AUNTIE'S QUAINT QUILTS

Christmas Gifts

2012-01-27T16:16:00.001+11:00

This is the lovely gift I received from Sue for the Friends in Stitching Christmas swap. Sue made me this awesome bag ...

(Olly likes it too!)

and pincushion from the Anni Downs' latest book, Some Kind of Wonderful.

Very cute! Thanks Sue.

I made for Sarah and after lots of procrastinating decided to make her the tree skirt from Natalie Ross' book Get Red Red Ready for Christmas.

Once I started, I discovered it wasn't actually that difficult! I enjoyed working on the appliqued lady bugs ...

and cute little presents.

Sarah also received this stocking in matching fabrics made from a Fig Tree pattern.

To finish, I must show you the gorgeous string bag I received from Chris M at our Material Girls Christmas dinner. Such a clever idea and so very cute. Thanks Chris. I LOVE it.

Today I worked on my dresdens ... have made 7 plates so must share again soon .... and sewed block 8 of my 2011 FQS Mystery quilt. The last couple of weeks seem to have zipped by and it is now only 2 weeks until school begins again. Can't say I'm looking forward to it but I guess it will be okay once I get started again. Have a good weekend.

Friends in Stitching 2010 BOM

2012-01-24T15:14:00.000+11:00

Last week I finished the top of my Friends in Stitching 2012 BOM quilt. It just needed the two outer borders to be attached so only took a couple of hours to finish up.

The fabrics are the original Rouenneries by French General. I don't have any backing fabric and thought I might be able to use one of the prints from Rouenneries Deux when they become available.

Today I have been doing some of those jobs around the house that never seen to get done when I am working ... not much fun but I will be able to sew now knowing a few more things have been crossed off the holiday job list.

Full House

2012-01-19T12:35:00.004+11:00

I have been playing with these ...

to make this, my January Schnibble for Sherri and Sinta's Another Year of Schnibbles.

The pattern is called Full House ...

and it uses 2 charm packs ...

and some yardage for the sashings and borders.

I plan to finish it with some straight line quilting.

Now to choose some backing fabric ...

and baste with double-sided iron-on pellon. I LOVE that stuff for small projects.

It is sunny and warm today. I have just finished steam cleaning the floors and are now ready for another afternoon in the sewing room.

Nearly forgot to say, the fabric is of course Ruby by Bonnie and Camille. I am so looking forward to their next range Vintage Modern. I have even started a Pinterest board in anticipation of lots of lovely Vintage Modern items appearing in blogland.

Country Fair

2012-01-15T19:51:00.000+11:00

This week I've been working on Country Fair, a Fig Tree Club project from Sarah at Patchworks Plus.

The quilt is made with a Butterscotch and Roses layer cake and my version will have 36 of these blocks.

It is a really easy block to piece. Once you've made one you don't really have to think at all.

This blue is one of my favourite prints in the range.

When I took these pictures I'd made 18 blocks ...

but since then I've really motored along and finished the last block just a little while ago.

Next job is to add the sashings and join the blocks together. Hope you found some time to sew this weekend too.

Scrappy Plate Club

2012-01-13T20:28:00.001+11:00

Have you seen the Scrappy Plate Club over at Bunny Hill Designs? I was really excited when I discovered it earlier this week. Lately I've developed a love of dresden plates so step-by-step instructions on how to make my own dresden quilt sounded great to me. I even have a dresden board over on Pinterest if you're interested.

I decided to use pretty florals, spots and checks for my blades.

Fabrics include Sweet Shoppe by Benartex, Flower Sugar by Lecien, Lecien basics and Pam Kitty Morning by Lakehouse Dry Goods.

I used the Easy Dresden Template by Darlene Zimmerman to cut the blades.

There are about 30 fabrics in my selection.

They fit nicely into this container for easy storage.

And 'ta-da' my first plate ... 11 more to go.

It was fun to learn something new today. Can't wait to piece the next plate.

Another Quilt Finish

2012-01-07T20:24:00.000+11:00

Two quilts finished in the same week doesn't happen very often around here. In fact, I'm sure it's a first. After another big binding session All Wrapped Up is complete.

The white background is much whiter than it appears in most of these photos. It is from a range called Sweet Shoppe which is one of my current favourites.

The rest of the fabrics are from the Flurry range by Kate Spain.

The quilting was done by my talented friend, Leanne at Esme's in Launceston.

The blocks were really easy to piece ...

and the quilt went together quite quickly.

I choose this red and white print for the backing ...

and the binding.

Yesterday I had a lovely day at the Cherry Shed in Latrobe with some sewing friends ... some bloggers, some not. We stitched, laughed and ate from 10.00 am til nearly 5.00 pm. I had such a good time that I forgot to take any photos, however I'm sure Sarah will share some soon. Hope I don't look too gruesome!

Today I've been piecing a backing for a quilt top completed way back in 2004. It is rather different to the things I make now ... photos coming soon.

Giveaway Winners

2012-01-05T15:52:00.002+11:00

It's time to announce the winners of my 4 year blogging party prizes. Thanks to everyone who entered .. I had lots of fun reading your comments and visiting some new to me blogs.

The Rose Parade layer cake goes to Caz,

Chookyblue is the winner of Scandinavian Stitching,

Tammy has won the Kiss Me pattern and ...

the Fresh Cottons charm pack is going to Terry.

Please email me your addresses ladies and I will post off your gifts.

This afternoon I finished binding my All Wrapped Up quilt. I look forward to sharing it with you after I take some pictures.

Jelly Breakfast Complete

2012-01-02T13:33:00.001+11:00

I have spent the last two days binding my Jelly Breakfast quilt. I first shared this quilt in January 2011 so it's rather pleasing to have it finished at last.

I used a Whimsy jelly roll by Fig Tree and ...

lots of Fig Tree Cream to construct the blocks and sashings.

My lovely friend Leanne did the machine quilting ... she always does a fabulous job.

I love the backing fabric with the childhood evoking text.

Here's a closer look ... so cute.

I think I like the back nearly as much ...

as the front.

I have been enjoying reading all the comments on my last post. It is really interesting to find out where my readers live and the types of things they like to see on blogs. Like me, nice 'quilty' pictures seem to attract you ... tutorials also seem to be popular. (I 'pin' the ones I like into Pinterest so I can find them again easily.) I have also discovered some 'new to me' blogs ... fun. You still have time to enter the giveaway if you would like to .. it is open until midnight Wed 4th January. Happy New Year.

It's a Party! AQQ is Four!

2011-12-29T15:09:00.006+11:00

Yes, it is four years since I decided to start Auntie's Quaint Quilts ... and it would have to be one of the best decisions I've ever made! To be honest, I started it for me as a record of my stitching journey, but along the way I have made so many lovely quilty friends where before I knew very few who really understood my little obsession. Some of you I am privileged to know in 'real-life', while others I ' know' well through your blogs and emails.

A celebration like this calls for some gifts ... one for each year of blogging. To say thank you for reading my posts, leaving encouraging comments and/or becoming followers four of you will win one of the following:

1. A Rose Parade layer cake by Moda.

2. A copy of Scandinavian Stitching by Kasja Wikman.

3. A Kiss Me pattern by Fig Tree & Co.

4. A Fresh Cottons charm pack by Fig Tree & Co.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment. (I love comments but only one per person, please) Maybe you could tell me where you are from, how you found my blog or what you like to see/read on quilty blogs. Not compulsory but interesting for me to know. The first name drawn will win prize 1, second prize 2 etc. Overseas readers are welcome to enter ... I will post internationally.

Entries close at midnight (Penguin time) on Wednesday 4th January. Good luck to all.

Aviary Stars Quilt

2011-12-23T12:02:00.000+11:00

This morning it was still and overcast ... perfect weather for photographing a large quilt outside. So here is my Aviary Stars Quilt.

It is made with Avairy by 3 Sisters and consists of Ann's New Years Eve Star blocks framed by simple borders.

I entrusted the quilting to Leanne at Esme's in Launceston. She always does an awesome job.

The tone on tone pink backing fabric really shows off the quilting design.

I am rather obsessed with nice bindings with stripes being a particular favourite. If you share my obsession you might like to have a look at my Beautiful Bindings board on Pinterest. (another obsession!)

To conclude, I hope all my readers have a wonderful relaxing Christmas wherever you may be. Today I officially start holidays until Feb 13. I hope to blog regularly over the summer ... there may even be a giveaway or two ... so until then ...

Quilt Story

2011-12-16T19:46:00.001+11:00

Hello. Remember me? Between school and brass band, the last month has been one big round of rehearsals and performances. With school finishing next Thursday, the end is finally in sight! With so many commitments in the 'real world' I just haven't had the time or energy to devote to this little blog but today that all changes ... I am ready and excited to be stepping back into blogland.

Most of the small amount of stitching I've done has been on presents for Christmas so you'll have to wait a little bit longer to see that. However, I can share this pillow I made for my Material Girls friend, Rosemary. For her birthday. Rosemary requested something in purple and I must admit I struggled a bit (actually a LOT with that colour scheme). Luckily I found some nice 'purpley' fabrics at Wells in Latrobe.

Rosemary is a cat love so this stitchery from Anni Downs' Simple Pleasures booklet was an easy choice.

I shared my Simple Pleasures quilt earlier this year and today it is being featured over at Quilt Story. I was already a regular reader of Quilt Story and was quite chuffed when they invited me to share some quilts.

Continuing the kitty flavour of this post, here is the lovely Oliver Henry staking his claim to my Jelly Breakfast quilt I finished binding recently. When I have some 'blog quality' photos I will share more.

Hope your Christmas preparations are under control and that you are all enjoying the festive season.

Until next time.

Twinkling Stars

2011-11-13T19:41:00.000+11:00

My Twinkle quilt has been finished for a few months. Today I took it outside for a few photos.

It came as a kit from the Fig Tree Club at Patchworks Plus.

and was made from a Breakfast at Tiffany's jelly roll ...

and lots of Fig Tree cream.

I really like the combination of spots and florals.

Leanne at Esme's did the lovely all-over quilting.

For a different look, I hung the quilt over the deck. Borders and binding are sometimes tricky to photograph so I was pleased with how they were highlighted.

This would have to be my favourite picture from today. Although Oliver appears to be looking at the quilt, he is actually behind it!

This afternoon I worked on some Christmas swap projects. Sorry I can't share any pictures ... the recipients read my blog so there can be no 'sneaky peeks'!

All Wrapped Up

2011-11-07T09:45:00.001+11:00

The last couple of weeks I've been piecing this quilt top.

The fabric for the presents is Flurry by Kate Spain.

I used a white fabric with little red dots for the sashings. It is from a collection called Sweet Shoppe by Michelle D'Amore for Benartex. I might just be collecting this range so look out for it in future projects.

The pattern is called All Wrapped Up and can be found here in the Free Patterns section of Moda's website.

Below are a few of my favourite blocks.

Today I plan to sew on the borders ... it is a public holiday in northern Tasmania and the weather is lovely. Hope you have a good Monday wherever you are.

A Gift for Annie

2011-10-24T19:38:00.000+11:00

Annie, one of my Material Girls friends, had a birthday recently. She had requested spots, stripes and checks ... this is what I came up with. The stitchery is by Annie Bird and can be found in her book, From the Heart. I used scraps from my hexie fabrics for the border. This was a hard one to part with ... it looked very nice in my sewing room.

I used a cheery red spot for the back.

Lots of sewing happened this weekend. Unfortunately I can't show any of it yet but as Christmas seems to be approaching rapidly it won't be too long until all can be revealed. Oliver was oh so helpful (NOT!) when I was trying to cut fabric.

I have discovered another use for binding clips. They are really good for keeping fabric pieces for a block together until you are ready to sew them.

Anyway, have a good week. Hope you find time to be creative.

A Few More Hexies

2011-10-19T18:30:00.000+11:00

Oh, dear ... I've been a slack blogger again lately. After a day at work, all I want to do is put on my pyjamas and curl up in a comfy chair in front of the telly. Some nights I manage a bit of hand stitching before nodding off but not always. Anyway enough moaning, below is the latest batch of hexies I've managed to produce.

Fabrics include Sweet Broderie by Rosalie Quinlan,

several Tanya Whelan lines,

Bliss by Bonnie and Camille ...

and a few fabrics from Quiltsoup.

My box of prepared hexagons is nearly empty so it's time to get out the glue pen and stick down some more. Bye for now.

A Day at the Park

2011-10-09T19:04:00.000+11:00

A Day at the Park is the third project from the Fig Tree Club.

It features Strawberry Fields ... my current Fig Tree favourite.

I really love all the spots, ginghams and prints in this range.

Isn't this adorable?

Consisting of charm squares and borders the top went together quite quickly. Well, in less than a week which is quick for me!

Now I am waiting for some backing fabric to arrive so the quilting can commence.

Hope your weekend was a good one with lots of time for stitching.

Simple Pleasures - Finished

2011-10-07T20:30:00.001+11:00

This afternoon it was fine and still and not too sunny so I grabbed a few finished items and works in progress and headed outside to take some photos.

After what seems forever, Simple Pleasures is finally finished.

I quilted a 1/4 inch each side of the block seams ...

and echo quilted the triangles in the border.

In case you hadn't guessed it's a Hatched and Patched design by Anni Downs. Her stitcheries are so distinctive.

For this quilt I used a range of fabrics by Heather Mulder Peterson called Cottage Charm.

Several years ago by local Spotlight had this range on it's shelves and I bought up big!

Here's a closer look at the quilting in the border ... simple but effective.

And to finish a shot of the backing. I'm not usually a fan of yellow but this buttery print jumped out shouting 'pick me' when I was auditioning fabric for the backing.

I'll be back soon with some of the other projects that got photographed today.

Partridge in a Pear Tree Pillow

2011-10-03T19:27:00.001+11:00

This is a gift I made for Bec for her birthday. We both belong to Friends in Stitching and I had the pleasure of making her birthday gift. We had to make something beginning with the first letter of the town we live in. For me that is Penguin so I made a pink Partridge in a Pear Tree Pillow

The stitchery is from Tis the Season by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse. The fabrics are by Holly Holderman of Lakehouse Drygoods. I love the red spots on the pink background.

I also gave Bec a pattern, some pastel pens and a pink shopping pad and pencil.

I hope everyone had a good weekend with plenty of sewing time. I've been working away on some 'secret' projects. Unfortunately that means I can't share yet as some of the recipients read my blog.

Prizes and Pretties

2011-09-23T14:01:00.000+10:00

Recently, I was fortunate to win not one, but two blog giveaways.

Firstly at The Quilted Crow Girls I received a pair of pincushion patterns.

Aren't they cute. Thanks Leonie and Deidre.

Then over at New Zealand blog Farm Girl Stitching I was the lucky recipient of 3 charm packs ...

and some yummy Riley Blake fat quarters.

Thanks Nicky. They are all fabrics I would choose myself so I was very excited to add these to my stash.

As for sewing news, I have been quilting Simple Pleasures

... I only have to sew down the binding and it will be finished.

I've also completed my shoo fly blocks

that will become the border of my Vignette Mystery quilt.

Can you tell I used three fabrics for some blocks?

They are the ones with the 'daisyish' stripe.

I am still working away on my hexies. If the weather co-operates I'll post some pictures of the latest ones over the weekend.

Hexagons

2011-09-15T11:05:00.001+10:00

Ok, so I finally got the camera out and took some hexie pictures. Hope you like them as much as I do. They are all my favourites!

Now I have the 'hexie bug' again there should be more pictures soon ... when I counted my pile yesterday there were 103 finished.

Bear Pillow

2011-09-13T17:07:00.000+10:00

I've been very slack with my blogging the last few weeks ... it seems the more time I have the less I do! Anyway, below is a pillow I made for one of the Material Girls who had a birthday recently.

The birthday girl expressed a preference for something burgundy and cream and this is what I came up with.

The stitchery is from Sweet Sentiments, a lovely book by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse.

I am feeling really lazy this week! With little motivation for much else I've rediscovered my hexies ... they are great to do while watching TV (in your pyjamas!)

Gardener's Journal

2011-08-29T07:17:00.001+10:00

Thank you for all the lovely comments re my Rouenneries quilt in the last post. It seems like lots of you love it as much as I do.

In the evenings I have been working on some stitcheries for Anni Downs A Gardener's Journal quilt.I plan to use

Patisserie and other complementary fabrics from my Figtree stash.

I am choosing the stitchery colours as I go. I find this much quicker than constantly looking at a chart. It also makes the quilt slightly more unique.

I started with the biggest stitchery:

No Place Like Home

which seemed to take forever!

The next few were smaller and much quicker:

Flower Basket

Weather Vane

Dog House

(my favourite, so far)

It is great to be on holidays ... I am slowly recovering from a very busy term. The Eisteddfod last week was very rewarding with my students achieving lots of first and second prizes in individual and choral sections ... more importantly they did their best and had lots of fun.

A Big Finish

2011-08-21T11:11:00.000+10:00

Nearly two years after it was started my Rouenneries quilt is finally finished.

Thankfully I love these fabrics as much now as I did then.

In fact, only last night I was sifting through my box of leftover bits and planning another quilt in these fabrics.

The new quilt will also have bits of Rural Jardin and Pom Pom di Paris ... a truly scrappy French General quilt.

Like me Oliver was very pleased with the warm sunny weather this morning ... he always like to 'cat scan' my quilts!

Once again, it is Eisteddfod time so I will be very busy this week with lots of my primary school students performing vocal solos and duets and singing in our school choirs. They have all worked very hard to prepare their items ... I'm really looking forward to the next four days.

Pink Hanging Heart

2011-08-14T18:27:00.001+10:00

This is a gift I made recently for one of the Material Girls ... a craft group I belong to.

The pattern is in Rosalie Quinlan's book A Stitch in Time.

This is the second one I've made and I'm sure it won't be the last. I stitched on some plain pink Pom Pom di Paris by French General.

I find it easier to piece my backings on stuffed projects like this ... the gap is easier to finish neatly and I don't have to wrestle with the ric-rac at the sides.

Today I pieced together block 1 of the Vignette Mystery Quilt. I'm keen to get going on the stitchery very soon ... will keep you posted.

A New Project

2011-08-10T17:51:00.003+10:00

I love starting new projects and recently started the Mystery quilt in Leanne Beasley's Vignette magazine. I have started with the Shoo Fly blocks which form the borders. There are 60 in the quilt and I've done about 45 so far.

The fabrics are Sweet Broderie by Rosalie Quinlan combined with some Lecien basics.

I fussy cut a lot of the pieces to make the most of the beautiful patterns in the fabrics. It was time consuming but I'm really happy with the results.

There is a lot of stitchery in this quilt so I am going to be busy for quite some time! What fun.

BOMs

2011-08-05T16:11:00.000+10:00

I have 3 Block of the Month quilts on the go at the moment. Mad I know, but I certainly don't get bored!

First up is block 2 of the 2011 Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Quilt. So happy I signed up for this one as the Strawberry Fields fabrics are just delightful.

This block is called Promise of Spring and was designed by Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts.

I've also started Tiny Town by Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs using Martinque by 3 Sisters and Fresh Cottons by Figtree. I purchased the pattern at a local store last year and have been eager to start it ever since. This is 2/3 of block 1 ... there is still another panel to go on the right.

Finally here is block 4 of The Night Before Christmas, also by Bunny Hill Designs. I skipped block 3 as it had lots of little pieces to applique! I need a bit more practice before tackling those.

It's another cold, grey day in Penguin today ... perfect to sit by the heater and stitch.

Binding

2011-07-31T17:47:00.002+10:00

This week I'm very pleased to be binding my Rouenneries quilt started at a 2009 workshop with Kerry Swain at Calico Crossroads.

The lovely quilting was done on a long arm machine by Leanne. She has done a beautiful job.

I'm not the quickest of binders but I do quite enjoy it, particularly while watching a good murder mystery on TV.

The new series of Midsomer Murders is on tonight so should get a bit done. It will be nice and cosy with the quilt (and most likely a cat too!) on my lap.

Tis the Season

2011-07-27T20:39:00.003+10:00

Seems to be the season for me to finish a few projects. Usually I am quite happy to plod along working on numerous (actually lots!) of different things but it is nice to occasionally finish one of those UFOs.

So here it my finished Tis the Season quilt.

Really pleased with this one .. it was a great way to use up a treasured Glace honey bun

I changed the block and quilt borders to use up more of the honey bun strips and give a scrappier look.

The straight line quilting worked a treat with the stitchery blocks nice and flat ... no 'ballooning' as has sometimes happened to me in the past.

Yesterday two quilts came back from being quilted by the lovely Leanne. Can't wait to get the bindings on and show the world what a great job she did.

State Fair ... all done.

2011-07-24T10:21:00.003+10:00

During the school holidays (5 weeks ago!) I finished my State Fair Schnibble. The weather has been sunny and warm the last couple of days so I was able to take some pictures. I used a couple of Oasis charm packs and some Kona white for contrast.

I REALLY love this backing fabric.

I quilted it myself with straight lines in the borders ...

and some outline quilting in the blocks.

This morning I made my second block of the Fat Quarter Shop 2011 Designer Mystery BOM quilt. Very pleased with how it turned out ... will pop back with some pictures soon.

Christmas Stocking Swap

2011-07-16T13:04:00.002+10:00

Yesterday was opening day for Friends in Stitching's latest swap. This time we made Christmas stockings incorporating stitchery and/or applique. I received this lovely stocking from De.

Love the little angel stitchery ...

and the tassels are a nice touch.

Just found out from De that it is an Anni Downs design. Thank you De.

I made the stocking below for Vicki.

It is a Marg Low pattern.

I used Nancy Halvorsen's Jingle all the Way fabric for the backing ...

and lining.

and popped a couple of brighter fat quarters in the same print in the stocking.

Today I feel rather 'knackered' so having a pyjama day ... will do some hexies if I can stay awake!

Sunday Sewing

2011-07-10T19:00:00.002+10:00

Today I spent the morning in my sewing room and was surprisingly productive.

A few weeks ago I signed up for the 2011 Designer Mystery Block of the Month from the Fat Quarter Shop. I drooled over the 2009 and 2010 quilts that I saw in blogland and when I found out that this years quilt would be made from Figtree's Strawberry Fields ... well I just couldn't resist!

Block One is called 'Sweet Pea' and was designed by Bonnie Olaveson and Camille Roskelley.

When I signed up I also got the Finishing Kit designed by the fabulous Joanna of Figtree Quilts.

These nine leaf blocks went together quite quickly.

Of course, I had to give 'Sweet Pea' her leaves. Can't wait for block 2 to arrive.

Feeling very motivated, I also sewed the binding onto my State Fair Schnibble quilt. I used to struggle with getting bindings 'just right'.

I just didn't get how to join the ends so it wasn't obvious where I'd started and finished, BUT after discovering the Perfect Binding Tutorial at Jaybird Quilts they are looking much better.

This little quilt in Oasis has turned out rather cute. (In fact, I just might have ordered a fat quarter bundle to make Leanne Beasley's Butterfly Garden.) I love all the prints in the range and the greys are especially nice. Hope to get the binding sewn down in the evenings this week. Will have to drag myself away from the hexies.

Vicki's Gift

2011-07-09T17:40:00.001+10:00

Sorting through some photos I realised I hadn't shown this hanging pillow I made Vicki for her birthday in March.

The stitchery is from Natalie Bird's book, Sweet Sentiments.

Knowing of her interest in France, I used French General ribbon ...

and fabrics.

It was a nice quick little project to do. I'd like to do the Sweet Sentiments quilt one day.

This afternoon I finished my school reports so tomorrow I plan to spend time with my sewing machine. Have a binding that needs sewing on and a few other jobs I'd like to do. The hexie pile continues to grow ... will do an update soon.

Hexies

2011-07-02T08:02:00.007+10:00

Thought it was about time I showed some more of my hexies.

At last count, I'd made about 70.

I am finding them really good to take out ... easy to pick up and put down.

My husband spent 6 days in hospital last week so they were a nice distraction for me.

This weekend I'll be writing school reports and trying to finish a gift for a friend. Hope you find some stitching time too.

Tis the Season

2011-06-11T11:59:00.003+10:00

Here are the rest of my Tis the Season blocks.

Bon Noel Birdies

Christmas Joy

Chilly Penguins

Peace on Earth

Christmas Reindeer

Christmas Angels

Since I took these pictures I have sewn the blocks together, added borders and even quilted it. Just the binding to go. Enjoy your weekend.

Holiday Stitching

2011-06-08T18:32:00.007+10:00

As is often the way, I started the holidays with a nasty old cold. Feeling too yuck to do anything vaguely energetic, the first few days were spent in front of the heater, watching Austar and hand stitching.

I have added these to my growing pile of hexies. (This was the best photo of a bad bunch ... don't you love taking "quilty" photos in winter!!)

Also worked on my Tis the Season stitcheries and feeling much better today, started adding borders to my blocks. I'm using a Glace honeybun to finish this quilt so they will be a few changes to the original design.

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Tis the Season

Elfin Sleigh

Santa's Boots

Here Comes Santa

Santa and the Christmas Goose

Glace is still one of my favourite ranges and I'm pleased to be using this treasured fabric for this lovely Natalie Bird design. Bye for now ... my hexies are calling!

Fussy Cutting

2011-05-29T13:20:00.003+10:00

I am continuing to have lots of fun with hexagons. This week I played around with some fussy-cut fabrics and created some rather pretty hexagon flowers.

I am cutting only seven hexagons from each fabric so that every flower will be unique.

Thank you for all the encouraging comments on my last post. A few people were interested in knowing more about the glue method. Sue Daley has a tutorial on her blog that explains it very well. Worth a look.

Just one more week of school for me before the term ends. Really looking forward to some sewing time. I can't remember the last time I used my sewing machine ... but it was quite a few months ago.

The Obsession Continues!

2011-05-16T19:06:00.002+10:00

Not much stitching happened this weekend. However much time was spent cutting ...

and gluing these little beauties!

The Vignette Hexagon Quilt requires 139 hexagon flowers which means I have about 60 more flower sets to prepare. It has been fun looking through my stash to find suitable fabrics ... I like that this will be a very scrappy quilt using fabrics from lots of different ranges.

Annoyingly, yesterday I ran out of glue. Luckily, Sarah stocks the refills. She is always very prompt in sending out her orders so they will be here in a couple of days.

I've Caught the Bug!

2011-05-11T18:29:00.005+10:00

The hexie bug that is! After admiring all the beautiful hexie flowers in blogland I just had to give it a go for myself.

I plan to use fabrics from lots of different ranges in shades of pink, green, red and white.

I have found lots of inspiration and helpful hints in here ...

and at the Vignette Hexagon Quilt blog.

So far I've finished eight hexie flowers and have many more cut out ready to sew.

Much as I love stitchery, it's nice to have something a little different to work on in the evenings.

Only 131 flowers to go ... I could be doing this for quite awhile!

The Night Before Christmas

2011-05-05T18:23:00.001+10:00

The Night Before Christmas ... block 3 ... "The Presents were Wrapped"

The presents weren't too difficult to applique (nice big pieces) ....

BUT the poor little mouse is rather ordinary! Especially her feet, hands and ears! Any hints for getting them 'smoother' would be greatly appreciated.

From the placement of his tail, it would appear Oliver has a similar opinion!

I am really enjoying this block of the month. There seems to be lots of fabric leftover each month .. I'm sure I will find a use for it.

Hatched and Patched Swap

2011-04-30T16:43:00.004+10:00

Friends in Stitching recently had an Anni Downs swap. Sue made me this delightful block keeper featuring Anni's Home for Summer stitchery. We are doing a 6 inch BOM this year and this will be perfect to keep them in.

It has been thoroughly 'cat-scanned' by Oliver!

Love this photo ... the 'paw print' of approval! Thank you, Sue. I love the design and colours you chose for my gift.

For this swap I made for Sarah. Unknowingly, I had stitched the same design for her gift!

Sarah and I both love Figtree fabrics so I used a mixture of Whimsy and Breakfast at Tiffany's to put this cushion together for her.

It's been a long time since I did any buttonholes but after a couple of practises on some scrap fabric I was confident to go ahead.

After I'd finished I realised I'd done 5 buttonholes ... the pattern only called for 4! Talk about over-enthusiastic!

Today, I've been typing choir scores on the computer in readiness for the Burnie Eisteddfod in a few weeks time. During my absence from blogland my computer 'died' and had to have a major overall. Thankfully, today the printer finally decided it was ready to be re-installed ... just got a major iTunes issue to fix and everything will be back to normal.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Birthday Gifts

2011-04-28T14:39:00.001+10:00

Hello. Do you remember me? I have lots to share from the last couple of months.

Now Easter is over I plan to start blogging again on a regular basis. Wish me luck!

I belong to a sewing group called Material Girls. When it was my birthday (in February) each

of the girls made me a special 'pink' gift.

This pretty needlecase was made by Annie ... love the stitchery.

Christine made this lovely pouch with pretty suffolk puffs on the front.

Another lovely pouch from Lyndy ... I think the pattern was in a Handmade magazine.

Rosemary made me this cute mug holder ...

with lovely pink butterflies.

And Vicki made me this wonderful apron ...

with gorgeous machine embroidery

... isn't she clever?

Oliver Henry 'helped' take these photos.

This one looks like he's doing a squirrel impersonation!

Bye 'til next time.

Back ... just!

2011-02-26T11:47:00.002+11:00

Well, after 3 very uncomfortable weeks I'm back. Since my last post I've spent a lot of time lying face down on the floor ... not the greatest position for stitching. (or much else for that matter!) ... but the only way to let my back heal itself. Yesterday, my physio said I'm allowed to sit again for short periods (hurray!) ... until them it was all stand up or lie down. Anyway here is the little bit of stitching I managed to do ... Block One of The Night Before Christmas by Bunny Hill Designs.

I did the pieced section a while ago so it's really only the applique/stitchery

part that I can claim for February.

All the section below was done while standing up! Hopefully my needleturn will improve.

The big pieces are okay but some of the smaller ones are rather 'yuck'.

Looking forward to starting block 2.

Thank You, Peg

2011-02-06T09:57:00.002+11:00

Today is my birthday. Although the idea of being another year older is not particularly pleasant (!), I am feeling very lucky to have received a beautiful gift from my Friend in Stitching, the wonderful Peg.

This year we have to make a gift for our FIS birthday partner that starts with the first letter of the town in which we live. Peg made me a lovely covered notebook and a gorgeous needlecase all in beautiful Simplicity fabrics. (Still one of my all-time favourite fabric ranges.)

The notebook came with a gorgeous pen in my favourite colour ...PINK. And doesn't it match the stitchery beautifully.

And just look inside the needlecase ... am I spoilt or what. Click on the picture for a closer look at the very cute pins.

Thank you so much Peg. It is all adorable. I 'met' Peg soon after I started blogging and her blog is one I always check for new posts. She would have to be one of the most productive quilters I know ... and also one of the most generous. Hopefully one day we will meet in 'real life'.

This afternoon I have band practice. Not sure how I'll go as last week I ruptured a disc in my lower back! Rather painful and I haven't been able to do much stitching.

A Colonial Christmas Sampler

2011-02-03T15:26:00.001+11:00

This is a stitchery I've finished during the holidays.

It is called A Colonial Christmas Sampler ...

and was a First Friday Freebie ...

from Kaaren at The Painted Quilt.

Still deciding whether to frame it ...

or make it into a mini-quilt.

Jelly Breakfast

2011-01-31T21:11:00.003+11:00

At the start of the holidays I decided to try and finish some of the quilt tops I started last year. This one is Jelly Breakfast designed by Joanna Figueroa of Figtree Quilts.

The fabrics are Whimsy (also by Figtree Quilts) and Figtree cream.

As it is quite big, I hung it on the clothesline to take these pictures.

With a gentle breeze blowing, it was tricky trying to snap at just the right time!

Oliver (aka Mr Sticky Beak) was, of course, close by.

Now to find some backing fabric.

Now I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Figtree Club ... this time we receive a kit in the new Buttercup fabric range.

A Day Out and State Fair

2011-01-30T19:51:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I spent the day with some of the girls from Friends in Stitching. Pauline at Calico Crossroads in Exeter very kindly allowed us to meet in her lovely store. We did lots of talking and eating and (in my case at least), a little stitching. This is the only decent photo I managed to take. From the left is Sarah, Alex and Cathy. Pauline and Sarah both have more pictures if you're interested in taking a look.

I've done as much as I can on my State Fair Schnibble.

I decided to make the borders wider which means I'll need to purchase another charm pack of Oasis before I can finish it.

Of course, it has been thoroughly 'cat-scanned' by Oliver ...

and Molly even had a good look!

In fact, Oliver was quite a pain ... I was lucky to get any photos without him in them!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Yesterday I put my 2010 Friends in Stitching BOM together ... rather pleased with how it's looking ... photos coming soon. Today I had band practice. After a three year break I've started playing the trombone again ... I have until Easter to get back into form for the Australian Brass Band Championships in Adelaide.

Christmas Tablerunner

2011-01-22T06:53:00.001+11:00

Last year Mum told me she'd like a tablerunner in Christmas fabrics. Okay I thought, I'll make it for her birthday in September. Didn't happen! So I thought I'd give it to her for Christmas ... didn't happen! Anyway she finally got it this week. This photo was taken on her dining table.

Using fabrics from 3 Christmas ranges by 3 Sisters, I adapted a quilt design from the Moda Bake Shop. Most of the tumbler shapes are Peace on Earth...

with a bit of Glace to add variety.

The white and red border is Roman Holiday.

The backing and binding are a gorgeous red floral from Peace on Earth.

Very simple straight(ish!) line quilting holds it all together.

Today I worked on my State Fair blocks and prepared the stitchery blocks for

Tis the Season, Natalie Bird's new Christmas quilt.

New Projects

2011-01-20T21:54:00.002+11:00

I have been 'really good' and mostly worked on UFOs since Christmas. Today, though, it felt like time to start something new. I recently purchased two Oasis charm packs from Sarah with the intention of making a Schnibbles quilt.

I have always loved 3 Sisters fabric and Oasis could easily become my new favourite.

Isn't it pretty.

It didn't take long to cut all the required pieces ...

and pop them in a tub ready to start sewing. As you can see, I'm making State Fair. I really enjoyed seeing all the Schnibbles quilts in blogland last year so this year hope to make a few of my own.

Yesterday the first block of The Night Before Christmas arrived from The Fat Quarter Shop.

I've been a fan of Bunny Hill Designs for a long time ... hope I'll be able to manage all the needleturn applique. The fabrics are La Petite Ecole from French General.

Today I finished all the piecing for block one ... now on to tackle the applique.

Jolly Pinwheels

2011-01-17T13:54:00.002+11:00

While on holidays I've been on a bit of a mission to finish some of the quilt tops I

started last year. One which is now ready for quilting is this pinwheel quilt.

The bright Christmas fabric is Mary Engelbreit's Isn't Christmas Jolly so I'm calling this one Jolly Pinwheels.

I used 3 charm packs to make this quilt ... could have used 2 but I wanted more red in it (Rather partial to red if you hadn't noticed!)

I used the method explained in this video to construct the pinwheels.

Basically you put a charm square and a plain square wrong sides together, sew around the four sides then cut into 4 triangles ... easy peasy!

Giveaway Winner

2011-01-16T08:19:00.002+11:00

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway.

Lots of people guessed correctly that the prizes were ...

Tis the Season by Natalie Bird,

Hot Cross ( a Schnibbles pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co)

and 3 fat quarters of fabric ...

from Lynette Anderson's Stitches range.

The True Random Number Generator selected comment 78 which means the winner of all three prizes is pinsandneedles. Please email me your postal address so I can post the prizes to you.

Like most Australians, I've spent a lot of time this week watching the horrible events of the Queensland flood crisis. It's hard to comprehend the devastation that has occurred over such a large area.

Toni from Make it Perfect is coordinating a series of auctions to help raise funds for the flood victims ... there are around 300 individual auctions of handmade items and craft materials, most of which start tomorrow.

Similarly, Retromummy is organising Quilts for Queensland and needs donations of 12" finished blocks and backing fabric. Please visit their blogs for more information on how you can help.

Zipping Along!

2011-01-09T13:12:00.001+11:00

Ok, this might not look very exciting BUT these are the first zips I've ever sewn. On Friday I had a fun sewing day with Sarah and Vicki. We all worked on a purse designed by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse.

Here is one I prepared earlier made from Rural Jardin by French General. I did a lot of preparation before Friday ... there are lots of fiddly bits and pieces in this design.

If you are reading this, then I'm sure you can relate to the words on the stitchery.

On Friday, all I managed to do was needle turn 2 more stitcheries onto fabric

I had previously quilted. The time went very quickly ... we were so busy talking, eating and shopping in Sarah's online store.

On Thursday Oliver had made sure each piece had been thoroughly 'cat scanned.'

I"m not sure why he feels the need to lie on every piece of fabric in the house. I guess it's

just a 'cat thing.'

Anyway today I am working on a few UFOs. I am trying really hard to not start too many new things while on holidays although it is so tempting. Bye.

Rouenneries Blocks

2011-01-08T07:40:00.001+11:00

I've been busy making the last 5 blocks for Friends in Stitching's (online stitching group) Block of the Month. The Rouenneries fabric is so lovely to work with ... it feels as beautiful as it looks.

Teresa's Pinwheel

No Name Block

Virginia

Card Trick

Down on the Farm with Kezza

(an original block designed by Kerry Swain.)

Now I need to decide how to put them all together. Was thinking red sashing but not totally convinced on that option. Will have to have a little play.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. There's still plenty of time to enter the giveaway if you haven't done so already. A few people have guessed correctly and lots of others are very close.

Yesterday I had a fun sewing day with Vicki and Sarah .. will show you what we made very soon.

Giveaway Game

2011-01-05T10:45:00.002+11:00

To celebrate 3 years in blogland I thought I'd have a giveaway (with a twist!).

Below is a sneaky peek at what you could win ... you have to guess what the 3 items are!

(Hint: 2 patterns and some fat quarters.)

To enter leave me a comment which includes your 3 guesses. I will use the random number 'thingy' to choose the winner. (All comments will be included so don't panic if you're unsure about your guesses!) Overseas readers are welcome to enter ... I enjoy finding out who you are and where you're from.

With 250 posts in 3 years I am certainly not as prolific as many bloggers but I do try and keep it interesting and focused on quilting/stitching. Pre-blogging I was not very confident about my stitching abilities but that has changed a lot with the encouragement I receive each time I do a post. However, I think the best thing about my blogging adventure is the good friends I've made both locally and globally. Thank you to all of you.

I will close the giveaway at midnight on Friday 14th January ('Penguin' time!)

Good luck to all.

Gifts for Dawnie

2011-01-03T11:49:00.002+11:00

For our Friends in Stitching Christmas Swap I made Dawnie a tablerunner ...

and a bon-bon.

Dawnie's prefered colours were green, red and brown and she's not a big fan of florals. I mainly used the Adoring range by Sandy Gervais plus a few scraps of Chocolat and Chelsea Boutique to make her gifts.

I did lots of straight line quilting on the tablerunner using masking tape to keep me on the 'straight and narrow'.

Next post I will have a belated giveaway for my 3 year blogoversary.

Christmas Swap

2010-12-31T19:41:00.005+11:00

This is the beautiful tablerunner I received from Leanne in the FIS Christmas Swap.

It fits perfectly on the top of our TV cabinet.

I love the Martinque fabrics and Leanne's awesome quilting.

She is very clever.

Leanne also made me this lovely bag ...

with a beautiful button and ...

gorgeous lining fabric.

Thank you so much Leanne ... your gifts were perfect for me. I LOVE 3 Sisters fabric and Martinique is one of my favourite ranges.
Since Christmas I've had a rather yucky 'virus' which has totally sapped any energy I had left after the 'madness' of all the end of year activities.
While I was sick I missed my 3 year blogging 'birthday' ... please come back soon for a little giveaway to help me celebrate.

Happy New Year.

Ornament Swap

2010-12-12T12:04:00.002+11:00

On Tuesday night the Material Girls had their Christmas break-up at a local Chinese restaurant. Each year we have a Christmas ornament swap. I made one of Rosalie Quinlan's Hearts of Christmas.

I was lucky enough to receive a lovely Stitchers Stocking made by Anne.

Love the star and all those rusty bells. Thank you Anne.

Just one more week of school before the Christmas/Summer holidays start. At the moment I'm caught up in a whirlwind of performances with my school choirs ... Community Carols tonight, Grade 6 Leaver's Assembly tomorrow, Nursing Homes and Apex Park singing on Tuesday, Early Childhood Christmas performance on Wednesday ... I think you get the picture! Lots of fun but I'll fall in a heap at the end of the week!

I'm really looking forward to catching up on my blog reading/commenting and completing some of my many unfinished projects in the holidays.

Simple Pleasures Top

2010-11-27T10:21:00.003+11:00

After plodding along on the applique borders I have finally finished my Simple Pleasures quilt top.

Will probably cut the outside borders back a bit ... I deliberately made them wider than

required to allow for fraying while I hand appliqued the triangles.

I nearly gave up on the triangles a couple of times but am glad I persevered

now I see the finished item.

Now to quilt it ... thinking I might try hand quilting with perle thread.