i'm grateful for 'loving & wonderful friends'

Greetings all,
You know that feeling when you've had huge highs & incredible lows, all in one week . . . this is that kind of roller coaster week.  The highs - Sew It Together & IKEA Sleepover + a visit from my beloved husband . . . then the lows - my friend, a mother of four who is fighting breast cancer, lost her young teenage son & my darling Corrie from Retro Mummy, her beautiful mother passing away.  I've been trudging through my routine of housewifery with little enthusiasm this week, i'm so sad for my heart broken friends.
My week has been busy, distracting me from the sadness.  We've had the athletics carnival; i ran the BBQ lunch; i attended a little market; 3 days at Shop Handmade.  All involved wonderful old friends & amazing new friends, who understood this underlying deep sadness i am feeling.  I laughed with Ainslee on the treadmills while our children did Zumba . . . LAUGH = pant-wetting-listening to her Saturday night adventure on Stallions Afloat.  Picture 100 women on 5 different hens' nights mixed with fully nude strippers on Sydney harbour for 5 hours & unlimited alcohol.   

 I'm grateful for my wonderful & loving friends, when i'm down, they really notice, they share, listen & cry with me!!  Most of all, it's so totally OK to be sad, flat, devestated.

An especially amazing friend is Kylie from Mealy&i/ Mealy Bug Creations.  She remembered that I support Heads Up, a cancer support Shop & group run by Navy wife Sue. Kylie is a darling long time crafty gal pal Army wife i met up with at Sew It Together & she handed over a selection of gorgeous handmade head wear for the Heads Up Shop. They sell 'head fashion' & teach the beautiful ladies who are going through chemotherapy, how to rock a new style of head wear.   

 Models were not hard to find, they love the styles.

 This gorgeous beanie will be very appreciated in Canberra Winter.

 They also sell quality handmade products for cancer patients to purchase, as getting to the shops might not be possible, or they want gifts for their children too - love this chin strap style!!

I remember my mother-in-law playing around with scarves, hats & wigs, she had the most amazing blue eyes like my 3rd daughter (above).  Sadly she didn't win her battle. 

 I bet Kylie didn't reckon on this combination??

These are going to the Heads Up Shop at Calvary Hospital in Canberra.

 Here is the lovely, sweet, kind hearted Kylie avec moi at Sew It Together last Saturday in Sydney.  She's so much fun - anyone who met their husband by running over them with their car - has plenty of funny stories to share.  I'm trying to encourage her husband to post to Canberra so we can play, craft & laugh together more often.  Love you Kylie, you're a doll.

So thank you my dear, loving & wonderful friends, you're truly appreciated.  I'm so incredibly lucky to know so many amazing, clever & thoughtful ladies in this world - they are so supportive when i'm worried about my mum's Alzheimers or my husband in a war zone, where would we be without our amazing friends, on line, bloggie & in real life??  Wishing you lovely Gratefuls this weekend.  Love Posie

is it really over, Sew It Together 2012 in Sydney was a blast!!

Greetings all,

Well if you can believe it - the IKEA sleepover was actually squeezed inbetween two massive Sew It Together events on my weekend away in Sydney. I can go months with little interstate excitement & pow, it all happens in the space of 48 hours!!  I had to restrict my photos, blogger couldn't cope, i had so many fantastic images to show off!!

So . . . to commence my journey to Sydney with last minute change of plans to go on my own . . . i took a coach, a cab, a hire car, a train & a plane.  On the Friday morning school run i was dropped at the bus station, driver Charlie announced that the bus was leaving 20 minutes early, yahoo, i was on my way to SIT Sydney!!  I was set for coach craft, in leather comfort.  

As part of the name badge swap, i ignored the size & colour rules, i scored Susie & hand delivered it Friday.  She liked it.  It was posted weeks earlier but 'returned to sender' not by Susie & as a hex on me, my name badge from Kelly never arrived either!!
Delivered to Central Station, i jumped off the Canberra Coach into a cab to Kings Cross Thrifty to collect my car rental.  Cab driver Bruce (from London) chatted away about his 25 years at the Dunlop shoe factory.  He had no idea Dunlop Volley sneakers were back in style & cool again.

 First stop . . . a flying visit with my parents - they were off to the wedding of their Godaughter in Elizabeth Bay - her father is the governor of South Australia so you can only imagine the glamour.  

Then onto Calico & Ivy in Balmain (my father was born & raised here, so i knew the 'hood). I purchased 2 Liberty sampler packs, glorious!! When i handed over my card, the lovely Sarah said "OMG, you're Posie, with that wall of fabric" which made me giggle & think, yes, wall of fabric, my addiction is public, thus me containing myself to samplers now!!

 Then off to find Prints Charming in Annandale, very close to Sydney Uni so i knew that 'hood too. 

I met up with the Sew It Together tour girls here.  Wow, like walking into some kind of crazed Boxing Day sale, fabric flying everywhere, hype & hugs!!  Finally met Sheridan who organised this incredible event & found a seat for the Stitching Session between Becky from Becky et al & Renae from Pink Fish Blue fish.  We chatted about Kingaroy's famous Lady Flo scones, country life & children, really loved these two ladies.

 RightyO, stitching on screen printed panels with brightly coloured embroidery threads & learning a few neat tricks about stitch combinations - excellent for self taught types like me.

 After dashing away to IKEA for the night, blink & i was heading back to SIT proceedings.  After fueling & returning the hire car, i jumped into Khalid's cab where he had passionate opinions on NSW politics ('twas election day, so i let him go for it) . . . i arrived back at the SIT Saturday Session at the Menzies Hotel.

 Yay, got this huge bag of sponsored SIT goodies, filled with patterns & fabrics. 

We had some little stalls througout the day, including Craft Schmaft - so excited to meet Claire & listen to her tales about raising boys.  Very happy with my new owl mobile pattern, so giving that a go in the school holidays.

 There is Christy from Little Betty & Kylie from MealyBugCreations, love you two!!

 A 'sweeping shots' of Sew It Together, i met SO many amazing new friends here.

 After farewells & a quick exit out of SIT, i boarded the train to the airport.  As i have no shame, i asked these zombies, who joined us from Hyde Park, if they'd mind a photo - extra kudos for the fact they struck poses too!!  Ah, Sydney, thank you!!

 After dragging luggage & sewing gear around for 2 days, i was happy to relax on the plane & let Captain Pete fly me home.  Very overcast, it matched my mood, sorry the fun was over.  It was nice to be the one coming home & greeted by my family!!

 Home by 7.30p.m. & tucked into bed an hour later, after talking at lightening speed about 'what happened at craft camp' & handing out gifts to the children.

Oh, if you're wondering how i got all the IKEA bedlinen & freebies home . . . i didn't, i swung by the inner city home of my father-in-law.  Back to reality . . . my husband is back in Brisbane, tomorrow i have a P&C function to feed 250 children during the Athletics carnival, 2 markets in the next 5 days & playing full time mother again.
Had a ball at SIT, thanks Sheridan, an awesome weekend & very much looking forward to the next one. Encouraging all crafty types, new or uber experienced to attend SIT, it's the nicest bloggie meet up opportunity.  Extra thanks to all the ladies who went home with a copy of Handmade Living too, so sweet of you to purchase a copy of the book.  Love Posie
PS my bank called today to tell me my EFTPOS card was skimmed in Sydney (i literally used it for 3 x $9 cab, fuel & cab transactions, you tell me which was the dodgy one??)

Some of my favourites from Clare's Craft Room, Rebecca's Chasing Cottons, Lisa's The Red Thread & Jodie's Ric Rac, yippee!!