Free Sprit…

Only exactly five months late, I finally managed to get this birthday present to its recipient  (the photo is really really bad, sorry)…

A mini quilt wall hanging, I used Anchor 1335 variegated for the stitchery (designed by Lara Siddans, Homespun Stitchery Classics No 1) and whilst it looks good it doesn’t photograph very well, and one of the recipient’s favourite colours is purple.  The words say “Learn to be Your Own Free Spirit” and it has gone to someone who embodies that sentiment and makes her own path – a good thing I say.  The pieced inner border was constructed by the “oh this piece is the right size and works next to that piece” methodology – well, the words were demanding that I played along with the message – *LOL*.  It is hand quilted simply with echo quilting around the running stitch border of the stitchery and in the ditch on either side of the pieced inner border.  I used YLI hand quilting thread for the quilting, it is simply the most divine thread to quilt with.  I only have a reel of white and I really do need to rectify that situation and build up a nice collection.

Happy Sewing…

Baskets without Borders…

Progress!  Wonders will never cease.  My friendship block swap basket blocks are all together…the border is just a simple 4″ but that will require making enough space on the cutting table to cut the long strips and frankly, I can’t be bothered so this is as far as it is going to progress tonight.  Can’t be rushing these things *LOL*!!

Happy Sewing…

Holly Jolly…

Aunt Pitty Pat strikes again – she just makes her swaps too too enticing not to play.  Despiste my best efforts to ignore her Holly Jolly Christmas Block Swap – yes I know, I said no more swaps for a while but I’m allowed to be fickle – Mistea came up with the brilliant idea of playing as a pair. So we are in. My mission is to contribute the nine patch blocks. Our theme is Santas & Elves and I’ve the perfect fabric in my stash to go with the chosen group – Non-Traditional/Brights.  You know, sometimes it all just comes together so quickly and easily it’s like it was meant to be so I’m going with the flow – I figure the Universe WANTS me to play in this swap.  It works for me, it’s not so bad here on my planet.

If you’d like to play along there are still some spots left – click the badge in the sidebar.  Go on, you know you want to…

Well, after being a good little householder and doing some mowing etc this morning I’m off back to the sewing room for a while – my excuse?  It’s too hot to play outside (that also works for me!).

Happy Sewing…

Melbourne Cup Day Out…

Yesterday (Melbourne Cup day) my friend K and I went to Bendigo for a Day Out.  Lunch at a tea rooms, four patchwork shops and tea at my favourite Bendigo Chinese restaurant (the best dim sims) – an excellent way to spend a day.  There  was a purpose, an actual Reason to play patchwork shops, shocking but true as in January K & I are going to Summer School held by Patchwork on Stonleigh in Wodonga and the fabric search was on.  Unbelievably, I actually achieved that goal and my search is over.

At last Summer School in January we chose two quilts we wanted do in 2010 and I bought the Kaffe Fassett Paisley Stripe in Misty while there as the basis for one of the quilts.  During the year I’ve added fabrics for the various smaller elements of that quilt but I needed background and narrow sashing fabrics.   At L’il Blocks I found the gorgeous dark pink spot, picks up the dark pink in the stripe nicely, for the sashing and then at Attic Crafts the yellow spot for the background.  Both are from the same range of Australian designed and printed fabric (I wish I could remember the details), finished beautifully and with a lovely silky feel…

One quilt down and now I could turn my brain cells to the second quilt, which had been sadly neglected in the decision making stakes.  I needed a border fabric around which to build the collection.  At Honeysuckle Patchwork I found these…

After much to-ing and fro-ing between two large prints from this range as possibilities for the border, I finally decided on this combination.  The prints are from the City Blooms by Kitty Yoshida for Benartex range and the green solid for the background is a nice homespun.  Again these fabrics are finished beautifully and feel just gorgeous.

I’ve certainly stepped outside my comfort zone in these fabrics, a good thing I think to try something new and different.  Thanks to K for her input to the choices.

Happy Sewing…

Riding Around in Cars…

Jindi here…I’ve snuck MacBook into my bed to tell you about my day.  It was such a good day…

I went for a ride in the car – one of my Very Favourite Things – and THEN I got to go for a ride in a different car.  How cool is that, two cars in the one day!    I’m told that this is now my new car and I get my very own space…

I get such a good view of Everything from my new space, it’s great.

THEN as if that wasn’t a big enough deal for the day, THEN I got to have a little walk with the humans and we all sat on the grass in the shade ‘coz it was quite warm today (OK maybe hot) and I got to have….Ice-cream!!!  First it was the gelato that my human couldn’t finish…

Yum, I made sure to lick up every last bit…

After I made sure that container was nice and clean Auntie L then shared her left over ice cream with me…

I’ve never had gelato or ice cream before but I sure do hope that I get to have it again – it was YUMMY!

There were lots of things to look at from where we were and I made sure to keep good and alert and keep an eye on everything…

After we got home my other human friend came around to see my new car and I got to go for yet Another ride.

What a good day, I LOVE LOVE LOVE car riding and visiting new places.

It’s my bedtime now so I think I’ll turn out the light and get some sleep.

Love Jindi xx

From….

This….

That’s 341,385 kms – just a few kilometres of driving *LOL*

To……

This…

A bit of a difference huh!  Very excited.  The newest car I’ve EVER owned.  Of course it doesn’t know the way to the patchwork shops yet so I’m going to have to work on its education (darn shame that) and take some trips to show it the way *LOL*.

Here it is K our means to Adelaide – acceptable?  Enough room for shopping do you think?  He he

Happy Sewing…

Wanda…

the Witch has arrived at her new home with Mary in the USA just in time for Halloween…

She travelled in her travelling treat bag (another incarnation of Gail Pan’s Saturday Tote…

And because it is Halloween of course she took some lollies with her, in this case, chocolate!

I’m sure she will be very happy in her new home in the USA where I’m told she is residing on the couch with a Halloween cushion for her to snuggle up to.

Thanks to Aunt Pitty Pat for once again hosting a fun swap and to Brenda for her great pattern.  This was a very easy Annie to put together, the pattern just worked – I’d recommend Brenda’s patterns anytime- and it was fun designing her witchy costume (based on the clothes element of the provided pattern).

Happy Sewing

PS – I’ll edit this post later to include the appropriate links but right now I have to go pick up the new acquisition.  Catch ya later. Edit done!

Challenge…

Yesterday I scooted up to the highway to a nearby town and while I was there dropped around to the patchwork shop to grab some batting.  That was it, just batting and then I was out of there.  Well, that was the plan but  on the window was a sign – the shop is holding a challenge.  Make a small item utilising fabric from a lucky dip.  Mmmm, that sounds like fun so I paid my $5 entry and dipped into the box of envelopes, got envelope number 1 and these two fabrics…

Blue/burgundy/gold – nice combo.  I have an idea already I just have to see if it will actually work.  I have until January to make it happen.  My fingers are itching to draw up the idea so while the breakfast cuppa is cooling I think I’ll do just that – ignoring inspiration will only make it feel unloved and unwanted and wander away to die and that wouldn’t do.

Have a fun day, I’m off to work later as needs must, but tomorrow…tomorrow I get something new and big so I’m very excited.

Happy Sewing…

Destination reached…

…for the extra secret parcel that was in with the swap packages I mailed out last week so now I can show its contents.

I made this thread bin as a present…

…autumn colours to match the season as it has gone to the Northern Hempishere.  I am so glad the recipient likes it.

I’m hoping that the arrival of this parcel means my Annie has also arrived at her new house in time for Halloween as both parcels went to the same country although different parts.

Happy Sewing

Annie Arrives…

Finally this morning, after false starts all week and after I had been through the trauma of going to the dentist, I made it to the Post Office and my Bumps in the Night Annie and Stitchers Angel parcels are now in transit across The Big Water.  I saw Parcel Guy while I was down the street who told me that there was a parcel left in my door (yes, it’s a small town).  What could that be?  Well, it was….

Bumps in the Night Annie!!  All the way from New Jersey USA.  Thank you Mary, she is a cutie.  She has the cutest halloween pumpkin button on her dress.  She bought along some yummy chocolate which she was very good and didn’t eat on her journey and hidden inside the bag of chocolate was a New Jersey thimble.  My first USA thimble to add to the small collection I started while in the UK.  Thank you so much Mary.  And Mary tells me this is her first doll, impressive hey.

Thank you to Brenda for her generosity in sharing her wonderful pattern with us swappers, it was a dream to make, she went together so well.  And of course Aunt Pitty Pat for hosting.  I really really enjoyed putting this swap together and making Brenda’s Annie.

That’s it for me for swaps for a while.  We’ll see how long that resolve lasts shall we *LOL*.

Happy Sewing…