Blog Break

I'll be taking a blog break for a little while - I'll check back in when I'm able to. Be good, and I'll see you all soon!
x o x

Thank you Bonnie!

Thank you so much to our dear sweet Bonnie. She so kindly mailed me a package of fabric and little treats which arrived today.

I made up bricks and stepping stones units recently, and when Bonnie learned that I had entirely depleted my stash of black fabric, she sent along some stash enhancements from the famous Mary Jo's store. They were wrapped together with the cute red bow, and sent with a fridge-pad and cute card.

Thank you so much Bonnie, you made my day! x o x

Have you any idea ...

... how hard it is to capture your new hairdo with your own phone?? Trust me, it is! But here goes ...

Quilting Done

Whew - I'm done. I won't be doing any more quilting for others until the end of October. I set a mental goal of what I'd like to achieve, and I finished last night at around 11pm. Lucky for me I'm a night owl. Then it was the rounds of the school lunches, and a last minute pick up, and bed by just before 12.00. Normal night for me :-) Not so much ... a storm blew in at around 4am and I realised I had some of Amy's school things on the washing line ... soooo I'm feeling a little shattered this morning.

I have a lot I want to get through, but at my current pace, I can't see me achieving much. For the past hour, I've been cruising the Pioneer Woman's site again. Last week I found it for the first time through someone's link, and totally lost my window of time to get to the grocery store while I immersed myself in her love story. If you have a free afternoon, or even a little time to kill, be sure to stop by - you won't be disappointed.

Anyways, back to the title of the post ... this is Jenny's quilt:



I love love love it! I'm not certain, but I think the pattern is called 'Hearts and Gizzards'. It's made in the loveliest Civil War Repro prints, which I just adore. It was a pleasure to quilt on, and it's a crying shame this quilt isn't going to stay and live with me :-)

This one is going onto my list of 'quilts I'd like to make some day'. A list that grows longer and longer with each day that passes.

Okay - I've allowed my mug of 'very strong coffee' to soak in, so I really must get busy around here. I have laundry to fold and put away, things to pack, and rooms to tidy. Maybe I should put the Stepford Wives on again ...

Talk soon ...

A first and a finish ...

Here's my tiny man sharing his first. It's his first trophy ever. This morning he celebrated the end of his first season of basketball with his little under 8 team, and they all received participation awards. He was just so excited, it's just super fun!

And here is my finish. On Thursday at around quarter to midnight, I finished quilting and applied the binding to the charm square quilt. In stolen moments over the last two days I hand sewed the reverse side of the binding, and now the quilt is complete.

Slowly, slowly I'm reducing the number of unfinished tops I have to quilt. I believe I only have two left now. Of course, that number does not include UFO's - I haven't counted them, but I know I have several tops in various stages of construction. I'm not sure I want to know how many :-)

I'm almost finished quilting on a top for a student, and then I'll start another, which will be the last one before we head off on our big adventure. Only six more sleeps!!

Charm Square Quilt

Right now I'm quilting on this top. It's one of those wonderful 'disappearing nine patch' quilts.

I made it a little while back, and I've probably shared it already, but I'm just thrilled to report that it's progressing from UFO status to almost finished status. I'd love to have it finished tomorrow. I can do it - I know I can! Sleep is highly overrated!!

Another Finish

I actually finished sewing down the binding on my runner on the weekend, but didn't have a chance to get a picture to share with you all.

It feels wonderful to have another item checked off my 'to do' list. There is still the beading to be done, but I can take my time over that now - getting the runner finished and photographed was the priority.

I have some more quilting to do today, and if I'm a really good girl, I may be able to do some important piecing. Can I be that good? I feel sure I can!!

Holly thinks ...

"Well, if they imagine they're going somewhere without me, they've got another thing coming ..."

Winner!

Wow - 95 comments! I'm gobsmacked!!

Because I felt like being a technology girl, I used a random number generator to pick the winner of the table runner (which I feel sure will be made very soon!).

The lucky winner is number 5, which is Julia. If you'd like to get in touch with your snail mail address, I can set the wheels in motion.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and leaving your good wishes, it means so much.

*hugs*
Taz
:-)

More on the applique runner

Whew! The table runner is so close to finished. It's all quilted now, and I'm quite pleased with how the quilting came out. I stitched the binding in place last night, and now just have to hand stitch it down on the reverse side.

I really wanted to use the same Sturbridge Village fabric for the binding as the one I'd used in the border of the runner, but I just didn't have quite enough left. It's a scrappy runner though, so I don't think the different binding looks out of place.

I'll be teaching this runner as a beginners applique workshop next year. I've been asked by a few people if a pattern will be available. I'd say I'll be able to sell the pattern to the public in around May next year. Thank you so much for being interested, it really makes my heart sing.

This afternoon I just need to get some little bits and pieces together to send one of my quilts off to the magazine. I hope I get it all done in time - I guess I work best to a deadline ... and usually an impossibly tight one. Hope you're all having a great week - talk to you soon.

500th Post

Wow! I can't believe it, my 500th post has rolled around - time has gone so fast! I wasn't organised enough to celebrate my second bloggiversary, so I decided I'd make a gift for my 500th instead.

Well, you know the best laid plans thing ... I haven't made anything, but the runner in the picture is what I made for my first bloggiversary, so I'll make another one for this milestone. Sooner rather than later I hope.

If you'd like to be in the running to receive a runner, and help me celebrate my 500th post, leave me a comment. I'll draw a name at 8pm on Sunday evening ( central Australia time). I'm having the best time with this whole blogging thing, have 'met' so many entirely wonderful people, and can't believe I haven't run out of things to say!

And this is the top I'm quilting right now. Isn't it cute - I wish I could remember what it's called - I think it's being kitted up for the shop.

The fabrics are just lovely with hints of gold, and the little panels with the bird print, just gorgeous.

Anyways, better get back to the sewing room ... be sure to leave a comment - you could be the proud owner of a new table runner!

x o x

Applique Runner

Along with all the quilting I've been doing, here is the project that has been consuming so much of my time.

I guess I'm around two thirds done with the applique, and then I'll add the border on and begin quilting. It's my plan to also embellish with beads for a little fun. That may depend on how much stamina I have when the end draws near.

This will be for a beginners applique workshop for next year. I'll reveal more about that later.

As I'm typing, I'm watching a DVD of the Stepford Wives (over and over *lol*).



I love to watch the movie on the weekend, as it always manages to inspire me to get busy cleaning the house ... the movie is just too funny, and I love the interiors. This morning I've already done the lounge, dining, family room and kitchen. I may even tackle Camo's room a little later. If you know my little man, you know what a brave undertaking this is *lol*. He's a bandit for Lego, and always manages to spread it right through his room, and I always find it in other rooms too.

Ohhh, and Happy Fathers Day to my dear sweet Dad. He's in Europe right now, so he won't be reading this, but regardless - Love you lots Dad, have the very best day. x o x

Cabinet Kitty

This evening I felt the need to do a little tidying in the sewing room. I had a few quilt tops in there and wanted to pop them in my quilt cabinet which is in the dining room. There were already a lot of quilts in there, so I did a little rearranging to make some more space, then wandered back to the sewing room to grab some quilts. By the time I came back, Holly had taken up residence among the quilts. Gosh, she was fast!

I had to shoo her away, there just wasn't room for her, and I'm sure she wouldn't like to live behind glass. She actually came out very reluctantly and brought the quilt she's sitting on out with her.

And here's the cabinet as it stands now - it's really quite full. I may be able to wedge a few more in the top, and I definitely need to refold my Winchester Weave quilt - it took all my might to poke it in up there, and now it looks all messy.

I hope to pin another quilt tonight, it's a really cute one with birds - I hope to be able to share a picture tomorrow. Talk soon x o x