Playing With Dolls!

Clare over at Clare's Craftroom is having a 

"Playing With Dolls" link-up. 

Meet Baby (not a very original name!).

Baby is my baby doll I got her when I was three or four.  Her face, arms and legs are plastic, while her body is made of fabric. I used to play with her all the time. The jacket she is wearing is one that I used to wear!

You can't quite see her eyelashes but there are only a few left. She can't hold her head up as the stuffing party seems to have disintegrated in that area.

Head over here to see some more dolls and
read their story.

Initial Heart Swap!

My partner in the Initial Heart Swap was Sharyn of Sew Sharyn. Sharyn has now received her parcel from me so I can show you what I sent to her.

This is the heart I made for Sharyn. 

It is filled with lavender and smells devine!

I added a heart keyring and some chocolate hearts. Apparently they were very yummy as Sharyn said 

they were all gone! LOL!

I enjoyed making your heart Sharyn. I'm glad your very first swap has been successful! You do realise swaps are addictive, don't you! LOL!

 Thank you to Cheryll (Gone Stitchin') for hosting 

this fun swap.

Chicken Flimsy!

I've finished the top of my chicken quilt. The photo really doesn't do it justice. The colours are so much richer! I can't decide whether to use the fabric I had bought as backing or piece the backing with the leftovers! I'll think about it overnight.

 

This quilt is for the back of the couch. It's been such a long time since I've made a big quilt instead of mini's! Now to send it off to be quilted.

My Friday Night Sew-In Results!

I got a bit of an early start for the FNSI and got started late afternoon before heading off to athletics. I cut out all the squares and triangles for the border of my chicken quilt. I even managed to sew one block together!

At athletics I worked on some secret sewing and did a bit more when we got home while watching the tennis. Of course, this is all you can see at the moment!

Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie friends!

Initial Heart Swap!

A parcel arrived in the mail yesterday. It was my Initial Heart Swap from Vickie (no blog).

Just look what was inside when I opened the package. A cute draw string bag made with some lovely heart fabric and some yummy chocolate.

 

This is what was inside the bag. 

The prettiest crazy patchwork heart swag!

 

 

Aren't they so pretty!

I'm going to hang them in my sewing room. This is their temporary spot for the moment.

Thank you so much Vickie. I just love my swag. Thank you also the Cheryll (Gone Stitchin') for hosting this fun swap. The heart I have made is on it's way to my partner. Once she receives it, I'll show you what I made.

First Friday Night Sew-In for 2013!

Tonight is the first Friday Night Sew-In for 2013 hosted by Heidi of Handmade By Heidi. I'll be sitting stitching at Austin's Little Athletics Twilight Meeting tonight. It's only week four of the new year and I'm already into secret sewing as I'll be working on a swap project!

Secret Sewing and New Projects!

As it's holiday time, I've been getting some sewing done.

The first two are secret sewing.

My Initial Heart swap hosted by Cheryll.

 My Mill Rosie Friends designer swap project 

for our next get together.

I've finally cut into my collection of chicken fabrics and have started a quilt for the back of the couch. There's no cushions left now (yes, Molly managed to get to the last two!) but she seems to leave the quilts alone.

I've been playing with one of the charm packs I won on Leanne's (Lizzie the Quilter) blog last year.

Then there's some applique for a couple of shoe bags from Anni's Some Kind of Wonderful book.

It's only the 20th January and I've started six projects! The two swap projects are finished. Just need to get some chocolates and I'll be able to post my Initial Heart off to my secret partner! Could it be you?

Stuffing!

 When I walked into the lounge this morning, this is 

what I found. Stuffing!

 More stuffing and chewed up wooden buttons.

Even more stuffing, buttons and cushion covers. 

Four cushions in total.

Yes, this is the culprit! Naughty Molly!

My first finished project of 2013....

......may be small but it's still a finish. I've been doing lots of sewing things but most of it has been preparation of hand work projects. I put together the needle case kit I received from Fiona. It was just so quick and easy. Fiona's tutorial was very easy to follow. I can see 

I'll be making more of these!

A parcel arrived last week and it was my copy of Barbara Brackman's new Civil War Sampler quilt book that I had pre-ordered. There is a story about the Civil War to go with each block in the quilt. I've only had a quick look through so far but I love it already!

As you may know, I love joining in on swaps. I put a lot of time and effort into thinking about what my partner might like to receive and I make things to the best of my ability. It appears there are some people out in blog land who sign up for swaps, receive their goodies but never reciprocate. This is very disappointing to hear and so disappointing for the person, who in good faith, sends gifts to that person but doesn't get anything back in return. 

Cheryll from Gone Stitchin' has put together a 2013 Swapping Integrity Pledge.

 I, Christine, will try my utmost...

·        To always swap on time.

·        To always email a THANK YOU to my partner.

·        To be considerate and thoughtful when choosing a gift.

·        To give my partner the quality of gift that I would like to receive.

·        To communicate when it’s required.

·        To NEVER over commit and let a partner down.

·        To advise the swap mama when I receive my gift.

This I sewomly pledge....

Cheryll has invited anyone and everyone who wants to participate in her swaps to do the same. Place the button on your blog sidebar & post "the pledge" to acknowledge your intention & commitment.

Just to finish off with. We made some more ice cream. This time it was choc mint! mmmmmm! It was so yummy. You can see that Austin didn't want to waste a bit!

A Thank You!

Fiona from BubzRugz recently posted a tutorial on some needle cases she had been making. She had a little giveaway and I was one of the lucky winners! If you would like to see her tutorial, you can find it here. Thank you Fiona. I'm sure this isn't going to be the only one I make!

PS. That horrible visitor was spotted again last night. Molly was on the ball again!

Tuesday Treasures with Mel!

 Tuesday Treasures with Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill is back for 2013. This year Tuesday Treasures will be a monthly event. I think I'll be able to find a treasure to share once a month.

My treasure is My Learn to Cook Book. It is the first cook book in my now quite large collection. My parents gave it to me for one of my birthdays. I think I was six or seven. 

 

 In the days before fairy cakes (or patty cakes) become known as cupcakes!

I remember making the coconut ice.

Head over to Mel's to see who else has some
treasures to share!

A lovely package arrived yesterday. It was from Sandi of A Legacy of Stitches. Some lovely Christmas fabric from Jacquelynne's (The Noble Wife) range. Thank you Sandi.

Friday Night With Friends!

My Friday Night With Friends actually started in the afternoon! It was too hot to do anything else 

but sit and sew.

After all the Christmas stitching, I thought I'd do an applique block for a change of sewing.
I might start a collection of blocks to have handy for when I need to make something!

A Visitor .............

of the unwanted kind!

Last night Molly started barking and barking. She would not be quiet. Most times when you tell her to be quiet she stops. Ginger was sitting outside the front door and joined in too. I got up to see what Molly was looking at. She was just inside the back door and was very jumpy. I looked but couldn't see anything. Molly kept barking so I got a torch. Still nothing until I walked further around and walked onto the garden bed. 

There, about 10 foot from the door, was a tiger snake approximately 3-4 foot long heading up the rock 

behind my laundry! EEK! Hopefully, by now it's long gone.

I realised then that both her's and Ginger's barks were different. Did you know that dogs have a different bark for snakes? Already at Molly's young age she knew something was wrong!

Living next to the creek, we are always on the look out for snakes. This is the first one I've seen this summer. Although I did find a snake skin in the garden a few weeks ago, so we knew one had been around.

Ice Cream, A Thank You and Friday Night With Friends!

 Austin and Nelson got an ice cream maker for Christmas from my parents. 

Chocolate was the flavour for the first batch.

 After putting the ingredients together, it was into the machine to work it's magic.

 Twenty minutes later - ta da - chocolate ice cream. 

We put it into the freezer to make it a firmer ice cream for a couple of hours.

 Going by their faces, I think it was a success!

 Thank you to Linda of Quilts in the Barn. I was lucky enough to win a copy of her Infinite Variety Revisited quilt pattern. If you missed Linda's Quilts in the Barn exhibition last October, you can see some of it here.

Tomorrow night is the first Friday Night With Friends organised by the lovely Cheryll of Gone Stitchin'. 

You can sign up here. 

Chez is also hosting an Initial Heart Swap. You can read about it here. I'm joining in on the fun. What about you?