Counting down!!

Hi everyone...

You will see that I've followed Chookyblues clever instructions and added the countdown gadget to my blog.......I am counting down to Kerry's Girls Day in the Country at Nundle in March!!.....Oh, I am so excited to be going again this year, and taking Mum with me too (she had a ball too last year), and also taking Jenny, a friend from our local craft group.

.....here is a photo of all the lovely ladies at our table....4 of whom I keep in bloggy contact with now....

 .......one of the girls having lessons from the ever-so-talented Anni Downs, our tutor for the day......

.....one of the projects for the day......lots of girls on the day began this lovely purse, and some even completed it!!!!!......

 ........and one girl amongst us (using her time to socialise!!!) managed to complete this little number on the day........this caused great laughter on the day, yet at least it IS A FINISH!!!.....and without the social skills of this wonderful lady, our weekend would be lacking......you will be pleased to know that she has now completed one of the projects from the 2011 Girls Day in the Country...I have seen it on her blog....

....so all in all, considering all the fun I had last year, and the special friends I happened to meet, and have seen since, this year is set to be doubly as much fun......

I am busy, busy, busy finishing a quilt of Sue Daley's, this year's tutor, ready to take to Nundle. I would like to share piccies, but techno probs with the camera means there'll be a slight delay!!!....

I hope you are all keeping the needles busy, and planning fun times for yourself.......

I have twins!!!

Well now I have your attention, I must confess these twins are not of the human variety!!!

...........Check out these little treasures.....

Mrs Willy Wagtail has made her nest right on my washing line!!!

If I am hanging washing out quietly on my own, she is quite happy to sit on her nest with me nearby.

The babies are so cute and growing very fast. Here's Mum......

 ....and even happy amongst the flapping washing......

The nest is so exposed, I am worried as we have lots of Kookaburras around. So....fingers crossed these babies will fly from the nest soon.......

........isn't nature wonderful?.......

.....I'll have some sewing to show you soon.....

Hello.......I'm home......and back in the sewing room........

Oh wow, what a lovely family beach holiday we've just returned from. My time at our caravan at Evan's Head worked out to be one day short of 4 weeks!!!!!.....so I was well ready to get back to my sewing.......I always plan to stitch while I'm away and usually bring it all home untouched, and that's what happened this time too. I find I never feel clean enough....too much sand and sunscreen......and we're flat-out busy all the time....swimming, sunning, bike riding, walks, shops, talking, a few drinkies and major socialising, not to mention the bowling club is just over the grass from our van!!!!!!!!

Here are a couple of piccies so you see where we've been.

The river on the left and surf on the right, so there's loads of swimming choices. My mum and my daughter on the breakwall.

Looking upriver at very high tide towards the camping area.

.......and now what's happening in the sewing room, I hear you ask!!??.......

Remember my English Paper Piecing rings , well I am finished all 16 rings for the central part of the quilt, and am adding the applique to the centres.

Oops, meant to crop this, and get rid of the thready edges....must have forgotten!!!!!

Next job is to whip stitch a scalloped design just inside the rings with a decorative thread......this should be interesting as I've never done whip stitch before.

Here's an image of where I'm headed.....the whole quilt......I would love to have this completed before I head off to Kerry's Girl's Day in the Country at Nundle in March, as Sue Daley, the designer of this quilt will be the guest tutor for the weekend......so I'd better get those fingers working fast......

....and to all my bloggy buddies, it's been a long absence and I have missed the contact with you all, so expect me to be leaving you a comment or 2 very soon.........

My lovely SSCS gift....

 What a lovely time I had on Christmas Day opening my SSCS gift. Kaaren had made these gorgeous pillow cases for me with beautiful redwork stitcheries and a crocheted trim......really pretty. I will need to find a special time to use these. Here is a closer look at Kaaren's super-neat stitching......just so perfectly worked....

I just love this gift, Kaaren, and I thank you heaps......also thanks to the Chookyblue Christmas Elf for organising the swap in her usual super-dooper organising fashion......this was my very first Christmas swap....so much fun.....how many days till next year????....lol....

My family and I are on holidays at the beach at the moment and I have some lovely photos off my son's new camera (Xmas pressie)....needless to say we have every moment of Xmas on record...well what else happens when you give a 10yo boy a camera!!!!!!

So I will have some photos to share when I work out how to transfer them to the daughters laptop!!!.....I am posting this from her laptop so I am crossing fingers as I hit the 'post' button right now!!!...lol.....hope you are all enjoying the holiday season......

Secret Santa Christmas Swap.........

.........I was doing a big happy dance yesterday when I popped into the PO on the way home..........

..........How exciting to see a parcel from Canada!!!!!.....My SSCS parcel had arrived.........

Trying hard not to poke and press this one too much, as I am NOT ALLOWED to open this one till Christmas Day!!!!!.....what torture, but I will look forward to this special surprise as I don't often get too many surprises for myself.........

I was however ALLOWED by the Chookyblue Elf (she's the special elf who has organised this swap and set the rules!!) to open the accompanying gift, or should I say gift S......thankyou Kaaren, you have spoilt me with many gifts, and I love them all........look at this absolutely stunning ornament for the tree......so cleverly folded....

.......but wait there's more!!!!!....check it all out.........chocolate from Canada....yum!!!...gotta hide this from the 11yo son!!!!!.........and a lovely pen which I am closely guarding so the 15yo daughter doesn't take off with it!!!......a really cute bobbin decoration , and a needle holder purse made from lovely red/black fabric....

Aren't I the lucky one......I love them all, Kaaren, thanks so much.....

I hope everyone out there is getting festive in spirit, and planning some special times with family and friends this season.......

A Secret Santa Christmas Swap............

I was delighted to post off this special little gift today. I joined in Chookyblue's fun of a Secret Santa swap this year, my very first swap like this........I post to someone overseas, and someone else from overseas posts to me!!!!.........

............Soooooo...........I wonder where this is going?????????...........and who is to get to open it on Xmas Day???????????......That's right......it must sit under the Chrissy Tree till THE day!!!!....such temptation!!!....

  

                             .........Oh, and I nearly forgot, this parcel has a littler friend...........

........and inside is a little Christmas something that can be opened as soon as the parcel arrives.....phew!!!.....that may satisfy the 'pressie opening' urge for a time!!!!

I hope you are enjoying the start of the Christmas Season at your home.

Our family will spend this Christmas in real Aussie style, at our caravan at the beach, BBQing, surfing, canoeing, beach walking, reading, socialising, etc, etc

How will you spend your Christmas?

There's been a lot of talk about thread..........

As all the Stitch-Along ladies begin their needleturn blocks for the latest quilt, Some Kind of Wonderful, there's beeen a bit of debate over the thread to use and why..........

I have enjoyed doing needleturn applique for some time now, and was always an avid Guterman cotton only woman, mainly because of the old argument that the thread type (cotton) should match the fabric type for similar wear and tear qualities. I did find though that cotton thread is not as strong as I would have liked and I did learn of an alternative, which I reluctantly tried (I say reluctantly because it is a polyester thread and it didn't match my cotton theory!!!)  But one try and I was in love with it..........I justify allowing a polyester thread on my needleturn quilts this way.. 

 1..... a needleturn quilt of mine won't hit the washing machine on a weekly basis, so I'm not so worried about the fabrics wearing at varying rates                                                   

2......the stitches are completely invisible, and my work in turn looks more professional                                    3..... the thread is strong and does not fray to nothing as I work with it 

4......it is cheaper as the thread is sold as bobbins so I can have many smaller amounts of lots of colours for variety, which is really essential for applique

........so you may ask what is it called??????.......

It is from the Superior Threads range, more particularly their Bottomline Polyester thread......a 60weight thread (fine), and you can buy it like this..........

 ....it's called a Superbobs Donut....how cool is that???????.........

......every colour to suit.................................

Just ask me in the comments and I can let you know where I got mine and how much I payed.......as the saying goes....."I think it's the best thing since sliced bread!!!!!!".

Oh and I have made a start on my first block, the patty cakes.....here's the proof.........

Anyway, I hope this may be of help to some of you as you gather everyone's ideas in order to make your own decision on the issue of thread............

I hope you are all keeping your hands busy with fabric........

Another new project........and some secret sewing...sshh!!!.....

Having just finished my lovely Christmas quilt Tis the Season by Natalie Bird with heaps of other sewers as a Stitch-a-long, I have decided to join in again. It was so much fun to see how everyone kitted up their quilts, and added their own little touches to theirs....I learnt so much.......

Well the quilt we're all embarking on this time is by my all-time favourite designer, Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched, so I am extremely excited to be involved in this one. We are making My Favourite Things from Anni's latest book Some Kind of Wonderful (SKofW). At this stage lots of ladies are showing their fabric choices, and I find it so much fun to see all the variations of choice.....see all the fun here....

I have recently hopped on a bus trip to the Craft Fair in Brisbane for the day armed with my wish list, and highest on the list was to choose my fabrics for this quilt.........

...........of course when in doubt, just buy them all, and decide later!!!!!!!.............that's the theory I applied anyway!!!!........

...........I had pulled a few creams and beiges from my stash for the backgrounds, so I only grabbed a couple of newys whilst shopping.......here they are all laid out......I love playing with fabric bundles!!!......

I am now keen to begin but I have a higher priority at present which is also very exciting.....but it is a secret affair.....sshh......can't show yet.....I have joined Chookyblues Christmas swap, and it's a Secret Santa so I have been sworn to secrecy........what I can tell you is that my gift will be sent to someone in another country, and I should receive a present from another country!!!!.....how exciting.....and we can't open them till Xmas day!!!!!..........delightful surprise it will be.......

...NOT a kit this time....woo hoo....

I so often see a quilt I love and lack the confidence to think I can choose the fabrics to have the same effect as the one I admire so much, but recently inspired by Bec's Butterfly Garden, and a local friends progress on hers (yes you, Trish!!!), I wanted to make it myself. I decided I would take the plunge and buy the fabrics, resisting purchasing a kit. .....So.....in Sydney at the Craft Fair, with Mum's help we picked out

(or more like agonised over!!!!) a range of fabrics.........

......here's the result when I had a play with them yesterday, and laid out the first block..........

...............I am extremely pleased with the result...........

.......what do you think???..........so soft and pretty with the butterflies standing out.....just as I pictured it....

You wouldn't believe how looong it took me 'playing' to choose the fabrics etc.....but what fun it was......

I have my templates all ready, bags made up for all 9 blocks with some fabrics already slotted into them to provide some balance across the quilt....
...........soo much fun.........I can see lots more of this fabric play from my sewing room....I'm turning my back on the kit idea I think....
.....I CAN do it......yey........
Have you been playing with fabric in your sewing space???????

I'm still here!!!....and I have some sewing to show you.....

It has been too long since I was here last sending you sewing updates from my farm....I was struck down with yet another virussy thing....bring on summer is all I can say.........

I have been busy working on several projects......and ......wait for it......

I have a FINISH !!!!!.......Yes it's true, and here's the piccie proof...........

........My Tis The Season Christmas quilt by Natalie Bird is ready for the silly season ..........I have made this quilt along with many other ladies in a stitch-a-long organised by my good friend, Chookyblue.

......I hand quilted in perle thread around the darker borders, and I'm thrilled with the effect.......

....but wait there's more........My stack of paper pieced circles of thimbles is growing, and I've appliqued a few to the background fabric. I am loving the relaxing nature of this hand sewing......

Oh, and recently I had an amazing weekend in Nundle at a retreat with the lovely Kerry at Cottage on the Hill........It was a blast, loads of laughs etc, but we were also very productive....
I chose a more complex quilt top (typical me!!!!), and so I brought mine home for homework. Well this week I got it out and had fun on the machine piecing some more rows.

It is coming along nicely, but rather slow going for a "perfect points" lady such as I am!!!! There are lots of star points to get right, and I might add that a little of the reverse sewing has occurred in a few spots to make sure I can live with it!!!!.......But you must agree, Kerry's design is lovely and hers was the fabric choice too....I saw it, loved it and that became my weekend project......

This quilt will be gifted to my Mum, lucky she doesn't blog, so I can keep it a surprise.....she loves repro fabrics, and these colours are 'just her'.

Lots on my plate at present......I am going for an accreditation at work, and the process is doing my head in....also making preparations  for overseas family visiting shortly..........but amongst it all I find my sewing is a must to keep me grounded, and I always make time to fit it in....it provides a balance and  makes the rest cruise better....

I hope you are busy at your craft........