Arms, legs and horns

I've sewn, turned and stuffed the tiny, tiny horns on Mrs Perkins. Would you believe they had to be stuffed with a wooden skewer!! Turning the raw edges under drove me a bit crazy!!

She now has ears, a mane and a tail. I just need some felt for the eyes.

Meanwhile, here is a little monkey. How do you like the arms so far? I am going to finish stuffing the arms and legs in the car today - (we are off to the Victoria Market - maybe we'll buy some nice fresh fish, cheap meat and very fresh fruit and veg).

And here is another job I will be doing in the car: finishing my Christmas Cookie bag. Here are the fabrics I chose. Don't they look good Mum?? *wink*

And that's not all I've had on the go. I finished a redwork stitchery, to turn into a peg bag. I need to buy some ric-rac before I can finish it.

I need to get onto some Christmas gifts, but I won't be talking about them until AFTER Christmas! LOL!! Mind your business!!

Christmas Cookie Bag

My local quilting group are making goody bags for our Kris Kringle exchange in December.

Two members are currently long-distance and need to see how to make the Christmas Cookie Bag, so I am going to show them here, but you could use the instructions too if you like it!!

First, cut out 2 circles (trace around bread and butter plates) of a foam placemat or template plastic or discarded x-ray film, and cut 4 circles of wadding the same size.

Sandwich each plastic circle between 2 pieces of wadding and glue in place. Then glue a small square of fabric into the centre as shown in the picture (you can fussy cut a nice picture if you like). The fabric will show in the yo-yo "hole". You only need to stick a picture on one side of each sandwich.

Next, cut 2 circles of fabric by tracing around dinner plates. Fold in a 1/4 inch seam allowance and using a hand-sewing needle and double thread use a gathering stich to make 2 really large yo-yos. As well as a knot use a back-stitch to anchor the beginning of the gathering. Before you gather the entire circle slip in one of the sandwiches so it is encased. I used stitches about 8mm long. If you use really small stitches the hole in the centre is really big.

Next, trace around a saucer to give 10 small circles of fabric to make the handle. The suffolk puffs (yo-yos) can be all one fabric, or 2 fabrics alternating etc. Make 10 suffolk puffs for the handle.

Slightly overlap the puffs and slip stitch together.

To make the gusset, cut a rectangle of plastic or placemat 13.5in x 2in. Cut 2 rectangles the same size of wadding and glue into a sandwich with the plastic in the middle.

Cut a rectangle of fabric 6in x 15in. Fold it around the plastic sandwich and glue to hold in place, then stitch securely.

Glove stitch (or not...you could use a whip-stitch) the gusset around one large suffolk puff, then attach the other side.
The handle is attached by sewing all the way around a puff to the gusset on each side.

I haven't made the gusset yet, so I can't tell you whether the assembly is easy or not. The puffs have been easy, but I spent nearly 2 hours on it at quilting last night, and it probably needs nearly another 2 hours.

It's not something you would want to make for every friend you have at 4 hours a pop. Still, they are so cute! I will post photos of all the different fabric choices later on.

Busy bee

Well, it's been a while since I finished something, but here are two Cotton Country cushions!! I made the cushion back with an envelope opening - the instructions were to sew the opening closed, but I like cushion covers to be washable. I made one for me, and one to donate to the Bowls Club special Christmas fundraising effort (a wheelbarrow full of stuff).

I have stuffed Mrs Perkins. She still needs eyes, mane, tail, ears and horns.

I was a very busy bee!! I also finished the applique on the French Collection quilt. YAY!! I am looking forward to seeing it quilted. I am posting it to Mum with instructions for quilting.

Red Delicious

I haven't had a finish for a while. Doesn't that get a little depressing? I won't let it get to me!! I am nearly finished 3 projects. As long as they are done before Christmas I'll be fine.

I want to finish the Cotton Country cushion (the stitchery is finished, I need some ric rac), the French Collection quilt (needs quilting), and Mrs Perkins.

I just heard about Esther Aliu's FREE mystery BOM: Red Delicious. It is suitable for redwork or applique, and can be made entirely from red scraps in your stash (well, that's the idea, but it could be any colour really). You have to be quick! This month's pattern will disappear on the 15th of next month when the next one is posted!! I can't wait to get started!! (After the 3 finishes of course!!, and the other mystery quilt.... and.. No! That will do!).

Mrs Perkins

Yesterday I started to make this little guy... well, the pattern's name is "Mrs Perkins", so maybe it's not a guy!!!

I've left my stuffing at work, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, it was soooo quick to make the body (so far), I might have to make another one!!

Hallelujah!

I planned to post yesterday, but Hallelujah! there was a storm with lightening, thunder and that wet stuff, what's it called again? Oh yeah, rain.

We have been on tight water restrictions for the last four years and it still hasn't rained at least the average expected rainfall in our district.

We lost a modem and answering machine another time during a storm - lightening hit the phone connection at the pole on our naturestrip!!! So, we make sure we turn as much as possible off during a storm.

I have nearly finished all the applique for the French Collection quilt. I have leaves for one corner to go, and the blue parts of the fleur de lys for another 3 corners. I should get that done tonight. The stems took a while, but I am really pleased with the contrasting colour when compared to the leaf fabric.

This is the corner I have completely finished.

I've got a virus - I've had the sore throat, headache and some nausea over the last few days. Now it is the congestion. I need something to make me feel good. Is it chocolate? (Yes, but not this time...) Know what? I just have to start making something new!! I'll show you what I get up to tomorrow!!!

Old news

Yesterday's post was old news! It turns out that was last month's magazine. Down Under Quilts also sent me a copy of the latest issue (126).

This time the featured quilts are Star Quilts. Andrea's precisely pieced blue and white quilt is featured in the article. (It won second prize at Kilmore Kwilter's blue and white challenge last month).

This is the quilt I made with the Jane Austen fabric. Do you remember I mentioned walking into a nearby quilt shop and seeing the fabric then phoning my friends?? I walked out with some of each bolt!!! Andrea, Rosie, Sandra and I divided up the fabric.

Jane Austen's quilt is made of pieced diamonds. That's why I wanted mine to look like it had diamonds in it (it doesn't, they are triangles). Sandra has appliqued in the centre of large diamonds, and Andrea has made the centre of her lonestar. Rosie decided to make four-patches with applique along the top. She is yet to complete the applique.

This is not the end.. there will be more in print later on. It's very exciting!!! VBG.