Tuesday's treasures

Today's Tuesday's Treasures over at Melody's is all about celebrating our pets.  Here is Barney, really he should be named Taz (the Tasmanian devil in Looney Tunes); since having him we have decided it is best to have the cat for a while and then name him!  Barney was a wild four month old when we got him, his first day with us was spent with him hissing, scratching, running away and hiding under furniture.  He didn't eat or drink or go to the toilet.  His second day with us I decided things needed to change so I managed to catch him in an old towel.  Protected with thick gloves I feed him via a dropper and so the taming process began.  We had a hiccup when he was five months old, he swallowed his play string and it wrapped around his intestine.  He needed major surgery, his bowel was cut in three places to remove the string and the vet didn't think he would survive.  The top photo shows his shaved tummy after the operation, he was so sad, skinny and in pain but he refused to eat at the vets so it was decided he would have more chance to live at home.  Barney ... we love him to bits, he is our Jekyll and Hyde, our Taz ... so loving and cuddly and responsive (I'm sure he thinks I'm his mum and the kids his brother and sister) but at times so fierce and scratchy and scary!!  And it's his fifth birthday today!

My sewing so far this week?  I am working on a Christmas Angel swap gift, here is a sneak peek, one is a finished item and one I am still working on.

Swap sewing and more

Petit amour bag, needlecase and pincushion - Lisa Pyke of Cubby House Crafts, Homespun magazine No. 100

A couple of posts ago I showed you the beautiful gifts Leanne had sent me.  Well, she has received my gifts now so I can show you what I made her.  I love this set designed by Lisa, it is the third time I have made the pincushion!

This weeks sewing has included my Penny Rug BOM with Melody, a secret Christmas item for the Christmas Angel swap, and some cutting for my Vignette quilt. My penny rug is by no means perfect, Charlie thinks the beehive looks like a corncob and one of my sheep (not the one I'm showing up close) got ironed on too high a setting, oh dear!  It is starting to feel like autumn here, the sun is shining but there is a little nip in the air, I love it!  Something about the approach of autumn always makes me feel happy, I cannot even explain the feeling, I just love it.  Wendy

FNSI and Sunday lunch

A daffodil and a tulip, two more flowers for Charlie's quilt.  I sewed the tulip during the week and finished the daffodil for Friday Night Sew In.  Saturday was busy, my three sisters and I helped Dad go through Mum's things, quite a strange experience, I felt flat by the end of the day.  So Sunday was a lovely reward - church in the morning and the two Granddad's came for lunch.  Yum ... roast chicken, roast potatoes, salad and apple juice followed by our favourite caramel ice cream dessert, I must share that recipe sometime! Wendy

Monthly make and lucky, lucky me

Diary cover - In the Life of a Bag by Anni Downs

I was so tempted to spend a fortune on a new diary and organiser from one of those beautiful stationery shops but after looking through Anni Downs book "In the Life of a Bag" I decided to improve the one I had instead. I used American-themed fabrics I was given in last years Christmas swap.  I am feeling pretty pleased with myself and this is my February Monthly Make with The Felt Fairy.  Valentines Day treats included heart lollies from my husband and white chocolate cupcakes made by me, yum!

Leanne and I shared a fun swap together and I was blown away when her gift for me arrived.  Inside were all the goodies above:  lots of fabric, thread, tape measure, stationery, a gorgeous Gail Pan pattern, and lovely gifts Leanne had made - a heart ornament with beautiful stitchery, a pincushion and a needle book.  I love the look of the heart hanging on my china cabinet door.  A huge thank you to Leanne for spoiling me with such generous and perfect gifts!  Once Leanne has received my gifts I will post about them and I'll be back in the weekend with my Friday Night Sew In results.

Sunny weekend

The weekends go too fast.  We made the most of the sunshine - gardening, washing, picking flowers for church and hanging out on the deck.  It's early Monday evening now and I have just returned from an afternoon at the medical centre after Josh (12 years) stood on a glass bottle at school.  He needed seven stitches for two deep cuts and now he is home for the rest of the week!  Would you believe me if I said that our children had never had broken bones or stitches and yet now we've experienced both, only two months into 2012!

As far as sewing goes I have managed to complete another five blocks for The Farmer's Wife quilt-along so I have finished February's set.  The blocks are #72 Railroad, #69 Practical Orchard, #70 Prairie Queen, #84 Spool, and #81 Snowball.  Next on my list is my monthly make and some blocks for Charlie's quilt.  Just as well I have signed up for Friday Night Sew In, I have plenty of projects to choose from!  Wendy

Sew Alongs

We are having a lazy Sunday, (apart from Paul who is working the weekend), the kids and I went to church in the morning, had home made bread for lunch, a Nana nap for me, and then a catch up on my favourite blogs.  This week I have completed January's sewing for Melody's Home Sweet Home and I have sewn five blocks for the Farmer's Wife sew along that I am doing with Brynwood Needleworks.  The blocks above are #9 Box, #16 Calico Puzzle, #21 Contrary Wife, #23 Country Farm, and #41 Friendship Star.  Another five to go for this month.  I am enjoying the process of working on one block at a time, thinking about fabrics just for the one block and seeing how the fabrics work together once sewn.  Very satisfying.