Unlike Lara and Bronwyn I didn’t manage to post Sunday Stash on the correct day this week!  Partly because I didn’t get back from Lancefield until after 10pm last night.  Had a great weekend though - while Mal went on a Golf Weekend with 15 other dads from school a friend and I (and 6 girls) took advantage of the fact that Sewjourn was free this weekend. 

The plan was to make (and write) all our Christmas Cards - and the girls were so keen they were over in the studio in their pjs on Sunday morning.

Well, I didn’t get all my cards made but did make some good progress………

As for my stash - here’s a pretty one that I bought from Foothills Fabric and Threads a year or more ago.

Yesterday we went with some friends to the Botanical Gardens and the younger girls did a Potato workshop - story, planting potatoes and making potato people.  They had lots of fun.  So did we sitting in the sun afterwards whilst they ran cartwheeled around on the grass.  The only down-side is having to wait so long in line at the Observatory Cafe for a coffee!

School holidays are going too fast for me………I love the lazy mornings and doing fun things.  Having spent so much of the year (almost every weekend) up at Lancefield I think we are all enjoying just being at home.

2nd day of ‘Share your Stash’ - this is a fabric from Amy Butler’s first range, Gypsy Caravan.  It’s also in the first quilt I ever made.  It’s out of production now so I am hesitant to cut into it!  It’s still one of my favoroites.

I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with 3 lovely girlfriends from uni last night - one of whom I hadn’t seen for 3 years!  What a great start to the week - thanks girls (because I know you will be reading this blog now!)

Warning……anyone can be converted to a Craft Enthusiast on a weekend away to Sewjourn!  Shirley happily labelled herself my ‘most un-crafty friend’ and when she was invited to come on our Girls’ Weekend she agreed but stated “I’m not bringing needles or anything!!!”  Well, she did come AND she brought along some newly purchased wool and knitting needles and rekindled her passion for knitting - her lucky daughter will soon get a lovely pink scarf!  Not only that she was first over to the studio on Sunday morning to continue her knitting AND she even made a coaster on the sewing machine!  What fun……..it’s amazing what a bit of time to relax, create and enjoy can do!

More about our fantastic weekend and some photos to come soon……….

Back in Melbourne now after two weeks in Lancefield so finally have easy access to the internet again!!!  Had a busy couple of weeks at Sewjourn but the last week was not because of renovating but because of a couple of events……

On Friday my youngest daughter turned 6!!!  Hard to believe but certainly not a baby anymore - she’s reading, confident and independent (and lots of fun).  So on Wednesday we had a party to celebrate - the studio is such a fantastic area for a party of any age!  It was a lovely sunny day (one of the few for the two weeks) so all 17 children got to run around outside as well……….and drag in lots and lots of MUD!  Oh well, it only took another day to clean up!  Here’s some pics of the fun……..as you can see we even got crafty!

We bought this dresser on eBay with the intention of making it into a vanity for the bathroom but when we got it I couldn’t bear to let my husband cut it up!  So…we got another vanity and now have this lovely dresser in the studio!!

There was a last minute effort last week to get things as close to ‘in order’ as possible before our first Christmas in July day………we were cutting it fine with the bathroom in the studio but all is well that ends well and after a super effort from my husband it was ready in time.

My mother-in-law has been spending hours in the garden and it’s starting to take shape whilst the Cottage is looking more and more like it is meant to every day….Still a couple of Queen Anne beds to finish painting and lots more things to hang on the walls, a few more curtains and blinds to hang but we can see light at the end of the tunnel!

I have hung these trees in the kitchen and think they are lovely, and I’m really happy with the dining area.

The tables in the studio (complete with power points to plug your machine into easily) look fantastic!  And all of our chairs have finally arrived today…….why, when you buy 10 chairs on the internet do they send them all separately???

These are the gorgeous mugs for the studio - I decided months ago that this was the design I wanted but of course they are discontinued…….but with some helpful searching from my sister we have managed to track enough down……seeing them in the cupboard makes it worth the effort!

Thanks to some great help from family and friends last weekend we fitted the new benchtops in the cottage kitchen AND laid the floating floor in the studio this weekend.  Feeling quite exhausted but it is looking good.  Forgot to take photos of the kitchen (but trust me it is looking great) but here’s some of the floor - GREAT effort guys and THANKS! (Have promised them all I’ll let them have a boys weekend at Sewjourn!)

Had a lovely day up at Sewjourn on Friday with a good friend talking about decorating ideas - it’s all ready to go now.  The girls and I will spend the school holidays up there which will be lovely and we’ll be able to get lots done…………..and of course our ‘Christmas in July’ days start also.

It’s been a long term so we are all looking forward to Friday.  School reports came home yesterday - there was one prep student in our household who was so excited to get her first report she grabbed it out of her bag as soon as she ran out of school…………and dropped it in the mud!  We managed to save it though and it didn’t dampen her excitement.

Haven’t managed to do much quilting this week - did I mention I’ve decided to do my ‘Tate Stars’ quilt by hand?  The girls in my sewing group just laughed but it really is fun………..if only there were lots more hours in the day…………..

We’ve been doing a fair bit of shopping on eBay lately - everything from door frames to ceiling fans to washing machine and dishwasher.  Still searching for more things.  One of my favorite purchases so far is a gorgeous sofa which is going into the studio.  It’s upholstered in gold velvet and is so nice I would like to keep it at home………….