sew crazy

I borrowed my sister's sewing machine (thanks sis!) and have been busting to get back into some sewing - something I haven't done since I was in uni. I thought I'd start with some easy projects, so I sewed up a couple of bibs for some friends who have recently had a gorgeous bubba. We're meeting her for the first time on Saturday and I can't wait for cuddles! But after I'd sewn up her bibs, I just couldn't stop, so I did a few more... and now I'm scouring Etsy for cute japanese fabrics to make more... I think this could be the start of an addiction happening! I just have to attach some snaps and they are done. I think I might even get adventurous and try adding some bias binding around the edges now that I have my sewing confidence back. SEW much fun hehe! Oh and if you'd like the pattern I found it at Chickpea Sewing Studio here.

PG feature

Hi all! Just a quick post today to share some more happy news - my lovely agent has featured me in the latest edition of Progressive Greetings magazine - yippee!

sold!

Wheee - happy news! I've just sold my first three designs through my wonderful agent in the UK! My Rainbow Bunnies, Garden Club and Rainy Day designs have found a home (though I'm not sure where yet) - hooray! Think I'll celebrate with a hot chocolate :) Hope you are all having a fabulous evening.

out my window

Here's what yesterday morning looked like - in fact every morning this week! Cloud covering the top of the ridge and the autumn colours are starting to put on a bit of a show.


Here's what it looks like in spring - green and lush and lots of pretty flowers.

Happy weekend! Do you have anything nice planned? I'm looking forward to a lovely lunch at my dad's place today - my little brother is a very talented cook and he's cooking us up a yummy Indonesian feast, can't wait! Thought I'd share a little piece of my place with you all today. This is the view out my lounge room window... we are so lucky, I still feel like I'm on holiday when I have the time to sit with a nice cuppa and gaze out :) Enjoy your weekends everyone!

what's cookin?

Hello! How is your week shaping up? I hope you are having a good one :) Wow it's been so chilly here this week. Autumn has finally decided to arrive properly! Up here in the hills it's been magical with mist and low clouds hanging round all day and the rain dripping off the beautifully coloured autumn foliage. I love it! Anyway I thought I'd share my new Super Food Ideas illo with you today... an article about pressure cookers vs. slow cookers. Have a lovely Thursday!

new pillow covers

Gooooood morning! Wow where is this week going already? Wednesday? Where did Monday and Tuesday go?! Just a little note to let you all know I have two new pillow cover designs available for purchase in my envelop store. You can visit my store here. It's such good fun designing stuff for textile products, something a bit different to anything I've done before. A big thanks to any of you who have made purchases in my envelop store already, you are fantastic!

feelin festive

Happy Monday - I hope you all had fab weekends! Last week I was lucky enough to have a lot of time to myself, so I got some folio work done - yay! Here are a couple of Christmas patterns... yeah it's a strange time of year to be thinking about Christmas, but I thought my folio was lacking Christmassy content! I hope your Monday is going great :)

tea time

Here's that teapot pattern... OK and I snuck a coffee pot in there too! Needed something with a tall slender shape to give it a bit of dynamic. Hope you enjoy! Hmm... now I feel like a coffee and a cookie already :)

Maeve magazine is nearly here!

Here's a little peek at one of the illustrations I did for Allison's column.


I was lucky enough to be asked by Allison of Lark to illustrate a column she will be writing regularly for a brand new e-zine called Maeve. I'm so excited to be a part of this brand new, totally top-notch online publication. Maeve will be launched in a couple of days, on May 1st, so be sure to subscribe here - it's free! Here's a bit about the mag to get you tempted....

"MAEVE appreciates that you are all grown up, that you are intelligent and street smart. That you are raising kids and creating a new generation. You have a desire for knowledge and a thirst for real life content. You want inspiration. You want to know what other people are doing and how they are doing it. How they are parenting. How they are achieving. How they are loving. How they are living."

It's sure to be full of wonderful imagery, inspiration, information and stories... Don't miss it!

back to it, then!

Helllllooo! How was your weekend? Did you do anything nice? Thanks for all your well wishes - we did have fun up in Mildura. The drive wasn't too tedious, but the poor car copped a WHOLE lot of bugs squished all over it's front... and I mean a LOT... there is a bad locust problem up in those parts at the mo, and let's just say we definitely did our bit to cull them! The weather was a bit rainy on Saturday but it cleared nicely in the afternoon, which was just as well because the reunion dinner was a picnic! We stayed up late with a few drinks and lots of chatting to so many lovely relatives that had come from far and wide. I am lucky to have married into such a great family :)
Anyway - back to it today, and I've made this little deer pattern for starters. I've been inspired by some lovely fabrics during my research time this morning. Hmmm what next? Any ideas? I'm thinking maybe some teapots? What would YOU like to see in a pattern?

weekend away

I'm off for a long weekend up in Mildura, about 7hrs drive away in country Victoria. We have a big family reunion on - Marty's family, and they are coming from all over Australia! It will be great to have a few bevvies and meet the family I have just married into. Looking forward to it! I'll leave you with this pattern I made this week. I hope you have a lovely weekend! See you Monday :)

autumn in my garden

Beautiful little crab apples, Autumn cropping raspberries and a red lime (which tastes amazing, especially in a dry martini!)

A Broccoli Raab seedling in a home-made hothouse (thanks Liz for the soda water bottles!), another Broccoli Raab seedling and carrots ready for harvest. I grew all these vegies from seed, there's nothing better than sitting down to a dinner of beautiful fresh vegies you have raised yourself from a tiny seed!

The last of the Autumn roses, the first camellias are blooming, and the white wind flowers are just finishing.


Ah - my fave time of year! The weather over the past few days has really been stunning. Up here in the hills there are tonnes of beautiful old deciduous trees, and they are turning the most gorgeous colours at the moment, it's the most beautiful time of year up here. I took a few snaps in my garden this morning and thought I'd share these with you all today. Righto - back to work! Got some magazine illos to work on today. I hope you are having a good week so far :)

exciting news!

Hello friends! Sorry for the lack of blog activity this week - work days at the flower farm have been ridiculously long and I've had very little time or energy for anything else... needless to say I am currently in the process of finding a different day-job. I have been doing some job trials at local cafes and will hopefully know if I've been successful over the next few days. Fingers crossed!
Anyway - I am VERY excited to let you all know that I have just signed with Heartfelt Agency in London - YYAAYYY! Heartfelt are a really fab licensing agency and I am so thrilled to be on board with them. Although I am still a fair way away from achieving my dream of working full-time for myself, I think this is a rather large step in the right direction :)
The one illustration I have managed to squeeze out this week is Gilbert Bear (pictured above), he's a happy new friend for Rory the lion.
I hope you are all doing great... hopefully I'll have more time to pop over to all your blogs a bit more next week - I've missed you!!

happy garden

I took those tiny birds from the pattern I posted this morning and put them in a happy garden! This one is a bit crazy... quite the opposite of the last pattern I made :) Hope you enjoy.