WIP Wednesday

It's been two weeks since my last WIP post, and frankly it's almost not even worth posting about my craftiness since then.
I have mastered the art of procrastination and I think I should be in line for a gold medal for being able to waste every spare minute of my time.

I have at least pieced the backing for Tiggly Winks and it's all basted ready to quilt.

I made some binding and I'm now in the process of hand sewing it to the back.

 4 inches done! Only roughly 350+ inches to go

Check back with me some time next year, it should be finished by then! If I'm lucky, sigh....it's taking forever.

Everything else hasn't been touched.



Worked On This Week
Plume quilt - Binding
Tiggly Winks - backing and basting


Sitting On The Sidelines
Mystery Quilt
Material Obsession BOM
Floral Bouquet Quilt Top

HST project

McFlurry - the fabric for the backing arrived, but I haven't touched it!

Starflowers - English paper piecing


Waiting Patiently For Me To Show Interest
Circle Game BOM
Hexagon Cushion

Weeks Statistics
New Projects  - 0
Worked On - 2
Ignoring -7
Finished - 0

Check out Freshly Pieced where Lee is hosting WIP Wednesday. There's lots more happening over there!

We Have A Winner

Ummmm, I was supposed to draw the winner of Tis the Season yesterday evening. Someone who shall remain nameless forgot! 

Mr Random Generator didn't want to play so I had Bitchypoo draw the number for me.

And the winner is Number 9.

Congratulations Shirley.

Can you please email me with your details so I can send your gift on it's way.

Thank you so much to everyone for joining in.

My First Time

I have resisted swaps for so long. I have an inbuilt fear of them. I worry about every single part of the whole process. What to make, what design to choose, which colours. Will my partner like it, will it be good enough, and on and on and on. Even if I finally decide to make something and it looks great and I'm happy with it, the next hurdle is even bigger for me. What to add as extras. Sometimes I think there are swappers out there who would like it to be an Olympic sport, they want to be the one who wins the gold medal and a whole heap of gold stars for adding the most number of and, the best extras.
It just does my head in.
When a new swap opens up I think it would be great to join, then I start worrying about what "extras" I have to come up with to add to the mug rug, the mini quilt etc. Why can't swaps just be about the mug rug, or the pin cushion, or the mini quilt and maybe one little thing extra if you want?

Well finally I've found a swap to join where there are rules, yay, and the rules are very specific about what you can and can't send. Double yay!!!!!
So I'm joining my first swap and I feel fine.
Very fine in fact.
I have no idea what I'm going to come up with but I'll be following those rules!!!!!

I've signed up to a little swap called Scrappy Swap run by Kat over at Diary of a Flutter. Kat.
It's nice and simple.
I already have my inspiration mosaic and I had fun making this. Trying to find photos that show what I like without being too confusing. I hope I've succeeded.

Flickr for the links

Sorry I didn't save the mosaic to download, so you'll have to click on the caption/photo to take you back to Flickr to see all the links.

I hope I'm not writing a post in about three weeks time, whining that I can't think of what to make for the swap!!!!

Favourite Things Friday

It's the end of the week so it must be time for Favourite Things Friday over at Quilting In My Pyjamas, with the year older Shay. Happy Birthday Shay!!!!!

This week my favourite is my entrance doors. These doors were on a house my parents bought, but they didn't like them. I put my hand up for them and because I'm such a lovely wonderful, kind, caring and considerate daughter, they gave them to me.

They, the doors not my parents, are from Indonesia, probably Bali and I love them, although right now they need a good clean and oil. I'd better put that on my list of things to do this weekend.



When I designed the extended outdoor area I made sure there was a perfect place for them.








I love the different designs and shapes. There's a great quilting pattern in there too!

A bit quiet

Karma, check out that tongue!

It's been a little quiet on the blogging front at Chez Sunshine. Life has a way of taking over sometimes.  I've been trying to read as many blogs as possible but unfortunately have not had the time to comment.  I don't think I'm the only one in this predicament either, what's with this time of the year being so busy?  I'm crossing my fingers that over the weekend I'll have some time to get back to normal.

Woo Hoo - A Giveaway

In celebration of the absolutely amazing and a little bit scary fact that there are 100 people that actually follow my blog, I'm having a give away.

As Christmas is coming up very fast, too fast, one lucky person is going to win "Tis The Season Christmas Stitchings" by Natalie Bird.

To be in the running to win you need to be a follower, leave a comment and tell me which Christmas fabric you'd like to use to make this. That last bit is just to give me something to read, lol, if you really can't think of any Christmas fabric it doesn't matter.

I will draw the winner on Sunday September 23rd (evening my time), so you will be able to start on a new Christmas project next week, or if Australia Post is as slow as usual maybe the following week, and if you sew like the wind (unlike me) you might even have the wall hanging finished by Christmas 2011.

It's open to both international and Aussie followers. Good luck and thank you so much to everyone for making my day. I love this blogging thingy and all the lovely friends I've made.

Hot, Hot, Hot

The weather not me. Ha!

Today it really was just like living in paradise. The weather was warm, a little bit of a shock as it's gone from mid 20s (75) to 32 (90) degrees practically overnight. We've been making most of the warmer weather and had all the doors and windows thrown open and the ceiling fans on to circulate the air. Lovely. Especially lovely as the heat isn't accompanied by the dreaded summer humidity. Woo hoo.
We've been out and about making most of the sunshine. The wind was from the west today and there must be some bush fires out that way as it was very hazy and smoky.

Sunday brunch along the river at Noosaville is starting to become a regular activity, it's such a nice position and a fabulous view, although it was quite smoky down there too. How lucky are we to be living in such a wonderful part of the world!

Eggs Benedict, yum!

With the warmer weather my tomato plant is producing lots of teeny tiny tomatoes, they are so sweet, but so small.

From these to this

I had originally planned to have 12 blocks in this quilt. I gave up after 9, I couldn't face making another three, so made the executive decision to stop at 9 to give me a good chance of finishing this quilt, or keep slogging on in which case the most likely outcome would be that it would end up in the UFO pile, that's if it didn't become a fiery art installation. The only downside to stopping at 9 - I was saving up my favourite pieces for the last three blocks, oh well, sigh.  

I've also decided against any more borders, so it's not much like my original design. It's still big enough as a lap quilt, from memory it's roughly 54 inches square. What I really like about this quilt top is that there are stars in there but because I didn't stick to a pattern with dark or light values, (I just played around with the colour placement) the stars don't really stand out. They are more a secondary part of the pattern. The only "rules" I kept were to use the off white background fabric on the star points, and to use lights in the 4 centre HST's of each block.

I had quite a problem matching up some of the HST's, I'm pretty sure it was my problem and not the Go Baby. I'll save my findings for another post as I want to verify my suspicions on how to cut and not to cut the fabric with a Go Cutter. 

Regardless of the problems with it most of my points match, woo hoo, I was very excited to see that. Some don't but I'm not going to point them out and if you don't look too closely you won't see them, that's me telling you, not suggesting!!!!!  

I have a plan for the rest of the 3498572975206 HST's that I cut out and didn't use, and no, it's not throw them in the bin. After that I don't think you'll see too many HST's from me for quite some time.

Favourite Things Friday

This week I'm sharing my favourite song of all time. It has endured as my favourite for over thirty years.  Did you ever have one of those summers that you remember as THE summer of your life? Every time I hear this song it always reminds me of THAT summer, THE best summer ever. Great weather, lazy summer days with friends, water skiing, camping, partying, not a care in the world, the joy of youth,  when anything was possible.

If it doesn't play straight away click on Watch On YouTube and it will take you to YouTube to play it.

Linking up as usual to my wonderful terrific lovely friend (Shay!!! and you thought I wouldn't type that!)

WIP Wednesday

I've still lost my sewing mojo.  I'm finding time to do anything, even cleaning,  rather than working on one of my projects.
I did have a burst of creativity on the weekend and started and finished seven 6 inch blocks for the Mystery Quilt QAL.

Instead of paper piecing them, I made friendship stars. I'm really happy with how these turned out.


I also worked a little more on the EPP Starflowers. I've cut out some more fabric for flowers and sewed some more connecting diamonds. No photos this week as they don't look much different to last week or the week before.

I finally started cutting out the pieces for the Material Obsession BOM block. I started hyperventilating (again) when I received an email from Material Obsession to let me know that the next block was being sent out soon.  I haven't made much progress but at least I've started it.

These fabrics are slowly transforming into

I think I was temporarily insane when I signed up to both the Amitie Circle Game BOM and the Material Obsession BOM.

The only progress with McFlurry - I ordered some Kona red for the backing. I was trying to get by without having to buy any more fabric, but after seeing what Kate designed here, I still didn't have enough backing fabric but I loved her design so much I had to have some red so I could make it. I'm waiting for it to arrive so I can start.


I have to show you the view from the verandah now that spring is well and truly here.

See the lorikeet in the middle.

The verandah is at tree height so we look straight on to these trees, you can almost reach out and touch the birds.

Now for the weekly stats.

Worked On This Week
Mystery Quilt - 7 more blocks, still one more needed to catch up.
Material Obsession BOM
English Paper Piecing - cut out fabric for 3 more flowers and sewed some diamonds to flowers.

Sitting On The Sidelines
Floral Bouquet Quilt top
HST project
McFlurry
Plume quilt - back from Fiona (long arm quilter) needs binding

Waiting Patiently For Me To Show Interest
Circle Game BOM
Hexagon Cushion

UFO
I've decided to retire these and put them in the UFO pile as I haven't touched them in months, maybe one day I'll surprise myself and find the time to finish them. It also makes my stats look better, he he he.

Jacobean Flower

Don't Look Now pillow

Weeks Statistics
New Projects - 1
Worked On - 3
Ignoring - 6
Finished - 0

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced, if you click on the button above it will take you back to her post and lots and lots of lovely work that has been going on in the world this week.

WIP Wednesday - Maybe I Should Crochet Again

Well hmmm, not a lot craftwise has been happening at Chez Sunshine, sigh. I missed last week as I had nothing to show. In all honesty, this week I've tried to do something, anything I've really tried, BUT the mojo is in short supply and the moon and the stars are not in alignment for Little Miss Sunshine.

I was hoping for another finish and started putting together the blocks for Floral Bouquet.  Not a huge task and most people would probably get it together in a couple of hours. Moi, no such luck. Not last week and not even this week.
The call of Brisbane and the Gold Coast was too strong and I snuck away, twice. A couple of days away for rest and relaxation.
I hope catching up with friends and a change of scenery will have done some good and now I'll be back with some sewing mojo.

From this - blocks sitting nicely on the design wall

to this, a very crumpled partial quilt top. It needs a very good pressing before you see any more of this.
Hopefully next week the final border will be on and I'll have another quilt top finished.

I've been working occasionally on the English Paper Pieced starflowers, but I even forgot to take a pic of the last one I made before I sewed it to the others. Sorry the colours are not very good in these as I took them in the early evening and the lighting is not the best.

This will give you an idea of how it's starting to come together.

Nothing has happened on the HST project that I started a couple of weeks ago. The fourth block is still sitting on my little design board waiting to be pieced.

Tiggly Winks quilt top was finished a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't touched it since.


I may or may not have spent my daughters inheritance on enhancing my fabric stash.  Some of my stash enhancement included:

Lots of lusciousness from  Sew Mama Sew, it's some of the latest range from Jennifer Paganelli - West Indies, and oops, I forgot Misaki is the top one and also some Loulouthi. As much as I'd like to say I have something planned for it, I don't, so I'm going to have to find somewhere to put it so that I can look at and drool over it. Instead of starting crochet again, maybe I should just concentrate on hoarding fabric, lol. That's a legitimate pastime isn't it?

The statistics for this week

Worked On This Week
Floral Bouquet quilt top - all the central blocks and setting triangles are sewn, just needs the outer border and it's finished.
English Paper Piecing - 1 more starflower

Sitting On The Sidelines
Mystery Quilt *
HST project (It still needs a name)
Material Obsession BOM
McFlurry - still have to make the backing *
Circle Game BOM *


Waiting Patiently For Me To Show Some Interest
Jacobean Flower
Don't Look Now cushion
Hexagon Cushion (I forgot about this one)

At Long Arm Quilters
Plume Quilt


Weeks Statistics
New Projects - 0
Worked On - 2
Ignoring - 3
Sitting Quietly On the Sidelines - 2
Hyperventilating Over - 3 *
Almost Finished - 1

I'm linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced for another WIP Wednesday, so hop on over to see lots of beautiful WIP's.

River Fire - Brisbane 2011

The room was great, the company was fabulous, the weather was good, the view was excellent and the show was spectacular. What more could a girl ask for!

View from the room

Helicopter fly pass

The pontoon below our room

Storey Bridge

Firework "waterfall"

Right outside our window

Finale