Friday Finishes - About Bloody Time!

Well Hello There!!

 You guys are awesome! All the lovely comments you are leaving for my giveaway are making me feel delicious...give yourselves an extra piece of chocolate! I will close it up on Sunday xxx

Friday for me started at 4am with Little OWB waking up......and then vomiting...everywhere!

Poor wee soss, but it did mean a day off work and sitting very still while she napped on me.....so I finally manged to put the binding on this quilt!!!!

 I still love it, and I even like the backing that I let the boys choose!

She's bright baby!

 I collect Chenille bedspreads and use them as quilt backs for that extra snuggle factor and to provide some weight that I feel sometimes cotton wadding lacks.

I bound it with some V&A that I've lying around for about 4 years? Quite cool spooky trees as a large piece, but just higgeldy piggeldy low volume as a binding,perfect I think.

The Plus Quilt ( my names suck ) ends up at a good wrap around size of  50 x 70.

Now this baby is HUMONGOUS! So much so that I couldn't get a decent photo of her even tho I stood on all sorts of things...I'm a midget!

  

On a Whim by Camille Roskelley.

It finishes up at a whopping 71' x 86" including the border.

Throw another Chenille backing on it and it's really heavy and delicious! I used two different lines of MoMo, Flutterby and Just Wing It.Both are quite hard to find now...shame

I machine bound this big girl with Leaf Vine in Cherry from Oh Deer, which you can still find bits and pieces of.

My longarmer quilter her all over in big butterflies

and little butterflies.

I'm so glad I can finally show you guys a finish or two!

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish It up Friday 

 

  and TGIFF which is being hosted by ayliN-Nilya

and Lindsey for Fabric Frenzy Friday

It's Been A Whole Year - So Let's Share Fabric

So, October 29th 2013 I composed my first post and hit publish!!

It was all about my brand new sewing machine that I had recently upgraded to and how excited I was to have her.

I was encouraged by the lovely Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts to take a leap of faith, and I'm soooo glad I did!

So what's happened in a year? It's more a case of what hasn't happened since last October!!!

I lost this beautiful man on New Years Day while out diving and suddenly I was made a single mum of four and life changed irrevocably.

So in order to keep myself from falling into an abyss of grief I have filled every waking moment outside of my job and Mum responsibilities....why are there so damn many????...with sewing and quilting and all the fabricky goodness that the online community has to offer.

There is ALOT!!!

I completed my first online miniquilt swap through Flikr and in the process gained the most gorgeous online friend for life  .

And this is what she made for me just because she wanted to...still love it xx

I joined Stash Bee 2014 and have not missed a month...so proud of myself..... and subsequently because of the awesomeness, have signed up for 2015 also.October is my month as your highness aka Queen Bee and I'm stupidly excited to have the workers send me their blocks.

I did an Improv teeny little house swap through Swapbot, a new to me forum, and this was run by the awesome Angie of Gnome Angel fame....another lovely new friend!!

Through the New Bloggers Quilt Hop I met two other amazing groups of uber talented ladies!!

First up Jane of Where Jane Creates  invited me to join a Round Robin Quilt of 3 NZers and 5 Aussies.

 

This is my centre and it's just finished it's journey here in NZ and is off over to Aussie.The ladies in this group are FREAKIN amazing and I'm having such a good time.There's only 8 of us and it gives us 6 weeks to work on each border....which of course you all know I leave to the last minute everytime...sheesh

The 2nd group are the Compass Quilters which is an International Stash Swap and once again full of really talented ladies.I had the first month as Queen and am only waiting on one more set of blocks but there has been an issue with printing accuracy for paper piecing so no quilt yet.But a lesson learnt on my behalf....keep it simple stupid?

I have also joined Instagram and become a complete overgrammer...but it satisfies my need for instant and efficient gratification.

Through this I scored some DS destash from Sarah Fielke...I have quite a crush on her so I will not say if I swooned a little when I saw her name on the back....weird geek that I am...actually I don't swoon I said "F*&%$ it's from Sarah"

I joined the Little Quilts Swap...also run by Sarah, and the FSBS11 "Holiday Theme" run by Amanda @whatthebobbin and Ive also just signed up for the #Bitchesgetstitches swap.

The last one I had to sign up for as it's a profanity swap and what made me laugh even more is that two people tagged me for it while I was still thinking about it...I'm so transparent?

 Since last October I have watched this wee girl blossom and grow into a very free spirited almost 2 1/2 yr old who is adored  by all and comforts us all everyday with her presence....trying at times without a doubt LOL

I 

She lights the room up and makes her big brothers play....which makes me happy.

BUT MOST OF ALL I have discovered a world online that has counselled,massaged my ego,distracted and by default looked after me in my time of need and all without even knowing it!

So girls and guys I wanna share the love and give you stuff...kinda rhymes.

Just leave a comment and tell me which offer you would like.

Denyse Schmidt Picadilly 7 Fat Quarters in Blue/Green

Denyse Schmidt 7 Fat Quarters in Pink/Yellow 

Denyse Schmidt Out Of Print Mixture of Katie Jump Rope, some fat quarters some across the width and some large scraps

High Tea Baby Quilt pieced and quilted by Moi as a pattern test for Adrianne @onthewindyside

Scoot over to her blog for a look.

I will pay for postage so comment away...and Thankyou my lovely peeps xxxx

linking up the love with Heather and Megan

 

And of course Alyce....my first comment

 

Sunday Stash #17 - I'm An IG Floozy

Yes it is true, I am now an Instagram Floozy.You all knew I was a fabric floozy, and was very aptly crowned so by Katie.

  A floozy by definition, nicely put, is a woman of loose morals.When it comes to fabric I have absolutely none, and now it seems to be the same with IG.....I feel like I'm cheating on my blog.

But the gratification is sooo instant and I can post from exactly where I am sitting, or sewing or eating....and even in the bathroom....if I wanted to...just saying.

You'll find a new button on the right side of my blog (thankyou middle son) so you can come over and have a squiz at what I've been up to, I'm @oneweebird.

OK Fabric....holy moly there has been some fabric flying into my sewing room this week!!!

LOOK at this deliciousness!!! Anna Maria Horner,True Colours courtesy of Massdrop.

Mass drop is awesome...go on over and have a look.

I am just showing you the whole bundle cause she is way to pretty to crack open just yet.

You can find True colours here or here.

This little bundle of pretties I only picked up today from my local Spotlight...they were having a sale and I just wanted to have a quick look, you know how it goes....$6.49 per metre!!!!!! And I only bought half metres pieces of SOME not ALL, except for the Lime Dotty Stripe.

I'm really lacking in bright lime greens ...however I could clothe an African nation in pink should they so desire

The next lot of goodies is brought to you by Hawthorne Threads, they turned up in my letterbox and I've lost all recollection of purchasing them??? 

Sleep buying??

Anywhoo..... Alexander Henry Owls in Oyster Pink and Pale Pink  and Ta Dot in Pink

Left to Right, Les Points in Rose , Crossing Paths in Turquoise and Raspberry 

Telegrammes in Nuage, Text in Charcoal, Schematic in Grey, Scribble Notes in Charcoal

Text and Scribble Notes in Charcoal seem to be my go to background fabrics these days as I can never seem to keep them for long in my stash.....trying not to hoard them.

 

Trendsetter by Riley Blake in Stars and Houndstooth, Ta Dot in Bubblegum, Plus Signs in Summer and Tangerine (LOOOVE ) and three prints from DS Hadley that I've bought specifically to test against some other fabric I've been saving... I think it will work, still undecided?

I couldn't resist this Riley Blake print and this sweet Little Floral in Gray

Hadley and Trendsetter also play nicely together

Right, so we come to the end of this weeks fabric gluttony. And since you've lasted the distance I'm gonna give you the heads up on a little giveaway I'm having in a couple of days.

MY ONE YEAR BLOGAVERSARY IS COMING UP...YAY!!!

I can hardly believe it's almost a year since I took this leap of faith, so I want to share some fabricky love with you all...see ya in a couple of days

Linking up with Molli, whom all Woodland Creatures should be very afraid of in case he sparkles them to death or squishes them with a designer heel!!! 

 

Having A Mental Health Day

I don't know what you guys call it, but around here it's a MHD (see title post) and I was waaaay overdue!

I was gonna be all good and do some house stuff, sorting cupboards etc...but nah I sewed YAY!!!

 Bee blocks as requested by Diana for Compass Quilters

Sooo much fun and easy as....I'm sure I say that every month

Tutorial is here and here's a quick pic side by side to get an idea of how they'll all look together...super happy and fizzy!

I also joined the Amy Butler Aussie Charm Swap run by the lovely Ms Midge aka Melissa and these are the two fabrics I chose

Love Cypress Paisley in Lime and Soul Blossoms Peacock Feathers in Blush....love the feathers so super glad I bought extra....not so happy that I found that I already had a WHOLE yard of the Paisley already in my ridiculously untidy stash.....crap!

Arrived, cut and posted off all in the same day.So I treated myself to a new project..

I used my 22.5 degree wedge ruler and cut 4" strips from a bunch of Nouvelle fabrics, threw in a few extras and cut up 256 tumblers

It came together really quickly and although the photos are a bit crappy it's a lovely mix of denim and pink with only a couple of matches that I try not to look directly at....damn OCD

Little OWB has already said it's hers and I'm thinking it may just be the right size for a lapquilt while reading on the powder blue sofa in her room

Must buy more Chicopee...it goes with everything!

Linking up with Alyce over at Blossom Heart Quilts 

and Heather & Megan at Quilt Story

Sunday Stash # 16 - The One Where I Fold

Do you guys ever have buyers remorse?

You know the one, actually there are two types in my book.

The first one is ...yes yes buy me (dress,fabric,jeans,funky lip shade etc etc) and then you take said item home and wear, or try on, or apply in the comfort of your own home and then WTF was I thinking is ALL you are thinking!!!

The second type I grapple with, usually pertaining only to shoes and fabric, is what if I miss out??

It usually starts with a stern talking to myself about how I don't need ANOTHER pair of boots or I really don't NEED that line of fabric.

 Like this purchase.Denyse Schmidt's Picadilly. 

Three to Four times a year Denyse teams up with Fabric Traditions to release a line through the chain stores. Joanns in the Northern Hemisphere and Spotlight in Australia and New Zealand.

I thought I did really well only purchasing 5 fabrics from the whole line...and taking an IG photo for the peeps of the ones I left behind...because I really didn't need them...really I didn't?

The girls teased me I'd be back...then I found out that I had gone 1 DAY TOO EARLY and they were all going ON SALE the next day...very very very bad words were said.

I was not going back.... out of principle

Clearly I have no principles when it comes to fabric... I folded...I don't want to talk about it anymore.

But I will talk about some Possum Magic Happy Mail that arrived this week from Jane. She's busy being fabulous as the Editor in charge of Make Modern the new online magazine that is her newest baby!!

Look at this gorgeousness!!

It is Serena's circular geese centre, with Carla's 2nd circular geese border and then Jane's square border around it ...all in Rainbow Theme!!

Really really yummy in person!

Couple more just for Serena

linking up with Molli for Sunday Stash...he's buying leather??...Just warning y'all