FNWF, Initial Heart Swap.

Last night I joined in to sew with lots of other quilters for Cheryll's Friday Night with Friends. A big Thank you to Cheryll for encouraging us again this year.

 I began the night by working on the new SAL 2015 run by Chookyblue and her lovely assistant Susan. I was hoping to get some backgrounds cut out but all I managed,was to sort out the fabrics I would use for Part 1 and make myself some notes so I will have an action plan to follow when I do start tomorrow. I am thinking that I probably will blanket stitch most of the applique so traced the pieces on the back of the sheets so they are reversed and ready to copy them onto viseofix.

I am also still working on Gossip in the Garden, so to actually get some stitching to show, I prepared these hexies for two of the blocks. Think I have to make 75 in all so have about 25 ready, only 50 to go.

I do love those Nancy Halvorsen fabrics. Don't know what I will do when I run out of them.

I also wanted to show the gifts I received from Marilyn for the Valentine's Day Initial Heart Swap also hosted by Cheryll. Thank you Cheryll you are a legend.......

The parcel above contained the lovely gifts below.  

A passport holder, three knitted wash cloths (see my initial knitted into the small yellow one), some chocolates and this little Golden Book which was a great read. I had a good laugh when I read it. Thank you very much Marilyn for the beautiful and thoughtful gifts you have made me. Hope to go for a trip later in the year so will put the passport holder to good use if that happens.

I sent my parcel off on Monday so hope it arrives soon. Can't show a photo as I completely forgot to take one of the wrapped parcel before I posted it.
Well must go, a few more hexies are calling me and hubby wants to use the computer.
Have a great weekend ...............Happy stitching till next time.......

Hot Rod Run, Sewing Catch-up.

Not sure where the last 10 days have gone since my previous post. I have had some family things happening so that can account for a few days. Also joined my hubby on the annual Goín' Country hot rod run on Saturday to Fernvale about an hour away. It was lovely to actually do something together as it seems ages since we have done this. It's always a great day as we meet up at Queens Park in Ipswich then journey up to our destination together. Left hubby to do the photo taking so not many photos to show.

They always have damper with butter and golden syrup on arrival, followed by a spit roast of pork and beef with all the trimmings which was delicious as usual.

A cool ride home but we came well prepared with woolly caps, scarves and a fleecy blanket.  

Have been working slowly on my Xmas Swap gifts as well as my Gossip in the Garden blocks. So far behind here, I feel like I will never catch up. Have nearly finished my circle row for the Row Along quilt I am doing with 6 other ladies from my Sunday Stitcher's group which needs to be ready by next Sunday so that is good.
Can't show any photos of most of the Xmas things or the circle row I am working on, so here are a few photos of the prep for my Gossip blocks.

Template cutting for the border stars, so many pieces. Still have to cut out the background templates.

Trying to plan ahead and cutting some hexies while I am on a roll with the other cutting out.

Well must go and get back into the sewing room. Until next time.... Happy Stitching......
 

Friday Night results...

No finishes on Friday night but lots of prep work for the Xmas swaps I am in and for other projects I am working on. I managed to get the tracing done on these 9 stitcheries of a new pattern by Michelle Ridgway of Rag Tag Stitchin.

 

  I prepared two of my three Xmas ornaments ready to stitch onto there felt backgrounds.

Then a bit of work on some of my Gossip in the Garden stitcheries and blocks.
In all not a bad night's work. Thank you Wendy for again hosting this month. Will be over to Wendy's blog later to check out what everyone else got up to but for now it's time to get ready and head off to my quilt group.
Be back soon..... Till then.......Happy Stitching......

Week-end Sewing.

Sorry I am late in showing what I got up to on the week-end. The time went very quickly and I didn't get as much done as I had hoped.
Below are some of the things I worked on.

I managed to prepare the above blocks for my Gossip in the Garden quilt. The first block only needed a few more pieces added but the other two were from scratch. Amazing how long it takes to trace, choose the fabrics and cut out all those little pieces. All ready for blanket stitching now.
I spent some time planning and cutting out the blocks for my GS's Ninja quilt.

Still in the planning stage but a lot of the cutting done, it will come together nicely now I think.

    
On Sunday afternoon I decided to have a break from the cutting and planning in my sewing room and work on some stitchery. The angel in Cosmo red and the gifts in a Cottage Garden thread called Mistletoe in red/green. They will become tree ornaments.
Thank you Chooky for having me at the Chookshed's 2nd birthday I really enjoyed sewing along with everyone.
I did have a few hours break on Saturday afternoon as Chris and I went over to help celebrate my great nephew's 1st birthday. He is walking now and looked  so cute in his little outfit.

 Poppy are you sure this is my Birthday Cake? 

 Well that's it for me tonight. Till next time...........Happy Stitching.

OPAM finish, 12 UFO's in 2014, other bits and pieces.

This is my finish for 1 Xmas Item a Month. I have already blogged about it on the blog set up by Narelle from Pins and Whiskers but needed to add it to here for OPAM.

Christmas Treats table runner. Below is photo of how I quilted it. 

I also need to show my Table runner as I forgot to say in my last post that this is my May finish for 12 UFOs in 2014 hosted by Marti. The parade of finishes will be on Marti's blog at the end of the month if you wish to check it out. Just click on the logo on my side-bar to go to the blog. Thanks to Marti for hosting and encouraging me to get a few of my UFOs completed.

I have also been working on a couple of other things.
My Sunday Stitchers blog group are working on Gossip in My Garden by Anni Downs. I am playing catch up but here is the block I am working on at the moment.

I am using Nancy Halvorsen fabrics and some other background fabrics that I have had in my stash for a number of years. Am pleased with how they are looking so far.

I have also joined the Fat Quarter Shop's Wishes Quilt Along. This is the first block. Have a few more blocks to make to catch up with this one as well.  I bought the fabric kit from the FQS and a new free block is put on their blog each month for you to download. You can make a donation to the Make a Wish foundation and the FQS will equal the amount donated to help this wonderful cause.
On Friday, 8 of the ladies from my quilting group are going on a bus trip with the Beenleigh Quilters to The Bribie Island Quilters Show. Looking forward to this outing.  
Well that's all from me today, must get out to my room now and get some preparation done for Chookyblue's Sewing weekend. If you wish to join in and stitch along to help Chooky celebrate The Chookshed's 2nd birthday, go over to here, read about it and add your comment to her post.
Till next time..............Happy Stitching..........