Welcome to Shiralee Stitches. I live on a cattle farm in Australia with my family.
I am passionate about all things fabric so much so I started my own online and mobile store. Link is on the sidebar to my store. I teach patchwork classes and take my shop to quilting and patchwork groups and also attend various craft markets.
I love English Paper Piecing, applique, machine quilting, working with woven wools. I have started making my own designs which I love.

Friday 27 May 2011

Oops!!!

Oh Dear....sorry ....forgot to put the links onto the last post.... (clearly more training required, Chooky!!  lol)
Here's where you'll find the lovely shop Homespun and Beautiful where I bought the kit.
And here's where you'll find the lovely Peg with her finished block from the quilt......but beware.....this blog is loaded with just beautiful stuff you'll want to add to your wish list!!!.....Happy in Quilting.....
Oh and for anyone who hasn't yet met Chookyblue online and are wondering who I'm talking about you can find her here. Chookyblue provided the support to get me up and blogging, and to her I owe a lot...she's amazing with her blogging....and an even more amazing person "in the real"....
Be happy.......

Just Couldn't Resist!.......

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me, and also provided me with loads more temptations.....
I have recently admired a little quilt kit Peg has just begun, and after a lovely phone chat with Tess at Homespun and Beautiful.......
.......this arrived in the mail......
......beautifully wrapped in a fat quarter.....had to stop and wonder if it was my birthday and I'd clean forgot..lol..
and tied with ribbon....made me feel very special.....looked at it for a while over a cuppa before heading for the camera to take the important bloggy photo (still in training from Chookyblue on making sure I keep the camera handy!!!)...and then this was inside......yummy.....
 ......"My Garden" by Lynette Anderson.....and a gorgeous kit assembled by Tess herself....
....my favourite blocks......
....check out the cute buttons......
.....and pop over to Peg's blog Happy in Quilting and have a look at her completed block...just lovely...

I've been busy preparing these blocks ready for some blanket stitch. Remember the books and fabric I showed you in my last post?....well here's a start......


I hope you've had a great week, and an even better weekend planned....Our closest town, Casino NSW is having the annual BEEF WEEK this weekend. We have a family day planned, and my 10yr old son is competing in the whipcracking competition.....the day culminates in a parade of floats....should be fun....

Sunday 22 May 2011

Tis the Season and ...a new project !

Oh boy! I can't believe I've been absent from blogging for soooo long. Just been busy with life in general.
I have been keeping the sewing fingers busy with the fun little Stitch-a-long blocks and so here's a peek at my May blocks.....

These are a joy to stitch being one colour thread to worry about.
....and aren't they just too cute!!.......
I was a little naughty a while back and bought a couple of books that I'd been admiring for a while.....
....and then I confess I was even more naughty and visited an online shop to order this bit of yumminess so I could make something from the book...well, I needed it didn't I ???? How can I use the book without the fabric??!!
After looking longingly through the books I've decided on a small project to start me off......how does this look......

It will go perfectly on the wall in my old home.
Now I'm off to the tracing table.
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend spending time doing what you love.
Raining here today (trying to send some to Chookyblue.....got it Chooky?) so perfect sewing weather......

Friday 6 May 2011

First Yo-Yos now Hexies....

As the hexagon craze hits our craft, I am reminded of a few years ago when yo-yos were all in vogue.....
So I thought I'd show you what I did with (just a few!!!) yo-yos....

They go all around the small quilt......heaps of them...
This quilt hangs on the same wrought iron quilt stand as The Angels Story from last post. I think it will be a lovely quilt for a first grand-daughter....ooh....maybe I should put it in mothballs...haha...daughter is 14!!!!
Hope you're enjoying my little trips down Quilt Memory Lane with me...it will be a long journey, but we'll travel slowly....
Have a lovely weekend.......and Happy Mothers Day to all Mums on Sunday...

Sunday 1 May 2011

I Promised an Angel......or 2....of the fabric kind.....

After all the inspiration given by Anni Downs at the Girls day in the Country at Nundle earlier this year, Bec tells me she went home to begin her 'An Angels Story' quilt designed by Anni years ago. She asked me to post some photos of my version of this lovely quilt so her inspiration could  be further fuelled......I took this quilt to Nundle to share it with Anni, so some of you have seen it.
I made this years ago for my daughter who had it on her bed for a long time until she outgrew it. Anni published this quilt in a book with other matching projects.....hence the cushions to match.
All the Angels have names......Pot Plant Penelope.....Millicent the Magnificent Mum......
Best Friends Zoe and Prudence....Fran's Flying School......
Hettie at the Hat Shop..........Tillie the Tea Lady.........
I just loved bringing all the Angels to life.....


I actually hand quilted this whole quilt, just like Anni's original.....now that I have practised machine quilting more now, I'm not sure I would embark on that huge job if I was quilting it today....
This quilt now hangs over a  wrought iron stand in my bedroom, along with other quilts I've made.
Thanks for sharing my angels with me.....it's fun to take a trip down memory lane......I'll drag out some more "oldies" soon.......if you want to see them.......