I'm back....

Why Hello there!!!

 

Yes I know it has been a long time, I know it seems like I just disppeared off the face of the planet - both online and my friends will even tell you that it's been the same on a face to face level.

 

Truth is the past 6 months have been the most challenging in my short life to date. Just a little recap, I lost my job and seperated from my abusive husband of 7 years both on the same day early last September. I was forced to move into my brother's teeny tiny two bedroom unit with the kids and remained unemployed for 4 months. Times were pretty tough. I was sad and lonely, with custody issues and no money.

 

But I am pleased to say that things have finally started to look up! Just before Christmas I managed to get myself an amazing new job as the Executive Assistant to the CEO in the security indusrty as well as the title of QSE Policy and Compliance Manager. From that I was able to get myself my own amazing little unit in January not too far from my kids school and got myself back on my own two feet.

 

 

 

And now, the last two months I have slowly started to get the pieces of the old me back. I've met the most amazing guy in the world who appreciates me, takes me for who I am and is always there for me when things are tough...

 

 

Unfortunately, since the split, I haven't touched my sewing machine. I'm still trying to get that motivation back but it will come to me, I promise, and when it does I'll be sure to share it with you all :)

Fresh ink...

I don't generally share many photos of myself on my blog but I just wanted to pop in and show you my new ink...

...and you all thought i was just completely normal didn't you?! Hehe. 

I find it amusing how quickly people can judge you based on your appearance. For example, I went out to a bar recently and someone implied that I lived in a certain 'trashier' area of Melbourne and that I probably enjoyed a certain kind of music based on the fact that I am tattooed. HA!!!!! I live in a quiet little family orientated suburb with my husband and two kids and I enjoy baking and sewing and crochet and I listen to the most normal kinds of music like Ed Sheeran and Missy Higgins lol...the moral of the story is...never judge a book by it's cover!

As far as sewing goes, I have been fairly productive...

...I finished binding this quilt that a friend has commissioned from me and for once everything worked out first go! All my seams lined up, the cornered of the binding all matched up perfectly...I put it down to the fact that with so much *crap* going on in my life, something is bound to work out eventually haha. 

I'm going to be finishing off a hand embroidered label over the weekend and then it's off to it's new owner...I'm gonna miss this one!!!!

I also realized the benefit of packing away your fabric as you go...

...I spent a good 3 hours the other night re-sorting...argh! Hehe. I probably would have let the situation get even worse except that I had a house inspection this week so I thought it best to pack away the creative chaos that was my fabric pile. 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

xxx

Such a productive weekend...

This weekend I had planned a sewing sleep over with a few close friends, unfortunately many had to pull out at the last minute but my buddy [Rachel] made it over to do some sewing with me! Yay!

Now the weekend started quite slowly for me....in fact on Saturday I made this....

Yep a blindfold haha. It's going to be used for the piñata at Brooklyn's circus party next month. And I also made two quilt blocks for a special little project. Rachel on the other had was productive as always, cutting up a quilt worth of fabric and a new shirt!

We decided to reward ourselves with a trip to the local for tea...

Doesn't that Paella look amazing? I had the scotch fillet which was to die for too!

We were just so exhausted that we turned in early for the night knowing that the kids [and puppies] would be up to wake us at the crack of dawn!

Yesterday, I was ultra productive! I put together a commissioned quilt for a friend...

And I also constructed and quilted these granny square pot holder blocks...

Rachel also put together a quilt top and started sewing up her shirt :)

Other than an insane amount of sewing, the family and I have been spending lots of time with our new girl Bella...

We have been going for lots of walks and watching she and Murphy play together in the backyard. She is just full of beans and has so much built up energy that we spend most of the evening tiring her out so that we can all have a good night sleep hehe. 

I have plans for quilting another baby quilt this week to give away at a baby shower on Saturday...one that I am throwing in fact haha...I still have so much more still to do!!!

xxx

Finishes and new additions!

First i wanted to pop in and show you all Murphy's gorgeous new little bow tie that i mentioned in my [previous post]...

isn't it just the cutest!!! He loves it and wears it out everytime we go for a walk now hehe.

I also wanted to pop in and show you the newest addition to our little family...

...meet Bella! She's just adorable and so well behaved. She is settling in well so far and Murphy loves his new friend. The kids were over the moon [it was a big surprise for them] and hubby is just smitten hehe.

Here they are having a play in the lounge room. They love chasing each other around the backyard and snuggling up with me on the couch together. Last night was Bella's first night with us and she was so good...except when she woke us all up to play at 5:30am! Lucky she's cute and noone minded hehe.

It's their first day together at home alone today so by the time i get home i'll know if she's a chewer haha....a little nervous...i'm hoping not!

xxx

Puppy looove

So today I picked up this awesome TV that I purchased from eBay for just $5!!!!

Crazy huh?!? I'll bet you're thinking...it's both crazy that I got it for $5 and that I actually want an old TV like that hehe. Well it's actually not for me at all...it's for Murphy...

....yes still seems a little crazy huh?! Well this should sort it out...

Isn't it awesome!!! I found this [tutorial] on [pinterest] recently and I just had to try it! The good news is that it is HUGE...big enough to fit two puppies...which is good because tomorrow I am going to meet this gorgeous girl who is looking for a new home....

Her name is Bella and she is just adorable! She's a 1.5 year old Jack Russell cross and with a bit of luck, she's going to be Murphy's new friend!

So because Murphy and I are going to meet Bella tomorrow, we decided that he should spiff up a little which is why I've been doing some more cuttin [i swear tomorrow I will should you what has actually become of all this cutting I've been doing lately haha!!!]....

Yep doesn't look like all that much yet but it will soon be something along the lines of this....

A little bow tie! I am following this [tutorial] but will be changing to a press stud closure to make sure it doesn't fall off all the time. We are also going to make one from the floral fabric for beautiful Bella as a gift too ;) ...but first, after a loooong day of helping my dad move to the opposite side of the city, we are going to have a nice looooong sleep hehe.

Keep your fingers and toes crossed for us so we can hopefully welcome Bella into our little family!

xxx

Last night I cut out my very first ever granny square blocks....a little late to the party I know, but better late than never right? Hehe.

I plan to turn these two blocks into potholders for a dear friend I left behind when I moved from Wallan...

We are catching up next week and I couldn't be more excited!! Instead of cutting the squares at 2.5inches each, I cut them at 2 inches so that they wouldn't be too big :)

Hopefully i'll have time to sew them together over the weekend!

xxx

A moment of motivation

In what was a brief flash of motivation, I whipped up this baby quilt top today for a dear friend who is due in September. I am throwing her baby shower at the end of this month...

It's just simple, but uses some of the last little pieces of my favorite fabrics. To me, that's what makes it so extra special.