Winter is Officially here...

Winter's first day means I get to hang up my "Winter" mini....

which is part of my "Season's Stitchery" mini quilts design which is now in pattern form if you missed my last post. Just email me if you are interested.

Old man Winter has turned on a cloudy old day just to mark the occassion.
Now what does every stitcher worth her salt do when she has many things on the go which 'she' could be putting energy into to get them nearer to the finish line???? Well of course 'she' starts something else doesn't 'she' :o)
My lovely friend Teresa from All things Vintage gave me a lovely charm square pack of French General "Rural Jardin" by Moda as a gift. I have been mulling over and drooling over this pack since she gave it to me. I wanted to use the entire pack but didn't just want to sew them together in squares so I decided to make a circle quilt. So I have cut them all into circles bar 2 which are to light for the background and I am going to applique them on to background squares.

This way I can appreciate the whole pack without losing to much of them....aren't they pretty?
I have several other charm packs (who doesn't!!) that I think I will give the BubzRugz treatment and make into a 'coins' quilt. If you missed my friend Fiona's great tutorial on how to make one click HERE to check it out. She is a wonder that girl....even I could understand the tute...it's great.
My little pile of Granny Squares is slowly growing...

Although like most novices I had no clue how far a ball of yarn would go and because I bought the yarn from Dodgy Brother's cheap shop I could get no more of the pretty green and as I am a girl who likes to "match" I have had to try and make it look much more of a scrappy version. So goodness knows what this is going to look like when I am done but hey I figure if you were chilly you would be glad of it. So I shall keep on practicising. The changing colours neatly is something that takes a little practice too.
I am off to cut out my squares for my circles (that sounds freudian doesn't it) and then hopefully get started appliquing them on.
Lastly I wanted to hop up on my soap box for a moment and just remind you all of how special and unique you all are and to tell you that there is no one anywhere on this planet of ours quite like you, before or since. Sometimes in the busyness of our lives as women we forget this important fact. So embrace your "uniqueness" and take a moment or two to appreciate "YOU"  with love. Hopping down now....
Enjoy your weekend.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Strawberry Fields

My issue of Country Threads Magazine arrived and I was very thrilled to see "Strawberry Fields" gracing the front cover...sorry the actual quilt is a bit crinkly. I had it folded away. Definitely no airs and graces around here. I really enjoyed creating this quilt as of course I am a big fan of lovely ripe red strawberries and we have a prime strawberry growing area not too far from where I live. I wanted it to remind you of a lovely picnic on a sunny day...

Also in this issue is a wonderful profile on our very own (well bloggy friends are our own) Deb Davison from Frog Cottage.....it is a great read. Our Deb is an amazing lady. Deb also has a lovely quilt featured called "Sunday Morning". Get yourself a copy, grab a cuppa and get to know Deb a little better.
Now as if that wasn't enough excitement when I got to the "You've got mail" section I found that 2 lovely ladies namely Illene from Retdairyqueen and Joy P. (no blog) had sent in piccies of their finished projects that they had made using my designs with lovely letters too. Thank you so much ladies you are very kind and I appreciated your lovely words so much.
Ok head out of the clouds now....I have done a little bit of sewing on the machine this morning amongst the pile of patterns I have been folding and putting in their little bags...always makes me happy :)
I finished the little journal cover for my cupcake recipes using the Cupcake Angel from my stitchery booklet
"Stitchery Keepsakes" I used the journal pattern from the Moda Bakeshop. Love that pattern!!!

Don't you just love spots???? I do. I think she is very happy with her new spotty cover. Just have to fill her pages with yummy cupcake recipes...have to wait awhile though for the new Mummy, DD with the nice handwriting to give me hand. Much more important things happening first.
Lastly but not least I can tell you that "Seasons Stitchery Mini Quilts" is now in pattern form. There are 6 designs, the 4 seasons plus Easter and Christmas as well as an extra Winter drawing for those of you who don't like "Frosties". Each quilt will fit the 12 inch x 14 inch mini table topper stand.
The cost is $16.50 Aus with free postage within Australia. I only accept Paypal for payment for overseas customers. If you wish to purchase a copy please email me.

Well folks I think that's me done for today. Back to my pattern folding.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Still Sniffily

Not sure if 'sniffily' is  a word but it is a fact. Shares in the tissue company would see me very wealthy at the rate I am going through them. Mr R. has also succumbed but of course he has SEVERE 'man flu' poor little treasure. I feel so sorry for him. Not a lot of sewing has been happening but I have finished stitching Block 1 of my new design and no guesses as to what it will be about.

I also put together a cushion using my "Tea & Frienship" design. I have kept it very sweet and simple with just a little bit of lace as I wanted to showcase the stitchery and the lovely delicate fabric. I am quite pleased with the result...more pattern writing coming up.

I have had several enquiries for a pattern for "My Country Garden" quilt that appeared in Country Threads Magazine a few issues back from overseas folks who are unable to access the magazine. Just wanted you to know I have done up a pattern for it now and you can email me if you wish to purchase a copy.

Thanks for all your enquiries and I hope this makes you happy and I am so glad you all loved it so much.
That's it for me now. I have to dash to the post office as a few things have slipped in the last few days.
Take care all,
Blessings Michelle xxx

Our Latest Little Blessing

Our newest Granddaughter Erin Rose arrived at 8.30 am yesterday morning safe and well.

She is quite a girl weighing 9lb 4ozs. She has the thickest, blackest head of hair just as her Mum had when she was born. I thought I would sneak a piccie in of her poor Mum the day before this event. She is not a big girl and we were amazed at how she just kept on growing. We don't know how she fitted in.

We are so delighted that they are both well and that we have been blessed with two new Granddaughters in 4 weeks. A new little girlfriend ready made for sweet little Charlotte.

Her little pink quilt was delivered with the help of her very pleased and proud big brother (even had a shirt to mark the occassion) LOL.

I haven't had a cuddle yet :( as I still have this wretched cold so I have to be content with loving her from a distance for a bit.
So no sewing here at the moment.
Blessings Michelle xxx

A Little Under the Weather

These won't be far away from me today as I am feeling a little below par with a cold and I will cheerfully admit to being a sook and not very good at not feeling up to much. At least you can still stitch with a cold...we are lost causes aren't we!
I am nearly finished my 12 hexies and I love them.

I have found stitching them down with applique really relaxing.

I am a city slicker and live in the 'burbs and have definite "tree envy" of those friends of mine who live in more rural settings....you know who you are!! Anyway my dear friend Helen lives way up a mountain in the Hinterland around Beechmont (simply gorgeous old growth forests) and she blessed and gifted us with these lovely organically grown pumpkins at Yoga on Monday...s

Aren't they beauties. I am going to share some and I can feel some Pumpkin soup and lovely roasted pumpkin in the making with the rest. Yum! Thanks lovely Helen xx
Yesterday I went along with to Under 8's day at my eldest Grandson's school.
They had a blast what fun. He here his on the obstacle course coming through the tunnel.

The teachers did a fantastic job. They are really special people and it is such a shame they are under so much pressure all the time with all manner of things that takes them away from what they do best and that is to teach our kids. I take my hat off to them I really do.
Well that is it from me I am off to my trusty brown chair and my cup of lemon and ginger tea.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Quick Post

Just a quick post as another busy day looms. We had a busy weekend and Mr R. had a lovely aftenoon tea with the family (noisy but lovely) How our new baby slept through all the chatter and play is amazing. Nana has extremely sore legs from being the "Star Wars" catching monster...don't ask!
Of course when you have soooo many candles on your cake you need a little help to blow them all out...

You may notice the motorbike at the side of the cake. It is a family joke and is sooo old and we stick it on just about everybody's cake regardless of how fancy it may be. Do you have family silliness like this one too?

Not a lot of stitching but I have finished the little Cupcake Angel from Stitchery Keepsakes Booklet. Just have to sew her up.

As I am trying to catch up a little on WIP's I have been stitching a few of my hexies down.

Only 3 more to go and then hopefully they will morph into something lovely.
I hope you all have a wonderful day...catch you later..
Blessings Michelle xxx

Almost a Finish.

I have finished the stitching on the little rose stitchery that fell out of my sketch book a while ago already traced out....

Now to make it into a pretty little cushion using my "Highfields" rosy fabric.
For ages now I have been wanting to stitch the little Cupcake Angel out of my Stitchery Keepsakes Booklet which I had also traced out at the same time as the one above. So I have her in the hoop and have gotten to work on her hair.

I fancy making her into a journal cover that will be a pretty little recipe book just for cupcakes. Just need DD and her lovely handwriting to write out my fav recipes for me....mine is dreadful (I can draw just can't write lol). Watch this space.
As I told you in my previous post I have been doing a lot of instruction writing and you will be pleased to know that this little minis are now all written up along with 4 other new patterns ( you will have to wait for those)

I hope to have them printed next week...YAY!!! Two more patterns to write up. I think however I am going to do a Scarlett and "think about that tomorrow". My creativity has been in overdrive lately....definitely not complaining but not a lot of sleep happens when it comes a calling...and it is just that all the paperwork has caught up with me at once. I am hoping to get my Calendar Bears into the hoop next week now that they are all basted. So that will be nice and relaxing to hand quilt for awhile.
Well I wish you all a wonderful weekend no matter where you may find yourself. Dear Husband is having a birthday so if he is good we may have a cake. I may even bake....oh my goodness!!!
Blessings Michelle xxx