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.Save the Children Japan Auction.

 
Thankyou so much for your generous auction votes so far!  I’m re-posting this morning to remind you that the auction ends at 9pm this evening (Aussie time) – happy bidding!
 
 

My heart aches for Japan.  As many of you know, my brother is serving a mission for our church in Japan at the moment.  There were a few hours of worry when we heard of the news of the tsunami and earthquakes that have tragically hit northern Japan, thankfully Cade is further south and was out of harms way.  Although we are blessed, it really hit home to me how it could have been me…our family, who had lost a love one from the disaster.

In doing our little bit to help, Lisa of This and That from Japan and I have teamed up to host an auction to raise money for Save the Children Japan.  Lisa, who also lives in southern Japan, knows of many school children who are safe because of their schools being on hills but whose parents have been lost from the tragedy.  There are going to be thousands of children whose lives have been disrupted and although this is a tiny drop in the ocean, we are happy to do something to help.  Jo from A Bit of This and A Bit of that (also a resident of Japan) has launched the Japan Quake Appeal.  You can see a master list of all of the auctions and raffles going on here.

You guys really pulled together to do amazing things for the QLD Flood Appeal Auctions and the children of Japan need just as much help and support to get through the next few months.

This auction is for a great selection of sewing patterns and fabric.  You are bidding on…

Half a yard (45cm) of each of the FOUR Japanese Cotton Little Elephant Print fabrics as pictured below:

(pink on white…white on yellow…blue on white…green on white)
A total of 2 yards of fabric donated by Lisa of This and That From Japan.

PLUS…
A SIGNED copy of my book, Make It Perfect
and your choice of any FOUR of my Make It Perfect sewing patterns.
(Make It Perfect book…Choose four of any of these sewing patterns)
TOTAL PRIZE PACKAGE = 4 yards of quality Japanese cotton fabric, 1 signed, hard-cover book, 4 sewing patterns with a retail value of over $130!!!!
How this auction works:
1.  Bidding will start at $30 (Australian).
2.  You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address.  Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.
3.  Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.
4.  This auction is open to everyone, however $30 will be charged for International addresses.  Postage is FREE for Australian residents.
5.  The auction begins NOW and will END at 9pm on Saturday 26th March 2011.
6.  At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner (please make sure your bid comment includes your email address).  The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Save the Children Japan Emergency Fund and send me proof of payment via email.  Once proof of payment has been received, Lisa and I will post your prizes to you.
7.  Thankyou for participating and happy bidding!
March 25, 2011
Other

.March Cool Shops! RIBBONS GALORE.

 
 
 
 

This week’s Cool Shop is one of my favourite places to shop ever, Ribbons Galore…

Ribbons Galore would have to be the BEST ribbon store around, every time I visit there is something new and my wish list is very, very long!
 
 

There is something about using ribbons in your sewing or crafting to add a bit of unexpected detail to what ever you are making.  Ribbons can easily be used to embellish and “jazz up” any item of clothing, bag or accessory.  You can also use ribbons to make cute hair clips, dummy (pacifier) clips, belts, and more.  

I especially love the ribbons at Ribbons Galore because they are unique and unlike any that I can buy locally.  I’ve used Fiona’s ribbons a lot to embellish skirts and dresses for Lil and add trim to zippered pouches and little bags.

I have used ribbons from Ribbons Galore before – you might remember this blog post last year…Ribbons Galore provided me with tons of ribbons to use for the production of my book.  In a couple of days I’ll have my new pattern ready to share with you which also features cute ribbon detail…the perfect excuse to visit Ribbons Galore!

Fiona sent me a very generous selection of products to review.  As well as the ribbons shown above, I received a spool of aqua bakers twine (I LOVE this stuff!), a selection of spots and stripes, some cute woven labels (these will be great for sewing onto clothing), and grosgrain bundles.

Ribbons Galore have recently brought in a new product range – cotton webbing and key fob hardware.  I have never made a key fob before, they were SO fast and simple – good for an instant gratification sewing project and make great gifts! 

I’ve claimed this pink elephant one (also one of my very favourite ribbons from Ribbons Galore) and love that it is easy to find my keys in my bag now and my kids are always wanting to play with it!

I could go on about how much I love Ribbons Galore, but I think you get the gist!  I’ll leave you with a few more lovely images…
Bakers Twine – check out the huge array of colours.  I want them all!

And a few more ribbons…

 

Fiona is offering Make It Perfect Readers 15% off your order for the next month!  
You can redeem this 15% discount coupon during checkout. Just enter the code “perfect2011” in the box provided, and click on the redeem button.
(The coupon is valid between 23/03/2011 and 22/04/2011.)

Thanks Fiona for providing us with great product and a beautifully presented, easy to navigate around store!

Important Ribbons Galore Links:
 
March 22, 2011
Other

.New Citrus pOp – BRACELETS.

I’ve been Citrus pOp-ing again (read: procrastinating!!)
Remember…Citrus pOp is what I do when I should be doing more important stuff like pattern writing, house work, church lessons, etc.  Citrus pOp is a great distraction, it’s pretty, colourful and fun and I end up with delightful jewellery to wear.
Well, it’s not all for me…this week I’ve been making up some bracelets to add to the Citrus pOp collection.  And I really like… A LOT!
These little babies are my trial run – just a handful to see if anyone is interested in them.  They are all one-hit-wonders – so if you like something, snap it up now because I most likely won’t be making one the same.  They are all for sale in my Madeit and Etsy stores now 🙂
Citrus pOp Floral Charm Bracelets
Find Floral Charm Bracelets on Etsy and on Madeit
  
Citrus pOp Cuff Bracelets
Find Cuff Bracelets on Etsy and on Madeit
 
And because I’m all about sneak peaks at the moment, I’m SO happy with my new Citrus pOp creations…they are pretty and feminine and make me smile every time I walk by them.  But they aren’t finished yet, so you’ll have to wait a little bit for the finished product 🙂
March 19, 2011
Other

.A sneaky.

A new pattern is on it’s way folks!  Just waiting on feedback from my trusty testers and all will be revealed next week…
This morning Lil and I ventured to the beach to take some photos for the cover.  I would love to take a week out of my life to learn how to use my camera and edit photos properly, but at the moment I’m just fumbling my way along!  Usually I’ll call on a photographer (i.e. someone with skills) to take the shots for me, but we were short on time and I need to push myself so it was just Lil and I today.
So here is a little sneaky of what is to come.  It is SUPER CUTE, if I do say so myself.

P.S. You might recognise the fabric from Saffron’s new Magical Lands range – her best range ever as far as I am concerned.
And a little bit of gorgeous ribbon from the coolest ribbon shop around, Ribbons Galore. 
And that is all I will say about the new pattern ’till next week 🙂

March 17, 2011
Other

.March Cool Shops! CHASING COTTONS.

If you’re into quilting (or want to be into quilting) then you are going to love my next Cool Shop, Chasing Cottons…
 
Chasing Cottons is a line of quilt designs created by Rebecca – an Aussie Mum from New South Wales.  I first met Bec at Australian Quilt Market in November last year.  She is the most beautiful person, inside and her love of sewing and quilting is evident in the passion and excitement she shares with everything she creates.
 
Chasing Cottons quilt patterns are beautifully presented with tons of diagrams and easy-to-read instructions.  They feature a lot of traditional quilting techniques which have been given a modern edge and are suitable for sewers of all skill levels.
If you follow a lot of sewing blogs, you may recognise Bec’s Sand Castle Quilt pattern.  I love, love, love this quilt!  Such a cool block design and I know that many little girls would happily fall asleep under the royal design.
If I saw a picture of this Curlicue Crush quilt, I would immediately put it in the “too hard” basket with all of those curves – but Bec swears that it is super easy – and I believe her!  This pattern reminds me of Christmas decorations and would make a beautiful Christmas quilt.
Eden’s Garden is Bec’s newest design, it is fully machine pieced and a lovely way to showcase your favourite fabric collection.
Chasing Cottons quilt patterns are avaliable as immediate download patterns from Bec’s shop.  Hard copies of the patterns are also avaliable at these stockists.

And if you are looking at all of these patterns thinking they are lovely but you don’t know how to quilt…then look no further!  Starting next month Chasing Cottons is going to be hosting Quilt Class 101.  A massive 12 weeks+ of FREE online quilting classes, teaching us all how to make a quilt from beginning to end.  It looks like Quilt Class 101 is going to be huge – with heaps of guest presenters, sponsors, freebies, and plenty of tutorials, tips and tricks.  If you want to learn how to make a quilt then stay tuned!  You can read more about Quilt Class 101 on Bec’s blog here.  I’m really looking forward to it, what an easy way to learn how to quilt with tons of instructions and tutorials in the one place.

And how about a pattern or two to use during Quilt Class 101?  Chasing Cottons is kindly giving away 2 patterns of your choice to 3 lucky winners!  Leave a comment to be in the running, winners will be drawn by random and give away will end on Sunday 20th March.  

Important Chasing Cottons Links
March 15, 2011