Saffrons Blog

Christmas day started with a 5am wake up. Sequoia excitedly exclaimed that the reindeers had been since all the carrots on her bed were gone. Smile.

My Family had traveled some distance to join in for Christmas, my sister and son flew in from Margaret River, WA and my brother and his family drove for 7 hours from the South coast. Mum and Dad from the next suburb. It was a rare day for us being all together. So I relished it.



This was the first year I was responsible for Christmas lunch. Mum's retirement and thoughts of cooking my first Christmas lunch had me stressed for weeks. Would I cook duck, seafood or Swiss tradition Chateau Briand?
Then most practically I waited for the weather forecast for the 25th, 24 degrees with chance of rain so I decided on good ol' Turkey as I could cope with the oven being on for 4 plus hours. I researched Turkey recipes for a few hours until one made my mouth water. Jamie Olliver's Best Turkey ever combined with Donna Hays veggies and a Youtube video on how to carve it. We were in heaven tucking into our first Turkey.


For entree traditional oysters and prawns on the BBQ Aussie style. Dessert was Mum's best trifle ever and a rocky road Christmas pudding for my sister who was the guest of honour this year having had a severe accident six months ago. I was wrapped she and her son made it over. The food so delicious my brother kindly asked me to cook it again for New Years Eve! But that won't happen...

The day all told was brilliant.


Patrick surprised me so much with my gift I shed happy tears. He got my fairy designs printed on a pair of shoes from the Zazzle website. Oh I love them.

Late afternoon we went for our traditional swim in Sydney harbour. At high tide we floated on air beds, the clear soft water lapping us as the warm rain sprinkled us. Such a very special day.
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With Christmas in full swing I found myself reflecting on this fantastic year. One of sharing a life with a 4 year old, my wonderful husband and being a daughter, a sister, auntie and friend. Then there is the driving force of my desire to create. 2009 saw me change direction of my business, that came from a need to have many more colours open to me, a need to expand and keep up with demand.

Thanks to Kathryn and Jim Broomhall for helping us take that leap in our business. Now I have designed 5 ranges that way, three in store and two on the way I feel like its onwards and upwards. My thoughts are being taken up with designing fabrics and ideas to use them.

It's also been so much fun for me to see my business expand into shops internationally. Meeting people who have bought my fabrics is really a big thrill, more so when they're from overseas visiting! Finding myself in Holland having apple cake with a fellow blogger is very inspiring. Then every time I post out my new fairies fabric I feel really happy.

I got big ideas for 2010. Patrick even more so. Thanks for those of you who have been interested in this journey so far. I hope to keep you inspired and interested in what we do over the next 5 years. Life it seems to me is so very exciting. Maybe one day I will be able to be an Avatar and ride a dragon.


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Inside Out magazine has a great photo of a nice project featuring my Parrot fabric. Placing my fabrics along side of Anna Marie Horner was a great surprise. Cause I think she is great.

Thanks Angela from Creative Mums creativemums.com.au who loves to read, a maven for information, and emailed me to let me know about this feature.




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I was commissioned to make a quilt using the Fairy fabrics. I happily used three of the fairy fabrics in squares of 5 inches and bound them all in a border with a green stripe. I used the Fairy Lovehearts, Parrots and Dandelions for another border of 2 inch squares and then added a pink spot to give it a girly feel.
The quilt was stitched in my favorite variegated thread of yellow, pink and lilac. And finally I used the Fairy Lovehearts to bind the quilt, which really brought the quilt to life. I backed this quilt in the Fairy Circles—very practical if it needs to go on the ground—and it worked really well.

Thanks to all of you who braved the crowds to come and visit me at the Manly markets yesterday. One lady was choosing fabric to make her daughter's quilt and had it all chosen but her 7 month year old would not leave without the Tulip Fairy, so the fabrics were exchanged for the Fairy range along with the Dandelions in pink. Good choice little bubba!

I do promise to get a Fairy quilt kit ready for you in January. One that's inspired by this quilt but perhaps with some appliqué and embroidery. That said it might be mid January as it is the silly season. :)


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I am so pleased to offer my first downloadable product, Fairies and Little Pictures printable wrapping paper. They are high-res PDF files and easy to print.

As I was drawing up the latest fairy range I drew up many fairies that did not make it to cloth. I thought why not take these playful Fairies and create a paper?
As it became an idea many more fairies were drawn as they wanted to be part of the paper. Excited at the prospect of being emailed all over the globe. So off you go Fairies to Germany, Canada, America and to the many gorgeous pockets of Australia.

As well as the Fairies paper I have created a Christmas paper from the little pictures fabric. Which is just going to make your Christmas tree look so funky.
You can use it to make cards, for scrap booking as well. Ohhh how much fun. You just got to try this one. :)

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The Finders Keepers Market was a lot of fun. I put many names to faces . Met many customers, even people who read this blog, some of whom brought along their work inspired by my fabrics which I really appreciated. It was a wonderful time had by all I think. I sold all of my quilts too which made me pleased as I so love making them. It's great to know that they will be enjoyed. Oh I could go to a market like that one regularly. The beautiful building really helped to make it a wonderful experience. And just when I could not speak any more I got myself a glass of champagne and turned into a chatter box and made a few more sales.

Now I am going to sit down and go through my to do list which holds 20 things. Blog tick. I got patterns to upload and Christmas paper as well. See how far I get before school pick up.

I am going to attend the Manly Corso market on Sunday if you are around please swing by and pick up a Koala or two.


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Finally we got around to making a little video showing you how to make one of my softies.

It's very easy and also a great project for younger sewers. I've used a sewing machine, but of course you can sew them up by hand.



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Weekly I promise myself that I will do more exercise, so another week has gone where I have done even less :(.
I walk into my studio and answer an email, cut something out and its already to hot, cold, windy, dusty then there is not enough time to go for my laps, jog, walk, Bikrams. Any of this would help. Next week Exercise is a number one priority.

It has been a hugely busy week with the new fairy fabrics arriving, they have created a lot of inspiration for me, as I eagerly make them into products. Which I hope to sell at the Finders Keepers Market this afternoon.  Last night I was answering emails at 11pm. At 7am I was taking product photos of the dresses I made yesterday. I used the Fairies in Flowers fabric and teed it with the Fairy Circles. The Fairy Circles fabric is available here.

Many thoughts I have been thinking are taking action. Patterns are being drawn up and sewn. A video is in the works- we had  fun after the Graham Norton show last night choosing music. I love those quiet hours where I seem to get so much done.

It's time to stop. I have to pack the car for the Finders Keepers Market today. Still have signs to print out. This is what my corridor looked like at 11pm last night.


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I believe in fairies. When something sweet happens I smile and acknowledge that fairies are, in fact, around me. Often in my sketches and doodles I feel drawn to put them on paper and they come some as fairies and others angel-like. Once, I even asked a fairy to show me how her wings attached to her body and she turned around to show me. Tiny, as small flowers they are. People often mention that I am surrounded by fairies so I thought it time to share them with you.

Tulip Fairy;

She is straight from my sketch book. A drawing that seemed to be channeled, she became a drawing quickly and elegantly. She appears as a whimsical fairy in red with a white face, she is disguised by the tulip, a captured moment in  pink, green and with a black outline to give her a hand drawn feel. This design is close to my heart and I hope she finds many homes to visit.

Fairy Circle:

One evening in my mediation class the fairies all joined together with their feet touching to form a circle. It was such an impressive moment for me that I had to explore it in my designs. A circular all over print of brown fairy circles on pink ensued.

Legend has it that if you step into a fairy circle you will enter their realm. Though I tend to feel like I never leave it.

Fairies in Flower

Fairies like to live in flowers. In this design I tried to show their fun side. Using the fairy circle and  flowers, I wanted to show the nature of fairy's, particularly their spirit as they fly around and through the flowers. So I created a free spirited design in pink, red and chocolate on a warm pink background. Fairies: 1.5cm / Circles 5cm - 7cm

Love heart Fairies.

This design shows the silhouettes of Fairy's inside love hearts in bright red on a pink back ground. Each love heart depicts a scene of fairy life, one a mother and a daughter embracing while others capture the fairies love of dance and flight. Its a fun fabric to use in small piecing as well as for boarders.

For bundles of my Fairy fabrics please click here.

Any thoughts?

 

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