Saturday morning with friends....

OK, so my Friday Night with Friends sewing plans went awry..... it was our 16th wedding anniversary yesterday, and when hubby realised he would have all the grass seed sown earlier than expected, we decided to head to town to a new restaurant for dinner..... so too late for sewing when we got home!    So instead, I have spent Saturday morning making up the final Scrappy Star blocks for the Sew Along that Terry kindly hosted last year.   I have decided to just make 12 and had a little trial run of how the final layout might be.  Don't you just love my red carpet.....lol......!!

I hope if you joined in Friday Night(or Saturday Morning) with Friends that you had a productive time too.......... Thanks Cheryl for hosting us all.....

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

January roundup

Time for a catchup on January............ lots happening on the farm...... some random farm pics from December and January.......

Yesterday I was thrilled to catch up over lunch with Michelle and her lovely family.  They are on a family holiday travelling around the South Island, and it was so nice to meet and finally put a face to the name/blog.  Michelle is a beautiful quilter and stitcher, her lovely blog is called It's Sew Me.  Here we are outside the cafe - I didn't notice how much taller I was till I saw the photos today.....lol.  I hope you and the family had a safe journey north Michelle......... and thanks for taking the time to meet us.....

Last week we headed to the beach with the girls, they had lots of fun boogie boarding in the waves, and we all had a little R & R for a couple of days, before heading home and back into lots of sheep work.  Today is the last day of four days shearing, great to get a good spell of weather to get that job done.....

On the sewing/stitching front, here is the little Ruby project I started earlier in the month.  It is almost quilted, and I have decided to send this one over to Chookyblue for her Caring with Quilts appeal for those who have lost everything in recent bushfires in her area.  This is not a big quilt, but would be OK for a cot quilt I think.  I will finish quilting it this afternoon and get it on it's way ASAP.  I can always make another one for me!!  If you can help by sending a completed quilt please get in touch with Chookyblue...... most of us can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to lose everything.

This bundle of loveliness arrived in the mail ....... I've had my eye on this since I first saw it and I could resist no longer.  This is Flower Girl by Thimble Blossoms using Bonnie and Camille's Marmalade range.

 I was also asked to make a pencil case in the same bike fabrics I made a pouch from last year, sorry no pics, it's in use at school today!!  So that together with my Stitch-A-Long Thread Catcher makes 2 OPAM finishes for me this month.

And finally here is a lovely cool desert I made for the family last night........... meringues, piled with whipped cream/yoghurt and lots of fresh berries.... yum!

Well, if you've made it all the way to the end...... thanks for sticking with me!!

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

A Gardener's Journal - It's Finished

What a great way to finish 2012 with getting my A Gardener's Journal quilt FINISHED!  I started way back in 2010 stitching with the original Stitch-A-Long girls, and put my final stitches in to the top at the beginning of 2012.  Eventually I got around to sending it off for quilting to the very clever Leeanne at quiltmekiwi who has worked her magic for me.  I am so thrilled with the quilting, I never imagined it could be so perfect for this quilt, thanks Leeanne for making my first ever professional quilting experience so awesome!

A Gardener's Journal Quilt - Designed by Hatched and Patched

  

Thanks to Chookyblue and all the Stitch-A-Long girls for the encouragement, motivation, and inspiration that you all share so willingly, you all helped me get over the finish line on this one.

Till next time ......... happy stitching.......... Nicky xx

My SSCS gift to Cheryl

I can now share the gift that I made for Cheryl in our SSCS exchange, sent halfway round the world to California.  The design is called Countdown to Christmas, by Anni Downs and was featured in Australian Homespun Vol 13 No 7.  I made a small alteration to the little sign, changing it from 'Countdown to Christmas' to 'Merry Christmas'.  I was pretty pleased with how the wall hanging finished up, and will definitely use a 'rusty' hanger again, I loved the look it gave.

Today I have put the final stitches into my Gardeners Journal quilt, and I don't know if I can put into words how happy I am that it is finally done!  I will put a post together for the SAL blog soon, and will share here too.   I have lots of emails to reply to and blogs to catch up on too, so that will fill in the rest of my Friday evening......

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

My SSCS gift from Lea

Christmas morning was made even more exciting when I opened my SSCS gift from Lea.  Lea stitched this beautiful cross stitch cushion for me, isn't it adorable, those hares driving the reindeer sleigh are the cutest...... and the pom-pom trim is fantastic!  I was so thrilled with my gorgeous gift, so thankyou Lea for the cushion and my two lovely Christmas ornaments, and a huge thanks to Chookyblue for organising this brilliant swap again.  This is my third year in Chooky's swap, and I hope she's planning on doing it all again in 2013, I wouldn't miss this one for anything!!

I will share in the next couple of days what I sent to Cheryl in the US, I have had a lovely email from Cheryl saying how much she liked what I made her....... it's always a relief to hear that!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, we certainly did...................... until next time, happy stitching......Nicky x

Merry Christmas

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.  Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)

Wishing all who visit here a wonderful Christmas, I hope you have a magical day with the people you love................  you may see from the pic what I will be doing after Christmas(stitching binding that is, not playing Scrabble!)  I will share the beautiful quilting Leeanne has done when I have the binding all finished.

Much love to all and Merry Christmas.......... Nicky xx