A Little Under the Weather

These won't be far away from me today as I am feeling a little below par with a cold and I will cheerfully admit to being a sook and not very good at not feeling up to much. At least you can still stitch with a cold...we are lost causes aren't we!
I am nearly finished my 12 hexies and I love them.

I have found stitching them down with applique really relaxing.

I am a city slicker and live in the 'burbs and have definite "tree envy" of those friends of mine who live in more rural settings....you know who you are!! Anyway my dear friend Helen lives way up a mountain in the Hinterland around Beechmont (simply gorgeous old growth forests) and she blessed and gifted us with these lovely organically grown pumpkins at Yoga on Monday...s

Aren't they beauties. I am going to share some and I can feel some Pumpkin soup and lovely roasted pumpkin in the making with the rest. Yum! Thanks lovely Helen xx
Yesterday I went along with to Under 8's day at my eldest Grandson's school.
They had a blast what fun. He here his on the obstacle course coming through the tunnel.

The teachers did a fantastic job. They are really special people and it is such a shame they are under so much pressure all the time with all manner of things that takes them away from what they do best and that is to teach our kids. I take my hat off to them I really do.
Well that is it from me I am off to my trusty brown chair and my cup of lemon and ginger tea.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Quick Post

Just a quick post as another busy day looms. We had a busy weekend and Mr R. had a lovely aftenoon tea with the family (noisy but lovely) How our new baby slept through all the chatter and play is amazing. Nana has extremely sore legs from being the "Star Wars" catching monster...don't ask!
Of course when you have soooo many candles on your cake you need a little help to blow them all out...

You may notice the motorbike at the side of the cake. It is a family joke and is sooo old and we stick it on just about everybody's cake regardless of how fancy it may be. Do you have family silliness like this one too?

Not a lot of stitching but I have finished the little Cupcake Angel from Stitchery Keepsakes Booklet. Just have to sew her up.

As I am trying to catch up a little on WIP's I have been stitching a few of my hexies down.

Only 3 more to go and then hopefully they will morph into something lovely.
I hope you all have a wonderful day...catch you later..
Blessings Michelle xxx

Almost a Finish.

I have finished the stitching on the little rose stitchery that fell out of my sketch book a while ago already traced out....

Now to make it into a pretty little cushion using my "Highfields" rosy fabric.
For ages now I have been wanting to stitch the little Cupcake Angel out of my Stitchery Keepsakes Booklet which I had also traced out at the same time as the one above. So I have her in the hoop and have gotten to work on her hair.

I fancy making her into a journal cover that will be a pretty little recipe book just for cupcakes. Just need DD and her lovely handwriting to write out my fav recipes for me....mine is dreadful (I can draw just can't write lol). Watch this space.
As I told you in my previous post I have been doing a lot of instruction writing and you will be pleased to know that this little minis are now all written up along with 4 other new patterns ( you will have to wait for those)

I hope to have them printed next week...YAY!!! Two more patterns to write up. I think however I am going to do a Scarlett and "think about that tomorrow". My creativity has been in overdrive lately....definitely not complaining but not a lot of sleep happens when it comes a calling...and it is just that all the paperwork has caught up with me at once. I am hoping to get my Calendar Bears into the hoop next week now that they are all basted. So that will be nice and relaxing to hand quilt for awhile.
Well I wish you all a wonderful weekend no matter where you may find yourself. Dear Husband is having a birthday so if he is good we may have a cake. I may even bake....oh my goodness!!!
Blessings Michelle xxx

Show & Tell...

Well as I am tied to the computer today writing up pattern instructions...

and so nothing much to report on the stitching front I thought I would share some lovely Show & Tell from other clever friends.
Our very own Shez has stitched "B is for-" in lovely greens...don't you just love Hexies!

Love the Angels too by the way...

I am so glad so many of you have enjoyed this project as it still remains a favourite of mine. If you want to stitch it you will find it in Country Threads Magazine Vol 13 No 5. Thanks so much for sharing it Shez.
Next,  speedy stitcher Joy (no blog) our friend from Bundaberg has stitched an oldie but a goodie. It is a library bag I designed for Handmade Magazine...." Real Treasures are Found in Books" Look at how beautifully Joy has displayed it.

Thanks girls for brightening up my dull day of key banging.
Must fly as no matter how much I wish, the Instruction Writing Faeries are ignoring me so I best go and do it myself.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Rainy Monday

Good morning all. It is a very drab and rainy day here in the South East today. I hope you all heard from or spent time with those you love yesterday. I was very spoilt...even got brekky in bed (thanks hubby) Yummy afternoon tea, lovely messages and the night off from cooking dinner...yay! Love a break from the domestics.
Not a lot of stitching but my little pile of squares is growing.

I did get the bears basted so they will be next in the quilting hoop. I also stitched a little more on this little design that I have had drawn out for ages.

The colours are quite muted as I want it to go with this fabric ( yes I am trying it the other way around)
and I fancy a cushion.

The photos are a bit blah as it is raining here and not very good light but you get the picture.
I must fly I have a date with my Yoga mat and the gorgeous Helen.
Enjoy your day.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Crochet for Dummies

Happy Friday everyone. For a while now I have been watching all you clever ladies in blogland crocheting up a storm and somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I remembered that I had once done a lot of crochet. So I popped off to the library and got this book.

While it was a little helpful (which doesn't say a lot for me given the title) I really wanted to start with the good old "Granny Squares". I bought some veeerry cheap yarn from the local bargain shop and looked online and was amazed at all the tutorials for them. I can't remember or tell you which one I actually followed but it got me started again and I have made these...

I am still a little unco with the changing colours but they are square and I am really enjoying doing them and feel quite chuffedabout it all. The yarn is actually a bit prettier than pictured. Hopefully if I get in enough practice I may lash out and buy some yummy yarn. I also couldn't find anywhere that could tell me what hook to use with what ply yarn. I really want to make the Granny square with the simple flower in the centre...bit ambitious do you think???? Well I think you have to have something to aim for.
On the sewing front I put a final border around the bears. I think it looks ok now. I was very limited as to what I could use because of the little scrappy borders. I am sure it will look nice when it is quilted.

I had also thought of a little applique for the border but I think it will detract from the stitcheries...
Enjoy your weekend and to all those wonderful women out there who are known as "Mum" by their children I hope your Mother's Day is as special as you are.

Blessings Michelle xxx

One of "those" Stitching Days

Do you ever have one of those days when you excitedly head for the sewing room ready to play with new fabric only to discover it just isn't right. That was my day and what was I playing with....well this. I had been hanging out for it to arrive.

I adore it but apart from a couple of strips...well the "Bears" just didn't like them. So does a girl panic??? Well yes a little but then she gets all righteous and drags out her container of 1 1/2 inch strips that she can now justify saving and cutting all those left over bits of fabric into and proceeds to whack them around the bears.....they now seem happy. Me? Hmmm! Still not sure. What do you think?

This little dilemma happens to me quite regularly you see because I stitch away with abandon choosing the colours that take my fancy at the time and then have to try and match fabric to them. Anyway this has taken up most of my day. Every single time I swear I will buy the fabric first and stitch accordingly....Nope!
My little Angel however has been a delight to stitch. She is for an upcoming issue of Country Threads Magazine. Here's a little sneaky for you...

 She was not without her issues though. When I first drew her I must have been channelling my very own 'bad hair' day as she just wasn't right. So my trusty eraser came out and she had a complete makeover (wish I could do that) and now she looks very serene and angelic...just as a little Angel should.

Here is a little treasure I bought yesterday that I promised to show you. I couldn't resist. Roses and china...yum! I can already see some pretty napkins in place and of course cupcakes on the plate.

That's it from me today. Brain strain!!! I am off stitching with some friends this evening. I think I shall take some red work to avoid future fabric disputes. This way I can stay out of trouble. ha ha !
Enjoy your evening,
Blessings Michelle xxx