Colour swap & what I've been up to lately....

 These pretty red parcels were sent of to.......... yesterday, so if your colour is red they may be heading your way :)

 Remember this crocheted blanket I started it quite a while ago, well it's been finished for a little while now but the weather hasn't been good enough or me well enough to be able to take an outside picture so I had to wait......

Finally I was able to get outside and take a photo of the completed blanket, it's huge and very snuggly to lie under, I really love how this one has turned out :) Now to get back to the red and cream star blanket and the baby blanket and the...... you get the drift no rest for the wicked LOL, catch up with you later after my weekend away in Queenscliff, of course I'll be taking a bit of crochet with me to keep my hands busy on the trip there and back :)

9 Patch block swap,fat 1/4 swap & last of the birthday gifts!

 I've been ill for most of April with different things and although it's my birthday month I'm actually looking forward to seeing the end of this month this year, hopefully May will be a better month for me health-wise....in-between being sick, trying to work etc.. I managed to finish this months blocks for the 9 patch block swap I'm in and decided to finish May's as well just in case I have another month like this one, I'm now a month ahead which gives m a bit of breathing space phew!

 These pretty fat 1/4's, ric rac and thread were sent to me for my birthday from Claire, thank you Claire they certainly helped me feel much better this month with there loveliness :)

 and these pretty fabrics and tape measure ribbon also came for my birthday from the lovely Helen, I think I have lots of different red & white fabrics to make my quilt now, thanks Helen :)

 I also got this lovely surprise from Melanie, so, so pretty! Thanks Melanie I'm sure I'll have the perfect project to use these with :)

 These gorgeous gifts were presented to me on Friday from the lovely Vanessa when she came over to my house to sit and sew with me for the day, totally spoiled I was!! Thanks Vanessa and we'll have to make sure we sit and sew again real soon :)

 These yummy red & white fat 1/4's, thread and buttons came from our fat 1/4 leader Cathy ,love, love, love red & white in case you didn't know lol....Thanks Cathy :)

and these I sent off to Lyn my swap partner for this month fat 1/4 swap, Lyn's just let me know she's received them and loves everything I sent her phew....wipes brow :)
I'll be back later to show photo's of the colour swap items I just sent off today so if you're in this swap and your colour is.....hey I don't want to be a spoiler, will be back later with photo's :)

Colour Swap....

 I've been very slack blogging about this gorgeous parcel that arrived at my house on Friday....Will you look at all this pink loveliness!! My swap partner was Pat and she spoilt me rotten!!

The first parcel I opened was the something edible one (of course, me and my stomach lol )..... Just look at all these yummy treats! I must admit I have shared a few with my other half but I've hidden the rest so I can have a secret stash of goodies when  a sweet moment hits me lol. Will you look at the tag it's just beautiful like all of Pat's tags she used for my parcels....

 The next parcel was something for a room in the house. Will you just look at the gorgeous embroidery on the towels, hand towel and face washer....just divine! and the little square box on top is a lovely smelling soap with a pretty hair tie wrapped around it. I'm feeling very spoilt!!

 Next up was the parcel containing something smelly and I'm going to admit to having a blonde moment when I wondered why you'd put a $2 coin in with the rice for the heat pack Pat made for me till it was explained it was to buy the rice to fill the heat pack up with DOH! Slaps forehead!
Pat has made me this gorgeous heat pack and included some yummy smelling lavender to add to it which will come in very hand with how my backs been playing up the last couple of weeks. Thanks Pat this one will get a work out for sure.

 The last parcel to be opened was the "Personal" one and again I was not disappointed :) Pat stuffed the parcel full with a gorgeous pink ribbon pen a hug & kisses note pad and gorgeous pair of pink scissors with a Suffolk puff chain as well as a beautiful pot holder although I think it's waaaayyy to pretty to be used as a pot holder :)

To top of my lovely gifts from Pat she sent me this lovely handmade card with a beautiful letter inside telling me about herself and her family, it was great to read about her life and her family and her travels around Australia. Thanks Pat for being my swap partner I have had soooo much fun opening each and every gift and I hope you too have just as much fun when your parcels arrive at your doorstep :) Barb.
I still have some birthday photo's to share but I'll try for another post later in the week :)

Remeber these??

 I started making these snowflake blocks and couldn't stop at one, they went from this to.....

 This! They're folded in half, it is fifteen blocks long and I've finally finished stitching two rows together.

A close up picture of the blocks......not sure if I'll have enough wool to make a blanket but if not I'll make it into a runner for my bed.....what do you think? I LoVe it!!!

My birthday month.....and Cathy's fat 1/4 swap

 Sorry, I was supposed to do this post sooner but I've been laid up with a bad back this week and haven't been able to sit at the computer for too long. The photo above is my lovely birthday gift from my bloggy buddy Vicki, I just love the shabby chic note pad it will come in very handy with all my list making I do lol and the beautiful lily magnet is on my freezer making it look pretty.....thanks Vicki for thinking of me on my birthday :)

 This next lot of loveliness is from carol who is in Cathy's fat 1/4 swap with me,will definitely find a use for everything Carol's sent me, the red and white fabrics are in my red and white fabric stash waiting for me to finish my stitcheries so I can start cutting them up. Thanks carol :)

 Now who can resist the fabric range "Ruby" by Connie and Camille......definitely not me! Thanks Wendy this range is getting harder and harder to find now and I'll be saving it for a very special project :)

 This pretty bunch of reds is from Sharon another fat 1/4 swapee, I love the tiny crocheted flowers Sharon sent with them, I must think of something special to use them with but till then they'll sit in a pretty bowl on my sewing table for me to look at. Now Sharon has also sent me a very pretty lace  zip......does this mean I'll really have to get my act into gear and attempt my first ever zip insertion???? OOOhhhh Sharon how can I resist and at least try with such a pretty zip to motivate me. Thanks Sharon :)

 Well I have to admit the mentos didn't last past being photographed for long lol....These pretty fabrics were sent to me by Sandra, love the handmade card, very pretty. Thanks Sandra I'll be putting these fat 1/4's into my stash until a project surfaces for them :)

 This next lot of lovelies comes from Lyndell......Love this gumboot fabric, I have some in the blue but didn't manage any in this yummy red at my local spotty before they all disappeared. Thanks Lyndell, love everything you've sent me. I already have something in mind for these with the buttons as added bling :)

 This certainly is a birthday that just keeps on giving, Lyn sent me these beautiful fabrics with a little note telling me that the tape measure was made in Vietnam and that she actually watched these being made using a treadle machine, imagine that! Thanks Lyn, now I have a very special memory evry time I use it :)

 These pretty fabrics and  ric rac are from Heather another fat 1/4 swapper Love the colours in the fabric and of course it had to be red and white ric rac to get my heart racing lol. Thanks Heather it certainly made last week a bit more bearable :)  P.S: Forgot to say that the vanilla latte sachet is looong gone and was very yummy!

 These pretties are from Helen, such yummy tiny little bits and bobs I can add to my sewing projects....just the right size! I love the fabrics and will have to find something special to use them in, as above the creamy choc caramel sachet is looong gone and was very yummy, I haven't tried one of these before my birthday and now I've been able to have a couple must look out for them in the shops and stock up. Thanks Helen :)

 This next lot of red loveliness came from Yvonne my 1st prize winner in my recent giveaway she heard it was my birthday and sent me a little something.....thanks Yvonne totally unexpected but very much appreciate it! Love the hand painted brooch in my favourite colour red of course. Thanks Yvonne you didn't have to but I love that you did :)

Now onto Cathy's fat 1/4 swap for this month this is what Lyn sent me, totally scrumptious cake ribbon, a pretty bag pattern and two gorgeous fat 1/4's what more could a girl wish for! Thanks Lyn, the fabrics I ordered have arrived and I'll be posting your parcel off to you tomorrow with a few extras a swell I hope you like what I've chosen just as much as I've loved what you've sent to me ;)

Still more Birthday pressies.....

 I've joined in Mrs. Martin's Celebrate swap and my partner Leanne when sending me my Easter swap item also sent me this gorgeous pouch with all these goodies inside,I have been spoilt rotten by Leanne :) Thanks Leanne I've loved everything you've sent me and can't wait for the next part of the swap to start :)

 I have a very special bloggy friend called Ondrea and this is what she made for me for my Birthday.....can you tell she knows I love red and white together lol. Thanks Ondrea I LoVe it!!  I've already found a special place for it in my sewing room :) I'll do another post soon and show you what I made for Ondrea's birthday which was the day after mine.....

 This beautiful pincushion, fabric, ribbon and wooden hearts were sent to me by Melody who I've spent some lovely days at Mill Rose in Ballan stitching and chatting, thanks Melody my beautiful pincushion has been added to my collection in my huge wooden bowl sitting on my sewing table for me to admire before I put it to good use in the future :)

 This gorgeous kit was sent to me by Maureen,I love the fabric range and the pattern is soooo pretty I can't wait to be able to get some me time and start working on it.Thanks Maureen it certainly brightened my week :)

 These pretty purple fat 1/4's and matching threads were sent by Janet, I'm  feeling very spoiled at the moment, thanks Janet these will be added to my stash to use for future projects :)

This lovely lot of yumminess was sent by Narelle, I must admit the chocolate sachet is now long gone and very enjoyable it was too lol.....the little birdy magnets are on my freezer looking very pretty and the fabric, buttons, thread and ric rac have been added to my stash which is growing bigger by the day! Thanks Narelle You've made my birthday linger just that little bit longer this year :)
I also received more gifts etc... this evening but it was too late to take pic's so I'll wait till Friday and do another big post of gorgeous Birthday goodness then :)

 This past weekend I've been reading and trying out a few new crochet block patterns from this new book I received in the mail last week....

This block is called "let it snow" I love how adding the red border makes the snowflake stand out more vibrantly. I also have a couple of more blocks I'll be trying out over the next week or so, I've enjoyed working on something new, the block looks difficult but works up quite quickly :)

FNWF Results....

 I started Friday night finishing these blocks......

 Adding a cream bordder to each of them.....

And finally today the first block is finished,only 15 more blocks to go......what do you think Anne??? why am I asking Anne? because Anne chose the colours and I'll be trying to finish this for her Christmas pressie this year.I love the orange it makes the other colours pop :)
Now I better go and have a look at the other blogs participating in FNWF and see what they've been up to as well :)

The Birthday that keeps on giving even after it's officially finished......

 I have been overwhelmed with gifts in the mail over the past couple of weeks and only just now had the time to sit down and say a very heartfelt thankyou for all my lovely fat 1/4's and gifts I've received from my Birthday fat 1/4 friends.
I've had a visit to my parents over Easter,been sick while away and come back to a burst pipe in the front garden which resulted in it being flooded and then lots of talks with the plummer on what needs to be done sooo lots happening at my place!
Anyway first up I'd love to thank Shez for her gorgeous gift she sent me,a girl can never have too much fabric in her stash I say and she also spoilt me rotten by making me a beautiful zippered puch using a Natalie Lymer stitchery and the flower sugar range of fabrics,loVe,LovE,LoVe everything Shez and I also love the handmade card that went with my parcel I feelvery spoilt this birthday :)

 I also received this yummy smelling peaches and cream goats milk soap and let me tell you I could smeel that soap way before I even opened the parcel,just gorgeous! and to top it of my favourite combo of red and white fat 1/4 what more could a girl want,thanks Simone I love them both :)

 Then came more parcels in the mail,boy were they beginning to pile up! These goodies were from Michelle,I think she's been peeking at my blog as these were just spot on me!! Pink buttons,red and white polka dot ribbon and Marmalade fabric with a sweet pink roses card to go with them,I'm feeling the love well and truely by now! Thanks Michelle I can't wait to find the perfect project to use these in :)

 I just love Christine's card,MMMMmmm red and white in a swirly dress....swoon city over my way! Then to top it off Christine sent me these gorgeous red and white fat 1/4's and red threads boy am I going to have fun planning a project for these or maybe I might add them to my red and white quilt I'm working on....decisions,decisions.... thanks Christine you made my week a whole lot brighter with your lovely gift :)

 You know the feeling when you get overwhelemed well that's how I'm feeeling right now! I've made some lovely bloggy friends through my blog and been lucky to meet quite a few of them in person over the past year or so....maybe I might get to meet "The Swap Mama"Cheryll if she ever comes over here to Victoria to one of our Ballan meetings???? hint hint Cherylll,no pushing mind you lol...
Cheryll sent me these gorgeous fat 1/4's in red and white I don't know why people think I like red and white??? hehehehehe....Cheryll also sent me some of her gorgeous quilt labels which will come in very handy over the next year or so with me trying to finish of a few of my UFO's this year.Cheryll also sent me a camomile,honey & vanilla flavoured tea which I'll be trying out tonight when I join in the fun of Friday Night With Friends......Thank you Cheryll for your lovely thoughtful gift and for letting me join in the fun this year with this swap :)

 Still feeling very overwhelmed with all these parcels landing in my mail box I want to thank Anthea for her beautiful easter Bunny mug rug,love the fabric she chose :) I also wanted to thank Anthea for the beautiful fat 1/4,threads and pretty daisy ribbon,daisies are my most favourite flower and I already have something in mind for it. Thanks Anthea for making my birthday such a happy one and one that has been going on for nearly a week now :)

 These pretty goodies are from Pat and came wrapped up in the pretty fabric under my gorgeous needle book,aren't I a lucky girl!! Thoroughly spoilt I think! Love the pink flowers and ribbon and the red and white fat 1/4 has already been added to my stash for my red and white quilt,what a lovely way to remember a birthday through a quilt made with fabric from special people.Thanks Pat I love and appreciate everything you sent me :)

 Bloggers playing up and wont let me seperate these two pictures so I'd like to thank Tracee (top pic) for my beautiful red and white fat 1/4's,I love how she's made the card using a matching fabric to co-ordinate everything and then tied it up all pretty with a red ribbon and bow,very yummy looking when they emerged from the parcel.These fabrics will definately be making there way to my red and white stash for my quilt! Thanks Tracee I love them!
The 2nd Picture is showing the beautiful red & white fat 1/4 that Lyn sent me,this will most positively be heading for my red and white stash....and just look at the card that came with it,just gorgeous in its own right! Thanks Lyn for making my birthday such a happy one this year :)

 These gorgeous fat 1/4's,buttons and lovely handmade bookmark were sent to me by Sisbabe,the bookmark is already being put to use in my current book and the buttons have been earmarked for a special project. Sisbabe sent me my parcel way before my birthday and I had to be really,really good and not open it till my birthday but I did it....just and I love them all,thanks Sisbabe I've had such a lovely birthday this year :)

 

These pretty pastel fat 1/4's and ribbon arrived in my mail box from Maria,aren't they just lovely....such soft and delicate fabrics,must think of a soft and delicate project I can use them in....thinkinh cap on and I'll see what I can come up with.Don't you just love the owl card,it soooo matches the softness of the fabrics,Thanks Maria :)
But wait there's more but I haven't had a chance to take photo's and even more parcels came in the mail today so maybe another post tomorrow and Sunday when I do get the chance as well as more photo's of gifts from other bloggy friends not in this particular swap.All I can say is that this birthday has been the best!!!! :) Barb.