Cinderberry Stitches

New pattern - Owlish 'out & about'

I'm a Mum.

I own a nappy bag.  It's positively huge and filled to the brim with stuff, mostly stuff I never need to use but I pack it any way - you know, just in case. I'm a Mum.

Anyways, there are many times when I really don't need the positively ginormous bag and that is where Owlish 'out & about' will become very handy.  It's designed especially with Mum's in mind and is a companion to the Owlish 'cuddle me quilt'.

So what's behind the zip?

Owlish 'out & about' easliy carries - 1 x pack of baby wipes, 2 x newborn nappies/diapers and tube of Lucas pawpaw ointment.  No more positively huge nappy bag required for those quick trips.

and because bubs are not newborn for long it also fits nappies for bigger kidlets too.

Just pop Owlish out & about in your regular handbag or car and you are ready to go.

This design would also make the perfect handmade gift for a new mummy or sweet baby shower.  You could even fill it with yummy mummy things....or make this and have a complete matching set.

Patterns are now available so look for them (or ask for) in your favorite quilt store!

Time to get out & about :)

Till then,

Natalie xo

New Pattern - Owlish 'cuddle me quilt'

Time for a new photo shoot in our home this week.  It has been wet, windy and freezing cold here the last few weeks so I decided the best place to take photos would be in Isabelle's room with the morning sun streaming through the window.

It was a fun morning and the sun came to visit at just the right time.  I love the new quilt hanging on her wall....it needs to become a permanent fixture, don't you think?

You can also see Isabelle's big girl quilt on her bed - it's Bella Babushka.

It's one happy room.

It has taken a while for this quilt to make it to pattern stage, some of you might remember a similar version offered at Quilt Fabric Delights - it was made especially as a charm square project.

This new design is larger than the previous, this time it is made from two charm square packs and solid white cotton.....yes it's Moda Sherbet Pips. 

Owlish Cuddle Me Quilt was designed with little bubs in mind. 

The owls were stitched with just two different shades of grey, high contrast against solid white for little eyes to focus on.  The little flat owl squishy is great for little fingers to feel, grab and giggle with.

This one's a mini quilt at 90cm (35½″) square but the perfect size to snuggle with in the pram or lay out on the floor as a playmat.  The modern straight line quilting also adds a little texture for tiny fingers.

Look out for the pattern cover or ask for it at your local quilt store

The patterns are available now!

Oh & before I go, I must mention....there is a second 'companion' pattern which I will share in the next blog post - it's perfect for Mummy's on the go.

Hope you love it

Till then,

Natalie xo

 

What's in a name?

Here I am - back again! 

How much fun are you having on the Cotton Floss book tour?  I am enjoying popping into my favorite sites each morning with a cup of tea and reading with a smile on my face.  Wow, was that really me eating a double icecream....?  If you missed the tour, it's never too late - put the kettle on, brew up your favorite cuppa and come for a ride.

Today is the last day and it's Paige's stop - you seriously have to see what surprises she has for one lucky peep, so pop over and let her know I sent you!

There is no way my tour would have come alive without this group of wonderful ladies so I would like to thank each of you for taking time out to blog, write a review of Cotton Floss or thinking up some amazing questions....Monica, Amanda, Pam, Sarah, Krista, Bari, Shari and Paige thanks you for your awesomeness.....I have a margarita waiting for you xo.

I have been asked a lot recently and again this morning *hi Scarlette!* "How did you come up with the name for the book?"....good question.  So here was my thought process...

FLOSS: The floss (embroidery thread) is what makes my work pop, it's like the ink in my pen - the paint in my pot.  I choose my colour floss in the same fashion as I would if I were painting a picture to tell a story.  For me the only difference is, I paint with thread.

COTTON: The cotton is simply the fabrics I use to stitch my designs and make them come alive. 

So that's it - Cotton Floss......the perfect pair don't you think?

 

Ok - so, moving right along :)

It's about time I shared with you something new I am working on and I will show more as soon as I get the green light.  Trust me, it's going to be fun.

This time I get to play with Moda Ruby - by Bonnie & Camille.

I just have a small sampling of the line.  But I know one thing for sure.  I LOVE Ruby.

I HAVE to have more :)

Do you know the feeling?

Till then,

Natalie xo

 

A 'mummy to do list'

So many things I should have been doing today like finishing of writing my two new patterns, taking some pattern cover images and beginning a new project that needs to be completed, wrapped up and posted by the end of the month.....but sometimes you just have to put work aside. 

It will still be there in the morning.

Instead we wrote a 'Mummy to-do list' I took my daughter to the park, sat in the cool winter sunshine, played in the sand and built sand castles, laughed, played hide & seek in the maze and made chocolate cake - just so she could sit on the kitchen bench, lick the beaters and make a mess, then we sat and watched Peppa Pig together.

The other 'to do list' will still be waiting for me tonight when Izzy is sleeping soundly and the house becomes quiet, actually I love late-late night stitching & I know she will never be this little again. 

I hope you have been enjoying following the Cotton Floss book tour, yesterday the tour stopped by at Pam Kitty Morning's - you know she is always full of fun and I only wished there were not so many miles between us.  If you are interested in winning a signed copy of Cotton Floss pop in and say hello to her, ok?

Today the tour stops at Sarah Fielke amazing blog, can you even believe Sarah has sat and stitched up a pair of Stella and Henry owls that she is giving away...go on, you know you need this pair sitting in your sewing space - How awesome would that be?

Here are the rest of the tour dates....hop on the wagon and visit them all!

Stop 1 -  Monica - Happy Zombie

Stop 2 -  Amanda - Amanda Brooke

Stop 3 -  Pam - Pam Kitty Morning

Today's stop! - Sarah - The Last Piece

Tomorrow! 16^th Krista - Poppyprint

17^th Bari - Bari J

18^th Shari - Doohickey Design Studio

19^th Paige - Paige Hill

 

Ok, that's all for tonight, must sit down and write tomorrow to-do list...

I wonder - what's on your list?

Till then,

Natalie xo

 

The Book Tour - day 2

It's day two of the book tour and today's stop is certainly loaded with fun.

Here is today's tour stop - Amanda Brooke

Amanda has put together some wonderful questions for the book tour and I had so much fun answering each and every one.  So on this chilly morning (of a long weekend) grab a cuppa and pop over to read what we have been up to.  You might even have a chance to win a signed copy of Cotton Floss....

and because I can't blog photo-less without feeling naked here are some images when I first began making the little toadstool family prototypes.

 

(singing) Toadstools marching two by two - hurrah, hurrah!

ok, enough of the singing...here are the rest of the book tour dates

Stop 1 -  Monica - Happy Zombie (pop over now to read!)

Stop 2 -  Amanda - Amanda Brooke (pop over now to read!)

14^th Pam - Pam Kitty Morning

15^th Sarah - The Last Piece

16^th Krista - Poppyprint

17^th Bari - Bari J

18^th Shari - Doohickey Design Studio

19^th Paige - Paige Hill

 

Will chat again soon, till then -

Natalie xo

The Book Tour - day 1

Have you heard about the Cotton Floss Book Tour?

It's about time I told you, after all it starts today and there will be eight fabulous women I admire reviewing my book.  The good news is - it's a book blog tour, so you can leave your slippers on and cruise the tour in your own private bus...or wagon, whichever you prefer.

Coffee, tea, wine & chocolate optional.

So here are the dates and links for you to follow this week

12^th Monica - Happy Zombie (pop over now to read!)

13^th Amanda - Amanda Brooke

14^th Pam - Pam Kitty Morning

15^th Sarah - The Last Piece

16^th Krista - Poppyprint

17^th Bari - Bari J

18^th Shari - Doohickey Design Studio

19^th Paige - Paige Hill

Pop over here now to see what Monica has been upto and read her review!

(image from M @ Happy Zombie)

Be sure to pop back each day, follow the links above and read the reviews. There will be a few interviews with fun and interesting questions about my design process and even a few chances to win signed copies of my book Cotton Floss.  

Trust me, it's going to be fun.

So...what else have I been upto? hmmmm - hand sewing in the evenings, there is nothing better than late night stitching it relaxes my mind and soul completely in a way I can not explain.  I will just call it sewing meditation, do you understand what I mean?

Here is a peek at what surrounds me this week - actually, it is part of a submission for a U.S quilt magazine.  If enough of us keep our fingers and toes crossed we might just see this one in print toward the end of the year.

Kind of makes me rainbow happy, don't you think?

There is also a pile of delicious Moda fabric waiting for me, it is part of an awesome new design project I am working on with a bunch of my favorite Australian designers...I know you are going to love it, but I will share more with you as soon as I am able.

Time for me to grab my needle and thread and start my sewing meditation, back soon.

till then

Natalie xo

 

Here I am spilling more beans

Ok, it's time.

I'm about to spill more beans. I've got something to tell you that I have been keeping quiet for quite some time and for some strange reason it makes me incredibly nervous :)

At the beginning of last year I set myself a 12 month goal.  I like to set my standard high, just out of reach, more or less the almost impossible. At the time when I wrote it on scrap paper it was more on the side of the 'unreachable dream' if you understand what I mean.

There were only 3 things written, not much I guess.

From memory the list went something like this:

- Write a book.

- Go to Fall Quilt Market (Houston).

- Design a fabric line.

12 month goal, sure sounded like a 5 year plan at the time.

Anyways, I stopped thinking "If I ever..." and started saying "When I..." then took one step at a time in the direction for me to reach that impossible pie.

By now you know two of the things on the list are ticked off, first there was the trip to the USA, then there was the release of my book Cotton Floss.  But there is something else I have been keeping quiet for a while and this week I was given the all clear to tell you (before I implode with excitement).

Yes, a fabric line is coming.

Here is a peek at the selvedge = awesome

What!! - Who with? - When???!!!

I am currently working with the amazing bunch of people @ Lecien on my first fabric line 'Woodland' set to launch at Fall Quilt Market in Houston later this year.  Right now I am playing with strike off's and tweaking colors so they are 'just right'.

You have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret for the last 7 months.

See I told you this year was going to be huge.

Please, come happy dance with me :)

Natalie x