A very unusual piece of patchwork!

I found this sweet little item at our local opshop today, for $3. At first glance it looks like a kiddie's lunchbox made from fabric. I noticed it because of the Sunbonnet Sue style applique on the front.
I unzipped the zip that ran from one side to the other, and discovered the inside was a kind of patchwork picture book. The first section appears to be Little Red Riding Hood on one side near the house, and the Wolf lurking in the trees on the other side. Both little dolls are separately made and can be removed and put elsewhere.
Over the 'page is a little boy doll, who looks a bit sad. Not sure who he is supposed to be.
The last 'page' shows a grey haired lady doll in her bed (I've taken her out for the next photo so you can see what they are like).
My first instinct was to buy this for my grand/great-nieces, but they can be destructive little girls with their toys, so I might just hang on to it for the time being!

Two more for the collection.

As promised last night, here are the two items I bought from Patricia, one of my dear blog friends in the USA, from her eBay auction.
A darling little supper cloth with cups and saucers embroidered in each corner and hand crocheted edge.
I was astonished to win this vintage baby blanket for US$9.95 with not one other bidder against me! A real-life Sunbonnet Sue blanket - made with love for a baby, not for a show! Isn't it the cutest thing??

I am not ignoring anyone!

Like most bloggers, I love receiving comments on my blogs, and always try to respond to them by posting a comment on your blogs. But lately it has become increasingly difficult to access some blogs, due to the enormous amount of graphics they use. The reason my blog headings are so plain is not just because I'm not clever enough to do fancy stuff on my computer. I also leave them as simple as possible because the downloading process is a lot faster for readers as well as me!
So, my apologies to those of you who post comments here but haven't had a response. If I get on to Ken's laptop (once in a blue moon), I can usually access most of my favourite blogs, and will leave a comment. But if I don't, it just means your blog is too complex for my ancient PC (11 years old) and OS (ME, cc 2000)! I have another computer on order, which is about 5 years old and uses the XP Op.System. Yeah, I know it's old too, but not as old as mine, and it will only cost me $290 for the modem, LCD screen, keyboard and mouse, so hopefully it will do me for another couple of years, because I just cannot afford to buy a brand new one!

Second try - more linens for my collection!

I found these beautiful linens at a local second-hand/collectables shop (not an opshop) and for those prices, I thought it was worthwhile adding them to my already overflowing collection! Looks like I'll have to cull a few more out of the collection to make room, as I received two more items today via eBay. They need to be pressed first before I photograph them, so you won't see them here until tomorrow. Centrepiece, $4 Small cloth, $5. Larger cloth, $10.

Three linens for my

Photos on fabric experiments.

Remember this book cover? My SIL gave it to me for my birthday last month. I've started playing with it! Sorry the photos are a bit blurred, and the colour should be sepia tones, but my printer decided all of its own accord that purple would look better, lol. So I used purple fabric as a border around the black. This is Ken and I just before we got married. It was taken at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, at one of those studios where they dress you up in period costume. I stitched the lace border around it as a romantic touch :-) The photo on the left is Ken's Great-Aunt Emily, and on the right is my mother as a child with her mother. The project in the book tells you that once you've printed your photos on to fabric, cut around them with pinking shears. The corners of the photos are squares of black fabric cut in half, and fused on to the photo. Clever idea! I love this book, there are some great ideas in there. This is my great-grandmother Lucie. I haven't put her on a block yet, because I haven't scanned or printed any more vintage photos. Until I do that, I won't know what size they will be, and how to place them on the block.

A small project finished, and some goodies in the mail.

I finally got this little stitchery block finished, and it is in the mail to Fiona in Qld, who is one of the Quilting Angels who is making up quilts for flood victims up there, from the blocks being stitched by volunteers all over Australia and overseas.
One of my many cyberspace friends collects antique sewing tools and haberdashery. I was able to add to her collection when we were cleaning out MIL's home and nobody else wanted her sewing basket. Marian was delighted with what I sent her, and in return, she sent me some vintage linen UFOs to play with, as well as this cute needlecase. I didn't know what it was at first, as it was in a cellophane bag, but when I took it out, I noticed it was several layers, and lifted one up to find the pins. Lovely! Thanks heaps, Marian ;-)

All fired up.

How easily we forget. Most people listen to the daily news, gasp in horror at images of floods, cyclones, earthquakes, etc. but forget about them within hours. There are other people however, who work tirelessly to help others who are affected by all those catastrophes. Have a look at this blog, run by Jan, a lady here in Victoria. She has been co-ordinating the production of quilts and other handmade items to be sent to homeless people in Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand, and she is just one of many women who are doing this through their connections on the Internet.
Jan has posted some feedback on her blog from people in Qld and Vic. who have been distributing quilts. I was shocked to read that so many people in our own country are in such a terrible situation - living in cars and sleeping on the beach because there is no rental properties available. Bloody Julia Gillard is swanning around England and Japan, while her government are holding back money from Aussies that need it desperately. And what has happened to all the money that has been donated to the cause??? Bless the people like Jan who are putting their hearts and souls into doing their bit to bring some home comforts into the lives of those less fortunate. It took so little time to make my Iris mini quilt. I've got heaps of fabric in my stash - can I get off my butt and make some more for a good cause? I don't know, but I'm thinking about it.

24 hours later...

I can hardly believe it. To start a project one night and (nearly) finish it the next, is not my usual speed. And I'm not in a hurry to finish it either! But here it is, all done except for the backing and binding. I've always loved the look of Log Cabin patchwork, but had no idea that it could be so quick. I've learnt some important lessons in the past 24 hours. Things that experienced quilters know - iron everything from start to finish. Measure accurately, cut accurately. Pin pieces together and don't sew them until they fit perfectly where they are supposed to be!
Here is where I left it in the early hours of this morning, with the first two borders done. Three borders done: Four borders done: Front piece completed, lying on garage floor. (It was the only place big enough to spread everything out while I basted the batting on to the top layer. I had to back my car out, sweep the concrete floor and spread two old sheets down to work on.)
The pile of purple fabric you can see in the top right hand corner is what I'm using for the backing. I've cut a piece ready to sew, but that can wait until tomorrow or the next day. I wanted to finish the front so I can show it to Ken's Mum when we visit her tomorrow.
There a few people I want to thank. First of all I should acknowledge Elaine Rose, who designed the tote bag that I based my design on. It was featured in Patchwork & Stitching Vol.6 No.10 in 2006. Thanks to Jane, who is my inspiration when it comes to getting things done. She achieves an incredible amount of sewing of all kinds, and reading her blog motivates me to stop dreaming about what I'd like to do, and get on with doing it! She emailed me to comment on my sketch for this project, and said she doesn't go to all that trouble; she just cuts and hopes - that made me laugh!
And thanks to my friend Cheryl who accompanied me to the quilt convention last month, and helped me choose the fabrics. She is always ready to help me when I get stuck on a project - some of my patchwork pieces would never have been started, let alone finished, without her help!

Two current WIPs.

Just as well I dedicated last year to my UFO stash. I'm certainly avoiding them this year, lol! Well, a change is as good as a holiday, isn't it. Here is where I got up to last night/this morning on my Iris tea towel thing. The colours are a bit 'off' - it actually looks much nicer in reality. I kept on cutting and sewing until 3 am...Ken was muttering about the power bill with my nocturnal craft works, but you all know what it's like. Once you get on a roll with something, it is so hard to stop!
And in case anyone was wondering, yes - I am still working on this stitchery for the Qld. Quilts project, and as you can see, it is nearly finished. I hope they aren't waiting on my little block. I haven't had any emails to ask what's happening, so I'm hoping I am one of many who are still stitching!

Call for help!

One of the projects on my 'to do one day'list is this cute wall hanging, for my husband's niece' daughters who are 8 and 5 years old. I found a couple of fabrics at the quilt show last week, but only in fat quarters, and I would have preferred charm squares or smaller pieces, because it would be quite expensive to buy a dozen fat quarters and only use a bit of each for this project. One stall at the show did have a stack of charm squares with fruit and vegies fabric, but it was nearly $100, and there was too much there for my requirements. I've searched the internet fruitlessly (excuse the pun), and I hope to go to Spotlight and Lincraft over the next few weeks to see if they have anything. Do any of my readers know where I could find fabrics printed with foods such as fruit and vegies?

New books, new project.

Among many wonderful gifts that I received for my birthday this year were these two books: "Memorabilia Quilts" from my sister-in-law, and "130 MiniQuilt Blocks" from my clairvoyant friend Sharon. I say clairvoyant, because she seems to read my mind when it comes to finding books for me that I have been eyeing off in bookstores or on the internet! My MIL is in an aged care facility called "Iris Grange", so when I saw this tea towel in a shop about a year ago, I had to buy it! I knew straight away what I wanted to do with it - make a lap quilt or wall hanging using the teatowel as a centrepiece. I'd found a pattern in a magazine for a totebag with an Iris in the middle, and a log cabin design around it, and I cut it out in anticipation of the time when I'd buy the fabrics to start. Of course the tote bag in the pattern was nowhere near the same size, so I had to redesign the whole thing to suit my teatowel. It was a steep learning curve, and I learnt a lot in the process, going over and over my calculations, but I'm pretty sure that I've got it right now. Last week when I went to the Quilt Convention, at the top of my shopping list was 'fabrics to match Iris teatowel'. Here's what I bought:
So in the next week or so, I shall be ironing all the fabrics, cutting VERY carefully, and pinning it all together to see how it looks. Wish me luck!

Replying to the comments on a previous post.

I just discovered that I had six responses to my post about a hand written journal, and I'm chuffed to hear that I'm not alone when it comes to relying on good old pen and paper instead of the computer! Thanks to everyone who left a comment: Joanne, I love your idea of putting little swatches of fabric in the journal, and carrying it with me when I go looking for stuff for my projects. Toni, you are a new visitor to my blog - thanks for dropping by! I visited your blog and was going to comment, but this machine froze just at the wrong moment, so I'm hoping you read this. That craft store you showed on your blog is HUGE!!! I could get happily lost in there for at least a week : - )

Australasian Quilt Convention Melbourne.

Today (Sunday) I went to the Quilt convention with my friend Cheryl. I had about $90 in my wallet, and was determined not to spend any more than that; considerably less hopefully. Well. Pigs might fly. Backwards. Not only did I come home with an empty wallet, but the credit card is considerably higher than it was yesterday : - ( But what a great day we had!! Cheryl and I always argue (not really) over who pays for what, and it boils down to whoever is quicker at the cash register! She marched up to the ticket booth and bought two tickets before I even got there. But when we stopped for coffee I pushed in front of her and paid for our snacks. At the parking paystation, she had the card in her hand and a $20 bill, but it was $24, so I whipped out $4 and put it in the machine. So we kind of shared the cost of being at the convention...
She had excellent control over her wallet, and only bought a couple of items. I had a shopping list of things I wanted for particular projects, and I had no trouble finding them. It was all the extras that did the damage - fabrics, cute buttons, craft glue that is designed to use with paper napkins, and a pack of that fabric paper stuff that you put in your computer printer to print photos on fabric. I need that to make a memory quilt for another friend. But that's another story (see my 'Birthday' post shortly on my other blog). The highlight of the day had to be the Quilt display. As always, I was absolutely blown away. I took heaps of photos, and have posted them on a separate blog here. In the meantime, this is what I bought.
Two raffle tickets for a stunning quilt which I forgot to photograph just in case.
The photo fabric paper stuff.
The special craft glue for paper napkins projects.
Buttons for future projects that I have in mind.
Super-cute kitty fabric!
Japanese fabric that I probably would not have bought, but I needed to use my credit card to buy some stuff for $13, and the stall holder said their minimum EFTPOS sale was $20, so I had to find something else to add to my purchase to make up the total to over $20. (I'd run out of cash by this time).
And these are the fabrics I needed for specific projects.
Blissful browsing! And there's a couple more of these craft fairs coming up this year...

Lucky find in a collectables shop.

I haven't bought anything on eBay for a long time - at least a year! And I very rarely find any linens worthwhile buying in opshops these days, even though I am an opshop addict, and usually visit a couple a week. So I was delighted to find this sweet traycloth in a local 'collectables' shop today for $5.
One would assume with my husband home, recovering from heart surgery, that I would have heaps of time to stitch. Not so. Oh, I've played around with patchwork, and done a bit of stitching, but my heart hasn't really been in it. Still, I haven't been wasting my limited spare time. Like most of you reading this blog, I have a vast pile of books, magazines and miscellaneous articles in folders relating to patchwork, stitching and other crafts. (This is not all of them) It takes forever to find a particular article that I can remember seeing, but not remember where it is. So a while ago, I listed all my magazines, and wrote under each heading a list of the projects in each magazine that I was interested in. These pages got very messy after a while, as I added stuff and crossed out stuff.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do something about it. I found a leather covered journal at Savers last year, as good as new, no writing in it at all. I didn't know then what I'd do with it, but I figured it would come in handy. It has! From my tatty lists, I've copied down the information again, one magazine per page of the journal, with specific projects listed underneath, along with reminders for myself about any changes in style or fabric I thought of.
My friend Val saw this yesterday and asked why I didn't set up a spreadsheet or database thing on my computer. Well, several reasons really. Firstly, I don't have the skills to do those things on my computer. All I do is type. I've got Microsoft office, Excel, Word, etc. there somewhere, but I wouldn't have the foggiest how to use them, and by the time I learnt, I will have written up my book! Secondly, to put all the information on the computer, I'd have to drag all the magazines into another room, and switch back and forth between each magazine and the computer, to load all the information. Finally, if I want to find one of my projects, it is so much easier for me to look it up in my little journal, than turn the computer on, log into the relevant program and click around until I find what I want. Also, if the computer crashes (frequently) I wouldn't be able to access the files anyway, and my little journal isn't going anywhere except my craft room. Nuff said?