Still on Block One

More slow and steady progress on this Block in My Girls Day out quilt.

I've used Floriani's double sided wonder fusible interfacing and it is quite thick. Fortunately my needles are sharp and are going through the layers relatively easy. Well easier than I had thought. 

Some more slow progress on this cross stitch by Faye Whittaker

(sorry about the picture - can't rotate but uploaded in right position?)

Looking forward to starting this:

And, I was thoroughly spoilt by my friend when she returned home from England. How cute are these? And they can be purchased in a department store like our David Jones? I love it!

(I also received a lovely Liberty lavender satchel but is currently keeping my drawer smelling 'lavenderish')





There hasn't been alot going on craft wise - I finished my mothers day calendars (and forgot to take photo's prior to Mothers day) but was very happy with the way they turned out (and so were the recipients).

Happy Stitching

Susie

January was a busy month

Amongst lots of quality family time, and finishing the top of this beauty, I managed to have a rather busy but productive month.

skow quilt

My first project in the latest stitch-a-long was this thread catcher from Natalie Bird's Red Home book. I enjoyed using some of my fat flat's from spotlight (I do have rather a large number of them lying around).

Red Home - by Natalie Bird

Next, some more progress on this Faye Whittaker - All our yesterday's cross stitch. I got this pattern from the World of Cross Stitching magazine. Its so relaxing to do this in front of 'Downton Abbey'. I'm trying to catch up before this new season starts.

Towards the end of the month, hubby and I found ourselves for two nights, kid free, in paradise (tropical FNQ - Cairns, one of my favourite parts of the world). OK, we did arrive in a tropical depression from Cyclone Oswald and some minor flooding but it didn't stop us having a lovely time celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary.

The perks of a hubby that travels alot is there is generally some frequent flyer points and hotel points to go somewhere. We were lucky.

This was the view from our room.

And this was 10yrs ago this month. (it was 44 degress when this photo was taken, you wouldn't know it!).

Happy Stitching, Susie

A beautiful gift, new hobby and holiday project

I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends. I really treasure their friendships and know that many of them will last a lifetime.

One of those is a young lady I used to work with in the corporate world. We also have a love of stitching and sewing, and she is also my buddy at the Friends in Stitches get-together scheduled for 2013 and Urban Stitches from 2012. I admire this woman so much, she is literally a machine. With having an extremely stressful corporate job that takes her all over the world, managing a home and three children, making costumes and taking the children here and there for dancing comps, and making two dinners everynight cause she is vegetarian, I honestly can't comprehend how she does it all. And then she comes up with these amazing handmade gifts!

This is one of the gifts I received yesterday. The others are under the tree (strict instructions not to open the other gifts until Christmas day).

  

I just adore this wooden bunting and it will go perfectly in my sewing room on the wall. She knows me very well considering the colour choice.

 It was a little hard to photograph and apparently too hard to wrap! What a devine sewing machine.

 I am so grateful for my gift Sam - thank you. I just love it!

(I will show you what I made her in a later post as its currently still wrapped up under Sam's tree).

So I picked up a recent copy of 'The World of Cross Stitching' recently as I just adored this little kit that came with it. I'm making it for my daughter for Christmas. You just pop it in a little card.  

 I have now decided I really enjoy cross stitching. oh dear........

Its very relaxing although you don't get very far after an evening's work.

I also have my eye on this project next......

I am not sure I should be taking up another craft hobby - I have too many as it is. Am I the only one that does this?

Have a lovely weekend. We are having a dinner at our place tomorrow with my girlfriend from kindergarten. Now that is also a long friendship!

Happy Stitching

Susie