On a diet...

A fabric diet! Oooh it's hard to say out loud but it's true. Planning a wedding does not come cheaply and we're hoping to get married later this year... so I have put myself on a fabric diet to try to save as much as possible for our wedding. I am allowing myself a few exceptions including Verna and Hunky Dory which I am eagerly awaiting the release of early this year. And maybe this too... isn't it the cutest?! I think I've accepted that my little Gus won't be getting his cross stitch Christmas stocking in time this year, so I thought I might make both the boys a stocking out of these prints! That little penguin is my favourite!

A few guilty quilty pleasures I ordered a couple of weeks ago arrived in the post last week. A small bundle of Figgy Pudding FQ's and a Honey Bun of Figgy Pudding. I intend to use them to make a couple of Christmas Tree Skirt's this year for the MIL and Nana to match the Figgy Pudding gifts from last year. I love Figgy Pudding. A lot.

I haven't done much sewing this week. Life has been busy. Work. Boys. Cooking. Cleaning. We went away last weekend to the Hawkes Bay (where I grew up) and so this week we've been recovering. I did however whip this little block out yesterday for Dana from the Old Red Barn Co quilt along group on Flickr. Dana is kindly putting together as many quilts as blocks will allow for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser. This is my block made using this tutorial. It needs a good iron and then it'll be in the post.

So here's my stash busting this week...

•Purchased this week: 1 Honey Bun and 9 FQ's
•Used this week: a few little bits and bobs...
 
Have you had a good week? What have you been doing? I've spent A LOT of time perusing stores on Etsy getting ideas for our wedding. Hopefully I'll spend some more time sewing this week!

Taking stock...

It's hard to believe that we are already in 2010! Like many, I am not a resolution keeping kind of girl.  I am forgetful. I do however, like to use the beginning of a new year to get sorted. To take stock if you will.

So, I sorted through my clothes pulling out the clothes I forgot I had to donate, as well as sorting out all the little baby clothes into two piles - definitely for boys and unisex. My cousin is having her first baby and won't know the sex for a few weeks but I thought I would get sorted now while I still have the energy. There were some items I decided I still couldn't part with. Those special little outfits no one else will ever love their babies in as much as I did. I've decided to keep those so that when my boys are towering over me, I can hold those little outfits and remember how little and dependant they were. Call me sentimental.

 I sorted Ollie's bigger clothing... Phil's aunty just gave us a bundle (I love hand me downs!). I've piled them into sizes and taken stock of how many items we have and what we need to buy. The benefits of having two boys is that you get your money's worth out of clothing.

I also decided to do a stock take on my stash of fabric inspired by Judy at Patchwork Times. Unlike most quilters my stash is very small. I try to be economical (perhaps frugal) when I purchase fabric and calculate to the nearest 1/4 yard. I try to only order as much as I will need. And then I try to use it all up. My fabric breakdown:

• 7 charm packs
• 1 jelly roll
• 2 layer cakes
• 14 FQ's
• 25 yards of fabric
• A bundle of scraps 
• Purchased this week: 0 
• Used this week: 1 charm pack

You can see some other quilter's stash statistics here. What does your stash look like? And how do you store it?
My entire stash fits into two drawers of this little sewing cabinet my DP's Nana gave me...

I hope everyone had a very happy start to 2010. If you share in the stash busting please let me know, I'd love to follow along... and if you also post about how you store your stash I'd love to see it too!

Eating Humble Pie...

We've done a lot of eating over the past few days! We had a very lovely Christmas with my DP's family and I am so excited to say that I was very wrong in my previous post! Turns out my DP had my Christmas present all sorted before Christmas Eve but wanted to keep me guessing and pick up a few little extras to make the day very special...

And this is what I got for Christmas... I must have been a very good girl this year! It came with a beautiful proposal and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings to match! I absolutely LOVE it! It is PERFECT!!

Image courtesy of Peter Shakes online catalogue here.

What did you get for Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

I stitched this stocking for Oliver for Christmas last year (?)... maybe it was for his first Christmas? I can't remember! Anyway it took many nights of stitching but then sat unfinished in my sewing box. It was my 9th item on my Joy in the New Year WIP's I wanted to complete. That leaves me with just one more!

 It's not as perfect as I wanted it for Ollie but I can always make another... Maybe. The back is "It's Snowing" by Deb Strain for Moda

The pattern for the cross stitch is "Harry" by Shepherds Bush.

I'm yet to finish Gus' one. Here's hoping I'll have it done for Christmas next year... Ollie's is all stuffed ready to go for tomorrow morning! It's the BIG family Christmas this year over at my DP's Nana's... Sit down meal for 30+ people! We helped set up the garage yesterday and I visited the local fresh market store this morning at 7am to buy the supplies for the starters.

Ollie and the DP have popped out this morning to buy my Christmas present. In true DP fashion. Every year he leaves it to Christmas Eve to get me something... last year he ordered me pot's online on Christmas Eve so he made me the sweetest PowerPoint Presentation for Christmas. LOL! I wonder what I'll get this year!!

Let the Christmas celebrations begin! All the gifts are wrapped and ready!

Merry Merry Christmas to you and your families!

xx

A little Bot mad...

Can ya tell? I love Bot Camp by Michael Miller so much! I whipped up this memo board this afternoon. It's something I've meaning to do for a while now and I am thrilled with how it's come together... It'll be a great place to pop their art work and photos etc...

Here's my Ollie yesterday. He likes to get really close to the camera when you take his picture.

And this is my Gus... he is the sweetest little baby around. He is near perfect. Honestly.

And this is what the postman bought yesterday... this bundle happened to just jump into my shopping cart at The Fabric Shack - some Odyssea, Hushabye, Nest, Rouenneries and Monkey n Round...  It was my second time ordering from this site and they were wonderful. Super quick service and they even included some extra bits and discounted the shipping! And they're having a SALE! 15% of your order until the 1st January! I think I might just need some more please :)

The final countdown is on until Santa arrives! Ollie is very excited! I better get the last of the gifts wrapped!

xx

Sew n Tell Friday on Monday

The title of this post pretty much sums up the last few days in our house... Everything I've been intending to do has taken second place while I've been looking after Oliver who had his adenoids out last Wednesday. He recovered really well - aren't little people amazing?! But trying to keep him quiet has been pretty tough... He's not really one to stop for anything!

So I apologise to Amy and the girls that this post is very late... but here's what I've been working on in the evenings when the house is quiet...

The final of my Christmas table runner's - this one is made using Simple Abundance and is for my MIL...

A close up of the quilting - I love those daisies - they work so well with the fabric and the quilting cost $14 - worth every cent!

I bought a FQ of this fabric a wee while ago and was stumped what to make with it... I didn't want to cut up the Russian dolls as they were so pretty, so decided to make them into wee Christmas decorations instead... One for the MIL, the DP's Nana, two for the boys daycare teacher, one for me and the last for one of my PIF's... I've still got a couple more I can make! Oliver had a blast instructing me which one to cut next and telling me who it was for! Aren't they sweet? Before I close the bottoms, I am going to embellish the pattern on the front with some stitching and maybe some beads too I think...

And lastly some crayon rolls for Ollie's wee friends at daycare for Christmas... I've finished two and have three more to finish. They are quite quick to put together :) Especially as I used fusible batting! I ended up combining a few tutorials into one.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year! I can't believe the end of 2010 is upon us already! I've still got a bunch of Christmas presents to wrap and label. Oh how I love this time of year!

xxx

Dearest Santa...

As you know I am rather a simple girl at heart, so please find attached my Christmas Wishlist. I've used images to help you just in case. I have been a very good elf this year. I have been working very hard to be a good mum, work full time and make most Christmas presents... Remember my finished stack?

I am quite proud of that pile Santa - that's kilometres of sewing and cotton! All fabric was purchased from my favourite online store The Fat Quarter Shop.

So Santa, you swell old chap... if you can swing any, ANY of the following I will love you forever

A few of these would make a lovely quilt for Beccy's wedding...

Or this would make a lovely gift for one of the many babies 2010 will bring...

This has birthday crayon rolls and library totes all over it!

And after all the sewing of Figgy Pudding for the family for Christmas,

I'd desperately love to make something for me for Christmas next year too...

Gotta love that Figgy Pudding!

So Santa, I promise to be a very good girl in 2010 too. I will continue to perfect my quilting skills so that I can make lots of lovely gifts for family and friends. And I will continue shopping from The Fat Quarter Shop. It is, as you well know, a favourite little stop of mine... my place for stocking up my quilty guilty goodness!

With much hope and anticipation,

Lara

PS. Santa - now that we don't have a chimney, you are welcome to post these internationally if you like.

It'll help save you some time and I don't mind at all. Really.

PSS - If you too would like to get involved you write your very own Santa Wishlist - head on over to The Jolly Jabber and enter for your chance to possibly win a gift from your list!

xx