A productive break.....

I can see around in blogland that the fat man in the red suit has been and spoilt so many of us....  

At our house we did our main Christmas feast on Christmas Eve with our youngest daughter and her new squeeze and young widget.... we had some fun and far too much to eat including this lovely pavlova that she put together....

they went off on Christmas morning after breakfast and we feasted on left over ham and pavlova for quite a few more meals!!! haha 

before the feasting started my daughter went to town in my car... somebody didn't look where she was going and Uturned straight into her!

Of course I am very happy both her and widget were unharmed though very shaken up ... but I am so very pissed off about my car which is not driveable (the wheel has collapsed in).  Guilty party has no insurance but her car is still okay to drive!

Grrrrrrrrrr

The very best thing over Christmas is our Facetime and Skype calls,  and facebook messages with family and friends spread all over the world.  As always I am very grateful for technology that enables me to do that.

I was so extremely spoilt with pressies from Marc in the FHFS group that I play with -  I blogged about it HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE .  Thanks my friend - I will be thinking of you lots over the years when I play with all those lovely goodies you sent.

I finished quilting my scrappy quilt before Christmas.... I chose to do fairly loose but still custom quilted focussing on the different shapes in the design

this is how I did the HST squares.... 

... a double orange peel which is a bit like a pomegranate look for the 9 patch squares

and my latest favourite orange peel with a twist in the neutral 4 patch blocks....

.. the quilt is 108" square and the binding is on... just waiting to be hand sewn down .... might take a while!

I didn't have a lot left of this hand sewing to do ... this is one of Rosalie Dekker's Scandanavian designs..... I was lucky enough to be given a set of the linen transfers ...

silly me squirted the steam on the iron and have stained the top left just above the design (I may tea stain the whole thing lightly to hide it???) 

My hero Hubz recut my perspex extension to make it fit onto my new machine... I do like working with the extension table so I'm very pleased to have it fixed up now... thanks Hubz

Done a few bits in the garden, have had some very welcome rain and had to stay indoors a bit... so I have been sewing (SURPRISE!)

A couple of things I had made and sent off at Christmas

This is the main present I sent to Cheryl in the FHFS swap..... (I did make other little things but forgot to take pictures!) I've really got to do some of these Natalie Bird designs for myself!

I couldn't resist making up this ginger flat cat for Toni who loves her ginger cats

I think it's so funny ... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... my addictive personality is in overdrive and I'm still sorting through half done things and am working on my Reproduction 9 patches today ......

Have a great day! xx

Cleaning up space....

Melody has been making lots of goodies with felt.... (she also finds lots of tutorials and ideas from the www ... so keep an eye on her blog for ideas).  I am sending her some pieces from my 'stash'....

Some time ago I got extremely enthusiastic and bought up the op shops of lots of wool blankets.... now I still love working with my recycled wool felt but a blanket does make an awful lot.... and I need to clear up a bit of space ....

so I am offerring a trade (I have done this before) and will send off a 500g bag of wool felt in exchange for a fat quarter or similar size of a nice neutral... something good for background applique or stitchery....

Sorry... Australia only.... external post is just too high..... I cannot guarantee colours - there will be a mixture... some are quite thick from blanket, others are dressmaking wool, plains and plaids  No pretty packaging... I will just stuff the bag as full as I can.....

Let me know if you would like some....

In my finding space frenzy I picked up this UFO .... I did some stitch in the ditch quilting....

... and now the binding is on....

I had a fat quarter of that lovely vintage style pictoral fabric so I fussy cut the centres... then used the Sawtooth 12" block and bordered it...

Righto, Gotto Go.... I still seem to have a whole lot of half done things.... perhaps I should start something new....  well... I did get a finish....... 

Some trivia for you....

Friday 13th and a full moon coincide this month .... last one was in 2000 and next one will be 2049.  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas....

My friends in blogland have become a big part of the happiness in my life... thank you to all of you.... some read, some comment, some have their blogs... it's all a wonderful circle ....

This year Hubz and I haven't put up a tree.. so I was delighted when he brought back this little prettiness yesterday... it is a NSW Chrismas bush called 'Albery's Red' and I had seen one on a friends facebook and said how pretty it was

It's still small but we are going to pot it and hopefully next year she will be able to withstand some decorating.... 

There have been a few of these pennyrugs in blogland... and this is my version.....

I made a mess up with the size of the base so I did the 'pennies' a bit different...

... to be honest I think my Santa faces are unflattering... a bit porky...  but I like pigs.. so that's okay

I stitched a few dishtowels to give out at Christmas... so these are gone to new homes....

they are all stitcheries from Gail Pan's book Simply Christmas

For the first time in 34 years Hubz and I are alone this year..... it does feel a bit strange and I am determined to make the most of not being stressed about food and gifts etc.... We have a lovely big ham which I will baste and we will have a Christmas eve dinner and then leftovers for lunch tommorrow.... with beer of course.... perhaps more than just one?

Righto, Gotto Go.... 

WISHING ALL OF YOU LOVELY BLOGLAND PEOPLE'S A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Some bloggers can't count......

Last month I offered a trade of some wool felt (preloved washed and shrunk blankets and woolen clothing) for a fat quarter to cover postage for a 500g bag in Australia...

I cut 10" squares from these fabrics and about 12 - 15 squares can be squeezed into a 500g satchel...

(some are thicker than others)

Traders were not expected to go and buy fabric..... it was more of an exchange of something we have in the cupboard but when asked I said my preference would be from ..... oriental fabrics, blues and beiges or background fabrics if they had ...

I was floored by the generosity of the ladies I exchanged with....everyone sent more than what I had asked for... thank you so much.. Tanya, Sharon, Maria, Jeanette and Susan .....

There is such a lot to choose from

and I am seriously grateful to you all

BIG HUGZ

I am collecting up some orientals and the beiges and blues to start working on blocks from this book....

I would like to do a couple of these each month... they are for 9" blocks.....

Anybody else use this book?

It will be fun... and a bit different I think....

Righto... gotta go... blocks to sew....

Strelizia

Daisy button winners and some felt issues .......

Thank you to all of you who said you would like some daisy button kits - it's always so lovely to hear when someone likes the stuff I make - I wish I was able to send you all one

Mr Random showed his usual impartiality and the first 5 names picked with 'Daisy' in the comment were ...

#25 - Nola from Just Ramblin'
#21 - Narelle from Pins and Whiskers
#26 - Lyn from Stitches from the Mainland
#18 - Teresa from Quilting, Stitchin' and Sew On
#19 - Patricia from Too many eggs in one basket
(can you believe that grouping in the numbers - I think Mr Random was up to something!)

we should see a few more of these soon

Congrats ladies... please make sure I have your postal addresses

If you are a regular reader you will know I enjoy thrifting and reusing fabrics to make new things... and I have managed to find an assortment which I have given hot washes and shrunk to make wool felt

... blankets and also some wool fabric and some clothing items....

Well... blankets yield a lot of felt!!!!!!

this is a small selection of what I have.....

I am wondering if anyone wants some.... but I have a catch this time... do you want to trade?

The only reason I am doing this is because I really can't manage to send out postage for nothing... a pack of 500g felt costs $6.60 (Australia) 

500g would cover about 10 by 10inch squares (though it depends as some is thicker than others)

 I honestly don't feel it is worth it for overseas .... but I don't want to count you out....
over $17 (USA)  and approx $21.25 (UK) for postage

The wool is recycled products.. blankets and clothing and there is a variation in thickness and texture and some have the 'square' design on ... so it is not the lovely fine wool felt you find in the shops.....

Let me know if you are interested.... I would trade for some fabric and only with people I 'know' - unfortunately I will need to be careful about postage to 'strangers' since I am wanting something in return. 

I am not expecting anything for the wool... just something to cover the postage.

Very cheeky maybe..

Working With Wool or just Goating Around???

Way back in August I wrote that I had started buying jumpers to shrink/felt, Teresa and I did a bit of a swap with our wools and Melody has been great sending me some of hers and encouraging me to try sewing with them (she has a BOM starting next year so I wanted to practice some smaller projects first ) .. I made some birdies and now ...

Thanks to Elaine for the tutoring and to Debbie and Kim for the motivation to try a project wool - taaa daaa. - I have a Penny Rug..... 

Over HERE Elaine tells us some of the history behind a Penny Rug..... interesting... 

I'm not really sure I should be getting into something else............. but..... I have.........

Now we have a little 'goat adventure' going, or is a goatalong?  This is one Elaine made previously:

and this little fellow is off to Debbie for some pampering.......

I am hoping he/she will come visit me downunder - may like to take a break during the winter and spend a bit of time enjoying the Australian summer......

Sue also has a wandering goat at her place.........

I have been looking at a few sites with wool.....
Peg has this lovely project she is working on at the moment. 
Michele has a lovely needle holder HERE - on my to do list......
Kaaren has this amazing pincushion over HERE - I'd love to do that as a round robin activity..... any takers?

.... and if you are needing some additional inspiration pop in to Sue over HERE

The last of my new Iris's has flowered...... worth waiting for... I love splashes of happy yellows......

Lots of links today - hope you are able to pop by and visit them all - they really have lots of lovely things to see......

Post, Preparation and Progress

Thank-you so much everyone for the congratulations on the beginnings of a new grandchild .... such excitement!

Melody from The House on the Hill knows I have been collecting up 'wool felt' and sent me some to add to my stash - such a lovely green colour and SO SOFT.... I just like stroking it!!

Melody is working on a felting BOM for next year which will be fun I'm sure - go have a visit HERE and see some of the lovely things she has made.....

Since the postie was bringing me parcels I sent off this one to Carol - my FRIENDS Swap partner.

FRIENDS is hosted by Khristina and we send a bunch of goodies with something that starts with each letter of FRIENDS..... Once Carol has opened hers I will show you the little treasures I sent....

....My first swap.....

Meanwhile I have determined myself to get on and work on some of the projects on my "Cut out the fabric but haven't started list".

These are blocks which I have drawn from designs by Michelle of Raspberry Rabbits.  I have done one of her blocks before and love her quotes and the prettiness of her designs. Raspberry Rabbits is a lovely peaceful place to visit.

Not a clear picture but if you go HERE you will see the proposed end.......

Back to working with wool ....... I had heard the term "Penny Rugs" and was always a bit intrigued about them.... Elaine from Soggy Bottom Flats has THIS to share about the history behind them and she is presently doing a 'stitch-a-long' tutorial for penny rugs....

Of course in my enthusiasm to work more with wool I had to join.....

I have been going to a small local craft group - and discovered they had a bunch of blocks that the ladies had stitched a couple of years back sitting in the cupboard -- they were just begging to be made into something so I brought them home.  Some donated fabric and sashing was made

It's really a pretty little quilt - and I'm glad the blocks are not hiding in the back of the cupboard anymore...

Every now and then I like to make some different things.  This week I made a bunch of home-made gift cards and knitted up a washcloth - little gifts

Alison at This Old Aunt Quilts (she's not really very old!!) made some lovely Chenille Washcloths - I just couldn't help myself I had to get some and make them up...... so lovely and soft....

Alison is working on a georgeous Back on the Farm quilt which I am enjoying watching the progress.

My row of roses is looking beautiful

Very windy today - methinks I will have rose confetti all over my garden by the end of the day - that's lovely too!

Damp and windy outside - Bathurst race inside..... time to get out the hand stitcheries and make a cuppa.....

Hugz