Sewing.... sewing... quilting... gardening...

At the weekend I was lucky enough to win a lucky door number prize (there are always heaps and it's so fun).  This glasses case was made by Steph from The Quilters Angel under Me & Leigh Creations....  her work is just lovely and I have bought a few gifts from her over the years....

I have been lucky enough to be quite busy with quilting... it's other people's quilts so I'm not showing them off here...  I still do my own handwork at night  and here is another 4 of the Dutch Treat blocks.... as you can see they are all so different....

Dear Shez had a birthday this month and we always trade gifties at this time ....  I didn't realise until too late that it was an extra special birthday she was celebrating but I did put this bag together for her and fill it with a few goodies....  I think it's always nice to have a little pampering and Shez is doing a bit of travelling around so hopefully this will be of some use....

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler has been a bit neglected and I had been meaning to put some borders on the sides to square up the shape a bit...

 I cut up a whole bunch of 2 1/2" squares in coloured and background fabrics and sewed these together...

.  then just added these strips to the two sides....

... now I can truly say the top of this quilt is finished....

I got rather keen with organising the leftover fabric (I was sick and tired of them being all over the place as they have been for the last year) and cut up some 10" squares, 5" squares and 2.5" squares...  I wish I would do this more often instead of a pile of odd bits...

One of the best things in the first year of a new home is discovering what is in the garden...

We have a hedge of this port wine magnolia... the scent in the evening is like port wine jelly - almost too sweet to be there for too long.... It is just covered in blooms...

I have quite a few clivia, which we split and moved to fill up some gaps when we got here... it's lovely to see the two colours  - so bright and cheerful...

we were given a wisteria so it was our first planting and it has had it's first flowers this year.  I'm sure it will do lots of growing this year now it has settled....

I do love the bunches and they have a lovely delicate scent...

This is the one I had in my last house.... it was just amazing and what I am hoping the fence will look like in a few years....

Righto, Gotto Go... I want to prepare some more Dutch Treat blocks today...

I hope you have a lovely day doing something you love

FNWF and other things....

I was pretty exhausted after waiting for little baby to arrive on Friday ..... 

Astrid Sophie is her name.... ( I think she was doing a little smile especially for me!)

... and she and her mum are home now.... all is good...

... we had a lovely sunset whilst we toasted her arrival...

... and in the evening for FNWF (thanks Dory aka Cheryl aka Chez for having us)  I finished off the last stitches on this Michelle Ridgeway alphabet letter for a friend with an upcoming birthday ....

... and sewed a button on this Christmas postcard which is going to Brazil....

The next morning I checked my hoya plant....and its lovely honey drops...

... this plant just fascinates me... and this little spider was enjoying the honey I think....

... and we enjoyed the galah's over for breakfast....

... young widget came to stay... he also enjoyed his breakfast! ....

... today I wanted to change my rotary blade.... (all that trimming of HST's)....

... I had never noticed the warning signs before.... anyone use goggles when they are cutting?????

our hobby seems to be getting more and more dangerous..... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... a bit of danger risk taking to do.... hmmmmm

Power Tools....

I'm linking up to Melody's Tuesday Treasure ...

This is a central bed in the backyard......

..... you can see it has become a bit of a jungle....

Hubz used a 4 wheel drive to remove bushes....

I got out the power tools for some chopping of the smaller stuff...

(My family get nervous at this stage... I have been known to cut through power cords!)

there was a really persistent plant that amused us...

 Hubz did most of the work and this is the comparison at the end of the weekend...

just a bit more tidying up and then we can let it grass over....

Job done.. (oh and we found 3 missing balls - dog is happy)

I get a bit too tired so I needed some soothing therapy....

and for the handsewing in the evenings a bit of this ....

  and this ....

without the mechnical power of tools (and vehicles) it would have taken a lot longer

so they really were a treasure this weekend

Do you powertool??? 

Righto, Gotto Go.... things to sew ....

Blocks ...... and Bits.....

I have started making my Japanese blocks .....

Yosegi nikuzushi (Simple pairs)

Yosegi gokuzushi (Simple fives)

Thanks to Annette who sent me these lovely fabrics to add to my collection of orientals which I am using for these blocks

I think I am going to have such fun doing these - the colours and designs are so varied and happy

I have created a new page on my blog  日本のブロック which you can see HERE
(that is supposed to mean Japanese blocks - in Japanese - I am open to correction)
this page will be my showcase for the blocks made

I have reaped my pretty YingYang bean seeds
I received seeds last year from Tracy - they grew, we ate, we have kept seeds
(if you enjoy home grown goodness you really should visit Tracy at Sunny Corner Farm)

I really think these should sit in a pretty glass dish

and admired my little flowering gum
it is only just over a metre tall
and the flowers from this little beauty now decorate my blog header

used my Go Cutter to cut flannel raggy squares

I had a bit of trouble getting nice clean cuts on all the raggy bits.... anybody got helpful hints?

then I sewed up sandwiches of 3 flannel raggy squares 

the squares will be made up into a quilt for the Quilting Angels to give out

Righto - Gotta Go.... quilt needs pinning, tea needs sipping,
laundry needs washing, hoovering needs , ironing needs doing, food needs cooking, tables need dusting


HOPING YOU HAVE AN ENORMOUSLY GOOD WEEK

Woop Woop

I only live 20km out of the city centre and in a small town (obviously unimportant according to the definition below!!!) .. but sometimes you would think I live way out Woop Woop

(Woop Woop : invented name for any small unimportant town - "he lives in Woop Woop" )

and post can take an extra few days to get to me....

like my lovely little Christmas gift from Melody - I love it.. thanks Melody... you get so many of these lovely gifts done

isn't this row of snails just awesome?

and today these goodies from Michelle....

a lovely little package with sewing needle, those little leather finger thimble ends and Valdani thread to try

(and some lollies - one is already nibbled!!!)

Now I'm all set for doing their BOM's this year.... thank you Melody and Michelle.... special

A few pictures of summertime in my garden....

trying to make my post box look pretty and inviting for Mr Postie!!!

...... over the year I made up a bunch of half square triangle blocks as leaders and enders on my sewing projects...

it's time for them all to come together now....

... now I need to sort another bunch of leaders and enders....

I think I will use up my scrap strips to do a Spiderweb like this one of Tarnyia's