A Finish, Something New, Projects on the Go

This project has been sitting unfinished since before Christmas. I really started it a couple of years ago but had put it aside and forgotten about it until looking through my cupboard and there it was. I had to change the year to 2oo9 and I still didn't get it completed. So it is now on my wall near the dining room table until the end of January so I don't feel so guilty about not finishing such a small project in time for Xmas. My first finish for OPAM.

The stitchery above is one I am working on and when completed will be incorporated into a shoulder bag. It is a Hugs & Kisses pattern which I purchased long ago. It will be a gift for a very old friend I have known since primary school. I have painted part of the stitchery using my folk art paints and have added fabric medium so that the colour will be permanent.

The patisserie layer cake, a lovely gift, will be used to make a Pin Wheel Sampler quilt that Rachel will be starting on PS I Quilt shortly. The button and link can be found on my sidebar. A layer cake, 3 yds of co-ordinating plain fabric, backing and binding is all that is needed.

And finally, my new Brother machine which I needed to buy as my old faithful machine, sadly, could not be repaired and had to go to machine heaven where-ever that is. I have had it a number of years and it has been most reliable so I decided to stick with the same brand so I could use all the clip-on feet from my old one including the walking and quarter inch foot. I have found that when the Bernina is on the quilting machine if I don't have another machine to use, I can't do any machine sewing on other projects. Once I start a quilt top, I really don't want to take the machine on and off. Just thought I would let you know that I am still practising and improving slowly I hope. Am going to try out the speed control and maybe the pattern device on the week-end. Wish me luck, I may need it.

Next Tuesday is AUSTRALIA DAY here in AUSTRALIA. Hope all my AUSSIE friends have a great day.

Time to Begin ..........

Here it is the 6th of January already and I have passed my 1st year blogversary by 3 days. It has been such a big learning curve but I have enjoyed every minute of it. I love visiting other quilter's blogs and have found my fellow quilters to be a very generous and helpful lot. If you want to know how to do something, usually you can find another quilter has done a tutorial on it and it is on the net somewhere, just have to search. I have learnt so much, enjoyed being in swaps, loved gathering lots of free patterns and managed to complete 1 BOM and have 2 others almost completed.

This year there are more BOM's on offer. Bunny Hill is doing one called Snowbound, Jenny's of Elephantz is called Bouquet, Cheryl of Willowberry Designs has one called Under the Sea and Flirting with Flowers is by Vicki of Tozz' Corner. Check out the buttons on my sidebar for the links.

Kris from Tagalong Teddies along with Peg of Happy in Quilting is going to host OPAM again this year. This was such a great encouragement to me last year to get some of my UFO's finished, that I am going to join again this year and hopefully keep the momentum going. As I look at other blogs tonight, I can see that most of my blogging friends are already showing completed projects for this year so I have decided it is time to leave the holiday mode behind and take up my needle and thread and begin for 2010.