Go Giveaway

Linda over at Lavender Ridge is having an Accuquilt Go! giveaway.  Go on over and take a look.

On the stitching front I was so excited thinking I was on the last two or three orange peels when I thought I'd count them.  Well...poop!  I had miss calculated and had one more row, sixteen more orange peels before I was done!!  So I have prepped them all and now I have to get stitching!

I've also started to cut out the blocks and the applique for the centre block for this lovely quilt.  I'm making this one for my bedroom.  I started the applique tonight.  I know...I should finish the orange peel quilt first but who can resist a new project?!?  I've really been loving the hand sewing, it's so portable and I love sitting up in bed at night watching/listening to a movie or show on TV while I stitch away.   I'm using French General's Rural Jardin and a few of the Rouenneries range as well. Oops!  Sorry the picture is sideways.

Enjoy your weekend.

Bye for now,

Rowena

Not much sewing

The past week and a half has been a week I hope never to repeat.

My eldest brother passed away on the 24th October after being very ill for the last year.  Even though we knew his illness was terminal it was still a shock to lose him.  He has left behind a wonderful wife who nursed him at home until the last and six children, the youngest only 6 yrs old.  So sad.

My Mum, who lives with my children and I in her own self contained part of our house, went in for heart valve replacement surgery on the 27th of October. Thankfully she has come through the op with flying colours and though she is sore and sorry she is on the road to recovery.

Needless to say I'm not sorry this week is over.

from Jo Morton's book Small Quilts with Vintage Charm

So I haven't done much in the way of sewing this week.  I was hoping to get the last few orange peels done but have only managed one or two.  So since I don't have anything new to show I'm posting a picture of a Jo Morton quilt (wall hanging size) that is on my to do list.

Because I like posts with eye candy here's some fabric I bought a couple of weeks ago.  The Jelly Roll, some yardage and a few fat 1/4's from Moda's Luna Notte range...delicious!  The yardage at the bottom of the picture is from Garden Party by Blackbird Designs.  The fat 1/4 with the light background(in the middle) is from the Vanity Fair range.

Luna Notte is such a beautiful range and although I've not really ever been drawn to fabrics with black I really love the contrast the blacks give this range. If you haven't seen it yet do go check it out.

Be well and bye for now,
Rowena

Look what I won!

I was so thrilled to receive an email to let me know I'd won a Fall into Fall giveaway held by Violette.  I've won a jelly roll of Kona Cottons, delicious!  I've always wanted to make a quilt with bright solids with a black a background.  Now I have to decide which pattern.

I've nearly reached the end of my little pile (64) orange peel applique.   I've really enjoyed stitching these and I'm looking forward to putting the quilt together.  I included a  photo of  a couple of hexagon flowers that are bound for my Roebuck quilt.  

The final photo is of part of a quilt top (Figtree Quilts Jelly Rose) I'm ready to put on the frame to machine quilt.  I've been procrastinating about the quilting design but I have decided, finally, to do a meander in the background of the blocks and a feather border and play the rest by ear.  Whether this changes when I get it on the frame remains to be seen but at least it's getting closer to being completed! Sorry the picture is sideways.

Now I'm off to watch The Wizard of Oz and finish a few more orange peels, perfect Saturday night!

Bye for now,

Rowena

And the Winner Is....

I have drawn the winner via the random number generator and

                      Karen from Briarside Lane blog

was the number comment that came up. So CONGRATULATIONS Karen!  I've sent you an email asking you to send your postal address to me.

I have been so amazed at the number of people who participated in this brilliant giveaway organized so kindly by Debi.  I am still making my way to the blogs of all my new followers, thankyou all for entering the giveaway.

Please check back every so often because I will definitely be having another giveaway before the end of the year, this was so much fun!

These are a couple of patterns I bought this year.  I intend to make a start on the Miss Rosie's Quilt Co pattern in the next week.  It's taken a while to put together the fabrics, some stash and some new purchases but I am finally happy with the mix I have.  I am looking for the right red and green for the Strawberry Lilies by Fig Tree Quilts.  I really love this pattern, as usual Joanna Figueroa has made a wonderful interpretation of a classic pattern.

We are in the middle of spring and I woke this morning to my 10 yr old son calling out "It's snowing Mum!!"  We were getting our pool ready for swimming in a couple of weeks!  Australia is a country of extremes in weather but I have never experienced snow this close to summer!  Where we live it rarely snows even in the middle of winter so this really is freakish weather.  It's a good excuse to stay inside and sew (but who ever heard of a quilter needing an excuse!!)  

Hope you are all having a great weekend with plenty of sewing/quilting time.

Bye for now, Rowena

Giveaway Drawing Tomorrow and 1/2 inch Hexagons

Tomorrow night I'll be drawing the winner of my Fall into Fall giveaway.  I'd like to thank Debi for organizing this.  
I've been overwhelmed by the number of entrants in my giveaway and I've had so much fun visiting everyone's blogs.  It's been such a fabulous way to get to "meet" new quilters and crafters.  So GOODLUCK to everyone!

Meanwhile I've been making these little hexagons using the glue method instead of basting stitches.  I plan on making a small change purse for my Mum with these.  I've been using the cottonbud (qtip) to apply a narrow line of watersoluable glue around the seam allowance then fold the fabric over the papers as usual.  It's such a quick and easy method.

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This is something I've had around for a long time.  I bought this pink floral a little impulsively with the intention of making a quick and simple strippy quilt.  I've been making these HST and sewing them into strips to use alternately with the pink floral.  I'm such a sucker for a pretty floral!

Lastly my pile of orange peel applique is growing.  I think I need 64 to make the little quilt on the cover of Remembering Adelia.  Of course I have another 3 quilts very near to completion and another 3 I'm ready to start along with all the wishes and want tos.  I love this obsession!

Bye for now, Rowena

Fall into Fall Giveaway

This giveaway sounded like fun so I've jumped in feet first! Click the scarecrow to go to the official site to check out all the other generous giveaway participants
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To enter my giveaway leave a comment and become a follower( if you have a blog ). Please make sure you have an email contact.  This is open to everyone in blogland!

You will win 2 books, one by Anni Downs and the second book is by another Australian quilter with a clever way to machine quilt before you applique and how to use a medium -large print as a guide for all-over machine quilting from the back. You will also receive a pretty quilt pattern and 2 small packs of repro fabrics.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO GET A CLOSER LOOK.
The giveaway will be drawn on 15th October.
Good luck everyone and have fun!!
Bye for now, Rowena

Remembering Adelia

I love this.  I've been busy prepping and stitching the orange peel pieces to make the little quilt on the cover of this sweet book.  I even managed to pick up some of that wonderful blue stripe border fabric at my LQS.

It's school holidays here (I homeschool my 10 yr old son) so there's been more time for sewing, yay! 

I've also been having so much fun visiting all the blogs of people who have entered my giveaway.    

Bye for now, Rowena