Happy New Year

I'm off on holidays with the family this week, getting out all my projects that can travel with me. Lots of hand sewing hexagons & my starry night quilt

I have millions of Hexies that I keep especially for travel, I stock pile all my scraps through the year of all my projects.

I'm all ready to enjoy an Australian family Holiday :)

Fingers crossed the weather stays just like this

Happy New Year!

Xx Siobhan

A bit more liberty

I'm finally hopping on the circle band wagon, possibly a whole 18 months after everyone else.

I can see this being my year of the circles.....

Also mid project my sewing machine has decided to not work - Its in desperate need of a service & tinker. 

It currently sews full speed even if Im not pushing the pedal and makes an awful noise. I'm thinking maybe its possessed?? 

Its definitely telling me it needs some R&R.

Xx Siobhan

Christmas - Better late than never ..........

Christmas traditions 

Every year since I can remember my mother made Rum Balls for Christmas.

The last few years its been up to me.

Except this year..... I had the cakes baked & ready - I just ran out of time & didn't finish them off!

anyway - better late than never? right?

No recipe for these - its just been learnt over time

The first few are always a bit wonky or rustic!, I'm slowly remembering how I did it a whole year ago!

I'm also remembering how I seem to get chocolate - Everywhere!

I'm off to make about 100 more rum balls......

and then get stuck into a few quilty/ crafty projects that need starting/ finishing before I set off on our family holiday early Jan 2012

Hope you had a happy Christmas

Xx Siobhan

Jack of all trades

Its a crazy time of year, thank goodness all the school/ preschool commitments are finished & now just Christmas to contend with

In my little world Im doing lots of bits & pieces

a long time ago I made these little panels up

I have finally framed them :)

I'm also printing lots of cards with my pictures 

because things are so chaotic I just hung the framed panels without much thought, for now they will live on the back wall.

I'm planning on doing a few more over the holidays, Its nice doing something small & manageable. I'm on a mission to only start projects I can finish. 

I'm still ploughing away with my hand quilting on the Starry night quilt, not much longer and it should be done.

because we are renovating furniture is everywhere its all a bit crazy but

we are finally fixing up the back of our house, 

which means living with a bit of mess.

I'm off to eat some chocolate!

Xx Siobhan

Christmas & Crafty

Its that time of year again

it all gets a little hectic, school finishing for the year, concerts, school assemblies & don't forget the shopping!

Christmas means lots of different things to lots of different people.

For me its Family & tradition.

Every year since I can remember my mum & I would decide our Christmas colour schemes & get crafty - making everything. 

Its a very fond memory. One year we decided to get glass baubles with everyone in the families names on them. 

This will be our 4th christmas without my Mum Its so lovely to still have the baubles & know that she is still helping decorate our tree.

I'm trying to start my own Christmas thing with my Kids

 I wrote an article for the Sydney Northside Magazine on how to make Christmas Stockings, Santa Sacks & star ornaments 

Everyone chose two fabrics that they liked - including the dog.....

Miss 5's stocking & The dogs stocking :)

My Father has Paris maps as his stocking

Miss 5 has pink & flowers (no surprises there)

I have tea cups & Liberty

Master 11 chose linen & Liberty - charlie and Lola in turquoise 

Miss 9 chose Eiffel Tower prints - she is Paris crazy after our trip back in October

Star ornaments with the kids initials

 nice n simple Santa sack 

Instructions on how to make the Christmas stockings are in this weeks Northside Magazine

I'm looking forward to the start of our Summer Holidays - one more week of school, we had a great time on the weekend up at MacMasters Beach 

Thats it for me today :)

enjoy your week

Xx Siobhan

Gifts & Wrapping

I Love making stuff (obviously!)

making tags, wrapping, string !!

Its almost better than the present inside.

I'm busy getting all the teacher/ school gifts ready for this week. I don't think it has to be christmassy for Christmas?

my big love at the moment is Stamps

I'm getting quite the collection :)

I like to use simple shapes and some text & my fav colour of the moment - aqua blue

How are you decorating your gifts???

Xx Siobhan

Baby Quilts

I had a story this week in a local Sydney Magazine Northside about making quilts for Babies. 

I love making baby quilts. They are a manageable size for starters, I also like imagining the new life thats going to snuggle under it. 

I'm a bit of a sucker for babies in general.

Most people taking my classes are making baby quilts for family or friends, its a good introduction into the world of quilting & its a lovely keep sake. 

If you don't think you can manage a whole quilt (no matter how small) get together with some friends and do a block each? if you all chip in together - getting a baby quilt long arm machine quilted wont cost much at all. 

Your imagination is the limit

simple shapes, complicated pattern, vintage fabric, old dresses, applique, words

the list is endless 

here are some pictures of a few quilts  that are baby sized

this is the quilt that was featured in the Northside magazine story

& when they get a bit bigger and sleeping in big beds, it can still be simple! just twice the size

on another note, I have been busy printing up greeting cards out of my photo's

I'm hoping to have them all ready by the new year - If your a shop & interested give me a bell!

Take care

Xx Siobhan