FNSI - Snow at the North Pole

It has finally snowed at the North Pole - so much so that the builders had to go home before they put the roofs on the Car & Truck/Doll Factory and the Takeaway Shop.

Another wonderful night of sewing along with 58 others - thanks everyone for your company - and urging me on when I could have just vegged out!!!
Pop over here to go and visit the others.

A big thanks to Wendy for hosting - providing prizes and recipes!!

Sunday Stitchers - June

Today was the day for our Breast Cancer fundraising  / support day.
We had a guessing competition - how many coffee beans in the jar?? Who knows??  - we only had a picture of the jar - but I was closest so I scored a bag of lovely Lindt chocolates and some fabric
We also had a raffle - and the lucky Helen won that .

We were asked to bring pink food  . . .

probably a few teaspoons of sugar on the table...??

I made these little tea cups and no Sandi I didn't lick them to make them stick!.

Maree made a big pink ribbon cake

and Debbie made some apple & berry crumble in these cute little bowls

There were lots of other yummy things - fortunately some savoury.

All the Gossip girls showed their progress:

Some "oh so cute" pants Debbie has made for premmie babies

Lynda did a class recently with Camille Roskelly and this is the block she worked on...

Inca showed her completed flimsy :Antique Sampler" from Sue Daley

and top prize for the day goes to Helen for finishing her Twilight Garden quilt.  It is beautifully embroidered all over...from a design by Candy Cats.  This is Helen with the Candy Cats designer (we call her Maureen for short)

Such a fun day....

Weekend Sewing

Well, firstly there was Friday night (with Friends) for Sewing...
Then there was the first Saturday of the month for my #1 Patchwork Group where 6 of us sewed chatted & laughed our way through the day.
I worked on the stitchery I got ready the night before:

Then there was the second Sunday of the month - #2 Patchwork Group.  Because it is a long weekend we decided to have an extended day, so we  sewed, chatted & laughed our way through the day from 9.30am to 9.00 pm.. One of the hubbys cooked dinner for us and brought it down to where we were sewing - beautiful lamb and beef dishes with rice, followed by a chocolate & strawberry cake from the Cheesecake shop...yummo...I don't think I need to eat for a week...

Every year we make something to decorate one of the local libraries (Carina)  - last year we did decorated bras..this year we have made bunting - a few were hanging up today so I decided to snap a picture or two.

This one shows the crochet triangles - we all think they look like a 1960's bikini!
Margaret sewing away, HIlda and Anne trying to un-tangle a ball of wool

Two strips here - top one will probably go in the Childrens Corner at the library
And the bottom one will be used at Christmas time ...duh!...and will probably get some gold stars added

During the day I helped with another strip of bunting- which will show the name of our group. 
I also put together 4 blocks for the June BOM for Aussie Hero Quilts and did some more work on my North Pole blocks.

These blocks are sent to the coordinator
who then re sorts them all into collections
and volunteers make them into quilts for the service men and women.

Sunday night - time for a machine clean and new needle - but a great weekend all round - and bonus - no work Monday!   Might be able to squeeze in a bit more sewing...?????

FNWF - June

Friday night -Thanks to Cheryll  who hosts Friday Night with Friends - another cyber sewing opportunity...lost a bit of time eating out...and maybe a nanna nap as well...so not a lot to show...I did get this last block traced - so I can cross it off my list for last weekend....

I also finished a knitted square ready to hand over (at the next blog meet) to Maria who spends a lot of her time making up blankets for Brisbane's needy.   Pretty simple - a 10" square in 8 ply garter stitch.

Pop over here to see what everyone else got up to - probably a lot more than me!
Thanks Cheryll for hosting us - and providing the much needed encouragement.

But Saturday was another sewing day so I made a lot of progress stitching that block, 
and on Saturday night I prepared all the snow for my North Pole blocks - I will leave attaching it til I am ready to join all the blocks so I can make sure all the snow lines up...I don't want any snow drifts!!  But I think I can cross off the two remaining jobs from last weekends list...must be time for another list....LOL

Happy long weekend to most!

Sunday Wrap up of the Chookshed Cyber party

First up was job # 2 - sewing all the doo dads onto Quilt Diva.  I found I had a few duplicates and decided not to include some buttons but moved a few things around as well - so almost 2 hours later I can cross that one off the list too.  I made Quilt Diva back in 2008 - she now hangs in my sewing room and as I buy - or am given - new things to add - I collect them all in a bag and pin them to the bottom of the quilt  - whoo hoo!!  no bag pinned there now..

Next, onto Job # 8 - finish off Block 10 of my cross stitch...

(I know its only Block 8 for me ...still debating about the 3x3, 3x4, 4x4 issue)

Then, I was going to trace that last block for my French Collection quilt (Job #11) ...mmm...got the pattern...where is the fabric??? oh well not going to waste time today looking...onto the next job....

#10 - Snow for North Pole - couldn't quite decide between two fabrics so I just traced the vliesofix instead...

Then finished off the binding on this quilt - #7 - it deserves a separate post...another time.

and it's only 10pm!!

Very happy with what I got done...as I was adding the photos I realised it is now June - gosh where does the time go?? - and I have also realised that next weekend - it's the first Saturday of the month - so that is Sewing Group #1 and also the second Sunday of the month which is Sewing group #2 - oh oh... just as well it's a  long weekend.

So here's the Sunday Wrap up list:

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books and re hem one leg of a pair of trousers
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

9 out of 11 - 82%...happy with that.

Thanks Chookyblue for inviting me and so many others to share in the big party.  I cannot imagine how much fun all the "real" party goers had..maybe the virtual visitors got more done - less distractions???

I'm off to visit some of the other party goers.

Saturday Night's Progress

I have made a fair dent in my "Hope To Do' list.

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books and re hem one leg of a pair of trousers
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

And I didn't really start til lunchtime - had to do the taxi service & groceries first (and the thread shopping) - but they are all the easy peasy things...tomorrow may be a different story.

So here is my Mystery heart row

These are the "bits" to sew onto the wall hanging - 34 of them...

The baby quilt   (bad lighting at night time)...made from bits left over from this quilt.

NO photo of tie/pants.....boring stuff

Threads before

and after

Can't show you the list - but you are welcome to a copy if you like to keep your DMCs in colour groups...just let me know.

and Mrs Beasley Sampler Block #2...still a bit to go on this but all the applique is done now...

I have had a fun time joining in with Chookyblue and her friends..I am sure I can hear the giggling even here...Sleep well girls - tomorrow is another BIG day.

Party Time!!!

It's party time over at Chookyblue's Chookshed.  It's to celebrate the second birthday of her Chookshed.

There's going to be a lot of merriment - eating, drinking, sewing, chatting, blogging, emailing etc

Some people get to go "for real" - the rest of us are cyber participants - at least we don't have to pack & drive - more drinking time - or more sewing time!!



I think most of the cyber participants have organised easy meals, limited interruptions and probably have "a list".  
Here's mine:

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

Just as well I have 2 days!!!  (Although, I have to also fit in a bit of "taxi service" and shopping...)

Oh well - a list is very motivating...better get on with it...

Welcome to the North Pole QAL - April

It's that time again - to post pictures of my North Pole blocks...

Just two partly done blocks this time - the Reindeer barn:

  (This one still needs a weather vane on top)

and the Trees & Reindeer:

I was able to "beg" the fabric for the Reindeer barn and the Laurel Birch Reindeer from a friend.

All the blocks need the snowy ground - especially the last one...I really need to make up my mind about that - all the same or different???...just a normal applique - or maybe some texture???...decisions...decisions...

It's still fun - a load to do!

Sunday Stitchers - May

Once again a day for meeting up, chatting, laughing, stirring, eating, coffee-ing - and some sewing!

Today was extra special as it was the time to give Tatyana - some presents for her soon to be born baby.
This lovely nappy cake was made by Teresa - how clever!

And we all put in for a baby bundle

And a quilt - this was  a group effort - difficult to organise when the only time we all get together Tatyana is there too...a huge thanks to Cheryl who was the main contributor of fabric and quilted it...see below for how this impacted her "normal" sewing this month!

It was also birthday time for 3 of the group - this is the "before" photo!

The Gossipers have produced their next block - well some are still "in progress"

See Cheryl - on the end - she is holding her "Please Explain" note - we let her off this time - just means she has more catching up to do!

And for our row quilt - we are doing a row of hearts...... Last month was Stars and - since I can't explain - let me just say that I expect the hearts to go a bit more smoothly  . . .

And what get together would be complete without some Show & Tell - I didn't get it all but here is some:
Noela's Christmas Quilt

Marilyn's Bag

(one of) Debbie's baby quilts

A great day as always...

and since we were talking about the next date - its the 15th June - not 22nd...

FNSI - May

Once again  it was time to join in with sewers from all over the world with FNSI.

On Friday night I worked on a secret sewing project and can't show you much at all...

And I did a bit more cross stitching on my latest "must do" project.

I still haven't decided if I want to have a 4 x 4 design or stick with 3 x 3, or even a 3 x 4 since it would fit a frame I have here, so although we have received Block #8, I am not working on it yet.   Won't be long until #9 is out and I can continue on with my project.

Thanks to you all for such wonderful company and all the tasty nibbles from all over.!!!
See you next month.