Saturday Night sewing Report...

The littlest quilt critic loves loves loves her new quilt. She spent a lot of time looking at it today. Thanks Amber!

I made 5 aprons out of fat quarters like so: Fold the fabric in half, cut off two and 1/2 inches from one side, and two and 1/2 inches off the top. Then I cut off an angle and it looks like this...

So cute!

I will get Chrissy to screen print a cookie recipe on to fabric and make oven mits out of it. I have made a little bag for each apron to go in and have a gingerbread man cutter to go with it.

Annie had a great time in the bath this afternoon.

This is a lovely lovely bag I made. I've made about 8 bags today, but this is my favourite!

I made the front out of an old cushion. The embroidery is very beautiful indeed (click on the picture to get a better veiw), amazing and it now has a new life. A very productive day!

Sewing progress report: Friday Night!

I'm 'borrowing' someone's unsecured network to post these pics [blush]. I've had a busy day sewing and feeding baby. So lovely and pieceful!! Have nearly pieced this top with a bag full of scraps I brought from the talented Amber.

 Five wee tissue covers.

Three bags made out of some very old nylon stuff like I used to have a dressing gown out of 100 years ago when I was young that I got from Stash Rehash!

Tonight, five aprons and bags, 8 Christmas bags. Tomorrow journals and pencil rolls.
I am having fun.

I do love my family...

who wouldn't? James 13, kind, technology wizz, policeman!

Chrissy, 16, hard worker, funny, funny, funny, fantastic brownie maker and ace screen printer!

Reuben, 7, Passionate, loving and creative.

Annie-Rose, 7 months who loves and receives our loves like the Queen mother!

See I love them all. But I'm going to Coalgate this weekend, just me and my sewing machine (oh and Miss A) to make stuff for a Christmas market, Christmas presents, to eat what I want when I want and sleep when Miss A lets me. I'm so looking forward to it.

I see a lot of cup-a-soup in my weekend and toast and Coke Zero.
Hurray!

Dear dear, it's nearly Christmas!

I dropped into my favourite City Mission Shop yesterday to get a pair of black pants for Reuben to be Michael Jackson at school on friday and while I was there I hit the mother-load (have you seen Alvin and the Chipmunks? I have about 500 times - thanks Roo xx). Now normally I would not have looked twice at a box of old Christmas decorations, but I have been reading Ooodles and Oodles by Barbara for quite a while now and oh my goodness the things she finds. I don't even know why I want these or what I'll do with them, but I'm sure Barbara would have brought them.

See I couldn't leave these behind! Or these...

Real ceramic decorations, not Warehouse rubbish (sorry Mr Tindal)...

These teeny tiny deer are made of glass? ceramic? dunno, but way up there on the cute factor!

This little guy seems to be made from some kind of rubber, but he's lovely.

A little wooden nativity. And just look at these wee litttle sheep...

So lovely! Thanks Barbara. I was thinking of you! Makes me realise how close Christmas is. I'm feeling exhausted at the moment, I just can't seem to catch up, so I'm going to take Annie-Rose to Coalgate and do my Christmas sewing for the weekend. I wonder how soon I can escape?? Hopefully tomorrow afternoon!

Sunday Stash

Beautiful, genuine japanese fabrics I found this week at Memories, a coffee and quilt shop that I thought had closed down. I was thrilled to see I was mistaken as I stopped by for a much needed coffee and rest with Annie-Rose and came away with these lovelies. I know I will go back, not just for the fabric but for the lovely gentle atmosphere there!!

Through my front door...

I don't have a front door, only a back door! It's raining here today and there is a que of washing baskets just inside this door, waiting for the sunshine so that I can hang out the washing!! (no kidding) I like having the pots on each side of the door, that little bit of greenery just before I go in.

In my entrance way sits this wonderful old wardrobe. I love it dearly. It is full of stuff. Stuff hides under it and beside it and the quilts live on top (the ones we aren't using that is)!

Are three things a collection?? This is my pear collection. Pears are the Queen of fruits. They are such a lovely shape to hold - it feels like a hug to my palm.

Out side my door is this planter. At one end is lavender all lucious and lovely and at the other end all manky. This is because our dog walks over the lavender and breaks it. It just looks so lovely with all the fresh green growth. Yes coming home makes me smile. And because I work across the lawn from our house, I can look out of my office and see this planter.

Pop over here and have a peep through some other front doors. Go on you know you want too, the dishes will wait!!

You can't beat a good old vintage sheet...

I picked up this piece of fabric the other day, it is scarf width with a selvedge down each long side. I wonder where it comes from? its very striking and a nice cotton. I want to put some kind of tassle edging on the short edge if I can find a tutorial somewhere.

In my day today, lovely vintage sheet quilt tops. I just love working on these. I imagine the grannies buying the sheets for newly weds, I imagine little children lying in them looking at the ceiling, I imagine the couples lying in the saturday morning sun chatting... so many stories as I work on these quilts.

Chrissy wanted me to take a picture of these lovely Iris in our back garden. The lovely thing about planting bulbs or tubers (I think that's what Iris are) is that the first year you get one stalk but as the years go by you get more and more as they grow and spread. We now have three lovely stems of these iris to enjoy!