Some new projects

I have been working on some new projects these past few weeks even though I know deep down I should be finishing of the WIP I have in various boxes. Oh well what will another few weeks matter.
I made these really cute owls from a pattern I purchased on etsy from www.daisyquilts.etsy.com They are just so easy to make took me no time at all. These applique blocks are part of a 5 block quilt I have been working on since March. I am not a great fan of applique to do myself I find it a bit slow. Originally I was only going to do the 3 blocks shown in the photo but have decided to do the last 2 blocks. This needs to be finished before next years Quilt Camp.

Can't show this project just a sneak peek as I am making this for my eldest daughter Danielle. I hope she will like the finished article.

BOM's and a Monkey

A quick post today. Firstly I have to show the cute little sock monkey I made on the weekend. I was very happy with how it turned out thanks to the tutorial on "Don't Look Now" blog. The instructions were ever so easy to follow and my Grand daughter Kaitlyn has adopted her.I have finished this months BOM's and am very happy that I have been keeping up with these. They are fun to do and i thank these talented crafts people for sharing their patterns.
First block from Bunny Hills Designs.
Second block from Gail Pan Designs

Third Block from Ellies Quilt Place.

Paper Bag Swap

Teresa has now opened her gift from me so I can share what I made for her with the beautiful fabrics and goodies in her bag. I am so glad she liked everything that I had made. This swap was so much fun I hope there is another organised again someday.

A good week

This week I have been working on another project that has been hanging on my design wall for a few weeks now. I only have to put the top and bottom borders on and it is ready for putting together for quilting. I am going to quilt this one myself. Today I have made these little gifts, a pencil roll and colouring in book tote bag for a special little girls 7th birthday. Happy birthday Monique. These gifts will be travelling down to Victoria on Thursday with Kaitlyn & Sheree.

Now for something special. The "Paper Bag" swap. I have had this parcel sitting next to my sewing machine for almost 2 weeks and have been so tempted many times to open, but have been very good and only opened it today.

Inside the parcel was the cutest handmade wallhanging as you can see below. I am just blown away the stitching is so perfect... how did she know I love bears as well

Also included was a beautiful needle case complete with some needles and a panel of little quilt tags all with little bears.

A lovely letter from Teresa accompanied all these goodies. Thank you Teresa. You have totally spoilt me. I just love everything and will now have to find the right place to hang the wallhanging. This has been a really great swap thanks to Maree of "On my Verandah".

Postie has delivered.

This week I have recieved two lovely surprises in the mail. My long awaited "Pin Cushion" swap parcel arrived all the way from Bettina in Blue Springs Missouri USA. What a wonderful package to open. This little box was filled with not only a beautifully made pin cushion but lots of goodies as well.
This is the pin cushion in the shape of a pear complete with the cutest pins.

The other goodies in the little box were 2 strings of really cute buttons, a tape measure, a sissor keeper, some beaded ribbon, a hank of pearl thread and 2 stamps and a lovely letter. How spoilt was I. Thank you so much Bettina and also Sandra for organising this swap.

Also in the mail this week was a letter from my "Pin Cushion" swap partner Jenny, also in the USA. Below is the beautiful card she sent with a quilt on the front and the pattern and instructions on the inside and back of the card. The letter was very touching and I appreciated getting such a wonderful thank you. It makes swapping that much more fun. Thank you Jenny.

Computer hiccups

I have been without my computer for over a week now. I had to wait for my daughter to fix up the problems so now I have to catch up on my photos this being the very end of the month.
All my Blocks of the month are finished and I am really happy with how they are turning out.
The first is Gail Pan

The second from Bunny Hill The third one is from Ellies Quilt Place.

Recently I participated in a "Pin Cushion" swap and now that my partner Jenny has received her parcel I can now show what I made for her.

I have also participated in "The Paper Bag " swap and I have received this parcel from Teresa.

We can't open them as yet not sure if I can wait.

Paper bag swap

A quick post today. I have completed my paper bag swap for Teresa and here is a sneak peak.
I will be wrapping and putting in the post early next week so keep an eye out for your postie Teresa and I hope you like my parcel.

Another project finished

In September 2008 I started this wall hanging "Blooming" in a class at Country Pickens at the Corner in Dural with Amanda Daley. Little did I know how long it would take me just to do all the turn backs on each flower petal weeks and weeks with lots of breaks in between. Finally I can say it is finished and ready to hang in my dining room.

Each flower and leaves had 4 petals on each to turn back and stitch. The centres were then padded to give a 3D look and beads were added to the flower centres as can be shown in the photo below. Don't think I will be doing another one of these in the near future.

I have joined in on Maree's Paper bag swap and these are the goodies I am sending to my partner. I hope she enjoys working with my little lot.

Woops

This photo somehow got missed in my last post. Block of the Month from Ellies Place

Another Month Passes

I think I am a seriously bad blogger. When I think I have a bit of time to spare and catch up I find something else gets in the way. I really envy those bloggers that update every day and have loads of interesting things to show and wonderful dialogues. I am not one for prattling on but do love to read blogs that really interest me.

The month of May was interesting. Mother's Day was not really the best for me this year with an uncalled for family outburst on my brothers side. Not a day we would like to revisit but my immediate family, my 2 wonderful daughters helped make the day a little better and a phone call from my son in Victoria finished the day on a nicer note.


Enough of the doom and gloom. At a friends home the other day she had been having a clean out and found this really cute little cotton spool holder. On the bottom it says Walkers Sewing Tidee and was made in England. Inside there are 5 spools of Sylko cotton threads. The lid on the top even has a lever to lock the lid in place. Pat said it belonged to her Mother. I am so glad she saved it for me. It is just so cute and looks great sitting in one of my old sewing machines that I have.

All my Blocks of the month are completed. I have really enjoyed these and look forward to seeing what the next ones will be. There certainly are some very talented people in blogland.

A few weeks ago I did another bit of knitting. I am not the best knitter in the world but a simple pattern suits me well. I knitted these 2 little shawls only took me a night to knit each one talk about easy....... My daughter and grand daughter are modeling the shawls.


Kaitlyn thought it would look good as a hat as well.

Last BOM finished

I promised myself that when I started these Blocks of the Month that I would keep up to date and get them finished early but as usual life got in the way but I was determined to get this last one finished in April. I did it finished today the last day of the month. Yippeeeeeee.

Block from Bunny Hill Designs.

About 10 or more years ago I got this hank of dishcloth cotton and immediatley put it in a cupboard. I have been reading a blog "down -to-earth" and she had a pattern for dishcloths. I remembered my cotton put away and forgotten so out it came, wound the hank into balls and have now knitted 3 cloths and am half way through another. I love how you can be inspired by reading other bloggers and can learn so much from these interesting people.

Long time no blog......

Well I haven't been idle since I last blogged. The past weeks have flown by. I have been to a Quilt Camp one weekend then Bowral the next weekend and then Easter at Nundle the following weekend with the family. This weekend is for catching up.

I have completed two BOM's this month the first from Ellie's Quiltplace. How cute is this little bunny and I finally found my bee button for last months block.

The second from Gail Pan Designs. I am really enjoying these little blocks. I have yet to do my block from Bunny Hill Designs hopefully this week. The photo is a bit dark, the borders are of a lovely royal blue.

This pattern for the birds I have had for quite some time. You know put away for something to do when I run out of other things to do. I was happy to do them and am pleased with how they look. Very easy to make and look great hanging here.

This little bag was a pattern the quilting group I belong too bought on our quilting weekend. I am the try out bunny to see how it goes together. The pattern is called "The Two-Hour Tulip Purse" but it took me a lot longer just to read through the pattern instructions a few times. Once I had it worked out it was really easy to put together.

At my pathchwork group last Tuesday we had a workshop to make these lottle mug bags. Thery were not as easy as the bag above and I am sure there were a few who would have given up it was very fiddly to make. But I was pleased with how these turned out. I had to do 2 one for me and the other for my friend Barbara who has a broken arm and is unable to sew.

The "Fractured Fairy" is finished all quilted and bound and hanging on the wall

So you can see I haven't been idle... in between weekends away and sewing and looking after the family I have been quite busy.

Autumn already

At the beginning of Autumn I finally got to plant some sweetpea. Now I know everyone says you should plant these on St. Patricks Day but hey how do the plants know they were planted a little early. So far they don't seem to have gone into shock because of this. Now I have to wait until Spring for the beautiful sprays of flowers.

Another little thing planted on the first weekend of Autumn was my new bird house. Picked this one up on our travels in January. You can get some really lovely things in Bowral. DH has put the little bird there hoping to attract others he thinks.

It was a really busy weekend I can tell you. I talked DH into spray painting the bits and pieces we had picked up at various auctions that have been sitting in our garage for quite some time. I had already undercoated everything so we set up a spray booth out the back and everything has now been painted. It is amazing how once the idea is planted he will get into it with gusto. I am one happy wife to finally get things finished.

My three Blocks of the Month are also completed.
Bunny Hill Block. Love the bunny.

Ellies Place Block finished bar the month as we are not yet in Spring and the bee is missing.

( can't find that little button... I have one somewhere )

Gai Pans Block. I think I must have been in a yellow phase.

This weekend just past my we took my parents over to North Head to go and see the new Queen's State Coach. This photo is of my parents aren't they a cute couple been married 64 years this year.

This is the Queens coach built by Jim Frecklington. It was built and is housed at the old Artilliary Base at North head. What an interesting man he is, so interesting to listed too on how he came to build this beautiful coach and that it will probably be the last one ever to be built. We had a lovely day and Mum and Dad enjoyed the day out.