Stitching, stitching....

Nothing unusual going on here.... stitching and stitching.... I am an addict I know...

A few more blocks for Sylvia's Sampler.....

New Mexico - 77 pieces

Ocean Waves - 49 pieces

Sarah's Choice - 24 Pieces

This is now up to 122 blocks and 3964 pieces if I have counted properly as I go along...

Over the weekend I took out a long forgotten UFO this week having seen Jeanette take hers out...

My stitcheries have all been done and fabrics chosen....

.. these are all the main stitcheries....

I made up half square and then quarter square triangles..... I always find the trimming rather satisfying and then getting nice squares to work with.....

these little oval stitcheries just need turning in to sew them down...

.. they will be attached to the outer border on this piece - with a bunch of teeny weeny 1/2" hexagon flowers which are yet to be made.... that is this weeks job!

... rather fun seeing a quilt take shape... 

This quilt is called In My Garden and is designed by Natalie Bird at Birdhouse Designs

So that is on my Design Board this week (hosted by dear Cath at Bits 'n Bobs)  

Righto, Gotto Go - those hexagon fabrics need cutting out.....

I hope you have a wonderful stitching week

Monday's Design Board...

Last week I finished off this little project....

It's a journal cover using Bloom's free tutorial HERE on her blog

... the inside is lined with sweet sewing related fabric too...

This weeks Design Board consists of a mix of hand  and machine sewing ...

I have some sampler blocks which I am going to partly hand piece on the very small tight curves

... and some Tea Time Teddies stitcheries which I will take with me on holiday ....

Thanks Cath at Bits 'n Bobs for hosting Design Board Monday.... the link is HERE if you'd like to join in too

I've started putting things together for packing for the holiday....  this may give you a hint...

... bathers and turkish towel /sarong .....

Righto, Gotto Go.... there's a passport involved too so I must get all the things sorted .....

Sampler Blocks and Design Board plans.....

A couple of weeks ago we got together to make a few more sampler blocks 

Duck and Ducklings - 21 pieces

Fools Puzzle - 36 pieces

Dutchman's Puzzle - 24 pieces

We are up to 95 blocks now - made up from 3072 pieces.....

I have a list of blocks to do for homework in February so those are first up on my Design Board Monday....

So far I haven't even chosen the fabrics for each block but there's 29 days to do that!!

I have covered my block box ...

the covered base can be used for a top for my taller box

.. and I finished up my mini wall of art....

some lovely pieces from different people

.. and the little stand gets changed from time to time with other pieces I have received from friends.

so lovely to look at them all and be inspired

I sewed the tuffet cover.. but I'm not showing it all to you as it's a surprise .... the tuffet will be made by my DIL who is doing an upholstery course

This weeks plan's include :

Sylvia's Sampler Blocks

Finishing off this little project.....

Quilting up this appliqued quilt.....

Thanks to Cathy at Bits 'n Bobs for hosting 

Just before I go a few pics from our day out this weekend...

this gum tree was a lovely rusty colour... the pic doesn't show it as strong a colour

I'm sure this rock is a dragon waiting to wake up.....

running creek... so tempting on a hot day

one of the local residents... magnificent fellow...

lovely area ... bottle brush pool

rain on the way home.. missed us unfortunately.....

hot day ... cool water... I couldn't resist it....

Righto, Gotta Go.... I think it's time for a coffee.....

FNSI and this weeks Design Wall

Thanks to Wendy from SugarLane Designs for having us over for FNSI ... it's always lovely sewing with everyone.  I had real time sewing with friends too .. there was about 15 of us and it got pretty noisy!! haha

I was sewing violets on this little teapot.....

... and again on Saturday night so this is finished now..... 

All four teapots are done for the corners for my table topper and this brings me to this weeks Design Board hosted by Cath at Bits 'n Bobs ..

First up is planning for the teapots and teacups...

I want them to go around the edge with the green fabric as sashing and border and then a patchwork from a Butterscoth and Roses charm pack that I have.  I think all the colours go nicely together and I want the stitcheries to be the noticeable thing in the quilt.

What I need to do is fiddle around with sizes of sashings and what to cut the blocks too... not my strong point at all!

I also have a bundle of pretty romantic fabrics awaiting .. they are included on the Design Board as I still want to add a few more darker colours but will need to go shopping for that (do I hear an "Aaaaaah ... poor Fiona having to go shopping for fabric!")

This is going to be for "The Splendid Sampler"  hosted by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson.  Not that I really need another sampler but I couldn't resist.  Stitchers from all over the world have joined up and I love community sewing groups ... these fabrics I had in the cupboard luckily awaiting for the perfect project and now I've found it!

I have finished last weeks quilt and have worked out the design for this weeks....  these are other peoples quilts so I'm not able to show the finished quilt and this doesn't really show what it will look like!  I do tell people my quilting is better than my drawing!!! haha

Do you remember my tuffet?    Well my DIL paid  me such a compliment by asking me to do her one in similar fabrics.... so these are on my design wall and I will be sewing them together on Thursday,  I am not making the tuffet up as she is doing an upholstery course and can do that herself.....

My box for 6" Sampler blocks was overflowing last week ...... and a friend found another box just the right size but with no lid... so the base of my last box is going to be the lid of this new box.... 

The reason it is on my Design Board is because I want to make the lid a bit prettier....

.. and of course life would not be good for me without a bit of handstitching... so this is happening.... which may or may not be a secret surprise!

My lovely second pile of 9 patches is on the Design Board too as I want to get a start on cutting some sashing for the blocks... I am using light neutral pieces ...

... that's a fair amount to get done .... especially as I am decorating my sewing room at long last with a selection of mini quilts sent to me over the years....

Hubz is off work today ... so I needed to find him jobs to do that suit me... or he gets into his own stuff!!! 

Righto, Gotto Go.. he's up from his snooze and needs supervising - and much excitement it is raining... I hope we get heaps