Christmas Block going to Nova Scotia

This is the 12 inch block I made for my partner in the Christmas Block Swap Australia

She requested ANY Christmas block in traditional Christmas colours - so I made one of my all time favourite blocks - Log Cabin

Flying to Nova Scotia as we speak!

A Quilt on the Bed

After many YEARS making this beautiful handmade quilt and storing it - I decided it was time to actually use it (I know! It should have been on the bed years ago)

The time has come to get the beautiful things out of the cupboards and drawers and boxes where they are so lovingly stored and to use them and enjoy them.

12 Weeks of Christmas - 5th Week of Christmas

Kathy from Sew-Happy House is hosting the 12 weeks of Christmas on her blog.

I have been following along each week to see what Kathy has been doing, making, sewing and cooking. You can look HERE to read Kathy's post and see who has linked up.

This week I started some Christmas sewing and unrolled my Kate Spain 12 Days of Christmas Jelly Roll which has been hanging around in my cupboard for ages.
I found a site called FREEBIES FOR CRAFTERS a while ago and subscribed for updates via email. Last week it shared a link for a Table Runner which is what I have been making this week - not quite finished yet and have made it a little bit smaller than the original pattern.

My friend Mhairi pointed this out to me - so I wanted to share with you:

Starting on November 1, Sew Mama Sew has 30 days of tutorial, recipes, free printables and giveaways - sounds really good! I will be checking this out tomorrow!

See you next week - need to start thinking about Christmas recipes soon

12 Weeks of Christmas -3rd Week of Christmas

I am following Kathy at Sew-Happy House for her 12 Weeks of Christmas countdown.

She is sharing all sorts of wonderful ideas with us and showing us what she is making for her "home-made Christmas Challenge"
This week I spent some time going though craft magazines and blog tutorials for some small gift ideas for Christmas.

Last year for an ornament swap I made a "Christmas Ornament Birdie" from a tutorial by Robyn at Daisy Quilts Have a look around her blog - it is full of all sorts of loveliness! Tutorials, recipes, online shop and more. And she has a gallery of scrappy quilts!
For my ornament swap I added a few more birdies to make this for my swap partner Sharon, and used some "feathery" wool at the bottom with the coloured bells

A string of birdies

Close up of the bottom birdie

Thought I might make some more this Christmas.
And Kathy - just in case you were wondering!

See you all next week.
Edited to add - Just had a Facebook post from Stay At Home Mum - the Secret to Living on One Wage about a FREE downloadable Christmas Ebook being released this week - sign up for the very first newsletter (top right hand side of the blog HERE) or on Facebook (VIP Specials & Bonuses)
You can see my post for the 2nd Week of Christmas about Stay At Home Mum

Christmas Quilting Block Swap Australia

I joined this swap group in March 2011 and every month I have a new partner to sew for.
I have received seven beautiful 12 inch star blocks in traditional Christmas colours from my partners - thanks so very much ladies.

I have sewn different blocks for my parteners with Log Cabin being the most requested (who doesn't enjoy a log cabin block!)

I have made this Layout of my patchwork by using a free template from The Coffee Shop Blog called To the 9's Template and Loading Actions
I used the Black and the White templates in Photoshop CS4 and dragged my photos under the template and free transformed them to fit - really quick and really easy. There are instructions how to change the colour as well.

UFO Thursday

Today my UFO is an unfinished quilt of my mother's. She was unable to finish it before she passed away earlier this year and now it has come to me to finish it. There is only three quarters of the binding to stitch and it will be finished.
So I will sit and sew tonight and hopefully finish it. It is such a shame she didn't finish it and enjoy this beautiful quilt.

Visit Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else has a UFO to share and link up and show us your UFO.

Monday's Show and Tell

Here's my Show and Tell - A finished quilt!!!!!!

Noah's Ark Front

Noah's Ark Back

Here's my UFO post on the quilt and it's story HERE
I am very, very happy it is now finished after all this time.
Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft with Sandy to see who else has some Show and Tell today.

15 Minute Challenge - Can you find 15 minutes a day to sew?

Linking up with Kate on her blog Life in Pieces for the 15 Minute Challenge.
I am welcoming this challenge into my life with open arms.
Lately I have found the day is gone without anything noticable being achieved. So here I am!

15 minutes a day IS achievable and I have found that I have been doing more than 15 minutes! I am starting to get things done and I am feeling really good about this!

Here's what I have achieved this week:

Thought I would incorporate some digital scrapbooking into it too!

I found this challenge after being matched with Larissa in the 6inch block swap.

To see what others have been doing for the last week - have a look HERE.

Let me know if you join in!

UFO Thursday

I know it is not Sandy from Cookies and Cream Craft's official UFO Thursday - but I wanted to show you this UFO.
I started this lap quilt when Nick was 18 months old. I did my very first machine quilt and thought I could make another one at the same time! The first one got finished in class, but the second top has been sitting in the cupboard for years (Nick just turned 17 a few weeks ago!)
I really didn't think Nick would appreciate the Noah's Ark quilt now that I made for him all that time ago, so I am finishing it for a little baby boy who is due to be born at the end of September. My friend Joy will become a grandmother for the eighth time.

I am very happy that this quilt has got out of the cupboard and will be loved soon. The quilting is in progress and binding will be done very soon.

Monday's Show and Tell

Here's some Show and Tell !
Vignette In Stitches 16 Block Mystery Quilt - I know this started months ago and I have been closely following everyone's progress (especially Sandy and FloS !! And I've just spotted Shez, Dawn(flowerofshona) and Kathy - ladies I have swapped with and who are followers of my blog) and I really want to make this lovely quilt.
In the meantime I have been looking at the magazine, reading the Vignette in Stitches blog and trying to find the courage to begin.
After spending most of last week in bed and feeling absolutely miserable with the flu, I took myself off to Spotlight to get something which I did not purchase, and came back with a PILE of fabrics for this quilt! Who can resist fabric on special - some were $6 per metre and 30% off! And I then HAD to go again the next day!!!
So last night I started and spent the evening stitching while watching TV ! Lovely !

Decided to give myself some time to finish!

I decided to use this instead of the red spotty for the borders

My fabric - still need a few more colours!

Issue 4 is on the way very soon - so maybe I will jump straight to this and try and keep up to date while catching up????

See who else has linked up with Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft for Show and Tell

Monday's Show and Tell

I recently participated in my first Mug Rug Swap at Christmas Quilting Block Swap Australia and wanted to show you what I made for my swap partner Kathy and what I received. Kathy and I had never made a mug rug before - I think we both did a wonderful job!!

I made this mug rug for Kathy

Front and back

I followed this tutorial from Patchwork Notes to make my mug rug

Mug rug I received from Kathy - even a special pocket for a teabag!

See who else has Show and Tell with Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft today.

And don't forget about my 2000 page views giveaway which I posted on Sunday August 14 (drawn Wednesday August 24 evening - my 6 month anniversary of blogging!) Leave me a comment - I love to hear from you.

UFO Thursday

Sandy from Cookies and Cream Craft has asked a question today "what is your oldest UFO?"
So I scratched around my UFO box and found this one that I had forgotten I had. The pattern was written in 1996 so I think it has been in my possession since about then!! 15 years!! No way! I'm surprised the bits are still stuck on as I've hardly stitched any on.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has any 'old' UFO's sitting in their box/cupboard.
Visit Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else has some 'old' UFO's that they are sharing today and link up so we can see yours!

Monday's Show and Tell

In April I joined up for another swap - the Santa Sack Swap organised by Cheryll. (closed now)
It is for 6 months (July to December) and two small presents are sent every month with a Santa Sack sent with the July presents to our swap partner and a larger Christmas present sent in December. We had to promise not to poke, squeeze or open our presents until Christmas Day!

Here's the Santa Sack I made for my swap partner Geniene who's favourite colours are yellow, purple and blue. (lining is blue)

The pattern I used was from Australia Homespun No. 30 Vol 6 No. 4 Christmas In July Special from 2005.

It was certainly challenging as I am fairly new to stitchery, have never made prairie points, and had to understand the putting the 3 layers together with a casing strip, a lining and a drawstring! I'm very happy with the result.

You can see who else has Monday's Show and Tell with Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft

Hope you will have a look at yesterday's blog post "Exciting News to Share" while you are here and share in my excitement!

UFO Thursday

I'm here!!
Here is one of my UFO's  - a wonderful Santa  wall hanging which only needs a little bit of quilting, a rod hanger sleeve, eyes and a nose!! Today I sewed the bells down the front of his coat and onto his hat.

Thinking back - I wanted to hang this on our first Christmas in our current house. We moved here in September 2003!

Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft and see who else has shared their UFO's

UFO Thursday

Not exactly a UFO but my SHELF of UFO's !!

Enough said - now I've shared my secret!

Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else is sharing their UFO's today.

UFO Thursday

Not much happening here today. Made the binding for the square in a square quilt from my 16 leftover blocks (thanks for the idea of scrappy binding Sandy!)

I'm not finished my quilt yet - but really like to prepare the binding in advance so I can stitch it on straight away!!
Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else has been stitching today.

UFO Thursday

Today Madeline (10yr daughter) wanted me to finish the Easter table runner which has been in the cupboard since 2002!!!

I'm now on a MISSION:
First - quilting, then binding.

Chicken?

or egg?

Thought I would put a bright pink binding on it then put it on the table!

UFO Thursday

Today I have been stitching my square-in-a-square quilt.
After a bit of unpicking as things weren't matching up to my liking, I have half the quilt together!
Still cutting and stitching.

Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else has been stitching today.

UFO Thursday

Still stitching square-in-a-square with red sashing - starting to look good! More on that another day though.
Going with the ANGEL theme for this week's UFO - some Angel stitcheries I have been working on for years!!

Working on this one

Nearly finished stitching

Finished stitching

I do need the Autumn one now - but I have not started that one yet!
I have an old frame to put the stitchery of the season in - hope to show you soon.

Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else is stitching today.

UFO Thursday

Still stitching my square-in-a-square from last week.
I finished the rest of my blocks (80 in total) after dinner, then stitched one row together and did not like it at all!!!
Much, much too busy for my liking.

 

So after much thinking, I decided that RED might be what I needed.
I had to adjust the size as well - so it is now 8 blocks by 8 blocks with sashing in between instead of 8 blocks by 10 blocks. I took out 16 VERY busy blocks.
And I am much happier with this.

What do you think??????

Have a look at Cookies and Cream Craft to see who else has been stitching today.