A BIRHDAY PRESENT AND MY NEW BABY

My twin GD`s turned 2 yo yesterday and I had bought them a "Megasketcher' each as they liked playing with them at a friends home. I also sewed them a baby bunting blanket/sleeping bag for their dolls as last time i was there i spent a lot of time wrapping their dollies in baby blankets. So now I`m hoping they can do it for themselves.
At the weekend I bought myself a new laptop, I have been checking them out for sometime and asking the IT guy at DH`s work what he thinks of the brand I like. With his guidance and help from the guys at the computer store I settled on a Toshiba and now I have to learn all the new things on it and where they are located.

MY CUSHION

I finally decided to bite the bullet and finish the cushion that I started with Kellie. It was a bit daunting and some of my free motion quilting is a bit wonky but I kept going until it was done. Then another 20 minutes later and the cushion was together and then only the binding to go. I couldnt remember how to finish the binding so I had to wait until Tuesday and get help from Dawn. I joined the ends and finished the binding over a chat and a coffee, put the insert in and I was pleased with my efforts. I will need more practise before I attempt my next project using raw edge applique and free motion quilting.

EARLY BIRD XMAS CRAFTING WITH JUDITH TETLEY

I have joined Judith Tetley`s early bird xmas sewing and have finished the first months assignments. It has been a fun thing to do and easily achieved in the month. Thankyou Judith for starting the xmas sewing.

First we had to make a journal to record to whom we will be giving each gift to. As yet I can`t decide who will get the first months gifts, but plenty of time to decide.

This is what I have made. Tea and coffee coasters, bookmarks and a couple of key rings.

We were then asked to make something extra and I chose to make a pin cushion and scissor holder but with a twist. One side holds the scissors and you turn it over and I have added a needle case to the scissor case so that I dont keep misplacing one or the other. See below the reverse side of the case.

So far very easy and enjoyable and I am hoping that Judith will be giving us some simple little patterns to make up for 2, 3, and 4 year olds to play with, only time will tell.

Bye for now and happy sewing.

MY WORKSHOP

I have spent the last two days at a workshop with Kellie Wulfsohn at HETTIE`S PATCH and I have learnt how to Raw Edge Applique and also do Free Motion Quilting. It was a fun learning experience and I would recomend it to any one who wishes to add a new dimension to their quilting. We also had two tasty lunches supplied on the day and as much tea and coffe as you needed to get through the day. Lorraine from Hettie`s Patch gave everyone a bag of goodies containing a lovely lavender heart and the pattern to make it, a biro, a carry bag and a Kellie pattern. Mine is "How does your garden grow?" pillow pattern and I will make it in the near future. She also gave us 10% of all our purchases and every one took advantage of that. I bought fabric to use in my project, magazines, fusable webbing and one of Kellies new patterns " Worry Dolls" which is simply georgous.

My photos are out of order so please forgive me. This is Kellie drawing the raffle at the end of our day and three lucky sewers went home with an extra Kellie pattern. Idid not win one of these but I was lucky enough to to win a new pair of scissors as a lucky chair prize( I always new my bum would be useful oneday).

Here you can see from the left Ruth B, who is a fellow forum member and it was very good to meet her in the flesh, then yours truly standing next to Kellie and then we have Dawn my good friend who came for a visit to the class.

This is the piece we were taught. It is 'In Spring', a new pattern from Kellie. I found it quite daunting to start with and a lot of my raw edge sewing is not straight but I did enjoy doing it.I have not yet started the free motion quilting but I will do so later today if I get the courage.

Here I am doing a spot of raw edge sewing and those gloves keep you from slipping on the fabrics as well as keep your hands warm.

Here is the group at the end of the day displaying our work. A couple of the ladies did another pattern (Wish you were here!) and in reflection I should have done a smaller project so I too could have finished it on the day. I will keep at it and hopefully have my cushion finished by the end of the week. Now I must go back to my sewing Bye for now.

MY GOODIES FROM HANCOCKS

My goodies have arrived from Hancocks and i am excited and now have to decide what to use first. This is my jelly rolls, honey bun and and a Mill Hhouse Inn pack, complete with the quilt pattern. The kit has a honey bun, charmpack and yardage to do the quilt top. The jelly rolls are Collection for a Cause, Glam Garden by Robert Kaufman and Rural Jardine. The honey bun is Verna.

These are my charm packs, Collection for a Cause, Hunky Dory, Hashabye, Whimsy and a Beatrix Potter 'Alphabet Garden' tomake a baby quilt.

These are the notions I picked up. They include square rulers, glue pen and refills, needles, bias makers, a seam presser/point turner andtape for a stained glass quilt.

The charm packs here are gifts for the Tuesday sewing group ladies and the layer cake is one i bought for Heather as she could not get it here.

This is some fabric that caught my eye and the cream one is for my embroidey. It felt nice and soft and was a colour that I thought would go with most fabrics.

The bundles of fat quarters are Fresh Cottons that I as yet dont have an idea for what to use it for, but they look lovely and the other is Wrapped in Paisly that I hope to use in 'Nice People Nice Things'. The strips on the bottom are from a grab bag and at just $10.00 are a bargain, the range is called 'Awesome and I might use it in 'A Gardeners Journal' by Anni Downs. It was a great trip and I wish I could have bought back a lot more fabric but we had weight limits and the postage was just too expensive.

BACK HOME AGAIN

Hi everyone, I am back home again and it is good to be here. We had a wonderful trip, saw some great things and spent a lot of money. We had some long plane flights and ate too much food, got sore bums from sitting in buses for long stretches but it was well worth it for the experience of seeing new things and meeting and talking to the Americans. Shopping is heaven, compared to prices here, very cheap and any thing you wanted you could get it no worries. I bought fabrics and then more fabrics at nearly every town we stopped at, and sewing notions were everywhere and also quite reasonably priced. Clothes were very well priced and the whole family received at least one outfit each. Shopping for kids clothes is delightful and I now have some trendy dressed grandkids. Will tell you more in my next post.


Had a lot of sewing to catch up with when I came home. Blocks for the forum and my sew alongs to get back on track with. Have done 1 block, 2 more to go. Finished glueing all my petals for jacobs quilt and glued them to the background fabric, now have to sew the 14 blocks and I will be ready for the next step. I am doing a 2 day sewing workshop with Kellie in June so I need to be prepared in case I need her help in joining them together.

Look what I bought while in the USA. It is the software for the Dear Jane quilt and I also managed to get the rulers while in Intercourse, yes this is the name of a town in Amish country, hard to believe isn`t it. Also bought some lovely Moda fabrics here for only $6.00 a yard. The price of fabric is unbelievable, so cheap compared to ours.

I have also managed to put the top together of a baby quilt I need for a gift and hope to finish it this week, if I get time. It is the Peep Po pattern from Dawn Hay Designs and I think it has come up very well.

Well I have to go now as I am going out to dinner to catch up with some friends that I haven`t seen for awhile so I will see you all later.

MORE JACOBS BLOCKS AND GRANDDAUGHTERS NEW PONY

I haven't had much time for hand sewing lately as number two daughter and my two grand kids have been down from the farm for a visit. Lots of playing with the children and long talks with my daughter. We also went shopping to the big shops as there is not the variety in a country town. It is great when they visit as there is always something different to do. But when 7.00 pm arrives the GC go to bed and peace reigns in my home once more to hopefully 7.00am the next day. But I wouldn`t have it any other way. I have now finished 13 of the last 35 blocks and hope to have them all done by June.

Today Dh and I went to my eldest daughters home for Easter lunch
and it was delicious. Then Brooke showed me her pony Billy
and she is just learning to ride him.

Next Jade was ready for her lesson and had to have the jeans, boots and hard hat on before getting started. I think Billy is as big around the girth as he is tall but he has a very placid temperament. The girls really love to ride him, and in their words "We even ride him in the street, Nan and You can`t ride him because you are too big."
They are learning to care for him as well and they each have their own brushes and other stuff but I dont know what they are for but I guess when I go there next week I will have another lesson on how to groom a horse.