I was so excited to find these in the mail when I came home from my camping trip...

I can assure you I have spent quite a bit of time looking through these, oohing and aahing over the gorgeous projects.  I especially love the little stitcheries...so cute.

I started FNwF a little early with a beautiful friend joining me on Friday for a catch-up and some stitching before I head back to work. I traced some cute christmas stitchery designs from my new book...

...and thoroughly enjoyed chatting while completing my 'no think' stitches ( I can't think and chat at the same time!!!) 

I caught up with another friend on Sunday (yes, I'm making the most of my holiday!!!) and managed to finish these little projects...

I think they are so cute...I'm planning to send these to family overseas as individual christmas ornaments...but they look so great together don't you think?

So it's back to the light box to trace some more...

Thanks Cheryll for hosting another great night (or in my case, weekend!).  I'm off to see what everyone else got up to...

FNwF

Hi everyone, Cheryll from Gone Stitchin' is  hosting a glorious night of stitching tonight..why not head over to her blog and join us.

FNSI

Well I didn't actually do much sewing, but I did spend time in my sewing sanctuary on the phone to patchwork friends I haven't seen since starting full time work...not sure that counts!  But I have done some more work on the pencil case to be...

I also spent quite a lot of time going through issues of magazines and some of my favourite patterns looking for some inspiration for Chooky's Secret Santa Swap...

And after some serious tracing and organising I've made myself a little kit to take camping...

Must remember battery operated lights!!!!

Thanks for organising another FNSI...

FNwF

A friend of mine joined me for this virtual sew in.  She arrived with her husband and while we escaped to my sewing sanctuary the men found their way to the tv to watch the football.

First up I sewed a couple of the checkerboard strips together that I'd prepared last weekend.

But I really didn't want to sit at the machine so I pulled out the hexies I prepared last FNwF and kept going with those...much more conducive to a chat with a friend!

Last time I posted these hexies I said I was looking for some inspiration.  I had decided to make a pencil case featuring the hexies on the back but hadn't thought about the design on the front. Susan from Susans Sewing Place suggested another Anni Downs design from The Simple Life which is absolutely perfect...thanks Susan :) So I traced the design and sorted out fabrics for the applique..

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I think it looks great with the hexies...so far

Thanks Cheryll for hosting again...appreciate the inspiration!

Machine frenzy

I'm determined to give my new machine a good workout to make sure everything is ok...I didn't have much luck with my last :( So I've continued with the blocks I started last weekend for my Gossip in the Garden Quilt...

...and while the kids were out partying and the hubby was listening to the football I thought I'd keep on going with the machine.  I've been making one of Leanne Beazley's block of the month for a while now. Actually, I completed a lot of the hand work ages ago but didn't seem to get to the piecing side of things (sounds like a common theme with my projects!!). Anyway, I found the fabric I had put aside and worked like a demon, and now I have all my little checkerboards ready to go...

Wow..this blogging thing is really motivating...I seem to be doing more, and more regularly, than ever before...love looking at all your posts.  Thanks for taking the time to look at mine.

FNSI

Well it's been a while since I've sat at my machine piecing little squares and half square triangles, as I've had constant problems with my sewing machine.  So what's a girl to do...buy a new one of course!

I picked up my new machine yesterday so I had to give it a whirl...

I've been working on Anni Down's Gossip in the Garden since she released it ( yes I know, it's been a while!!), and I've really enjoyed the handwork but have successfully avoided every single bit of machine work...until now.

I started with this one

Then this

And I'm ready to go on a few more

I'm loving this quilt even more as it comes together. I'll post some pics of more blocks soon...the machine is calling! 

Friday Night Sew In

I'm a late starter tonight as I watched my son's soccer semi final first...but I was keen to get home as I just picked up my new machine...so I'll be putting my hand sewing aside and give it good workout...

Having fun with hexies

I've managed to sew a few of those hexies together after deciding to make a pencil case to match a few items I  made earlier this year.

This bag was built around my first needleturn project I did in classes with Debbie Donegan at Everything Country...all my favourite colours.

(front)

 (back)

With the scraps, I decided to make Anni Downes' cute turtle pincushion and pencil case from her book The Simple Life.  These were really fun to make and a great distraction from the quilt I'm making...

  

So why not make another pencil case?  This time for my cutters.  I'm planning for the hexies to be the back and I'm waiting for some inspiration to come my way for a design on the front.

I could be waiting a long time...and I really need to get back to my quilt!!!!

FNwF

My first FNwF and I managed to do some finishing touches to a pincushion I've been making from Anni Down's book, Some Kind of Wonderful.

I knew I had a weekend of hospital visits ahead of me so spent the rest of my time preparing some hexagons from my scrap bag...

I'm loving the rotating cutting mat...which I was sure I would never use!

and now I'm ready to play

I have no idea what I'm going to make with these...I'm hoping it will come to me...soon!

Thanks for having me...

Helloooo

After enjoying your blogs for a while I thought I'd enter the blogging world and join you.  I've been patchworking for a number of years now, but to be honest, it's the cups of tea, the cakes and the 'sisterhood' that I like the most.  

Thank you Chooky for your encouragement and help in getting me stared...here goes...

We've had a new addition to the family, so I had a great excuse to spend many hours in my sewing room.  I sketched a design (it was very sketchy!!!!) and was lucky to have my talented daughter home who drew it all to the scale I needed.

I decided to give raw edge applique another go...it had been a long time since I'd tried this but the excitement of the new baby made me fearless!!!...the owl theme was pretty strong in the nursery so a mumma and baby owl seemed perfect...and the bunting....well that's her name!! Simple I know, but I'm really happy with it.

Here's a closer look at the applique...

...and here's the christening....

...yep...she took one look at the owl...and pewked!!!!