EBDQ more sneakys....

I've been working hard at this but it keeps wanting a little bit more here and a little bit more there - did I mention it has a life of its own?!!

Two sneak peaks - one from each of the quilts. Still not sure which one is the keeper and which is the giver but either way I'm having fun and so glad I get one for me.

Still need to layer and quilt, embellish (just about collected all the bits) bind and label. So far I've completed fabric selection, some basic but slightly tricky piecing, lots of vliesofixing, lots of raw edge applique, lots of tying off threads and slightly more hand embroidery than I'd originally intended.

Quilting should get done today if my machine agrees with me. I've changed my mind on backing fabric for both at least three times and still undecided on the binding.

Bugs...

Look at these cute little guys......

They are little glass beads that I picked up from a local beading shop that I've driven past often but never dropped into until this week. Looks like a lolly shop inside with all the bottles of coloured beads lining the walls and I was silly enough to enquire about classes - like I need any more hobbies! I can't cope with the ones I've got!

Their website is http://www.mylittlebeadshop.com.au/

I think these will work perfectly on a special project I'm working on!

Pressies for ME!

Look at the things that came in the mail recently!




Corrie over at Retromummy http://retromummy.blogspot.com/ had a giveaway recently and I was lucky enough to win!

This is my great prize - some lovely blue Lecien fabric and the Two Little Banshees quilt pattern that she had in the picture on her blog - both for sale in her shop.

Lovely, lovely, lovely - thanks heaps Corrie!



The big cardboard box is a needlefelting starter kit and needlefelting needlepunch from Petlins http://www.petlins.com/shopper/ .
You can see the contents of the box in the first photo at the top of this entry.



For under $50 for the kit I think this was a bargin, especially as the instruction book retails for $34.50 by itself. I've seen this same kit on other sites for up to $70!!! If you are thinking of having a go at needlefelting (also known as dry felting) then check out the site before the November price rise. They also have everything for weaving and spinning - this is a really interesting shop!

I've also got a kit for the butterfly brooches on backorder but this kit has instructions for one of them so the extra kit may be a christmas pressie for someone else.




I also forgot to put in links for the fabrics I had in this post http://wallaby-creek.blogspot.com/2009/10/parcels-parcels-parcels.html


The blue fabrics and pillowcase kits came from Creative Sewing Online http://www.creativesewingonline.com/
and the huge pack of other fabrics came from Fabritopia during their big sale. http://www.fabritopia.com/


I'd recommend either to do business with.

Doll quilt swap - sneaky peaks

I've made a start on my quilt for the EB doll quilt swap - after toying with several different ideas I remembered an applique pattern I'd copied about a year ago. Half an our playing with the size on the photocopier at work and several hours of sketching and scribbling and picking through the fabric stash and I've come up with something I think my partner will enjoy.

I'm making two - similar design in slightly different colourways. As most of this will be experimental for me, I'm hoping that by making two I will be able to work out any problems on the first one, and perfect the techniques somewhat on the second.

And this means I'll have one to keep - which is great because I'm a bit in love with the the design so far. Just crossing my fingers that it looks as good in fabric as it does in my head!

Here are the fabrics I'll be using for the backgrounds - aqua-toned blues for one, royal-toned blues for the other.

It doesn't look like much at the moment - but maybe you can make out the little peeks of the bits I like best, hiding at the side of the photo.....
I'm picking up my sewing machine from a service tomorrow and want to get as much of these done over the weekend as I can. Quilting on my star quilt will have to go into the too-hard basket for a week or two, but as I have to unpick all the dodgy quilting I've already done on it before I can do any more, it's not such an issue.

Parcels, parcels, parcels...

After an interesting thread on EB about online fabric shopping, and with the great exchange rate at the moment, I splurged a little with my first two orders from the US....

...and ended up with this lovely bundle!
Total: 20 yards of fabric, two pillowcase kits (approx 1.5 yards in each) and postage for less than half the price the same items would cost here.
The blues on the right are for my EB doll quilt swap, the pastels in the middle were just because I wanted some pretty basics, the bundle of boy fabrics on the left were on special and will make pjs, shorts and overalls, and possibly find their way into several quilts. The two pillowcase kits were a total impulse buy, but will go well with the Eyespy quilt I've started for when Jack graduates to a big bed.