Umbrella prints - entry #4

Pin cushion made using Umbrella prints fanflower fabric in three colours and some peas and carrots fabric on the bottom. The pattern I used is by Kootoyoo.

Umbrella prints - entry #3

For my third entry I have for you a moleskine notebook decorated with a Boab tree and Kapok flowers (Cochloprerum fraseri). I was totally enthralled by the Kimberley when we visited there 3 years ago. So this is my homage to the remote Kimberley region of north-west Australia. The leaves are pieces of Umbrella prints Fanflower fabric.

Spring in the garden

This Sydney rock orchid is one of the few gems in our weed ridden garden. I might try and grow more orchids on this wall. Which I might add is probably populated by horrible deadly funnel web spiders. They love it around holes in rocks. The home where I grew up had so many in the backyard, and honestly I have never seen one alive. My Mum did find quite a few while gardening.

Umbrella prints - entry #2

Teatowel applique using pieces of the fanflower fabric for the birds wings and a love heart for each birdy! Next time I think I'll applique all by hand and keep the design smaller.

Umbrella prints - entry #1

This is the first of my entries in the Umbrella prints trimmings competition. I made six quilted coasters featuring the Umbrella prints scraps, mostly Bird in Paradise in storm boy blue and Bambi brown. Only one features the Fan flower design. They were made using a pattern from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I was also inspired by Julie Knoblock's creations. The other half and Ethan made the gingerbread!

The weekend....

A road trip to the country to visit family
visiting the farmers market in the morning
lounging in front of a wood fire
winter soup and crusty bread
the kids climbing the cherry tree
Ethan playing with his cousins
a picnic in the park while feeding the ducks
butterscotch icecream at an old icecream parlour

= So much fun.

Stitches and Craft show

Yay!!!!!! I'm so excited! I went to the Stitches and Craft show in Sydney today! I was like Ethan in a cake shop (my boy loves cake - a sometimes treat!). This is my new fabric stash from it. It includes fabric from Cloth, Ink and Spindle, Prints Charming and Saffron Craig.

Pink and Purple!

A plant I'm thinking of planting.

Fruit of the native Lilly Pilly.

Now I must stop procrastinating and go fix the paperjam!

Something I've been working on

I just need to sand and varnish them. I've made about 50 of these so far. I'm finding it slightly addictive. I especially enjoy matching the papers, they're like mini patchworks! I'm having trouble finding papers I like that are more "boy-centric".

Fabric love

Image by Umbrella Prints

I'm one of those people that gets very excited by fabric and textures! Hell, I worked in interior decorating for the last 8 years. Including doing displays for a bedlinen and homewares store. I got really bored and astonished by all the mass production, so I really love that people are creating their own designs. Apart from buying some IKEA furniture and homewares, Steve and I generally try to buy locally made products if we can. So I recently bought some yummy fabric from Umbrella Prints to make some cushions to dress up our new home. Now I just need to set up the sewing machine somewhere and get to work! I would also love to get some fabric from some of my other favourite Australian fabric designers Lara Cameron (Ink and Spindle) and Danielle Smeets (Of paper and thread).

Image by Umbrella Prints