Some mail and some progress.

Look what I got in the mail.....

I have had my eye on this for some time and I couldn't resist it any longer.I love the original so much (I do like green bet you couldn't guess) that I had to make the green one. I didn't want to be EXACTLY the same so I made the black felt circles and free motion quilted them (on the domestic no less...gee was I out of practise) a la flowering gum blossoms...hmm...Nicole's flowers look prettier and mine are a touch small looking at the photo but they look ok up close. Great patterns with quite a few design variations to each pattern, very simple to follow instructions too.

I then used the black perle cotton and stitched some wobbly stem stitches as per the original. I wanted this as I have a lovely pair of green capri's to wear when it's warm enough which it was yesterday but I didn't go out anywhere. Oh well at least I will have the bag when I do wear them out.

Ahhh....did you spy what's beneath the bag? Yes it's the retro quilt! See I do finish some things Miss Kelly! (well apart from the quilting but the bags finished) Here it is before borders.

I couldn't get a good photo of it with the borders on which are just plain white 4.5" borders so this one will have to do.

And look what else arrived, another something I have been eyeing off for some time....

The lovely red and white ladybugs and the owl fabric from Kristen Doran.

Hmm... I wonder if a red bag with the red and white ladybug fabric flap would be overkill....and a brown satchel with the owls???

Look at my black tulips, aren't they lovely? I have had about 20 this year. As I was taking photos something caught my eye.

This little magpie was trying to keep very still but I saw him! I had been hearing him for a few days whenever his mother came to feed him. I can still hear him around but now he has progressed to the branches in the trees.

Here is my snowball bush, it's getting very tall. I bought this at the Ballarat Market as they remind me of my grandparents who had a snowball tree when I was young and stayed there for holidays.

Last but not least is a big fat bud or two of Pierre de Ronsard about to flower as are all the roses!

Oh and by the way who is ANONYMOUS? Whoever it is left me a comment on my last post and everyone I can think of that it might be would have a blogger identity.....so anonymous who are you?????

What do you do

When your sewing area looks like this?



and this.....

or even this.......

Because you are working on so many projects at once you don't know what to work on........hold on, back up.......what is that...there on the table....is it..could it be.....a new project???? Yes unfortunately that is what seems to happen, I have soooo many going at once I get totally confused as to what I want to work on and so I start something else. Makes sense doesn't it...NOT!!So here is what I have been working on when I can't decide what to work on...

Yes I have been inspired by Jodie and I have made some selvedge projects, not that I will ever make anything as big or as totally awesome as Jodie's big project but these are for something I will be putting together shortly.




I wanted a change from the reproductions and wanted to work with something fresh and vibrant which is when I started on the selvedges and this, scrappy log cabins inspired by Melly and Me. I took part in their fabric swap a few months ago and swapped with Bridget in the US who is blogless...hello Bridget I am using some of your scraps and some are from our swaps at Jodie's get together. I have a bag full of scraps which I have cut into strips ready to piece. Well I have one pieced but lots of cutting done.



Some long overdue gifts....they are coming girls, you would have had them months ago if I hadn't decided to make something to go with them. Thanks to The Giving Flower for the tutorial.



This is what I had been working on for a few nights, I am giving DJ a bit of a break so this is my current handpiecing project. Not totally new but I had some pieces cut out and a quarter of a pie block (only) put together months ago. This quilt was a BOM at Threadbear in Castlemaine, I saw it at the Castlemaine quilt show a few years ago and couldn't wait for the pattern to come out as I just fell in love with it but as the patterns aren't released until the BOM has finished I didn't have much choice. The photo doesn't do it justice the quilt is better in real life.



I am getting lots of practise with curved piecing!












I have bought a lot of retro fabrics as I love them...but what to do with them? So I decided on the KISS principle, keep it simple and just make a quilt with 6.5" squares to showcase the fabrics with plain white sashings so those are cut out and ready to go.



I did manage to get two more DJ blocks done, B-10 Judd's Trophy



and B-2 Sweet Tater Pie. I am liking the piecing much more after pressing each seam with the iron as I go, a bit of a pain but a much better result. I think I only have about three blocks left to complete row B and I have done 45-5-1-998...only two more pieces to reach one thousand pieces!!



And last but not least.....tada.....




My very own selvedge scarf!!! I loved Jodie's so much I decided to make my own. I love it. I went to the selvedge website, followed the how to and made mine with slightly more fabric showing than Jodie's I think but to me it's like a quilting history, I can look at the fabric with the selvedge and know approximately how long I have had it, whether it's used or in the stash..etc etc. I had a piece of black velveteen in the stash from the old crazy patchwork days so I used that to back it with. So that's what Ihave been up to, I have achieved more than I thought!

Blogging good fun at Jodies.

I said I would tell you about the get together at Jodies...

I was invited along with some other local bloggers to Jodies for a day of.....sewing...talking....eating and fun! It was a fabulous day the girls were all great and Jodie is so very generous and THE BEST cook of shortcake and sausage rolls. I must get that recipe! She also has a project in the latest Patchwork and Stitching magazine, a gorgeous ballet bag which she gave me the pattern (and the left over fabric) for so I could make one for Isabella's 3rd birthday, thanks also to Kathryn for the bling button which was in her "shop".

We also helped ourselves to pieces of Jodie's felted jumpers stash to make our own snails....Kathryn's turned out much prettier than mine who still is blind, but aren't snails blind? They do look much cuter with eyes however. I am not saying anything about Annie's except that she must have large snails in her garden!!!! She was working on a beautiful red and white quilt, I just love it and now I am placing an order for some Kristen Doran Ladybugs fabrics. Kathryn made a gorgeous shabby purse for her glasses and Rachel stitched a beautiful redwork stitchery, she does the loveliest stitcheries. Kate made an appearance after lunch.

Jodie asked us to bring some bits and pieces we no longer wanted or needed so we also played "shops" and swapped bits...however I am sure I bought home a lot more than I went with!!

Thanks girls for the best day and a special thanks to Jodie for making it all happen.

Dear Jane small update

I just realised I haven't updated DJ for a while. Not that I have done much BUT I did get that block done that I had been putting off....A9 Cabin Fever so all of Row A is complete. I WILL get around to sewing that row together...sometime soon! I have also updated my chart on the side of my blog and added in my tally. I am much happier with this one as I have copied my friend Julie whose blocks all look perfect and started to press them with the iron rather than finger press, I think it gives a better result.

Below is K-12 Doris's Dilemma.

Below is K-7 Rose of Sharing.

Next post I will tell you about our blogger get together at Jodie's but in the meantime pop over to Kathryn's and have a look at her posting and all her gorgeous shabby chic creations!

Miniature Booty Swap

Here is my lovely little minature booty swap quilt from Rose Marie. The little blocks are so cute and there is the loveliest hand quilting in each block. I love the little green fabric in the binding and border. Thank you very much for my lovely quilt AND the yummy maple leaf chocolate.

Here is my quilt for Margaret. I got rather caught up with things and Margaret's was late but she has it now so I can show it. She said that she liked "Red, purple and bright green (yes chartreuse) I like to see something that is "traditionally untraditional" - ie., traditional blocks pieced using modern fabrics; OR something leaning towards a modern style". So I made pinwheels blocks (one of my favourites) in mainly Kaffe Fassett's red, purple, green and white with a touch of orange and quilted it with the usual...feathers!!