Paddy has been busy

Paddy came to class on Wednesday with lots of show and tell. I just loved this applique which will be a sewing machine cover. This is the front.

This is the back with the little "outhouse" or a "dunny" (an outside toilet for those not familiar with these terms). Most Australian houses built before the 1950s had them.

This "dunny" even has its own redback spider.

Paddy has also finished her needlecase. Great fabrics, Paddy.

Special gift

I received a very special and early birthday gift this week! My hubby bought me a "Kindle". It is a electronic book reader. You download the books to the Kindle and it stores lots of them and it is lovely and light to use and especially to take on holidays. I so love "real" books and enjoy reading but this will be so good when we go away. It is light and easy to use, even for me! Hubby is enjoying reading "Hick Finn" at the moment. You can put old books on it for free. He downloaded "Anne of Green Gables" for me as it was one of my favourite books as a teenager. I am not ready to use it yet as I am still enjoying the last Stieg Larsson book.

I am thrilled with my special present and am sure I will enjoy using it very much.

Some rainy day/weekend stitching

I have been busy over the last week working on my sampler that will have "Up in Annie's room"'s wooden tree button as the main feature. The button, below, will be.....

next to this house. It has rained and rained till this afternoon so it has been good stitching weather. 

As it is now March, I needed to get the next Crazy Christmas block ready and couldn't resist starting it while I watched the new series on ABC 1 called "Desperate Romantics". It was an excellent program.

I also had time to trace another block of the "Gardener's Journal" quilt by Anni Downs.

But mostly, I have been reading and reading. I am now up the third book in Stieg Larssen's Millenium series and it is very hard to put down.

Christmas club with Marg Low

The mailman brought me this lovely pattern by Marg Low last week. I have signed up to get Marg's Christmas club patterns every 2 months. These runners would be lovely to have ready next Christmas. I wonder if I can get one made before the next pattern comes! Some lucky ladies get to go and make the club projects together in a class with Marg.

I have been busy stitching my sampler using the beautiful tree button from "Up in Annies Room". Might show you a peek tomorrow.

A giveaway winner, a lovely quilt and some shopping

It is Saturday here in rainy Canberra and it is time to draw my little giveaway. Thank you so much to the lovely people who commented. The winner this time is Tatkis all the way from Russia! Congratulations. Please email me your address and I will post the pattern to you on Tuesday.
Margot brought this lovely quilt to show us on Wednesday night. It is one of Cathy's mystery quilts from a few years ago. Margot has done a wonderful job choosing the colours and then doing it all in needleturn applique. She has also quilted it herself. Fantastic work, Margot.

Hobbysew is having a sale and I went to work on Tuesday determined that I didn't need ANYTHING! Oh well, it was all too tempting. The customers kept bringing lovely fabrics over to me to cut and I just had to have some too. I was also tempted by all these trims. I could just see lots of trimmed Santas!

Here is my pile of fabrics! I did get a fair bit to use as backings perhaps.

This one appealed to me and I have no idea what I am going to do with it. It would be a nice backing or lining for a bag or..... who knows! I just liked the pictures and the colours. One of the Tuesday stitching ladies bought this one to use when making her hexagons. She'll put a little picture in the centre of each hexagon.

Audrey has been busy

Audrey came to class on Wednesday night with so much to show us! It is so motivating to see what the girls achieve. Audrey is getting wonderful bag patterns every six weeks from the  Bagalicious Club at Quilt Fabric Delights. Doesn't it look lovely.

 

She has also finished the beautiful felt needlecase. It looks fantastic, Audrey.

And here is the little felt robot.

Just check out this lovely felt cat. She has done so well considering she has lots of kids including a little fellow!

Fuzzy felt and Wednesday afternoon

I am so sad that this lovely felt butterfly is fuzzy! A customer came into the shop the other day wearing this brooch. It is made from handmade felt and is so special and I WANT to make one. It looks like a felting project that would perhaps be possible as it is small.

Paddy is making this lovely cushion in a beautiful shade of blue. I think it is going to be very beautiful. I made my version in red but like this one very much.

This is my version of the same design. What a difference the colour makes.

Jill has finished her little dolls and they look great.

The emails and letters went out yesterday for Stitching on the Lake in May. Make sure you check your email as the registrations are coming in quickly! Don't forget to comment on the giveaway post if you want to win the copy of the bag pattern.