Inspired Stitches 2011

 Yes, I have just had two days worth of fun and stitching. (In that order. This you will understand when you see how much stitching I actually did.) Sarah always runs such a fantastic retreat. Thank you Sarah. Our tutors were fantastic. Thank you Helen Stubbings, Gail Pan, Janelle Wind and Natalie Ross. They were busy all weekend sharing techniques with us and chatting and laughing with us too. I got to sit next to Pip (One of my favourite bloggers!) on Saturday and had a fun time chatting to her. I had met her briefly in real life before so knew it would be a good day when I saw her at my table. Then today I got to sit with Annette, Gerri and Kerry. I didn't know them before today, but enjoyed them very much because they are from Melbourne (ish!) and told me all about Melbourne patchwork shops! A most productive day. "Networking", as Julie would say. (I sat with Julie and Karan both days) So, without further ado, my two day's worth of stitching:

And more importantly, I did have a wonderful time!

My Doll Quilt from Christine

My quilt from Christine

This was waiting for me this afternoon when I got home from the school run. Pretty exciting, huh? Thank you Christine! It's so sweet! I'm so glad it came today, because the end of that school run marks the beginning of the school holidays for us. Miss 14 has school tomorrow, but won't be going because we will be on our way to Adelaide. She to visit and stay with one of her sisters and me to Inspired Stitches (A great weekend!) and then I'll be staying with another of the girls. Anyway, must go pack!

Favourite Things Friday

I am joining in with Shay's "Favourite Things Friday" today. I often think about joining in, but today I have to decided to be all about action, not thinking! So, what of my many favourite things am I going to share with you? (I really do have many favourite things. That's a little bit heartwarming to know I am so very privileged and live such a great life!) Well, it's a touch jumping the gun, but I am thrilled to be going to "Inspired Stitches" next weekend in Adelaide.

A Natalie Lymer designed stitchery I stitched last year

It is run by Sarah of Quilt Fabric Delights and I always have such a great time. You can see what I made last year. The year before I didn't finish anything, so I'm pretty proud of that tiny little iPhone cover! You can read about my Inspired Stitches exploits here, and here. So next week I will be off to Adelaide to stitch and catch up with all my Adelaide kids!

iPhone Update: It's working! (For no apparent reason, if you are techno-savvy. I am not, and have the perfect explaination.) Now before you techno-savvy readers get all knowing about what happened I must let you know that the very savvy Bradley and the phone shop dude both checked the phone out and it was definitely dead. D. E. A. D. Dead. So much so that we bought a very cheap phone to put my simcard in. As I was about to transfer the simcard when we got home I figured I would have one last go, and it turned on! This phenomena has been witnessed before at my house with various other pieces of electronic equipment. I call it the "tired" effect. Sometimes when a dvd player would stop working I would declare that it was tired and put it in a cupboard for a little rest. (See, it makes no sense if you are techno-savvy, but fortunately I don't understand how these things work!) Which is what I did with my phone. Why wouldn't my phone be tired? I use it a lot! So, into the cupboard it went and now it is working perfectly. Actually, feeling a little tired myself. Where is that cupboard?

Inspired Stitches

Saturday morning saw me at Quilt Fabric Delights' Inspired Stitches with tutors Natalie Lymer and Natalie Ross. We were to have a third tutor, but she couldn't make it. When Janelle Wind heard about this she sent a new release pattern for us to use. (All the patterns at Inspired Stitches are brand new patterns) So there was plenty to do! This was our table.

There were so many pretty things to look at and to do. I chose to do a Cinderberry Stitches stitchery (by Natalie Lymer). There were a couple of stitcheries to choose from. I chose the gadget bags stitcheries just like the bag in the photo below.

Natalie Ross of In Stitches had a gorgeous strawberry themed stitching set with some needle turn applique. Lots of people did this appliqued strawberry so that they could learn Natalie's needle turn technique. I think every one on my table (except me) did it.

This was the bonus pattern from Janelle Wind. It is a journal cover and just looks so very like Janelle!

I really love Natalie Lymer's birds. Sooooooooooooooooo cute! I just had to take a photo of this because I really love the way it is quilted. It's just beautiful! I want to quilt like that when I grow up!

And this is my stitching. Wonder what I will use it for? A bag maybe?

A Week of Sighs

It has been one of those weeks. Okay, so not really. Nothing has really gone wrong and technically speaking the week has been just fine, but I have spent the week sighing a lot. Do you do that? Sometimes when I am sewing I start to sigh. Loudly. That usually marks the moment that it starts to be not so fun. Maybe I'm tired, or doing some kind of repetitive sewing and despite the fact that I am completely in love with sewing and I want to do it every moment of every day, I am over it. Well I got over this week some time on Tuesday night I think. It feels like Sunday night to me right now, but it's only Thursday. (I know the post says Friday, but that's only because it is after midnight. I haven't managed to get to sleep yet so to me it is still Thursday night.) Even the fact that I have the most exciting weekend in history ahead of me is not cheering me up. It starts Friday morning (I know! A weekend that starts Friday morning should be amazing, right?) at the Patchwork Apple. I am booked in to a class with Marg Lowe. After the class I am off to Quilt Fabric Delights' Inspired Stitches. A weekend of stitching and fun. A couple of designers will be there, but I am looking forward particularly to Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches. It should be amazing. You've seen her blog, right? But I'm still feeling very ho hum about the whole thing. I've lost my zing I think. Hmm....... better get some sleep.

Oh, and as well as monsters we made donuts this week too. Not sure why we made donuts, but we did. Someone who commented on the monsters post requested a monster tutorial. I thought that was a pretty good idea, so look out for a monster tutorial next week some time. (You really don't want me writing a tutorial when I am zingless. Hopefully I will locate some zing during my amazing weekend.) Have a great weekend!

Leanne Beasley's Doilies

I planned to sew for Mother's day. Instead I napped. I am still pottering around in my sewing room sorting and organising - finding homes for those things that have never had homes before. I am very happy with how it is all going. I have been stitching (I guess when I say "sew" I mean using my sewing machine and "stitching" means hand sewing!). I actually managed to finish my stitching project from inspired stitches on Sunday night (wonders will never cease!). I enjoyed stitching it so much that I managed to stitch a round doily yesterday and am planning to stitch another as well. Then I will turn them into doilies. Being at inspired stitches was invaluable because Leanne sat down with us and showed us how she puts her doilies together with a ric rac edge. Hopefully mine will look as pretty as hers after watching her! We are going away later this week so I guess the sewing machine will be idle for even longer! Hand stitching rules!!!

It's May!

Wow! It's May. Quite unbelievable! This photo is Rosie's punchneedle bag from Inspired Stitches that I forgot to post in my projects post. Isn't it pretty? Last month saw Miss 16 turn into Miss 17. It also saw me post off my Redwork cushion swap to someone in NSW. And now it is May. We have an engagement party coming up this month. Mr 20 is engaged to his girl and their engagement party is early in May. Mr 8 is really looking forward to the engagement party because he doesn't remember Mrs 24's engagement or wedding at all and feels he should know what an engagement party is like. (Well, he was only 3!) Miss 22 is uncomfortable at the moment. She came home early from her mission because of ill health and has just discovered this week (after a CT scan) that she has a lump in her tummy which needs surgical removal. It is not a dangerous lump at all, but it requires an operation - which is not one of her favourite things - and is causing her discomfort. (Seriously, who does like operations? Those with Munchausen syndrome aside, of course!) So that's where we all are at the beginning of May. Still hoping to move, with no move on the horizon! I hope May brings you everything you are wishing for! (And me too!)

My stitching (from inspired stitches)

Lest you think all I did at Inspired Stitches was talk (you wouldn't be far wrong!) I have my stitching to show you. I chose to do Leanne's oval doily. I decided to do it in a single colour (so I could concentrate on chatting) and half finished it over the two days. I love it and think I may even finish it. (Possibly) All the projects were lovely and we got instructions for them all. I may make some of the others yet. I loved the idea of Leanne's doily because we had an iron-on pattern included in our goodie bags. I feel all inspired after the weekend! The Quilt Fabric Delights girls all did a wonderful job. So, I plan to stitch this week!

Inspired Stitches - the Projects!

Leanne's doily

Leanne's doily

Melly's kokeshi stitchery

Melly's bag

Janelle's notebook cover

Janelle's glasses case

Rosie's stitching caddy

Rosie's needlebook case