Thank-you, new Swaps, Trapunto and a new bed for the Dog...

Happy Birthday

to my darling Grandson

who turns 9 today

he lives in England so I can't give him cuddles

but we will have a good skype chat

Thanks to Sue who sent me over her pile of selvages

I do enjoy playing with scraps and the selvages can be fun too

I will be soon starting a new leader and ender project with these

Do you use your selvages.. and what do you make? 

(I'm looking for ideas for small projects - not a dress... or a chair cover ... they are amazing.... but not for me kind of amazing)

Don't you love the little banner card Sue made ... such a clever idea 

I have loved seeing little mini quilts made by people to display at different times.... Cheryl is arranging a swap club... you can read the details HERE and join up if you like.  In June we are going to do a Welcome one.... what fun... 

Also I wanted to let you know about a fun charm swap hosted by Sharon... great way to collect lots of different colours.... go HERE to find out details.... but hurry... not many places left....

The girls and I have continued to meet on a Thursday to work on our Trapunto projects

this is a fancy name but it is really QAYG but with a bit of extra padding in some places (like me... )

the colour always shows differently... I am using a light mottled blue ...

having a lot of fun with these....

our little dogs basket fell apart and I haven't been able to find a basket anywhere... there only seems to be the foam and fabric ones around ....

I found this at a charity shop..... $8.... and it is much easier to move around seeings it has it's own handle ....

Hubz has cut off the top so she doesn't live in fear of being shut in.....

Righto... Gotto Go.... selvages to sort....

I do hope your week is excellent

My first house block ....

I made a house block this week....

.... it's little.....

Foundation Paper piecing - 23 pieces....

I loved making it.....

I found the pattern HERE - it is from a freebie from Carol Doak....

also this week Mr Postie came by with a giftie from Michelle....

My picture doesn't show it well but that is some lovely Moda solid in a creamy beige colour - perfect background fabric for stitcheries..

and a special card with a picture of Michelles own orchid... with a lovely bookmark included in there too...

and such a lovely hexagon needle and thread holder

with one of Michelle's own designs on it

done in the neatest tiny stitches - oh my word...

I do love to have several of these so I have needles and threads for any project boxes.... usually I just have a piece of old blanket in there... now it will look very smarty arty....

Thanks Michelle....

Righto Gotto Go.... needles to sort....

Aprils Christmas Item/Sew It's Finished done....

Narelle hosts One Christmas Item a Month

and Dawn and Wendy host Sew It's Finished

Thanks ladies.... this month I have a UFO / Christmas item done.....

This quilt top was on my UFO list last year... so it has been neglected for a time....

I bought this jelly roll at a sale 

I loved the colours... but I hadn't noticed it was a Christmas fabric or kept tag of the name of the range
(Moda Crazy 8 - thanks ladies)

The top was made following a Quilt-a-long online but I also didn't keep a record of where that was.... so I do apologise for not giving credit there....

I was delighted for find just the perfect perfect binding... different shop different year and it was there waiting for me....

and I had some arbitrary Christmas fabric in my cupboard which was just perfect for the backing......

and I quilted rows ... and rows... and rows.....

stars and mistletoe and trees

ribbon and baubles and holly leaves

not a difficult design but the overall effect is fun

Dawn and Wendy are giving us additional motivation to finish off our items and each month one is done they send us a very cute stitchery design to make up..... I am now very committed to finishing something each month as I have started the stitcheries....

Here's the first block of "Seasons Of".....

I am using a charm pack of Bliss with some plain white homespun for the stitcheries

Righto... gotta go.... I'm sure there is another UFO leaping out at me....

Make a Mini Quilt .....

Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill is doing a Penny Rug block of the month...

This month we have made a fence and some bird boxes....

Melody also suggests preparing a couple of mini quilts that are going to be hung up for next months block....

This is how I have made one of them...

The suggestion was for a 4 - 5" quilt... and I used 1" squares ...

I used a base of lightest weight iron on vilene (sticky side up) marked with 1" gridlines - I planned on 8 x 10 ... so 80 x 1" squares

next I placed the 1" squares randomly (sortof) in the grid to get a range of colours

once all the squares that I was using were carefully placed within the marked lines I covered with my teflon piece (if you don't have this then baking paper works perfectly well) and gave them a good press to stick to the vilene...

then I trimmed up the vilene ....

fold each line right sides together and stitch your 1/4" seam ... because these are tiny little squares its a bit fiddly... but not hard....

here they are all done down one set of parallel lines....

next snip through the vilene...this is easy as the vilene sortof really tears rather than needs to be cut...

then fold and stitch along the other set of lines....

it may not be necessary to cut this time but I felt it made it a little less clumpy for these tiny little squares...

a good spray with starch and a press and you have a miniature quilt.... all those little 1/2" squares

(the points aren't perfect but I'm sure you get the picture - much easier with bigger pieces)

I will turn the edges and buttonhole stitch it down to add it to the penny rug

(This is great way for larger squares too... makes it nice and easy to get the corners and is especially a fun way for children learning to sew)

and of course we do need a snack after any sort of lesson

I'm having a temporary health kick so there is a choice from my lovely fresh fruit and vegetable delivery that arrived

It's not too late to join in to the Penny Rug.... Melody has the links on her side bar....

Sending off a parcel....

This is off today....

Oh... sorry... did you want to see what I put in it....

here is a hint......

it has something to do with this....

organised by Kathy...

... this arrived last week... but I'm going to wait for opening till Marcia gets hers...

I wonder if I will manage to wait?

Righto... .Gotto Go.... postie to visit......

FNSI April ....

now I have my nanaglooms in control

(thanks for lots of cyber hugz)

Linking up with Bobbi and Heidi for FNSI this month...

We were invited to join in making pillowcases for a very worthwhile cause... and whilst I didn't do the pillowcases I did spend much of the day making a quilt for a good cause....

A bunch of us girls met together for most of the day at Quilters Angel to work on quilts and other things we make...... Kris was there and we discovered we were twins (you can tell I am almost as young as she is?????)

I made my bag using Kris's lovely pattern....

Anyways... Kris helped me to pin up a quilt top (thanks darlin') with the backing and wadding and I set to work doing a meandering quilting all over.......

We had a little widget come stay the night so I didn't get too much stitching done in the evening

.... we set him to work on the garden first thing in the morning.....

he worked hard until he got a little sidetracked with new found treasure 

(seems that runs in the family??)

Later I did continue - and finish -  the quilting using the extratimefridaynightstitchinforusdownunderwhilstothersinthenortharehavingtheirfriday ....

Hubz said he really thought there was some excellent fabric in it .....

I made an appropriate expression about that comment!

... and a subtle suggestion that he changes his tune.....

He has gone to finish the work in the garden ......

It will be a great 'blokes' quilt (just not my blokes) ... the quilting is done and just the binding to do now...

and because he was good I let him have some of the blueberry crumble I baked using Bronwyn's recipe HERE..... very yummy... leftovers with custard tonight....

Righto... Gotto Go... some binding to stitch on........