My daughters family

My daughter had her family photos taken as a school fundraiser.

They are so beautiful and happy.

Aren't they gorgeous....

I am so happy I have worked out how to put many photos  into one post. Oh boy am I going to have fun now...

I WAS A WINNER @ FNSI

On the 3rd Friday of the month Wendy over at SUGARLANE Quilts

Has a Sew In night link up. I was the lucky one drawn to win a prize last month.

My prize has arrived. Go over here to read all about it

http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/a-fnsi-winner.html

Thank you Wendy.

I can't wait to start using it.......

JULY & AUGUST SWAPS

 I have just received these from Shannon. Also, with a cute little quick unpick. It is a seam-fix brand and it has a rubber end. She says that after you cut the thread you rub them away with the end..

I'll give it a try....

She also sent me 2 charms squares to match... Very nice.

Then for this months swap I am putting these blocks in the mail for Rose...

A Beautiful day. Sunny & Stitching

It was a beautiful day on Sunday.

The sun was out, flowers are blooming. Spring is nearly here.

The kookaburras are laughing and we had a visiting bird strutting through the front yard..

All the time I was stitching away watching tv.....

Such a relaxing day.

The bindings are done and 2 more finishes.....

A wonderful JIGSAW PUZZLE QUILT

& my HILLY HOUSES....

I am linking up with... http://kathysquilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/slow-sunday-stitching_24.html

& http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/ntt-time.html 

NTT ...... NEEDLE & THREAD THURSDAY.

Mill Rosie sewing day and LUNCH & MEETING with friends

I had the best day catching up with blogging friends for the first time.

I met about 7 blogging friends, 2 swap partners, 4 retreat friends,  3 Gisborne Quilters & some NOTY friends.

Today the http://millrosiefriends.blogspot.com.au  got together at The Mill Rose Cottage at Ballan.

We had a great time chatting, swapping, eating and a little bit of sewing.

We also had to make a Leanne Beasley project to swap. It could be anything. That was hard being it was my first time. 

This is what I made...... & Shez  from 

http://shez-enjoyinglife.blogspot.com.au won my gift

This is what I received

Thanks Sue from NOTY

1st ever. Mini. I have never made one or received one......

The funny thing is... I am making this quilt. Granted, I started it about ????? years ago. 

This may inspire me to get it out and work on it.

Thanks to everyone for a great day.

The show and tell was great. All the projects were wonderful to see.

The food was fantastic.

The inspiration was amazing....

Hilly houses......

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to win 11  house blocks measuring 9". These were from my Heathcote Quilt group. I go once a month. Last Xmas we were given a little parcel with a pattern for a house block and pieces of fabric for the house itself. The rest was up to you. If you completed your block and handed it in you received a raffle ticket. Well I was the lucky one.

I was reading Ellen's blog . http://littlejewelquilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/making-it-happen.html.

She was talking about her house blocks she had dug out of the cupboard. 

This made me think of mine. So out they came and a quilt top was put together. 

I did follow the tutorial from Bonnie Hunters blog.

 quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2005/06/happy-scrappy-houses.html. 

I changed the houses to go one direction and made the borders larger. I wanted the borders to show so I only used two colours. It looks like you are going up hill. Now all I have to do is get it quilted. Not sure what to do but I'll keep thinking.

 Thankyou Ellen for making me get a move on with them.

FNSI, secret sewing, zipper purse, 12" block swap & Maple Leaf

Well, on Friday I spent sorting and finishing off a few projects. Some I can show you some I can't......

I am also linking up with FNSI over at

 http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/fnsi-sign-ups-for-friday-night-sew-in.html

There are quite a lot of great things happening if you spend the time having a look at everyone's blogs. It's very interesting reading and good inspiration. Go on over to take a look.

Firstly, I finished some secret sewing. So I can only show a little sneak of it.... More photos will show up at a later date though...

Secondly, I thought I'd give this little gift a go. All you end is a zip and a length of ribbon. Be happy to do some hand stitching. Mmmmm.... The hand stitching was ok but I'm not sure the time spent on it was worth it. Maybe someone else would think so but I will not be making another one. It is a very cute little purse though. Making it was not my cup of tea....

At the end of the night I started sewing another dishcloth and a face washer. My Kilmore group is getting together on Sunday and we will be working on little items to sell on our trade table at our quilt in and also preparing for items for next years quilt show. So I went through what I had and found lots of little goodies. If anyone at the group wants to make some I will be happy to show them how... I'm sure photos will come later.

My postie bought me a nice little surprise today. A lovely Maple Leaf 12" block from Petah.

Petah was my partner this month in the 12" block swap over at...

http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au

My Beautiful Daughter telling a tragic story

After the tragic loss of my 18 year old son 21 months ago my beautiful daughter submitted her story to DONATE LIFE.
It was accepted and the book has just been published.

Have a look at the many stories, some good and some not so good. 

Please consider becoming an organ donor in the hope that others can live after another has passed.

Yes, it is an extremely hard decision but because of my son and our families decision there are 6 other families out there that have a much better lifestyle now.

http://www.donatelife.gov.au/my-little-brother-my-big-hero

 My little brother, my big hero

http://www.donatelife.gov.au/read-book-life?story=925

This months block swaps

First up... August 12" http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au
I have just sewn my block to send off to Petah.

She wanted white background with blue stripes... http://www.quilterscache.com/R/RomanStripeBlock.html

Second... May - July http://paperpiecersswapclub.blogspot.com.au

I received my beautiful  

http://www.quilterscache.com/H/HuntersStarBlock.html 

block from Julianne.

Thirdly... June http://6inchblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au

These are the lovely 

http://www.quilterscache.com/M/MapleLeafBlock.html 

blocks from Lee. The pattern is for 12" but I am having them done in 6".

More boys bindings

I'm just sitting here today watching the trees blowing, a movie on, the heater going and stitchin down the binding on another boys PUZZLE QUILT.

I'm linking up with Kathy from  http://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca  for SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING.

BINDING, BINDING and more BINDING

The last of the RED & in with the BRIGHTS & PASTELS, no dark greens allowed

I have caught up with all the RED SAMPLER BLOCKS for the month of JULY..

The new colour for August over at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au is.  BEIGHT GREEN. I am struggling with this colour so as yet haven't done any blocks        .

Here are my last few blocks.

This one looks a little pink but it is red.

The lucky last block is here......

Now we are in AUGUST we are working on Bright, Pastel GREEN. NO DARKS ALLOWED  ........

Catch up with Angela and the new colour at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au

I have my grandsons overnight and they turned up wearing the great jumpers my mum had made. My mum is recovering from cancer and many other things and has just got back into knitting. 

These jumpers are so good and the boys look so cute.

So we have eaten and now watching Harry Potter. The boys are happy and nearly ready for bed.

I am knitting lots of dishcloths. They are easy to pick up and put down, don't really have to count...

On the way to Japan

Mayumi, a friend of mine in Japan has just had a little baby girl, NATSUME. She was born on Saturday 19th July. So what am I to do but make and send a quilt over to them. Yes, it is summer over there so that's why I didn't make a crochet shawl. A quilt can be used for a longer time and can be used more often.
Mummy & baby.

This is my friend Asami & Natsume.

Oops, I mixed up the photos then the post had a fit but it's all sorted now.

Quilt front

Heart quilting

I've caught up.....

After my last attempt of working on the Honour Blocks where I started making mistakes I packed them away. Now I pulled them out again and here we are.

The last instalment of Honour blocks have been made.

JULY - AUGUST blocks are made in plenty of time before the next ones are handed out.

2E... HERBERT VALENTINE SHAW

7G..  WILLIAM ARTHUR MUNRO

4F..   WILLIAM CHARLES JAMES STUTE

1F..  RICHARD THOMAS RANDALL

Have a look at the page HONOUR QUILT 2014 by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. It tells you about the people that Maree has chosen to do a block for that were in the war.

N&TT and FNWF

My dinner tonight for FNWF.... YUMMY

I have been at home sewing today. BUT first of all I had to clean my workroom so I could sit at the sewing machine. I started yesterday working out what I was going to work on. I am linking up with
My Quilt Infatuation.... Needle & Thread Thursday

I have been using up some 6" RSC14 sampler blocks from Angela's at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au

I put them into my WONKY STAR STRUCK blocks and completed a flimsy.

Here is my room tidy.. Well it is for me.....

While I was making the blocks I have started a Leaders & Enders project with Bonnie Hunters  http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2005/06/string-spider-web.html quilt block.

And here is my flimsy. I think it looks great...