Wool Swap Parcel ....

Yesterday I received a parcel from my swap partner in FHFS (Friends Having Fun Swap)

THANK YOU SO MUCH PEG

The satchel was stuffed full of loveliness.....

a glamorous mug and mug rug with a wool flower....

.. and the prettiest needlecase (there is wool inside) and this gorgeous scented candle (which is perfect for my quilting room!)

... oooh and some sweet treats and magnetic 'pegs'....

... the sweet treats hid from Hubz very quickly ....

... and the main wool item is this very pretty table topper ....

.. it's all wool save the backing and binding and Peg is so clever with colours and put together such a pretty item ....

... once I have some spaces cleared in this mess of a half unpacked house it will find it's forever home - I might even hang it up as it really is a very happy pretty piece.

Thanks so much Peg, I love it all and it was so fun doing this wool swap.  Thanks to you and Shez for organising these which is giving us different things to think about and play with.

Peg had great news this week - a little grandieboy arrived for her - and he is very adorable.. wishing you many many hours of happiness with this little man... 

Righto, Gotto Go... I'm off for some coffee in my new mug!

(it's ok to get those chocs out of hiding for breakfast isn't it?)

Blocks and Stuff....

It was wonderful to have the girls over and do some sewing of our Sylvia's Bridal Sampler on Tuesday.....  we got 2 blocks done

Birds In The Air (10 pieces)

Weathervane (37 pieces)

Even though I haven't finished unpacking I was in desperate need to do a bit of quilting... this is a sweet panel from The Quilters Angel - many of you will recognise it is Anni Downs pictures

(sorry for the faded look) 

I am going to go around the edges and then up the sashings - simple quilting so the pictures are shown up well...

For those of you who do Facebook I have opened up a page for BubzRugz .  This will be more sewing and quilting related as opposed to my personal page...  

I have been doing some hand stitching in the evenings..... just a hint for now until Helen receives it...

On Wednesday I went on the bus with a friend to the Craft and Quilt Fair in Brisbane... one of the things I bought was some crushed walnut shells ... then around the corner I saw some more - look at the difference as to the grinding... so I got some more of the finer one which I think would be kinder to pins?  It's not cheap is it?  I have had no luck sourcing from Pet Stores around here.

I also attended a workshop run by BeBe Bold on 'boro' which was fun and I got this top of a coaster completed in the hour.... mine certainly was the most 'organic' one - the others looked so much tidier - but I had fun and think I might use some scraps this way!

I wanted to get a few more backgrounds in Reproduction prints for my sampler quilt... a couple of colours got mixed up with them too!!!

I didn't take photo's on the day... I had a problem with my phone (which is also my camera).... it was in my back trouser pocket and fell out when I got up from the loo!!!  I will spare you the details but after a wipe and overnight dry it seems to be ok for now!!  

However, I did meet up with a few people, and missed a few others, ran out of time to look at all the stores and quilts and was almost late for boarding the bus back!

Righto, Gotto Go... I'm off to play with that panel 

We made it.......

Wednesday we got moved out....

(Kris tagged me in this picture .. haha.. we did need 2 loads but in all fairness it was a smallish truck and we had a heap of pot plants to move! - that's my story - Hubz' tells it different)

... and moved in....

my daughter brought me flowers for my new home....

... and we had this view in the evening from our little veranda ... 

I have booked my space....

and we have had quite a few birdie visitors... (this birdbath and statue were left here... lovely - looks a bit like me????)

I gave Hubz a break and went out to stitching on Friday night.... 

I fell in love with these rainbow roses at the quilt shop

footy fever this weekend and we had people visitors to stay....

... and today the Tuesday girls are coming round to sew.....

there's still lots of boxes and things to sort, I keep getting lost and walking the wrong way,  We feel like we are at home!

Righto, Gotto Go.... must put the kettle on....

September quilting challenge

When I was demonstrating at the quilt show I had several pieces ready to work on...

One of them was my September challenge for QuiltShopGal's freemotion quilting challenge that I am working on each month....

This month featured Kaleidoscope Kreations software but an alternative design to trace was provided for use in Option 1, which is what I chose to use.

As in other challenges I have used a 'recycled' piece... this is a plain white napkin this time.. with a small detail at one corner....

I had already traced out the feathers and first up was placing the traced napkin on top of wadding and stitching carefully around the edge using a water soluble thread...

After that I trimmed the wadding back to behind the napkin hem and then that was then placed on a background fabric which had more wadding and backing on it - this was to give a bit of extra puff to the piece... 

I first sewed it carefull around the hem to stabilise the napkin onto the background fabric

... then the real fun started on the quilting of the feathers...... which I did using a pale blue embroidery thread 

I don't feel I am very good at keeping on the lines but when you iron/wash out what you have traced with it looks fine.... mistakes get hidden

... added more feathers on the outside of the feathered star....

.. and then stippled quite tightly on the background to make the feathered parts stand out more...

I have included a safety pin so you can get an idea of size.. they were pretty small feathers

I then did larger feathers in a circle around the square napkin...

... I always like the effect on the back... sometimes more than the front!

the challenge is for a finished cushion, which I am just not going to get done this month due to moving house, however I thought it was worth linking up anyway to show I have made use of this great tutorial and idea (saving up for the software as there are so many fun ideas!!)

Thanks Darlene for another great challenge, and thanks to Terri Lucas who was this months guest tutor.... I will be looking out for October's challenge.

Anybody else wanting to learn and practice your FMQ .. this is a great way of doing it ... you can join in anytime and of course read back to the challenges earlier in the year.... they are great reference material...

Righto, Gotto Go.... I am packing away my lovely sewing room things today... so only hand sewing from now on to keep me sane....

I had to have a break......

.... from these boxes....

I had already managed to make the border from the 2" blocks....

... and whenever Hubz wasn't looking I hid in the sewing room and did a bit more.... (he thought I was sorting stuff!!)

.... but I discovered that this is true for me....

... and this morning whilst Hubz caught up on the World Cup Rugby he had recorded, I did a bit more 'sorting'.....

I love this top......

This is Anni Downs "Natures Journey" and I have used a range of French General fabrics "Lumiere de Noel"

... and I purchased some plain red French General for the binding.....

... now it's folded up together and packed in a box.....

Big thanks and Hugz to Chookyblue who hosts the StitchALong and trusty Susan who helps out with a bit of whip cracking..... and all the girls who sewalong and are so encouraging to each other....

Righto, Gotto Go... I think oven cleaning is the worst job in the process of moving house so I think I will get it over and done with.....