FNWF and some February finishes

Hello there, firstly here is what I stitched last night for Friday Night with Friends(Big thanks to Cheryll for hosting us)  This is about half of the stitchery for this months Stitch Along pincushion.

I have a couple of finishes from February too, this is a little Leannes House-inspired pincushion I made for a lady called Chris whose property was devastated by bushfires in Australia recently.  Chookyblue told me about her when we were emailing about the Caring with Quilts appeal.  Chris had stitched all the blocks for her Leannes House quilt, and lost them all along with all her stitching supplies in the fires.  It touched a nerve with me, as that is one of the ongoing projects I am working on, so I asked if I could put a few stitching bits and bobs together in a bundle and send them over care of Chookyblue.   I would like to say a big thanks to Sandi who owns The Art of Craft in Gore for being so generous and adding some things to this bundle too.  When I was buying the threads she asked what I was stitching with them, and when I told her what I was doing, she very kindly added some bobbin cards, linen stitchery fabric, and a couple of extra DMC threads.  I was blown away by her generosity, thanks so much Sandi..... quilters really are the best!

At the very last hour on the 28th I finished my True Friends Tote bag, the February Stitch-A-Long project, nothing like a deadline....lol....... I'm not sure about the overall colours I've gone with, it seems very bright!  But I am pleased with how the stitchery turned out.....

So along with my little Ruby quilt, that brings me to a grand total of 3 OPAM finishes for February, the most for me in a long time.  

We are weighing 3 mobs of lambs today, so no stitching here until at least tomorrow....... have a great day............ Nicky x

A Winning Week

Earlier this week our Miss 10 had some exciting mail all the way from the Land of Oz.. We were lucky enough to win one of 5 lovely bags that Fiona of BubzRugz was giving away.  And Miss 10 was doubly excited to receive chocolate too!  Thank you Fiona for such a lovely gift, she has stashed a few treasures into it already.......

My winning streak continued yesterday when I won a wonderful giveaway from Linda at Razzle Dazzle Quilter.  I have won the clever quilting skills of Linda who will long arm quilt a top for me, isn't that such a generous gift......Thank you Linda.....

So far this week I have worked on a variety of projects, I quilted and bound my little Ruby quilt for Chookyblue's Caring with Quilts bushfire appeal.  Just need to make and attach a label and it will be on it's way......     This was a great pattern called Between Charming Friends which I found here, and was originally designed by Darlene.  

I made Block 7  & 8 from the FQS Designer Mystery Block of the Month.......... this is Block 7 'Moonlight Serenade', designed by Sandy Gervais...........

......... and Block 8 'Lime Sherbet', designed by Bonnie Olaveson and Camille Roskelley.........

 ......... and I started making some of the Flying Geese units that make up the sashing that will finish this quilt. 

I have also started the Stitch-A-Long project for February, which is a tote bag from Natalie Birds Red Home Book, this is the beginning of the stitchery panel,.  I'm stitching in green, which is something a little different for me!

Last night I stitched the little tulips miniblock in the top right of this block from my Leanne's House BOM.  Leanne and I have been stitching along together once a week on this project(in the virtual way only as we live in different countries with different timezones ..... lol) and I have found it very motivating to know that someone else is getting on with it too.  Thanks Leanne!

So you can see it's been a busy sewing week mixed in with girls returning to school, working with lambs, weeding my vege garden and various other 'stuff' that is always needing done.  

I hope your week is going great, as always thanks for making it all the way to the bottom.........lol

Till next time ......... happy stitching........... Nicky x

A new year?

So have you heard the news, we're in a new year already.......... I only just got the memo....lol.  I didn't intend to take this long to return to the blog, but that's just how it's turned out.  I'm finding it difficult to even remember what I've been up to so far in 2013, there's been some farm work, some nurse-maiding to my ill family who all had a nasty gastro bug, lots of rain, and a little sewing and stitching.   The family are all well again, and I think I have successfully dodged it this time round!

Just prior to Christmas I had a couple of finishes that had been a long time in the making.  Firstly my block from Stitching Round the Block was finally finished into a cushion.  This is the lovely round robin block stitched on by Raewyn, Janis, Leanne/Maria(no blog) and me.  I had it returned to me over a year ago, and it has waited all that time to have me spend about 20 minutes actually making it into a cushion!!

Below is my New Couch Companion, designed by Leanne's House, which has also been a long time in the finishing!  

I have signed up for the new 2013 Stitch-A-Long where we will be making lots of small projects from 3 books, Some Kind of Wonderful, Tis the Season and Red Home.  I have finished my January task and made this little thread catcher. 

And since I made it, it's had a good workout with the trimmings of a little project I've been working on in the last few days...... hope to be back soon with something to share......

I'm not going to make any rash statements about 2013, about finishing everything I've ever started, or not buying another scrap of fabric, or not starting any new projects, because I've decided that this year I'm just going to work on whatever I'm feeling the love for!!  No setting myself up to fail before I've even begun...... yes, it will be a bonus if I do finish any old stuff and I have even been working on a couple of longstanding items recently, but I am putting NO pressure on myself outside of the Stitch-A-Long commitments I've made, and my plans to join in again with OPAM, which will be kicking off later this month.  There are a couple of new quilt alongs I've been looking at, no decisions yet, but it could be fun!  

Thanks for all the kind comments about my Gardener's Journal quilt, it has been so exciting to get it finally finished.  I hope the New Year has been a good one for you so far.......... take care and happy stitching............. Nicky x

Beautiful gifts & Scrappy stars

Last week I was thrilled to receive a surprise gift in the mail from Clare, a lovely lady who I have 'met' through blogging.  Clare started her blog Craftlady in Kiwiland late last year and she does the most amazing stitching and quilting, and now I've been so lucky to be able to experience it firsthand...... a most welcome and very much appreciated gift, this gorgeous bag, and matching blockroll.  The bag is now filled with the little hexies from my recent post, which I have been working on now and then, it's nice to have them close by in this sweet little bag, when I have a few spare minutes to stitch. 

I've never used a block roll before, but what a neat idea, this will keep my little Butterfly Garden miniblocks together and wrinkle free while I finish the rest of each block.

Isn't this fabric so cute, couldn't help but make you smile to read those cheerful words.... thank you Clare, you absolutely made my day, your workmanship is faultless, and I am so grateful to be the recipient of your wonderful stitching.

I have been getting a little stitching done, and have picked up my Butterfly Garden blocks again. Here are some newly finished miniblocks ..........these bring me to 28/81 completed.

Recently I spotted some scrappy stars over at Terry's blog Terry's Treasures, where she is co-ordinating a Scrappy Stars Sew Along.  In a desperate attempt to tame my scrap bin, I have joined in the scrappy fun.  I think there are meant to be two blocks a month starting in August.  I am late joining, so I've made my first four blocks .........each block is 12.5" unfinished.

These are so much fun, a little addictive, and I've decided to have no rules whatsoever, no fabric will be too ugly/loud/wrong for these blocks!  So who knows what the next ones will look like .........

I hope you've had a great weekend............. Nicky

Stitching update

Hello again, it's been nearly two weeks(again) between posts but rest assured I haven't been sitting idle all that time..... here is some stitching I've been working on at nights while watching cricket and tennis, loving the Aussie Open, some great games and very entertaining.  I just wish we weren't 2 hours ahead of Melbourne as it was after 3am when I dragged myself off to bed last night!  (I have to confess there may have been some dozing in the chair at times though.)


But anyway, back to that stitching, this chart and fabric are a late Christmas gift to myself ........ I've made a small start, because of course starting is what I do best........lol.  This is Christmas Garden by Blackbird Designs, I think I am going to omit the wording at the bottom, and make it more of a family sampler than an exclusively Christmas piece.

Below is Secret Egg Hunt by The Trilogy, not much to go on this little one, just waiting on a couple of thread colours to arrive in the mail and I'll be done!

I have also started stitching those hexie flowers down on Janis' Stitching Round the Block, not as difficult as I imagined, the seam allowances stayed nicely creased under and I just used some tiny drops of Roxanne's glue to hold them in place while I stitched............ 4 done, 4 to go!

I think I mentioned a couple posts back that I had done a little Butterfly Garden stitching at Christmas time and here are 5 more little miniblocks done. .................... check out Fiona and her Butterfly Garden stitching, she is on fire, so is Josie, she is now working on her final block.   Oops I've just remembered I still need to get pics of my Gardener's Journal top now that the borders are on - next time!

Tonight I'm going to stitch while watching some more tennis ............. hope you're getting some stitching time today too............. till next time ..................... Nicky

One hundred and counting

Well hello there.............. you could be forgiven for thinking I'd vanished into the night after not posting for over three weeks.   Life has been a little crazy lately, and my computer has been at the doctor for an overhaul too ...................... so now I'm back to many hundreds of posts to catch up on in Google Reader..... but I will get there  ......... it might just take some time!

The cold blast straight from Antarctica last week that plunged most of New Zealand in to the freezer left us with our fifth dump of snow for the winter, the crazy thing is some years we don't get any, but this has been a dreadful end to winter.  It's taken it's toll on man and beast around here.  We're all desperate for spring to arrive, and hopefully some warm temperatures to greet the lambs due to be born in about two weeks.  At least some of us enjoyed the snow, hanging on for dear life on the sled behind the motorbike.......

Just so you know that amongst the craziness I have been stitching a little, here is a WIP, on it's way to completion.  This is Leanne's House New Couch Companion in a half finished state ..............because it's as much about the process as the finished object right??

Thanks for all the kind comments about me celebrating another year last month, and I think there are quite a lot of you who would be happy to receive a hen house for your birthday too. LOL


To celebrate both my Halfway to 70 birthday and this, my 100th post, I'm going to have a little giveaway. Because I can never stick to just one thing and am constantly swinging between cross-stitch/embroidery projects and quilty/stitchery projects, I'm going to give away a henhouse, no sorry a little bundle of treats for both.


Just leave a comment and tell me which is your favourite kind of stitching - Cross Stitch/Embroidery or Quilting/Fabric crafts or maybe like me you can't make up your mind prefer to sit on the fence and enjoy both?? Or maybe it's something else altogether!  There's no other hoops to jump through, you don't need to be a follower or advertise the giveaway anywhere, just say hi and I'll throw your name in a draw next Friday 26th August.  If you visit here, and have been lurking in the background, don't be shy, believe me I don't bite, I'd also love to put your name in the draw too!  I'm happy to send anywhere!

OK, time to go and catch up on all those blogs I'm so behind on reading, I hope you have a wonderful weekend  ................... till next time, Nicky

Missing in action

It's been a very unproductive week here for me.  I've had a nasty tummy bug which kept me away from work both on- and off-farm and feeling very sorry for myself.  So far the rest of the family have not succumbed, so for that I am grateful.   

I started to feel a little better yesterday, so finished these Butterfly Garden miniblocks.  The plan for the weekend is to piece Block 1 of this quilt together and also piece my next A Gardeners Journal block.

Grethe is also working on her Butterfly Garden quilt again, her blocks are beautiful - do take a look, and Fiona has some wonderful fabrics ready to go here too.  Cardygirl says she's got one to finish too ...........as does Peg ................ no pressure ladies .........lol ..............and then there's the little challenge with Josie .......if anyone else has one lurking or ready to go feel free to out yourself ..........................

I've also dragged Virtues Sampler from the bottom of the stitching basket and got some more done. It's been quite some months since I did any cross stitch and I'm enjoying it. Both of these projects were on my WIP list from the start of the year, so I'm easing the guilts a little. lol   Sorry about all those wrinkles in these pics!

I am so behind on blog reading and returning emails so will try and catch up over the weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend.......till next time Happy Stitching...................Nicky

Butterfly Garden

Last July after seeing May Britt and Hanne commit to finishing their BG quilts that they had been working on for a while, I started mine with the intention of stitching one miniblock a week, so that I would be finished 81 weeks later, at the end of this year.  Well now it's nearly June and I had a paltry 9 miniblocks done.  Pathetic isn't it.  The last time I updated a finished block here was in October............ yes I do have a very short attention span...........lol.

In the last couple of weeks some girls have been working on their BG's again, so I dragged mine out to see where I was at.   Nicky..... Bec ...... and Lynda have been busy on theirs.....Lynda has now finished herquilt top and it looks amazing.   It always amazes me how different one quilt design can look in a different colour way or fabric style.  Do have a look at these ladies work, they are incredible and very inspiring.

So here are my 3 new miniblocks finished in the last week or so....................

I love the little french knot flowers on this block, very slow to stitch, but so pretty too!  Below is the block I'm working on currently, gosh there's lots of stitching in them.

Maybe you have a Butterfly Garden block or two lurking you'd like to drag out and get stitching on??  I'd love to have you join me......... but I'm not making any more rash promises on deadlines yet. lol   I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment if you are stitching or have stitched Butterfly Garden, it would be great to see some pictures if you have a blog or a link to a flickr album etc.

Thanks for the lovely comments on my Martinique runner, and for the great tips on quilting at 1/4" spacing.  You gave me lots of ideas for which I am grateful.  I hope you're having a fantastic weekend...................till next time ....happy stitching.............Nicky

Friday Night Sew In

I managed to get this runner pieced last night for Friday Night Sew-In.  This was cut out during a FNSI last year and it never made it any further than that, another project on my Sew It's Finished WIP list.  It is the Skinny Verna Pattern by Vicki E at Moda Bake Shop, using Martinique fabrics, which I absolutely love.  I recently ordered a walking foot for my machine, so I will wait for it to arrive before I quilt this wee runner.  The one I made last year showed me that I could really do with one,  I could see how much my top layer was being dragged with all the close machine quilting on this one.  Any advice on quilting generally would be much appreciated, as my experience is very limited!! 

 

  

 

Last weekend I made up the shoo fly blocks for Block One of Vignette mystery quilt and got the block together and traced.  I've only managed a little stitching during the week, but I can honestly say I love working with the Cosmo threads.  I wasn't expecting them to be any different to DMC, but they are just so smooth and silky to work with.

 

I traced parts with blue washout pen and some with pigma pen.  What do you normally use for tracing??  I like the clear crisp lines of the pigma, but the lightest green thread doesn't cover it very well.  On the other hand, the blue is forgiving if you make a mistake in the tracing, but I find it fades quickly with handling.  Would love to hear your thoughts.

No stitching here today, we're off to a wedding later on, so looking forward to that.  We haven't been to a wedding in ages and now we have two within 6 weeks.  Feast or famine! 

As always, thanks for stopping by..................................Nicky

Stitching my heart out

Hello -  How are things in your neck of the woods?   What a wonderful couple of days I've had - I'm making the most of all the rain we've been having and have been stitching my heart out.  Finally - it has been such a long time - the last stitches went into Leanne's Stitching Round the Block piece, here is a little sneak peek.  This is going back to Leanne and she is going to stitch her own Round Three.  Don't you love her colours? (Hi Leanne, it will go in post probably Friday when I go into town)  Now Raewyn, it's on to your gorgeous piece.............

And another long neglected project, A Gardener's Journal by Anni Downs.  I have completed some more stitcheries, but in my usual haphazard way, none of the blocks have all the stitcheries needed done, so no more piecing yet!  I believe the SAL deadline is March, when the girls are starting the next project, so better get my butt moving on this one too.  The new SAL project Chookyblue is organising looks tempting too .......

There have also been a few stitches into Virtues Sampler by LHN, below is a headless girl and a tree missing a branch, but progress all the same. Last time I photographed this, I think she had a head, but there was a very sad case of unpicking and restitching of the dress required. I hate it when that happens.

Believe it or not, there has even been a little stitching on some Butterfly Garden miniblocks, no pics yet though.   I think all this WIP stitching is to ease my guilt over signing up to stitch Vignette, the lovely new Mystery Block Quilt by Leanne Beasley. But really, how could I turn down starting a gorgeous new quilt of Leanne's when I already have two others of hers started??  Thankfully, I'm still waiting on the fabrics and threads ordered before Christmas, so that'll give me some time to work on a few other long suffering WIP's!

There's a brand new blog, Vignette in Stitches, for all those keen on stitching projects from Leanne's gorgeous new mag 'Vignette'.  Pop on over there and see what some of the girls have done already!  Thanks Perri for starting the blog and also to Ms Farmyard Crafts for tempting me into starting *another* project!  Didn't need much persuading though, did I?  Maree from Farmyard Crafts and I have something in common -  a very long list of WIP's - at least mine would be long if I finally finish making it.  AWIP list of WIP's! lol 

I think I really do need help - when I told her that she suggested I start something else! LOL

Can't thank you enough for the lovely comments about my SSCS and 6 Things swap goodies, I really appreciate you stopping by and reading and/or sharing your thoughts with me.  

Till next time, happy stitching to you ...........  Nicky