Foundation Piecing

At my monthly sewing group I was

given a foundation piecing pattern for the cutest 

little Christmas tree, so I took that pattern and

over the weekend I made 4 of those very cute trees

and as of today this is what those trees have become

a very sweet table runner for Christmas day

dh asked was I going to add a border, no was my

answer, but then I thought about it and

decided I would add a border.

After the border was added he asked was I going

to fold it over........um NO it will have

binding added after quilting.

It turns out he was talking about binding......

but I do like it more with the border.

quilting tomorrow and then I will sew the binding on

in front of the tv tomorrow night.

We are off to Ulladulla on Thursday hitting all the patchwork shops

I can find between here and there as I am also going to use the little tree

pattern to make the girlies some santa sacks.

Can't wait for December 1st so I can have this on our table :)

Christmas Angel Swap

I am slowly working my way through the gift list

for Mrs Martin's Christmas Angel Swap 2012

and today I managed to cross another of my list

but I can only give you a sneak peak.

LOVE LOVE LOVE what I made

and I LOVE that it is 100% out of my stash

I only have 5 more little gifts do and my list

is complete.

and I know know exactly what I am going to make for my 

recipient in Chookyblues

Secret Santa Christmas Swap.

Happy days

In Search Of

a quilt block keeper pattern.

I don't want the one made from a post pac

tube, I want one that has  foam core board in

the covers and ties shut with handles.

I have googled it and have only found

the postal tube patterns....

can anyone help me 

PLEASE

I've Been Sewing :)

I have worked on 'Erin's Quilt'

there are 12 of these blocks made 

I have worked on my Outlaws quilt, which

I have decided that I love way to much to 

part with.........

there are 3 of these blocks sewn so far, only 

22 more to make

I have put together the little outdoor setting

we bought for the deck, our big table is

just too wide for the space.

and I have planted some petunias in pots (there

are 4 pots of petunias) to add some colour.

and I have replaced one plant in the gardens out the front

the rabbits aren't the issue

the issue is the naughty puppy who is living up to his

naughty puppy name!!

Having coffee tomorrow with the girls, comparing fabrics as

we are all making 'Erin's Quilt' together, then it will be home

to sew some more blocks together for MY new quilt :)

Gardening

Here are the photos I promised to share last night of

our new and improved rabbit proof gardens

This little bed has azaleas, native daisies, a half chewed

parsley, rosemary in the corner and a cameilia planted in it

the large blue pot has a not so happy daphne bush.

the large terracotta pots have gardenias and we have

strawberries too and some annuals 

this bed has a cameilia, azalea's, native daisies

this is the view as you come in the gate

this bed is under the bathroom window and the sun room's side windows

its dominated by a huge fugly palm, so we have native daisies, azalea's, 

dietie's, agapanthus, some bulbs of the unknown and a bush that

has the sweetest blossoms but again is a mystery

Sophie and I went and got some plants that grow along the drive yesterday

we have no idea exactly what they are called, but they should 

eventually look 

like these

and Henrycat followed us from window to window while we were

busy yesterday and today

I still have some blue irises to plant and we also planted some more vegies 

today, 3 different chillies, sweetcorn, 2 zucchini and 2 cucumber plants

and we have some bean seeds to grow so will plant them tomorrow

after school and the girlies can grow them.

and until 30 minutes ago when I got the sewing machine going, I have

not sewn a stitch since Friday night. Tomorrow is my quilting group

and I am only taking the out laws quilt to work on hopefully in between

chatting I can make some real progress.

The Rabbit Proof Fence

My two little garden beds on either side of the path

to the front door are now

100% rabbit proof.

I have planted and they have eaten, daisies,

lettuce, parsley, oregano, thyme

anything and everything.

I thought that they had stopped visiting, as my

parsley was flourishing when I looked at it yesterday

but this morning they had been munching

on the parsley, and all I have left is

parsley stems........

So today the girlies and I bought 10 metres of chicken

wire, cable ties, azaleas and some more daisies

and we have rabbit proofed the garden beds :)

and planted the daisies and azalea's and

the strawberries into pots

tomorrow we are off to the markets in Merimbula, 

hopefully we will get some more plants for the other 

garden bed the rabbits like to eat, if not we will call into

'Oaklands' and buy 4 more azaleas and then into

Mitre 10 to get 4 more of the daisy bushes

I will be sure to snap some photos to share tomorrow,

I am really happy with how the beds look and

can't wait for the plants to get bigger in the hope that

one day we can de fence the gardens, well

I can hope :)

Worlds Laziest Cat.....

Starting at 7am this morning I have taken a photo of Henry

every hour.

7am

8am 

9am

10am

11am

noon

1pm

3pm

7 hours in the one chair, the only movement was to change positions

LAZY LAZY LAZY

oh and my purchases from yesterday

background fabric for the out laws quilt

what its supposed to look like

and the yummy blue I bought for it

now I need to get back to sewing strips of fabric together and there are

LOADS of strips to be sewn!

Thank You

for all your comments, emails and Facebook messages

it would appear the most popular online store is

the Fat Quarter Shop in the USA

BUT

I really wanted to buy in Australia, only because I wanted to

start asap and my last fabric order was a biggie from the

Fat Quarter Shop :) Super Mario fabric

as I couldn't find exactly what I want, I selected another

pattern from a fabulous book that was on my bookshelf

(stolen borrowed from my mum)

 I took drive this morning to a fabulous store thats only

30 minutes away and found the perfect fabric that was dirt cheap 

lucky as I needed 6.5 metres......

then I drove to Bega and bought another 7 metres of a really nice

homespun, new needles for my sewing machine & some beige cotton

and I may have bought it, but dh paid for it :), well

it is for his parents so fairs fair I thought

drove home, and started cutting up all that fabric.

Lordy I do pick some fiddly quilt patterns :)

I will get some photos tomorrow and share

with you all.

I will also be documenting a day in the life of Henrycat, every hour on 

the hour I thought I would take a photo as proof I have THE

LAZIEST cat in the world. Should be fun and if tomorrow is like

any other day the photos will all be of him in the same spot

but in different sleeping positions .

He is very much a creature of habit!

Shopping Help needed

I want to make a quilt for my in-laws for Christmas this year

I have the pattern picked out but I need your help

I need to purchase 2 jelly rolls and 4 metres of a co-ordinating

fabric to make the quilt I picked... it will be 84x84 when finished

can you please suggest some online stores for me to visit,

I have found 2 jelly rolls I love, but the store didn't have

any co ordinating fabric....

and its really doing my head in....

please please please :)

Lunch Bag Link

if you would like to make a lunch bag

or 2, you can find the tutorial here

LUNCH BAGS

happy lunch bag sewing

Lunch Bags

I love it when all my family are asleep and I get

to surf the net without distractions

I found this pattern on Saturday night too

Lunch Bags

the first one was made with uber stiff interfacing

and was awful to sew 

the second was made using pellon, with the stiff

interfacing in the bag cuff and handles

aren't they gorgeous

I am going to use the house one for my hexagons if I need

to take them out with me, the yellow/pink will be for my

sewing bits and pieces needles cotton etc when its sewing day

with the girls.

Weighted Pincushion Organiser

While I was surfing the www last night

I came across this pattern for a

Weighted Pincushion Organiser

printed it and after soccer presentation

this morning and lunch I started

sewing

it has a detachable thread/scrap bucket

pockets for scissors and unpickers

I have been saving this fabric, it's designed by

Lynette Anderson and has been in my

stash for about 18 months.

the pincushion is HUGE and has a felted wool bit for needles

and speaking of soccer presentation

Emma cleaned up today

She received a trophy for playing (all the kids got one)

she then received a trophy for Most Improved

and then

she was named the Players Player Under 11's 2012

voted by her team mates.

Love the grin on her face it says it all.

(terrible iPhone photo though)

I was a very proud Mama

Have you met my Stalker?

No matter where I go in the house, I have a stalker watching
my every move..... as everyone has gone to bed early
tonight I thought I would have a little surf of the www

and look what is behind me

my stalker.......

Henrycat

fast asleep on my unpicker and pin cushion. As soon as I

go to bed he will saunter up the hallway and launch

himself to my side of the bed and eventually lie down

beside me and go to sleep, with his head in my hand....

and I have another OPAM finish ( I am on a roll)

but this one I can't share as its for a Christmas swap :(

but I can give you a sneaky peek

and that's all I can share with you :)

there will be quite a bit of secret sewing going on

in the next few weeks as I get my

Mrs Martin's Christmas Angel Swap gifts

made 

and then there is

Chookyblue's Secret Santa Christmas Swap

gift and ornament to be made, I have my thinking cap

on for that one......

lots of sneaky peeks coming up :)

I made another 5 Irish Chain blocks today,

that means I only have 4 more to make yippee

Irish Chain Love

I made a start today on the quilt my friends

and I are all making. 

I love the Irish chain block I can see a queen size

Irish chain quilt in my future

and the fabrics I am using

a mix of Minnick & Simpson,

3 Sisters and the blue I got yesterday

the red is out of my stash its an older

Jinny Beyer that was discontinued a 

couple of years ago :(

the pattern is called Chains and Stars.

and I might add its one of those quilts with not so good

instructions, I shall have to warn the girls before they

start on theirs.

It's been a bit windy

What a wild 24 hours we have had,

gale force winds,

severe weather warnings,

total fire ban statewide

we fared ok though, although Imogen and I have a 

job to do this afternoon thanks to the wind

we have to de-pine tree branch the front yard

and collect the dogs stainless steel bowl

which was blown from the front to the 

back fence

hubby is organising someone to come and repair the VHF

radio antenna, which has snapped in the wind

and I got some happy mail this morning

a fat quarter bundle of

'La Petite école by French General'

and a fat quarter bundle of 'Hope'

Marcus Brothers, collection for a cause

yesterday I got started on some secret sewing 

look at the mess I made there was fabric and bits

of stuff EVERYWHERE

even the floor had fabric on it

and today my sewing room looks like this

back to normal :)

hubby and I went to Bega earlier, he bought golf

balls and tee's and he added to my Mario

addiction with a new game, I just need to find the 3DS

and I will be good to play :) and I bought some fabric 

which is why we actually went to Bega

2 friends and I are making the same quilt, all using

different fabrics. I am using 

Claremont Farms by Minnick & Simpson

Jenni is using French General or Sweetwater

and I am not sure what Marlene is using.

Not that any of us have started yet :)

We had a very yummy lunch then came home, where he has

gone back to work and I have cleaned up my sewing room and

tidied the house, just need to make our bed and I will be

happy to sit and have a play of Super Mario Bros 2

My twinnies come home from camp today

it has been sooooooo very quiet, and I think

Imogen has enjoyed being 'an only child'

my workload has decreased significantly but will

be full again tomorrow with all their washing and

tonight will be crazy as they fight over who tells

us what happened while they were away.