UFO's are a Good Thing...

Blogtober Giveaway post - don't forget to enter

This UFO is now another Christmas finish (it's only a baby UFO - 1 year old - unlike some other adolescent and young adults hiding in the cupboards).

If I had finished it last year I would have laboriously cut out a hanging-sleeve sized piece of backing, sewn it into a tube, turned it right side out,turned in and hand hemmed the edges, then sewn it on after finishing the binding.

But...because I left this for a whole year, I found a nifty tutorial just one week ago! 

Clever,clever Beth at Plum and June had this tutorial on her blog - voilà charm square corners for a dowel to go aross the back. (Go and look at the tutorial, it was for a blog hop and there are some lovely projects on the hops along the way).

 Now it's a finished object  - and my sister's Christmas present is done (she did get a present last year, just in case you were wondering if she had to wait a whole year to get it back!)

Blogtoberfest 2012 post #16

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Buying and Using Fabric…

Not long ago these fabrics found a home with me…they were on sale and I couldn’t leave them languishing on a shelf somewhere feeling unloved (I’m too kind for my own good).

 


Luckily, almost all of these have a purpose: The two pieces of blue Saffron Craig fabric are to re-make the bag with the disastrous tension issues. The second piece of the Saffron Craig flowers is for the Bloggers Block of the month.
The purple bundle was a total impulse buy – I’ve never, ever bought a fat quarter bundle, and couldn’t resist – it’s purpose, at the moment, is to be admired.
The same with the Tammis Keefe…that is until Miss Bee was trying to think of what to get Ms Princess for Christmas. I suggested a pillow with a pouch for her iPod, an idea prompted by this tutorial…and she chose my Tammis Keefe print!!! And we decided on a doily as the pouch, which makes it a very easy project and super easy and quick for a last minute gift idea.

The evidence that I really did have to cut into it! This was a half yard piece that I trimmed to (approx)14" by (approx) 140". This gives a decent overlap and doesn't gape at the back.

Here's the young lady herself hemming the sides. The fabric is going to be overlapped around the pillow form to make a big sideways pouch (necessary because of  the direction of this print).

We wrapped the fabric around the pillow and used pins to mark where the overlap would be.
Then pinned a doily where the pocket on the front sits. We sewed around most of the doily, leaving a gap large enough to be able to put the required electronic device in. A cute rose button is sewn onto the doily for decoration.

Then the top and bottom hems were sewed, and the whole thing was turned inside out through the gap in the back.
A size 14 pillow form was stuffed into it and...

The finished pillow

with the handy overlapped back.

It's all wrapped and under the tree already.

One happy little sister who can't wait for her big sister to open her present.

This took no more than an hour! Seriously!

I'm happy I sacrificed this beautiful fabric. It will have a full and happy life, rather than sit in a bin just being admired...not that there is really anything wrong with that!!!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

RSI…

…aching wrist, tingling fingers…probably started by manical data entry as the school office prepares for the end of the school year and preparation of next years classes and other admin tasks, not helped by blog hopping.

Actually it’s interfering with my blog hopping to try and win copious amounts of fabric, patterns and even shoes (follow the link and see what I mean), to take me through 2012 with plenty of quilting and sewing projects...I'm dreaming!!

Also, I am madly trying to reply to 140+ comments and counting. Sorry to those I don’t get to reply to…I don’t know if I am up to the task…but I’ll try...


Anyway, a little sore wrist or two can’t interfere with a bit of Christmas present making.


I finished the green one for one of my work colleagues...but forgot to take a photo. This has some fabric in it that came from her Aunt who had to move into a smaller house. She noticed straightaway! I love it when handmade gifts are so welcomed!

I desperately need to finish the purple one for Monday, so no more blog hopping for a while for me!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

MPAY - The Christmas Party

I'm playing along with Vic's My Place and Yours with the theme

"The Christmas Party"

The Party starts at the front door...

a wreath liberated from a garage sale (ie they threw it in for nix when the MaTH bought the fridge and the surround sound speakers for a song too!)

 Partying continues in the lounge room where my first ever Christmas quilt gets the royal treatment

 - pride of place above the mantlepiece...

 Careful you don't stumble and knock over the stained glass candles on the coffee table...first ever Christmas tablerunner made too

I didn't even know that I could do this to photos...highlight some colour and make the rest B&W...looks good though...

This weekend there will be a bit more setting up for the party...(when I can find where I put everything when the old cupboards were dismantled!).

Head on over to Vic's for more Christmas cheer...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Don't Panic 2... & a giveaway coming

You guys are so funny! I didn't mean to publish the previous post...I was trying to save the title*...and the combination of a slow, misbehaving computer (that ultimately crashed), a nextdoor neighbours computer suddenly appearing on our wireless network!!! (no I can't understand why either) and a tired and flustered blogger...'nuff said...

Anyways, what I was trying not to panic about...
was all this fabric cut out, stacked and ready to sew...

Today I sewed these two tops together...today...you read right...I can't believe it either!

 I keep thinking about doing a tutorial for the tree. I drafted it in my "Quilt Wizard" programme and it comes together easily. There are two hard steps: aligning the strips at the top left and bottom right and and trimming the edges to bind it...
You can see the one I made a few years ago.

I also sewed the border strips onto this table topper too...it's the leftover from a table runner that I made for the school's end of year raffle.

 This is a gratuitous picture of the table topper in the new laundry...I have some of the cupboards, but still waiting on the linen press and broom cupboards to come. 

Also on December 9 I will be hosting a giveaway for Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party - there's a button on my sidebar...
see you then...or maybe before...If I haven't... you know...panicked in the meantime!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

*PS Blogger dudes...MOVE that "publish" button FURTHER AWAY from the "save" button...please!!!

My Creative Space

Christmas paper piecing.

I can't decide whether to make it into a card or use as a decoration.

Actually, it was such fun, I think I'll  more of these, so I guess there will be a bit of both!

I found the pattern here.

For more Christmas creativity, grab a cuppa and head over to Kootoyoo

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Taking the S-low road: Blogtoberfest 2010 - Day 10

Still blogtobering along.

I am suffering the after effects of 2 verrrrry late nights (tiredness related NOT drink) with relatives who are visiting from Scotland.

 ...yes you guessed it...this does play, ad nauseum, "You take the High Road" in the tinniest, most brain-searing manner as possible...

I would have shown you the baked goodies when they came out of the oven, but they disappeared too quickly.

Needless to say they went down well.

I am also wasting far too much time to hopping from blog to blog with these giveaways here and over here. I am about to tear myself away from the computer and do something a bit more useful and creative.

I have been obsessed with yo-yo's for a while.

i stitched this little Christmas tree onto felt. I've got a bit of leftover batting and some Christmas fabric to back it with. I am now going to stop wasting precious sewing time on here ...hope I can show the finished product tomorrow.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

December 20 - New Christmas 'outfit'

Time for a change...Dear Santa I would like this delightful blog background for a few days -  from the clever people at The Cutest Blog on the Block. 

December 17 - New Christmas 'outfit'

Time for another quick change of blog background.
I spent the day in the city with the staff from school. We had an early start in Hyde Park and then made our way to St Mary's Cathedral for the Rosary and Mass. All relaxed and peaceful, we walked down to Circular Quay for lunch. It's hot in Sydney today HOT, HOT, HOT!
After all this, I need to look at something cool, so here's the new blog 'outfit'
Snowed In from Shabby Blogs
Thanks for taking a peek over the fence..

December 6 - New Christmas 'outfit'

I loved the last background so much that I didn't want to change it. It is just as well I have that excuse to use, because I imagined I could keep up with a daily change. What I didn't count on was my 'normal' life getting in the way - and an evening of sewing with Marisew, finishing the 'mystery'bundle' of the previous post, also provided a very welcome distraction.


Anyway - here is the latest lovely offering of a Christmas outfit for that hard-to-please and demanding 'blog'...presenting Christmas Quilt from Shabby Blogs. 

December 1 - New Christmas 'outfit'

Wow! this one is a beauty. (I will have to change from my green text though, its too hard to read). This is Wonder of Christmas by the cutest blog on the block
Hope you are having as much fun checking out the changing backgrounds, as I am having changing them!

Feeding the addiction

Anybody with an addiction has a supplier. Now the internet makes it really easy to have your addiction come to you!

Here are some of the places that I get my supplies from:
Iddybiddy
Kays Fabric Craft - actually I visit this one cause it's in the next suburb!
Catherines Place
CatherinesPlace group not a shop but runs co-ops for bulk anything sewing or quilting purchases 
OzQuilts
FunkyFabrix


Some of the lovely goodies that have come over the fence:



Crazy patch Christmas - just waiting to be made into a rocking horse








Wideback buying bonanza