Occupy my sewing room - FNSI show and tell

I have been taking part in the Occupy Your Sewing Room hosted by Cat Patches

Here are the results of my occupation ;-)

Cushions for Sister-in-law

from this (covers from a lounge suite)

to this!

My very first french seam ;-)

Two down, hopefully I can get two more out of the off-cuts.

FNSI

Friday night was another FNSI and I was able to prepare for my December swap blocks which were finished today ;-)

First up was Colleen for Block Swap Adventure - here is a tease.

Next up, a tease for Lorraine for QBSA

Ladies, your blocks will be in the mail on Monday.

PS - Lorraine is having a wonderful giveaway HERE

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

CraftMad sewing swap - November

The lovely Merry has advised that my Notebook cover for the CraftMad Sewing swap for November has arrived safely.

This is what I made

A little something extra was a gift card/loyalty card/business card holder.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Swap received from Leonie

Here are the beautiful FQs received from Leonie for the Fat Quarter Swap for November.

Thanks Leonie, they are gorgeous ;-)

I am getting quite a collection of embroidery threads together from my various swap partners .... I can see I am going to have to venture into the world of embroidery real soon ;-)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

November Blocks and thanks to swap organisers

I have received some beautiful blocks during the month of November

From Susan (no blog), for BSA - The colours are perfect, unfortunately, this photo does not do the colours justice!

this is the block I sent Susan -
I enjoyed the challenge of making this one ;-) - 28 HSTs!

from Tarnyia for QBSA - once again, the colours are perfect!

One happy little vegemite here!

This is the block I sent to Tarnyia

Tarnyia asked for scrappy spider web with a grey centre - I really enjoyed making this block.

Here is the block I sent for my first 6" swap for Cheryl

I hope it has arrived by now ............. it can sometimes take a bit longer to get to WA!

My thanks go to SueB of QBSA & 6" swap group, Linda of BSA, CraftyPug of Christmas Block Swap and Sophie of Block Lotto for being such great organisers throughout the year.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

FNSI - show and tell

It was FNSI and boy, did I have some fun ;-)

I actually started in the afternoon, and cut and sewed and pressed and came out of my room very pleased with my efforts.

Completed items:

my first 6" blocks for the 6 inch swap group - tease photo follows:

block for Sue (no blog) for BSA - tease photo follows:

Sue's block has taken a bit to get started - I was really stumped on fabric for a little while.  But once I decided on fabric, it was full steam ahead ........ the actual sewing took me most of the afternoon - lots of HSTs (28 to be exact!) and I am very pleased with the result - you will have to wait until Sue sees it first  ;-)

block for Tarnyia for QBSA - tease photo follows:

I have always wanted to try this pattern, but you will have to wait until Tarnyia sees it first  :-)

I also made up a test block I was thinking about requesting for future 6" swaps - 6" violet block (same as a previous Block Lotto block) with white background, yellow centre, bright fabric for petals.

I figure if I am going to request it,

I should make sure it can be made easily ;-)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Block Lotto Blocks for November

The block for Block Lotto for November is a great scrap buster ;-)

We are to make 12 inch Scrappy Trips blocks.

Bonnie Hunter's pattern can be found on her Quiltville site here:  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/scrappy-trips-around-world.html

The Block Lotto slant is that there must be ONE VERY DARK fabric (think black or another color that is so dark that it might read as black from across the room). Place the dark fabric so that it forms the diagonal that goes from corner to corner.

Other Fabrics - all other fabrics in the block are your choice. This is a great time to use up the last bit of a favorite fabric or to use some of those "what was I thinking" ugly fabrics in your stash. Mix it up and AVOID making monochrome blocks (with 4-6 strips of fabrics that are different values of the same color--in my experience, these are the blocks that will stick out in the finished quilt and be the block that is NOT like the others.

If you make multiple blocks, you can repeat fabrics, just DON'T USE THE SAME SIX fabrics in multiple blocks.

I wansn't too sure about this one, but I figured

"Sophie doesn't steer you wrong" ;-)

So I went about selecting my fabrics and this is what I came up with ;-)

This was certainly an exercise that showed up inaccurate cutting - some of the strips I used were leftover pre-cut jelly roll strips ;-(

Here are my 5 blocks made so far

Thank you, Sophie, once again you have made a wonderful block selection.

Blocks Received during the week

Hi everyone,  boy! going to work sure eats into your
blogging time, doesn't it ;-)

I have received some more blocks in the mail during the week, and now I can post some photos.

First up is a block from SylviaM - for the January QBSA my photo does not do the colours justice - it is actually a bit browner/warmer ;-)

next is a block from Cecelia QBS Mom, as a substitute block for an inactive November swap partner - thank you Cecelia, this block is beautiful - once again, my photo does not do the colours justice - it is rich red/gold tonings

I do have a fondness for fabrics with gold in them ;-)

Another block has arrived safely

Cecelia, my November swap partner for QBS, has advised that the block I sent has arrived, so now I can show the whole block. 

Cecelia asked for star blocks in deep shades of red, blue and green.

I quote Cecelia "The colors are just right and the workmanship is great"  **doin' a happy dance**

thank you for your lovely words Cecelia

More block swaps completed ;-)

I was able to get some more sewing done this last few days - the cricket was on the TV, so I was left to my own devices ;-)   I think I'm gonna love this summer

I managed to complete:

• the sewing swap for Craft Mad - Merry, your tags will be posted tomorrow.

• the block for Cecelia - Block Swap partner for November

Cecelia, your block will be in the mail tomorrow.

• the block for Linda - Christmas partner for December

Linda, your block will be in the mail tomorrow.

Linnea, your October block is almost completed and will be in the mail this week too.

November Block arrived in NZ

Alethea has just confirmed that my block has arrived safely in NZ

Alethea requested a block of squares in blue/white/cream
I made up a block of Squares & Oblongs from HERE

thank you Alethea for letting me know the block has arrived safely and that my block is on it's way ;-)

More sewing done **smiley face**

I finished my November Australia Quilt Block swap this morning for Alethea in NZ.

Alethea asked for square blocks in cream, white lace blue/white.  I hope that lace blue is a very light, soft blue ;-)

here is a snippet

Alethea, your block will be in the mail on Monday.

I only have one more block swap to do for this month - one for Quilt block swap for Cecelia.  I have washed my fabrics, now to start cutting ;-)

Another Christmas Quilt Block to add to my collection

Yesterday, the postman delivered this lovely block from Mary in Canada for the November Christmas Block Swap.

I got an email from Mary saying she was glad it arrived safely, but for some reason my spam blocker blocked the email, and I could only see the first line of text ....... I hope it did not cut off anything important Mary wanted to say ;-(

It is lovely, I love the way Mary has fussy cut the tree in the centre - the fabric has a beautiful feel to it ;-)


I have started cutting Mary's block and hopefully, it will be on it's way to Canada very shortly.