I'm nearly there...

My Tea and Cakes bear quilt is almost together. Just a little more applique and I can put the rows together and then start quilting it. The finish is still a mystery to me as I wanted to have prairie points (I love them) but I put them on my last bear quilt. But I doooo love them and they would look so cute on this one. What's a girl to do??? I hope the answer arrives soon.

Thursday's Teddy Bears Picnic with Melody

Thank you for inviting my little fur friends to our first picnic. I have chosen a little panda and friend called Pandy and Pal which was designed and made by Di Lawrence. Pandy is handyed mohair and his paws are leather. He stands about 9 inches on his tippy paws. I found him on a holiday to Victoria at a patchwork shop in Mt Waverley that I took with my friend Ann. I am very fond of Pandas so he and his pal went straight to my heart and the fur hood was the clincher. I have made a few bears but I prefer to draw and stitch them. I have several lovely bears in my clutch. Some are artist bears and some have been made for me by my friend Ann who has been known to make a few very cute bears  in her time.

I love that there are still so many bear lovers out there.
To join the teddies on their picnic visit Melodys Thursdays Teddy bears picnic at
http://www.houseonthesideofthehillblogspot.com/

It's amazing what a cleanup can reveal!

I have been looking for some fabric to complete my Tea and Cakes bear stitchery quilt and haven't been very successful. On Saturday I decided to tidy my very messy little cave where I design and stitch having received a scowl and Humph!! from the nice man I live with. Well would you believe tucked away ON THE END OF MY SEWING TABLE I might add (and it's not that big) was a lovely brown paper carry bag and within were several lovely pieces of fabric I had especially chosen for this project on our holiday through NSW and VIC last year. I bought them at Homepatch in Bathurst a very yummy shop. Talk about losing the plot. I had completely forgotten I had bought it until I saw it. I will be keeping this piece of information to myself in this house. What happens with ones fabric stash is ones own business!!!

Anyway I am off to put some patterns together for the post and then I am basting my new Christmas design quilt together so I can start quilting it. I'll post a peek when it's got some quilting on it.

Tuesday's Treasure

This is my very first Tuesday's Treasure so here I go. I have chosen the quilt I received from the beautiful women in my quilt group for my 50th Birthday (a wee while ago now). It's all hand quilted with a hand stitched label on the back done by my friend Ann who is not really in to stitching so that made it even more special that she took the time to stitch it. It was such a special day and a surprise also. I am a confirmed Christmasaholic and my birthday is in July so they prepared a  yummy Christmas in July lunch with Christmas carols and plum pudding to boot. The table was set with my friend Bev's best china, linen napkins and beautiful Christmas decorations on the table. There was even a decorated Christmas tree with even MORE gifts for me. I was totally overwhelmed by the love and generosity showered on me that day. I use the quilt to cuddle up under in the cooler weather when I read or journal and I really do feel that I am wrapped in a blanket of love.

If you want to see more Tuesday's Treasure pop over to Melody's http://www.houseonthesideofahillblogspot.com/

Does anyone hand quilt anymore??

I have been a bit under the weather the last few days and haven't felt like doing too much so I have turned the air on as it's been very humid and yuk! and I have spent the time handquilting. I love handquilting. I find it so relaxing, meditative almost. I wonder sometimes am I the only one out in quilting world who still enjoys quilting projects by hand. Am I just a dinosaur who resists change? I know we lead extraordinarily busy lives today but I love that I can look forward to that quiet time spent hand quilting and hand stitching as quilters in the past have done. I get really excited when I see hand applique, embroidery, stitcheries and hand quilting. I know we would all be lost without our trusty sewing machines. Me included. But I hope we continue this legacy and don't lose the pursuits of the gentle arts.

You're an Angel

I just want to say a big thank you to Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft for all her help and advice yesterday and her ongoing support of my artistic endeavours. It's so exciting when you achieve little things that you thought were beyond you. I think I might be actually getting to like this blogging caper!!!

Valentines swap

My Valentines swap gift arrived and I was very excited to unwrap it . It came all the way from Canada which was also very exciting. B. my swap partner is a very talented young artist who uses a mixture of medias and the result was a special mixed media postcard with a beautiful sentiment on it. Very appropriate for Valentines Day. It now sits on  my yoga table providing me with inspiration every day. So thank you B. for your hard work and inspiration

Teacups

"People are a lot like teacups" by Michelle Ridgway
I think people are a lot like teacups:
Some are pretty to look at but one sip and you're done.
Some look delicate and fragile but hold a strong hot brew when you need it.
Some are large and grand with a royal pedigree but the tea goes cold too soon.
Some are plain and sweet but feel so comfortable in your hand.
Some are chunky and handmade but give great warmth and comfort.
My favourite is a simple cup, adorned with a beautiful rose and a strong and delicate handle
that curls around my finger just right.
It was purchased long ago by a lovely Grandfather. A prizewinning rose gardener to boot.
I love to see the strong sweet tea recede with each delicious sip, and there

a lovely rosebud reveals itself on the inside of the cup.

Congrats! To my friend.

I am very excited about my friend Ann's news. Ann makes the most exquisite cards. Her cards are the "keep forever" kind. She recently received a commission from one of our leading cardmarking and scrapbooking magazines. I'll let you know which issue closer to the time. I am so very pleased for her and glad that others will have the pleasure of seeing her beautiful work and I am sure will love it as I do. Well done my friend!!

Well and truly Stung!

My lovely husband helped me make a little one of my dreams come true by purchasing me tickets to see one of my "favourites" STING for last evening. He was wonderful as was the Sydney Symphony Ochestra. I missed him last time and didn't think I would ever get to hear  him sing live. So Yahoo!!! I have to say though that the venue the Riverstage really sucked. All that money and nowhere on the tickets does it tell you to bring a rug or cushion as you will be sitting on the grass. We felt a bit stupid as we had never been there before and my husband was upset thinking it would ruin my evening. All that yoga came in handy for me, sitting crosslegged for ages but hubby is a bit worse for wear. So Bless him ! It was still very special.

I love scrappy quilts

I have been on a mission lately to reduce my stash of fabric (so I can buy more of course). Anyway I have had a thoroughly lovely time going through my fabrics. I have a comission to do for Country Threads magazine and I gave myself a little challenge not to buy any fabric for it and to use my stash. You know all those 1/2 metre and 1/4 metre pieces you had to buy at your local quilt shop's sale and put away and forgot. Well! I sorted them all out (some of them anyway) and away I went and I just finished putting together a very cute little country applique quilt (even if I do say so myself) and it's already for quilting. Sorry I can't show you a preview you'll have to take my word for it. So keep any eye out for it later in the year. I really love the look of scrappy quilts and I had such fun remembering outings when this and that were purchased and who was my partner in crime at the time.
I finished off my day catching up with my old work friends to celebrate a very special birthday for one of them. All in all a great day. Happy 60th J.

Ya gotta have friends!!!!

I had a wonderful day yesterday catching up with my quilting group friends. Lots of chatter, laughs and cups of tea. A little bit of stitching was done. I love being in their company. They are such special ladies and it's a wonderful feeling to walk into a room and know and feel that everyone there is genuinely happy to see you and be together to share the good times and the difficult ones. So thanks girls. I feel truly blessed.

Guess who's back???

We thought we had discouraged Mrs Possum after my husband nearly lost what little hair he has left when he disturbed her during and electrical maintainence visit. But she is back and with the cutest little baby on her back. I think she knows she has a home and we aren't serious about evicting her. I hope she behaves this time and doesn't chew our wires. I am such a sucker for our wildlife.