What a blast!

we. were. awesome!

There was a world firefighting comp, a corporate team and hospital team comp too. We were one of 29 teams racing in the social comp, and we finished 13th in that group. Well happy with that!

Thank you team 'Blackheath Ark' for a really fab day!

x Mandy

Dragon boat racing!

yes I am!!!

 

Dragons Abreast Festival

28th October 2012

Darling Harbour

Sydney

ALL DAY

This is such a special fundraising event, organized by Dragons Abreast. Teams from all over come to race. Highly competitive teams, through to teams there mainly for the fun (that's me)! Teams that come back year after year, to teams that have paddlers in them for the first time (that's a fair few of us). 

As one though, we are fundraising for awareness, education and for survivors of Breast Cancer. 

October is Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so please think hard about donating a few dollars to sponsor our team, the 'Blackheath Ark'.

 

Donating is so very simple, click here and the link will take you straight to where you need to be. Just remember to sponsor our boat please, the Blackheath Ark, and me Mandy A. You can even put a little message of encouragement there for the team and me, that would be sooooo special!!

The link should work now, and take you straight to the donation form for Blackheath Ark. I'm lucky #7 (Mandy A) from the top of the drop down member list. 

Dragon boat racing - fast, tough, exhilarating, a little scary, wet, fun

Wish me luck!

xox Mandy

destashing on etsy!

I've decided that I have to sell off some of my fabrics,

if I am to buy more!!!

lol, a quilters curse and pleasure

So many fabrics are released so often, I just can't keep up. I'm not the fastest sewist, in actual fact I'm a real plodder. Which really doesn't help when I love so much of the fabric that I see. 

Sooooooooooo, mandalinDestash has been born on etsy, you can see a sample of fabrics I'm selling in my shop over on the right hand bar > > > > > > > > > I'll be adding more and more over the next few months, so keep checking back often. I'm also going to make some scrap bags next week. Go visit my shop and fave me, then you won't miss anything, oh go on, I'll love you forever!!!

cheerio for now,
x Mandy


 

Indie Granny!

Having a ball with these Granny blocks

The colours in Pat Bravo's 'Indie' line are sumptuous, exotic, colour saturated, evocative and just down right delish! I bought a 'Midnight' palette of fat 1/4's from Hawthorne Threads (yes I go there a lot!!). I knew I wanted to make granny squares with them, as big as I could, cause I like fast quilts. So I just worked out I could get 13 x 4.5" squares from each fat quarter and started cutting! The background is a 'French General' solid, the same one, these pics were taken on a gloomy early evening. I'm making 9 squares and will finish them today. I haven't decided on sashing or borders, any thoughts on that would me appreciated. The blocks are finishing up around the 17" mark.

Anywho, that's where I am this morning, or rather where I'm gonna be!
cheerio
x Mandy

Happy days!

Making happy flags gives me the best feeling!

Making them in spring, and seeing them flutter in my trees which are covered in flowers, is enough to make me giddy! These will be making their way to 'The Nook' in Leura tomorrow, just in time for the Leura Village Fair this weekend. If you've never been to the fair, and your able this weekend, come on up!! The Mall is closed to traffic and is instead full to bursting, of market stalls. Market stalls of the best kind!! The 'Bluebird Market' is also on at 'The Alex' hotel on Saturday, and the Leura Public school market is on, on Sunday. So much to do and see, how could you think of missing it! :D

Here's my latest fabric purchase, from the Hawthorne Threads sale section! I've always wanted to see 'Habitat' by Jay McCarroll up close, but of course I'd have to travel some way to do that. So, at $6.99 USD a yard I took the plunge and bought these 1/2 yards. I'm so happy I did! 

cheerio for now,
x Mandy

oh how I wish,

weekendticket, a photo by Lynne @ Lilys Quilts on Flickr.

I could repeat the wonderful experience I had at the Fat Quarterly sewing retreat again, next year. Next year, my heart will not be as heavy from losing my Dad as it was this year. Next year, I could have the conversations I wanted to have, without the fear of my eyes leaking.

I am so thankful I could attend, it was so amazing to meet friends made on Flickr, and to have made new ones!

I'm not going to say I'll not be able to attend next year, cause you never know. Unfortunately, October is too early for me to say I can go. The new year may be a different thing though......

keep your fingers crossed for me please
cheerio for now
x Mandy