A little bit of rain but a beautiful day....

I woke up to a beautiful morning and ready for a good day of sewing...
I looked out my kitchen window and my Dahlias put on a wonderful display. They are such a lovely colour.
I walked past and just had to take a photo.

Dahlia's in my garden..

Sew my sewing begins.
I had to get stuck into this months patterns for my 2 SALs over at Deana's
http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au
Deana designs these patterns and they are fun to sew along with everyone else... One row a month makes it easy to keep up....
Here is this months pattern for the Americana quilt...
I have changed the size of the quilt intended. Mine will be a not as wide as I will be giving it to an Aussie Hero one day. I am just sewing along for the fun of it.
This row is supposed to represent the mountains for the Americana quilt. I have swap a few things around as well as the colours. I am doing an Australiana quilt the size of an Aussie Hero quilt. My row couldn't be mountain colours because I really have only used blue and red... I'm sure it will fit in ok when I put the quilt together.

AUSTRALIANA MOUNTINS

And this is it for the Spring SAL.... Now I just have to put all the rows together

Last row for the Spring SAL...

I am happy that I made it before the end of the month. I didn't think I would get there with everything else that I had to finish.....

Yes they were done before the end of January but it took til now to do a post.....

Americana/AUSTRALIANA quilt SAL

I have been sewing along with Deana making 2 quilts. 

Her Americana quilt I have changed a little bit to suit the Aussie Heroes.

This is the row I managed to get done for October. 

It was finished 1st November here but I got in the deadline for the other side of the world....

Here are all the blocks so far.

I have a lot to do when I get to the end. I am making a different size therefore my blocks are of different amounts. The maths will work out in the end...

The other quilt is the SPRING quilt.

Here are my rows so far.

I do look forward to the 1st of the month to get the next instructions.

I have some time this month to get my rows done early. Hopefully my sewing time will go to plan and I will not leave them till the end of the month....

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

FNWF...... & My 2 quilts in the garden blocks are here. Border blocks done. Possible layout.

Is everyone going to join in this Friday with us stitchers. It's FNWF time over at

http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/fnwf_29.html

I'm not sure what I will work on yet but it will happen....

It has been great over the last few months working on these fun blocks. Designed by Deana over at
http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au
This block has come all the way from Kathi in Alaska.... The quilt on the fence is so cute

Thankyou Kathi

And this one is from Linda T.

I have managed to make all 26 of my border blocks for this months finish....

And I even made the bonus Half square triangles too.....

So I had a play with the layout of the blocks. This was a row by row quilt but I am not doing mine in rows. Mine will look a bit busier and come out a completely different size. Oh the challenge.

I will fill in the spaces with the half square triangles and trim some blocks to make them all fit in.

This is what I have so far....

The empty space is for the one  I am still waiting on. A tree block is to come from Linda Th....

I am linking up with NTT

http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/party-time-friends.html

more Pin Cushion blocks

February's block for the DOD MYSTERY Quilters Garden Row by Row quilt was to make PIN CUSHIONS.  HERE is the first one I received from Ann. Now I received another 2 in the mail.
The first of these was from Trudie.

And the second was from Sue. Sue added a few extras. Very kind. Included was 5 hand dyed embroidered threads and a pretty fat quarter. I feel very special.

HERE  are the ones I made.
The blocks for March were QUILTS IN THE GARDEN. They are all in the mail and I will be receiving some soon...
This months blocks are for the borders. We are nearly at the end of the swap. It is going to be a fun quilt when finished. http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

Quilts in the Garden finished

I have just finished my next 2 blocks for Deana's mystery quilt.
http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au
I made the little quilts out of orphan blocks I had stored away. They only measure about 4".
I have added a twisted cord for the line and real wooden pegs too. Very cute.

In the mail yesterday was my first little pin cushion block and spacer from Ann. It didn't take very long at all from the States.. Thankyou Ann. Lovely colours.
This was Februarys design in the mystery.

QUILTS IN THE GARDEN with Deana

Here are the blocks I have done so far for my blocks in the 

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

I have been doing these blocks every month. If you sign up and make a block this month you get next months block free. We have been making blocks for a few months now. 

This month is Quilters in the garden.

Here are the blocks I have made. Some are to swap some are to keep. 

I am not stitching the clothes lines to Hang the quilts on because when they are joined with other blocks they may not match. Instead I will make a twisted cord to use for the line and the lucky winner can place it in the correct spot. There will be some clothes pegs sent too.

Mail, dinner, FNWF sign ups

I am enjoying a lovely home cooked meal for my Anniversary.

Garlic prawns, rice and salad. Of course some bubbly to go with it in my special glasses from a special friend.

I have received some great mail this week. My QUILT SHOPS blocks as part of a row by row swap by DEANA from..
http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

Here is my block from Daryl. I love her little quilt, on point. All I need to do is add a button on the door.

And then from the great designer and organiser DEANA

I have just linked up with CHERYL from 

http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/fnwf.html 

 For FNWF.

Go on over the weekend for a look at what everyone has been working on.

I'll be stitching along with my daughter...

My February DOD mystery blocks

Here are my February blocks completed for the DOD mystery Row by Row quilt.

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

PIN CUSHIONS & SPACERS

I made 5.... 3 of them are to swap and 2 are for me to keep.

 No. 1...... To swap

 No. 2...... To swap

 No. 3......To swap

 No. 1...... To keep

 No. 2...... To keep

I put on all different beads to make the pin heads cute. Here are hearts, flowers, balls and just plain beads. Very sweet.

I am also linking up with Cheryll for FNWF.

http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/sign-up-time.html

Another finish during FNWF

I have had a great afternoon joining in with FNWF.

http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/fnwf.html

I finished quilting this quilt after it has been in my cupboard for a couple of years. I have a great friend who made me a few tops and I quilted a few quilts for her. Thanks Sue.. I also used this project to teach her how to do this pattern. It's a very easy design.

After I got it all quilted I found out there wasn't enough prepared binding with it. So a quick call to my friend and a drive YES she had some fabric to match. Now the binding is on.

And here is a close up of the quilting. I followed the weave pattern and FMQ it very easily.

I'm happy with it.

More sewing I did this week was my quilt shop blocks for the DOD row mystery

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

We could put any design quilt to hang on the front. I found a small piece of this cute XMAS fabric so I went with that theme. I added a little bling and a few buttons.

If you make one block each month you get next months pattern for free.

You can also make some blocks to swap. Then you can get some great blocks from all over the world..

This is the block I will swap

And this one is for me to keep.

I also help out and make quilts for the AUSSIE HEROES.

Look  http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com.au to find out more...

There was a request for POPPY BLOCKS for a special project...

My little scrappy SATURDAY and some little finishes

I worked on the last of my XMAS cards today. I used up some tiny pieces of xmas greens and made some cards with fabric trees on them.

 So even though they are only small I am still going to link up with ANGELA over at...

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/end-and-begin-again.html

Still in the mood to finish off these XMAS decorations for my friends on Monday.

Got them all done so my XMAS shopping and present list is done.

Here I gave finished some reindeer candy canes and crochet SANTA faces.

A little more sewing for the day.

I am following Deana with her quilters Garden row by row mystery.

This month we have the pinwheel flowers.

Just to show I have started here are my first 2 blocks nearly done. All I have to do is applique the centres on. They were fairly easy if you can manage a correct seam all the way through. My seams were straight and precise when I sewed my strips but not when I sewed the triangles into a Hexie. 

I got there in the end with a few extra seam lines put in...

Have a look at Deanas blog to see the other blocks we have done.

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

Rotaries in bloom block and a bit of a retreat at the beach

I have received one of last months blocks in the DOD row by row MYSTERY sew a long and swap.

It is called a QUILTERS GARDEN.

Here it is from Linda Te.

I have 2 blocks to go with it and when I receive the last block for last month they will look so pretty together...

And here is the one from Phyllis

Now to move on to this months

STEAM THAT SEAM.

Over at Deane's blog if you participate each month by making a block you get the following months pattern free.

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

It is a fun quilt. I'm not sure if I will have to add more blocks to make it up to a size..

I did get my 4 blocks done and will be sending 2 to the USA.

I am away this week and staying at a friends house enjoying the beautiful weather and the beach..

Here I am enjoying a walk along the beach and the beautiful weather.

Here we are at dinner with my friends. What a great night.

 My lovely hubby and I finally get a photo together

Where will we end up tonight? We are back on the road but not going straight home.....

November STEAM THAT SEAM blocks

I am taking part in a fun row by row block swap.
If you make a block to swap each month you get the block for the following month FREE.

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au


I am so relieved to have finished my 4 blocks.... 2 to swap and 2 to keep.

I cut and sewed 1 block back to front but it doesn't matter. I am keeping it.

This one is mine to keep

This one is to SWAP

Another one to SWAP

and this one is for me to keep.

I enjoyed making these blocks. Mixing piecing and applique is fun.

It was an easy block to do....

My GOOD VIBRATIONS are here

I just received so happy mail.

My GOOD VIBRATION sewing machine blocks. These are from

FELICITY

& LYN

& these are all 4 blocks together. They do go together well.

I am participating in a row by row mystery quilt over at DOD MYSTERY.

http://dodmystery.blogspot.com.au

If you decide to join in and make this months block pattern and share them for swapping you will get next months pattern for free.

It is a fun quilt so far. These are the first months blocks. 

This month we are doing ROTARIES IN BLOOM.