Marg Low Designs

a birthday gift

  For awhile now these fabrics and red crochet trim have been grouped together just waiting for the right project. Every so often I'd rearrange them, waiting for that 'light bulb moment'.

Need is often my inspiration to make something new, and I needed a birthday present. This is the third present I've made this month - yes it's a bit like Christmas all over again.

Red is Brownyn's favourite colour. I know she's been admiring this fabric, as comments were made about not having it in her stash!  I'm sure you know that feeling when a friend pulls out a piece of fabric to die for and no matter how hard you look, it's all gone. When this happens I have to comfort myself with the knowledge, there is another gorgeous piece of fabric just a purchase away and if I'm really lucky maybe a snippet of it will turn up in a gift.

Friday girl's birthdays

  Last week Jan and Michelle celebrated their birthdays.

I decided to make them both a Needle and thread roll from the Vintage Stitches Sampler pattern. I do like making these. So much fun trying this piece of fabric with that and a great way to use up those tiny scraps. Though I must confess.... I did buy fabric. Seems ludicrous I know that with all my scraps I didn't have the right pieces.  Perhaps I was just looking for an excuse to buy more fabric. (Jan won't let me buy fabric now unless I have a project in mind! I know this is good sensible advice, but......)

Inside the needle rolls there is a pocket for the thread. The pockets were stitched with the girl's names and the date they received them. (So no, the 21/3/09 doesn't mean 100 years young).

Let's hope we're all still sewing together when we do reach that milestone.

thoughts of christmas

Should I admit to this???

I've been working this week, that's if you can call going through your fabrics and choosing pieces for new projects work! I don't remember my previous working life being this much fun.

Here are some of the pieces I pulled out.... Can you guess what type of project?... Yes all I can think about is Christmas.

I couldn't resist making these stockings. I've wanted to try string piecing after seeing Jan's projects last year. And I got to use some narrow strips of fabric I couldn't bear to part with.

 It wasn't all playing with fabrics. There was time for a little stitching.

thinking christmas

The last few days all I've been able to think about is Christmas, in part due to these yummy fabrics I found at Avonleigh.

Plus I did a quick calculation and realised the Christmas workshop,  to be held at Patches of Heaven in Temora at the end of June, is not that far away. I have to work out what to make (change my mind), make it (them - always more than just one or two things), write the instructions.......  

And it seems like a very long time since I bought any red fabric or made anthing red!

These favourite trims are on permanent display and yes I do play with them. Guess you can tell that from how messy they look.

bunnies

Last week, I started teaching the Christmas Club and no I didn't take any photos. Making sure everyone goes home with their dolls painted in a three hour class is always a bit hectic especially when the weather turned cool! Coolest day in ages- got to laugh.

I can show you the bunnies Sue and Belinda made earlier this year. It's great to see they went home and not only finished the one they'd started in class but made the next one as well.

 

Sue's bunnies. It's hard to see but Pip's dress has easter eggs and chicks on it.

And Belinda's bunnies. How cute are they!

Plus I finally made a start on the birthday presents due end of next week. Just deciding what to make is an achievement in itself....

Autumn, my favourite time of year

Today, I can almost believe summer is finally over and Autumn has arrived.  Autumn is my favourite time of the year, the airs still warm, the leaves are changing colour and it's the best time to be in the garden. After our very hot summer, and the fact I left the mulching until it was way too late, there is nothing to pick.

So you'll understand why I found these mandarins so tempting yesterday. Aren't they just a fabulous colour? And yes they are plastic, but do I care? They won't go off and I can store them away when I feel like a change.

After thinking about the pears all night, I had to go back today and buy them. I don't know which ones I love more. They made me think of my Dad and the pears he grew on our orchard.

And I couldn't resist the apples either. These glass jars were purchased over a year ago. I had grand plans to fill them with buttons and trims etc..... You know, the idea blossoms in the imagination but the reality is so different. Two jars have sat empty all year. So nice to have something in them at last.

Now I've never decorated for Autumn, but I guess I've made a start.