Little Birdies....

December brought the last of the Birdie Stitcheries that I have just loved doing this year....

These have been free from Little Miss Shabby (and they are still available - just go to the Birdie Stitches tab at the top of her blog page)

I think it will be a perfect quilt for a spare bed.. especially for when little grandiegirls come visiting... so many pretty things to look for.....

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas Cheer ...... thanks Shez for this one...

If you were around in 1919 and came upon the following poster 

  
I mean, 
seriously
  
Wouldn't you just keep drinking?

Stitchery Do Dah, Stitchery Day.....

I did take my hand stitching on my trip away, well... I did have to put the baby down occasionally for feeding and to let him sleep!!!

Some Kind of Wonderful blocks ......

November's Little Birdie..... as we don't have Thanksgiving over here.... this is a sort of lyrebird (thanks Suz) or a native brush turkey... or it could be a kind of Paradise bird, or a Peacock.... or just something I dreamt up ....

This splendid real fellow visited the other day.... a Pheasant Coucal (thanks Bobbie)... gave the other birds a fright.... like a flying chook.....

These are the squares in the top line of my Block 5 Butterfly Garden.....

needle-turn butterfly

stitcheries - backstitch and french knots

machine applique butterfly

The blocks are only 6" squares .... really pretty and dainty....

My Garden.... My Treasure

The Wallabies are out the Rugby World Cup .....
(sad, sad, sad face)

.....but we must move on....

October Birdie Stitchery
these can still be found at Little Miss Shabby

Friday Night Sew In this week - I hope to get quite a bit done

Love you to join us... click HERE for details and sign up..

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This week I am treasuring having a little patch that I can grow some fresh salad and veges.... 

and linking up with Melody's Tuesday Treasures

here is my lettuce, mustard leaves and little cherry tomato plants.....

the rocket has bolted but I have been feasting... I am hoping for it to self sow and keep me supplied....

large tomatoes .....

.... with baby tomatoes forming....

silverbeet and  beans with 

either gem squash or butternut, or cucumber, or zucchini... 

I planted a selection but I don't know which ones have come up!!!!  Luckily I like surprises!!

I am trying to avoid sprays and am making my own worm wee fertiliser and use the castings when I plant.... this is some of my working stock!! 

The mulberries are delicious

we had a short sharp hail storm so you can see the tears in the leaves

machine quilting has been happening..... 

Hope your day is awesome

Lots to treasure .......

Treasure #1 - A Squishy

Isn't it lovely when you get a little squishy in your post box ..... especially one you weren't expecting....

Miss Merry Bear came to live at my house......

Isn't she a darling?

Rosie made her and sent her to live with me... she is very little (4" tall) and I am AMAZED at the detail and how it is even possible to work with such tiny pieces of fabric... thanks so much Rosie - even though it's not Christmas she is hanging up on the sideboard.....

Treasure #2 - Another Squishy.....

This squishy didn't arrive in the post and I was expecting him...

Widget came to stay for the weekend...... here he is taste testing the cake he made for Pops .....

I guess this is approval?

Treasure #3 - Can you spot it?

This is the corner of a fernery we put in 2 years ago to keep the hot summer sun off our bedroom wall.....

Can you see anything in the corner?

I'll zoom in a bit closer.........

... and closer still.... though my focus is not so good.....

A dove has made her nest ..... I am hoping that means spring in on it's way....

Treasure # 4 - Blooming georgeous.......

I showed this bush a couple of weeks ago with lots of buds....

here it is again...... just lovely

This is "Happy Wanderer" (or Hardenbergia violacea), a native Australian vine

you can see it has wandered happily out of the bed....

Treasure # 5 - Conquering New Stitches....

YES, YES.... bullion roses...

part of the sampler provided and tutored by Bari at welovefrenchknots

Treasure # 6 - BOM stitcheries.

This is the August Birdie Stitchery

designs provided free by Little Miss Shabby

I am linking today with Melody's Tuesday Treasure... where I am off to right now and see what other treasures are on show....

I hope you have a happy, treasurely, stitchy whatever you love week.......

Spot the Difference.....

I like to keep different projects in their own little plastic containers.... where all the thread etc is so I can pick up and go sew......

I also like to thread several needles at a time...... can you see them there on a piece of scrap felted blanket?

well - they don't have to live on a piece of scrap anymore......

Melody sent me this fantastic little fellow (his name is Mr Owl) who stores my needles and has a little pocket to care for my thimble (can you see his tummy is bulging?)

Mr Owl is such a character - and very handsome in his bright colours so I can find him easily and has no problem with carrying flowers for me

Thanks Melody - we have already made great friends and spent an afternoon together working on my Christmas Club item which I am doing with Cookies and Cream Crafts...

I have finished my Backstitch homework lesson with Helen

I'm getting quite good practice doing these lessons

and my July Birdie Stitches from Little Miss Shabby
these stitcheries use 6 thread and finish quite quickly
(so does the thread!!)

(I made a few adaptions as these two have immigrated to Australia - we don't celebrate 4th of July but we do love fireworks)

Here's hoping you spend some time in your Happy Place

Stitchin' and Stitchin'

When I first started Patchwork and Quilting I thought it was a matter of buying some perfectly good fabric, cutting it into little pieces and sewing it up again to make patterns.....

Little did I realise the amazing wide range of other mediums there are.... stitcheries, applique, free motion quilting to name a few.......  I love it....

Last week I showed you my Raggedy & Friends quilt which I learnt so much on and I also hosted a give-away for a Charm Pack of Grace.....  so I've just had a chat to Mr Random.....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

29 

Timestamp: 2011-07-04

and this is going to Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks.......  I hope you can find something fun to make with this Tonya..... please send your postal address.......

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I also asked people to send a Stitching Tip.... wow, what an amazing assortment.... and they were such great tips that I thought I'd share them with you....  thanks everyone - these are YOUR tips and they are so good that I will link these onto my Tutorials page.....

• Weaveline is great to use as a stabiliser on stitcheries 
• when you are doing redwork check your thread to see if it is colourfast
• Use some spray starch particularly on those loose weave fabrics and they will hold their shape.  You can apply 2 or 3 light sprays (better than one heavy spray) until the fabric has enough body to hold its shape.
• when doing big projects such as quilts make sure you have a few bobbins already wound in the colour you are using.
• when you want to hand quilt straight lines use paper masking tape...it's inexpensive, comes in different widths, no tracing marks to get rid of and just peels off without residue when you're done.
• stitch what you love and leave the rest to someone else.
• a great tool when quilting is freezer paper , draw out the shape you want to quilt and iron it on and presto and instant template that will stay in place long enough to quilt around either by hand or machine and can be reused .
• use iron on interfacing when doing stitcheries , it helps hide the threads well.
• wearing a pair of the magnifying glasses. I can see the end of the previous stitch better when back stitching....
• I used to make templates of all my pieces, drew around them on the fabric and cut them out....I love that now I can use the rotary cutter, it is so much better.
• I like chain sewing when putting a bunch of the same pieces together.
• One of the things I like to do with some stitcheries is to use a piece of batting under the stitching. That way the design shows up nicely and gives a bit more dimension.
• I like to free motion quilt barefoot! I get a better control of the foot pedal without shoes on!
• The best hand stitching tip I can give is (can I explain it in words???) Take a thread ( 40 cm long) bring ends together and thread needle. Take needle through fabric from back to front, then when making first stitch put needle through loop in the back. (Get it??) This prevents the need for a knot at the end of the thread!
• be careful of your fingers!
• I like to use an embroidery hoop,
• make sure the needle is sharp and I 'strip' the threads by separating them and then put them together again before threading the needle. 
• I think the trick is to take your time with something new or else it will end up in the sewing room in a box in the furtherest corner.
• My tip for stitching is run your needle (carefully) through your hair every now and again. The natural oils in your hair make your needle glide through fabric. I used to do this with nappy pins when my kids were little and thought I'd try it when hand sewing. It really does work.
• When starting a row of machine stitching, I wind the hand wheel so the needle goes into and out of my fabric. This way, when I then put my foot down, the thread doesn't come out of the needle, magic!
• YOU CAN DO IT, SEW GET TO IT!
• wind a few bobbins before you start to quilt...
• My tip is be willing to try other tips and methods because you never know when you'll find something wonderful ... and if it's not for you then use what you're most comfortable with.
• read the instructions properly.
• A generous dose of spray starch will help with flimsy fabrics.
• Spray starch outside, so that way I don't have to mop the floor afterwards!
• Pop the blocks in a box first before you spray GLUE (or starch), if the day is windy that way you don't get it all over yourself

I'm sure as you read through this you will find at least one useful tip you can try ....

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At the moment there are 3 blogs I read that have some fun Stitching (and other learning) activities going on - you may know them but just in case......

Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks (yes - she of the won the Grace Charm pack fame) is doing a series:

Last week there was Paper Piecing and a lesson to make a heart, this week there is an introduction to English Paper Piecing ... and there is lots more planned..... even if you don't do them all I know there will be lots to learn....

Wendy at The Crafters Apprentice is hosting:

with a challenge for us to try and new technique/craft and link up with her.  Wendy has some links and tutorials for adding a button as her LANT.  You can read more about it HERE

My LANT this month is Needleturn...... HHHHEEEELLLLPPPPP

Then Helen from Hugs from Helen is hosting

with Step by Step instructions for different stitches... This week is some straight and running stitch... although I have done this before I am going to try to go through the lessons... I need the practice and I kindof taught myself so I know I will pick up a lot of better ways of doing things

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and since we are talking Stitchin' I finished up my June Birdie Stitchery this weekend.... I thought I was up to date but the July one is out....

This is a free BOM from Little Miss Shabby....

I hope you can spend some time in your Happy Place this week