I've been on a coaster roll

No - not a roller coaster.  I've been making coasters - they are not big enough to call them Mug Rugs and they are just for fun.
In my main patchwork group (LT for short) each year we either give some fabric or make a block for everyone's birthday.  In 2010 we each made "happy blocks" and I chose blue & silver Christmas themes.  I was able to make them into this:  (with a couple of additional blocks). 

At the same time I collected some extra strips and squares to make into coasters.  Finally, I have finished a set to match.

Secondly, I made 2 for my eldest daughter's best friend who got married on 1st December and since her quilt is not quite ready, I thought I would give her a little something to make up for it.

Thirdly, I made a set of 6 for my daughter to match the quilt I made for her wedding I showed it here.

I am on a roll now - I think I should be making some more for us that we can  use everyday...but I had one more Christmas project to start and finish - a machine cover for eldest daughter.  I forgot to take a photo.

Happy New Year everyone.

May 2013 be a fun filled happy & healthy year

Susan

Christmas Secret Sewing

In between work and all that other stuff one has to do I have had two "Secret Sewing Projects'.  On Wednesday I met up with my Best Sewing Mate and gave her one of the "Secret Projects"

Earlier in the year we decided we would make each other a cushion for Christmas.  It took me forever to make up my mind about colour, style etc etc.  Finally I had to bite the bullet and actually make something.

Here is my cushion.

I used the decorative stitches on my machine to do the applique.  This year I have been doing a workshop every month using this technique so I thought it was very appropriate for the 2012 cushion.

And here is the one I received - absolutely gorgeous - as her work always is.

and because I have been a good girl all year (???) she also gave me this:

 I am going to make sure I am really really good this year - she might give me a bonus next year too??

Secret Sewing Project #2 is still under wraps but here is a sneak peek.

Oh -  and Best Sewing Mate said I should post a picture of my Christmas nails, so here you are:

Sorry its a bit blurry - must be the rum balls!

Still got lots of things to do before Christmas - we do still have 2 weeks don't we????

Brisbane Bloggers meet - 9th December 2012

Everyone has said it so well.
Another lovely morning (for me) at the Wishing Well Cafe.
It was a perfect opportunity to meet Peg & Dale.

and catch up with all these lovely ladies:

Unfortunately I had to leave before lunch for my KQ Christmas party.  We had a lot of lovely food and some fun games.
Later in the afternoon we presented "W" with a quilt we had made as a group effort.  He keeps an eye out for our "workshop" when we are not there.

I also collected my Birthday blocks.  Everyone had made me a 9 patch block with novelty/funky fabrics.  I intend to add some more and make a quilt...it has to be finished before next November.

These are the blocks I have collected:

A busy but fun day.

Log Cabins Anyone?

Over here, Béatrice is reviewing some work for Fons & Porters and mentioned a free book you can download.  I have only had a quick look at it, but it seems like a vary handy reference for log cabin blocks and some variations.
Pop on over and have a look.
Meanwhile I am trying to finish some "secret" Christmas sewing, so there has not been a lot of blogging happening. 

PS:  this great e-book has a marvellous method for joining the ends of the binding.  I'm sure everyone has their preferred method - but I'm still searching for mine - Maybe this is it.  So download the book and look for Liz’s Lumpless Binding (right at the end).  It worked well for me last night.

SKOW Completed

This is my finished SKOW quilt

My Favourite Things Quilt

I have posted here (to meet the November deadline) and here (where it all started) but not here..
So here is my completed "My Favourite Things" quilt.

 

and I did a label (as one should)

I have included a picture of each block (for record keeping purposes) on the "My Favourite Things" page - see the tab at the top..

Now onto those special projects that I cant talk about (yet).

"Me" in fabric

I have been an admirer of Carol Turznik's work for a long time. Over on my side bar I have her logo and "Carol Turznik - Awesomely Artistic" .  She is.  A while back she did a series of quilts featuring various ladies - and I have been hoping she would start doing these as commission pieces.  Finally she posted a message to say she was ready to do more "Ladies".  I hopped onto the bandwagon immediately.

Here I am in fabric:

I was so excited when my parcel finally arrived from the USA.   I just love my wall hanging.

For the full details - you can see the original photo and the drawing here.

I think Carol is still taking orders if you are interested - maybe a Christmas present to yourself (Aren't they the best ones?)

For some of the other ladies go here or just keep scrolling backwards.  Carol does wonderful modern bright stuff.  If you like that style you could be there for quite a while.

A huge thank you to Carol - a wonderful addition to my Sewing Space.

Hen, Chicks and Baby

Remember Mrs Hen and her chicks?? - the baby's mother has sent me this photo - (She sends it to all her clucky girlfriends!)

So cute - I have nothing else to add.

Erin's Quilt

I finally got back to working on this quilt today - it is due to be gifted as a wedding present - the wedding is 1st December.  I just need to add the border - I have the border fabric - well I thought I did - but when I had another look today and with some "group input" I have decoded that what I have will have to be part of something else - off to the LQS tomorrow (luckily the patchwork shop closest to me is open Sundays - a rare thing in Brisbane...)
You can't see any detail - I took this shot inside at night.

Its almost the same as this one - but this one is in teals (well turquoises, bluey greens and greeny blues - I know you understand) as per the bride's request.  It's actually a bit greener than how it looks here.

Brisbane Blog Meet at The Wishing Well Cafe

Maree organised a Blog Meet for today - it was very hot in Brisbane today - 30 celsius but we met in a little cafe at Victoria Point - near the water and it was absolutely the best place to be for the day.  We started at 10.30 for a coffee, stitched and did Show & Tell - then had lunch and dessert and more coffee and more stitching...a lot of talking and laughing.
I think this will become the regular blog meeting spot.  If you get the chance to go there for lunch - or they do a high tea with 24 hours notice - do it - its a bit "shabby chic" with a lot of very pretty teapots, tea cups and our teaspoons were the souvenir kind. All very elegant... and we felt very comfortable taking over the back corner, stitching away.  (Two quilts in the toilet and the original well is still there!)
I have used Maree's photo to show the group and there might be some show & tell photos later...

From left to right -
me, Noela, Kayly, Maree, Joy, De and Debbie

and now some pictures
this is Maree's new BOM - pop over to her blog to get more info - such a lovely quilt

and here is most of my "FINISHED" SKOW top - love the light shining through...

and you can see some more pictures here:


and also this picture - taken from Noela's blog - with her permission

A baby gift

One of the girls in the office was due to have a baby at the end of September, and she was having a farmyard theme in the nursery.  So, I made her a hen and baby chicks.  Well, (confession time)  I ran out of time to get the baby chickens made, so I gave her the hen and a note to explain that the chicks were staying in the special "baby nursery" until they were well enough to join their mother.  Here is Mrs Hen

and the babies.  They are meant to be ticked into the wings of the mother hen.

This is a Melly and Me pattern - an "interesting" construction method, suggesting a piece of cardboard in the bottom to make it a flat base....mmmm... I used that stuff you use to make shaped bowls - cant remember what its called, but I think it's a better solution for a toy that will need to be cleaned at some stage.  And I made the chicks out of felt - I think that was an easier option ...

SKOW - nearly there

Over at the SAL, Chookyblue and I challenged each other to be Sunday Strippers.  My goal was to get the top finished - that didn't happen but I only have the top and bottom rows to add and they are all sewn together, so not a lot to do.
Here it is for now...

Stay tuned...

FNSI - on Saturday

Plus

equals

Friday Night Sew In

For months I have been tempted to sign up for Friday Night Sew In.  Finally done it.
I have nothing specific planned, but I have plenty of projects to choose from!!!
Just have to remember to do a post on Saturday.   See you then.

September Sew Its Finished

I cut this bag out some years ago - maybe 5 years ago?? cant remember - with the idea of making it for a work colleague as she admired mine.  Finally I have given it to her.  One more off the list.

Let's Ban Word Verification for Ever!!!

Is Blogger's word and number verification getting you down? Well now's the time to join Chookyblue and Shez  and me and many others and turn it off on your blogs. You might get more comments - often I just give up if its late and it doesn't accept my answers after the second try. Could this be the reason why blogland seems to be very quiet lately. So please think about turning it off, most spam gets picked up and put in the spam folder and if someone leaves a not very nice comment you can delete it.

If you're not happy you can always switch back.

Now if aren't sure how to do it go here and chookyblue will show you how.

http://chookyblue.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/comments-word-verification.html 

Many thanks to Shez for allowing me to plagiarise her post on the same topic!!!

August 2012 Retreat

Every year in August my group head off to the Scenic Rim to enjoy a few days of luxury and sewing.  This year was our 6th visit and there were 9 of us - most of us stayed from Friday through to Tuesday.  We start planning what  projects to work on weeks in advance.  We just work on our own projects and for whatever hours we feel like.
Generally we arrive sometime Friday morning and set up all the gear.  Then it's off to the Mt Alford pub - "It's not the prettiest pub" but the atmosphere is fun, the food is typical Aussie pub food and the licensee and staff all help make it a fun time.  (Even took the photos for us!)
I won't talk about the pin up boys in the Ladies toilet!!

Quite a few years back, we started our "Wishing and Hoping" board.  Each person has a little pad of Post its  and we each write one project on a 'page' and stick them up on the left hand side of the white board.  I keep the pages from each year and do a roll call each time to see what projects that were listed in previous years have since been finished.  There are a number that have been on that board for a few years. (Not mentioning any names here.)
So this year everyone wrote their initials and 2012 as well as the name of the project.  Some people bring lots of little things, others bring a few larger things.  Its not a competition - just fun.

Here is the board early on Friday afternoon.  One of the group brought some mending to do - so she was able to sneak in very early with a finish.


(Blogger is being naughty here - its upside down!  - all the tickets should be on the left!!!)

The lady who runs the place was celebrating one of "those" birthdays this year as well as another major milestone so we made her a small wall hanging to celebrate.

Then it was down to business. Sewing, talking, laughing, eating.  Too busy to take photos.  Most nights I finished up at about 12 midnight - and I wasn't alone.
I had one major project to concentrate on - a quilt for my eldest daughter's best friend who is getting married in December and would like a quilt just like the one I had made for my daughter.  This version is in teals and I got as far as I could as I hadn't finished all the larger embroideries.  But I was pleased with my progress.

I also worked on a leaders and enders project - I had finally organised a lot of 2.5" squares - this is what I got done over the whole weekend.  I plan on adding a bright blue strip in between each row and a blue border.

The second project was to finish a Project for Sew Its Finished for August.  It seems I started this in 2004 and put it away.  I only came across it accidentally a couple of weeks ago - I had totally forgotten about it.

Then I moved on to what I hope will be my September finish for Sew Its Finished.  I did the raw edge appliqué and have other plans for the background.

 Next was the "Red Houses" - a Marg Low pattern. My best sewing mate bought me the pattern and some red fabrics from the quilt show in Sydney, so I teamed them up and hope to finish that fairly soon.  Here is one house.

 
By Tuesday early afternoon - the Wishing & Hoping Board looked more like this - I think we were all pleased with what we achieved.

Another "on going" theme of our retreats is "The Girls - Belle & Pearl".  One year E. made these two dolls. But they had no hair the first year and went home in a shoe box!  The next year they grew their hair.  One year they were left behind and we missed them so much!!  Their owner got a good roasting for that.  Now they sit up high watching over us and this year they were given a special quilt to keep them warm.  And this year they were joined by a little angel.

Only 50 weeks and 6 days to go til the 2013 retreat!!!!!

Sew It's Finished - July

Just finished my project for July for Sew It's Finished.  No rush about this project.

I knew I started this cross stitch a LONG time ago - but when I was talking with a work mate the other day - she said "Oh I remember you sewing that - before I left to have DD2".  Well DD2 is now 8 - so I finished the cross stitch part (except for the words and hair highlights) in 2004.
The original wording was "A Wild Wonderful Wacky Woman Lives Here"  but it doesn't really suit our entrance area in the house - but it's going to look great in my Sewing Space.

The pattern is 1331 - Wacky Woman Designed by Diane Arthurs from Imaginating
PS For those who don't know - my surname is Wild -makes this even more appropriate. And I hardly changed the colours - that's unusual for me.

Jenny's Giveaway

Pop over to Jenny's blog - Jenny of ELEFANTZ..  She does the most adorable stitchery designs and now has almost 1900 followers.  If you go over there - enter the give away - you could win one of 3 prizes  and if you mention my name in your comment I win a prize too!  Can't  beat that.

My First July Give-away Win

I have won two Give-aways this month - lucky me!!
The first one has arrived - it was from Sew Its Finished and is a charm pack.  Go here to get the info.

The second one won't be here for a bit - its coming from the USA.
How very exciting!!

PS:They say Good Things come in 3's . .  there's still time to win one more thing!!! Maybe Lotto??

Progress on SKOW

Friday night I cut more 1.5" squares for my SKOW - it seemed that I cut oodles of them.
Saturday (today) - I sewed oodles of 1.5" squares - but I still have oodles left!
But I have the sets of little squares joined to their big blocks and most of the rows put together.
I still have the sewing block to finish off - though its 2/3rd done and the joining strips to do.I am going to take off the last strip - after row 2 and use it up the other way in another place. I just can't live with the 2 pink stripes where they are now and its only sewn on one side so no biggie to 'reverse sew 61.5 inches'!!!

This photo is missing the butterflies but just use your imagination!

I'm really loving this quilt!

Sunday Sewing - Close Ups

I was asked for some close ups - I was able to grab a couple of pictures in the daylight - though unfortunately not as sunny as I would have liked.
Hope these help.

Its not quilted yet - someone else will be doing that and another person the binding.