Quick Christmas FQ Swap Gift!!!

Wow!!! I have been very spoiled again!!! I received a lovely package in the mail from Simona who lives in Croatia! The ribbon is absolutely gorgeous!! I love the little buttons, especially the sparkly ones! There are Christmas stickers, gift cards and a calender. The months on the calender are written in French and my husband has claimed that gift for himself!! He grew up speaking French so he loves that calender!

Below is a better photo of the fat quarters Simona sent. Don't you just love those cute bears!!! :)

Just look at those beautiful stamps on the envelope too!!!


Simona was my very first visitor from Croatia. It is amazing how blogging can bring together friends from so many different parts of the world. I am very happy I started blogging because it has given me a chance to make friends with lots of wonderfully friendly and inspiring people from places I would never get to visit. Go on over to Simona's blog, she has some beautiful quilting to see. :)


Thank you very much to Vicki for organising the swap.

My SSCS gift was put in the post on Friday. I hope the recipient enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed making it!


Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate Thanksgiving! :)

A little progress

Not much sewing has been happening here over the last couple of weeks. Above are 2 more basket blocks for the Waterloo quilt. The baskets are sewn together using English Paper Piecing, then appliqued down. I am using Superior Bottom Line thread for the EPP and applique. The embroidery on each handle is done with floss from Weeks Dye Works. The threads are hand dyed and there is quite a bit of variation in colour in each skein.



These pieces are for the next round of the AQ. They are much faster to sew together than the Le Moyne stars!

I have found a lovely blog by a lady who lives in Holland. She has recently started posting in English as well as Dutch. Danielle has beautiful work!

I am very lucky and spoiled!!

I wasn't expecting anything in the mail, so I was very surprised when I found this waiting for me when I got home.



Inside was a beautiful Kath Kidston card.....with red roses on it. :)


I love everything Kath Kidston!!!!!......................and also inside was..........







All this delicious fabric!!!!



Yes, its the bird toiles from the Rouenneries line by the French General for Moda.

The fabric is a cotton / linen blend and its lovely and soft and the prints are gorgeous. I have been fondling and drooling all day!!!






Thank you Ranette!!!

First Basket

Today I did a class with Sue Daley (of Patchwork with Busy Fingers) for her Waterloo quilt.

We had a great day and I learned a lot.

I am using the same Rouenneries fabrics that Sue used, except I am using the linen as my background fabric.

The first basket block is finished! :)






More Graham Thomas roses. The red rose is Red Velvet.

A New Pattern

I saw this quilt hanging in the shop where I learnt quilting in late 2005. I admired the quilt every time I saw it and thought, one day, when my skills are good enough I want to make that quilt. Not too long after that the shop closed. I thought I had lost my chance to make that wonderful quilt.

Imagine my delight when, just recently, I found out the pattern had been re-released! It arrived in the mail yesterday. Hommage to Sallie Ann is another design by Di Ford and the pattern is available from Threadbear in Castlemaine, Vic.

I can't wait to make a start on it, but I have quite a few other projects I am working on at the moment and I really need to finish something before starting another new quilt!

I have made a start on the next round of the Antique Quilt and my SSCS goodies are almost finished.


This is my favourite yellow rose. Its a David Austin rose called Graham Thomas. The bush has lots of buds at the moment, so I will have roses for a while.

Goodbye Maggie. :(

We are all very upset and sad here. Our beautiful family cat of over 16 1/2 years passed away last night. Maggie was a wonderful cat as our children grew up. We also had Maggie's mum and grandmother.........so this is the end of the line.
My daughter chose Maggie from the kittens we had, but Maggie chose my eldest son as her "carer".
I hope Maggie and my son have found each other in Heaven.