tulips and bees ....quilting bees !

Well, we survived the freezing cold conditions in Canberra for Floriade. It is a wonder there were any tulips left with the gale force winds !


Beautiful tulips, but must admit,I was frozen to the bone so I couldn't wait to get back in the car and drive to the mall. What luck ! A fabulous new Hobbysew had opened there with a great array of fabrics so I spent an hour or so warming myself up while browsing ( and buying ....sshh.. don't tell DH ).

These are my blocks for Amy for the ANZAC quilting bee. They proved to be a challenge in that I had to think outside the square..but I am pleased with the final result .I hope Amy is also.



Have you seen the latest blocks in the Quilt Project ? The quilt will be on display in Melbourne for one evening only, here are the details .

School holidays start at 3.10 pm tomorrow. I have been busy gathering ideas for crafty ventures to keep the children occupied over the next 2 weeks. First on the list is some goop ! definitely an outside activity.
Any links to some great sites with kids craft activities greatly appreciated !

x PJ x

What a great give away theme !

The lovely Elaine from Faithful Quilter is having a fab giveaway "the Stimulus Package " for quilters !
Very timely theme...the economy is not the only thing around here that needs a bit of stimulus !
My motivation would benefit from a wee bit of "stimulus".
Pop over and browse Elaine's blog...very inspirational for some traditional quilting designs and styles .

First time.

We have had a busy weekend with a lot of "Firsts "

The first time I have seen a naked Banana !! I think I should have found a maple leaf for his modesty ... his PJ's needed a wash...

The first time Emily collected fresh eggs..

The first time I totally improvised a quilt top ...one way to use up all my flannel scraps !!
Very utilitarian..I know it won't win any prizes !


Hope you all had a lovely weekend !
x PJ x

Mmmm..... coffee and chocolate.....Kitchen Swap !!

My partner Melissa received the little box of goodies for the Kitchen swap I sent her.
Melissa mentioned her kitchen was brown and cream, so when I saw some cute coffee themed fabric in those exact colours , on one of my fabric shop adventures...I knew I had to get it!
Apparently I chose well, Melissa and her husband both have a love of coffee!!
I made a set of coasters and a chalkboard fabric message board with the fabric.




What goes so well with coffee? .. ...chocolate !! ..so I included a Donna Hay Chocolate Recipe book, a spatula to help make some yummy chocolate cakes...and some cute stencils to decorate cappucino or hot chocolates with ...place them over the cup and shake the sprinkles over !!





Thankyou ,Melissa , for being my kitchen swap partner..it has been lots of fun !!

An inspiring giveaway !!

I have been wanting to make a Coin quilt for some time now, however my stash of cute and modern fabrics is sadly lacking. But I am hoping to win this little give away over at A La Mode
which would be perfect for the look I wanted to achieve. Do have a look at this gorgeous blog...and her coin quilt..Pink Popsicle...very pretty...and don't forget to pop into her Etsy shop...lots of yumminess in there !!!

I hope William does not turn in his grave !

I have finally made a start on the applique blocks for the William Morris inspired quilt I am doing throughout the year with the 2nd , smaller, patchwork group I am in.
The design is by Michelle Hill and is inspired by William Morris and the other artists of the Craft movement.

I have been lacking motivation to start this and I was unsure why..until I realised I was not enjoying the palette of colours I would have to work in,to keep in with traditional style of the quilt.
So, I have broken ranks and gathered brighter , bolder fabrics from my stash. I am using a white tone- on -tone background rather than cream ( which everyone else is using).
I hope that William would not be turning in his grave if he could see my choices of colour, but at least I now want to do the quilt....

A quilt for my nephew.

My brother and his wife recently welcomed their beautiful boy, Jackson ,to their family.
So what does a doting Aunty do when a new baby arrives? Makes a quilt of course!
This is my version of Simple Modern Baby Quilt, from Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson. I quilted in the ditch rather than stipple all over . I like a baby quilt to be snuggly and I find that an all over stipple can make a quilt rather stiff. I was quite pleased with the final result.
I am off to meet a dear friend and her girls for a playdate at an indoor play centre..must remember my ear plugs.....the squeals of delight can be quite deafening !