All go round here!

Honestly, I don't know if I am coming or going at the moment; I still have the giant star quilt to bind, as my evenings this week have been taken over plotting and planning a surprise and short turn-around commission, along with sorting a weekend away (woop woop!) and organising even more school bags and washing than ever with the start of the swimming season.  My temperamental MacBook has consumed more than its fair share of time and swear words, but it's playing nice right now, so on we go.

I have bumped my parents from Saturday to Sunday, so that I should be finished with the quilt by then, and have time to get some pics and enter it into the Bloggers Quilt Festival; I am also hoping that I can put the house back into some sort of order too - something will have to give!

I am guest posting over at Ellison Lane today too - Jennifer trusted me to start getting you in the mood for some simple patchwork action...

It seems a while since I made this happy pouch...

So please pop over and show some love!

And as for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaways - I whizzed through those that appeared in my reading list and maybe entered 2 or 3 others, but you don't want to hear about that... you want to know who won my offering, which, I can confirm, has had the lining gap stitched closed (this afternoon!)...

Woo hoo!  I'll email you in a minute!  I met Sarah at FQR13, she was suffering from crazy-pregnant-lady-brain at the time, as you may deduce from her bag contents, she's having fun now!

Thank you to everyone who entered, I loved reading what old crap you all drag around in your bags too, I had planned to show you the contents of mine, but time got the better of me, that's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Right now I have the perpetual 24 clock going off in my head, see yesterday's post, so come back this time tomorrow, to see if I have managed to save the world, well my little bit of it anyway!

xxx

Love Sewing...

Not only a fact, but a new magazine too!  My subscription copy arrived this morning, complete with Liberty bonus booklet and a FQ of Kirstie fabric!

I had about 2 minutes to flick through it before heading out for a rather bracing Easter Egg hunt; 1 hour of clues and questions, up and down some rather big hills, and all for a cream egg for the kids!  Still, it means I can indulge later with a clear conscience.

So back home and after lunch, I pulled out the FQ and knew exactly what I wanted to make...

I used Svetlana's excellent tutorial to make this drawstring bag.  I haven't made a casing top like this one before, and I like how easy it was and how cool it looks.

The casing and lining were scraps I won from Collette, and they match perfectly, and I knew this was the project to use one of my long-time coveted and ultra-precious kerchief girls from Brit Bee Terri...

Finished off with some aqua ribbon, and only after I had finished, I realised not only was it the same colour, but a perfect fit for my filofax.

I would love to be able to tell you more about the actual magazine, but I haven't had the chance to really look yet.  However tomorrow I only have to cook the Easter lunch, so I am planning on putting my feet up, having a good read, and maybe eating a little chocolate; I am looking forward to it!

Pill-popping...

Told you I had been making, but neglected to get any photos - these aren't brilliant as it was very sunny, and very windy, but they're the best of the bunch...

I used Jeni's free pattern again, and for a change added woven interfacing to the main panel for a bit more structure.  A piece of Moda tape matched perfectly for easy ties.

I fell in love with this colour combo when I was pulling cushion fabrics earlier in the week; so it was a done deal and a very quick make when there's no procrastination!

There was some more making today too, and more dodgy photos to show soon.  Having been able to bask in the sunshine over the last couple of weekends, it has been quite nice to just stay indoors and avoid the showers.

Well it's too early to tell if the pills and bland-eating have started to work their magic, but my supplies look pretty even if my insides don't!

Happy weekend folks xxx

Revealing!

Today I will be in the company of some of my bestest sewing friends; Brit Bee hits the south coast!

I am not sure what time I will be home - not too late, but I know I will be exhausted and fit for nothing by the time I get back through the door.  So I am scheduling this so you don't feel like you are totally missing out!

Some of my secret makes have been for today.

The mini (3/4") hexies have been made into little keyrings. 

I used Tacha's Sew Mama Sew tutorial but decided (unwisely) to machine stitch the folded hexies together. 

Talk about sewing in the dark - I literally was, but only in the cold light of day can my wobbly stitching, (made extra special with a bent needle!) be seen in full gory detail.  I am consoling myself that now my buddies will have a bit of hardware they can put onto something else at some point!

Secondly, and way more accomplished, the T-bag I made for Terri.  Totally inspired by the awesome H-bag that Nova sent me, I perfected my Y-seams and made this for my special friend...

I used Jeni's method to make the drawstring bag, but did not box the corners, otherwise the T lines would have been spoilt.

So some of the secrets are out, and I promise to fill you in with the day's fun and games tomorrow.

Happy Saturday everyone xxx

#happyday

When you get home from work to a parcel that is labelled on the outside with #happyday and an Aussie stamp, you know you are in for a treat!  OK, that's me, not you today, but I am sharing by showing!

A week or so ago Nova told the world just how much of a chatterbox I really am, as if you didn't know; but to my utter surprise and delight she had made me a Thank You present, which arrived today...

You can't really see, but the parcel was addressed To The Comment Queen!

I am completely in awe of Nova's stitching and am probably going to spend a weird amount of time looking at all the detail that went into my drawstring bag; but it is totally gorgeous, and I am so blessed to have such kind, generous and bloody talented friends.

I have thanked Nova already, but for the record, Thank You again my friend, it, and you, are both smashers xxx

Ready or not?

Well Christmas is coming ready or not...

So here are the last couple of makes that I can show you before the big day.

Lovely Sarah sent me a couple of Doctor Who cuts with a certain someone in mind.  So, as I was already planning on making dear son a drawstring bag, it was a bit of a no-brainer...

He is going to be thrilled!  Thank you Missus xxx

My long-term Christmas project was the low-volume hexie cushion for my Mum. 

I finished this up at the beginning of the week when the fear of the lurgy was starting to make me panic.  I used some natural Essex Linen for the sashing and back, and it measures up at 20" plumped with a feather insert...

I did a (reversed) french seam instead of binding it, and I am really really pleased with how that turned out.

Apart from the present wrapping I am as ready as I can be... I think!

Today I have cleaned and tidied, and now I have a slight sore throat, so am going to try and fend that off with Chocolate, tea, Christmas movies and napping!

I've decided I won't be posting again until this time next week, so I really really hope you all have a wonderful Christmastime, surrounded by the ones you love, and time for thoughts for those who may be missing. 

Have fun, and see you on the other side of the big dinner xxx

Giveaway Day!

*** The Giveaway is now closed - Winner to be announced shortly***

Hello hello hello and welcome as always to the regulars, irregulars and stalkers who frequent these parts, and thank you too for stopping by if you are purely here to take a look at the loot, I won't hold it against you.

It's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day and I am ready!

After a shocking failure to get finished yesterday, I came in from work this afternoon, stitched a bit, did the school run, then stitched a bit more.  Took some slightly dodgy photos, fed the family and here I am.  If this is your first time here, that pretty much sums up most of my days.

So what do I have on offer for you this time... one of Jeni, In Color Order's drawstring bags, the first I have actually completed, 5 more are all cut and ready to go for Christmas, and I don't think I will be stopping after those; it's a brilliant pattern.

And what do you need to go inside a cute bag?  Well hexies, that's what!  I have cut 100+ 1" hexie papers to get you started, and just because I want to spread the hexie love to one and all, I've cut a rainbow of 100 scrappy 1.25" hexies, so you can make yourself something fun straight away with no time-consuming chopping required.  I did use my Sizzix in case you are wondering, I am not kind enough to have cut them all by hand!

So what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this bag o' fun?

Two chances, with one separate comment for each... any additional comments will be deleted, and if you answer both in one comment, you'll only get one chance...

1. Tell me what you would pop in the bag after you have stitched up all those hexies; and
2. Followers get a second chance, just leave a comment saying that you are; you can even start following right now if you feel so inclined; I will then tick you off the class register!

International entrants are more than welcome; I will use Random.org to draw a winner on Friday 7th at 9pm GMT (which I think is only 1pm PST, but I will be asleep at 1am/5pm PST, sorry).

No Reply Bloggers must leave an email address in your comment(s), otherwise I will re-draw, sorry.

Good luck chaps - as with previous giveaway posts, I will not be replying to all the individual comments, but I will read everything xxx