merry christmas!

well, ive decided - i think my new years resolution will have to be to find some consistent time to blog each week.... anyone else need to join me in that :)

but in the mean time - MERRY CHRISTMAS!  i hope you have a fantastic Christmas and a most joyful start to 2012.

here are my two seeing Father Christmas at the Magic Cave - too cute!

pugs and christmassy kisses
crafty
xx

favourite daughter in law for the day ;)

i remembered that i hadn't given you an update on the presentation of my mother in law's 60th birthday quilt!  

here is the story....

my mother in law turned 60 and didn't want a big party - she just wanted a holiday with her boys and their families.  my hubby's brother lives in Melbourne with his wife and 3 cute kids and so we are not all together that often.

so they treated us all to a holiday in lovely Apollo Bay, Victoria.  If you ever have the chance to go there, I completely recommend it!  just stunning.  i borrowed my dad's fancy camera for the weekend (i have put one on my christmas wish list, but i don't think santa's budget is going to stretch that far this year!) and took these shots

little human out exploring...

a quiet moment with dad....

learning to surf on uncle's surf board!

getting braver....its in the water!

and of course - the presentation of the quilt.  my MIL loved it!  she is not a quilter or crafty person, but loved the pictures and work of the grandkids of course, but she also took me aside and said how special it was to her, and that she knew so much work must have gone into it....just lovely!

so what can i say - it took me over a year to do, hours of cutting, piecing and quilting, driving to find matching fabric and was it worth it?  i would do it again in a heartbeat.

a very special lady was made happy - what more can you ask for? :)

pugs and kisses

crafty

xx

time has flown!

hi all
time has flown by somehow - sorry for the inconsistent blogging!

here are some updates of what i have been up to in crafty land :)

block swaps....

received from Fiona

and two made - one for Fiona...

and one for Rosemary

A few of my cuties to update you with.  The little human is closing in on 3 years old at a fast pace - this is him being a 'wok star' at Playgroup (he still has that gorgeous toddler accent!)

some of the proud and at times overwhelming big brother with his little puglet sister (now 6 and 1/2 months)

sometimes she gets some space and can smile and play by herself......but not often :)

and this one is for his 21st....the little human is too old for a nap now, if he has one he doesn't go to sleep at night until FOREVER.....but he now has a quiet time in his room for about an hour.  most of this is spent by the door, waiting waiting waiting for the timer to go off so he can come out.  every now and then, though, he still needs a bit of a sleep, but he fights it until the end!

hope you have had some cuties in your life too!
pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

I am alive!

Just in case you were wondering ;)

and i have been crafting - but not blogging.
I am working one something a little bit big and exciting at the moment  - not quite ready to share....but will let you know :)

That has been taking up some of my time.....along with general crafting, looking after the kids and hubby (and the house - why does it demand so much attention!?!? we can put a man on the moon, but we haven't invented the self-cleaning floor?!), and getting my teaching registration back up to date.

The plan is to go back one day a week next year, with hubby staying home that day to look after the kids.  I am looking forward to getting back out there :)

crafty-wise i have been finishing off my mother-in-laws quilt, working on puglet's quilt (all the blocks are sewn, just have to join it up!) and some hand stitching

here are my blocks for this months swaps - this one for the regular swap with Larain

and this for the Christmas swap with Sue

and some of the kids!  the little human on his fave ride at the shops (he doesn't know that money can go in them yet when he is with mummy!)

and then a lovely trip to hubby's uncle's farm - here is puglet on her first tractor ride!

the little human got into the swing of it a bit more...

and to finish with a trip to the local play cafe - puglet having her first time in a bouncer-thingo...

and the little human was moving so fast, this was the clearest picture i could get of him!

much love to all, and i hope you have found time to do crafting, and tell those around you that you love them
pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

a few more projects....

my mother in law's 60th quilt top is finished!  windy day, so little human is holding it steady for me :)

if you click to enlarge, you should be able to make out the drawing blocks from the grandkids (she has 5 - our 2, plus my hubby's brother's 3), plus the piccies of our kids and theirs, plus the stitcheries - the middle block, and the bottom block with her favourite bible verses.

just have to quilt it now.....

and these are the block for the puglets new quilt for her wall - still piecing them together from a charm pack and a jelly roll.....

and some pin wheel blocks - i LOVE pinwheels in all their various guises - but did these using Sue's tutorial that promised super-easy perfect pinwheels every time - sounds like a good promise to me!

so i had a go and followed her advice - and she was right!!! head over and try it yourself!

and one of my puglet to finish with - she has just worked out how to hold things and start to put them in her mouth - this is her current fave toy - a flat doggie with teether paws and a crinkly tummy

whatever takes your fancy!

pugs and kisses
xx

update on all things Crafty

well, the first update is of course on my best creations (awwwwwwwwwwww) the cuties!

 this is the little human (now 2 and 1/2) in his big boy pj's - thomas the tank of course. he was very proud to wear them (coz thats what big boys wear when they sleep in big boy beds apparently), but after a few minutes in bed there was much carry on. when i went in, he complained that he couldn't get comfy because of the buttons down the front ;) so back into his tshirt he went! but the boxers stayed!

and this is the puglet, now 4 months, DESPERATELY trying to roll over.  i remember this stage with the little human - they get SO frustrated that they can't do it.  she can get herself onto her side, and has managed all the way to the front once, but thats all - other than a lot of grunting, and then crying!

now onto my blocks that i received in the swap for September - lucky me!

this is my beautiful wonky star for the Christmas Block Swap from Janet

and this is my shooting star block from Terry for the Quilting Block Swap.  im not sure if she did it on purpose, but the red star in the middle is great!

and finally, i finished the Cat in the Hat quilt for the little human a couple weeks ago.  he loves it!  he insists on sleeping with it so that the label is up near his face.  i just wrote the normal details on it, but he says that i wrote that 'mummy made this quilt for me because she loves me'.  im happy with that

pugs and kisses always
crafty
xx

block swaps for Sept done!

here is the black, pink and grey block requested by Terry in the Quilting Block Swaps Australia Group

and here is the Christmas colours and snow block as requested by Janet in the Christmas Quilting Block Swaps Australia Group

i hope they like them!!
crafty
xx

crikey! where does the time go?

wow - the last date in this blog is last month!

i have been crafting, but haven't been blogging - sorry!

here is what i have been working on in the evenings - the stitchery parts for my mother in laws 60th quilt. it is coming together nicely! one is her fave bible verse, and the other is the centre square for the quilt. i have also ordered the photos on fabric so hopefully they will be ready this week and i can piece it all together!

this is a photo of a quilt in use!! my mum always says 'but what do you do with all these quilts' and 'how many do you need!' etc, but she was happy to see how much little human loved having this one on his new big boy bed.  there is something very special (and a bit emotional!) about seeing a little one that you love snuggled under something you have made especially for them with your own hands

and this is my final Pay It Forward gift - a tablerunner - on its way to Lana in the US.  I hope it gets there safe and sound!

my projects for this week are to iron all the backing fabric for two quilts i have ready to go.  the little human's cat in the hat quilt - which he is now begging for!  and a jungle quilt for the puglet's bed.

also, now that i have finished the stitching for my mum in laws quilt, i am back onto the butterfly garden quilt - and really enjoying it!

a couple of quick photos of my cuties to finish with - somehow, puglet is now over 3 months old!  she had her vaccinations yesterday and had a huge sleep last night and is still asleep for her morning nap now.  this is very unusual for her - she is a catnapper because of her reflux.  but i am happy to take it for today!!! i think i will go and make a cuppa and sit and watch the little human with his play dough :)

pugs and kisses always
crafty
xx

some crafty photos!

i know! about time i show some craft on this so called crafty blog!!

here are my gorgeous mug rugs that i have received from lynne - i love them both, but especially the more modern one.

she also included these gorgeous reusable fabric gift bags!  there is a tute on her blog if you want to create some too

now some blocks - this one is from robyn for me for last months christmas block swap

this i made for sharon in canada for this months swap

and this is my block for this month from the lovely leena for the quilting block swap

and the one that i made for her - man i found the mitred corners difficult!!

i also finished off my second Pay It Forward gift and that has been sent!  this is for Linden - a table runner

phew!  i think i am now up to date!
to finish a photo of the little human.  he loves to help out with everything, and as anyone who has ever had a 2 year old knows, that help can mean a huge hassle!! he he

he is desperate to help mummy with her 'craft' as he says, but i don't let him touch my machine.  so he found this hole puncher under my desk and a scrap of fabric and calls that his sewing machine.  he pushes the lever up and down on the fabric and then holds it up and says 'mmmmm'.  when i ask if he is happy with it, he says 'mmmm yes, very nice'.

such a cutie!!!!!

now tonight is FNSI, so i have to go and get everyone organised so i can sit down and sew!!! hope you get some done too

much love, pugs and kisses
crafty
xx