Visting animals...

It seems that when the cold weather strikes, the animals need to come indoors and seek some warmth in a quilt! Check out this little black skink - he was found wrapped up in our camping quilt in the loungeroom.
As you can see, he was tiny, but boy, he sure could move really, really quickly! He slowed down though when he was put outside. Hopefully he is happy now living in one of my pot plants.

And then, not to be outdone, here is a bat - sleeping in our shed. My DH found him nicely snuggled in between two dropsheets. Sweet dreams little guy...zzzzz

State of my Stash..... shhh......

Hmmm - On Stashbusters yahoo group, you get to talk about the state of your quilting/craft stash in the month of your birthday - which for me is May. So after writing to that group, I thought I'd post it on here too. What do you do with your quilting and crafting stash? Leave me a comment!

Two IKEA Billy Bookcases (80cm wide x 120cm high) almost but not quite neatly stacked and a pile of stuff on top them. There is some wool mixed in there, things to make Xmas decorations and a bit of scrapbooking too. I also have two more bookcases with magazines, books and tapestry/cross-stich in them.

I seem to have a much larger volume of containers all with projects (UFOs) in them and some PIGS all kitted up ready to make. The new things I have started this year are to be 90% from stash, with some allowable purchases for background, borders and backing if necessary. Some of the larger pieces of fabric with suitable colours for the flimsies are making great backings these days. I am quite surprised by what I can make with what I already have.

My big splurge this year was a whole roll of wadding (batting). I have found this to be a good buy and it has turned out to be a very econmical thing to do with far less wastage when cutting for a quilt.

I decided as part of my new years' resolution way back in January to use up not just my stash of fabrics, but my cottons/threads (for piecing and quilting) as well and slowly, but surely there are some gaps opening up in the shelves and drawers. It's very satisfying and now when I do make purchases, they are more planned and have an immediate use as opposed to just being "stashed" - I only hope my halo doesn't slip! :)

Thank you all for listening!

2 UFO Finishes!

Well sometimes, you just can't spend time at the PC if you are busy stitching! In the last month I have completed these two UFOs. The Christmas one above was stitched in 2008, bordered in 2009 and quilted in 2010. For something the size of a Fat Quarter - well it just couldn't be rushed now, could it?

The quilt below was started in Nov 2009 and finished 2 weeks ago for a baby who is now 5 months old. Time to wrap it up and give to the Mum.

Now, I'm going back to the sewing machine to complete the quilting on another UFO - pics hopefully at the end of the week :)

Why, it's a Horse of course!

No, this isn't a mug shot either, it's just a purple hobby horse lining up for her first photo shoot before being given away.
Isn't she just so cheeky? Perfect for my neice for her 1st birthday. Just need to add the stick with wheels on it and she can ride to Banbury Cross and back again! :)

The pattern for the horse has come from a local designer, Couzart Creations. I had a lot of fun making the horse. Maybe there's another one waiting to come out of the cupboard one day....??

Flowers are blooming....

very nicely on this particular quilt. A quilt which just didn't keep me inspired. It was an UFO for a very long time (about 10 years). Last week, with a deadline looming because I had entered it into a quilt show - I finished it Drum roll please for the great unveiling...
Here is a detail of the quilting from the back of the quilt.....

And another photo showing some applique and quilting details...

I feel so relieved to have completed this quilt. In my mind I can now move onto other things!

And... some late breaking news - I have won a first prize at the Ballan Quilt Show for my domestic machine piecing and quilting. More to come in the next post! Soooo excited...... :)

Where's the Bolly???

Who remembers Patsy always asking Edina for it in the Absolutely Fabulous TV series? I sure do and guess what I'm holding in the photo? BOLLINGER - real, live simply divine proper French Champagne. What an absolute treat! The reason for the celebration was my MIL 70th birthday lunch and so my SIL decided we needed a treat too! Fabulous! Just what was needed for lunch - vbg.
And.... I still managed to get the borders on the quilt top, below after everyone went home later that afternoon. This was a fantastic pattern, which I tried for a friend. An excellent Stashbuster, as out of 5.5m required for the top, I only had to buy 1 - and I have all the backing and binding fabrics from stash as well as wadding and quilting thread! It was clearly meant to be! Very happy.....

Enjoy, life is good.... :)

Isn't it wonderful when.....

everything works the way it is supposed to? Tonight, I sat down at the PC, it is no longer having hissy fits, the camera cable was in the right spot and hubby has just made me a cafe latte - mmmm..... perfect!

While I have been away from the PC this past month, I have not been idle. Here are some snapshots of what I have been working on lately...

Chenille Cushions

Blue & White Toile Cross Stitch, which is currently being framed.

And there is some other stuff, but that needs to wait until the big group reveal, otherwise I would be letting the cat out of the bag - and we don't want that now, do we? :)

New Years' Resolutions...

Almost 3 months has passed since I last wrote on this blog! What happened to the time? I think it got swallowed up in the comings and goings of family life. While I have been on holidays, it has given me time to think, clean up with spiders webs gathering in the corners and organise my sewing space a bit better. In the process, I have rejoined the Stashbuster UFO Challenge again, with the same resolution as last year, to complete as many UFOs as I can.

However, I am not going to complete all of them this year, they currently stand at 38, but I aim to have 20 finished before NYE 2011. 13 of the 20 are ready for quilting with tops, backs and wadding ready to go.

I have made a list for January - if it goes into February, it doesn't matter. This list has 5 things on it; 3 x UFOs and 2 x other. A bite sized chunk of projects, with interest and variety to keep my mojo in top motivational order :)

Oh, and while there are no photos in this post, I promise that there will be in the next one. That's all for now, the roast dinner is nearly ready for serving....... mmmmmmm, yummmm

UFO #40 is a buggy affair...

... along with some Turtles and Paw Prints too. This is a very bright quilt. Not my usual type of colour scheme, but the Mum that it's for is a very 'colourful' person, that is, she loves colour and lots of it.
Made with an Irish Chain Pattern and some interesting fabrics, both the front and the back of the quilt look pretty good. I quilted it with an all over open stipple with a variegated thread as I knew that cross-hatch would look terrible on the back becasue it wouldn't line up with the blocks.
The quilt front (above) and the quilt back (below).Now that's 4 down and 36 to go on my UFO list! LOL!

UFO #35 - I have not been idle.......!

Ta Da.... here is another completed UFO. Yes, a baby quilt, just like the others. My gorgeous little neice now has her quilt. She has only been waiting since her arrival some 6 months ago! I am very happy with the results. It was made from half of a jelly roll, a Kaffe Fasset print and a mint leaf print. I used the "wallpaper stripes" pattern from the book "Quilt Road" by Kaffe Fasset for the centre section of the quilt.