Show & Tell...

Well as I am tied to the computer today writing up pattern instructions...

and so nothing much to report on the stitching front I thought I would share some lovely Show & Tell from other clever friends.
Our very own Shez has stitched "B is for-" in lovely greens...don't you just love Hexies!

Love the Angels too by the way...

I am so glad so many of you have enjoyed this project as it still remains a favourite of mine. If you want to stitch it you will find it in Country Threads Magazine Vol 13 No 5. Thanks so much for sharing it Shez.
Next,  speedy stitcher Joy (no blog) our friend from Bundaberg has stitched an oldie but a goodie. It is a library bag I designed for Handmade Magazine...." Real Treasures are Found in Books" Look at how beautifully Joy has displayed it.

Thanks girls for brightening up my dull day of key banging.
Must fly as no matter how much I wish, the Instruction Writing Faeries are ignoring me so I best go and do it myself.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Rainy Monday

Good morning all. It is a very drab and rainy day here in the South East today. I hope you all heard from or spent time with those you love yesterday. I was very spoilt...even got brekky in bed (thanks hubby) Yummy afternoon tea, lovely messages and the night off from cooking dinner...yay! Love a break from the domestics.
Not a lot of stitching but my little pile of squares is growing.

I did get the bears basted so they will be next in the quilting hoop. I also stitched a little more on this little design that I have had drawn out for ages.

The colours are quite muted as I want it to go with this fabric ( yes I am trying it the other way around)
and I fancy a cushion.

The photos are a bit blah as it is raining here and not very good light but you get the picture.
I must fly I have a date with my Yoga mat and the gorgeous Helen.
Enjoy your day.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Crochet for Dummies

Happy Friday everyone. For a while now I have been watching all you clever ladies in blogland crocheting up a storm and somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I remembered that I had once done a lot of crochet. So I popped off to the library and got this book.

While it was a little helpful (which doesn't say a lot for me given the title) I really wanted to start with the good old "Granny Squares". I bought some veeerry cheap yarn from the local bargain shop and looked online and was amazed at all the tutorials for them. I can't remember or tell you which one I actually followed but it got me started again and I have made these...

I am still a little unco with the changing colours but they are square and I am really enjoying doing them and feel quite chuffedabout it all. The yarn is actually a bit prettier than pictured. Hopefully if I get in enough practice I may lash out and buy some yummy yarn. I also couldn't find anywhere that could tell me what hook to use with what ply yarn. I really want to make the Granny square with the simple flower in the centre...bit ambitious do you think???? Well I think you have to have something to aim for.
On the sewing front I put a final border around the bears. I think it looks ok now. I was very limited as to what I could use because of the little scrappy borders. I am sure it will look nice when it is quilted.

I had also thought of a little applique for the border but I think it will detract from the stitcheries...
Enjoy your weekend and to all those wonderful women out there who are known as "Mum" by their children I hope your Mother's Day is as special as you are.

Blessings Michelle xxx

One of "those" Stitching Days

Do you ever have one of those days when you excitedly head for the sewing room ready to play with new fabric only to discover it just isn't right. That was my day and what was I playing with....well this. I had been hanging out for it to arrive.

I adore it but apart from a couple of strips...well the "Bears" just didn't like them. So does a girl panic??? Well yes a little but then she gets all righteous and drags out her container of 1 1/2 inch strips that she can now justify saving and cutting all those left over bits of fabric into and proceeds to whack them around the bears.....they now seem happy. Me? Hmmm! Still not sure. What do you think?

This little dilemma happens to me quite regularly you see because I stitch away with abandon choosing the colours that take my fancy at the time and then have to try and match fabric to them. Anyway this has taken up most of my day. Every single time I swear I will buy the fabric first and stitch accordingly....Nope!
My little Angel however has been a delight to stitch. She is for an upcoming issue of Country Threads Magazine. Here's a little sneaky for you...

 She was not without her issues though. When I first drew her I must have been channelling my very own 'bad hair' day as she just wasn't right. So my trusty eraser came out and she had a complete makeover (wish I could do that) and now she looks very serene and angelic...just as a little Angel should.

Here is a little treasure I bought yesterday that I promised to show you. I couldn't resist. Roses and china...yum! I can already see some pretty napkins in place and of course cupcakes on the plate.

That's it from me today. Brain strain!!! I am off stitching with some friends this evening. I think I shall take some red work to avoid future fabric disputes. This way I can stay out of trouble. ha ha !
Enjoy your evening,
Blessings Michelle xxx

Tea for Two

Today my Daughter and I indulged our love of vintage and lovely tea and china before DD becomes really busy with her soon to arrive new baby. The venue for our indulgence was the gorgeous "Vintage Aura" on the corner of Birdwood and Logan Roads Greenslopes. We had a delicious Devonshire Tea on exquisite Royal Devonshire china. It just made everything taste better.

Dear Daughter and yours truly....

The sweet tables and chairs are set amongst all the treasures available within the shop.

We had a lovely morning tea and it was very nice to sit relax and spend some time together. I did buy some treasures to bring home which I will share in another post.
If you like a lovely 'vintage' feel gift shop and enjoy tea in nice china it is well worth a visit. I am definitely going for a return visit. I hope you did something you enjoy today too.
Blessings Michelle xxx

FNWF

I am a little late showing you what I got up to Friday night. I managed to finish the 2nd last block of my Christmas blocks between encouraging (shouting at) my team Brisbane Broncos and getting sustenance from a Tim Tam or four. Sadly we lost :( Moving on....

 I now have a nice little bundle of completed blocks.

I just have this little fellow left to finish...nearly there too.

and then I can definitely feel a little Christmas quilt coming on.
Big thanks to Cheryll  for once again being such a lovely hostess and gathering us all together.

Yesterday after some family obligations were fulfilled I planted a new Clivia. A gorgeous yellow one that my dear friend Gaye bought as a gift for me on a recent visit to Toowoomba. I have hankered after one for ages as I actually seem to be able to grow them although the rest are the common orange variety. So I hope I can get this little beauty to flower. I am going  to do my very best. I have the worm tea (wee) ready and I shall sing to it and give it a little Reiki even....Mr R. is also on notice not to go within a mile of it with anything sharp or he will suffer a terrible damage.

Here's hoping. Thank you Gaye....you little sweetie you.
This is what I have been playing with today.

I adore this piece of fabric and as there is only a small amount of it I thought it was time it "became" something pretty.
That is it from me. I am off to do a little hand stitching now and also make some Kumara and Pumpkin soup for dinner. Enjoy the little bit of weekend that is left.
Blessings Michelle xxx

FNWF

Happy Friday all. Remember these..

Well hopefully with only two more blocks to go I can get closer to finishing them tonight. I am joining all my other online stitching sister's over at Cheryll's for

I may even get a little done on these blocks too.

As you can see I have several WIP going on here and of course what does any self respecting stitcher do when she finds herself in this position....well of course she starts something new. A little bit of stitching has been done on the first Frosty block...

I am afraid I am just a lost cause but please don't try and save me....I am very happy about it.

Ages ago my lovely friend Kay gave me a piece of her gorgeous dark mauve Cooktown Orchid which I was thrilled about as I only have the very pale almost white one. Well it never seemed to thrive let alone flower so last year Kay gave me another snippet and last week it had it's first blooms...not only that the one I thought had not survived has popped up around the other side of the tree and bloomed also...just wonderful.

and this is the first one..

So I am very pleased I didn't manage to kill either of them. Our state emblem is so beautiful.
That's it from me. Enjoy your day and weekend. For those I am stitching with tonight I shall pop around sometime over the weekend to see what lovelies you stitched, or knitted or crocheted.
Blessings Michelle xxx