My first ever cot quilt ... finished!!!

It's crazy to me, the thought that I only jumped into this 'craze' of piecing, patchwork, & more recently quilting, less than a year ago!!! ... The other thing that amazes me is that I have only just completed my FIRST ever quilt ...

To be fair though,

... It was me FMQing a cot panel, which was simply backed with a single WOF length of fabric, sandwiched with cotton batting, and bound ...

... There was no piecing involved as it was only a panel ...

... And it was only a cot-sized 'quilt' ... not full bed-sized!

Aside all that ... I finished my very first quilt ... that I personally quilted in a pattern more 'advanced' than simply in-the-ditch or echoing of straight, oblong shapes (I previously quilted a table runner with this echoing) ... This one was truly Free Motion!!!

Isn't that feathering pretty darn good for a 'newbie'?!!  ... This was honest-to-God my first time actually quilting this feathering design!!! (I'd drawn it out on paper a dozen or more times over the month to get a handle on the shaping ...)

The back's not too shabby either ...

A closer shot of that gorgeous feathering ... (LOL!! ... Can you tell I'm a little majorly proud of this achievement?)

And finally, since we all love a good 'rolled-up-quilt' shot ...

Isn't that binding to die for?!!!!  Loving it!!! .... Such a shame I only got 20cm, solely for the binding ... might just have to go back for some more, *fingers crossed* it's still available, lol!

Anyway, I must go ... to bed!! It is currently 12.30am here, and I was up until 4.30am last night/morning working on this, lol, then did another 1.5hrs hand sewing the binding down this morning (half of which was at the baby shower this morning, after giving it to the lucky Mummy!!! ... Tehe!!!)

Have a fantastic weekend guys!!!  I know I will ... once I've gotten the cleaning done and gotten onto some more sewing ... Thinking I should probably do some of that needle turn appliqué for my SKoW quilt before Chooky really pulls out the whip, lol!!

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I will be claiming this as my Monthly Make for this month, just as soon as I can focus enough tomorrow ...

TTS progress

I began this project just before my Christmas holidays, mainly so I had some stitcheries to work on... I have now finished my 10th block, and have just two more (plus a label) to draw up and stitch.

I am using DMC 304 thread, and Pellon behind the fabric to give more of a quilted look to the blocks, lol. I have also been using 5" squares of Moda Bella Solids in white, and drawing the design on with my Pigma Mucron 01, (0.25mm line width) ... the pen was a "why not try?" purchase at the end if last year and I'm loving it!!! Doesn't fade like my blue water-soluble pen (high humidity!!) and is covered by the stitches ... well worth the price ... for me at any rate ...

Febuary FNSI

Last night I didn't start till late unfortunately ... I didn't get DD to bed until 9pm ... I then got caught up watching the three new 'The Big Bang' episodes from Season 5, that I'd downloaded earlier in the day ( LOVE that show ... this is the first time I haven't been able to wait until a series comes out on DVD!!! ... Unfortunately now, I have all available, and need to wait weekly for the next episodes)... I didnt actually get to any sewing until about 11pm ... Probably why I didn't go to bed until 2.45am!!

Anyway, I decided that, since I'd had a busy week and hadn't gotten around to working on my block(s) for the QBSA swap, that I would do them first ... and, as it turned out, only.

My partner for this month, Jen from the US, requested the log cabin block in batik fabrics. As I didnt have much in the way if batiks (one F8th), I got these fabrics especially for this, earlier in the month.

A sneak peek for my partner ...

Feb's Organising Challenge: Update 1

I originally wrote out this post last Friday night - though I’m talking close to midnight here – however, I somehow deleted the majority of it right before finishing, and couldn’t get it back … was going to rewrite it on the weekend, but Saturday was taken up with helping the family move Grandpa from our place (he’s been living in our Granny flat since I was really little with Grandma, until she passed a few years ago) to my aunts (it’s a lot smaller, and its not so far for him to walk to get to the other people for company) and beginning the quilting of a cot quilt for a girlfriend who has recently had her second child, a boy this time.  This week has been very busy, so nothing written… obviously, lol!

Man, do I ramble, lol!!

Anyhoo, up until Friday night I had made a decent dent in the progress of my clean-up.

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I spent a whole afternoon going through the stuff in this set of drawers, to the left of the bedroom …

L-R :  Gifts ... not-sure-yet ... special children's books

L-R :  Textbooks ... not-sure-yet ... not-sure-yet

L-R : towel sets ... sheets sets & tea towels ... scrap-booking wooden kaisercraft items 

It was a chock-a-block full of *stuff* … old gossip magazines (why are these so darn addictive??!!), old second-hand books, old uni paperwork (study guides, reading booklets, handwritten notes, and old assignments) … considering I have been studying at uni on-and-off since 2000, there was a LOT!!! … The resulting box of paper going to the recyclers was full, there was a box of books going to the op shop, and there were 2 garbage bags headed to the dump (tip) …

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The second area which had a significant overhaul was my closet.  For years I have dreaded attacking this, mainly because I knew it would diminish dramatically in size.  About 5-10 years ago I was a LOT smaller – at least 15-20kgs smaller – and a lot of the outfits that resided in here were from those years.

I had to go in with a plan of attack, as otherwise I would still own a wardrobe of clothes I no longer fit into … Bear in mind I am hoping to lose approx 35 kgs (72 pounds) by the end of the year, 4kgs (9 pounds) of which I have lost in the last month.  Mainly through diet.  Though, to be honest I have gone a little off the wayside this last week and have gained about a kilo back.

Anyways, to give you an idea of my closet before … it was FULL!!!

This image here was actually taken after I had removed my 3yo’s bed (and vacuumed under it … it’s a trundle), and moved a few boxes and things out of the way so I a) had room, and b) could vaccum the floor … Always good to start with a clean floor.

I made three piles …

1. OP SHOP
2. KEEP FOR LATER … Clothes I know I will wear once I get back down to the appropriate sizes
3. KEEP … wear now – staying in closet

I tend to throw clothes out as they get to an un-wearable point, so I didn’t have anything worthy only of the dump.

Once finished, my op shop pile consisted of … 10 skirts, 3 dresses, 2 tops, 1 long pants, 1 brunch-coat …

My “KEEP FOR LATER” pile had … 8 dresses, 11 tops, 5 skirts and 3 pants …

The brown shoes, at the bottom of the pic, are unfortunately headed to the dump ... the insides were falling apart, shedding ... all very sad!!  I really loved wearing the ones on the left ... all those years ago, lol!!

And my closet  ("KEEP" pile) looked … VERY BARE!!!  Left in there are … 1 brunch-coat, 2 coats, 2 dresses, 3 skirts, 4 pants (all were in the wash when I took the photos), 6 tops (three were in the wash)…

The “OP SHOP” pile also received these plastic coat hangers …

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This week I have also …

- Cleaned out bookshelf behind door & 5 out of 8 shelves in my two white 4-shelf bookshelves,

- Put away my daughters “TO GROW INTO” clothes (when the end of season/super sales are on, I tend to buy up in various larger sizes for my daughter … better to get a shirt for $5 than $15 when I know she will wear it … or leggings for $2.45 a pair as I did earlier today!),

- Moved laundry basket to the bathroom,

- I rotate my daughters dvd’s every month, so I have a box of them in our room at all times … these now have a place up high, above one of the bookshelves.

Oh, I also have decided to get rid of 3 exercise dvds (below).  Early last year I went through them all and got rid of all the movies and tv series on dvd that I either am not all that keen on or don't like, which is why I don't have many to get rid of...

If anyone wants any of these dvds, please let me know below ... I have opened and used the Tracy Anderson dvd, once ... the other two are still unused, still in their packaging ... I am not looking to sell them, though if anywhere outside of Aust. I would like cost of postage covered...

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My room ... well, the floor ... at the end of the week, looked much clearer ...

Boxes stored behind rocking chair ... much of which will end up at the top of the cupboards

I don't think the floor in front of the drawers there has been this clear in years!!!

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Considering the 2^nd update is due on Friday, and I haven’t done anything yet this week, I guess I’d better plan a few projects for the next three days … tomorrow DD is at childcare and my uni doesn’t start until March, so I’ll have all day to work on it then.

Don’t forget … this month’s FNSI is this Friday, so sign up here to join in the fun …

I have linked this post up with Laura’s post here.

Feb's 29 Day Organisation Challenge ...

I was meaning to write this post last Thursday, but I got so frustrated with my SKoW needleturn applique (sorry Dawn, that method you showed me in Dec really doesn't work for me :( ) that I just packed it all in and spent the day on the couch doing some stitcheries while watching season 2 of "Sanctuary"  on dvd, along with some washing and template preparation (for the applique) in the afternoon.  It was nice to just have a day to myself ... DD was at childcare, her one day for the week.

After finishing a re-organisation and deep clean of my daughters toys & books, and my sewing/craft/office areas (all in our very spacious living room) the other week, I have had to take a serious look at the bedroom I share with my daughter.  Not fun!  We have been home from our Christmas holidays, visiting family and friends, for a month, and I still have a box of things I brought back that haven't yet found homes ... not to mention its seeming transformation into a dumping ground!

Thankfully Lydia's 29 Days of Organising Challenge has come around right at the perfect time to kick my bum into gear!

As Lydia says ...

Are you ready to make a change?  Are you sick of your clutter owning you? ...  During this month you will concentrate your efforts on one chaotic and cluttered room and work to transform it into an organised and peaceful space instead.  

There will be 3 progress link ups through the month (10th, 17th, 24th) and a final reveal on the 29th, so hopefully I'll have a wonderfully clean and organised room by the end of this month!!!

Once you see my photos, you'll know why I need to re-organise and change up this room, and the hallway outside our room...

These drawers don't look too terribly bad, but both sets of drawers are piled high with *stuff*.

The drawers in the set to the left of our room door were just full!!  It took me all Saturday afternoon to go through them!! ... I had old magazines ... old books, half of which are off to the op shop as I really don't think I'll even read them! ... HEAPS of old uni paperwork, which was culled down to a pile less than an inch high! ... and a few old childrens books which don't come out very often as they are so old and falling apart, but are gorgeous books.  Some of these were mine, some my mothers!! ... These drawers are now not even a third full now ... amazing!!!

I haven't quite got to these drawers yet ... I am ashamed that there is actually a layer of white mould over these things ... a lot of them will be thrown out ... others will be bleached to their death, to kill that yuckiness!! LOL! Next week ... maybe ... I have another three weeks, hehe ...

Okay ... So we open the door, and ... Clutter, clutter, clutter!!!

This next pic was actually taken tonight ... when I took the previous shots on the 1st, there were a couple of full laundry baskets ... both of which have been washed, sorted and put away ... wow!

Alright ... after that total shame and disgrace of a picture show, I will call it a night.  It is also 1am here, and I have to read the first chapter of "Driven By Eternity" ready for our bible study tomorrow morning, pray, and go to sleep... I spent much of this afternoon doing some more FMQing on an old panel I will make up into a cushion when I can get some matching backing fabric ... and I have some pictures of the items I sent Cheryll for the Scissor Keeper swap from last year (though I know some of you will have seen them already on her blog) ... but I will leave them for tomorrow as I already see myself going to sleep around 2am again ... seems I am seeing that time on the clock more and more frequently these days, lol!!  So much for going to bed before midnight this year!!!

Good night and sweet dreams to all!!