Birthday Girls!

Recently there has been two very important birthdays that you will have seen mentioned by bloggy friends Leanne from Lizzie the Quilter & Shez from Enjoying Life. So here is a look at what I sent to each of these sweet friends. I have been knee deep in audit time for the last few months so you will see that I had a bit of a production line happening for the main gift in both cases.

 

As soon as I saw the pattern Lou Lou by Natalie Ross I was smitten & thought that in just the right fabrics, the girls would feel the same.

As is my norm, I changed it. I decided I was way overdue to break into two favourite jelly rolls so instead of using 6 x 3.5 inch strips, I used 8 x 2.5 inch strips. I think the result was pretty spiffy & it was liberating to at last cut into the beautiful fabrics.

The first birthday was for Leanne and for her I choose beautiful Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille for Moda with a grey & white swirl pattern lining. I thought with the extra rows and mixes of fabrics that I wouldn't add the covered buttons. Here is one side;

And here is the other;

Along with the bag I sent a Tapestry by Fig Tree charm pack, a Lynette Anderson note pad & I love to quilt car decal.

For something different, it was all packed up in birthday fabric too.

The second birthday a few days later was for Shez. Shez has a passion for French General so I used Fa La La La La with a lining of Chateau Rouge. Here is one side;

 

And here is the other side;

 

 

The Border of the Chateau Rouge made for a very pretty pocket effect too;

 

 

Along with the bag I sent a Tapestry by Fig Tree charm pack, a Lynette Anderson note pad & Quilter car decal. (it's like there is an echo in here......)

 

 

And here is the parcel in its fabric wrapping.

 

 

So that is more of my latest secret sewing. The strong bag wadding that I used was a new product to me and it made a great result giving the bag standing shape but was a bit of a trial to work with. Of course, both of these beautiful ladies were very kind about the results.

 

Now if only I could make a decision of which lot of left over fabric to use to make me the same bag.....

 

 

Happy stitching

Tracee xx

Birthdays Again - Mine & Glenys's

This years birthday is the one that keeps on giving. If I had to celebrate one year for each day I got a present I would have almost skipped a decade.

My latest & last present for this year was from my lovely friend Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill. Even with all that was happening with her DIL's medical emergency Mel was still worried my present would be posted late. Any day is a great day for a present sweet Mel & especially given the circumstances. Check out Mel's blog and the other colourways she has made in this bag - they all look so good.

I was charmed by the wrapping stage and a ticket to win the raffle quilt from the NOTY Quilters that Mel belongs too.

 

Here are the fat quarters Mel sent for the FQ Birthday swap. Yummo! Bonus choccies that match beautifully & didn't taste bad either. I took the pics that night so for once you are seeing a full box of chocolates!

And my bag, made of beautiful Bunny Hill fabrics and embellished with doilies, lace, crochet etc. Isn't it a beauty with chocolate brown lining with pockets. Bunny Hill fabrics!

For once I now have a choice of gorgeous fabric bags thanks to Mel, Anthea & Shez. Thanks again sweet Mel, you know I love it all! xx

 

Glenys, my partner on the Mrs Martin's year long swap has also just had her birthday so now on to what I sent to Glenys.  The brief was to send something to do with our beloved sewing so thinking about what I have made & use all the time, I made Glenys a couch companion. Mine has been going strong for 10 years plus & keeps some of my most needed supplies and tools in one place so I know where to find them. Believe me, that is quite a feat!

I made it in country colours that Glenys loves and even wrapped it in a nice green fabric that was part of the fabrics used. Good choice on my behalf too. When Glenys wrote she was going to use it straight away with some Marg Low stitcheries she was making.

 

 

Here it is in all it's glory. I love the stitchery pin cushion. I think it may have been a Leanne Beasley pattern out of a country threads magazine many years ago (sorry to the designer if I am wrong - I'm sure many of you will know). I know I would never find the pattern again so made it based on mine and drew a bit of freehand, took a few measurements etc.

 

 

I love the fabrics & they are a similar colourway to what I used. I brought my fabrics in my hometown of Nelson NZ so that makes my couch companion even more special.

 

Of course, couch companions are no fun empty so there were a few supplies to go to Glenys for her birthday too. Cotton threads, embroidery threads, pins, needles, scissors, needle holder Fixion pen, ric-rac and a seam ripper.

 

 

I had forgotten how much fun these can be to make & stock too. Glenys emailed to say she loves it so sounds like it will be very happy in its new home too. I'm certainly happy you love it Glenys! xx

Happy stitching!
Tracee xx

Happy Birthday To ME!

Earlier in the month it was time for my birthday for another year & boy did my beautiful bloggy friends, along with friends & family far away, keep my Australia Post & parcel delivery men very busy. It reminded me of birthdays as a child when the parcels just kept coming and everything made me want to giggle with delight.

 

This year I joined the Fat Quarter Birthday Club which has been a lot of fun. Up until now it has just been posting of little parcels of fabric goodness to others & hoping they were to their liking. If my 13 parcels were any indication then I think everyone in the club must have been tickled pink by their parcels. We are supposed to send one fat quarter which is a great present on it's own but the range and amounts of fabrics received made me grin like a Cheshire cat!

 

Here a glimpse of all the fabric goodness... all star fabrics in my book!

 

 

And here's the little added extras..... minus the M&Ms included. It has been 15 days since my birthday so I think that is a good excuse & one I will use again later in this post. Threads, ric rac, buttons, tiny scissors, bookmark, coaster, kitty stitchery, braid, coffee, buttons, charm, labels, magic needle book & needles, mug rug, soaps...... on and on and on.

 

 

Even the cards are treasures including one beautifully creative masterpiece at the bottom right. Spoilt!

 

 

Then there is a few pressies from dear friends you know. Anthea from Hibiscus Stitches made me this wonderful bag. She knows me well - lime green with pussy cats on it. The black & white spot lining is delicious too. No longer am I the plastic bag lady of work. Every day I take those vital things I always seem to be needing back & forwards in my lime kitty bag. Beautiful Anthea, Thanks again!

 

Shez from Enjoying Life sent me a mega birthday gift in her usual kind & generous style. My dear friend Shez wins the prize for being the first to make tears come to my eyes on seeing what beautiful gifts were in my parcel. You will have seen some of my pressies on Shez's post for the Birthday Love Club but of course I never realised they were for me. Shez knitted me one of her gorgeous scarves in blue, green  & coral. I am loving that coral colour in tops so great choice. The fat Qtr, kitty button & label were my Birthday Club pressie. There is an Astor Manor charm pack (yum!) and the gorgeous pink and black candle holder that looks like saucy lingerie with pink candles. It is part of my decoration in the bathroom and looks wonderful. I should photograph that too.

 

 

Here we get to the weepy part. Shez made me her pink and chocolate teddy bear bag with glorious stitcheries on the front. I saw this on Shez's blog and went 'oh lucky person, wonder who that is for?' Me! Me! Me! I couldn't believe it. The inside is as pretty as the outside and with a pockets and a clip to hold the keys I am always searching for. It's a good size too so will be my craft fair shopping bag. It will get its first outing in just over a week at the local Craft Fair on the first weekend of August.

A close up of the stitcheries too. Too cute & stitched in one of those lovely variegated threads. Thank you again Sheryl, you know I love everything!

The big win in this is that I am over the moon to get two bags from these gorgeous girls, both so different and for different purposes. I have made many bags for gifts but only ever one for myself & it is a smaller handbag style. Hence my being a plastic bag lady. I have even brought a Japanese fabric patchwork bag from the op shop for $3 as I hadn't made one for myself. Now I have my lovely work bag that I take along with my handbag and my special stitchery bag that is so roomy and pretty to take to guild meetings and show off at craft fairs etc. Lots of room for purchases too! Of course, with both, I will get asked 'did you make that?' and will love telling everyone, 'my gorgeous friend made it for me for my birthday!'

Now here is where the tears came a second time, to be expected from my dear friend Leanne from Lizzie the Quilter. You may have already read on Leanne's post that she wanted to include cats in my present due to my love of the furbabies and the passing in February of my little man Brunnie. I knew as soon as I saw the stitcheries that it was my little Brunnie so was choked up at Leanne's thoughtfulness. The stitcheries are by Bronwyn Hayes from Red Brolly and are of her Brutus the Cat but my Brunnie (& I) always saw them as being tributes to him so these gifts are very special. Of course the fabrics, threads and ribbons are also gorgeous and the stitching and sewing immaculate. Leanne is a master of our craft. Thanks you my dear, they will be treasured always!

 

 

See it just goes on & on & on. Next is my birthday swap present from the Mrs Martin's Lets Celebrate swap and my partner Glenys. She is lucky enough to have two family members who do woodwork so she sent me a lovely wooden mini quilt holder her father made. It's gorgeous and I am thinking of using the green Red Brolly stitchery that Glenys made me here to make a wall hanging to go on it. It should fit my mini club wall hangings too - yippee!

 

 

In the photo at the back is the stand, hard to see from the front, I'll need to do better pics once it has a wall hanging to show off. There is also a charm pack of Joy Christmas fabrics, two boxes of choccies (this is where the excuse - it's been 15 days since my birthday - again comes in to play), some lovely napkins that looks like pretty patchwork quilts and a set of 5 cute decorative lanterns to hang up to make a space pretty & fun. I have plenty of spaces needing that. Another great swap gift Glenys, thanks again!

 

Well aren't you all birthdayed out - there's more I would like to show you that have a crafty theme from friends and family but I think that can wait till another post.

 

Thanks again to all my generous Fat Qtr Club senders plus Anthea, Leanne, Sheryl & Glenys - it was a wonderful birthday, better than I every thought possible (in my advancing age.....).

 

Happy stitching - I do have some to show soon too.

Tracee xx

 

 

Bad, Bad, Bad.....

Not Brunnie, not Hun-bun (well yes maybe Hun-bun too), its me & I am a bad, bad, bad friend!

I received a lovely birthday gift from my friend Leanne from Lizzie Quilts in Tassie & while Leanne knows I absolutely love it & it is proudly displayed in my home, I have let work get in the way of blogging about how gorgeous it is & how lucky I am.

Inside was the most beautiful tumblers table runner in perfect colours & prints for my home. As you can see it was made to perfectly fit one of my coffee tables too. I admire it every day as I walk past.

Here's a close up & isn't it beautifully quilted too.

The handmade card is so cute and still on display & I received a lovely pack of charm squares - Looking Back by Moda.

So hows that for a wonderful birthday gift! You already knew privately I loved it Leanne but it's long overdue time I shouted it to the world too!


So I am about half way through the busy period for me at work, working full time again & 9-10 hour days too. Tomorrow I have the pleasure of working in the afternoon at the Poo & Prams Expo - the real name is the Pregnancy, Baby & Childrens Expo but in my first year at this work I was warned by the old hands of the pram traffic jams & to expect the overwhelming smell of dirty nappies from all the younger attendees. It can be quite fun but they were true on both accounts!

With all this extra work bed time is a lot earlier & there is a lot more sleeping going on. There are no complaints about that except from me. Brunnie is doing a lot more sleeping....

Hun-bun is doing a lot more sleeping...

& I'm doing a lot more sleeping too & missing out on my valuable blogging & stitching time. Funnily enough this week while I am the busiest I have been, I have started stitching again & staying up a bit later just to get a few more stitches in. Maybe that is because someone special is having a birthday soon too????

Miss you all & great to see so many of you now on Facebook.

Happy sleeping!
Tracee xx  Brunnie xx  Hun-Bun xx