Too many things at once.....

Hello, hello......

Time to show off what I have been doing..... These are a series of Christmas stitcheries that I will be making into a banner...  I am using a thicker thread (actually is for weaving but I like the colour and the little bit of lumpy texture - though it is not the smoothest to sew)

My Gardeners Journal has a new block sewn... they are very sweet stitcheries to do....

.. and another of the Christmas stitcheries was completed..... one colour makes for fairly quick sewing....

I actually made this next one previously but since there is a new Stitch-A-Long happening with Michelles book I brought it out.... For May we are collecting up the pattern book, fabrics and making one of the small items if we so wish.  

In June the first block is to be done - which is the stocking...

The Stitch-A-Long is open to any bloggers - we all sew the same quilt and post about it each month on the SAL blog....

I don't remember us ever having door hangers growing up.... but I am partial to them so it's lovely to have this one.

A bloggy social engagement on Friday saw Chookyblue, Susan, Kris, Maree and myself having some coffee chats and some patchwork shop visits....  a very fun day....

I have sewn on the binding for my new quilt.... and just need to hand sew it down....

It can't fit in my basket by my chair of the projects I am actually hand sewing in the evenings - depending on my mood.... Dutch Treat, Gardeners Journal, a secret, Christmas sticheries, applique.

But today I am going to do a bit of my own quilting..... this bear is going to be another cushion.  I've done some little rosey flowers around the bear and now some hearts... I think it will be a little bit cute!

Our little pond has some new habitants.... can you see the little multicoloured fish on the right.... and just above the lightest fish is a pure black one....  There are 4 new babies.

The fish are always fun to watch....

Righto, Gotto Go... that cushion is not going to quilt itself!

Green month......

This months Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour is green..... I made up my basket and it is quite full - I seem to have quite a bit of green scraps....

On Tuesday we made up our little green houses..... mine are very scrappy and any green went in...

This is a UFO from Stitchers Dream Day Out a couple of years ago.  A design by Libby Richardson who is coming to the next one in September - so I thought I would work on it...

The borders are added now and I have made a backing - it will become a cushion but I think I want to give it some quilting .....

In the meantime I have finished this UFO - a stitchery that I have made up into a cushion.... did the handsewing of the binding and found a cheap pillow to use as stuffing.....

I do love it and it looks good in my lounge - even Hubz commented....

The back is envelope style.... my favourite way .....

Righto, Gotto Go.....  heaps to do.....

Half a quilt......

So this is what half my Dutch Treat quilt blocks looks like (98 blocks) .....

It's taken the best part of a year to do these.....

The borders are equivalent to another 60 blocks..... 

... so another 2 years of making blocks I think......

hmmmmmmmm

I do like using old doilies in projects and recently I bought a bundle, some of which I didn't really want....

like these cool retro orange antimacassars crocheted in cotton......

A quick whiz half way through them with the overlocker and I have 10 new dishcloths!

I hope I haven't ruined a set of collectables?????  I don't colour coordinate my kitchen as you possibly can tell...... bright orange is fine there... it's a happy colour!

Whilst waiting for some backing to arrive I quilted my cushion cover...

I did the backs in an all over sort of floral....

and the front is custom, orange peels around the squares (it always works) and echo round the stitcheries and straight lines in the borders....  keeping it classic....

Righto, Gotto Go..... the day is disappearing too fast....

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!