Monday 27 December 2010

are we there yet?

Well Christmas is over and we had a very low stress enjoyable Christmas Day.
Now there will be time for stitching and crafting!

Last Thursday I mailed to Carol the stitching round the block top with my part of it done. I hope she is happy with the results. Now they just have to be completed.
Today I had a bit of computer time surfing the net for some new stitchery patterns. I found one site www.needlecrafter.com that had some lovely new holiday projects to add to the lovely ones I was gifted last month in swaps.
Narelle from Country Roses mentioned a few months ago (while we were in the thick of Christmas crafting) that next year we should start early and encourage each other to get things done each month.
 I am getting psyched up to start next month, What better time to 'commit' to something than a new year!
Hexies have been the most I have been doing lately as they have been quick and easy to pick up and put down.
This week I have some stitcheries earmarked for a special thankyou gift.

Hope everyone has had an enjoyable Christmas and a big thanks to the lovely people who visit my blog regularly and leave wonderful comments. I look forward to keeping up with you in the new year too!
cheers for now
Marina

Tuesday 21 December 2010

lovely friends..

Yesterday I received a gift in the mail from lovely Els in the Netherlands. Els and I were stitching angel swap partners two years ago and we have kept up correspondence since. Els sent me this surprise parcel of goodies for Christmas. It has the most adorable handmade gifts in it. She also sent a huge bag of used postage stamps for No 3 son who has had fun sorting through. Soaking and sorting should entertain him for a few days of the holidays at least!



these adorable fabrics are going to be used only on a special project they are just so beautiful!


I have been busily working on hexies and my Stitching round the block duties.
I just had to give you a sneak peak..... Just the stitched butterflies and then it is home sweet home to Carol's house. She included a lovely charm pack with her original stitchery and I just had to take some artistic licence so that I could use up more than just what was needed for the hexies. I could have made heaps more hexies with the enclosed squares of loveliness, but one must have some self control, musn't one!

Am just LOVIN' the holidays..
Now to think of a thankyou gift for Els.
cheers
Marina

ps the mystery of the missing Hungarian swap parcel has been solved. It arrive back at my home yesterday after having made a brief visit to the Hungarian post office on the 29th of November, then it began its journey back here marked 'insufficient address'. I had forgotten the house number and street name! After much apologising it is making its second trip to Hungary leaving today.
Sorry to my swap partner for being such a nuff.

Sunday 19 December 2010

a touching gift

yesterday we had our craft group break up lunch.
My Kris kindle gave me a wonderful heartfelt gift. I was so touched by the thoughts that accompanied my gift.
Three years ago my grandmother passed away. When we cleaned out their home we discovered where we got the hoarding gene from. She had worked in a woollen mill when she first came to Melbourne and she used to knit and crochet a lot. Her immense stash of wools was distributed to people we knew who would use it. My craft friend Mari was a happy recipient of some of the wool.
This is the poem that accompanied my gift..


In sewing circles it is true
That expertise resides in few,
And those of us without the knack
Bewail our sewing savvy lack.
So, with wool I wove a rug
From your Nonna's woolly stash,
I hope the memories it brings
Will all be bright and cheerful things!

And here is my lovely gift...

Mari has made a few crocheted delights for other members and I have always hoped that one day she would be my Kris Kindle. My wish came true and with much more.

Hope your weekend has been wonderful!
Marina

Friday 17 December 2010

catching up

Well the last week has been a hectic one work wise, counting down to the end of the working year! But I have made it so three cheers!
Thought I would post a catch up of the weeks events.
I have finished some little gifts, one I can show, one will be a surprise so it will remain hidden for now.
We have our craft group break up this Saturday so I had to quickly finish that gift.
Here she is, a little babushka door hanger...


I sent off a hexie for my 'inch hexie swap' partner.
......then this loveliness arrived in the mail from Lorraine. I will now be working on the fourth step in the Stitching round the block for Carol. She included some lovely fabrics with her original stitchery and I have had lots of fun selecting which ones to use for the hexie flowers in the fourth border.
They are small and quite fiddly but fun to make. You can see how small they are compared to the needle I am using to tack them down.


I have been anxiously waiting to hear from my Christmas swap partner in Judit's swap, in Hungary. I sent my parcel on the 20th of November but it still hasn't arrived. I will be so disappointed if it goes missing. I am going to start preparing another parcel just in case I don't hear from her in the next week. Gotta hate goodies getting lost in the mail!

How cute is this book, Maisie is immortalised in print too! Ironically the little boy in the story is named Andrew the same name as no 2 son. Storybook Andrew learns about being caring and being gentle towards his pets but not before Maisie gets squeezed and tormented. Pamela Allen writes some gorgeous children's stories and we have a few of them from when the boys were little.
One last pic...
Quoting the lyrics of a John Denver song..
'Where would life be without home grown tomatoes,
There's only two things money can't buy
And that's true love and home grown tomatoes....'


Looks like we may have tomatoes for Christmas!!
Have a lovely weekend!
cheers
Marina

Thursday 9 December 2010

are we there yet?

The final stretch is often the longest....
I have received some lovely goodies in the mail today!
Firstly I received the lovely pattern from Helen Stubbing's blog...


then this lovely 'welcome hexie' arrived in the mail from Jane. It is a lovely thought to make new members to the Hexie swap a welcome hexie.
Mine is made for my swap partner and I just need to get it in the mail.

My last parcel is the wonderful Maree's Christmas swap parcel from Dzintra.
I so enjoyed opening each parcel ( I can't wait for Christmas!)
She also included a lovely Hugs and Kisses christmas pattern so I will have two new Christmas crafting for next year! All the goodies were lovely so thankyou very much Dzintra!


Some more treasures should be arriving in the mail soon so I am sitting tight waiting!
Hope you are having a good week I wish I could find some crafting time but it just isn't happening!
I can't wait for next week I hope I can make it!
cheers
Marina

Tuesday 7 December 2010

tuesday treasures

Last night I was rummaging through a pile of papers and came across this old photo.
No 3 son was only about 5 weeks old and it was his first visit to Santa with his brothers. We used to take the boys to Myers and we would line up for ages so that they could reluctantly sit on some strange man's lap. Needless to say this year was our last visit to Santa. It just got so hard with 3 boys. You can see how impressed no 3 son is.

This photo does bring back a lot of memories of times when life was simpler and everything revolved around these three munchkins. They aren't off our hands yet but I loved it when they were young. Spending time with them and teaching them about everything they didn't know. Now they can probably teach me things, or they think they can.
Have a great Tuesday
marina

Sunday 5 December 2010

swap arrived at it's destination

Maree from On my verandah emailed me today to let me know that my swap gift has arrived to it's destination at Lisa's house in New zealand.
we had to send something handmade, something to eat, something to read, a Christmas ornament and something for the Sewing room.
Can't wait for my swap to arrive.
Finger crossed it will be soon.
Hope your weekend has been a good one.
marina

Saturday 4 December 2010

the week that was.......


Well what can I say about the U2 concert........ Absolutely amazing!!! I am so glad I went. We have all their concerts on dvd so I was prepared for what the live concert might sound like and I was also a little prepared to be a touch disappointed in case they didn't sound the same. I needn't have worried they were superb and Bono and the Edge's voices were the best I had heard them. I wish I was going again. No 1 & no 2 son are off to Sydney next week to see them there. I want to go too!!
Now on to crafty business....
The postman made a lovely drop off this week again.He brought this beautifully wrapped package..


......that contained this gorgeous sewing kit. I have seen them on Lynette Anderson's blog and they are always snapped up like gold. Bronwyn Hayes has opened up a blog shop on her blog and she has so many in her shop to choose from. I just had to have one.
This week also saw a visit to one of my favourite fabric stores, GJ's in Lygon St, Brunswick East. They had one of their regular 25% off sales and I desperately needed batting for the numerous tops that need to be quilted. You know what my main job will be these holidays....
Besides the batting I bought some of the lovely Bliss fabrics they had on the bolt. I have a jelly roll and charm pack and want to gradually add some extras. I also found some Super bargain fat quarters to add to my Boys' story quilt. They were only $2.00 each and then there was 25% off them too. Amazing.

Each time I start to sew up a square of the boys story quilt I always regret not having more fabrics so now I think I will have a great range to choose from. My more recent additions are a little brighter than the first stash I had collected but I am hoping they will still blend ok.
In regards to the batting, I purchased a thin polyester batting recommended by one of the ladies at Gj's. Made sense for the tops I have to quilt. I'd love to get other peoples opinions on batting. What do you guys use for batting and why do you choose this type?


Well that is the week that was...
So it's goodbye from me, and it's goodbye from him...
Hope your weekend is cruising along nicely!!
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...