Marg Low Designs

a new baby, a new quilt

One of my oldest and dearest friends has just become a Grandma and I'm as excited as her. I've been thinking about a quilt from the time I learnt a baby was due in May. So a couple of Friday nights ago, I got out the box I keep the 'baby' fabrics in. I wanted to go with something fresh looking but found these instead. Something soft, that said 'baby girl'.

I added these from my general stash. Oldies but goodies.

Cut them up into these.

 Sewed them into these.

Realised I should have done my maths first and worked out how many stars I needed; five too many for the size I wanted to make. Then unable to choose which five to leave out I made another five. So the little quilt for a new born is now closer to cot size!

And here's where I stopped. The fabric I thought would be perfect as a border - isn't. Luckily I  have fabric left over from the stars to piece strips together. A job for this week.

From Me to You club - Stuck on You

My favourite projects are the ones that can be started and finished in class. Last Saturday, Cate made not one but two!

The girls were stitching the 2nd project in the From Me to You club, Stuck on You. Little stitcheries with a magnet inside for use on the fridge or filing cabinet.  Kerry was adding her granddaughter's name for a cute name tag.

They're also the perfect spot for your needle. One of the girls was delighted with this idea since her husband has a habit of finding them with his feet!

I stitched mine with the  Aurifil Cotton Mako 12 thread and the class girls have been using this, DMC threads or a combination of both.

Lyn brought in her notepad from the first class.

Lyn didn't stop at one, making more at Easter for her colleagues, as gifts of chocolate were banned. What a great idea and so much better for the hips!

You can still join the club through my on-line store or by email.

Friday Girls Sampler Quilt

Yesterday was Friday Girl Sewing. Reluctantly I mentioned the sampler quilt as I'm going  to deviate from 'the rules' and include fabrics left over from Stonleigh's fabric club for greater variety. Look what Helen and Michelle pulled from their work baskets.

Michelle's blocks. Michelle has tagged hers and plans to include the block names on the quilt label.

Helen's blocks.

I love them and want to redo mine!

Jan picked the next four for us, Big Dipper, Combination Star, Double X No. 3 & Indian Hatchet. I can't remember if we set a deadline, but to be on the safe side, I guess they need to be made for next Friday.

kits & christmas

Right now I can't decide if I should be focussing on preparations for the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair in June or working on the projects for the Christmas in July workshop at Avonleigh.

Receiving an order of buttons from Barb made the decision of what to do easy.

Yes, Simple Pleasures Kits. The fun bit is chosing the fabrics and threads and then it resembles and feels like a production line!

I've been fitting in a few minutes here and there on one of the workshop projects. I'm very excited about it and as you can see it combines the things I love - a little stitching and crazy patchwork in my favourite colour!

perfect gardening weather

It's been ages since I felt motivated to do a bit of gardening and the weather over the weekend was perfect for it. I thought I would tidy up a section out the back and very quickly realised it was going to take a lot longer than the afternoon I'd allocated to it. All I've succeeded in doing is creating big piles of garden waste.

It wasn't all work I did find time to enjoy these blooms.

Dainty Bess

Crepescule

Can't rembember this ones name.

Lamarque

Camellia Sasanqua - 'Setsugekka'

I had to look this one up!

The French Lavender growing under my clothes line.