Blocks of the Month and Blogiversary

Wow, it has been 5 years today since I started my blog!!!

A single rose blooming this morning, still with a couple of raindrops.

The sun is shining, although it is a bit chilly. I'm celebrating my birthday today too. I'm planning a walk in the sunshine and plenty of sewing before a family dinner tonight.

Back to Mountmellick today.

In the last few days I have been working on my BOMs.

I finished the Cherries block for Noah and Matilda.

Those are the tiniest circles I have ever made!!! The chain stitch I embroidered using a single strand of DMC floss.

I also finished June's bock for CCCQ.

Block 22 Jesse Jackson Smith.


Thank to to all my readers, followers, commenters and fellow bloggers for 5 years of encouragement and inspiration!!! Here's to the next 5 years!! :)

Things that make me happy! :)

Family

My new grandson and his daddy's hands. I love this photo my daughter sent me. They are going to take this photo every year on the baby's birthday. I wonder how long it will take for both hands to be the same size.

Mummy and son's hands.

This week my niece and her partner also welcomed a new baby into their family. This means that my husband and his brother both became grandfathers within less than a week of each other!

More things that make me happy...

A strawberry in the garden in June!! It was delicious!

Hand sewing.

Two more applique blocks for Noah and Matilda.

cactus..

and double flower.

To finish the May blocks I have lots of little cherries to make.
The June installment is the patterns for the corner blocks and the borders. I think I will be saving those patterns and get back to Noah and Matilda in July.

Happy mail. :)

Recently I discovered Alison of Cotton Factory on Instagram. I ordered this little bundle of Amy Butler fat quarters. Alison kindly included the 2 patterns too! :) I love that top fabric! (so much so I ordered some more! Lol)

A win!!

This is a big one!

Lynne of Lily's Quilts had a giveaway on her blog and her Facebook and Instagram pages. The prize is supplied by Brenda of Pink Castle fabrics and is membership of their Cotton and Steel Club.
Each month, for 12 months, I will receive 12 fat quarters from Cotton and Steel's brand new collections. That is 144 fat quarters of delicious fabric!

Flowers in the garden.

We had a very mild May and temperatures continue to be above average in June, so there are some surprising blooms for this time of year.

And last, but not least, all my followers and readers.   Thank you!

There is a new little man in my life!!

Our daughter and her husband presented us with our first grandchild at 4:11 am on Friday 30th May.
Riley weighed 2.53 kg (5 lb 9 oz) and was a week early.

I knitted these little booties the day our daughter told us we would be grandparents.

In between all my usual quilting, for the last 5 or 6 months I have been busy knitting, crocheting and sewing for the baby.
These are some things I have made.

A crocheted wrap in pure wool.

Some knitting....

A hooded jacket in moss stitch using a bamboo and wool yarn.

A cable beanie in bamboo and wool blend and a striped beanie in Geelong colours from a bamboo and cotton blend. (Riley's Dad follows Geelong in the Australian Football league, so a Geelong football jumper won't be far away!!)

As my daughter was in labour I kept myself busy making these booties.

Plenty of sewing too!

Baby wraps. Just a metre of flannelette from Spotlight with a decorative stitch on the hem.

A little minkie rabbit. Pattern from the Spring Bunny tutorial on Sew Mama Sew (pattern originally from Lorraine of Ikat Bag)

A divided basket. Pattern from Noodlehead.

A nappy bag. This pattern is the Aeroplane Bag from Sew Sweetness.

I quilted around the circles....

Inside...

There are zip pockets on each side..

I made one modification to the pattern and added patch pockets to each side. ( a bit hard to see with the same fabric!)

Lastly, of course I made a quilt!!! :)

This quilt was inspired by a quilt I saw on Jan's blog, Be*mused. Jan made a quilt for her niece Kate's baby, Alice. A quilt for Alice. This photo says it all!! :)

Rita of Red Pepper Quilts has a tutorial for Economy blocks (or square in square blocks) here.

My daughter and I had fun choosing fabrics!

It is simply quilted in the ditch.

Today I will make the label for this quilt.

Little Riley Duncan is the light of our lives!