MY NEW BAG AND A SHORT BREAK

 This is my latest bag it is from the SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL book from Anni Downs. I am doing a project a month on a Stitch-a-long organised by Chookyblue and I am really enjoying it.

DH and I have just spent a few days at Port Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsular in good old South Australia. We took the dog Andy, who is having a snooze here and our van and enjoyed some rest and relaxation. Long walks on the beach and exploring the local towns. Here I am putting the final stitches of the embroidery onto the bag in the photo above and I finished it this afternoon at home. The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of the year so it was lovely to spend time at the seaside. I was even propositioned by a lovely local lady to go skinny dipping (or should that be chunky dunkin as I am not a slim Jane at all), because I did not have my swimming suit, I kindly declined as it was too cold and windy. Had a lovely drive to Victor Harbor on Friday to pick Chloe and Hayley my 4 year old Grandaughters up from kindy and spend the afternoon with them, after dinner back to the beach, then back home on Saturday as we had other commitments to tend to.
Bye for now Jude

APRIL STITCH-A-LONG

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and stitching and sewing up a frenzy. I have just spent 5 days at Victor Harbor visiting my DD and S in L and my twin grand daughters Chloe and Hayley, had a great time but for got to take my camera so no photos. Came home and got to work on my April stitch-a-long project and today I sewed it together. It was a fun project and it adds another gift to my Christmas basket. I chose traditional colours to do mine with and have also decided that all the projects we are doing will use fabric from my stash, so far I have stuck to that rule. Bye for now Jude

A BIT OF A MIX

 I was one of the guest designers at this years Lets-Get-Stitched held at Adelaide Shores Resort. It was a great weekend with lots of fun, games and laughter. This is the pattern I supplied and it is a child`s treasure box made with template plastic and layers of fabric sewn together.

 These were the first two I made and my Grandkids have laid claim to them already.

 Here I have made my doily/coaster pattern in wonderful apple fabric as a gift for my sister. There are 4 placemats and 4 drink coasters and I am sure you are going to love them.

 Hubby and I will be taking Chloe and Hayley our twin granddaughters to the wedding ceremony that their parents are a part of so I have made them a horseshoe each to give to the bride. They are made from real horseshoes so she will get a shock when the girls put them on her arm. LOL

This table runner is also for my sister and it is made from Dawn`s pattern that she presented at the Lets-Get-Stitched weekend.
After all this sewing and writing the blog I am in need of a cuppa and a rest, so bye for now Jude.

A MIXED BAG

 Hi all, I have been busy helping Dawn with the last minute tasks for the LETS-GET STITCHED retreat at Adelaide Shores Resort and now it is over for this year. I haven`t done the projects yet but I will get to them and then I will put them up for you to see. but I did go shopping on our quilt shop bus tour. 

 Some fat quarters I needed to finish my Life is Beautiful quilt. Very Yummy.

 The charm pack on the left is the one I won at our games night and it is my kind of colours and I love it, just need to find the right project to make. The one on the right came in our goody bag and by golly there was lots of treasures in there as well as a bottle of South Australian wine. Cant wait till next year to do it again.

 This the fabric I have purchased to do one of the projects and I am eager to start it.

And last but not least is my cute little pin cushion that i finished this afternoon for chookeyblues Stitch-a-long and I just love it so much I am going to make another( can never have too many pin cushions now can you). Must be off now as DH is taking me out for dinner and a movie after a meeting with the council.

Cheers Jude

FEBRUARY STITCH-A-LONG BAG AND OUR LUNCH

 Just finished the bag for the February STITCH-A-LONG, I really am pleased with how it has turned out and will probably use this pattern again. Thanks for a doing this chookyblue.

Do you like my lunch? This is just some of the yummy homemade tomato soup I have made this season from the fruit that my husband has grown in our back garden.

Bye for now Jude.

JADE`S FIRST QUILT

This is Jade`s first quilt. She is 7 years old and loves to do crafty things especially with Nan. So while her sister Brooke and Jade had a holiday with Nan and Pa after Christmas we decided it was time to make a quilt. Jade chose her fabrics and pattern and I cut it out as I didnt want her to go home minus a finger or two.Jade was confident using the machine but at times forgot to guide the fabric so Nan had to help a little bit. She also had to undo seams that had gone astray but did so without complaint. Jade thought it was good to tape the fabrics to the table to make her quilt sandwich but got a sore finger putting in all those pins. Getting the binding ironed was a trauma for for me as I didnt want any burnt fingers, but she did it very well. Sewing the binding on was fine until she got to the corners, so help here from me to get the mitred corners right. Last was the sewing down of the binding, a complete disaster as Jade is left handed and I am not. I tried several ways to show her how to hand sew but she could not master the step so I sewed the binding down. I now need some help in teaching a left hander how to hand sew, any suggestions would be helpful. 

 I then flew back to Sydney with the girls and stayed for a week and enjoyed lovely walks in the country side and breakfast on the verandah watching and listening to the abundant bird life. There were magpies, eagles, galahs, parrots, kookaburras and many more I didnt know. The valley was very green and populated with cows and horses, very nice way to start the day. Back home now and lots of sewing to catch up on. 

Bye for now Jude

JANUARY STITCH-A-LONG

This year in the Stitch- a -long we are doing smaller projects each month.They are more achievable and will make lovely gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Some are also projects I had put on my to do list and now they will all get done this year, what a bonus.Thanks to chooky blue for coming up with this idea. 

 My thread catcher, and it was very quick and easy to sew, will probably do some more soon.

My shoe bag. I needed a couple of these for when I visit my DDs. I have added a lining, so no seams are showing, looks much neater on the inside as well.