Working on those long neglected projects...

We have had a spate of public holidays over the last few weeks .... it's a good opportunity to take the day off normal duties and sew for myself!!

I  made up these shopping bags from furnishing cotton - they are not lined, but boxed and will be great for going shopping.  Trying to be better about not taking the plastic in the shops (I used to be so good but somehow got forgetful about my bags).... 

Now Hubz and I each have some in the boot of our car so we are always ready (I just need to remember to take them out the boot at the shops!!! grrr I get cross with myself)

Last year my friend Michelle gave me this sweet pattern and fabric and I did up the stitcheries... then it became a UFO....

Well now it is two cute little finishes....

Naughty Lyn and Christine were trying to work out just how much I could stuff into the pouches for them at Christmas time....  so I might need to make more!

I did the stitcheries of a quilt by Rosalie Dekker over the last few years (in fact I still have some left) but I chose not to make them into a quilt and I am slowly trying to make them into smaller gifts.  This week I added a flange border and blocks around one....

With help from friends in putting this together it will become a cushion.... What is even better I am using fabrics left over from a quilt top I made a couple of years ago (which is itself a UFO)....

These two pieces will be for the envelope back...  I want to quilt front and back before joining them together....

... so I am using left over scraps from one UFO to finish off another UFO.....  oh gosh...

Righto, Gotto Go.... This months Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour is green - so I'd like to get my basket made today - but first a cup of coffee......

A new bag.......

I was impressed when my eldest daughter (who I am embarrassed to say cannot sew on a button!) gave me packages of fabric as a gift ..... thoughtful gift for a non-sewer...

A couple of years ago I made this saddle bag with the foxy fabrics

I use it such a lot ..... I'll definitely make this one again....

My other bunch of fabric was London themed ......

Since I will be visiting that big city (and surrounds) soon I decided I needed an appropriate touristy bag....

This pattern is Gypsy Bag by Julie Lovell of Calico Farm Designs...  it's a lovely big bag too .....  I think I'll do another using a charm pack...

Hubz and I have a lot of family in UK and so we try to visit every few years... there are children, grandchildren, a sibling, neice, nephew and a parent as well as cousins and an aunt..... plus some friends....  As such our accommodation is sorted.....

I'm a bit excited..... just a tiddly bit..... but also a bit pre-travel panic is starting!  

Dutch Treat blocks continue... this week I had some relatively easy ones....

This now means I am halfway with my blocks...... 

(not including the borders which is worth another 60 blocks of work!!!)

Righto, Gotto Go - I want to place the blocks out to see what half my Dutch Treat quilt looks like...  and I need to make a pre-travel list....

Christmas UFO finish.. and some wallets ...

I do seem to have a collection of stitcheries that I finished and thats as far as I went with them..... so I am trying to get some into projects.

This little house stitchery is one of Michelle's designs.... I think I have had it several years.... it was certainly in my UFO list for a while!

anyhow, I still have some smaller pieces of my lovely tree fabric so I put on borders (my latest fad is that little 1/4" flange/peeper on the edge of a project), basic quilting, binding and I found the perfect hanger at my LQS and I have a UFO finish.... yay de yay de yay....

I have to admit I find it hard thinking up things to make with my stitcheries...... a lot seem to become mini quilts/wallhangings...

These little wallets have been waiting for some attention..... I had two prepared but sewed one wrong to now it got adapted into a small one.... which a grandiegirl I think will enjoy....

my little one just has the single pocket.....

They don't take long at all to make and I think I should do more... nice little gifts...

Righto, Gotto Go.....  since I made up a stitchery into something I should find a new one to stitch ????? .......

April Projects .....

OPAM is hosted by Peg and Kris.....  this month I managed to  finish 5 projects.....

Mug rug, Table Topper, Scraps bucket and Dogs Blanket

and these cute little baby shoes

Finishing Stitches is hosted by Joy and includes UFO's that blocks have been made towards a finish

The main one I am doing is Dutch Treat which is all hand applique....

I got 10  blocks done this month for it (my original plan was 1 a week so I feel very pleased when I over achieve on them!!)

Of the finished projects 2 of them were UFO's - I am always extra pleased when an old project is brought out the cupboard and finished....

I inherited these little snail's trail blocks - just had to remove the papers and put them together and add some flying geese to them

Another of my monthly challenges is a Christmas Item each month hosted by Narelle....

... this month all I managed was a block towards a Christmas project....

a little bit of progress is better than none....

So there we go..... last day of April ..... 

Righto, Gotto Go... working on some home made shopping bags.....  should get an early finish for May!

Hello

I went away for a few days - in an aeroplane southwards to Melbourne.  There are a couple of little people I needed to cuddle.....

Gosh - I know all Nana's say this - but they are gorgeous.  The older one (5 years) is just like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh and as soon as daylight comes he is bouncing to let us know it's morning! So chatty and great fun. 

 Little one amazed me on his scooter.... can hardly talk (not yet 2) but he knows, shoes, scooter, park..... and if he had his way he would be there all day everyday.

Anyway - coming back meant I sulked for a couple of days... 

At Easter we don't do heaps of gift giving, but I have a Grandie here and so can't ignore it all together.... however, he doesn't like Chocolate....

Hubz and I put all our loose change in this jar over the year.....

I emptied out all the 10c pieces and 5 c pieces..... and added a rabbit!

Counting them out kept him occupied for a while - he got about $16 out of it.... handy little collection of coins!

.. and I have added my border on my big squares quilt.....

I love it and hope I will find time to quilt it soon - getting cool here 

Another block in Gardener's Journal is done.... these fine ladies are off to the Garden Show....

I wanted to use up some long lengths of wadding for the above quilt.... thought I would show how I join it - I know there are all sorts of different ways but this is what I find easiest

I butted the two straight sides and held them together with some masking tape....  I find this is most important to stop any stretching whilst you sew

then slowly stitched with the widest triple zig zag stitch.....

 On my machine it is the one in 05 here....

hardly shows at the end

Do you join wadding?  I don't very often but I seem to have a collection of long pieces that are fairly wide and I needed some wadding for my big squares quilt...

This block of Dutch Treat took me ages, all those tiny curves....

 

Righto, Gotto Go... quilting to do, bag to make...

Christmas Quilt Stitch-A-Long....

Michelle produced this lovely Christmas quilt and pattern book.  I snatched up a copy as soon as I could but good intentions have been kept at bay....

Now is the time to sew a new Christmas quilt....

Isn't it just too pretty?????

This is Michelle's book - as well as the quilt there are a number of other projects in it too.....

... and Guess What?  Raewyn and I are going to host a Stitch-A-Long and we would love you to join us.

Chookyblue has kindly offered the use of the Stitch-A-Long blog so we can post our progress and keep encouraging one another to keep going....  Thanks Chooky -

Wanting to start in May - depending if people need a bit more time to gather supplies ....

Please let me know if you'd like to join.....

Holly Cottage Christmas can be purchased directly from Michelle.... details are in the sidebar of her blog....

Although Michelle did her quilt using Needleturn Applique, it lends itself well for blanket stitch (hand or machine) and there is some stitchery too as well as the piecing of the blocks, which are not complicated at all.....

I have a fat 1/8th pack of Anni Downs fabrics - and bought a bit of extra's for borders and background.... this is what I'll be using....

Taking names now... more details later .....

any questions? 

Righto, Gotto Go... planning to do!!!

a long weekend of sewing.....

These are my latest little houses for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The colour this month is 'multicoloured' - all those pieces that don't fit clearly into one or another colour.

They really do look scrappy but will fit in fine with all the colours once they are put together....

each beach hut finishes at 2 3/4 x 3 1/2" (unsewn)

I prepped up a new project (since I have been tackling my UFO's so well).  Fabric my eldest daughter got me in the UK a few years ago... so I will make up that Gypsy bag  in them.... rather fun!  I need a touristy bag....

Dutch Treat carries on.  Some blocks take me a week of evenings .. others I get done over a couple of evenings

 Over the weekend I played with these fabrics....

 It's a layer cake of Kathy Schmidtz called 'Garden Notes' and if I could I think I would have bought a bolt of them all.... I just love love love those little prints....

.... I got some metreage in the blue bees for a border - even the selvage is adorable!

The grey sashing and green corner stones are totally different fabrics but hold the colours which is want I wanted....

 the fabrics are so lovely that I didn't want to cut them up so making up big square quilt is just perfect - plus there will be no waste and it will still be a great size for my bed.  

Righto, Gotto Go..... Tuesday means sewing day ....