The aftermath...

Hi All and Merry Christmas again! Hope you all had an amazing Christmas day filled with family, fun and lots of food. Ours was very quiet with lunch at Mum and Dads.

This year I decided I was getting one combined present for Mum, Dad, my Sister....and me. It is a QPix Scanner for slides, photos and negatives and oh wow is it a gem. Christmas Day I spent scanning the family slides, some I had never seen and most have not been seen for 40 years or more. Some are a bit mildewed but on the whole they are in good condition and it is a process that is priceless. We now all have digital copies of the photos and can start getting them printed and into albums.

This photo is of me - taken close to 40 years ago, and it is outside our house in the middle of Maroochydore. Of course, it does not look anything like that now.  :-(  The quality of the scan and the printed pic from that scan is amazing.

 Other than that it has been a sewing sweatshop here. Remember that nice tidy sewing space I showed you last week? Here it is now....ooops.  Today I just have to stop and clean up!

Of course, my little buddy has been by my side the whole time - and has destroyed the surface on my design board...grrrrr Fluffy.

At times I have to fight him for the pieces....at the risk of having my arm torn off.

Remember those african blocks I started - I am now joining them into a top - and only have one block left to make. How beautiful are the colours - and the 'photo bomber' in the corner?

I have also moved onto this one....most of the blocks are made, the rest are cut out and now I am onto joining. This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern from Quiltville and used up lots and lots of scraps...yay.

I did brave the sales briefly this morning - but just picked up a couple of things, one of them being this cordless iron - it could be good, or not, at only $10 (from Spotlight) I am happy to take the risk and try it out.

Happy sewing everyone - hope you are getting some time to relax and enjoy the rest of the festive season.

Bye for Now

Kylie  xo

Making Progress

Here I am again, only a couple of days before Christmas but I had Wilfred until the 19th, so we celebrate early. That means Christmas is all over for me - and I get a couple of weeks of 'just me' time. While I used to hate it, I have realised this is my time to treasure - to do whatever I want and recharge my batteries for the coming year.

So in essence, that means lots and lots of sewing for me - time to pull out old UFO's, retidy both my sewing space and UFO's and get some things finished, hopefully!

I have done some rearranging and am really happy with my sewing space at the moment - lots of natural light, a nice breeze in the window and room for Fluffy to steal my pieces help. The little travel iron beside me is great for just little bits of ironing so I can keep sewing.

Over the coming couple of weeks - my 'focus' quilting-wise it to tame my scraps! I have about a dozen scrap quilts started or partly cut out so it is time to get them sewn up, finish the cutting and most of all use those scraps up.

Today I have been working on some blocks for this one - I cut the blocks in about 2005 - the quilt is by Kaye England from the book Quilt Inspirations from Africa. I did a workshop with Kaye (absolutely jump at it if you ever get the chance) and it was a pivotal moment in my quilting, the workshop was learning to use the half and quarter square rulers and many more! They certainly make life easier for quilters and I like Kaye's brand which are Nifty Notions.

You can read more about Kaye by clicking here.

My blocks so far - not bad for an afternoon....

My favourite blocks so far:

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas, filled with family, fun and happiness.

Thanks for following along with me this year.

Bye for Now

Kylie  xoxo

UFO Count - MINUS 1!

As the long weekend draws to a close I thought you might like to see a bit of a weekend wrapup! I love the weekends I spend with Wilfred, but I also LOVE quiet weekends (like this one) I can spend at home sewing - shutting the world out for a couple of days and spending time with just me and Fluffy. I really have the best of both worlds.

It is stinking hot here - Fluffy sits just inside the door for the breeze...or on top of whatever I am trying to sew!

So onto the sewing....this quilt is one I inherited from my cousin and Mum's best friend who passed away close to 20 years ago - when finished it will go to her daughter.  Just a simple rag quilt with pink florals and white one side and blue florals and calico on the other. It is well on its way to being finished and delivered on time next weekend. Who would have thought I would ever deliver a quilt on time?  LOL

Next is a LONG term UFO and it is very nearly finished - I started this one about 6 years ago to use up all my shabby chic scraps. It is QAYG and so easy to do and I am really happy with it. Nine of these large blocks (made up of 4 @ 13" blocks) make up the quilt - I have 6 of them done and am not far off finishing the other three. I will join the big blocks with a different fabric to give a 'lattice' sort of effect, and will also just bind in the same fabric...maybe a pink?

I should have taken a better pic of the next one - it is a Nancy Halvorsen tree skirt from one of her books - sorry I can't find the book just now to tell you exactly which one. I love everything Nancy does, her applique style, quilts and smaller products and her fabric! See more her work at Art to Heart.

I have finished 3 sides of the stitching - just one to go, and hopefully that will be done tonight. You never know, it may just be under our tree this year!

 And finally - something I can cross off the UFO list - these pillowcases have been sitting on my cutting table all year just needing the backs on. Finally, in 10 minutes this afternoon they are done - woot woot! I LOVE hand made pillowcases - so easy, so much better quality and often cheaper. 1.7metres of fabric gives you enough to cut two lengths side by side perfect to make pillowcases.

How cool is that Santa fabric on the back?

The plans for this week are to finish the rag quilt, do some long overdue paperwork and finish the blocks of the shabby chic quilt!

Have a great weekend everyone - and Happy Quilting!

Kylie  xo

Columns Mystery

Hi All...today finally is the start of my new mystery, it is free to join and instructions will be posted in my facebook group - or you can email me at afairyspaintbrush@gmail.com to get them emailed direct to you!

You can find my facebook group by clicking here!

This quilt is quite simple piecing with a really unusual outcome and is perfect to highlight a fabric you LOVE!

Here is the fabrics I have chosen - totally different for me, but I like them and I wanted something unusual. I am also LOVING grey at the moment!

It is Friday night of a long weekend of sewing for me - so excited and can't wait to get some things finished...hopefully.

Bye for Now

Kylie

Thanks & Show and Tell....

Who missed me?  he he

I have been a bit absent, had a lot of 'stuff' going on - particularly job hunting. After full days of writing applications the last thing I felt like doing is writing a blog post. That combined with nothing much happening meant a gap between posts. Anyway, hope you have all been well...and getting some sewing done if you are one of my quilting friends.

Quick update - Wilfred is happy and well and we are loving Geocaching at the moment!

You all know I have had lots of stressful 'things' happen in my life over the last couple of years.....one after the other. There comes a time when it just gets too much and you have to ask for some help, which happily I have now done and my journey is moving forward (YAY). The support network around me has been amazing and I encourage any of you that are doing it tough to just ask...look around your local area, ask friends and family, community associations and professionals in your area. Help is out there and oh wow does it make a difference.

Where is this leading you ask? It is leading to BIG thanks to Shane from Kyabra, a community association just near where I live. He has been amazing and a big part of why I am moving forward and not where I could have been. So Shane...thank you so much for your help and support and referring me on when neccessary.

I also want to say a BIG congratulations to Simon (best Lawyer ever, click here for earlier post) who has now started his own Law Firm - PATTISON LAW. Simon is an amazing lawyer and a good friend and definitely one of the good guys.....down to earth, honest, efficient and professional and is soooo good to me! If you happen to need a Lawyer for any purpose, give him a call on (07) 3166 9295 or click here for the website - don't forget to tell him I sent you!

Onto some show and tell.....I have been doing something while not writing blog posts!

First up, a quilt for my little cousin Briannah. The fabrics were chosen by Tracy (her mother) and the design is mine - after seeing the top together, we should combine more often! It will be hand quilted over the next few weeks.

If you would like a personalised quilt like this - leave me a comment or email me!

 I would love to create a beautiful quilt for your child!

I also finished this top - it is called Geometric stack and slash and is a quick and easy quilt to make from a Fat 1/4 bundle. This bundle is a range called Little Apples and the pattern can be found in my Craftsy Store...click here to go there now.

Finally, finished these three cushions which have been on the go for a while. Who doesn't love Dr Seuss? I LOVE LOVE LOVE him - the books, the quotes, the fabric, the movies!

These cushions are big floor cushions - at 24" or 60cm square they are awesome for the rumpus room and trust me, every child will LOVE them!

 The back...how cool is that spot?

There is red, yellow and green! (sorry pic of the green one was fuzzy!)

Click here to buy these from my Etsy Store - but I suggest you hurry as they will go quick!

On that note - I will leave you with a quote from Dr Seuss himself....

Have a great week - more applications for me so wish me luck!

Bye for Now

Kylie xoxo

Project Life...

Hope you all had an awesome weekend, weather is very wet again here - it was lovely lying in bed last night listening to the rain pour down.

I thought I would share with you my pages completed so far for Becky Higgins Project Life. I am loving the concept and the fact that my photos are getting used, life documented and I can just record 'random' stuff that may not mean anything to anyone else, but is important to me. Mine is becoming a bit of a 'journey album' for the year, and I am totally fine with that.

Quickly before I launch into PL - I have just reduced this quilt to half price, my machine needs some repairs so this is a good way to get them done AND someone will get a bargain in the meantime. It is a sutnning quilt and perfect for a girl or boy. It has about 2000 pieces in it (approximately) and is currently being quilted so will be ready for dispatch within a week.

It is King Size and listed at $975. Click here to my Etsy Store.

Onto Project Life....these pages are from the week Wilfred spent with me in January, so happy with these and the times he is with me is definitely easier to put together!

Monday we spent a day out at Southbank with our cousins..awesome day and love the photos!

First up - the APT7 exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art...

Then we met up with cousins and went to the Dinosaur Exhibit a the Museum...so cool!

We did lots of things later in the week and some of them are captured here..... sleepover with a friend, ear ache, Wilfred working on his own project life and a day at the beach.

I am really getting good (well I think so anyway!) with Photoshop and love being able to add captions and little bits and pieces to photos to tell the story.

Did you have a game like mine in the bottom left hand corner? I found it recently and Wilfred thought it was hilarious!  Movie tickets, catching up with friends and funny things Wilfred said all combine to make this awesome page.

This is one of favourite techniques - big photo cut into small pieces, mosaiced so to speak! Love it!

Recording the smaller details....where we live.... 

Onto week 4....odds and ends fill the pages....a quote I love, a tag from a parcel I received and some photoshop before and after pics!

Week 5....First day of school. I love Subway Art - just saying!

 How cool is my new ironing board cover? Yes, it is the subway art pic..he he. These two pages need a bit of finishing.

This week I have tried something one of the PL Masters use - restricting myself trying to use just a couple of colours in the week. This week bule and green, the photos were taken after the rain so those colours were perfect...love the look and I will be trying this all the time now.

And that is where my printer ran out of ink....so I have come to a screaming halt for now! 

Have a great day.

Kylie xo xo

Things you have to make...

Hi All...I am recovering from surgery at the moment so thought I would share with you some things I have found 'surfing the net' that you may like to try out. I had my gall bladder removed and was recovering well but have picked up a chesty thing which hurts everytime I cough....so my plan to get back to a little hand sewing today has gone out the window.

Some are quick and easy to whip up...others take more time but are still fun!

First up...this recipe for Lemony Lemon Brownies I found last night and want! Doesn't it just look yum? I will be trying this recipe out as soon as I am up to it.

Image Courtesy of Betty Charms & Co

Click here to go to the recipe....

(and make sure you send me some please!)

Next....a tutorial from Lori Holt over at Bee in my Bonnet to make a Mini Design Board. I made one as a Christmas gift for a new quilter, unfortunately I didn't see her so I have adopted it and LOVE it (sorry Ann, I will make you another he he). I need to make another couple as I am forever moving one project off it to put a different one on. Lori also has a really cute Row Along going at the moment, and I love reading her blog!

Photo courtesy of Bee in my Bonnet.

 Click here to go to the tutorial.

Being laid up means I have had time to read a good book again...Emilie Richards is one of my favourite authors who writes some 'quilting related' novels and many others. Wedding Ring is the first I read and probably my favourite - however I also love (and am re-reading) the Happiness Key series.

Click here to see all of Emilie's books on Amazon.

This site I have discovered recently..lots and lots of FREE patterns! Need to spend a couple of hours looking through them all. The photo is their Cupcakes, IceCream and Birthdays section.

Click here to go to Quilt Inspiration

Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville has lots of free patterns and an awesome blog...it is one of the few I read every day so I don't miss anything.

Image Courtesy of Quiltville.com

Click here to go to Quiltville

And finally one I just have to show you for a stunning Hexagon Quilt....I have bought some fabric to get started but will be buying the paper hexagon templates for this one as it needs 12 000! The instructions are in parts on her blog, who is up for a challenge?

Image Courtesy of Grit's Life

Click here to go to the Grit's Life Blog.

That should keep you all busy for a while! 

Have a great day.

Kylie xo