Final finish for 2010.....

This is my final project for this year,I have many more that are nearly finished but I'll try and get them done and posted about in the new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND I ALSO HOPE YOU HAVE A SAFE AND CRAFTY 2011!!

A finish for Christmas....

This is the candle mat I've been working on over the past few days.I've made it for my Hubby's aunt for Christmas as she loves to use candles throughout the year.I used a pattern from Sandra's blog if you would like to make one for yourself or make one as a gift go to http://alegacyofstitches.blogspot.com/ just remember it's for personal use only and please respect this. It's a very easy pattern to put together....may just have to make one for myself now lol.

I've been very busy....

For the last few weeks I've been making up pencil rolls,33 to be exact!

These pencil rolls are going to be given out tomorrow at the grauation ceremony for the ones graduating from kindergarten to school next year.I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they open them up :)

I'd also like to thank my sister Anne for helping out with the final 1/8th" seam around all 33 of the pencil rolls.Thanks Anne,the help and motivation was very much appreciated XX

Maree's Christmas swap.....parcel is on it's way!

This is just a photo of the pressie's heading someone's way....... I hope my swap partner likes what I've selected and made for her??

Lookie,Lookie,Lookie......

Look what arrived in my letter box.Lots of pressies all for me :) I just wanted Laurie to know that they arrived and I've only prodded and poked them a couple of times each lol.

Thanks Laurie for being my swap partner,I can't wait till Christmas to be able to open them.

I promise I'll be good!

I'll be sending of my parcel of presents to my swap partner this Friday.I hope she'll have as much fun poking and prodding them as I have with mine.....but remember no peeking till Christmas day!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...tra...la..la..la.la

Just a couple of photo's of the Christmas decorating starting at my home.It's now begining to feel like Christmas is just around the corner here.....better get on with making the rest of my gifts on my list!

Guest designer on the Among The Gum Tree Blog

A little while ago I received an email from Jenny from http://gumtreedesigners.blogspot.com/

asking if I would liketo design a downloadable freebie for their Christmas countdown of gift ideas and off course I had to think about it......for about a nanno second,just while I was jumping up and down for joy and trying to collect myself so I could reply with some sort of coherancy LOL.

Of course I said YES and then quickly started to jot down ideas and hopefully I've come up with something you'll all enjoy making.If you'd like to see the design I've created just for you pop over to their blog at http://gumtreedesigners.blogspot.com/ this Monday the 15th November and download it and then come back and tell me what you think I'd really love some feedback on what you think and if you do get to make it for Christmas this year I'd love to see some photo's.

Oohhh forgot to say that I answered a few questions about my crafting journey so have a read and hopefully my photo won't break your computer screen LOL.

The photo's above are a couple of other designs I've had published in handmade magazine this year.The cushion is in the handmade issue Vol.27 No.11 & the christmas bag is in Handmade Vol.28 No.6 if you want to have a go at making them.

I also want to thank all the Gum Tree designers for giving me the chance to put myself out there in blogland and get my name more known through their generosity in letting me design a freebie for their blog.Thanks girls I really do appreciate it :) Barb.

What to do with hair you no longer want??

Remember a few days ago I had all my hair chopped of well I've decided that instead of chucking my hair in the bin I'll be donating it to a wig maker so they can make a wig out of it for cancer patients who lose their hair through chemo treatments.All I have to do is pop it in a padded envelope with a little note saying it's donated hair and they'll make it into a wig for someone who needs it more than I do.

It feels good to know my hair can still be useful rather than end up in the hairdressers bin :)

15 inches is a lot to carry around......

The new me!!

Still deciding on whether to add a colour but after seeing these photo's and all the grey emerging I think I'll be heading back to the hairdressers in the next couple of weeks to ask their advice lol.

A finish for October....

I finally finished those last 120 squares,stitched them together and added them to my project I've been working on over the last few months.You probably guessed it was a knee rug I was working on and you'd be right! This knee rug is for me,I'm always making things for other people....family,friends,new bubs so I thought it was time I made one for me.I love how the colours work together.

I'm still working on more squares as I thought a cushion or two in these colours would like nice on the couch next winter when I have the knee rug keeping me warm.I'm glad the rug is finished as it's starting to get hotter where I am and soon it will be too hot to crochet....mmmm will have to get back into organising my sewing room now the warmer weather has finally arrived.I'll post some photo's when I get a bit more done on it,at the moment it looks like a herd of elephants have run through it lol :)

I know,I know.....I couldn'd wait till next Friday!

I can hear my sister Anne having a quiet laugh while reading this post today.Anne and I had a gret day yesterday as she came over to my house with her machine and sat and sewed a quilt top together that's been waiting to be put together for two years. While Anne worked on her quilt I cut up the pieces I needed to make up two coin cot quilts ready to sew when she comes back next Friday for another day of sewing with me.

Mmmm Friday certainly arrived quicker than I was expecting lol.

I just couldn't resist making up one of them last night after Anne had headed home and just kept going till it was finished.I've been wanting to make up a coin quilt for a little while now and this one has me wanting to make one for our bed in similar colours ready for summer.....maybe for next year?? Anyway I'm pretty happy with the end result and can't wait to make up the 2nd one next Friday.

Another early Bird Christmas Gift finished....

Well the suspense is over with two of the tea towels made up into this kindergarten bag for my great niece.I didn't have enough of the green to make the lining totally out of it so I duplicated the outer bag minus the applique and voila a bag was made.I'm also planning on making a few other bits for her to fill the bag up.

I made the bag up using only what I had in my stash,some left over green I've been using for curtains that are going to go around my tables in my sewing room and the green and orange fabrics from my scrap box.So total cost of the bag was aound $6 as I bought the DMC threads when they were on special.Not bad for a bag!

Stay tuned for the third and final tea towel to be made into......... well you'll have to keep guessing till I post a photo LOL :)

An update on those squares.....

Remember those crocheted squares I showed you a few posts ago well they've all joined together to start forming this......but you'll have to wait just a bit longer to see them in all their glory.

Sorry for being such a tease but I can only do so much crochet before my hand gives out so you'll just have to wait till I make up some more squares...... only another 120 to see what it will turn into.

More Early Bird Christmas gifts...

I've had these two bags made up ready to be sewn together for about a week now and today they finally got put together....I love how they've come together.

Now to get onto the tea towel secret squirrel projects.

A secret squirrel project.....or two?

I spotted these tea towels at Spotlight last weekend and fell in love with the colours.I matched some threads and now to get to work....are you wondering what I'll be making? Keep tuned to this station,all I'll tell you is they're a couple of Christmas gifts for this years list.

A little something for my sewing room....Finally!

These swing tags are some of the things I've been wanting to make for my sewing room makeover for a little while now and yesterday I finally got my act together and started working on them.I still have a few more to make but I'm finally feeling like I'm getting somewhere with my sewing room makeover.I think spring has a lot to do with my motivation,the days are warmer and the sun is staying out longer.I love spring and summer......bring it on!

I've been busy.....

This is a sneak peak at something I've been crocheting for the last couple of months,aren't they just yummy colours!More on this project when I start putting it together.

Early Bird Christmas Crafting.....Does it matter if I've made it for me ???

I've been enjoying all the gift making I've been doing over the past couple of months for family and friends but decided I needed to make something for myself this month for christmas.I've had the fabric all cut up and ready to sew this bag together for a little while now and just needed to complete the stitcheries to be able to finally put it together which I finished yesterday and then decided to just keep at it and put it together.I made my handles shorter than the pattern as I want to use this bag to carry all my stuff to work on a daily basis like my lunch,a crafty project a book or magazine and let me tell you it will certainly be big enough to carry all these things at the same time it's enormous! I've enjoyed making this bag and I think a couple more are going on my to-do list for future presents.

This bag is called the "Baseco Mahai Kita" tote and is sold through Dawn Hays blog http://dawnhaydesigns.blogspot.com/ just click on this link and it will explain where all the proceeds from the sale of this pattern goes to help those less fortunate than us. http://dawnhaydesigns.blogspot.com/2010/03/baseco-mahal-kita.html

Swaps so far.....

On the craft forum I'm involved in two long-term swaps,the hexie swap and the charm square BOM.I'm enjoying both of them imensley and thought I'd post a couple of pictures of all the blocks I've received so far from both swaps.

Early bird Christams Crafting.....

Another finish for the Christmas box.I have just the person in mind for this cushion.I hope she likes it.

Breast Of Friends BOM update......

I've finally finished two more blocks of the Breast of Friends BOM from last year.I only have two more and then I have to decide if I want to make it up into the quilt or use the blocks for other things like cushions,block keepers,journal covers etc.... as the quilt ends up being very,very big and I don't have any wall space big eough to hang it and I'd hate to see it languish in a cupboard unappreciated.What do you think ??

Finally finished the binding....

This quilt has been sitting with it's binding reading to be sewn down for quite a few years....I'm a bit too embarressed to admit for how many years (yes years!) it's taken me to finally sit and sew the binding down.

I was all eager to get started on another one that's been waiting just as long to get its binding sewn down when I cut my finger and that was the end of that one,maybe next week I'll be able to get back to the second one and finish it as well.

Playing catch up.....

A couple of weeks ago I entered and won a giveaway on Marg Lows blog but in everything that has been happening lately forgot to post a picture of what I won,two lovely patterns! Thanks Marg for the chance to win such gorgeous designs :)

I also have been lax in posting a thank you to Lurline for my belated birthday fat 1/4's.I honestly don't know where the time has flown,August is nearly halfway through and I feel like I've been playing catch-up for most of it lol.

Again I want to thank both Marg and Lurline for their generosity and patience :)

progress.....

I'm now halfway through making the "Love is" BOM which can be found here at http://pacificpatchwork.typepad.com/ .I'm just waiting for block 16 and then I can finish row 4 and sew it on.

I'm quite pleased with how it's turning out with using just my scraps/leftovers from other projects.I haven't had to buy anything to make up these blocks so far.

Giveaway received....

Finally I can show everyone what I sent to Karen my Tilda giveaway winner.

Karen off course won the Tilda book but I also threw in a few other goodies to help her start on some of the projects in the book.

I hope you enjoy creating some of the lovely projects in the book Karen :)

Early Bird Christmas Crafting.......Final one for July!

Judith set us a task to create something for the home using two colours and a co-ordinating fabric base in white,cream,black etc....were allowed to be used and this is what I came up with.I used a combination of burgundy,cream with a hint of white for them using a charm pack from Moda "called Lumiere de noel".I love this new pattern I just purchased from a new and upcoming designer called Jo from www.scrapnstitch.blogspot.com/ ,it's her first design called "Trinkets"and hopefully not her last. If you get a chance go visit her blog she has some lovely stuff on it.

More Early Bird Christmas Crafting happening here....

I've been sick most of last week so I haven't had a chance to post these photo's of what I've been working on the previous week or so.These are all going into the christmas box.....journals x5,some to be used as telephone/address books,birthday books or as a writing pad beside the phone.I also made some hand crocheted doilies,and the Bliss bag,my christmas box is certainly starting to fill up.

GIVEAWAY WINNER......

Well today's the day for me to announce the winner for my giveaway.........and the winner is karen from "KAREN'S KORNER" !!!

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!! I'll also be including a couple of surprises in with your book which I hope you'll like.

Karen you haven't left a way for me to contact you so I''ll give you till next Friday (July 23rd) to contact me or I may have to pick another winner if I don't hear from you.

Craft Forum designer Swap

On the craft forum we had a designer swap and we could choose to do something made by Leanne Beasley or Bronwyn Hayes it was up to the maker to decide what they were making for their partner but in their partners colour choice.

I made Donna the aqua bag using Bronyn Hayes stitcheries done in a raspberry thread and I'm happy to say she loved it! (phew.....wipes brow).

The red and white spot bag is the one my partner Jeanette made for me and I LOVE IT!! It's soooo me.The stitchery reminds me of my sister and I sitting and sewing on my day off work.

Thanks Donna and Jeanette for such a fantastic swap and being my partners :)

GIVEAWAY.....200posts,200 followers!

I decided to have a giveaway for my 200th post and it just so happens that it co-incides with my 200th follower,so a double whammy.

To enter my giveaway requires no feats of leaping and bounding through hoops and rings of fire for extra points all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post and you're in the pot.

The prize for this giveaway is this gorgeous "Tilda" book called "Sew Sunny Homestyle" and is open to everyone.So get your fingers taping as this giveaway will close Thursday 15th July and the winner announced Friday the 16th July.

Early Bird Christams crafting: No.3

I've had this pincushion made up for a while so last night while watching TV I stuffed it and sewed the opening close.I used some of the left over fabric from my elf wall hanging to make it up.The pattern is from a Gail Pan freebie found on her blog and I think I'll be making a few more in diferent colourways for Christmas presents this year.

Early Bird Christmas Crafting: 2 ipod/camera cases

I put these together a week ago and today was perfect to take an outside photo of them.It's been dreary and raining on and off all week,perfect sewing weather.

Linda's block.......charm square BOM

This is the second block I've made in this swap so far.A much easier block than the first one called "a nine patch with a twist"........not so many grey hairs produced due to this one lol.

I'll post a photo of the block Ruth made for when it arrives in my hot little hands.

Early Bird Christmas Crafting......1st finish

Finally I can put a photo up of one of the items I've been working on, a heat pack for a friend who suffers from bad back pains.I was hopeing over this long weekend to get lots fininished and of my to-do list for the Early Bird Christmas sewing but my machine wouldn't cooperate! With the help of mt sister Anne today we discovered that when I changed my needle (late) last night I didn't read the number size properly and put the wrong sized needle in my machine for the material I was using it for which caused the thread to break and lots of skipped stitches grrrrr.

I hope to have a few more things finished over this week and if I do I'll post more photo's on Friday :)