flimsies, minis, and pinnies.....

A little catch up on the latest sewing adventures....

 

A flimsy completed over the last couple of days - more to come on this one later in the month.....

 

 

Minis have been sent and received - thanks once again to amazing Swap Mama Cheryll!

 

this is the gorgeous mini I received from Sisbabe Stitches, and I love it.  It is very hard to see, but all the seams are sewn over in lovely decorative stitches.  And I love the saying; the first time I read it, I felt like I could relate!

 

 

And this is the mini I made and sent.  I won't reveal to who it was sent, as I know they have not been able to check their mail over the last week or two, but hopefully it is there waiting for them when they can.....

 

 

Don't these thread colours just look gorgeous together?

 

 

And my first project out of my new Gail Pan book, the 'Bloom' pincushion - I love this book, I want to make everything in it!

 

 

I did sign up for FNWF with Cheryll last week, with plans to again spend it with Sue, Tracee and Marg, working on our Underground Railroad quilts.  Most annoyingly, a migraine prevailed and I was out of action. So there is some catching up there to do - more on that soon!

xx

challenges and gifts.....

..... another quick catch up::

firstly, our felty christmassy something :: a cute, simple little plum pudding


and, as mentioned in my last post, my lovely Kris Kringle gift from my wonderful friend Sue ::




isn't it lovely?

our next challenge? a cute felty flowery brooch, and a gorgeously sweet little house decoration.

these little challenges are so much fun!!

catching up.....

Where have the last few weeks gone??? The time has just flown by as it always does, particularly at this time of the year, but just lately it seems to have done a complete vanishing act.

So, time for a bit of a catch up.

Firstly, our Sunday mini-challenge. Mini-challenge #1 done - our cute little bag.

Pop on over here to have a look at Ms Kylie's too.

Our second mini-challenge, now already finished, was a pincushion. My choice, as I needed a new one, and a bigger one too, 'cos I kept poking my self with pins that were coming through to the bottom of my old one!. Our lovely friend Gabbie also joined in too.


Kylie's and Gabbie's lovely pincushions are here.

We are now up to our third challenge - a little felty, christmassy something - a cute plum pudding perhaps? Piccies of my soon-to-be-completed mini-challenge #3 soon!

Now, Gabbie's turn to choose next week!

Speaking of felty, christmassy somethings, it was our Wednesday night group break-up this week and we had a Kris Kringle. We were all very remiss, as none of us remembered to take any photos, but I made a little felty, christmassy something for it - a little Christmas garland with hearts, holly leaves, red 'berries' and some little crocheted flowers. I do have a little confession though; I did put it off until the last minute and so it was a bit thrown together, but kind of cute I hope.


I was the very lucky recipient of my lovely friend Sue's gift, a gorgeous little decoration with a lovely vintage-y feel to it, very sweet. (photo to follow later - thank you Sue, I love it!)

Christmas is looming frighteningly quickly (do you all feel like that too??) and I still have several gifts to make, so it will be head down at the sewing machine over the next few days between work hours and christmas functions.

Of course, 2012 will follow very soon after, and already I have managed to put my hand up for three quilt-alongs/challenges! More about those soon.

Another challenge I have set just for myself (and anyone who wants to join in) is a "12 in '12" challenge - to have 12 quilts completed in 2012. Not an original plan of course, but I hope it will motivate me to get some quilts finished, particularly as I (STILL!!) have three quilt tops waiting to be quilted apart from the WIPs/UFOs currently still hiding at home!

Currently the "12 in '12" list is -

:: Sampler quilt - to be quilted and bound
:: Hand pieced sampler quilt - to be quilted and bound
:: 'Persian Tiles' quilt - to be quilted and bound
:: A quilt for my niece's birthday in March - not yet started
:: A quilt for my nephew's birthday in May - not yet started
:: Finishing my 'French Braid' quilt - currently a WIP
:: 'Pinwheel' sampler quilt - a 2012 challenge
:: 'BBQ' quilt - a 2012 challenge
:: Round Robin - a 2012 challenge/quilt-along
:: Irish Chain quilt - currently a UFO
:: my Lori Smith applique - currently a WIP
:: Lumiere de Noel charm square quilt - not yet started

There are others I want to finish too, but I think I will be pretty happy if I can just get those above completed!

So, I am very happy that I have finally now caught up! More again very soon.

'working on' wednesday {4}.....aka 'sunday mini-challenge' {1}

On Sundays at the quilt shop, I work with the lovely Ms Kylie who (along with the lovely Miss Amanda on Saturdays), makes this job so much fun. While Kylie and I were chatting last weekend about sewing in general and fabric we liked for bags in particular, she mentioned a cute and easy bag pattern that she had, and asked if I would like to make one too. As I said I would love to, she came up with the idea of us both making one by the next Sunday; and thus, our 'Sunday Mini-Challenge' was created!

So, here is our bag pattern ::



In this instance we are both using the same fabric, as with the size of material we needed, it was more economical to buy one piece each of the outside and the lining, and cut them in half. We both love this material, so we don't mind it being the same. This is from the gorgeous 'Etchings' range by 3 Sisters for Moda, which we have all been in raptures about in the shop.



The blue print, which is a map of Paris, is for the outside, and the cream cursive script material is the lining.

As this week has all of a sudden become much busier than expected, I had better get my skates on and start making it - it would be rather embarassing to fail on our very first challenge!!

And now it is my turn to pick next week's challenge. Perhaps a cute little pincushion? Or a gorgeous little brooch? Maybe even a little Christmassy something?? We shall see next Sunday!

In the meantime, some progress has been made on my previous 'working on' Wednesday projects - a few more rows of my crocheted blankie done, and another block finished for my applique project.





My little knitted bag is now sewn up and ready to be lined. Kylie asked me what book this pattern came from, so I have included a photo, and the photos in the book of this little bag.



Hopefully there will be some more ta-dahs to show you next week - including my 'Sunday Mini-Challenge' bag!