Wednesday classes

Wednesday was another stitching filled day with social stitching and classes. So great to see how much the ladies have been achieving. Karen had been very busy over the week and had finished the cushion applique.

Karen had also made up her candlewicked bag as well.

She had also finished this lovely pin cushion for her daughter.

Paddy had been candlewicking as well. Aren't her leaves beautiful?

Maxine had her delightful bookmark to show us. I do love the colour of the variegated cotton.

Maxine also managed to save her candlewicking. She had sewn a little too close to the edge of the fabric and had to play with it to make up the bag. Well done, Maxine. It has worked out well.

For anyone who may need some, Hobbysew has Parlan in stock now. It is the iron on thin backing (like pellon) that Leanne Beasley uses behind her stitcheries at times. I think the second Vignette magazine should be in too soon! Can't wait to see the next blocks for the Vignette BOM.

Wednesday stitching and a start

Lovely to see the girls on Wednesday night. Sue had her little sheep scissor keeper finished. Doesn't it look great?

Sue also brought along some Nancy Halverson fat quarters she has bought from Cute as a Button. Sadly, Rebecca is moving away from Canberra so we will miss her at our stitching days with all her lovely kits and goodies.

Barbara had her finished candlewicking to show us. Looks so lovely, Barbara.

Barbara had also finished another "World as it should be" bookmark.

I couldn't resist and had to start the "In My Garden" BOM! Here is my first little applique for block 1. I might just have to do a bit more this afternoon! I am enjoying a day at home today and am trying to get a few things done. I suppose I will have to run the vacuum around a little too....perhaps!

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.

More Wednesday night Show and tell

Danielle is our youngest evening stitcher and she is expecting her first baby! We are all very excited for her. She has made this lovely quilt ready for the "little one".

Her mum, Margaret, has made this great baby bag from the Winsome Baby book by Nancy Halverson. Aren't the fabrics wonderful?

Judy has been very busy and has finished her felt pin cushion and...

her felt bookmark from the stitching day.

Judy has also been working on this lovely runner. The stitcheries look really lovely.

She has also been making this lovely quilt as a gift. It has some lovely embroideries and patchwork on it and Judy's choice of blue fabrics look great. It is so inspiring to see all the lovely things the ladies are making.

Lots of lovely stitching...

Najelle brought along her lovely family of penguins on Wednesday for us to meet at the shop. They are just so special and are from another lovely pattern by Melly and Me. 

Jan has made another bookmark! The colours work so well, Jan.

Najelle is also working on this stitchery block for the BOM that Hobbysew is going to have soon. The stitcheries were designed by Laraine from Up in Annies room and Cathy is going to design the patchwork. I think it is going to be a lovely quilt.

This is another of the blocks for the quilt. I finished this one recently and forgot to take a picture of it.

Najelle has also stitched another one of Anni Downs' little pictures to put onto those terribly cute lolly bags. We are all getting excited about the Sydney craft show which is on next week. Can't wait to visit the Hatched and Patched stall as it is one of my favourites.

Busy stitching and eating days

We had a wonderful time at Hobbysew yesterday as we had a "Big Morning Tea" to raise funds for cancer research. Everyone brought the yummiest treats and it was a lovely morning tea. I think we raised about $240 which is pretty good for a small group. I must admit it was very difficult to resist trying lots of the goodies! Thank you, Val, for organising the fundraiser.
Some of us did stitch. Paddy has been working really hard on her Mystery BOM that Cathy has designed. The class is on this week and Paddy has joined the class and so is getting all her blocks ready. Don't the owls look so good!

Jan has been busy too and has made another felt bookmark for a gift. Looks very good, Jan.

In the afternoon, it was lovely to see the progress the girls have made on their bags. Jenny has put her pieces together and is embroidering. Her fabrics look so good. 

Lorraine has been very busy too and has completely finished 2 of the bags! Here is the blue one. Her stitching is beautiful and the bag has turned out really well. She has added some different enbroideries and they look great.

More of Wednesday girls' lovely work

Donna brought in her french knot picture, which had been beautifully stitched and framed. We did this technique in a class years ago and a few of us thought we ought to do another picture sometime.

In the evening, lots of the girls had been finishing their stitching day projects. Here is Linda's canvas needle roll! Fantastic colours, Linda.

Margaret had finished her notebook cover as well.

I think these are Margaret and Linda's bookmarks. Sorry if I have that wrong. Don't they look good. The flower button looks good painted and left as is.

Sue is a wonderful knitter and brought along this fabulous felted bag that she had made. She knitted it and then embroidered the circles and then felted it. Feel like getting those knitting needles out and making one of these. I think the pattern was in the Homespun magazine recently!

Christmas gift

Had a very special day on Saturday catching up with some friends from the Bay here is Canberra. We met in Civic for a spot of shopping and then had a yummy lunch at Cream. It was Maree's birthday and our Christmas celebration as well. We all have one person to buy for each year and I had Lynda this time. These are her gifts. I bought the new Donna Hay cookbook "Seasons" and made her a bookmark.

I had bought this lovely covered journal at the Stitch-in in Melbourne earlier this year. What a lovely use for a doyley.

I also made her this decoration using one of the Theodora Cleave buttons and the pattern by Marg Low. I am enjoying making these up now that I have done a few.

More Show and Tell and a little Christmas table topper

Angela, from social stitching, has made a lovely cushion using the design from Anni Downs' book we have been doing in class this term. She has used totally different fabrics and different stitching methods to create a special result.

Barbara has made this great door hanger for a gift for a special boy and it looks so good. It is from Anni's Boy Story book. You can turn the sign over and there is a different one.

Barbara has also finished the bookmark. It will make such a nice gift.

I have a finish to show too. I bought this pattern at Anni's shop earlier in the year and have finally made one of the Xmas Table toppers. Can't wait to make the other one. It has a tree in the centre. I really love working with felt. Hobbysew has lots of lovely felt now which is very handy.

The finished bookmark and spring flowers

Here is the bookmark that I have finished from Anni Downes' book "The World as it should be".

I have just visited Anni's blog to get her address (to highlight it above) and she has posted a picture that may be the cover of her new boys' book. When we were at the shop Peter showed us all these original quilts! Very exciting. Here is the picture from her blog. I don't have any boys but still want a book.....in case I might have a boy to make things for one day. I think it has projects for big boys too so might be useful for that as well.

I am not much of a garderner but here are some of hubby's pansies and a few daffodils. Spring might eventually come to chilly Canberra. The sun is lovely today but the wind is so cold!