A Giveaway!!

I've been beavering away lately making this blockholder.

I do like making these; I think it's because they are practical, pretty and achievable.

Pages of cotton batting to keep blocks cozy and safe

I've also been thinking about celebrating...Since I have been blogging I have passed special milestones like first post, 10th post, 50th post, 100 post (and so on), I've also had 1st blog birthday, 2nd blog birthday; 1st follower, 100 followers - and all these have passed by without a celebration...
This month is my birthday month so I have decided that NOW is the time to celebrate!!!
So without further ado, I introduce to you, my FIRST EVER giveaway!!!

If you would like to win this Block holder, carefully designed and crafted by moi, just leave a comment on this post. You do need to be a follower (old or new) and of course you need to be contactable (ie not a no-reply commenter).
I'm happy to post to anywhere in blogland. I'll keep this open until 31st July.

[And because I've got so many patterns and ideas from others in blogland, I will have the pattern for this available for you to download  - probably next week when I have finshed writing up the instructions and have worked out properly how to do the google.doc thing! I'll let you know when that happens :-) ]
Thanks for joining me in my celebrations!! Happy stitching,

A mini finish and another gift

I still seem to be in my Mini Phase. They are an easy thing to manage when all your sewing things are upended. I tried to be so logical and organised when I packed up my sewing cave a few months back (for our little house extension) but I failed miserably!

In the meantime, minis seem to be the way to go. I've just finished this one.

Cute huh? The pattern is Scrappy Whirlwind from the About.com Quilting site. The little blocks are foundation paper pieced and finish at 3". I probably took the papers out a bit early and therefore some of the points aren't quite matching but I decided not to lose sleep over it:-)

I had fun with the quilting - not a free motion foot in sight. After Wendy pointed out the secondary pinwheel pattern (duh, I hadn't picked it up (yet)!), I was inspired to fill the pinwheels with stitching. I quite like the effect.

Then I played with my fancy stitches and the memory button on my machine and did this simple outer border quilting.

I see Temecula Quilt Co is doing another mini Sew Along - this time with stars. As I've done both the others this year, the 12 Days of Christmas and Blessings Baskets (which is still in the quilting stage)I'm thinking, why break a tradition... I may as well join in again!

I received an awesome gift from our son and dil in the post today -

Photos blown up and printed on canvas.
Photo 1 - Mumsy and her Big Boy
Photo 2 - DIL holding the Koala, and me and my 3 kids.

The girls and I recently 'popped over' to Mid-Queensland (Australia) to surprise my Big Boy for his birthday. We had a wonderful time, the surprise was completely a surprise, and these photos will be a fabulous momento of the weekend.

Sneaky peeky

There will be some more gifting going on here (sometime) next week - so it would be nice if you came back then for another visit.....
Until then, happy creating every-body!

Another block and some gifts.

I seem to have had another bloggy break but I am hoping I am back with a vengeance this time.
While I have been 'absent' I have finished another of my Hop To It blocks...

Block 7 - Batik Beauty. Fromthe book Hop To It by Edyta Sitar.

 

I am so keen to get this done - I have just 3 blocks to go. In my last post I was wondering about my colourwaves for the sashing/borders. I've gone off the rust idea and think I will go for a different look incorporating the fabrics I have used in the blocks. In the end I decided that the rust just didn't let the blocks shine... so I will continue to play and see what happens.

I've also been the lucky recipient of some lovely gifts recently... it was my birthday and some of my gifts included handmade items from my clever crafty friends.
Leeanne made me this cushion. It is made using the Trapunto technique, with extra batting put behind areas at the back. Very lovely.

I've put this photo first as it shows the real colour.

I didn't realise the colour had washed out in the photo until I loaded it! It does
show the dsign off very well though!

Barbara made me this tape measure cover. All done in wool felt. Absolutely lovely.

Great detail - very effective.

And Kerry surprised me with this scarf. Lengths of yarn laid out between wash-away and joined at intervals with zig-zag stitch. Cunning huh?

Just my colour! And I've worn it on an outing already.

Love the textures

Wasn't I spoiled?? Thank you so much, lovely ladies. - I love them all.

I've run myself out of time tonight - will share more next time. In the meantime, I hope you're all finding some creating time - and keeping warm, or cool, and dry, where-ever you live!