mail in.......... mail out......

I joined in a postcard swap hosted by Sheila

and this is the delicate card I received from Pauline who is from the UK

.. and then I also won this lovely arty piece from Michelle and her bunnies

Michelle as the pattern available free... just follow the links from this post

...  I sent mail out last week ....

This is the Winter Mini I sent out to Illene 

a little wool applique penquin with backstitch writing and feather quilting...

..... and stripey binding...

I thought if I just went with 'just chillin'' it could be used any time of the year...

 Michelle had her 60th birthday yesterday..... and I wanted to make her something a bit out of the ordinary...

happy happy birthday Michelle... I know this has arrived so I can show it off here...

this is an old doily (a bit of mending needed) and put on some nice linen

lots of detailed minute quilting and beads in the gaps

can be used as a table top or hanger..

I loved making this little mini.... and I think I will do more of this type of work ....
(this work is inspired by Cindy Needham... go to her blog if you want to see some really amazing quilting work)

Righto, Gotto Go... still more things to finish off.... 

It's that time....

Lovely Christmas gifts swishing around in blogland.... well done all of you... and now I have another 12 things to add on to my want to make list....... aaaaaaaahhhhhh ... does it ever end?????

I am continually enthralled at what people make... it is so motivating, and full of ideas and skills .... just so inspiring and lovely....

Anyways.... after all that gushiness .... I have made a couple of Christmas Items to go into Narelle's One Christmas Item a Month.... (except I did two....)

Firstly I made my Chilly Penguin Bag for the SAL....

(which I have shown before - but it is cute and Christmassy so here it is again!)

... and I also finished off quilting and binding this panel picture....

I quilted around the drawings

... some of them you can see quite easily like this little angel....

Thanks Narelle for hosting One Christmas Item per month.... even if we do two....

It's also time to share the North Pole quiltalong block....

Hmmmmmm

well you see .....

I thought I would be clever and plan the rest of the blocks together

I did get one of them ironed down.... but no sewing...

Thanks Val for hosting this Sewalong

... and now we have  ....

Righto, Gotto Go.... a bit of catching up to do today  ...

Oh Dear ......

Quilt club was yesterday.... we had show and tell ...

I just love this Dear Jane quilt that was shown....

Lyn, the maker of this amazing quilt, hand and machine pieced blocks and then hand quilted the entire quilt.... it is a very big quilt... easily over the sides of a king size bed....

Lyn has been working on this beauty for 2 years

there is so much to look at... could spend hours and hours

... I am able to say with confidence that I was there when the last stitches were added.....

I worked on my Scandinavian Rose block... I got the twirl and the circle at the bottom done ....

it's hard to get much done when people are discussing edible underwear (????????????) 

... and I got to stroke and pat the quilt... that is Lyn ... I was trying to see if I could tuck it in my bag....

When I got home my new pattern by Michelle had arrived... I have so enjoyed her alphabet and couldn't resist the Christmas alphabet she has just done ... now to plan things to make...

... I am still working on my little secret project... adding a bit of bling now...

... and this little parcel needs to go in the post ....

Righto, Gotto Go.... it's a new day to play.... 

.... those funky slippers.....

In my last post my slippers got more attention than my stitching!

A friend brought these back from a recent trip away....

I'm sure you knitters/crocheters could make them easy peasy snickerdoodles....

... you can even do dancers moves in them 

(you can tell I've been reading Mao's Last Dancer)

to be perfectly honest the seam at the back is not too comfortable for walking around but they are great for keeping tootsies warm ... and I do think they look so funky ... love them

... on the sewing front I joined a postcard swap ... so why not make two?

... a great little project.... I can't wait for mine to arrive...

Righto, Gotta Go, start with a coffee .....

FNSI

 well... ADSI (All Day Sew In) to be honest!

Some more work done on this little quilting project.... thought I would show you this picture against the inches on the tape measure to get an idea of the scale... I think it takes longer doing the mini than a big quilt...

I just love, love, love doing it... get completely lost for hours.... 

I made up some more bottles of my lovely Magic Cleaner....  it's important to write clear labels.... don't want beloved drinking magic cleaner!!  It is so economical and works so well and smells nice (if you like eucalyptus smell!)

I had a lovely day doing my mini quilting and was already for FNSI when I got an impromptu invitation to supper at a pub... as if I'm going to refuse a free feed!!! - especially since I was so lost in my quilting I hadn't eaten all day!

So once my belly was nice and full ......

(I had chicken breast filled with pesto and camembert on a bed of mashed sweet potato - I thought you might be interested......) 

...... I sorted out some blues for the remaining blocks of my North Pole quilt....

I just love this one which I had a long thing piece of for the top of the quilt ... just perfect for Santa flying over...

... then I put on my funky slippers and flannel pj's and sat to watch the cricket with my redwork stitching

I got the birds tail done!

Righto, Gotto Go.... I'm going to prepare the North Pole blocks ....

While the cats away.....

...this mouse will play.....

and looky who came to play with this little mouse yesterday ...

Kris from Tag Along Teddies and she finished off the binding of her latest creation.....

 isn't it just the sweetest (like Kris!!)

Kris is making a couple of other goodies to go with it and then it will be packaged as a new pattern.....

It's adorable

Anyway... my cat (Hubz) is away so I am going to be sewing allllllll daaaaaaayyyyy and into the night..... 

(it is FNSI so there will be lots of you to sew with!!)

This quilting that I am doing is new to me... and it is tiny little feathers..... very slow and careful...

a few people asked what I used for my quilting.....  I learnt on a small Janome but Hubz kindly bought me this larger Pfaff.... it only does plain stitching but it has a nice space so even quite big quilts squish up easily... he is good and strong and hard working - ..... Prince Pfaff has covered his costs already.... (of course it's male!!!!)

I do all my quilting and piecing on him .....

me and my Pfaff are in good company.....

Even without Hubz here I will be watching the cricket while I stitch ....

test matches are great... young men in white pants and killer smiles....  

Righto, Gotto Go ... pppppllllllllaaaaaayyyyyyy tiiiiiiimmme.......

I'm so hoppy......

... so very hoppy....

.... quilted and binding finished ....

Harrington and Hannah quilt

designed by Michelle May from The Raspberry Rabbits

done as a free BOM  last year

A lovely mix of techniques....

wool felt applique

... and some simple stitching....

some piecing of blocks around the edges...

Hubz likes this quilt for its geometrical style and orderly layout

(that tells lots about him!!! haha)

I used felt made from old woolen blankets and clothing

... and a lovely cotton vintage table cloth...

... it is backed with a flannel sheet 

so nice and snuggly and warm - perfect as we are still having winter...

Thank you so much Michelle for sharing your lovely design

(the blocks are still available HERE as well as some cute postcard ideas)

.... haha.... isn't this so true??

Righto, Gotto Go..... I think I'll make a cuppa and go and snuggle under my latest quilt....