Ryan and Edy's Engagement Quilt.

Hello,

A couple of months ago I was making this quilt because I fell in love with the style of the quilt. While I was making it my nephew Ryan announced his engagement to his girlfriend Edy. So I decided to give it to them for an engagement present.

As they have backpacked all over the world I thought this block was so appropriate.

The quilt is from the book "From the Heart" by Natalie Bird.

I got a fair amount of the material and the book from Bev at www.gentlethreads.com.au Bev has and online website and sells her products at several markets a couple of times a month.

This will be my last posting until the middle of February as today my Mum Lucy and I are off to New Zealand for a holiday before Ryan and Edy get married early on in February. We have our bags packed and passports ready. Lets hope we haven't forgotten anything. At least it will be about 20 degrees cooler, although cooler temperatures have been forecast for the coming week. This helps out David who has gone off to Country Week cricket representing our town in the A grade competition as a bowler. He certainly will be worn out by the end of the week. Good luck David.

Happy holidays.

Bev C

A Project a Month Challenge

Hello,

I have decided to join in the "A Project a Month Challenge". This is a great idea to keep us all motivated and to bring out those projects we all have that need finishing off. This month I have completed two projects. The cushion stitchery and the schoolhouse cross stitch. As I am going away for several weeks I have decided to take some stitching with me. I started this cross stitch early on in the year. I must have taken it to craft one day and put it away to continue on with something else. I have also drawn the stitchery my Honeypot Swap partner Lyn gave me. It is a lovely Christmas stitchery I have sorted out the threads I need to take so hopefully at least a fair bit of the cross stitch will be done and the stitchery. I have been doing some sewing but as they are for gifts all will be revealed later on.

Happy stitching.

Bev C

Lucy's luggage tag and Elle the rose.

Hello,

On the weekend some of us are going travelling. So I decided to make Lucy a luggage tag for her suitcase. Last time she travelled everyone had the same colour suitcase as her. The back of the tag is in the photo above. There is a little pocket at the back closed by a press stud to hold her name and address in case it is lost.

On the front is a little cat stitchery. In my useful jar I found the areoplane button which had a shank on the back which came in handy to hold the ribbon and keychain which I also found in my jar.

We have just had a fortnight of awfully hot weather, most days it was around 43 degrees. The last two days have been around 30 which is much nicer and easier to live with. Through all this some of my garden has suffered with heatstroke but this rose called Elle which means "She" in French has managed to flower. It is a fragrant hybrid tea rose in peachy pink tones. It is growing in a wine barrel on the verandah. I mulched it a few weeks back with some Lupin Mulch which does wonders for plants.

Happy days.

Bev C

Cheryl's Pay it Forward Received.

Hello,

I received a lovely email from my Pay it Forward recipient Cheryl from Willowberry Designs on the weekend. Cheryl apologized because she had forgotten to tell me the parcel had arrived and had re found it under a pile of things in her office. Well, Cheryl it sounds like your office is just like my sewing room. Toooo much stuff in the one place. I hope one day someone finds a solution to this problem us sewers have. I made Cheryl Val and Claire the same things. A little bag, I got the pattern of the Internet sometime ago, I changed the handles around. The little needle case and ladybird pincushion were in a Homespun Magazine. I embroidered names on tea towels for all the ladies to hang in there kitchens. Two reels of sewing thread one black and white.

Happy days.

Bev C

Cakes, stitchery and a cross stitch completed.

Hello,

I hope everyone is surviving the heat. We have spent some time watching the cricket. Lucy knows everything about all the cricket players now. Yesterday we made some Patty Cakes. Lucy got a Cupcake set for Christmas from Bonnie and Ryan. There was the pink moulds, tins, cooling rack and the lovely cupcake holder that swivels around. The recipe I used is one that I have made up for many years now.

Patty Cakes Recipe.
2 cups of Self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
125 gr of butter
essence to taste

Mix butter and sugar, add the eggs milk and flour and then the essence. Put into containers and bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes.
Let cool then ice.
Enjoy.

Over the Christmas break I did this little stitchery from Wildcraft Farm. I used a tea-bag to dye the centre panel and made it into a little cushion for the lounge.

Last year sometime I bought this cross-stitch and started doing the heart border and completed that section. In September we went on holidays and the plan was to do some but unfortunately the lighting in the holiday home was hopeless so no more was done to it. Since the beginning of this month I have been working on the middle section of it and completed it last night.

The cross stitch is a design called Country Schoolhouses by Sally Giblin from the Rivendale Collection. The finished size is 22.4cm by 16.5cm. There were only 5 colours used in this. They were Green Gold Burgundy Teal and Cream. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this although I have found I need to use my magnifying glass to see as well at night time. I think I will have to make an appointment at the optometrist. Now I will have to see what else needs finishing off before starting something new.

Happy days.

Bev C

Happy New Year 2009.

Hello,

I hope everyone who visits Kainga had a Happy New Year and best wishes for lots of health happiness and good luck for 2009. I wonder how many of my buttons will be used this year?

Happy days.

Bev C