An Angel Story Progress

Oh dear! My posts seem to be getting further and further apart. I have been very busy with work the last few weeks and too tired in the evenings to even think about doing a post. As for keeping up with my blog reading .... well, we won't even go there!

Last weekend, I spent some time cutting 320+ squares for my An Angel Story quilt.

Of course, Oliver was close by to make sure everything was cut accurately!

Even though I've still got 3 blocks to stitch, I was very keen to get a glimpse of how the finished quilt is going to look. Here's a couple of peeks at what I've accomplished so far.

And yes, the quilt inspector was on duty!

This time next week I'll be in Melbourne. I'm taking my soon-to-be-9 year old niece to see Wicked and we plan to spend Friday at the Craft and Quilt Fair. Looking forward to seeing all the quilts and doing a bit of shopping.

A Christmas Wish Catch-Up

Not sure where the last week went, but it is Friday again so about time I did a blog post.

Last weekend, while watching shows such as Bergerac and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates on UK TV, I spent some time catching up on my A Christmas Wish blocks.







As you can see, I wasn't alone when TRYING to take these photos!



With all the rain we've had lately, the lounge room is looking like a Chinese laundry!. Oliver has spent a lot of time hanging out here.

What a pretty boy!



When Molly saw I had the camera out she wanted to 'play' too. However she was NOT at all cooperative .... this was the best I got of her!



Hope to do some sewing tomorrow. It seems like months since I used the sewing machine and I feel like a little break from all the handstitching I've been doing.

Simple Pleasures

Rediscovered these stitchery blocks the other day. They were in a little folder I take with me when out or travelling in the car.

They are from this book by Anni Downs.



The stitcheries are used in lots of small projects as well as this quilt ....



which I intend to make.

Miri was kind enough to send me this. Thank you Miri.

Bits and Pieces

Just a quick post to say the squares are appliqued onto Truly Scrumptious. It really wasn't that difficult a process ... don't know why I was putting it off. .... all I needed was a little nudge from my blogland friends ...

and the top is now officially completed.

The picture below is a little peek at something else I've been dithering around with for the last couple of weeks. (Don't you just love those cats?)

Now I've popped it on the blog, hopefully it will motivate me to get in and finish it.

Finally I would like to thank Siv Hege from Norway, who was kind enough to give me this award. She has only been blogging a short time and already has lots of lovely posts to read.

I'm quite hopeless at passing these on, so if you're a regular reader consider it yours.

Best Friends Zoe and Prudence

Introducing Zoe and Prudence ..... angel best friends.

Not sure who's who but they are both VERY pretty.

Apparently, they are so inseparable they often get their wings entangled when they fly. Therefore they carry this giant heart cushion to soften the landing when they inevitably fall!

Speaking of friends, one of my Tassie blogging buddies, Sarah, has just opened a new online store. For the month of June she is offering free postage on all patterns. (not including books) Visit Sarah's blog to see how you can enter her celebratory giveaway.

Thanks to all the advice re my last post and whether or not to applique on the squares. It was almost unanimous in favour of adding the squares ... so I will heed your advice and try to get them sewn on during the evenings this week. Back to work tomorrow ... but we won't mention that!

The last time Molly appeared in blogland she looked very forlorn in her Elizabethan collar with the 'sponge' on her ear. I took this picture of her at the beach this morning and as you can see, despite looking rather bedraggled from her frolic in the water, she is back to her happy, jolly old self.

A Truly Scrumptious Dilemma

Yesterday I got out my Truly Scrumptious quilt top. It was actually pieced together about 6 weeks ago but has sat folded in my sewing room until now!



I have changed the outer border. The original used long jelly roll strips .... I wanted a scrappier look. With a bit of 'fudging', I got the scrappy squares borders to fit.



All I need to do to finish it is applique on the four squares around the centre block.



Or do I? Do you think it looks okay without them? Am I just being lazy in thinking I could leave them off? I'm TERRIBLE at making decisions so please help me decide.



PS. Excuse the quatlity of these photos. They were taken inside and the light wasn't very good!
Just another reason why winter is NOT my favourite time of the year!

Kitty Wallhanging

Sorting through my photos I realised I didn't ever show the Pay It Forward gift I made for Cathy. Cathy lives in Toronto, Canada and has two very handsome boy pussy cats called Smudge and Lester. A post from Cathy is not complete without a gorgeous picture of at least one of them.

I made her a wallhanging with a cat stitchery as the centre. The stitchery was designed by Lesley Hiller of Wash House Cats. I found it in an older issue of Handmade magazine.





I had fun using lots of fabric from my stash for the scrappy borders and binding.





My stubborn cold is still hanging on ... although not coughing quite as much. No doubt I'll be better by next week when school starts again! Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes my way.

Finished an angel block today but it was too dark to get a decent photo. Will try and get one tomorrow.

Charlotte the Shopper

Introducing Charlotte the Shopper ... that's another block done for my An Angels Story quilt.

Wonder what's in all those bags?

She certainly looks pleased with herself!

I have a rather nasty cold at the moment .... cough, sore throat, runny nose etc ... so a day stitching in front of the telly sounds like a good idea. (Don't you love being sick in the holidays ... NOT!) Should have another block to share very soon.

Pattern Goodness from Audrey and Maude

A while ago I was the lucky winner of three lovely patterns by Audrey and Maude. Thanks Louise and Cathy.

I remember admiring the Baubles pattern on Amitie Textiles blog last year. (Click here to see a much better photo showing off the adorable quilting) Red and white is such an awesome combination.



Gertrude and Gilbert are very sweet. Maybe I need to make some friends for Mrs Perkins.?



I will have to fight my sister for this one ... a good pattern for quilts for her 2 boys. (Sorry about the dodgy photo. I uploaded it again but still had the lines across the middle!)



Will be back soon with some more bits and pieces to share. My stitching mojo seems to have disappeared but I have mananged to catch up with some blog reading over last couple of days.