hello out there.....

 Wow months just fly by and we are plowing towards the middle of the year

Even thought I have not been so visible in blogland I have been in the background looking at all the lovely things my blog friends are making and doing.

I receive lovely invites to Zooms from the wonderful Chooky and I managed to pop in for a little bit on the weekend just gone. It was great to sew and chat with this lovely group and I got to thinking about all the friendships and acquaintances I have met through blogging over the years. Whether it is for a short while or a long while they are valued connections. I thought it might be nice to pop in and put up a few post as I have been busily sewing over the past months. There should be enough to supply me with quite a few posts.

In the last post I made there was a list of projects to be done..... that list has changed a bit since then so it's a good place to pick up

1. there has been major progress on basket case 

2. Tilda dresden's are a completed top awaiting quilting

3. Kim's top had all it's applique done and returned to her

4. Monster's top is done awaiting quilting

7. My favourite things blocks have been completed into two quilts that have been gifted.

8. 9 patch tops have got their borders cut and planned

Now for the photographic evidence

basket case- pattern by Irene Blanck

Favourite things 1- blocks by Toni Alexander

Favourite things 2 - pattern by Toni Alexander

even made labels!

Tilda Dresdens

Monsters......

thanks for making it to the end 

Hopefully more to share soon

Happy days

Marina

Sewing satisfaction

I have quite a few projects that are very slow works in progress, Am I the only one? You know the kind of project that you just add to in between other works on the go?

I have my scrappy hearts and my 9 patch blocks that can be picked up in between other projects.

With being home I definitely have enjoyed my 9 patch sewing. After tallying my progress and working out how many blocks to go it has spurred me on too. I am going to use the scrappy for one side and the reds and cream for the other so I'll get two quilts for the price of one. 

Five rows of scrappy blocks are together and now to catch up with the red and cream ones.

The clamshell quilting project is underway.  After this I will only have one more hand quilting project to do, well that is at this stage.

I pieced some fabrics for the backing but after basting it was puckering badly on the back and there's no way I could live with it so I removed all the basting made a new backing with some fabric that I had stashed for backings and it basted much more neatly. I always have a hard time with basting and getting it sandwiched neatly. 

My Tilda Dresdens are all completed and the top is together. I found a pattern that had applique in between the plates and I'll get around to that soon. It's a really pretty pattern that was an internet freebie too. I love that 

The binding is on my Farm Sweet Farm quilt after a bit stall on finishing, but as long as we get there in the end...

The sewing machine awaits and I am off to make some nine patches!!

I'll leave you with a picture of a 'lap full of fox terriers'. 

The only thing missing is a giant sized black curly dog! lol

Have a fantastic day!

Marina

All over the place....

I feel like I don't have much to show for the second part of the holidays but I know I must have been busy.

Mainly epp happening. I dipped into my 1930's fabrics to make some more hexie flowers and I also bought some lovely fabric for the stepping stones-a lovely mini white on white polka dot.  I ordered some more iron on hexies from Hugs and Kisses store and while I was there I couldn't resist some dresden blades.  I wanted them to dip into my newest Tilda purchase.  As soon as the papers arrived of course I had to make one up, in fact I made two up. My finger needs to recover from the pin pricks so all epp will be put aside for a week or so. 

All the clamshell basting threads were removed and the quilt was taken to the quilters yesterday.  I settled on an edge to edge design. I am looking forward to it coming home.

This week I am working solely on my monsters. I cut out heaps of various sized circles that will be added around the monsters. Which reminds me that I need to iron that backing fabric to get it ready to accomodate monsters!

Hopefully there will be some major monster progress by the weekend then next week I will chose another project to work on.

Happy days

Marina

some finishing and some new homes wanted.....

Instead of going to the Craft show I have made some time for myself by getting the sewing machine out and finishing some little projects that needed to be finished off.

First this little pretty, I so love it finished. Just as I thought it was finished I had to unpick and restitch and requilt the centre flower as it was crooked. I just couldn't live with it, call me ocd. Should've given it a press before happy snapping too, I think, but it is straight.

 Finished this little table topper....

 these little cross stitched pieces were waiting to be made up, they wait no longer...

 They are backed in felted wool

Now to the bit about new homes....

I have these patterns that I don't forsee using at all so rather than them taking up space anymore at my place perhaps you would like to have them take up room at your place.....please let me know in your comments.

If there is more than one person wanting a pattern I will draw a name out of a hat in a week or so...

Please note the adoption offers are for the patterns only, or if you would like to make an offer on one of the male persons that live in this house please feel free. All offers considered, you don't even have to guarantee a good home!

cheers for now

Marina

eye on the prize....

I have been focused on one project these past few weeks...
All that focusing has resulted in a lot of this

which then resulted in this...

 here is the back.... now don't think what a good dog sitting there while the quilt is being photographed. Seconds before this, said dog, (did I mention that he had not long been bathed and was wet) decided to walk under the quilt while it was on the line! Just the right height for the quilt bottom to drag along his wet curly back. Thank goodness he had been washed but there was a lovely little smudging of brown curly coat hair along the white block!!!! I think everyone heard me yell at him. Thankfully the hair just came off with a clothes brush and no marks were left, phew. Lucky for Coffee!

 the back is made up of all the leftovers and I thought a little stitched sentiment would be nice for the label and we all signed it for me to stitch.

 the end result- a rolled up shot of the gift quilt. Finished with time to spare and waiting to be given.

Now to get back to my other projects...
there is my Swan Lake, my borders for park avenue hexies, a quilt for my sil, catch up on some Christmas items, my once upon a time stitcheries, the Dr Seuss borders,......
Oh my there are a lot of things on my list!
Just as well I haven't signed up for any swaps or new bom projects
Have a great week...

Marina

time is flying...

It is the end of February already and I am afraid the 25th has passed and there is nothing to show for a christmas item as all my rare stitching time has been taken up with a special project that has finally reached the flimsy stage. The back is almost fully pieced with all the leftover fabric from my Sunkissed range. I think two projects with this fabric will be enough.
 I just have a block that needs to be stitched with a sweet saying and the stitched signatures of all of us office girls. I am very happy with how it has come together.
When I stitched this block for my own down in the garden quilt I swore I would never do all that stitching again but I really enjoyed making it again. I did simplify some of the flowers so the two blocks weren't identical.

 Here is the windy clothes line shot... I desperately wanted to get a pic to show the other girls. It is going to be such a surprise!

No 1 son thought it would be a good idea for me to embroider some singlets for a work colleague who had had a baby. Yeah thanks for the extra projects! I have a deadline for my gift quilt but managed to fit it in.
Well it turned out he bought a pack of 5 singlets!
here are three that I managed to snap a pic of..

well that is where I have been spending my time..... I have been briefly visiting blogs but not always commenting, just need some extra time to manage everything.
Better get back to that stitching as I want to baste the quilt and start the quilting this weekend. That gives me four weeks to get it quilted.
fingers crossed
Hope you get some crafting time!

cheers
marina

my crafty retreat..

I have been having my own personal crafting retreat while hubs and son 2 and 3 are away for the weekend. They left friday morning and come home today so I have been Queen of the Castle. No 1 son home but he has been busy socialising and when he has been home he is not demanding and good company. He did take me to brunch yesterday morning and I had the most wonderful poached egg on salmon and spinach, did I mention the hollandaise sauce? Yummm
With all this time to myself I have been enjoying some extra crafting time and watching some dvd's. I watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the last Harry Potter movie yesterday afternoon and evening while stitching on the couch stitching and cutting.
would you like to see some progress
First of all I tackled this 'thing', rather unsuccessfully I might add. As you can see from the photo the frame is a little unusual and the purse just didn't sit well at all even with Liz's suggestion which should have worked. Result-more unpicking and I have resolved to get a new frame that allows for the purse top to be inserted into the frame then stitched like the others I have done.

 then I had a play around with my dresden plates to see if they would come together as in my head. Just a rough guide but I think it is working well.

My centre progress..... only two types of flowers to go then I can applique my butterflies.

 some Swan Lake flowers that were prepped ready to go-done. Need to get some more ready too...
Some new hexies were ironed, cut and are all ready to be basted and then sewn into something special. These hexies are mostly from my scrap box. Only a small dent but then it isn't that big anyway. Lovely warm colours.

I have enjoyed my retreat-in now to get some cooking and ironing done for when the others return home.
Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow-will tell you more tomorrow.
Happy days!
marina


oops..
forgot to put the photo of these little items that will hopefully be finished in time for the 25th for the Christmas gifting box.

that's all folks..

finding time to sew..

Christmas is over and it went smoothly and was very low stress, just as I had hoped!
Now it's time to find some sewing inspiration. A work colleague is retiring next year and I wanted to make her a throw quilt as a farewell gift. We have worked together for 12 years and she has been at the school for over 27 years. Not a bad effort I think. My mind was ticking over, I love having to think of a new project.
She admired my Down in the garden quilt and commented how much she liked the fabrics so seeing as there is heaps leftover the fabric choice was easy. Now for a design. I ordered some more of the white on white fabric from the sunkissed range from ebay so that's the next step done-I have enough fabric to make a stitchery and plate backings. I am thinking of using the centre stitchery from down in the garden for the centre of the quilt. For the surrounding blocks I thought some dresden plates might do the trick so I pulled out fabrics to have a go at making one.
I made a trial one from my red and cream stash and it turned out well, very encouraging! (oops is that a new ufo now?)

then onto the 'real' one..

didn't turn out as well as the first one but a little snip and press and it was sitting ok. I like these fabrics even more as a dresden plate!

Yesterday I spent a stitching afternoon with some stitchy friends Elyte, Annie, Anne, Robyn and Jo. It was a great afternoon chatting, sewing and of course eating and I felt very inspired when I got home and I made another plate and ironed on the heads and arms for my third dolly border that I finished appliqueing the dresses for at our crafty catch up. I so need some inspiration to get moving on my swan lake project.
now there are two....

Another reason for the visit with Elyte and the girls was to collect my prize from one of the Bluegum Quilters raffles that I had won. The raffle was to guess how many yo yo's there were in a jar. Guess what the prize was?
The yo yo's!!
Do you think I have enough yo yo's?
My original guesses were in the box. The girls were quite helpful thinking of projects that I could use them for. Thanks girls. I thought I would collect them already stitched into a quilt? Isn't that what friends are for?

It has been lovely seeing all the Christmas gifts that have been sent and received, lots of ideas for next year! Maybe I will be able to maintain the momentum for the 1 christmas item per month with Narelle.
Roll on 2013 I feel I am suitably inspired to finish some ufo's and make some progress on my WISPS, maybe throw in some random projects too just for fun.
Must make a list!
Have a great day
Marina