Where has the time gone?

I am amazed at how long it is since I last blogged …… over a month!! Gosh!!

I won’t make any promises and say I will blog more because I really don’t like breaking promises.

So I will just say that I hope to blog more often than what I am now.

I haven’t even done my usual blog hop lately.

I just feel I need to sit and hand sew and not look at a screen. Is that so bad?

Well …. since I last blogged I have been over to WA to visit my son and his wife to help with looking

after their darling son while they had their second child. They had a boy and he is beautiful!!

He doesn’t cry and all he does is sleep and eat and sleep and eat. A truly gorgeous baby!!

He was born on the 2nd of July and they named him Sebastian Ollie and all went well with the birth and his

big brother Jasper loves him to bits. He wants to kiss him all the time .. so cute!!

I can’t show you any pics as my son and his wife are against showing on the net.

While I was there I also was able to give lots of cuddles to my daughters gorgeous 2 boys and her darling little girl.

Gosh my grandkids are all gorgeous!! Loved cuddling them all. Loved cuddles from my gorgeous kids too.

 

Since I have been back, I have been doing quite a bit of hand sewing and this has enabled my rear end to enlarge!!

Oh dear!! I must get enthused about walking again.

But I have enjoyed the sewing.

     

I have sewn all these and several other blocks together to make a large table runner and its now

waiting for me to put batting and back it and then quilt it.

Another project I have completed is a new design …. this one has a few different methods in it and I will be

able to show you soon. But here is a sneak peek. This is a Table Topper and a nice size one too.

 

Take care everyone and hugs to you all….

You might want a coffee……

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last blogged…..where does the time go?

First of all…..I am going to be a NooNoo (Nanna) again.

My daughter is expecting her third child in January and I am so excited about it. More quilts and sewing to happen once she finds out if its a boy or a girl.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been busy doing ‘life’ things and also in the sewing department too… I have done more blocks for the Sampler BOM that a few of us are doing at Our Craft Forum 

   

I have put these ones and the other ones I have done together into a quilt layout with EQ7 so I can start to get an idea with how I am going to put them all together.

The BOM is going until October this year and we started it in February which means that is 9 blocks. Each of us who joined in the BOM gave a pattern for a block from the Quilters Cache or other places and some of us have given more than one design, so we get to choose which blocks we want to sew up for that month. I have chosen to do a couple but mostly have done just the one. Since starting the BOM, I was only going to do a 9 block quilt…but since that, I have decided to do a 12 block quilt. So that means I can go thru the block choices and do extra ones.

I know the layout above is for 16 blocks but I can change it to 12 quite easily in the program EQ7. I just click on the Layout button and change it to 3 blocks across and 4 down and I then have 12 blocks.

So simple and I can change the placement of the blocks to suit the fabrics too.

Another fun quilt I am sewing is one made up of Granny Squares. This is what I want to make with the blocks of Granny Squares.

I am going to have all white for the borders and sashing and a striped edging.  

My blocks are coming together nicely and I am really loving sewing these. Here is strips of little blocks sewn together waiting to be sewn into the block.

With all of mine I have done a yellow centre one on all of them and white ones around the outside. But there is no order for the rest of them as I love no order sometimes. Maybe the next one I do will be more co-ordinated.

Fee and Dawn were sewing these and then Dawn got me onto them as well. I love them and they are such fun to sew up and so easy. The tutorial for them can be found HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After looking at the pictures again, it has got me quite keen to sew up another lot for another quilt. It’s funny how that happens isn’t it? Does that happen to you? I know when one goes away for a retreat it recharges the batteries and going to sewing groups is the same. I don’t go to any sewing groups so I get recharged from blogging and looking at everyone’s creations and the main place I get my batteries recharged is Our Craft Forum as there are quite a few like minded ladies who pop in there everyday and chat about what they are doing and it’s like sitting in a group and catching up with each other in your pj’s as most times when I am on there it’s first thing in the morning and I haven’t got dressed yet lol. Someone said that Our Craft Forum wasn’t up and running again after the time it was down for maintenance etc.

Well it is up and running and even better than before and one doesn’t have to chat their heads off if they don't want to…..they can just pop in and read all the chatter or catch up on the swaps with just a quick …. ‘I am still alive’ comment.   I always find it amusing when people spread silly rumours about things they presume are what is going on about things. Those sort of people are really only destroying themselves. Their falsehoods come back and bite them on the bum eventually. Anyway I could go on but I don't want to go into all that went on a few months ago with certain vicious people. Lowering myself to their standards just isn't me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a few things waiting to be published soon and not only with Patchwork & Stitching from Express Publications but also Down Under Quilts from Creative Living Media and with Jenny in her upcoming magazine for this month. 

I will give you all a bit of a look at what is coming.

AND….My husband Tony, has been creative also and he designed a quilt and then I sewed it and Natalie of The Quilting Bug quilted it for him.

That is being published also and he is very excited about that.

Quilters Companion magazine done a little article on Tony’s, Natalie’s and my combined efforts and that was exciting to see.

They also talked about my quilt that I designed but this one won’t be being published. Doesn’t his first ever quilt he designed look great?

So …..a few things happening here and you can bet your bottom dollar that a few more things will be happening down the track also. It’s all good.

I hope to get onto looking at everyone’s blogs very soon…I have missed you all! Told ya you might want to get a coffee…lol.

hugs to all……

Happy New Year 2012

Well it’s out with the old and in with the new. Wow….2011 went so fast and I hope 2012 slows down a bit.

I couldn’t resist that frog and mushrooms and snail..some of my favourite things.

I have had a fabulous 2011 with a couple of trips and one being to Queensland in March where I met up with Dawn, Joy, Fee and a few lovely bloggers.

That was a really fabulous trip and then the opening of my online shop The Pickledish Patch 

In June Mr T and I got our baby…our little Bella who brings us lots of joy and delight with her intelligence and little tricks.

Then in October I met my new grandson Jasper who is just gorgeous! Love him to bits!! and of course was able to give lots of hugs and cuddles to my kids and two other gorgeous grandsons.

I broke a bone in my foot…all healed up now thank goodness!

Also I was able to get my Craft Forum up and running which is a great place to escape to as its like a group of ladies meeting up every day to chat about what ever takes our fancy. Thanks heaps everyone for being there for me and sharing my days. Love you all!!

Another exciting event was starting up the blog Janiac’s Unite which is going along great with lots showing their Dear Jane blocks.

Of course I got a fair bit of sewing done and have increased my stash. Tee hee.

Happy New Year

to you all and I hope that 2012 is the best for everyone and we all have a creative stitching time. Stay healthy everyone and stay safe.

Hugs to all……

 

All for baby Jasper.

I can finally show you all the very special name plaque I was able to send to my son and his wife for their new son.

It has been lovingly made up by Angela of My Little Details and working with her to make sure all the details were correct was a very enjoyable experience. Thanks heaps Angela for making it possible for me to be able to give this fabulous name plaque to my son and daughter-in-law.

They are very pleased with it and it goes very nicely in the Nursery….matches the colour scheme really well.

So thank you Angela for a fabulous name plaque and if you would like Angela to make one for your new baby just go here to her website and pick which one you would like.

Before Jasper was born I made a raggy quilt for him.

Then I didn't know wether baby was a boy or girl so I made the quilt in all soft pastel colours. This was the first time I made a raggy quilt and it went together really well and because I bought way too much fabric and didn't want it sitting around here I decided to make another quilt for bub. So he got two quilts.

This one was a disappearing 9 patch method. I loved doing this and then just machine quilted a meandering pattern all over it.

Jasper’s Mummy had to have a bag to carry all his things around in when she went shopping or for walks or visiting so I made up a bag for her from Bronwyn Hayes’ Three Bears Toy Bag. I had the magazine it was in but you can download the pattern from Bronwyn’s blog.

Jasper’s Mummy loves the bag and takes it with her all the time when she goes out. Of course I had to make it in the colours that are her favourite…purple!

All good fun to sew and even more fun to give them to my son and his wife. They loved them all.

have a great week……

hugs to all…..

 

A new quilt, wall hanger and other things ….

 

This quilt was a Monthly Sampler BOM that I was in on my craft forum. There were nine of us who were in it and we all sent in a pattern for a block to use and we all made up the blocks each month. We sewed our own blocks so didn't really swap but was still lots of fun. I really enjoyed sewing these blocks and I got brave and machine quilted it as well. Just an all over meandering stipple.

It was fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This wall hanger is finished and this time I machine quilted swirls all over and being a small quilt it was easy enough. Plus I put the legs and eyes on the birds….so at least they can see where they are going to now *grin* I made this from the Go! Baby that I love!

There is still time for you to enter the giveaway over here for a chance to win a Go! Baby all of your own. You will love it *big grin*

If there is enough interest I will do up this wall hanger into a pattern and have it available to download. Let me know if you would like it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This little guy just sits on my fridge grinning at us each time we go to the fridge. I painted him quite a few years back but being a purple frog I thought you might like to see him

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This fabulous purple note and pen holder was what the gorgeous Naomi gave me for guessing the little competition she had going a while ago. Thanks Naomi……I love it *smiles*

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was in the shop the other day struggling to walk along with my big “CAM” boot on (I have to wear this for 6 weeks because I fractured a bone in the top of my foot….the day before I went to WA to see my new grandson!)

and…..I spied this sitting on the shelf……now as its purple and would match my cutting mat, I just had to have it…..plus my other one is a bit old now.

Its a really nice iron to use to iron my patchwork and sewing things…..I don't use it for ironing clothes!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So its no fun having a fracture in the foot and I can hardly wait for it to be healed. At least it’s my left foot and the car is automatic and so don't need to use that foot. But it is still hard to get in and out of the car tho. No joy at the moment! So a few things to show and tell and let me know if you would like the pattern for the Birds Wall hanger to be available and I will do the pattern up and have it as a freebie.

Hugs to all…….

A tutorial using my new Go! Baby Fabric cutting machine.

I had a design in my head and I needed to get it out….Once I got my new Go! Baby Fabric Cutting machine I could start!!

I got 3 dies with my Go! Baby….they are

The 2 1/2 inch strip cutter, The Rick Rack, and the Go! Birds. I have put links into the pictures which will take you to the web pages that they are on at Accuquilt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First up I cut two lots of strips of the green fabric and then two strips of the pink fabric and then sewed these together along the length of the strips.

Then I laid these strips on to the strip die cutter and cut several pieces for the 4 patch squares.

Then I cut 4 squares of the pink fabric to make the centre part of the wall hanger.

The centre pink lengths and outer borders were cut on the 2 1/2 inch strip die cutter too. I love how easy it does this for me. There is minimal wastage too.

After this I cut the Rick Rack using my Rick Rack die cutter on my Go! Baby fabric cutting machine.

I love my Go! Baby fabric cutting machine…..

I put the thinner Rick Racks on the corners and blanket stitched these down. You can either do this by hand or machine…I did mine by machine.

Then folding the larger Rick Rack in half and pressing them, I then trimmed one side of the humpy bits and then blanket stitched these onto the front of the wall hanger.

To get this.

Then it was time to cut out the birds.

I didn’t cut mine with vlisoflex ironed onto the back but you can do this if you want to. I lightly glued the birds onto the wall hanger and then blanket stitched around them. I have yet to stitch some legs for them and do the quilting but I will do that. I just wanted to show you how much fun I had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then I cut more strips for a quilt I am doing and these were folded to get the width of the fabric lengths. I will use these for the bindings on the quilt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am flying over to Western Australia on Wednesday to see my new grandchild. He/she will be born tomorrow by C-section and I am so excited and of course the proud parents are too.

This will be Nick and Tara’s first child and it nearly was born on their wedding anniversary but won’t and it will be on the 11th October 2011. So 11-10-11…..how special is that?

I can hardly wait to have cuddles of my new grandchild and to see my kids and get cuddles from them and my two gorgeous grandsons as well. Ohhh…lots of cuddles for me soon. It’s been a while. The last time was when my son got married last October.

Getting a little bit emotional here now. Squish squish. lol…..remember that show Absolutely Fabulous when the mother was supposed to be all sad and cry and she couldn't so she would just say squish squish darling! Loved that show.

I will be taking my laptop with me so will be able to keep track of all the goings on in blog land etc. and will be able to show off my new grandchild too …… I am coming home next Monday, so not going for long this time.

Take care everyone and hugs to all