great start......

Great start to the new year ....... Chookshed Stitchers meeting last night 20 stitchers and this morning my time we had 16 stitchers.... From around the world as usual....... 

We had a number turn up and it was wonderful to catch up.......

I got a couple of stitcheries done......

Susan will tell me what this is from but it is a Natalie Bird @ The Birdhouse panel.......

Lou got her Lucy top finished..... It's only been 18 months she's done great......8 years and I'm still going.....

missed taking pics when we had more on.......

Catch you later......

Chookyblue......

Make it Blue.........

Lets get one of many Quilt show posts up..............

The Birdhouse is an essential stop at the quilt show.........

Nice to see Nat...........as always her stand looked amazing.........

I was eyeing off this gorgeous quilt asking Nat where it came from...........

how had I missed it...........

well it is out of her brand new hot off the press book hence why I had not seen it...........the book was an instant purchase...........

thinking this could be the SAL for 2018.........

what do you think about that?????

Janice@ Jannimary is keen

Look at all these gorgeous little projects also in the book..........

A-Z sampler bag, gorgeous cushion and a hexie quilt..........

This quilt is the 3rd one in the book......

this was so pretty in real life........

blue heaven..........you know how much I love blue..........

Fairy Girl eyed off this quilt.............

I think the deal is I have to make it for her.............hhhmmm.........

I do really like it too so was happy to get the pattern.........

Anyway that's post one of a few as I have heaps to share............

Better late then never.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

True Friends tote bags..........

If you read the Stitch-a-long blog you may know I moved to Honolulu to finish my bag before the end of the month.......

well slight correction there - bagS.........

February's project was the True Friends Tote Bag by Natalie Bird from her Red Home book.

What does an idiot do when they are seriously behind the times........they make 2 bags........CRAZY........

Anyway where was I..........Thursday evening I got a call from Jenny.........I was well and truly in the doldrums achieving nothing on all fronts not just sewing........anyway she's a bossy bird  - she told me to unruffle my feathers and get stitching.........I had no chance of getting my bag/s done before the end of the month but I told her I was thinking of moving to Honolulu (end of time zones).....she laughed...........it started to shower rain and it made me a bit better so I got to work..............and then we had 40mls over night my spirits were lifted and I spent the day in the chook shed stitching and sewing and I made the deadline just before midnight in Honolulu...........

To make it quicker I did a running stitching around the edge......makes it look a bit lacey I think...........I like it..........a few omissions here and there but it is done............

This bag will be for me (I think).........a mix of randon fabric, French Generals and Anni Downs Christmastime which worked well together........
the second one below is mainly French Generals..........

the backs.........

Another 2 mls of rain here it's taken hours to get it..........just a drizzle.......I think it's starting to clear......I am very surprised it has stayed cloudy like it has..........
Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

just can't help myself..........

these things are addictive............3 more done...........all nested together made of chook fabric.....

Susan and I have been discussing decorative stitches and she said she might do some on hers............so when I went out and did mine this morning I used 2 different stitches...........

I'm going to try and use them  more they are pretty......we also discovered we have the same machines so what she learns in her class she can share.........

all chook fabric which I think Nicolette sent me quite awhile ago..........

I made some different sizes.........

front red - as per pattern........

red back - think it was 6x10"

 blue one - 7x11"

I found it was easier to turn the thread catchers inside out to top stitch as I could fit them under the foot better and see where I was sewing............all was good until I hit a pin...........that took some getting out of the fabric...........

I liked the stitch above too...........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

already stitching in 2013........

Yesterday I made up 3 Thread Catchers..........cute aren't they......

From Natalie Birds book Red Home

It's part of the 2013 Stitch-a-long

January's all done.........but now I want to make some more.............lol..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Red Home bag..........

Finally I can share pics of my first project from the Natalie Bird's new book Red Home 

I used the red fat 1/4 bundle of fabrics I got at the quilt show from Natalie's stand......a mixture of fabrics including some French Generals...........

True Friends Tote Bag.......

The bag is a great size........little pockets on the outside front of the bag.........the back side............

love the saying...........

"A true friend is one who comes in when the whole world goes out" 

This bag went to my friend Jo for her birthday...........

We have a birthday swap in our Friends in Stitching online group.............

Our theme this year  is Eat, Grow, Cook.........

the bag covered the "grow".........."grow" flowers and "grow" friends "Eat" a yummy local salad dressing and some chocolate "Cook" one of my recipes

I also included some of my cards..........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

FIS swap sent and received..........

My online group Friends in Stitching had a Christmas swap..........5 small parcels from the 20th Dec and a main present on Christmas Day...............Now I did show what I received on the group blog at Christmas so that's ok..........firstly what I made..............one of these key fobs was one of the smaller presents..........I don't have any pics of the other gifts I sent.......you can see what I sent here....but small bits and pieces and some cards...........

I got this pattern when i was at Anni's - The Home Patch late last year.............linen and "Strawberry Fields" fabric.............Fig Tree Quilts "Notions To Go" I started making 2 and I have another nearly finished for myself...........

some of the stitching I worked on out at the cows last year............... finally into a finished project...........2 of the stitcheries from Tis the Season quilt by Natalie Bird.......so different to my Tis the Season quilt................
All these goodies went to Kylie..........I loved making for Kylie......we have met a few times too which was lovely.............enjoy the gifts Kylie...........

now De was sending to me...............the first day i got a bottle of champagne...........(I think De has been reading my blog)..........I the bag with a some of the smaller parcels...........

A cute reindeer to hang on the tree............

This gorgeous backpack was just perfect.............

Designed by Brenda Dean in Patchwork and Stitching Magazine Vol6No5
It's very cool how it is nice and wide but narrows in when shut..................
I love all the gifts you sent De thanks heaps.............

Sorry I am so late with the posting..............
Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Tis the Season...........

Yesterday was a sewing day..............weeks ago I had planned a day with a couple of friends............I knew I had this week off work and it is school holidays so perfect...........no matter what I was going to fit it in somehow..............champagne, yummy lunch, chatter with friends - talk about recharging the mind..........perfect.........

finally we got into some sewing.............

as the deadline was looming I set to work on the Tis the Season..........by Natalie Bird.....

this is my label block.........

quilted in the ditch around the white stitchery blocks.........

preparing the binding..............

The fabrics I used are Robert Kaufman - Sparkle All the Way

finished the binding just before midnight....(deadline 3oth Sept)........had a few of the quilting threads to fix up this morning............So pleased to have this done..........

The Stitch-a-long blog is very busy.................heaps of posts yesterday and today so head over and check it out.............there is also a slide show on the left sidebar where I keep adding finished quilts............

My favourite block...........

Can't wait to hang this one up for Christmas..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

don't drop dead with shock..........

I hope this isn't too much of a shock for you...........

It's only the 6th and these were finished a couple of days ago just.......been too busy to get pics 

two more Tis the Season blocks finished................

Altogether...............

And I got my Homespun magazine today.........

.......they are a bit more special when you have blog friends mentioned or starring in the mags

Off to bed.............I have some reading to do

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Tis the Season April blocks...........

I forgot to put this post up on Sat then yesterday the power people forgot to tell be I had a planned outage with NO POWER from 8.30am-3.30pm...

"NOT HAPPY JAN"............kind of stuff my whole day up...........

My April blocks for Tis the Season

loving this SAL..........

Much excitement on my last post as I am meeting up with some great friends at the quilt show woohoo..........

THANKS also for the lovely comments on the dam pics and the new header............

Catch you later

Chookyblue

FIS Swap present & TTS blocks.........

In an online group FIS we have a birthday swap............I had to make a present for Vicki............

my gifts had to start with the letter "C"...............Carry all stitching bag, Cushion  for pins and also included some Chookyblue Cards...........the colour is a bit funny in the photo but it is a nice civil war print.........with a cream stitchery panel................

Here are my March blocks for Tis the season Stitch-a-long

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Tis the Season SAL starts today............

The SAL is full and it stats today.............have my first block prepared...........even stitched the first word.............

First day of autumn today..............summer went out with a bang yesterday and a 40plus day......

......someone forgot to tell the weather gods that today is autumn and it should be nice and cool.......

........we have 38degC forecast for today..................pleased can I have some COOOOOOOL autumn weather............I know down south it has been cool........think Tasmania even had some snow on higher parts.........

....we have only had a 3 or 4 days under 30deg since Christmas............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

It's a bloggy birthday..........

Wow 4 years ago I stepped out of my comfort zone here and into this amazing land of BLOG......

........I have met some gorgeous wonderful people all because I blog.............there is no way I would have met them - our lives would not have crossed otherwise...........I am so happy I made that decision...........

you all know who you are......XOXOXOXO............

.......so many special friends I will not try and name any for fear of missing someone...........

I have also made many friends via online only..........so many places in the world I want to visit......

.....the budget just won't allow me to venture off.............

SO THANKS for being such a great bunch of bloggers...........

I really only go to crafty blogs bar a couple of photography ones..........you are the best.

&&&&

so to keep some pics in the post I will share my choices for the new SAL (by the way it is full)

I just can't decide..........."Sparkle all the Way" by Robert Kaufman 

or "Be Merry by My Minds Eye" from Riley Blake.........

both are lovely.......

Hope your having a WONDERFUL weekend.......

.....HOT day here again..............actually pretty hot weekend forecast bring on autumn I say..........

840 posts later.............

Chookyblue