SQT Secret Santa Swap...

This year I played along in the Secret Santa Swap in the on-line Small Quilt Talk group.  I hadn't joined in on this particular swap before and when I was given the name of who I was sending to I had a moment, just a moment, of intimidation...a long-time member with a fantastic sense of nonsense, I mean humour - in her likes/dislikes she stated no puce or zebra stripes! Only Jane! I decided to do stitcheries in quilt-as-you-go hexies for hanging decorations so the rummage for designs began.  Now she has a band of bears that run to mischief when she isn't looking but the bear line drawings I found weren't "quite right". I have a couple of patterns with lovely bears I could have embroidered but they weren't at all Christmassy and I'd by now decided I wanted Christmassy...then a light bulb moment....rummage, rummage, rummage, found it! Michelle Ridgeway's Christmas pattern with drawings of Aussie birds/animals...I love Michelle's drawings...there wasn't a koala (not a bear) so I chose two of my favourites and a kangaroo because, well, going to America so I figured a kangaroo would be recognised...the wombat and blue wren were a bit maybe, maybe not, in the recognition stakes but I love wombats and blue wrens...

I added a couple of other bits - you'll notice everything was "flat" to make it easier for posting...

and gave the envelope to the care of the Post Office Elves and crossed my fingers and toes they'd deliver it in time for the Christmas Eve group opening event...they did...well done on that one Postie Elves getting it there on time.

Then...I waited for the Postie Elves to deliver into my post office box...and waited...and waited...and then we finished work for the year and it still hadn't arrived and I had to go back to the house where my furniture lives - 220kms due east so hardly a quick trip to check if there was mail...I had to wait until I swapped towns again and came back west after Boxing Day...I was very excited to find a red parcel locker key in my post office box!!!!  I took one look at the return address and knew I was a very lucky swapper indeed...it had come a loooonnngggg way...all the way from...Belgium!

And how sweet is this...Christa waited for me to be able to open before she opened what she received...and boy was I spoilt...

Ooohh...multiple surprises!...

Worth the wait is an understatement...a lovely wee tree runner, bear claw variation mug rug, cute pinwheel hanging cushion, christmas stickers, a lovely L'Occtaine travel sized set and Real Belgian Chocolates! handmade by Christa's chocolatier friends (and they are delicious!).  I sat in wonder at each item for a looonnnnggg time.  I love it all.

Happy Stitching...

Flourish Block....

In June last year (2018) Sharon Burgess of Lilabelle Lane Creations did a workshop for Stawell Craft Shop. It was a fun day and the project was a block from Sharon's Flourish Quilt that she had made into a cushion.  Paper pieced of course being Sharon but interesting with different shapes.  I have finally finished the paper pieced block - it isn't appliqued onto a background nor does it have any purpose in life - yet - but it is done as such.

Going to live in the box of random blocks and stitcheries for now as I don't want to make the cushion but I'm sure it will come into its own at some point in the future.

Happy Stitching...

Stawell Quilters Fat Quarter Swap 2019 - Part 2...

Of course I had a surprise back to me from the fabric I'd put in for the Fat Quarte Swap.

Typically I'd completely forgotten what fabric I'd put in - makes it a real surprise when I open the parcel on all levels, the item and reminding me what my fabric was!

It turns out I'd put in a Tilda fabric and I was gifted with a little travel stitching roll...

A lovely use of my fabric and matched beautifully by my secret maker, love the red spotty binding - who also included important touches in a reel of thread, a small pair of scissors and a good chocolate supply!! ha ha ha.

I'm sure I'll get use out of my gift.

Happy Stitching...

Stawell Quilters Christmas Fat Quarter Swap 2019 (Part 1)...

Stawell Quilters held the Christmas Fat Quarter Swap*(explanation at end of post) again this year.  The fabric in the paper bag I was given was this...

Mmmm, that is interesting and not at all what I'd have expected from the person I was making for. Coincidentally, just that week, I was in the local habby and she had a bundle of fat quarters that I really liked but couldn't justify and that bundle immediately sprung to mind as appropriate colours for this piece of fabric...what a shame I was forced to go and buy that bundle - he he he.  And then when I was in the ACT I found the perfect perle cotton at Crafty Frog in Kambah - the shopping gods were smiling on me with this fabric which I had initially thought would be impossible to match.

Instead of a fat quarter the recipient had put in a half metre of her fabric so that was plenty to play with. I had the idea to make a bag that could be used for transporting knitting but couldn't find a pattern to fit the picture in my head so used a pattern for an all-purpose bag I have made before and found useful myself. I used a mix of the "True Friends Tote Bag" from Natalie Bird's book Red Home with a stitchery pattern from Anni Downs' book The Simple Life, then when being totally flummoxed about what fabric to use for handles I found resin handles that I felt matched perfectly. I had just enough of her fabric left to make the handle hinges.  I hand quilted with big stitches in the variegated perle thread I'd bought home from the ACT.

 Front

 Back

 Handles

 Front up close

 Stitchery detail

 Interior

Quilting detail on back

I think I may have missed the mark with the person particularly liking it but hopefully she'll get some use out of it.

Happy Stitching...

*A fat quarter is put in a paper bag with your name on it and handed in to the Group.  The paper bags are put into a basket and randomly distributed to the participants.  You make something using the fat quarter in the paper bag you are given for the person whose fabric it is.  The fabric the person puts in is the only guide the rest is up to the maker.