoiling their surprise.

As it seems this was the last quilt I made for 2011. My first quilt for 2012 is in the pipe works. I'm just patiently waiting on a piece of fabric to arrive from the US.!!

thursday

2011-12-29T13:50:00.003+11:00

A quilt each for my girls. LB has an aubergine fabric in the center of her log cabin blocks and BB has a white fabric in the center of hers. Both fabrics are from a Japanese range and have the sweetest little illustrations on them . As there are so many fabrics in these quilts I was able to include lots of my favorites with out cutting into my stash to much....apart from the large bit of fabric I used for the back of LB's quilt which was a vintage fabric that I had been holding onto. At least now I can appreciate it every time I make her bed.

I started a system a little while ago to encourage LB to make her own bed (although the pedantic, control freak border line obsessive compulsive within me has trouble of letting go of her bed making style)!

Each time she makes her bed she receives a hand drawn star on a piece of paper that sits on the fridge. When she reaches 7 stars I will buy her something she has been asking for....which usually is nothing to fancy a new set of paints, a coloring book, a head band. Although I do buy these sorts of things randomly for her. Its wonderful to see how impressed she gets over her star collection and when we do buy the object of her choice I can tell she values their worth and is once again very proud of her accomplishment. Its also a great tool when out shopping, instead of getting hounded every 5 min...mum can I have this...mum can you buy this...etc I simply say "lets see what you would like once you get all your star's"....this seems to satisfy LB and makes shopping easier for me!

saturday

2011-12-24T21:18:00.003+11:00

We wish you a merry Christmas , We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

I may be back before the beginning of 2012, I may not. So wishing you all the best for a wonderful and safe Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by and see you soon

Love from all of us here in Bird Land...........Kathryn x

BB's wearing her new op shop top which cost me all of $1 and her smiles are always free and easy ;-)

friday

2011-12-23T23:14:00.002+11:00

Sometimes a piece of fabric can go along way, just as this blue floral peice has.

1. Dresses made for the girls, a little dorky but still sweet to see them dressed in matching outfits. Usually its only P.J's but I'm picturing my little peas running through the vineyard........still a little dorky ah ha.

2. Snippets of the fabric in quilts made for each of the girls for Christmas.

3. Last bits of scrap fabric used to jazz up the marinated olives we made.

thursday

2011-12-22T18:07:00.000+11:00

Sometimes I look at her and it seems like she has grown up over night taking on toddler like characteristics. Then other-times, well most of the time she is still my wee baby.

Looking particularly adorable and chunky today I thought I would TRY and snap some pics as she came to join me in the bed making activity's. This was all I could come up.

Unlike LB who prefers to draw on paper BB takes to body art!

wednesday

2011-12-20T22:30:00.008+11:00

I bought the above vintage fabric a while ago. I was trying to put some order to my stash when I stumbled across it. I was inspired to pull it out and see if I could find other fabrics hidden away that I could add to and perhaps make a quilt from..... it turns out I do!

I have this fabric selection hanging in my studio. I plan to make one or two quilts and place them in my online store. The last few quilts have been bespoke and its been a while since I have made something to sell in the shop. I don't think this is the final fabric selection as I can't decide if I should add some other colours like Apple Green and Tangerine or keep too the tones of Hot Pink, Turquoise, Cream and Indigo. Perhaps I will wait and see if the right fabrics cross my path........?

They may be awhile away as I do have a few more bespoke orders to work on plus a baby due in just over 3 weeks, Christmas, New Year, dear LB starting school, the launching of MB new business.....I'll stop now as it sounds ridiculous when I write it all down.

tuesday

2011-12-20T16:46:00.003+11:00

This week I finally ~~found~~ made time to preserve lemons and make beetroot jam. Its been on my list to do and now I can happily cross it off! Although now that our fruit trees are producing plums and crab apples I have added plum jam and crab apple jelly to the list!

Our plan is to give these as Christmas presents to family and friends along with homemade garlic,chilli and rosemary olives from our olive tree which MB has made. Also included in our little produce package is a bottle of Shiraz that MB made back in 2010.

Which brings me to share in some news. MB decided to quit his job as a winemaker for a local winery. He is going out on his own and is almost ready to launch his own wine label. A concept we we have both been working on. Well he makes the wine and I look after the business side of things! We enlisted the help of a new and already dear friend Sarah Furzer who has also gone out on her own and started her own business to design our labels.

I will happily share more details about this new adventure come early next year. We half seriously half jokingly decided that I will be his sales representative. Giggling at the image of me walking into a restaurant to sell some wine with 3 kids in toe!

I'm also a little excited as Country Style hits the stands tomorrow!

thursday

2011-12-08T15:35:00.002+11:00

You may have spotted in a previous post this quilt which I recently finished for our BB3. Now it might be time to choose some fabrics so I can make a quilt for our bed. Which if I start soon there is a good chance I can finish it..... lets see by ....winter! You know I am yet to make a quilt for myself :-).

wednesday

2011-12-07T10:14:00.003+11:00

Its coming together this "Grey Teal Patchwork Quilt".

I was recently asked how can I be so productive being so pregnant, with two little girls and a house/farm to run.......and its not the first time.

To be honest I don't know how I do it. What I do know is some-days the washing doesn't get put away, the dishwasher doesn't get emptied, instead I chose to do a little sewing. I do get help around the home when my mumma comes to stay. Mister bird does a lot around here too helping out with the girls and the home, its definitely a team effort! He is quick to do some washing, cook dinner, bath the kids, do the grocery shop and tend to my pregnancy demands...thanks beautiful boy for driving out last night to get my berry Magnum hmmmmm.

Life can be busy with kinder drop off/ pick ups, swimming lessons. But for the rest of the time we are home a lot. BB sleeps for 2 -3 hours during the day, and its amazing what I can achieve in this time. For the moment I have a solid 8 hours sleep (ten if I went to bed earlier) at night which helps too!!

We don't have a hectic social calender, happy to stay home on weekends and enjoy the farm. And from my own experience the farm lifestyle is a relaxed, quiet, slow pace of life, that gives the girls time and space to play and time and space for me to sew, try my hand at growing veggies, bake and pull out weeds!!!!!

I prioritize and make choices that enable me to fulfill the needs of my family and MYSELF. What is it you would like to create more time for????

monday

2011-12-05T08:30:00.002+11:00

So it seems we have two winners of the Santa Sack Giveaway!

The girls and I had a bit of fun with this we did it the old fashioned way by putting all the names in the bowl. LB picked out the first name then of course BB had to have a turn. Who am I to argue, it is Christmas after all. She did throw herself to the ground though when I tried to get the name from her!

Congratulations Megan and Jane please email me your details so I can get these out to you.

And to everyone else thanks for playing along......better luck next time, yes there will be other giveaway's in the future which I will post on facebook xx

friday

2011-12-02T12:34:00.004+11:00

It seems the Christmas spirit has arrived in our home...what about yours? The advent calender is up ad being eaten. Tomorrow my whole family are coming here for a Christmas lunch as we are spending Christmas Day with Mister Birds side also here on the farm...thankfully MB was a chef before turning trades to become a winemaker so I don't have to stress I will be milking being 9 months pregnant for sure!!! MB sister and family are flying in from Canada to spend Christmas with us.....this is very exciting as we haven't seen them for well over a year.

My little shop has also been busy since placing the Maggie and Sparrow Santa Sacks in store. So it seems only fitting that I give one of you lovely followers the chance to win a Santa Sack. I will draw a winner on Sunday night 8pm all you have to do is if you would LIKE to win one is LIKE Maggie and Sparrow facebook page if you haven't already, AND leave a comment here stating your preference for either the Raspberry Frosty or Lime Frosty.

Good luck......

thursday

2011-12-01T21:58:00.007+11:00

I have been sick!!! so so sick but all is well again, with 6 weeks to go till this baby is due I am feeling relieved that I am again strong, strong enough to give birth...ah yes the power of positive affirmations have been circling around in my head!

BB3 is such a quiet, calm and easy to carry baby that hardly moves and when it does its a very subtle move. Unlike my last pregnancy BB did not stop moving and was quite violent with her twists and turns, kicks and prodding. I was also starving all the time with her. It must have been all the energy she was using moving around. And she is the same today as she was in the womb, an active little wonder that eats like a machine....... I wonder if this baby will be quiet and gentle just like it has always been??

It spins us out to think there will be another person joining our family very soon, and that I will be a mother of 3........... another delightful little soul to share the journey of our life with.

saturday

2011-11-19T20:08:00.000+11:00

When LB isn't climbing into tractors with her favorite party dress on she is making fairy rings!

thursday

2011-11-17T21:13:00.001+11:00

I got a very exciting call a few weeks ago from the very clever and creative writer and stylist heather nette king, read more about Heather via an interview with The Design Files.

Apparently Country Style were keen to do a story on me, Maggie and Sparrow and our life on the vineyard.....fast forward 1 week later and Heather arrived knocking on my red front door. Soon to be followed by talented photographer Lisa Cohen. These two ladies were gorgeous, I was in awe watching them in action. I really did have a wonderful and somewhat long day!

Opening our home to them was easy. We really do live in a little pocket of paradise and we love being able to share it. I always liken it to traveling by yourself its not quite the same unless you are sharing the experience with someone.

Being the glossy home magazine addict I am it will be a very odd moment when the January issue hits the stands and I see myself and my home there staring back from the pages. I am excited? You bet ya!

tuesday

2011-11-15T20:54:00.000+11:00

Growing Roses, Beetroot and a Baby!

friday

2011-11-11T20:40:00.002+11:00

When we moved here I really wanted to create a special area within the home for the girls were they can play, read, draw and make things. Having my studio is important to me as it gives me the space to work and create in. I feel its just as important for LB and BB to have a special place aside from their bedroom were they can go and create as much havic as they want. Its one of my favorite little nooks to visit too!

I finally got around to painting this little table for them in blackboard paint. LB loves it and has been drawing the sweetest images of our family. Photo 2 & 3 is me with the baby in my tummy.

I also spray painted a very large ornate vintage mirror frame that I have had in the shed for gosh at least 2 years. I might eventually place a cork board behind it or turn it into a blackboard. But for the moment it sits above the girls desk in our kitchen area so we can admire there art work . I love seeing there little faces light up when we put there latest work in the frame there so proud!

thursday

2011-11-10T20:03:00.002+11:00

Just as BB3s nursery is coming along so is the quilt. When it came to choosing fabrics for this quilt I stood in front of my stash and pulled a few favorites out. Then I couldn't stop adding to the quickly growing pile.

There's a lot going on. Red, Tan, White, Dark Green, Yellow, Dark Blue, Brown, Mustard, Lime Green and Sky Blue colours. Owls, Rabbits, Horses, Birds, Polka Dots, Dragon Flies, Checks, Florals, Herringbone, Stripes and Mushrooms. Some fabrics are by modern designers, others are retro pillow slips or vintage scraps I have collected. I have even included fabric from LBs dress that I couldn't bear to throw away.

Also the design I came up with makes the quilt look very cluttered but I balanced it out by adding in blocks of fabric in a natural linen. Its turning out just how I had envisioned it - if not better!

monday

2011-11-07T20:16:00.004+11:00

Not only did I inherit my sewing skills from my mumma but I think she passed on her green thumb too.

This is our French inspired Parterre garden. We have spent many hours, days, and weeks, months even!!! bringing it back from the dead. Once overgrown with waist high weeds that covered the raised beds and the gravel. The poor roses were being strangled by weeds, which reminded me of a TV series that freaked me out as a kid "The day of the Triffids" but now its unrecognizable. I weeded, planted, pruned, and raked all the while being moderately pregnant. Were now enjoying the fruits of our labor in the form of beetroot and lettuce, with tomatoes coming soon.

There is something pretty special about having fresh flowers in the house and with stunning roses in a rainbow of colours on hand I'm feeling the hard work has been so worth while and boy do they smell amazing too!

sunday

2011-11-06T13:40:00.001+11:00

As promised here is the finished Ruby Crowned Kinglet Single Bed Quilt. Now in flight and on its way to New York with a stop over in Sydney!

Hope your having a fab weekend. xx

thursday

2011-11-03T16:27:00.006+11:00

My next project is for a darlin little girl with the most delightful name. I wont tell you who yet as her mama is a fellow blogger that most of you will know of.

My client shared a link to some posters that I could use as inspiration. I loved the apple one so much I ordered one for BB3s nursery.

As well as having these posters as a tool for inspiration my client also told me she loved the little girl on the swing fabric I used in this quilt for a client in New York. But instead of a pink background I thought the same fabric with a grey background would work better with this theme.

The other fabrics I selected are a mix of mustard yellow, grey, pink, turquoise, with hints of olive, teal, aubergine and lilac. I dug deep into my vintage stash for this project. Adding in some beautiful florals as well as a favorite fabric, my most recent score the teal floral with a birdie of course!

I have named this quilt after the bird species the Grey Teal as it is one of the many birds that frequent our home.

sunday

2011-10-30T20:34:00.001+11:00

A sneak peak.

From these to this!

saturday

2011-10-29T19:23:00.003+11:00

I know if I don't have at least one photo of my precious 3rd belly bump. I will regret it later. I have a few random pics but today marks 29 weeks. So it felt appropriate to have a belly shot today.

I had to really think just how many weeks the baby and I turned today as I have placed my due date out of mind. Instead I am telling people I am due in January and if asked what date I say mid January. Why? because my pregnancies tend to be similar to an elephants were I pregnant for 22 months....not quite but I do go over, well and truly over!

The thoughts and concerns I experienced in my last pregnancy about due dates and inductions were verging on obsessive. I am in a totally different head space this time round and am very content to just be. That being said I have started to have some thoughts that goes something like this.

S**T I am going to be in PAIN or BB was 9 11.5lb (4.5kg) this bubba could be BIGGER or what if I have another massive PPH ( postpartum hemorrhage)......but from my own experiences I now know to acknowledge the fear but do not let it in!!!!

friday

2011-10-28T21:28:00.003+11:00

Wow what a week! With some help from my folks we have transformed a once tired blue junk room into a fresh white room. As well as changing the living area and girls bedroom around hmmmm could I be nesting or did I receive a phone call at the start of the week that kicked things into gear (all will be revealed soon)!

BB3 will be in our room for a while, but it feels nice to prepare a space to welcome our little one into. Its also nice for the girls too, in a way its helping us all prepare and adjust to someone else coming into our nest. All very exciting, plus this is what I love to do create and decorate! I have added even more to this room after these pics were taken, and there is more to come but you get the gist of it!

thursday

2011-10-27T21:49:00.000+11:00

Early start to the day with a 1.5hr trip to IKEA - Early to bed for me......wondering what I should post about next........

The quilt I have finished for my client in New York?
The spare room / nursery make over (still in its early stages)?
Shopping goodies from visit into Melbourne?
or BB3's finished quilt top!

tuesday

2011-10-25T12:40:00.000+11:00

Small squares and small hands. I had a little helper today. LB and I made a start sewing the quilt for BB3. I could see LB was really enjoying helping me make something for the baby. I sewed and she matched the fabrics up. Some combinations needed a little tweaking but she generally had a good eye for it. Of course the best bit was being able to use the GOOD scissors.

friday midday

2011-10-21T13:21:00.001+11:00

When we moved here not only did we inherit the 2 female Black Labs Bella and Mia but we also inherited magnificent well established fruit trees. These photos were taken a few weeks back now the blossom has fallen and the fruit is now forming.

So far I can tell we have 2 fig trees, 2 lemon trees, 2 grapefruit tress and 2 Quince tress and there are a more which I'm waiting to see what fruit they produce. Apparently you should always plant fruit trees in pairs of 2! This theory has seemed to have worked here....I have picked so many lemons ready to be preserved. My plan for Christmas presents this year is jars of homemade homegrown goodness.

friday

2011-10-21T12:13:00.004+11:00

Here is a picture of a Maggie and Sparrow Birdie Num Num mobile and Lady Bug Picnic Quilt in a lovely nursery for non other then Jessica Alba's little girl.

While I was sewing these item never in my wildest dreams did I image that this is where they would end up! Not only did I make the mobile by hand but also the quilt that baby Haven is wrapped up in. Talk about small world......

When money may not be an issue to Jessica like it is for most of us. I enjoyed reading how she did most of the decorating herself and had dappled in a bit of craft, painting thrifty finds and buying handmade. All this tells me she is quite a down to earth gal.

thursday

2011-10-20T19:39:00.000+11:00

Birdie Num Num Mobile includes modern stainless steal hanging frame, 10 individualy handcrafted birds in white and pink fabrics with hints of red, sky blue and pistachio green. All gift wrapped and ready to post!

tuesday

2011-10-18T20:56:00.000+11:00

Someone was selling bits of there stash at my quilting weekend. Not that I need anymore fabric - not that I needed anymore fabric for this quilt for BB3 but since when did that matter!

So I bought the owl fabric and when I got home I felt like adding in the mushroom fabric and also the vintage chocolate brown fabrics......I have cut out 240 squares now I just need to sew them together.

I hope to get started on turning our 3rd bedroom from a junk room into a nursery in the next few weeks. I will be sure to post before and after pics.....cant wait to show you the lovely things I have started to buy to decorate the nursery with!

sunday

2011-10-16T20:45:00.000+11:00

Fabric squares cut from vintage fabrics originally pillow cases, sheets, dresses or just scrap bits found in op shop bargain bins!

I cut these squares out -hmmmm gosh must be at least 12 months ago and that was as far as I got! So when I was away last weekend the squares were finally sewn together, to make what you may ask!

A quilt to keep? a quilt to sell? some curtains? a summer throw? maybe they will form a start of a tee-pee tent I hope to make for the girls one day or do I turn them into a gift? most likely they will sit unfinished for a while yet.......................

thursday

2011-10-06T21:48:00.000+11:00

Heading off tomorrow for an annual quilting weekend. I'm yet to pack my clothes but I have packed plenty of sewing projects some I want to finish and some I hope to start!

One of the jobs I hope to start is a quilt for baby #3. We haven't started on the nursery yet, but what I do envision is white walls with lots of colour, hints of chocolate brown and black, natural linen and birch timber.

The green skirt seen in one of the pictures is favorite skirt that once belonged to LB. Unfortunately it cant be passed down to her little sister after it came out second best with a run in with some bleach. I have kept it for 4 years hoping one day I could cut it up and turn it into something. I was drawn to this colour green and it was the inspiration I needed to get moving on a quilt for BB3.

PS. We don't know if BB3 is a girl or boy, either way I think this choice of colours and fabrics will suit both!!!

thursday

2011-09-08T16:12:00.003+10:00

This is the quilt i'm working on and with a view like this its definitely not behind closed doors!

Welcome to my studio / guest house. I'm not working as much these days its how I like it. I am still taking custom orders but the business is no longer my focus. If work comes my way great I'm happy to sew. Ive decided to hold off on going to markets, working on PR and advertising. Instead I am focusing on being a stay at home mum. I don't want to look back in years to come and regret placing my attention and focus into my hobby business. Which was never really the case with LB as she is a little crafty one and was so happy to be creating and making things by my side for hours but BB is a different child who cant sit still for 2min thankfully she sleeps for 2.5 -3 hours during the day so I do get some things done.

I will miss the extra $$$ but since moving to the farm life has changed. A shift has been made and now I feel like I should be head of the CWA (Country Women's Association) I bake, clean, tend to the chickens, garden, spend quality time with my girls but most importantly I sit and STOP and just BE!

Plus with BB3 on its way in 4 months who am I kidding. BB herself only just turned 15 months life is going to be very busy but I'm supper excited and now that we live here it doesn't bother me when I don't leave the house for days its Paradise and that's with a capital P.
(sorry the P was a typo but so true I had to leave it).

tuesday

2011-09-06T19:06:00.003+10:00

When we found out BB3 would be joining our families nest we came up with a new life motto "embrace the madness". Saying this motto is easy but putting it into action is taking some practice and patience! Its a good thing number 3 is still a few months away.

I came across this print from Fifi du Vie available through Etsy. I ordered it straight away and it takes pride of place in the hub of our home, the kitchen area. So when all hell brakes loose I catch a glimpse of this sign and take a few deep breathes and embrace it!

thursday

2011-08-25T22:08:00.004+10:00

I finished it !! This quilt took a bit longer then I had hoped but with a house move, morning sickness and extreme tiredness thrown in its a miracle I completed it when I did. Thanks to my lovely client for being so patient. I have since found out she is 17 weeks pregnant herself so perhaps this is why she was so very understanding!

As mentioned in this post this Quilt is a gift for her nephew. One of the fabrics featured in the quilt is of some very sweet navy blue owls. So it was easy to choose a bird to name this quilt after - "The Tawny Frogmouth Owl".

I chose a vintage french ticking fabric in red for the back fabric and the quilting stitch is a fairly straight forward criscross with a twist. As the design of the patchwork top and the fabrics are quite detailed I felt the need for a little simplicity so it wouldn't distract or be to over the top. The edging/binding was hand stitched, I love this particular shade of sky blue it ties in nicely with the varies shades of blue featured in the quilt.

Perhaps the best part of this quilt is the snuggle factor, its really soft and cuddly!

wednesday

2011-08-17T21:41:00.001+10:00

Before shots of our bedroom would have been great to have taken in hindsight! I'm terrible at documenting the before, once I embark on a makeover I just get right into it. Freshly painted walls (thanks to my dad and uncle), new cushions, blossom from the garden, new bed linen, a new/second hand chair and a few of my favorite things which have been dotted around the house all came together nicely.

I now walk into this space and instantly feel calm. It doesn't matter what the rest of the house looks like as long as I have my sanctuary to return to at the end of the day - all is well with the world. OK it may be filled with things that I like the look of and which have meaning to me but isn't that why men have sheds? MB is in no means materialistic, with a little prompting he did say it looks great. Then he went on his merry way to one of his 3 sheds to do who knows what???

wednesday

2011-08-10T12:29:00.004+10:00

I have a new concept when it comes to giving the quilts I make a name. Each quilt now bears the name of a bird. In keeping with the Maggie and Sparrow branding.

The name of this quilt - Ruby Crowned Kinglet - was chosen not only for the ruby colours used, but also it was named after this particular species of bird because it can be found in Central Park, New York. As this is where my client lives, I thought it would be perfect. When I chose the girl on the swing fabric and sent a sample of it to my client for her approval she loved it, as she often takes her daughter to Central Park to play on the swings.

My client wanted this Single Bed quilt to be quiet girly as up till now her daughter Annabel has been sharing a room with one of her two older brothers. I was sent images of different girls bedrooms with a reoccurring theme of pinks, reds and sky blues being present through out. So these are the fabrics I selected. The last image is the back fabric and the blue will be the edging, its going to be so lovely!

This is what my client had to say

Dear Kathryn

How lovely to arrive home from holidays to find your letter. We really love the name you have given Annabel's quilt. Annabel's Grandmother is visiting us at the moment and is an avid bird watcher so was able to show us a picture of the Ruby Crowned Kinglet in her bird book and we have been on the look out for it in Central Park. Thank you so much for taking such care to choose such perfect fabrics/colours etc for Annabel.

x E

monday

2011-07-25T12:23:00.000+10:00

Our weekends are spent in the great outdoors. We grab our beanies, jumpers that have been knitted by hand and gumboots. We rake pine needles, collect pine cones for the indoor fire, mow the grass, weed the garden beds, walk our 3 dogs through the vineyard, collect lemons and grapefruits all the meanwhile the only sounds we hear are the bird songs, the sounds of child's play and the dogs barking for someone to throw a ball - its perfect!

So perfect in fact that come summer time we will have another little bird join our nest! I am so happy to let you know we are expecting baby bird number 3!!! The nausea has passed and although I am tired I am no longer exhausted!!!

friday

2011-07-15T12:39:00.001+10:00

These are the fabrics I have selected for my next bespoke order. I was asked to create something in varies shades of blue, chocolate brown, muted tones in natural shades with splashes of colour - nothing to bright. My client also mentioned he is a real boy's boy and loves jungle animals. I also intend on including the perfect jungle fabric I found which I have on order. I love it and its just the right colours. This Quilt is to be a gift for a little boy's christening. The main objective is to create something that can grow with him so I plan to make the more boyish/ masculine fabrics a feature and add little snippets of the novelty fabrics.

wednesday

2011-07-13T15:11:00.000+10:00

Excuse the quality of images but I only had my iphone on hand. I'm yet to pull out the big guns, life has been so busy, hectic and exhausting with the move that I feel the need to keep life simple for a bit longer.

So the sun came out to play for a while and so did we. We all love the space, views and glorious visits from all walks of bird life that present themselves to us when we are out on the back veranda. The view and water movement changes so much from hour to hour, day to day.

The timber day bed that sits on the veranda is where I image myself to spend many hours come spring/summer. I'm wondering what colour to paint it? we have a mattress to sit on top. Its one of those funky retro ones that have the best fabric's covering them - do you know the ones?

Beyond the fence/gate in the first and last image is the vegetable garden and beyond that is the vineyard. I bought some beetroot, garlic and broccoli to plant this weekend as we eat so much of these vegetables!!!

saturday

2011-07-09T21:22:00.001+10:00

The innspiration for these two quilts came from this peice of ribbon that my client sent me. As these were the colours she had chosen when decorating her nursery for her twins. A baby boy and a baby girl.

I used two different fabrics in green for both quilts to tie them together as well as using a pastel green and lemon stripe fabric for the edging on both to give them some uniformity. The same quilting stitch was also used on both quilts. I chose a single fabric in pink for the back of the girls and a white spotted fabric for the back of the boys (2nd last image). The quilt pattern is one of my own designs.

I thought it might be a bit of a challange to create these quilts as I had an image in mind but wasnt to sure how they would turn out. I have to say I love the colour combination of the boys quilt and using pink and green together is always a lovely look!

tuesday

2011-06-28T17:21:00.006+10:00

This week we made the journey into Melbourne to visit IKEA........I needed a flat pack wardrobe and fast as there is NO wardrobe in our bedroom in the new house. However did they use to manage back in the ole' days??? As even the makeshift vintage wardrobe we have is too teeny tiny and can only manage to fit my jackets in - granted I do own alot of jackets!!!

We made a quick and much anticipated lunch break at a near by Vietnamese restaurant. I was a proud mama when I ordered for the girls and they ate my selection with out fuss and with gusto. As did we, hence why there is no images of our delicious spread to share with you there was no time to take to pictures when there were rumbling tummy's to fill!

sunday

2011-06-19T17:04:00.001+10:00

Firstly I would like to offer my apologies for MIA.. But I'm sure you understand the massive mission we have undertaken to shift all our belongings into our new home. And what a home it is. I am yet to pull the camera out as I need to explore and get to know my new space before I try and capture it for you all.

I have been a little busier too with emails as you can image there has been quite a snowball effect from the celebrity endorsement I received. Its been such an exciting time for Maggie and Sparrow and I am still buzzing and somewhat bemused that my humble little creations have reached such heights!

I may still be a little slow keeping up with this blog as we are yet to set up internet connections and we are on the market for a macbook. So until we fine tune these needs I thank you for your patience!!

There is lots to share with you about our new home which sits on 23 acres and once I get a bit more settled I cant wait to show you.

friday

2011-06-03T20:42:00.000+10:00

The last 24 hours have been crazy! Not only have we started to move but I get online and find out this snippet of latest gossip.......grinning from ear to ear I am!

Jessica Alba Stocks Up on Maggie & Sparrow Baby Accessories

monday

2011-05-30T10:11:00.001+10:00

Finished this quilt and received this thank you......

Dear Kathryn,
I received my beautiful cot quilt yesterday afternoon. It was such a surprise to receive so soon! I'm completely in-love with it and stared at it all night. Thank you for your time. Can't wait to drape it over my wee one! Love it love it.
Cheers
Megan.

Thank you Megan for trusting me to create something special for you and your baby. Enjoy all the snuggling and cuddling coming your way x

friday

2011-05-27T19:20:00.008+10:00

My take on decorating a nursery. My client bought the Lady Bug Picnic Quilt in hues of white, pink, yellow, sky blue and red, and the Birdie Num Num mobile in shades of red, yellow and sky blue. I was also asked to make a bespoke Flag Bunting in the same colours, using some of the fabrics from the quilt and mobile which tied all 3 pieces together nicely.

These images are my take on decorating a nursery. I could have done a bit more but I didn't want to take away from my main mission and that was to capture the quilt, mobile and flags.

The number 4 vintage industrial petrol sign was purchased from Etsy similar ones can be bought at timepasages.

The print is by Matilou a french artist, her illustrations are so very beautiful. This one of Maya belongs to LB and BB has Marion. I like to by gifts for my girls that are keepsakes and these pieces of art will grow with them.

And just in case your wondering the Moses Basket is from Gertie and Me.

sunday

2011-05-22T08:51:00.001+10:00

Another task completed - the girls quilt top is finished and I'm halfway through the boys! I have completed 10% of packing up the sewing room. I decided not to sort through fabrics, I don't have the head space to make such tough decisions. So its all in and I will sort it out at the other end...........maybe!?!

thursday

2011-05-19T13:39:00.001+10:00

It may still be hanging on the back of the chair but now it is in one whole piece!

The house move is happening the long weekend in June. I have a few jobs on the go that I hope to have finished very soon!! I am looking forward to packing up this sewing space of mine. Its going to be a good opportunity to sort through fabrics and other "stuff" I have been hording and de-clutter my life a little.

Thankfully I have been able to accomplish quite a lot during the day and I say this as I "touch wood" as BB has decided to have LONG sleeps during the day. She has been sleeping 3 solid hours for the past few months as well as 12 interrupted hours at night....again I touch wood and never take this for granted!!! With LB at kindergarten too its amazing what I can get done...sewing that is....... not housework....!

saturday

2011-05-14T08:15:00.004+10:00

I received this bit of ribbon in the mail from my next client. She has just had twins, a boy and a girl. I was asked to create a quilt each for them using the ribbon as inspiration as they are the colours she had chosen for the nursery.

In the boys quilt I was to use fabrics in blue, yellow and chocolate brown shades and for the girls quilt the colours light pink, green and raspberry pink were to be included. I new in my stash that the vintage inspired fabric of girls and boys would tie in perfectly with each quilt as the tones are the same as the ribbon. By adding it into both quilts as well as some other greens it will give the overall look of uniformity without being too matchy matchy ! If you know what I mean x

thursday

2011-05-12T18:22:00.000+10:00

"Please Read Me A Story" Reversible Quilts are in the Shop NOW available in Pink and Blue

Today I finished these two quilts. Today I drank lots of tea and ate delicious chocolate. This afternoon I had a haircut. Tonight I'm feeling the cold.......

monday

2011-05-09T09:37:00.007+10:00

You would think that this was how we spent Mothers Day well it wasn't. These are from a family day trip on the ferry to Sorrento a few months back.

No yesterday was perfect I didn't leave the house, I didn't get out of bed till 11.00. I ate breakfast in bed, I read that magazine I have wanted to read instead of just quickly flicking through the pages. I shared visits and cuddles with my girls. I stayed in my Pj's till 2pm. I showed then shared a bottle of wine and a cheese plate with MB while we played a series of chess games. We lit the fire and listened to our favorite music. We watched the girls destroy the house....there was madness and chaos going on around us and I didn't care, I was relaxed, I watched with joy!

I hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day too. x

sunday

2011-05-08T13:31:00.004+10:00

I have added in the shop gift vouchers.

I have had the odd request from people attending baby showers. Wanting to buy that special something but not to sure if they are having a boy or girl or they simple don't know what they would like.

Of course gift vouchers are not just for baby showers or grandchildren. There also ideal for those that are hard to buy for or have specific decorating tastes. Or perhaps someone that cant or doesn't have time to sew would still like to give something handmade.

Quilts are a beautiful gift to give unlike toys or clothes that come and go quilts are a gift that last a lifetime.

saturday

2011-05-07T12:11:00.001+10:00

I'm in denial we are moving in 4 weeks time. And the only steps I have made towards this event is bringing in 3 large boxes, taping them together and creating a tunnel with 3 separate doorways/apartments for the girls to play in!

They giggled, through balls so the dog would join in, opened and closed the doors, got fingers stuck and generally had alot of fun.

LB decided late in the day to pack. Well when I say pack it was more like - take box to bookshelf and chuck everything in! I guess this is her way of preparing herself for the big change that is coming.

thursday

2011-05-05T13:44:00.000+10:00

Hanging on the back of the chair is the Raspberry Licorice Quilt.

wednesday

2011-05-04T12:01:00.003+10:00

20 Years ago I made this dress for my Debutante Ball. Gosh that makes me sound old ! I was sweet sixteen at the time and I did textiles as a subject at school so you could say this is how I learned to sew. Although I think my dear mum has had more of an influence over the past few years. Love you mum xox

On the night of the royal wedding my girls and I dressed up. I wore this dress with a tiara, LB had a tiara also with veil and a cream lace dress up and BB put on one of her finest dresses. We turned the living room into a theater, ate pop corn and danced. Later in the evening MB came home from work, a little startled to see his wife in the kitchen in such attire. But to LB's delight, he put on the suit he was married in and joined in the shenanigans.

We ate a beautiful roast from our finest China, drank from gorgeous vintage glasses and shared a candle light dinner around the coffee table. I felt quite the part not only was my dress similar to Kate's had I had a V line neck but we also share the same first and middle name!

A life less ordinary even if its just for one day! What did you do?

sunday

2011-05-01T11:25:00.003+10:00

Claiming her independence BB likes to feed herself. This meal I had prepared for her was such a huge hit that she wanted all her senses to experience it.

Simply not happy with just smell and taste she also wanted to touch and visualize her meal by getting a closer look and feel!

and just look at that date.... what do you know BB is 11 months today!

friday

2011-04-29T22:35:00.004+10:00

Sometimes my bespoke orders are left totally up to me to create how I wish. Sometimes I am sent things to use asa guide, like ribbon or a picture.

My last client designs web pages and good ones at that visit paste . So when she mentioned she was sending me a "moodboard" (see above image!). I was a little excited as it really gave me a lot of visual inspiration to work with. This is the finished quilt I just sent to her. My favorite part would have to be the vintage black floral edging it frames the colorful quilt like a dream.

tuesday

2011-04-26T19:51:00.001+10:00

When I was asked to create a bespoke quilt for my next client I was asked to include splashes of red and green. The red fabric with bird in a tree was the first to be pulled from the stash and the rest simply evolved.

My client is not intending on finding out the sex of her baby so the quilt needs to be fairly neutral. I decided to add creams and varies black fabrics into the mix. My thoughts behind this were if baby turns out to be a girl then my client can add more creams and reds into the nursery or if her bump is a boy then she can introduce more masculine colours like black and green.

Now to the cutting board to begin work on "Raspberry Liquorice Patchwork Quilt".

monday

2011-04-25T18:24:00.003+10:00

A marathon of images to perhaps make up for my absence! Not a lot of sewing is getting done these days. You see my husband has been knee deep in grapes quite literally. It's vintage time (grape picking season) and as he is a winemaker, this means he is working very long hours 7 days a week. It's the time of year I become what they call a vintage widow.

But not this day oh no we had a wonderful time the four of us exploring near by beaches and car parks! Our senses had a treat too as we breathed in the fresh sea air, felt the cool wind on our faces and in our hair, and listened to the waves crash on the shore.

Watching LB admiring the ocean, walking the beam and hunt for fairies and seeing BB climb 5 flights of stairs and discover the smaller details was an absolute delight. They were in awe of their surroundings and we were in awe of them!

Things are starting to slow down for DB, and just in the nick of time as I have been working on a few quotes for some bespoke quilts. Better dust off the sewing machine and get cracking!

wednesday

2011-04-06T14:20:00.002+10:00

Just need to edge these two quilts then they will be ready to place in the shop.
Just need a few more hours in the day!

monday

2011-04-04T11:34:00.002+10:00

This is what goes on behind the scenes when I am taking images of fabric and quilts. LB pretending to be a jelly fish......."Blob Blob Blob" she says as she floats on by.

And BB discovering if she stands up she can just touch some of the accessories that hang in my room. So this week behind the scenes I will be doing another round of lifting, removing and hiding things!

saturday

2011-04-02T14:35:00.005+11:00

Have you seen it yet? No well let me be the first to tell you BB's nursery is featured in Ohdeedoh...I know how cool hay!

Its enough to motivate a girl to place the last Quilt made in the Forest Sage Series in the shop. Check it out here

friday

2011-04-01T22:15:00.001+11:00

Happy April Fools day...sorry to tired and drained tonight to come up with words that may be of interest. However I couldn't resist sharing these pics of my little poppet, they speak for themselves don't you think?

thursday

2011-03-24T10:29:00.001+11:00

See that sweet fabric on the bottom I LOVE it and have used it before in this quilt and this quilt. And now I feel the need to use it again. Instead of using it in a patchwork quilt I will be making two quilts similar to this one and using a whole piece for the back. "Please read me a story" Quilt in blue and in pink will be available via my on-line store soon. Promise!

wednesday

2011-03-23T15:33:00.008+11:00

After reading an interview where the journalist asked "where is your favorite room of the house" and the answer told was "the laundry - no one bothers me when I'm in there". I experienced a new found love for my laundry. And it really is true I can be in there sorting, folding, load after load and not see a sole.

That was until a week ago when BB discovered the white noisy things that goes round and round has buttons and lights up.....now my stolen moments have turned into a theme park with hula hoop and all !!!

sunday

2011-03-20T10:01:00.001+11:00

If I was to describe the colour of BB's eyes I wouldn't use the words brown or hazel. Instead I would declare that they are navy blue, colbolt, midnight, charcoal, sapphire blue shades.

I wonder if they will stay or change. I also wonder at what age they stop changing. A simple google will answer this for me, but I often find mixed reports and end up non the wiser. Time will tell!

thursday

2011-03-17T17:08:00.002+11:00

This is a quick show and tell as I am posting this whilst the kitchen fills with the fumes of onion and garlic sauteing in butter....hmmmm.

I have decided to cull some of my "favorite" fabrics....who am I kidding most are my "favorites" into a quilt for LB as she is heading towards turning 5 its time for her to receive a new quilt as her baby one, as gorgeous as it is still adorns her bed. And although she will always be my baby she is most defiantly becoming quite the little lady.

PS. I am embracing LB's purple isms and including hints of the colour into her quilt. A strange experience for me as I have never been a purple lass and I admit the colour is growing on me.

monday

2011-03-07T11:37:00.001+11:00

I took this photo just before I sent please be my pony quilt off to its new owner. Little did I know it would be the last series of photos before my camera died. Not to sure if its worth getting fixed as it seems to have more then one issue. I am 83% sure which camera I would like to get next but need to do a little bit more homework before I part with our $$$$.

Hence why I have not posted. When my camera died so did a smidgen of my drive to keep up appearances here in blog land. In fact I have barely turned the computer on. Instead I have been focusing on other areas in my life that had been pushed to one side. A happy and much welcomed change.

friday

2011-02-18T14:26:00.001+11:00

Flipping through frankie , sipping T from a favorite cup, munching on organic sea salted popcorn from a favorite bowl, laying under a shaded tree on a favorite vintage eiderdown.

Finding joy in the simplicity of life's little offerings.

friday

2011-02-11T11:33:00.003+11:00

Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful. - William Morris

I thought I would attack my list of things to do. One of them being is to down size, de-clutter, clean out, the bits and bobs I have collected over the years.

A book presented it self to me whilst I was on one of my hunts. In order to live with a hint of simple abundance I am taking on this bit of advice - out of clutter, find simplicity. I don't have a lot of clutter, my house its relatively in order (the sheds a different story!). I do however have a lot of STUFF with a house move on the horizon its time to assess our stuff. According to the book unless it is beautiful or useful its time to move on there is an exception. If a certain something pulls at the heart strings, then its "sorry Mr Morris but this is staying".

tuesday

2011-02-08T20:56:00.006+11:00

Remember this little project I was rambling about? Well "Please Be My Pony Quilts" are now available in the Maggie and Sparrow shop here and here.

When I track down the knitting pattern for the bottoms BB has on I will update this post! How sweet are they and how cute are her rolls!!

thursday

2011-02-03T20:41:00.001+11:00

This post was going to be about the two quilts I am making for twin baby girls. But just as I was getting started I happened to look up at the wall in front of me and as I looked up 4-5 rather large and very creepy spider legs came poking out from under the picture hanging on the wall.

So I am getting out of here!!! I think MB needs to ask this unwanted house guest to leave.......

monday

2011-01-31T11:03:00.002+11:00

I spent some quality time watching the surf at 13th Beach, perving on my boy, smiling at BB waving at her shadow, seeing her fascinated with the water running in, around and out of the rocks, swam and brushed a few mental cobwebs away.

Wish I could do it all again!

friday

2011-01-28T17:00:00.001+11:00

New year, new ideas! This has been in my "minds eye" for what feels like a very long time. I have been collecting fabrics specifically to make "grown ups" queen size quilts and now I think I have enough to get started on some.

The fabric above is for my darling Auntie Dawn. I grew up idolizing her as she was and still is the coolest. Over the years we have grown to be supper duper close and I simply adore her. Dawn has passed so many wonderful gifts down to me a 1950's Barsony Ballerina Lamp being the most recent! I want to give something back to her. So after I came home from visiting her in her new home, I attacked my stash and pulled out these kimono silks, linens, vintage florals, upholstery fabric samples and the odd designer fabric to begin a house warming - just because quilt for her.

thursday

2011-01-27T11:44:00.004+11:00

I LOVE this fabric. I desperately wanted to use this light cotton fabric with its sweet sketches but every time this 1.5 yard got close to the cutter I quickly folded it back up and tucked it safely inside my cupboard. This has been going on for about a year now. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Enter brainwave and I decided to use the whole lot and with a little edging it became a summer sheet. No more sweetness hiding in the cupboard instead its adored in BB's cot. So if you have been hoarding that special bit of loveliness I hope I have inspired you to create something with it and give it some life x

tuesday

2011-01-25T22:16:00.000+11:00

The last few weeks have been hard on BB and for me too. But we have turned a corner now that her first tooth has come through she is much happier. Were hearing a few words, mum, pup and bye. She loves to clap and touch her head when we sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes. We take walks outside before each nap and point to the trees and birds. And now that she can camo crawl a whole new world has opened up for her and she is having so much fun as we all are watching her.

monday

2011-01-24T21:12:00.001+11:00

The little lady of our house was given some feathers. Keen to make something from them I handed her some play-dough, beads and buttons and away she went. LB is very resourceful, creative and imaginative, she will love starting Kindergarten this year I just know it!

friday

2011-01-21T22:04:00.005+11:00

Were have I been you ask? Lets see this week BB and I recovered from a tummy bug. Spent an evening eating freshly caught whiting (thanks MB) with visiting relo's (relations). Finished sewing the patchwork top of a custom order quilt - one more to go as their for twin girls. Started cutting and sewing a quilt for close friends that recently got married. Started, finished and sent a custom order mobile which is a new design that I have created. I will make another post about that another day!

Some ME time was also soaked up as I haven't had much of it since BB arrived. I'm still breast feeding but she is finally taking a bottle which makes it easier for me to sneak out for a few hours without apprehension closely following me. So I took myself off to have a pedicure, read the latest copy of madison , enjoyed a vegetable and tofu curry laksa and went to see Black Swan which was promoted by Anna at Rummey Bears recent visit. (Thanks MB). The weekend ahead will be just as delightful with an appointment at the hairdressers for a cut, a summer soiree with wonderful friends and a overnight visit from mum. Hope yours is just as much fun xx

whats in the box ~ a custom made mobile :-)

monday

2011-01-17T10:45:00.006+11:00

I hate to think how many kilometers we clicked over this weekend. We managed to squeeze in a visit to both sets of grandparents, two sets of cousins, fare-welled my brother in law and sister in law. And enjoyed a picnic lunch up in the Dandenong ranges with my ol' Calisthenics buddies and there families. Phew!

A favorite op shop didn't disappoint either. The girls scored a book, shoes, dresses and a cutlery set that is still in its very cute original box. I doubt they have even been used as they have not a mark on them. The knife reminds of a piece of dentist equipment. I have made appointments for everyone except our gummy baby this week to pay a visit to the dentist. The only good thing about this is that I will be able to cross that one off on my 2011 things to do list!

thursday

2011-01-13T10:55:00.002+11:00

I was drawn to make something from the Heather Ross horse fabric that has been stashed away. Some might say the back ground is Peach, Pale Coral, Atomic Tangerine or Apricot!!. I have teamed it with Chocolate Brown, Cream, Smokey Grey and Camel. I'm thinking it will make a lovely quilt and so it seems Baby Bird agrees.

Gone are the days when BB would lie still simply gazing at the light glittering through the blinds when I was trying to take fabric shots. Now she would rather commando crawl and grab. Still it was a sweet moment watching her play peek-a-boo. x

wednesday

2011-01-12T18:30:00.022+11:00

I was finding it hard to post today when our fellow folk in Queensland are going through so much. Having witnessed and experienced mother nature at her most fierce myself in the 2004 Tsunami, the destruction, debris and devastation looks all to familiar.

Its hard to believe that in the beginning of 2009 we were fighting horrific bushfires and now here we are facing severe floods. But with true Aussie spirit they will get through it with our help.

There are so many ways in which we can lend a helping hand. I may not be able to enter the water to save a kangaroo like this man did. But I cant go past sending a few $$ to our furry friends via the RSPCA QLD Flood Appeal.

tuesday

2011-01-11T12:50:00.004+11:00

Today my baby turned 8 months and today I entered back into blog land. I have had a wonderful and well deserved rest! Not only have I had a break form blogging but a break from my business in general sewing, brainstorming, emailing, fabric shopping (except for the pieces that I found when we stopped at the many charity and antique stores we came across on our road trip to NSW and back!!).Which I needed to do as you would know if you have been following this blog of mine that I didn't really have to much of a break when miss BB arrived.

I was able to completely turn myself off from it all, with the help of family, friends, beaches, car trips, wine, morning runs along the beach, the odd coffee, retail therapy, afternoon naps, freshly cought fish or in our case 8 doz oysters. LB managed to polish off 1/2 doz not bad for someone who hasn't tried them before!

So welcome back to you all too and I look forward to sharing my work with you once again xx

thursday

2010-12-23T11:40:00.004+11:00

Hello and Good-bye. See you in 2011 the year of the Rabbit. I happened to be born in the year of the Rabbit so I am quite excited about what might lie, jump, leap, bound, hop, skip ahead for me.

Thanks for sharing the ride with me and I wish for you a wonderful time over the festive season. Eat, drink and be merry xox Kathryn.

original art work found here

tuesday

2010-12-21T21:54:00.002+11:00

Will this be the last quilt for 2010? I think so. And what a way to end it. "The sky's the limit" King single quilt turned out to be more like a queen bed size. However I enjoyed every step making this quilt even though it did get quite tricky to thread through the machine. The quilting pattern has been sewn to look like puffy passing clouds perfect for Henry to curl under on a cloudy day.

sunday

2010-12-19T18:35:00.003+11:00

6 sleeps to go and in the nick of time I spotted these vintage wrappings in the local opportunity shop. It seems I am not the only one drawn to them as BB is doing her commando crawl and happily making small rips in them...nothing a bit of tape wont fix. Last year when I had spare time (those were the days!) I hand stamped a series of Christmas tags which I have put in my shop. If your like me and still yet to finish wrapping you might fancy them or if you all done you might like to stash them away for next year. The tradition in our house is to wrap the girls presents on Christmas eve.... if you care to share I would love to know what's your favorite Christmas tradition.

thursday

2010-12-16T19:58:00.002+11:00

In time for Christmas or in time for baby? This quilt was a custom order. Its a take on the Forest Sage Quilt, with a few more pretty florals then normal as its for a baby girl. And instead of the circle stitching I chose this pattern which reminds me of clover for something a little different.

wednesday

2010-12-15T20:52:00.003+11:00

Yesterday she turned 7 months. And is more determined then ever to crawl, everyday she seems to be learning and moving in new ways.

These wave pillow cases were inspired by The Breaking Wave Off Kanagawa, by Hokusai and are available here!