LOVE THAT MAIL

Had a LOVELY parcel in the mail last week .....my Secret Santa Swap parcel in fact....been hanging out for this as last year mine did not turn up

as you can see I got two this year !!
This year we had to include an ornament ....mine is a beautiful heart .....love,love,love it

It came all the way from NORWAY !!
But from whom I still do not know ....Will have to wait till Christmas Day I guess....

So if you are lurking around my SSS mate ...thankyou so much I will wait till I am meant to...but it will be hard.....
Managed to get a bit more done on the baby quilt ....baby arrived last week a bit early so I have decided to machine quilt it so there was a bit of this

and now a bit of this

do you love this backing...I know the baby was a boy but this is a op shop sheet and is soooo soft just the perfect piece......and anyway who says boys can not have flowers???

Weekend News....

Well it was our Quilty weekend away at Carrickalinga ...I think we were all ready for a break.....we left Thursday morning about 10am & drove to Trishas at Castle plaza I was going to be good but she had some Kansas Troubles fabric which was cheap at $16 a metre....& as she is moving & had a sale I got 6 metres for the price of 4 .....I will add this to my collection I really need to think of a great project for this will have to go through my magazine/pattern collection and have a looksee...

we then went to an Irish pub for lunch before heading off to the house where pj's were donned and stitching commenced
I took a few projects with me & managed to complete all of them..I took my SSCS item to put the finishing touches to & this is now winging its way to its new home I was really pleased with it & all the girls liked it but you will have to wait till Xmas to see it..

I took a packet of paper hexagons with me & managed to cover all but 16 of them

I also took along a stitchery that has been waiting around for a while... managed to do this in one day

and last but not least I did a little wall hanging its from a pattern by Kim Diehl......this worked up really quickly

So came back really relaxed but now its back to reality tomorrow as work is awaiting me.....sigh.....

Its been a wee............

......bit

HOT

here lately hence no posting from me 'cos my air-con broke!!! & its been too hot to get to my computer...but an end is in sight we have brought another one which will be installed on monday.....so Ive done a lot of sitting in my "pool" ( actually my bath!!)with cold drinks while Hubby cooks tea outside :) for those of you overseas we are in the middle of 7 days of 98 degrees....

So anyway I can now post pics of my Stitchery Angel items that I made for Andrea



I was really pleased with how the bag turned out as I had no pattern I just winged it with the stitchery & how much material I had left..


So next week sees our quilt group take off to Carrickalinga for a few days I cant wait I think we all need this break to relax...

Also at this moment a member of my family needs all the prayers,good wishes,positive thinking she can get as she waits for test results on monday, they seem pretty positive that she has Ovarian cancer ,we wait to see just how bad...

Another beginning.......

......another baby quilt.....went a bit different with this one I saw it on Katy's blog....she's on her second one now.....so I went to Michael Miller Fabrics it's a free download....
I machine appliqued the giraffe yesterday first time I have done that I used one of the stitches on my machine...very pleased with it ...can see a lot more in the future....

Well must rush now..... off to pick Kayla up from work then we are both off to see the Michael Jackson film....let you know what I think later..... from the bits I've seen looks great....

Edited: Just got back from the film ...seriously fantastic...if you have ever liked even one Michael Jackson song then go if the rehearsal was that good then the show would of been mindblowing......

A Finish.....

At last after a minor disaster (which could of been major) the baby quilt is ready to go to its new home...

The minor disaster was that when I washed it the colour ran ....not from the material..from the embroidery thread ...it wasn't major 'cos I just sprayed the whole quilt with pre-wash & chucked it back into the machine...was so glad when it all came out didn't fancy making another one...but I was very glad that it happened when I washed it not the new mum !!

I used this very cute Ladybird material on the back .......


so after that I got a move on with my Stitchery Angel stuff...all 4 items now made ready to post off...heres a sneak pic


So now to get on with my SSCS item.......

Sunday Afternoon & I've been........

...........
Starting to sew together the Stitchery Angel Items...
Now making Pizza for tea....
The suns shining...
Listening to Ziggy Marley...
Life can't get much better than this

At least for today.....

Big changes...& yumminess

So this was youngest daughter Kayla on sept 14th her 20th birthday.....


and this is her now !!!

What a change..... she hasnt had short hair since she was 5......think she looks great

A while ago I brought this pattern on etsy....
I then found this material .....what a match sorry for the blurry picture

made for each other ...Heather Ross'..Far far away line....brought from Earthgirl Fabrics ordered sunday received wednesday....I shopped around online & Earthgirl was $4.oo a metre cheaper with ....wait for it....no postage so I saved about $8-10 so go visit nice stuff & good service always a plus....

I have just got............

..........my Quilt back from the Longarm quilter....I have seen that statement on many blogs in the past and I have waited a long time to say that....so when my bestest friend decided to start up her own longarm business I was very pleased to offer up one of my u.f.os ....Pineapple Blossom a free pattern from Bonnie

I told Valerie to do what ever she wanted so as she had just brought a new template she tried that one out I am very pleased with it

This is my favourite bit I love the way that the two patterns intersect....

So until I can find the time to make the binding it is living on the arm on my sofa so I can just admire it...
This is what else has been done to the baby quilt....

The baby arrived on Thursday 4 weeks early...so I had better get on with this I am quite happy with the way it is going...looking very cute....

Bit of Pink.....

Had an unexpected day off this week so took the chance to start the next baby quilt..so out came these


and they were cut & sewed to these....luv ma Thangles !!


Then the Thangles became these

Managed to get a bit more done to them today so its looking quite good ...I have no plan just adding as I go along ....so wish me luck....could be good or a disaster!!!
No doubt you"ll see which it is later

I'M IN LOVE...........

I just could not resist this and I am so glad that I didn't....I love basket quilts and all the projects in this book are beautiful so do yourself a favour and get this especially if you have a thing for baskets....
it is by the lovely Gail Pan...she has produced a really lovely book.....


I am still making up my mind which project I will do from this
I love all of them .......
but what a great choice to have to make....
I got my copy from this shop it's the second time I have brought from them...I was really pleased with both the price & the service the book arrived within 3 days of ordering....I will certainly deal with them again

Well I didn't realise it had been that long since I last posted guess I must of been busy!!.......had some lovely post last week first up was a book from the lovely Liene in Sweden I asked if she could track down a pattern that I saw on a blog & she brought it for me I didnt realise it was in a book thought it was just a pattern so I now owe her big time !!


This was the pattern I saw


Next up was a beautiful Japanese book & a bag from the lovely Mai ....I had sent her a couple of magazines this was my payment more than what was needed


some of the lovely bag patterns inside...




and last but certainly not least I ordered a copy of this..... .....'cos the lovely Katy was featured inside....
Well I think thats all from me ...I managed to get some sewing done this week but most of it is secret stuff so no pics yet....

Its a year today since Whitney left...Fathers day will never be the same...:(

Look what........

arrived at my house today



some gorgeous craftyness which lives within....









There is really nothing else to say......*Deep sigh*.....

Alexander Henry Magic....

Had a phone call this morning from Whitney in Wales who had received a parcel that I sent last Thursday!!

(I meanwhile am still waiting for a parcel from Vic that was sent monday!!)

anyhoooooo...I had made some cushion covers for the Tattoo Artist ...when I saw this material (think its called Inked) on a blog I knew that I had to get some ..so after tracking it down in America I brought 2 metres & Voila!! she was so pleased with them This was the pic that sold me on the material as Whitney has a Koi on her thigh as well Do you like the design on the back??? this came about as I cut the backing too small....twice!!.....and as I didn't have any more black had to improvise......as I always say

" There is no such thing as a mistake...it's just a design possibility!!"


Well I wasn't going to do any swaps this year but just had to do this one again...
plus there's another one in the works but I'm not allowed to post about it just yet...

One finish & a surprise pressie.....

The baby quilt is finished and delivered to its new owner ...I am really pleased with it but it is so hard to get a good picture as it is very light...


Had a lovely surprise last week when I had this parcel arrive on my doorstop
inside was this very early Xmas pressie
What could it be.....

Inside was this VERY CUTE bag

Also these lovely goodies ....a beautiful needlecase pattern from Hatched N Patched and some of this ladies beautiful cards

The reason for these generous gifts was that I missed out in last years Secret Santa Christmas swap run by chookyblue...so she made me these Thankyou Donna very much they are beautiful it was so very good of you to do this for me .....

Forgive me bloggers........

.......for it has been 23 days since my last confession...I mean post.....haven't got much of an excuse except work....it's been very busy ...I did 86hrs in 12 days...so when I have been home I've been sleeping!!...but today I only did 5hrs so after a quick trip to Spotlight where I managed to get some white homespun and a couple of other lovelies....

I came home and after some lunch I cut & sewed the binding for the baby quilt...I thought I had finished quilting it but on closer inspection I think it needs some in the border so will get that done this week......

then between cooking a roast for tea & watching two very good footy matches I made these cushion covers....
...
Just using some odd fat quarters that I had hanging around !!odd leftovers for the back & some thrifted zips....really enjoyed it didn't have to think much so it was very relaxing..

next up is a pouch for my sewing stuff ( embroidery squares etc) that I made a couple of weeks ago & a little bag (for the needles & thread )that came from the Japanese book that Mai sent me...

so all up a good day love it when I manage to get some sewing time in... have a great week everyone & happy sewing.....

Well I said last post that I would show you the sewing I did last week ..... First up is my "Almost Baltimore" Almost because the other members of my group all did 9 blocks 'cept me I did 5 mainly 'cos I wanted it done in this lifetime !!! plus the other blocks leave plenty of space for handquilting...:) Next I put together some applique blocks that I completed in 2007 They are from Kim Diehls book " Simple Blessings "..... Close up of one of the blocks.. When we went to Carrickalinga we went to Kirkbride Quilts in Strathalbyn...where I added to my stash of Kansas Troubles material...I have been collecting it over quite a few years I like the fact that each collection is a different pattern but the same colours so it all goes together I brought 2 charm packs of Vine Creek which I made into a disappearing nine-patch

I have meterage of Seeds of Time...Meadow Waltz...& Aunt Purdys Parlour..so will use one for a border


I also made myself a pinboard




Today was my day off...so I made the most of it ...I have sandwiched the baby quilt so I can get on with quilting it..
I tidied my shelves in the sewing room

and I lined a wicker basket so I can store my wool in it without it catching...plus it looks cute.
So tea is cooking...Dahl & rice....its raining & freezing outside so its pj's on ....heater on...stitching & tv tonight...hope you all have a great weekend
Happy Stitching

A BIT OF THIS....

& A BIT OF THAT.....
So I arrived home earlier this week from work to find a parcel waiting for me on the table....inside was a lovely grovelly letter from the very talented & funny Trash...

There were three very pretty apology pictures featuring her Donkey

How cute is this

Awwww....

Inside was this BEAUTIFUL piece of material

Earlier this year Trash & I were teamed up in The International Womens Day Swap well Trash had just realised that we were to swap 4 fat quarters & that she had only sent me 3....not that I had noticed as she had also sent me some great trim ...so she had sent this to make it up to me....How nice was that....... I think I might frame the Donkeys & put them up on my wall then in years to come when she is famous (well more than she is now) I can sell them for an humungous amount of money....:)
My nephew Darren lives with his wife Nadine & their three children Tayla,Matthew & Connor in a place called Roxby Downs about 6hrs drive away...for non Aussies this is a large mining town... so we dont get to see them that often....they were down this week as Matthew has to see an Orthodontist... my sister Glenice has always encouraged Tayla with sewing,she has done some stitcheries, so this week while she had her for the day they made a block, my sister did the cutting & Tayla did all the sewing on the machine & will buttonhole the heart, I think she did an excellent job & as you can see she looks very proud
Tayla and her Nanny

Tayla with her block

Well I have a heap more pics but I'll save them for later ...I have actually done some sewing this week..!!!

Well it is official....

....I am addicted...to these beauties...

I knew I shouldn't go and look at this blog....I knew that it would be the end....I had seen how others had got caught up in the spell....I thought that I could just look....but I was wrong
I am really enjoying crocheting these....thanks to Lucy I now have a wool stash !!!
I also made this little cutie....it was in the first issue of SEW-HIP magazine....

Sometimes when I sew a certain Jack Russel gets a bit cheesed off...
so as I was sewing something for Kayla she had to get the job of "dog sitting" :)
Kayla wasn't wearing these tee-shirts any more so we turned them into ......

these......

I came home last week to a lovely surprise....Mai in Japan had sent me some lucious goodies.....I had sent her a copy of Sew Hip magazine as she was saying on her blog that she was in it but could not get one in Japan....well that was great except I didnt think that we here in Australia are a wee bit behind ...two issues as it turns out !! still I was still quite happy to send it to her & will also send her the proper issue :)....Mai makes the most gorgeous things and all by hand including clothing!! she is very prolific and always has something new to show she has just posted about the most fantastic bags with little people hanging from them go look for yourselves.....Anyway in the parcel was the most fantastic book ....I love Japanese craft books even if I dont always understand them !! this one is all patchwork which judging by the pics they all do by hand!! Look at these gorgeous materials they are from Mais mother and are Kimono fabrics I cant wait to use these..... and of course these bags took my eye straight away !!! She also included a bead of a dog which is for good fortune...so Kayla made it into "Phone bling" for me..... and this beautifully made pouch all hand sewn ...just for me....you should see the side seams the most beautiful neat hand stitching ( I think ladder stitch)and buttonhole all around the edges.....I am going to find something special to keep in this There were also two REALLY SMALL origami boxes which I neglected to take a pic of so will rectify that later.....so MAI thankyou so much it is all so beautiful and now I am off to make one of the bags......

Weekend Away.......

So we had a great weekend away good company and lots of this...... As you can tell comfort was the name of the game all weekend long..... thare was also quite a bit of this going on...... and MUCH MORE of this..... We took a couple of poor old souls out from the "old coots home" for a break....sad as it is I'm actually related to one of these!!!! So its now back to normal life ...work....cooking....blah blah....still roll on November when we do it all again......I'll post later what I was working on and a fantastic parcel which arrived from Japan for me today :)