Play Time

How cute huh?  5 little squares all in a row.  Not quite finished but nearly.  This is a sample for at work.  All 3 of us at work are doing it, all a bit differently... this is in preparation for the Block of the Day 2016 quilt project.  Yes!  A day!  All.  Year.  Long...  This is just a taste of 5 squares from them all.  It should be lots of fun.

My work is the only supplier currently of fabric in Australia for the backgrounds & we will have other coloured packs available too for those that want to keep in with the batik fabrics if you don't have a scrap stash of those.  I don't!  I don't normally go for batik fabrics.   If you want to know more about it or check out a picture of the whole quilt look here at gourmetquilter.   You will be dumbfounded by the size of this & the cuteness of it...

I'd better go & sew a few more bits on.  I am missing the roof of the birdhouse still.  He got lost at work last week.  So he will look better next time.

48/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

Much excitement on tree decorating day!  Soooooo  much excitement!  

Chilly Penguin

Another mug rug...  I really like this penguin.  He was the one I started first but had to wait until Friday to pick some binding for him.  Not happy with it entirely but it's on now.

Anyway, a gift for another swim teacher...  she HATES it here in the cold.  So ummm...  this kind of stuck as being suitable for her complete with the name on the flag.  Couldn't help myself.

I was silly when I started this & only copied out one pattern on the fusible webbing so now I still have to make one for me.  I love him.

First Mug Rug!

I recently bought a couple of patterns off Craftsy for mug rugs.  Needed a couple of little gifts for Christmas.

This is the first one.  Well to be honest I did 2 the same.  I love it too, so I really wanted one for me as well.  This is the one for the boys swim teacher.  She is involved in surf club & all sorts of swimming related things so it seems appropriate.  Hope she likes it as much as I do.

Thursday Thanks

• Catching up with old friends.
• Seeing the end of the Christmas list.  
• Another awesome doctor.  
• A brave boy.
• An injury that wasn't really so bad, could have been a whole lot worse.  So lucky.
• New things at work that give us new enthusiasm.
• A husband that is doing an awesome job in our garden!
• Beautiful rain in the last 24 hours.
• A boy that is devouring books!!!  

280/1000

Trendy Vans

Caravans are trendy these days it seems...  Not as trendy as these are!  I've been having fun playing with these...

Slightly different than my first experiment, but they look better.  Not finished, just the tops are done.

Struggling to decide what to bind them in.  But having just written that right then, I have had an ah-ha moment...  I can just bag them without binding!  Doh!!!  Winning!!!

47/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

BJ - hanging out with Dad a lot this weekend while comprehending accidents & doctor visits.  A bit out of sorts & needing reassurance.

DJ - impressive bandages to cover a bandage underneath that refuses to stick to the palm.  A very brave boy with a hole in his hand but requiring X-rays & medicine but no stitches.  

52 project is here...

To Do List

I haven't done well this year with my list of things that I wanted to see done on my craft list.  But finally there is another.  

I did these Happy Sun quilt blocks an age ago.  The quilt top was sewn.  It was basted.  All I needed to do was quilt & bind.  I did that the other day when I found the binding.  lol  It's done...  It is hanging in DJ's room.  I call him Sunshine & sing him the You are my Sunshine song.  So I kind of figured it would be perfect for him.  

Experimenting...

I've got to stop looking at Pinterest at Christmas time.  I get too many ideas.

This is like something I saw, but it was a lot bigger.  Also not a place mat thing like this is...  this is my experimental version though.  I can simplify it a whole lot next time I think.  I do quite like it though.  Will avoid trying to make a round wheel this way in future.  It's tricky to get them round!  lol    It was fun playing around with it.  I have some corners to cut when I try another.  This one still needs some jazzing up but will concentrate on a couple of others first.

Thursday Thanks

• Wellness again!
• Spur of the moment fun times with friends.
• Fun family games.
• Knocking off the Christmas list.
• Intense work around the work to eliminate safety risks to so many.
• Kindness of strangers shown in the face of terror...  

271/1000

Ticked Off

Some more done for Christmas.  Two more table runners.  Another couple of things ticked off the list.  Enjoying these.

Not sure how I have managed to get as much sewing done as I have lately.  Turns out I was a bit sicker than I thought.  Not just a cough & cold.  It's good that I haven't been stuck in bed though.  

I obviously do too much of this too...  

Picture drawn by DJ today of me playing Candy Crush.  Bwahahahaha...  I love it...  I like how he drew the lollies so well in rows.  

Leftovers!

So I had a couple of pieces of the green fabric left.  So I used them.  As you do.  I used up some more of the cute Store front labels that I had cut out.  I added the Christmas tree fabric to the top & bottom of these.  I love them.  

46/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

BJ - building his new Lego.  Serious business.  Saved enough & had to spend the money!  

DJ - doing an awesome job of following the instruction book & building his new Lego himself.  Just a little help required.  Of course he had to spend his money too.  

Linking up with the project.  

Thursday Thanks

• Terrific family doctor.
• Rain!   Amazing how dry it is already & water levels are low & it isn't even summer yet!
• A husband that likes to cook.
• some energy.  

265/1000

My Gift

I showed this nice fabric off the other day when I had done the place mats.  Well I had to do a table runner or something else where I could incorporate the car fabric.  Little cars with Christmas trees on their roof?  Of course.  So this is my table runner, about 1m long x about 45cm.  I like it.  Love the fabric.  Think I had better move on now.  Next project!  lol

Handmade Christmas

This gorgeous panel is a table runner.  It's cute as can be with it's little houses & trees.  It's an easy thing to whip up though.  I had it done in no time.  A pretty gold thread to machine quilt the top.  I just did free motion quilting in the trees following branches & trunks.  Roughly.  Certainly not perfect lines following.  A row of gold thread running along the snow mounds in front of the houses & another row in the stripe & presto.  One quilted runner.  I have got the hang of machine sewing the binding after all the placemats I have done.  So I did that with this one too.  Love it.  Might end up doing another couple yet.  I need to decide who I need to give too...

45/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

BJ - Not even summer yet but loving a barbequed sausage outside for tea.

DJ - Cheeky as ever, even while eating sausages.

linking up with the 52 project.

Christmas Inspirations

Christmas gifts for me the teachers & swim teachers maybe.

My favourite fabric designers have done it again.  I love this range from Sweetwater called Holly's Tree Farm.  I have cut out the pictures from one fabric with a wavy blade & the fusible webbed them to the backing.  Basted them & all I have done is a straight stitch around each square on the machine.  That is quilting & sewing the patches all at once.  Binding is fabulous with that diagonal stripe.  Love it.  & I cheated & did all that on the machine too.  No hand stitching in sight.  Cheating, but hey, it has made for a quick idea & I think, a great result.  

Now to decide who is getting them.  It looks like 2 teachers are.  So scrap all that knitting I did.  That is not in the equation any more & it seems I have a nice range of new cowls for next year.  lol  

Thursday Thanks

• Outside play & activities.
• Happy days.
• Contentment all round.
• Sewing mood!  
• Christmas preparations coming together.
• Barbeque teas outside!

261/1000

Christmas Is Coming

Couldn't help myself at work yesterday.  Had a little play.  Now playing at home a little more...

Wait & see...

44/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for year.

BJ - saving goal is getting closer so helping dad in the garden to earn a bit more a bit more quickly.  

DJ - "helping" cos BJ is.  Though not necessarily any kind of help.  

Linking up with the project.  Doing this each week at the moment gets that little bit scarier with how near the end of the year is!