FHFS Hexie Swap.

I have just dropped in to tell you that I have been down and out for the last week with a nasty little bug and that I will be back when I am feeling better....so no sewing to report.
I do however want to share the huge spoiling that I received from my beautiful friend Fiona in our FHFS hexie swap....oh my goodness! It made my day I can tell you.
It came in this gorgeous bag....

and within....

Inside that lovely parcel was three of my favourite things.

Hexies, French General and Anni Downs....just beautiful! I shall be the poshiest little stitcher around.
The cutiest little thread catcher matches as well...ooohh!

I even have some spare hexies already basted. I love the sweet book mark and little bunny too!

Would you believe that those yummy chokkies are still intact!!!! True!!
Thank you so much Fiona, I adore it all and feel completely ruined by such gorgeousness xxxx
I have borrowed a piccie from Shez of  what I sent to her as my partner...

My dear friend Ann made the lovely card especially before she got ill...So pretty!

Shez was pleased too. Such a lovely group of friends to belong to.

On a final note just had to share this happy Nana moment of Charlotte and her Grampy on her birthday scooter....which I might add she is off like a champ and scooting everywhere! I love my Granddaughters xx

See you when i feel more like my old self.
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx

Bluebird Wisdom

I gave you a little sneaky quite some time ago of this project that I was working on.

Well it is has made it to the cover of the next Country Threads Magazine. Can you see all that gorgeous quilting...feathers of course!!! Well it was so beautifully quilted for me by my lovely friend Fiona from Bubzrugz ....

I was so thrilled with how it turned out and have been itching to share it.

These fabrics were favourites that waited soooo long for the right project for them.

Thank you so much "Wonder Quilting Woman" Fiona xxxx

Today is a very special day.....our eldest little Grandie girl's birthday.

Love this photo.

Happy Birthday and lots of love Sweet Miss Charlotte xxx
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx

We Will Remember Them

This beautiful wreath was made by my Daughter's class 3b at Runcorn State School. A beautiful tribute for the 100th Anniversary of the Anzac's landing at Gallipoli. Constructed of all their painted hand prints. Well done kids.
Namaste and Blessings
Michelle xxx

Inspiring People

I wanted to do a special little post to introduce you to my very talented art teacher Sandra Temple.

Sandra is a very inspiring person and is an extremely talented award winning artist. Her love and knowledge of our natural world and it's inhabitants is amazing. Sandra is also a member of the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society.

I had been admirer of Sandra's work for a very long time and am thrilled to be now taking classes with her.
Sandra is also a very accomplished and well known Body Art painter (not sure if that's what you call it but it's amazing) and has also illustrated several children's books which are just gorgeous.

Her artwork is just beautiful....

the detail is incredible.

To see them in real life...stunning! We have so much talent in our own backyard. It makes me feel really proud. You can see now why I am loving my classes and learning so much.
Sandra is having a huge Stocktake sale of some of her art work as she is running out of studio space...I can only dream lol!

You can visit Sandra's website HERE  and if you would like to learn to draw or paint she holds classes at Beenleigh and Munruben here in the Great South East of Qld.
I hope you enjoyed meeting this very inspiring lady.
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx

More EPP blocks

I have been making a little headway with my EPP blocks for Remembering Roma quilt. I just love the Pentagon flowers and can't wait to do more with these papers.

and the baby hexie blocks are growing too!

They look so nice all together...

You will remember me telling you that my new little project I drew up over Easter was going to be waiting awhile...well I can't really see that happening.... I BOUGHT background fabric!!!!! I am so weak willed!

I think I got a bit too smug about using all my French General fabrics for "Roma"....ya gotta be careful else you'll get caught LOL!
After I do a seperate post about my art teacher I am off to the Doctor's as I have caught yet another bug. I cannot believe that I once worked with sick people all day long and got nothing. OVER IT!!!
Have a lovely day everyone,
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xx

FNSI

Last night was

hosted by Wendy of Sugarlane Quilts. I got a little done in the afternoon as I knew I was going out to keep this little cheeky person company..

So after lots & LOTS of story books Miss E hit the pillow and Nana got a little stitching done.

This is the prep work on a little secret gifty type project I am working on.

I have to dash as I am actually making headway with the "Secret Michelle Stitching Project" I started what well over 12 months ago...

You may not even remember it's been soooo long! Wish me luck!
I will be going for a little visit to see what all the "Friday Nighter's" got up to later. Thanks so much lovely Wendy for having us over at your place once again x

Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx

More Tiny Hexies

Good morning all. Now that I have finished my French General Dresden's quilt I am back to "Roma's" quilt and have been musing over a little border for around the centre layout...sooo I decided some little hexies in a four patch block would be just the ticket and so paper out and ......

lots of little 1/2 inch hexies. I popped a couple on to their background block to see what they looked like.

You can see by the 10 cent piece that they are tiny...but so cute! It is true what they say about EPP...you cannot stop at one! I bought some pentagon papers that I wanted to try out too...so basted some of them as well.

They are just so relaxing to do. It is nice to be back working on Roma's quilt again.

Little warning if you are bored with my art pictures, look away as a couple more coming up...
A little "rose" I was practising with.

Yesterday in class I worked on my little "orange" baby and after a bit of homework I have him finished.

Lots and lots of layers on him....beautiful creatures. It hasn't photographed too well for some reason but I am pleased with him. I know I have said it before but there is so much to learn. I am just loving using the coloured pencils and a little dabble in pastels is on the cards soon...fun!!!
Enjoy your hump day,
Namaste and blessings,
Michelle xxx

Pretty Violets

There is something about Violets and nothing says "Vintage" quite like them. I just love them. I have several pieces of old china that feature them...

and I even have a lovely furry girl called "Violet"

So it was not a stretch for me to start playing with this lovely fabric that I have stroked for a very long time...

A little bit of stitching completed....

and I have now finished my latest commission for  Country Threads magazine....sneaky coming up!

Violet is making sure there is not too much of a spoiler!

Ok!! Instructions to finish writing!
I hope you are having a very nice day.
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx

Ta Da!

My French General Dresden's quilt top is finally finished!!!! All the little birdies around the border are very happy feasting on berries and all is right with the world! Time to break out the quilting hoop and get it quilted..

 It's a bit crinkly....needs a press! I always think about that AFTER I take the photo!

One very happy little stitcher here! Last night I worked on this little chap....

I can now get back to my Remembering Roma quilt and know I won't be stealing fabrics from the Dresden's. Some EPP coming up.
I know we have all probably had a bit of sugar overload in the last little while but I have to share something sweet with you. My DD loves to make cupcakes and loves decorating them. This week she went along to a little work shop and popped in to show me what she got up to.

I love the little Tutu ones....so gorgeous!
I shall leave you with an early bloomer in my garden I snapped yesterday.

This is my "Steve" bottlebrush that I planted in memory of Steve Irwin when he was killed. It was a slow starter but is the most beautiful bloomer now and such gorgeous brushes all tipped in gold.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your lovely encouraging comments about my drawings, being patient when I dive off the stitching path and for the piccies you gorgeous people xxxx
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Namaste and Blessings
Michelle xxx

Bit of a Sickie

Well I am a bit of a sickie today...really blah! I am cranky also because I get to miss stitching groups too! I don't want to share it. So I am sorting through my animal photos and cropping and discarding some. They have to fairly clear detail so some don't make the grade. I am being very cheeky here and asking if any of you lovely folks out there have any wildlife photos that you have taken and would give me permission to draw I would love them as it is difficult to come by lots of variety. They must be yours though. Thank you in advance and anticipation. You can just email them to me telling me I am allowed to draw them.
One such lovely person was our very own Chooky from Chookyblue  I gathered some inspiration for an old fence post and rusty barbed wire from some of her photos for my latest finish.

I have learnt an enormous amount on this piece and could not have achieved this finish on my own. ...thank goodness for a very clever teacher. Colour and achieving textures were big lessons.Also black is not black, it has so many other shades in there! Phew! But I just really love it! Being a huge "Maggie" fan it makes me just want to sing "Oh what a beautiful morning!!!" LOL! Yes, nuts I know!
I have started to burnish the baby orangutan and have had the error of my planning explained LOL!
It is great to have some one to ask...."WHAT'S wrong with it!!!!"

The burnishing takes hours! But so worth the effort.

Ok! you thought that this was a stitching blog didn't you??
I am very excited as I virtually have only some leaves and a couple of berries left to go on the Dresden's borders...

That little birdie in the corner is "THE END" woohoo!
Well that's me done, must get back to my photos.
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx