Friday 27 August 2010

Gone mad?

Well I think I have finally gone mad!
Last night I was playing around with the idea of making a mini hexi for an idea I have had swirling around my head. It is a scary thing to have these thoughts. Thought became workable idea which became this.......
Somebody slap me!!Talk about fiddly. I don't know how you 'mini' people do it but now I have even more admiration for you. Or maybe you are just crazy?
They didn't turn out too uneven and they do look cute. Perhaps a few more? Just for that idea that is playing out in my mind.......

The sun is shining so I am off to put out washing before the weather changes it's mind.
Cheers for now
Marina

Wednesday 25 August 2010

civil war vs 30's fabrics.

While working on my swap gifts I have been trying to decide on which fabrics to use for my Sweet Nostalgia blocks!
What do you guys think?
30's           or                 civil war repro.

the 30's definitely look fresh and the civil war look warm.
I don't want to cut until I am absolutely sure so I will keep stitching block 12 for now.
I nearly have done all the swap goodies for Judit just one more to go - that 'U' has got me stumped a little. I have started on the swap goodies for Odbjorg while I search for the perfect 'U' item.
The cold wintry weather has struck again in Melbourne, where has the sun gone?
cheers for now
Marina

Tuesday 24 August 2010

tuesday treasures

 

This weeks Treasure is another gift from my grandmother.
When my I was around two my mum was diagnosed with cancer and given only twelve months to live. Luckily after treatment she proved them wrong and is still going strong. This must have been hard for a 20 yo with a young child but she is tough as old boots!
Anyhow...my grandmother and my aunt (dad's sister) used to share caring for me while she was in hospital and I don't remember ever going to see her in hospital- it probably wasn't the done thing back then. My nanna was a super house keeper and while she cleaned I had to sit still and not get in the way. I joke that I must have been a little 'challenged' as I did what I was told and would just sit and watch her and wait for her to finish. I would love to sit and look at her crystal cabinet and look at these little figurines. They are  less than two inches high but they were always in that cabinet. I was never allowed to touch just look.
When we got married and moved into our home she gave them to me as a gift as she always would comment how much I had loved them as a child. She also gave me her flying pheasants that used to be on the wall. I only have a few memories of that time as I was so young. I do remember getting dropped off at my aunties in the morning as my nanna had to work. It was a busy household as my aunt had four children of her own to look after. I remember going shopping with my auntie too the smell of the continental grocery store we used to visit. She had a photograph taken of me for my mum to have while in hospital. I had the most crooked fringe (courtesy of my nanna who thought she could cut a straight line!) and the saddest little face.

I am very lucky to have her around and to have had my nanna too.
Happy tuesday!
marina

Sunday 22 August 2010

sweet nostalgia...& a sneak peak


Dorothy has today posted the final instructions to putting together the Sweet Nostalgia BOM
I think it looks just gorgeous and I can't wait to be able to put my blocks together. I didn't do any of the borders as I went along as I wanted to see it put together. I am hoping that I can get it started next school holdiays which is in only 4 weeks (I think!). Usually I am so accurate with knowing those dates. The borders are going to be a challenge but I am ready to meet it head on and all those prairie points- gotta be good for the obsessive compulsive disorder!
Isn't it wonderful!



Well this swap business is a bit of a nuisance as I can't show anything of what I have been up to this week! Well maybe a sneak peak?

I have been working away to get some things finished and I can cross off a few from the list of goodies to send Judit
 
Speaking of swaps...... I have naughtily signed up for another swap. Your Honour I can explain..... It is a Christmas swap and doesn't have to be sent till December and the sign up is not closing till September 1.. I will have plenty of time to finish and package up the goodies for this swap.
Maree at On my Verandah is organising this swap. Last year I did a redwork cushion swap and a paper bag swap organised by Maree and I thought it sounded good. Unfortunately it is only open to Australia and New Zealand.
Well the sun has been shining here in Melbourne today. A promise of Spring just around the corner!
Am off to get some work done on some swap goodies!

Will try to post some more sneak peaks, just not big ones!
Cheers
Marina

Thursday 19 August 2010

WOW!!!

When I came home for lunch today I had the most wonderful surprise.
A huge parcel filled to the brim with goodies. From Whom you may ask?
Judit - the fastest swapper in the world! She has already sent me my wonderful goodies for the COLOURS Swap. I thought I was doing well by finishing my list and starting my first gift.
Better rethink that....
She has included some amazing flavoured teas, beautiful stitchery, a wonderful cookbook, some great postcards. I love the blue traditional type fabrics and she included some Hungarian chocolates too!

Here are the pics....
































Well I had better get a wriggle on!
Thankyou so much Judit, I am so grateful for the lovely gifts you have sent me.

My parcel will not be too far away....
cheers for now
Marina

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Maisie does some stitching....

Last night Princess Maisie decided to examine my stitching and make sure all the stitches were neat and straight.
I have to be careful as one of my swap partners is allergic to cats but luckily this isn't for her. Trust Maisie to take an interest when she isn't supposed to.
 Here is where my hands were kept busy on the weekend.........
The brown one will be a gift for an overseas friend's birthday which is coming up soon.


The coloured one I am not so sure of who it will go to. I decided to use up all my embroidery wools. I am half way through another one but I have run out of wool.
I have always wanted to try this pattern. It is so easy and grows quickly.
The pattern was on a great website www.barbscrochet.com. If you like to crochet or try new patterns check it out.
Have a great week
Marina

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Tuesday's treasures



It's Tuesday Treasures again.
This week I hunted out something that reminds me of a special day. DH is the youngest of 7 and I am the eldest of three and eldest grandchild. When we got married nearly 25 years ago it was quite the shinding! Really we were very lucky to have had so much goodwill and good feeling on our special day.
Here is a box of mementoes from that day.
 I especially love the rolling pin, boot and wishbone. They seemed quite unusual at the time.
I think I got so many wedding trinkets my arm was covered! Maybe all the horseshoes did bring us a lot of luck.

And here are some that belonged to my mother on her wedding day 46 years ago. (the little flowers are made of wax) They are a little discoloured but still lovely. She gave them to me before my wedding. I also wore her wedding dress.

When I emptied the box I even found that I had kept DH's flower corsage.
I am such a hoarder!
Have a lovely Tuesday!
cheers
Marina

Friday 13 August 2010

some retail therapy.....

can chase away the blues... that should be a song!
Well it has been a week and a half. I received the names of my swap partners for the COLOURS and FRIENDS swaps. For the colours I have Judit in Hungary and for the friends swap I have Oddbjorg in Norway. Talk about going around the world! I have added their blogs to my list. Today I went out shopping to buy the fabrics that I will be using for the gifts I will make. Judit and Oddbjorg have very different colour choices so I really enjoyed picking fabrics for them. I have also made a start on a project each which will have to stay under wraps for now except for some sneak peaks maybe?
Maree at 'on my verandah' is organising a Christmas swap -haven't jumped in yet but the sign up is by September 1st.

Seeing as I can't show you my fabrics I will show you my progress on my flower garden!
Three new flowers this week...

and the top so far....
I am quite happy with the scrappiness of it.
Tonight my 6 yo twin nieces are here and no 1 son will be taking them home later to babysit them. They were fascinated with my hexies flowers and I let them play with the made flowers in my tin. They spread them all over the lounge floor. It is nice to have little girls here for a change. They are identical but one wears pink and the other purple to tell them apart, they are just gorgeous!

And just to finish off my post here is a post of Princess Maisie. I was at the computer and turned around to find her sprawled out on the couch on a crochet spread that my nanna made. I didn't have the heart to just put it in a cupboard so for now it will be enjoyed over the couch.

Have a great weekend.
Marina

Tuesday 10 August 2010

tuesday treasures......

I am loving this tuesday treasures idea, good on you Clare!
This week I have an unusual treasure..or group of treasures..
They are three letters that were sent to me. The earliest one was probably around 30 years ago and the others 25 and 20 years ago.
The oldest one was from a family friend that had come from overseas and stayed with my family. She was just wonderful and we had corresponded for a little while after she returned to Italy. In one letter she wrote some beautiful things and sent me a bunch of Eidelweiss (Stelle Alpine).These flowers were picked by my great uncle. He was a lovely man-my maternal grandmothers brother.
The second letter was written by my paternal Grandmother who I was named after and by my aunt.
It is the last letter I had from her and I love to read it. We don't have any heirlooms from her as she lived overseas but I have this letter and my memories of when we lived with her when I was 13.
The third letter is from my maternal grandmother's other brother and his wife.  I just thought the sun shone from him. He was always very affectionate and sweet to me. We stayed with them overseas too. They visited here about 14 years ago and I felt 13 again! I wished they didn't live overseas as the distance was so far. He passed away some years ago and when I read it I still can feel the affection in his words. 

So there is my soppy Tuesday treasures....

Marina

Sunday 8 August 2010

Not another swap...

Well you know how I was holding back on swaps this year....
I have signed up for Khris' and now Lisa at Lydias treasures is also hosting a swap, but hers is a colours swap. Similar premise to Khris' but you have to gift something that starts with the letters in the word COLOURS. I thought it sounded too hard at first but after sitting on it a little I came up with a lovely list of things that would work out so.....I signed up.

I do enjoy swaps so if you are up to it pop over to Lydias treasures and see what you think!
Have just returned from a lovely afternoon spent driving to Bendigo and stopping at whatever place took our fancy on the way. Wish we hadn't made that stop at Mcdonalds! Made me feel car sick all the way home,
Hope you have had a lovely weekend.
cheers
Marina

Saturday 7 August 2010

Superstar

A busy day today!
Craft group this morning and it was an early start to get the place spic and span for my turn to host the group. And to get the food ready for my craft friends.
Everything went well and I only managed a minute amount of stitching in between making cups of tea and getting food ready. It was just enough to finish off this last applique block of my Boys story quilt.
In the afternoon I headed off the school production of Jesus Christ Superstar. I love the music for this musical and I have always loved the perspective that this musical takes. I see it as a  bit alternative, not too religious, which may sound strange considering the subject matter, and I always feel very sad too. I always hated going to church at easter time as a teenager as I always found the Easter story a very sad and cruel one and it has always remained with me as this.
The student performances were just unbelievable and they had a very talented girl playing the role of Judas which was a really great twist.
I loved it but it always leaves me with mixed emotions.
Well, that's a sure way to bring the tone down isn't it? Let's take it back up!

Lazy night tonight will be spent considering hexagons at different stages. All I can see are cream hexagons at various states of completion. Get a move on girl!
Tomorrow we are planning a sunday drive. Not sure how many of us will go as now that the two older boys are more independent it just seems to be me and the old man and no 3 son. I suppose we better get used to our numbers dwindling down to just two one day.
Thanks to all the comments about my lovely hand painted china.
Here is a little photo gallery of some of my other special plates...because I love photos and I love to share the talents of a special lady.
(if you click on the pics you can see more of the detail)

Hope your weekend is passing by slowly and enjoyably...
cheers
Marina

Thursday 5 August 2010

Boys story blocks

Here are some boys story blocks that I have managed to do this week. I can't wait for the new Sweet Nostalgia block to appear on the 15th.
I have one more appliqued boy's block to finish then I can start on the stitcheries that go with it. I wasn't going to do the stitcheries but what's the hurry. I will do the whole quilt and not cut corners.

My poor photography skills have made the fishy block look like it has a yellow background but it is seeded homespun like the pic on the left.
Have been busy stitching up hexagon flowers too this week- I have nearly completed a whole row!
Boy it is growing slowly but that is ok too. Will post a pic after the weekend.
It is my turn to host craft group this Saturday so lots of chatting and cups of tea will be the order of the day. In the afternoon I am off to see No 3 son's high school production of Jesus Christ Superstar. I love this musical and am looking forward to seeing the talented kids that are performing.
Roll on the weekend..
Cheers
Marina

Tuesday 3 August 2010

tuesday treasures

Last week I missed Tuesday treasures so this Tuesday I will make up for it and post early.
I have chosen a gift my mother made for our wedding.
When we got engaged mum decided she would try patchworking- so she made a queen size bed quilt.
She also started to do China Painting so she decided to paint a dinner set, mind you a setting for 10!
It is just gorgeous.
Real beginners projects!
I remember us going out to find the white dinner sets and accessories to add to the collection. I have used it quite a few times- super special occasions only! And I have even broken a few pieces which I dread doing. But if you don't use it no one will see it.
The last time it came out was for Mums birthday, a year or two ago, I think. Here is the pic of it all decked out on the table.
she has painted some gorgeous things.. The little teapot and sugar bowl were for my birthday  a while ago. She has such a talent for anything she touches I think she even spared a little to hand down to me.
cheers
Marina

Sunday 1 August 2010

I can't do that.....

I am an artiste!! You would have me waste my talents on this menial task? How dare you, I say. Perhaps if your legs would grow a little more, well quite a lot more, I would not be forced to undertake this labour. I can feel it sapping the creativity from my life force...
Hemming Jeans....Yuuuukkkko. They are all cut, pinned ready to sew. Hope my machine will still speak to me later...
I felt a little guilty cause dh has been begging me to take up his jeans for yonks and he has had to just cuff them inside to wear them. When he bought two new pairs I thought I should do the lot. I hate taking up trousers!

I did get my Sweet Nostalgia block finished last night and yesterday afternoon I cut more hexagon shapes for the cream hexagons for my borders.
So I did get some 'me' craftiness happening too.
Taaa daa....
Totally up to date with this BOM, now to do some Boy's story blocks while I am waiting to start my Raggedy Anne and Andy.
There are some quick people who have finished the first block and have posted a pic on Kaaren's blog. They are so gorgeous. I love seeing how others use different colourways. Fantastic!

cheers
Marina

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...