Projects a go-go (or it's been raining a lot)

It's been raining a lot, hence quite a lot of things have been started or cut out or planned. After the boring stuff (housework) is done there's really no choice but to do a bit of sewing or crafting. What a shame! All the nearly finished outside jobs have been abandoned until the muddy bog outside has a chance to dry out. Should be a while since we're still waiting for the rain to actually stop. So meanwhile...... Littlest fish is getting a mermaid/underwater stitchery similar to the one I made for her sister a while ago (hers had a bit of a woodland critter theme). I'm using a beautiful mermaid pattern I found on little dear tracks etsy shop for the centre panel. Then I'm using some cute under the sea patterns from her lovely book Doodle Stitching (the motif collection) for the smaller panels around it, except for one which is a mermaid I found in Badbird's free stitchery patterns on her blog. The surrounding fabric patches will be made up of some much loved and hard to get hold of mendocino prints by Heather Ross. I'm going to very carefully fussy cut them out to get the best bits. If there's a bit left after this I'll make a cushion cover or something with the leftovers. Will show you some progress shots as it progresses.

I have aquired an interest in hawaiian applique and tivavae (similar but from the south pacific). I'm not sure how I aquired said interest but there you go, it's here so I may as well explore it.

I found a great website that sells patterns for cushion size projects up to giant Queen size beds (Poakalani, just google the name) and ordered a few to try. The first one is a 22" turtle pattern that I'm going to raw edge applique. I want to try another pattern using needleturn to give it a go. The turles have been cut out and pinned on to the backing fabric and so far so good. I'll try to remember to take some pics of the different steps as I go. Hawaiian applique in a nutshell is like those snowflakes you make out of paper when you're little. You fold up the paper and cut bits out then open up the paper to find a pretty pattern. Except with fabric. And a bit more thought out.

Next project a go-go is a planned quilt using this awsome pattern from Chasing Cottons, Who doesn't love sandcastles!? And they're fabric ones!

I'm going to first make a block up as a cushion cover for a little girls birthday pressie as after sifting through the stash I found some fabric that is sand looking with pretty little shells all over it, perfect for a sandcastle. You could do a fairytale theme or make it a bit boyish if you preferred, the fabrics on the picture are Heather Ross' far, far away prints which look beautiful.

And to finish off here's a pic of something that's just about done. I cut up a design roll (like a jelly roll but not from Moda) of Amy Butler's Soul Blossom range and did a sort of log cabiny thing with squares of other stuff in between. This lot was sewn together rag rug style and super quick. I'll post some more detailed pics and info in a separate post as soon as I find the other pics I took of it.

So there you go, heaps of things are on the go and with all this wet weather it's keeping me out of trouble. Now to figure out how to keep the rest of the fishes out of trouble.....

random stuff

I got these 2 books a short while before Easter and just love them. Warm Fuzzies was an awsome score off ebay (this NEVER happens to me) that was only $10, pretty good when it's selling for 3 times that! And more softies was from the bookshop but I couldn't resist as I have bought the first softies for my lovely s-i-l and loved that too.

Just wanted to share some great books. I have also been scouring fishpond for their craft books and have made up a pretty impressive wishlist.

This is my cute little fishie number 2 who can sort of sit up now. She is not so good with the not falling sideways yet but we are working on it. For a kid that spent the first 3 months of her life in a pavlik harness (to correct her hip dysplasia) she is doing pretty well with reaching all her milestones. She may walk a little bit later than average but that's okay, more time to put everything out of reach.

These fabulous t-shirts were made by my clever s-i-l Claire who did them up for the girls at easter time. Zali got the bunny one as she can't eat choccy yet (we'll soon sort that out)

and Stace got the other 2 for her birthday. Isn't she clever! gush, gush, okay that's enough.

I joined Brown Owls a little while ago and it promted me to ask mum where all my old brownie stuff was (I knew she would have it somewhere). sure enough, it was hiding in a cupboard and i got it all out and had a look through my old handbook and all the other stuff. What memories it brought back. I'm trying to hunt down any other members that live in Mackay so we can form our own chapter and have meetings and stuff. The Melbourne girls look like they have lots of fun at their gatherings.

And Finally, this cute little pic is of a stitchery that i got from Claire's old craft book (i think it's from the 70's) that she would have found in an op shop somewhere. There is a matching boy one as well that is equally cute.

I really should get my priorities right!

This is what I should be doing (ironing chair covers for the 5 weddings we are setting up next weekend).

This is what i'd like to be doing instead (finishing my stitchery).

And this is what I better get started on doing if I want to finish them before my 90th birthday. (yes, that folder really is full of patterns that i would like to make).

And this is what I need to remember to post tomorrow or poor Stacey will get her swap in the wrong month! (I seem to find it difficult to get to the post office with 2 little fishes, wonder why!)

Oh, to have another few hours in the day!

Have not been able to do a whole lot of crafting lately as i have been working a bit. And this weekend I am supposed to be pruning and weeding. After my stitchery (which is pretty much traced off my Kristen Doran Fabric panel) is finished, I think I might make a little felt mushroom or toadstool, or maybe a little bird. Or maybe a mobile for Zali's room. hmmm. Don't know what I want to make now.