Happy 100 Giveaway!!!

Happy 100!!

Who would have thought we'd ever get to 100 posts ???

There were times when I didn't.

To be honest, this blog started as a way to explore and promote my little ohjoh apron/clothing business but it quickly morphed into something else.

It now tends to be about what I make and feel like making and the odd little snippets into the crazy world of ohjoh. (Oh the things I "could have", "should have" and "glad i didn't" blog about!)

It is also an amazing source of inspiration! Man, you guys are clever! From quilts to bags to crocheted collars for trees. I am always impressed, inspired and amazed! Thanks!

And if we're throwing some honesty out there, this little blog has given me a quiet sanctuary from the craziness that sometimes is life. Hmm, maybe it has helped me keep a grip on the socially acceptable side of sane ??? (Yes, they are snorts of disbelief that you can hear coming from my family!)

But enough navel gazing.... it is GIVEAWAY time!!!

Just a simple giveaway to say thanks for popping by over the last 100.

Leave a comment by end of Wednesday 5th Oct and I'll randomly draw a winner next Thursday 6th Oct.

What do you win?? Your choice of something from my shop.

Goodluck!

Happy school holidays people! (we're expecting a visit from the chicken pox virus - hmm yes, we're all so excited!)

Cheers

Jenny

PS I'm also celebrating with free shipping within Aust for Sept/Oct.

My Creative Space

In my Creative Space there has been more playing with free motion stitching in the form of linen pot holders.

And sewing up a couple of "Cath" aprons for an order and a few more for the stock box.

These guys were destined for the market on Sunday but they'll have to wait for next month.

In the juggling act that is life, we've been thrown a basketball this week. So I thought I would continue juggling the "kids", "family", "daughter", "wife", "friend", "mum", "school", "kinder" and "socially acceptable side of sane" balls (amongst others) and put the "market" one down for the moment so that they don't all crash around us.

If you're doing nothing on Sunday and you're in Melbourne why not check out the other lovely people at Mulgrave Makers Market. We'll do our best to be at the next one in October.

Hope your juggling act is under control.

Check out other creative spaces here.

Cheers

Jenny

PS this is post number 99 which means a giveaway for the next one to celebrate the "century"!

Practice makes perfect

Practice makes perfect, so they say. In that case, I have a whole lot of practicing to do when it comes to free motion machine quilting ...

This is what happened to those circles. 100% linen tea towels for a market on Sunday. If you can make it to Mulgrave in Melbourne on Sunday morning, please come and say hello!

Cheers

Jenny

PS. This is post number 98 - who would have thought??? - so I'm thinking a celebratory giveaway for the big 100. Will keep you posted...

Circles

Lots of circles today. Starting to get dizzy.

I've Ditched It

Ditch stitching done.

Not as tricky as I thought (isn't that always the way). It's not perfect but its Ok.

A bit more to go and then some binding ... hmmm ... and maybe some hand quilting to tart it up....

Cheers

Jenny

PS. Nth QLD sun is FABULOUS!!!! Then you come home to 11 degrees. Aahh well. Now saving pennys for next year ....

Raiders Of The Fabric Stash

Kids grow so quickly.

Summer clothes from last year are a bit hit and miss in the 'fitting" department, and as we're about to go sun hunting (ie holiday in QLD) my kids need new clothes.

As the result of some, aah, lets call them budget miscalculations (oopsy), I thought it would be responsible and frugal to dig in the fabric stash and make some creations for the girlies rather than buy them.

The young boy cocked his head and looked at me in complete disbelief - "ah, don't make me anything will you Mum ???!?!" with a wide eyed look of fear. Yep, we've crossed the line into the territory commonly known as "Clothes that my Mum makes are sooo not cool".

Decorated a couple of $5 t-shirts from Big W (must have "sparkles, apparently).Whipped up a tote bag using the "throbbing member" fabric as a lining - thanks to Julie's wonderful suggestion. It shall now be known as the "Man Bag". Not sure how I feel about rumaging around in it ??....

The youngest also needed a hat. I have had Nikki's kids hat pattern sitting here, just waiting, for over a year (do you do that too ??? or is it just me?) so pulled it out and gave it a whirl. I was a bit scared as they look a bit tricky but no drama! Easy instructions that even I could follow. She's a whizz, that Nikki girl!
The youngest has a hat, the middle has placed an order and the boy gave me that same wide eyed look, said 'no thanks Mum' before I even asked and ran to his room just in case I measured his head.

I have a couple more things to whip up before we go. Will share if I get a chance.

The sewing machine will be breathing a sigh of relief when we leave on our holiday. It hasn't worked this hard in ages!

Cheers

Jenny

Neglect

I have a growing list of things that have been neglected so I have made big effort to address a couple of them. I negelected to share my good fortune. I had a win over at Andi's and a couple of weeks ago, over a lovely morning hot choc & cake I came into the possession of these little lovelies. Aren't they wonderful. I have a plan for one of them already ... I'll keep you posted.
I love them! Thanks Andi, you're ACE!

I have been neglecting my shop for ...umm... most of the year. Today I listed a couple of newbies.
You can check out more of them here.

I have also negelected myself. A trip to the beautician yesterday and I now feel all womanly again (as opposed to masculine neanderthal) but perhaps I should have neglected to share that.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jenny

Quilt No.5 update

Here it is and I think we are going to be friends.

I feel good when I look at it.

I feel not so good when I think about ditch stitching it.

Yep, I'm the ditch stitching virgin.

Deborah Louie told me it is easy (at the machine quilting course) and it was on the really small sample piece. Her tips and instructions were awesome but...

But looking at this big quilt I'm feeling a little anxious. I've been thinking about stitching it for over a week.

Maybe I'll just stick with the hand quilting...no I will machine it ... no I'll hand stitch ... no, I'll machine it ...

I know, I need to "just do it" and stop thinking about it.

Maybe tomorrow ....

The Perils of Online Shopping.

I loved the colour.

I bought a couple of metres online.

In my mind it was going to be lovely summer frocks & tops for little girls.

UNTIL it arrived.

It might just be me, but all I see is an unattractive part of the male anatomy - everytime I look at it.

It is just way too WRONG to make it into anything for little girls.

Maybe I can cut it into strips ...

Found it!

It was going to be a young lady's summer dress.

But as I was about to cut it I had a "bingo!" moment.

Good-bye purple and hello pink.

I love it. Just need to make the time to get it all together.

Showed the daughters - squeals of delight from one and a half smile and a shrug from the other. Yep, it's the half smile's quilt.