Friday 25 February 2011

February items.

February 25th has rolled around again. I had been undecided what to make so I started a few things in the hope that I could finish at least one!
I have managed to finish three. I was going to save two so that if I had a bad month I could have them as back up but thought I would just post them anyway and I will have credit!
I made this Hugs and Kisses pattern that I won on Helen Stubing's blog into a cushion instead of a table runner. I hope to stitch another piece with this pattern and make it into the runner.

these two little stitcheries were left over from last year's stitching efforts and I didn't get to sew them into anything so thought they could become candle mats or mug rugs. One in blue and one in red matched the Park avenue fabrics perfectly I think.
I have planned next months project, it involves the lovely felted wool Fiona gave me.
Nothing like being prepared!
Hope you are all keeping on track with your targets.
Marina



My Thoughts are with the victims of the New Zealand earthquake. We watch the news intently in the hope of good news with respect to survivors. The rescue teams are just amazing.
Let there be miracles!

Sunday 20 February 2011

a Wonderful Saturday

Yesterday morning I headed into the city to meet Fiona from Bubz rugz who is in Melbourne for a visit.
Neither of us knew what the other looked like so it was quite funny meeting  up at Flinders St station. DH and I watched intently to see who would answer a phone call and try to guess which person was Fiona. I had only ever seen a pic of her with her face blocked by a camera so I was looking out for a familiar top of her head lol. There is photographic evidence of us catching up, as there was with Teresa, a photo of the two of us with a twist. I will have to wait for Fiona to get home and send me a copy. It will definitely be worth a giggle and will show the lovely bag she gave me that she used my 'free to good home' pumpkin fabric for.
We went and got a coffee and brunch and just sat and chatted away for a few hours that went way too fast before I had to meet DH again for the trip home. I just can't get over how wonderful it is to meet blog friends in the 'flesh'. She is a really lovely person and we had lots in common. I must say I have been lucky to have met 3 blogiverse friends and it has been a joy each time.
Before Fiona left to come to Melb. she had asked if I would like some of her home felted wools, I of course said I would love some, I was overwhelmed with the huge bag that Fiona brought for me. I have a superb stash of wools now and  I can make lots of goodies with felted wools! It was just wonderful to meet with Fiona. So heaps of hugs and thanks for meeting me in Melbourne Fiona!!

Meeting up with Fiona meant that I could also hand deliver the two stitcheries done by mum and myself for Helen Stubings quilts to raise money for flood victims. It was lovely to hand them over in person as Fiona was our delegated person who would be sewing the blocks into a top. They were quite enjoyable and quick to do.
I also managed to finish another stitchery for my boys story quilt.
Boys can be so devilish can't they! I love it .

Hope your weekend has been a great one too!
See you soon for the Christmas item for February...Has everyone managed to get one done?
cheers
Marina

Friday 18 February 2011

hexie heavy post....

Melody at The house on the side of the Hill has started to use Park Avenue fabrics for her new hexie venture. I have been using these fabrics for my latest hexie project too. I have used a jelly roll for mine and some extra fabrics for the outer borders of my flowers. The only disadvantage of using the jelly roll is that the pattern that is on that 2 1/2 inch strip of fabric can't always be used to highlight the fabric. I told Melody that I would post some pics of my hexie flowers so far. I'm glad I did because I got a good idea of size and how much more I will have to do to make this a bed sized quilt. Not sure if it will be a single or for our bed. I enjoy making them so adding to them isn't a chore, I will just need to check out another range that will go with Park Avenue, that way I don't get bored with the fabric selection. There will be cream hexies in the spaces where the sheet is showing through.
Here goes.....

I did manage to fussy cut some hexagons but there was a lot of wastage on the strip so I only did it with a few.





Last night I tentatively cut into those lovely felted wool pieces to make the base for my pincushion. I used some of the left overs from my previous attempt at a felted pincushion.This was one that I sent to Oddbjorg in the friends swap. This is a pic of the top before I made it into a pincushion.
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Here is my base ready to go..


Tonight I will draw the winner of my blogaversary giveaway......
Have a great day!
Marina

My vintage random selector (me that is) has chosen the winner of my blogaversary giveaway and the winner is Carol from the Patch craft!!
Woo hoo. Your goodies will be in the mail next week Carol. Thankyou to everyone for your good wishes and for following my blog.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

midweek...

I can't believe it is already Wednesday. The week is just flying.
Thankyou for all the lovely comments for my giveaway. I will draw a winner on Friday.
I have started to stitch my Flood relief block and have also managed to finish off a stitchery for my Boys story quilt.

I have another one to do and I will be able to make block 4.... I am feeling inspired.
I also received some lovely things in the mail
this gorgeous hexie flower from my February swap partner Irene . Excuse the poor photography my pics just seem pretty lousy at the moment.
 I also received some felted wools that I ordered from the Home Patch in Bathurst.

Just in time for the start of Fiona of Bubz Rugz's  felted pincushion round robin. Exciting. I will be able to make the base and be on time!  The wools are so lovely. I bought the winter and autumn packs.

I also prepared something to go in the mail to my hexie flower swap partner for February. I have had it made for ages but the swap date is looming and I need to send it.

Nothing like deadlines to keep you on track, which reminds me that I need to get my Christmas Item ready too. The 25th will be here before you know it!
cheers for now
Marina

Monday 14 February 2011

a tick on my list and a blogaversary giveaway

I claimed the weekend as my own and after doing the compulsory drudgeries I got to have some me time.
Saturday I bought the dvd of Lost in Austen, a bbc show that I had only seen snippets of when it was on. I wasn't committed with the first two episodes but by the end of the third I was there. I really enjoyed it and will definitely watch it again-minus family who ask way too many questions, as if they were interested anyway, and nit pick and couldn't follow the plot of a McDonalds commercial! Yesterday I was determined to get a bit of sewing in. I had a boys story block ready to go so got out my pile of fabrics and started cutting and sewing. I can put a tick on my to do list.



Now to the giveaway.....
On the 18th of February it will be two years since I started blogging and I have never done a proper giveaway only a 'free to good home'. I really enjoy blogging and  have made some lovely blog friends. To celebrate I thought I would have a small giveaway.
Lately I seem to be only thinking of what Christmas items I can make so I will be giving away a small pack of Christmas themed goodies. A friend at work often brings me back issues of craft magazines and this lot included a Christmas edition with some great projects, I have two of them so I will include one in the giveaway. There are also some charm squares of Christmassy fabrics I have cut from my own stash and as I have finished one of my 'partridge in a pair tree' blocks I will give away the other for the winner to finish as they like.

If you would like to enter just leave a comment and I will draw the winner on the 18th.
Have a lovely week!
marina

Friday 11 February 2011

I know I said.....

I  know I said no new projects but........
I have been waiting for this project and sitting on ordering it, a sort of cooling off period, to decide whether I really wanted to do it or not. I try not to impulse buy just because I saw it on a website. So I committed as I really like this new design by Helen Stubbings. It is a block of the month but it isn't a big quilt. Finding the grey fabric actually pushed me to make a decision as I think it will look lovely on the grey. The other fabrics are from my stash, the lovely blues and pinks were my Christmas surprise from Els so I am happy to have found a project for these lovely fabrics. It will be similar to an old fashioned sampler and it has Hexagon flowers appliqued in some of the sections. Of course that was another tempter!
Another arrival in the mail this week was this block, once again from Helen, to be stitched and sent on to be made into a quilt for flood victims. Mum received her block yesterday too and had finished it by the evening. I will have to get a wriggle on and then we can send ours together. Fiona from Bubzrugz will be receiving our blocks to make up into a quilt.


well had best be off, have just had  a call to see if I could help out a friend by working with her for the day!
A friend in need, is a friend indeed...
hope everyone has a wonderful weekend..
cheers
Marina

Monday 7 February 2011

Beam me up Scotty!

Boy what a day, work was flat out all day and I was glad to see the end of the day!
When I got home, two hours after I was meant to finish, I found that my fabric order from Blueberries had arrived. Last week I thought I would check out their newsletter specials as I needed some more dark brown for my hexies. Lo and behold they had 40% off Park Avenue, bit of control girlie!
I managed to get some Christmas fabrics on special too, to keep me motivated on my Christmas Item per month pledge.
The fabrics on the left are fabrics I picked up at Jemimas and Lincraft. I think I have a few projects worth now. 
 The two dark fabrics on the bottom right are for more of these lovelies...
Here are some stitcheries that I have finished over the last week or so
This lovely bird cage was a free pattern on needlecrafter.com, they have some great vintage type stitcheries. I am very happy with this one. I think I will make it a door hanger though it is a little large, but I think it will suit that purpose well.



These little stitcheries were a pattern sent to me by Oddbjorg for our friends swap. I haven't decided what to use these for- maybe pincushions?
I just love these stitcheries. I am sure that I will use them again.

 Melbourne weather has been trying to compete with Qld and Nsw but we are ok here. The cool change and rain was quite a relief after the terrible heat and humidity of last week. Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon (after a marathon washing catch up) cutting hexagon iron on shapes and then ironing and trimming hexagons ready for basting. I have a good stash of hexies ready to stitch. It's mostly what I have been doing this last week. Can't focus on what I feel like doing. Maybe I should think of my February Christmas item....

Saturday night No 1 son came with me to see The King's speech. It was a fantastic film. I am not that into the 'modern' Royal Family but this was a great film, I loved it. Definitely worth a look and Colin Firth in the lead didn't sway me at all......


Now I need to focus on my February Christmas project.....
thinking hat on...
Have a great week...
Fingers crossed mine settles a bit.
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...