Well it's been nearly a week since we drew our giveaway, Janelle's bag is on it's way to New Jersey USA, I know you'll enjoy it Nise.
So what's been happening around here? A few bit's and pieces.
I started the week with the new Ikea catalogue, a nice cuppa and a 5 minute chocolate cake that Janelle told me I had to try, who am I to argue!
The finished project that I showed you a sneak peek of a while back is almost finished. It's a beautiful stitchery project Janelle and I started while she was over in Melbourne back in July. I haven't decided if it's going to be a wall hanging or I may frame it??
It is taken from the book "Gift" by Rosalie Quinlan, a beautiful book that Katherine and I were privileged to attend the launch of recently. Janelle and I both have a signed copy and it is full of gorgeous projects to try.
The other little project that I've been working on lately are Sock Monkeys, they are so much fun and really quick and easy to make. I now find myself looking at socks in a whole new light. While lazing on the couch in my jammies and socks the other night my DH came by and commented "Oooh look, sock monkeys in their natural habitat", smarty pants.
Some time ago I purchased a pattern by Indygo Junction for this gorgeous yo yo puppy. She was supposed to be a gift for my new niece (sorry Jasmine) but I just couldn't part with her. I will have to have another go at this and maybe get one done by Christmas...
There's lot's of other little and big projects on the go here at the moment, they'll have to wait until next time...
Have a great weekend everyone, isn't the sunshine today absolutely marvelous, it really is nearly Spring, Yeah!
Love :)Kylie
Friday, August 29, 2008
Bits and Pieces...
Saturday, August 23, 2008
We have a Winner!
Howdy all, well there has been much excitement here drawing our very first giveaway!
Janelle's computer officially turned up it's toes today so I'm it for a while till she get's back online.
Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on our blog, it is so much fun hearing from you all.
We printed off all the names and put them in the handy dandy tupperware bowl........
The wee Princess got the fun job of mixing them up and drawing one out.........
Our lucky winner is Nise!
Please email us via the "contact us" link on the sidebar with your snail mail address and Janelle's beautiful bag will be on it's way to your place very soon. We have had so much fun running this giveaway that I'm sure it won't be long before we have another one so keep popping back to check what we're up to.
Till then, keep smiling
Love :)Kylie
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What's in a name?
When Janelle suggested we start a blog together that was the easy part, the next bit, deciding on a name was the hard part!!
Our DH's suggested many interesting and varied ideas these were just a few, "Frayed at the Edges", "Coming apart at the Seams", "I sew did not", "Sew what?" etc
Then I stumbled across this poem which captured the special bond we have and spoke into the unique situation we find ourselves in so many miles apart.
Friendship Tapestry
So often when I think of you and all the times we shared,
My heart is filled with thankfulness to have a friend who cared,
to listen to me tell of joys and trials.
Your being there has been enough to change my tears to smiles.
The subtle love between two friends is so hard to define.
It is not a square or circle or even a straight line.
It's somehow like a tapestry with colours soft and bold,
Yet, deep within the weaving there are tiny threads of gold.
Yes, rare and oh so lovely are friendships' threads of gold.
For they will last a lifetime, when my story's told
Someone will hold my tapestry and turn it towards the light,
and tiny points, those threads of gold, will gleam and shine so bright.
And they may think , it's just a thread like green or red or blue
Perhaps they'll never ever know that golden thread was you.
But I've been thinking lately how you've touched my life just so
Of how you are so dear to me , I wanted you to know
That even if you're next to me or though we're miles apart,
Your golden thread of friendship still will weave within my heart..
Anonymous
And so "Threads of Friendship" it just had to be :)
Don't forget to leave a comment on the GIVEAWAY POST below, we will draw a winner on Saturday and one lucky person will be the proud owner of a Janellybelly bag of their very own, and no, my Mum doesn't own a miniature poodle, just in case you were wondering! A note to our Anonymous commenter, please post a new comment and choose Name/URL and we'll be able to identify you if you win!!
Love :)Kylie
Sunday, August 17, 2008
It's time for a Giveaway!!!
I was trying to wait till our 10th post, but I just can't help myself. Both Kylie and I have had the joy of winning 'Giveaway's' on other peoples blogs, now its our turn to share the love. If you'd like to win this 'Janellybelly Bags' PVC tote bag, in Michael Miller - 'Paige Paisley' fabric...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
One of my BEST Creations
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wonderful Weekend...
About three weekends a year Katherine and I head down to the beach house at Portarlington and have a sewing weekend. It started many years ago when Janelle was living in Melbourne and we packed up the car with sewing machines and unfinished projects, bags of fabric, cutting mats, rulers, chocolate, etc etc and a very small bag of clothes. (who needs clothes when you wear you jammies all weekend anyway!)
Now it's just two of us and Janelle sews in spirit over in Western Australia, while Katherine and I shut ourselves away and sew. Wait till you see Janelle's Dolcetto Bag, I got a sneak peek and it's gorgeous! There's lot's of fun to be had, projects to ooh and ahh over, food to be consumed and generally spreading our stuff out and not having to pack up until we head home!
For all the years we've been going away, one of us (mainly Katherine!) has either been pregnant, unknowingly pregnant or have a small baby in tow, this time it was Katherine's little Abigail who is just three months old, who made up the trio, and we had a special guest Lara join us with a mountain of photo's to put into albums sans 4 small children with sticky fingers wanting to help.
So, I hear you say, did you actually get any sewing done over the weekend?.....
While at the recent Quilt and Craft Fair in Melbourne I fell madly in love with a quilt at the Amitie Stand and had to come home with the pattern and fabrics to complete it.......
OOOOoohhhh, it's so yummy, all those autumn colours, gorgeous fabrics, just need to pop back to Amitie and get some backing and binding, that was project number one....
Next was an unfinished project that has been hanging around for about 12 months. I purchased this this fabric (Panic in Provence) years ago when we had three lovely fat chickens out scratching in the backyard, I thought the kids would love a funny chicken quilt to snuggle under on the couch or on sick days. Well, between starting and finishing this quilt Mr Fox visited our backyard and it has now become the Chicken Memorial Quilt, dedicated to Ruthie, Speedo and Angelina, who gave us so much entertainment, love and fed us with delicious eggs. It's ready for backing quilting and binding now, that was project two...
I purchased some Christmas fabric from Quilters Biz called Cranberry Wishes recently. Two charm packs and a jelly roll. I whipped up a table runner out of one charm pack, project three complete...
Last year I did a class at Somerset Patchwork and Quilting with Michelle Yeo for the California Star Quilt. I was ready for a challenge and it has been a really great project. You can see Michelle's finished quilt at the Foothill's Fabric and Thread blog site, and currently hanging in their lovely new shop in Tecoma. I have completed one full star and did a bit more work on the second star over the weekend, this one may take me a while! And that was project number four....
Last but by no means the least, I filled in the gaps during the weekend by taking my overflowing scrap box and working on my Scrappy Cabins. Over at Melly & Me they have a Scrappy Cabin Challenge going and have had a few scrap swaps. I decided to participate in the last one exchanging scraps with the lovely Betty in the Kitchen in Tamworth, expanding the variety of scraps in my box. Both Janelle and I still had so many scraps that we did a swap too and posted each other a scrap parcel. These log cabin blocks are so much fun to make and one day when I have enough I will stitch them together into a quilt. It really reminds me of where patchwork and quilting began, they used what they had and rarely bought new fabric to make a quilt top.
So there you have it, I did get a few things done over the weekend and had my soul nourished with friendship and time out to indulge in my passion for sewing. I think I had better wrap it up there, this post is dragging on a bit!
May your needle thread first time, every time.
Love :)Kylie
Saturday, August 9, 2008
More Bags...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Girl Can Never Have Too Many...
Handbags of course!!! I am a follower of this philosophy - 'Give a girl a handbag, and she has a handbag, teach a girl to make a handbag and the sky's the limit'.
PVC Covered Handbags
I am so addicted to bag making that I've started my own hobby business called 'Janellybelly Bags'. I prefer to make bags to order, so they remain unique and one of a kind. I recently made these Silver totes for Heather, who sells Silpada Jewelry in the US.
I am a big fan of Amy Karol and her book 'Bend the Rules Sewing'. I joined the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap in May and made this 'Pleated Beauty Bag' for Clair in Maryland.
And this one for Kylie for her birthday.
I do buy handbags too, my current favourite designs are from Olga Berg. I always pop into the Outlet Store at DFO Essendon, in Melbourne, when I'm in town.
Better go and make more handbags...
With Love
Janellybelly xx
Friday, August 1, 2008
Labour of Love
There's something very special about a group of friends with similar interests stitching a project together.
Usually when Janelle flys over from Perth we get together with our other partner in crime craft Katherine and find a project we can do in a few nights together.
These are a few examples we've worked on over the past few years
These gorgeous girls by Amanda Brooke are from a Homespun Magazine back in 2005. They were a lot of fun to make and my wee girl loves hers.
Then some quick and fun headbands by Heather Bailey.
Janelle led Katherine and I through how to make a small bag from one of her own designs. This was so much fun that Katherine and I have gone on to make a few more bags since then.
This last visit we set ourselves a big challenge. Katherine was given a gorgeous hand made sewing box by her boss when she was living in the UK, we've all admired it and thought how lovely it would be to make one each for our daughters and fill it with lot's of sewing bits and pieces.
We located some Etui sewing box kits by Dilys Fronks on a website in the UK Cotton Patch. It came with all the cardboard pieces to create the fabric covered box. Little did we know what we were letting ourselves in for. Fabric was chosen out of the stash and we began......what seems like litres of PVA glue, head scratching instructions, very sore fingers from all the tiny hand stitching.......I am finished.
Boy oh boy, I won't be doing that again in a hurry! It does look gorgeous and I hope the little princess will treasure it always, there was a lot of blood, sweat and sticky fingers that went into making it.
