13 UFO's in 2013. Family Birthday.

Today I completed the second mini quilt that is part of my finish for 13 UFO's in 2013 for June hosted by Marti. You can check out her blog by clicking on the icon on my side-bar. Photos of every one's finished items won't be up quite yet as the USA has one more day up their sleeve.
In 2011 when in the USA, I bought 2 small Nancy Halvorsen calendar quilt kits and a Quilt Table Top Hanger for them to be displayed on. I have had the kits cut out and half prepared but just didn't get to finish them until now. Below are my mini quilts for October and December.  Thanks Marti for your encouragement  to get some of my UFO's completed.

On Saturday, we had a family birthday barbecue get together minus a few grandchildren as Jake is up with his Mum and brother Tom on school holidays and my grand-daughter Kiah was working. We had an ice cream cake though as we are still all kids at heart and everyone likes looking for the chocolate Freddo frogs hidden in the ice cream. Happy birthday to my son Scott and his girlfriend Rowan who both celebrate their birthdays within  6 days of each other next week.

Today it has been raining all day and quite cold with a bit more rain tomorrow so the winter woollies are well and truly out. Well that is all from me tonight. I will be finishing off my Xmas in July gifts this week ready to be sent on the 15 th.     Have a great week stitching...............Hugs.......

Let's Celebrate, A Purchase and Thread win.

I can now reveal what I made for Kali my swap partner in Mrs Martins Quilt Shop Lets Celebrate Swap. Our parcel this time was to include a Mug Rug and a recipe to celebrate the Cancer Council's Biggest Morning Tea. I made a mug rug in Kali's favourite colours and stitched her initial on it. I also made a Recipe Journal cover and placed two recipes in it for Kali to try.

To complete the gift, I included a pattern for a wall hanging( has a Chocolate Chip recipe on it) and pot holders, some Tim Tam's, a variety of teas and some Cappuccino sachets with chocolate sprinkles.  Kali said she had a laugh when she opened my present and that I would understand when I opened mine.  Well mine arrived today and I think we may have been twins in another life as my choice of gifts are so similar to Kali's.

So what do you think, are we on the same wave-link or not? Kali has written her recipe in the very pretty journal, coffee and Tim Tam's, a beautiful Mug Rug and a lovely little button tin.  Thank you so much Kali for my gifts, I love them all and I will definitely be having a cup of tea with you in spirit tomorrow. Also thank you to Karen from Mrs Martins Quilt Shop for holding this swap.
I have been very lucky this week as I won some threads in a competition on  the Aurifil blog.  I have bought a few of these threads to use in embroidery and have been very happy with them. A couple of these I have not used so will look forward to trying them out soon.

I also have been a bit naughty and bought a couple of patterns and some tumbler rulers from Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet. I saw the patterns below and fell in love with them and just had to have the ruler to make them as well. My to do list is getting longer and longer.

Blue Plate Special also includes some placemats 

I want this wall-hanging in my kitchen. It also has a nice table runner as well

the thimble rulers come in two sizes 

I hope you have stayed with me as this has been quite a long post. Thanks for popping by, will be back soon. Till then.........Happy Stitching...........


  

June Brissie Blog Meet, 1 Xmas Item a Month, Poor Oscar.

Another Brisbane Blog meet was held on Sunday and attended by about 14 ladies. We had a great time as usual, stitching, chatting, eating and generally having a great catch-up. Below are some photos of our show and tell

Marilyn with her self portrait by Carol at mamacjt, Helen with a Lynette Andersen design, SAL 2013 Red Home Pin Cushions and Deb's blocks for her Blankets of Love baby quilts.

Susan's beautiful wall hanging (photo does not do this justice), Alison's Red Apple quilt.

Tatyana's first quilt and  pieced block, pin cushion and purses and covered book. 

Thanks for organizing this Maree and thanks to everyone for your company.  Look forward to seeing you next time we meet.

It is One Xmas Item a Month time and here is a reminder of my finish for this month. My Angel stitchery mini quilt.

Thank you Narelle from pinsandwhiskers for hosting this. You can check out her blog by clicking on the One Xmas Item a Month logo on my sidebar.

Now for a very sad tale. My 11 year old cat Oscar thinks he is a fighter but unfortunately he isn't and ended up feeling very sorry for himself when he developed an abscess on his face about a week ago. A much needed trip to the vet, during which he let us know he was definitely not happy, for a clean up and antibiotics and he is on the mend but left looking the worse for wear. Will he learn his lesson? Don't think so, but for now, he is not allowed outside after dark for the foreseeable future. (not sure his new haircut will take off).

Well that is it for me tonight.  Be back again soon.   Happy Stitching till then.........

Sal finish, 1 Xmas Item a Month, Secret Sewing, Other projects.

I have finished my pin cushion for SAL 2013. It is quite a cute pattern. I used a hexagon patterned fabric instead of making the hexagons as I haven't made them before and didn't want to start with half inch ones. The project for next month has hexies in it so will make these as they are a bit bigger. I also used blanket stitch applique instead of needle turn.

Photo 1. Pieces ready to join together. Photo 2. Front of pin cushion. Photo 3. Top of pin cushion  

Below is a photo of the mini quilt I've finished for June's 1 Xmas Item a Month hosted by Narelle from Pins and Whiskers. I had stitched two angel stitcheries, the first one I made into a wall hanging (for last month's item)and this one into a mini quilt for June. Another  Nancy Halvorsen pattern  from one of her books.

I have been doing lots of secret stitching also as I am in a few swaps, mostly Christmas ones so lots of projects on the go. Also for this month's 13 UFO's in 2013, the UFO I am working on are these two mini quilts to be displayed on my table quilt hanger for October and December. So will be pleased to have them finished to use this year.

Secret Sewing

Oct & Dec Mini quilts.

 Well it has taken me over an hour to do this post. I am getting so frustrated with my internet. Have been on the phone for over an hour this morning trying to sort out why I am getting the same e-mails over and over again and not getting the rest of the 45 I am supposed to have left sitting in my inbox. Have to wait for a call back later when someone in the technical department checks it out. No answer to the slow service though. Enough whingeing for now.   So till next time, whenever that might be.  I am going to sew and stitch........  Hugs.......

Musical-Chicago, Cooly Rocks On.

It has been a busy 2 days for us as last night Chris and I attended the Southport State High musical production of CHICAGO.

Above are the photos of the cast, the flyer for the musical and a picture of my grandson Josh (still with his make-up on) and the character he played on the left : Amos Hart. I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't get a photo of him in costume but the teachers wouldn't allow them to come out to see us while still in costume after the play had finished.  I'm hoping Josh will have a photo taken by one of the other cast members tonight so I can have a better one of him to keep.  We really enjoyed the play and were very proud of the great job he did. Josh is very quiet and so to see him up on the stage saying his lines and even singing a song was wonderful. The whole cast were fantastic especially the leading ladies who played Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly. He has one more performance tonight and then it's a well earned couple of days off.
We stayed overnight at my son's place so we could go to 'Cooly Rocks On' at Coolangatta today. It doesn't seem a year since we last attended. Where is this year going?
Here are some photos of our day. The weather wasn't the best and the sunny skies were nowhere to be seen for most of the day although only a small amount of rain fell overall.

Photos from Kirra Headland looking down Marine Parade. A huge number of people attended.

Hot Rods, VW's and Corvettes in abundance.

So now, here we are at home,in our pj's, tired but happy and looking forward to catching up on some sleep and recuperating from all that walking we did today.  I think I definitely deserved that raspberry and white chocolate muffin I had for morning tea, don't you?
Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend. Still two days to go.  See you next time.........  

What I've been up to...

Well, I have been doing lots but not able to show much as it's mostly been secret sewing. I've been working on the next instalment of Let's Celebrate, then I'm in the Xmas in July swap so have been preparing and sewing my 3 handmade items for that. None of these things I can reveal yet so thought I would show you some goodies I have purchased of late.

I fell in love with these circle rulers as soon as I saw them on Lori Holt's blog.  I bought them from the Fat Quarter Shop and along with the rulers I received this free pattern. Lori Holt has a tutorial on  how to use them.

I also bought this book from Anka's Treasures along with the triangle ruler. Am looking forward to trying this ruler out.

These embroidery cottons look wonderful, can't wait to use them.  Aren't these owl  zip fobs gorgeous.   Check out Fees Shabby Shack for her daily deals. 

These are the fabrics I am using in my Daisy Days BOM form Jenny of Elefantz. Bonnie and Camille's newest range Scrumptious and that's just what it is.

Lots of wonderful new goodies to have a play with when I get the time.
This afternoon I am going down the coast to attend tonight's performance of my grandson's school musical. Josh has one of the male leads so I am looking forward to seeing him and a little bit nervous for him as well. I have been to several of the drama plays he has been in but this is a first singing role I have seen him play. Chris will meet me down there after work so it will be a family affair. Good luck Josh.
We are staying overnight and then tomorrow are going to 'Cooly Rocks' at Coolangatta. A week long celebration of rock and roll and hot rods.  Will take some pictures and post when I get back, but for now I must get ready as Todd, my son, will be picking me up soon.
Have a great long week-end my fellow bloggers.............  Happy Stitching till next time ..........

A finish for 13 UFOs in 2013

This is the wall hanging I finished for last month's 13 UFOs in 2013 over at Marti's blog. The fabrics used are Nancy Halvorsen's Star of Wonder line.  I have had it in my to do box for a number of years so it is lovely to now have it finished and also have one less UFO. A big thank you to Marti for encouraging us each to do this each month.

Finished wall-hanging is 21" x  49" .

Had to piece the backing so used strips from the scraps I had left.  Label in the middle.

I machine appliqued the pieces from the panel to a background made up of  2" strips. Here it is ready for some quilting.

Well must close as I am about to go and visit my great nephew who was born on Friday and of course his lovely Mum, my niece, Angela, in hospital.
Happy Stitching till next time.                   Hugs.........