A Little Peek!

I thought you might like to look at the progress I
have made on the 'Spring Magic' fabric from 2 posts ago....
I am so excited and it is turning out just like I imagined....

The colors in this are so fresh and have
that 'Spring' feeling about them...
Hopefully I can show it to you all finished very soon....

Tomorrow is the new freebie on 'Among the Gum Trees'
and also the newsletter for February is out too,
so you can read what all the Gum Tree Designers have been doing.
So don't forget to download the fabulous design made for you by Joy
Vicki from Tozz's Corner has 'Flirting with Flowers' from her BOM
due out tomorrow too...
These BOM's are so lovely and are free for you to download......

I am now going to finish off some secret sewing that
I have been doing before it gets to late...
Oops it is late...LOL...

Till next time.
Hugs
Dawn x x

A Quilt Shop visit and a Purple Heart!

On Saturday my friend and I went to visit Hetties Patch.

I purchased some fabrics for my stash
Stripes...I love stripes, they look so yummy.
Plus a charm pack of squares...'Garden Party'
by Blackbird Designs for Moda...
I am thinking of making a bag for a friend.

My mum's Purple Heart Quilt.
My darling mum can cook the most wonderful meals...
she can make even the simplest of foods turn out to be first class ...
and I love to eat over at my parents place.
As I grew up I realised that I didn't have my mums cooking skills...
not even a little bit..
it takes me forever to make something, so
quick and easy is the go for me when it comes to food.
But sewing or quilting or anything craft I can do.

Once my mum retired and I taught her to quilt...
she took to it like a duck to water....now she sews more than I do.
A few days ago she came over to show me her Purple Heart quilt..
It is a mixture of patterns from all over the place.
Mum used lots of techniques in making this
and quitled it herself too.
I am so proud, it looks so wonderful.
Well done Mum...I love you!

Has a family member inspired you to quilt or sew,
or have you inspired others to do the same?

Hugs and Blessings
Dawn x x x

Some 'Spring Magic '

is what I have been playing with just lately...
and I am loving it...
I have had the fabric for some time and had started
on a project, then I just got sidetracked on other things....
Now I am focused again and have been busy
tweaking it and making it 'perfick'.
I also have given myself a time to finish it....
The end of the first week of February....
Can I do it?... I am going to try...
If you wish to purchase some of this gorgeous fabric
the lovely Fiona has some lengths at Mothers Cupboard
or try here or here for charm squares...
I used both....

Hugs and Sweet Blessings
Dawn x x x

P.s. before I forget this is my 97th post and
I am going to have a giveaway for my 100th Post.
So keep a LOOK OUT!

Don't Look Now.....

designed this cushion and I loved making it.
You can make it too, just visit here.
(So sorry the pics blurry.... camera trouble...)
I made this cushion for my friends little girls birthday...
Laura, she is so special and sweet and this cushion
looks so special and sweet... so they went together....
I wanted to make it for her bed
I was so pleased with the outcome
and so was Laura and her mum...

That I bought this pattern from Kellies Blog shop...

These are so sweet and all girlie yumminess that
now I have to make some more cushions... he he
It is all good for quilting practice I tell myself....
Off to cut out some stitching things.....
Have a great weekend.
Hugs and Blessings
Dawn x x

Girlie Placemat / Dolly Quilt Tutorial.

Here is my first tutorial....a girlie placemat or dolly quilt....
I made these for the little girls that came to
my darling daughters 4th birthday as the thankyou gift...
They turned out cheaper than the little toys
you put in kids lolly bags.....
and more of a keepsake too.

Instructions!


All seams are 1/4"
Cut 1 white 3 1/2" x 10 1/2"strip
and 6 colored 2 1/2" x 10 1/2" strips
I used jelly roll strips ( Spring Fever by Moda)

Cut 1- 11 1/2" x 17" retcangle of backing( to match strips)
Cut 1- 11" x 16 1/2" rectangle of fusible pellon/wadding.
Using a spray baste,
baste backing fabric and pellon together,
make sure backing fabric is rightside down
and fusible side of pellon/wadding is facing up...

Stitch your first strip (white) to the left hand
edge of the pellon/wadding
Press open strip.
Be careful not to iron exposed pellon.

Take your first colored strip,
place rightside on top of pressed strip and
stitch along righthand edge...
Press open...

Turn you placemat/quilt 360 degrees and stitch the next strip
along the lefthand edge.
( this helps there be no twisting of fabric)
Press open.
Continue until all strips are sewn,
making sure you turn each time.

On your last strip stitch a 1/4" from
edge to hold in place...

Trim placemat/quilt to 15 1/2" x 10 1/2"

I added the initial of each child to the white strip.
How?...
I used Word and picked a font I liked ( kristen ITC)
and enlarged it to 240.
Printed it out....
Traced it to Steam a Seam light reversed.
Picked out a fabric matching colors to my strips.
Pressed it on fabric, peeled pressed it to my placemat.
I stitched around the raw edge of the initial
two times...
then I quilted the placemat around
the initial and all over the strips.
Cut strips for the binding
out of coordinating fabrics.
4 strips 2 1/2" x 10 1/2"
1 strip 2 1/2" x 16"

Sew 2 small strips
then the larger strip then 2 more small strips together.
Press in half along length.

Bind placemat/quilt.
I hope you have liked this tutorial.
I enjoyed making these for all the little girls at the party.
They loved them.
Out of one Jelly roll you could get
approx 10 placemats/dolly quilts.

Have a wonderful week.

Hugs and Sweet Blessings.
Dawn x x x

Don't you just love.....

variegated threads.....

I do and so when I was able to purchase these ones
for a good price I paid for them quick!
DMC have bought out a new range
of variegated threads in the 4000 range...
The color change seems to happen at a shorter
length and there are some nice yummy
colors that they never had before....
Can't wait to start using these in my stitchery's!

Now I said that I was going to use a diary
for recording things that I accomplish

and above you can see that each day there is a
comment on what I may have sewn...
even if it was cutting out a border or stitching a few flowers...
designing or sewing a project together,
by doing this I see what I can accomplish.
This I found has kept my mojo going...
and that's a good thing!

I have been catching up on UFO's while it has been
a wee bit HOT here in my neck of the woods.
And here is one of them that I have been
meaning to get to for quite a while
It is the first block of Rosalie Quinlan's BOM
'Home is Where the Heart Is'....
this is part of block 1 needle turn applique....
I have received 5 blocks so far and have some catching up to do!
Why you might ask am I so slow... well besides life being busy
I was so unsure how to get my needle turn applique perfect....
Until.....
These ladies showed me... here and here....
and now with some Floriani Stitch and Wash fusible
I am off and running..
I love this product and so have started
on the quilt along with Kellie and am liking what I see...


I chose the Patisserie range of fabrics by Moda and it looks so lovely
This is easier than it looks and
it's not to late to try this quilt along so pop over to
'Don't Look Now' and join in the fun.

Sorry for the long post...
Next week I have a tutorial for some little girl gifty's,
So keep a look out!
Hugs and Sweet Blessings
Dawn x x x

Sampler and Peak!

Oh this present took me totally by surprise... I was excited, really excited...
I had my eye on one for a few weeks..
since I had seen them released by Moda....
The Moda Sampler Box and no 2 Son surprised me with it for Christmas...
it has 12 fabric ranges, the whole range all in 2 1/2" squares..
very cute... now to make something....

Have you seen them in your local patchwork shop or on the net?....
I thought ooh ooh I love bags and could probably make 12 bags out of this lot
But I will sit and admire them for a little longer before I decide.

Sneak peak of a pattern I have been writing this week.....
I used the range 'Spring Fever' by Me and My Sister Designs for Moda

I made some lovely little gifts for my DD's 4th birthday
at the end of last year....her friends loved them.
I am in the process of writing up the pattern and then I can show you...
So look out for 'Spring Fever'...used in a very girly, very fun, design....
Happy Stitching....
Hugs and Blessings....
Dawn x x x

Fabric Presents..... Love them!

Just before Christmas Green Fairy Quilts had a sale
I had been given some Christmas money
from my Darling no1 Son......
I couldn't resist...... so I ordered some fabric...
An Avairy honey bun...
I want to make a couple of bags with this gorgeous fabric...
A Nostalgia Charm square pack, Jelly roll and a Layer cake....
The Layer cake was so much bigger than I had expexted...
I can't wait to be able to make these up into some lovely projects...

Did you receive any fabric for Christmas?
Was it what you liked or did you get to choose for yourself?

Tommorrow I will show you what my Darling no 2 Son
gave me for Christmas... such a surprise...

Hugs and Sweet Blessings...
Dawn x x x

Happy 2010 everyone!

Happy New Year 2010

I hope this year is full of Blessings, Joy and Fun for you and your families.

Here are some of our ChristmasDay Pictures....
Early in the morning giving out the pressies is fun for 2 little girls...

We had fun during the day too,
the girls loved their bubble blowing
with Nana getting covered in bubbles
Grandad pushing the girls on their new swing set
a couple of days later... such fun....
especially to hear them giggle and squeal.......more more more!

Reflection!
I have been reflecting back on the last year and assessing
the goals I had made and those I had accomplished and those I didn't...
There was many I didn't.... so this year I am going to do things differently...
I have a diary, in it will be no appointments
( I will use a different one for appointments)
I am going to write in each day the things I accomplish,
even the mudane things like housework, cooking,ect.
I intend to then regurlary look back and know I have made progress.

Have you made a resolution or a goal?
I would love to hear them....
Hugs and Blessings
Dawn x x