Clever?...blogtoberfest Day 23

Not Clever:

and it took me one and a half sides to realise the binding was on the wrong way!

Clever:

I did redeem myself by doing a nice mitred join at the end of the binding!...when I finally had it on the right way.

The finished swap ready to be posted tomorrow:

Not Clever:

I thought I'd be very clever and use a nice stiff pellon to line this bag

however, the sewing machine protested and the tension was all over the place...

All the seams have white or blue threads showing ( I tried to go over the white with blue...even bigger disaster!)

and the pattern wouldn't join up at the sides (but I cleverly took the photo so you can't see the ugly thread showing through!)

Pellon and threads...not one of my most clever choices...I'll use the bag, cause I won't really care about the stitching...but now I need to start again for the person it was meant for...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Busy Relaxing...

Day 5 of the school holidays...

BUSY: little visitors, kiddie boot camp, washing, feeding the masses, trips to Spotlight - you get the picture, nothing really stops in the holidays - except work - and that's replaced by holiday activities!

RELAXING:
I joined in with a Block of the Month at Canton Village Quiltworks. The first block came out on September 25th - OMG it's already DONE!!!

I've cut out a bag pattern - Monica Poole and Saffron Craig - a match surely made in heaven!

Putting together a paper pieced project for the MRSA#3...

I can hand sew this at night in front of the tv - I dont' miss much of the story line and there is always someone else sitting there to roll their eyes and fill me in on what I miss...

The plan for today is to finish that bag...start your stopwatch...now...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

One Swap Over...Another Begins...

The second Mug Rug Swap Adventure has come to an end.

Here's what the postman delivered to brighten up my day:

Isn't that just the cutest birdie?

And look...dress form fabric and some swirly fabric goodness...yummo...

A HUGE thank you to Carla of  www.halfdozendaily.wordpress.com

you've made me a delightful mugrug...I love it...thank you...

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I've joined in the next Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap...signups close Wednesday 27 July. Go here for information and here to sign up.
The theme for this swap is bloom - and I have spent the last few hours looking for blooming great ideas!
It's a bit addictive...so you can't say I haven't warned you.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Hot Drink Weather...

Freezing winds rattling the windows and snow falls about 100km west of here are making me think of lovely hot drinks...

Do you like your  hot chocolate with sprinkles?

Or maybe you like a hot cup of tea?

Or perhaps a steaming cup of coffee?

or do you just like to look at cute little coffee pots?

You know what all this means?

I’ve finished my mug rug for Leona’s swap. It’s due to go out by June 30th and I have it ready 9 days early…miracles still do happen!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

After the Rain...

You may be wondering what I bought when I was stranded in the rain.
These two fabrics – the floral and the green filler - are for the backing and binding of my current embroidery project. I wasn’t sure if all those flowers were a ‘bit too much’, but seeing them in the photo – and there will be miles of white blanketing (apparently we now call it ‘negative space’) between the central design and the edges – I think it will all work quite ok.

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I also picked up a backing that I’m going to use for the ‘bubbles and ruffles’ quilt. I like the embossed pattern because it picks up some of the pattern design of the main blue fabric (and it will also be much easier to quilt with white in the top and bottom threads!).

I just had to play with that photo effect and it does show the pattern in the white.

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This week I sewed the bottom of this bag - on the machine - and surprised myself with how well it turned out. This'll be added to the pile of "things I'll make again". It has an oval bottom that is pinned in place, then both the base and bag are bound and it’s really easy to machine sew the binding, a definite plus when you want to have more in the 'finish' pile than the 'whenever' pile!

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Finally , I've been getting work done on the mug rug for this swap.  I am going to add some embroidery with stranded and perle cotton, rather than machine quilting – just for something different.

Well that’s been my week – I won’t bore you with the vacuuming, washing, folding, dinners and all those other things that usually make up my week and eat severely into quilting/sewing/crochet and embroidery time!!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence.

The Hexagon MugRug...

Now that the mug rug has reached it's destination I can show it to you.
It was made for Cheryl...

I used a 5" hexagon of the background fabric and a 3 1/2" hexagon of the main fabric, sandwiched with the same sized piece of wadding.

Fold the edge of the larger piece in to meet the edge of the inner piece, then fold again so it sits on top of the inner piece, and stitch down. Repeat for all 6 sides. Stitch the hexagons together in the layout you choose.

For the half hexagons, I cut the inner piece exactly in half. For the backing piece, I ruled a line at the half way mark and then another line 1/2" below that, which became the cutting line. (Sorry the picture is cut off in the lower corner, and looks a bit wonky.)

Fold the sides the same way, but trim the corners carefully on the sides to reduce some of the bulk.

I'm pretty happy with it J

You can see all the mug rugs that were made in the swap here and there is another one starting on May 1st.

Check out Leona's blog for the details...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

How do I love term breaks, let me count the ways#...

What I've been working on ....

cleaning the windows,

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vacuuming

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...oh hang on that's the stuff I've been avoiding!

I've finished and sent off a mug rug...can't show you it all because it's still on it's way to W.A.

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Received mine....oh I LOVE paisley so much.

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I already mentioned I <3 paisley yes?

Cheryl has made something that is so perfect for me...I'm beyond delighted. Thanks Cheryl and thanks to Leona for organising the swap.

The weather is cold enough so the mammoth, ripple crochet blanket has been getting a row or two done each evening...and keeping my toes warm in the process.

And lastly....

This is the quilt top I started at Sew It Together, top is finished and I'm thinking that I'll back it with a fleece or flannelette and use it as a throw in the family room...

...how easy on the eye is that paisley?...

*illustrations from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/

# apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

On Air...

A slight break in transmission occurred. Returning to normal programming shortly...

It's been hard to get a moment to catch up here. Good things have been happening though.
Here's the lovely name tag that came in the mail for the SIT Name Tag Swap.

From Rachel at The Two Windmills.

Look at that exquisite stitching...

I'm slowly getting ready for Sew It Together...I haven't finished all the goodies for the swap (I just need a full uninterrupted day... Oops...sorry hope that flying pig missed your head!)...or cut out the quilt pattern that I'm taking to start on the day. It's a pattern from Clare's Place, a Tasmanian blogger/pattern designer.
I just found out that Clare is now sponsoring Sew It Together, and is including one of her patterns in our goody bags...they are going to be overflowing with sewing goodness! Yippee!!

I went to CraftExpo yesterday (hurry if you want to go, Sunday 13 March is the last day). I did a class in Sashiko embroidery...making a coaster.

I got the embroidery finished in the workshop and I need to put wadding and sew on the backing. I don't pass the "even stitch" test, but it nice to learn a new technique. 

I'm thinking of using something like this on a mug rug for this mug rug swap I joined...turns out my partner LOVES oriental fabrics, now to work out a suitable design. MUST do the SIT swap stuff though!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Stash

I promised myself I wasn't going to buy anymore material - I don't want the MATH to start making sarcastic comments of the "opening a fabric shop are we?" kind.
However, what's a girl to do when Peg's Pieces at Kirrawee is hosting a meet Saffron Craig and drool over her fabrics day? Any guesses as to where I was on Friday?

These lovelies jumped into my hand:

Perfect for another one of these bags. Sadly, I couldn't take all of them home - er...look what I already have at home for two other projects that haven't been started yet either.

(The solids are Kona cottons).

At the moment all I do is stack them up to look at!

And there is more coming...a postcard of Saffron's new range...

...that fabric shop in the sewing room is looking more and more likely!!!

Peg's Pieces is a little slice of button heaven too...since I've got a bit of a postcard obsession going, I can see the potential for these buttons...

...not to mention for the mug rug swap I just couldn't resist signing up for!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...