WIP Wednesday - week 15 - Lemonade D9P and the start of Baby's L's quilt.

Sat down last night and watched Sense and Sensibilty with my graph paper and pencils. The results is this little drawing for a new baby, baby L he will be refered to as. Love these coloured pencils, they are about 20 years old, a type called Aquarells, they turn to watercolours when you add water to the drawing, rather fancy back in the mid 80's at school! Simple slice and dice quilt, inspired by this one here and this one here. Four blocks of blue and 5 blocks of green. But because you slice it four times, you get 9 peices that make up the block, so you need 9 different squares of fabric to start with, so I'll actually get enough blocks to make 2 quilts this size, if I stick to this size. Starting of with 10 inch squares. So far I have stuck to my sketch but went for white lines instead of blue/green......

And I quickly finished this today. It is small, 60 x 77 cms only. Now I have finished the top, I have just folded it back up, ready to quilt later, whenever that will be. Feels funny to have made a quilt top with no home to go too, made for fun without a purpose so far. Oh well, I'm sure one will come up one day.

Gracie Lou goes to China!

Well not exactly, but kind of... Daz is off for a few days on an amazing journey to Suzhou, China.

Suzhou is on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas and meticulously designed Chinese gardens. Since the Song Dynasty, Suzhou has also been an important centre for China's silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. It is ranked no. 5 among 659 Chinese cities.

Thanks wikipedia!

Here are the girls outside of the Beisi Pagoda, built between 1131 and 1162 and is 76metres tall. Hmmmm, love the net, having that sort of info right there at the touch of the button. 659 cities! OMG! When we found out he was going, all my friends and family were like, Wow! China! Are you going too? What a great opportunity! And know what? I have absolutely no desire to go to China! Rather stay home and sew! I've done some travelling in my 20's, lived out of a backpack for long enough, I'm happy here.

He is attending an animation conference over there, like a workshop for international animators to talk about their project, ours being Gracie Lou. There are some big names attending, the guys that did Shrek 3, (I prefered Shrek 2 but hey!), Pixar, Walt Disney, Dreamworks to name a few. Daz feels a bit humble to be taking our little project over. But still, little projects have to start somewhere.

Quilting Mail and Lemonade D9P

Here's a sneek peek for Joy! This arrived on my doorstep today from Emma as part of our Round Robin. There's a few squares, a few triangles, a few strips and a few animals thrown in. Its very nice, blues and greens, looking foward to adding my bit to this one!

And here is where I am up to with my latest Dissappearing 9 Patch. Have sewn a 2.5 inch sashing to each block and then a 2.5 inch strip to each row. Its going to be a lap quilt for a small lap!

Elliotts Hanger and Party!

We went to Elliott's party today. Rather a large affair, 11.30 to 3.30 complete with bouncy castle! Had a few champers in the backyard and watched the little man celebrate his big day. We have always been an unwrap the presents as you recieve them kinda family, but its becoming more common these days to put them on a table and unwrap them later when everyone has gone. So I didn't get to see him open his hanger and get a photo of him trying to eat the fish! I left the hanger folded over night, hence the crease in the above photo.

Grace drew him a fantastic birthday card! Her and Elliott in the bottom left having a cuddle next to the fish bowl with Henry, Elliott's big brother watching! Note the castle in the fish bowl and bubbles coming out of the mouth! All about the details!

And what party is complete without bubble blowing! Milly spits more than blows but she gets a few out.


And cupcakes! Aren't these the cutest cup cakes you have seen! Almost too good to eat, Grace was eyeing them off thinking hmmmm, which one first!

A Post a Day in May!

A Post a Day in May! Why not? A great idea from the beautiful Allsorts blog. I missed the first day though, but had the last day of April, can I use that as a credit?

A post isn't a post without a photo of some sewing action. There are two things under my 1/4th inch foot today. One I can't talk about as its part of the Round Robin I'm in. I must admit I have been putting this off cause I haven't been inspired but think I am in the groove of it now!

And I have whipped up these blocks above. In my recent fabric scrap swap from Sequana I had enough 2.5 inch squares from the Strawberry Lemonade range from Moda, she had a whole Jelly Roll of it! I had enough to sew 12 blocks, they'll be 6 inches square and I'm thinking of doing a good old Dissappearing 9 Patch! But the thing is, I haven't a purpose for this little quilt, I'm thinking just because. Maybe a blog give away for my 2nd year "blogversary" in June? All my girlfriends are having boy babies at the moment..... I have one that needs to be started and of course when you need to sew something, sewing something else that you don't really need to sew becomes so much more appealing!

My Dolls Quilt From Chalet Girl13!

Look at this beautiful dolls quilt! I can't stop looking at it and thinking, wow, its mine! I arrived home from Mothers Group this afternoon to find a parcel from the other side of Australia sitting on my doorstep. It was from Chaletgirl. I had actually seen the photos of it on her blog and hoped that it was for me, I got lucky as it was!

I love the spotty fabric on the back. I love the orange and white swirly fabric. I love the crispness of the white. I love the hand quilting around each flying geese. I love how in the oriental/daisy print fabric, she has fussy cut it so the daisies/cherry blossom stalk is going in the same direction. Its very, very, very nice! I'm a happy swapee! Thank you Sheridan, I love it! It goes great with the colours on Milly's walls too. But think I might like to hang it elsewhere in the house, still pondering that one.

And I totally forgot to announce in my last post that yes, Susan won those ugly hexagons! She is excitied to win and I am excitied they are going! Looking foward to seeing what magic she creates with them.

WIP Wednesday Week 14 - Elliott's Hanger

Some hand sewing action this week. I can't believe it is almost a year since we welcomed to the world baby Elliott. His Mum rang last week to invite us to his party and I thought, well I better quickly whip up his present for him. So I am sewing him a hanger with his name on it for his bedroom door. I did this one for his brother years ago, back in November 2005, the days before I blogged, a funky green dinosaur.

Its a design which I don't know where it came from originally, although I have sewn this one before, for one of Grace's boyfriends from Mothers Group. Above is it all vixofixed into place, ready to blanket stitch. That was on Sunday. After three days of hand sewing whenver I had the chance, I have finished and done simple echo quilting around each shape and even sewed the binding on last night. I did that bit by machine! I'm not that silly!

Here's a close up of the little purple fish, it looks cute I think. Not bad for a rushed in a week job!

Dolls Quilt finished!

I wasn't going to post till the weekend, but I have just finished the label on the below quilt, and just couldn't stand those ugly, ugly hexagons anymore at the top. So I am posting! You are welcome to still post a comment there if you would like them.

I have finished my Dolls Quilt for the flickr dolls quilt swap! Horrrayyyyyyyy! I am excitied I can post it tomorrow. I have really enjoyed sewing this one, went out of my colour comfort zone for a change. Loved it so much I actually sewed two versions. The above one and one slightly different for my own wall. Its off to the USA again like the last one. I'm only doing a sneek peak of it cause I think my swapee knows she has me, just a feeling from a post comment.... I'll leave it at that!

Hexagon Give Away!

No WIP Wednesday shots today of more dolls quilts. I am *this close* (put your finger and thumb a few millimetres apart and thats how close I am!) to finishing, I'll blog them when all done. Instead we have a give away! If anyone is willing to take them!

When I was in Sydney recently, we had a fantastic day fabric shopping. At Material Obsession in the back room where they hold their classes, there was a basket of WIP's and I scored all these hexagons for $10.00. Bargain I thought! I can make some funky, retro styled hand quilt. 33 blocks, all ugly prints, well a few nice ones, but lots of grey and poo brown. Uneven stitching which I can forgive as my stitches are not the neatest but the thread happens to be bright red even though the material is a grey or blue, so it does stand out a bit.... But when I got home, I discovered why they were in the WIP basket. They don't actually fit into each other, they are all out! Some fit in one side and are 2 mm's out in the other! So then I thought, thats cool, I'll just pair them up and make little pincushions, like the one below which I have nearly finished. I sewed this the first week I was back and then put it all in the snap lock bag and shoved it back in the storage tub of WIP and patterns. I found it again yesterday and admit I had forgotten all about these hexagons and no wonder, they are so ugly! What was I thinking?

So I'm offering them as a give away. Anything to get them out of my house! If you like them enough to create some hexagon magic, post a comment and I'll draw a winner over the weekend. Then they can be someone elses WIP!

Spring! 4 Seasons Dolls Quilt finished

I have finished my Spring quilt for the 4 Seasons Dolls Quilt Swap. Yahhhhh! Label sewn on. I've editied out who it is going to in the above photo, but left in the country as a teaser! I hope my swapee likes it. She doesn't blog much about quilting, so was hard to see what her tastes where. It was fun to sew. I must admit I enjoyed sewing the first one more, cause it was a new technique, bit of a challenge. The second time along it was a bit different it design, but wasn't as exciting. So now just to pop some tissue paper around it and take it to the Post Office tomorrow. And I can cross another thing off my list. Although a few hours after I posted the list, I realized I had left finishing this quilt off it. I have the binding all done, just need to do about an hours quilting and then sew the label on. Must hurry before the child turns 1! So not much progress on the list then, crossing off one thing and adding another. At least its not a new from scratch project...

1. Sew a sleeve on my 4 SDQ Swap, hang it up.
2. Finish the other bird flickr DQS#3. Sew on sleeve, hang.
3. Start on Emma's RR block. Post!
4. Sew label on 4 SDQ Swap. Post! Done!
5. Finish AJ's mystery quilt top.
6. Name door hanging for Caitlin. Turns 1 in May.
7. Finish Squid Eye quilt.
8. Get Grace's log cabin quilt to a professional quilter.
9. Finish baby N's quilt. Label, post!

The Embellished Bird.

Feeling like a boring blogger at the moment. All I'm blogging is dolls quilts and hey, here is yet another photo! I have embellished the birds. They look cute. I am just taking a break from the quilting on it, think I'll be up to binding it later this evening. Its a cold wet and windy day here in Perth today and we have all hung in the lounge room today, watching telly, eating lunch, the girls doing some craft, Daz watching snippets of the AFL when he can. Everyone is amused enough to leave me alone so I can sew!

Now that I have nearly finished this dolls quilt, I am starting to think about all the other things I have to finish. I have to write a list. In no order of preferance or importance.....

1. Sew a sleeve on my 4 SDQ Swap, hang it up.
2. Finish the other bird flickr DQS#3. Sew on sleeve, hang.
3. Start on Emma's RR block. Post!
4. Sew label on 4 SDQ Swap. Post!
5. Finish AJ's mystery quilt top.
6. Name door hanging for Caitlin. Turns 1 in May.
7. Finish Squid Eye quilt.
8. Get Grace's log cabin quilt to a professional quilter.

Phew! I think thats all. I am determined to get some projects crossed off this WIP list before starting anything new.

WIP Wednesday Week 13. More dolls quilts

*sigh* I know, more dolls quilt WIP shots. I'm getting a bit over it all really. I think doing two in the same month was too much. Well, rather 3, if I had measured properly and not gotten excitied in the outside "piano key" boaders (thanks for that terminology Lily!) So I'm finally up to the binding with the 4 Seasons one. Taken me the last two days to do all the quilting on it. The colours are a bit different to the first big one. When this one is done I'll compare them side by side, maybe do a vote of which one to send? I'm sure my swapee wouldn't mind the bigger one, although I have picked out the space on my wall ready to hang it. Well, I need to sew a pocket rod thingy on the back yet.

And cruising along nicely for the flickr swap. I know my swap partner reads here so I'm going to keep with the sneek peek shots. And also, I am making two of this quilt. I have a odd little space on one of the walls in the sewing room so I am making it to go there. Or am I?! I have the tops of these quilts finished, have to embellish the birds and then ready to sandwich and quilt. Hopefully next week's WIP will not be dolls quilt related.

Dolls Quilt Swap WIP.....

Its not Wednesday so a bit sneeky popping a WIP shot in. But went crazy last night cuting and sewing these together. I called Daz into the room to have a look. "OHHHHH!" he said, "I like that". I said, "You like everything!" And he said, "No, I really like that!" I'm liking it too, totally off my usual colour palette. Living outside the square!

Dolls Quilt Progress

I'm excitied! I have just sandwiched the dolls quilt for the 4 Seasons swap. Yahh! Its going to be exactly 20 inches in width too! Double yahhhhhh! No more photos till it is finished. Its school holidays here at the moment so I should get in more sewing than usual hopefully if I let the girls amuse themselves!

And its good that I have nearly finished that dolls quilt as now I can get stuck into this one for the flickr dolls quilt swap. All these swaps at the moment! I've pulled out the fabric I want to use, theres a few charm squares in there from my recent shop here and also a few scraps in there from both my swap partners in the two scrap swaps I was just in! I have a little sketch of my design which you can just see the bottom of, just a sneek peak as I know my swapee reads my blog... But I have been very clear on my sketch of what size the blocks will be. Now just to stick to the sketch.

4 Seasons Swap - Spring - Take 2!

Well I have been working along with version 2 of the Spring 4 Seasons Swap. Doing it a bit different with the colours and border technique. Working very closely with my tape measurer, don't want to make it too big this time! Doing things the second time around is faster. I'm pleased with it so far but my mind is already on the next project. The dolls quilt for this swap. All I have done so far is pull the fabric I'm going to use from my stash!

This sketch was the start of this quilt, this was my original design. Isn't it funny how you always stray from the original idea. Well at least I do, do you?

Scrap Swaps Recieved!

Well it may have been Grace's birthday yesterday (thank you all for your lovely comments and wishes too, very sweet!) but today it was me who got the pressies! I had signed up for two different scrap swaps recently and funnily enough, they both arrive in my mailbox the same day!

Above is a very eclectic mix of fabric scraps from Corrie! A lot of prints featuring little matryoshka dolls too. Love that purple bubble print on the right, anyone know what range that is from? There are a few charm squares from the range the purple one is from. Wouldn't mind adding a bit more of that to my stash. Thanks Corrie!

And the above selection has come all the way from Chicago from Sequana. This swap was organized by the girls over at Melly and Me. I think we are supposed to make scrappy log cabins from it, but I think I'm just adding mine to the stash! Thanks Annie! I have been eyeing off the charm squares that the strawberry, flowers and stripes range is from, these are very sweet. Moda range I think? I've already pulled a handful from each pile for my Dolls Quilt Swap. Sketched out the idea for that last night, time to get sewing!

Happy 5th Birthday Grace!

My eldest daughter is 5 today. 5! Wow, this time 5 years ago I was lying recovering in the Adult Special Care Unit and she was upstairs in the ICU, nothing wrong with her, she just couldn't be with me. Looking back it was a horrid birth, ended up being an emergancy C section but flipping the coin over and looking on the positive side, I am extremely lucky to have her in my life and also thankful that I was able to have another daughter after her. So I don't really want to dwell on the birth experience, I'll just be thankful that we have been blessed with two daughters.

Happy 5th birthday to our darling Grace! Thank you for 5 wonderful, funny, loving, challenging and fantastic years. We have loved every moment.

"Spring" 4 Seasons Dolls Quilt Finshed!

I finished sewing down the binding on my dolls quilt for the Spring round of the 4 Season's Swap. And guess what? Its too big! Milly has learnt a new word recently, I'll borrow it for this post, BUGGER! I was measuring as I went along, thinking I was doing okay, but I think the blue border threw me as the colours and prints were so pretty, I didn't want to trim it any smaller. Well thats my excuse! Its only a little bit bigger, 22 x 18 inches, so I'm only 2 inches out and I am sure my swapee wouldn't mind, but I feel rather attatched to this little quilt and so have decided I will keep it for my collection and whip up another smaller one for my swapee.


The binding isn't that wobbly in real life, I was too excitied to iron it before shotting these snaps. I did the binding 2 and 1/4th and inch too instead of the usual 2.5 inches, I think I like it a bit tighter.


I don't know how well these last two photos will come out of the back but thought I'd include them as well. I am as pleased with the effect on the back almost as much as the front! For the flowers and grass I did a lighter green but the rest of the area was a darker green. Nice texture. Well back to the machine for the next one!

Yesterdays Mail.

You know those days when you just get lovely mail? Yesterday was one of them! When I got home from some lunchtime chores at the shops with Milly, I found a parcel under my doormat all the way from America, this lovely selection from Fashionable Fabrics. A big thumbs up for lovely personal service, fast and cheap postage and great prices. Unlike here where I ended up cancelling my order cause of strange emails asking to confirm my CC details.

So 2 yards of the Valori Wells Sole print so I can finish AJ's mystery quilt. 2 yards of the softest cotton ever from Prints Charming just because it was a great price. And 2 packs of this sweet "Blossoms" Moda charms. These are just beautiful! I could bare to undo the pack for a photo of all the yummy prints.

Then that afternoon I got this pincushion delivered! Ad and Cate made me this pincushion! Its a tower! Milly gives it that pat of approval. I need to get more pins to fill it. Its very noice though, and now I have two pincushions so I can stop carrying it from the ironing board to the machine, one in each spot. Thanks Ad! She is having a giveaway for some very similar on her blog, I think she'd drawing them later tonight! Check out here! Good luck!

WIP Week 12 - 4 seasons "spring" dolls quilt, nearly finished!

I am loving working on this dolls quilt for the 4 seasons swap! I hope my partner likes it, I have been checking her blog every few days but she doesn't post anything quilt related.... So I'm just hoping that she does like it. I didn't ralize just how dirty my ironing board is in the above shot! Ekk! How does an ironing board get so dirty?? Time to buy myself a new cover I think. The blue strips above are from my scrap box, sewn together to make the outside borders. Which is pretty much the same way I did the grass and flowers below.

I'm doing a bit of hidden layer reverse applique! I cut out a template of the top layer and used that as a guide to work out when I would have enough green and red/yellow strips in place. I was quite nervous though when I cut out the top layer, in this lovely cyan blue as I only had one FQ of it and it was the perfect shade! Lucky it all fitted into place. I blanket stitched it into place with the blanket stitches pointing out rather than in.


This is a sneeky angle shot, I still have some quilting of the blue borders to add. House is on telly tonight, should be able to watch that and finish the quilting and add the binding.

Ad's Birthday Quilt.

I took these photos last week but have only just remembered to blog them. When this quilt was presented to its new owner, my camera batteries died so I didn't get any shots of it finished, I was sewing the label on the back as we drove down to her house! Must say I was quite proud of my stippling, the flowers were fun to do, and I think you can just make out in the below photo, I "wrote" around the corners. "Happy Birthday Aunty Ad" and then all our names on the other corner.



It looks wavy here as I was trying to be a bit artistic taking the shots outside. Bumpy grass = bumpy quilt! Anyway, quilt no #2 finished and blogged for the year!

Four Seasons Dolls Quilt Progress

Well I have managed to squeeze 3 loads of washing and some dishes in the last 24 hours. But still worked madly on my 4 Seasons Dolls Quilt. I'm getting excitied! All my strips are coming together, its falling into place. I'm not following a pattern, sort of sewing a bit then lining it up, tweeking it. Does this say Spring to you??