Over The Hump .....

The hump in the week (Wednesday) has been and gone and now we are on the down hill slide to the weekend which is wonderful news.  Even better news is all of this loveliness has arrived in time for me to play with over the weekend.

Most of you would know by now that I am a huge "roses" fan and when I heard that Cabbages & Roses were bringing out a fabric range with "Moda" I was one very happy gal and have a quilt planned for "Me".

If you are one of my newsletter subscribers you will receive a newsletter tomorrow which will have a special Cabbages & Roses Offer in it along with some other wonderful offers, recipes and more.  If you aren't a subscriber and would like to be, simply enter your name and e-mail address in the boxes on the top right hand side of this blog - It's Free.

It must have been the week for spoiling myself as look what else arrived for me this week.  My friend Cherie blogged about her new 2012 diary which she purchased from Rebound Books. 

They make Diaries and lots of other things from Vintage Books.  The diaries are Little Golden Books and each page from the book is incorporated into the diary.

They are printed in Melbourne by a carbon neutral printer and using vegetable based inks on Australian 100% recycled paper.  What more could you want?

The hardest part is trying to choose which one to buy - I finally settled on this one.

It is going to bring me a lot of Joy in 2012 and it will be something that I will put away as a keepsake for my children along with my blogging journals for the future generations of my family to read.  It has become very important to me to make a permanent record of my life.  I want the future generations of my familyto get to know who I really was and am saddened that I have nothing like that from my ancestors. 

This weekend we have some serious home decorating to attend to.  It is AFL Grand Final day on Saturday and my beloved football team the Geelong Cats are a finalist and I am super excited.  My middle daughter Kaitlin is also an avid fan and together we will decorate our home on Saturday morning before we sit down to watch the big game.  I don't talk about football a lot but I am a HUGE fan and watch it every weekend with my stitching on my lap.  Go The Cats !!!!!!

And on Sunday I will be playing in the veggie patch and planting these baby seedlings - So my weekend is sort of mapped out - Footy, Sewing and Gardening = Bliss.

Before I go I had best announce the winner of my Go Baby ! from Accuquilt Go Cutter. 

This morning I printed out all of the comments, numbered them and then inserted the start and finish numbers into Random.Org.  It Came up with No 8 - Which is "Melody".  Congratulations Melody - You are going to have hours of fun with your new baby.  Please POP over to ACCUQUILT & Choose 3 dies and E-Mail me your details and your 3 choices and it will be delivered to your door in no time at all.

Thank you to everyone that entered - It was a massive response - I know of a few other Australian ladies that will be giving them away so stay tuned for some other links to giveaways coming up in the next few weeks.

Hugs,

Fee XX

Weekend Baking

I don't know about you but I love to bake but I have to be in the mood for it and usually bake when a recipe inspires me or the lunch box filler tins are empty.  This weekend I flicked through my Donna Hay Magazine and came across a recipe for Raspberry Upside Down Cakes.

I love anything that is "Raspberry" so knew that this recipe would be lovely.  It is a White Wings "Donna Hay" Recipe and can be found HERE.

Mine look a little different from hers

But taste delicious

Now this picture is quite misleading because there is only 2 of these little cakes left - They were a real hit !

Whilst I was in the mood and with an abundance of fresh lemons given to me by friends I decided to make a Lemon Curd Cake.

This is a wonderful little cake and very easy to make.  I will share the recipe in my next newsletter.  We have just planted our own lemon tree so I am looking forward to having a nice supply of lemons of our own in the coming years.

It is another beautiful day in paradise here today but as much as I want to get out in the garden this little bundle of loveliness is calling my name.  I must of course OBEY.

I hope you too are having a wonderful weekend.

Hugs - Fee XX

TGIF

I know that you shouldn't wish you're life away as life itself is so precious but this week I am not sorry it's Friday - Actually I am quiet relieved.  I am looking forward to a little R & R this weekend.  I seem to be tiring much quicker these days - Must be an age thing - LOL

I recently ordered some new books on-line and they arrived this week.  I am not sure which one to start first ??  My favourite author "Tess Gerritsen" has a new one so I suppose that will win the battle and will be the first one read.  If it's anything like her others I won't be able to put it down until it is finished.



The books may have to compete with the new Donna Hay Magazine I purchased at the supermarket tonight.

How could I resist this Caramel Vanilla Cheesecake on the front cover ?  I will have to check to see if I have all of the ingredients to make it - Baking is definetely on the agenda this weekend.  There is nothing better than the smell of baking - It gets me every time.

I hope that you have a lovely relaxing weekend and make some time for yourself. 

Before I go I wanted to tell you about a "Celebrrating Friday" give away my lovely friend Jo is having - Hurry though it will be drawn on Monday she has some Lovely Australian Designers goodies to give away.  Visit her HERE.

Hugs,

Fee XX

PS.  If you are a newsletter subscriber I hope you enjoyed your freebie stitchery in this week's addition.

Sunshine Beautiful Sunshine.................................

It is hard not to smile when the spring sunshine is breaking through the clouds.  It is such a lovely time of year and makes you feel alive and ready to tackle anything.  Unfortunately that for me will be a vegie patch overgrown with weeds this weekend but the promise of fresh vegies in a few months time will spur me along.  Can you see my little rainbow of stitchery above?  This will be a new BOM due for release in 2012 - I am working on it each evening and am loving it - I hope you do too.

I have also been working on some new projects using appliques cut from my Go Cutter - It is hard not to be motivated when you have this little miracle worker which takes the hard work out of cutting.  Thanks to Sandy I now have a link to a retailer who sells them here in Australia for just $169.00 - Are you tempted?  If so go HERE.

I am still searching for a name for my new "BOM" but I decided that this one will be made from Stash - I have chosen a lovely eclectic mix of Pastel Blues, Pinks & Greens.  I am having so much fun putting it together.

 

Even the cutting table scraps are pretty.  I am thinking that these scraps would look lovely suspended in a glass jar - It seems such a shame to waste them.

Talking about "pretty" look what my friend Jenny sent me last week.  It was such a lovely surprise to receive this in the mail.  It is a pattern in Jenny's Monthly Magazine that she writes "Elefantz Home".  You can subscribe to it each month or even just buy the individual patterns.  Go and visit her and take a look at her Etsy shop she has lots of nice patterns there for you to purchase.

 

I will be finally making my Soy Candles and Melts this weekend and will share with you the process - I am starting to worry about my Christmas list and need to make some inroads to crossing off a few gifts.  In the next few weeks I will also be arranging the Advent Swap for 2011 so all of those "Advent" girls get ready and watch your inbox for further info.

 


Finally I thought I would show you the finished circles adorned quilt from a few weeks ago. 

I hope wherever you are that you are having a happy Thursday and have an action packed weekend planned full of sewing, baking, home making and "me time".

Love and Hugs,

Fee XX

It's Time .........

I am thrilled to host a giveaway for a Go! Baby Fabric Cutter by Accuquilt. Thanks to the generosity of Accuquilt, I am able to offer one of my faithful readers the opportunity to win their own Go! Baby Cutter and a choice of three dies. This competition is open to all my readers - both Australian and International.

To enter, simply leave a comment below. If you would like an extra entry, simply be a follower of my blog.  The entries will close on Wednesday 28th September 9pm EST. Good luck to you all.

 

Be sure to check out the 22 Free Quilt Patterns at Accuquilt and dream about which dies you would chose.

I have been very busy playing with my new toy and have lots to show you over the coming weeks.

For those ladies that have contacted me wanting to purchase one I am currently trying to find you a retailer that sells them at a good price here in Australia.  I have been having trouble with my e-mails too so if you have e-mailed me in the past couple of weeks and haven't had a response to a question or e-mail please bear with me as my aging laptop copes with an upgrade.

Hugs - Fee XXX

A New Love .......

It is a nice fresh drizzly spring morning here today.  Nice you say?  Well yes as it is wet I HAVE to stay inside.....  And just as well because guess what arrived on my door step yesterday?

Yes my new baby......  My Go Baby ! from Accuquilt - http://www.accuquilt.com/.  How exciting is that? 

I have been patiently waiting for it's arrival so that I can finish this baby quilt I have had in the unfinished pile for awhile.

As it is Boy colours I decided that circles would be perfect and I can NEVER cut a nice neat circle for applique.  The Go Baby ! Circle Die is perfect.  It has 3 size circles and so that you don't waste too much fabric you can just cut what you need.

I needed just one of the 5" circles so cut a 5 1/2" square.  Fused some Easy Fix onto the back of it and popped it on top of the die and placed the mat over the top. Note - Easy Fix is similar to Vliesofix and is used for easy iron-on applique.

 Put it on the bed of the Accuquilt Go baby! and started to turn the handle - Surely that is not all you do ?????

Ummmm  Yes - It comes out the other side and then .......

Voila - A circle.....  I am so in love.....  My head is brimming with ideas and I can't wait to get started on them.

Next I thought that I would try the little 2" Circle with 3 layers.

And look 3 gorgeous little circles......  Even the waste could be applique with a little stitchery inside - Ooohhh  I love it when there is no waste.

And just to test how versatile it really is - I tried 2 different fabrics and 2 different sizes at once.

Easy Peasy !!  Whoever thought up this machine is a genius !!  I am so in love and am now off to HERE to see what other dies I will buy.  Are you just as impresed as me?

Now I am off to play with the other 2 dies that they sent me - Bugs and Hearts - The possibilities are going to be endless !!

And I think I can feel a giveaway coming on - Stay Tuned.

Hugs - Fee XX

Changes.....

Thank you for all of your good wishes on the changes about to happen for me in 2012.  Like anything that is a little different it is very scary and I keep second guessing myself but I have to keep reminding myself that it is for the best long term.  Slowly as the weeks pass I will reveal a bit more as each page of our new book opens.  I would tell you now but I just don't want to jinx myself.  I am taking baby steps before I take the giant leap.

I am going to have to think outside the square in all aspects of my life including in my designs which will need to adapt a little.  I am currently paper piecing a new project in colours that are not my usual choices but my style is still very evident.  It is a slow process and I just do a little each evening.  Hopefully I will have more to show you really soon.

So what have you got planned for the weekend?  My plans include sorting some fabric and making some more of these wax tarts.  I burn these in my oil burner to make the house smell delicious and homely but I also store them in little organza bags and hide them amongst my fabric.  All of my stash has a lovely aroma which is even more gorgeous when it comes time to press it.  A cheap and easy way for a nice fragrance.

I will share with you my candle and wax tart making process by taking a few photographs.  I am working through my christmas list and a number of my friends and family will be receiving smellies this year.  I can't believe that we are into the second week of September already so it is time that I make a dent in that list.

I have been having some fun fussy cutting some hexagons for an upcoming project.  Are you really into paper piecing too at the moment?

If you are a newsletter subscriber you will be receiving this weeks newsletter very soon which will include this week's bargain buys including packs of 100 X 1" hexagon papers  (Card) for just $4.50 and of course that Berry & Apple Slice Recipe.  If you aren't already a subscriber you can join up in the top right hand corner of my blog.  It's free.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs - Fee XX