No lecture Monday

I logged onto my uni subject today, all ready to hear this week's lecture - and there was a little note "No lecture today - use the free time to work on your group assignment." And since my partner in the assignment decided last minute to leave uni, leaving me in the lurch - I don't have a group assignment.  So what's a girl to do with all that free time?

I spent the morning cutting out and ironing on Christmas applique, ready to stitch down and quilt. By mid-morning I got really hot (It's a hot day today - mid 30's) so I switched off the iron and worked on my October Project Life and some more crochet. 

It was a lovely productive day - and the unexpected crafty time was really good fun! 

Christmas Table Runner (Block # 2

Here is block # 2 of my Christmas runner project. The background is quilted, but you can't really see it because of the swirly pattern.

Christmas Table Runner (Block # 1)

A fellow Christmas nutter (Car) and I got together yesterday and decided it was time to start working on the Christmas list for the Handmade Christmas Challenge. I ALWAYS find working with someone (even though they are in another state!) always gets me moving and I accomplish so much more. Probably the accountability thing.... 

Anyway I've been wanting to start this project for a while - and I have finally done it! Here is block #1. This block has quite a few techniques in it - the gift bag handle is embroidered, the gift tag is embroidered and the bag is applique'd into place.  I'm not 100% sure on the final outlay and design of this project, as the original pattern was for mugrugs - but I wanted them on a table runner. Time will tell...... 

I found a tutorial on Pinterest for a quilt as you go method. I quite like it!! I reckon I might do this more often, especially for big quilts, where my arms and back ache like mad when trying to get the thing through the machine!

Milly's "Quillow" {Advent Blog- Along # 13}

Ok so technically it's not a quillow. A few years back I had made her bigger brother and sister quillows. But for some reason with Milly's I ran out of steam, and shoved it into storage and forgot about it for a while. This year I felt a surge of Mo-Jo and inspiration and so it was pulled out with the aim that I would finish it for Christmas. I've slowly been plugging away at it and finally last night, I snipped off the last thread and admired my work.

Process pics

I've started the embroidery/quilting part of Milly's quilt.

Appliqué progress

I've been plodding away on Milly's quilt and I'm making pretty good progress! It's such a joy to be able to sit at my machine once more and finish this project for my little girl.

In case there is any doubt, fybromyalgia sucks! And it seriously gets in the way of creativity! 

Creative caffeine hit!

Im going nuts in my creative space!! It's like I have been injected with creative caffeine. Must craft all things espresso!!!

I've basted and started machine appliquing the quilt project I pulled out from my UFO crate. A certain little girl is going to be very happy on Christmas Day!

I've also made a start on another Christmas present.... Any guesses of what it is?

WIP - sneaky peeky

I've pulled this project out and I plan on basting it tomorrow

Weekend stuff...

This weekend was flat out as usual.... but I did get a bit of time to do some crafty stuff.

Now that my Ripple is finished, I am eager to start another crocheting project.....

Here's a glimpse at the wool I have bought for it:

I did a bit of work on a secret squirrel project that I've been plodding away at for a few months now...

I also made up some lavender rice for Christmas presents... more about that later.

Mop's Quillow

I'm so proud of this one!! :)
This was supposed to be finished at Christmas, but it wasn't. Never mind. It was only a few days after - and she doesn't mind!! :)

Advent Blog Along - 20th December

I know, I know! It's not the 20th today, but I had this baby done yesterday, but it was too dark to take a photo of it, and too late to blog. So I'm doing yesterdays today.

So..... this is my latest finished project! YAY!



Please excuse the dodgy photo, but I was in a rush and couldn't be bothered being artistic IYKWIM?

This is a wall hanging, a combination of applique, embroidery and quilting. I love it. :)

Beanie Kid!

I managed to get everything done on my list! Don't mind the mobile photos, my camera battery needs charging. :S

I whipped up EJ's hat for him for an up and coming 4WD/camping trip in the Flinders Ranges... which will be freezing. He LOVES it.



I also finished my very first real project - Milly's Scarf


I got all the applique pieces cut out and ready to assemble. That might be today's job, if I get a moment.



And finally my lovely jar of lemon curd! Yum yum! I added more lemon (because I have so many of them) and it's really lovely and tart! I prefer a tarter curd than sweeter.

I've had a productive day!

Even though I was interrupted by the plumber and all the cleaning up of the sewerage that was spurting out into my house... yeah... gross... don't think about it too much.... I still managed to get quite a bit done.

Today's List
1. Continue cutting out applique shapes for the girls quillows.

(Note the tiny bit of sunshine that we had today!)


2 Knit some more of Milly's scarf



3. Digi-scrap a page out of Mop's baby album



4. Do a journal page
(I wasn't in the mood, so didn't do it)

5. Continue working on Cat's baby quilt (Baby shower is coming up and I need to get a wriggle along!)
I plan to do this tonight! :)

Back to School project #1

Has anyone else found that art smocks in the shops only go to size 6? Yeah.... that totally sucks!

The school required Mop to have a waterproof art smock.... and she is a size 8. She has outgrown Littlest Pet Shop and I really didn't want to pay through the roof for a handmade smock from Etsy and Madeit and they weren't waterproof anyway.

So... I decided to make one by myself. I nipped into Spotlight and bought an off-cut of curtain block out material, which is thick - it cost me $3. Wow... big bucks! I used THIS pattern as a guide and THIS design and came up with a cute smock. Then I sprayed it with Selleys Waterproofing spray and it is now waterproof, paint staining the uniform proof.... and no one in her class will have one exactly like this. :) She's wearing an original!

Wrapping up a crazy uni semester....

... and I can tell you... it's been absolutely NUTS!!! I've been so busy that my darling Pfaffy has stood next to me while I wrote countless papers and researched very deep and meaningful topics, completely and utterly ignored.

So to celebrate the end of assignments and semester, I lovingly took Pfaffy's cover off and oiled her, cleaned her.... and put her straight back to work. I made 2 gifts for 2 little people in my family who will be starting school next year. These darlings are going to go to school, each with an individual library bag. One with Barbie and one with Buzz... just in case you missed it. :P

3....2....1..... blast off!

I finished this yesterday - it's for my boy E's Christmas present. On the backing I used blue fabric with big white numbers all over it. He'll love that!



I got the tutorial from HERE. I'm pleased to say that FMQing is getting easier. I think I've finally worked out the tension on my machine so that helps a lot!

I'm happy I got this project finished in time for week 2 of 24 weeks until Xmas challenge.

Merry Christmas Niecey!

One of my darling nieces will get this as part of their Christmas present. I plan to fill them up with all sorts of girly bits and bobs. :)





I'm not thrilled with how these turned out because it isn't smooth on the bottom - but I still love them. :) I got the tutorial from HERE

Please note...

... that these note books are too cute to give away!




I have made 4 of these to tuck away for later/emergency gifts. I'm so proud of them - considering that I didn't use a tutorial for the grey one. I popped in a pen holder and strap, thinking they would look really cute. :) I'm really happy with these and I may just steal one for myself. :P

Personal challenge.

So the birthday's in my life are finished for the moment - and I have a huge chunk of time to work on the kids quilts for Christmas.

Remember this?

Mop's Quilt Top

Well I finished that quilt top just over a year ago. :( It's been put on the back burner for a while because I've been so busy with other projects and study. But now it's back on the fore-front. For the last week I've been embroidering it and I've picked the templates that I plan to applique on the top. Fusible web is sitting her nicely waiting for me to trace the shapes.

I want to give this to her for Christmas so I need to get a wriggle along.

So my challenge is. I'm giving myself a deadline.

Embroidery part of quilt: 10 days - deadline - 4th July.

Applique part of the quilt: 10 days - deadline - 14th July.

Then I will be spending a fair bit of time quilting it. I planned to hand quilt it. But I may change my mind... depending how I go with other two kids quilts I want to give them for Christmas.

So come back in 10 days time to see the sweet embroidery I've done on this quilt! :)

Machine Applique'd

 

I'm so thrilled with how this one turned out. I started it a few months ago, and finished it this week. I got the tutorial from
Don't Look Now. and I want to attempt a few of her designs later on, when I actually finish off the current UFO's!

This little beauty is now tucked away in the gift cuboard, for some lucky girl for Christmas, or birthday...