Sunday 31 July 2011

ta da !!!!


Here is a big tick on my ufo list! Please picture me happy dancing, for those with a delicate constitution-perhaps don't.


this was the last stitchery to be done!
just love the bike and the cape, just like a superhero

and every superhero needs a side kick

Well that finish led to this finish, you know how momentum works.............................
I was a little impatient to photograph it and post a pic for my 'cheer squad' that have been encouraging me to keep up the momentum on this quilt, so the photo is a little dark. It paid off girls- thank you so much. Now it is done.
For those that know the book for this quilt you may notice that I did change one of the blocks as I wasn't too keen on the alien applique. I swapped it for a rocket.

I have a huge stash of leftovers that I will use to make a backing. It's nice to have them neat and tidy again. I just need to work out what sort of blocks to use. Something simple I think would be best.
Now that the top is done I hope to get some time to play with these again and start putting them together.
Oh Happy days!
Happy to face Monday with that finish under my belt.
Have a great week
Marina




ps for Katie (sorry I couldn't reply as you are a no reply blogger) the book the quilt is from is 'A boy's story' by Annie Downs of Hatched and Patched.

Monday 25 July 2011

motivational stitching

This week I have been concentrating on doing my last three stitcheries for my boys story quilt. I thought I only had one to go but found another two in the box when I was piecing the blocks on the holidays.
This stitchery didn't appeal to me very much so it was a bit of a hurdle to jump before moving onto the ones I like more. Once finished I am glad to say that I have developed a fondness for it too.


then it was onto the second last one....
I just think it is so cute. I didn't remove the 'fluff' from the dark cotton before snapping a pic so it looks like my poor little boy has hairy armpits! Love the dog's stance on the surfboard.
I am working on the last one, then I will be able to put the last two blocks together. Boy this is coming together.....
Hope you all have a lovely week.
cheers
Marina

Friday 22 July 2011

bits and pieces

This week my wonderful wool pincushion base came home after it's extended stay in Canada, thanks to the postal strike there. Thanks to Sue, Janet, and Jacqueline for your beautiful additions to my base. It is so beautiful to look at, you have all added your own wonderful touches to it. Thanks Fiona for organising the swap!



A work friend kindly gave me an old sewing box that belonged to her late mother.
In it there was a lovely bag of old buttons. Quite a mix of types and it was great fun sorting through them. There were some lovely old shell buttons, glass buttons that are so detailed and others that I am not sure if they are plastic or bakelite. If anyone can suggest what they are made of that would be great. I really want to use them and thought of maybe sewing them onto a background fabric as a display and framing them? Food for thought...
glass buttons


any idea what these are made of or when they are from?


the sun is shining this morning and two baskets of wet washing have been desperate to see some sun so off I go to put them out!
Have a lovely weekend...
cheers
Marina

Saturday 16 July 2011

a little encouragement....

.............from a bloggy friend can do wonders!
I had hoped to get some work done on my boy's story quilt but I had hit a slump so I hadn't even looked at it these holidays. After some encouraging emails from Nicki (Mrs sew and sow) to get me motivated to bring this out from exile, I had a huge flash of enthusiasm while DH and no 3 son spent the day out fishing.
I had the house to myself and I could spread out my mess all over the table. Bliss!
I managed to get three blocks done. Sadly I realised that I have three stitcheries to go, not one. This should be quite manageable before the next holidays. So thankyou Nicki for the gentle push!
Here they are..



Here is the top so far. There are only two blocks left to go!!! I can't believe it. Sorry for the poor photo, the light was not too good.


The enthusiasm didn't stop there... The poor neglected four leggers got a lovely walk and swim at a nearby reservoir. Maybe it was the beautiful sunshine we had today that got me motivated.
While the machine was out I decided this needed a little attention too...
There are only two more months to go before it is finished. I have the current instalment but can't get fired up about it. It can wait patiently... for now. At least the previous months are all in one piece.
Here is my Times gone by so far..

Well that is my very productive Saturday. A perfect closure to the holidays.
The only thing that would really make them perfect is getting the chance to watch Pride and Prejudice before Monday, but I think I am pushing my luck there.

Hope you are having a lovely crafty weekend too!
Cheers
Marina

ps. Got to see the final Harry Potter movie Thursday night. It was everything I had hoped it would be. So sad to have arrived at the end of this saga. I didn't read the book again so that I wouldn't pick up every discrepancy in the movie. It was just wonderful. I have loved the books and the movies (even though they have been disappointing at times) and love to revisit them often.






Sunday 10 July 2011

just a little hexie crazy!

Melbourne weather produced a lovely wintry weekend and I have spent the weekend working exclusively on my hexie flower garden.

I have been unpicking basting threads and pulling off the template backing till I could barely manage a pinch movement with my fingers by the end of it, but they are all done! This morning I gave the top a lovely press and it is sitting well. I thought it would be good to start cutting into the border fabrics and one thing led to another, as it does, and I thought I should decide whether to applique or embroider the butterflies on the border. I got carried away tracing butterfly bits and selecting scraps of fabric to use, just to see how they would look.

here are some of the butterflies that will fly around my flower garden border..



I am comitted to appliqueing the butterflies, seeing that I have cut out around 20 so far! I enjoy the scrappy look of them.
Once I measure the borders accurately I will iron them onto the border fabric. Looks like it won't be finished tomorrow but I am happy to keep working on this top.
Hope you have had a lovely crafty weekend!

ps if you would like to see another of the Stitching round the block finish.....Carol at the Patch Craft has made her top into a cushion and it looks lovely. Wonder what happened to all those stitchers that joined in, did they finish their tops? Would love to see them....

Marina



Friday 8 July 2011

showcasing another's talent...

I have been wanting to snap photos of mum's newest creation for ages and got organised today to do it. Her Monster's quilt is being picked up from the quilters today so there will also be a pic of that soon too! I may just kidnap it when she brings it over to show me!
Her latest venture is for a great niece,  ( sister to Monster quilt recipient) and it is just gorgeous.
Mum has amazing talent when it comes to stitching and craft and she is a mean china painter too.
The centre piece of the quilt is done and it will be surrounded by pinwheels and a border of appliqued butterflies.

I just love this embroidery on Jill's apron.

the writing is all in satin stitch embroidery.
do you see where I get it from now?
The centre panel is from a craft magazine, I am not sure which one (I have been advised that it is a pattern by Corrie Blunt from Chitter Chatter Designs). She enlarged the panel to make a quilt size, the original was a wall hanging I think.

I received some loveliness in the mail this week too...
this gorgeous pom pom scarf from Narelle (at pins and whiskers), it is so warm and snuggly!

Fiona from bubzrugz sent me this cute as key holder! I am constantly losing my keys and there have been some mornings when I have been close to walking to work because I have been unable to find them, thank goodness for the boys who usually pitch in and find them in the most obvious places for me!

so big thanks to Fiona and Narelle, you are wonderful bloggy friends!


Last night I added the last of the green filler hexagons to my hexie garden! Extreme Happy Dance!!!
While 'dad sitting' this morning I started the not so glamorous job of pulling out basting threads and removing the iron on backings. I got about half of them done. It needs a good press and then I will show the top. I am hoping to get the borders on next week. I am so excited I could explode, but then I would just have to clean the mess up.
Hope you all have a wonderful crafty weekend
cheers
Marina

Wednesday 6 July 2011

disappearing nine patch

It's school holidays in Victoria at the moment and the weather has been so cold and windy. So what is a girl to do? You know the answer : Sew
I didn't get around to doing a wish list but a project I had wanted to work on was my disappearing nine patch.
I started it during the Christmas holidays I think and all the blocks were ready to put together. So with nothing on tv again I sat and sewed and I have my first finish for the holidays. It will fit a single bed nicely.
It was too windy to put it on the clothes line so the clothes horse will have to do.

Last night I decided to not wait anymore for my hexie swap flowers for June and just go ahead and finish my scrappy garden. I worked out I needed three more flowers so I have cut them all out, as well as the green and cream filler hexies. I am hoping to have it finished over the next week.

Happy stitching!
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...