FIS Hatched & Patched Swap Part 2

This is what I made for Jo - a mug bag using Bliss fabric - very bright and cheery.

Kylie xxx

Before

I mentioned in my last post that my job for this week was to clean up and organise my sewing room (which also doubles as an office). Well I had all good intentions to start today but during a phone call to organise for my DS to catch up with his mate, my friend Raelee asked me if I would like to go to the Aberdeen Quilt Show with her and, of course, how could I say no. The Quilt Show was quite small but had a good range of impressive quilts on display and some stalls of local quilt and bookshops. As it was spare of the moment I forgot to take my camera (nothing new) so I don't have any photos to share. We had a lovely morning tea while we were there and it was good to have some grown up girlie time for a change.

Anyway back to the sewing room - well as you can guess nothing got done today but I did manage to take some before photos

the sewing table

cutting table

bookshelf

I also need to clean out the cupboard which is full of scrapbooking supplies that I don't use. I have found it very hard to try and keep up with two crafts so quilting has won and the scrapbooking is going to make room for more fabric (as if I need it).

Well I had better get motivated.

Chat soon

Kylie xxxx

Holidays

We have just returned from a wonderful weeks holiday at Yamba on the north coast of NSW.

We enjoyed glorious sunsets .....

Fantastic fishing ......

and fun in the sun .....

The weather was amazing - sun every day. We have now returned home to cold weather and rain .... time to break out the trackies and slippers.

My job for the second week of the school holidays is to clean up and organise my sewing room (and do some stitching of course). I will be back soon with an update.

Kylie xx

FIS Hatched & Patched Swap

Recently I participated in a Hatched & Patched swap with my online stitching group Friends in Stitching and these are the wonderful gifts that my swap partner Razzy made for me - aren't they just fantastic - thanks Razzy.

Chat soon

Kylie xxx

I'm Still Here

I am still here but my sewing mojo has been on holidays somewhere far far away. Not much has really been happening in my sewing room over the last month.

I have been working on some secret stitching which I cannot show you for the Girls Day in the Country at Nundle next month and also my Friends in Stitching Birthday swap gift. I have one more swap gift to make and then I am all done (well for now anyway).

I went on a shopping trip to Singleton recently and just had to drop into Busy Needles. They had just gotten in the full range of Collection for a Cause - Hope. I don't like all the fabric in the range but did fall in love with these ones. I have so far made one placemat completely and have four more tops but together. I did need to go back and get more fabric which I did last week so now I can finish the other three.

The on-line stitching group which I am part of - Friends in Stitching - each year do a Block of the Month. Last year I failed miserably and bearly got a start on it but this year I have been determined to keep up and finish. These are the first two blocks - Cathys Campfire and Steps to the Alter. I am using a mix of Holly Holderman fabrics that I have had stashed away for a while. They are sooo yummy and I am just in love with the red and white spot.

My Gardeners Journal is coming along VERY VERY slowly and unfortunately will not be finished to take to Nundle next month but I will get it finished ...... eventually.

Mmmm now what to do next ......

Kylie xxx

Good Intentions

Every year I make a list of New Years Resolutions and 9 times out of 10 I never stick to them. You know the ones - loose weight, exercise, keep up with the ironing, cut down on the fabric I buy etc etc etc. Well this year I decided to avoid all those boring ones and make some fun ones that had to do with sewing/blogging.

Well my first one was that I was going to blog regularly and unfortuntely with this one I have failed as it is now the 18th of January and this is my first post for the year - oh well. So firstly I would like to wish everyone a happy new year. I have been regularly checking out all my favourite blogs and have been very inspired by all the lovely projects that you have all been working on. I am also blown away by the generosity of you all with all the wonderful auctions that are happening to support the Queensland floods. Although I have no friends or relatives in the flooded areas my thoughts have been with everyone affected this past week and have been in tears on many occasions when watching the news reports.

Now two of my other NY resolutions was to attempt a zipper (yes I am one of these who have been frightened by the old zipper) and also to attempt bias binding. A few days after NY's I found the latest Quilts and More magazine in my local newsagents and in it was this cute little bag that required both of these things so I dug out some scraps, bought a zipper and off I went.

I was amazed at how easy it was to do both the zipper and bias binding and really enjoyed making this bag and it only took an afternoon - fun, quick and super easy. My daughter has now claimed it for her new Ipod.

Another of my resolutions was to finish at least two UFO's to one new project. This is a belated xmas gift for a relative. It is a Janelle Wind project and I have to say I really enjoyed making this. It is the first Janelle Wind project I have made and I found the instructions really easy to follow. I love the plum pudding stitchery and I used left over Glace fabrics from my Fat Quarter Shop BOM that I finished last year.

Another project which I have only need to quilt and bind is my Little Patchwork Village quilt which has now become a tablerunner. I have so many stitchery projects on the go at the moment and in order to get some things finished so I can start some new projects I decided to turn this into a runner instead. I had two stitchery blocks completed so I picked out my favourite stitchery from the remaining blocks, stitched it up and here you have it. I really need a new runner for my kitchen table so I am super keen to get this one finished.

I have also been madly stitching more blocks for the Stitch A Long project Gardeners Journal. I have gotten so far behind with this because of our big move last year and I doubt very much I will have it all finished by March for Girls Day in the Country at Nundle but I will see how I go.

I also have to make an Anni Downs project for the Girls Day in the Country swap and have also signed up for an Anni Downs swap with my Friends in Stitching online group.

In between all this stitching and work I have also been enjoying the school holidays with the family.

This is how we spent New Years Eve. Just 5 minutes drive from home is the Towarri National Park which has some amazing swimming holes that are very popular in this area. My husband and I swam there when we were kids and now our kids are enjoying them as well. We had a lovely few hours there with some biscuits and cheese and drinkies while the kids swam, snorkelled and explored.

Last weekend we decided to be spontaneous so at about 9.00 pm on Thursday night decided we would head to Nelsons Bay for the weekend. It is only about 2 1/2 hours drive from here so we decided a mini break was in order. We had a fantastic time at the beach and fishing and came back feeling very refreshed.

Happy Stitching.

Kylie xxxxx

Merry Chistmas and Xmas Swap Gift

I know it is a few days late but I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and friends. This is a photo of our tree at 6.00am on christmas morning before the kids attacked it. We enjoyed a lovely quiet day at home with a hot christmas lunch with my mum and dad. We celebrated our big family christmas with my family yesterday when 13 people descended on our new property. We had the most faboulous time eating and drinking way too much, lots of laughs and happy times - just the way it should be. Today we are all exhausted and are spending the day in front of the TV watching the cricket. I am also planning to get into the sewing room and do some sorting and organising for the year ahead.

These are the lovely gifts that I received in our on-line stitching group xmas swap. The lovely Teresa was my swap partner and she made a sewing companion and writing set complete with paper and envelopes. Thank you Teresa I love them.

I made gifts for Sarah but unfortunately I forgot to take photos so if you hop over to her blog to see what I made.

Kylie xxx