Inside the Package

These lovely goodies were inside the package I received from Sarah

Inside the sewing purse - lots of pockets

The theme of the swap was Bronwyn Hayes/Red Brolly designs and these goodies match perfectly with a bag Sarah made for way back in 2005.

Beautifully stitched and sewn and I'm thrilled to bits.

Pyjama Babies No 1

The first of the Pyjama Babies quilts is finished and will be given to the nanna-to-be in a week or so.  I hope she likes it.

I used the white Little Apples fabric with tortoises, snails and apples for the backing - it really is sweet.

 

Diann and I have each made another Sylvia's Bridal Sampler block, "Windblown Squares" - I think it's our first for this year.

On Wednesday I had the most enjoyable day out with 3 friends - we visited a few patchwork shops a bit further away from home, including the lovely Steph's in Moruya and My Patch in Milton.  Hadn't been to My Patch before  it's a beautiful shop; the owner even re-opened the shop for us after closing.  I bought a few goodies here and there including a pattern for this quilt.

The pattern uses either a layer cake or fat eighths so I adjusted it to suit a jelly roll (plus background) and I was able to cut enough strips from my Fig Tree stash.  Not sure if that's a good thing, saying that I have so much Fig Tree fabric (and I didn't cut into my Breakfast at Tiffany's or Fig and Plum fabrics).  Some of the very last pieces of favourites will be in this quilt.  I really like the optical illusion these blocks create as each block is 10-1/2" square (not a rectangle).

Our on-line group has a swap opening tonight.  My parcel arrived yesterday from Sarah.

Haven't opened it yet - waiting very patiently for tonight.

Have a look at my friend Bec's blog - she has been finishing off a huge number of quilts and other goodies - really lovely.  I blame Bec for my Fig Tree fabric stash :).

Jenni has been sewing again ...

Peta's hens party will be held on Easter Saturday - high tea with a 20's theme..  Jenni wanted to make herself a dress to wear so searched on Google and found instructions for an original design from the 1920's.  All it involved was squares and rectangles of fabrics attached to a slip/petticoat - brilliant and it looks fabulous on her.

Jenni's dress

Jenni offered to make a dress for Elizabeth and it's well under way.  No pattern - she just cut into the fabric and started pinning on the dressmaker's model.  There is no way I could do this - if I don't have a dressmaking pattern, it doesn't happen.

Elizabeth's dress

In between some more secret sewing, Hot Cross is on the frame ready to quilt

and Pyjama Babies has been pin basted.  I used the "Little Apples" white fabric with tortoises, snails and apples for the backing.

A little while ago I cut out a Schnibble design, "Imagine", from the Schnibbles Two book, using a Little Apples charm pack with two squares of red check added to make up the number of squares required - no blocks are sewn together yet.  This is such a cute fabric range.

A couple of weeks ago Nicole from Sister's Choice Quilts, wrote a blog post about how much trouble some shops go to when sending out a parcel of fabric and what a difference it makes to how, as a shopper, you feel about the shop and what you've purchased.  I received this parcel last week - fabric I ordered wrapped in white polka dot cellophane with a free fat quarter on top and all tied in hot pink and black polka dot ribbon - delightful!

I have no affiliation with the shop - was just tickled pink with the parcel.

Bliss Granny Squares

The Bliss Granny Squares quilt was finished last night.  It's not a very large quilt - big enough for a cot or a lap quilt/knee rug.  I love the colours in this fabric range and they all look so beautiful together.

Bliss Granny Squares - 36" x 47"

I quilted this one on the frame with a large meander using the new machine - worked like a charm - and chose the large floral with aqua background for the backing and binding

and the large floral with vanilla background for the sashings and borders.

The next Pyjama Babies quilt top is together - this is a custom request.  There is a lot of grey in the nursery so the nanna-to-be wanted that to be the main colour of the quilt.  Backing arrived last week and I'm hoping to baste this quilt in the next day or so.

Some secret sewing took place last week and I've started stitching out some clown alphabet sampler letters and numbers on the embroidery machine.  I think they'll make a lovely child's quilt.

Zig Zag Whimsy

At long last this quilt is finished - feels like it's taken forever to quilt and I was able to sew down the binding last night while watching "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood".

"Zig Zag Whimsy" 62-3/4" x 68-1/4"

The quilt is made with mostly "Whimsy" from Fig Tree Fabrics and a few other Fig Tree Fabrics thrown in to add a bit of variety and the background is Fig Tree Cream.  I'm so happy with this quilt and how the quilting has turned out - lots of wrangling under the machine.  This quilt is for sale.

I've also started making up the "Little Apples" Double Irish Chain blocks

that I cut out last week and some more Pyjama Babies star blocks

No rain today, blue sky and sunshine -here's hoping we have some nice weather over the weekend

Cutting Out

The rain finally stopped today for a little while - not much of an opportunity to anything else but stay in the sewing room.  I love the "Little Apples" fabric range - it really suits so many ages.  This afternoon I cut out a Double Irish Chain quilt with some fussy cut "Little Apples" for the centre of the blocks

and turquoise tortoise fabric, little apples and red checks for the chains.

I love how these quilt tops have turned out.

"Wide -Eyed Babies"

"Pyjama Babies"

Two more for the "to be quilted" pile, although quilting on the zig zag quilt is progressing (slowly).  Also cut out some white spot on grey fabric for another Pyjama Babies star quilt (a request).

Weekend again - lunch with The Schoolgirls tomorrow.  Maybe we'll get some sunshine.

Ruffles 'n' Rows

This quilt was designed by Natalie Bird, started last November or so and finished last night.

The quilt is for my great-niece, my brother's grand-daughter.  She's a bubbly, bright 8 year old, so I'm hoping she likes it.

The embroidery machine is still chugging away.  No rain has fallen since early morning.  It's still dull and overcast.  Gosh we've had some rain and even more is still falling at Goulburn and other areas.