Just Darling...

This time last year I was in Adelaide having a wonderful time at Inspired Stitches - have to wait until July this year *sigh*...anyhow...in honour of the 1 year anniversary of that trip...I finished...

...Just Darling...a bucket bag by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches fame who was one of the fabulous tutors that weekend...isn't the stitchery just so very cute...Natalie's designs are so whimsical...not really so much a bag for toting along but a great size for having by the couch with a project in...it would make a great knitting holder if I could be bothered knitting...or a great crochet project holder if I could be bothered crocheting...I can't so it won't be filled with woolly creations any time soon...

Another project ticked off and two OPAM finishes for April...now if I can continue on with this finishing lark and not start anything new...but that could be a bit boring so I'm not taking the don't start anything new too seriously, a girl's go to keep her options open after all...

Happy Stitching...

Digby Dog...

A pincushion pattern by Anni Downs of Hatched & Patched...

Puppies on the back...

Digby is destined for another's sewing room...hope he is happy there...

Happy Stitching...

And that makes an OPAM finish for April too!  Yay, gotta luv ticking two boxes with one project :)

Let's See How Long This Idea Lasts...

OK, so I made up a new scheme for getting things done this week...it's a plan, it will probably fail, but hey, got to give it a go. So, this is how it goes...at the beginning of the week pin on the design wall the projects that I want to make some progress on that week...doesn't mean finish, just progress...a stitch here, a stitch there, but not out of sight out of mind...

So Wednesday I pinned up these projects...

Lullaby...Just Darling...'Tis the Season...Happy Pails...Bumbl'e Bee...

And I achieved...

"Tis the Season Santa & The Goose stitchery finished - tick!...Happy Pails second stitchery "Sugar" traced and stitched - tick!...one round of sashing hexies stitched for the Bumbl'e Bee centre - tick!...it doesn't look like Lullaby progressed but I worked away on that before I thought to take the "before" photo...

Not bad for a "short week" as I only came up with this latest scheme on Wednesday and I'm thinking of running it Sunday to Sunday...

Let's see how long this lasts...and of course having the attention span of a gnat I started something else...which I finished...I'll show you tomorrow...

Hope your weekend was productive...

Happy Stitching...

April FNSI...

Again not great and wonderous despite illusions to the contrary...I sort of...well...um...fell asleep on the couch!!  One minute watching Sex and the City, cruising blogs and slowly stitching away and the next...um...well...not...so out to it I didn't even hear the phone messaging away and it is set to Loud!...oh well...P-faff didn't get to play along as I thought she might but I did get my fifth stitchery finished for the 'Tis The Season Stitch-A-Long...

Finishing Santa & The Goose (top right) was the first project on last night's list and that at least happened...

I'm not going to put the blocks together until all the stitcheries are done...this is a little bit contrary to Chookyblue's plan but as I'm using 12 different fabrics for the inner borders and a variegated thread I want to see how the colours in the thread fall before I play with layout and audition the inner border fabrics to see which one wants to go with which stitchery.

It's Friday Night Sew-In....

It's Friday Night Sew-In night tonight...I wasn't sure I'd be home in time but yay! yes I am...so, I'm in...quick tea eaten, snacks purchased (gotta have chocolate), time to pick up needle and thread...

Are you playing along?  No, why not?  Go join in...quick....you know you want to...

Happy Stitching...

A Weekend of Stitchy Related Activities...

Boy am I a tired little vegemite this morning today...think I overdid the stitchy goodness this weekend with both days out at stitchy events and the germs still not entirely left the building...seems I've managed another loooonnnngggg post...go get a cuppa, I'll wait...dum de dum...dum de dum...oh good you're back...right onwards we go...

Saturday morning craft group gathered in anticipation of the arrival of our bus limousine and chauffeur for the day...wahoo!...off we go...but to where?  the mystery was solved once boarded and on our way when it was revealed we were visiting four Central Victorian patchwork shops...

First stop was Kyneton...and the treasure trove in Piper Street that is Pick Up Stitches...

...that open red door is so inviting...do yourself a favour if you are in Kyneton and go right on in...not only does this shop have a great range of patchwork fabrics, her wool/yarn ranges are gorgeous...almost (I did say almost) made me want to buy some wool and pick up a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles...I resisted...an added bonus there was a farmers market across the road at the church to take a squiz at...

Next stop was Daylesford...and the lovely Merrilyn's shop Threadneedle...

where she tortured me with hints that she is about to finalise the mailout to Daylesford Craft Experience attendees but wouldn't give me my envelope...aaaaggghhhh...I wasn't above begging but to no avail...mail person stalking will have to be undertaken...

Threadneedle is a lovely bright airy shop with not only patchwork fabrics but books, notions, beading supplies, scrapbooking supplies, art supplies...a great selection of crafty goodness...

Fortified with lunch and a walk around the interesting Daylesford shops we set off for our final destination...Gisborne...which boasts not one but two dedicated patchwork shops...The Drapers of Mt Macedon and Quilters Bazaar...two great shops, so much to choose from...

Fabric acquisitions for the day....

and then there is this...I just had to have it...too much fun to leave behind...

...and it came with the cutest little tape measure...an impulse buy but it was an impulse I was powerless to resist...
...the case has already had an outing as yesterday was spent in the local hall at local quilt group's Sit and Sew Day...we sat, we sewed, we chatted, we nattered and we noshed on yummy goodies as everyone was instructed to bring a plate...and I did manage to put some stitches in...

...a little progress on "Lullaby"...piecing had already taken place and now applique has begun...see that top row of the outer border?...it is appliqued down...amazing...
This morning was spent at craft group for a little more stitching on my next 'Tis The Season stitchery for the Stitch-A-Long...a good way to extend a stitchy related weekend before going to work after lunch...
Hope your weekend was stitchy too...
Happy Sewing...
Blogger went mental half way through the post and decided to double the spaces between paragraphs and the only way to fix it was to have none...sheesh!

A Visit to Ballan Quilt Show...

I've been out with the bubonic plague of colds....cough, cough, sneeze...it appears to be finally beating a retreat after close on two weeks...a LOT of time sitting on the couch watching mindless TV mindlessly...couldn't even sew...five stitches and exhaustion would set in...such a waste of perfectly good sewing time *sigh*...so to catch up on a recent quilty expedition...

Warning!!...it's a looonnnngggg post, lots of photos...I can wait while you get a cuppa if you like...*pictures edited into a Smilebox slideshow

Sunday week ago, before I knew I was sick and thought I was just tired (how wrong can a person be)...Jindi & I boarded Larry for a Day Out to the lovely town of Ballan and their annual Quilt Show...always worth the trip...while Jindi minded Larry I met Mistea and after starting the show experience with important stuff...scones and coffee, yum...we went inside for some inspiration...

The show's theme was Summer Daze...displays of summer activities like this picnic were set out amongst the quilts...I really liked the quilts being displayed behind low rope fences...no white glove attendants...a much more pleasant experience as a visitor.

Beautiful quilts to admire...The talents of the Ballan members extend beyond quilts to a plethora of crafty endeavours...dolls, bears, embroidered items, felted items, crocheted blankets and more...a wonderful display...

Make a digital slideshow

The inside walls of the hall were lined with shops for browsing pleasure...caught up with the lovely Merrilyn from Theadneedle for some Daylesford Craft Experience lead-up excitement...and a little of Merrilyn's fabric collection did come home with me, he he he...all this exercise and activity required more coffee before a walk around the town...Jindi came along too..and a picnic in the park of yummy fish and chips for tea...

A good way to spend a Sunday...

Happy Stitching...

The brain neurons apparently still aren't firing on all cylinders....I forgot to hit publish!  Sheesh!!!!