Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

If you are missing special people, or life has thrown a few curve balls at you - then I'm sending you a special hug.

Enjoy your Christmas celebrations and stay safe.

Cushion Swap

Each year my bestie and I make a cushion for each other for Christmas.

This year I decided to make a button cushion - a heart full of buttons.

Strangely - quite a while after I had decided about that and scoured the Craft Show looking for pink buttons - I seemed to find them everywhere in Pinterest and even last month's Homespun had a tree of buttons ..

There are at least 350 buttons here...and really I could find places for more - probably 100 tiny ones would fit - but you have to draw the line somewhere.

That is the last of my secret sewing for the year...hopefully not the last finished project for the year.

And here is my lovely cushion from Maureen next to the one I made.

FNSI - December

My last cyber sewing gig for the year.   😞
(Have you notice you can now put symbols into blog posts...?)

I am still "Secret Sewing" - the last project to be finished.

Here's a clue:

I started the night off with a drink using my new mug rug - it was re-purposed for the night!

I am now on 3 weeks leave - so much to do at work - but a long list of To Dos at home too so I will just put work out of my head as much as possible and enjoy my time off.

A big thanks to Wendy for keeping us going throughout the year.

I know its 8 sleeps away - but to you all:

 AND

If you are not visiting before the 31st December...

See you in 2017...with a new list of UFOs to finish!

Bah Humbug swap

Finally, the day has arrived when I can open my Bah Humbug swap present....it's been sitting here since 1st December tempting me . . . .

and inside was a lovely mug and mug rug - Love the fabric wrapper and who can say no to cashews??

(Sorry - its sideways...it will have to do for now!)

I was able to hand mine over ... I had intended I would hand it directly to De, but instead it had to go via her very capable "courier".

It looked like this:

and inside was this:

I had fun making it.....after I found a mug I was happy with....seemed they were either cartoony or thick and fairly ugly.

I really enjoy these little swaps.  Thanks Sandi, Helen Teresa & Norreen

KQ Girls Wrap Up

Another Christmas Party!!

This is a smaller group I go to in the Wynnum area.  We decided this year we would each make a bon-bon and fill it with 5 sewing related things.

Here is the collection:

This is the one I received:

I love it - I use blue & silver in one area of my house 

for Christmas decorations - it is made from organza.

and here is the one I made:

A few of the girls make a small present for everyone:

A lovely handmade card with a quilted fabric tree, and a hexie decoration
A hand towel for the kitchen.
And a bookmark:

For most of the day we wore those as decorations...(not a mad bunch at all!)

I have planned a "veg out and read" day during my Christmas break - so this will be very handy.

We had a lovely time - plenty of chicken, salads and pudding to eat.  We even played games and we each received a surprise present - a handy storage box.
So that is the end of another fun year...

Sunday Stitchers Wrap Up

The year drew to a close for our Sunday Stitchers Group on Sunday 27th November - so this post is a bit late...

We had four birthdays to celebrate first - a collection of lovely goodies for Alison, me, Helen and Noela.

I collected some lovely neutrals, a few bright & colourfuls and a "combined 4 x fat quarters" to go with a panel I bought earlier in the month at Glenrose.

 Cheryl brought along tablecloths and tinsel to decorate the scene and a few of us brought along Christmas quilts etc which we were able to pin to the walls.  It looked very festive.
I forgot to take photos - must have been distracted - but fortunately Maria took some so you can pop over here to have a "look and see"

Teresa had brought in some cute Christmas cup cakes for us, so we ate them for morning tea...Very scrummy.
I disappeared for a moment and came back to a place mat full of Christmas presents

This is a a very kind and generous group.

I gave out my Christmas Angel.

As we are so close to an IGA we decided to let them do the hard work and ordered platters of meat, salad and fruit.  Topped off with some pudding.
(again - seriously short of photos.)

Of course we had some Secret Santa happenings.   We had decided to make a bag and include a decoration for our partner.

I made this bag for Sandi 

and an angel (of course) decoration.

(This is actually an angel I made for another person - but it was the same only green.)

I received this totally gorgeous bag and a cute little hanging Santa from Helen - her workmanship is exquisite - I do love it and will use it next year for my Sunday Stitching.   Strangely enough I had recently bought myself a new blue mug for taking to SS, so it all ties in perfectly.

We had a great day - sadly we won't meet again until January.  

By then we should have a bumper crop of Show & Tell!!!

FNWF - December 2016

Thanks again Cheryll for continuing to host our Friday Night With Friends.  Sometimes its the extra motivation I need to get something done - instead of collapsing after a weeks worth of work.

There is still a lot of secret sewing happening here, so I will show a picture of a very cutely dressed chocolate...This was one of the gifts from Sandi at our Sunday Stitchers Christmas Party
. 

It was delicious!!

Pop over here to see the other FNWF'ers.

The countdown to Christmas is here and running at full speed - so I hope you are well prepared...all your sewing done?? - presents organised?? food & guest list sorted for the "big" day???

Nup - me either.

Bridesmaids Quilts - November Finishes

I have probably told the tale before . . . .


Quite a while back I found a free pattern with stitcheries of the words from 1 Corinthians 3:4-8 - the one that goes "Love is patient, Love is Kind...." and some flowers.
I knew my eldest daughter (DD1) would love it one day when the time was right . . . so I started it.
Then I saw a pattern from Val Laird and knew it would go well with the other bits.  (They became the corner blocks)

When she got engaged I thought I'd make it as a wedding quilt.

A few years later her Maid of Honour got married and when asked what she would like for a present she said "Oh a quilt like yours!"...so I made #2

One of the DD1's bridesmaids was already married when DD1 got married, but the other 2 are now married...so I have made versions 3, 4 and 5.
I don't think I will need to make this one for DD2...and that is probably a good thing!!!

I did these all in tandem - knowing that if I completed one the next one/two would be that much harder.  I must admit I am pleased they are finished.

Here is a slightly better / closer photo of the pink one

One thing that I didn't think to do on the original quilt was to combine the names like this:

These quilts will be handed over some time over the Christmas / New year period when DD1 is back home.

FNSI - November

Is this our second last get together for 2016???

I should have been working on all those "secret projects"...but - it didn't happen - I tried a couple of mini stockings instead.

A friend - Maria - works with a Group - Knitting 4 Brisbane's Needy - each year the group make and fill mini stocking to give out to the needy of Brisbane.  I usually support the cause by donating some lollies.  One of the Sunday Stitchers Group (Lynda) made some knitted stockings at the last meeting - so I bought some wool - the same one!!! (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...) and found the pattern she had pinned.

I tried one to the pattern - it was tiny - not unexpected as Lynda had already mentioned that she had changed the pattern a bit - so I upped the ante.  The second one is considerably bigger...maybe too big...so I might try for a slightly smaller size.   

When I get it right I will make some ready for next year.  This year the group has been asked to supply 6000 filled stockings!!!

I hope everyone else had a productive night - probably a lot of secret sewing happening at the moment.

Thanks to Wendy for hosting and keeping us all going.

See you next month??? - Hopefully all your projects will be finished by then!

FNWF - November

Not a lot of sewing happening here. . . .but some prep work was needed for next week when I am off on a short retreat with some crazy ladies.   (nice crazy of course!)

Most of what I will be sewing when I am away is "Secret Stuff" - so all I am showing is the packed bags.

It doesn't look much like that - but I am sure I will have more than enough to keep me busy.

Hopefully everyone else was a bit more productive...(I find I am so tired on Friday night that a little nanna nap sometimes creeps in!)
There won't be many posts of my sewing next week but I will try to get some pics of whatever is happening...no matter what sewing is done . . . .it will be a fun few days.

One sleep!

October Finish

A finish for October...I missed a finish in July...but otherwise I am slowly chipping away at older UFOs...still a few to go....I am hopeful I will finish most of them in 2017.

I started this in October 2013.  I was doing a "bargello" project with a group of ladies and wisely chose a smaller project - initially it was to be a runner for our outside table - but since then we have changed the table and what I had already started was then too wide to use on the table, so this will now sit on the servery between the kitchen and outside area.  I plan to make some placemats to match - but just in strips I think.   Enough bargello for now!!

I plan to have at least 3 finishes for November - I have been working on 3 quilts "in tandem" - the thought being that if I worked on just one at a time - the second and third would have been harder to keep focused on...you will see what I mean next month!!

Apart from that - there is a lot of secret stuff happening!
I'm off on a short retreat next week so maybe I can get some of it done then.

Happy Sewing to you all.

Late for FNWF

Where did that weekend go??

Friday Night saw me sewing along with all the FNWF'ers...but Saturday was busy and Sunday I went to the Brisbane Craft Show.

Here is my Friday Night stitching....some progress on my old "go to " project when nothing else is ready...

The Craft Show:
I have never been on a Sunday before...It was so quiet and really the best day you could go...some bargains to be had at the end of the day...
But the number of stall holders was down...again

The price keeps going up - for entrance and the rental of the stalls...so its the old Catch 22 - the less suppliers the less attendees and then less suppliers...etc etc
But there were a few new retailers which was encouraging to see.

Plenty of opportunity to get a good Retail Fix.

September Finish

Last Sunday was Sunday Stitchers and I took along my latest finish.

I've been working on this for a number of years...

(there is a photo in a post dated August 2012 

where I had joined a lot of squares into strips...

though back then it seems I was planning on a bright blue strip to join them)

It's a Leaders & Enders project.  

I sew 2 21/2" squares together, then 2 sets of 2 and 2 sets of 4...etc...

and total them up to 30 squares.

Then join that to a plain strip - mostly 21/2" but that bit is flexible...

depending in what I have lying around.   

I used 21/2" binding strips too so that the left over can go into the next project.

It's fun to re-visit some of the fabrics.
I am planning one that will have at least one row of fabrics from each quilt that I make in the future - or if I can do it - that I have already made.

This is destined for a nursing home or similar.

Bluebird Lane

Three of us at Sunday Stitchers have been working on Natalie Bird's Bluebird Lane.

This month's deadline was to have all the blocks finished, 

and we all managed that (nothing like a bit of peer pressure!!!)

Here is mine

I used a fat quarter bundle I bought a while back - a Helen Stubbings range and added some beiges and the teal green.
As usual (for me) I changed the layout and used birds in a block that was originally rabbits.

Here is Inca's

(had to use her instagram photo as she wasn't there on Sunday)

Inca and I are still pondering the borders - the original has stars all around.

and here is Sandi's
Sandi is thinking of making a table runner 

and some mini quilts, so she hasn't put her blocks together 

It's been great to have a team project...wonder if we will do one next year???

FNSI - September

The year is flashing by...how is that "To Do" list going??

Along with other cyber buddies, Friday night saw me stitching on my Pretty Little Sydney...again...it's getting there - hope to tick it off by the end of December.

There is a LOT of water to go...

Thanks Wendy for another fun night!!!

Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade

I saw on Fiona's and then on Maria's blog that there was a

"Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade" happening, so I thought I would join in too.

Both Fiona & Maria showed some lovely pincushions and how they use them all.  

Here is my collection.

I store a lot of mine in a small bird cage.  I have cat who would love to not only play with these - but is likely to eat them...so I keep them out of reach.. Even if he didn't eat them, he will pull the pins out and chew off the tops.

This is my oldest pin cushion....Dates back to around 1983/84 I think.  I went to a class to learn how to make bullion roses...the instructor's pin cushion was so beautifully done - I paid her to make me one.  It is full of horse hair - like they used to use in furniture.  I used it for many years.

Two Anni Downs designs - the flower gifted from my bestie, and the turtle because "everyone" was making one.

This collection were all gifts from friends in Loose Threads.

This lovely cat was gifted to me by my late aunt...made by a member of Buderim Craft Cottage....too lovely to stick pins in..

I won this as part of a giveaway from Val Laird.

Two pincushions from the SAL in 2014 - run by Chookyblue.

The simplest one of all - used to be beside my machine - it's filled with rice so its nice & heavy.

Another one I made because "everyone" else was making one...

And another one gifted to me - this is from Teresa in Sunday Stitchers.

Now my favourite (sorry to all the other gifters...) is this one.  It's large, its heavy so its stays where I put it and was made as a swap gift in the Nundle Girls Day in the Country 2016 by Dawnie...Thanks again Dawnie.

And my most recent - not a pin cushion, but a "Pin Holder"-  is this one...it's very easy to use as it has a magnet inside and the pins just "fly" onto the magnet.

I also have a few Sewing Caddy things - that include pincushions and if I didn't have that pesky cat, one would be sitting on the arm of my recliner. I made the black & white one to match a lot of my sewing gear - I take it to sewing days when I take the machine.  I made the pink one for a competition - the others were gifts.

This is the competition one...  

(Thanks to Faeries in My Garden for the photo)

The competition was hosted by Faeries in My Garden in 2009.  It was based on a TV remote control holder pattern and I turned it into a Sewing Caddy.   And I won!!!
You can read about it here.http://www.faeriesinmygarden.com.au/Gift-of-the-Month/240/

When I first read the posts by FIona & Maria I thought my post would be quite short...because I didn't really have many....but I think that is maybe not the case at all.

I also have these.