Doorstops a-plenty!

One bag of sand = 13 doorstops! Just as well that the next door neighbour has offered me the use of the excess sand in his trailer!!! I've still another 2 dozen to fill!!!! Feeling rather pleased with myself - these look so much better than expected. (the picture is dark - despite it being 7am - bit overcast today!)

You can get the pattern here - Vicki, one of the Gumtree designers shared it with us - it is so easy to sew up!!!!

I suppose you are now waiting to see my Christmas Tablecloth?? Tomorrow - I promise!.

M.A.S.T. - Do you want to join with me?

This is a silly custom that was started in 2006 on an online stitching group I belong to. One of the members that year showed a series of photos dedicated to burning a snowman candle. Of course there was amusing commentary to go with it which meant that yours truly had to join in.
Do you know how difficult it is to find a snowman candle in Australia - even at Christmas???
I did manage to find one, as did several others on the message board and the following year we were able to join in and start M.A.S.T. - MELT A SNOWMAN TODAY.
Find a Snowman (or SANTA if you can't find a Snowman - he's an acceptable substitute) and apply a match to the wick on the 15th December - it is your choice whether to draw out the agony and extinguish the flame in an hour (as I do), or to let him burn until just a puddle of slush....
Snowmen melt differently - some hollow out, some pour wax all over the outside, some burn evenly and gracefully, others don't burn much past their hat!

As you can see by my photo - Not only do I have snowmen and santas - I have a couple of trees as well. My family and girlfriend have joined in this sillyness and most of these have been sourced from thrift shops - which explains their pre-loved lopsided appearance.

Do you have a Christmas candle? Would you like to join me and my online friends on the 15th December to slowly melt one (or more) candles? I'll be lighting mine for an hour from 7.30pm.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas !!!!

A week later than usual, but my ornament tree is up - I realised as I was placing the ornaments, that there wasn't any stitched this year... I have less than 3 weeks to rectify that problem.
This is not the big family tree - oh no.... - I'm not allowed to put hand made ornaments on that tree - Harry's rules. I still like my first flat-fold, the PS santa at the front corner.

The M.A.S.T. table is behind the tree...... curious ????
I'll tell you all about M.A.S.T. tomorrow....might even be organised to show you the tablecloth as well!!! - until then .... please enjoy my tree!

M.A.S.T. - What is it and what does it mean to Christmas??

Goodness - it's been a fortnight since I posted here - I didn't think it had been that long.

My - My - how did it end up being December already???? So much to do/stitch - so little time! As it is time that I get ready for work right now...I'll leave this post short, but promise to post over the weekend - with photos... about:

1. M.A.S.T - yes - the letters DO stand for something - (hint: the 'S' - stands for SNOWMAN)
2. My Christmas Heirloom Tablecloth - I've not posted pics this year, so will show off the previous squares stitched.
3. My first blogaversary is coming up - I may have enough goodies set aside for a competition
4. WIP's - yes...plural
   
5. Next year's stitching goals

Please stay tuned.....

Belated TUSAL and apron finish

OH my....I am so late with my TUSAL for November - Here it is sitting on one of my pile-o-magazines I've yet to sort through. There doesn't appear to be more than last month, although I've added orange and black halloween threads, red sewing threads from the doorstop project and a few others. Even looking at my 'finished' project list down the side shows that I haven't completely come to a stop. Oh well....I wonder how much more there will be next month...might even be sparkly - after all I have to get on with my christmas stitching!!

Here's my newest finish - I took the pattern from hubby's bbq apron that I've been using for so long - I really wanted a girly apron for a change. I'm not over-awed by the fabric, but now I know what I'm doing, and will keep a look out for the next ideal fabric.

Sunday Sewing Acomplishments.......

Something I've not felt for awhile.... a sense of sewing acomplishment!!!!
I made certain that I'd sit at the machine for the better part of the afternoon and whipped up these 8 doorstops.....(just picture them filled with sand ok?)
The Christmassy one was a freebie found on Among the Gum Trees - a site by dedicated Aussie Designers who are bringing a free pattern every monday leading up to Christmas.
I took the pattern - and ran with it - not adding the stitchery bit made it all that much quicker. I'm not sure if these will be gifts for family or friends - depends how many more I can make before Christmas....I thought I'd just share with you my feel good feeling...... Happy weekend everybody!

Weekend Stitchy List - 2

My weekend list of things to do.......

Well after a couple of the comments about last week's photos....I do have proof that my tidyup did occur.... I did have a photo midway through - showing the pile of magazines and charts...but sorry...was too blurry (and embarrassing to post)
Not quite visible in this pic are the 3 piles of magazines I need to sort through - they are piled on the table to the left - what needs to be clear to display Christmas...

I still need to :
- put some effort into my course homework
- get a start on some sewn christmas gifts - the machine is back out on the dining room table - I'm hoping it will co-operate - I found new needles in the cleanup
- I found some more WIP's (not going to call them UFO's) - need to sort out that priority too.. (Note to self - DO NOT start anything new before finishing at least one WIP....christmas ornaments are not part of this arrangement - I can start those anytime i want!)
- I found my stash of graph paper so I can put some more effort into charting 'Martha'
- List some more charts and glassware on ebay
- unpack some more boxes of glassware for the sale in a fortnight
- Make a start on my Christmas Tablecloth - the section representing 2008 Christmas...hmmmm still not decided on a pattern.

Oh yes...I put a clump of things in a box and will work out a reason for a giveaway this week....nothing exciting, but somebody may love it!!!!


Well - If I get my A into G.. I should be able to get my weekend stitching underway before it gets too hot to be at the sewing machine....

Happy stitching !!

Weekend Stitchy List

My weekend list of things to do.......

have this idea that this weekend I will;
- tidy up my 'sewing room' explosion in the lounge and dining rooms.
- put some effort into my course homework
- organise my stitching and crafting projects into some sort of priority system
- investigate my sewing machine and try to work out it's issues
- put some more effort into charting 'Martha'

oh and the occasional domestic stuff.

WIP's / Projects that come immediately to mind are:
- finish halloween ornie (ok - so it will be ready for next year - it's over 1 and I've not been stitching much during the week)
- Bent Creek's Bluebird Sampler
- Poppy Picture - which WAS going to be a christms in july present for my brother's SO (she's too nice to be a SIL)
- My english floral sampler has been in my mind for a few days - must pull that back out
- A sampler SAL that I initiated back in 2007
- My christmas tablecloth square - need to find a suitable chart for that - HAS to be finished before Christmas

I'm not going to think too hard - there are also a couple of stitchery projects that like flotsam, rise to the surface. I'm sure this list will grow as I clear up my stitchy area!

BONUS ! ! ! - In my fit of tidy - I located the 2nd missing roller cutter - still in it's packet!!!!! I knew that I really didn't have to purchase the third cheapie - because - as it Murphy's law wins out again - I found the first missing cutter within a fortnight of buying the replacement 3rd cutter - now I know where all 3 cutters are ! ! ! WOO HOO!!!! (I STILL HAVE TO PUT ALL THE STUFF BACK AWAY - POSSIBLY RE-ARRANGE ALL THE FURNITURE!!! - here is what I'm left to work with...all I have to do now is figure out where it's all going back....this does not show the dining room table contents....lol ..

What's in a name - Mary is Martha !!!

I keep referring to my sampler as Mary. I've been her custodian for a whole 3 days. I've looked at the name again - just charted the ship this afternoon.... It's M A R T H A ! ! ! !
The research I did a few months ago was all based on Martha, not Mary - so why do I have the name Mary in my brain????
Could it be a subconscious link to Mary Wigham? After all - her sampler is so everywhere at the moment....

Note to self - remember to call your sampler by her right name.....

and to buy some more graph paper
(You wouldn't believe the 2 hour cleanup I did, just to get to the filing cabinet that turns out not to have sufficient graph paper in it - yes I know I can download graph paper on the interweb, but it's not the same as schoolbook blue graph paper......)

There's something about Mary - More sampler & a first of the month finish

This picture is a bit greener than the sampler actually is, but it gives you a bit more feel of the layout of the body of the sampler......I love the ship. The 'N' in the upper alphabet has been darned over a hole before framing. I'm going to have fun charting this one. Some of it is charted over two - some over one! I couldn't get a clear photo of the itty bitty birds in one section - they are stitched over one, with a dainty little french knot eye. Thank you all for sharing my journey with Mary.




My latest finish - quite a while since I've had one too... An adapted Lizzie Kate design - I just picked colours out of one box of DMC, not using any prescribed colours.... It was originally intended as a gift for somebody else, but I wasn't quite happy with the design for her - something else will leap into hand when it is the right time for her - so halfway through stitching this, the recipient changed. Another workmate - who will appreciate the slightly subversive reverse....

I thought of quite a few things to stitch - along the lines of : "Prune out the weeds" - "Only display the pretty ones" - but that might be a bit much for most.

The fabric is really pretty - a sort of tie-dye - I cannot remember where I got it from, but I've got several fat quarters - some shot with gold too.

Thank you for your comments about Mary - I'm still really excited