Hugs from Helen

one more sleep….

…until my baby goes off to big school. It doesn't seem like 6 years since we moved down here to Hobart and I went to the Doctor with a stomach complaint… what a surprise we received. (I know, you’d think at 37 I’d know how it works!) but Matilda blessed our lives soon after. She wasn't part of our life’s plans, nor Hugs ‘n Kisses plans but she has changed our lives for the better. The memory of her birth and the 100’s of memories made together since are something we all treasure. She has sat beside me here in the studio for 5 years keeping me company, drawing, chatting, sharing and inspiring and generally slowing me down but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Tomorrow she heads off to prep and is very excited…my middle baby starts high school and my biggest baby enters her final year of High school. We have had a quiet relaxing holiday making a few more memories.

I think I will be lonely……

hugs as I spend my last day (at work) with Tilly playing beside me…

Helen

photography

the blogs I tend to look at most are those with simply stunning photography….they really seem to take my eye and want me to see more… it can be photography of anything but just great imaginative and romantic photos…. unfortunately I feel that my photography is my weakest point. And as much as I’d like to research and purchase a wonderful camera and then go and take classes on how to use it to get those lovely photos I ogle over, I just don’t have the time to do it all..so at the moment I am doing the best with what I have, or paying others to do it for me…

anyway, here are some pics of what I have been stitching lately, I promise I shall work more on the photography!

why have I been stitching these Little Love Notes? well Valentines day is coming up, and I was in the mood.

hugs, Helen

Bubbly the Scrappy Owl - show n tell

Most of you know of me and Hugs ‘n Kisses but you may not know that I also publish patterns for other wonderful designers under the Pattern Press banner. I choose very carefully who I publish for and have a wonderful team of wonderful ladies and enthusiastic stitchers I work with. I don’t profess to know everything or do it all right but if I can help I want to and besides, they are all sooo nice and share a passion with me…. anyway….this week Jhoanna proofed the most gorgeous new creature to share with the world. He was just so cute I just had to share him with you all - and here he is… meet

Bubbly the Scrappy Owl….

doesn't he look so wise but oh so innocent? Jhoanna is so clever and a very special lady with many opportunities coming her way because of it. Good luck Jho..I know everyone will love Bubbly as much as all your other little softies.

Have you ever tried making a softie?

hugs, Helen

addictions…..

now I thought I had a chocolate addiction but look what I have done to poor poor Debra! I am so so sorry, but I have righted my wrongs, I was quite happy to point her in the direction of the makers….

to explain myself a little, last year I had these made

to hand out to my wonderful friends at Quilt Market in Houston and here in Melbourne. They were rosy apple flavour (because I live in Tasmania, the Apple Isle) and had my business name in the middle -

I have no idea how they do it? isn't it clever? But never did I think it could do this much damage…..to ones daily sanity..

see those two packs in the photo there Debra? they are the last two!!! hope your 10kg are on their way…

hugs, Helen

thankyou too!

never expected but always appreciated…. they say everything you do will one day come back to you… and that’s not the reason we do nice things but it is nice when something comes back.

So a huge thankyou to Marina who won the LIB competition on the blog last year. She was so sincerely excited I was pleased she won and more than happy to inspire her with her free pattern. And she is stitching happily away – as shown on her blog. She has sent me some lovely jam/milk covers – did you make them Marina? she must have seen our Plum dilemma, okay, so we shall have to try jam.

also a belated thankyou to Tomi who is  long time blog friend (although blogless herself!) and stitcher’s Angel for sending me this handy chatelaine – note there are still chocolates left (only because I forgot they were in there – they wont last long now!)

thankyou thankyou thankyou….for thanking me…but it was simply my pleasure…

hugs, Helen

inspiration…

Tilly’s been drawing and cutting… paper dolls

 

watch this space…..

hugs, Helen

school holiday happenings

Here in Australia our children are on their long summer break, and in Tasmania we have the longest with the kids not returning to school until the 10th Feb. With the plum trees over the fence with overladen branches constantly dropping fruit yesterday was a ‘doing day’…. This was the result with the aim being for Miss M to sell these wonderful tubs of plum paste to raise funds for her Namibia trip.

Photo courtesy Miss Matilda (5yrs)!

I think we should do an official tasting first to make sure they are fit to sell….and we’ll make some pretty labels then watch out friends, workmates and family…

any more ideas for plums, there are plenty left, both red and yellow.

hugs, Helen

Show n Tell Monday

Morning all, some more Show n Tell to share with you today.

Ulla from Finland sent me this photo of not one but 3 of my Stitcher’s Angel projects, two for gifts and one for her blog anniversary giveaway – so if you didn't make on, pop on over and watch for her giveaway.

This one I found when ‘browsing’ – wow Jane has only had this pattern for a few weeks, she has obviously had a busy stitching holiday season…

Cant wait to see it finished, with or without sashings. and then see how Jane quilts it – she is a longarm machine quilter here in Tassie.

finally some peeks at what I have been working on…..you will have to wait until about June/July for this but by then all of you who are working on Twas the Night will be ready to make this companion to it….

hugs for today

Helen

Fabric looooove

oooh its so nice to get yummy fabrics sent to you to play with.

you may just see sneaks of these on several designer blogs in the near future as we all work on another new charity project beginning in June. they are just so my colours – soft and dreamy – they are from the Beachhouse Range by Robyn Pandolph. I think you will find this in the stores already if you just cannot wait.

hugs

Helen

I’m in love…

ooooh, I just want them……. but i have so many pencils, can I justify it??? Has anyone had these pencils? are they nice to use?  oooohhhhh make me strong…

 

Just imagine this on my wall (well I’d have to find a spare wall!)

500 of them,,, you know you can never have too many colours, just like fabric…. and a little surprise every month!

please give me strength to resist…

hugs, Helen