New Friends, Stitching and Purchases

I had a trip into Hobart today....to sew with my lovely new friends at Frangipani Fabrics.  I sat next to such a lovely woman and we chatted non-stop. I remember her from the first time I joined them and she is one of those people who you are instantly drawn to and would love to be good friends with (has that ever happened to you?).....but then she didn't come along for a couple of weeks, and I didn't go for a couple of weeks and on a few other occasions, she sat way down the table....today, we found ourselves neighbours while we stitched and I was right.....she is someone I could definitely be friends with.

And when I say stitched........I mean only a few meagre stitches!

It turned out that I somehow got my project boxes mixed up.....so I had some teddies to stitch but I had the threads for Flowerville and there was only one colour that is compatable with both.

That meant that I also had too much time to wander through the shop and found a few irresistible fabrics.  I do love the choice of fabrics at Frangipani so it is lucky I am on the loyalty programme because it turned out I had a $10 saving....here is what I bought.

Some cute fat quarters....I just love the reindeer one! and I scored a freebie for buying 4....see how they tempt me?

I also picked up 1/2m each of these fabrics......another baby quilt in the making here and I will shop my stash for sashing and borders.

While I was in Hobart, I walked down to Spotlight for some boring stuff like Whisperweft and a couple of new pillow slips. The walk from the carpark took me past Threads and I quickly popped in to have a gander......BIG MISTAKE! What did I clap eyes on....non other than the pattern for Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas.....be still my beating heart! Everytime I have seen this pattern completed on the internet, I regret not buying it when I had the chance years ago and I actually thought it was no longer available. If you don't know the pattern, here is a pic.

Threads sells quite a few Lynette Anderson patterns and her fabric range and while I was looking at it, the shop owner called out that there was 20% off all Christmas fabrics so I started to look for some that I could use for the pattern.....then she came over and pointed out the Scandinavian Christmas fabric kit....and mentioned that the pattern was also 20% off....well that settled it!

 

 I received something very practical for Christmas.....like a gardening trolley....so I decided that I would get it as a belated Christmas Present to myself.

There is nothing wrong with that, is there?

DBM #16 - Ready to Stitch Again

I am really taking this new years fresh start to heart....and fulfilling my resolutions....here is one of those resolutions that I completed this week......preparing BOM blocks for stitching.

 I made a start on Friday night and got back to it on Saturday....finishing off on Sunday.

I had two 'A Country Tea Party to trace. There was a small block and the large central block....I guess I must be halfway through the BOM now.....no letting up yet.

After tracing them onto the fabric, I had to iron on the whisperweft. I had a moment of panic when I got it out of the drawer as there is not much left....but it is adaptable to being pieced onto the back so I just managed to get the 2 ACTP blocks and a Flowerville block prepped.

The Flowerville block doesn't need tracing....it is already pre-printed on the fabric and I received two new Cottage Garden threads for the BOM.

I just happened to have these little crystal glassware items and a heart shaped wreathe out on the dresser (waiting to be put away) and I decided to use them as photo props.....I think they give such a feel of romance and femininity to the pics.

And now I have to work towards this:

my inspiration - pictures from the patterns I am using

 Happy Stitching to ME!

Do you have any Happy Stitching to Share.....or piecing, knitting, crochet....anything with needle & thread?

• Link will be open until Sunday 17.1.2016.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code from the side bar to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

Happy Stitching!


  

Linking up this week with:

A Step in the Right Direction for FNWF

I know some of you are linking in from Friday Night With Friends so I am really sorry to make you wait this long to see my results, but, here it is now.

FNWF is always the little boost that I need to get me back on track....Thanks Cheryl! One of those projects that I have been avoiding was to trace the next block of A Country Tea Party

It is all ready to be stitched now but I didn't do that on Friday.....instead, I cut some more blocks for my latest project....

It is a very basic design as I want it to be more of a cuddle blanket...this is the inner section and I will put a border, of sorts, on later.  Callie seems to approve...

Hahahah....she looks a little sheepish here but I clicked the shutter just as she blinked. Poor old girl, she is 10 years old now and is looking so aged around her face....she is still as active as ever though.

Why don't you head on over and see what everyone else got up to....that's where I am going to be!

100 Day Challenge - Step One

*I will post my Friday Night with Friends results on Sunday.....I hope you will come back to visit then*

 

Let me bring the old whinge bag out, one more time!!!! Hahaha...only kidding but really, I am trying to make some real changes to Bits 'n Bobs and my sewing agenda on the whole.

During 2014 I took part in Barbara's NewFO Challenge and I just loved it...nothing I love more than starting a new project....problem is....now I have a whole lot of UFO's....oh, and...I did get 'that memo' about working on more than one project at a time....just have a look at some of the projects, in and out of boxes, waiting my attention.

The ones on the left are basically on my current design board and what I have diligently been working on for "what seems like forever" (Brookfield is missing from this group) and on the right, you can count 9 boxes of projects still needing attention....there are also quite a number still sealed  in boxes in our storage shed.

In comes the 100 Day Challenge from Jen at Quilter in the Closet and thanks so very much to Lara at BuzzinBumble (on my catch up list) for publicising this link up. I only caught up with Jen's challenge at 5 minutes to midnight on the 6th (AES time) but in the nick of time, I realised I actually still had time to think it over because the US is at least 16 hours behind us.

Here are my 3 100 Day Challenge Entries:

1) Complete Minky Baby Quilt (just started) to completely finished.
2) Blog at least 3x a week at Bits 'n Bobs....a committment set out in my resolutions.
3) Finish piecing my Mystery Quilt started in 2014

It's not too late to join in the challenge....its just, as Jen pointed out to me last night, the longer you wait, the less days you will have to complete the challenge!

I am so excited by this.....this might just be the shove I need to get my UFO's out of the way because I sure do have plenty of other projects ready to go!

3 basket shelves of ready to go quilt kits!

 and not before time as I found this out today.......NEW PLACE TO SHOP in Hobart! No doubt, I will be a regular!!!!

So Far..So Good

Even I am confused now!

I feel like everyone read my last post different to how I meant it....I wasn't complaining.....I love blogging, I especially love blogging about my life here in Tasmania at the moment...hence my companion blog, Cath@Home. I have something to blog about over there almost every day as well as hosting 2 Link Parties (which some of you will know is very time consuming - still I get a kick out of that). So, I don't really have room for fitting in a creative station there as well, which is why I continue with two blogs and even if I combined the two, it would still take up as much time to write the posts. Besides, I like to keep things compartmented....just a silly quirk in my personality. So don't worry about the blogging crisis....the crisis really is TIME. Time I spend on-line, visiting various blogs....not too mention Pinterest......whoa! before you know it....hours have passed while you discover how to 'make Orange and Vanilla marmalade' or 'how to peel peaches in 10 seconds' or, even, '5 easy steps to organise your craft room' which you I never quite achieve....you get the drift!
ps....I am going to answer the last post's comments via the blog this time.

k 'nuff said?

As far as my 'Resolutions' go....so far, so good

1. This is my 3rd post this week. ✓    
2. I have updated my facebook page....sorry for overloading your home pages! ✓   
3. Caught up with a number of blogs already....loving the list but it is still unfinished. ✓   
4. Have returned visits from comments....mostly for Cath@Home so far. ✓   
5. Still need to prepare some blocks for stitching. ✗   
6. Started on some piecing!....see below. ✓    

4 out of 5....not so bad for the first few days. Don't worry, I am not going to bore you with updates of my resolutions every week although I might re-visit them quarterly.....just to keep me on track.

Here's what I have been sewing this week:

 Take some luxuriously soft minky fabric

and some really cute 'baby' cottons from the stash!

combine the two....and....hey presto!...the start of another little quilt in the making.

I won't be showing off too much of this one because it is a secret.  I have lots of secrets at the moment and I will have to keep 'mum' about them all as I am not sure which of my family is sneaking a peak at my blog, but I will divulge when everything is set in place. Keep a close eye on this space!

Lastly, I would just like to remind you that my Link Party - What's For Dinner Wednesday is open at Cath@Home....you don't need a special post or even to include a recipe....just link up and join the foodie sharing party.  There is a prize involved!

Here are some reasons to take part in Link Parties:

Ok, here goes, I am pushing the publish button.......now!

Resolution

I don't believe in New Year Resolutions....in the past I feel they have set me up for failure but at the same time it is in my nature to have some sort of plan and ritual over the course of a week/ month or year....Lately, I have not had much to say, show or share at Bits 'n Bobs and I have only blogged 58 posts last year, which is down on the year before and the least I have ever blogged in a year. Not a problem with my other blog Cath@Home where I post almost every day..... In 2015, I blogged 130 posts over there and I let the memes and link ups guide my blogging,.....so I think I need to be more committed at Bits 'n Bobs....don't you?

There is something about January though that makes you want to make a fresh start and I do it every year....I do hope this will be something I can stick too. Now all I need is some encouragement!


 

DBM #15 - Happy New Year!

Hello to everyone, if there is anyone still reading my blog!, and a Happy New Year to you all....I hope 2016 sees your needles always threaded with lots of projects to create.

Twenty-Fifteen was a pretty slow year for me in the sewing department and until we start on building the new house with a beautiful big studio, it probably will continue to be more slow stitching as I cannot unpack all my boxes yet and a couple of machines are still packed in boxes. *sigh*

the sun sets on 2015

My sewing plans for this year is to continue stitching:

A Country Tea Party
I currently have blocks 4 & 5 that I need to work on. To be traced and Stitched.

Flowerville
I received block 5 just before Christmas which I can get stitching on straight away.

Brookfield
I am up to the 5th month of basket blocks which are still in their original packaging.

Australian Afternoon 
I have only done three out of 11 blocks for this one and it will probably sit on the backburner until the first three BOMs are finished being stitched.

Baby Quilts
We are off to another family wedding in late January so I am thinking it is time I get a jump start on some baby quilts.......just in case!

A Christmas Quilt
While I was decorating in red & white this year, I realised that I didn't have any table runners or cushion covers or decorator quilt for Christmas in any of those colours......so I would like to make one or two table toppers.....some cushion covers and possibly a quilt for Christmas 2016.

Now, what do you have planned....this week....this month....this year? What is on your Design Board?

• Link will be open until Sunday 10.1.2016.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

 

DBM #14 - Oh Dear & Oh Deer!

Oh Dear! Would you believe I forgot it was Monday today? We had some "out of left field" news yesterday and I have been mulling over that and completely forgot that I was supposed to post DBM today. All I have done this week, is sew little baskets and with yet another block for A Garden Tea Party arriving in the post, I will do some of that this week, if I get the chance.

We are travelling to Launceston for Christmas Day and I want to bake some treats to take and make some pots of cherry jam for neighbour gifts so I doubt I will get any stitching done this week.

Even though we are not expecting anyone here for the Christmas period, I still wanted to add a festive feel to the house....no Christmas tree but some decorations on the mantle and hallway table to make spirits bright.

Red and White are the main colours this year  because they were in the first box I found and I have featured my Reindeer in this collection for the mantle....oh deer! how many reindeer do I have? I last counted 10 but only 4 made the cut for this scene. The little green 'trees' are pine saplings that I found outside and I love the pop of green freshness that they add to the mantle. Hopefully next year they will be bigger and I can shape them into little xmas trees and add lights.

click on this image to view in lightbox (makes it bigger)

For the entrance table, I collected all sorts of  'xmas trees'....I am really not sure how many of these I have now and even bought another on sale last week although I haven't used it here. I bought the glass one (filled with baubles) at the sales last year......I have been lazy this year and just popped some baubles in it but think of the possibilities......I love Christmas decorating!

The tree topper angel is new this year too....when I spotted her, I knew it was time to replace the old one which we haven't used for a couple of years because she is too heavy for our new xmas tree. I just realised...the snowglobe with the reindeer is technically reindeer #11! Oh deer, oh deer! I am thrilled with how festive these two areas look....such a shame only me and the farmer will experience it but that is life! I am already getting excited for next years decorating and may treat myself to a little trip to find more bargains.....after Christmas....ho ho ho!

Now, what would you like to share here today.....anything needle and thread and for this week only, your creative Christmas decorating.

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 27/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmasy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!