Back home

I stayed at my parent's for an extra few days after Wayne (hubby) headed home. He must have missed me (ah shucks!) - because these beautiful flowers were given to me the day after I returned - "Just because"! 21 beautiful roses - in all colours - and the fragrance is wonderful! I have them sitting next to my sewing machine - ahhh - the inspiration!

I never did get around to showing the Yo-Yo table runner I made for my girlfriend Susie - it looks so small in the photo! It took a number of hours to stitch - even with those wonderful new Clover Yo-Yo Makers - but the effect was worth it. Now - to stitch one for me!!!

I made it with a Blackbird Designs charm square pack from Moda - Susie already had a quilt or two made with fabrics from the range - so it works well in her lounge.

I took this photo in Susie's house just before we left for (another) day (for me) of shopping. I was a little more restrained than I had been the day before - although I did manage to do a little damage in one particular shop (Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop) - and have joined up for a Christmas in July swap through Karen's blog. Pop on over and check it out!

I also managed to photo a gift I made for my Mum (and a special friend) - for Christmas. I always seem to end up with a theme for my Christmas stitching - this creation was the impetus for my theme in 2008. Not a particularly good photo - but you can get the idea. Guess I'll just have to stitch my own version so that I can photo it MUCH better for the pattern cover. Just add another project to this list ........

I did manage to do a 'tiny' bit of shopping in my Mum's local area - found just the right border fabric to go with the blue, antique white and red I showed you last time - that quilt is busily being stitched now - so a photo shouldn't be long in coming. I also purchased the border fabric to go with my brown and green collection. Aaaah - so many projects, so many reasons - and very little holidays left (sob sob).

Off I go to finish the blue quilt. My gorgeous son is popping to my favourite patchwork shop to get a little more of my feature fabric for my school bag - I have decided to change the dimensions - so of course, more fabric was needed! Hope to stitch and complete that bag this evening .......... stay tuned!

TTFN - Dawn

On a sugar high ? ..................

Not quite!!! Try a shopping high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the most WONDERFUL day yesterday. I spent the day with my friend Tania on our own private "Shop Hop". Now I will warn you up front - I have taken rough and ready photos of my purchases to show you - as I am under pressure to get out of the house! I have another "Shop Hop" day planned - this time with my friend Sue.

We started off at my very favourite shop - Primitive Patches - where I commenced the purchasing (and did most of my damage). Then after a SCRUMPTIOUS lunch at a favourite eatery, we headed off to The Stitching Post where I added to my growing pile. Next we ventured to a store never before visited - amitie - where I started the collection for a very special quilt.

This next photo shows the backing fabric that I HAD to buy in order to quilt this top - which is part of my "One Project a Month" challenge. So you see, I was just keeping my word!

The second photo shows the background fabric that I "needed" to purchase to work on Anne's gorgeous BOM this year - once again, keeping my word!

Next we have the necessary fabrics to make my new school bag! See - once again - keeping my word!

Then I needed just a couple more red and blue fabrics to complete a new design I had started 'the other day' - to utilise a Jelly Cake I had purchased in 2007!!!!! Once again, it falls in to that "One Project a Month" category!!!

Then I had to add to my brown and green fabrics for the project my mind is committed to making over the summer - once again, not frivilous purchases!!!!!

And lastly, more Posh for my collection - a new design which I HAVE to make for Quilt Expo that is coming up - and possibly for my favourite store again!!!

Now you need to understand, that along the way to each of these destinations, there was much laughing, talking and wishful thinking. My wish for you - is that you have a day today, tomorrow, or the next - that is half as fun as the day I had yesterday.

Off to the Aussie Bush tonight to spend a few days with my parents (and where, oh woe is me - I have to endure another visit to THOSE local fabric shops!!!). I'll show you my goodies on my return!

Footnote : Before you tut-tut my spending spree - just remember, the World's economy isn't the best just at the moment - we were merely doing out bit to aid its recovery!

TTFN - Dawn

Having fun ......

I'm getting ready for the return to work. Now this has the potential to make me sad - but I'm doing fun stuff! I've covered my boring old 2009 diary and now I have this gorgous "Posh" diary.

So much better than the generic off-the-shelf look!

Now to move on to my new "school bag"!

TTFN - Dawn

Off and running ........

Thanks to May Britt's challenge to finish one WISP a month, I needed to find some wool fabric to work on this. While going through the cupboard where I thought it would be - I came across a box! Ooooh - I had forgotten all about that! Some four or five (more likely to be five) years ago, a friendship group that I was part of decided that rather than have a block round robin as we had done previously, we would all purchase a half metre of this Thimbleberries fabric - and we would all make something of our own choosing out of it, and show it once completed.

Now I do remember that both Tania and Sue made bags - but I don't remember anyone else actually completing anything with their fabric. Me being the 'over-achiever/over-committer' that I can be - chose to make myself a quilt. Now what did I find in that box ..........

.... well, there were 11 completed square-in-a-square (in a square in a square) blocks; 1 block that needed 1 piece sewn on to complete; 5 blocks that needed 2 pieces to be sewn to be complete - and 8 blocks cut, but needing to be completely sewn!

What's a girl to do when searching for wool to finish a WISP when she finds another WISP that she wants to COMPLETE???? She stitches and stitches and stitches of course! So now - I have a quilt top that is waiting to be basted, quilted and bound!!!!! Wouldn't you know it - I don't have any batting big enough, so I shall have to wait until Monday when my fave shops re-opens - and off I shall go to purchase batting and 'just the right' backing fabric - and I shall have a completed quilt before January is through!

And of course - I will have completed the afore-said work - which I still need to find the wool for!!

TTFN - Dawn

It's gonna be a busy year .......

Another button on my blog!!!!! Have you all seen the new Mystery BOM that Anne at Bunny Hill is generously giving away? You haven't?? Well you need to click on over and have a look - who knows what will show up in your basket each month!!! I know I'm going to stitch it - I can just see the colour pallette in my mind - now to find all the fabrics I need in my stash, because this is going to be a stash project - except perhaps for the backing fabric!

Just before Christmas I finally got around to stitching this bag - I have been wanting to stitch it for so long, but deciding on which fabric was all too hard. I finally jumped in boots and all and stitched it with these fabrics (it is reversible) - but now I want to stitch it again in a totally different fabric - choices again!

I haven't shown the gorgeous apron I received as part of the Ric-Rac and Polka Dots swap that Sharon hosted. My gifts were made and sent by Sherry from the US - I haven't yet photographed the gorgeous cards that she scrapbooked for me - and the parcel also included a great little tissue purse pack (which has already been placed in my bag!) and some gorgeous little ric-rac pins, so I hope Sherry doesn't mind, I've 'borrowed' a photo from her blog of the gifts which she has so nicely photogaphed! I think one of those little pins will look just perfect on the bag I've just shown you - oooh - I must go and do that now! Thanks Sherry - just love my gifts - and REALLY enjoyed participating in this swap!

Spent a lovely day out with a friend yesterday - visiting a patchwork shop I love; browsing gift stores and indulging in good coffee sitting in the sun. Forgot to take photos but - will photograph my little purchases and show you them next time!

TTFN - Dawn

I have decided .......

on my first "One Project A Month" item.

I blogged about this item way back at the beginning of 2008 here and here. It did progress (some) and so now, this is my starting point. Australia will head towards Autumn in only 7 weeks - I think the timing is right to make sure it is stitched, finished and hanging on the wall for the first of March.

TTFN - Dawn

Off and running ......

So far - so good. Have you noticed the new button on my side bar? Yes, I know there's a couple - it's this one!



May Britt and Kris have issued a challenge - one that I'm happy to take on board! Perhaps this will give me the inspiration I need to continue on with my project completion. YES I will continue to begin new projects, but it is my aim to complete an old one each month also. I have started off well with the binding on my Christmas wall quilt - what else shall I do this month? I shall investigate the shamefully enormous pile of WISPs and UFO's and target at least one for this month.


Benjamin Button was absolutely wonderful - different to how I thought it would be - it was more of a 'narrative' movie (like Forrest Gump) - but it WAS good - and Brad is looking mighty fine!!!



While I am pondering which of my UFO's I shall work on this month - I DID take the opportunity to start on a new project yesterday - with this little bundle - I'll stitch a bit more and then show my progress ........



TTFN - Dawn