Boys Story .....

 Hubz has been out of town for a few days and so I have taken advantage of the empty house, the wet weather and the fact that I can easily live on a pot of chicken soup and plenty of tea - and the occasional piece of french toast with lashings of maple syrup

It has taken me a while to finally get this very cute quilt quilted and bound..... 

I found it hard to think of how I wanted to quilt it..... finally I decided on quite big swirls in the main piecing, in the ditch and just around the edge of the pictures in the applique blocks, and just around the squares in the little cartoon stitcheries....

Soooooo much fun doing the different blocks .... I just loved every part of this quilt, the pictures are funny and the detail is amazing ....

Should you wish to look at more detail of this quilt just follow THIS LINK.... I know you will be surprised but I did blog lots about it as I went along.... and the link should pick up all the relevant posts...

Boys Story is designed by Anni Downs - as always her book has a number of delightful projects .... I know I will be using it again

Righto, Gotto Go..... a cuppa to celebrate methinks.... (and later maybe a beer to celebrate) ...  

Love it.....

Last week I received another postcard... this time from Lin in France...

It is really intricate... there is background writing and stitching and then additional layers of seeds (at least they seem to be empty seed cases to me)... then fine fabric and more stitching.... so much work and detail  ....

I love it.....

My Boys Story quilt top is together now.....

waving in the wind out in the sunshine

...even the lorikeet was having a look (can you see it one the branch?)

I had some help from Kris and Marion at Quilters Angel with the fabric choices - I'm thrilled how they came together

I have some 'robot' flannellette for the backing and I will do a plain binding I think

I love it

I'm rather sad to have finished the top... at least I can still play with it for the quilting

Boys Story is by Anni Downs.... and it is a book with quite a few other projects in it that I would like to do..

This quilt is going to stay at my house.. for when boys come to visit....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have long followed Michelle's blog at Raspberry Rabbits and have just loved to see her projects .....

so I couldn't resist her latest book and was so excited when it arrived this week....

Michelle calls her craft Folk Art Fusion and is a different technique....

I love it....

As with books there are lots of projects that I want to do.... think I might start with this one though....

... but I might change my mind????

My hoya plant (given to me by a neighbour) has it's first ever flower....

you can even see the honey drops on those amazing waxy flowers....

I love it....

Righto, Gotto Go... lots to love today....

PATTERN WINNERS....... and more blocks ..............

Thanks so much to all those of you who offered to help in decluttering my sewing room...

Mr Random helped me... and what I did is select a pattern and Mr R chose a name.... once a person got a pattern their name was taken out unless there were no other takers.... just to try and give as many of you a chance for a pattern.....

Now I wish I had a lot more patterns to give out... it hurts me not to give everyone something!!

Stripey Purse - Simone

Rosies Bag - Raelene

Ginger & Spice - Barb

Sashiko Bag - Noela

French Shopping Spree - Sheila

Merry Little Christmas - Linda

Santas Little Helpers - Sisbabe Stitches

Teddy Wallhanging - Linda

Sugar & Spice Cot Quilt - Jeanette

Puppy Dogs Tails Cot Quilt - Debra

Little Red - Sue SA

After The Picnic - Simone

Colour & Carry - Shez
Angel Block - Maria

Please send me your details in an email and I will get these posted off.....

The angel block is still available.... sometimes a single block seems odd but it would be great for a cushion... I made mine into a very pretty candle mat.... GONE 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...meanwhile... back at the homestead ....

... a robot terrified earthlings ....

.. the dog sat under the trees to contemplate the meaning of life....

... a bloke went fishing....

.... in a deep ocean....

UFO's took on a new meaning....

 ... and moonmen disappeared ....

... another section put together....

 .... so close to a flimsy............. sooooo close........

Righto, Gotto Go....  the last few days of October ....

a postcard... and a growing quilt.... and a smokey sunset....

Mr Postie dropped off my "Fall" postcard today....

This came all the way from Linda in Canada  who I have only just met through this swap...  I love the clever stitching on the pumpkin and the use of selvage.. what a fun one is that sewing quote from The Sound of Music.  When Linda has received hers I will show you what I made.

I love the postcard swaps... they are just lovely small pieces of art.. and a fun way of meeting other bloggers....  thank you Sheila for organising this one....

The Boys Story quilt continues to grow... we now have a castle in the kingdom ....

... where dragons are fought and girls are frightened with spiders..... 

.. and trains chug through the mountains.... 

.. the two blocks together .... 

anyone who has made this quilt will notice things facing the 'other' way... I always forget to reverse but I don't think it matters at all....

Hot and dry and windy - dusty and smokey with fires at the moment...... this was the sun going down a couple of afternoons ago... the smoke was very heavy - quite far from us but it is early for such extreme fire warnings

 - 

Righto, Gotto Go.......the weekend is here to enjoy...

... and the story continues....

The next block is the ship

.. it seems to be a pirate ship.....

... there is the threat of spells which girls don't like! ...

... there are also more placid past times.....

... and here is the applique kite....

... and the first row of blocks is finished....

(54" wide)

I am continuing slowly with Scandanavian Rose blocks as my hand work in the evenings.... slow but steady and I am just doing it all in backstitch .... I do love the pictures on these...

Righto, Gotto Go... still more blocks to get together.... and the Queens Birthday to enjoy.... perhaps we need cake?

FNWF.....

FNWF is usually an all day sewing event with friends for me.... as it is on the day a group of us get together at Quilters Angel for stitching and sharing a lunch, lots of laughing, a bit of shopping and lots of chat

I finished off the binding for this charity quilt made and quilted by someone else

the colours are really a lot more cheerful than the picture shows

Last evening in front of the TV I did some hand stitching for a Christmas wall hanging on a piece of lovely white linen

.... I promised myself I would work on the Boys Story blocks having done the stitcheries and applique blocks some time ago

Block A - Aeroplane

... and a close up ... the cartoons on this quilt always make me laugh...

Thanks Cheryll for hosting us on Friday night..... your apple slice was yummy...

Righto, Gotto Go... only 8 more blocks to go.... and a long weekend to enjoy