My favourite book - for the moment ;)

This Softies book I found mentioned on just about every softies maker/creators website. So, I sent dutiful  husband out one day to buy it for me! You can find details out about it here:
http://www.penguin.com.au/softies/books.cfm
I found it full of incredibly cute, cuddly and a little unusual, but more importantly it gave me heaps of ideas to kick off on. It's a great beginners book too, with hints and and tips and a glossary to explain. A wonderful book to teach your kids how to create.
My one and only criticism is more my personal feelings about all book based patterns, and that is..who has time to sit there and enlarge patterns! especially in random intervals of 150, 130, 200 % etc. I'd much rather be stitching away my time! Poor dutiful husband was tasked with photocopy enlarging the patterns at work - I'm sure his work mates didn't look at him too strangely!
The Softies book is from 2007 (I Highly recommend it!) but they also have a newer 2008 book called More Softies - my next book purchase. :)

Softies - Making them for Mirabel

Although this is only my first Post, I really need to be getting back to my actual sewing!
I am currently rapidly sewing softies for the Mirabel Foundation. The great thing about Mirabel is that it supports the *CHILDREN* of families affected by substance abuse. They do amazing, heart wrenching and important work. I hope you all give them your support and dollars at every given opportunity. I only recently heard about the Mirabel foundations work through Dave Hughes (Australian Comedian and TV celebrity) supporting them. On my day off recently I went searching to read more about their work and found out about their toy drive. If only I had searched for them sooner!! a few days until the soft toys need to be sent off - that's really soon! But I felt I couldn't let it go by without making as many as I can to send off before the 10th December deadline. The soft toys go straight to the kids and I figure if anyone in this world needs something soft to cuddle it should be them....I encourage all of you crafty and generous sewing ladies and dudes to get sewing - even if you only have time to get one or two done, send it off to them to bring a little bit of happy for these kids please!!

For more info and where to send the softies go to Meet Me At Mikes because they are the gorgeous people who are rounding up the wonderful Softies for the Mirabel toy drive.

http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/2009/09/softies-for-mirabel-2009-crafting-for.html

Here are some that other creative people have made for Mirabel already:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/softiesformirabel/pool/
I'll be back later to fix this place up and get it more inspiring and creative looking! Seeya all soon.