Hello--it's me!!!

I have been a bad, bad blogger.

I will do better. I will start by posting pictures of the Verandah View stitcheries I did while visiting Joy .

Now I just have The Buffet to get caught up. I have started it.

Here is a picture of something else I learned how to do from Joy:

Yummy pavlova. The next one will look prettier. Practice, practice, practice!!!

I have a few more of my BOM blocks done and I will put them up soon. Very soon!! And I have almost finished my sister's quilt, which will remain a mystery for now.

So bye for now!!! A

Back in the West

I am home again after a wonderful, but far too short visit to Joy's. I had a great time just sitting and stitching. I caught up on most of my Verandah View stitcheries. I only have a little left to do on the 3rd one and The Buffet is already traced and ready to begin. I will get pictures up soon.

We also spent a day making chocolates. There were lots of happy faces and quite a few helpers.

Joy even gave me a beginning course in crocheting so I will have even more things to amuse myself with. Hopefully I don't forget everything she taught me before I have a chance to get back to it.

My first priority when I got home was to finish the embroidery parts for my class. They are finished and all the pieces are cut out so hopefully this project will be in the complete pile after this weekend's class.

I also started to catch up on some of my BOMs. I have almost finished the April Debbie Mumm Natural Wonders block. I just have to blanket stitch around the leaf and I will be done. Hopefully I can finish that later.

Oh and speaking of Hope. I have completed my Gail Pan block for April. How could I forget it is one of my favorites.

Ok, that is all for now. I must get back to all the projects.

Finished it!!

Finished the March block and of course now the April one is posted. Along with most of my other BOM projects. I must ignore them for the moment. I must finish packing. I have a whole suitcase filled with sewing stuff. Maybe a few more bits of fabric will fit so that I can cut them out? Hopefully all of our clothes will fit in the other one. We are only allowed two. Wish me luck! A-

Catch Up Time and Getting Ready for Visiting!!!

Let me see. What have I done since last I wrote. I have a few more things accomplished. My sewing room is back to some kind of neatness. I needed the floor so that I could pin my sister's quilt. It is now quilted and I just need to do the binding and a few other details. Yay! The hard part is done. Can't show pictures yet--she might be looking.

Also l have completed two of my Sundrop Critters blocks. I still have to finish the last March one before leaving for Joy's so that I can finish the handsewing while I am there. Can't wait! We are going to have a sew-a-thon.

I would have been finished but I was busy spinning around cleaning for rental inspection and packing and all the other things that go on in a day and trying to sew at the same time. So as is to be expected I made a boo boo and had to take part of it apart. So now I will finish a few things and set out a bit of time for me and my machine alone. We shall see.

I have also almost finished my calendar blocks. All of my strips are put together--I just need to do the stitching on them. Hmm?? One more thing to throw into the suitcase. Maybe I will have a chance to stitch the words on them. That would be nice.

My picture is upside down. January is on the bottom and March is on the top, but they are together. It is going to be a very colorful quilt.

And on that note I need to get back to work. Only two more sleeps until our plane ride. Woo Hoo!!! Well, actually it will be closer to one sleep since our plane takes off at 6:10 am. Counting back for the hour or so early we need to be at the airport and the time it takes to drive there and the leaving the house somewhat ready for inspection (no running out the door with unmade beds) it hardly seems worth sleeping. I will nap on the plane. NOT!!! Too excited.

Must finish my block!!

A-

I have been busy the last few days trying to find the floor in my sewing room so that I could get busy pinning my sister's quilt. I did succeed and now I am getting it ready to quilt. Very slowly it seems. It is always a scary moment when I first start to quilt something. Once I get going it is OK. It is the getting going that takes some time. My motivation is off for the week visiting relatives and out of Messenger range. I can do it! Yes I can!! It seems like I haven't gotten anything else done in the mean time so I might take a break and do something else real quick. Even though I shouldn't. I should just quilt and then it will be done. And I will be so proud of myself. Hmmm!!?? We shall see.

I guess I really have done somethings since last I typed. I had a Embroidery Club meeting at Handcrafters House on Saturday. I do believe that is my most favorite place in all of Western Australia. I can't ever go there on Friday's because it is impossible to be frugal when you walk in. We are making an armchair caddy. This one will be for all the many remotes. It doesn't look like much yet, but the embroidery takes quite awhile. I am going to attempt to get at least one of the other designs done before next class so that there might be a chance of actually finishing the project next class.

So between quilting and embroidering my machine will be quite busy.

Fortunately I have two, so that I can do so real live sewing on the other one. If I remove the walking foot too often, I may not put it back on again.

I have also completed another block from Nice People Nice Things. I love these. Thank you Joy. I am going to save the rest of the ones that I have traced for when I go visit her.

10 1/2 days until the sew-a-thon. Yippee!!!

Meow

I have also finished my March Block from the Now an Forever BOM. The colors are so bright and cheery. I think this is going to be really nice. I hope the applique portion is not too difficult.

Nice and Bright!

and February with it...

January was just the directions and requirements.

I think that makes me caught up on all the ones I had originally intended to do. We won't count the ones that I still want to start, etc. and the ones that I have picked out colors for but are only a pile of creativity. Hopefully they will stay that way unitl I have gotten a couple of quilts completed. All the way completed.

On that note I should end this and finish the prep work on SQ so that I can get busy.

Wish me luck!!!

A-

A big tree, a medium house and a tiny basket

I have been bad at my posting, but I have gotten some sewing done. I finished my purple basket and I like the way it turned out. It was really easy, so I will probably do more when I get a few other things accomplished.

I have also finished my March block from Harmony Village. It is really big!!!

And I finished my Come Over to my House March block.

Now on to borders, and Calico Cut-Ups, Willowberry Designs, More Borders, Pinning and Quilting and Now and Forever. Hmmmm??????????????????? Too many things? Never. Better get busy.

Later.

What To Do?

I am spinning around the sewing room trying to decide what to do for Frugal Friday. I have lots to choose from.

Last night I started a cute little basket from scraps http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-fabric-basket.html that has me stuck hunting a color for the bottom and a handle. Maybe it will be easier in the sunshine. I think I am aiming for a green shade but I will keep trying.

I also have the March block from Harmony village to get busy on. It is a many layered tree so I can find lots of green shades for that as well. It looks like it will be a treasure hunt day but that is OK. You never know what you will find.


I am very happy to play with lots of things now that I have finished my son's pillow. Complete with stippling which I am new too and lack any kind of confidence in doing. Practice, practice, practice!!!!! It matches his quilt that I finally finished last year after starting it 4 years ago when we lived in Saudi Arabia. Wanting to finish while we were still living in Australia I turned it over to Marlene at Redgate Quilting in Alexandria, Victoria. I was not disappointed, she did a beautiful job, but I am determined that I will do my own quilting from now on. I can do it!!! I will get confident!!!

Doesn't he look peaceful?

I must also work on my Mom's borders some more. I think that will be OK on Frugal Friday since it was super sale fabric and it has been in my stash for a very long time. This should be more than enough to keep me busy.

On that note--time to dive into the stash and hunt for some green bits.

Happy frugalness!