GooD oLe HoMe

It's always FUN being away (even for a few days) but it's great to be HoMe again.

Hubby and I visited Tamworth (country New South Wales) for their annual country music festival. Both DD's were up there also so it was FuN spending time with them too. We did the usual tourist "thing" by visiting the very  l-a-r-g-e  guitar...

We enjoyed just walking the street listening to all the buskers... some were very talented too... but just "people" watching is so much fun as well. There are lots of shows to go to and also the rodeo to watch. We made some new friends from New Zealand, enjoyed the company of family... what better way to spend a few days.

The festival is a FuN place to be. It lasts 10 days and is held at the end of January each year. We've been several times and will definitely go again. You don't even have to be country music fans to enjoy the atmosphere... it has lots to occupy your time.

I visited Helen's blog some time ago where she showed a wonderful child's quilt she had made. It had a twist block that I had never seen before. I liked what I saw so I sent away for a pattern. One day a week or so ago I decided to try this twist and so contacted HELEN again for any tips. She (as always) was very gracious and gave me a few. She also passed on a link to another site with a GrEaT tip... (saving left over triangles) that I used... so thanks Helen.
I've finished the flimsy and will complete the quilt over the next week or so. I really think it's a wonderful quilt for a child's play rug. You can attach a rattle or soft toy to the "twist" for them to play with.

I'm keeping this one here at home, ready for any "news" to come my way. 
I'll also make another one in PiNk...  for future little girls ... xxx
(NO I'm not going to be a grandmother any time soon... I'm just being prepared...haha).

Twist block.

Cute block fabric.

Enjoy the rest of YoUr weekEnd.

CLoSinG SooN

Updated 27/01/12: 
This swap has NOW CLOSED.
OASS will be closing on January 25th (Aust time) for this years Autumn theme swap.
If you are interested in joining in please leave a comment on this post. Please make sure I can contact you by leaving me an email address or by emailing me direct thru my profile. I'll get names of partners out ASAP but remember to keep her identity a SeCreT.
I hope you all enjoy this swap and remember the mailing date is no later than FEBRUARY 29th 2012.  Please be ON TIME.
We have 18 seasoners so far, some retuning and some new, so that's just wonderful! The more the merrier.
Please make sure your gift/s reflect the AUTUMN in some way.

As I will be away on Thursday Jan 26th... I want to wish all fellow Australians a wonderful Australia Day holiday!
Whether you spend the day at the beach...

Watching the wildlife...

Relaxing in the countryside...

Or partying in the company of family and friends...

Enjoy the spirit of the day and be NiCe to a fellow Aussie... hip hip Hooray!

SaTuRDaY RePorT

I had a GrEaT FNSI...  Did you?

I've had a busy week so yesterday I had a quiet one. Hubby had to run some errands so I got an early start to my FNSI. I had purchased some fabric some time ago and as I was thinking of how to cut it up for another Blanket of Love... I decided that it was too cute to cut, so I left it in a whole piece. I cut it to a 24 inch square... sandwiched it... pinned it... all ready for my night of sewing.

Later in the afternoon... hubby brought these home for ME.




Made some dinner then...
Started my FNSI...

I quilted the tiny BOL in a simple grid pattern. Added a LoVe heart.. well actually two of them. Did the binding and then hand stitched it to the back.
All finished in 1+1/4 hours.

On to the next project.
What to do with these pre-cuts I'd been given some time ago.

There was a mixed bag of pieces... some duplicated, some not... and luckily all the same size... so I did this...
I picked out a few... then used a template and rotary...

And ended up with lots of these shapes...

I then did a little stitching together... added a few blanket stitches... quilted it simply with blue thread... attached the binding and went downstairs to finish off hand sewing the binding to the back.
I watched Aussie Bernard Tomic win his 5 set grind match shown live from the Australia Tennis Open... congrats to Bernard and yippee for Aussies!

FNSI is finished and so is another little BLanKeT oF LoVe.

Visit the " BLanKeTs oF LoVe" blog HERE to read about this very worthwhile project.
Later today I'll be off to visit other FNSI-ers to see what they accomplished.
Thanks for stopping by.....

It's GooD FoR YoU

Enjoy BOTH at least once a day....

More incredible ART... pic's sent to me by my friend Shez.

Aren't they amazing...
and all made from ...

PAPER...

Just google... Calvin Nicholls artworks for more...

JaNuaRY's BirTHDaY CluB
What lovely fabric Pat received from other members.

I've finished my Valentine's Day Initial Heart for my partner ???... 

but of course I can't show you the whole thing yet.

Not until ??? has received it.

A teaser pic though... grin

See you all tomorrow... 
                   after 

                                     Come on... join in HERE

A WiNNer is A GriNNer

1

 Random numbers generated Jan 16 2012 at 17:1:0 by www.psychicscience.org 

As you can see I used a random generator to pick the winner.

Number 1 came up...  so congrats and the diary goes out to:

Lisa..... go HERE to visit Lisa's blog.

I'll get the diary in the mail tomorrow so you can start using it!

Thanks so very much for being a follower!

.

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to take the BLaNkeTs of LoVE over to the John Hunter Children's Hospital. There were 18 tiny blankets donated today and so thanks must go out to my many "angels" in 2011. 

Joyce, O'Faigh, Maria, Shez and Sue B for their wonderful and generous donations. Please drop over to the Blankets of Love blog to read more about this wonderful but needed project. I still have a few on hand to go to another hospital when I next visit Wollongong.

Maree (NeoNatal Supervisor) was most appreciative of these gorgeous handmade little Love blankets.

All ready and waiting to go....

Over to here...

 Thank You my AnGeLs....

If you would like to become an angel... just email me... then you'll be able to add one of these to your blog.

MoNthLy MaKe

I made this floor play rug from a panel of fabric I had in my stash. It's for someone I know whose daughter is having their second child. It's a little GirL... so I thought this would be perfect.





I started by pinning it...

Then I added quilting...

Stitched some hearts using these...

and finished with this...

I LoVe It !!!

The 2012 Once a Season Swap is now OPEN.
If you would like to join into the AUTUMN SEASON swap (it's the next season here in Australia), just leave me a comment on this post only and I'll add your name to the list on the sidebar. Please make sure I can contact you.
Swap entry closes on Jan 25th and mail out is by Feb 29th 2012.
Go HERE for all info and details.
Come on... join in... you'll EnJoY it!

I have had a few NO-REPLY bloggers leave me comments and unfortunately I have NO WAY to contact them.... so if you are one of these or anyone who wants to change their settings to become a reply blogger... click on the button on the left sidebar of my blog... and follow the instructions.

IniTiAL HeArT SwAP

I have sent emails out with all partners details in this Swap... so if you haven't received yours yet... check your spam  box... or get back to me and I'll send again.

Cheers