Long time between drinks.....

 Well it has been awhile. Life has been happening and thankfully crafting too.  It's a lazy Saturday and I felt it's about time to pay some attention to my neglected blog and update my crafting projects on here as I do like to chronicle them here.

I have been visiting my usual blogs but as they authors are mostly on instagram too it's easy to comment there. I do feel I've missed my blog too.

There have been some finishes here which you know means some starts. Gotta be happy about that.

Here are some progress pics 

Nine Owl and Hare stitcheries applied to my dresden top and is now at the quilters. I must say I really loved doing these stitcheries. 

Who's who in the zoo now just needs to have some borders done...... my least favourite part of a quilt.

My aussie animals top is done, finished differently to the pattern but that's the way I tend to roll.

A friend has kindly quilted it for me as a practice quilt as she is new to machine quilting.

and my hometown tilda quilt is done too again completed differently to the pattern.

Here is the progress on my little Kathy Schmitz stitcheries. I need to cut some more blades for the dresdens shortly as I have nearly completed those I had prepared. All the stitcheries are completed that I need for this project as are the backgrounds.

Looks like Dresdens have become a little obsession of mine. 

Well today I hope to get the binding sewn on the two quilted tops so that they can be called a complete finish.

Hope this post is not too photo heavy and that there are still visitors to my little blog.

Perhaps next time I can share my new projects!

Happy days

Marina

a quiet week

It has been a quiet week here as far as sewing has been but I have some secret sewing that has arrived at it's destination that I can show...

A few weeks ago I had great fun finishing these stitcheries into an apron and two tea towels.  Great stitcheries from Urban threads and they download for a super price.

After sending Hub out to get me some more bunnies from Bed bath and table the other week.....and a quick visit to Gisborne on Saturday to see the girls getting together there was a little retail therapy to buy some fabric for the pin cushions.
On Sunday these babies came together..

The fifth little bunny hopped away to stay at Susan's (thimblestitch) and I forgot to take a picture of him...
I just think they are so cute. Some will be gifted I'm sure but not sure which ones I will be able to part with lol
Today I was reunited with Sweet William thanks to mum picking him up from Jemima's where the top was beautifully basted. Can't wait to start quilting

..............especially as these pretties arrived yesterday in the mail.

Seems like I have a few things to crow about.
I had a hard time finding these templates in Australia so had to order from the US.
The Stencil Company is where I sourced them. The prices were great, postage as reasonable as could be expected and the service quicksmart! They arrived here in less than a week. That's great.
.
Once some cooler weather graces us I will be keen as mustard to start quilting.
Hope you are having a great week, not long till the weekend now.
Can't wait!
cheers
Marina

ps a quick message for Tanya Hughes..... would love to reply to your email about the doilies but you are a no reply blogger. If you email me I am happy to send a couple of doilies as I have some extras in my stash.

all good things...

.....must come to an end. Yes the wonderful holidays are on the verge of ending and I must say they have been wonderful. Catch ups with wonderful friends, lots of sewing time and lots of relaxing and leisure time.
What more can you ask for?
I have had  progress on some forgotten projects and that always is a good way to end the holidays.
There has also been a start on a new project, of course!
First the finishes...
these stitcheries have been waiting for a while to be done... now to make them into something.
The designs are from Urban Threads..

some serious work on my mini clamshells...saw them all used up into one big piece.

 love the way they all sit nestled into one another..
The fabric was a gorgeous charm pack sent to me by Susan (of thimblestitch) quite a while ago.

this treasure has been sitting waiting for some leaves to be sewn down on the border and the corner flowers.

Most of them are done then it can go off to be quilted and join it's partner on the wall.

Now for that something new...this lovely quilt is a design from Irene Blanck's book. I don't enjoy machine piecing as much so I am determined to get all the checkerboard blocks done before I can start the applique blocks. There are only 7 more to go but the strips are all prepped ready to just be pinned and sewn. It's quite time consuming especially if you want to match your corners.

 the background blocks for the appliques are prepped too... the large spots might be a little dark so I will just reverse the fabrics so they will be more subtle. The spots are a gorgeous buttery yellow and soft sage green. Some mini dots in the green are on their way from The new fabric shop in Eltham. That's where I bought the large spot.

 all neatly away to wait for the next sewing session...

Now just one more surprise...
I really wanted to have the clamshells made into 'something' before I returned to work so I got my thinking cap on and there were a few options but i went with a large purse. The frames were on hand but I couldn't find the pattern to make the purse so had to add lib a little. It isn't perfect but that's ok...
I ended up putting the frame back to front as I wanted the clasp to be on the other side but giving it a second glance in the photo it doesn't work too badly.

so that is it for now....
Very satisfying to have cleared some ufo items.
Happy Australia day tomorrow....
Cheers
Marina

crafty blog catchup....

It feels like ages since I have blogged, it seems my bloggy mojo has gone on a holiday.
The school year is over and I can recharge and get my act together.
I have been crafting as I am sure you all would expect and occasionally commenting when blog hopping but more often than not I have just been visiting seeing all the beautiful festive crafting travelling to and fro.
It is all very inspiring and I am hoping that I will get some christmassy crafting on track next year as this year has been a dismal failure in that regard.
I will give a warning that there are a lot photos in my catch up so hold on and come along for the ride...


firstly mum's lovely gift quilt got quilted by Jemima's and I did the binding for her. It is winging it's way to France..... Bon Voyage!

 The last two Baltimore blocks are done and dusted..... now to decide how to put it all together. I would really love to applique traditional sashes on the outer borders but just can't decide whether to add sashings between blocks?                    to ponder another day...
I have really enjoyed making these blocks and enjoyed the classes at Jemima's a lot.

 The little cottage stitcheries got done and put together into a table runner and was gifted on Saturday to my KK at craft group....

 The 'redo' Lucy Kemper block is done and dusted and the centre sewn together. I am loving this so much!! now to work on the border blocks.

I received a lovely parcel in the mail from Els in the Netherlands, it included this lovely little dilly bag for sewing goodies and another surprise giftie received was from the lovely Susan (of thimblestitch) one of her gorgeous little thread keepers. Perfect in the blues and don't they all go together well, even my wool needlecase fits in the colour scheme perfectly.  There were some other goodies sent by Els but I haven't taken pics yet.

well that is a hooly dooly big post....
Not sure when my next post will be..... will wait and see.
I'd like to wish everyone a most wonderful Christmas and safe and crafty new Year.
Thankyou to you all, my bloggy friends for visiting and supporting my crafting endeavours.
Hope to see you all soon....
cheers
Marina

this and that

thought I would share some pics of what I am working on last week and also this week.
I am hoping to get this baltimore block done so I can get to the lucy kemper redo block...
there were some initial hiccups due to not tracing the flowers accurately enough but I borrowed mum's ones and the results are so much better. the light blues were in a mail of lovely blue scraps from Susan (thimblestitch) that were meant to go to miss Lucy but I couldn't resist using some in this block, there is still plenty for Miss Lucy. lots of leaves to go.....

 these stitcheries will be a KK pressie, they seem to be taking ages, there is a third one traced but I don't know if I will manage to get it done in time.

 Here is a finished top... my pretty clamshells. I finished the applique border a few weeks ago and hadn't shown it. I like it a lot and it will make a pretty baby or dolly blanket. Don't trust those around here for it to be a table runner!

Now for some pics from the quilt show. There were quite a few people through which is great for such a small group. Rosalie and Liz popped in for a look and a cup of tea and chat which was great.
On to the pics... there were more quilts hanging but I didn't  snap them all...

have a great week
Marina.