Strawberries and Cream

Mmm..... yummmm.... a very delicicous combination! Our local group had a fantastic Afternoon Tea Challenge at the end of June. There was lots of fun and frivolity - even if some of us got the date wrong - it didn't matter, it just provided us with a great excuse for some to have afternoon tea twice.

I made a Strawberries and Cream table centrepiece from a pattern in old Homespun Magazine. It was fun to make and a little different to my usual style, as it included stitchery. I am very pleased with the result.

Drum Roll Please.......

... No, wait for it - It's a Block Roll! Designed by local Quilter - Couzart Creations - this is just the ticket for keeping those larger and smaller blocks nice and flat without the need for a pizza box. Nice and simple, made in one afternoon and I just love it! I didn't have enough of the nice floral fabric, so I borrowed Lorraines' wave ruler to echo the ric rac waves and inserted the green piece to go around the middle.

Simply roll open and there you have them - your gorgeous blocks. A block from the Land Of Liberty online BOM is shown here.

Just Plain Nuts...

Look at that! Mmmm - a new fabric pack and a new book. Heaven for the next project that is a bit challenging. I can't wait to get started on this one. Just Plain Nuts is a book of complicated 6in square patterns designed by Liz Lois, who also drafted up and published the book Nearly Insane which I made a couple of years ago. I've got everything ready to go - the only thing missing is the time to start it - hopefully I'll get some of that over the next few days...

Now I am going to play with my fabric... while I tidy up the sewing room of course :)

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? :)