still here...

With the weather turning colder, my hands will be turning towards the quilts again, but for awhile there hasn't been much sewing... or photographing... mostly because I have a very fancy new camera that I am learning how to work =)

  Life has been full of good moments though, I am happy to report.

 When there are so many terrible disasters and events around the world I need to recognise and express my gratitude for our very blessed and peaceful existence.  

Here are some of the things I have done since the last post:

Indulged in some of this food of the gods

 Participated in the Warrior Dash

with this awesome group of people - Active Aussies!

back to school (don't they look excited....)

celebrated wedding anniversary by going to the Open Air Cinema in the Botanical Gardens with

this awesome backdrop

back to blogging and a raffle win

 
I didn't manage to get an auction off and running in time before going on holiday, but I was happy to participate in Toni and Carli's fundraising for the flood relief. I bid on auctions and donated money have a go at the raffles. What an amazing result!

Big excitement! Emma from Ballarat Patchwork emailed me to let me know I had won the raffle on her scrapblog. WOO HOO!!  Can't wait to receive my lovely fabrics. I am thinking that I should pay it forward by turning them into a quilt to auction off.

last minute handmade Christmas

 The Christmas songs are playing, the tree is up with presents starting to pile up under it. The kids are increasingly excited. Yes, Christmas is definitely on the way. My sewing machine is running warm at night with the last minute presents like this bag

Little Possum is getting a smaller version of this bag in some very special girly fabric...... can't pull it out to take a photo of it now though....

Midweek Meditation

planning a getaway

We thought we might go away for a camping trip to Jervis Bay between Christmas and New Year

(the joy of living in the southern hemisphere!)

I'd really like to stay here:

Paperbark Camp

Perfect for some al fresco quilting under the gum trees!

but

...

 we're more likely to end up here:

I'll let you know!  :)

more quilting humour

Seeing stars

Little Possum and I were both seeing stars before the weekend..... 

albeit of different kinds.

Little Possum had a general anaesthetic on Friday

 while she slept, I sewed my stars

I hadn't touched my Texas stars for a while, but it is the perfect portable project.

It's not going to be a finish for this year, but I'm enjoying my star journey even if it's one with many long pauses :)

Midweek Meditation

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."

Alexander Graham Bell

Handmade Christmas - part 1

 2010 is the year of the pillowcase, seriously!

The turtle pillowcase is for Turtle who just happens to love green. This pillowcase will compliment the jigsawpuzzle quilt I'm making for his bed in which the turtle fabric will feature prominently  :)

The orange/red pillowcase is for a very colourful niece

The dr Seuss pillowcases I made just for fun, and I don't know where they'll be going yet.

These tube pillowcases are shockingly easy to make. I learned how from watching this tutorial.
Gotta love YouTube!

 Here's a set of a small quilted reversible tablerunner/mat and coasters. Nothing fancy and very quick to make!

 There's a scripture tote for a special little Possum with extra special sparkly embellishments which I have still to sew on when said little girl is in bed asleep.

Some wall art to go with a quilt that is still in production, but that will look something like this:

The pattern is called "Dandelion Windows" and was designed by the very clever Kate Conklin.

Handmade Christmas

A couple of years ago I committed myself to a handmade Christmas and had such fun with it. Obviously I hope that all the recipients of my efforts were as excited about it as I was :)

Don't know what happened last year..... I think I just left it too late in the year to do anything about it. This year I feel that urge again, and the production has already started. Here's the dilemma.... how do I share it all here without spoiling the surprise.... ?

I might show some sneak peeks


but not today :)

Flutter by Butterfly

It's been a long journey but this UFO is now a ... FO (?)

Leanne Beasley's "Butterfly Garden" had several of my favourite needlework elements in one,

embroidery, patchwork and applique:

Needs a second border (in pink) and a good press, but all in all

IT'S DONE!!!!!

...

sort of...

still needs quilting and binding  :)

Sparkling Gemstones - part 3

My baby is back!!!!  I haven't bound it yet, but had to put it on the bed to try it out. For the binding I have in mind Kaffe Fassett's Paisley Jungle in green which happens to be sitting in my stash waiting patiently :)

Something odd happens to the perspective when I use my phone to take photos.... the bed looks like a single bed almost!

Here's a shot of the back where I used some yardage from my stash. Kaffe Fassett's Asha in the blue and the other fabric is a Philip Jacob print - Garden Party in jade.

I suppose I can't claim complete stashbusting success since I ended up buying as many fabrics as I used..... but I'll award myself a 10/10 for good intention and a 8/10 for effort  :)

quilty humour

Thoughtful Friday

"If you become a bird and fly away from me", said mother, "I will be a tree that you come home to".

"The Runaway Bunny"

- Margaret Wise Brown

a special kind of feeling

that feeling that comes from finding the absolute perfect fabric? That special fabric that will finish off the quilt and make it just perfect? That happened to me today as I went to the mothership to find some backing and binding for my puzzle quilt. I really like a stripey binding, and I chanced upon a stripe that had all the shades of blue and green that were in my quilt.. Love it.

a bit of a sew and tell...

 Playing around with a design I saw in a tutorial at the Make it a wonderful life blog. It's a very simple idea, 5" square background and a circle cut using a CD as a template. Just need to quilt it now, and so it joins this queue:

 4 quilts to quilt.
The bottom three are being handquilted. Slowly. I am having too much fun starting new projects

- like this one:

 Kate Conklin's "Dandelion Windows" using Saffron Craig's "Fields" range of fabrics.



And then on top of the shelves are my PIG's - projects all bundled and ready to go. Handmade Christmas coming up!

So much fabric, so little time!

a daytrip

A little daytrip to Barrenjoey lighthouse...

puzzle solved - a new bedspread

yikes, has it been 2 weeks already? I have been busy at work with this quilt top (the angle of the photo makes it look elongated). A few years ago I stumbled across a pattern online called Jig Swatches Puzzle and I finally had the opportunity to make it. It was good fun to make and I got to perfect a technique for applique that I haven't used much before - freezerpaper and starch.

Looking at my finished quilts I can see an evolution of applique techniques. I started with Vliesofix and blanket stitch before I learned a method of tacking fabric onto a cardboard template and pressing into shape. Freezer paper entered my life and I learned needleturn using the freezer paper ironed onto the right side of the fabric. And now the freezerpaper has moved onto the reverse side of the fabric. It's so much fun always learning something new!

fluttering madly

........ and this is no 7.........

I have been stitching madly trying to complete the Butterfly Garden quilt. Partly I am so excited to be almost finished with it, and I can't wait to see what it will look like completed.

However....

Mostly it is because I am excited about my next applique project which I will not allow myself to start until I have Butterfly Garden. Self-discipline, see? (it's not a dominant trait in me as far as quilting is concerned, but I can always pretend)

Redwork quilt by Tita Leach

I have fabrics (red/ecru prints and ecru osnaberg) as well as embellishments ready to go.

My friend Adri and I will be stitching together on this one. Always good for motivation!

Imagine our surprise when in the pattern pack was discovered an extra border not in the photo (or on the original quilt displayed at the Craft Depot!).

By popular demand Tita added another border consisting of houses and trees made up of suffolk puffs - 320 in total. No, that is not a typo.....  320!

Good thing I'm such a dab hand with them after finishing Tita's Christmas Quilt.

check out this giveaway!!

Becky Johnson of Chasing Cottons has done it again and the "Rolling Meadows" pattern is now ready for purchase through her website. To celebrate, Becky is doing a giveaway - check out this bundle!!!!! A free copy of the pattern,a whole yard of the tree fabric (Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow) and assorted strips of other fabric.

All you have to do is visit her blog and leave a comment. For an added chance, follow her blog (which you'd want to do anyway, so that you can find out what this talented new quilter is up to!). For a third go at the prize, put Becky's blog in your sidebar or blog about it.