Back to my roots.

My sewing roots that is!! This is where it all started.....


sewing for my kids. I decided to sew something for the GD's (after my daughter showed me a dress she had bought and I was thinking how simple they are to make) so I went to Spotlight got a couple of patterns and found this fabric for $5m. This was the pink dress in the Burda pattern, the New Look pattern I will make for Isabella. Even if they just wear them around the house it's another dress. Now that I know the pattern I would like to get a nice Amy Butler or some Prints Charming fabric to do a couple.



I finally decided I was brave enough to attempt Mrs Perkins again. Last time was a bit traumatic with those darn horns...BUT...this time I had the bamboo skewer and they were both turned in 5 minutes!! So the rest of her should be a breeze. I just couldn't resist this orange Prints Charming fabric, as soon as I saw it I knew what it was destined to be.

What else I have been up to this week...

Some feathers for Yvonne's quilt after completing all the stitch in the ditch ......

Magoo in pieces.....

53 nine patch blocks made from leaders/enders

Stage 1 of Double Delight mystery quilt which is no longer a mystery.

All of the small nine patch blocks done for stage 3 of DD.

Sylvester is getting bigger by the day

and loves to try and sleep ON top of my feet when I am on the computer!!!

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler revisited finally.

Puss in the corner J-6 and Contrary Husband C-1

Clay's Choice N-3 and Sawtooth Star J-1

Yankee Puzzle I-9

A-7 Cats and Mice (colours aren't the best as I took this photo at night) so that's 32 blocks done out of I think 140.

The blogmeet...

What a lovely day we had, it was fabulous meeting so many crazy/lovely bloggers but there were so many there I feel I didn't really get to speak to everyone a lot. Maybe next time.....There are lots of photos around on the various blogs and once again I forgot my camera but you can find other reports and photos here....

Trashy, Four Wise Monkeys, Rousabout, Sonya, Our Shabby Cottage, Annie's Flower Garden, Silly Gilly Kids, Scrapbag, Ric Rac, Thornberry, Two Cheese Please, Little Red Hen, Janey's Relaxation, Nicole M Design and Don't Look Now.

A special thank you to Sonya who told us where to find a berry farm with the most delicious berries, loganberries, youngberries, boysenberries red currants raspberries but I added the strawberries.....guess what I had for tea with yoghurt.......yummo!

And of course to Jodie for organising the whole thing and for the new bits to add to the stash.....

Of course I couldn't walk out of Ballarat Patchwork without some fabric.....

These are for Magoo who is half made.

Sew unique...

So much to post about, why do I leave it until there are two or three posts worth? I guess it's because I am rotten dial up so it takes me forever. So here goes.....
First up, if you are into reproductions at all don't miss this website,
Sewuniquecreations.com they are having a sale with a lot of their repros at $4-$5 yd and they give the best service! I bought 3yds of pink civil war dressing gown as well as some shirtings on 31st December which was a Wednesday and it was here delivered by the following Tuesday! I couldn't believe it that is the first time I have ever had a package arrive in under a week from the States, in fact half the time the Aus mail takes that long to reach my little rural town.
Thanks Kathie!

Double Delight Mystery Quilt.

When I saw that Bonnie K Hunter of Quiltville fame was doing another mystery quilt I was interested. When I saw she was using reproduction fabrics I was hooked! Here I was before 2008 was finished about to start another new quilt!!!!!!!

So much for any quilting new years resolutions. I have decided to basically go with the colours that Bonnie is using, brown, pink, shirtings, navy/indigo, and cheddar. Although I am still unsure of the cheddar so I have skipped ahead to step 3 to make up some of the nine patches to see if I will use it or replace it with pink to finish off step 1 and sew step 2. I think I will have to end up sewing a couple together to make a decision.

Of course I have peeked ahead and I must say I just love how this quilt has turned out. Bonnie is one very clever and generous lady. I have also always been intrigued by the leaders and enders but have never been organised enough to get around to doing them so I thought this was the perfect opportunity.

Here are some of the results. So far I have 30 nine patch blocks made from 2/12" squares leader/enders whilst sewing the mystery quilt. I am not quite sure yet if they will become a sister's choice quilt which I have always really liked or this quilt......

This was in a magazine quite a few years back, another reproduction 1890's scrap quilt by Julie Wallace. I will need 111 nine patch blocks for this one!

Oh and guess what I got for Christmas........

as well as a Heritage Collection for a cause jelly roll and charm square pack. Just had to finish with a photo of the girls at Christmas....

Miss Coco (complete with large bump on the head and bruise from hitting her head the previous night) who thought it was hilarious to be rolling around on the floor when I was trying to take a photo of her.

Madam Isabella modelling for the camera! (sometimes we get NO camera!)

The Morrell Quilt

In July I think it was I stupidly signed up for the Morrell Quilt BOM from Threadbear in Castlemaine. As if I didn't already have enough to do but what can I say I fell in love with it when I saw it, impulse buying at it's best! So I have finally been doing some of the blocks. A lot of them are broderie perse (sp?) so I have been preparing them as I have decided not to do needleturn, I already have more than enough hand work to keep me going so these are going to be blanket stitched on the machine. Once again an antique reproduction. Sorry some of the photos aren't the best as I took them at night. A couple of the blocks are pretty complex so I guess I will be doing those by hand as I am not competent enough by machine. At least I have finally made a start!

Sylvester Says thank you!

To everyone that kindly replied with name suggestions. It's scarey sometimes but once again Lissa and I were on the same page, I had already been tossing Sylvester around when she suggested it! Dare I say great minds think alike....or would it be more like strange minds...lol. So we now have Cheeky and Sylly.