« July 2020 | Main | September 2020 »
Just a quick blog post to let you all know that I have added 18 more Bargain Bundle packs to my website. The basket has been looking somewhat depleted of late, so this afternoon I spent some time cutting and packing more bundles to fill it up again.
If you would like to check them out, head on over to my website. You will find them all listed HERE, but please take note that there is only one of each pack number available.
Linda :)
Over the past four weeks I have been working on stitching up the 'Make Ready for Christmas' pre-printed stitchery panel by Natalie Bird. They are easy to work on in the evening, especially in front of the tv. I finished off the last design......16 in total.....a week ago, and yesterday I set about to make them up into a wall hanging. The stitchery blocks were trimmed down and became the centres of 16 star blocks for the centre of the quilt.
I finished off the (basic) quilting this morning, and then this afternoon the binding went on.
The quilt is now finished and hanging up on the wall in the shop.
The kits will be ready tomorrow....all of the fabric is cut, I just have to pack them up. There are 2 options available......option 1: all of the fabric including the borders and binding with the pre-printed stitchery panel for $57.90;........or option 2: all of the fabric including the borders and binding without the pre-printed stitchery panel (for those who already have one) for $48.00. The finished quilt measures 1m x 1m.
I'm off to sort out my sewing project for tonight......it's very cold and wet here, just perfect stitching weather!
Linda :)
The fine winter weather has disappeared and we are back to a typical August day.......cold, wet and windy. It's perfect timing as I really needed to get back in to the sewing room and stitch up some projects from the new Cherished Moments fabric collection by Poppie Cotton. I had about five different ideas rushing around in my head yesterday as I started playing with the fabric, and I had to work hard at concentrating on getting two finished, kitted and loaded up on the website.
I couldn't go past making up a new Stitch in Spring bag. While everyone keeps buying them.....I will continue to make and kit them up.....lol! They are so quick to sew up.....particularly as I have precut all of the fabric for you. They also make a lovely present........fill them with some goodies and gift them to a loved one. The black and teal look so good together!
The second project is the new 'Cherish the Moments' Journal cover.
I used the gorgeous Kindly Said word print as the main fabric for the cover. It just seemed so appropriate to use on the cover, especially during these uncertain times, making sure that we all remember what is truly important in life. An applique flower finishes off the front, and on the back I have incorporated my initials.....although I do know a few other LW's that might be eying it off.....lol!
The kits are available from my website for $18 each, and include everything you need to make one cover......just add your own A5 journal. Please be aware that you only receive one of each letter of the alphabet in your kit, so apologies for those with double ups.
I've finished all of the embroidery on the 16 blocks of the Make Ready for Christmas panel, and have them trimmed and ready to make into a wall hanging. Back soon with photos!
Stay safe and stay warm.
Linda :)
Two years ago we put in a large strawberry garden. It was a little bit of an experiment as I had only ever grown strawberries in my vegetable garden, and not in a dedicated patch. Russell built me a cover (for my birthday) using pipe, hayband and netting. It worked really well for the first season.......
and then half way through last Summer the structure just collapsed. It was fine in the morning and then mid afternoon it was like this. It certainly made picking the strawberries difficult, as well as maintaining the grass and edges.
After 2 years, the plants needed pulling up, and the watering system had failed. The plants were crowded and needed new soil.
It was time to rip it all up and start afresh. It certainly was a job pulling off that black plastic, and there were plenty of bugs underneath.....thankfully no hibernating snakes! I decided to let Nugget out for a scratch, and she quite enjoyed the feed without the competition of her mates.
With the whole site cleaned off and most of the plants given away, it was Saturday's job to start the new frame for the netting. The posts went in first......
and on Sunday the new framework that Russell had made went up.......not a piece of hayband in sight.....lol! The treated pine sleepers are for the three new garden beds to house the new strawberry plants.
A big pile of compost was delivered yesterday afternoon, and once the beds are ready, it will be my job to barrow it to the strawberry patch. At least it is downhill from the compost to the garden! I did put out 6 barrow fulls this morning, topping up some raised vegetable beds.
While we were in the gardening mood, these pittosporums got a 'little' bit of a prune back.......with the chainsaw! They are now about half the height they were, and although I still need to do some trimming up, they will be much easier to maintain.
Now you can see the front of the building
and there is so much light in the classroom.......it's amazing!
There is a change in the weather coming, and it looks like I might be back in the shop tomorrow and playing with fabric instead of plants!
Linda :)
Yes everyone knows that it's August....but did you know that it is my least favourite month of the year? I guess it stems from our time on the farm, when it was cold, wet and muddy, waiting for the last of the cows to calve, while starting the AI process all over again. Since moving off the farm, I'm still not that fond of this last month of Winter. It's too cold and wet to get out in the garden, and I'm usually flat out sewing up 130 bags and prepping kits for the Stitch in Spring ladies. Well not this year! With the cancellation of the 2020 Stitch in Spring due to Covid-19, I am feeling a little lost without the long list of things to do for it. Luckily for me the weather has been absolutely perfect for gardening, and with the shop doors currently closed due to the Stage 3 restrictions in regional Victoria, I am making the most of having the flexibility to garden on whatever day that I like, and not be restricted to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays. Today was a great day so I have been outside all day, catching up on a few harvesting jobs. We have been using our carrots now for several months, but try as we might we can never get them to last past the end of August. As the weather warms up they start to bolt up to seed.....which is understandable, but still annoying! So this year, with the weather feeling more like Spring, I decided to pull all of our carrots
wash them up
and store them in the fridge. Hopefully by doing this we will have carrots to use for another month or so. And no I have no intention of freezing them to make them last longer. Frozen carrots are just not for me.......yuck!
Another long overdue harvesting job was to dig up my Sweet Potato crop. They have been sitting in the dry bed in the Hot House, so it hasn't been too much of a worry really. The crop was a lot lighter this year as the plant was only in one of the beds and not two.
This curly one was a real pain to untangle from the rest of his mates!
Teamed up with the carrots and the pumpkins, I think that we will have enough orange vegetables to last us for quite a few months.
The chooks also love my gardening spree, as it means lots of weeds and bugs for them. Russell and I have also been working on a new structure.....but I will save that for another blog post.
So maybe August this year has come up a level or two, and isn't too bad after all.
Linda :)
'Cherished Moments' is the newest collection from Poppie Cotton, and I am excited to say that it arrived in the shop on Monday.
There are 21 beautiful fabrics in the collection, which features prints in soft pink, white, teal and black.
It joins three other Poppie Cotton collections in the shop....Wanderings; Gingham Farmhouse; and Country Roads, and after a little rearrange this afternoon, it is almost all out on display. There are pre-cuts available: 2.5" strips; 5" squares; 10" squares; Fat Eighth Bundles and Fat Quarter Bundles. Along with the bolted fabric, they are all listed on the website HERE. I have a few ideas for some new projects using 'Cherished Moments', but as I have spent a few days of (well needed) R&R out in the garden this week, they are still just drawings in my notebook.
Linda :)
Well I did it! I completed my fourth project last night for my 4 new projects in the 4 days challenge for the Great Australian Craft Show. It's not a complicated one......so I hope that it still counts....lol! I have had all of the components for a couple of months now, so it's nice to cross it off my 'new project ideas list'.
The Crown Flower Pouch uses 1" hexagon crown papers for the flower which is appliqued on to the front of the pre-made felted pouch. I couldn't resist using the sweet little Tete-a tete daffodils as part of the photo shoot this morning......plus they are just at the front door so I didn't have to put my rubber boots on!
The kits ($14 each) come complete with everything that you need to make the pouch.....fabric, EPP shapes, pre-made felt pouch and the pattern......it measures 20cm x 14cm x 5cm, so is a nice handy size.
With a new collection of fabric arriving tomorrow, there just might be some more new project reveals later in the week!
Linda :)
I remember many many years ago, proudly showing Russell a bag that I designed for a class. His response......."how many bags does a bag need?"........lol! If you know Russell, you will know that it was all in jest, and since then I have gone on to make so many bags that I have lost count. They are always so popular as a gift, or something to pick up, throw a bit of stitching in and head out the door to a sewing day......ahhh the memories of being able to do that!
So, on Day three of my Great Australian Craft Show Challenge, I reveal my project from yesterday afternoon's sewing effort.......my Heartstrings Bag.....
Based on my ever popular Stitch in Spring bag, (which reminds me.....must make up a new version), I have made up this larger and deeper bag. It's a handy size for a hoop, stitchery supplies, and even your purse and phone. I am offering the kits for $17 each in 2 colourways.....the light flower print as in the photo.....and the darker pink flower print. I have no time to make up a second version, as today I must make up project #4 for tomorrow's release. But you can check out all of the details as well as the second option on my website HERE.
Back tomorrow.....
Linda :)
That's right.....so far so good with my promise to make a new project up every day that the Great Australia Craft Show is on. While technically not 100% 'new'........it is a new version of a table runner that I made a couple of years ago. I wanted to make something from these French General fabrics before they all disappear, and this pattern seemed perfect to show off some of the prints from the range.
The Stripy Table Runner kit comes complete with everything you need to make your runner (including backing, binding and Parlan).....and it is pre-cut for you! How good is that! It can easily be sewn up in an afternoon. Kits are $26 each and are listed on my website HERE.
Now what will I make for tomorrow? Maybe something with a zip?
Linda :)
Yes it's on again........and I have been a wee bit busy over the past week, so I forgot to blog that this online event was coming up. This is the fifth GACS that I have been involved in, and it is a great way to browse around the different shops, while also having access to video tutorials and classes......and all from the comfort of your own home.
I have made a promise this GACS to release one new project every day that the show is on. That means 4 new projects available in kits over the 4 days that the show is on. Today's new release is the Warm Wishes Table Runner.
It uses some of the beautiful fabric from the new Christmas collection from Hannah Dale called "Warm Wishes". I couldn't resist fussy cutting some of the cute animals on the tossed animal print in the collection.
There are limited number of kits ($28 each), as well as fat quarter bundles and bolted fabric left.
I will be back tomorrow with another new project to show you all.
Linda :)