Me…

I’m back at work…I love my job…but I’m tired…I haven’t touched needle/thread/fabric/notion/sewing machine/pattern ALL week (I was going to say button but I did look and touch my new ones when they arrived but not since).  I don’t want people to feel sorry for me because it is only temporary – it’s like report writing time, everything else stops and it’s the same for the start of the school year, well for me anyway.

I have been printing, cutting, marking, assessing, analysing data, plotting progress, comparing results and checking up on some of my kids from last year.  It’s an unusual time and it’s hard to explain to people why you get so tired, but I think it is a combination of a few things, getting to know your new kids, working out where they are at, what they need, who their friends are, likes/dislikes – all of that and more.  Multiply that by 28…no wonder I’m tired, lol.

But the postie did visit again and all I’ve done it open the package and move the contents to beside my bed.  Hopefully at some stage this weekend I will look more closely.

  

I have signed up with Cheryll for her monthly gathering – I’m hoping it will motivated me to make something.

                                                                                   

Buttons, buttons, buttons.

 

I Love buttons.

 

The colours, the shapes, the sizes, the textures, the uses and the materials.

 

I stumbled across Marg Low last year quite by accident and bought a couple of her kits, but it was the buttons that got me.  I am a sucker for a pretty button.

 

Enter Theodora Cleave…Oh my goodness what a treasure trove of goodies to be found there!

 

 

I got an email from Barb late last year about a button club she was going to run.

 

Of course I had to sign up  - there was no question.

 

My first bundle of buttons arrived while I was at work.

  

 

These 3 pictures show what was in the first lot and I am blown away – more than happy with what I was sent and so very glad I signed up.  Now I just need to find some time to use these little darlings and I can’t wait for the end of February to see what is in the next lot.

On a roll…

Well sort of, just trying because Cheryll got me thinking about how many unfinished things I have hidden in the depths of my cupboards.  I finished the Beast and knew that I really should finish off other stuff before starting anything new, despite how badly I wanted to.



2 years I was fortunate enough to travel to America for a whirl-wind 2 weeks and while I was there I bought this pattern and all of the fabric to make it.  I even had it in my carry on luggage – there was no way it was going into a suitcase to be potentially lost by the airline.  I started it once I was home and then it was packed away and left.  It will be 3 years this September since I bought it.  I really ought to finish it.

So instead of doing school work i pulled it out.  I had to try and make sense of the pattern and where I was up to.  There were bit sewn and pieced together, bits cut out and fabric pieces.

I ironed it all and it was then that I made a gruesome discovery…

All of these have an error in them!  How could I have been so careless?  How could I have not known it at the time?  Mind you in my defence I did have to get glasses 2 years ago, so that’s my excuse.  So I sat and looked and wondered  - should I leave them, should I fix them, would people notice, would I be able to live with it…I knew I had no choice but to fix them, so I set about to unpick and resew them – not happy.

So now I have something that looks more like this



And I have packed it away again to make room for laminating.  Yes, desk labels, bag hooks, wall charts, groups for this and groups for that…all printed, cut out and laminated in preparation for next week.  I love the start of the school year!

Will you join me, friends?

It is no secret that Moda was my first love in fabrics. For a long time I felt disloyal when I looked at other brands. I thought I was a fabric floosy. Now well, I still buy a lot of Moda but I also have a few other brands that I’ve grown fond of…but Moda will always hold a special place in my fabric stash.

 

 

I found this today and I’m in – this is directly from their web site 

and I really hope that some of my bloggy will join me.

Now to select fabrics…

 

Join the Moda Designers for a Friendship blog hop where they will be

sharing friendship block patterns along with some fun stories.

Each day visit 3 moda designers' blogs as they share with you a

9" friendship quilt block. Add these patterns

to your block library.

The last day a setting option will be

supplied on the moda blog, the Cutting Table.

 

FEB 18th

Barbara Brackman
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/

Basic Grey
http://blog.basicgrey.com/

Blackbird Designs

http://blackbird-designs.blogspot.com/

FEB 19th

Bonnie- Cotton Way
http://cottonway.blogspot.com/
Brigitte- Zen Chic

www.farbstoff-bridge.blogspot.com

Anne- Bunny Hill

http://bunnyhillblog.com/

FEB 20th

Camille- Thimbleblossoms
http://www.camilleroskelley.typepad.com/

Deb Strain

http://debstrain.blogspot.com/

Eric & Julie Comstock

http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/

FEB 21st

Jan Patek
http://janpatek.blogspot.com/

Joanna-Fig Tree
http://figtreequilts.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Jenn Ski

http://jennskistudio.blogspot.com/

FEB 22nd

Kaari-French General
http://frenchgeneral.blogspot.com/
Lynne-Kansas Troubles
http://kansastroublesquilters-lynne.blogspot.com/
Kate Spain
http://katespaindesigns.blogspot.com/

You have the weekend to rest or sew these blocks.
We hope you are having fun collecting all these quilt blocks.

FEB 25th
Kathy Schmitz
http://kathyschmitzstudio.blogspot.com/
Edyta- Laundry Basket

http://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/blog/index.php

Lauren & Jessi Jung

http://laurenandjessiblog.com/

FEB 26th
Lisa- Primitive Gatherings

http://lisabongean.wordpress.com/

Malka Dubrawsky

http://stitchindye.blogspot.com/

Me & My Sister

http://meandmysisterdesigns.com/blog/

FEB 27th

Minick and Simpson

http://minickandsimpson.blogspot.com/

Pat Sloan

http://blog.patsloan.com/

Sandy Gervais

http://piecesfrommyheart-sgervais.blogspot.com/

FEB 28th
Sweetwater

http://sweetwater.typepad.com/makelifesweet/

Stephanie Ryan

http://www.stephanieryandesignstudio.com/

Vanessa Christenson

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/

March 1st

The Cutting Tablehttp://modafabrics.blogspot.com/

At last…

This beast is finished.



It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in all honesty, I did not enjoy this quilt – AT ALL.
It isn’t the quilt’s fault, it was just one of those things.
Lots of hiccups, issues, problems, brick walls.
Little annoying, silly things that over the time span grew to be a whole lot of aggravation – things like;

• the seams not matching, so unpicking with the quick-unpick and missing ending on a small hole that had to be fixed,
• interruptions with work and life, so it was packed away, unpacked, packed away, unpacked,
• trying to match the background fabric to the patterned fabric
• ordering the patterned fabric online from overseas and then wishing I had more – but no way of getting more of the print i wanted
• running out of thread so changing colours slightly, 3 times

So you see why this was not really the most enjoyable of processes for me?
Some of it, if not all of it, is my doing.  Have I learnt anything? Yes.  Always have more spools of thread than you think you will need.  Always buy a little more fabric than you think you will need – especially if it’s your own creations and you’re winging it. Always pack ALL the parts, bits and pieces into a container, bag, folder etc for just one project – unlike me who stuffs everything into those big 10L plastic tubs…

How’s that for a confession?

FNSI

Mine was quiet…just the way I like it. 



First up I finished off another mug rug that was just lying around – even gave it a little wash.
Then I was undecided as to what to do.  Should I start something new or continue ploughing my way through my UFO’s or WIPs?  I was really tempted to start this

 

but decided to show some restraint and go through my unfinished things, when I stumbled across this



I bought this ages ago when Amy made a Christmas quit with one. See it is dangerous to go poking in places where you have put unfinished things because you find other things.
So I made this


And when I took this insert from an old beat=up looking cushion and shoved it in my nice new cover…disaster struck!


Yep – the insert was too big, so it looks like I’ll have to go shopping to buy a smaller one…wonder how much other stuff will follow me home?

1 Xmas item a month

 

Pins and Whiskers runs this program and I decided to join this year in an effort to try and balance things out.  I want to be more prepared for Christmas this year instead of that awful mad rush.  I need to be more structured in the things I make and this along with Birthday love stash is helping me with that.

So my 2 Christmas makes for January are…

       

 

I just need to put Rudolph’s eye on and attach hanging ribbon to both.  Rudolph was so easy to make, think he might be something that I can mass produce without becoming too bored.

Allow me…

to introduce…Elizabeth Mary

She was my great granny.

 

Ok so she’s spinning in the washing machine at this point in time…

 

Here she is resting in the wash, looking very pink but I think it’s the light, because she is most certainly NOT pink.

 

 

His lordship using my great granny first.

 

 

Love those 2 little dirty feet poking out the end – aren’t they in for a shock having to go back into school shoes!

 

 

And a close up of one of the squares to show the quilting.  I really wanted the colours to be the focal point of the quilt and I think I managed it.  I love my great granny – boy am I glad she’s finished.

Wednesday

I have been busy!

 

School work, supplies and uniforms – 3 pairs of black shoes and 2 pairs of runners…why do their feet grow so fast???

 

Another zippered  bag and tissue holder I whipped up on Monday night – it is some of the fabric that followed me home from Spotlight on the weekend.

 

 

I finished off 3 mini mug rugs that have been lurking in a pile for a long time (see Cheryll, I do sometimes finish things), lol...

 

I had a lovely chat with my postie today and it turns out he handed my my gift from Katherine which was a gorgeous mug rug with an angel and a block of Lindt chocolate (my favourite chocolate) – thank you Katherine!

 

And then there is this and it is a shocker of a photo  - boy did I move as I snapped it in my haste to show you.  I have begun quilting my Great Granny.  I have done 2 rows so far – I have decided to go down the centre of each row of colours and as I had hoped you really can’t see it on the patterned fabrics.  I didn’t want the quilting to detract from the fabrics.  Well I’m off the feed 3 kids so their feet can grow some more and then I’m going to continue my Great Granny and avoid the pile of ironing and the school preparation I SHOULD be doing.

Quiet…

 

We awoke to a very hazy and smoky surrounding this morning – the sky had that awful eerie glow that lets you know that there are fires burning…

I was in at school at 8 am for a few hours – working on the new curriculum and planning stuff before a drive down the highway to see a new specialist with baby bear #3.  It has been a long journey with him and it will never be over, however we are lucky that we can access some good and clever people – the specialist today has given us some very helpful ideas and we have some ‘tasks’ to do before our next appointment that involve the whole family – should be interesting.

 

So not much sewing was done today.

 

Baby bear #3 chose the fabric for a quick and easy project;

 

 

A travel tissue pouch  - it was so quick and easy.  He was going to have a go at using my machine but “Arthur and the Invisibles” won out in the end.  He has blown his nose though!

 

 

Baby Bear #2 decided that she would like one for her new school bag – she’s off to Secondary School this year and specifically requested green…I won’t tell you why though but I’m sure you can put 2 and 2 together…she is obviously surrounded by way too many boys!

Sunday

Yesterday I drove over to Morwell to Spotlight and they were having a sale – they are closing on the 17th of February and moving to a new location.  I had gone to get scissors, zips and thread to finish Poppy but…

 

 

this ended up coming home with me – I don’t know how it happened…and this also came home too, oops.

 

When I got up this morning and cut the 6 metres + of binding for Poopy, it was so easy to just run it through my new toy and in about a minute I had nice and even folded and iron binding ready to go.  Why have I not bought one of these before now?

 

On a different subject, we have been playing with bikes and trying to get training wheels to fit properly.  Baby bear #3 has all sorts of issues that I have sort of mentioned but another complication is balance and muscle tone and strength.  This makes riding a bike for him extremely challenging.  His old bike was way too small and worn out so Santa left him a brand spanking new orange one (that he has decided to call Jerry – go figure).  We finally have wheels on but they aren’t the best, so fingers crossed we can get him sitting straight and balanced ASAP before the training wheels give way.

 

T.G.I.F and that the postie knocks on your door…

So the top of Poppy is all done, sandwiched and ready to go…still deciding what to do to her.

 

The postie got off his motor bike today and knocked on my door – yay, 1 bill (poo to that I say) and 2 parcels.  One was my F.Q. swap for January which was words and numbers.  My partner sent me 2 great b/w text prints and 3 red buttons – one of them is the cutest little teapot!  The other parcel was my order from Sweetwater and I was happy because I have been waiting for the quilt pattern to arrive, I’ve had the jelly roll of Mama Said Sew since just after Christmas.  The other reason I was happy because the printed Christmas tree I ordered arrive – see below;

 

                                       

it has our name on it!  I can’t wait for Christmas so I can display it…ok, so I need to finish it first, but still.

 

 

later in the day I made a start on Poppy and decided on a whim to try an all-over loopy meandering stipple.  Never done it before and all was great until I ran out of thread – by this stage the shops had shut so it forced me to put her away and start some secret sewing for ???, but it’s all done and ready to be posted on Monday now.  So doing a Cheryll, I’m giving and initial-less peak of what I’ve made - the inital is on the underside of the scissors keeper:

 

I’ve been out this morning and purchased some little needlework scissors to put in also .  So that’s it, I’m off to sew something AFTER I feed my bear cubs.

Scissors keeper tutorial

I can never find things – partly because I don’t have a designated sewing space and partly because of little fingers (no not mine)…things in this place have legs it would seem.

I have trouble locating scissors in a hurry because well quite frankly there only seems to be 1 or 2 people who put things away properly when they’ve finished with them…

So I decided that I was going to make a BIG scissors keeper and turn it into a tutorial of sorts.  I’m sure there are plenty out there in blogland but here goes.

What you need : scraps of fabric, batting, filling, DMC thread and general sewing supplies.

 

Cut to the size you want – I cut mine 3” square for a big one but I have also made them smaller, cut at 1 1/2”.  Cut your batting slightly smaller and quilt as desired – I did 2 different styles, diagonals and lines to make squares.

 

Next is the fun part and you will fins it easier if you have a second part of hands to help you.  Cut your DMC thread 4 times the desired finished length – remembering that it will be looped.  One you’ve cut it, fold in half and then in half again so you end up with 4 lengths all together.

 

 

You are now going to twist – this is where extra hands are ‘handy’  You need to twist the thread in opposite directions – if one person turns to the left at their end, then you turn to the left at your end and you end up with this:

 

 

Sorry its a bad photo but you get the idea of the way the thread twists on itself.  You now need to carefully fold the length of thread in half again without letting go of the ends.

 

 

Now for the fun part, let go of the loop end or the folded part and watch it spring and twist on itself.

 

 

You will need to straighten it out a little and get ready to sew it together.

Make sure when you put the right sides of your fabric squares together that you put the twisted thread inside the two pieces and the ends poking out to get caught in the seam. Also make sure you leave a gap open at the bottom so you can turn it right side out.

 

                                 

 

Trim the four corners and turn out, fill with stuffing and hand stitch closed.

 

             

 

Then you can put it on your scissors and hopefully be able to find them without looking too hard – or for too long!