It's a big weekend in the UK this weekend...

From a national point of view it is Jubilee Weekend so the nation is in a frenzy, with bunting flags decorating absolutely everywhere. I am not what you would call a Royalist, but I do get excited by mass fervour.

On an ever so slightly smaller scale lots of people are getting excited about The Fat Quarterly Retreat this weekend. Unfortunately due to our very own exciting event I can't make that but can not wait to hear all about it.

 We are almost 24 hours from kick off from Noah's Bar Mitzvah. The boys' exams finished today, my aunt and uncle arrived from the US and all finishing touches are just about completed.

I even managed to squeeze in making a very important quilt this week, finishing it off today...

I am quite well aware that this was a crazy time to start a quilt but it was a very special quilt. Noah's Bar Mitzvah teacher and his wife had their first baby last week and I wanted to say a big thank you for all the amazing support Alby has given Noah and an even bigger thank you to baby Arielle for arriving early and enabling her Daddy to be with Noah on Saturday during his big performance. So it was a top priority to finish it.

And finished it is...complete with scrappy binding as I couldn't make a decision quickly enough which fabric to use, so used all 4, including my hoarded last bit of Mikodesign owl fabric.

I think, like a lot of us, I may be a little busy this weekend, but I hope you all have a fantastic extra long weekend and as a very good friend of mine says...see you on the flip side x

I love commissions. Even little ones that merely involve an old fave design redone in a different fabric.

My lovely friend Roz requested a zipper pouch set in an owl fabric for a friend's birthday that is involved with this.

I had the perfect fabric and am absolutely delighted with how it's turned out. The fact that it is a flannel works beautifully. They are so tactile.

That clever designer at Cloud 9 has come up trumps yet again and hopefully the birthday girl will be just as delighted.

ps as a consequence of the commission, my pouches are now available to purchase in this fabric here and here.

I had a little splash out on fabric this week. Ok, not so little. But not so flighty either. Ever since Cloud 9's gorgeous flannels came out, I've been lusting after them. And this week with needing to design some new cot quilts, I knew this range was going to be the basis of it.

So a quick stop off at one of my favourite UK online fabric stores and 24 hours later here it is.

And boy was it worth waiting for. It's gorgeous! The designs are what you would expect from the talent behind the label that is Michelle. This children's range is quirky, yet cute, yet humerous. A range that appeals as much to adults as it does to children.

As for the soft flannel finish...scrumptious. I'm not normally one for painstaking operations and when the pre-washing instructions came with the fabric, I took one look at them and thought grrr, this is too high maintenance for me.

But, I slowed down and decided that this little pile was worth looking after and nurturing. And I'm so glad I did. Into the wash and off to the drier it went and I'm so glad it did.

This softened up the flannel no end and if it wasn't perfect enough before, it certainly was more than perfect after this process. This has taught me an important lesson, a little bit like I have learnt from quilting. Every step is important. Every step is part of the process and should be enjoyed as just that.

I cannot wait to cut into this pile. But again, I'm going to take my time. No rushing, but plenty of thinking and planning and enjoying every step and snip.

Thank you all for your lovely comments about the quilts and also advice on batting/wadding. It seems like you are all in agreement and I shall go order some of the cotton/wool...even tho I bought 5m of the other stuff. I'm sure it will come in handy for something!

I've been busy this week doing the first of 6 embroideries I need to do for a Flickr Swap. See more about what everyone is doing here...

My first one is for Dena whose brief is woodland and woodland animals.

I think it fits the brief and hopefully she'll love it. The aim is that we decide on a theme and then send fabrics to each member of our group. I thought I'd incorporate a 'living room' theme into mine and plan to use it for cushions/quilt for our soon to be redecorated room. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for me!

Warning...Seriously cute

I've been spending quite a bit of time on the computer this morning printing out all the instruction sheets for the kits. The trouble with that is that I then spend alot of time surfing. But the good thing about that is then I find fantastic new things for you for the shop, like this.

But seriously, look away now if you have a weak constitution. This is seriously cute. I'm almost expiring glimpsing it from the corner of my eye...

You have been warned...

This delicious piece of fabric will turn into these two outrageously cute softies. What's more when you have made the softies, you are still left with the row of mini cuties to adorn other crafting projects.

Did you catch the koala baby on the back of big K? Did you? And what about the little owl peeping out of the tree on the back of Big O?

For those of you that haven't come across Saffron Craig's whimsical delightful designs before, go check her out. She's one talented lady.

Obviously I'm hoping they'll be in the shop VERY soon...

New cards

I've been busily creating new children's card designs. I had a request for some for wholesale and they wanted more designs than I currently do. So thinking cap on and I've come up with these...

And then off course I had to come up with some for the boys...

And then these little fellas were itching to be released...

I'm hoping to come up with an even bigger range and take them 'out there'. I'm not sure if my confidence is up to that, though. Every time someone makes an enquiry about them and then actually orders, I can't quite believe that they are taking my 'hobby' out there into the serious world of retail. Maybe I'll just sit back and wait for people to contact me. Or just maybe, I might go forth and be proactive. We shall see. In the meantime, all will be available to buy here and here, just as soon as I have time to post them