Vignette stitching

This week is racing by and I feel like I haven't had much time to read all your inspiring blogs!  Tonight we have my dear father-in-law's birthday dinner so perhaps after that I can have a blog catch-up!

In the weekend I completed the shoo-fly blocks and started the stitching of the Vignette block 4, so far I have finished the bird stitchery ...

The orchid posy in the top photo is for my father-in-law and while I was choosing that for him I found a cute heart for me ...

I think it will look perfect hanging beside my cross stitch one day!
I hope to 'see' you this evening, happy stitching, Wendy

A good day

Today was one of those days that felt good and I accomplished a lot!  I had my fire going, I got through lots of work and then, as my reward, I got some preparation work done for sewing ...


I have traced the pattern for block 4 of the Vignette Mystery quilt

The cutting is done for the 7 shoo fly blocks

I have also traced another robot to make this gorgeous cushion to go with the Boys Story quilt

I am hoping to get the shoo fly blocks made over the weekend so I will be all ready to start stitching next week ... we'll see!!

Barney loves the fire as much as I do so he has had a lazy inside day.  Here he is on Charlie's bean bag, he actually thinks it's his and will do his best to get her off when he wants to hop on, otherwise they look pretty cute together when they share! Happy sewing, Wendy

Hexagons

Just a short post tonight as I really should be heading to bed!  I got quite a bit of hexie stitching done in the weekend and have sewed my first two rows together for my Vignette hexagon quilt.

Five more rows to go!! 
Well, I'm off to bed, happy stitching, Wendy

FNSI results

Whew, it's been a long day!  We have just got home from the Celebrating Age evening, it all went to plan and everyone had a ball!
Here is the sewing I got done last night for FNSI ...

4 more hexie flowers for my Vignette hexagon quilt

Holly was my couch companion for the evening ...

She is such a cute little cat I couldn't resist taking her photo!

Sewing hexagons last night reminded me how much I enjoy them and how relaxing they are to work on.  I have now completed 20 flowers for the second row so today, as I got time, I managed to start sewing them together.  This is where I am up to ...

Well, I think I have time to see what sewing others got done last night before I go to bed.
Have a good Sunday everyone, Wendy

FNSI

I have been working through my list, checking things off, so I can spend some time sewing tonight for Friday Night Sew In.  I think I feel like some hexie sewing!  If you want to join us look for the Friday Night Sew In button on my side bar, click on it and you can register to join in!

We have a "Celebrating Age" evening tomorrow night, really just a chance to treat the older folk at church, so today I have been busy making things for it ...

Minestrone soup

Wholemeal buns

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

This lemon cake is very yummy although the photo doesn't do it justice and I better not cut it yet since it is for tomorrow!  It is so easy to make with a food processor and makes a really big cake.  I have included the recipe in case anyone is interested:

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

1 3/4 cups sugar

rind of 2 lemons, peeled with a potato peeler

2 large eggs

1 cup oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup yoghurt

2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cups self-raising flour

Blend the sugar and rind in the food processor until the peel is finely chopped.  Add the eggs, oil and salt and process until thick and smooth, then add the yoghurt and lemon juice and blend to mix.  Add the flour and process just enough to combine with the rest of the mixture.  Pour mixture into a non-stick, sprayed and floured 23cm ring pan (which holds 7 cups of water).  Bake for 30 minutes.  Enjoy.

I also made some gifts for the older folk:

24 chocolate gifts

Tomorrow I just need to make more buns and some roast veges to go with the roast beef, and thankfully the meat isn't on my list!

Josh (11 years) came home from school yesterday with his first bit of sewing ...

Joshua's pencil case

There wasn't much choice of letters and Josh wanted to write 'Shrek' (note the green Shrek ears!) so he ended up with the SHRX, then his dad suggested he add the 'T'' so it is a cross between a T-Rex and Shrek!  Cute!!

Well, that has been a long post, I am looking forward to some stitching tonight and will think of you all doing the same around the world!

Happy stitching, Wendy.

I should be working!!

Yes, Wednesday is usually one of my work days ... but ... I decided to finish the last block of the Boys Story quilt and one thing lead to another!!
Here is the last block ...

So that's when I got carried away and couldn't stop ...

It seemed a little thing to keep on and get all the blocks sewn together, but now it's almost 2 p.m. and I haven't even looked at work!  Oh well, it is a good feeling to get the quilt top done and I will just have to work twice as hard tomorrow!
I am undecided about how to quilt this, hand quilting or professionally quilted.  I haven't done this before but would so love to get this one finished for Josh, hmmm, decisions, decisions!
I enjoyed my 5 hours scrapbooking on Saturday and am now feeling more up to date, just have to finish off the pages and do the journalling.  It's quite hard to photograph scrapbook pages but here is a sampling of what I got done ...

And just when I don't really need any more distractions from work, these two came in the mail yesterday ...

Wow, three blocks in the Vignette quilt to make, that will keep me busy!  And I love the Sweet Sentiments book by Natalie Bird, there are some really nice gift ideas and smaller projects that I can easily see myself making.
Well, I must get organised now ready for Josh's soccer practice!  We don't get home until about 6:00p.m. but the wonderful thing about that is coming home to Paul cooking dinner!
Happy stitching, Wendy

Another block done ...

I had a productive Friday ... a little bit of housework, a little bit of paper work, and a whole lot of stitching!  I managed to finish the 6th block of the Boys Story quilt ...

This is another of my favourite blocks and now there is only one more block to go!  I really want to get this quilt top finished before I get back into the Vignette mystery quilt ... my Vignette magazine should arrive next week ... and then I know there will be lots of sewing!  I have also been ignoring my hexagons so would like to get back to them soon. 

Tomorrow I am having a change of pace, attending a five hour scrapbooking workshop.  This used to be my preferred craft, I have scrapbooked for at least ten years, but since last year quilting has really become my favourite thing to do.  However, I want to keep my albums up to date, hence the workshop.  If tomorrow is anything like today it will be very wet so perfect for being indoors!

By the way, thank you to everyone who commented about Charlie's owl diary, she loved reading your comments and she got 88%.  Didn't she do well!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, happy stitching, Wendy

Tuesday's treasure and a finish

I like the idea of remembering things I am thankful for so I am linking again to Melody's Tuesday's treasures here.  I have chosen a corner of my bathroom ... I had an awful bathroom for many years so I was incredibly thankful when it was 'done up' a few years ago ... and this corner of it has many treasures.

We bought the antique corner cupboard, it was just the right size (small) for this spot.  I made a curtain for the bottom half to hide all the unattractive but necessary cleaning products.  Paul bought me the beautiful wash bowl and jug for Christmas a couple of years ago and a dear friend bought me the white heart.  Each time I enter the bathroom this little corner makes me smile!

I picked up my little cross stitch today on the way home from work ... all framed so it is now finished!

Me and Thee, source unknown
Stitched on 32ct linen with Cottage Garden thread No 504, Lilli-pilli

It will eventually hang in the main bedroom, but as most of the wall paper is stripped at this stage it wouldn't make a very nice photo!  One day ...
Thank you for visiting, happy stitching.  Wendy

Long weekend happenings

We have had a long, mostly wet, weekend - a great chance to get some sewing done.
I finished block 8 of the Boys Story quilt ...

This is Charlie's favourite cartoon strip because the boy gets zapped!!
I have also finished piecing together the table runner so now I am up to quilting it...

On Friday, husband Paul and I went to a garden centre and bought a Blush Babe apple tree and a Satsuma mandarin and Paul planted them straight away ... yum ... we can't wait to get our own fruit!

A productive weekend!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
Happy stitching, Wendy

Homework, Homework, HOMEWORK!

Recently, I've had enough homework to snow-in a yeti and, somehow, my teachers expected me to have it all in on the correct dates!!!  I've had essays, reading responses, math exercises, totem poles, and a diary!!

To get it all in, I had to work late and get up early-woohoo (not)!!

Our criteria was to make a diary for one of the people in "I Heard an Owl Call My Name". Ever read it?

Our cover page was worth 30% of the mark and it had to be fancy...sooo this is what I did:



My owl diary

  Hopefully my teacher likes it!!!

Somehow, during all this hw, I managed to fit in a bit of baking!!! I made one HUGE chocolate cake, and 4 cupcakes...with real chocolate icing :)



Three for me and one for you all to share!!!

Happy stitching, sewing and long-weekending!!
Charlie