pincushions galore!

Remember this......

 It was about time it got finished so I added a strip around the edge and used some of my yo yos that I had stashed.

I didn't realise how big this pincushion would be when I first made the base. It is a little big but I don't mind it just makes sure it is noticed. It could almost be a door stop!
I worked on my swap goodies and I am happy to say they are almost done. Just one more gift to make.
Sunday night I found a use for a hexie flower I made. One of the glass vintage buttons has found a home on this pin cushion. It fits perfectly.

I think I may be getting a bit of a collection of pincushions....

These are pincushions I have received in swaps and as gifts, and some I just made for myself. I just love them all. The one with all the pins is extra special because one of my boys made it for me when I was sewing one day and he wanted to make something too.
Most of them live in a basket on my sewing trolley.
Off to do some quilting... finishing off a UFO.
Happy crafting!
marina

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

sending goodies around the place

Yesterday I made a trip to the post office to send some goodies to their new homes.

Betty Boop left for Bev's place in WA and this felted pincushion is on it's way to Janet in the Yukon.

As soon as I read that Janet wanted a garden theme the thought popped into my head. to make a wheelbarrow and bunny and they fitted in the available space perfectly.

Jaqueline added the gorgeous violets and Sue, the bluebirds nesting in the branches. It's great to add to the loveliness!

Now to wait for mine to return home.....
My May hexies arrived at Jane's house. My next month's hexies are to be in blues and reds. That should be fun as I have a decent stash of these colours.
In the meantime I am enjoying making a few milk jug doilies that I will add as my christmas finishes. They will be good additions to the gift list.
Roll on Weekend!

Marina

Oops! Oh no....

This week I had a ball putting together the top for the 'Tis the season hanging. Yesterday I went to Jemima's to buy border fabric so I could finish the top altogether. I bought a Glace pre cut (honey bun I think) that had just the tonal fabrics from the range. I would be able to get the borders out but I would have to be very precise and careful. Well that should have told me that I was doomed to fail, but being a half full type of girl, no worries!

Yeah, right...

I did the first border fine and then the second border... You betcha I stuffed it up. I was frantic now- my side border would have three pieces sewn together to make a border. I googled till I was googled out and replacement fabric is out of the question as it is an old range and the chances of finding it are 'Buckley's or none'.

So what to do... Do I sew them the way they are, get a different red fabric or keep trying to get the red tonal fabric that I really want to use, or finally add some embellishment to cover the errors (thanks for the idea mum)? 

I am going to take it all to Mum's to get her opinion but I know I need to be happy with the result, especially after all that work..

Any suggestions would be welcome or if you know of anyone who has perhaps 7inches of the red tonal Glace fabric?

Here is the top so far.....

see how perfect the red fabric looks, 

this has to be my favourite stitchery block

On a less disastrous note... I made this little door hanger for a friend at work who is leaving us. It just needs a little stuffing.  It's from the Quilt a gift book that Carine sent me in exchange for a Boys story quilt book. It has some lovely designs in it. I used some of my vintage shell buttons for the corners.

For the past two weeks I have been also trying to hand quilt my Tisket Tasket Top and I am down to the last block and then I will just machine quilt around the border. It will be a relief to cross this off the list .

This arrived in the mail yesterday and I have put my thinking cap to decide what my addition to Janet's garden themed pincushion will be. I think I have just the thing!

Boy talk about lots of pics.. 

Just one last sneak peak at something I am making. Not too many clues at the moment. Someone may be peaking! I have been having issues with my stitching at the moment, the stitches seem to be huge and I had big issues with the curves on this stitchery. I had to unpick them all and redo them. Much better second time around. Some of my 'tis the season stitcheries had stitches that seemed to be doing their own thing. Luckily they don't look too bad.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend...

I am off to make some hexies for my May swap partner.

Second finals of Eurovision tonight and the Finals tomorrow. Am I the only sad person watching?

My children seem to think so!

Cheers

Marina

ps I have reinstated any lost comments for the Betty boop fabric. I will draw it tomorrow as there are a few people who would like to give it a new home. If you are interested leave a comment on the previous post and I will draw a new home tomorrow.

some more blocks and a pincushion

On Monday Sue's wool base arrived from Janet in Canada. She stitched a fantastic mountain goat looking over a cliff down on a trout jumping. It looked fantastic but how was I going to add to it. I scoured Sue's blog looking for hints on things she liked, when I suddenly looked at her blog name 'Charlotte's cottage'-that's it I thought!

I would add a little cottage to the base and then there was just a little gap that needed filling so what better than a little ray of sunshine on her cottage!

I am quite happy with the result, I hope Sue likes it too. Now it will be off to America to Jacqueline then it will make it's final trip home to Sue in Western Australia.

On Sunday I thought I would work on the borders for the next three Tis the season blocks. Now I make no secret that I don't like cutting and sewing up blocks, my favourite part is the stitcheries and hand sewing. I thought while I was cutting strips for three blocks I may as well cut strips for all the blocks. I now have them all ready for when I finish the next lots of stitcheries. Happy days!

so here are the next three...

It's half way through the week already....... Roll on the weekend.

Cheers

Marina

The end of the week....

Only one more day to go to the weekend. Woo hoo!
Last weeks pickles turned out wonderfully and we have enough jars to last the year- if we don't give them all away like we did last time.
Tomorrow is the 25th of the month and my Christmas item is still a little off being finished. I am hoping to get some crafting time to finish it on the weekend. It is only a small project so is achievable. Then to better plan next month's project a little better.
My swap hexies were posted last week and hopefully shouldn't take too long to get to their destination in India. How exciting to be posting to India.
There is another little package that needs to be sent..... Jacqueline's felted wool base needs to be sent on to Janet in Yukon Territory in Canada. It is amazing sending these little crafts to crafty people all over the world.
I received Jacqueline's base earlier in the week and got working straight away as it will have to travel far to get to it's next destination. Jacqueline and I exchanged emails and I suggested an Australian theme to what I might add. My mind started to churn ideas. I ended up with this idea...

It was quite difficult to make the gum leaves, I am afraid they look a little like a palm tree top! I hope Jacqueline will like this little Koala bear.
I managed to finish off another stitchery last weekend and haven't touched another one since. I only have three more stitcheries and then there will only be cutting and piecing to go.

Tonight I cut out some more hexies for my next month's swap partner. Mid purple and mid pink are the colours requested. I got a little carried out cutting some leftover fabrics in those colours and I now have enough to make around 8 flowers. I will pick two of the nicest ones to send and keep the rest for my own scrappy hexie throw. I am sure they won't go to waste!
On Saturday it is my turn to host the ladies from the craft group I belong to. Will be lovely to catch up.
Hope you have a lovely weekend
cheers
Marina