MIA - returning soon...

Here is the reason I have been MIA for so long...

 

Can you guess?  Now emerging from the marking... practice exams, SACS, essays, outcomes, exams - all done!  (I'm sure I'll find a few that I've missed.) 

Now onto reports, but may be a tidy up of my desk first!  And clean house, clear out and sort wardrobe, clean and sort pantry AND any other cleaning job that needs to be done - you wouldn't guess that I'm a procrastinator, would you?

Garden Inspiration

My Garden tends to be the most neglected part of my home.  I don't keep up with the weeding and I am not a big fan of mulching the whole front hill yard. This holidays I plan to get into the garden and do some serious weeding and mulching.  But for now I have lots of flowers telling me that Spring has arrived.

Just got this cymbidium from Lintons with a gift voucher from my Saturday sewing friends.

Don't look at the weeds!

Weeping cherry

An Angels Story - September

It has been a very busy time the last few weeks as I set myself the mission to get all my correction completed before the end of the term so I could enjoy the school holidays.  I am sure I'll get some practice exams emailed but that is not like having to correct class sets of essays.

I am very happy that when I created my work list at the start of the year I unwittingly had two small and easy blocks for September.  If there was going to be any part of the year where I would fall behind and have to pay (shock and horror) the fine it would be at the end of a term around reporting time.  But I have prevailed and completed my September blocks early, I guess I'll have to work on my in-between project!

Urban Stitches

Trish and I had a wonderful day at Urban Stitches on Saturday.  The kits were divine and the shopping awesome.  We met some lovely laddies and sewed the day away...

Three beautiful projects to choose from...

I selected simplicity in my project - just back stitch in one colour

My Stuff

Threads that look like box of coloured pencils

Trish's beautiful chain stitch flower

Rosalie and Leanne announced that their overseas stitching retreat would be in Hawaii next year - I so want to go!  Need to know the dates NOW so I can think about Long Service Leave...

An Angels Story - August

Note - must remember to press publish!

Well I am still up to date with my version of An Angels Story.  August is completed and I have just re-examined my list and I have only two blocks to complete before I can put the quilt together.  I can't believe how quickly the months have gone...

 My in-between project has slowed a little, hopefully I will get a chance to get back into it next month as the September block is two very small items.

Quilt top in a day

Two Saturdays ago I spent a miserable day (weather wise) sewing with some friends in Mornington.  They spent the whole weekend sewing while I just sewed Saturday.  By the end of the day I had the quilt top made with a fat quarter collection I had purchased a few years ago of Lakehouse Dry Goods pink and raspberry fabric.

 
I need a small border (2 inches) and then a larger border (4 inches).  I have the following fabrics - all Lakehouse Dry Goods but different ranges.  The colours all work but I can't make up my mind... Please help!

An Angels Story - July

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day spent outside in the garden.  I did remember to take photos of my blocks for An Angels Story.  What do you think?

Update... gone sewing!

A certain someone (who shall remain nameless) keeps bugging me about my latest blog entry.  To be perfectly honest I have been very busy working on a few sewing projects.  Had a wonderful day sewing last Saturday and made a beautiful pale pink and raspberry quilt top in a day.  All that is left is to add the final borders then off to the quilter (Mum!)

I have also finished my August AND September block for An Angels Story.  I know I am a bit behind in showing pictures but they don't look nice when taken at night.  SO I PROMISE to take some pictures of all that I have been busy creating over the last two weeks on Saturday and share - boy I hope the sun is out!

But in the meantime you might want to check out what I have been doing on pinterest.  Every time I come across something amazing in my online journey I just pin the image to one of my notice boards. Needless to say, I have boards on a number of different topics! Very addictive!!

Quilt Show... and another BOM option

I had a wonderful night with three friends at the Stitches and Craft Show, we made our way around all the stalls admiring the range of patterns and fabrics.  Didn't buy much, just a pattern and some fabric for the pattern project.  Everything on my wish list was not there which was disappointing, oh well!  The quilts on display in Vic Quilters Showcase were inspirational but I didn't take any photos...must remember to be more organised.  I did see another option for our next challenge quilt project.

What do you think?

Christmas in July completed...

Well, my Christmas in July gift is completed and I don't want to give it away!

I wonder if I could some how fix Kris Kringle to ensure I get it...

Christmas in July

This Friday night my Friday night sit n sew group are meeting for a Christmas in July dinner and as part the celebration we are swapping a small Christmas present.  The rules are simple, the gift should be handmade and be a needle necessity.  So I have been madly stitching the front cover for a little booklet that will made, somehow, before Friday.  I love the stitchery so much that I am thinking of making a few more...

An Angels Story - June

I am not sure how it has happened... but I seem to be in front of the Challenge.  Others have lost the love or have just been too busy.  Either way I am happy (Ha!) but with five months to go I need to keep my game face on and keep working...

And here is a little sneak peak of July's block, I got heaps of sewing done at the monthly quilt group meeting.

Fairyland - my 'in between' project

I have been writing several months now about my in between challenge group project.  Well I can finally reveal that I have been working on Fairyland by Natalie Bird.  I started this a few years ago and it has been sitting on my UFO list ever since.  I don't know why, but this project seemed such a slow project but I am flying through it now!  Here are some photos of the first few finished blocks.  At present I am not working on a block per month like I am with challenge group.  This project is my pick up and put down task.  Whenever I have time and have finished An Angels Story early I get stuck into another block of Fairyland.  What do you think so far...

People have spoken... well voted!

After voting there are two quilts that are strong options, one has 86% of the votes and the other has 67% of the votes.  I have listed (in no particular order) all the quilts that received a vote or votes.  Which one do you think is out in front?

Berries and Bluebirds from Gail Pan Designs

Home is where my heart resides by Rosalie Quinlan Designs

Home Tweet Home by Cyndi Walker

Jardin de Roses by Verna Mosquera

A Girl in Paris by Fig Tree Quilts

Tiny Town by Bunny Hill Designs

Le Jardin by Bunny Hill Designs

Blooming Springtime by Irene Blanck