And another last minute finish....

Remember the No Strings Attatched Challenge? I joined it way back in January. After seeing so many strings projects on the web last year, I really wanted to try one of my own, but never quite got there. I did however start saving all my strings just in case... When I saw the challenge on Stephanies blog and the fact that we had till teh 30th of June, I thought - yes! I'm in!! I've got LOTS of time!! HA!

I did make this camera case for my new camera early on, and then got caught up with life and school and other projects. Then last month I finally started doing some more strings to make a little quilt for on my coffee table. I may be late, but I am still glad I did it. Just imagine, all these bits of fabric would have ended up in the bin....


I quilted it pretty heavily, just played around really, but I wanted it to be fairly flat since it is going on the coffee table and will get mugs and stuff on it. I used scraps for the binding and a lovely colorful thread:


I am happy. It is finished. But I have one problem... I still haven't made a dent in my strings collection... so challenge or no challenge, I am going to have to keep sewing them all together.... :)

Thanks Stephanie for hosting this challenge. Even though I would have like to make more things, I am happy with what I was able to do.

By the skin of my teeth...

and thanks to Judith reminding me that by midnight tonight we needed to have the mini challenge project done for the Early Bird Christmas Crafting, I have finished with an hour and 40 min to spare... ah, what was I worried about?!

Here it is, a crochet hook wallety thingy :)


All rolled up, with a hook poking out to say, "Use me!" :


Now of course, I need to make one for myself... but I think I will put that off a little longer and head for bed :)

Gymnastics and Crocheting

My current crocheting obsession all started with gymnastics... the homeschooling group has been doing that this term on Fridays, and while the kids get really active, us mums have been sitting up in the balcony.... learning how to crochet :)

You can see my feet above... and Deborah's, who has been our wonderful teacher and encourager in all things crocheted.... You just have to go visit her blog Creative Stuff, there are soooo many cool things there...

Anyway, back to our crochet class. (It is so nice to have a class for us mums every week and have the kids entertained by others...)

So Deborah turned up with this gorgeous crocheted bag and Denise, another mum, decided she wanted to learn how to make it... so of course I had to join in, and I'm so glad I did! Here is how far mine is:


I just need to make some flowers and put it all together. I'm quite pleased... I think I will keep it for me and make some more as gifts.

Yesterday Deborah taught us a new pattern for this twirly whirly scarf, so quick and easy to make:

So this is one more finish for the early bird challenge :) And I'm working on another one:


I wonder who this is going to be for..... hee heee.....

Well, I'd better get into the sewing room. I have quilt group this afternoon, so I should get some sewing done, right?

Have a good weekend everyone :)

I {Made} a Bag!!!

I am so excited!!! It turned out really well! I didn't think I could do it, but with the great instructions on Kelly's blog, it was very straight forward. Of course I made a few changes... added a magnetic snap thingo:


And moved one of the pockets higher up and changed the sizes a bit to fit my mobile and a few other things in:


I did follow most of the instructions to the letter, however, including this last bit that Kelly wrote:

And we are DONE! Your bag is all finished. Now celebrate by
going shopping and loading it up with chocolates
or new fabric or kittens or whatever takes your fancy.

I tried at least:


But they didn't want to stay in the bag.... they much prefered to sit on top of it:


Or even better, cuddled up to their mum:


Or Elizabeth:


Giving her thumb a lick:


And when I made any moves to try to get them back in the bag, this was the response I got:


I think she has Maori blood in her....

Now for the next part of the challenge.. and a challenge it will be indeed! Making a toiletries bag with a zip in it..... hee hee he he heee heeeeeeee! (Hysterical giggling!)

Fruit of the Spirit Block 6 - Faith

Go here to download the next block!

Faith makes all things possible....

Early Bird Mini Gifts

I've been busy making little things... The good thing about making little things is that you can do them in between all the one hundred and one other things that happen in life... like birthdays. My baby turned 12 yesterday. That would be Matt.... who is really not anywhere near a baby anymore, but he will always be my baby, right? Elizabeth made him a volcano cake:

The lava was icing and lollies... lots of lollies... no wonder they all felt sick last night! I was good and didn't have any cake, but did have some lollies... can't resist M&M's - oh had some of the Oreos you see in the background too. But, I was good and crocheted this last night after dinner:


Please excuse the picture. It is late and I couldn't be bothered getting out of my chair. What do you think? A crocheted water bottle cover. Elizabeth wants it. So do I. I think I will have to make some more...

Ok, so then remember those little wedges of fabric I showed you a photo of a few posts ago? I turned them into this:

A little needle keeper....


I like it :) Who is it for??? Dunno yet....

Today I tackled a little project that I have been wanting to make ever since I saw it on the web:


A gorgeous tea wallet!!!


I used the tutorial from here. I am going to have to make a heap more of these - they were so quick and easy. But I think I will adapt it to hold six teabags... I'll keep you posted on that one.

Then with the same fabric I designed another needle case:

I had a special friend in mind when I designed this. I call her the Yoyo Queen :) She makes tons of them, so I thought it would be nice to make her a needle keeper with a yoyo on the front.


Doesn't the inside remind you of an Oreo? Ok, I know, I ate too many of them... anyway, I am going to make another in different colors for my friend, and this one can be for someone else.

You know the problem with making all these cute things?????? I want to keep them all!!!! I can see I am going to be very busy in near future!

It's late... off to bed... tomorrow is the next bom, so come back soon :)

A Lovely Day!

I have had such a relaxing day..... the one time I headed out the door was to go and see the kitties and have a cuppa with my neighbours :) And oh the kitties are so cute!!


She doesn't look too excited, does she?!


They have grown so much, and are now trying to wander around everywhere!
It was pretty hard taking photos, but they finally got comfy and I got a few good ones:




No we didn't sneak one home, but it was sure tempting!!

At home I read a book, and muddled around the house a bit. Finally unpacked this:


My Bernina overlocker - oh dear, she doesn't have a name... She has been in her box since we got back from Saudi. I kept her in there because we seem to regularly get offers to go back and I keep thinking that if I unpack her we'll get news that we are going back and I didn't want to tempt fate :) I finally gave in.... but I have kept the box, just in case she needs to be packed up nicely again:


Now I need to change the thread to white and then make Cam some singlets since his current ones are over three years old (made them just before we came back to Oz) and threadbare....

In other sewing news I pinned the bag ready for quilting, and also cut out these little bits of fabric:


I'll try to show you tomorrow what I am going to make with them .... but for now I am heading for bed.... at the end of a lovely, quiet day...

HOME HOME HOME!!!!!

I get to stay HOME today!! HOME!!! Don't have to go out!!!! Just stay HOME!!!!!!! Yes, I am excited... just got out of bed.... got a cup of tea..... no need to rush anywhere... gonna check out some blogs.... and gonna STAY HOME ALL DAY!!!!!

Aaaah what bliss!

Best laid plans....

More appointments with specialists and dentists last week, and not much time for sewing. And I had such grand plans! I should have known not to even hope for any time in the sewing room with outside stuff on four days of the week....

I took Elizabeth to her sewing class on Thursday night and brought Nina with me so I could keep working on Natural Wonders. When we got there, she set up Bernie and I set up Nina.... and noticed that I had left the pedal at home... so much for sewing that night. So I HAD to go shopping.. I mean I wasn't going to just sit there for two hours doing nothing, was I? Nope....

Off I toodled to Lincraft. Now I haven't been there for years... and I was so surprised to see this huge store with all sorts of things. They used to be just a fabric shop, but they have all sorts of craft stuff there now. Anyway, I was reasonably good.. hee hee.

First of all I got some Christmas colored yarn to make little bags/baskets:


I snuck in a mixed fat quarter pack:


Because I really liked the blue with flowers and this one:


Then I headed over the the new patchwork shop in Ballarat and found a charm pack to use for the bag challenge. So yummy:


After that little bit of shopping I went back to see how the girls were going and started crocheting with the Christmas colors. I made these two little baskets, my first finishes for the Early Bird Christmas challenge (taken next to the iron so that you can see how small they are):

I love to make homemade goodies for Christmas and put them in a basket for friends. I thought this was a different way of presenting them... When I learn to crochet a bit better I suppose I could put some more decorations on them, but with some lollies (candy) inside, or homemade cookies wrapped in cellophane... I think they will do :)

Last night and today after church I managed to work on the bag a bit and got this far:


Next step batting I think.... but that will have to happen tomorrow.

I have more well laid plans for this week.... not many outings, so maybe I will get some of my plans done!!! I sure hope so!