Next Quilty Project

This is a very basic charm square quilt that I am putting together to use as a throw on the window seat off our kitchen. This is such a lovely spot to grab some reading time...not that it happens nearly as much as I would like it to!

But when I laid it out on the guest room bed, I actually really like it in here!!!

Who knows where it will end up! Now to get it done!

The Paris Quilt

Finally the Paris quilt top is done and off in the mail to be custom quilted by Emma. I have a very excited, and slightly impatient, 9 year old who can't wait for this quilt to actually be finished and on her bed. Quite frankly, I can't wait either.

I forgot to take some proper pics before I bundled it up into the package to be sent off, so I will take some upon its return and pop them up.

Right then, off to finish the charm square throws for our window seat and lounge in the family room!

Year of The Pies and Tarts!

I hereby name 2014 the Year of the Pies and Tarts!

I started this quilt way back in December 2010 when on a trip to Dublin for my brother in laws wedding. Over the past few years I have pottered away on them but I now have a bee in my bonnet about them and they have been hanging around for FAR TOO LONG!!

My goal for 2014 is to finish the top - I have 39 pies and tarts to go, out of 100 of each. Once the top is together I need to applique the tarts onto it. This is where I want it to be by year end. I just need to double my yearly average to get all the piecing done and then get the applique done, and I will meet my goal! With my track record, not sure if I like my chances but I am going to give it one helluva shot!

Then 2015 will be calling for it to be sandwiched, stitched in the ditch and then the hand quilting that I oh-so-love will begin...but I think I am getting a little bit ahead of myself there.

The funny thing about this quilt is that it really does not go with our house, so I have no idea where I will put it once it is done. One thing is for sure, I will be keeping it after all the blood, sweat and tears of putting it all together!

WIP challenge 2014

My challenge to myself for 2014 is to get the incomplete projects done and moved on or in use in our home! I have challenged myself with this before and it really does make a difference to my "productivity".

So, what needs to leave the sewing room in 2014?

Samuels Quilt - needs binding
Zara's Quilt - needs binding
Zoe's Quilt - need to buy border and backing backing fabrics, otherwise piecing finished
Sew in ends of Zoe's granny square blanket
Sew in ends of Ciára's ripple blanket
Window seat quilt - basic charm quare quilt, part way through being pieced
Liberty quilt for our bed - fabric cut
Finish Pies and Tarts Quilt
Start Handstitched Quilt
Do 20 blocks of Dear Jane (to get it back on the radar!)


If I get these out the door, or onto beds/lounges in our house plus some art journaling and zentangling - then I will be a very happy crafter come the end of 2014!

Pies and Tarts progress

Archer's Quilt

The top and backing is finished ready to be sent off to Emma on Tuesday for quilting!

I Had An Urge

So the machine came out and I sewed...just a little...Binding onto VHC. Emma quilted it and you can read about that here. She is so talented and the turn around is so quick and so beautifully done that unless I want to hand quilt off it goes to Emma.


I also finally sent off my RR quilt to Emma for quilting, see here for a closer look at the fabulous quilting. I think we did this about 3 years ago, with some of my quilty friends, I love the blocks. Sadly I think I was having a moment when I chose my fabrics, I wish I loved it more. Next step is to bind it but what I had in mind from my stash is too red....so need to make a purchase!


I also started putting together the "Bless You" blocks. This was going to go to my sister and her new hubby but I don't think it is going to suit them, so instead it will go to my brother in law and his wife - it will go better with their things. So....need to pull out all stops to make something for my sister now! I have sewn 24 blocks of 64 for Bless You. Planning on getting as many done as possible this Easter long weekend.

And some crochet for good measure!


Please excuse terrible pics - DSLR is dead and the little point and shoot ain't so good!

Rainy Day Fun

Today I am having the PERFECT day! Exercise and craft!!!

It started with an unintentional sleep in, which resulted in a mad rush to get out the door to school on time. this is not like our family at all ;) however I am usually up early and organised!

Home to do an hour of chores then a PT session, my first workout since THE WALK. All upper body and I am a little concerned about the state of me come Saturday now. I am flying to Melbourne tomorrow for our annual jaunt to Flemington however between hobbling in heels and trying to drink champers after this mornings workout, I think it will be an interesting look for me!

THEN some crochet. I now have this little pile of grany squares for Zoe - she wanted the granny squares and I chose the colours. Have to say, loving it!


Also some time on the machine. My step sister had a new bubba boy, Archer, very early last Sunday morning so this quilt will be for him. Planning on more time on this afternoon! Who cares if the rains has stopped, any time is perfect for quilty time, right!?

WIP's to tackle in 2012

1. Block quilt

2. Nikki's 40th birthday quilt - a quilt I started for one of my best friends that never quite got finished for her 40th last month!

3. Abby's quilt - top done. For another dear friends little one - she was one last September! Cent decide whether to send it off to be quilted or to give it a go myself...

4. Mai and Micks 40th wedding anniversary quilt - for the inlaws! I know she'll love it but these aren't fabrics that particulaly appeal to me so I get sidetracked easily when working on it! This one will definitely be sent off to be quilted!

5. The Butterfly Quilt - I had visions of a pretty litle butterfly bedroom for Ciara - though that was not to be as she was determined to have a mermaid room. I think I will gift this single bed quilt to a special little family friend of ours for Christmas this year, Zara. That also means that I need to make her brother a quilt which leads me to...

6. The Rocket Quilt - I bought this fabric to make a quilt for my step sisters little man but she wanted different colours.....so I will put this together and add some fabrics to make it a single bed quilt and give it to Samuel for Christmas.

7. This Sarah Fielke kit "Bless You" will be for my sister and her partner. I have a feeling there might be a special celebration this year so want to be ready for it!

8. The Owl Kit - bought from my LQS and I love it. Doesn't go with a thing in my house so I think I will use it as a picnic rug as it goes perfectly with our picnic set. Any hints on what makes a good inner and backing for a picnic rug?

9. Whoopsy Daisy kit - gorgeous Prints Charming kit that I bought from the quilt show in Sydney a few years back. Not quite right for our bedroom but I love it so much I don't care!!!!! This will be our Christmas gift!

10. Christmas Table Topper - yessiree I am the kit queen! This one from The Fat Quarter Shop and I initially bought it to take to Ireland as a gift but that never quite happened! So not sure where this will end up but it is calling out to me to be put together!
11. And one extra for luck. Ciára's Mermaid Quilt - must get that finished for her for this year for her very blue mermaid room!

So there you have it. Still on my teensy tiny little brother machine, hoping that he will be upgraded when I turn 40...and I should have my sewing room sometime next month ... No excuses not to power my way through this list!! Good intentions and all that hey!

2012 ? What? So soon? Yikes!

Where on earth did 2011 go?

What happened to my normal life?

What happened to blogging?

Renovation renovation renovation - seemed to be the word of the year for 2011. To say that the renovation consumed me, would probably be an understatement. Real life was put on hold. Reading slowed, craftiness was almost at a standstill, exercise was totally inconsistent, some nights I think the kids only just got fed (well, that could be a slight exaggeration!).

2012 is the year of ME!

Time to get back into routine, back into consistent exercise, lose that blasted 5kgs I have talked about for years, and time to craft! With the internal renovation just about finished (the new section that is) and the smallest one of the family off to school, 2012 will be the year of recovery, re-igniting passions and getting back in the game!!!

As we have started to unpack the garage I have come across tubs and tubs and tubs of fabrics and amongst these many WIP's! The lovely AJ over here at AJ's Antics has kicked off a WIP 12 month challenge which you can read about here. Oh me, oh my!! So perfect for getting back onto the quilting bandwagon and ploughing through some of the WIP's that have been hanging around for years and years. In fact, January's WIP is to put together some hand stitched blocks that were my first ever foray into quilting! See below for more on that! Over the next couple of days I will photograph my WIP's and blog my list! I still have a couple of tubs to look through (hangs head with red face!)

To help me get back into the swing of things I have signed up to round 1 of Michelle Bridges 12wbt. A 12 week body transformation program. And I am going to kick butt. Pre-season starts in 9 days and I can not wait!

I will also start my 2012 book reading challenge up again. I am currently reading Tracey Wickham's autobiography and am really enjoying it. I have also joined a book club. An old high school friend who now lives in London has started it up, there are a few of us and we are spread all over the world - London, Sydney, Munich, Hong Kong, Wagga Wagga. Where else? I am sure there were other places as well. We are going to do it all by email. I am super excited as I have always wanted to join a book club but with Dave's travel and having to rely on sitters when he wasn't around I was always a little nervous about letting people down. This way I can actually do it. We have all ordered our book and will post more about that once we get into it!

I will also blog more frequently than I did last year. So please leave me a comment so I know I am not talking to myself!

For now I am off to keep on hand stitching my January WIP. I went to a quilting class way back in early 2006 when I wanted to learn to quilt. I just picked some pretty fabrics and then realised it was all to be done by hand! So I am going to hand stitch the 4 blocks together, sandwich and hand quilt, machine sew the binding on, stitch it down, pop the label on and then who knows what I will do with it. It matches nothing in my house and I am not sure if I even like it much. BUT as it was my first attempt those few years back I feel I should hang onto it. We will see!!

Hooked

I am loving crochet. I am not good at it, and I am yet to move beyond the granny square... ut there is plenty of time for that. I wanted to work with something not so woolly and thick as the DK I bought for my first efforts (that blanket is coming along beautifully though there is still a way to go) so I bought some 100% mercerized cotton. It is super slippery but I love the look. I am going to make a throw for our new bedroom out of these colours. I am loving the "antiquey" look it has about it! Stay tuned, but but don't hold your breath...I won't get back to this until my little list of WIP's for the remainder of 2012 are done and dusted. With a 3 day crafty weekend coming up next month, I know I will make a substantial dent in that list! Bring it on girls!

Embroidery Love

Yesterday I finished 3 of the 7 Prints Charming embroideries on my to do list. These will be made into little "lavender puff thingys" for teachers etc and teamed with hand cream for Christmas gifts. Need to be on the ball this year and not leaving it all to the last minute!

I love the design, colour and texture that these are once they are stitched up. So many possibilities and fun to do!

Holiday Fun...and Sewing...

My lovely little family and I have just spent a wonderful 5 days staying here in Smiths Lake. Ah, the serenity. It was wonderful. We felt like we were the only people there. Zeus even got to come with us.25m left great coffee, 25m right a playground, all around us gorgeous lake views. We watched DVD's. We played board games. We did sticker mosaics. We played Twister. We walked by the lake. We went up to Forster. We blew bubbles. We collected shells. We danced to the Mary Poppins CD a hundred times. We went to "The Recky" for dinner. We went for a run or two. We rolled down the sand dunes at Blueys Beach. We hung out. We had an absolute ball!

In amongst all the family fun, I got to indulge in some sewing. YAY for me!

I finished Abby's Quilt. Now to pop it in the post to Emma for her apply her amazing talent and quilt it for me, ready to gift in early September.


I made some of the blocks up for my inlaws 40th weding anniversary quilt. I am struggling with this one. It is a kit and I chose it specifically, thinking my mother in law would love the fabrics and the colours, but it is just not something I would normally choose. I am finding it hard work, rather than enjoying it. Dave is heading to Ireland, via a conference in Munich in late September so I have a little time up my sleeve to get it done. It will also be going off to Emma to be quilted when I get it finished.

I also got a start on Sal's Farewell Quilt. Sal is a very dear part of our family, a wonderful family friend and Zoe's godmother. we have spent many special times with Sal (in fact she was at the birth of both my girls), and after many many years living in Australia she has decided to make the move back to the UK. I am devastated to say the least, but to what better way to send her off with lots of love and best wishes than to make a quilt?!!! It is just a very basic strip lap quilt but the colours are fabulous and I can't wait to see what Emma does with it when I send it off to be quilted!

I also pottered along on my pies and tarts - finishing 1 block as well as 2 extra pies and tarts to be appliqued onto their block of fabric.

Pies and Tarts - A block of the month project

When out in Bathurst, I love to visit this shop if I am able to.

Sometime ago, I dropped in and spied this BOM (which they don't seem to have anymore!) I signed up for it immediately! I love it. The little packs of triangle papers and beautiful fabrics, started popping into my PO Box on a monthly basis...and all of a sudden 10 months had past and I hadn't even started.

With a trip to a cold and wintery Ireland coming up back in November I decided to take this along with me to keep me busy when I was cosying up next to the radiator. There was a lot more than stitching to be done on our trip to Ireland so Block 1 didn't even get finished however now, 3 months after our return, I have finally completed that block 1 and can now move onto the other 9.

I really love the fabrics, and will keep slogging away on this BOM to get it done. Sounds like a good thing that my machine broke as now all I can do is hand stitch until I can justify forking out for another machine

Slowly but Surely...

seems to be the name of the game with anything in my life at the moment....but as they say "something is better than nothing" and it felt good to spend some time on the machine today, even if only for a little while...

Back Into It..Yippee!

With Zoe off at a vacation day camp and Ciára back to day care, my chores as chief domestic goddess took half the time they have been of late and post chores I have indulged in some quality time with my rotary cutter.

This is a gorgeous kit I picked up from the FQS some time ago, thinking it would be perfect for my mother in law. You see she turned 60 some three years ago and I promised I would make her a quilt, this has not yet happened. With the in-laws 40th wedding anniversary approaching as well as a trip for them Down Under, I thought what a perfect opportunity to apply a bit of pressure to myself to get this made for them for when they are here. They arrive in mid April so plenty of time...Woolah, a very belated 60th/40th wedding anniversary gift all in one! Now to get back to it so it actually gets done!

Pies and Tarts Progress

The husband is taking off to 25 degrees in Miami today, a conference. I am unable to upload pics from Grandad's laptop so no piccies until next Friday....should have a load of these pies done to report by then though......love the fabrics in this BOM.

Where do the days go?

Time seems to be so short at the moment. I struggle to get through my to do list on a daily basis. Maybe my expectations are too high, maybe I am trying to achieve too much? I don't know but I am feeling more and more frustrated on a daily basis!

To ensure my sanity, I have snatched time here and there for reading my enormous 700 and something page book and I am loving it, I baked gingerbread with the big kid (albeit from a box but at this time my mantra seems to be "something is better than nothing") and I have also had some quiet moments to do some hand stitching on Jack's quilt. I was hoping to have it finished by the time we went away but with 24 days to go and knowing all I have to achieve in this time I just don't think it will happen!!!

With everything that is going on and stress being caused from outside my immediate family unit, my husband and my children have offered me the hope that I need at the moment. Their smiles, their cuddles and their love lift me up and they bring me so much joy and sunshine through the clouds. We are all creators of our own destiny, we design our lives through the desicions and the choices that we make. I wish that everyone could have this realisation and that they could see that life is really quite simple, it is ourselves that make it hard if we so choose!

Quilting WIP's

These are the 2 quilts that I need to finish ASAP - my goal is for the middle of the month.

Mason's "Life's Journey" Quilt that I actually started sewing the binding down on when we were away, and Jack's Quilt needs to be hand quilted and bound....and both need to be labelled of course. The awesome Emma quilted Mason's quilt for me, take a look at the great photos on her blog here. She is a very clever and talented quilter! I can only dream of having her capabilities!!



OK, that is 5 posts to catch up with the Blogfest! Let's see how the rest of the month goes!

Happiness is...

knowing that you are going to have time today for the pile of fabric/quilts that are sat on top of your sewing cabinet!!



Late last week Mum's quilt arrived back from the amazing talented Emma - see her great pics of the quilting here . I was absolutely delighted with the quilting, and can't wait for Mason's quilt to arrive back as well.

Today I will make and attach the binding, finally make and attach the binding to Ciára's monster quilt, sew the backing for Jack's quilt and hopefully some other cutting that needs to be done. Need to get started on my mother in laws quilt to take to Ireland with us in December! Might even do a few more blocks of Zoe's buddy's quilt!

First of all though, an hour sorting out the toy room. We are getting ready for our renovations. We expect to be out of council by the end of the month so I am spending some time each day sorting out and clearing out and packing up!