2013 Finishes - 8 Months in Review

I became a member of the blogisphere in May 2013. This is what I accomplished in 8 months and I am proud of myself.

 

I decided to do this post as I am learning to work with labels on my blog and to declutter before I get too much clutter!!!!



 

Butterfly Pinkeep - Thistle Threads - Cabinet of Curiosities Class Project

 

 

 

Rose Glove Scissor Keep - Thistle Threads - Cabinet of Curiosties Class Project

 

 

 

Mermaid Needlework Treasures - Amy Mitten

 

 

 

Mini Casket - Thistle Threads

 

Summer Daiz Quilt

 

 

 

Dollies Quilt

 

 

 

Morning Glory Quilt - Michele Hill

 

 

 

 

#2 Daughter & Birthday Girl with Claire & Bun Bun

William Morris Legacy At My House

So awesome, this week I got my William Morris inspired Morning Glory Quilt back from Jenny Allen who does my quilting for me and the quilting is fabulously busy. LOVE IT! Thanks so much for the fabulous design Michele Hill as without your obesssion with William Morris and your fantastic books none of this would have been possible for me.

Very busy busy certainly suits any quilt inspired by and appliqued from William Morris fabric as his designs were always very colourful and busy.

And to quote William himself.......Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful....

 

This week I have also made some good progress on Amy Mitten's Mermaid Treasures. I have completed the two pockets, the fish & their fins. It was my very first experience on the stumpwork fins for the fish doing detached buttonhole stitch. I can definetly improve but I am not too unhappy with my first attempts ever at this process. This will only get better (& quicker) with all the scales for the mermaid on the mirror comming up. I LOVE how the little mirror turned out with the cute as reflection on the first pocket and working with the pearl purl on the second pocket mermaid's waist makes me just want to use that stuff more & more as I suspected it would.

 

I also made a start on the mirror mermaid and have finished the cloud and now working on the water which is alternating diagonal satin stitch. I have quite a bit to do to catch up on this one and then what do you know, Amy posts another tutorial this week!!! Not to mention that I have not even opened the kit for the Needleworker's Pocketbook. But for me, good progress has been made this week so I am happy, happy, happy stitching inside while we have been in the middle of a cold and rainy low driven up from the Antarctic this week.

 

 

Only a week to go until another Thistle Threads Cabinet of Curiosities encore lesson is posted. Lesson #3. Been reading all the threads this week on the class social site from all the ladies in the first class and getting very jealous as they have all just received the second mailing with all the fabulous goodies. Can't wait for our first box of goodies but not until August apparently...aaaaaggghhhh The trinket box comming up for the first girls that Tricia has designed is amazing. I just want to make it now but it's over a year away!

 

Morning Glory Quilt Top Finished

It's been a couple of days since I blogged but I have not been idle. In between the usual household chores, running kids to ballet and gymnastics as you do and trying to tidy the garden which has been exploding with weeds since the drought here in NZ ceased and the warm moist autumnal temperatures set in, I have managed to complete the top for the Morning Glory quilt I have been working on. So just need to send it off for quilting which is not a task  I can muster interest to do myself. It will look fab once that is done as there are loads and loads of little applique pieces to 'pop out'. Now, which quilting project  to do next...

                                                                     WOO HOO

The other thing that happened in the last couple of days is that I received the link to the 'Mermaid Needlework Treasures' course offered by 'Amy Mitten Designs' http://www.amymitten.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=25_61. The instructions look super well presented and clear and the online tutorial  is awesome. Alls I need now is the kit to arrive and I can start.I have enrolled late and so Lessons #1 to 4a have already been posted.

Happy Happy Today

This morning the mailman delivered a super duper box of needlework goodies for moi. Textile and thread fix for breaky there's nothing like it. Quite some time before I discovered the Cabinet of Curiosities course at Thistle Threads I enrolled to do the Casket Course being offered by Margriet of The Essamplaire http://www.theessamplaire.com/. There has been some delay in sending out  the kits due to issues with the silk but it has finally arrived. Looking forward to her online postings now so the process can begin. I feel like I am a complete novice at this style of needlework and have much to learn. But nothing like jumping in the deep end with loads of enthusiasm to keep you afloat. Of course I also have her Bird Thimble kit so lordy knows when I will achieve that one. I am going to be busy as I have enrolled in several longer online courses but you need to take these opportunities as they may not be offered again so I am going to be learning, learning, learning.

Then this afternoon I managed to complete all the applique for the centre panel on the Morning Glory quilt I have been working on. WOO HOO that's 12 blocks and 1 panel done with sashings and border to go before sending off for quilting. The Morning Glory is a William Morris inspired design from Michele Hill of Australia http://www.michelehill.com.au/ . Check out her blog, she is a lovely lady  and her two design books are awesome  http://williammorrisandmichele.blogspot.com/ .