Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Here’s the Caddy pattern :o)

Thank you all for your patience, I’ve been busy typing madly to get this pattern ready for you all and I’m pleased to say……

IT’S DONE :o)!!!

Woohoo!!!!

Stitchin’ Caddy by JoyPatch ©

Stitchin' Caddy

If you’d like to make some of these caddies for the quilters who have lost so much in these awful floods – or even just for yourself - then please make a donation of at least $5 to

THE PREMIER’S FLOOD APPEAL

then all you have to do is send me your receipt number (and your email address) and I’ll be happy to send your PDF pattern of my “Stitchin’ Caddy by JoyPatch ©” to you.

We Nutters will be sending “New Beginnings” kits all over Queensland, so if you’d like to donate any that you’ve made then please email Jenny at

jennyofelefantz at bigpond dot com

and she’ll let you know where you can send them.

If you’ve missed the post on what we girls from Among the Gumtrees would like to put into our New Beginnings kits then please click the link and take a peek.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Calling Brissie Bloggers ;o)!!

S6301185 I’m having a sewing bee on Thursday 20th January to make caddies for the sewing kits we girls at the Among the Gumtrees blog are putting together for the Qld flood victims. January 2011 130 These kits will be distributed to various quilting groups in Queensland and if we have enough we’d also like to send some to Vic and Tassie too since they’ve also suffered flooding recently too. If you’d like to come along please leave a comment on this post and I’ll email the details to you. The Sewing Bee will be at Cleveland in Brisbane.
I’ll be putting the pdf pattern for this caddy on my sidebar this afternoon for just $5 – all proceeds to go to the PREMIER’S FLOOD APPEAL.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Bloggers are so Wonderful!!

I’ve had a lump in my throat looking at all the incredibly generous donations for auctions …. and also the amazing generosity of bidders too. Bloggers really are wonderful!! Over the past few days I’ve watched huge parts of the state I love devastated by floods and an inland tsunami. Lives have been lost. Heroes have been found. Houses and possessions have been washed away. But through it all, the goodness in the people of Australia … in fact - people all over the world … has shone through like a beacon. God Bless them all!!
I went to my local patchwork store yesterday to pick up some odds and ends to pop in with the sewing caddies that we are gathering at the Among the Gumtrees blog. I was totally overwhelmed by Margaret’s reaction when I told her what we were doing. Just look at she gave me to add to the caddies!!!!January 2011 085 I tell you I was almost in tears when she kept coming out with more and more goodies to give to quilters who had suffered losses through the floods. Thank you Margaret :o)!!!!
I finished my first caddy today and I’m pleased to bits with it …January 2011 103
I’m going to try and get the pattern written up very soon in case any of you would like to make one like it :o). It has a little zippered pocket on the left and a covered pocket in the middle – just right for taking a stitchy project along with you!! (Oh Vicki that’s a stiTCHy project LOL). Proceeds will go to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.
Here’s another link for you if you’d like to help the flood appeal by buying a PDF pattern by by one of the Gumtree Designers …
pop on over to this post and have a look. Ruth at Sewlmate Sister is having a sale on a selection of our patterns (above)and you can get any one of them (or more if you’d like!!!)
for a limited time for just a $5.50US each!!!
I’m off to write up a caddy pattern ;o)!!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

More ways to help Qld Flood Appeal :o)

Firstly THANK YOU SO MUCH to my bidders so far!! If you haven’t yet seen my auction it’s on my previous post -
Please feel free to bid on this kit … everything is included to make this gawjus “Teatime Tabletopper”. The more $$$$ we can raise for these most deserving people whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster the better. My heart is breaking for them and my thoughts and prayers are with them all!!
If you’d rather you could make a sewing kit for a quilter - S6301185 go here for details
OR
You could make a quilted block!! Nikki Tervo (no blog yet … but we’re working on it!!) is making up quilts from donated 12 1/2” quilted blocks for the flood victims. If you’d like to make one (or more!!!) then here’s what she told me …
“I am collecting 12 1/2" pre quilted quilt blocks. Blocks need to have a cream fabric measuring 14" square on the back, A thin wadding like wool or cotton to be used. All blocks must be quilted. Please send to Nikki's Flood Quilts PO box 4139 Gumdale 4154. Feel free to sign or write a message of comfort on the back of your block. Make sure it is quilted please!! Please forward this message to anyone Thanks”
These are just a few ways you can help out :o) … please don’t forget to check out the other auctions at Toni’s blogQLD_Flood_Appealthere will be a full list of bloggers auctions there on the weekend.
Direct donations to the Premier's Flood Appeal can also be made by visiting this site.
Stay safe …

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Please help us to help them …

No doubt most of you have heard of the devastating floods that have hit our beautiful Queensland. This is an incredibly difficult time for all of us and here at JoyPatch in Brisbane we are one of the few lucky ones to be high and dry. Like most of you I just want to do what I can to help. Toni at Make it Perfect is organising an online Silent Auction beginning on 17th January and finishing midnight 24th January…QLD_Flood_Appeal and I’m pleased to say that I intend to participate in this by offering a kit for my “Teatime Tabletopper” pattern to be auctioned. Teatime Tabletopper All of the money from these auctions (and hopefully there will be lots) will be going to the Queensland Government Flood Relief Appeal. If you like, you can just click on that link and do a direct donation, I know there are a lot of flood victims who will be very grateful ;o).
There are other things you can do too … we Nutters at the Among The Gumtrees blog are organising sewing kits to be distributed to the quilting groups in areas that were flooded,S6301185 please click here to find out more – every little bit helps ;o).
Please feel free to pop both of these buttons onto your sidebars with their links :o).
My thoughts and prayers are going out to everyone affected by these dreadful floods …

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I’m having another GIVEAWAY :o)!!

You probably know that we Among the Gumtrees ‘Nutters’ are having a massive giveaway!!!
But wait …that’s not all!!!!!!!!
Just for a bit more fun, I’m going to have a “Springtime” giveaway too. So if you’d like to win the pattern for the block I designed - “Good Morning Butterfly” …. Joy then all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. You could make it into a wall-hanging, or a cushion … maybe even the front of a bag :o)!!!
One comment - one entry … easy peasy. Please don’t comment more than once though cos I’ll have to remove any doubles – and I’ll be checking he he ;o).
But if you want more ………
Don’t forget to pop on over to the Among the Gumtrees blog because that’s where we are having our biggest giveaway yet!!! Have you been over to check it out??? You could win these …IMG_4052The WHOLE SET of “Springtime” patterns - the gawjus BOM we designed for Fresh Hope :o)!! April 2010 066Pop on over to the Among the Gumtrees blog for more details on how to enter, and you can also find out over there how you can buy these patterns and many others from Fresh Hope!!
The winner for my giveaway will be drawn on 26th January :o)!!!
Good luck everyone :o)!!!!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

My SSCS parcel has finally arrived :o)!!

Oh my goodness, it’s 2011 ….. already!!! I’m not sure I’m done with 2010 yet!!!! Okay so I’ll go with the flow, but honestly, I think the new year has crept up on me, I’ve only just finished the Chrissy leftovers!!!

A new year, a fresh start … resolutions to be made (or not!). Nah, not for me …. I’m not good at sticking to my new year resolutions. Although, I would LOVE to lose a few (make that quite a few) kg/pounds … if I can then great, otherwise, oh well - I’ll just have to embrace my chubbiness LOL. I’d like to wish you all a fabulously happy new year my dear bloggy friends – I hope it brings you many blessings :o). Thank you all for your lovely comments throughout 2010, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you through your emails and blogs, and I look forward to keeping in touch with you all in 2011 too :o).

Well it was a bit late but my SSCS gifties finally arrived this week from Ruth – YAY!!! As you can see from the great big stickers on the envelope, Australian Customs and Quarantine got to see it all before me lol, nevermind, the only thing they took out was some Orange Leaf Tea … sorry Ruth, that didn’t make it to me!!

I’m guessing Ruth’s wrapping was probably a bit neater than theirs too lol. So here are the gawjus goodies I received – a Christmas wreath tree decoration (that will have to go on next year’s tree) ;o), a handmade bangle bag, 2011 calendar, a pack of 2” African Mosaic fabric squares, some cute Chrissy tissues and some Dove Chocolate … all wrapped up in about a metre (yard) of delish purple batik!! Thank you so much Ruth … and thank you too Chookyblue for organising yet another fabulously fun SSCS!!!

I’ve done very little stitching since just before Christmas … so nothing to show you there I’m sorry. I have, however, managed a wee bit of shopping on the net :o). Fat Quarter Shop was having a fabulous special on their books and magazines so I just HAD to jump in a buy some that have been on my shopping list for a while :o) … January 2011 004 and … January 2011 005I’m kicking myself now for not buying “100 Blocks Vol. 1” because now I can’t find it anywhere – drat!!

Have you read the new Among the Gumtrees newsletter yet?? Don’t you love the new format :o) – and the new logo too??!!d7birdOur very clever Jenny designed and stitched this and I think it’s just gawjus!! We Nutters are all very excited about lots of fun happenings among the branches in 2011, stay tuned to find out more. We’ve also got something up our sleeves for our Brisbane friends too in March ;o)!! Are you wondering what we’re up to LOL??? All will be revealed soon ;o).

Until then …………