12 WIPs in 12 Months

As I mentioned in my last post (am I really posting two days in a row, shock horror ) I intend to make some more time to sew for me alongside my Two Little Monkeys sewing.

Luckily AJ came up with a challenge that will encourage me to not only sew more but get some of my huge WIP list finished. Now more info about the challenge can be found here and here but the gist of it is

1. Entry fee of 1 FQ to be sent to AJ to compete for the grand prize at the end of the 12 months
2. For each month that you finish a WIP you get an entry to the grand prize draw (plus an extra entry for blogging about it)
3. 6 of the projects have to be true WIP 'already started' which shouldn’t be a problem as my current list shows 17 and I know there is at least two more to add to it. The other 6 can be not started but you must be previous planned and either material or pattern owned (or drawn up for pattern) While I have at least 9 in that category as well.

My only problem is that most of my WIP still need a lot of work on them so apart from the 6 that are am going to list here I will choose the others that I will do during the year.

Monkeys & Lions Quilt  - This just needs the binding sewn down

Arabella – This was my MIL’s Christmas present for 2010 (oops) just need to send it off to be quilted and then bound

Bastian’s Plane Quilt – I need to remove all the stabiliser from behind the appliqued planes and then once I getting the backing fabric also needs to be sent out to be quilted and then bound. I don’t have a photo of this one but it is this quilt

Charm Square quilt along – Also don’t have a photo of this but I have the quilt top almost finished just need to add the borders, not sure if I have the backing or not for this one. Once again needs to be sent out to be quilted and then bound. This is a photo of the first block I finished.

Pram Quilt – this was meant to be for Lachie but I never got around to finish it. It is going to be backed in two layers of mint green microfleece, I might add some pink flowers or shapes to it before sandwiching it and give it to my cousin for her little girl that is due in Feb.

Snowballs -  This is an advent calendar that I started Nov 2010, did some more Nov 2011 at a quilt retreat and would really like to have it finished for Christmas 2012

My last one is an unstarted one, I bought myself a Odyssea by Momo jelly roll either Christmas 2010 or 2009 waiting for the perfect project and found it while at the quilt retreat in Nov last year. Then at my last market for 2011 I found the pattern I was after at Bella’s Patchwork stall. I decided that I really want to start a new project at the first MMQG SASD in two weeks time so this will be it.

Just need to find some material for the borders and get some white Emma Louise for the background

So I think given that I finished no quilts last year that if I get all of those done I will be doing well.

Swaps, Shopping and Stuff

With the August MMQG sewing day happening tomorrow (7 Aug) I thought I should blog the name tag that I made and received at last months sewing day. My sneak peek here included some paper in the left hand corner, did anyone spy that. As everyone seems to be in love with hexagons at the moment I decided to use hexagons for my name tag and made this one for Cathy

This is the one I received from Bec

I have also been making a few purchases lately. Firstly I went to Melbourne Craft & Quilt Show a couple of weekends ago and was very restrained in my spending. I got was Janelle Wind’s first book Pieces of Me, and a this kit to make Melly & Me’s Fat Quarter bag 

I have to admit that I am quite proud of myself as I have already made one project out of the book, started and finished it all in one day. One of the reasons why I purchased this book was for this specific project.

Isn’t it cute, it is a cover for my Iphone and has a small pocket on the front which is the perfect size to hold my ATM/credit card and some loose change. I have also order some fabric from this lovely store to make two bags out of this book.
Actually I have purchased quite a lot from that store recently as well as the fabric I have three Christmas related kits on there way to me, a advent calendar, reindeer stocking and Christmas wreath. There were all part of QFD Christmas in July online event so I am unable to post photos of the patterns but if you have a look over here you can see some pictures of some of the projects I got kits for. Another purchase I made from QFD was this lovely soft flannel

I am going to team it with the FQ pack of Ginger Blossom that my lovely EB friends gave me as a thankyou for running the Round Robin Swap last year. I plan to make a half sq triangle quilt like Esther’s using the flannel as one half of the sq and the cotton as the other half, hoping it will look as I imagine.
I have also been working on the Freckled Whimsey Charm Pack Quilt along and am now up to date.

150 1/2 square triangles

75 four patch blocks

Finally if you like the look of my IPhone cover, don’t forget that I have a PIF open at the moment and you never now I might make one for you :)

To Market, To Market to by a Fat

Quarter :)

Well not really markets, more the Australian Quilters Convention and Stitches and Craft Show.

My darling husband gave me money to spend at both for my recent birthday, so you can say I put it to real good use.

This is my stash from the AQC, there is a single bed quilt kit for Bastian from Kids quilts, as well as a pattern for a single bed quilt for D. A jelly roll to make this quilt, this pattern, a Swanky charm pack, two Boy theme Espy charm packs and a ruler designed for use with jelly rolls. Now just have to get some time to use them all.

Two weeks later, Bastian and I trundled off to the new improved Melbourne Showgrounds for the new improved Stitches and Craft Show, was very impressed with the new layout, and location. Didn't buy as much this time

Just an add a quarter ruler, a notebook cover kit to cover my diary and Goodie Bag kit from Amitie.

Birthday FQ received

Okay well my birthday was over a month ago now, I know I am a very very very bad poster, one day very very soon in the not so distant future I plan to make it up to you all I promise.

Well camera was put to use today, but just to give your life some more meaning :) I will stretch it all out over a couple of days.

Here are the lovely FQ that I received from Rose, Selina, Kayscha, Car, Esther & Khris. Thankyou so much girls I love, love, love them all.

Best type of mail

Is squishy, quilty mail.

Before Christmas I decided to place my first order from here. I had being eyeing off a quilt kit for a couple of months, and once I discovered that there was actually some funds left over from buying Christmas presents, I decided to treat myself and buy it, because I need more projects to sit in my room un-started.

So finally after some moments of panic that the package had been lost some where over the Pacific it finally all arrived

This is the quilt kit, it even included the backing fabric

I got a couple of yards of this, which I plan to make into a play quilt for Bastian, I can just imagine him driving all his matchbox cars all over it

And this Fat quarter pack just happened to fall into my basket to make the postage worthwhile, not sure what I will do with it.

Spotlight is a bad bad place....

The closest spotlight to me is about as old as I am and over 2 storey with no lift, just stairs and one very narrow old escalator that you have to ring a bell to have someone come and change the direction of it if needed. For that reason I tend to not shop there often since having Bastian.

However... only a 45min drive away is Fountain Gate with is lovely newish massive single storey store, however with a small child a "quick trip" over to there is a thing of the past so when I do go I tend to make it worth my while. The results of my latest trip are


Materials and other bits to make a cloth high chair for Bastian, I love the colour




A pattern and material to make him one pair of shorts, white with blue stars and anchors and two t-shirts. I wanted to make some more adventurous patterns but was talked out of it until I make these three items.





Material to make these retro style bibs.

We are getting a new big Spotlight to replace our old crappy one in Nov this year, not sure if that is a good thing or not....