1 Xmas item

The 25th has zoomed around again. This wee Cross stitch was a kit I bought from a suitcase sale at retreat earlier in the year. I have been making myself finish it for the last couple of months.

The thing is only about 11" x 16" but did I grumble! Grumble, grumble that was me! Moaning ole cow! I did not enjoy making this. Years ago before patchwork took over my life, I was a cross stitching junky. But now I would be happy never to do it again. The design is by Terri Lyn Richards, Shepherds Bush Printworks. The cool wire hanger I bought from the best quilt shop ever! The Country Yard.
Thanks again to our magical Elf Narelle for nudging us all to complete something each month.

Speaking of completions, I whipped this up yesterday ( another purchase from the suitcase sale.....thanks Rachel! ).........well she still needs eyes, but other than that she is finished.

Design from Country Keepsakes. She looks a little on the wild side don't you think?

When I am in my studio quilting I often listen to talking books. This was the last lot I listen to.........

Then I try & read in bed at night.....I usually don't get far before I nod off! I finished Clare O'Donohue's next 'A someday quilts mystery' The Devil's Puzzle.

Thanks for stopping by to my neck of the woods!

1 xmas item

Well it's that time of the month, the 25th, so I need to show my finished project for the month, as I am participating in Narelle's ' 1 Xmas item'.

My idea came Pinterest, which was pinned from http://onesimplecountrygirl.blogspot.co.nz/. Take some cinnamon sticks, frayed plaid fabric, rusty bells, rusty stars, string & a hot glue gun.........& after a bit of playing this is what you get!

A couple of months ago a few friends & I set a challenge to make something from some cute little blocks found on Pam Buda's blog. This is what I made........................

Some pebbling & Celtic Bubbles for my background filler, I really love this table setting. Thanks to Pam for the online tutorial & Raewyn for the hands on lesson!

Last but not least a customer quilt, made from Joicelin's fathers & husbands old shirts. Quilted the same as the pattern found in a magazine.

I will have a lovely quilt to show you in a few days that I have nearly finished for one of my customers........think English paper piecing, think appliqued houses...................

Happy days to you all..............loving your comments as they are my fuel!

1 Xmas item

Yes it's that time of the month........where the heck is time going??
I gave up with only one or two buntings a month, I decided one day just to finish it, so I did!!

It was a dark dismal day when I tool the photo, but if you click on it things may look brighter. To each bunting point I added a small rusty bell. Now I am keen to make one for my granddaughter, only with her name, rather than 'Christmas'.
Thanks again to Narelle for being a great host of this SAL.

With all this cold wintery weather here in New Zealand it is hard to believe the following photo's, but I took them just yesterday.

 I'm not a plant expert, but a Foxglove?................................................

A friend gave me this lovely thick glass vase for my birthday, look what I managed to find to display!

Is there anyone that can tell me about this Bloglovin? Do I have to change over to it to follow the blogs I love? I really don't 'get' it...............am I the only one?

A sharing & swaping quilt......& 1 xmas item

Cat said I could go ahead & blog about her quilt that she just received back from me. I did the quilting for her, plus some of the centre block, which was part of Helen Stubbings 'Stitchin' Round the Block'. There were four of us in the group, Cat, myself, Kerry & Kerryn . Cat is the only one to make a quilt, the rest of us made cushions, to see mine click here.  So fun to see this 'round robin' finished. Cat was also involved in a block swap, these have been stitched around the centre block, to create a fun quilt.

 

 

Knowing Cat loves the modern/ Tilda- ish look I did a few smooth fancy moves!

Celtic Bubbles, inspiration from Diane Guadyski

 

iconic New Zealand bird, the Kiwi ( they aren't usually pink )

 

do the clicky thing for a better look!

 

gotta pop a few feathers in!

 

 

aren't some of these blocks fun?

 

inspiration from Angela Walters book

 

Can you see the backing fabric? Cat gave me a vintage flannel sheet for the backing & I used cotton batting, Madeira, Gunold & Mettler threads. I'm sure I had a sheet just like that when I was a kid?

 

the backing.....roll on the 70's!!

 

 

My 1 xmas item finished......well two of them, but I won't win any " wow Leeanne you have done so much for your 1 xmas item " will I ? These are pretty quick & easy to do!!

I'm sure the other SAL girls are putting way more effort in then me!

Pop over to Narelle's for a peek at what everyone else's efforts are like.

 

I have another quilt finished ( you might have seen it in my Puddling post ) but I will have to wait a couple of weeks as the owner is away.

 

It is a bleak, wet, wintery day here in Whangarei, I have put a big bacon hock in the crockpot for the day, then I will make a big pot of warming winter vegetable soup.

 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, enjoy your weekend, I will leave you with the following sentence I found.....................

 

"Happiness is a thing you have to find for yourself, but dog hair ( in my case cat hair!) is something that finds you." 

1 xmas item, log cabins & Anzac day.

April's 1 xmas item a "C" for the start of my Christmas bunting. From now until December if I do one letter from CHRISTMAS, I will have my bunting ready for this Christmas. Thanks again to Narelle from Pins & Whiskers for hosting this groovie idea!

Barbara made this quilt at a class at The Country Yard. This is the second time running this popular class, back in 2010 was the first class, remember I quilted the class sample? Also another one from the class can be seen here, all the same but different!

The centre block was a stencil I had that seemed to look nice to me. This quilt, measuring 68" square has heaps of ditch stitching!!!!

Tiny 'scribbling' & echo stitching to define the stencil design. This quilt is now proudly displayed on the bed at Barbara's house that is especially for her grandson.......lucky fellow!

It's hard to tell from these photo's but I quilted a feather on the checker board border. The cream logs have feathers, the red logs only have ditch stitching.
Here's the pieced backing Barbara made......................

Here in little New Zealand it was a special day called ANZAC day.

Productive weekend

What a fabulous creative weekend I have had!!!! Time to make stuff, I love that when it happens, just pottering & making things.

First a book for my Granddaughters' first birthday, these fabric books are so quick & easy to make.

I bought the panel to make this book from my favourite quilt shop.

Also from The Country Yard the first month of a BOM of sorts, a " Sewing Essential Project".
A block holder.............................

front of my block holder

back of my block holder

I personalized the back with the twill tape measure. I used Matildia's Own bag batting which is firmer than Iron on Pellon.  Each month I will get a kit to make a 'sewing essential'.
I found this a breeze to make, nice clear instructions that I decided to make another!



some Ricrac & ribbon on the back of this block holder

I didn't have enough bag batting for the second block holder,  but I was in the 'groove' so I wanted to make another anyway! The last photo shows you the inside, I made booboo with the pieced block for the front, so I turned it into a pocket.

Last Saturday I had a couple of hours spare ( I suppose I could have done some baking, cleaning or gardening???? ......yeah right!!! )I was keen to have a go at making a cat from a book I got at the Library called : 'Quilt & Sew' by Anne-Pia Godske Rasussen.

I am linking to Narelle for 1 Xmas item. All item's except the first block holder are going into my box for Xmas presents. Did I tell you how much I love this inspirational, motivational idea??