I have had a child-free week this week and it is truly amazing how much stitching you can get done when there are few domestic activities to attend to! A nutritionist would probably take a very dim view of my menu this week, but you can still get vitamins and protein from a cheese and salad sandwich! (can't you?)

Before I show you what I have been stitching I need to show you Debbie's block two of a Kittens Tale. How gorgeous is this quilt going to be!

I have been stitching Natalie's Secret Garden, and here's the finished article. It was a such a lovely project to stitch.

These little things are that I have made for the Sewing Kit Club - a pincushion, needlecase, scissor keep and project basket. They are the same fabrics as Natalie's sewing tote. I loved working with them so much for that project that I needed to use them more!

These turned up unexpectedly yesterday morning - a few of Amy Butler's Midwest Modern fabrics - totally different to those fabrics that I have been working with this morning, but absolutely wonderful. Now what can I do with these...

And these arrived too - not such a good pic as they are the most glorious green colour, and the slightly heavier weight fabric, fantastic for bags or home decor.

Hopefully I will be finishing the last Redwork Christmas block this afternoon at stitching group. I'll show you that next week.

Happy stitching,

Jenny

Sunny Days

That was good! The holiday break, that is - it was really good! Fantastic sunny days, pleasant balmy evenings, some good movies on TV, heaps and heaps of time to tend to my garden (long overdue I can tell you!) and just a little stitching thrown in there as well. I hope that your holiday was good too. I am not so sure about making New Year's resolutions but my wish for 2009 is that it is one of harmony, both worldwide and personal - with a dollop of joy in the simple things of life - that sounds really good to me.

So, the holiday involved lots and lots of this....

....to the point where I needed to hire a rather large trailer to get rid of it all (and this is only half way through the ''gardening experience'' - not much was safe from the jaws of the secateurs or lopers!) Oddly enough I couldn't quite squeeze it into the wheelie bin.

We went for walks - Jake took his bike....

...and I took my camera.

And then there was a little of this....

I started stitching these little pieces which are to make up into Natalie's (Cinderberry Stitches) Secret Garden sewing tote. I am making mine using the Heritage range of fabrics from Moda and it is nearly all finished. I am really delighted with how it is looking.

I have also finished block 8 of the Redwork Christmas - gingerbread men and houses - yum!

Take a look at this very very cute little range of granny prints that arrived the day before Christmas. So sweet - I am really keen to make a little cot quilt in a traditional pieced design - I'll show you when I have got it started.

I am looking forward to planning some new classes this year, and I already have two quilt patterns sitting there, begging to be started. The year awaits - and what to start first!

Happy stitching.

Jenny