Grab a tea or coffee

I can't believe how quickly time slips by these days! I still don't have a camera, so still no pic's to show you, sorry.

In July I finished the HeMingHos quilt, all quilted and bound; now on the lounge to snuggle with on cool nights.

I have a quilt almost finished for my son's birthday, the Shheep one and named so because he calls them 'heep' and we have to remind him to put the 'shh' in front of the 'heep'! Another quilt almost finished a lap sized baby/toddler quilt, a dissapearing nine patch with white sashing made with Punctuation by American Jane. I am pretty sure I showed this quilt top a while back. It's all quilted now and just waiting for the binding to be stitched down.

It seems everywhere I look everyone has taken to English Paper Piecing! I haven't stitched anything on Candied Hexagons for quite a few months now and stitched six hexagons last week plus prepared a few more. The hexagons are made up of other shapes, they give a bit more interest than just piecing a plain shape which was what I needed. To date I have 30 completed and need approx another 60 to make up a lap sized quilt with borders.

Butterfly Garden has had a rest and now is being stitched again, I have 15 stitcheries to go and 20 machine appliques. The end is getting closer and I am looking forward to getting this pretty quilt together.

I haven't done any work on An Angels Story since I last blogged it. I have decided to sit it aside until Butterfly Garden is finished.

I recieved a Random Act of Kindness gift in the mail from Julie - such a lovely surprise! She made me a beautiful bag complete with stitched on shells; and inside the bag was a little quilt pattern, a scented candle, body powder, an embroidered tea towel and some very funky plant markers made from spoons! As soon as the new camera arrives I will show you what she sent, much nicer to see a picture. Now I have to send something back to Julie......mmm the possibilities are endless!

I am part of Sarah's Fig Tree Club and recently recieved the third project, a lap quilt made in Strawberry Fields fabrics. Such gorgeous fabrics. I am going to make this quilt for my next door neighbour who has her farm up for sale. She cares for her elderly parents and needs to spend more time with them. She also went through breast cancer and surgery a few years ago. The quilt is to show her our love and appreciation.

I have also been working on a few secret projects, one for the Secret Santa Christmas gift for the online stitching group Friends in Stitching; another secret project for a purse swap for the same group. I am making for Vicki and she is making for me, we've had a few laughs with emails working out what each other likes and discussing what purse patterns we both have.

oh, and it seems inspiration goes two ways. Sandy from Shiralee Stitches had her An Angels Story quilt at Nundle earlier in the year and inspired me to start this quilt again. She recently purchased fabrics to make Butterfly Garden from seeing it on my blog; LOL cause as we know it is far from being finished yet!

Have a look at Marina's blog, she recently bought a quilt kit from me when I had a clean out (helps you to re-focus on what you really want to stitch). Anyway she is making Leanne Beasley's Down in the Garden with the Sunkissed fabric....so gorgeous!

What else has been happening???? We went to Ag-Quip last week, haven't been for 2-3 years. It's a large agricultural field day. It was lovely to see that two quilt shops had stand there, and there was also a Bernina stand. Mr Busy bought a special drill to put the screws in onthe verandah roof, so he won't have to bend down now. I bought socks. LOL. Normally I avoid anything made in China but we go through socks here like nothing else (on an average day I wash 7-10 pairs depending on what the children have been doing) and I can't justify spending $5 on one pair that wear out in a few months. So when we go to Ag Quip I buy socks. The stand I buy the socks from sells them for anything from 4 pairs for $10 to 6 pairs for $10. We also buy socks at second hand shops for 10-50c a pair and a friend 'collects' socks from second hand shops and other people for me too. If nobody walks on wet ground with only socks on, I have 7 pairs of socks to wash, DAILY. Multiply that by 7 days in a week and that is a lot of socks to keep track, and socks don't always stay together with one often mysteriously dissapearing never to return! Last January I found that Coles supermarket was selling new school socks (yes, made in China AGAIN!) for a great price so I will be checking there again next January.

Recently I saw that Jenny of Elefantz has a monthly magazine for $4 which has a BOM pattern, two other patterns and a recipe in it. She stitches such beautiful things, it's worth having a look at.

I have some frugal sewing to show you all  when the camera comes - dishcloths, nighties etc.

Bec xxx