It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well Christmas has certainly descended upon us rapidly. Even though its the same time each year I still manage to be struggling to get every thing done. So With the Trees up, yep that's right treeees, we couldn't decide which to get so we do both, we like the fresh smell of a Pine Tree and the girls love the adventure of picking a tree at the farm, even though they are 22 and 19. I guess Christmas is about tradition and this was one that I started when they were little and has stuck ever since, they still get excited about going to pick a tree. They also like the fake one as well, putting the Christmas music on and decorating the tree altogether.

Even my bears are sitting patiently waiting for Santa
and we can't forget to hang the stockings

So I would like to wish you all a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope that Santa leaves you something nice under the tree.

I will refrain from blogging till the 11th of January as hubby and I are taking a well earned cruise to New Zealand with our great friends Jeff and Jeanne. So I am hoping to have some great photos when I get back.

Best Wishes for 2010

Happy Quilting Everyone!!

Nursery Rhyme Quilt

I was so excited today to receive a phone call from Pam who rang with the news that my Nursery Rhyme Quilt which I made and quilted for the Royal Childrens Hospital here in Melbourne raised $5020.00. CIKA is an organisation who raise money for research into solid tumors in children.

Unfortunately I couldn't attend this afternoons drawing of the raffle, due to work commitments, but I believe the quilt has gone to a worthy recipient.

Here is just a few more pics.

My first blog was about this quilt, so you can look at that for more info regarding the pattern.

Christmas is fast approaching and time is getting less and less, I am hoping to blog once more before the big day.

Happy Quilting!!

Quilted Quickies

As a fan of Holly Holderman's fabrics, I am always keeping an eye on her blog, She is having "A Dolly Dress Up Blog- a- thon"!! Which started on the 4th December, so today is day 4 of 16 and I was very excited to come across this blog by quilted quickies. You must take a look at the The Calendar Girl- you tube- presentation it has been put together very well. Check it out. The ladies here are very clever. They have a giveaway as well. So pop on over and enter the giveaway. One day I hope to make this quilt, if life was not so busy...

Happy Quilting!!

Come Dance With Me

Hot of the press is this King Size Quilt, this has been done for a dear customer of mine Pam. Pam has been patch working for a short time and has made this quilt in the Autumn tones for a friend of hers. I have done an edge to edge pattern on this called "Come dance with me" by Timeless Quilting.

As a beginner to quilting, Pam, I think you have done a great job. Well done and I hope your friend enjoys her quilt.

Happy Quilting!!

Favorite Things

Again I received a nice surprise in the mail today from my Cousin, Brenda, two patterns by Kerry Gillespie of My Favorite Things, these patterns are adorable and use a combination of stitching and painting, two of my favorite things (pardon the pun!!). These will go on my list of things to do for next year. Thanks Brenda.

As time has passed since my last blog this is what I have been doing.

Stacked coins baby quilt you can see the tutorial here by Amanda Jean I have used the same fabrics as Amanda Jean. This quilt has been made for my daughters friend's, baby, in New Zealand. I hope they get enjoyment from this quilt.

Roses De Noel by Robyn Pandolph, her fabrics are divine, I love the colours and florals, I decided to make a bed runner for the bottom of my bed. I used two charm packs and did a disappearing
nine patch block, three wide by eleven long. I have not quilted this yet as I have a customers quilt on my long arm at the moment.

I have also joined a group where by a quilter chooses a quilt to make and sends us the instructions and we make one or two blocks, then send them back, it then rotates around to the next person to choose a quilt. Today I received my first blocks to make

This is a picture of the finished quilt, shouldn't be too hard!!
I hope..... ha ha!!

Happy Quilting Everyone!!

Parcel Pleasure

Look what arrived in the mail.......Its so exciting receiving parcels in the mail, in fact it can be quite addictive, lucky hubby doesn't mind!! Firstly my colour chart for Kona Cotton, its amazing the variety of colours to choose from.

Next a little bit of yummy goodness from Holly Holderman, my favorite fabrics in the whole world, this is Teatime Florals 11, not sure what exactly I am going to do with this
but give me a little time and I'm sure I'll come up with something.

and Cherry Baby, again by Holly Holderman. I have seen a Doll Quilt here that I absolutely love and will one day make, just need to give up the day job!! ha ha!!

Last but not least some charm packs and jelly rolls for some baby quilts, so as you can see I have lots to keep me busy over the next little while.

Better get to it



Happy Quilting!!

Summertime

A few days have passed since my last blog but it was Melbourne Cup Weekend here and as usual we ....meaning all the family, plus extras.... headed to the Murray river for some sun and relaxation for 5 days. Boy!! it was hot up there!! Here's a pickie of little Abbey (granddaughter) enjoying her swim. Couldn't resist, she looks tooo cute!!

Anyhu, this quilt has been on the go for a while now, the fabrics are by Holly Holderman whose fabrics I really, really love, originally it was not going to have a border, but then I saw Kellie's quilt "Love Birds" in a recent Homespun magazine and was totally inspired by her beautiful quilt. I just felt that it needed something so I added the border, flowers and birds, and to be honest I believe this has made the quilt. You should check out Kellie's blog Dont Look Now, it is truly inspiring!!

I decided to call this quilt "Summertime" as the colours remind me of the various colours of petunias and marigolds flowering in the hot sun.

Love the birds!!

Just not sure whether to Blanket stitch the applique or do the free motion technique which I have not done before, I'm wanting to try this as I think it would be faster than the Blanket stitch. Has anybody done this technique before and is it hard?? Love to hear you thoughts on this one!!

Time is flying by so quickly, Christmas is just around the corner arghhhh!! I need to get busy....as the year is just about over and I have not finished lots of the projects I have started.

Catch you later
Happy Quilting!!

Works in Progress

Feeling very pleased with myself this week as I have come close to finishing some quilts, my very hungry caterpillar quilt is now ready to be quilted and I just finished quilting "Dinosaurs" that my daughter made. She used the Fabrics by Free Spirit by David Walker, which I think are gorgeous and very cute, well done Simone!!..... (now to teach you how to do the binding!!).

I think the back is just as good!!

My girlfriend asked me kindly to quilt this cot panel and I could not refuse so here it is...



It didn't turn out too bad for a panel but I think the back is better, what do you think??

And last but not least I made this cot quilt which I got the idea from Amanda Jean from Crazy mom quilts, I made it in " HushaBye" and it was very quick and easy, I really enjoyed putting this together as it was fast and sometimes its nice to see the end result in a day.

Being new to blogging I find my mind a buzz with all the fantastic ideas and inspiration and can't wait to get started on some of these great quilts. Most are so simple but so stunning which has shown me that, you don't need to make complicated quilts, but with great color choices you can have awesome results...I have also seen some very talented ladies out there, so keep up the good work.

Happy Quilting!!

Sunflower Quilt

Finally, I did it.... this quilt was given to me by my girlfriend Jeanne to quilt, I have taken my time with this quilt as firstly, I had no idea how to quilt it and secondly, being fairly new to machine quilting, I didn't want to muck it up...its very nerve racking on other peoples quilts....




So I kept it fairly simple and did pebbles in the flowers centres , stipple as the background and 1"piano keys in the borders, I was really unsure what to do in the large triangles, so being sunflowers I did large suns, all in all it turned out better than I expected and Jeanne was very happy with her quilt.

Keep on Quilting!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

I have decided to join the Park City Girl: Quilt Festival - Fall 2009, deciding which quilt took some time (as I have many favorites) but I have chosen this one. I made this for my mum for her birthday as she loves blue and soon as I saw it I knew it was for her. Its called Fluttering Butterflies by Lee French and Quilted by Liz Willing (before I was into long arm machine quilting!!).

I like the illusion that the butterflies are weaving in and out of the strip piecing, and the bias binding was sewn on with a twin needle. Liz quilted edge to edge butterflies to add to the quilt.

I am very happy with the end result and pleased to report that it lives on mums bed!!

Grand Final Day

Well yesterday was Grand Final day and our family was a buzz as the Sainters were in the final, my husband was lucky enough to get a ticket and dressed up in his gear and was off, while the rest of the family stayed home and watched it on the TV. Unfortunately they didn't make it this year but they did not disappoint as it was a close game. Here's a photo of our grandaughter Abbey with my husband (Grandad) and Aunty Mona,..... I just love this photo!!

My First Blog

Hi, My name is Mandy and I am a Longarm Machine Quilter and love everything to do with quilting. I am hoping to share with you some of my quilts I've made and quilted.

This is the latest quilt that I have made for CIKA(Cancer in Kids) for the Royal Childrens Hospital here in Melbourne. Its called Mother Goose, designed by Kookaburra Cottage Quilts. It is going to be raffled before Christmas
so hopefully it will raise some money for them.

I was really pleased with my first attempt at feathers in the borders.




Well that's about it for today must be off to work....nooooo...
Happy Quilting Everyone