Wednesday 23 November 2011

early christmas gift.

One of my first swap partners was the lovely Els in the Netherlands. We have kept up correspondence and surprise packages for our birthdays and for Christmas. Els is way more organised than I am and her parcel came speedily in just a week. I was told I could open my parcels early so I didn't need much convincing once the parcel arrived yesterday. I am lucky to have it as the postie just dumped it on the front verandah of my house for all the passing world to see! He could have at least put inside the screen door-doesn't he know how precious this parcel would be?
I couldn't wait to open it! Luckily I remembered to take the photos..

Beautiful cross stitching on linen! It is just so delicate and small. Els has also included two pincushion kits for me. I just wanted to start one straight away but I think I will wait till the holidays. (if I can).

the kits include some lovely little finishing touches. 
The designs and kits are put together by a friend of Els. I have had a sticky beak at her website and they are beautiful. I have admired these linen cross stitcheries on a few overseas websites longing to have a go at them, but haven't seen many kits. I may be looking in the wrong places mind you as I do get a little daunted by cross stitches but these will be quite manageable and make a pretty addition to my pin cushion collection. 
If you are interested at having a peek at the website it is at www.soedidee.nl
Definitely worth a look...
Thanks Els for such a wonderful parcel of goodies. Now I must get my act together and get posting.
cheers
Marina

Sunday 20 November 2011

lovely friday meeting...

On Friday I had two lovely visitors.....
Fiona from Bubz rugz and Melody from house on the hill. Fiona and I had had a bloggy meet up earlier this year and as she was in my part of Aus. we had arranged another catch up and lovely Melody came too.
No 1 son was home too and joined in the jovial chatter till the conversation turned to hexagons then he just glazed over and retreated to his room. One woman obsessed with hexagons is enough, let alone three talking about hexagons! Poor thing is recovering from the trauma of all that craft talk.
Melody brought us both a lovely little package...


We spent a wonderful afternoon and it passed way too quickly. Melody and Fiona are just lovely, it's like we have known each other for years.
Melody took some pics so I have pinched them from her blog (with permission of course). My camera battery was flat.
this is Fiona and I peeking over the top of my Girls day out quilt
and here are Melody and I peeking over my flower garden. I know I said I had posted my last photo of it but.....
Thankyou Fiona and Melody for the most enjoyable catch up it was really great!
cheers
Marina

Tuesday 15 November 2011

a new project....

My lovely parcel of fabrics arrived today. Le petite ecole is just a gorgeous fabric range. I was lucky to get this as it was a bargain.
It will join my stash of Rural Jardin

And what will they become eventually.....
this...... hopefully. It will be a long term project but I am looking forward to making a start next year.
If you pop over to this blog called Buddy and me Sue-Anne  has recently finished one of these quilts. Her quilt progress pics inspired me to ask her where the pattern was from- and of course the hexies were a big drawcard. This pattern is from Stoneleigh Patchwork based on an antique quilt from Ayers House in South Australia.
I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew! I am happy to have it as a long term project.

Here is a pic for those that asked about the elephant label I made. I was sure I had showed it before but couldn't find where, so I thought I would post another photo.
It will go on this quilt..
Now to make a list of ufo's, wisp's and bom's.....Just to keep me on track.
Happy days!
cheers
marina

Sunday 13 November 2011

2 Checks off the list...

Bindings done!!! That's all there is to say about that.

 One of my quilts was 'adopted' a few weeks ago and I realised it didn't have a label, many of my other quilts are in the same predicament. When I first started making quilts I would quilt my initials or name and the date somewhere in the quilt, then I saw people talking about labels. Before my quilt went to it's new home overseas I made it a label and some extras for the 'un-labelled' others. There are still more that need labels but it's a start. I had found a great tutorial but can't remember where about making labels. You make the front then sew a backing piece onto it so that they are right sides facing. Sew right around the label then cut a slit in the backing fabric and turn inside out. Makes a lovely label and once it is stitched on the back of the quilt you would know the back is cut.


Hope you are having a great stitchy weekend!
cheers
Marina

Thursday 10 November 2011

beware lots of pics....

 I wish they were mine......
these two quilts were made by my mum for my cousin's two children.
The last time I showed this monsters quilt it didn't have the borders.
Please excuse the photos I will replace them once I get better ones but we were fighting the clouds that wanted to open up on us.  thanks to a lovely sunny day I have replaced the old dull photos with some new ones.
These photos are much better and show the true colours in the quilt.


the needleturn applique is just perfect. I know where I get my obsessiveness from!

This is mum's latest finish, just back from the quilters.
The photo doesn't quite show how lovely and bright those pinwheels are. They are just gorgeous. The original pattern was for a small wall hanging (design by Chitter Chatter design). Mum enlarged it to fit a single bed and added the extra floral border (taken from another quilt design) and added the circle of butterflies in the corners to finish it off. It's just beautiful.
The quilting just finishes it off perfectly.






detail of the quilting.

Would love to kidnap both of these quilts.
Well done mum!
Now to get that binding done...
cheers
Marina

Saturday 5 November 2011

Back to my other projects..


My son found this lovely little canvas and thought to buy it for me this week. Sums it up for me this week!
Thankfully Quiltober is over and I can now get back to my neglected projects.
A month is a long time for me to not touch stitcheries.
I have made up for that this last week..
Back on track with my Down in the Garden. Last night I had to take no 3 son to Tennis. He won both his games and I made a start on block 3- win, win.
My Christmas Wreath got finished too, now what to do with it?
Beware there are a lot of pics, I just have to show my favourite parts of the stitchery.








 Here is the start of my Block 3 down in the Garden. The blocks are so pretty they are really enjoyable to do. I love the chain stitch. Adds a different effect. I used chain stitch in my Christmas Wreath too in parts, instead of just back stitch. Accentuates the stitching I wanted to be bolder.
In the garden our bottle brushes are full of flowers and bees! The trees are just buzzing like they have their motor running lol.
Couldn't resist some photos...


Can you spot the little bee bottom!

Just one more pic if you aren't bored by the previous photos...
Just because I am still amazed at having done this quilt, please indulge me one more photo.....
At least I am not wrapped in it this time and Cliff has stopped singing!
Have a great weekend... we are in for some 30 degree weather this weekend.
Good Old Melbourne-from winter to summer in just a few days!
cheers
Marina

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Cliff Richard where are you....

Please indulge my moment of self congratulation.......

click on Cliff to share the song in my head....
Well Quiltober came to a close and I can happily say that my hexie garden quilt is totally quilted!!! (thanks to the public holiday today)
I am so happy, Cliff Richard is singing in my head, it doesn't help that I am a bit of a Eurovision tragic either...
I can't believe I managed to hand quilt this quilt. I have enjoyed every step of the making of my scrappy garden. Thanks to those that contributed to it through the hexie flower swap and just because they were bloggy friends.
Now I don't usually show my moosh on my blog but this calls for a celebratory pic. 
. I just want to walk around wrapped in it for awhile, just to savour the moment.




The binding is cut and ready to go..... Roll on Bindvember.
Definitely happy dancing!!!!
cheers
Marina
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