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Christmas sewing plus an angel block

 Here are some of the star decorations that I have made using Michelle's pattern. I added a few of Jenny of Elefanz designs and a cheeky little penguin to the mix. They are such good fun to sew and I think I need to make a few more before Christmas. Two of these are winging their way to USA for a couple of friends. Hope they like them

 I posted about my angel blocks from QBSA and only put four blocks in. I was very lucky to get this one as well so to the angel that sent this Thank You. I love it.

This week has been sad as I thought about my beautiful boy Christopher. It has been one very long year since we lost him so I spent Tuesday looking at the cards I was sent and his audiovisual cd. That made me cry. As a family we have also farewelled DH's younger brother ,who is now in heaven with his dad, Christopher and other nephew Craig. Roll on 2013 it has to be a better year.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas.

Some of my blocks fro swaps

 Nov swap sent to Sue

 Star blocks sent to me following my radiotherapy treatment. Thanks ladies they are beautiful

 My lovely block that was awaiting me after a morning's work. Thanks for being my partner, Sue

Another AHHH and spend at the quilt show

 Badly photographed but I bought a pattern, a sandpaper board and some leather thimbles that actually work.

 Here is another AHHH. This one is the tumbling block one and I had a ball sewing it. Used my new thimble and managed to save my fingers.

Blogger has been a bit unpleasant not letting me blog my photos straight from my camera. Any ideas anyone as to why???? Hope that I can manage to do this one right. Fingers crossed

mystery challenge

Another of Tonya's AHHH 's. I really like this one but the previous one and the latest I think might defeat me. Don't know if this is the correct placing of the colours but hey, it's mine and I like it.

A selection of the notepad covers that I have made in the last few weeks. I found this  at www.sameliasmum.blogspot.com and they are going to be a thank you to the people who have been treating me the past 6 weeks. Thanks to Anorina for coming up with the idea and posting a tutorial. I'm going to make some for a trade table at  a sewing group I attend.

In February I along with a few other quilters started a challenge. Each month we were given a theme and we had to add a round. The starting point was something you love. The butterfly is in memory of my beautiful Christopher. That set the tone and along with circles, diamonds, journey, birds and thank goodness it's finished I managed to keep to my family theme. It's a bit hard to see but there are lots of butterflies in the final border as well. Michelle's button has gone in the second last round with the saying " To our children we give two things, one is roots the other is wings." I gave both to Christopher so this is for him.

Quarantined parcel!

This is what was in a parcel I received today and as can be seen it was opened by the customs and border protection people. They did send me a letter about it and I had two phone calls with the DAFF. Melissa who was looking at it very carefully undid the handstitching, inspected the contents and then stapled and sticky taped the opening back up so now I have to hand stitch it again.

My beautiful friend Kris, in America sent me a gorgeous lavender scented pin cushion made in the breast cancer pink ribbon fabric. Following a diagnosis in late June she knows that this is close to my heart. 9 treatments down only 24 to go but who's counting! This will be used many many times. Thank you so much Kris, your support with others has been wonderful and much appreciated.

This is my latest AHHH and it is actually yellow on the outside. As can be seen the edges are a bit wonky but with a bit of tweaking that can be rectified when I sew them all together. Tonya has posted another one that I am thinking about but I know will get done soon.

yet another AHHH

Here is the last AHHH that I manged to get done while visiting a friend. The v shapes, which are actually purple and not blue as they appear in the photo, were a bit fiddly and I nearly gave up but I am nothing if not persistent so IT'S DONE. Wasn't totally in love with it while sewing it but now it's finished I quite like it. Will not be doing this one again though. Wonder if Tonya has got another one up yet?

A finish and retail therapy

Last year I embarked on Michelle from Raspberry rabbits BOM called " 12 of Hearts" This is my version... I wanted to make it bigger so I did 4 of the hearts instead of just one. I have quilted this myself ( not so well but)and it will be going to a friend who despite woes of her own has been very supportive in the past 8 months.

Last week I ,along with Rosalie and Nancy ,went to Jeff's shed for the quilt show. Here are some of my purchases... I happen to have a thing about scissors, always lose them, so bought some more, some fabric, a Christmas ornament to make ( for friends )and some lace butterflies that will go on my hexie quilt near Christopher's hexies.I also bought some vliesefix and freezer paper, a 3/4" template and some sweet  notepads that I have no idea where I putso they didn't get into the photo. Retail therapy aside, the quilts on display were magnificent and I sometimes wonder why I continue, but if I am happy with them that's all that counts so while I am happy sewing I will.

Here is Rosalie and yours truly with Michelle Ridgeway up at the Patchwork Teahouse.. just to show I did also take a camera like everyone else. Wonderful day all round.

swap blocks and another AHHH

The latest in the AHHH's from Tonya. I love it but it was fiddly with those sharp points. 

Just love the challenge of these hexies.

Two star blocks from Quilt Block Swap Australia. The front one is from Dawn  in USAand the other from Carin in Sweden. Carin also sent a mugrug which was so kind. Love this swap but am taking a break while I have six weeks of treatment. It will be something to look forward to once I am back to my healthy self.

How much sewing does one need...

...while waiting for surgery? The above was obviously not enough. I had actually sewn the star on the circle beforehand but still had the two circles to sew. I was occupied for about 3.5 hours and then I was left twiddling my thumbs. A book isn't enough to keep one's mind off things. Thanks to MR for her healing thoughts and also to all those others who have held me in their thoughts and prayers these past three weeks. 

Here are the next two AHHH's from Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks. I am loving doing these and they have been a sanity saver too. Sorry it's sideways but don't you love the thread holder that I bought at the Sunbury Quilt show. It is wonderful.

Here is the finished dragon quilt that I worked on at retreat. I picked it up from Leanne yesterday and although you can't see it the quilting is like clouds so she did another amazing job. The binding was sewn on as of an hour ago and it will be going to it's new owner in the next couple of weeks. Alexander Robert made his appearance yesterday at 2.35 p.m and I hope that he enjoys his dragon quilt. Thanks Marina for the pattern. He turned out pretty well I think

Sunbury quilt show

This is the one I wish I had voted for.

It's a blue quilt and a star so obviously I loved it!

The small quilt on the left is the small quilt I voted for. It was a lot of pineapple blocks and it was so precis.The celtic work on the one next to it was amazing as well

This is the one I voted for , not my usual colours but I did like it.

A couple of weekends ago, Rosalie and I visited the Sunbury Quilt show and above are some of the quilts on display. It was an enjoyable day, especially the morning tea, and some purchases were also made but I didn't win any of the raffles.

Not that I post very often but just in case anyone does see, I won't be around for a few weeks due to a health issue. Happy sewing and blogging everyone else.

There are bats in the...

...woodpile. Yesterday DH cut some wood for the next week so we can be warm and this is what he found hiding in the woodpile. It is a tiny little bat. He was quite alert despite it being day time but DH very carefully put him under the back deck so he was safe and could go back to sleep. You can see how tiny he was by the hands holding him... DH not me

Hexies and quilts.

Yesterday I received my May flowers in the Inchy hexagon Flower Swap along with a pretty crocheted heart.  It was a pleasure opening the envelope. Alongside ( or above ) is the latest AHHHH from Tonya at hillbilly handiworks. I am loving doing these hexies as they add a bit of challenge into my life. ( Do I really need more?)

I have been busy lately finishing off some quilts. The braid one I did in a class with a friend, the middle one is  two charm packs from Jane at Want it, Need it Quilt, and the bright one is a "tube" quilt that went to another niece on Sunday for her baby that is due in July. The concept is so easy and it went together so well. Definitely making more of these ones. Thanks to my friend Nancy for doing the quilting on them. Think I used up all my creativity on the DS G/F quilt. ( she loved it ) I do have plans for the other two but if I say anything I might let the cat out of the bag.

some updates

Here is one of the items I made on the retreat last weekend. It is an attempt at felt work  and while I like it ,there were more that were spectacular.

Here are some of the latest AHHH's from Tonya. I managed to  make the star one into the correct size so that makes me happy. The blue and yellow one was one I worked on at retreat.

This is the beautiful star block I received from Jane in the QBSA. I am in awe of her work. 

This is the quilt that I have made for my DS2's girlfriend who turns 18 tomorrow. I even quilted it myself so doing a happy dance there even though it isn't as good as it could be I tried and as she isn't a quilter I think she will like it. It was a pattern from Designs by Fee that I worked on last year.

plans for the weekend

This weekend I am off to a sewing retreat in Maldon with Kilmore Quilters and I am so looking forward to it. I have to get some sewing ready though so I have been madly cutting and sticking , using the window as a light box as mine wasn't big enough. I was lucky in getting a pattern from Marina and here is the dragon all ready to be stitched. DH's niece is expecting a baby in July so this is going to be the centre of a quilt for her baby boy. Lots of sewing but I think it will be worth it.

 Looks better in the flesh. I can see that the wings blend a bit with the background but they do stand out really. The pattern shows the wings embellished so I will do some fancy stitching on them when they are firmly stuck to the background. The tower also has a vine stitched up it so may do that as well.I am doing needleturn applique which is why it looks a bit messy and I have got pins in there as well cos I don't trust my glue!

I have also taken a photo of some more AHHH's.  I'm a bit lazy and didn't draw the star one  on the left out just followed Tonya's instructions and when it came to the outer cream triangles was a bit bemused as to why they were a bit big. I'm doing 3 inch ones and this was a 2.5 in one. That will teach me won't it? Hope you like them

The postie brought goodies

It's a dismal, wet, cold day here in Melbourne so I dropped DD2 off at uni and visited Spotlight... did I really need any more fabric? Actually only got two fat quarters for a block swap so didn't spend too much.
 I then posted some hexies off to my May partner and headed home. 3 letters in the mailbox and two for me.
The lovely Jane ( www.quiltjane.blogspot.com) had sent me 6 hexies to make up for some that have been MIA since July last year and the lovely Tonya( www.hillbillyhandiworks.blogspot.com) sent me a pack of needles that I won from her and some fabric that I can see in some AHHH's very soon. Thank you to both these gorgeous people for lifting my spirits.

20 and 21 AHHH

I have finally finished the last two of Tonya's AHHH's. No 20 was a bit uninspiring in two colours so my DD2 ( 21 yrs old) coloured it in for me in 5 colours. I think it looks pretty good but I , in hindsight, would have replaced the centre diamonds with the blue/lilac as the centre gets a bit lost. Having said that.... I ain't unpicking it or doing it again!!!

Will have to do a swift catch up of the next two as I am off to Perth, WA,on Friday, for a linedancing ball and week away so no internetand no crossWords. Yikes don't know what I will do with myself.

A quarter of Just takes 2

Here is a photo of the first quarter of the Just Takes 2 quilt that a few people are doing. Every two weeks some more patterns are posted on the site and if you are lucky you can get the blocks done before the next lot come out. Sentimental Stitches and Dear Jane are the two sites to check out for the patterns and to see other peoples versions of this quilt.

So far it has been fun as there are lots of different techniques being used and some I have never done before so it is a real learning curve. So far I am very happy with the result and I might add that it is going to be a HUGE quilt. Maybe I'll just do each quarter and have 4 quilts! The slight crinkles are not bad sewing, just bad laying on the floor to photograph.

Tuesday's Treasure

On Feb 4th this year I was handed a box with a butterfly gift tag on it. As it was our wedding anniversary I thought that Hubby was giving me a gift for that. Then I realised that there were two boxes and tags the same. One for me , one for DH. When I opened mine the above pendant was in it. Tears welled when DH told me what it was. It's a bit hard to see and it is much prettier in real life but it is an impression of my son's thumbprint. As some know he passed away in November last year so you can imagine how much it means to me to have a small part of him close to my heart. DH got a dog tag shaped one as well. Thanks to my sisters-in-law ( and MIL) I carry part of Christopher with me.

Check out here to see more examples of Liv's beautiful work. Also check out the other TT at Mel's blog and have a great Tuesday. Sorry that my photography skills are non existent!

Two more of those AHHH's

I just finished putting the last stitches into the last two AHHH's and Tonya has another one up. Being dumb I can't work this one out but Tonya is going to post one in colour so I can see where I am going. I have been asked by some non sewing friends why I do them. My reply is I like the challenge!

I will post some pics later of the Just takes 2 blocks that I have just finished... a feathered star and Grandmother's compass, the latter being hand pieced. Yep nuts I know. The next set should be posted by Sentimental Stitches today.Hope they are easy.

I also have the last block of Just Plain Nuts sewn so on to the putting together. That could be a challenge!

the AHHH's keep on coming

Here are some more of the AHHH's that I have completed. I do love them. Not so sure about one of these but if I don't like it when I finish them all I don't have to use it. I have the next one all ready to go and then Tonya will put up another one!

A commentor asked about the papers I used.. I got the page from Tonya or go to www.incompetech.com /graph paper/hexagonals and you should get the same paper we are using. I print out onto card so I can just cut and use. I bought a stack of cards, put it somewhere safe and do you think I can find it????? NO. I have enough printed for about 4 more then I am stuck. Officeworks here I come.

more AHHH hexies

As I have the camera all set up thought I would post the last couple of AHHH hexies. I am still two behind but as DD2 has been in hospital I haven't had a chance to sew them. I have the papers all set to go I just need to choose the fabric. Does anyone else have that dilemma?

I am almost up to date with the Just Takes 2 blocks and the next one is a doozy! Then of course there is the Just Plain Nuts that I have 5 ,yes just 5 ,blocks left to sew. Add to the list the My Town blocks , 5 to go ( ie corners and centre) plus the myriad of UFO's. Can someone invent a 36 hour day so I can catch up PLEASE.

Works in progress... sort of

Here are some more of my AHHH hexies from Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks. I am really enjoying making these and have finished one of last Thursday's with another ready to go but here is a picture of the last four. One was a WIP and the crostoli on the plate was every bit as delicious as it looked. I hasten to add that I didn't eat it all, I had help from some of my sewing group friends.