Rain

I can hear some of you thinking that this post will be a whinge about the rain… well I hate to disappoint but it will be nothing of the sort… see I LIKE rain…  except when I have washing to do or have to catch public transport.

I love the smell, the sound and the look of it. I love the way it makes me want to curl up with a hot chocolate and a good book under my favourite quilt. How it makes my cat snuggly. How it makes the fog and mist hang around the tree tops at the end of the street behind my house and how I always feel like I get a good nights sleep when I can hear it falling outside.

I also like BIG storms – with lots of lightning and thunder. I love the energy of a storm and I always feel like this recharges me and that my creative impulses are renewed and revitalised….

You might have realised that I am a bit weird.

No worries….

The rain today seemed to bring out a lot of customers. In fact it felt like the busiest day since we opened. That was fantastic! But was it the rain? What made you all come out today on such a miserable, soggy day? You all had to traispe inside from your cars, dashing across the sodden grass to get to the door. I was pleased to see you all regardless of the weather and I thank you for making today a good day. 🙂

Onto other things…still rain related….

Rainy weather is the perfect weather to get some sewing done. And the rain today was a perfect start to my sewing to do list….

– commissioned lap quilt for customer (needs border, quilting and binding)

– lap quilt for magazine project (which will then be my winter quilt) needs quilting and binding

– finish binding on a playmat, table runner and one single bed quilt (playmat and table runner will go up for sale)

– double bed quilt top (finish piecing, then quilt and bind) then will be up for sale

– quilt top for magazine project (quilting and binding)

– girls lap quilt – fairy themed (border, quilting and binding)

– 2 x single bed UFO quilt tops (currently sitting in box in blocks and borders…. but when done will be up for sale)

– single bed made from fat quarters (finish appliqués, quilt and bind)

– start on competition quilt

– 1x boys, and 1 x girls single bed quilts for Darling Harbour (possible kits)

 

If I can get a lot of these things out of the way this week I will be a happy woman and can sort out the other odd things I need to get done. I’m starting to get very, very, VERY excited for Darling Harbour. I have sooooo many ideas and things that I want to showcase but I need to sit down and nut it all out properly. I have some surprises and some interesting things planned, so you’ll need to mark it down in your diary to come and see me.

Anyways, its still raining so I’m off to get into bed with my book and a hot water bottle.

Night,

 

Marni

 

 

Wearing two hats…an auction and a custom order…

I know, I know most women wear half a dozen hats at any given time. But in my life my hats are only my work hats – I don’t count my ‘home’ hats. And there’s a heap of hats that I won’t be wearing for many years and some I don’t think I will ever wear. 🙂

So back to the hats – I wear a shop hat and a magazine editor hat. Today is the last day that I am ‘in design’ for the issue that will be on sale in May. We run about 3 months ahead with magazines. On my days off and at night I work on the magazine. So by day I am Marni, shop owner at Frankenstein’s Fabrics and by night I am Marni, Editor for EMG’s beading series. It could almost be a double life except for the fact that my lives overlap so much that it really is just one.

For those of you out there in Blogland who do a bit of jewellery making on the side, this is what I do –

 

I do all the paperwork ‘behind the scenes’ and a graphic designer does all the fancy computer stuff. We have stylists and photographers who do all the images. I work with a talented group of people. Each issue has a different title in the series.

So after today it’s back to the shop and more sewing.

Then in about a week’s time I’ll have to check the colour proofs, make sure everything is correct and then it gets sent off to be printed.

Last night the auction hosted by the Handmade Craft Market closed. The bidders were generous, the items were gorgeous and now all have new homes. We raised $600 towards Walk for Zoe, so that Brodie can complete her aim of participating in the London Marathon.

Bec picked up her custom order on Saturday.

This is how it started.

One cartoon character and some fabric….

Then …

Didn’t take any step shots of piecing so we then skip to ….

Close up of the stippling…

 

And finally the front…

and the back…

Am now down to the last order for a baby quilt. So that’s on the cutting mat this week.

If anyone would like to order a custom quilt please email me frankensteinsfabrics@hotmail.com, come and see me in store or ring (02) 4325 2638.

Marni