Raggedy Friends is finished.....

Last year Kaaren at The Painted Quilt gave us Raggedy & Friends as a free BOM... (it is still there on her sidebar) (Kaaren is the lady we have been making blocks for as she has recently been diagnosed with cancer - see button top left of my sidebar)

Two friends were having a clean out of their Country fabrics and I new that was exactly what I wanted for my quilt.  The quilt started and finished as a learning quilt.....

I have long admired redwork stitchery and started doing this BOM as a way of improving my backstitch and also learn to piece smaller blocks......and last week I practiced and practiced my Free Motion Quilting.....
and did my first hand -quilting around the stitcheries

Now there are loads of mistakes.... and I have learnt lots through this process..... but I love this quilt... it is soft and cuddly, warm and snuggly and it's staying at my house.....

There was enough fabric to piece the back

(I made the back in March - and stitched the date into it then)

finished with a scrappy binding using the same fabrics

I filled it with practice FMQ (4 bobbins later)

the quilt measures 142cm x 170cm (52" x 67")

I think this is my favourite block.....
(my first efforts at hand-quilting)

ooops... still some loose threads....

gotta love a rolled up quilt....

This is another tick off my UFO list and goes towards Sew It's Finished and OPAM

yay, yay, yipppee yay

I did say it was a learning process..... so some of my lessons:

• Don't use too flimsy a fabric for doing the stitcheries on
• Have one stitch meet exactly at the point of the previous stitch
• Do use a stabiliser on the back (my red threads do show through)
• A loose weave fabric does loose it's shape thus making it hard to have good points
• You can do FMQ on a small domestic machine (I don't even have the longer shaft)
• I still need more practice but I am getting there
• not sure about hand-quilting - need more practice

I wonder if you learn lessons by making mistakes too?  What are they?

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Well.... you know by now I am celebrating 200 posts/1 year of blogging this week.......

I have this pretty little charm square pack for one of you lovely readers.....

this is the range of fabrics in the pack

I purchased it here at Jane's store.... good prices, good service and arrived quicksmart at my house

So if you think you would like to make something pretty leave a comment and tell me your best stitching tip

~ I'll chat to Mr Random on Monday ~

I hope you can spend some time in your happy place today

Lucky Me......

I have had some lovely mail last and this week.....

Firstly I got two Christmas blocks ....

this one from Sue with some lovely bauble buttons which are perfect as tree decorations....

and this one from Cheryl with a beautiful card

I really love all the different trees I have got and these are no exception... thanks ladies

Last week I got a surprise email to say I had won a giveaway and it arrived today:

It is a kit of fabric from Lenna Green of the Stitching Cow

She has a pattern which was featured in Homespun Issue 12.4 called A Faithful Friend

It is a Stitch-A-Long and the first pattern is in the magazine.. the rest are uploaded on line HERE

Beautiful fabrics and the threads required are all in the kit....

I am thrilled to be able to make this quilt

I'll be reading through the instructions tonight and then drawing out some pictures to stitch soon....

A magazine with the pattern for the middle block was provided with the kit

As a subscriber I already have this edition so in view of my good fortune ......

and it being a time of 200 posts/1 year celebration ....

let me know if you would like this edition to come and live at your place.

(if you missed the post about a celebration and would like to go in for a pattern book just see my post HERE)

Just mention "magazine" in a comment on this post if you want to go in the draw for this Homespun Magazine

There's lots of other lovely projects as well as the Faithful Friend by Lenna

there is a quilt by Toni at The Red Boot Company with butterflies and blooms

the pretty birdcage hanging you can see on the cover by Janelle

that really cute duck softie on the cover by Jodie

the quilt on the cover by Lisa

a tea cupboard by Jenny

Michelle's Tea In the Garden wallhanging is featured (pattern is HERE)

and MORE.....

I'll have a chat with Mr Random about the magazine on Saturday

and just to show I haven't been sitting around idle....

little wool felt key fobs - owls and flowers.....

shhh... little secret gifts

A new look for me .....

This has been a frustrating weekend......

Having lost my emails I changed to another account... however then I had to link it to my blog - which was fine for getting my comments sent to me.....

but when I wanted to comment I still used the old email which is no good to me because I like replies.....

Through looking up on the internet it seemed the way forward was to pass ownership of the blog to my new account... sounds straightforward but it was log in with new name, do something, log out, log in with old name, do something, log out, log in with new name, accept invite, log out, log in etc......

.... you get the picture.....

Anyway... I have lost my past emails and now have a new address
and I had to sort out so I am no longer 'No reply' (thanks Marina)
because I like replies...

then I lost the connection for my 'Next' button

and the links to the blogs I read
and changed back to the old format of posting which messed up everything....

and.... and... and....

after lots of support from wonderful bloggers

and

who have helped  IMMENSELY - it is all coming together

The only thing now (I think) is linking up to the blogs I read...... it will take a bit of time as I need to physically 'follow' again but it can be done

I have a link to a list of my blogs (thanks Linda)

and have linked up again with the Next button (thanks Linda and Karen)

(makes reading and commenting so much quicker for me)

I do appreciate everyones support - bloggers are so great...

I now have a new profile picture ..............

and a new format

.... A NEW ME.....

Onto some cheerfullness....

this is a very cute little quilt book..... I love the fresh designs....

out of the ordinary shapes

... well, anything with a birdie will catch my eye....

soft, cuddly prettiness.....

modern small quilts....(I want to do one of these SOON)

What do you think?

I am close to 200 posts AND one year of blogging.....

So as a way of celebrating I am happy to send this book to you

Just let me know on this post and Mr Random will do his 'thingy' on Friday....

(not everyone wants a baby quilt book and I am happy to find an alternative)
and if you don't want a quilting book... there might be something else this week that you do want
.... you never know....

I suggest you don't blog about it... it will just increase the competition!! haha and anyway I'm a bit of a meanie - my giveaways are always for you regular readers and if you're reading this you must be one!!

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Meanwhile I am off to play with these.......

Portabello Market by 3 Sisters for Moda

........mmmmmm.........

I hope you can spend some time in your Happy Place today

I feel much better now....

Grrrrr... technology....

Since yesterday I have been unable to access my Inbox and all saved emails from my Yahoo account.....  I have spent over an hour and a half 'chatting' to help staff on line who finally realised they couldn't help me since I live in Australia and I have to get someone local.... of course I had to email Australia from that account and maybe they have answered (maybe they haven't) but of course I can't get into the email!!!! haha.....

Anyway I have now set up a new email - in gmail..... but this means previous comments and emails have all gone..... I am trying to import them but so far having no luck.... and seeings I don't really know what I am doing........

My apologies if you have emailed or commented and I haven't replied.

...... this is a pain... all my swap details (and I do love my swaps) and contacts etc are down the gurgle it seems...

... I will have to rely on my temperamental menopausal memory

well..... you can imagine how much I need that glass of wine......

A Special Quilt....

Last week I blogged about our Crazy Pincushions made using a tutorial and idea from Kaaren of The Painted Quilt..... these have been such fun and we have had so many lovely comments....

I have also done Kaaren's cute Raggedy Friends Block of the Month quilt (in fact I am presently quilting it!)....  Kaaren is enormously generous with her designs.....

Well Kaaren is having a big health issue to work through and Allie and Friends are going to make her a quilt and is asking us lovely bloggie people's to send some blocks......

Blocks are only 6 1/2 " and in Dark Red and Beige Taupe.... Allie has a tutorial for us HERE...... and with other details.....

Allie even has a special button - like this on the top left of my page - click on that and you go straight to the tutorial....

and on the next post is a lovely recipe for Cheesecake.... just in case you need a snack whilst you are sewing your block......

Right... I'm off to dig through my Reds and Taupe's...... it's not often I can help an overseas friend.....

Variousness......

My block from Sheila in Nova Scotia, Canada arrived last week...... it was fun to be paired up with an existing blog friend.....

This will go into my  I Spy block collection which you can see HERE...

Sheila also sent this lovely landscape postcard..... I had seen postcards on blogs but never close up and now I have one of my own..... such a lot in a little space.... I love it... thanks

If you haven't met Sheila visit HERE... she does a lot of interesting projects... and it is always a fun visit

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I have completed my June blocks for the 'Tis The Season Stitch-A-Long - thanks to Chookyblue for the reminders.......

Christmas Joy and Elfin Sleigh

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Last week I finished a UFO.... my animal junction quilt..... I bought the kit from Bec last year..... and started it...... and then of course it sat in the cupboard for a while....

I must say I do love it

the picture doesn't show the colours so well but it is a really happy and bright quilt

I had fun with the backing too....

simple straight line quilting and stripey binding

this was to be a quilt for me to have at my house..... it's quite boyish...

I may need it later this year for maybe a boy .... but there also maybe a girl

.... mmm... I have to do something about that!

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I am a learner stitcher.... so I was so happy to see there are going to be some on-line blog lessons

Helen at Hugs from Helen is holding classes

You can pop along HERE and read about it..... we start this Sunday......