Funky Flowers

                                                            77"  square                                                                                      

                                                                                          

A quick post to show my quilt. I have been so busy there is hardly any time to blog as I have been trying to finish this quilt - at last it is done and ready to give to someone special ( not mentioning names) ;)).
I'm off on holiday until the 9th of Jan.
Warm wishes for a peaceful and blessed Christmas!

Durban Hosts COP17

What  a violent storm we had on Sunday night with heavy rain that caused flooding and extreme damage to hundreds of homes, several people where killed when their houses collapsed. Not normal weather for this time of year.  More than 20,000 delegates from 190 countries have arrived in Durban for COP 17, the 17th session of climate talks. Everyone is trying to catch a glimpse of famous people like Angelina Jolie, Leonardo di Caprio, U2's Bono, Al Gore, Richard Branson and Prince Albert. I'm staying home and avoiding the crowds.
My sewing machine died in the middle of quilting my funky flowers quilt - will have to take it in for a service tomorrow.

Finished these two stitcheries from Red Brolly and Bronwyn has posted the final stitchery on her blog - button on my sidebar.

October/November is fete season.  I found this lovely bright bag at our local fete. Its fully lined and perfect for my take along projects like my stitching and knitting.

I couldn't make this for R4.00 = spacious 15x19"

I was given a new knitting pattern- jumpers for aids babies.

Very easy pattern, its knitted all in one and I have 7 ready to go.Families are so poor their babies are sent home wrapped in newspaper.

Books I have read lately..
Bruno Chief of Police - Martin Walker
Fault Lines - Nancy Huston
The French Gardener - Sante Montfiore
The Soul Connection - Anne Jones
La Cucina - Lily Prior
Angels in my Hair - Lorna Byrne

Late Season - Christobel Kent - read by Karen Cass
A Handful of Honey - Annie Hawes - read by Rula Lenska

Stitching...

Weekend rain and cool weather, perfect for sewing. I have finished my shweshwe top.

 
I've been stitching a lovely design by Bronwyn from Red Brolly Designs - click on the button in my sidebar for this free pattern

And I made the cutest little thread catcher, just what I needed for those thread tails.

  Lisa from Primitive Gatherings shared this lovely project on the Moda Country Fair blog hop.

That time of year again.

Fireworks, heatwave, snakes, afternoon storms. Diwali, and the fireworks sound louder this year - my poor dogs ears. My neighbour sent over delicious sweetmeats. While talking to my gardener on Monday I felt a light movement on my foot, it was an adder. I just flicked it off, it disappeared among the plants - that's the third snake Ive seen already and its only spring but very hot. Recently, at midday it went completely dark, then lightening, thunder and heavy rain. Suzi, Sasha and I dived under my quilt, sweating and praying. What a terrible storm. I don't like lightening.
I've taken a break from blanket stitching my funky flowers. I wanted to do a bit of piecing and to use the pack of shweshwe squares that I bought more than a year ago. I cut 3 1/2 inch strips and sewed them to the 5" squares in a log cabin style.

                           each square has a different design

                                            All done - 49 blocks

A loud hoot at the gate. It was the post office van delivering  this wonderful package.

                                            Thank you so much Anne!                         
  

               A gorgeous jelly roll from Anne at Bunny Hill Designs

                                           Puttin On The Ritz

I had such fun on the Moda Country Fair blog hop, I won this gorgeous jelly roll on Anne's giveaway day. My very first jelly roll, so beautiful I love the colours.  I love her fabric and designs and I love reading her blog. 
Go and take a look at Anne's new fabric line"Ooh La La",  its fabulous and her new baby quilt designs are adorable and I just love her new block of the month Merry Merry Snowmen-love red.

Congratulations Elzaan! you have won the My Memories Suite digital software. You are going to love this package. Look out for my email :-))

GIVEAWAY - MY MEMORIES SUITE

My Memories Suite is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a powerful set of creative tools and multiple sharing options that no other software can offer. Its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features are perfect for a beginner to build an entire album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece. Downloading the software was super easy.

I have had such fun creating albums of my projects. Here are two pages that I have made using one of the many design templates  

                                       

     Now I am reminded where to find the pattern.

                               

I loved adding the embellishments, such fun.

What a great way to reference my quilts and projects

My Memories suite  is so easy to use, the whole family will love it. A fun way to create scrapbook layouts, photobooks, cards, calendars, gifts, and so much more. The software's design tools will help you to build entire albums effortlessly using one of the many installed templates or design your own pages from scratch. A full suite of sharing options turns your scrapbook album into a movie to watch on DVD or view on an IPod. What a wonderful way to keep and share memories! No wonder it is rated the # 1 scrapbooking software.by Amazon and Top Ten Reviews. I absolutely love this software!

Watch this video for everything you need to know about My Memories Suite

                                

Wasn't that wonderful and inspiring! I'd like to create a book of the quilts I have made and I love the idea of a recipe book of favourite family recipes with photos of family get togethers. My family would love that. It will make a lovely gift.

Follow their blog for wonderful tutorials and inspiration.

Like their facebook page  for their fabulous friday freebies.

                                     GIVEAWAY

My Memories is giving away the My Memories Suite to a lucky reader plus $10.00 to spend in their store. All you have to do to win, is visit their site, check out their cool stuff, choose your favourite digital kit, come back here and leave a comment telling me your favourite - that simple!

Everyone is welcome to enter - any where in the world. 

A winner will be announced on October 26. Good luck!!

                                     

My Memories is also offering all readers of my blog a $10.00 off discount coupon when you purchase the My Memories Suite software. Copy and paste this code STMMMS96869 at checkout PLUS they are giving you a further $10.00 off to spend in their store. Enjoy!!

A Little Peek

Love my GO! Baby.!! The pattern that came with my funky flowers die is 38" square, I wanted to make it bigger so I cut 169 black and white 6.5" squares and sewed them together. Then I backed my fabric pieces for the flowers with fusible web and cut 4 layers at a time, so fast and accurate - love it - 35 flowers with centers in a flash. Incredible! 


                                      backed with fusible web

No waste - I used the left over pieces and cut leaves and smaller flowers using my Rose of Sharon die and  because they are already fused, they are on hand and ready to use at anytime.
Isn't that wonderful! I wish everyone had a Go! cutter.

Next step is to blanket stitch around all those flowers and then decide on the quilting.

                                           fused into position

                                              79" square (201cm)

Enjoyed some stitching - just have to make up the pillow/cushion


                                          a sewing room sampler

 A Jolly Halloween stitchery pillow

                              measures 7 3/4"  square design by Shirley Hudson


These two lovely patterns are free at We Love French Knots -  click on the button in my sidebar.

And finally finished the stitching on Noah's Ark.

  Noah's Ark design by Lynette Anderson Designs                                     


 I'm off  to have fun on the Moda Country Fair blog hop. 

Trip Around The World

 I love this pattern, so easy, it can be made in a weekend. I made this quilt a few years ago using lovely spring colours, its one of my favourites.

                                                        85" square (216cm)

 I used Shweshwe fabric here.

Quiltville has a wonderful tutorial.
             

ARE YOU MAD ABOUT BUTTONS?

Incomparable Buttons are the most adorable, fabulous and fun ceramic buttons ever! They are all individually handmade and hand painted by an amazing group of South African crafters " The Sunshine Team " -ladies from the local community who have been trained in the art of button making. Their skills have provided them with economic empowerment and has uplifted their families.

                                           The Sunshine Team
         
Incomparable buttons are fully washable and dry cleanable. This is a first for ceramic buttons. With embellishments becoming more popular, the buttons are fun and inspiring for quilters, knitters, crafters and cross stitchers who are looking to add a unique finishing touch to their project.

 

To see more of their gorgeous buttons visit their website Incomparable Buttons and follow their blog ButtonMad.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

            

ITS BEEN A WHILE....

 

At last this quilt is finished. I started this in 2007, I just had to make the 3D flowers and then quilt it, I can't remember why I hadn't finished it sooner. I'm happy that its done and on my bed. I love the colours, they make my bedroom feel so cosy and warm. The past two weeks have been very cold with snow on the Drakensberg mountains and it rained for a whole week.Too cold to sew, my fingers were frozen so I spent my days snuggled under quilts listening to Rural Bliss by Lou Wakefield and Noah's Ark by Barbara Trapido, did some reading and slept a lot.

                                88" x 88"  ( 224 cm)

Fun playing with my GO! Baby; so excited, no time to iron scraps.

                                                        added to my stash

                                                               and this

We were at the Pavilion shopping centre on Sunday afternoon, my husband wanted to get something from the music shop. We saw a huge crowd at the book store, well I had to have a nosey. It was Dr Rey - Dr 90210, promoting his skin care products and latest book. I managed to get a photo on my cell phone.

Books I  have enjoyed reading;
The Spirit Messenger - Gordon Smith
The Almond Picker - Simonetta Angello Hornby
Divine Guidance - Doreen Virtue
An Angel To Guide Me - Glennyce Eckersley
Cage Of Stars - Jacquelyn Mitchard

I WON.....I WON....

Logging into my blog on Saturday night to catch up on some reading, Barbara’s post was the first post on my reading list. She was giving away a GO! Baby Cutter. Mine was the 85^thcomment and she picked the winner based on her dog Dottie’s tag. I’m over the moon!!!

Big thanks to Barbara and,Accuquilt for this awesome giveaway.
Barbara Brackman's Material Culture and Civil War Quilts are her two blogs that I absolutely love.
Now, trying to choose 3 dies was the hardest thing. I love so many. So to start my collection I decided on applique dies, that’s because I love applique. Hearts - Funky Flowers – and Rose of Sharon.

With all the excitement I completely forgot to take a photo of the two blocks that I made for Kaaren. Just click on the button at the top of my blog, Allie has a wonderful tutorial for an easy block. It’s not too late, Allie has extended the time/date.

I love having my son home; we miss him so much when he is away at varsity. He is home on a 6 week break 10 June – 25 July.

I have been cooking and baking – all his favourites, trying to fatten him up. Needless to say not a bit of sewing is being done, enjoying him while I can.

My Raggedy quilt top is done

And I tried the Saral tracing paper – so much easier! Love it!

Its winter here, cold in the evenings and this afghan that I crocheted years ago is my favourite to use while watching TV.

 With so much going on while my son is home I have a huge backlog of blog reading to catch up on -so off to do some reading:)

Monkey business...... in my garden

A troop of vervet monkeys regularly visits my garden. I love watching the cute babies and their playful antics. They're inquisitive and love exploring. The adults constantly groom one another, a sign of affection and respect. They're friendly and intelligent, only spending time where they feel safe and where they can expect to find food.

Our property borders a nature reserve and I’ve gotten used to the noise of monkeys running across the roof,  it’s the route they have taken for years, they cross the road to other properties roaming the area searching for food.

Monkeys are actually very good for the garden eating insects that can become pests such as termites, moths, worms, grubs under the bark of trees and many others that the birds can't get to. They also eat fruit from indigenous trees ensuring seed dispersal and many seeds rely on the monkeys digestive system to break down the hard outer cover allowing for easy germination, they brush against flowers assisting with pollination and are natural pruners playing in the trees breaking dead branches.

They are wonderful creatures; I consider them my garden helpers!