Christmas Round-up

We had a lovely Christmas Day with family and friends, ate way too much food and got very spoilt with gifts. Hubby bought me the Amy Butler Softwares program for the computer - 22 sewing projects plus 9 bonus ones for quilts, table runners, bags, pillows and more! I am yet to find a spare moment to sit down and really take a good look at it, but love all the projects from what I have seen so far! I also got some books and a gift voucher to Spotlight which has been spent (almost) on new quilting rulers, blades and other gadgets that I wouldn't have bought for myself before.I am this week getting busy for the first market of 2010 which is this Sunday at Red Cliffs. A local market for us that runs the first Sunday of every month and my only regular monthly market in my area. I have had hubby busy with his power tools helping me to get my buttons permanently on snap clips - as glue just isn't a strong or secure hold for holding buttons on snap clips and wire becomes loose - so after a bit of trial and error we have it - a permanent hold that wont ever fall off! So the first new product for 2010 is these gorgeous button snap clip sets - available at this Sunday's market and online in my madeit store Sunday night.
I will also have the first of my Winter items available come the end of January and maybe some sneak peaks before then depending on how busy the coming weeks are for us.

I must get back to the machines now - I completely sold out of dresses before Christmas and must get busy getting my stocks back up!

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post to say thankyou to everyone who has stopped by my blog this year and supported my little label throughout the year at the markets and online.

From our family to yours - Merry Christmas!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #23 - Fabric loveliness

New fabrics to keep my busy over Christmas - would be good though if Australia Post would deliver all the other parcels and packages I am still waiting on that should have been here by now! Grrr . . . .

Advent Blog-a-long Day #22 - Introducing the 'Grace' dress

This is my latest design - the 'Grace' dress. Based on the same pattern as the 'Gypsy' dress but something a little different with the fabrics, using a beautiful linen/cotton blend for the dress and just a hint of colour with designer cottons for the trim band and patch on the front. All different - all OOAK - beautiful, elegant and graceful. Lovely and cool in Summer and teamed with a long top and tights in winter, year round wear growing from a dress to a top.

A small selection of these new dresses in the Natural and Chocolate linen are now available in my Madeit Store with more to come shortly in red and khaki linen. Custom orders will re-open on the 4th January 2010 - available in sizes 0 -7 Years.

Advent Blog-a-long Day #21 - 4 sleeps to go!

Did someone say 4 sleeps to go til Christmas!!! Oh my goodness, where has this year gone??? I finally finished the last of my wholesale orders this morning and they have been posted, woo hoo! Lets just hope Australia Post co-operates and gets them there overnight like they say they will ; )

Now for some othere stuff!

This lovely apron, buttons and necklace were received by Mel as part of the EB Sewing Secret Santa swap. Thanks Mel! Can see myself wearing this gorgeous apron on Christmas Day while serving up lunch for the mob.

The kids and I got busy in the kitchen this morning making these yummy gingerbread cookies!
I didn't make this Santa Sack, this is Master T's that we bought him for his 1st Christmas, but I have added his nae to this one with some white felt.

And this Santa Sack I did make today, for Miss M who last year shared with Master T, but this year I think they will much prefer to have their own.

Ok, lots more still to do. I have totally sold out of all my dresses I had in stock so must get busy sewing! sewing! sewing! but my first market for 2010 the first Sunday of January at Red Cliffs.

I also have some plans to travel further afield in 2010 for markets - you can check out where you can find me over there on the sidebar <<<-------

Quite a few dates are still yet to be confirmed, just depends on how well this bubba behaves and when he or she decides to make their grand entrance into the world!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #16 - New Labels

These new labels FINALLY arrived in the post today. Talk about a stuff up, unfortunately I wont be using that company again to make my labels. First lot went missing so i had to wait another 2 weeks for more. Argh, anyway, now that they are here I am not really sure I like them. Its just that the background is suppose to be white but because of the pink text the hot pink thread on the back of the label shows through quite a lot and they are more pale pink. Oh well, they will still get used.

I seem to be failing on the blog a day posting for Christmas, but its busy times here and we are heading off for a quick trip to Adelaide tomorrow for Master T to have a small operation, not much fun the week before Christmas but he should be back to his happy self by the time the big fat man in the red suit is due to arrive next week! Where has the year gone!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #14 - a busy weekend

It appears I am failing at this blogging every day til Christmas this year, it is such a busy time!

I am finishing off the last of wholesale orders to get out before Christmas.

We are busy outside building our new outdoor area.

And, these two little darlings are keeping me busy with their excitment about Christmas.

We also have another trip back to Adelaide later in the week for Master T, and hopefully this will be the last one for a long while.

Advent Blog-a-long Day #10 - My Creative Space : Summer Sewing & more dresses off to MissChief Maker!

I haven't had a lot of time to sew for my two lately, but today it took me just 30 minutes including cutting out time to whip up this little set for Miss M - who has become very photogenic and quite the little poser in the last few weeks, lol. Just a shortened version of my gypsy dress in one fabric for the top and some basic bloomer shorts without the elastic cuff I usually do. This fabric by Sanae is left over from the EB Dolls Quilt Swap I did a few weeks ago, silly me bought a full half yard set to do a dolls quilt, lol - I still have plenty left!

And another order of dresses that were posted off to MissChief Maker in Canberra this morning, including a small selection of Tilda dresses which Katie hasn't stocked in the store before, more of these ones coming to the store again next week - back to the sewing machine for me! Hopefully Australia Post co-operates and Katie has these available at her shop for the weekend!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #9 - Madeit Christmas Finds

Some Christmas finds on Madeit today. I can't believe Christmas is nearly here!

ImaginationShop

pixelspluspaper

mimba

IttyBittyandPretty

Advent Blog-a-long Day #8 - EB Newbie Quilters Secret Santa

Thankyou Car for this gorgeous little bundle of goodies that I received as part of the EB Newbie Quilters Secret Santa.

How fantastic is the notebook/diary/pen holder, which will be a permanent addition to my handbag next year to keep me organised! And the Christmas coasters are gorgeous! Thanks again Car, love all my goodies!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #7 - Christmas Memories & a Giveaway!

This is a pic from Master T's first Christmas when he was 8 months old. It is amazing how they change and grow, he was such a chubby bubby and now he is built like his dad, long and lean.

I'm looking forward to another wonderful Christmas this year with family and friends popping over for drinks and food. We are having a big Christmas lunch with all our family plus a couple of my grandma's friends are joining us who don't have any family to celebrate with this year.

We are celebrating with a non-traditional bbq lunch this year, and outside if the weather doesn't decide to be 45 degrees as it has been some years in the past on Christmas Day!

So to celebrate Christmas I have decided to giveaway a $20 voucher to my SHOP (valid to spend between the 11th & 24th December 2009) - just leave a comment here about what you are most looking forward to this Christmas and I will draw a winner on Friday 11th December.

Advent Blog-a-long Day #6 - Christmas Markets & Store Stocking

Wow, what a weekend. My final two markets for the year went very well, here's some pics from today's market out at Red Cliffs which is a market I do the first Sunday of every month. I have a permanent site on the shady side of the street - right out the front of the local supermarket . . . and the windows showing the beer advertisements, lol. A great spot though which I am really happy with.

I have also been uploading lots of new goodies into my madeit store, but still have LOTS more to add, it is just a slow process. And, I have two special offers happening between now and Christmas! All orders over $15 between now and Christmas will receive a special free gift and all orders over $60 placed between the 7th & 17th December will receive free post (within Australia).

So if you are still looking for that perfect Christmas gift for someone, make sure you pop on over to Madeit - there are lots of very talented crafters / designers / handmakers that I am sure would love to see you all pop into their stores for a browse and even a purchase!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #5 - Next Store Stocking

It was a very busy morning for me at the markets this morning, wonderful to see so many returning customers and lots of new ones too! Looking forward to another wonderful market tomorrow morning out at Red Cliffs - hope to see some of you there!

Just a quick note to let you know that I will be stocking my madeit store tomorrow night choc full of lots of lovely clothing, gifts and more! And, I will also be offering free standard shipping within Australi for all orders over $60 placed between the 7th & 17th December 2009.

Plus as always, a little freebie with all purchases.

So pop on over to the SHOP after 7pm tomorrow night : )

Advent Blog-a-long Day #4 - A Christmas Freebie

Upon a quick trip into town this morning we stopped by Coles for a couple of things and found a copy of their free Christmas magazine they put out each year. Choc full of yummy recipes, I am ear marked a few for the lead up to Christmas and for Christmas Day - yummy!

I'm almost ready for the markets this weekend, although very disappointment a parcel of button bits and pieces from the US hasn't arrived that I ordered 2 weeks ago so wont have any button bracelets on offer as a recent wholesale order bought all that I had left : (

And my new labels didn't arrive either, so have a bit of stock here that is going to have to go without labels : (

Oh well, can't be help, guess that is the postal system at Christmas time! Looking forward to a big weekend though and maybe even some Christmas shopping!

Advent Blog-a-long Day #3 - My Creative Space

I've decided to join in the fun over at the Kootoyoo Blog, by doing the My Creative Space feature each Thursday. So this is what is happening at my place this afternoon. I am sitting on the lounge room floor doing some more buttons for the weekends Christmas markets as I am sure these are going to be great stocking fillers. And yes, that is a small child playing in my scraps bucket. Miss M thought it was very funny to be jumping in and out of it : )

Advent Blog-a-long Day #2 - City Markets in 2010

I have been pondering a LOT over the last few months about doing markets in either Melbourne, Adelaide or both in 2010.

I was going to do the Sisters Market at Brunswick in February 2010, but now that Mathilda's Markets have announced they will be doing the rounds in Adelaide in 2010 I have decided to do their first one for the year to kick off my city rounds of markets for 2010. I have applied but don't find out if I am accepted til early next year some time, so hopefully my goodies are what they are looking for and they say yes!

Even though I will be about 34 weeks pregnant by then, it is a much closer drive for us to Adelaide than going to Melbourne and I can hopefully wrangle my mum to come with me and leave hubby home with the kids . . .

So, any suggestions of other markets in the regional/country Victoria or Adelaide/South Australia area that anyone can recommend???

Advent Blog-a-long Day #1 - The Replacements

I had a shocker of a week last week, and to top it off with just a week to go (or less than a week now!) until Christmas markets this weekend, my sewing machine decided that it would like to just sew by itself - cruise control if you like. Well, lovely of it to offer, but not thanks, especially when trying to thread the needle! I only had this foot controller problem fixed about 6 weeks ago, and now it is doing it again. Not happy : ( Especially as my machine is only just over 12 months old and now out of warranty, how convenient ; ) So I have a couple of replacements I am using this week while waiting for parts to fix my machine.

My best friend's mum has lent me her machine, a very old Janome, which works lovely, as long as I remember to hold the threads every time I start sewing

And mum has lent me her machine. She got this little Bernina for her 21st birthday - so its OLD! lol But again, works like a dream, just that the bobbin winder function doesn't work. Other than that, the service guy that mum uses did some fiddling with the motor and sort of upgraded it, so now it goes REALLY fast! Faster than my overlocker, so I need to be very careful with my foot pressure!

And my naughty machine sitting in the corner waiting for parts : (

New Quilting Fabrics

I'm looking forward to getting stuck into some quilting once the Christmas markets are over this weekend and I get my machine back from being fixed - AGAIN : ( !!!

New quilting fabrics from the Fat Quarter Shop

Goodbye Jessie Dog

Yesterday we had to make a very tough decision to say goodbye to one of our beloved dogs. She was very sick and there wasn't much that could be done to help her. Jess I rescued from the pound when we were working in the mines in WA a few years ago now (that time before marriage and babies). She was a Red Cloud Kelpie X, a absolutely beautiful girl and she will be very sadly missed by us and her best mate Millie.

Jess as a pup when I first got her

With her best mate Millie on one of or many trips back and forwards across the Nullabour in the ute camped at a random spot when we had, had enough driving for the day

All four of us in the swag in the back of the ute at the Corrigin (WA) Dog in a Ute Muster - it was a very cold night!

Goodbye Jessie girl x

Tweet Tweet!

So I have finally decided to join the Twitter revolution today.

You can find me at; www.twitter.com/tillytomdesigns

Tweet Tweet!

2009 Advent Blog-a-long

Car is organising a Advent Blog-a-long. Pop on over to her blog and sign up and spread a little Christmas cheer in blog land with a post a day from the 1st December until Christmas Eve!

Click on the button over there ------->>>>>

on the right side toolbar which will take you straight to the signup post on Car's blog.

EB RR Block Swap - Final Blocks Completed!

I finished off my last 4 blocks for the EB Round Robin Block Swap today. I am looking forward to getting back all my blocks to make a quilt for Miss M's big girl bed.

Yards and Yards . . .

of gorgeous new fabrics to hopefully get me through to Christmas, lol.