Sunday 30 January 2011

feeling hot, hot, hot...


Today the temp has reached 35 degrees, at least. I vowed that i wouldn't be poking my head outdoors today, so what on earth could I do...
Sew!

This week I quilted my Stitching round the block square and hoped that inspiration would strike while I was doing it to help me decide what to make with it. Well it seems that it was destined to become a cushion cover.
I used the blue fabric that journeyed back home with the top as the back and some lovely tone on tone pink fabric for the binding. I am very happy with the result and it will now sit on my bed.
I am just so happy with this top. It was a lovely project that was a pleasure to work on, as well as working on the other girlies' ones.
I have written Lorraine, Fiona and Carol's names on the back in the order that they contributed to my block.
 Here is the finished cushion....


I have been having a great time sticky beaking other participants in Narelle's 1 xmas item per month and it is very inspiring and encouraging! I have had some fun surfing the net looking for more Christmas patterns to earmark for projects.On Friday I popped into Jemima's to buy some more fabrics to use as borders around my Park Avenue hexie flowers. While there I also bought some Christmas fabrics to rebuild my stash so I will have fabric on hand to make my gifts. My mind is a whirlwind of ideas!
I also have some stitcheries done, just need to snap a pic - will try to during the week. It is back to normal work this week so hopefully I will still have lots of crafting time.
Hope your weekend has been a good one..
Marina

forgot to show a pic of my finished 'life is beautiful' table runner for my swap friend Els..
cheers

Tuesday 25 January 2011

It's the 25th!

Today is the 25th of January and it is the day to show my Christmas item for January.... The first for the year

I have finished my first "first day of Christmas' applique. I decided to make it into a table runner instead of a cushion. I still have another version of this design appliqued in brights. I used some left over fabrics from my Heart and home bom to finish this one as I had used it in the applique too. Now it is nicely put away ready to wait for the festive season to be gifted. Cross one off the list.

Marina

Monday 24 January 2011

look what mum has made!!!

Today I would love to show you all what has been keeping my mum on the verge of sanity (it would push me over the edge) for the last few months. My aunt asked mum to make a quilt for her two grandchildren and mum decided on this quilt by Kellie Wulfsohn for her grandson.
It is just so gorgeous I wish it was for me, I may still kidnap it. She has done it all as needleturn applique as she is a little like me and likes to do work by hand.It keeps her busy at night.  It has been a real labour of love and the effect is superb.


 these are the pieces for the borders. She is working her way through them all, cutting them to size and basting the edges over ready for appliqueing.
Well done Mum!!

See you tomorrow for the Christmas finish for January!
cheers
Marina

Saturday 22 January 2011

another bloggy meeting

On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting another bloggy friend, Teresa (from 'all things vintage'). She is down from Qld visiting with family and suggested a get together. We met in the city as it was convenient for both of us. Had fun catching the train into the city.
It was quite funny we both got there early and I had a fair idea of what Teresa looked like from her blog posts but she had no idea what I looked like as I have not posted a pic of myself on my blog- I told her the internet would shut down if I did! lol. I approached her hoping I wasn't just attacking some poor random person, thankfully it was her!
It was amazing how much we had in common and how easy it was for us to chat, the same as it was with Tracey on Monday. I suppose our crafting brings us together and gives us that common ground.
After a chat over a cuppa I suggested that we visit L'Uccello in Swanston street as I thought this would be right up Teresa's alley and it was. She loved the place and we spent a good deal of time looking at all the treasures. Teresa snapped some pics of the shop and Kim (the owner) snapped the two of us. Teresa did catch a pic of me purchasing some goodies, just as well hubby doesn't blog hop! We left L'Uccello to investigate the arcades and a brief stop at Clegs.  The arcades in Melbourne are just so beautiful and we found a gorgeous doll shop that had incredibly detailed little ceramics or they may be china ornaments. Of course we went in and bought some treasures.

Here are the goodies that followed me home...
my goodies from L'uccello
My new china treasures
this foxie is less than two inches high. Reminds me so much of my Peggy.

Can you believe the detail on this little teapot, you can see how tiny it is compared to the ten cent piece. Teresa bought one similar. When I look at mine I will know she has one in her home to remind her of her visit to Melbourne.
Before we knew it it was time for Teresa to have to go but it was a wonderful catch up and I am so glad she suggested the meeting. 
You will have to visit her blog once she gets home to see the photographic evidence of our catch up.
 I will check out some more crafty places for us to visit next time you are in town.
cheers
Marina

Thursday 20 January 2011

a week has passed

Well a week has passed already..... Where has it gone?
I am still having to' rely on the kindness of' teenagers to compress my photos for blogging so it has hampered my posting abilities. Tonight no1 son has kindly compressed some photos of what I have been up to.
But firstly, on Monday I passed a lovely afternoon meeting Tracey from Mistea Crafts. She was in my neck of the woods and so she came over for afternoon tea. We had a lovely chin wag and a few cups of our chosen brew. I had DH and the boys home going in and out so poor Tracey had to endure them as well. It was wonderful to meet someone that I have been chatting to for awhile. Tracey said she enjoyed the afternoon too.
Hopefully we can catch up again especially as we visit many of the same patchwork fabric shops!

The past few days I have been busy putting the next layer on my Park Avenue hexies. I have made a decent go of it and they are growing steadily.
This is how they will be arranged with cream 'separators'.
I also have a few stitcheries done that will see me achieving my Christmas item per month target. I love to do the stitcheries and they are good to have in my stash.
this lovely stitchery is one that I won on Helen Stubing's blog before Christmas, I may make this my next Christmas project for February. It came on pre printed fabric but the pattern is there to trace as well. Definitely will make another one of these stitcheries.
Lastly I have a picture of a small 'sewing room' warming present I sent to Lorraine (the balancing kiwi). She received it a little while ago but I forgot to post a pic of it. I have another traced pattern for a stitchery that has birds in a cage that I am hoping to make for myself. I quite like these little stuffed stitcheries as door hangers.This one has a little bell on it.
Hope the weekend brings everyone some crafting time!
cheers
Marina

Thursday 13 January 2011

the big finish!!

The rainy weather in Melbourne these past few days has been quite productive for me.
I have managed to put together my Sweet Nostalgia top. I wasn't up to the beautiful sashings that Dorothy had designed and I knew that I would never have had the patience so I simplified it a little.
This photo only shows three rows as I couldn't fit the whole thing in shot. 
I was unsure of how to finish the top as regards to an outer border. I had thought about buying some more fabric and just using the one type to make the outer border but I had so many of the paired squares left I couldn't justify buying more fabric. I am happy with the result. There are four white squares in each corner so that should tie in well with the white blocks in the sashings.
 In the white corner blocks and the ones in the sashing I am going to applique these small hexie flowers just to fill the space. They are the same size as the ones made for the Stitching round the block. I think they finish it off nicely.
I just enjoyed these stitcheries so much I am happy to have finished the top. I will get it quilted during the year.
As soon as I had laid the flimsy on the bed to photograph it, who should magically appear.....
...........and she sat right in the middle of it!! Princess seal of approval given.

I had forgotten to post pics of my swap hexies that have come in....
they are very pretty and last night I sewed them into a new row of flowers for my scrappy hexie top! I had made some for my swap partners but haven't taken a photo! While making one for them I also made a few extra to add to mine. I was going to finish the top off but I am quite enjoying still adding to it.
Seems like I am surrounded by Hexie flowers. I could think of worse things.

cheers
Marina

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Tuesday treasures

today's tuesday's treasure is this lovely old cuckoo clock that I inherited from my grandparents. It isn't always crooked, it's the arty farty photography.
My mother bought this clock for my grandparents when she started working as a teenager. That was close to 50 years ago (sorry mum!). When I got it, it hadn't worked for a long time but we found a cuckoo clock specialist that gave us some wonderful information about the clock and also changed the whole workings to get it going for us. It is a genuine Black Forest Cuckoo clock made from Linden wood. I remember my grandfather pulling up the weights to 'wind' it up and waiting for the cuckoo to pop out on the hour/half hour.
When I wake up in the night it is quite handy to listen for the cuckoos to work out the time.
I am so lucky to have this treasure!

cheers
Marina

ps. I have two things to cross off the list for this week! Happy dancing!! I will post photos later in the week

Monday 10 January 2011

Picture updates...

Thank goodness for sons and their laptops!
No 1 son has compressed and edited some photos for me as today was a wonderful day as far as deliveries goes. Big hugs to the postie!
I received my long awaited Christmas swap parcel all the way from Hungary, and yes she did remember to address the package properly unlike someone else we know. Thankyou Teca very much for your beautiful gift.
I received a lovely hanging decoration with the most beautiful cross stitching and the cutest buttons. Have a look at the gorgeous silver coloured cookie cutter. It is just gorgeous. I think these will be handy for my Christmas sticheries.

The lovely postie also brought me my Stitching round the block top! How exciting. I couldn't wait to open it.
Humungous hugs and thanks to Lorraine, Fiona and Carol for their contributions to my top and hopping on board with me. You have done such wonderful work and I love it!
 
I put a few spiders and webs in the parts I had to embroider. This is one that Fiona added to her portion of my top. He also came with an apology as he is apparently under the influence of the fruit of the vine, of which Fiona seems to enjoy quite a bit of lately. lol
I can't wait for the inspiration to strike so I can finish it. There was some lovely blue fabric that came home with the top, not sure which of you lovely ladies included that, but I want to use that in finishing the top.
I wonder what the other tops are becoming? Carol has a cushion in mind but I can't decide......
One by one they are finding their way home.
Thanks again girlies I have enjoyed this so much!!
cheers
Marina
ps got a secret sewing project that isn't on my list finished! Can't show a pic just yet...

Sunday 9 January 2011

making a list....

Thanks to some computer issues that have been fixed, I am not able to compress my pics at the moment to post them on my blog and I have some to share too!
Lots of people seem to be making lists of things they need to get finished and projects they would like to start this year.
I usually have a holiday list that I make when I start holidays but I haven't done it these holidays. Christmas and New year got in the way of doing that so what better time than now!
Here goes....
  • quilt my Tisket tasket blocks top... (basted and ready to start)
  • continue to add to my hexie tops  ( scrappy and Park Avenue)
  • Try to get my Life is Beautiful top quilted or attempt to quilt it myself
  • maintain the goal of making a Christmas project or gift each month
  • try not to over commit to swaps (yeah right!)
  • find a nice project for my Rural Jardin and Bliss jelly rolls.
  • put the Sweet Nostalgia top together
  • Make some more blue disappearing 9 patch blocks
  • Make some more Boys story blocks and stitcheries
I will hope to revisit the list in a month's time and see if I can cross anything off.
My first tasks will be to quilt my tisket tasket top. It is already basted ready to quilt.
I am looking forward to this... It's nice to revisit the pics for inspiration.



pretty as a picture...
Hope the weekend has been a good one...
cheers
Marina

Thursday 6 January 2011

stitching to my heart's content

These past few days I have been fitting in heaps of stitching. I want to have some christmas stitcheries ready to make up into gifts. I think I will try to make some runners that will accommodate the stitcheries well and also some decorations.
These two are designs I was lucky to win from Helen Stubings blog. There are some more designs that I will also get done.
I just need to finish something by the 25th!
I also want to make some pin cushions and scissor keepers.
Seeing as it's holiday time I fished out my Boys story stitchery that needed to be finished. Now I can sew up another block and make a start on the next stitchery. This quilt is a slow work in progress.
 Today I worked on a pressie for an overseas friend. I used some stitcheries from the Life is Beautiful patterns and thought I would make a table runner. Looks like it will be the year of the Table runner!

I also wanted to show off my surprise Christmas present from DH. He said he wanted to buy me something  as a surprise as we usually buy ourselves our Christmas gifts, something small to put under the tree.

He surprised me with a super dooper pair of dressmaking scissors and a pair of embroidery scissors.
I have always wanted to have a pair of quality 'proper' scissors. Ones that wouldn't double as paper scissors, hair (human and canine) scissors, chicken cutters, toe nail cutters,  etc etc Now I have them. I have warned everyone they are not to touch my scissors under any circumstances unless they have a death wish!
They cut like a hot knife through butter. I love them!
Hope you are getting heaps done!
Cheers
Marina

Saturday 1 January 2011

Happy New year!!

Welcome to the New Year! I hope you saw the new year in with people you love.
New Year's Eve I got some great news that Edit (in Hungary) received her wayward parcel and it was well received. Phew! what a relief. Unfortunately Ididn't take a pic of what I sent so I hope she posts a pic that I can pilfer.
I received a wonderful parcel from Carrie, a christmas parcel that was a give away on her blog. It has some lovely Christmas projects which will come in handy for the 1 Christmas item per month target. Narelle and I had discussed getting a headstart on Christmas crafting so we are hoping to make some Christmas crafting each month and try to encourage each other to get things done. Narelle has made a snazzy button which you can find on her blog or at the bottom of my blog. You can join Narelle's list of crafters at her blog.
I am looking forward to using the goodies from Carrie.  Thankyou so much Carrie!

I have some hexies to show... Here is my new Hexie project. Seems to be growing slowly..



My other hexie project will be added to with the hexies I receive in the 1 inch hexie swap. We have our January swap list so I will be making a new hexie for the lovely Melody.

The other day  we went for a lovely drive to pick fresh raspberries. They were just divine! While stopping for lunch we were parked right near Mrs Martins Quilt shop, somewhere I have been 'busting' to get to, to buy some felted wool. Wouldn't you know it they don't reopen till around the middle of January! Talk about bad luck, if I didn't know better I think my hubbie and the boys were quite happy about that. Just as well I can buy over the phone and net!
Hope everyone will have a year filled with friendship, familiy and good health (with lots of craftiness thrown in!).
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...