A long day!

Hi Everyone,
The rain has stopped for awhile at least and the sun is shining.

It's been a busy day today but very satisfying. Always good to feel you have achieved something. I have been making final preparations for a lovely new website. I'm really happy with it and can't wait for the turn over....hopefully next month. In April, Wattlebee will be celebrating 6 years of doing what we love, so a new fresh website will mark the occasion perfectly.

I have also been organising a big change....more on that soon!

She'll Be Apples ( or Toffee Apple) is finally out and I have a pic of the cover here.

Australian Homespun always present projects in such a beautiful way...don't you think?

I have some more gorgeous versions of my pattern Daisy to show. Angela from Brazil has kindly sent these images and I just had to share. She is a very talented doll maker and has a good eye for colour. Thanks again Angela, I love to see & share your work.

Sitting on the cutest chairs....they even have little 'beauty' spots!

On the school front, we have an Art Camp coming up to beautiful Moreton Island ( about 1 hr 15 min from the Port of Brisbane). White sand and clear water.....and lots of arty things to do. Really looking forward to that. Lots to do to prepare, but good company and so much fun. Warning! I plan on taking lots of photos...

Now I'm off to watch "Murder at the Vicarage" an old Agatha Christie story. Miss Marple is played by Geraldine McEwan...so it is an early one. Hope it's a goodie!

Take care

Deb

Exciting News!

Hi everyone,
I was asked for an interview with Australian Homespun recently and you can have a look at their Blog here. Such a lovely surprise and you can see the new doll project Toffee Apple.

Bye for now
Deb

Blink and you'll miss it!

Hi everyone,

What happened to January? Can you believe we're into our second month of 2010? I hate having to write the whole 2010 thing, no short '09 anymore....I have to stop myself from trying to abbreviate it. That's my little whinge for today :)
On a brighter note Bev's comment was drawn out of the hat and I'll be posting out an Ada pattern to her in the next couple of days. Thank you all for taking the trouble to comment here and via lovely emails.
The weather has been quite violent with strong wind and pelting rain. There is a cyclone or two floating around and causing wet miserable conditions. My plants do love the rain though and it was really nice being inside catching up on some pattern writing and study, and cooler too.
I have some pictures of gorgeous dolls made by Angela ( from Brazil) from some Wattlebee patterns. Angela is a very talented lady and the results are fabulous. This is Florence looking very swish in her pearls and stylish black, red & white. I'll post more soon. Thanks Angela.

The wet conditions made this weekend ideal for catching up on some drawing for my next study unit. This is what I came up with for body in space. It could be out of scale/proportion etc, so I let my imagination run.

I used charcoal pencils for this. Don't think it means anything profound or deep...I just really like birdcages ( nice architectural lines) and this body shape ( I took a photo) worked well. I've been drawing lots of feet for this project...they are really quite nice to draw.
The Homespun Magazine project is out this coming week. I was under the impression it was a January issue so my appologies if anyone has been looking out for it.

Take care,

Deb

A new year

Happy New Year everyone, hope it's everything you want it to be.
Back to reality for me after a fantastic break. Hope everyone enjoyed a great Christmas holiday season too. Just a couple of pics taken on our afternoon walk...too hot during the day, this is about 4.30 -5 pm and it was still warm yet pleasant. Decided to take the steps down to the beach, great going down but the legs start to quiver on the way back up:)

The life guard hut looking up towards Fraser Island.

This beautiful sea turtle popped up while the boys were out in the dinghy....very special !!

Does anyone recognise this? It is a very pretty sea anenome type thing that was near a crab pot. Probably deadly? didn't touch of course.

I managed to finish the "Dotty' quilt...really happy with it.

We were able to have it road tested while away and it passed with flying colours - this is Olivier meeting Dotty.

Pretty exciting stuff!!

Dotty's legs were a hit ...and yes, they went straight in his mouth!!

Would you believe this was in a fern just outside mum's back door. After a frantic phone call, we ( not me actually) managed to keep watch until it moved off. It was a very big carpet snake, pretty harmless I know but it gave me the creeps...really don't like snakes, sorry about that. I am definitely not a country girl and this was in the thick of suburbia/city.

It was an all creatures great and small kind of holiday...lots of fun and mostly relaxing.

Looking forward to showing you some new designs.

Take care,
Deb
ps. Homespun January issue has my new doll contribution.

Christmas wishes

Hi everyone,
Just a quick post to say we will be taking a couple of weeks holiday. Some of us are heading off to the beach and then Christmas with the family. It is going to be really lovely sharing the day with our baby.
I have finished the quilt top.....just a peak for now. It's bright, fun and was very easy to do....Holly designed 'Dotty' and we have used the toy pattern as an applique on this quilt. While away I will be writing the pattern so it should all be ready for the new year.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a safe entry to 2010.
See you next year!
Deb
ps. I have a doll project in Australian Homespun Mag - out January.

Playing with chooks!

Hi everyone,

Great plans and all that! I really wanted to start the month off on the right foot, but ...somehow I got side tracked. School has finished for the year and there are so many plans for the holidays with new designs at the top of the list. Holly and I have been working on nursery items and the theme for our first cot quilt and toy is......drum roll please.....chooks! Well, crazy, colourful and fun chooks at least.

This is 'Dotty' -She has been thoroughly road-tested by our little bub and we are well underway with the cot quilt. Can't wait to share some pics of the finished work very soon .

I have been busy sending out the last Doll Club pattern for the year. As we have had a Christmas Angel and knowing how quickly 2010 will be upon us, I'm wishing everyone a blossoming New Year with Ada -

I love how she turned out and she is quick and easy to make for all skill levels.

For now, happy sewing
Deb

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post......

It's a mad house at present, Holly is getting ready for a night market and every surface that can hold something is covered with goodies she has made. It's hard to resist my daily cleaning routine.....not really!!

I did come home from the latest craft & quilt fair though laden with yummy fabrics and clever new materials. I bought some shrinking film that looked interesting. This product (looks a bit like stiff silk) gives a great effect when quilted to fabric ( & batting) then hit with a steam iron to cause the shrinking. That little experiment is on the 'to do' list. More beautiful coloured roving for felting ( going to a workshop soon) and a new lamp with MAGNIFYING glass so I can see what I'm doing.

Had to show you this photo of knitted bathers we took while visiting the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney....wonder how heavy they would be in the surf?

These are some of the fat quarters I picked up to add to my stash. You just can't come home empty handed.

The school year is almost over once again...around four weeks left before holidays. I love them just as much as the kids. Back to study though for me in December. I am looking forward to starting another unit..... think it will be drawing....better sharpen my pencil.....and find an eraser, ha ha!

Almost forgot...This is what I sent to my stitchers angel swap partner...hope she like them. I made a zippered case to hold all the things we like to cart around, just in case the stitching urge grabs us, a quilted and appliqued journal cover and a cute little pin cushion that Holly found the pattern for on the internet....I'll have a look later and find details on that. The theme for the swap was roses so I just had to use this beautiful fabric. Holly wanted to send some of her cute little buttons too.

Almost finished a new angel...a little bit of inter-crafting ( maybe a new word!) happening on this one. Show you soon.

Have a lovely day

Deb

ps. Stuffnthings I think is a very apt name for Holly's creations so she has renamed her blog.