What I've been up to lately (Jelly roll skirt and fondant car cake)

My son turned one recently and I used to hate to hear people say "oh gosh they grow so fast" because I mean, really, a year takes 365 days to go by no matter who you are! But ....Oh gosh he grew so fast LOL.
Anywho. I made him a car cake because he loves anything with wheels (vacuum cleaner and wheelie bin included).
Here are a few pics:




I went to the Sydney Craft and Sew show in Rosehill yesterday and bought so much stuff. Too busy to list it here, but I'm sure you'll see plenty of my goodies as they become finished projects!

I wanted to wear my skirt that I made from some of a Moda Ruby jelly roll that Ally gave me! It was a VERY rainy cold day so I just put my black tights underneath it. Here are a few pics (at the end of the day, sorry not freshly ironed LOL)

Name game quilt swap - My partner received my hand made mini quilt!

My partner, Christie at Describe Happy received her mini quilt! I'm glad she seems to like it! I was so keen to make it that I did it before her inspiration mosaic went up LOL Oops. I also saw the size of some of the others and wished I'd made it bigger. I've never participated in a swap before, but I have learned a lot this time.
I also wish I'd put more things along with it, but at least I included a card with an image of Australia on it and a special note.
Here is me holding it...

I sewed lots of love into it.
I've wanted to do the pleat thing for ages, but I am normally making practical items so this is the first chance I got.

I've been doing counted cross stitch since Mum taught me at about 8 or 10 years old, but it's something I only pick up every couple of years. I like it better than blanket stitch and cutting out fiddly letters to fuse so that was the main motivation for that.
--
Here is a pic of me with the quilt I got from my partner in France (I know, it's huge compared to the one I made! Feel terrible, but I didn't know you could go bigger than the suggested size at the time, so I'm sure my husband would say "there's no point worrying about it!")


I'm loving it more and more. My Mum loved it the first day she saw it and wanted it for her sewing room (thank God it had my name sewn on!), and I think I was expecting something else to come and it took me a day to let it grow on me.
I also didn't realise at first that it was the window, seat, desk and bookshelf. So that was probably why I didn't immediately love it.
But now I look at it and am so chuffed!! I love the French flag to remind me how far it has come, just for me!

Does anyone know what this game is? Mah jong? [Thrift store share]

My Mum bought this gorgeous game from an op shop this year and I don't know what it is. It seems to have one of the black pieces missing, as there is one more red piece than black.
The pieces are dazzling, and the case is enchanting. I can see why she couldn't leave it behind for the sake of $9!!


The outside of the case:


Please help us solve the mystery of what it is. Maybe one day we can get to have a game!

Baby Harem pants sz1 made from adult blouse sleeves

Cute, huh? These were sleeves that were cut from a top my Mum liked but wanted in "sleeveless" version. I pinned a tutorial on Pinterest and when it came time to make a unique first birthday present for a baby of a friend whose little crawler doesn't like dresses, I simply had to make them.



Her version was made using a blouse with very "pouffy" wrist to arm ratio, but my sleeves were not like that. I just unpicked the wrist from the rest and cut a little off the end before sewing it back together and making it more gathered.

Thanks to my nephew CJ for holding the baby still, I honestly took TWENTY FOUR photos of him and there are only these 3 that aren't [that] blurry!
Apologies for the lack of related styling, he's a boy with a boyish tshirt on, it was either this or a picture of them lying on my olfa mat haha.

I bought ribbing to complete the top from Spotlight.
As the recycled sleeves were only 3/4 length, I put a little extra in the front and back to allow them to fit over a squirming toddler and unforgiving nappy.

I think I will need to put elastic in the ankle part to finish them. Hope Charlotte likes them!

If you missed the link above, the TUTORIAL is HERE from

Name game quilt swap - Received my mini quilt & it's classic!

I am writing this late at night whilst my Husband tells me I should be asleep, so it is very brief!!
I received my much anticipated name game swap mini quilt this week! It was the size of a big shoe box and I didn't realise it was received until the next morning because my husband had put it on the table and I didn't see it!
First up was a letter to tell the story of my package all the way from France!


Wrapped in tissue paper *adorable*!!


Name game Mini quilt received from Christine. See the bookshelf, window, table books, and stool!? It's amazing!!

Lucky for me, she put my name on it. With the little French flag and all, my mother wants to steal it to hang in HER sewing room, but it is really growing on me.


And a little something extra again!


As well as all this thoughtful stuff. Some local magazines, a bunch of gorgeous notepads for sketching ideas, some super cute red buttons, red papers and a bookmark too!
That green fabric is all mine, and I think it may become one of my "uncuttables". You know, one of those fat quarters for which no project is ever good enough so it stays in your stash forever because you just love it too much to wreck it by cutting it up!!

My only regret is that I wish I sent more to my partner, but I guess Christine has taught me to share more of myself next time I am a part of a swap. Thank you, Christine. your handiwork will hang in my home with appreciation. (Another little note to you - How do I know your blog address? I know your swap partner has sent your parcel to you because she is my friend! And I think you should receive your package soon!)

Block of the month eagerness

I did as much as I could do on my block of the month while on holiday.
Between beach visits and trips around the shops, sleeping, a few bevvies and taking care of an almost one year old munchkin, I pre stitched the borders for the remaining words which are yet to be received, and finished the word Help.
I adjusted the watering can image because I thought my interpretation of Lenora's image would look too busy. I've done most of my pics using straight stitch because I keep forgetting to read the key.
I began the flowers doing chain stitch daisy centres. Once they were all done, I somehow saw them as yellow roses so I built on them to get what you see, and did stems with leaves or thorns (whatever u want). I showed my husband and that's when it dawned on me that yellow roses are my favourite! It's funny how the law of attraction works when you least expect it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Holiday shopping

I have frequented the local quilt shop on my holiday and found some gorgeous Robert Kaufman fabrics, as well as really great blue sky n cloud fabric that I just HAD to have (you know the deal) and I'm simply desperate to cut it and use it.Not sure I will b able to after all this build up, it might join the ranks of my roses fabric, for which no pattern ever seems good enough hee hee
I have finished all the hand sewing possible for my block of the month including the border of the words for which I still haven't received the packages coming in due course.
Anyhoo, finishing this blog with a chai in my hand, the sun on my skin, the crashing waves reminding me that life carries on and on. I had better catch up to the husband and son to make the most of it xx

posted from Bloggeroid