Finished....

at this time of year....

is better than perfect!

And this far from perfect!

"City Skyline" was happily gifted on Christmas Day!

I ended up stippling the sky, 

with its eight different coloured solids!

and minimally hand quilting each 

of the seventy or so blocks!

The backing is from the Curious Nature 

range by Parson Gray in the Oyster shade...

My son probably won't need it for awhile....

It is summer after all and he goes to London,

for six months, in April!

 I probably have time to make it perfect!

Linking up with the F-A-L....

(I hope to be back before 2014 arrives, 

with a late finish!)

Happy sewing!

SUZ

Happy New Year!

January in Australia is about....

Sunshine and beaches....

Swimming and sailing....

Long nights and fireworks!

Welcome 2014....

I hope it's going to be a great year!

Happy days!

SUZ

Merry Christmas!

The evening sky in Melbourne (Summer Solstice)

Wishing all my friends, around the world, 

a very Merry Christmas!

May you be given the true blessings of Christmas-

love, joy, peace and hope!

(And don't eat too much!)

Suz

It's been awhile....

since I've had any 'real' sewing to show!

I am desperately trying to finish 

"(Melbourne) City Skyline"...

At least I have the binding ready!

for my son for Christmas!

But I have finished...

my bunny dress!

McCalls pattern #6600

(Shhh...don't tell them it's not Easter yet!)

And started a summer blouse!

I love this fabric.....

it's like a Japanese cotton gauze!

It's the first time I have used 

a pattern from this book.

But I think there will be many more!

And lest you think I don't have much 

colour in my life...

this is what I was wearing today!

Happy days!

SUZ

December's + and x Friendship Swap Block

Another month of the + and x Friendship Swap 

has come to an end…

Carla and I are taking turns choosing the three 

colours we will use each month…

(It is going way to quickly for my liking!)

This is a reminder of the palette we have based 

our fabric choices on!

This month Carla chose red, pink and green!

Here are the blocks I sent Carla....

And a group shot before I 'packed them off'!

And here are the ones Carla sent me!

I will say it again -

Carla has THE best stash of fabric!

Aren't they Christmassy?

We are now up to month four!

Halfway!

For January I am choosing red, green and brown!

Each of the six colours will have been used twice at 

the half way point!

Do you get the feeling I like to be organised 

a control freak!?

Happy sewing!

SUZ

Giving and Receiving....

A gift from my Kris Kringle....

In a gorilla onesie!

Mr PnP didn't fair quite so well!

And from one of my students!

These are my blocks for Mary,

the December Queen for the MCM Bee!

I looking forward to seeing these paired 

with basket blocks!

And these Christmas decorations....

were fun to make!

In between some secret sewing, 

we celebrated our son's engagement

I hope to be back with a finish, of sorts, soon!

SUZ

Really Random Thursday...

Well, not really random...

More "Themed Thursday"!

Christmas themed in fact….

The Block Arcade, Melbourne

Christmas trees…

The City Square, Melbourne

Christmas decorations….

At Melbourne Town Hall

In a local shop

Christmas shopping!

From my favourite shop - L'Uccello!

Happy Thursday!

Susan

A finish, of sorts!

You may remember this pretty stack of fabric?

One piece has become this....

I have set myself a task of turning my many 

polaroid blocks into mini calendars....

one for each month of the year!

And with the heat hitting today,

the orange of "January" is quite appropriate!

Another way of using these could be to make one 

for each season?

Here's a quick how-to...

I sash each polaroid with a 2.5" strip....

cut each block on the angle to make a 5" square 

and join four together....

Some simple narrow sashing and embroidery 

before quilting and binding...

and VOILA!

A cute mini for December, 

finishing at 11" X 15"!

I can officially say I have started 

decorating for Christmas!

Happy days!

SUSAN

November's + and x Friendship Blocks

Our second month has come to an end!

And my lovely blocks arrived from 

Carla earlier in the week…

Here they are all together!

Aren't they pretty?

Carla has some wild fabrics in her stash!

And here are the blocks I sent her...

much more sedate,

don't ya think?

For December we are playing with 

our reds, pinks and greens!

Very Christmassy!

(ooops! I just read Carla's post-

I let the cat out of the bag!

Shhh.....don't tell on me!)
Happy sewing…

Susan