Great idea and a little finish

I have always made templates by gluing things to cardboard and cutting out or tracing designs onto template plastic but I have discovered a better way. I've been using my laminator! It is so easy. I just print the design page of templates and then put it through the laminator.

Here it goes.

Then you just cut them out and you have very accurate templates. Great for patchwork templates and for making dolls or bears.

I went to Friday night stitching last night and finally finished the second of these lovely Christmas table toppers from the pattern by Anni of Hatched and Patched.

Stitching update

I have been stitching lately and trying to get these appliqued blocks ready for the lovely quilt in Anni Downes' book, "The World as it should be". There are lots of flowers, birds and sheep to applique and, though I love the look of needleturn applique, I don't find it as relaxing to do as embroidery. I have one fish to complete and the house block and then I can attack the patchwork.

We are heading to Melbourne next weekend so thought I had best prepare some stitching to do in the car. I am getting this BOM pattern by Lynette Anderson and thought I might start stitching the blocks. SO.... I had to needleturn some more.

The pieces are very small and fiddly but the result should be good. I think I will piece it, eventually, with simple borders instead of the crazy patchwork.

What I should be doing is making up my Stitcher's Angel projects as they are due soon. Perhaps later today!

Some finished projects

I enjoyed doing the punchneedle on this little bag pattern from "The World as it Should be" and managed to put it together yesterday.

Here are the woven wool felt decorations I have been stitching over the last few weeks. They are from a pattern by Anni Downes called Christmas Berry Baubles.

Here is the finished pattern for the wooden Button hearts that I am teaching at Hobbysew at the Christmas day in November. We thought we would offer the pattern and the button at the shop for those who can't come to the stitching day.

I am really pleased with the photos taken with my little digital camera.

Work in progress and a new book

Here is proof that I have been stitching recently. I have also been finishing the Christmas Day projects for the class I am running at Hobbysew in November. It was exciting to see that there were 7 people booked in which is great, especially as they haven't seen the samples yet! I have finished the notes for the projects and will post some pictures soon. The samples will be in the shop on Tuesday. These are Anni Downes' Christmas baubles in woven wool felt. These are very time consuming but the results are worth it.

I also couldn't resist getting Anni's new book, A Boy's Story, from Hobbysew this week. We saw all the lovely quilts at Anni's shop when we visited The Home Patch in Bathurst. I haven't even really got any boys (yet) to sew for but just had to have the book anyway.

Here is Peter showing us one of the quilts in the book when we were at the shop. I wasn't allowed to post the pictures till the book was released.

And here is the precious felt robot from the book. I would love to make him too.