Initial Heart Swap 2015

Boy have I been busy the last month.  Lots of work and away for various reasons.  Still not slowing down as in two weeks time I fly out to Aussie for Lets Get Stitched 2015 and from now until then have only two days off work, and when I am at work four are night-shifts and then straight into days without a break.  Everyone thinks I am mad.... I think I am mad ...... I am mad, but the end result is I am going to meet up with some fabulous girls I have either meet or have meet online. Anyway, what I have completed is the Initial Heart swap which the lovely Cheryll has hosted again.  This time round (I missed last years), I sent to Maria from Life on the Block.  I got this idea online from A Little Sweetness and used one of my mini charmpacks.

I had practiced with my sewing machine and stitched Maria's initials on it, then before I sent I happened to be at Spotlight and found a "M" charm so put that on too. Also in the package I put some yummy sweets for her. I received from Lyn (no blog) and absolutely love my gifts and the chocolate is still intact, but not for long.

Thank you Cheryll for hosting another successful swap

A Xmas Mug Rug

I recently participated in a Mug Rug swap over at a Facebook group I am part of called Let's Get Hexied.  The Mug Rug could be any type, not just hexagons so I made this one for my partner Squeakie.

Swaps Galore

I have been in a few swaps and still am in the process of doing more.  Here is an update the the recent ones.

First is the Bag Swap over at Our Craft Forum.

Elly sent me this bag.  She didn't have time to make one due to personal reasons so found this one and yes I love it.

From Elly

To Elly I sent her this bag I made out of a charm pack I had.  I love the colours and nearly did not send it as wanted to keep it myself....lol

Sent to Elly

Then I have been in another Xmas in July MugRug swap and this is what I received from Lorraine here in NZ

Received from Lorraine (front)

(back)

And I sent this one along to her

Sent to Lorraine

Also my parcel has be sent to Elyte for the F.R.I.E.N.D.S swap and have heard that she has received it but not yet opened.  So here is a teaser.

FRIENDS swap sent to Elyte

And finally my block from Cathy aka CrafteeCC over at QBSA for July has arrived

July block from CrafteeCC

Best Wishes

Michell

1 Xmas Item A Month

In the last two of months, I have being making some items for Xmas swaps, so thought I would show you a some of these this month.

First up is this stocking I made for Fay17 in Our Craft Forum Xmas In July swap

 Then for the Secret Santa Swap I made this sack for Lisa, which had a couple of goodies inside

As as you would have seen in my last post this mug rug for Lyn B for Our Craft Forum Christmas In July Mug Rug swap

Xmas In July Mug Rug Swap

Our Craft Forum has had another swap and this time it was a Xmas In July Mug Rug Swap.

For Lyn B in Australia I made this mug rug

I found the tutorial here at The Curious Quilter

And from Lynn M in Canada I received this lovely mug rug

A nice fast swap completed.

Now to get onto my next Xmas In July Mug Rug Swap.

Cheers

Michell

Mug Rugs

Last month I joined up to Quilting Mumma's Mug Rug Swap.  I was lucky enough to get Jan from Jan's Art Friendzy who was very fast at sending mine over.

Jan sent me this small New York Beauty block which she made into a lovely mug rug.

And for Jan I made this mug rug and today I sent it on it's merry way.  So hopefully it arrives there next week if the postman is fast.

The tutorial for this mug rug can be found here at The Curious Quilter

GIVEAWAYS

Thought I might also add some giveaways for you today I have found around blogland

• Vroomans Quilts are giving away 2 double pks of charms - Papillon by 3 Sisters and Lily & Will II by Bunny Hill. Closes Saturday, May 12th 8pm (EST). Enter here

• Little Bluebell is giving away five packs of Aurifil thread to her readers. Five winners will be randomly selected on Friday, May 11, 2012.  International entries are welcome. Enter here

• Annies Ruby Slipperz are giving away 5 Fat quarters. Entries close Saturday May 12th midnight MT. Enter here

• Quilting Ranny has some Pilot FriXon Pens to giveaway.  Closes in 8 days from this post. Enter here

• Diary of a Quilter is having a sponsered giveaway by Simplifi Fabric.  You can win a $30.00 gift certificate from their store.  Closes Friday, May 11 at midnight MST. Enter here

• The Amateur Quilter is giving away 10 fat quarters.  Entries close midnight (eastern time) on Saturday, May 19th.  Enter here

Finishes and A Couple of Swaps To Join

Well Easter has been and gone, and I got a lovely hollow Easter egg from my hubby which I was good and only ate half off then let him have the rest.  Being Easter I joined up to a swap over at Our Craft Forum with the theme being Easter of course.  I made Colette this lovely wall hanging stitched with Cottage Garden Threads I have recently acquired from Norma over at her shop.

Easter Swap sent to Colette

Then from Guliana I received this lovely bunny.  She is gorgeous and in her little basket are some cute eggs Guliana has sewn up

Easter Swap received from Guliana

There are a few swap sign ups at the moment happening around blogland.

Click on each of the pictures to get to their respective pages.  You never know, you may get me as your partner.

Quilting Mumma is holding a Mug Rug swap and sign ups close on the April 16th 

Lydias Treasures is having a Colour Swap and sign ups close April 21st

And only today the OASS sign ups has opened again for the Winter Swap and close on April 26th

Off swaps now.  Last year in the mail I received from Bev over at Kainga Happenings three lovely machine embroidered pieces.  When I got them a few things went through my head what to do with them.  First was a wall hanging, then cushions, back to wall hangings, then back to cushions.  I had material to do both.

Well finally I decided cushions and last weekend I added the inner borders on them and before doing the outer borders lined them up side by side and instantly thought table runner.

And finally, over the Easter period and the days leading up to it Mother Nature unleashed her fury onto us here in Gisborne again.  There have been some major road washouts in the country side and travel was difficult getting out of the East Coast, especially down to the Hawkes Bay.  I did get some photos but did not want to get out of the car to get to many as it was very very wet.  

The first two photos were taken of the river in the morning.  The rest were taken about 1 hour from high tide in the afternoon

Looking over at the Wharf

Gladstone Road Bridge - Wharf side

1 hour before high tide

Gladstone Bridge North side 1 hour before high tide

Marina Restaurant 1 hr before high tide

1 hr before hightide

A Bit of Sewing

Well the excitment of the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup are over but the excitement of the Finals on Sunday are building.  The All Blacks are playing France which will be exciting.

Anyway at the start of last week I was frantically sewing as I had to drop of my entries for the Home Industries section at the local A&P show.  Didn't help that I was on night shift to so was not 100% in the right frame of mind, but I got there .... just.

I entered six items.  First up were some pickled onions and tomato relish which I got 3rd placings for and also when I took them into be entered Master 13 panicked as he thought that I was not getting them back.  Guess who really like eating them??

Also I entered a Premmie Baby Quilt which I got 2nd placed for

A table runner

A teatowel topper

and a Small Wall Hanging which I adapted from the first pattern in the Christmas Stitch-along. I got 3rd placing for this.

A very good weekend was had and a bit of sunburn to go with it.

Onto other things.

For the September Austalian Block Swap 2 I received this block from Sue V.

Then over at Our Craft Forum I was in a mini-swap for a mug rug and received this one from Samelia's Mum

and to her I sent this one



Also at The Craft Forum I have participated in a Down on The Farm Swap where we swapped something with the farming theme.

I received this from Mumof6

and sent her this along with a farm themed fat 1/4

I also have participated in the F-R-I-E-N-D-S swap and my partner was Tone all the way from Norway.  You can have a look at her blog here We had to send a gift starting with the letters from the word FRIEND

I was very lucky and received all these



 

and to Tone I sent these

Tone also collects thimbles and one of the items was this thimble

And finally for the 6 1/2" swap this month I received these blocks from Sharyn

and sent these to PennyB