Weekend stitching ...

This weekend I pulled out my first 'installation' of Rosalie Quinlan's BFF BOM ... figured I should probably start since my second pack is on it's way over from the lovely Sarah @ Patchworks Plus :) .

I haven't done a lot yet, but it's nice to start a new stitchery project!!

I do still have a few (well, four) more blocks of my Some Kind of Wonderful quilt to make up, but I decided to splurge this week and purchase my very first light box!!! Until now I've been able to get by without one, but the final few blocks have just too many small pieces to position ... along with wanting to start Leanne Beasley's latest Vignette BOM, that I decided I had enough reason to reward myself with one. Come this time next week (I hope!!), I'll be putting together my last few SKoW blocks with some 'light' help *giggle*.

Christmas in July 2013

I think I've realised why I don't post very often ... when I get on here to do so, I inevitably see someone else's post tidbit and have to go follow the link to read all about their loveliness ... that has certainly been the case over the last two days!!!  I was planning to post about my Christmas in July items, both received and sent, yesterday ... and I caught someone's post ... then again, now, I've been sitting on Blogger for the last 2 hours just browsing through, reading loads of posts, both CIJ related and not *giggle* ... Just post already L!!!

Swap Mama Cheryll

So, Tuesday afternoon, when I picked up my parcel from the post office, to say my interest was piqued - what the heck might be in this tiny parcel?!! ... I was a good girl & placed it on the top shelf of one of my bookshelves to keep my curiosity curtailed ... and on Thursday morning, once the little one had left for school with her grandparents (they work at her school so it is often easier for them to just take her in some mornings), I went and pulled it out to open ... and open ... and open ...

... I wonder if she knew of my status as a 'sneak'?!! (my poor partner Anthea didn't find out her items were from me until after asking Cheryll ... oops!) *giggle* ... FIVE layers of packaging, you can just imagine what what going through my head, lol!

As soon as I opened the last layer though, I could barely speak for the gorgeousness in my little parcel!! Six precious 'Danish' seed bead ornaments ...

Each one more gorgeous and delicate than the next!  To say I am in awe of Simone's talent would be an understatement!! I am in LUV!!!!

If I had to choose a favourite, it would have to be that delicate angel - stunning!!  But to be honest, they are all so precious!! They will definitely be going away in my glory box, only to poke their heads out for the Christmas tree each year ... too special to risk anything happening to them, especially with small fingers who are just as transfixed by their beauty, lol! ... Can you tell how much I love these?!  *wink*

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So, if you've been by Anthea of Hibiscus Stitches' blog, you will already have seen the items I sent to her.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, although I had thankfully gotten all the stitcheries done by the end of last week, I ended up finishing them all over the course of last weekend ... nothing like getting things done last minute!  Thankfully Australia Post was feeling helpful and my Express Post bag arrived Wednesday afternoon, ready for opening on Thursday.  Yay!!

First up was the lovely 'Among the Holly' table runner, designed by the lovely Gail Pan.

H is for Holly
This was my FNSI project from last week, lol! *wink*

Then I got the GO! baby out ... despite winning this from a giveaway Dawn was giving end of 2011, I admittedly haven't pulled it out until then (and only to use a die that I purchased second-hand from Joy!) ... and cut out 24  1" hexi's.

It took me most of Sunday to sew these all together, EPP-style, to get a long thin panel of hexagons all sewn together ...

After a little more piecing, sewing, quilting, more sewing, a little teasing, and then some more sewing, lol, it was soon past 3am and I had this little beauty from Natalie Bird's 'Tis the Season' pattern book ...

S is for Star ... I is for Inspirational words
A bright green lining as I knew she dislikes dark ones, lol!

Monday morning I was thankful that I had left the easiest items to then ... two potholders with another two darling little 'Tis the Season' stitcheries ... turns out, the three TTS stitcheries were the three Anthea had used in HER Christmas in July parcel!!  Great minds, eh Anthea?!!! 

M is for mouse ... H is for holly ... S is for Star

I threw myself off a tad when I realised that I'd cut down the stitcheries to 4 6/8" squares!  Thankfully I found a darling little tutorial explaining how to calculate how much fabric you need to make the flying geese, using a fabulous new-to-me technique HERE (I used the first technique).  They came together really quickly after that!

I was so glad to hear that Anthea was happy with her gifts!  As soon as I got her information from Cheryl, I sat down and read through her entire blog with a pen & pad of paper next to me so I could jot down some ideas of what she liked ... turns out our tastes are pretty similar, especially when it comes to designers!!

Well, one more swap down this year ... now to figure out what to make my Santa Sack Swap partner over the coming months in between finishing off and beginning some other lovelies :)

Friday Sewing (FNSI June'13)

We've had a few rough weeks here, with sickness (Miss L ended up in the hospital with dehydration & gastro on Thursday evening) & Poppa's (my Dad's Dad) entering into those pearly gates of heaven last night (after battling skin cancer that had spread through his whole body within weeks), so unfortunately my latest swap item has been a bit late in getting finished ... thus I spent most of yesterday afternoon, evening, and some of the morning working on getting it done and ready to be sent in its express post bag on Monday.

Although I can't show you specifics (lol, you never know who's watching *wink*) ... I did spend a few hours doing a little piecing ...

... followed by some sandwiching ...

... quilting ...

... and then some binding ...

I much prefer to hand-sew my binding down than doing it by machine
... possibly coz I have never been able to it via the latter method :) 

So, now to go do a little more sewing before I can go and wrap these up to send.  SOOO grateful for express bags!!!  They may not arrive the next day when coming from, or to, the NT, but they should almost always arrive by the next day!!!

Dawn's having a giveaway!!

I am in love with the Craftsy platform!!  I am yet to actually MAKE anything from the dozen or so classes I'm enrolled in ... but I love that I can watch the lessons over and over and over again, soaking in the wisdom of the tutors without having to go miles afar in order to attend one of their workshops!!

Dawn is having a giveaway at the moment ... and you could win one of the bags she makes, using the quilt-as-you-go method taught in *whoops ... enrolment in the Quilt As You Go Patchwork Bags class, taught by the darling Tara Rebman.

{Class link}

 Giveaway ends 25th July 2013.... be sure to enter by popping over to her post HERE.

 Now of to cut some fabric and then do some stitching while watching 'The Bible'.

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that ...

Since it's been almost a month since I last posted progress on my stitching endeavours, I thought it was high time I updated it here ...

Table Runners ...

A little while ago Sue ran a Charm Square Table Runner Swap, and I can finally show this.  My partner made me a fabulous runner out of 'Farmers Market' fabric ...

... and I made her a runner out of the 'La Belle Fleur' range ...

I thought I would try my hand at a pieced backing which I think turned out pretty well ...

Apparently, when she opened up the parcel her 14 yr old daughter swooped in and tried to claim it as her own, lol!, so I guess I did something right since they both like it *yay*.

I've also finished off another table runner since then, in the 'Eva' fabric line.  Back at the Let's Get Stitched retreat in March, there were quite a few ladies who purchased some of this fabric and, though I wasn't entirely in love with it then, I certainly am now!!  Although it is only a 'top' so far (I haven't found the *right* fabric to back it with, lol!) I am looking forward to this being one of my first items to go in a glory box of sorts for when I get married.  

I have always loved purples and pinks with white, and I am loving the addition of the lime green to this combination!!

Iron cord Covers ...

I've also managed to put together a couple (well, three, but the third is not yet finished ... possibly because it will be for me, haha!) of iron cord covers from a tutorial by Melody. [When I find the direct link, I'll add it ... I know she offered it only just this year!!] ... I used a couple of Jen's letters, from her recently released Shabby Roses Monogram Sampler [available for free HERE in her Craftsy shoppe], to embellish, and make them a touch more personal for the two ladies I gave them too.

Cross-Stitch Flashback

For many years before I got involved with patchwork and quilting, I LOVED to pull out a cross-stitch pattern and just stitch to my heart's content.  In fact, I was chatting to a long-ago-luv the other night and he actually asked me if I'm still doing the cross-stitch I used to do (crazy, since we haven't even seen each other for over 8 years!!!).

Two weeks ago I pulled out a large angel pattern (Finished size : 14 x 12in) I had tucked away.

Working on 28HPI even weave ... this would be her skirt.

Although I enjoyed it, and would love to finish her ... I much prefer stitcheries and sewing to this these days.  Something nice for a change though.

Some Kind of Wonderful (SKoW)

And finally, some progress on my SKoW 'My Favourites' quilt.  I managed to find the image of a slice of Pavlova that I thought would translate well to needle-turn appliqué, and went from there for a block to replace the cupcakes block in the original quilt design.

** THIS was what I was working on during this past Friday Night Sew In.

The Pavlova (white), cream (cream), and mango & kiwifruit slices (orange & green respectively) are appliquéd, while I stitched in the kiwi fruit seeds (lazy daisy stitches) and the passionfruit pulp (satin stitch).   I'm quite impressed with how I've been able to translate the original image (left) with needle and thread.

I have also managed to take these ... 

About 300, 1 1/2in and 2 1/2 in squares

along with the completed blocks, and put together the first two quilt (block) rows ...

I am VERY happy to have these two rows completed.  And with only four blocks to go, I am hoping I will have the next three rows put together in the next few months!!!

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Lastly, as I'm hoping I've got this up in time for my Mum to show my Grandad this post before she returns home from her holiday, this is what Dad's been having fun making over the last week ... a platform for the mulcher, and a trailer to go on the back of the ride-on lawnmower to transport the palm fronds from around the block TO the platform (which is WAY too heavy to move on a regular basis!!).

I do have a few other items I have made, or am nearing the end on, but those will have to wait for their time to be shown as they are swap items ... Now, back to the studies & then off to clean the house before Mum gets home.  Have a great week!!!