Snippets

In 2016/2017 Karen and I made a "Snippets" quilt each out of FigTree fabrics.  There is a lot of sewing and trimming before the pieces are ready to sew into blocks but after that the blocks and quilt go together very quickly.

I started collecting Bonnie and Camille charm packs to make another "Snippets" quilt and it was finished this week.

I  love dotty backgrounds and used Moda Essential Dots (red).

Sarah quilted it with Cables - another favourite design.

Fun weekend coming up - Mum, the 2 little ones and I are going to "School Spectacular" on Saturday afternoon and the littlies are staying over.  The Christmas tree is up for them to start decorating - I reckon 10 minutes and they'll be wanting to do something else :)

Conversations with a 3 Year Old

Earlier this year I bought this cute watermelon fabric to make a little dress for ChaCha for this summer.

On Wednesday I was having a chat with her about her new dress:

Me:  I'm making you a dress with watermelons on it.
GD:  I would like pineapples.

Fortunately I had just enough pineapple fabric from backing Gabby's pineapple quilt to make little sweetheart a dress.

I've also made her a new twirling dress - love this fabric and she looks beautiful in red.

A few months ago ChaCha and I were discussing Jenni and Kurt's wedding (in May 2019).

Me:  Auntie Jenni is going to be a beautiful bride.  Would you like me to make you a dress to wear to the wedding?
GD:  I already have dresses you made.
Me:  Wouldn't you like a new, pretty dress?
GD:  No thankyou, I will wear my Elsa dress.

If the flowergirl is dressed as Elsa, you can bet the pageboy will be dressed as Batman!

The two sweethearts are coming to stay next weekend and I'm hoping they'd like to put some decorations on the Christmas tree.   Trainset is up and running.

Weekend before I got out the glue gun and some red beads I bought in the post-Christmas sale.  I have no idea where I saw this idea to give the person credit.

Pretty happy with how it turned out.

On Friday "Snippets" quilt arrived back at my place from Sarah in Tasmania - the cable quilting she did looks fantastic.  This is a huge quilt - I have 10.5 metres of binding to stitch down (lots of tv watching).

Elizabeth and I went to see "Bohemian Rhapsody" on Saturday afternoon - Elizabeth hadn't seen it and I was very happy to see it again (and I'd be happy to go a third time).

Stitching Girls are coming over tonight - that's always a nice time.

Happy Places

Family - Sewing - Christmas

It took me a few weeks to get around to sewing this sweet quilt top together for Jenni's best friend's new baby boy.

This is the third "Bradley Street" cot-sized quilt I've made this year - such a great design to show of pretty fabrics.

The backing fabric.

I love this fabric range and have ordered loads more.

Last Saturday Mum, ChaCha and I had such a fun time visiting Michael and Gulli.  The little ones had a ball playing with the big pump action water pistols, dressing up in Gulli's various superhero costumes and generally pulling out every toy Gulli owns. 

Marshall - "I'm all fired up!"

On Sunday ChaCha and I did a bit of Christmas decorating prep before it was time for her to go home and for me to go to the basketball.

Hearts at Home

Started sewing down the binding on "Hearts at Home" earlier this week and finished off last night after the Basketball - Hawks played very scrappily and were lucky to win.

Lots of pretty colours in this quilt, designed by Chelsi Stratton.  I used loads of Bonnie and Camille fabrics

and asked Karen to quilt it with "Rainbow Hearts" - a favourite of mine.

A lovely weekend coming up - Miss ChaCha is visiting for two nights and tomorrow, along with Mum, we're going to visit Michael and Gulli.   Maybe some Christmas decorating before she goes home on Sunday and then we have another Hawks game late Sunday afternoon.

Star Drops

The only machine sewing done last week was sewing bindings onto quilts and they've been stitched down over the last few nights.

"Star Drops" is a very pretty quilt designed by The Pattern Basket.  I've used lots of FigTree and Co fabrics in this quilt and, except for some of the backing fabric, was very happy to make the quilt entirely from my stash.

Karen quilted this one with Filigree - a design I've quite a bit over the years.   Had enough "Strawberry Fields Revisited" fabric for the two borders and "Gypsy Rose" fabric for the binding.

The backing is "Sundrops" designed by Coriander Quilts.

The cot quilts are finally on their way to the new (and not-so-new) babies.  Finished this one a few months ago but it took me a while to get organised to put it in the post.

I love this hearts/clouds quilting design on cot quilts.

Mum has welcomed three great-grandbabies this year and there will be another born early next year.

Abel was born in May and is the happiest little fellow.  I used "Frolic" by Cluck Cluck Sew for his quilt

and asked Karen to use my favourite Clouds quilting.  The Peter Rabbit fabric was a lucky find on a rare trip to Spotlight.

Finn was born in September and is a very sweet little baby.  The body of the quilt is "Next Up" designed by Carried Away Quilting.

Very cute animal print for the backing (found on the same trip to Spotlight) and more Clouds quilting.

On Saturday I started the annual pack-away of nick-nacks, pictures etc so I could ready the house for Christmas decorating.  The little ones are coming to stay at the end of November and I want to have the tree up for them and Mum to decorate together.

Stitching with the girls on Saturday afternoon - it was lovely to just sit and chat (and knit) in the air conditioning.  Afterwards I spent some time in The Pink Room cutting out a few things for the little ones.  Will be nice to do some dressmaking for a change.

A new twirling dress for ChaCha

O Happy Day

15 September 2018 was Sew a Jelly Roll Day - a jelly roll is 42 x 2-1/2" strips of fabric from the one range.

I didn't have a jelly roll on hand so I cut strips and squares from my Bonnie and Camille stash to make "O Happy Day" designed by Bonnie Olaveson.

I used the white-on-white from "The Good Life" for the background 

and Karen quilted it with Clamshells (one of my favourite designs).

Cute "Hello Darling" strawberry fabric was used for the backing and binding.

Every year the local Rotary Clubs have a fund-raising night in a local cinema showing a newly released film to raise money towards the eradication of polio. Last night Robyn, Lynell, Darren and I went along to this year's fundraiser to see "Bohemian Rhapsody".  LOVED the movie and am definitely looking forward to seeing it again.  Freddie Mercury was a genuine superstar - someone who was born to be a performer.  The Live Aid scenes are incredible.  Really enjoyed that Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon were portrayed as such nice people.  The are all so hugely talented.