Only a few more sleeps

Only a few more sleeps until Christmas in July starts.  Monday is the first day official day.  But already the chatter on the forum has started.  The girls are all introducing themselves and having a play with the special Xmas in July webpage.  Want to join in all the fun?  I have 2 projects and many of the other designers have not stopped at one so for the price it is great value for money.  I also have another non sewing tutorial that I will be preparing for later in the month.

This really is a fun event.  The Chat is all set up and we will be having scheduled chats at certain times throughout the month.  Chat will work on your ipad if you have one so multi tasking will be a lot easier this year.

Get all the information here:

All the information

And some sneak peaks here:

Sneak Peaks

and if you want to just join up hit the button on my blog and it will take you straight to the right place on Sarah's website.

15 Minute Challenge

I've made up for my inaction last week big time.   I have successful written one of my Xmas in July patterns, finished my 2nd Xmas in July project, stitched my next freebee pattern.

The week went kind of like this:

Wednesday - Stitching new stitchery pattern
Thursday - putting together 2nd Xmas in July project
Friday - stitching stitchery, and a bit of knitting
Saturday - quilting Xmas in July project
Sunday - finish Xmas in July project, pattern writing

Monday - stitchery, pattern writing
Tuesday - stitchery

Head on over to Kate's to see who has met the challenge this weeks.

Favourite Things Friday or is that Pattern writing avoidance

I know it isn't Friday but I was planning to join in just got doing other things last night.  I had planned to do another FTF but this had better be a quick post because I really should be pattern writing, once I stop avoiding it.

My Favourite thing this week is this Begonia which I got for mothers day.  It has been flowering non stop for the last 2 months.  I have it on the table near my front door so it must like it there.  Just the right amount of light, it doesn't get overheated when the heating is on.

When I was in my 20's I collected a lot of begonia's, mostly the weeping variety.  When I saw these for sale at the local florist I sent the kids down to pick one up for me, I figured even if it only lasted a couple of weeks I would be happy, so it has been a real bargain.  I need to buy a nice pot to rest it in (it still has the mothers day wrapping on it.  Might have to go in search next week if I have a minute.

So that wraps it up for FTF head on over to Mrs P for some more fun.

15 Minute Challenge

It hasn't been a good week this week on the sewing front.   I came down with a lurgy big time Wednesday night, straight after my work show, which had me concerned that I had food poisoning and that we had poisoned all our big clients.  Luckily it wasn't that with no reports that the bug had hit anyone else but me.  God only knows where I picked it up from but it ended with me in bed for nearly 3 days.  All in all it made for slim pickens on the sewing front.

Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing
Saturday - nothing, though I did attempt some quilt photography when the sun came out briefly.
Sunday - crochet
Monday - crochet
Tuesday - stitched down the hanging sleeve on Xmas in July quilt.  Started trimming down stitchery for second project.

Sorry no pictures this week because it is all embargoed now until the 1st of July and whenever my project are revealed during the month.  If you want to join in the fun, head on over to Sarah's at Quilt Fabric Delights and sign up.

Head on over to Kate's to see who was more successful at meeting the challenge this week.

Its that time of year again

You have had a few sneak peaks of what I will be doing.  Head on over to Sarah's to get all the details of this years Christmas in July.

15 Minute Challenge

I had to take a couple of days off from the sewing this week, but I have an excuse. Here is the run down of what I have achieved so far.

Wednesday: Quilting and I think I picked up the crochet as well.
Thursday: Nothing...
Friday: Nothing...
Saturday: Quilting July quilt & crochet
Sunday: Crochet
Monday: Unpicking some of the quilting, major rethink of quilting plan for borders, more quilting and stitching on the binding.
Tuesday: hand sewing binding down, I just have to stitch the hanging sleeve in place now.  1 Project down and I might get to finish project 2 on Thursday.

Monday's effort probably more than made up for the nothing on Thursday and Friday.  Head on over to Kate's to see who else met the challenge.

Favourite Things Friday

 I had my wisdom tooth out yesterday and have been feeling a bit sore and sorry for myself so for Favourite Things Friday I am going to do a list of all the good things to cheer myself up.

So this week this is what I am grateful for

• The fact that I was only blessed with one wisdom tooth, and the dentist said it isn't much of a tooth at that and she could get it out easily in the chair.  
• The dentist went to town with the anesthetic and it took to 7pm for it all to wear off so I was pain free throughout most of the kids tennis practice.  
• My shipment of Art Quilting Studio, Sew Sommerset, Vinette and picking up the latest Homespun means I have lots of weekend reading to do.
• Yeah its a long weekend.
• We don't have to be at my son's tennis tournament until lunch time on Sunday, which is so much better than the 8 am start that we were originally told.  
• NO FOOTY OF ANY KIND THIS WEEK
• the fabric arrived so I can finish my July projects
• my June Mixed Media kit arrived so I might get to play with some art stuff
• I got my nails done with this groovy holographic nail polish, I was going to go ultra conservative this week as I have a work Cocktail party thing I have to go to but the holographic nail polish was too hard to resist.  I went for a soft pink colour. I figure I will probably be a wall flower anyway, don't know why the boss has insisted I have to go.   He made me put it in my diary 6 months ago with strict instructions I wasn't going to get out of it.  Sorry that's my whiney voice coming out.  Really don't want to go to this doo.
• I got a couple of yummy fabric parcels this week, a bit more Amy Butler Lark Fabric that is destined to become some bags and some more solids from Sarah.  
• Its less than a month to the Nicole Malleleu Class really can't wait for that one. 

I thinks that's enough to make me feel better, the last dose of panadene has kicked in so I am feeling less sorry for myself now.  Head on over to Mrs P and check out all the Favourites.  

15 Minute Challenge

Isn't that terrible I haven't managed to blog for a whole week.  The weekend has been following my son around in the freezing cold at tennis and footy.  Next weekend officially there is no sport on, but he has put his name down for a big tennis tournament, he is only playing doubles and it is an elimination type thing so it will probably be just one day out of the 3 that we will have to be doing tennis stuff (some of the kids have been doing lots of tournaments around the country... I don't think they will last too long but it will be good experience for them).

I am at the pointy end of my quilt project for July.  All the appliqué is quilted and I am up to the straight line quilting... as you can see I prefer not to use a walking foot and go round using my free motion foot for doing in the ditch, I promise to  crack open the walking for for doing the borders.

Well how did I do this week, I don't have any  pressing hand sewing at the moment so not as good as previous weeks.

Wednesday: joined the backing for July quilt
Thursday: nothing
Friday: nothing
Saturday: basted July quilt, crochet
Sunday: started quilting appliqué, picked up the crochet again
Monday: crochet
Tuesday: quilting, quilting quilting good way through now.  Hopefully I will manage to finish it this week then I can finish up the pattern writing and get on with the second project.

You know the drill head on over to Kate's to see who else met the challenge this week.