Tuesday Treasure

As long as I can remember I have enjoyed reading Beatrix Potter stories.... to myself, to my children and now I get lucky enough to read them to grandiechildrens........

My Beatrix Potter book collection is minimal.... I need to keep a look out to add to it....

Her pictures are always so cute and detailed ......  

I wouldn't mind my mouse infestation if they did some stitching at night!! (The Tailor of Gloucestershire)

So many much loved characters.....

Kittens full of mischief............

When my first son was born (he's 30 now!!) we were sent this lovely little egg cup...

"Peter sat down to rest;"

"he was very damp with sitting in that can."

It is a Wedgewood creation and is still used for 'special occasions'.... like grandie visits.........

How delighted I was to find a panel to make a fabric book......

A story of Benjamin Bunny and Peter Rabbit...... 

Make your own book.... what fun....

I loved the film "Miss Potter" - a true story with Renee Zelwegger and Ewan McGregor

I cried and cried for her ...... losing her love....

I am joining in with Melody's Tuesday Treasure today....

the wonderful characters of Beatrix Potter

Getting Ready for Christmas.....

So... can anybody tell me where May went?

This month I did a project from the Tis The Season booklet by Natalie Bird.....

It's a cute little Christmas cushion....

Even though it's not Christmas I hope the angels watch over you

and special thoughts for the people in USA affected by these fierce tornadoes - so sad

I also did this Santa Sack

but I won't be showing you what goes inside

(that's a secret!)

Thanks to Narelle and Allie for encouraging us to get some Christmas goodies made

and I am always looking for freebies... if you have any spare TIME I would love to take some off you...

I can promise a good home for it

Have a wonderful weekend everybody.....

Sunsets.......... and a Rainbow.......

A birdie stitchery in a rainbow......

This week Robyn is hosting Colourful Fridays and we have Sunsets.........

I think sunset is a magical time of day...........

the greens soften and it even smells different........

the clouds throw out random rays of light across the sky ......

... sometimes God just loosely brushes the sky ..........

..... storm clouds looming..........

........ colours everywhere.......... 

sometimes there are just no words..........

I love trees in the foreground............ 

wattles reaching for the last light..........

............ see ya  ...........

Sunset can be an end an awful day ......

or a way to relax at the end of a busy one....

reflection of a wonderful time....

and the promise of a new beginning.....

Whatever happens in the day.... tommorrow we get to start again...

A lovely new Block of the Month.....

Not that I really need another BOM to get into but I find the stitcheries irresistable....
......I think I have an addiction.... another one..... mmmm

Leena Green and my favourite magazine Australian Homespun have joined together to bring us this lovely new Stitch-A-Long shown HERE

Block 1 is provided with the Homespun Magazine and Blocks 2, 3 and 4 can be found HERE and more will be added as we go along.....

I don't really want to tell you but it is only fair - Leena is giving away a kit for the whole quilt...  you can find details at Leena's blog Stitching Cow AND she'll include the magazine with the first block... how good is that?

Good luck... (not really - I'm just being polite!)

Tuesday Treasure

Over 10 years ago I tasted freshly made pasta.... and fell in love ....

I even went to a demonstration and watched it being made.....

Looked quite scary really and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pasta machine (around $45.... that's half a quilt!!)

and discover I couldn't... or hated the extra time it took.....

A few weeks ago I saw some of sale for $12.... (that's 2 fat quarters) so I bought one.... for that price I don't mind if I only try it once.....

I love conquering my fears...... especially when it is linked to food....

My first go was terrible... sticky and yucky and I made far too much which went into the bin...... lots of video's on YouTube and now I can do it..... 100g flour, 1 egg.... just the right amount for Hubz and I..... served with a sprinkle of olive oil, cherry tomatoes, fetta cheese and home made pesto.........

From start to finish in half an hour................

............ mmm........ guess what we'll have tonight...

Melody has some fantastic tea cosies today.... pop by HERE to see them and treasures others have found

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I have to admit to stitching being a treasure of mine too.....

And the first of the Birdie stitcheries blocks is done.....

6 strands which I haven't done before..... 

I think I'm in love......

Thanks to Little Miss Shabby for sharing these very cute designs and quilt idea...

Have you something you treasure to share?

Done.......

G'day

I hope your weekends were wonderful
we have had rain and sunshine, cool and warm
not a typical autumn

The top of The Aussie Spirit quilt is together..........

46" square

I have had a few enquiries to the background of this quilt......

In January when much of Queensland, and thereafter other parts of Australia, were badly affected by floods Helen Stubbings initiated a different kind of quilt drive.  She prepared lots of fabric squares with printed patterns (done by her) and provided some of her special Hugs 'n Kisses thread to people all over to stitch....  Everybody was provided with a block, some thread and instructions on where to send the finished block to... with some red fabric if possible.....

I have been one of the lucky people to recieve the blocks and put them together ...  The stitcheries are so great and depict so many typical Aussie icons.  I have to admit to feeling quite intimidated by working with all these lovely pieces.

Helen is a well known designer - you can view her website HERE and has loads of beautiful patterns including "Life is Beautiful" which I have seen on several blogs.... You can read all about her day to day activities on her blog HERE

I have documented most of the process, and had lots of help from other bloggers with decisions 
...... thanks to everyone for your suggestions, support and encouragement.....
..... and to the stitchers for your lovely work and contributions of fabric. 

You can read back on my process HERE.

This week I will be sending this top off to Helen.... she has other contacts who will put it all together and do the quilting ....

I hope the picture is clear enough to see all the pictures.... can you spot the Dunny, and the Victor mower, the kookaburra and the platypus, the Akubra and the Lamington recipe, the roo and the swagman.... I could spend all day looking.....

 

Blocks... and blocks....

Here is the second of this months blocks for 'Tis The Season Stitchalong....

I'm pleased to be keeping up to date with the blocks....

Y'see Chookyblue hosts it and she is right good at cracking that whip if you don't keep up!!

and I am going to do another of these angels..... for a Christmas goodie ....

Now to get a start on another BOM I have been wanting to do for ages...

Little Birdie Stitches with Little Miss Shabby......

I'm using some Rural Jardin which I bought when Bec from Oh Sew Busy had a clearing out sale earlier this year.... cutting the charm packs into little squares to make the borders......

I like to use pellon at the back so I traced out first and then am adding the borders before stitching

..... and I've been doing some machine stitching of borders and planning of layout for the Aussie Spirit quilt

Helen sent out 34 blocks... I have had 33 sent back which is brilliant ...

(Marina kindly helped with a second block as South Australia hadn't arrived and I just couldn't leave them out... I did live in that beautiful state for 2 years!!)

I made up a couple of blocks of blocks to even the numbers.....

I've started sewing the blocks together ..... nearly done

I hope you have some time for fun stitching over the weekend

It's a Picnic Party ........

I don't usually manage to attend Melody's Teddy Bear's Picnic but since Widget had a party this weekend we have some attendees to show ....  I know I'm awfully late.......

"Hello, Hello... says Nana (me).... " I do love parties...."

"Yawn" goes Pops, "This is usually my time for an afternoon snooze....."

Some teddies arrived in the most splendid stretch limo's.....

and we all had some games.... going round and round....

... and playing Follow My Leader......

... then we all had to park on the side....

... It was time for some Birthday Cake....
(you have to admit DD did an amazing job of this....- all home made...... a soccer ball filled with lovely chocolate cake)

and jelly's in orange skins.....

... then it was time to say goodbye.... there were some grumpy faces I can tell you....

Pops was really grumpy.... he was just getting into the swing of things after all that cake!

.... only one Teddy couldn't cope with it all..... (too much cake I think!!)

A Teddy Bear's Picnic will brighten everyone's day and bring back the smiles!!

Can you tell I had fun making goodies for the party? 

I wish the other grandies were closer so I could do them more often!

And little Widget LOVED them .....

he ate the wheels first

then the teddy (shhhhh - incase the others hear!)

and finally the chassie

and he tried to kick the cake

well... logical really ...

Pop along to Melody's and join the picnic fun today