I Believe it's coming together!!

The "I Believe" wallhanging is coming together! I stitched around the applique last night. And I added borders and the top of the wallhanging.

I just need to add a little bit of hand-stitching to the faces, then quilt it!! YAY!! I am looking forward to Christmas.

Progress

I fused on another block for my I Believe wallhanging. It's ready to machine blanket-stitch. I need to work out the borders after that. And, I assembled the centre of the Baubles quilt. I am still playing with ideas for the side and top borders.

How did I manage to do this? I've been eating my veggies!! Brain power, yeah!!

Cross-stitching my way to Christmas

If Santa is not coming soon, he is definitely coming along in this cross-stitch stocking.

I have been so very busy and this makes me very tired. Cross-stitch requires no planning, organising or designing... this is why I am working on it at the moment.

I plan to work on the "I Believe" wallhanging next, and the 12 Days of Christmas quilt.

I'll get there right? Besides that, I am listening to audio books - I am up to the 3rd book in the "Tomorrow" series by John Marsden.

Curling up by the fire...

Just like Santa here... I am looking forward to curling up on the couch with my boots off and slippers off... Who knows how much more of this cross-stitch I will have finished by then???It's cold here, and I am feeling really Christmassy. I don't suppose you can tell?? Hee hee.

Christmas Baubles

I'd been drooling over these Holiday Flourish III Christmas prints for a while, and I have started to make a quilt with them. I cut out circles to look like baubles - I really want to make the most of these gorgeous fabrics.

This is all I've done so far... I just love the freshness of this blue and green with the Christmas prints!!

I can't help myself, I love Christmas.

Lazy Days Brunch...

This is a plunger cosy. It is supposed to be my project for the Gisborne Quilters afternoon tea challenge, but mine is more of a brunch item.

The fabric reads "If we were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters."

I used kitsch fabrics in retro colours..with zig-zag with the walking foot to quilt-as-I-appliqued... and I just love the result!!

I will give this cosy to my sister at some point (she is a coffee addict), and I will make myself another one with a different focus on the fabric.

Too cute!! And just perfect for a lazy brunch when we don't have to drink our coffee in a hurry.

Christmas is coming...

This cross-stitch was in its packet (unopened) for about 12 years... I cracked it open last December for some hand-stitching that doesn't require preparation.

However, counted cross-stitch does require concentration or it gets mucked up!

I've picked it up from time to time over the last few months, but I am listening to audio books from the library at the moment, and I am much more able to focus on a chart and listen to books than "watch" something on the telly and cross-stitch.

Why am I working on the cross-stitch so much? I must confess, I bought a new cross-stitch (it's the Arnott's label including parrot on a black background), and I don't want to start it until I finish this one.

Oh, and also Christmas is coming.

A quick project

I have named this bag "waterlily bag" because it is made from Kaffe Fasset laminated fabric - the lamination makes it water resistant.

It didn't need lining, and the handles are made from the same fabric.

I was careful not to pin through the laminated fabric (I think the holes would stay there), and I used the walking foot.

I'm quite pleased with a nice quick finish!!

Deadlines... always a surprise!

The Christmas Elves challenge this year for my quilt group was to make two blocks from the Dear Jane quilt using the background fabric provided. Everyone who completes their allocated blocks will receive a raffle ticket - the winner will receive a bundle of blocks. These are my allocated blocks. Lucky for me I had already made the Dear Jane quilt, so this was not a difficult challenge for me.

However, I have just made the deadline - they are due in at the end of the month. I've had these to make for six months.

Does that ever happen to you? Deadlines just seem to loom up on me when I am not looking.

That reminds me of my agreement to have my Civil War Bride quilt finished for the VicQuilters Exhibition at Jeff's Shed next year.

Hmm... on another note, my Pieces of The Past quilt and my Miniature Reproduction quilt have both been accepted into this year's VicQuilter's Exhibition. I am putting my money where my mouth is... (so to speak). I feel so inspired when gawking at other people's quilts, I think it's time to give back....

Belated birthday gifts...

Okay, this might not look that exciting, but imagine faux black velvet cushion covers with gold fringeing... I found a pair of them at the opp shop 2 doors down from work. I thought these would be perfect as a gift for my sister and her SO (Significant Other) to wear as aprons when entertaining Aussie guests (can you guess, they just moved to New Zealand!!).

All I had to do was stitch on some apron ties. Voila! Perfect aprons..... Well, more than a little kitsch, but I think they will love them!!

And I finally quilted the braided table runner. I wanted the quilting to look a bit New Zealand, and the batiks really help with that. Also for my sister as a belated birthday gift for her first NZ birthday....

Well, that's a load off my chest. *phew*

I Believe In Santa

This is the next installment in my three-block wallhanging from the "I Believe" book by Nancy Halvorsen.The word still needs to be stitched on, and of course Santa needs eyes.

A few buttons for holly berries will be added after quilting.

This is quite exciting! I wish I didn't have to stop with only one block to go.... but I have to work on a miniature quilt. *sigh*

I've got to finish one mini a month for a while. Why? Because it's the plan. VBG.

Almost a little finish

Would you believe I ran out of the tapestry wool? Yes, I filled in all the little gaps that needed 4 or 5 stitches in the vase and flowers... then ran out of the bright blue background.

I need to go shopping....

So what did I do? I started something else! I know it seems hopeless!! But I nearly finished one block, so it's almost a little finish. This is one of the blocks from quilt in the book of the same name "I Believe" by Nancy Halvorsen of Art To Heart.

Rather than make the entire quilt, I decided to make 3 blocks into a vertical wallhanging.

I have already machine blanket-stitched Santa and Rudolph, but I just added the lettering. It is not yet stitched down. There is also a little bit of hand stitchery to do, and I need to add some buttons once it is all quilted.

It's a little project, I should be able to add it to my finished list waaaay before this Christmas. :)

Divergance

Would you believe all I have to do is this corner of the tapestry? It is about the same size as my hand.

And a few little bits in the centre. I hope I will have enough tapestry wool to finish this tonight.

Last night I started listening to the audio book "The Power Of One". I listened to it a few years ago, but like good typed books, it deserves further listening. So, of course I got itchy fingers. I couldn't read a pattern or instructions, so I went looking for a project.

Now, I want to crack this one... finish it off! I would love to have it framed in olive/khaki colours. I think it will really make the blue pop.

I will show you the entire tapestry when it is finished. Would you believe this project is at least 10 years old? Yes, I know. This would be scratching one off that is not even on my UFO list.

This is only a slight divertion from quilting stuff right? Anyway, it won't be long...

Putting Alice together

I've made the Alice quilt top. Whoops! I have accidentally cut some off in the photo.... You will have to wait for next time!

Next, I plan to embellish with applique. After it is quilted I want to do more embellishing...

I'm pretty happy with the results of my day off...

Remembering Alice

I've been playing around with the Alice in Wonderland fabrics. The fabrics have a lot of depth and warmth with the borders around.This is what I have designed so far... I don't want to plan too much, too far ahead, I want to let it see where it takes me - in the style of Lewis Carroll himself.

I think it's going to be a nice size for the lap, or the wall or the couch (maybe even a cot quilt).

I don't think one chooses the Alice fabrics because they have a baby quilt in mind. I think they love the fabrics, and the story, and then they will turn them into a quilt for a gift or to keep themselves.

I hope I have enough leftover fabric to make a library bag.