This Week

I had such a great time on Monday night with Gulliver, my littlest sweetheart - he is crawling everywhere and pulling himself up on any piece of furniture he reaches.  A very adventurous charmer.

A little bit of sewing while watching the tennis on Australia Day.  The Patchwork Swoon strips were quickly sewn up in to 9 x 64 patch blocks

 

And this is a rough layout of how they will be placed.  There isn't a lot of contrast between the outer pink border and the floral pink points but I'm very happy to be using up more of my Fig Tree stash in this quilt.  It's a great pattern to use when a quickly-made quilt is needed.

Karen has been busy, even during the humid weather we've been having, quilting a couple more quilts for me.  Piccadilly Circus

and Rectangle Squares, a cot quilt

I hope to make the binding for Piccadilly Circus in time to stitch it down while watching the tennis finals.

Another home basketball game last night - very close and exciting game which the Hawks won.  Three more home games and the general season is over.  At the moment it looks like the Hawks will make the play-offs.

Just after new year a new baby girl arrived in my dear friends' family (in the photo above), so I machine embroidered a set of towels for the baby using a lovely sparkly variegated thread.

Heading off to Manly tomorrow to a baby shower/lunch - hope it's a lovely day for a ferry ride.

New Starts

Mum and I had a fun time on Saturday:  a bit of shopping at Miranda Fair, where I was able to find some more background for my Cheerio quilt;

a visit with our favourite baby girl, who will have her first birthday in a week; then home so Mum could go to a surprise 80th birthday party and I was going to 'Sing-along Grease' at the Sunset Cinema in the Wollongong Botanic Gardens.

All the Cheerio blocks are now made and waiting for me to be inspired to work on the layout 

 

"Text Me" blocks have been sitting in my cupboard for almost a year because I was unsure about my background fabric choice.  After discussions with a friend, I decided to make two lap-size quilts and when finished they will be donated.

 

I have some quilts planned for this year and have started collecting fabrics and doing some prep sewing.

Aviatrix Medallion is a lovely bright quilt in solids - my IG friend Amy in Oklahoma is also making this quilt.  I need to make some templates and pick up some pale silvery grey background from Karen, then I'll be ready to start.

Instead of working on a couple things I should, last night I sewed Fig Tree "Butterscotch and Rose" strips together to start Thimble Blossom's "Patchwork Swoon".  I loved this pattern as soon as I saw it and know that I'll be making a second one in Bonnie and Camille fabrics.

Heading back up to Sydney shortly to spend tonight with my favourite baby boy.

Niner

"Niner", designed by Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms, was cut out in January last year and finished almost a year to the day later.

I've used a big variety of Bonnie and Camille fabrics with a red dot on white fabric for the background.  The borders were added to give the quilt extra length on a queen-sized bed.

 

Sarah quilted it for me with a fleur-de-lis design

and the backing is another Bonnie and Camille fabric from their "Happy Go Lucky" range.

I've sewn some more "Cheerio" blocks.

 

Two more colours to go then I think it's time to sew with some different fabrics.  Might cut out a "Star Wars" quilt I have planned.

Wasn't much time for sewing on the weekend - had too much to do around the house and visitors on Saturday night - a little holiday planning.

A Busy Week

I've had a great week - I should have been packing away more of the Christmas decorations each night but I've been sewing and socialising instead.  I'll finish the packing tomorrow.

More Cheerio blocks have been made this week - I've been keeping the colours together.

 

 

I'm making the quilt a bit larger than the original design (surprise, surprise):  30 blocks made, 34 to go.  Working on red blocks next.  I'd love to cut out something new but am trying to be good.

Last night was the Hawks first home game - such a great team this season.

The weekend is almost here - more packing and some sewing I hope.

New Year Sewing

The couple of days before the trip to Brisbane I had no plans so that gave me some time to sew.  For Chrismtas 2013 Helen gave me a bag of heads to use with Annie Smith (Country Keepsakes) doll patterns.

Straight after that Christmas I made "Wishes Do Come True".

After Christmas 2014 I made "Angel Greetings"

And during my recent holidays I used the last two heads to make

"I Believe"

"Holly"

These heads are one of the best presents I've ever received.

Following the Brisbane trip I wanted to start something new, so made "Piccadilly Circus", a Thimble Blossoms design using Bonnie and Camille fabrics.  I loved making this quilt top and it was finished just as I had to come back to work.

Had a great weekend - lunch with friends in Sydney, a visit with my favourite little man and his mum and dad

then babysitting my other favourite little person - as well as starting to pack up Christmas and some sewing.  Started making "Cheerio", another Thimble Blossoms design using Bonnie and Camille fabrics.  This one has been cut out for months.

 

Chain-piecing and watching "Ally McBeal" - fantastic.

More Christmas Sewing

During December the embroidery machine runs pretty much non-stop. Some Christmas gift tags and a couple of lace ornaments:

There were also some towels which I didn't photograph.

Christmas Day was spent with my favourite people in the whole wide world and we are so very fortunate to have the two babies to make the day even more special.

 

On Boxing Day a few friends always come over for dinner - sweets this time was a Gingerbread Trifle (recipe was from the Coles free Christmas booklet and is also on taste.com).  Delicious!

After Christmas Mum and I travelled to Brisbane to spend a couple of days with my brother and sister-in-law.  Jenni and Kurt were also in town, so it was lovely to have time with them too.

 

The Roma Parklands are absolutely beautiful - so many wonderful gardens.

 

 

Christmas Presents

Our on-line stitching group has a Secret Santa each year and I received beautiful presents from Jo.  Having Jo as my partner was wonderful - we've been online friends for many years and I finally met her in person at our quilt camp in November.

Helen Stubbings, Jo, me

We had to send a little stocking to our partner containing a Christmas button, fat quarter, treat, sewing notion and ornament.

 

 

then a main present to open on Christmas Day - I LOVE this sewing bag - beautifully made and such pretty fabrics/colours.

 

I received some surprise Christmas presents in the mail from stitching friends: a beautiful ornament and paper clip from Helen

a decorated tea towel and ornament from Sandi

and this very cute owl from Sarah

Roseanne was my partner to send to.  Some of the presents I sent to Roseanne (unfortunately the chocolates melted):

Fig Tree & Co stocking

Hatched and Patched ornament

 Main present was Tree of Christmas Cheer, another Hatched and Patched design

and a Hatched and Patched doorstop.

It was a great stitchy Christmas.  There are more presents to be photographed.