My cat cracks me up!!!!!!

I’ve been doing some Christmas sewing …. that is, sewing Christmas Presents … not so much Christmas ‘themed’ sewing going on I’m afraid. So I thought I’d lay it all out and take some piccies to share with you, seeing as the gifts are for people who not only don’t have a blog … but don’t even have a ‘puter, so I know I’m perfectly safe in showing them to you :o).

BUT … no sooner had I laid out my dear Mum’s chair covers out on the floor to photograph them, my dear furry girl Sophie was there (from out of nowhere!!!!) to ‘give me a hand’.

Here’s the pic before she came along …Mum just wants to drape these over her chairs to protect them. I made them from my quilt-as-you-go “Diamonds and Braids” design – I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve used that pattern!! And here you can see how quick Miss Sophie was in making her way underneath it all … lol!!! Now you see her …Now you don’t lol, all you can see is the Sophie-like lump!! … What is it with cats and quilts LOL????

I also made a gift for my Mum’s dear friend Jill who’s visiting us for a year – she’s from the UK so will find this Christmas totally different to what she’s used to!! She loves to do Cross Stitch so I thought I’d make her this from my “Sew Handy” pattern – to keep her project in. It all folds neatly to form this little ‘bag’. Oh how I love those gawjus “Fig Tree” fabrics :o). Here’s how it looks when it’s opened out … There are 3 good sized pockets to keep her goodies in – one at each end and one in the middle. And here’s how the back of it looks when opened out … I designed this pattern long before Honeybuns came out but I realised when I was making this that it was ideal for using up the leftovers from my honeybuns as it only needed the little strips to be 3 1/2” (x 1 1/2”) long!! Hope she likes it :o).

I’ve also posted away some Chrissy gifts to some special friends …. they should be arriving at their destinations VERY soon :o)!! So that’s what I’ve been up to these past few days … have you finished all of your Christmas stitching yet??

I’ll leave the 2 ‘Buy Now’ links for “Teatime Tabletopper” and “Pack Up Your Troubles” on my sidebar just until the weekend so if you’d like one -

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(or both he he) of these patterns you’d better be quick!!!

Some stitching, Some Christmas munchies and Christmas Special No: 5!!!

First the stitching!! This very festive and easy peasy table topper was a doddle to make, it really was!!! All it is is 36 charms squares all sewn together .... pre-quilted calico on the back, cross hatch quilted and throw the binding on!!!

This was really fun to make ~ probably because it was so simple, and I think it looks brilliant :o)!! I might make another one for using during the rest the year .... I know I have plenty of charms to choose from. Simply can't resist those cute little packs lol.

We made such a mess in the kitchen yesterday he he ... we had melted chocolate, M&Ms and wafers all over the place ... but we had a LOT of fun too!! Bear's friend Sam came over and we all made little Christmas Cottages. This is Sam and me hard at work ........ This is how the girls cleaned up the mess!!!!!and very YUMMY mess it was too ...... so I'm told LOL!!!!! Hmm, funny, no leftovers!!!???!

Now of course you're all dying to see our masterpieces I'm sure .......... ta daaaaaaaaa..........For anyone who's in the business of making "Edible Christmas Cottages" .... please don't fret, as you can see in the above piccy ~ we are NO threat to your livlihood LOL!!! Poor Bear's cottage collapsed (it's the middle one), it's now a Christmas Teepee lol!!! We had loads of fun though :o).

Now for another JoyPatch Christmas Special ... this time I've picked a quilt-as-you-go quilt that I've made several times. It's made using a jelly roll and charm squares and it really does go together quickly. The first one I made for my DH but it's spent most of it's life so far as a sample in patchwork stores (sorry hon!!!) ... I really must make him another he he he!! This next one was made for my DS and DIL when they got married. I put a border on it to make it a bit bigger ......And this last one was made using the "Aviary" range of fabrics (from Moda) as I wanted to see it in more feminine colours ... this one's my favourite I think :o)!!This quilt is 61" x 63" (without a border) and you can make it with 1 jelly roll and 45 charms plus extra yardage for front and back sashings and binding (1 & 3/4m) and the diamond strips background (1m) and of course your backing and batting. In fact, because each strip is backed separately you can use up a lot of fabrics from your stash and make it totally reversible!!!

I will email this PDF pattern to you on receipt of payment so there's NO POSTAGE to pay!!! Like the other specials, this pattern is just $5.00, but only for a short time :o)!!

Would you believe I'm off to do MORE Christmas shopping today!!!??!

Woohoo ... PDFs at last :o)!!!

I don't know if you noticed the new button on my sidebar on the right - the Paypal "buy now" button??? Well sorting all of that has taken me all day ......yep, ALL day to do!!! Actually, it wasn't really the 'buy now' bit that was such a problem, it was more the pdf download for the pattern. As you'd be aware from my past blogging, I have a new 'puter and we're not getting on that well at the moment. I've still got 'old faithful' on standby which is just as well cos I'm still totally baffled by 'Vista'.
BUT ..... I DID IT!!!!! Woohoo and a little happy dance - oh I haven't done that for ages he he he :o). So ..... presenting .... drumroll ......................... the very first JoyPatch pattern available for PDF download is .................DIAMONDS AND BRAIDS!!!!!!! This has been my most popular pattern by far so I thought I'd do this one for you first. So a quick reminder for those of you that aren't familiar with it .... this is the one I did for my DS and DIL for their wedding pressie...... This one is done in one of my very favourite ranges - Aviary by Moda ... mmmmmm :o)......

and lastly this is the original quilt that I made from this pattern ... I think the ranges I used were 'Laurel' for the braids and 'Dominique' for the diamonds.

The finished quilt is about 61" x 63" and is quilt-as-you-go. I used 1 jelly roll and 45 charm squares but you could make it from scraps too if you prefer!!! I'll still be selling my paper patterns on my website but this way you save $$$$ as there is no postage because I simply email the pattern to you - and so the price is lower as it costs me less too :o)!!! Perfect for buyers outside of Australia ;o).

I'll be doing more PDFs in the future so if there are any you'd like just give me a yell :o).

PS ..... I've also managed to add the "Dragonflight" pattern too :o). These patterns can be emailed to you after payment is received so there are no postage costs!!!

Yippee!!!

First I just have to tell you .... I WON!!!!! I'm so excited!!! I won the Tilda stitchery and buttons in May Britt's and Kris' OPAM draw for April!! I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself for having a few finishes when my effort in March seemed to be so dismal (yes nothing ... see my sidebar!!) and no this is just the icing on the cake. I mentioned to May Britt that I was pleased to bits to win Tilda stuff because it's not so easy to find down here in Australia ... I think I shall be the envy of many friends LOL!!! Thanks so much May Britt and Kris ... the two of them put so much work into making this challenge so much fun for us all ... AND it gives me the kick in the behind to get myself moving to finish projects instead of flitting from one to another :o).

Speaking of finishes ..... it's only JUST into May and look what I've got to show you!!! This first pic is another of my Diamonds and Braids quilt ... gosh, that's the 3rd of these I've made :o)!!! I had hoped to finish it for the April OPAM list but I didn't quite make it. I made it in pastels this time - fabrics from Moda 'Aviary' ... aren't they just gorgeous!!? They were simply a delight to work with too.

This is another of my patterns - "4x4 Tablerunner" ... I needed a sample of this one as the original has a mark on it and I didn't want to send it out to stores like that.My DH really likes this one ... always a good sign ;o). The original is all in country colours so this one is completely different.

I went to the Tamborine Craft Extravaganza on Friday with my quilting group ... we had such a lovely day. Loads of fabulous hand crafted items to be drooled over :o). A part of the profits went to help the Rural Fire Brigade ... and after what happened in Victoria recently I'm sure you'd all agree that's a very deserving cause. I didn't buy much ... but I did find this wonderful little shelf unit for my rulers ......

Isn't it just fabulous!!?!!?! It has lots of little slots on the top shelf for all my quilting rulers!! My DH was sweet enough to hang it for me this morning so I've spent my time re-arranging everything on (or should I say "off" lol) my cutting table. It's wonderful, I don't have all my rulers at the back of the table any longer so I have so much more room :o)!!!

I probably should have taken a "before" shot so that you could have seen the clutter (MESS!!!!) I had before he he he ..... you'll just have to use your imagination LOL.

I'm off now, it's a lovely day and DH and I are taking the push-bikes and going for a ride ... enjoy the rest of the long weekend!!!

Should I knock on wood???

Well I whinged about my "Murphy" day ... then everything seemed to go so right. Now I'm not sure whether I should just be happy that things are still going remarkably well ... or... and here's the cynical side of me showing through ...... should I be preparing myself to come back down to earth with an almight BUMP he he he????

Nope ... I'm going to enjoy it all while the going's good :o) - But I'm knocking on a LOT of wood LOL.

I couldn't believe my luck when I won one of Kris's gorgeous patterns in her latest giveaway of Wonderful Weekend Kits!!! And the one I received couldn't be more perfect for me ......... Lavender Tea - isn't it just so pretty!!?! Oh how I love lavender ....And isn't it just like Kris to add a little extra something ... not just the pattern but a cute little bookmark and a gift card too!! Thanks so much Kris, I love it :o)!!!!

Also in the mail last week were my Aviary fabrics that I was waiting on so that I can make another "Diamonds and Braids" sample. I already had the jelly roll but was waiting on the charm squares and yardage. Aren't they delicious!!!!!?? The original is done in warm country colours and this one I think will have a completely different look. Here it is so far ... I think it reminds me of raspberries and cream!!!

Another example of things going so well ... my points came out 'pointy', and ....... (you're not going to believe this ...) my bobbin thread ran out at the END of the seam!!!

!!!Yes it did!!!

I know, I just couldn't believe it either, there was even a little tail!!! Now there just had to be a stitching Angel watching over me that day :o)!!!

Here's another little project I made last week .... I've been SUCH a busy stitcher LOL. It's a little zippy pouch and I used a stitchery I got from the lovely Cath at Willow Valley Store, thanks Cath :o). She's having a giveaway at the moment too so check out her blog!!

My Hexy tabletopper is all basted and ready to be hand quilted ... this is my practice piece to teach myself how to do it, before I tackle the big Queen size one (that's not even finished yet LOL).

I've been doing a bit in the evenings and I've done a lot of unpicking while trying out different needles and thimbles etc. I've tried it with and without a hoop and although on this small item I'm finding it easier to do without the hoop - I can't imagine it would be too easy to do that way on a larger quilt. I might have to invest in a hoop that stands on the floor. We'll see.

It's Anzac day today, a day of remembrance for us all. Please check out Julie's blog for a really lovely poem - it's sure to touch your heart and bring a tear to your eye.

Lest we forget.

Here we go again!!!!!

Okay, it's my Handmade Help auction take 2!!! My listing, like loads of others with proceeds going to Vic Bushfire Appeal or Red Cross etc., has been removed. No problem though ... I'm going to continue the auction here. The starting price is what it finished on ebay at ... $133.00, so if anyone would like to leave a bid please do it here by leaving a comment - or if you'd prefer to be anonymous you can email me at - joy(at)joypatch(dot)com and I will adjust the "highest bid" on the bottom of this post :o). Please note, I will need your email address so if you make a bid so please be sure its not 'anonymous' - No "anonymous" bids will be accepted.So here's the deal ..... you get the kit to make a "Diamonds and Braids" quilt-as-you-go quilt (61" x 63") , almost the same as the one pictured above, only the charm squares are slightly different. Included in the kit is a Moda "Laurel" jellyroll, 1 yard Moda "Oak Leaves and Reel"; 1 yard Moda "Simplicity"; 40 x 5" Moda "Laurel" charm squares and a "Diamonds and Braids" pattern by 'JoyPatch' (that's me :o)!!!). You will need to provide backing fabric and batting yourself.So come on Fellow bloggers .... every cent of the highest bid for this auction will go to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Auction will run until 8pm Brisbane time Tuesday 17th February.

There are loads more items up for auction at Handmade Help - just click on the button on the top of my sidebar to see them :o)

First bid $135.00 received - Thank you :o)

A bit of stitching :o)

I got together with my friends Valerie and Lyn (no blogs) today and we did some stitching. They both wanted to make my toiletries bag so I thought I'd make another one too .... that's 5 I've made now LOL, but this one I'm going to keep, cos it's PINK!!!!! And I LOVE pink!!!!! I should have piccies of theirs to show you next week - they hadn't quite finished them when it was time to go home so I left them with their homework he he he.

I haven't forgotten that my giveaway finishes on Saturday!!!!! How exciting!!! You still have time to leave a comment here to win - I'll draw 3 winners and they'll each receive the pattern to make this cute Panda quilt (that's still looking for a name ;o)!!!!) ..........

I've had some fabulous suggestions for names for the quilt and I'll let you know what I've decided on when I announce the winners :o).

Also there's still plenty of time to get your bids in on my Ebay Auction to aid the Victorian bushfires appeal. The auction is for a kit to make my JoyPatch Diamonds and Braids quilt ..... almost the same as the one pictured above, only the charms squares are slightly different. Included in the kit is a Moda "Laurel" jellyroll, 1 yard Moda "Oak Leaves and Reel"; 1 yard Moda "Simplicity"; 40 x 5" Moda "Laurel" charm squares and a "Diamonds and Braids" pattern by JoyPatch. You will have to provide batting and backing fabric for yourself.

You can find the listing here :o). Every cent made on my auction will go to Red Cross for the bushfire victims.

That's all for now ... talk soon

Handmade Help for Victorian Bushfire Appeal

I really didn't think it would take long for blogland to come through with a way to raise funds for our Victorian neighbours who have lost so much in the bushfires. I'm so pleased to join in with Cindy and Gillian with their ebay and etsy auctions to raise money for these stricken families. Cindy has even started a special blog for just that reason!!You can click on that button or the one in my side bar and from there you can view all the auctions that are ongoing ... you can also check out the ones that have finished. Big thanks to Cindy and Gillian for doing this :o).

I have listed a kit for one of my JoyPatch patterns. It's a quilt-as-you-go pattern called "Diamonds and Braids". The kit is to make a quilt almost the same as the one pictured above, only the charms squares a slightly different. Included in the kit is a Moda "Laurel" jellyroll, 1 yard Moda "Oak Leaves and Reel"; 1 yard Moda "Simplicity"; 40 x 5" Moda "Laurel" charm squares and a "Diamonds and Braids" pattern by JoyPatch. You will have to provide batting and backing fabric for yourself. The auction is open to international bidders too, but postage is pretty exy to overseas from here so please keep that in mind when you bid. All proceeds from my auction will go to the Victorian Bushfire appeal. Please go and have a look and maybe bid on one of the items listed at Handmade Help.

Janet at Wildcraft Farm is also selling items with proceeds going to the bushfire appeal ... you can check her blog out here. Also check out Melly and Me's blog as they are running silent auctions. Karen at Mrs Martin's quilt shop is collecting blocks and quilt tops to be made into quilts for the fire victims so if you have something you'd like to donate you can click here. You can still donate $$$ to Red Cross directly by clicking here. Any way at all that you can help will be appreciated as so many have lost everything.

Talk soon ...............