Christmas Eve - What Have I Been Doing?!

So this happened?

I'd like to know where the rest of October, November and most of December went thankyou?? 

That's the last time I was here! And now it's Christmas Eve afternoon Down Under??

I'm hoping to remedy that...you may get sick of me..as Santa came early and bought me a new laptop...I've been a very good girl..not so much in the fabric buying department ...but everywhere else for sure!

So lets get on with a quick Christmassy post brought you by the lovely ladies from my #dogoodstitchescarecircle ladies. We decided to do a quick blind swap amongst ourselves and these are what I made for my partner.

My partner was Gina of @happygolizzie who has a love of all things linen and floral and cuteness...don't we all! So I used my teeny tiny dresden pattern from Westwood Acres ( pssst it's free on their website ) and a Thimbleblossoms pattern for a wee pouch.

It's been a long time since I handstitched anything...which I used to do alot, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But it was this mouse from Gina's mosaic that really captured my eye! It's also a free pattern from Bustle & Sew and is really quite straight forward. I made a couple of amendments only to allow for my lack of practice at handsewing and I think she turned out cute!

I filled her with half rice and half polyfill so she sits very upright.

I received a lovely package from one of my fellow Kiwis in the group Vicki......she only lives about 1 1/2 hours from me so it arrived very quickly, and it was gorgeous!

A really lovely paper pieced Owl incorporated into an equally lovely quilted pouch....I love pouches and rarely make them for myself, so win win!

And it was filled with some cute and very thoughtful gifts

I know I bang on about it but quilty people are simply the best

The details sometimes make the gift...I was very spoilt!

And on that note I hope you're all very spoilt with the things you can't buy, family,friends,love,kindness and a safe holiday period xx

I will be back after the Xmas Day bloat has subsided!!

Fat Quarter Cobblestone Quilt - Pattern Testing Delight

Hi My Lovelies!

It's October and Down Under, for me anyway, it signals the real beginning of Spring!

 Daylight Savings has started and so we have an extra hour of daylight after work and a long weekend to look forward to mid month.....Bring It On!!

On the sewing front, along with lots of WIP's and finishes patiently waiting to be shown off I have a pattern test to show.

Fat Quarter Shop's Cobblestone Quilt

Unfortunately it was a gloomy day when I had a willing quilt holder so the pics don't do the Hometown Christmas Edition Fabric by Sweetwater, that I chose , any justice whatsoever :(

This is a fat quarter friendly pattern and ridiculously quick to sew up into a 63 1/2" x 80 1/2" snuggly quilt.

I'm actually feeling quite smug because thanks to the last quilt I did for the Fat Quarter Shop and National Jelly Roll Day I now have two new Xmas quilts ready to go.....just as well since one of last years ones has well and truly faded due to it still hanging in my entry way!!!!

Sandra quilted it all over with a gorgeous holly and berry panto in a yummy green thread.

This little house print is my absolute favourite ( looks like it's sold out unless you buy a bundle ) followed closely by the buffalo check prints.

The Charcoal Tinsel print was perfect for the binding and one of my favourite Denyse Schmidt prints for the backing just fitted with the colour story perfectly.

The Cobblestone Quilt pattern is currently available here as part of a quilt kit using Zen Chic fabric, but I'm sure by the time this post is released it will be available as a stand alone purchase.

Wordless Wednesday...busy busy busy

Christmas Is Coming

Christmas is coming and I WILL have a new Xmas Christmas quilt ready to be hung...in actual fact she says being a real smarty pants I will have three!!...Well one is a table runner but I'm counting it!

Warning another picture heavy post...

 

 

These are all Kate Spain fabrics bar the red and white one below which is Michael Miller.

 

Confession time......these projects were pieced last year BEFORE Xmas but only quilted this year and bound this week....I think the fabric is even older since I couldn't even locate the free pattern sheet on the Moda Website ....shame

 

 This is a table runner that I just made up, which was quite obvious when I didn't measure correctly and had to unpick two blocks...seems in my head I have a giant's table...probably from all the food I seem to have to cook to feed the people who keep appearing to eat....Teenage boys!!!

Michael Miller border again...must love it since I still have yardage??

 

Fabric in the square is Riley Blake, I think?

 

 

 

  This Xmas Tree Quilt is humongous..there is still another column of trees to the left which I couldn't fit into the camera screen....but I love love love it...pattern is by Basic Grey

 

Long story short, the trees are supposed to be 3D but after doing one I decided that although the technique was cool it was wasting too much fabric and since I knew that I was sending it out to be quilted my longarmer would have kittens trying to navigate the raised edges within the quilt for a panto...custom would have been fine but I save that for smaller less expensive quilts.

 

Jingle bells quilted all over

 

 

The one and only 3D tree

 

 

Congratulations! You made it to the end!!....Maybe next year I will have my Grinch quilt ready for Xmas 2014!

 

Linking up to Amanda at Finish It Up Friday