Isn't it Pretty!

I just had to show a photo of my lovely new PINK rotary cutter I bought yesterday from the Scissorman at the show. Both my Mum, Nan and a very dear friend were sufferers and survivors of breast cancer and as October is Breast Cancer awarness month I thought it was very approriate to buy this one...50c of every special pink one goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Win/Win for me and I love making my $$$$$$ count.

My friend Cathy's beautiful pink rose "Seduction"

Now I know I am becoming like one of those overbearing boring Mothers who only ever want to talk about "Their" little darlings and don't give a fig to hear about your little darlings....BUT  it's my blog and I get to talk so.....just had to show you my 'baby pumpkin' and 'baby tomatoes'. Ssssshhhh! I can hear you groaning but they are so cute and I feel like a real genuine vegie gardener. Everything has gone crazy.

Can you see the wee pumpkin forming.....so cute!

And a whole bract of baby Roma tomatoes!

Ok I am done oohing and aahing now. I am off to do the grocery buying (yuk! I know it is a blessing to be able to) and pay the bills....gotta love that.
Enjoy your day and give a smile or two away,
Blessings Michelle x

Craft show Brisbane

Well I had a great day in at the Craft & Quilt show today....I am very weary and I am sure I am shorter from all the wandering from stand to stand. I wasn't too wicked but I did buy some lovely notions, a NEW rotary cutter (I've killed my old one) which is a lovely pink one supporting Breast Cancer Research, a beautiful book to help me make sense of what on earth to do with these jelly rolls I love the look of and have to have but not being to crash hot in the piecing department leave me flummoxed. I also bought a few little bits for swap pressies.
I also had a lovely wander amongst all the quilts on display and I don't know there is something wonderful about being surrounded by a whole host of quilts.....my favourites were 2 restored vintage quilts, one a double wedding ring quilt. Sorry no photos as I didn't know which ones to take and which ones to leave.

Danielle and I at the Express stand.

One of the primary reasons I went into the show was to meet in person the lovely editor of Country Threads Magazine, Danielle Tebb. She is such a delight to work with. We talk on the phone regularly and emails fly thick and fast between us but I had never met her in the flesh so to speak, so when she told me  she was hosting the Express Publications stand in Brisbane we arranged to catch up and it was wonderful to finally meet her  face to face for a chat(and assure her I was on task with my commissions lol). Promise!
I then popped along to Thread & Gingers lovely stand to check out my quilt and bits and felt very chuffed indeed to see them up there on the wall. Even saw one of my pattterns bought while I was there and got to thank the purchaser...Woo Hoo! I did take a photo but it is not that great as I didn't want to shove the customers aside to get a better pic....not a good look. LOL! So if you look over to the right above Nats head you will see them on the wall. Natalie's stand looks beautiful as usual.

Here they are very exciting!!!

Well that's enough excitemnt for one day and it's back to the real world and decide 'what's for dinner?'
Blessings Michelle x

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

Here are at Terrific Tuesday again which means I get to visit MELODY for Tuesday's Treasures and see what other treasure is being shared today.

My Crazypatch Angel.

The beautiful hand stitching along the seams.

Her Credentials...doesn't need any in my book.

My Treasure this week is an Angel I bought a few years ago at a Christmas Fair. Her dress is crazy patch and is supposedly made from an old vintage quilt. Even though she is supposed to be a Christmas Angel with her twiggy wreath I love her so much I leave her out all year round. I love Angels and they feature quite a bit in my designs as I love to draw them and imagine them performing all their many duties.
The other thing I wanted to share was my friend Cathy's beauitful orchid...it is so unusual looking.

Cathy's Orchid

I knew I always loved flowers but until I started blogging and carrying a camera everywhere I realised how many beautiful blooms I had overlooked.
On the subject of Angels I just love this graphic from ROSE PETALS FROM HEAVEN which you have probably seen on my side bar and it helps to remind me how blessed I am to have the lovely friends I have.
Hope you are finding time to do somehting you love today.
Blessings Michelle x

A tad excited!

I am very excited. The gorgeous Natalie from "Thread & Ginger" Patchwork Boutique at Victoria Point is taking my samples of  "Christmas Bakeshop", "Skates for Hire" and "Warm Cinnamon Tea" and their patterns to the Craft and Quilting fair on at the Brisbane Convention Centre staring on Wednesday 19/10/11 until Sunday 23/10/11. So if you visit their beautiful stand (and it is always beautiful) you will be able to see my "efforts" in the flesh so to speak.

All the little patterns are already in their shiny new packets. Even though my presentation is simple in design I still get an enormus thrill to see my designs in pattern form. I hope everyone likes them.
Natalie and Caryn have been so supportive of my designing efforts and very generous so thank you girls and big hugs to you both. XXX
In case you forgot which ones they are....................

Christmas Bakeshop Quilt.

Skates for Hire cushion

Warm Cinnamon Tea wall hanging

Blessings Michelle x

The Weekend That Was with Stitching.

Saturday afternoon the sky looked like this!!!!

Sunday afternoon the sky looked like this!

Welcome to Monday Everyone. Well didn't we have some wild and wooly weather over the weekend. We were visited by very black, green and forboding skies on Saturday afternoon and a very fierce storm arrived soon after. We thankfully didn't get any damage but many other poor souls did. Mother Nature is a force to reckoned with when she gets angry that is for sure. The photo doesn't really show how dark it was. It was if it was night time. The vegies have gone nuts, we even had enough lettuce for a salad and sandwich. Yum!
Anyway weather side the Dear One was on call so we were kept pretty close to home and so....stitching!!
I have a couple of sneak peeks to show you of what I have been working on that will be revealed much later down the track.
I also only have 2 blocks to go on "My Country Garden" woo hoo!

The colours haven't shown up properly but they are very rich especially the chocolate. It was a jelly roll from Moda (Barbara Brackman's Climbing Jacobs Ladder) I recieved as a gift from a very nice friend.

Hmm! What will you be???

And of course some redwork......did I tell you I love redwork...oh I remember many times. Sorry!

Aren't they just so pretty!

I know I am a bit behind everyone else but I have seen all you stitchers out there doing lovely things with this thread so... last week I bought some gorgeous "Cottage Garden Threads" from MAREE at Ollie & May to try out on a special project I have in mind featuring my furry little favourites...some bears. Oh they are just so beautiful to stitch with and the colours...devine!  I might even have to have some more yet.I like that they are hand dyed here in Australia too. The only problem I have is that they look so cute in their wrappers I hate to undo them to use. BUT I WILL! And I have!
Well that was my weekend doings. I hope you enjoyed yours!
I am off to 'bend and stretch' and undo some of the 'curled on the couch stitching' crinks.
Enjoy your day.

"Just about everything can be repaired by a little stitch of thread or love and kindness"
Blessings Michelle xx

Favourite things Friday.

Here we are at the tail end of the week and time to ponder on a 'favourite' and link up with the witty and wise SHAY for  Favourite Things Friday. I am sharing a favourite of mine that will bore some of you to the back teeth but that's ok. Look away now! A favourite of mine is 'tins' of all kinds. I have gathered quite a collection over the years and I have to say when I am given a gift that comes in a tin it's the tin that gets my attention first. Shocking admission I know. I think it stems from (and this will scare you) the fact that we had homebaked biscuits most of the time as a child and if we did have storebought you bought a few and they were sold by weight and you bought them home in a paper bag. So when the family recieved a tin of biscuits it was very special indeed and the tin was put to good use long after the contents were demolished.
So that is the only excuse I can offer and I think when my children read this they will become even my terrified.... more of my junk to be rid off one day. LOL! I love the fact that something so beautiful and some are beautiful can get a second life.....holding your sewing or threads or a new batch of biscuits. Your choice is endless. LOVE TINS!
I am so glad I am actually here to write this post after the 'humungous' storm we had yesterday I thought we would be blown to kingdom come. I was so glad my Son dropped in on his way home from work so I could at least appear brave AND I feared for my vegies. They came through unharmed....but more storms are predicted for today and tomorrow.

"Tea tins"

"Christmas tins" These are but a few the rest are packed away but will soon be getting an airing.

"Sewing tins" the one with blue flowers was my Nans as was the little pin tin on top.

"Chocolate tins" now there is a real surprise for you! Several are from overseas.

Aussie icon "Arnotts" tins which are no longer Aussie.

Old tins I just like

Well I am off to do some work now.....patterns to get copied and photos to get printed because all you lovely stitching sisters out there liked my Chrissy patterns so much I am running out. So Thanks a bunch!!

"Gifts of Christmas" cushion

Have a great day and I wish you a weekend of things you enjoy.
Blessings Michelle xx

Thursday's Teddy Bears Picnic with Melody

It seems ages since myself and the bears have been able to join in on a picnic but we are rearing to go. The sun is shining and I am bringing another orphan (or cast aside) bear I have named "Rag-a-muffin". She was made by my friend Ann and has a rag-tag dress (which of course suits us both down to the ground) made from lace and tulle and the loveliest fabric with embroidered flowers all over the material. She loves to sit on her stack of boxes (also rescued) and is very happy in her fairly recent new home.

Visit MELODY to see who else is coming to the picnic today.
I am having an early visitor for breakfast who is bringing croissants....YUM!
Have a great Thursday,
Blessings Michelle x

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

My treasure today is a little dream of mine from childhood that has come true. As a child as I have mentioned before I had a book called Peg Maltby's "Pegs Fairy Book" Due to circumstances beyond my control this book became lost to me. I was devestated as I could get lost in the illustrtions in this book for hours.
All of my travelling friends were always given instructions that if they ever saw a copy to buy it for me. They have now become as rare as hens teeth. Well my dear friend Gaye on recent travels to Victoria came across a copy in Echuca and I got a frantic phone call.....did I want it. YES!!!!!! It is not as old as my copy was and has a little bit of creative artwork done by another enthusiastic owner but how my heart rejoiced to look at the beautiful artwork and revisit these stories.

Peg Maltby was born in England in 1899 and came to Australia with her husband in 1924. They settled in Victoria where they lived all their lives. In 1946 they moved to Olinda in the Dandenongs (a favourite place of mine). She was a prolific artist and author of childrens books. Peg lived through the depression and supplemented the family income by painting chocolate box lids and birthday cards. When Angus and Robertson decided to reprint the book they discovered the artwork plates had gone missing so Peg at 75 yrs redid all the artwork...amazing woman. Peg died in 1985. My childhood was enriched by her artwork.

My Favourite page always the Fairy princess in the "Gown of cobweb lace" with pink gum blossoms sewn around the hem. I would stare at this page for hours and knew every little detail. Wonder if this is where the love of stitching was born.  Love the tailor on the mushroom.

"Mr Pintuck" the tailor..a favourite character from the "Gown of cobweb lace"Stitching Hmmm!

Bed time a story about quilt hogging litttle field mice....wonder if this where the seeds were sown about patchwork quilts.

So my 2 treaures today are Peg Maltby's beautiful artwork and my dear friend Gaye who remembered my dearest wish on her holiday and helped make it come true. Thank you Gaye you are a real treasure.
Visit MELODY to see what others are treasuring today.
This quote is on a beautiful book mark I have which features a beautiful faerie by Selena Fenech.
"Small Things"
Some faeiries are beings of pure sunlight and mirth,
who fish for riddles, and fly with dreams,
speak with butterflies and sing to streams,
spending their days,
telling stories of small things
and dragons wings.
Blessings Michelle xx

Finished block.

Here we are with a brand newy shiny week stretching out in front of us. I got to finish my 7th block in my "Country Garden" quilt accompanied by the revving of many, many V8 racing cars yesterday.
I am obliged to say "Well done HDT" There I've done my duty as the wife of a Holden nut!

Strawberry block from Country Garden quilt

I also thought I would give you an update on my new vegie garden I know very boring but I am so thrilled at it's progress not to mention downright amazed. I actually have flowers on my tomatoes...woohoo!               

Ain't that a beautiful sight! Even No 1 Grandson is impressed!

Yummy beetroot and lettuce (2 varieties are you impressed) I am!!

Well I hope you all enjoy your brand new Monday. Don't forget to spread the smiles and love around... you may just change someone's life for the better perhaps your own and not even know it. Me I have a date with my Yoga mat and my lovely Yoga sisters and I am really looking forward to it.               

Blessings Michelle xx                              

A day for stitching!!!

Well here in Australia a huge battle rages today. The "Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000kms" race takes place and if you happen to belong to a family who has members who are avid followers of V8 motorcars you better find something else to do because the race goes all day and the 'avid follower' does not budge from the TV all day. Some one is such an avid follower I have lost count of the times I have had to drive in our Commodore around the Bathurst track when on holidays there.It is a battle between Ford and Holden followers and as we are a "Holden" family it's a big day here in our household....SO becasuse of this.....

I am spending the day doing this....

and a lot of this........

Thank goodness it only comes but once a year!!!! Happy Stitching or Motor racing whichever your enjoying today,
Blessings Michelle x

Whats My Name

Dawn at "As sweet as Cinnamon" has been asking how we decided on our blog name. I complicated mine more than necessary and have always felt I should have changed it as I wanted to just called it  after my design name of "Rag-tag Stitchin'" but friends said they couldn't find it as they were looking under my name so hence I have this dual type of identity....Michelle Ridgway Designs and Rag-tag Stitchin' But wait there is more I had to add a 1 to the blog name as there is a Antartic kayak explorer with my name spelt the same  and heavens knows that ain't me. But thankfully you all have found me even if it was boring and supported me and become such dear friends.....so 'what's in a name?'
Blessings Michelle

Favourite things Friday.

Here we are at Friday again which means it's time for "Favourite Things Friday" with SHAY 
I have had the occassion to revisit some aspects of my childhood this week and one of my favourite experiences was holidays I spent with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins at a pristine spot called Woodgate Beach. We stayed in an old fibro cottage directly across from the beach separated by a very quiet track which constituted a road. There were bonfires on the beach and lots of laughs and adventures.....even my 1st kiss as I got older. We ran wild and free came home for sustance and were off again. I was a constant fixture on the front of my cousins bike as we went off fishing, swimming or exploring and he was and still is a wonderful friend and is lucky enough to live there full time now. Yesterday I got to walk on this wonderful beach again, put my toes in the sea, collect seashells and sit and have my wonderful memories keep me company. I also loved sharing all this with my Husband and we have decided a holiday here in our van is in order. Even though it was a bit overcast it still worked it's magic on me.
What, where or who are your favourites today.

The view from the houses on the esplanade

Many a bonfire was collected for and fired up here and pippies collected and cooked in the fire.

This beautiful beach is the beach of my childhood

Putting my much older toes in the ocean for a paddle

There are still loads of shells wash up on this beach.

If you search just a little way below the surface you will find the treasures of your childhood waiting for you.
Blessings Michelle xx

200th POST! Tuesdays Treasures Early.

Well some would say 200 posts in 10 months....gosh the girl can talk! And I can, I am very gifted in that department as you are no doubt aware if you visit my blog regularly. I have throughly enjoyed the last 200 posts and interaction and wonderful comments I have had from all my lovely friends in Blogland. I am so pleased that it happened to fall on my "Tuesday's Treasure" post as well. I love being apart of this exchange of treasures each week and feel I have found a group of likeminded souls. I will get to my "Treasure" later.
I have decided to combine my October giveaway with my 200th and am doing it a little differently. I asked my Husband to chose 3 of my followers (sigh! Do I have to?)....which he has done. Each of you can choose  one of my patterns that you  think you  might like, let me know and I will post it to you. (Gee I hope you do actually like one of my patterns). LOL!
The 3 followers chosen by my Husband are:
1. CATE from "Vintage Cate"
2.CHERYLL from "Gone Stitchin'"
3.TERESA from "All things Vintage"
If you girls could email me your snail mail address and your choice I will get them in the post to you.
Thank you to everyone who lets me know on a regular basis that I am not waffling on to myself and that some one is actually reading my blog. It's nice to know.
Tuesday's Treasure:
I am posting early this week as I would hate to miss it as it has become such a welcome part of my week and I need to take a small blog break for a couple of days.

For my treaure this week I have chosen a small box called a "friendship" box which was made for me by my friend Ann for my Birthday in place of a card. You all know how I love a "tag" well inside are 6 beautifully decorated tags each with a lovely sentiment about friendship. It always cheers me up when I open it and read the tags and they are so pretty......
Pop over to MELODY'S tomorrow to see what other treasure abounds.
I will visit all your blogs later in the week to admire all your treasures.

Finally I would just like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who left me messages of condolences and friendship. I appreciate it sincerely.
Blessings Michelle xx