String Quilts

I found this wonderful bright string quilt over at http://sunshineyellow-stitches.blogspot.com/ it is so bright and cheery.... just scroll down in her posts until you come across it.. she has done a fabulous job... it almost looks 3D and I am hoping to get the same achievement..

This is where you will need to head to get the pattern.... just scroll down her side bar on the right and you will come across the link for the tutorial...... http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/sewtakeahike/2009/10/a-little-help-from-my-friends-string-quilt-tutorial.html

The Virgin Plum Pudding

Well my first ever ''pudding''... and everyone was impressed and it tasted great even if I do say so myself... looks like I will be doing this every year from now on... and I even thought I could do them for Christmas presents as well...

Oh and here is a stack of my string blocks 88 in all and they are 6 1/2 inches square... cant wait to have it all sewn up and see what it looks like... they are made totally from my scrap boxes and I still have full boxes so I can see that I will have to make a couple more and maybe cushions...

The weather has been so up and down here this last week... Christmas was a cooler day than we have had for some years... even though it was still in the high 30's... Tuesday saw the temp rise to 44.5... I am so glad I have a swimming pool... no air conditioning here... the last 2 days have been in the mid 30's but rising tomorrow for the New Year...

This afternoon we made sausages... 39 kgs all up... 3 flavours... Bush Tomato and Mountain Pepper.... Chardonnay and French Herb.... Lemon Oregano... we will sample some tonight on the barbie...

Luv T xxx

Merry Christmas

To All My Blogging Friends

Wishing You A Fantastic Day

And

Thank You To You All

For Visiting My Blog

Luv Tarnyia xxx

Yes I Have Been Quiet... But Busy

This is a table runner that I have made for my SIL for Christmas... it is called a D9 block... a close up for you of a block... these are leftover from a quilt/throw that I am making for my sister who lives in Queensland... My SIL has a very big dinning table that seats 10... hence the very long runner...

The quilt is of different shades of green... yes with a hint or two of lime hehehehe... and a wee bit of red to go with a feature wall she has in her living area.

Hahahahaha looks like a snake in the garden...

I have also been finishing presents and wrapping and posting them off plus doing Christmas cards... I didn't send many cards last Christmas after the terrible few months of losing my Uncle, then my brother so quickly and unexpectedly and then the 3 month illness of my FIL and his death... my Mum nearly dieing on us with undiagnosed diabetes.... this was just all to much to cope with and when christmas came around it was just horrible... we were all trying to put on a brave face and just felt so crappy............. but this year will be so different.......... we need to celebrate the lives we have and the lives of those we lost....... as we are still here and life does go on and we need to make the most of what we have and who we have............... so bring on Christmas...... woohoo.....

Oh and I made plum pudding...... so I am not a ''virgin plum pudding maker''....... last year I bought one mmmm it was a lot to be desired on taste and from the look around the table from family I am just not game enough to buy another hahahaha..... Hubby's Aunt use to make us one every Christmas... that was our pressie..... now she has moved away....... this station girl must step right up..... but it will NOT be as good as Aunty May's..............

Oh oh oh oh oh.... we have a Wii........... and today hubby and I played the boxing game......... hahahahahahaha I KO'd him twice hahahahahaha and we were so hot after that we had a swim... it's about 42 here today.

Luv T xxxx

Christmas Round Robin Table Runner

Finished in time for the festive season... Thank you to my partner's in the RR via IFQ for their additions to my runner... I can't wait to show it off....
The weather is heating up here today, I think it is going to be 40 or more and the swimming pool will get a good work out today....
Luv T xxx

LOOKY LOOKY LOOKY

WHAT I GOT :)

You can't see but I am still SMILING... yesterday my ''stitcher's angel'' parcel arrived all the way from Buenos Aires Argentina... Sandra Alba was my angel... (wonder if she is related to Jessica Alba hahaha) her blog is http://peekabootoyou.blogspot.com/ go have a look she has some lovely photo's of her work there... Now in this parcel was some fantastic stuff... ribbons, a wonderful piece of lime fabric with butterflies all over... green threads... some xmas ornaments to paint... and apple scented tissues that I just can't stop smelling... buttons and a postcard... OH and some Cadbury's caramel chocolate my absolute favourite chocolate YUMMO

But check these little beauties out... how impressive are these... and you should see the embroidery stitching....... so weeny and perfect... something for my to strive to.... So Sandra you can see that I am HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY...... thank you ever so much for being my Stitcher's Angel..
More Cooking

This morning I made a batch of ''Kumquat Marmalade" I just love this one and I only ever get enough off my small tree to make only a few jars... and by the time I give some to my kids and a cousin I savour what I have left.... I got a big bag of peaches yesterday from Hubby's cousin that I have been stewing this morning... which I will freeze so they can be used all through the year... my kitchen smells so sugary sweet.....

Luv T xxxx

A Busy Day Today

Today Hubby and I marked some cattle... well there were 9 calves to be marked and those weeny ones are so cute and they were not to happy with us after we had finished with them... even at such a small age they are so strong.
And here are the adults about to be put into the race for their botulism injection... which is meant to be done every 12 months... we had 3 of these that ''no way'' were they going into the race... eventually we got 2 in and the other one ............ Hubby hung off the fence and did her quickly while she wasn't looking.......... in her butt instead of behind her ear.... hahahaha

Today we also cleaned the pool out and started the task of filling it.... WOOHOO can't wait to go swimming...

Yesterday

Yesterday I turned some of these apricots into jam... tomorrow I will be having another jam making session...... I also stewed some of these today and I will have them for breakfast tomorrow mmmmmmmmmmmmm yummo
Hubby's cousin runs an orchard just south of our local town, we are so lucky as we get to have very fresh stone fruit, rockmelons and shortly watermelons

So far 9 jars of very yummy apricot jam
Oh Yes I Have Been Shopping

Some beautiful Japanese fabric and some other fabric that was on sale at ''Craft Depot"... not sure what these will be turned into yet... there is going to be another BOM in the ''Homespun'' magazine next year so maybe that???

These are from Teena's....... she is having a very big closing down sale so go have a look.
These 2 piece just appealed to me at Spotlight... and I have a very special little girl who I can see in them for a summer dress.

My Mum just had a whirl wind trip to England a few days in France a 2 day stop over in Singapore and a week in Bali......... look what I got from Bali.... metres and metres of silk... I can see some very comfy lounge pants..........

Luv T xxxx

I am still here.....

I am in Perth... My middle daughter had her wisdom teeth out on Monday... she is doing well.. quite a bit of swelling and the bruising is starting to appear....so I am spending the week down here and it is cold wet miserable weather hahahaha but I am not complaining as the rain is needed down here just wish I could send it home as well... I do have my sewing machine with me and I am sewing most of the day... I have started a ''double 9 patch''... well I think that is what it is called hahahahaha... I have been checking blogs and found some other fantastic blogs... so many talented girls out there.

Luv T xxx

My Cushion All Done

This is a close up of my cushion that I am entering in the ''Christmas Cushion Competition" at my friend Dawn's site....

Here it is with all its Christmas lights around it...

Luv T xxx

A Little Bit Of Cooking

Yesterday I spent the morning cooking pies and quiches for my kids in Perth... for their lunches as they go off to work... all in all 31 pies were made... and yes there were a couple of hands that kept trying to hijack one or two but a stern sideways look was enough for those hands to retreat very quickly......

Quiche Lorraine, mushroom and feta, tuna and onion also tomato and feta.... they smelt so good while baking....... mmmmmmmmm yummoTuna Pies

Tuna Pie Recipe

1 can 425g tuna in brine

2 cups grated cheese

2 eggs

1 onions sliced

2 sheets of puff pastry

Drain tuna and mix well with other ingredients.

Line your pie plate with one sheet of pastry, add tuna mix, top with other pastry sheet.

Brush with milk and cook in a moderately hot oven until golden brown

Enjoy........

Luv T xxx

MMMMM What Have I Been Doing???

Well I have been busy working on a couple of ''Christmas projects'' for a couple of events on other sites that I am involved with... but my lovely friend Val sent me some lime green fabric... yummo... she knows I love it... so I thought I would make a cushion for my bed with it using navy embroidery thread... I like the look so far......

This is my ''secret santa'' in progress... a placemat... love the plum pudding pattern out of ''Homespun'' magazine and just had to use it in something.

This one is my ''Christmas cushion'' in progress for a competition among ourselves at my friend Dawn's site... just some hand stitching to be done then I will show you the finished cushion....

This was an event on IFQ... a table topper... I did mine in Batiks and I must say I like the finished look... and found the only way to quilt it was by griding the whole thing... now that I have it quilted and binded I think it needed that much quilting done on it.

Now will I keep it or give it away as a Christmas present???????????
Luv T xxx

Thank You

WOOHOO ..... I now have 5 followers and I see there are many looking at my blog... from all over the world..... WOOHOO.... so excited.... thank you for coming and looking.... thank you Vicki as I think it's because of you :)
Luv T xxx

What Was In My "Stitchin Angel" Partners Parcel This is what I sent my partner.... Oh plus a runner that I didn't take a photo of... I have heard from her and she is very very happy with her gifts..... I am waiting for mine now... from ''who'' I do not know..... ssssssshhhhhhh

20 More Little Baskets

And yes I am now caught up... have even done this Sunday's blocks... my wall is starting to look very ''covered''... hahaha.... I have made a decision to do these as a ''quilt as you go''... next trip to the city will be to purchase backing and sashing fabric and to check out what type of batting I might use.

The Finished Quilt All done and quilted and the last stitches on the binding this morning and Hubby has delivered it while in town today.... I am sure that the new baby will have lots of play time on this rug.

A Beautiful Cushion For Me

This gorgeous cushion arrived in our mail yesterday... it was from a swap on another site... I just love it and it will go so well in my lounge room.

Luv T xxx

A Little Bit Of Retail Therapy

Teena's is having a ''BIG SALE'' on her website http://www.teenas.com.au/ she closed her shop many months back and has been working from home... but now she wants her home back... so go check her site out all fabric's are $6 a metre..... go shopping girls go grab a bargain.

Oh drool drool drool.... I just love ''Amy Butler'' and have wanted to buy her fabric for such a long time but it is a bit pricey here in Aussie so I went shopping at
http://www.quiltersbiz.com/qbcommunity/ they have very good prices there and a bargain bin and with the Aussie dollar being so good... even better.............. if you buy some of the craft magazines look out for their advertisement as there are codes which will get you another discount when used.... I will be going back there to shop again over the next week.... Oh and it it took no time at all to get here.....

"Stitchin Angel Swap"

All wrapped and in the mail on its way to my ''stitchin angel swap partner''.... hope she likes what I have been sewing and buying for her... once I know she has it in her hot little hands I will post a photo of what it in the parcels... bar on thing as I forgot to take a picture hahahahaha

Luv T xxxx

The Redwork Angel Quilt Is Finished

The ''photographer'' hasn't done the quilt justice hahaha... I must say I am really really please with the finished product and I must say a big thank you to my friend Jane for her 6 swap blocks and to all the other girls who made the blocks.... THANKYOU.....

I wrapped it up today and took it to the young lady who has cancer in our small town... she gave me a big hug and was quite surprised that someone had thought of her... I wasn't there for when she opened it but I am sure I will hear from her soon.
And 20 more Little Baskets!!!

YEAH I have finally caught up... ready for the next 5 this Sunday... I think they are looking quite cute up on my design wall... mind you I am going to run out of room if I am to make 200!!!!

Luv T xxxx

This week a little bit of creativity...

A little bit of finishing off... A little bit of catching up......

These two little applique pieces from ''Hatched and Patched'' were so quick and easy... they could be a little table mat or an afternoon tea mat with a special friend or a wall hanging for a nursery but they are very sweet...

Now this one I started awhile ago... I found it in a craft magazine but for the life of me can not remember which one... each block is framed with a dark green and the border is a mustard print...

Here are 15 more baskets... but I need to do about 20 more to be caught up... which isn't going to happen this week as I am off to Perth for a few days... number 1 daughter graduates from Uni on Thursday after 5 years of studying Law and Politics.... WOOHOO.... well done girl...

These redwork angel blocks were done by a few girls around Aussie, Canada and USA... it is a swap... BUT... one of my friends who was also in this swap and lives very close to me... we decided to put our swap blocks together and make a quilt for a local girl who is battling cancer... the news isn't good for her... my friend and I thought it would be nice for her to know that there are others thinking of her and wishing for the best that can be... and what better than to have angles wrapped around you...

While in Perth I will get some more red fabric for the border and some backing fabric... then butt in chair and madly sew to have it quilted and to her as soon as possible... Once finished I will post another photo...

Luv T xxxx

Over At IFQ

At the IFQ site I am in an event where we are doing a ''round robin christmas table runner''... this is the addition I have added to Ella's... stitched holly leaves... Ella would like her block turned on point next.
And this is my ''round robin christmas table runner''... Carole has already received this and added a couple of rows of fabric and appliqued some stars... it looks great so far... more photo's in the gallery at IFQ.

These little beauties are for a ''floral block swap'' at IFQ... make 6 swap 5... I used my hand dyed fabric for these on a sage green background they are 9 1/2 inches... I think I might make place mats with what I receive back... I love this pattern and really should do more with it... a table runner maybe or a table topper.....
The 2nd House Pet Lamb

Isn't he so sweet... he is so tiny a lot smaller that Isla... his mum is Lucy (she is my favourite sssshhhh)... born last night and very wonky on his legs this morning... might call him Leon??