Monday 27 April 2009

surprise mail.


Talk about monday-itis! I received a lovely package in the mail that brightened my day. My Aunt that is living in Belgium, who always likes to make sure I never run out of projects, sent me a super duper parcel of fabric from the Netherlands and also a stash of buttons-they are so cute. My friend Els has sent me dutch fabrics before and is waiting on getting some more for me so I can say I will be inundated with 'dutch' fabrics. I really want to choose a great project for these fabrics as they are in my favourite colour-blue (like the red too!)


I am hoping that my redwork cushion arrived today I haven't heard from my swap partner yet but I think I can safely post a photo of what I sent.
I used a lovely Bronwyn Hayes stitchery.

I have also included a photo of my Disappearing 9 patch. I really enjoyed making these and am even warming to the fabrics I used.

Hope you fought off the Monday-itis....
Marina

Saturday 25 April 2009

a lovely give away

Sue Daley is having a give away of her latest book and it will be personally signed.
check it our here: http://suedaleydesigns.typepad.com/
the patterns use paper piecing something I would love to try.

Anzac day today and Hubbie and no. 2 son went to their big Anzac day shoot for their military rifle club so have had a super lazy 'do what I want day'! Woo hoo. (i was good though and did all the washing, including two quilts, just made it in before the rain)

I have been seeing disappearing nine patch quilts everywhere and just had to try one myself. I had some fat quarters that I was not very fond of when I bought them so decided to give them ago, if it didn't work out no big loss.
Well the blocks turned out perfectly I wish my treasured blocks would turn out so accurately.
Will post some pics once hubbie brings the camera home from his day out!
Maybe they will have some pics with trophies?

cheers
Marina

Friday 24 April 2009

redwork cushion swap



Here are some more treasures from my dresser. My mum is a very talented woman and everything she attempts turns out beautiful. These are some of her China painted treasures. She made me the teapot and sugar bowl for my birthday or christmas, can't remember exactly, but I have always been too scared to use them in case they break or chip. So they just get to look lovely.
The christening cup was also painted by her and being blue it was destined to be mine! Next to the cup is the most gorgeous miniature tea set we bought when we went to Sydney a few years ago. I just love them and they are small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. They have dainty little painting on them too.
My redwork cushion for Maree's swap has left and is on its way to Western Australia to Kate.
I will post a pic once she gets it next week.
cheers for now.
Marina
ps thanks for the positive feedback on my doily runner. I hope to baste it and start quilting this weekend!


Tuesday 21 April 2009

let you know about a giveaway

There is a lovely giveaway on Vickie's blog
http://www.midohioknitter.blogspot.com/
Vickie has designed some things for modabakeshop and her latest is a cute sugar cube pincushion. you can see it on here
http://www.modabakeshop.com/
enjoy!
Marina

Monday 20 April 2009

help?








This is what I got up to yesterday. You may recognise Miss Kitty an embroidery that my mum made when she was learning to embroider as a young girl. Last year we lost both my maternal grandparents and over the christmas holidays we faced the sad task of clearing their home. This was where we found Miss Kitty and other assorted doilies embroidered by mum. Some had holes or weren't finished on the edges so I wanted to incorporate them into a table runner or wall hanging for mum.
I used 30's reproduction fabrics but am not sure if I am totally happy with the result. You know the saying 'more is less' well I am worried that I have 'more is more' happening.
Would love to hear some opinions I must admit I am happier with the way it shows up in the photo. In 'real life' it seems very busy.
Mike and Sully weren't much help......


I love these Monster's inc. characters and no.1 son bought these for me ages ago from a supermarket. I have a soft Sully too that I would never let the kids play with.
They are part of my treasures in my dresser. There are more to show later.
Marina

Saturday 18 April 2009

a new swap!





Here are pics of my Tisket Tasket blocks. I have only done them with blanket stitch applique and cheated by using ric rac for the handles. I love ric rac! This last night I finished the easter block and have also embroidered the handle for the snowman block. Got a bit carried away when I started it and didn't realise to put the ric rac on before ironing on the other pieces-duh!
The patterns are very sweet and you can download them from

I have found a great new swap at http://sewprimkhris.blogspot.com/. It is a Friends swap. You have to send your swap partner something that starts with each of the letters in the word Friends. Seeing as my red work cushion has to be sent next week and I have had it finished for ages I can commit to a new swap.
Have lost my family and have had the longest turn on the computer!!
Have been surfing the net and checking out heaps of blogs.
It's good to be the King.
All good fun!
cheers for now
Marina




Friday 17 April 2009

happy news

Well have had an email from Nicole that she received her stuff that I made. I am so glad that she liked it all. I noticed that on Monika's blog that she had recieved my things too. Relieved that they have received and liked the things I made!
I was up till late last night cutting and vlisofixing! I have caught up with preparing my tisket tasket block four and it is ready to applique. I have cut the rest of the background blocks too. Have also caught up on an abandoned bom. I am quite enthused and should have enough appliqueing to last for ages.
It was great fun cutting and applying the pieces just like a puzzle. I will post pics once I get organised.
I have also been 'commissioned' to make something by my neighbour. She is a descendant of a convict that was transported to the Female factory in Tasmania at the age of 13. An artist in Tasmania is collecting bonnets that can be made by descendants of convicts or you can even adopt a convict to make a bonnet in honour of. I have cut out the bonnet and just need to embroider and sew it by the end of this month so that it can be blessed and then added to the collection of bonnets to be displayed. There are so many tragic stories from Australia's convict history. Imagine being sent to the other end of the world at the age of 13 never to see your family again.
Our 'Australian history' only goes back fifty years and it is just mind boggling being able to trace back your family history through such accurate government records back to the 1800's.

Last day of holidays.....boo hoo!
cheers
Marina

Sunday 12 April 2009

Saturday 11 April 2009

ps happy easter for tomorrow







Hope the easter bunny comes to your house too!

crafty day




Well have had a productive couple of days and managed to use up my charm pack that I won on Jemima's quilting blog. I toyed with how to use it for ages and decided that a small top or even table cover would be a quick and easy project. I have so many slow growing things on the go it is a change to start and finish something quickly. I started sewing yesterday and finished basting the top, back and batting today! Can't wait to start quilting but I need to get a new quilting hoop as mine has broken beyond repair.
The border fabric was my bargain $2 fat quarters. Talk about a budget top.
I am quite happy with it and it will also fit nicely over the back of the couch.
happy day.

Thursday 9 April 2009

another red day?

Here are some pics of the second pack of goodies that I have just sent off to Nicole in States who was a forgotten stitching angel. I hope she likes the pack. I got a little carried away with the redness of it all but the fabrics came together nicely and she did say she liked reds and blues.





The stitchery pattern was from a craft mag. but I don't remember which one. I just love it and I embroidered it in a bright red to suit the fabrics.
I also got a little carried away with the yo-yo's as is so easily done they are quite addictive once you get started. I will just put them away and start a collection you never know when you may need 'bizillions' of yo-yo's?






This craft bag includes some of the dutch fabric that my swap partner sent me it is just so cute and the braid under the striped fabric belonged to my grandmother who had it stashed away. It was brand new on the original card. I almost don't want to use it but there isn't much point leaving it there for someone else to have to clean out when I die so I am enjoying using it. There was also a blue braid that I used on my ruler bag which was in blues.
I still have lots left over to keep though.


First week of the school holidays almost gone.
I wish it was four weeks holidays... can't be greedy now, can we.
Have a good day.
Marina


Tuesday 7 April 2009

wash day!

Today was d-day. I have been putting it off for ages.
Today the dogs would get a bath! The weather was a little cool but I figure if they can happily swim in a cold dam they can have a bath in warm water. Hopefully if they stay a little clean they will be allowed to come inside when I am home and I have made them some lovely new rugs for in the house too.
On Sunday I dragged out my overlocker, which hasn't seen the light of day for at least 3-4 years, to sew up gun bags for hubby. He managed to get some off cuts of upholstery fabric for me to make him the bags. So I got to spend all Sunday afternoon making gun bags. I must admit they did turn out quite nice. He will have quite well dressed guns when he goes to the range!
and bonus the dogs have new mats as well.
on the 'real' craft front Block 11 of Girls day out arrived Saturday afternoon!
Only one more to go which I think will be the instructions on how to put it together. Yippee.
I am looking forward to putting the quilt together.

Off to change funnily enough I smell like wet dog!
cheers
Marina

Saturday 4 April 2009

pay it forward....


Have signed up for this on Linda's blog.(http://sewlind.blogspot.com/)
It sounds like fun.
It follows the principle of the Pay it forward film where you perform a random act of kindness in the hope that it will be passed on to another.
To take part please leave a message the first three people that do so and agree to take part, will each receive something hand made by me within 365 days. They will in turn be required to post it on their blog and pay it forward to three other people who will pay it forward and so on and so on...
Sounds like fun so if you would like to take part please leave a comment and we will see where it ends up.

Friday 3 April 2009

Friday!





Well it is Friday, last day of term 1 of the school year!
I hope that Monike in Norway will have received her parcel as Els in the Netherlands received hers that I posted on the same day. so now I will post a pic of what I made and sent her. There is a sewing caddy -I used a stitchery that I had put away waiting for a project to use it for. the stitchery was a free pattern on a blog but it was so long ago I can't remember the site but I loved it and had to do it straight away, I think it suits quite well. The craft bag was also made and put away waiting for a purpose as was the pin cushion. I also sent her one of my milk jug doilies. I love making them and I usually keep one of each design as a sampler in case I lose the patterns and I can always copy from the doily.
A site for free great crochet patterns is:
I hope she likes the package.
Nearly finished my second package to send to someone else just a few more bits and pieces.
One more sleep till craft group.
Have a great weekend.
Marina

Wednesday 1 April 2009

a little bit of red.....















this week is just flying!
Some red photos for today. Red buttons, I love buttons!, a lovely cup, saucer and plate given to me by a lovely lady at work, and a red and white camelia from my garden. (too early to be out this year yet but it puts on a great show each year.
Have been busy making some gifts to send to a neglected stitcher's angel. Hopefully by the weekend they will be done.
Will show pics when they are finished.

Craft group on Saturday and I am looking forward to going as I missed last month's get together. They are a lovely group of ladies who my aunt introduced me to as she is a part of the group.
There are a few patchworkers and stitchers, some crochet experts, some knitters and embroiderers. Pretty well got it covered between us.
Of course craft group involves lots of cups of tea and delicious goodies eaten from the 'good' cups and plates.
Roll on Saturday.














Time is flying....

 Seems like my blog has become a little neglected again, this doesn't mean a lack of crafting though. Progress has been achieved on most...