2010 IN REVIEW

QUILTS

1. Aussie Quilt, 2. NOW YOU SEE ME, 3. CITRUS BURST - quilt top, 4. FAIRYTALE BLISS, 5. TRANSPORT CRAZY, 6. PINWHEEL QUILT, 7. Oh Dr Seuss, 8. Lachie's quilt top, 9. Lantern Bloom, 10. DQS9 finished, 11. DR SEUSS - FINISHED, 12. QUILT OPTION 3

OTHER SEWING PROJECTS

1. needle felting, 2. Sewing Clothes Kids Love, 3. PATCHWORK FLOOR RUG, 4. new scarf design, 5. first hexagon project finished, 6. Sewing Clothes Kids Love, 7. NEEDLEBOOK CENTRE, 8. NEEDLEBOOK, 9. NEW CUSHIONS FOR OUR NEWISH LOUNGE, 10. mug rug - front, 11. AFTER, 12. MUG RUG 2, 13. SEWING MACHINE COVER, 14. ALICE DOES YOGA, 15. MUG RUG SWAP, 16. New Lounge/Pajama Pants, 17. BIRTHDAY SEWING, 18. WALL ART, 19. Schoolhouse Tunic, 20. placemat swap

MIXED MEDIA

1. how to be a snow angel, 2. Dan's Cricket Album - pgs 15,16, 3. Dan's Cricket Album - pgs 6,7, 4. Dan's Cricket Album - pgs 13,14, 5. TELL YOUR STORY, 6. TELL YOUR STORY, 7. FRONT COVER, 8. 16 July 2010 , 9. 16 July 2010, 10. 16 July 2010, 11. PIMP MY VAN, 12. PIMP MY VAN, 13. pimping my van, 14. 30 May 2010 059, 15. 30 May 2010 012, 16. 30 May 2010 024, 17. 30 May 2010 010, 18. 30 May 2010 022, 19. 30 May 2010 018, 20. 30 May 2010 030

I didn't think I achieved a lot this year, but in looking back I have made quite a few things.
We have had some lows this year that I would sooner forget like my mum going through treatment for breast cancer, credit card fraud, best friends forgetting my big 40 and other things. Bring on 2011, it's going to be a great one.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

SHARING

My wonderful mother in law payed off my layby yesterday (I am paying her back) so I could have Ellie the overlocker a little earlier. This was a huge suprise and I am very grateful as I have quite a few projects to complete that are so easily done with an overlocker. Ellie, welcome to the family, I'm sure you will be very happy here.

On my design wall at the moment is a baby boy snuggle quilt. These strips have been sitting around waiting to be all sewn up and looking cute. I will be taking the plunge into the market world once again this year after having a couple of years off, so am very busy designing and making lots of goodies.

I made up this little top for Sophie yesterday, as you can see she likes trying out different looks. I will be making more of these to sell at my market stall.


Have a very happy New Year everyone.

DREAMING OF FAIRYTALES

I collected these fabrics for this reason, to make Sophie a new quilt for her bed. It was going to be finished in time for her birthday, then Christmas and now for the new year.

She had no idea that I was making it for her until last week when I knew it wouldn't be finished for Christmas I showed her and she was so happy and in love with it.

This is a quilt as you go quilt with a very simple design to show off the wonderful fabrics. I have two more rows to quilt and attach then back it, quilt it some more and add the binding. These fabrics are simply gorgeous and I'm so pleased that Sophie will soon be sleping under them, dreaming of fairytales.

GOODBYE MY FRIEND

Yes it's sad news, Olivia the Overlocker has passed away. She has done a magnificent job over the years and she was nearly as old as me. I was using her last night and a piece snapped off, now I know I could get another part but she also needed a major service and new blades so it was decided that I would put her to rest and get another one that will last me for a very long time once again. I was going to buy a Janome but the Elna equivilant is $150 cheaper.

She will be in the shop for a few months while I pay her off, but she will be worth the wait.

So good bye Olivia, thank you for all of your hard work.

CHRISTMAS EVE

While I have been super busy cooking all day today and I have loved every moment of it, I really wanted to be making fabric bags for presents to go in instead of using paper this year.

Here is one I made and come next Christmas I will have a big stack of bags all different sizes ready to pop the presents into.


Have a wonderful safe, happy Christmas. Thank you for coming back time after time reading and commenting on my creations.

xxxSue

MORE LAST MINUTE GIFTS

Today was the last day that I would have any hope of finishing up the handmade gifts. Now I can breath easy, they are all finished and wrapped and I can get on with the cooking.

HERB VINEGAR
so yummy and easy to make.

PLACEMAT AND NAPKIN SETS
these are for my SIL and her husband, I hope they like them.

GETTING ARTY INSIDE

While it's school holidays it's nearly impossible for me to get out into my caravan to get messy so I decided to bring a little bit inside.

We had an old fold out table sitting under the verandah so it got a wash then was brought into my very small sewing room (the room that was once our dining room). I spent the day tidying up fabric and generally putting stuff away. Is it just me or is it all crafty/arty people that can't seem to tidy up after themselves? The piles get bigger and I swear every time I walk through from the lounge into the kitchen that I will tidy but it just never seems to happen.

Here is a look at my new little "get messy" area. Now I can at least keep up with Julie's art journaling every day by just doing a few minutes here and there. The big thing will be whether or not I cart everything that I am finished using back out to the caravan or I end up with another huge mess.


I love this old chair, it moves around the house as I change things around and it's the perfect height for the table. I think I will make a nice cushion for it this afternoon.

IN 2011

Head on over to Julie's blog and check out what we're going to be doing in 2011.

QUICK CHRISTMAS GIFTS

I whipped up these bread bags for gifts today. I don't like to keep home baked bread in plastic and I find that cotton keeps it lovely and fresh (if it lasts long enough to go into a bag that is).

The vintage style bags will go to our parents and the bright bags are for my sister in law and one for myself.

104 HEXAGONS SITTING ON A WALL....

well a bench actually. Only 120 to go.

What am I making you ask?

In all of my years of quilting I have never made a quilt for our bed. I have been holding onto Anna Maria Horner's fabric line for a while determined to use them for our quilt. I just had to find the right pattern and yesterday Malka's new book arrived and as I flipped through it I saw the quilt I wanted to make.


The hexagons are huge and I will be sewing them all by machine using Malka's method. I'm off to cut some more.

A WREATH TO EAT

I made this lolly wreath for my Sister and Brother In-law for a cheery Christmas gift. I wonder how long it will take them to get through the 1.5kg of lollies?

SCHOOLHOUSE TUNIC

I bought the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern by Meg of Sew Liberated ages ago and even purchased the voile and cut it out ages ago too. Today I finally made the tunic.

A couple of things to remember with this pattern

*Don't think that it will be too small if you use your correct size on the pattern. I'm a size 10 and I must have had a fat day when I cut the pattern because for some unknown reason I cut it as a size 14. I managed to take in the tunic a little but it's still too big on me.

*Don't think you are a pro at an overlocker when you haven't used one for 10 years. Hmmm, all I can say is I really shouldn't have attempted gathered, curved seams on the overlocker before sewing first. There was a lot of unpicking and a lovely big hole in my sleeve, luckly I was able to modify the sleeves as I didn't have any more fabric left.

*Buy extra fabric if you really don't know what you are doing.

*I now know what a placket is and how to make one.

BIRTHDAY SEWING

I made up these summer pjs for Sophie today. I bought the tops on special and sewed on the applique to match the shorts.

It gets so frantic around here this time of year with Lachie and Sophie's birthdays next Friday, Sophie's dance concerts, cricket and lots of extra work days, I just have to have the Christmas shopping done early and not leave everything to the last minute.

I still have a quilt and some mug rugs to complete and then I'm done.

FINISHING

I'm in a bit of finishing off mood today. Sophie's quilt for her dolls has been sitting around for a while but now it's all done and she will be so happy when she comes home from school and sees Pinky and Lucy snuggled up under it.

I have been showing more of an interest in making clothes lately and I couldn't wait to get this book by Toni when it was released, she makes it all look so easy and I think even I will be able to follow the instructions. LOL

I actually scrapbooked last night!!!! I know, don't fall over, I started Lachie's cricket album finally now that I finished Dan's. I would show these albums but there's hundreds of pages to photograph so I think I'll leave it for now.