Hoops!

I love to stitch, or embroider, or whatever you call it. When I was younger I used to say I'll learn to embroider when I retire, but the opportunity presented itself before then so I took it. I find handwork really relaxing. I also like the look of machine free motion embroidery. I often think one day I'll try that. I'm not much into trying new things. Earlier this year I joined a swap on Instagram. A hoop swap. (Are you in love with Instagram? I love all the pretty pictures there!) I decided to make a pretty hand stitched scene for my partner and that was that.

I also tried a crocheted covering for the hoop. I had pinned this on Pinterest ages ago and was thrilled to have the opportunity to try it out. I don't usually try these things for myself. I have to be "pushed" into it! After the swap date had come and gone I got a message on Instagram asking if I could be an angel for someone who had sent a hoop, but not received one in return. I was happy to do it and felt the pressure of a self-imposed deadline. It was sad that this person didn't have a hoop and I wanted to make one as quickly as possible for her. So I began to consider making a free motion embroidered scene for this second hoop. (Quick, right!) With a little hand embroidered embellishment. This is what I came up with. 

It was so much fun to make! I also crocheted a hoop cover for this one (It was easy to do!) and I really loved this one. I liked the first one, but the second one is my favourite. I (almost) wished I kept it. I figured I could easily make another for myself, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. I am keen to try some more free motion embroidery. Hopefully I'll try it again soon.

Stitching Angel Packaged Arrived!

On Friday when I came home (From where I don't remember. Being Mum's taxi somewhere!) this box was waiting for me. My Stitching Angel gift from Julie. My second box from Julie. (See the first box here.)

She sent me great "extras". I am so spoilt! (Blogger thought this photo needed to be side-on. Blogger so doesn't know which way is up!) The snaplock bag contains foldover elastic, something I have been dying to try. Haven't seen any here in Australia, but now I have some, so I will have to find an FOE tutorial. (Love the net!)

This is the stitching caddy Julie made for me. I love the fabric (Kaffe Fassett! One of my favourite designers!) and the embroidery. I love it so much I decided to show it up close too.

It is just so pretty!

Julie also stitched a sweet sissor holder for me, with sissors in fact! Which is possibly why Australian Customs wanted to open my package and have a little look! My box was so hard to open, with plastic ties and fabric tape holding it shut. I figured that Julie didn't want me to get it open! I started thinking she was pretty mean as I took my gifts out, then I saw an Australian Customs' pamphlet explaining that they had opened the box (Ahhhh.. no wonder it was so hard to get open!) but hadn't removed anything.

And a pincushion too! I do feel very lucky to have had Julie as my Angel. I have really enjoyed this swap because I have had the privilege of getting to know Julie and Jantine (my angel recipient) and their blogs are some I visit regularly. Thank you Helen for organising this swap!

Stitching Angel Swap Completed!

Hard to believe, I know! I'm finished!!! I figured the best place for me to photograph my Angel swap was in the garden because where else do you find butterflies? I finished off the swap with a Tilda bag. I have been wanting to make one of these "make-up" bags for ages and thought this would be a good time to make one. It went together wonderfully and I think I will make a bunch more of these! So fun!

I finished this quilted bag today too. Yes, I know I have made lots of bags, but I have been watching my partner's blog and I think that bags are what she wants! This is what the front looks like.

And this is the back. I had great fun practising my quilting on this bag. I am not very good at quilting and need all the practise I can get!. I hope she doesn't mind my freemotion practise!

Another butterfly in the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks are one of my favourite plants, because if you have some rain they just keep coming back! Plants that self-sow are my best!

Now, here's the whole collection in the daisies. I will take it to the post office tomorrow and send it on it's way! Will I be sending it to you????? You'll have to wait and see!!!

Needlecase

Remember this stitchery? I turned it into a needlecase today. It felt like it took me all day. I guess I was tired and was having "one of those days". I measured wrong, cut wrong and..... you get the picture. I do like the end result though and despite one mistake (which I'm not revealing here!) I am happy with it. It's pretty I think and matches the project bag beautifully. I am working on the third item at the moment and there is possibly a fourth in the works. (See how I go!) I hope my swap partner likes it.

Stitching some more

This is what I have been working on over the last couple of days. I have decided to expand my stitching angel butterfly theme and make some more butterfly stitching accessories. I am hoping to finish them soon so that I can post them off. (I feel keen to get rid of these commitments I have!) I was visiting someone's blog the other day and she had a christmas countdown. It is so unbelievably close! Last year I really wanted to give handmade things for christmas, but didn't get there. This year I have the same goal. Hope I don't fail again! Have to concentrate on creating!

A Package!

Some time ago I signed up to be an Angel Stitcher. I was very excited and started planning which three projects I would sew for my partner. This is a little sad to admit, but I have been wanting to sew some stitching accessories for a few years now, but never seem to get around to it. I figured that sewing for someone else would prompt me to do those things which I had put off doing for myself. Anyway, it hadn't really occured to me that someone else would be sewing for me too. I received an anonymous email from my Angel Stitcher - that was pretty exciting - and once that had happened I wanted to find out who she was. Eventually I discovered her. Julie from Julie's Blog. Last week I received my first package. Thank you so much Julie!!! I am the proud owner of a 'chicken' (pin cushion)! Julie included some quilt postcards, fabric and a sweet little Debbie Mumm tin with needles and thread inside. I was out when the package arrived and Miss 18 called me on my mobile phone, full of excitement, to let me know that a package had arrived. She described the box and said it looked like it had something good in it. I asked how she could tell? She said she didn't know. Maybe it had something to do with it being the cutest box ever! I just loved opening my package and that very act has spurred me on to send my partner's first package. I will be sharing some sneak peaks soon!

Bag Swap

These are the fabrics that I have chosen for my bag swap. I hope that my recipient likes them as much as I do. I have been playing around with these fabrics for a couple of weeks now and I'm at the point now where I have to actually knuckle down and sew the bag. The first day you can send your bag is coming up in the next couple of days. I have formulated my ideas now and am looking forward to puting the bag together.

This gives you some idea of where I am going. I have been busy making suffolk puffs. Miss 11 is quite adament that I must call them suffolk puffs. She says I must'nt refer to them as yoyos at all. I'm not sure why. I don't know the history of the two names, maybe someone can enlighten me?

Okay, I know the pictures are not all at the same level (a little job for tomorrow), but Bradley has put up my pictures in our bedroom. Green is just so great! These pictures have totally changed the feeling of our room. Not sure what I will accomplish this week. My bag swap bag finished and posted. Some curtains made. A giveaway to celebrate my 200th post. Some stitching for my angel stitching swap. And coughing. Lots of coughing! (I brought home a virus from our trip away. I guess I just can't resist a souvenier!) I have been sick for about a week now and there's no sign of abatement! Hope you all have a really great week!