A confession.....

I showed you a post on the spotty gifts I made for Barb....

Now I have a confession... these were not my first attempt at doing her something.....

I made these first....

Big circle placemats made from dotty fabrics.... 

... and quilted very thoroughly....

... they were even backed with spotty fabric....

I had just finished them when I saw Shez's post here about a swap she did with Barb!!!!  She made exactly the same things using some of Rosalie Quinlans pretty fabrics....  so that's when I had to think quick smart about making something else......  

These mats were made using a tutorial found HERE .. and are about 14" diameter

for the quilting I marked big circles ...

... using my favourite quilting marking tools.....

I needed some new mats so they will still be used!

Righto, Gotta Go.... I thought it would be fun to make some dolls clothes

... and a frilly dress for a young princess....

madness..... total madness!

I see spots....

I recently sent off a swap parcel where we had been given the theme of spots.... and my partner to send to was the lovely Barb......

I knew Barb liked red and white and fresh colours and many of the same Ausi designers that I love so I had a good think about it ....

First we have a little project bag in swirly mini spot designs and a needlecase..... these are an Anni Downs pattern and stitched with a sweet bouquet of flowers and Barb's name and the year it was made .....

.... lined with very clear spots....

then I found some lovely red and white spot fabric at Ikea which was perfect for a tote bag... (I personally find these type of bags so useful)

.... it is unlined but has a thingamaningy for looping your keys on so whatever Barb uses it for she can easily find her keys amongst her other treasures....

Barb loves her crochet so I thought this little bag would be cute for the roll of yarn to go in..... 

It is a Brandy Gully pattern and the loop of yarn is the tail.... I think he's cute and hope Barb doesn't have a fear of mice!!!  ... of course he sits on top of some red fabric with white spots!!!

... so that was her little bundle of spotty gifties from me....

...  some lollies were added when I went to post it off.....

I loved making all these for Barb and I have had the loveliest of emails from her 

thanks to Peg and Shez who have organised us all 

Righto, Gotto Go... I have started putting my fabric/crochet blocks together.....

Friday Night Sew In....

This week I got a lovely pattern from Susan in the post.... I do have a soft spot for Anni Down's patterns and this will be traced up to start this year....

Thanks Susan... I hope you like the trade of red fabric I sent off....

Friday was exhausting with getting ready for the Creative Fields  exhibition .... here we are having put up the stands only to discover some dufus has hung the curtains wrong .... so somebody had to go up a ladder, undo nuts and bolts, take out the wrong curtain, put it back right way round, do up nuts and bolts and go down the ladder again...

I'll leave you to work out which was the dufus and which wasn't the climber of ladders

once that was done we started with the quilts... here is darling Kris taking care of one of mine... this is Chloe's (one of my grandiegirls) - which I have now bound and so it can count as an OPAM finish....

My feet were very tired and sore when I got home.... but I did put the last finishing touches on these spots...

... and stitched the sun rays for this Anni Downs project I am doing....

... and also cut up some teddy body parts ready for applique....

Thanks Wendy for having all of us..... anybody can join and we sew together every month

Yesterday I wrapped up a parcel in this fun spotty paper......

Righto, Gotto Go...... my hand sewing list seems to have grown and I have a book to listen to while I sew....

Summer Mini ....

Cheryll (aka Dory) hosts a lovely mini quilt swap and this is my third (and last) one this year....

A Summer Mini Sampler for Lyn (no blog)

she has received it and got back to me to say she loves it....

This design is by Kaaren from The Painted Quilt  though I did make a slight Ausifying adjustment... the bird was labelled Red Breasted Robin and I changed it to magpies....

Cheryll had kindly sent us some labels to use...

there was some little coasters she sent us to... but I put it in a very safe place.... so safe that I can't find it!! grrrrrr

The Wisteria is flowering beautifully.... I always feel it is over so quickly so take lots of pictures....

This is my front entrance at the moment....

.... it's a bit like living on Wisteria Lane ....

Righto, Gotto Go.... setting up a quilt display today.... so fun... I get to cuddle quilts ... lots of quilts...

Stitchers Dream Days Out....

We started in a very orderly pretty room....

Marion and Steph did such a lot of hard work to make it beautiful for us

Do please note the bows... Kris and I tried very hard to get them right!!

Some lovely projects for us to make... these are the samples...

A sewing cushion by Debbie... the flap lifts up and there is pockets and a place for needles....

Debbie also did this memory board with ribbons and lace and pretties on it...

Libby fixed up a journal in the print fabrics with a cute cameo bear to sew....

and a sweet little cushion using her amazing painting technique....

I did get some sewing done... this is  6 hours of work.... thats about one french knot every 15 minutes...

but I did attend Libby's painting class and have shaded out the body parts for my teddy....

there were so many wonderful friends there and I was a bad bad blogger and didn't take pictures..... I did manage a bit of photo bombing though and will collect pics as I find them around blogland!!!

Here is Lynda.....

and here is the Tuesday stitchers gang from Brisbane....

... and here is another group from Brisbane.....

I'm sure you can recognise them......

Meanwhile spring is happening in my garden.....  my most favourite of all is my wisteria

... the prunus has started flowering too.....

this weekend is the start of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers..... if any one is this way there will be a Creative Arts display at Highfields including lots of quilts and a variety of quality handmade items for sale, Toowoomba quilters have a quilt display and trading tables.  Another of my regular displays to visit is the teacups and teapots and I hope to get in a garden or two.  It's a very busy and fun time here

Righto, Gotto Go.... a gorgeous day to enjoy

September Charming Stars

Work has started on the Charming Stars Stitch Along hosted by Terry

In my view this is a 'Scrappy' style quilt... but definitely not a 'Scrap' quilt....

The free pattern is found HERE at the Moda Bake Shop site.. and thanks to Terry for the idea and encouragement - not too late to join if you want!

I am sewing a second line of stitching before cutting the star points on the edges and making up these HST squares.....  they will trim to 2" squares

The fabric is "Papillon" with an ivory Bella solid...

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Our dear bloggy friend Shez had a birthday this last week and I sent her a pretty shabby chick sewing bag (Anni Downs pattern)... inside I put a hand towel (Shez makes heaps of these to send to others but doesn't make them for herself!!! and a knitted dishcloth.... I think they are very luxurious!)

picture pinched from Shez's blog - I forgot to take one!

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I have one more square to crochet around for my fusion blanket ....

... then they all need to be joined together.... not sure about the size so I may be doing more!! 

... on the hand stitching front it has really been secret stuff... this is the theme....

... and I also need to make something from this.....

... but this weekend is my treat weekend... and I will be over here.... really looking forward to the Sunday as a number of bloggers and other friends will be there.....  a few 'naughty' tables methinks

Stitchers Dream Day Out

Spend a wonderful day (or two)
out with friends, old and new!

... SPECIAL GUESTS FOR 2014 ...

Libby Richardson (Art Smart Craft Cottage)Debbie Magee (Always Stitchin')

Righto, Gotto Go..... I know there is something I was supposed to do today - but I'm finding it hard to concentrate... just too excited!