December 10, 2017

Free Block of the Month Wall Quilt - Block 12

Today marks the end of the 2017 journey with our free Block of the Month wall quilt, 
Hand-picked Wardrobe.


I hope you have enjoyed making the quilt and that it has been helpful in applying the timeless truths of the Bible to your own life.


 

Block 12 and the finishing instructions are now available in my Craftsy Store here.


Of course, I would love to see photos of your finished quilt!

Christmas preparation and parties are well and truly on us here in the Sunshine State. Our Church had their Christmas party on Friday night. The men cooked up sausages on the BBQ and the meat was accompanied by a lovely variety of salads. Then came the desserts - plenty of decadence and delight and then the decision-making as to which ones to choose. Our ladies sure know how to put on a feast.


I was in charge of the party games. When I was a child, my father was often the organiser of social events and I have great memories of fun nights with everyone joining in some amazing games. These days, people don't seem to organise anything when they have a birthday party - everyone just stands around talking, eating and drinking! Needless to say, I find those events quite intolerable and incredibly boring!


  Hubby and I have hosted quite a few parties in recent years - "O" birthdays, "O" wedding anniversaries and Christmas breakups etc, and we have organised some entertainment at each event ... so we weren't going to have a Church Christmas party without some fun and games!  We had lots of hilarity playing the "Left/Right" Christmas game with gifts circulating around nine tables. I included one of my Christmas tree hangings along with the inevitable chocolates in each parcel.


 Then the tables were competing against each other in a Christmas Carol set of 20 rebus puzzles. There was plenty of rivalry between the tables! Lots of people came and thanked me and told me they had had a lot of fun, so it was worth the time and effort I had to put in!


This week I have to start thinking seriously about Christmas and whether I have enough chairs, and cutlery, crockery etc to feed 26 people on Christmas Day. Also I have to count out the bed sheets to see if I have sufficient for 14 of our lovely family! I'm getting quite excited to think that we will be seeing most of our family in just a couple of weeks!


  It would be totally unrealistic of me to think I will get another blog post written before Christmas, so I will sign off for the year now and wish you many blessings for this wonderful Season. 

Remember, it's all about the baby!  Santa is fun, reindeers are cute, Christmas pudding is delicious, it's nice to receive gifts, but ultimately, 

it's all about the baby!

Happy Christmas
Val 

November 26, 2017

Getting into the Christmas groove

For quite a few years, I didn't make Christmas projects, the main reason being that we were always away visiting family at that time. They were our annual holidays so we were usually away for four or five weeks. We left home in early December so there was absolutely no point in decorating the house, with no-one there to enjoy it.


In the last few years, our circumstances have changed and now every second year, our family comes to visit us. So there is every reason now for me to get into the Christmas groove! 


I have enjoyed making some lovely Christmas projects, and my latest one is a pretty cushion which I have called "Peace and Joy". 


I have put the pattern in my Craftsy Store and you can buy it here
It also recently appeared in the Handmade magazine (and graced the cover!), Vol 36 No 5.


I have just completed a sweet quilt for a magazine and have spent a few waking hours in the middle of the night thinking about another commissioned quilt I have to prepare! I'm not concerned at all about it, it just requires lots of thought about how I will tackle the complex elements in it. It would be OK if there was just one way to do it, but I am trying to determine out of the three or four methods that I could try, which one will give the best results without taking an inordinate amount of time and without causing insanity through frustration and difficulty - both for me and the quilting public who hopefully will make it!

Meanwhile this week I need to prepare for my last Craft Stall for the year. It's an unknown quantity for me as it is a Community Car-boot stall run by the Lions Club, Australia's largest Community Service organisation. I have never had a stall there before and I'm hoping the 5.40 am start will be worth it!!!

May you know many blessings as you too think about Christmas!

Val

November 12, 2017

Free Block of the Month Wall Quilt - Block 11

It's almost the end of the year ... and we're up to the second last block in the free Block of the Month design, 
Hand-picked Wardrobe.

What a great character to put on - forgiveness! - so hard to do and so rewarding when it happens. Holding a grudge does nothing but eat away at the person who holds it! 


Be ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember,
the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13 TLB

A skirt to go with the top from last month!:


Just one more pattern next month to complete the wall hanging! You will be able to download this month's block over in my Craftsy store here. Remember that all the blocks will be available until 31st December this year.

I had a great time teaching at the Creative Craft Retreat a couple of weekends ago. My ladies were all very enthusiastic about their Fun with Felt project.


Even better than spending time with lots of lovely ladies, was spending a week with my daughter who went to the retreat with me and then stayed on with us for a few days more!


She brought some embroidered blocks with her and the rest of the fabric needed to make them into a quilt, and she was happy to have "one on one" lessons on how to put a quilt together. It was almost complete before she left and since arriving home, she can proudly say she has made her first quilt! It's a modified Gail Pan pattern. Don't you think Janelle has done a lovely job?:

Image may contain: indoor

My stall at the Retreat went very well and it was lovely to have affirmation and be encouraged about my designs. 


What I hadn't expected was that I almost sold out of everything so had very little left for my next stall. (Note to self: Next time keep things aside for stall number 2!)


That put me in panic mode so I shut myself in my sewing room for 10 days to build up some stock again! You can see scattered through this post some of the towels I prettied up and a needle-case. 


I was so eager to get things made and ticketed ready for the second stall at a local quilt show yesterday, that of course I forgot to take photos of the rest of the things I managed to complete! Once again, it was great to meet ladies who have made my patterns from a magazine, or follow me on Facebook, or who have been in one of my local classes. A few ladies told me they can always pick something I have made, so I must have a certain style!!!

Now it's time for me to start work on two quilts that have been commissioned. One I should be able to complete in the next month, but the second one will probably take me a few months to complete. This quilting fun sure keeps me off the streets!

Happy stitching!
Val


October 15, 2017

Free Block of the Month Wall Quilt - Block 10


We're developing quite a wardrobe as we work through all the blocks in my free Block of the Month design,
Hand-picked Wardrobe.


So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you.  Col. 3:12

 Here is Block 10 with a sweet little top - easy applique with a little bit of fun outlining:


Hop over to my Craftsy Store and find the pattern here.

Over the next six weeks or so, I am having Craft Stalls at three different events. Originally it was just two, but it's expanded a bit!  


I've continued appliqueing hand-towels. I find these are always popular, but if I don't sell them all, then they make great gifts to have in my cupboard.


Can you tell I have been having fun?


Having done about a dozen towels, I wanted a change so whipped up some purse tissue holders:


They are very quick to make and the fun bit is choosing the fabrics and embellishments:


I have a few busy days coming up, then later in the week I will be thinking about what else I could make for my stalls ... maybe some oven mitts, or coat hanger frocks, or coin purses, or lavender birds???  Such fun having so many options!

Happy stitching.

Val

October 1, 2017

Enjoying the little things

I have really been enjoying the little things of life lately!
... little things I have made like more Pincushions:




Pot-stands:



Prettying-up hand towels:


Needle-books:




Scissor-keeps:


Enjoying beautiful lilies - a gift from a sweet friend:


Last week we spent five days interstate when my hubby was giving a paper at a Conference. Our lovely son took some days off work to pick us up from the airport and ferry us around for the time we were there. There is nothing like precious time with family to cheer the heart! We were able to catch up with three grandchildren, then another grand-daughter came and spent a couple of hours with us in our hotel, then another grandson took us out to dinner and introduced us to his girlfriend. 


We had a 'mother and son' evening out at the football (Rugby league semi-final):


and spent a morning wandering around Fitzroy Gardens Melbourne doing some geocaching:



There were so many little moments to enjoy - I came home feeling absolutely blessed!

May you too find blessings in the little things.
Val

September 17, 2017

Free Block of the Month Wall Quilt - Block 9

I have a quick and easy block for you this month in our Block of the Month free pattern, 


So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you.  Col. 3:12


Some simple piecing and a teeny bit of embroidery!
You can find the pattern here
 in my Craftsy store.


It's the day of "small things" in my studio at the moment. I needed to have a break from making quilts so that I could have the satisfaction of accomplishing a lot in a short time!


I really DO have a short attention span!
Penny rug pincushion:


Apart from needing the "quick achievement fix", I'm having two stalls in the next couple of months, so it's an ideal time to get together some small items.


Embellished hand towels:


More pot stands:


Have a look also at my facebook page or my Instagram site for other things I've been making recently.

Did you watch any of the DVD's on Craftsy's free "All you can watch" Day? I watched seven series - of course, not right through all the lessons, skipping bits where I was very familiar, skim-watching where I wasn't learning anything new, and going over bits that were really instructive. I had a great time but now I need another life so I can try out all those great ideas!

Val