Birthday Love Stash Presents

I have joined up this year with Wendy at Sugarlane Quilts for her Birthday Stash Love group to try & keep on top of birthdays, occasions & presents I want to make & get out on time. So far things are not actually making it into my present stash box, just being finished & into the postbag for mailing. 

First there was the mug rug for Uncle Gordon. I did a sneaky on this one too. Twice I have had money stolen out of cards I have sent from Perth to Nelson in NZ so learnt the hard way that the days of doing that are long gone. This time I put a temporary label on the back of the mug rug & put $50 behind it before I sewed it on. Then I sent my cousin the secret instructions to snip the stitches on the label  to recover the rest of the present. Uncle Gordon was very happy to get $60 NZ when he went to the bank. He will be 90 next year so better start planning that pressie...

You may have seen this next present on Mel's blog (The House On The Side Of The Hill) already. Sneaky Melody opened her present early as her birthday is today, Sunday but hey every day is worth celebrating. I'm celebrating the fact the parcel got to Mel on time & that she loves it.

 

I was pleased how this applique turned out. I saw a picture of a similar applique months ago & instantly thought Mel! so kept it ready for Mel's birthday gift. She loves her little girly-whirlies so much (& Max) so there can be no better home for a pretty pup than at Mel's house on the hill. Her little eyes turned out really well.

 She sat on my cutting table in the laundry for a week before I got to make the cushion & every time I walked past I could see her pleading with me - is it time to go to Mels yet? I'm sure she looks happier now she is there. Little Brunnie was a bit worried too - 'why you stitching a pup muma?' until he heard it was for Aunty Mel. Happy Birthday again Melody! xxx Jump over & wish Mel happy birthday if you haven't already.

My scarf from the last post can rest in my present box for two weeks while I make the next gift then it will be in a postbag too. February used to be a big month for birthday's for my family with my mum & Aunty celebrating 5 days apart. Now they have both passed it feels like I am forgetting something even though February looks pretty busy on my to-do list so far. 

And to think I was just looking at another BOM on Wendy's blog - check it out on the link at the top. There is a choice of applique or stitchery and being an Aussie quilt it looks to be a beauty. Might have to try to fit it in, though I so want to get a few UFO's to stop circling planet Quiltkitty

 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 (Brunnie's helping - think that means 'Hi friends'. Or he's smarter than I think and sending messages in binary code) 0011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Happy stitching

Tracee xx

My Ballarat Holiday

Hi all, back from my week's holiday in Ballarat & after 4 days at work this week it is feeling like a bit of a happy dream......

 

Many of you may will have seen posts on the pages of my gorgeous friends Shez from Enjoying Life and Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill. It was the first time I had met both of these glorious women & they are everything you would expect from reading their blogs - caring, sweet, extremely humerous, generous, loving & at times a little mad (zany mad definately not angry mad!). To say I fitted in well with that last attribute would be an understatement....

 

 

So what do three quilting bloggers do when they get a day together?

Hug, laugh,  talk, laugh, shop, talk, laugh, eat, laugh, talk, shop, laugh, talk, shop, talk, laugh, shop, talk, laugh, hug, hug, hug! Doesn't that sound like the best day.

We started our big day out at Spotlight, went to the local shopping centre (newsagent - quilting mags!), spents ages with Gail at Gails Patchwork Emporium & had a tour of the rebuilt shop, lunch at Such & Such giftwares & cafe, a visit to the stunning Ballarat Patchwork & the delightful homewares store next door, a visit to Eureka Patchwork & finally a visit to Lincraft. What a great day & the company made it extra special!

 

 

We did make the occasional purchase & in a later post I may tantilise you with some of the goodies I brought. With such precious cargo I had it all in my hand luggage trolley case for the trip home. I was one of the lucky people picked for the explosives residue check & the security man opened my hand luggage, looked at my magazines, fabric, patterns, braid, ric-rac, yo-yo maker & little already made yo-yos etc & asked 'What is all that?' I very indignantly said ''That's my sewing!' He couldn't do anything for laughing & sent me on my way with 'Ýou enjoy'. That I will....

 

So a big thank you my two special friends for your hospitality & can't wait until we can do it all again!

 

Tracee xx