A challenge for me...... from me.....

Hopefully setting this personal challenge will make sure I get back on track.... probably setting the bar too high but whats the point if its too easy. This belongs to the "Gift of the Month" projects from  "Faeries in my Garden" from last year.... not going to admit how far I am behind with those only to say that I'm doing my best to catch up... this one I am doing with friends in my craft group, I have also signed up for this and those projects are arriving now so can't start them till I catch up with last years..... they are great projects and I really love them.

 "Breast of Friends" quilt from the Homespun magazine and yes I have had this since the mags came out so now its time to get going.

Last block of the "Girls Day Out" quilt by Libby Richardson, I have been doing this with craft friends also but almost finished..... woohoo

"Gardeners Journal" quilt that I'm doing with the "Stitch-a-long" group,  block 3 drawn up and ready to go.

Another "Gift of the Month" project and I'm doing these with Teresa .... we both belong to this and would like to complete these for christmas this year.

And last but not least my "Blossom Lane" quilt another project from "Faeries in my Garden" its a BOM that I signed up for last year but not started till this year, this is block 3 ready to go.

I'm trying to do all these projects each month..... its  a lot but I am up for it .... I think.... anyway I certainly will give it my best shot so wish me luck and keep checking back here to see my progress.

Oh yes.... I would also like to slip the odd OPAM in as well as none of the above are monthly finishes.... wow I'm exhausted just reading this.... well its off to the sewing room for me with my cuppa tea.

The good ol' days..... and more.....

I had a lovely surprise last week.... Jenny rang to say she was coming down to Brisbane and would visit me for the weekend.... what is it when old friends get together, its just as though she had never moved to Bundy... we always stitched together on a sunday when she lived just around the corner from me. As you can see in these piccies we had breakfast at a local cafe and it was a big brekky.

My breakfast above.

Then of course stitching, coffee and scones, lots of stitching actually as she arrived Saturday and went home Monday,  thank you Jenny for a great weekend.

Block 2 of my "Faeries in the Garden"  BOM.... Blossom Lane, I'm enjoying this very much.

And last but not least a piccie of  Tereasa ....... showing her Gardeners Journal block for the Stitch-a-long and she is amazingly ahead of schedule...... why would I take a photo of this you ask.... well she is always behind so naturally this needed to be recorded in case we don't see it again, what else are friends for ...hehehehe.

A late OPAM

A late OPAM but better late than never, the photo of Gavan with his flannel shaggy quilt is a bit light in colour but I couldn't resist taking it.... told him to smile but thats the face I got.... lol.   The other photo is true to colour.... must have had the camera on the wrong setting before .... anyway he is happy and warm so it doesn't matter if he smiles or not. 

What do you think of my blog banner ?   .... thought I was pretty clever to do it actually.

Keeping up with my blocks.

This is block A  for the Gardeners Journal quilt that I'm doing as part of  the Stitch-a-Long  group which is keeping me on track and I'm enjoying seeing everyone's progress as we all stitch this quilt together.

I'm also a member of another group Friends in Stitching and we are doing a BOM together and this is the block for May, below are all my blocks together so far, quite happy with them too even if I say so myself.

Another OPAM

Another OPAM for May, I'm making up for last month's lack of projects. This a project from the "Gift of the Month" club by "Faeries in My Garden".... Armchair TV Caddy, I'm visiting my daughter Liz on thursday and this might be just the thing she needs for her lounge (its dark blue) so it should look ok I think.

Mother's Day 2010 4 Generations

My son Robert his partner Mel, hiding (left) daughter Heather(front) Clayton, Corinne, June(right) Liz (hiding in the back)  Mum and I (back) ....  4 generations together..... fantastic, my hubbie was taking the piccies.

We decided to go to the Beaudesert Park for Mum's day this year and it was a perfect day.... sun shining beautifully, slight breeze and the family together, 1g/son had to play AFL so his Dad had that duty today. It was very important to have this get together this year as my Mum who is now in aged care ( since Nov 2009)  has alzheimer's and I'm not sure how much longer she will remember all the family, she was struggling to know Rob and Liz today as they don't see her very often but I do think she enjoyed herself, when I took her back to the home she didn't even know where she had been but we had it together so thats the main thing, she's 97yr old so not too bad really (98 in June) its probably more important for us to have this time with her while we can.   Great day.

Pressies and morning tea.

My daughter Liz, her son Clayton and Nan of course, other  son was playing AFL Dad took him to the match.

My G/daughters Corinne and June with Nan.

Another OPAM for May

Going well so far...... I joined the "Gift of the Month" club from "Faeries in My Garden" last year  but I seemed to get side tracked and didn't get my monthly projects done so I've decided to get a wriggle on to complete them as I also joined again this year and I'm getting a build up so these are the lovely "Amy's Coat Hanger Collection" there is only 3 in this collection but the candlewick hanger is a project I bought at a craft show some time ago .... not saying how long...... so I thought I would slip this one in at the same time.

Below is a Bronwyn Hayes block in the "Breast of Friends" quilt from  Homespun magazine, I bought all the fabric and of course have all the books so I thought it would be a good idea to get it started while I do "A Gardeners Journal" quilt with the online group "Stitch-A-Long" so the plan is to get them both finished at the same time so I will see how it goes..... naturally I think its a good plan..... what do you think ?

Yahoooo ..... OPAM for May and so quick

How exciting is this an OPAM and its only the 1st of May. Its so good to have finished something, I've had this drawstring sewing bag cut out for ages but it got pushed to the back of the project pile so after the Jelly Roll quilt thought I would do a few smaller things and this is the the first of more I hope.

 This is a "Faeries in My Garden" BOM  called "Blossom Lane" by Candy Cats  which I started last year but seemed to get side tracked and didn't even finish  the first block (finished stitching today)  but back on track now, I've signed up for another Faeries BOM so I need to make lots of progress before I begin a new one. 

   

Heaps of embroidery but its my passion. All other BOM's are on track so all is good for the moment.

No April OPAM's..... but !!!!!

Sadly I can't report any OPAM's for April even though I have been working hard but unfortunately everything I'm doing at the moment are not finishes yet mostly BOM's and of course this Jelly Roll quilt that I was doing on the retreat with friends. Here are a few piccies of work in proress.

Finally the top is done and now I'm going to have it quilted professionally, never had anything done before so this will be a new experience for me.... sure hope I will be happy.

Naturally Pippa had to be in the lime light with her dirty little bone. Love these blocks , this is from the book "Jelly Roll Quilts" and this one is called Twin Stars.

Lots of stuff to report

These are the fabrics I'm using for the "Gardeners Journal" quilt, I've joined a group called "Stitch-a-long" and its so good to see how many girls are doing this together, it sure helps with motivation. Click on the book logo on the sidebar to see what everyone is up to.

The sunday before Easter I decided to take my g/daughter June to the movies so we booked our tickets online the night before just to make life a bit easier but the best plans turned a bit nasty as you can see below.... all dressed up ready to go and this is what greeted us when we got into the garage in the morning..... 1 flat tyre but oh no .... 2 flat tyres ....hows that for bad luck so we called June's dad to help us get to the movies a little late but we did get there, it was very dark and the movie had just started but of course someone had sat in our booked seats so poor June nearly sat on a mans lap who of course didn't move so we had to find other seats....... a bad start but we had a good time and enjoyed the movie "Alice in Wonderland" in 3D so all turned out ok in the end.

2 flats both on the passenger side... grrrrrrr but we did see the funny side of it in the end as they were only flat on the bottom lolllllll

 

Here is my organised chaos on the Easter weekend.

Still trying to finish the jelly roll quilt I took on my retreat, getting there slowly as you can see.

I've also decided to begin making the "Breast of Friends" quilt from the Homespun magazines, I bought the fabric when these patterns first came out so its high time to get started.

Catching up seemedd to be the order of the day on the weekend, I'm in an online group called "Friends in Stitching" and we are doing a BOM and I was 3 blocks behind so finally caught up and hopefully will keep up from now on. It seems to take me longer to pick fabric than doing the project.

Here are the finished blocks.

Friends in Stitching swap.

Bec was my partner in our FIS online group swap and this is the parcel I rceived naturally the chocolate didn't last long.

What a great bag this is, our theme for this swap was a Leanne Beasley design.

Here is my beautiful model.... June my g/daughter, she was a terrific help with my photos.

Thanks so much Bec for my fantastic bag, I hope I don't wear it out too quickly.

Here is the gift I sent to Vicki .. I used a fat1/4 for the wrapping with matching ribbon. 

 

This stitchery is from the "Life is a Celebration" quilt from the Homespun magazine and this is the Leanne Beasley stitchery, thought it might look good in a bag and I'm very pleased with the end result, I did the stitchery when I was on our Norfolk Island holiday.

Wow look at this !!!!

Here is a piccie of my g/son Jake on the school bus ...................................

Bet you thought....." what a silly woman, who wants to see anyone on a school bus"..... but I did mean it literally on the bus.....lol.... what a good looking boy must take after his Nan I think ...lol ... sorry just a little bit of Nanny bragging.