Tea Towel Bag Trade

 Recently the online Friends in Stitching group had a tea towel bag swap, you just had to make a bag using a tea towel, easy. I hadn't done any sewing for ages with the baby and thought this was in my capabilities at the time. I was so excited to do something else for ten minutes a day, LOL and it was ten minutes a day, if that! One day I cut up the tea towel, the next day I cut some of the lining (I didn't have to line it but did as this allowed me to put a pocket in the bag and gave me fabric for handles), another day I stitched the sides of the bag up etc etc. Even with only snippets of time you can make great achievements.

I purchased a Red Tractor Designs tea towel with yummy cakes on it from our local newsagent. Red Tractor have lots of gorgeous tea towels out that it is hard to choose one! They are made from linen. Due to these being long tea towels I was able to use the bottom with the design name for the bottom of the bag.

I bought a pretty stripey tea towel from a local gift wares shop to wrap it in for De.

 Sarah made mine, and it is gorgeous! Love the red and aqua colours together!

 Thanks so much Sarah!

Gorgeous Gift

 Friends recently had their first baby and I had this quilt ALMOST finished before I had our baby. I was pleased that there was less than one side of binding that needed hand stitching down, as it didn't take too long. 

 Last week I met up with Kerry from Cottage on the Hill at Nundle, in town and she gave me this quilt for the baby that Friends in Stitching (online stitching group I am part of) collaborated on to make. 

It's just so beautiful, I love the block pattern and the colours.
THANKYOU GIRLS.

 Sarah from PatchworksPlus did the quilting on it, so beautiful.....

 Those of you who have read my blog or had contact with me since I started blogging know that I don't post  self pictures very often and that I don't post pictures of children; but here is one of me with the baby. He is six weeks old now.....

Belated Christmas

Above is what Vicki made me for Christmas in the Friends in Stitching Secret Santa swap.

The bag was the main present, this is a Red Brolly pattern and Vix has made it for me in reproduction fabrics (love these). Vicki also made me a Red Brolly purse in the FIS purse swap late last year, so they both go together very well! The gorgeous gifts in the other two pictures are what Vicki sent for the advent part of the SSS, we had to purchase or make a small gift to open for the five days leading up to Christmas.

Thanks so much Vicki!

I made for Peg in this swap, and you will have to  look here to see what I made her as I didn't have a camera up and working prior to sending her gifts.

My friend Lynda sent me this gorgeous ornament that she made.

Thanks so much Lynda!

Golly Gosh!

I can't believe it has been more than two months since I last posted! Guess I have a lot to update you on!

Last month I spent four days with Aunty in QLD, it was busy busy as our time was cut short due to dh having to take his mother to a solider reunion for the company that his dad was in, and also due to a change of exam date for my studies (got a distinction for the exam). The kids loved the beach and had a fantastic time. They bought prawns straight off the boat, walked a waterfall hike and visited an aquaponics place. The girls went wedding dress shopping with me for aunty, no she hasn't decided which dress yet but she did say that we helped.

We weren't home long from QLD (our first trip away in twelve months from the farm, aside from day trips) when had a trip through Sydney to dh's mothers surprise 80th. Coming home we had car trouble which ended up being costly and time consuming to fix, and the car drives better now than it has done in years.

I have spent a lot of time in bed the past three months but with some changes (from the naturopath) I am up and about. We have a baby due in April that we are all very excited about! Due to being so sick I wanted to have my scan and make sure everything was alright before letting too many people know; everything is fine. After Christmas I will start shopping the op shops for baby things as most of my stuff has either worn out or been passed on/lent out.  

With the new baby coming I ummed and ahhed over the quilting baby books, didn't need them but I ended up purchasing Anna Maria Horner's 'New Beginings'. I LOVE this book! It has so much more in it than I expected. Maternity and breastfeeding clothes for mum; clothes, toys and quilts for baby; toys and bags for dads and siblings etc.

I got my new camera last week, after not having one for a number of months. It's not up and running yet but will be soon. I have lots to show.

Just before going to QLD the older two children went to leather work and MrZ made leather thongs and JessieGirl made leather sandals. They are fantastic and the kids are so proud of their achievement. Miss Busy went to leather work last weekend by herself to make a belt and she ended up making her own sandals too! Her sandals are more suited to her tastes, one sandal has red straps and the other has blue!

During the winter we bought a second hand industrial sewing machine from the leather work teacher; dh has used it to repair his bee gloves and I have visions of HIM (not me) making some good canvas tarps for the farm with it! A very handy addition to have!

I have been busy sewing (in fits and starts) on my machine. I have completed five quilt tops ready to be quilted, my Friends in Stitching secret santa present, a few smaller things for Christmas gifts and a number of things for the children (dolls, bags etc). I am STILL stitching Butterfly Garden, only have 2 blocks left to stitch and then about five to machine applique. I started this quilt January 2008!

Our milking goat had twins last weekend, a girl who looks like mum and a boy who looks like dad! I will have photos of these soon, they are so gorgeous! We also have two Wessex Saddleback pigs, and Peking duck eggs in the incubator. Two weeks ago, in all the rain we had, one of the four milking cows calved and lost her calf to the weather before I got her in. It's nice to have fresh milk again but not so good to lose the calf. I am hoping to get a poddy to foster onto her soon.

Bec xxx

FIS Hatched and Patched

 This is what Kerri made for me, the gorgeous 'Smell the Roses' bag from Anni's book 'A Gardeners Journal'. I love the teal/blue fabric she made the bag from....so rapt to recieve something so beautiful! Thanks Kerri! I have used the bag on every trip to town since recieving it; lots of room inside!

This is what I made for Razzy. I made her up a sewing set using patterns of Anni's from here and there; tied together with the same stitchery/applique pattern. The bag is 'Petite Sewing Set' pattern, the needlecase is a 'Simple Stitchings' pattern, the scissor fob was in the book 'Simple Pleasures' and for the pincushion I used a pincushion pattern for the shape and enlarged the red bird stitchery (''In the Life of a Bag" book) and made it into a wool applique. I even used some of the fabric that I used to make my 'Gardeners Journal' quilt. Love what I made, it was fun making up a sewing set.

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post, I have been laid up though. Had a minor surgery on my foot and the stitches only came out yesterday so I am still hobbling about. I have done only a little sewing, and that is secret sewing for a FIS birthday. I have the bookwork for the farm up to date and have been reading alot. I recently discovered Julie Klassen. So if you are a Jane Austen fan you will love Julie Klassen. Another recent favourite is Cassandra Clare....eagerly awaiting the next book in the mail!

What are you reading?

FIS 2010 BOM progress

 Last week I pieced three blocks for my FIS sampler BOM from 2010. I got just 'a little' behind with this one! Loved doing it though, one block picked per month and they were fairly easy piecing.

The fabrics I used are misc Holly Holderman ones,most are from the Dolly Dresses range.

 Excuse some of my piecing, it seems that you cut things out and double check. Then once they are stitched together, they don't always end up how they should! I am sure I am not the only one out there that this happens to!

My blocks so far. We had 12 to do, I have 4 left to go.

The extra block came in when I made two of the block I chose - Colorado Beauty, top right in the picture.

I will incorporate my second block into the backing, as I don't want to cull any of the blocks from the quilt.

I have a white on white dot for the sashing.

Pretty pretty!