The house fairy

For years I have been wondering why my reading glasses are never in the place where I leave them, keys are missing, electrical appliances are unplugged and many other items have either gone missing or been moved now  this mystery has been solved.    When I was reaching down to pick up a book that I am sure that I did not drop something caught my eye hiding  around the bottom of the table.   I have heard that every house has a fairy and I think that I got a naughty one.      

Backing away very quietly in order not to upset her I walked out into my garden and there she was kneeling down  still sipping her tea.     Now this explains a lot - the reason why my garden tools get moved around the garden when I turn my back and some pots have been upended on the odd occasion.

Fortunately for me she has never found her way into my sewing room....or has she????????

I am off to see if she has done any sewing overnight or caused havoc.

Back soon and in the meantime happy sewing.

FNSI

I was well and truly ready to take part in FNSI again this month as I have not been near my sewing room for just on 3 weeks and I was having severe withdrawal symptoms.   I have been busy organising Christmas shopping - both presents and food, socialising with friends, helping family members move as well as gardening and domestic duties which never seem to end.  

So I made sure that I was seated at my sewing machine straight away after breakfast yesterday to finish off some table toppers which I made a start on a few weeks ago.   I decided that I wanted to use up some novelty fabric which was lurking in my stash for far too long and yesterday I was able to finish off two as well as make a Christmas bib  for bub.

The first topper is chickens and I surrounded them with chicken wire to stop them from straying

The second one is a true scrap patchwork topper using up all those bits and pieces leftover  from other projects.  I joined up the last of the scraps and sewed them altogether to make the binding.

These are good sized projects to practice my FMQ skill on which certainly needs a lot of work.

After lunch I cut out and sewed this bib up.

 I have another 5 themed table toppers all pieced, sandwiched and ready to quilt.  

Part of the reason for the early start  to FNSI yesterday was due to the fact that it was 12 months to the day that I retired from the workforce last year so hubs and I went out to dinner to celebrate that anniversary.    Where has that 12 months gone??????

Thank you  again Wendy over at Sugarlane Quilts  for hosting FNSI again.    I am going to head over there  now to see what others have achieved.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Christmas.    Back soon with some more themed table toppers and in the meantime happy sewing.

Under the Christmas tree

Clare over at Clare's craftroom is wondering what we are leaving under the Christmas tree again this week.   I have  finished off the Christmas dress for bub and while it will not be under the tree on Christmas Day for someone to open I look forward to seeing bub sitting under the Christmas tree with the dress on.   So here is the photo below of the dress

My next project to finish off is a couple of seasonal table mats which I have been working on in between other items.     Back soon with some photos and in the meantime happy sewing.     

Sydney is.....

The Opera House

The Harbour Bridge

Yachts sailing on the Harbour.  The one below is one of the many that takes part in the annual Sydney to Hobart race each year.

A walk through the Botancial Gardens.    This way or that  way.

It does not matter as there is something to see by following each sign.   Like perfectly formed trees

Tranquil herb gardens

Cool ferneries

Gorgeous jacarandas which are flowering all around Sydney at present

When walking through the Gardens you are never aware of  being in a city. The only reminder is the buildings which can be seen as you walk around and look up at the skyline.

Old sandstone stairways leading all around the city.

A short ferry ride across the harbour will bring you to Luna Park.

I hope that you enjoyed Sydney as much as hubs and I did on our recent day trip out.

Back soon with a photo of the Christmas dress for bubs and in the meantime happy sewing.

FNSI

I just love  being retired as it allows me to do all the things that I want to do and this includes joining in again with FNSI.        As I mentioned in my last post I have been working on a Christmas wall hanging and my aim was to finish it off which I achieved last night.      When I saw this panel it just jumped out at me and said "take me, take me" - how could I resist.    All that I need to do is put some ribbon on the dowel and it is ready to hang on my wall near the Christmas tree when I put it up next month.

After finishing off the wallhanging  I then made a Santa sack for bub.   Santa will have fun filling this.

And while I was working with all this Christmas fabric I cut out a Christmas dress for bub.   I hope to get it sewed up this weekend so that she can have her photo taken with Santa wearing it.  

So that is what I did last night now I am heading off to Sugarlane Quilts to see what everyone else achieved.  

Back soon with a photo of the Christmas dress and in the meantime happy sewing.

Under the Christmas Tree

Is what Clare at http://clarescraftroom.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/under-christmas-tree_16.html is asking.     I am currently working on a few Christmas items and the one in the photo below while not actually going under the Christmas Tree will be very near it.    It is a wall hanging that I hope to finish off tomorrow while taking part in FNSI.  

I found this panel at the Craft Fair and just had to have it.    I have a space which it will fit in perfectly and add  a festive feel to the wall.

I have sandwiched it like a quilt and outlining some of the picture to give it a bit of body.  Once that is done I will bind it and then get hubs to bring in his trusty hammer and a picture hook on which to hang it.  

Back within the next day or two with what I have achieved with my Christmas fabrics.    In the meantime happy sewing.

Every girl needs a.........

Handbag and bubs at 13 months is no different.    She has been delving into mummy's bag and pulling out its contents so action was called for to remedy the problem.      A rummage around the scrap drawer revealed some cute bright ladybird fabric and an hour later bubs had her own bag which was filled with her "mobile phone" and a set of keys.

Hopefully this will stop the raiding of mummy's bag.  

The sewing machine has also been busy sewing up some "in-between" season pants.

The owls pants are being given a workout in the photo below.

And a cardigan to pop on top of a summer dress on those cooler days.

It is only just over 5 weeks to Christmas and I have quite a bit of Christmas fabric to play with.   I have a couple of things in mind to sew but not enough time to make a start.      I hope to find sometime later in the week.       I plan on being back soon with a few Christmas items to show and in the meantime happy sewing.  

Tea parties and cupcakes

Was the very first thing that I thought of when I was posted this month's colour challenge from Clare at  http://clarescraftroom.blogspot.com/.     This the picture that I was sent

And this is the colour that I was given

I knew that I had the perfect piece of fabric in my stash which covered both the colour and the picture so with that in mind I decided to make some coasters for my son and daughter-in-law.     Here is how they turned out.

Thank you Clare for organising another fun challenge.   I  look forward to the next one in February.

In the meantime happy sewing.

FNSI

Is something that I have not done in such a long time.     I used to find by the end of the working week I was "brain dead" and could not concentrate on sewing or anything else for that matter.   Now that I am retired from the workforce, with the start of daylight saving the nights are brighter and warmer I feel like sitting down, sewing and seeing something finished at the end.     So I put my name down to join in the fun.  I made sure that all those mundane domestic chores were off the list by mid afternoon, dinner was well on the way to being prepared so that I could get myself going late afternoon without any interruptions.

I have been working on this project on and off over the last few weeks and took the opportunity last night to finish it off.     When I was at the Craft and Quilt Fair last year I spotted this cot panel hanging up.

I thought at the time that it would make a great cloth book.  I sat on it for sometime working out how I was going to chop it up and put it into book form.    After taking it out, looking at it from time to time then putting it away again the time had arrived to do something with it as bub really enjoys looking books and storytime with grandpa.   I decided that the best way to construct the book was to cut around each block then applique it onto a "double page" of fabric.  And this is how it ended up.

When it bought the panel I did not realise just how much detail was in each picture.    Each time I look at the pages I see something else.   I know that grandpa will enjoy looking at the book with bub, pointing out each object that starts with the letter and making up a story to go with the picture.

Now I am off to Sugarlane Quilts to check what everyone else has been up to during FNSI.  Thanks Wendy for organising last night and I will be back next month.

In the meantime happy sewing

Leura Garden Festival

Was were hubs and I ventured to on the weekend to hunt down some blossom trees and we were not disappointed.    The streets around the area are full of blossom trees

 I enjoyed walking among the gorgeous trees and taking photos

The photo below reminds me of ballerinas in their pretty dresses

Tulips and bluebells seem to enjoy the cold climate of the area

Time to head home and we found that we were not the only blossom hunters on the road.   Cannot go forward

Or backwards

Oh well turn up the music, sit back and reflect on the enjoyable day.     We eventually reached home safely.

Happy birthday

Yesterday was a big day for bubs.      It was her 1st birthday party and she enjoyed every minute of it. Being a 1st birthday and the only grandchild on both sides of the family she scored very well in the present department.

  
Checking out what is inside some of that wrapping paper with the help of mum and dad

The theme of the party was the Hungry caterpiller

Mingling with the guests.    In the photo below she is having a conversation with her great grandmother

At the end of a big day a girl needs a cuddle and  some downtime

Little dresses

This is the result of my not being able to  get out the door while the tree loppers were busy.  Four little dresses for my granddaughter.     I used the same basic pattern and put a different sleeve on each one.    Everytime I visit the fabric shop I manage to find a piece or two that would look pretty made up as a item of clothing for a little girl.

I have to say that I cringe when I look at what  shops charge for children's clothing.     All that it takes is less than a metre of fabric and a couple of hours to complete each dress.    I have a couple of other items that are cut out and ready to be fed into my machine.    

This weekend is the beginning of daylight saving and I am so looking forward to darker mornings and brighter nights.  

Back soon with a piccie of the other items and in the meantime happy sewing.

Native trees are not for suburban gardens

When hubs and I bought our house well over 30 years ago we "inherited" a large watergum tree which was very close to the end of our house and our next door neighbours.    At last commonsense prevailed and a new regulation was just passed through Parliament a couple of months ago allowing for such trees to be removed without permission.     A phone call to our treelopper and the  date was set for the tree to come down.

As you can see it is VERY CLOSE to our house and on the fenceline

Stay clear man above working

And 5 hours later all gone

All that was left to do was feed it into the chipper

Seeing as I was not able to get out my front door I took the opportunity to do some cutting out

And I am pleased to say that I have just about finishing the sewing up part also.

I am going to take my sewing machine outside  and enjoy the beautiful day while I put in some buttonholes.   Back real soon with some photos of what I have been doing.

In the meantime happy sewing.