vintage sheet FQ swap 3.0

...it's here. again.

thanks so much for all your feedback, emails and lovely comments about the first few vintage sheet swaps that were hosted in 2011.

i love being able to be a little part in such a fun swap and see what you all create with the fabrics you receive. it is truly inspiring!

there is something about a new year that leaves you with so many plans and ideas to make and create! so much promise and potential. it's time like these that you need some new vintage fabrics to keep that new years inspiration rolling out well into the year!

alright. here goes.

What you need to do... if you are keen to be involved in this swap then just leave a comment on this post indicating your interest with your EMAIL ADDRESS (this makes it a lot easier for me)! Alternatively, you can email me at greenteaandrednails (at) hotmail (dot) com and let me know that way.

As people sign up for the swap I will send out all the necessary information via email to participants.

The time frame... Please have your vintage sheets washed, cut into FQ's and posted no later than the end of February (Wednesday the 29th). This should give you plenty of time to scout your local oppies for lovely sheets to cut and swap. I will attempt to have them back in the post within two weeks and you should receive your new stash of vintage fabric sometime mid March ready for autumn crafting!

Sign ups... I am happy to take sign ups until the end of February as long as you can meet the postage deadline. Please make sure that you have your FQ's in the mail by the cut off date.

Spread the word... the more people we have involved in this, the more variety you will receive in your vintage FQ's. Feel free to blog about this and save the above image to use as a button for this swap... just make sure you are linking back to this post.

How the swap will work... it is up to you how many fat quarters you want to contribute to the swap. The number of FQ's you send to me will be the number that you receive back. Once you have collected your fabulous sheets and cut them up into fat quarters you will need to place your washed, cut up sheets into a pre-paid parcel post satchel (available at the post office in 500g and 3kg varietys). You should be able to fit about 15 FQs in a 500g satchel and 50+ in the 3kg satchel. you MUST also include a self-addresses pre-paid post satchel in your parcel to me for me to mail your new vintage loveliness to you (a little hint - some poeple send an self-addressed express post parcel for the return FQs so that they get them ASAP and the parcel can be tracked).

A few more things... (PLEASE READ)
*sheets must be washed prior to being sent

*feel free to send as many FQs as you would like (multiple parcels are okay as long as they are clearly labelled)

*it really is much easier when people send their FQ's in the prepaid post satchels. MUCH EASIER!
*this swap is for AUSTRALIAN residents only (sorry to my other readers - it is just easier for postage)
*your fat quarters should measure approx 50cm x 56cm
*ensure your fat quarters are free from marks, rips and stains. only send sheets that you would want to receive (i reserve the right to return to you any sheets you send which do not meet this quality standard)

*this swap is not designed for you to simply get rid of any sheets or FQs that you don't want, like or use.

*only COTTON or COTTON BLEND sheets please (nothing flannelette or polyester - thanks!)
*it is more than okay for you to send multiple fat quarters from the one sheet!!
*please do not send any sheets with cartoon characters, kids sheets or any solid colours.

I will be updating all the swap participants through email and through this blog so stay tuned! i am so excited for this (again!)... I do hope that you will join me!

woohoo! KEL xx

p.s - feel free to ask any questions that you have in the comments section of this post...

in this moment.

(*)

reading... 'the picture of dorian gray' by oscar wilde

excited about... a few little concerts coming up. we are off to see the paper kites and matt corby

ordering... ranunculus bulbs for an almost ready garden bed

planning... a few camping weekends away

watching... new girl. so much goodness. even my little brother said that it was his new favourite show!

dreaming about... paris.

baking... lots of bread. i think i am slowly perfecting my favourite loaf

feeling... nervous and excited about meeting all my new kiddies next week :) got to love the crazy of a new school year!

wanting... green jeans

grateful for... a little brother who sanded and sealed our deck ready for outdoor picnics

loving... having our puppies back after holidays

collecting... baskets full of ripe tomatoes from a dying vegie garden

what is happening in your moments?





thrifted.

some treasures found over the last few weeks of holidaying...

i hope you have been lucky at the op shops too :) stay tuned for an announcement of the vintage sheet variety next week!!

the calm before the crazy.

i have had beautiful summer holidays that finished with five fabulous days camping on fraser island. it is such a magical place and we spent our days walking, swimming, flying kites and playing scrabble. it was very hard to come home. and back to work. i have started another school year at yet another school. im looking forward to settling here for a few years but for now, im still trying to recapture some of that fraser magic and smiling every time i reach down to scratch those last few mozzie bites on my ankles... :)

p.s - that very average meal you see in the pictures is how hubby and i celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary - complete with citronella candlelight!

13 in 2012

goals seem more real if you write them down. there is something about getting them out there that makes me feel a bit more accountable and a bit more motivated. i have been so inspired from reading some of the lists that are floating around out there and have decided to share mine! some are a little silly and some are serious steps toward the simple, healthy and earth-friendly life i'm looking for...

1. have a harry potter movie marathon
2. sew myself a dress
3. plant a wildflower patch
4. complete the oxfam trailwalker
5. be present
6. open an etsy shop
7. print a book of my instagram photos
8. learn to crochet a granny square
9. grow as many of our fruit and vegies as we can and buy the rest from the local farmers markets
10. use reusable bags
11. make a teepee
12. get some chickens... finally!
13. organise our outdoor space so it is both human and puppy friendly. next summer im planning on lazy outdoor dinners and lots of bbqs.
what are your goals for 2012?? leave me a link in the comments and i'll pop over and have a look!

*this list started as 12 but i kept thinking of more things to do in 2012. at one stage it got up to 15 but in the spirit of simplifying i managed to get it back down to 13 :)

2011

if i could sum up 2011 in one word it would be... busy.
if i could sum up the life i want in one word it would be... simple.

see the problem? haha!

in 2011 i...
*went on a family trip to japan
*survived teaching english to year 12s
*took a few road trips
*spent time looking for the happy things in my world
*started baking my own bread
*ran two vintage sheet FQ swaps (round three will be coming in a few weeks... stay tuned!!)
*helped celebrate my best friend's engagement
*discovered and fell in love with instagram
*had some success in the vegie garden
*learned some lessons about vegie gardening
*got a thermomix and fell in love with it!
*organised my craft room (it is currently looking decidedly unorganised)
*threw a few dinner parties
*went on the trip of a lifetime to nepal
*did a LOT of thrifting and found a few treasures along the way

2011 was a full and happy year but i'm looking forward to slowing down and simplifying in 2012. check back tomorrow for some of my 2012 goals!

hope all had happy and lovely times with your family over the christmas time... looking forward to sharing 2012 with you all!

Kel xx

summer is...

...going for a walk every morning just so that you can eat the best gelato this side of italy every afternoon
...a saltwater sandal tan
...fighting with your brother because he beat you at rummy
...evening beach swims
...morning mountain climbs
...mum cooked meals
...feeling unborn nephew kicks
...icing your knee for a day and a half because you thought it would be a good idea to run 15k
...spending 45 minutes trying to log on to dodgy mcdonalds wi-fi just so you can write a blog post (hence the lack of photos... it took me over an hour to even get three!!)

i'll be back to regular posting and commenting soon with a christmas wrap-up and some goals for 2012 but for now im learning to 'be present' - with my family. with my husband. and with this glorious state of relaxation that sometimes borders on boredom. i'm loving it!