July FNSI

First of all I would like you to meet Kiegan - one of my grandieboys living in the UK

It's his birthday today

here he is looking out for trouble

which is very unusual for a 6 year old (?????)

Kiegan likes to be called Jake

which is also unusual for a 6 year old (???)

Jake wants an army fighting party

is that unusual for a 6 year old ??

the cake will be a tank

which will be chomped up by a happy 6 year old

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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Thanks Heidi for hosting FNSI this month

I spent Friday morning cutting fabrics and having these blocks all ready for sewing together......  and then Friday afternoon and night on the machine time was spent putting them together......

#10 Kurume kasuri kumitate ichimatsu
(One-square check structure)

# 11 Kurume kasuri igeta juji
(Kurume well curb cross)

# 12 Yosegi juji masu
(Cross squares)

#13 Yosegi koshi tsunagi
(Linked check)

#14 Kurume kasuri musubi
(Knot)

The blocks are from this book which I am going through far too slowly....

I had better lift my game and do them more often... I am only up to # 15 of 132 blocks..... 

If you are interested the blocks so far are on THIS page 

I've also started counting the pieces (just for fun)

so far the grand total is 339 pieces for the 14 blocks

I wonder what I will finish up with?

So many people have sent me pieces of fabric for this - thank you - I'm loving playing with them all

So far the 'quilt' collage is looking like this

of course some TV was enjoyed and I finished this block ......

I love FNSI... always manage to get quite a lot done and go to bed exhausted

and when you wake up it's the WEEKEND

Righto, Gotto Go... there is a Widget who has asked to go for doughnuts.... no arguments from me

well I do have a birthday to celebrate

Christmas in July .....

G'day


In the Santa Sack swap we each make a sack/bag/stocking and then send a couple of gifts each month.... my first instalment arrived earlier this week..... 

This is what I made for Cathy.....

This is a cute stitchery by Michelle from her Christmas Fixin's Stitchery Book

and I used a Cottage Garden variegated thread

Cathy had mentioned she wanted a bag to use when she would go to her stitching groups Christmas party and carry some gifts in it.... so I thought to do one that ties up at the top .... so ensure no peeking from her friends (though I am sure they would never, ever do that!!!)

Sharon made a bag HERE and I loved it so I based my Santa Sack bag on the lunch bag tutorial HERE - just made it quite a big bigger....  it's a great little tutorial.... I will use it again.

Oh .... you wanted to see what was inside.... I wrapped the gifts but I did remember to take a picture.....

silly camera.... slipped or something

you'll have to wait till Christmas when Cathy opens them

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Cheryl is hosting another mini swap.... 

this time it is a Fathers Day theme .... the mini swaps are great... not too big an item to make and you can join in which ever ones you want..... I like the idea to have a selection to put up on the little hanger.... pop over HERE if you would like to join in....

are you joining in for FNSI this week... pop over here to Heidi's to sign in...

I'm going to do some more of my Japanese blocks - I have such pretty fabrics to play with....

Righto, Gotto Go..... coffee time

Oh, Oh, Oh......

Mr Postie was so kind to bring me lovely parcels yesterday... there was an icy wind and I don't think it was much fun out and about.....

First to be opened was my Santa Sack from Cathy 

a fantastic deep bag 

(a good size for 6 bottles of wine - just to give you an idea of the size!!!)

Isn't that the happiest of Christmas fabrics for a bag?

it is going to be sooooooo hard not to peek into those parcels

but lucky for me look what was on one... I love that idea ... open one today.... I think I might work on that....

... and these were inside..... of course I had to try one... I had the Chocolate Chai.... what fun

(I think Mr Postie would have liked a cuppa too!)

Thanks Cathy... I know we are both going to have such fun filling our bags

then the other parcel was from Shez ....

unbeknown to me she was my secret sender for Little Bit French

(that's a card made by Chookyblue - isn't it clever)

well... I thought we were sending 'an' item... but not Shez.... so generous

I had seen when she was making these and just fell in love with the colours and fabrics she was using... so rich and her stitching is teeny weeny so neat and pretty....

I'm so lucky they came to live with me

I'm sure you will agree I was very very spoilt... and that is special quilt wash in the bottle... I hadn't heard about it and Shez remembered I had asked her so she sent me some to try.... and the other bit of pretty in there is the little roses which are soap... so clever and so pretty.... 

Hubz is not allowed to wash his hands with those pretty roses....

I made up some liquid soap using this recipe from Bev.... I didn't do it quite right and kept adding water so I could funnel it... so I have loads of soap now ..... very economical and though it doesn't lather as much as the bought stuff it works well... another saving in our household.. thanks Bev (who by the way is a great 'agony' aunt.. she has been getting so many questions from me about all these cleaning agent tips)  woohoo for Aunty Bev

Righto Gotta Go... must get things ready for cleaning.....

May your day be filled with parcels in the post and a cleaning lady like the one I am dreaming of

Little Things ....

This year Cheryl has been hosting a Little Bit French... there has been a series of really darling little french themed items and a swap....

My items went to Jane from Loopy Lou's who does all sorts of awesome things... so it was hard to decide what to send..... the swap was for one of the items that Cheryl had designed and I just couldn't decide which one... so two went over to the UK .... and wrapped in an Ausi map dish towel ... 

The little doily with incy wincy hexagons and an eye glasses case .....

They have arrived now, and dried out for Jane.... one great thing about the swaps is meeting new people in blogland....

and thanks to Cheryl for the inspiration and the patterns

The apple core quilts have been bound now.... I do like the effect of the curved binding round these little quilts...... backed with soft flannel....  these have now been posted off for specialness.... 

The rest of my binding is done... but that's mostly secret stuff.....

Righto, Gotto Go.... a new week has started .... 

FMQ practice .....

Take a pretty piece of fabric - make a quilt sandwich and play a bit

use the fabric design to make your quilting shapes

shows well on the plain backing

do the same with some bolder shapes

quilted flutterby's

go a bit mad with feathers and around some applique ....

echo feathers.... oh what a fun play time...

put them all together - add some binding .....

pretty cushion.....

fabric and pattern was in my Spring Season gift from Sharon last year.... 

(thanks Sharon... I've had such fun with this)

cushion pattern is called "Thank you" by Don't Look Now...

tutorials with FMQ feathers HERE and HERE and feather wreath HERE

they all helped such a lot

the tight quilting has made the fabric firm - fine for a cushion

Righto.... Gotto Go.... still binding......

Hope everyone has an AWESOME weekend 

Finally.........

A couple of years ago I did a StitchALong with Marina, Lorraine and Carol....

In the midst of moving things around to put up my new table I discovered it again....

A bit of quilting - in the ditch around the square borders and around the mini hexagon flowers

(those are tiny 1/2" hexagons.....)

It didn't take long to make a pocket back and add it on.....

... LOVE IT .....

such a happy cushion and it was such fun making it with others  

- and we have kept in touch since sewing this together....

I don't know why it took so long to finish off....

Another UFO done.....

Our coldest morning so far this winter... my top lawn.... I love pictures of frost..

even the popular spa  birdbath was frozen over..... hmmm... iceskating anyone? 

Righto.... Gotto Go .... I'm still sewing binding.....