Back into Vignette stitching

This week I have spent my spare time catching up with Vignette stitching and I have finished block 4 ...

I couldn't resist laying out the first four blocks on my bed ...

... dreaming of the day that my bedroom is redecorated and this quilt takes pride of place!!  In the meantime I hope to start blocks 5 and 9 soon.
The other Vignette stitching that I dusted off this week is my hexagons ...

... eight made now for the third row.
And I received exciting mail this week, the August pattern for the Cookies and Cream Craft Christmas club.  It is very cute so I may want to start that soon.  I won't post photos of the pattern yet so I don't spoil the surprise for anyone.
Happy stitching, Wendy

FNSI results

I stayed up late last night with my husband, he was happily watching the rugby, All Blacks vs Fiji, and I was happily sewing for FNSI. 

Two friends and I have birthdays in August so we have planned a scrapbooking day together on Wednesday the 3rd August with plenty of goodies and treats!!  I decided to make us each a hanging cushion so last night was the perfect opportunity to keep working on them.  I had already completed two of the stitcheries so I completed the third and then assembled the cushions.  They needed a little finishing off today and now just need bells sewn on the points when I get some ...

Hanging cushions - Sweet Sentiments by Natalie Bird

Cute fabric on the back





Thanks Heidi for hosting FNSI, I look forward to seeing what others got done around the world!  I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend, we are going ten pin bowling tonight to celebrate a nephew's 21st - fun!!

Happy stitching, Wendy

Exciting mail ...

Michelle at Rag Tag Stitching had a fantastic give-away and was so generous that she chose four winners ... and I was one!!  My first win and I love the pattern Michelle has sent me ...

A gorgeous wall-hanging with mittens, a snowman and a gingerbread man ... I love it, thank you so much Michelle.
I have started working on the Natalie Bird hanging cushions for friends and have finished the first stitchery ...

I have two more stitcheries traced ready to stitch and then I can start making them into cushions.
It's Friday Night Sew In tomorrow so don't forget to sign up.  I am looking forward to spending an evening sewing with you all!
Happy stitching, Wendy

A finish and Tuesday's treasure

I have a finish!  It is always a good feeling isn't it ...

The Joy of Christmas - Gail Pan designs, from the Cookies and Cream Christmas Club

Well I do need to buy a hanger and little bells to go on the prairie points but I still reckon it counts as a finish!  I love Gail Pan designs and really enjoyed making this one ... now, I just need to wait for Christmas to hang it!!

Since it's holidays this week I have time to think about a Tuesday's treasure, so today my treasure is a plant ...

At winter, when there isn't much scented around, it is so nice to walk down the front path and be greeted by the scent of my Daphne bush and I often bring sprigs of it into the house.  I love it and it has always been such a healthy bush, just the sort of plant I need in my garden!  The little jar is from my husband's grandmother, it is actually a little sauce decanter (I think) as it has a little stopper.  I am happy to use it for flowers though.

Thanks to Melody for hosting Tuesday's Treasures.

Happy stitching, Wendy

Friday catch-up

Isn't winter the perfect season for sewing?  I like nothing better than knowing I will be home in the evening in front of the fire and getting a little bit more done on my stitching.  I am working away on block 4 of the Vignette quilt and also the Joy of Christmas ...

Today, while I was out and about completing chores, I popped into a new quilt shop, The Shabby Rose, and purchased a little bundle of fat quarters and ribbon ...

Quite different from what I usually buy but it is very pretty.  Two friends have birthdays in August so I am thinking of making them hanging cushions from the Sweet Sentiments book by Natalie Bird.  Hopefully I will achieve that!!

School holidays have started today but poor Charlie and DH are both full of flu so I hope they will get better quickly.  Josh has been a real treasure, fetching and carrying for them while I was out.

Hope you all have a great weekend, happy stitching, Wendy

Christmas in July

It has been a cold winter day ... in fact Charlie just came out from bed to check out the lightning and hail!  Perfect for the fire and stitching though and I have made a start on the Cookies and Cream Christmas Club pattern - The Joy of Christmas by Gail Pan ...

The other day Holly thought all her Christmas' had come at once.  While I was working from home there was a bang on the window and, on investigating through the glass, Holly and I saw a little white-eye (aka silver eye or wax eye) had flown into the window and was sitting stunned in the garden.  There was a moment of silence as Holly and I eyed each other up and then the race was on!  Holly shot out the cat door and I sprinted out the front door, opposable thumbs and the ability to open doors won the day!

I climbed the barbecue table on the deck to put this gorgeous little bird high in the Bottle brush tree so it could recover from it's headache in safety!

Later that evening, still feeling cheated, Holly turned her attention to Rusty (our goldfish) ...

In the end she had to settle for meat from a can!  Holly is one frustrated kitty!!

Happy stitching, Wendy

Tuesday's treasure

I do not always get time to choose a Tuesday's treasure because of work but today Josh's school finished early so I had time ... I choose a collection of photos I have on my wall as my treasure ...

The top row are Paul's family and the bottom row is mine ... so it is Paul's parents in the middle and grandparents either side and then the same for me.  The photos aren't great because it was very hard avoiding a glare on the glass! Here is a closer look at our parents on their wedding days ...

Our wedding photo sits below these to add to the collection ...

This little group of photos is my treasure today because I love to have visual reminders of our history and, of course, these people were/are very important to us!!  Thank you Melody for hosting Tuesday Treasures.

Happy stitching, Wendy

Robot cushion

A finish!  I was able to get some sewing done on Sunday afternoon and had just a little bit to finish off today, so here is the Robot cushion, another pattern from Anni Downs 'A Boys Story' book ...

Robot cushion - A Boys Story by Anni Downs



The back

It makes a large snugly cushion, it will look perfect on Josh's bed with the quilt once it is finished.  The colours probably aren't the best as I had to use the flash.
I got lovely mail on Friday ... I had joined the Cookies & Cream Craft Christmas Club and my July pattern arrived ...

I love this pattern from Gail Pan and I also love Cottage Garden threads so I can't wait to try out this new thread colour on this gorgeous Christmas wall hanging.  And I have four more patterns coming, August through to November ... I'm looking forward to them already!!
Happy stitching, Wendy