The doll quilt I made.

This is the doll quilt I made for Cindy. The top photo shows the colours more accurately. I forgot to take a photo of the completed quilt until I was at the post office. Fortunately I had my camera in my bag, but their lighting is pretty awful! The hexies were little, but not tiny. (I'm sure you've all got a fix on their size now after that description!) Hand pieced and hand quilted I left the edge all hexie-like, so instead of a typical binding I slip stitched the front to the back. I'm quite happy with how it turned out and Cindy likes it too! I am looking forward now to round two of the swap.

It's March

It is March already and today was even quite autumnal here in Melbourne. I am finding the weather here and my expectations of the weather very interesting. So far a Melbourne summer seems to be not as hot as an Adelaide summer. Of course, I don't really know if this Melbourne summer we have just experienced is typical or not. People say not, and then today I read that this summer has been Melbourne's wettest summer on record. Anyway, today was grey and rainy and cool. Pretty much my favourite kind of day, so typical or not I am quite liking Melbourne weather.

I have a few projects on the go. I signed up for a doll quilt swap and I am working secretly on that at the moment. I am making the quilt all by hand and I'm quite enjoying it. I am pleased with how it is turning out. I have been stitching as well and creating some fabric to make a bag. This seems to be taking me an incredibly long time. It is a bag that may never be made! Miss 20 has made herself a bag this week, ready for the new year at uni. She posted photos of it on our family blog (private) and it is gorgeous. She had her first day of honours today. (Did I mention that she graduated last year and is studying honours this year? She is so happy and excited!) Miss 18 is also back at uni too. She is in her second year now. Time just seems to be flying. Miss 18 has also been sewing. She has been creating notebook covers for the new uni year. They are just gorgeous and I am so pleased that my girls are not only busy sewing, but also designing their own creations. Miss 24 has been busy knitting as well. (She is such a great knitter!)

So, what am I expecting from March? A visit from Mrs 26 and her family (yes, that includes grandson and granddaughter) and hopefully some crafty finishes. Not too much. So I might just get it done as March speeds by me!

Sewing Saturday

I finally finished this doll quilt Saturday. I sewed the binding on and handstitched it Saturday morning. I love it so much. It is destined for the etsy shop - any minute now!

The following three photos are of the "tinsel" I am making. At the Patchwork Apple's Christmas in the Hills Jane had "yo yo tinsel" decorating things. I just loved it and bought a kit to make my own. Mine is actually suffolk puff tinsel. (toe-ma-toe/toh-mah-toe) I have traded the redwork-stitching for tinsel-making infront of the tv. This morning I was struck with an idea. Buttons inbetween the suffolk puffs. Some of the buttons also have bells attatched. It is heavy and jingley and red, red, red! The kids are all thoroughly unimpressed because Christmas is still ages away. Of course, you can never start too early for Christmas I think!

I sewed last week, a little.

I sewed some more makeup bags which I am hoping to sell at the Fullarton plant and craft market next Saturday. (If you are in Adelaide come see us!)

And I did the binding on the "Daisy Blue" doll quilt. This was fun. I used cotton batting in this little quilt and fell in love with it. So nice to work with!

Not sure what I am going to sew this week. Bunting has been on my mind (strange statement! I love bunting and I do spend time thinking about it, strange to say.). I have my SSCS (secret santa christmas swap) to finish off and send. (BIG SECRET!) I am desperate to show you some bits, but this must remain secret until after December 25th! (And I can't be trusted! I'm not good at sneak peaks!) I also could sew for the market on Saturday. So I have lots to sew. It's not so much if, as what I will end up sewing. I also have a million emails to catch up with and a trillion posts on bloglines that are screaming at me. And my blog needs updating. I have discovered heaps of really exciting blogs lately that I read all the time, but haven't put in my blogroll yet! I need to share them with you! Hope your week is as wonderful as mine appears right now! A week of sewing and internetting! (Who could ask for anything more?)

I quilted.

First doll quilt quilted. I'm calling this one "daisy blue". I quilted in the ditch and put a daisy in each square. I'm pretty good at quilting in the ditch (my quilting stand-by!), but the freemotion daisies were the practise pieces! They're not too bad.

Bunches of people at our house are sick. We spent the weekend in bed wishing we could get up and do something! Sore throats and headaches, tonsilitis, and one glandular fever wannabe. (We find out the blood test results this afternoon.) Today I have felt well enough to sew, so the world is improving!