A blogiversary and some lovely quilts

I can't believe it but today is the end of my second year of blogging. I started this little blog exactly 2 years ago today! Thanks, Fiona, for encouraging me to start as I so enjoy sharing my stitching journey and sometimes life journeys with my dear blog readers. I also enjoy reading many of your blogs and making many new  friends with similar interests. Thank you to everyone for reading my rambles and for commenting too. I have some plans for a blogiversary giveaway but am not ready just yet. I will post about it in a few days.
On Friday, Paddy and I went all the way to Tuggeranong to deliver some quilts to be professionally quilted by Robyn of Plain and Fancy quilting. I was very happy to be handing over my Gardener's Journal quilt as that means it is nearly finished! Robyn is a great quilter and it is always lovely to see what she has been making too. The pictures aren't great but it will give you an idea. I just love this scrappy one.

It is from this magazine from the US which looked very familiar. When I got home, I found that I have the magazine in my collection! The quilt is on the cover.

Here is another work in progress.

This quilt was in a bit of a dim hallway but I just had to show you the lovely needleturning and quilting on the four large blocks. I especially love the pieced neutral backgrounds.

I came home very motivated!

Stitching....

I have had a few lovely days at home over the last week and have been busy stitching. This stitchery was a project from the lovely Immerse stitching day in Melbourne and the kits came all printed on so it was fun to stitch. It is so not my colours but it will make a very cute little bag. This was Rosalie Quinlan's project on the day.

I have been very naughty and have disregarded all the UFOs and have had such fun stitching the first block of the Scandinavian Christmas BOM. I even enjoyed the needleturn as the shapes were larger and they were good shapes to needleturn. The cross stitches take a while to stitch but are easy. I chose to stitch the legs, face details and antlers with brown (DMC 3021) as I liked it better than using red.

Here are my birds. I couldn't find a really good fabric for the second bird so embroidered a few sprigs of holly onto the stripes.

Here are the reindeers. Aren't they cute? I wasn't sure about the fabrics I chose but am pleased with them now.

A start, a little finish and fireworks

I know!!!! I should be finishing things not starting something new but I just couldn't resist. I bought the lovely BOM, Scandinavian Christmas by Lynette Anderson last year and just wanted to start it. I have added the button to my side bar and yesterday I traced and traced to add the grogeous cross stitches that go around the edge of the blocks. I then raided my stash to find some suitable fabrics.

I think these will do! Can't wait to start. Maybe today!

I did manage to finish these 2 little bags from the delightful design by Anni Downs. I made quite a few before Christmas for gifts and just needed some for me!

I will leave with some of the great photos that hubby took of the fireworks last night. It cooled down a bit and we had a very nice evening picnic by the lake with friends.

Happy Australia Day and some show and tell

Happy Australia Day to all my lovely readers. There have been some lovely pictures and stories on some of the aussie blogs and they are well worth checking out. I think this is a very special day for Australians and as a  migrant who came to Australia as a child, I really appreciate what a special country this is. My brother, who was born here, and I have had really wonderful opportunities here and thank our parents for their very major decision to move to this country. It was very tough for them (and me too until I learnt to speak English) and I think they lost a lot by leaving their families in Austria but I know they enjoyed the climate and their home here too. It has been a special week too with hubby finding out his relatives came on the First Fleet.
I have had a busy couple of days with the Summer stitching day on Monday and then work yesterday. I had a lovely group of ladies on Monday and we enjoyed a pleasant day of stitching and yummy lunch and morning and afternoon tea. Thanks for organising the food, Cathy. Barbara came to the class on Monday and brought her finished her felt bookmark with the painted button to stitching at the shop yesterday. Looks great, Barbara.

Shirley has been finishing lots of lovely projects. She made this lovely gift pouch using a pattern and kit prepared by Terrie at Hobbysew.

Shirley also finished the stamped stitchery from the stitching day in October. I wish I had that many finishes to share.

We are celebrating Australia day this evening by taking a picnic to the lake and watching the fireworks with some friends, if it isn't too hot. We are having a very warm day here today.

Quick trip to Sydney

We had a quick trip to Sydney on the weekend to see Ma and Pa. Hubby has been looking into his family tree and has discovered that Pa and his children and grandchildren are directly related to a man and woman who came to Australia on the First Fleet as convicts in 1788. Even more amazing is that The great........grandmother and her son are buried in Liverpool. We think that John Fraser was the second child to be born here in the new colony. We took Ma and Pa there on Saturday morning and saw the gravestone of John Fraser, Pa's great great......grandfather and there is a ...

plaque to show that Ellen is buried here too.

How amazing is that. My girls are about 7th generation Australian on their father's side and first generation on my side!

Gardener's Journal progress, My Garden block and a lovely quilt

I am so excited to finally show my top of the Gardener's Journal with the borders added. It has been great to share this journey with the Stitch-a-long girls.It is a bit wrinkled as I couldn't wait to take its photo to share. It is always a relief to get those last borders onto a quilt. I am going to have it quilted professionally so I feel like it is almost finished.

I also managed to get block 7 of the My Garden BOM finished for this month as well. Whew! I am up to date with my BOMs.

Thought I would share this lovely quilt that Shirley brought to show the Tuesday ladies. It is a class that Janet runs at Hobbysew and it used up lots of scrappy strips! Looks great, Shirley. Look carefully and you can see a star in the centre and then another pattern in the corners.

Wednesday Stitching

I had a lovely day yesterday as Fiona came to Canberra for a quick visit. It was lovely to spend the day stitching, shopping and chatting. We went to stitching at Hobbysew and then had lunch and shopped (just a bit)! We did spend some time planning the May stitching days as well. Fiona was stitching on this little canvas work scissor keeper. I had made this one a while ago but my kit had brighter colours. I do love these softer ones and may have to make another one.

Marilyn had finished her beautiful canvas stocking and it looks lovely. We really appreciated all the metallic threads she had used as they are a pain to work with.

I managed to add the borders to the 6th block of the My Garden BOM. I foundation pieced them and still managed to get a wonky strip! I think I do rush a bit.

I hope to (carefully) put the borders on the 7th block today.

Fiona is having a giveaway as she has been blogging for two years. You just need make a comment on her January 18th post to be in the draw. I'd best comment too! Just realised that 2 years must be coming up for me too!

Candlewicked bags, the chatelaine and some borders

Here is the triangular chatelaine. I am pleased with the result though the old cardboard and gluing isn't really my most favourite thing to do!

This is the inside.

Here are the 2 candlewicked bags. The one on the right is the old design we did a few years ago and the one on the left is the new one. I stitched it on patchwork fabric this time instead of the sienna linen.

Ta dah!!! Here is the Crazy Christmas quilt with borders. Now do I quilt it or get it done professionally? It is only little so I should do it but the motivation isn't there. I will give it some thought over the next few days.

A bit more stitching

I have finally finished all my class samples and notes! It is a relief as it means I  can get going on a few UFOs that need doing this month as well. I hope to get the borders on "the Gardener's Journal" soon and work on the borders on Crazy Christmas too. Here is what I have been working on. I made up another candlewicking sample and made it into a little bag. I'll take some pictures of the finished items tomorrow.

I have also been battling with double sided tape and cardboard to create these pieces that will eventually become a triangular chatelaine. It has turned out well though I need a bit more ribbon to finish it off.

Stitching progress and a good book

Here is the button bead that I created for the little pencil case. I didn't have a matching bead so had fun making my own version. I am feeling very righteous as the notes are written too!

Here is the little Sheep canvas work all made up.

I did manage to add the other 2 rows to the Crazy Christmas quilt. Now to figure out the borders.

I have just started reading "At Home" by Bill Bryson. I bought this for hubby for his birthday and have been waiting ever since to get to read it. It is a fascinating read about homes and the history of houses in Bill's usual interesting and amusing style.

My biggest achievement this week is putting away the decorations. It is a big job, as is putting all the other pictures and quilts back up! I do love the decorations and keep adding to the collection so I am my own worst enemy!

Another finish

I finished this little stitched pencil case last week and am pleased with it. It is another project for the Term 1 classes. I used the lovely ticking fabric by Blackbird designs and managed to put a zipper in! I haven't needed to sew a zipper in for a long time...not since my clothes sewing days. It wasn't as hard as I remembered. I have also made a little button bead thing to hang on the zipper so will show you when I take another picture.

It has been so sad to see the news over the last few weeks as Queensland is so flooded. What a terrible time for everyone in those areas. We are thinking of them and praying for those who are living through such terrible times. 

Stitching progress

It has been so good to have some quiet days to get started on some stitching. I am busy trying to get the samples and notes prepared for my classes that start in February. I love to get them done (and over with!) so I can concentrate on some UFOs and BOMs. Here is the cushion I have made using the painted buttons that I painted a few days ago.

I couldn't resist starting to get this Crazy Christmas BOM put together. I had decided that I wanted simple borders instead of the crazy patchwork to show off Lynette Anderson's gorgeous stitcheries. Took a while to work out what to do and then chose simple borders in the darker fabrics in Lynette's range of fabrics. Here are 2 rows. There are two more to do and then the borders.

Years ago I bought this pattern and kit at Canberra Needlework and have wanted to make it ever since. It is a pattern by Marg Low and went together so well. It's ready for Christmas this year!

Here is a little heart I have appliqued for another class project.

My dear friend, Penny, created a delightful sheep scissor keeper a while ago and I have been wanting to make one ever since. Here it is. I am planning to stitch the sheep on the back as well.