SSCS sent & received.................

Thanks for all the lovely Christmas wishes.........most appreciated.......It is wonderful looking at all the bloggers with there excited posts showing there SSCS parcels they received this year.............
&&&&
This is the gorgeous xmas stitchery that Kaaren [The Painted Quilt - Canada] sent to me in the SSCS09.............thanks so much Kaaren I just love this stitchery and hung it up as soon as I opened the parcel.............I had seen a few similiar and thought maybe for another christmas I could get it made not this one............this is just perfect thanks Kaaren...........[design - A Christmas Wish by Cinderberry Stitches]

up close.........some lovely hand quilting around the stitchery..................I have loved pulling out all my handmade xmas treasures to decorate with this year so this will be aded to the collection................

This is the SSCS gift I sent to Anne - Quilting Bebbs in the UK............it is a Rosalie Quinlan Design............it is a bigger quilt but I used 2 of the blocks to make this wall hanging..........I was a bit naughty when I received an email from Anne to say she had recieved the SSCS parcel..................I saw she had not realised I was the sender so not long later I got another email from her which was quite funny once she knew it was from me.............lol..........I am so pleased you like this and the other bits I sent to you.............

Chookyblue...............

Moving on to good things - Shopping...............

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the dust post..............I am breaking "my rules" and just won't get to reply to the comments.............the dust was amazing everywehere...........everything outside has a film of red dirt on it.............everything inside and out has a gritty feel...........I feel overwhelmed with the cleaning and don't even know where to start.............and the whole lot has to wait til Sunday to even start cleaning...............there is so much on at the moment............but it has to be done by next Friday as the visitors arrive then.............

&&&&&&

But to cheer me up the mail arrived today and I have a couple of new books and some fabric.....

I ordered the books from Foothills Fabric and Threads...........you will have to get you own copy of both books cause I am only sharing the cover but they are both beautiful.............

Gail Pan's new book Baskets in Bloom...............Gail has just flown off to Norway for a few weeks tutoring with Leanne Beasley.........can't wait to see the pics from there trip..........I know the Norwegian girls will look after them well...........

Also ordered Rosie's new book A Stitch in Time - Rosalie Quinlan..............if you saw this post you know I got the blame from someone else when after chatting to me they "HAD" to order this book too............."ha ha got you - mine arrived first"...........lol...........excellent job Rosie and Gail your books are gorgeous...........

After all the shopping chatter I also rang Amitie to order this fabric below............it was on special........good news

the bad news is I was chatting to the Jeni and Louise while still looking at the website and these fabrics also made there way to my place...........it is so soft and pretty.........called "Darla by Tanya Whelan"...........don't remember seeing the range when it came out......the yellows are a bit more lemony then this pic.........

thanks for all the detailed comments on the last post............it is really interesting reading them and I have gone back and read them all again........

seems there is famine or feast............and we all love the online shops too..........be they the big ones or the small ones...........but there is nothing quite like spending a few hours in your favourite patchwork shops fondling the fabrics and planning projects............chatting to the owners etc..........

Also some of you are very good and only get what you need as you need it and some feel like they have shops in there sewing rooms..........lol............ go with what works for you.......

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue

PS now if only I could find some time to sew and put these goodies into use............

Stitching kit.........

I know you're shocked I have got some more finishes but hey don't get used to it because it is about to come to an end for a bit...........I am not the kind of person that works on something til it is done and then starts another one...........I don't even want to think how many projects are in various stages............I have lots of projects on the go though............if I don't like what I am working on I can just move onto something else.............

The lovely Cardygirl sent me this pattern Nellie's Sewing Bag because apparently I didn't see any of these bags at GDITC this year............I must have had my eyes shut.........lol.......to busy chatting probably...........another Rosie project..........

also teamed it with a Anni Downs Hatched and Patched needle case

I love this stitchery..............it is from her book "The World as it Should Be" and called My World Needle case............now Anni warns in the directions it is difficult to turn the needle case thru because of the stiffer interfacing but persist.........well Anni persist I did and it was difficult but so worth while in the end........the stiffer effect is great..........

I think most of the fabrics are from the Chocolat range..............

another gift for a friend that i didn't want to part with...........lol.............

Take Care til next time..............
Chookyblue

PS I know I know I have been doing lots of Rosie and Anni at the moment..........but I am loving it...........

Don't drop dead with shock........

This is a project from Girls Day in the Country GDITC 2008...........yep you read that correct.........this may be a shock Rosie I know but I have finally finished my needle turn project.............once I got my head around it so to speak I had the needle turn done in no time................and really enjoyed it - total flip from on the day might I say............not sure why I avoided it for so long............

the pattern is Rosalie Quinlan Designs - Summer Garden cushion and it is in Rosie's book "Gift"

This is my first effort at needle turn and I am so happy with the end result..........it has gone off to a special friend..........it is the perfect colours for her...........

and I have a couple more birthday calls............Teodo is 60 today (31st July) and Levin is 40 tomorrow (Sat) and wants everyone to join her for soup lots of "0" birthdays hope you have great days girls..........

Also Kris and May Britt this is a wisp finish for the month............yippee..........it is quite late but this one will scrap in...........

Take Care til next time..............Chookyblue

PS I can't believe August will be here in less then 2 hours..............there is so much on..........every weekend is booked up(and there are 5)..........bring it on..........it is going to be so much FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone going to Stitches????

Christmas in July sent............

In the Christmas in July Swap organised by Stephanie and Linda (thanks again girls for organising the swap) I made for Cheri. Unfortunately Cheri doesn't have a blog but her daughter Terri showed my swap parcel here..........(Terri also showed what she received in this post too)

here is the whole package I stuck some of my cards and a note pad in there too...........

the stocking - I made up the pattern as I went along.................Cheri can pick her favourite side

The needle case you will recognise as a Rosalie Quinlan Design Welcome Friends from GDITC @ Nundle this year..........this is the second one I have made and I have another one I am currently stitching for Fairy Girl........you can't see too well but it is stitched in green thread........the first one I made is here............

Take Care til next time..............
Chookyblue

PS the response to my last post was good - thanks for heading off and commenting on some other blogs......seems we all love to get comments......make new friends online............i even got some comments from people who had not commented on my blog before...............thanks girls..........

Prezzy.........

Gosh I love the mail............I do only get it 2 times a week it I love it.............you never know what may turn up in the mail..........like this Rosalie Quinlan Designs bag pattern..................as I was to busy talking didn't see any of these bags at Girls Day in the Country  my lovely new blog friend Cardygirl sent me this pattern..............now I did tell you about her when she was very new but she has a wonderful blog and does lots of lovely stitching...........she has a beautiful dresdan plate quilt up tonight and I have just ordered a dresdan plate ruler......

.......anyway back to the subject............the pattern is Nellie's Sewing Bag.............looks great so will have to try and fit that one in soon.........(with the mountain of other things I have to make)

Autumn is definitely in the air and last week we had some quite cool weather................I lit the fire for the first time and yesterday I snapped this shot of the crepe myrtle out the front...............they just have the best autumn colours..............

Also signed up for a few swaps............Once Upon a Quilt has a repros nine patch swap (sorry Australia only unless your my best buddy o/s and we work something out)..............only problem I don't have any of the fabrics...........no problems Lurline and Christine are helping me out to get started...........thanks so much girls...............very much appreciated.............

Also signed up for a pincushion swap hosted by Quilt at Home in the Netherlands.............it is an international swap..........

Check out the girls blogs as they both do beautiful work.............

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

.......Chookyblue..........

Welcome Friends Project Caddy.........

Finally I have my Welcome Friends Project Caddy finished...........yep minus the stitchery but it is done..........I am very happy..........really enjoyed making it............I had to get it finished and posted before Farmyard Crafts had her's finished with the stitchery panel............

Love it love it love it......thanks Rosalie..............(patterns available about 20 June)

But I had to go into town today so I went and spent the rest of the day stitching with friends............one of the girls had "jelly beans" cause I was finishing my project caddy in there.......so we decided to whip one up...........slightly modified Rosalie's pattern so it could be made from fat 1/4's..........it is a bit smaller so it won't fit a stitching hoop............

Interesting seeing the difference in light and medium weight pellon (I didn't know there were different ones) but I think if you have the medium weight pellon you would only use one layer.............I had the lighter one..............the girls used the medium weight..........

when we started this "Hells Bells" got jealous she was missing out so we cut this one out for her............Hells was not finished but I had to go get the kids.........so I took a quick snap.........."Simplicity by 3 Sisters" fabrics

and Hells Bells also pulled out these strips so we cut another one...........and unfortunately it was only to this stage when I had to leave but I LOVE the colours...........it will have a chocolate lining

both the girls are doing the Breast Cancer BOM..............this is one version so far...........looks great and makes me want to do it to but I just know i don't have the time.........

Hells Bells brought some bags she had made to show us............

easter bag...........

frilly.............cute.........

The foot is improving...........and after a good nights sleep the back is feeling much better..........and an easier day today was great...........

I have taken my pics of the tea swap I received but just waiting for an email back from Bonnie before I show you.............just wanted to check something with her..............

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

project caddy..........

Well you can tell I have had not a lot to do this week with my sore foot with all these posts but a girls got to have something to do.............I have several more posts nearly ready to go........

*********

I have been busting to get one of the sewing caddies made from GDITC............Rosalie's project..........but as I will be too slow to get it stitched (and to many stitcheries to finish too) I decided to make it up out of some other fabric............do you think blue chooky fabric will suit...

......I have not shown this I think but it was a gift from Colleen - thanks Colleen I love it.......

.....anyway back to the subject.........I had a blond moment and stitched the ends together wrong..........it was perfect just wouldn't turn out the right way.............yep well I missed the bit where I was supposed to turn it thru the right way then join the ends..............lol...........and I will not tell you how long it took me to work this out but...................I did...........

and then I learnt my new skill..........we had to attach the bottom to the top with ladder stitch............never done this before so off to the net and googling "ladder stitch"........yep I can do that..........you just can't see where I have joined the pieces - beautiful and this is the first time I have used this stitch..........I am sold on ladder stitch and will be using it heaps more..........

the other thing is you are supposed to put template plastic in the bottom well I had some old xrays from my nan and I cut one of those up and put into the base perfect.............

Here it is all done.............the quick version of Rosalie Quinlan's Welcome Friends Project Caddy............love it........will be making lots more thanks Rosalie..........

If you are interested in the patterns for this project Rosie said they will be available about 20th June

I Need you help now

>>>>>I was making another one to match the needlecase but you should not iron and chat to the "queen of chat" at the same time............not that i did anything toooo bad but I scorched the cream on my other project caddy...........does anyone know if this can be fixed.............does anything remove scorching????? (otherwise it will be a short fat project caddy)

******

>>>>>and my pet HATE while making the bag and any bag for that matter is the handles..........does anyone have an easy method for turning the handle straps thru...........it just kills my fingers trying to get it thru...........I have a loop turner but it only works for me when I don't have pellon ironed onto the fabric.......do you have any tips

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