Marg Low Designs

'something' done

 Yes, I resisted the tempation to make the ruler cover in red and opted for the coordinating set. Green is my favourite colour and I do like combining it with a little pink.

See the red just wouldn't have worked.

I'd never planned to make this many. I originally just needed a cover for my 60 deg. ruler to protect the edges. But you know how it is, one thing leads to another.

This is one of the projects I'll be teaching in the new year.

 Don't you love it when you finish one project and then straight away start the next one.

I have a new teapot and needed a mat to sit it on. Originally, I was going to make a dresden plate block until I remembered this eight petal flower block by Christine Book.

This is one of my favourite books and I have always wanted to make this block.

Now I wasn't sure what colours to use, as it is one of those modern infusion teapots, but these are the first fabrics I pulled out of the basket. They worked, so there seemed to be no point in looking any further.

What I am excited about is all those 'somethings' that needed to be put in some kind of order, have magically ordered themselves. 

Enjoy your New Year celebrations!

something to do

I love the Christmas/New Year period. For me it is the one time of the year when I allow myself to do as little as possible and don't feel guilty about it.

Jan's been busy the last couple of days and this has inspired me to do at least 'something' today. Now I have quite a few 'somethings'  to choose from, unfortunately none of them are jumping out at me and saying do me first. I'm sure you know this feeling. But I'm leaning towards making a cover for my 45 deg. ruler.

This is the cover I made for Bronwyn and yes, her favourite colour is red.

While all the measurements are still fresh in my head I should make one for myself.

My dilemma: will I make it in red or in the pink & green fabrics I used for my other ruler covers, so I have a matching set.

I know what I should do, but I do so love the red!

Merry Christmas

I only have one more present to make, some more baking, then the housework and just maybe, if its not already Christmas morning, make those placemats which did seem so do-able only a few days ago. Got to laugh!

  You can see I have been smitten with Barb's tags.

  Have you seen the new snowman and santa decorations she's just released? I couldn't resist. Now I just have to find the time to play. Somehow I don't think its going to be today or tomorrow!

Two very last minute gifts. Hope they don't look too much like they only took a little over 30 minutes to make both of them. With a beautiful cake of soap inside I'd be more than happy to slip one of these in my cupboard drawers.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas.

a little cooking

  Don't ask me to explain, but each Christmas I have a need to bake!

There was a time when I tried new recipes but for the last couple of years nothing tempted me so I stuck to a couple of old requested favourites - Lumberjack cake and Pavlova.

Thanks to Michelle I have this fabulous new recipe book. I want to make, well almost, everthing!

Careful consideration is given to the recipes we chose as they must be gluten-free (no wheat). Now this is not a gluten free book but there are many recipes which can be successfully made by sustituting the wheat flour with gluten-free flour. I think the trick is to select recipes that don't depend on the flour for flavour but rely on other ingredients e.g. Lumberjack cake with dates and apple. 

This is the banana butterscotch syrup cake (page 203) that I made. Much yummier than it looks. Too late to take another photo as it's already been eaten!

The very very ripe bananas, destined for the compost heap, were perfect for this recipe.

The great thing is you wouldn't have known it was made with gluten-free flour. It's so good to bake something that can be enjoyed by everyone!

a bit of last minute sewing...

I'm really not sure where the week has gone. I do know it's Saturday, with very few days left to get organised for Christmas. Somehow it will just happen!

I've been eyeing off some of the new fabrics from a Day in the Country (stripes and check) for awhile now and couldn't resist any longer. I've nearly forgotten about Christmas in my enthusiasm to start playing with these fabric, but not quite. 

During the week I made this for a gift.  You may remember I made a blue and red one one earlier in the year to stand my button tree on. I love it in the red (why wouldn't I?); so much so I've decided to make a set and have them finished in time for Christmas (now that's the plan, but please don't hold me to it) They will look rather special with white china.  

I've made a start, that is if you can call buying the fabric making a start!

For me half the joy comes from the planning and dreaming about the things I want to make.

catching up....

I've been trying very hard to finish what I start and last Friday I was on a bit of a roll. After completing the felt rug I moved straight onto the doll's quilt. There wasn't very much to do.  Just a little bit of hand quilting and the binding.

How wonderful if I can finish the year with less unfinshed projects than I started with!

  I made some of these stars a few years ago but didn't have enough to properly decorate a tree.  I needed something very quick and simple to fill the spaces. The stockings were perfect. It took longer to choose the fabric and trim!

The little angel was designed by Susan Smith. Without meaning too I sewed her legs in at an angle so she looks like she's flying. Oops, but isn't it effective?

Friday Girls and wrapping

Beautiful presented gifts from the Friday Girls. Too gorgeous to open, but I did, then carefully re-wrapped them so I could experience all the excitement of opening them again when I got home. There were a lot of oohs an aahs when Michelle handed out her gifts complete with a Christmas Tree. 

 We celebrated at Michelle's home. The Christmas decorations were really lovely. This was my favourite tree, if I had to choose, with all the snowmen decorations. Don't they look wonderful on this tree. 

This year I'd decided not to put up as many decorations, I felt like a bit of a change, but after seeing Michelle's I felt inspired to come home, rearrange and put some more up.

  I finally finished this felt rug. All the applique was completed a few years ago when I was designing the Christmas Trimmings pattern, then last year I thought what a waste. All that work sitting in a cupboard. So I made a plan, did a little more to it, then returned it to the cupboard still unfinished. All I had to do was cut out the centre, blanket stitch the edge and attach the pennies. And I did this on Friday. So nice to have something that has been sitting in the cupboard finished in time for Christmas!

The Friday Girls and Christmas

This last week I've been working on the Friday girl's gifts. I can now show you the finished decorations as we swapped gifts today.

Yes more of Barb's tags. I've lost count of how many decorations I've made so far so I guess that's a strong indication of how much fun I've had (and am still having) playing with them.

The great thing about these is they are just the right size to slip inside a Christmas card and post.

And I've had lots of fun combining the tags with fabric from the stash and new purchases.

I have so many ideas about what I'd like to do with the buttons and tags, I'm not sure where to stop! 

It's so exciting when something as simple as a beautiful button or tag can provide the inspiration for so many decorations.

I'm sure I need to make another one using the stripe in the background.

This is a set for my brother and his family. Named so there can be not disputes about which one belongs to who.

The labels are simply tea-dyed cotton tape (because that's what I had in the cupboard and it was the first thing I pulled out) written on with a pigma pen and attached with cross stitches. I used my aplique board (A4 size board with a sheet of fine sandpaper glued to it) to prevent the tape from slipping. 

Christmas decorating

  It takes me forever (well it seems like it) to put up the Christmas decorations. Each year I carefully pack them away in the hope the following year each piece can be unpacked and slotted straight into position. This has never worked! Every year there are new decorations to make room for.

This is a wire card holder I bought last year. A nice spot to hang some of my favourite pieces. The angel is a Country Friends design.

I love this button tree and can see no reason to hide it away at Christmas. Perfect for the snowmen and reindeers.

Felt decorations are one of my favourites at Christmas.

The bunting and quilt in the background are gifts from Jan.

the tops finished

 The tops finished and well before my deadline of Christmas Eve. I'm pleased with the finished result, but then I like just about anything with red in it. So I'm not an impartial judge!

The great thing is I did completely use up some pieces of my favourite reds and cut into others that I've been saving. Now its finished I can safely clear the fabric off the table and chairs and move onto the next project. Yes, I really must make a start on those Christmas presents.