a super swap!!!

Well I have been sooooo good all year and kept my resolution to not do any swaps this year. But there are two that I will make an exception for
Khris's friends swap and Helen's stitchers angel swap.
Haven't heard anything about whether the stitcher's angel swap will be running this year, but Khris is running the friends swap again this year. I took part last year and loved it. It was a challenge and luckily I have kept my brainstorming notes from last year. Sometimes I think I take things way too seriously!
The idea is to swap 7 gifts using the letters of the word FRIENDS.
Narelle and I were swap partners last year and I think I can say we both enjoyed our gifts.
It is so much fun to receive and send goodies in the mail.
Sign up is by the 10th August.
It is a really fun swap and if you think it is too hard - here are the goodies sent last year......

and received...........

Have a great weekend!
Marina

Sweet nostalgia progress

It's thursday already. I am so glad the week is nearly over.

Haven't been spending that much time on the computer this week so I missed Tuesday treasures.
Last weekend Mum and I made a trip to GJ's and to Spotlight. I managed to buy some more '30s and civil war fabrics so I have a lovely stash of each.
This week I have been busy catching up on my Sweet Nostalgia blocks.
I finished those leaves on block 10 and traced the latest block. Block 2 was also in need of some attention. I had bypassed this one at the start but revisited it and made a few changes. The block had a Halloween theme and as we don't celebrate Halloween here I wanted to change it a little. Now I am up to date and making great headway on Block 11. The little dog Dorothy has drawn just reminds me so much of my Foxy Peggy that I love the blocks with the little dog so much. On block two I drew the little dog to be standing against the fence.

Once these blocks are done I can start the Raggedy Anne & Andy blocks.  On Kaaren's blog she has a gorgeous pic of the first block done by a blogger using 30's fabrics. I was tossing up whether to use '30s fabrics for this project and once I saw this photo I am sold! I am also thinking of doing the stitching in colours instead of just red work. Will have to think hard about that one though.
Hope you have had a great week.
Roll on weekend!
cheers
Marina

craftiness this week

This week I can cross one of the last 'to do's' from my holiday list. I finally psyched up to do the monogram on the christening gown for my great niece. Her mum rang me this week to check if it was done, I think she was a bit stressed that it wouldn't be done. Well it is done and will be delivered tomorrow. The idea is that each baby that is christened in the smocked gown will have their initials embroidered on the bottom.

I have been dipping into my hexies too this week. Here are the results...
some more flowers and of course heaps of cream fillers..

The green leaves will go around the border.
Then of course there is my sweet nostalgia block. I just have the leaves on the tree but I have hit the wall..... I am off to mum's to cut the background blocks for July's block. That should get me motivated. SIL still has my cutter, ruler and mat! Here it is anyway. Definitely need to do those last finishing bits.

Home tomorrow- Yippee!!, 0 degrees expected overnight! Turn that heater up and put another blanket on..
cheers for now
Marina..


ps GJ's in Brunswick has their 25% off sale again this weekend.

tuesday treasures..

I had been searching through some old photos during the week and thought that these two would be perfect for my Tuesday treasures.
the first photo is of my mum and dad and I when I was probably around two. I love the faces of my mum and dad. They are young and happy, so much life to look forward to. When I look at pictures of when my boys were little I can feel the same feelings as they are expressing.

the next one has me in my most 'favouritest' dress ever. I think if it had fitted me as an adult I still would've worn it. I am pretty sure mum made it and I just loved it. The skirt would twirl and I felt like a wild gypsy. Go figure, most little girls would want to be a princess or ballerina, I wanted to be a gypsy! You can't see them but I have long black vinyl boots that laced up the front. I loved them too.

Have been busy making hexagons, mainly cream ones, so not very interesting to show. This week mum and I have a big shopping day planned. Gj's 25% off sale first then some more Spotlight fabrics.
Can't wait!
Have a great week.
Marina

I'm on the top of the world.....looking down of some fabrics...

There is nothing like some satisfying retail therapy.
the Spotlight store I usually visit has had pretty slim pickings for quite awhile in regards to patchwork fabric. I used to always go to one that was close to the nursing home where my grandparents were but since they passed away I haven't been out that way. That all changed tonight! DH offered to drive me there,(must be sick)!
Theyhad a bumper, wonderful selection of patchwork fabrics and a lot of 1930's and civil war type fabrics. I don't know if they have just had a new delivery but whatever, I was in heaven. The clincher was that they were a great price. I managed to add to my stash of both of these types of fabrics and next week I will go back to get some more loveliness. (I am hoping to use these for my Sweet nostalgia borders and counting on having some leftover for some hexagon flowers)

 (these 1930 prints are just to add to a small stash I have-not sure what project they will go towards. when I have enough I will know.)

These 'holiday' finishes went to their new home this week too and were welcomed with much thanks and appreciation.

thanks for the lovely comments about my Tuesday treasure, it brought a lot of retired 'brownies' out of the woodwoork. Memories bring out precious little flashbacks and it was great to share them with you all.

The new Sweet Nostalgia block is out and it has a lovely seaside theme to it, I only have the leaves on the trees to finish on last month's block so that counts as close to a finish, doesn't it? Tomorrow I am off to get some more of the homespun for the last two stitchery blocks and I am just hoping that I can match it at the store I brought it from. I will have to have my fabric blinkers on though as they also specialise in 1930's fabrics and civil war fabrics.
Focus-cream homespun, cream homespun, cream homespun..........
Have a great weekend!
cheers
Marina

tuesday treasures.....

Here is my tuesday treasure for today.

I can't remember how old I was but I was probably around grade 3 or 4 and the leader of the local Brownie group lived (and still does) across from our house. Some how I ended up joining the brownies. I remember going to get the special uniform and the meetings around a large toadstool. I remember feeling so special belonging to this group. It is hard to explain.

The beret has always been stashed in a drawer and recently at mum's I found my old badge, if I remember correctly it was worn on the tie.

The beret is  a little moth eaten but I just can't chuck it out. I think I was a Tintookie? Do any of you remember these?

I was so excited to find the badge again. A little piece of the past.

Hope you are all having a great week so far.

cheers

Marina

and the holidays are over....

Sadly the holidays have come to an end. Just the normal weekend to pass and then back to the grind.
Time to revisit my list....

• finish the three  two two sides of binding on last baby throw
• put border on Life is Beautiful quilt done
  
• decide and start on the backing of LIB quilt needs some further thought
• put border on Heart and Home quilt at quilters
• catch up on Sweet Nostalgia stitcheries (am up to June's now)
• do some hexagon borders-have done two rows of cream borders and some new hexies
• embroider monogram for christening gown- found the book I need for the design done!

Not looking too bad! I think I am happy with that.
Now how am I going to get up early on Monday morning in time for work?
It has been a very relaxing holiday and I have enjoyed it heaps. 

I have spied a new project starting on the 20th July over at Kaaren's blog. Earlier this year she designed and stitched a Raggedy Anne and Andy quilt. The stitcheries are just gorgeous and she is generously offering it as a bom.
I made a raggedy Anne quilt a few years ago but donated the top to the Bush fire victims. I never heard if it was donated or not but am assuming it was. I am looking forward to Kaaren's bom so I can make another quilt for myself.
Here is the one I made.  The photos aren't the best I am afraid.

Here are some cyclamen pics, one of my favourite plants. There is a story behind these flowers but perhaps another time.

Have a great weekend.
Cheers
Marina

a gift arrived..

My parcel of potholders has arrived at Lorraine's house in the UK and has been well received. Now I can post some pics. I enjoyed making these for Lorraine as she has sent me some lovely treasures in the swaps we have done. My beautiful potholder is displayed on the wall in the kitchen near some of my plates.
Now I will let her decide what we will swap next....
Lorraine is the Queen of op-shopping, she brings home the most beautiful stuff at bargain prices, she also has a fantastic collection of old sewing machines. I would love to go bargain hunting with her but there is that little issue of distance.
I recycled a previous ufo project for the pot holders and used bits of leftover fabrics from my stash for the borders and backing, even used off cuts of wadding to quilt them. Nothing like rebirthing a ufo.
Here is the results.....

Have a great day!
Marina

tuesday treasures.

It is Tuesday already!
I have a cheerier Tuesday Treasure post this week, and no dust either!
My treasures this week are my lockets. They were all a gift from my husband.
The white gold one was a gift for our wedding day nearly 25 years ago. I used to have a picture of my dog and my hubby in it. The middle one was a gift when no 2 son was little and it holds a picture of the two older boys. It also has teeth marks more visible on the back as no 2 son used to grab it and bite it when he was little. No matter what it is always shiny and never dulls. I probably like this one the most.
The third one was a birthday present. I needed a locket that held four photos as by now we had no 3 son. So it holds four photos of all my boys. I love the engraving on the back of it, it was done by the same jeweller that engraved our wedding rings. But it does remind me of an old fashioned tattoo that should read 'mother'. Maybe the jeweller started out in a different trade?

I adore lockets and treasure these as each one has different memories attached to it. There will be one for each of the boys when I need to pass them on.
See promised this one would be cheerier.
Sun is shining here and this afternoon SIL is coming over to learn how to cut out squares to make her first patchwork quilt.
Have started the June Sweet nostalgia block so I don't feel so far behind. Bindings need to be stitched on the baby blankets so am on target with my holiday list!
Hope you have a great day.
Marina

hexie update

Hexagons have been my mission over the last few days. I traced a sheet of iron ons and sorted some fabrics into groups of seven to make more flowers. I will have around 50 flowers when they are all finished. I think I may even get another charm pack to make up some more. Talk about getting carried away!  I will just keep adding till I am sick of them. I was going to make this one small and then make a 'proper' one in selected fabrics but I think I will keep going with this one.
The pieced hexagons are growing quite nicely too but it can get a little monotonous just sewing the cream ones on. I like the srappiness of the different fabrics and it has cleared out a lot of small pieces of fabric that I had in my stash. The only fabric I have had to buy is some cream fabric to keep me going but even most of that was off cuts from stitcheries I have done.
Still loving the hexagons......

newflowers....

(the pieced ones so far...)
Hope your weekend has been a good one.
Marina

Thursday Day 4

Well here it is Day 4 and I wish there were so many more to come but there are only 6 days left (not including weekends)
Here are two pics of my Life is Beautiful top and my Heart and Home quilt top. The H & H was yesterday delivered to the quilters. In eight weeks I will have my lovely home again. I am so excited about it being finished!
Here is LIB with the border.  Spot the fur ball princess deciding to walk across the top as I took the photo.

and here is the H & H quilt

Have also done some of these.....

cream hexies to go around my flowers....

1 baby blanket finished, one quilted and one basted to quilt.

This one is on a flannelet fabric it is quite thick, as thick as blanketing but softer. It is lovely to touch. It is backed in a cotton and I hand stitched some pearl cotton around the border and around the bunny just to hold it together. Sweet I think.

My list should be going down nicely.
Note to self make sure items are not covered in dust before photographing. To prove that I dust occasionally Last week I vacuumed  my teddy collection, I won't confess when the last time I did it was but .....my wool embroidered bear was a sickly grey colour before I vacuumed, but now looks like this...I think he enjoyed the freshen up.

Bye for now
Marina