North Pole QuiltAlong

.... earlier this month I was working on some blocks for my North Pole Christmas quilt....

Val is hosting a quiltalong for this and I am trying to work according to her suggested plan...

there are 7 of us altogether making this... you can join too!!!

Mr & Mrs Clause's house

as you can see I'm doing a bit of mixed fabrics, there are cottons, trims, wool felt for the trees and some fussy cutting (door and little tree)

Trees and Reindeer

I will finish off the tree with a button star and some 'real' wood antlers for the reindeer at the end.... 

Righto, Gotto Go... got the Elves bunkhouse and the 'carryout' to make next 

(I'm tossing between 'takeaway' or 'BottleO'.... what do you think?)

Val has a linky HERE so can always pop along and see what others are doing - I just LLLLOOOOVVVE Val's block...

PS.... Rellies are here, rain has stopped, rivers are going down, sun is out,  .... 

 

Not happy Jan.....

I have had  a beautifully clean house... all is was tidy, meals organised, beds made, cookies baked...... even my sewing stuff tidied (sortof!)

after moaning about the heat and dry.... the rain came 

we were not able to go to the airport to fetch rellies..........

... even the galah was not too happy about it.... was expecting extra show off treats....

another view of our 'little creek'.....

... to console myself I made a few more scrappy trip blocks.... this is 6 blocks... aren't they such fun???

Rellies are ensconsed in a motel in the big smoke... Hubz has gone via a back way which is open today .. the main highway is still closed 

Floods all over Queensland, fires in NSW .... (the rain is on the way ... but it's not playing nice!)

I am sorry they haven't got here as planned... but everyone is safe and I am happy for that.... there are people having far worse times and I know that.... 

There is an appeal out for quilts for people affected by the fires in NSW ... see HERE - they have lost everything.....

Righto, Gotto Go... quilt to make.....

... rain to watch...

...... better replenish the chocolates I put on the pillows .... (for the fourth time!)

FNSI results

Happy Australia Day

these are the chocolates I had to keep me going for FNSI

(now I said I was no desserts, no cakes... nothing about no chocolates)

this is what I finished off last evening

 very happy with my couch's new look

did you notice what is in the corner?

haha... gotta have a spider in the corner for a spiderweb quilt???

53" x 93"

I didn't add wadding.. with the scraps it is quite heavy and I wanted it more of a throw for this purpose....

I did stitch in the ditch to hold it together

if it's not a quilt I wonder if it is called quilting
maybe I just 'throwed' it together

did some wiggle wiggles along the piano key border... I wanted a bit of stiffness to hold the edges down

not the usual bias... I used 2" double fold and then sewed it on the back and folded the whole piece over to the front
(all machine work)

just the last bits done last evening and then I got out the hand sewing.. not much of that done... great game of tennis on the TV

This is another UFO done ... has been in the blocks stage for a while

Wishing you all a lovely weekend, long weekend here in Aus and our rellies arrive on Sunday night

For those who are shared the love about my cleaning frenzy

I share this poem

My neighbour is washing her windows,

And scrubbing and mopping her floors,

But my house is all topsy and turvey,

And dust is behind the doors.

My neighbour, she keeps her house spotless,

And she goes all day on a trot:

But no one would know in a fortnight

If she swept today or not.

The task I am at is enticing –

My neighbour is worn to a rag –

I am making a quilt out of pieces

I saved in a pretty chintz bag.

And the quilt, I know my descendants

Will exhibit with credit to me –

“So lovely – my grandmother made it

Long ago in 1933”.

But will her grandchildren remember

Her struggles with dirt and decay?

They will not – they will wish she had made them

The quilt I am making today.

Elizabeth Ryan DeCoursey

(Thanks to my friend Helen who sent me this...)

Righto, Gotto Go... Australia Day to enjoy (widget's coming to play)

Sign up ... sign up for the magical stitching time...

Thanks to Narelle for hosting ....

this month these little tags were completed.... a cute little stitchery and then some felt at the back and a piece of ribbon to tie.....

This also happens to be a UFO (I did others last year HERE) .... so that's another finish for ....

... It's amazing how soon the 25th of each month arrives!!!!  only 10 more then it's time for the man in the red suit to come again......  it's not too late to join us at Narelles..... there's no pressure, make a Christmas decoration or a gift and see what others make HERE...

Today the 25th is also sign ups for OPAM (One Project a Month) 

(we will also get a new badge that says 2013!!)

where we count up our projects that we do each month.... also no pressure and so fun making a list... I've already started my January one on the left of my blog.....
(and now I can add my Christmas tags to that)

If you want to join just pop over to Kris.... or Peg..... and of course you can read more about OPAM there too.... 

And tonight is:



Sign up is here at Heidi's.....

Righto, Gotto Go... better get stitching....

The pressure is on.....

I am still shuddering that I put up a post that had so much to do with housekeeping.... (sorry to swear ladies)....

I am under pressure you see..... visitors are coming.... from overseas..... in-laws....

... now you understand...

..... look at my outside couch ....

so I have pulled out my scrappy spiderweb ......

.... not quite big enough .....

..... luckily I had some other blocks so I made up a couple more strips.... it's very long and thin....

.... machine is working hard.......

.... better.. but not quite right.....

...... I'm out with all those scrappy strips under 2 1/2" and making piano keys along the sides

...... do you do last minute fix up clean up things before visitors....

.... silly really.....

..... they are coming to see us... not check the upholstery....

.... pppffftt.... who am I kidding... they are the in-laws... of course they will look at the upholstery... and the dust.... 

OH NO.... I just remembered they will look at the windows too.....

.... at least I will have a tidy scrap box when they come....

.... and a lovely new kettle....

.... and iron....

...... and mop.....

.... I think they will need icecream???? ....

Righto, Gotto Go... back to the sewing machine... 

New things.....

The little bags for give-away are going to these homes....

# 26 Anthea... for her 5 year old niece

# 18 Helen.... for her 2 girls Beautiful Bridget and Sweatheart Chloe (I'll send 2 to you Helen... )

# 28 Nicky ... for her littlest girl....

Please send me your snail mail addresses ladies and I'll get them in the post...

Thanks for the compliments ..... as always I wish I could send to everyone.... but remember the link is HERE... and you can make your own... only needs little pieces... in no time you can make 5 and do a give-away too!!  I really do get a thrill when people want the thingies I make....

Last week my iron deceased on me... so a new one was got.... 

Hubz said I could have a nice new sturdy ironing board too.... (I don't know how I put up with the rickety one before!!) 

3 years ago Mum-in-lay came and stayed and mentioned about my ironing board and cover..... it was bad then!!!! 

Then my mop fell to pieces.... so this is also new and better than before ... don't you love that fluro green????

Today my kettle has a hissy fit and spat sparks at me.....

.... okay, okay... that's 3 things... no more!!

(the non electrical mop is the most expensive item.... it should wipe on it's own!)

As much as I love new things.... I'd rather be shopping for fabric... or an icecream maker....

Righto, Gotto Go... off to town we go....

I'm in love.....

... with the postman.... (don't tell Hubz)

Firstly my cushion from the cushion swap hosted by Sue arrived....

I'm sure some people heard me SQUEEEEEALLLLLLL

Jan sent to me this awesome pillow in pink and green.... 

I just love these petal and button details on it....

... and such a clever way to close the cushion.... another lovely detail...

It's just lovely and I am so pleased with it.... so pretty .... it was originally planned to be for a spare bedroom but I have decided to keep it in my sewing/computer room ... it's for me you see...

Another SQUEEAAAALLLL when a parcel arrived from Jane in the UK where I had won a play mat in a give away .....

isn't it so fun.... quite a big one and perfect for when I have little visitors...

Hubz is going to organise some discs and a dice for us

I wanted to show you the detail... this is all cross stitch on a canvas... isn't it amazing?

Both of these are lovely handmade additions to my home... thanks Jan and Jane.....

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend......

I'm doing a bit of this

.... and this.....

... and this.....

Righto, Gotto Go.... coffee, coffeeee, cofffffeeeeee