Snail...

Finally, after many months of it patiently sitting on the sewing table waiting, the gorgeous snail pincushion gifted from the lovely Sylvia at Baradine this year has a log to sit on...

A piece of dead apple tree branch, which has been hanging about indoors for a while so it was nice and dry...a bit of a sand to tidy up the scraps of bark etc...a couple of coats of clear varnish...and...ready for the hot glue gun...sits up nicely and fits perfectly into the little nook that is part of what was the fireplace in the sewing room...

I just love it and it reminds me of Sylvia which makes me smile...

Happy Stitching...

Actual Sewing....

Actual sewing has happened in the sewing room...the sewing machine was turned on and everything!...No, it didn't blow up with the shock...not big things but tidies up a couple of things off the cutting table...

First up was making up the kit I received as Guild Christmas present...a wee kit for a project pouch that just needed to have the vinyl for the front of the pocket added...not bother there as I have a nice big sheet of clear vinyl...

I like the fabrics in the kit a lot and it will be useful...

 

Next up was the everyone project from Scrub Stitchin'...we were all given a Sashiko inspired pincushion kit that included a wooden base, some fabric, thread, polyfill...I received the small base which has a 2 1/2" "hole" and decided it wasn't worth the bother of embroidering the small surface so I used the patterned fabric that was in my kit...

 

I added walnut shells and took Lea's advice and added a circle of cardboard to the pincushion base to give it structure before lacing up the fabric to seal. 

 

A good job done to get the two "kits" off the table...

Happy Stitching...

Stawell Quilters Fat Quarter Christmas Challenge...Received...

I bought a fat quarter when we went to Geelong early in the year for the Stawell Quilters Fat Quarter Christmas swap...I liked the colour and thought there was a good mix of other colours in the pattern for someone to run with and be able to put other fabrics with it without it being too restrictive.  From this...

I received this... 

Isn't it fabulous! A giant hexie (my favourite shape) and the lovely lady who made it for me included perfect complimentary fabrics to the one I put in the paper bag, she picked up the colours in the pattern perfectly.  The small centre hexie is held in with a magnetic bag closer so the scissors can be removed for use

and then the hexie clipped back on with the scissors tucked into their holder on the side...clever...

The presents swapped were all so imaginative and well thought out but I think I scored the best of all...

Happy Stitching...

Small Hexie Pincushion...

Jindi found this post languishing as a draft yesterday...who knew I'd actually attempted a blog post!  So moving on...

I enjoyed making the pincushion for Demi so much it spurred me on to finally make my own using the gorgeous fabrics gifted along with the pattern. The fabric strips were sufficient to make a pincushion the same size as I made Demi, which I think was about 7" across (I forgot to measure it), but I really want to also include some of the fabric in a particular quilt.  The size is determined by the size papers so problem solved...made it smaller... 

2 1/2" across, it fits so neatly in my hand it could double as a stress ball (pins removed!!) on a bad day!

I just love the raspberry and duck egg blue fabrics.

Happy Stitching...

SQT Small Quilt Swap - Extra

Demi & I also chatted about extra goodies in the swap parcel and we were both of the same mind with that one as well...you've seen what Demi sent me as extras but what did I add to Demi's parcel?...I tried to include as much "Aussie" as I could...

A pincushion pattern of Karen Cunningham's using EPP hexies and squares immediately jumped to mind...I had just enough of a piece of "Melbourne" fabric to fussy cut the hexies...

the Arts Centre and trams on one side...

the Aussie flag on the other the other...

 

Demi had mentioned favourite colours including navy and brick red...red linen and an Ink & Spindle (a boutique screen printing team in Melbourne) fabric that has been waiting for years for its turn - perfect!

I had so much fun making the pincushion I stopped work on the quilt! Must make my own one...

Cottage Garden Threads, Darrel Lea lolly and a cute little magnet were wrapped in a fat quarter of fabric, there was a magazine too but it didn't make the photo shoot...I bought the magnet and fabric at Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal and I got one of each for both of us so when I use the magnet and the fabric I will remember the swap, I think the fabric might go with the fabrics Demi sent me which would be great to use it all in the same project.

Anyway, I hope Demi enjoys the little extras...I had fun putting it together...

Happy Stitching...

 

A Finish or Nine...From August!...

Yes, that's right...from August...but I wasn't able to reveal as all the reciepients hadn't yet reciepiented...then I wrote the post and forgot about it...so before the year is out...

Mid-year a class/group of almost 10 years was discontinued by the shop where it was held, with advice that our August evening would be our last one. At our last-for-the-year evening last year everyone was very generous in exchanging Christmas gifts - except I was so flat out just trying to survive work/study/sleep it didn't even occur to me and I arrived empty handed. I was determined not to be found wanting this year. When the news of finishing up arrived it was time to get my act together. I wanted something that was useful and settled on a large square pincushion and, as it was a friendship gift, incorporated my favourite star - the Friendship Star block...Two friends couldn't make it to the last night unfortunately and their gift bags languished in the fabric emporium....of course they are two that read my blog!...but they finally made it to their destinations about three months later so now I can show...

Nine Friendship Star pincushions...

The photo colours are really really bad but it was winter, no decent light...

 

I tried to use colours for each that I thought they'd like...they ended up being a few different sizes as I kept forgetting what size squares I was using to make the star block and each time I made one just went with what I thought on the day.

Hopefully the friends have found them useful...

Happy Stitching...

The Sleigh Landed...The Ornament Edition...

As Santa's SSCS sleigh flew north homewards to Lappland it was a slight detour to Norway to drop off the package at Tonje's house...After a good stalk of Tonje's blog to make a list of favourite colours, likes, interests, etc there an immediate flurry of activity on one idea that was neither the main present or the hanging ornament - but it was fun and it did get the ball rolling...then while catching up on blogs I spied in the "you might also like" bit on Hanne's blog this stuffed heart that ticked boxes for the hanging ornament so without delay printed off the stitchery sketch so kindly shared.  Thank you Hanne for sharing your creativity.

Using a snowflakey/starry type print cream on cream background fabric, the thread palette decided by Tonje's favourite colours listed as black, blue, purple and brown...and her love of rats and mice...

Cute little mouse...

blue backing fabric continuing the snowflakey/starry theme...

And it can double as a pincushion!

Happy Stitching...

Has It Only Been A Week?...

Apparently it's only a week since last Sunday but it feels more like a month...I've debated whether to blog about the week we've had here...it's not been a fun week by any stretch...Mother Nature threw the same stunt on our district as the same weekend in 2009 - just for the record Mother Nature, so not funny! Two of us were standing in the engine room last Sunday saying we had a really strong sense of deja vue and then it happened....again!...this time it roared up from the south, to the west and onwards north...I received two evacuation recommendations on my phone - I'd already come home and evacuated Jindi, she was with me being lead around in the fire station as part of the comms team - could really have done with some of that snow the other side of the world is having way too much of...it's still not declared "safe" but it is now considered "under control" so now the recovery begins, a long haul.

Today, vegging around at home, I looked to getting back to my Small Quilt Talk challenge for February...this month rather than one of Kathleen Tracy's quilts it is a sweet little spool/heart block from a group member to do with what we wanted.  When the pattern was announced I got to with pencil and paper and came up with a lovely little design I was very excited about and played about in the fabric boxes (although that part wasn't really chatting too loudly to me in the pick-me pick-me department). Well, you know the saying When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade? In that spirit...When Blocks Go Wrong Make A Pincushion!...

After a couple of hours of non-inspiration with various fabric concepts I settled on scraps of Rocky Mountain (the first range).  Starting with one block as a tester, I ever so carefully cut and laid out my patches in accordance with the picture tutorial...only I didn't did I?...I didn't lay it out in accordance with the picture tutorial and when it came to putting on the sides, nope they didn't fit...and of course that was the last of that fabric which I'd used for the heart so tossing and remaking this block wasn't on the cards...so chuck the dud bits in the bin, chop out two rectangles to make sides, abandon the spool design of the block and make a pincushion.  For now I'm calling the February challenge done.  I don't know how much time I'll have for stitching in the next few weeks as I have to spend a lot of time at work including patches of staying in Shepparton (that's the 120km drive) to be close to that work site as we have to do long days with late finishes but having to come home on the days when I work 10 minutes away from home. Just another unscheduled thing to add into last week's mix, organising that!...Oh, I didn't mention the great endo debacle - destroyed my temporary filling right when the dentist couldn't get in to keep appointments, fabulous, that will be sorted Tuesday...has it really only been a week???

Here's to a better week with all fires in Victoria finally going out - enough already...

Happy Stitching...

A New Puppy...

Well a felt one that is…

Last year at Summer School one of Karen's (the tutor) friends especially came to visit and kindly took orders for custom made items to be collected at this year's Summer School.  This post here shows the lovely birdie she made that I won at last year's Summer School.

I ordered…well…um…well…something…I knew I ordered something…had absolutely no idea what it was…simply could not remember if it was one thing or five or what it/they might be…so figured, surprise!

On the way to Katoomba on Tuesday I called in at Blackheath to say hi to Karen and she gave me my Alex goodie bag…inside wrapped in a sheet of dressmaking pattern tissue….O.M.G. what a fabulous surprise…

 How Gorgeous…I just LOVE IT…

Strike a pose...

With a twirl…

Haven't given him a name yet…he is a Scot so mmmm…ha ha a bit of Scot/Gaelic name research and I think this may be pawfect…

Pàrlan (m)

Tr

PAWR lun

from Hebrew Bartholemew, "son of Talmai (abounding in furrows)"

Bartholemew

Stitchy and puppy all in one…so that's it…meet Pàrlan…too fabulous to stick pins in, he is looking forward to helping out in the sewing room supervisory department…

Happy Stitching...

From Little Things...

Well...um...more little more things really...Sunday I woke up with a sinusy headache and after spending the morning on the couch aimlessly wandering around the world wide interweb while begging the paracetamol to work eventually wandered into the sewing room with the aim of some hemming and ironing...boring but necessary evils that didn't require too much brain cell energy expenditure...the aim misfired and instead...I made a towelling car seat belt cover (you know the little wrap around jobs that stop it from sticking/digging in when it is hot) that had been needed for ages as the first attempt was well worn out, that took all of 1/2 hour going at the speed of a snail so why had I waited so long?...mmm what next...still avoiding the boring stuff...recently I finished up a little orphan stitchery (I think it is a Red Brolly/Bronwyn Hayes design) that had been going on for ever so I turned it into the front of a needlebook...

That took all of an hour...what next? (still avoiding)...the scrap of broderie perse applique sampling that I did at Summer School was flung on the cutting table...I said I'd use it for a pincushion or something and so...a pincushion it now is...not good enough for anyone but me but hey it's always handy to have an extra one lying around...

Next!...I was starting to flag again but still needed to actually do something rather than just aimlessly watch tele/DVD/iView and found a couple of why did I do this? traced stitcheries...so I started the one with the simpler and quicker design using a pretty multi-coloured variegated floss to stitch while watching catch up tele on the PC...finished  yesterday and became...another pincushion...

A fairly substantial sized pincushion from a Leanne Beasley design. With butterflies on the front it had to have butterflies on the back too!...

These little projects have cleaned up a few odd bits lying around the sewing room and hopefully kick started the creative mojo again...it has kept wandering off the last few months without leaving a forwarding address...and as for the boring stuff? well I've unpicked the old elastic on the mother's skirt and pinned on the new piece so that is a start...oh and K, I also stitched on all but about I think 4 of the front patches for the "joint project", progress!...

Happy Stitching...

Christmas Angel Swap...What I Sent...

*Spoiler Alert: Holly as you haven't opened all your presents yet...look away now!

Early this year Karen from Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop proposed a Christmas swap with the year to prepare. In 2009 Karen hosted her first swap, Christmas in July, which was one of the earliest swaps I played along with. As with that first swap Karen provided a list of swap items. Some were specific and some not so much...fun!  The partners were assigned by early February with parcels to be mailed late November.  My swap friend Holly hails from a very warm area of the USA but loves winter, snow, snowmen...cold cold cold is her favourite kind of weather and, for her family, Christmas is celebrated for its meaning rather than the commercial trappings, Father Christmas and the like although she does love to decorate so I tried to bear those things in mind when I was making for her. I also tried to use patterns from Aussie designers. So, what did I send to Holly...(the headings are the items set out by Karen on the swap list)...

*A Christmas Postcard...

I used a piece of wintery fabric for the front and embellished the fabric print...quilted the hills and scattered seed beads all over for snowflakes...the first fabric postcard I've ever made, it was fun.

*A Christmas Decoration...

 

I choose the penguin stitchery from Natalie Bird's 'Tis The Season booklet (again, yep do like me this little book of patterns) to make this little hanging cushion.

*A Stitchery to fit a 4" x 6" frame...

I put mine in a frame.  I wanted something more personal than just finding a nice stitchery pattern and as Holly told me she really likes Waldorf dolls I thought that was a good basis to work from.  I found it interesting to research as I hadn't heard of this style of doll before and as Waldorf (or Steiner) dolls have no or very simple features I drew up this little design. Good thing they are simple dolls as I'm not exactly awesome at the drawing thing. Holly Days Closet is the name of Holly's blog.

*A Small Applique Wall Hanging...

I so enjoyed making the mini quilt from the applique panel that I received from the original Mrs Martin's Christmas in July swap that I searched out the magazine the pattern was from, yay for the magazine library in the sewing room, and made it from scratch for Holly.  I just love these trees.  I think I could make this little design up multiple times and never tire of it, it just lends itself to so many fabric/colour combinations for a different feel each time. Hand blanket stitch appliqued, machine pieced, beads for tree toppers and Christmas holly buttons to decorate and hand quilted with big stitch perle thread quilting (*hanger not included).

*A Candle Mat...

Pattern by Bareroots...given Holly's love of snow and cold the snowman model was the obvious choice.

*A Christmas Tag...

From a design by Vivian Robinson and featured in Homespun Vol 38, Vol 7 No 6.

*Something Sewing...

Holly is a voracious crocheter so rather than something specifically sewing I made a project bag based on the pattern in Anni Downe's Some Kind of Wonderful book using Melbourne (capital of my State) themed feature fabric and a little roll-up pocket to keep crochet hooks in - couldn't send it empty now could I *LOL*  I also attempted an amigurumi crochet tea cup pincushion.  Why a tea cup? The "something to nibble" will explain that choice.

I popped the crochet hook roll and tea cup pincushion inside the bag and then wrapped it in a fat quarter of pretty Australian bird fabric.  The next item of a starter kit also being themed to go in the project bag.

*A Starter Kit: include a piece of fabric, a button and some trim...

I purchased this little needlebook pattern from Karen's stall at the Monbulk Community Quilt Show back in March and then put the requirements together during the year.  The pattern is from a Victorian designer.

*A Santa Sack or Stocking...

As Holly doesn't do the Santa thing but she does like to decorate and she does like stockings I made her a linen Christmas Pocket using Natalie Bird's pattern and snowmen stitchery from her 'Tis the Season booklet.

*Something to Nibble...

Holly told me likes white chocolate but where she lives it is seasonal...what's with that?...so white chocolate Tim Tams seemed the logical choice to me.  She also loves tea, so to go with her Tim Tams, some yummy Tea Tonic tea to enjoy.  And of course a cuppa needs a mug/plate mat put your cup and biscuit on.

Holly chose silver over gold on the swap questionnaire so I wrapped each list item in silver tissue - except the project bag where I used fabric...

and then stuffed as many of the parcels into the pocket as I could fit, along with a cake of vanilla scented soap...

It was fun to have a box in the sewing room all year that I popped items in just for this swap.

Hope you enjoy what I put together for you Holly.

Happy Stitching...