Sunday, August 9, 2009

A new baby....a new book....a new use for some scraps...and a sneak peek!

Remember I told you about our nightly dinner guest, Maggie the Possum? She never misses a dinner date with us! Sure as eggs she arrives every night at 6.30pm for an ear tickle and a piece or two of fruit. But last night she brought a gift to us....her new little baby!

What a sweetie. :-) Now we need another name...well, that's Blossom's department, so as soon as I know, you'll know!

Another new gift in the home is this FANTASTIC book!!! I have the first Material Obsession book and loved it, but Material Obsession Two is even better...I am SO inspired to make more quilts!! For a year or so I've stuck with embroideries or small items (apart from my Shabby Roses BOM quilt) because I had lost the inspiration to make big things, but that missing excitement came rushing back yesterday as I drooled over the quilts Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty have designed and made! So watch this space, ladies...I feel a quilt madness approaching. ;-)

~~~~~

So what else have I been up to?
Working on my second sewing machine cover for the August Challenge!

I started this one by emptying my bag of green and pink scraps and choosing the ones I'd like to use...

...then ironing each piece...


...before stitching similar sized scraps randomly together.


Once that was done I began to join up sections to make rows 15.5 inches wide, the size needed for mine or Blossom's sewing machines.

Once I had the rows joined and trimmed I added the wadding and backing and I machine quilted it - I told you I am now hooked on machine quilting didn't I??

I am really pleased with the back of this one having avoided the ripples that marred the first one I quilted last week. YAY - I am learning!

And of course, this is ME we're talking about so I HAD to add a rose....I drew up a Shabby Rose in applique, cut out the pieces, then mixed them around until I was happy with the layout. If you'd like me to share this with you as a freebie just let me know in the comments. :-)
I haven't finished the machine cover yet, though, because.....

...I'm busy with a magazine project that will be published early next year. :-) Here's just a wee sneak peek.

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FABRICS! Where do you buy yours? Maybe you live local to a great quilting shop? But what if, like me, you don't?
I have found some excellent shops online to shop for my bits and pieces and I thought perhaps I'd share a couple today in case you too need to shop from your laptop like me.

Kerry at Bella & Vintage has some fantastic designer fabrics and patterns (Anna Maria Horner, Denyse Schmidt, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey and more) and her fabrics are all $7.50 per half-yard which in Australia is EXCELLENT!! She is also the sweetest lady who loves my Shabby Roses so I can call her a kindred spirit. :-) Go and treat yourself by having a look at her online store today!

Fiona at Mothers Cupboard is another kindred soul who stocks those soft and sweet fabrics my feminine self craves, but she also has some bright and beautiful prints that you will have to fight yourself not to purchase too much of! I am eyeing off a fat quarter bundle of Santorini right now....oh my, I am so very tempted!! Fiona also sells sewing notions and patterns so you should click on the link and visit her this weekend.

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Right now I'm after white quilters muslin, so if you're in Australia and know a good online store where I can purchase some could you email me and let me know, please?

Have a restful and blessed Sunday my dear friends!
Hugs
Jenny
xxxx

PS: Are you participating in the August Sewing Machine Cover Challenge? If you finish your cover before September 1st you may find yourself winning some fantastic prizes....just dropping a hint. Cheryl will be a part of this surprise too....
More news on that in a few days. :-)

42 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Jenny, you are so incredibly creative! Can't wait to see this sewing machine cover!

Allie said...

Look at that lovely little baby!!! How sweet. Can't wait to hear Blossom's name for the wee one!

Lovely new cover, Jenny, I want my machine back so bad now....to dress her in new pretties - love the Shabby Rose applique, please share!

Your new magazine project looks wonderful! Such a tantalizing sneak peek!

paulette said...

Jenny, you are so creative it blows me away!!! You make it look SO easy!! I too LOVE the rose and would be THRILLED if you shared.....Can't wait to see more of your other projects!!
Paulette

cdknuddel said...

Oh, what a lovly and sweet little baby !!
@ Blossom - it needs a sweet little name matching a boy and a girl. I guess you dont have a peak ;).

Jenny I cant wait to see the cover finished. Nice colors, I love them.
I buy my stuff at my mothers Quilting shop in Berlin. My Mom is the Quiltbabs.
Please share the Shabby Rose applique.
Lovely Greetings
Claudia

Val said...

Your goodies are just beautiful! Your baby is so sweet. Your possums don't look like our possums! Ours are ugly! Yours is cute.

jugglingpaynes said...

What a sweet little baby! How wonderful that you are getting this up close look!

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina

soggybottomflats said...

What a cute little hiker or would it be hitcher, lol?

My favorite quilt shop is not in Australia, sorry, but out my back door! I do have white quilters muslin for $3.99-5.99 per yard. I am not sure how long it takes for posts though. Just a thought.

I have fallen in love with the Aunty Cookie fabrics, so cute!

Nearly forgot, check out Quilting Tias fabrics. She is going out of business and has some great buys too. I just bought several yards of various Barefoot Roses and it is gorgeous! Even quilt shop owners have fabric addictions, weird I know.

I love your machine quilting, I have started that as well and love it!

Give Blossom a hug, Elaine

Vicki ♥ said...

Wow that little baby was hiding well before. How delightful to have them visit every night. :) I love your rose applique Jen and love for you to share. You are so clever and I love your sneek peek :) NICE!!

Isabella said...

Gosh I guess I beter start to keep my small bits and pieces, it looks great so far love the rose yes please share, how cute is that bringing it's bub for a visit :-)

Janice said...

What a treat to see such a sweet little baby. You have me intrigued with your sneak peek and I'm looking forward to seeing your finished sewing machine cover.

Rebecca said...

Aww, what a sweet little baby! I love the new cover you are making. Can't wait to see it finished! I'm sure it will be absolutely beautiful as you are so very talented! Have a great weekend :)

Shirley--Knot-y Embroidery Lady said...

The baby is so cute! We have night visitors too, no babies that I have seen though.

Nice post. I am finally committing to making a sewing machine cover. It beats what I have been using.

Please send me - or how ever you are going to do it - the applique pattern. I have to have it!!!

You are creative and fun to read.

I wish you peace this weekend.

Sew Useful Designs said...

Oh Jenny! Jenny! Jenny! Where do I start?

First off - I LOVE your sewing machine cover!!!(s)!!! The applique is divine! And yes please I would love you to share it with us! You are one incredibly talented lady! I wish I had some other words to say the same thing as I feel like a stuck record sometimes. So here it is in Dutch, as I know we share a couple of Dutch blogging buddies!

U bent een ongelofelijk begaafde dame!

he he he... the same words, but they do look more exotic don't they?!!!

Hugs sweetie!
Oh - and baby possum is just gorgeous!!!! What an honour for you all! xx
Vikki :-)

Doina said...

Lovely little baby and beautiful new cover you are making!

Julia said...

What a cutie the little baby is..
Your quilting is great Jenny, you'll quilt everything now, Love the applique piece...very you!
Julia ♥

Cattinka said...

I like the looks ov your new sewing machine cover WIP. Of course I would love to have a pattern. Your quilting even looks better than on the first one, I want to definitely try that some day.
KATRIN W.

Anne-Lise at Rag, Tag, Bobtail said...

Oh what a cute baby! Looking forward to hear the name. The machine cover is lovely.

Sabine said...

I love the look of the new cover and the applique is a great addition. Very inspiring :-)

Ina said...

Jenny!! The o'possum actually lets you touch her??! I am getting such a kick out of your fun friend.

p.s. they usually have more than one baby...wonder if only one survived?

Joy said...

Oh how exciting that Maggie brought her little baby along to visit!! Soooo cute :o). Love your sewing machine cover. I made one a few years ago but I never remember to put it on .... I must hunt it out and start using it ;o).
Hugs,
Joy :o)

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Terry said...

How sweet that Maggie brought her little one with her! And I love the look of your new sewing machine cover. Can't wait to see it done! I'd take part in your challenge but my machine already has a cover I made it some years ago. Enjoy your day!! :0)

Crispy said...

Awww how sweet, it would be difficult to get around with a baby dangling down your side...and we complain when our kids get to clingy LOL.

That applique Shabby Rose is exactly what I was thinking of doing with the BOM blocks, great minds think alike ROFL.

Crispy

Unknown said...

I love the colours for your cover . I have no fabric store nearby either , sniff .

Abby and Stephanie said...

You're going to have the prettiest sewing machine covers of all! Looks like you're making lots of friends in you new home. :o)

I have lots of quilt shops locally but they don't really carry the fabrics I love so I shop on line at fabricshack.com, equilter.com, and fatquartershop.com

Fee said...

Oh that possum baby is so jolly cute. Brings back memories of the possum which used to live under my Mum and Dad's house - and used to come up every night for her "treat" and often had a new baby to share with us too. They really are gorgeous aren't they?

I love your machine quilting Jenny. You are amazing with all the things you turn your hand to!

I so enjoy reading your blog.

Love,
Fee x

Lurline said...

Everything is beautiful, but, oh, that new baby is pure delight! Oh, you are such a busy litle bee - do you ever sleep?
Hugs - Lurline♥

Anna said...

I am in the same boat as Elaine, but the shop I have is at my mother in law's house, and we just ordered some Moda Bella solids bleached white to list. (selfish little shop plug there) Oh, and we do love to ship internationally. I can't wait for Material Obsession Two to come out in the US, apparently we have to wait until February but I might end up ordering it from the author's website before then. I hope all the measurements aren't all in cm though because that will make life difficult for me. The baby possum is cute, but that doesn't look likeany possum we have here in the US, or at least in Texas. (by the way, I hear the exchange rate to the US is pretty good too) Thanks for your cute pictures, I can't wait to see what quilting you start doing. Oh, and I'm working on quilting my Avalon quilt from MO 1 right now!

Anna
http://craftygirlsworkshop.etsy.com

Susan said...

Its just great to see the new baby, wonder what its name is going to be??????
You are really a inspiration to me and cant wait to see the machine cover and would also love to receive the Shabby Rose applique.
Take care and hugs.

Donnelly said...

I want to thank you for sharing your possum with us! We don't have anything like that where I live, in Idaho. I also want to thank you for sharing your cover with us. I love it! I would love to have the Shabby Rose Applique.
Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing the new baby in the family, grin. Momma so unconcerned it is hanging on like that, I love critters.
I love how you used your scraps to do this sewing machine cover, in my favorite colors and I love the touch of the applique shabby rose and hope you will share this pattern with your readers.

Carrie P. said...

Your cover is looking great and of course there needs to be a lovely rose on it. Nice.

CindyMae said...

The new baby is just simply adorable!!!! How sweet is that! Can not wait to see what Blossom decides to name the little guy!! Great new book and you project looks so lovely!!!

Jocelyn said...

Jenny, how DID you add the applique rose to the quilt? Is it something that can be sent or downloaded from the computer?

Dolores said...

Oh yes Jenny, I would love it if you shared your applique rose.
Can't wait to see the magazine project you have in the works.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Like how you are creating your sewing machine cover - so unique! And that little sneaky peak is beautiful!!

SC Sally said...

Oh, I love the pic of the baby! Please tell Blossom that I have a name for her consideration....
PEEK!

The inspiration you send over the wires is recieved here in the states with joy, each and every day. Thank you for sharing EVERYTHING with us all.

Fee said...

Thanks so much for the link to my store Jenny - I am just catching up with your blog.... Hugs & XXXXXX

Anonymous said...

Ohhhh. As if you don't have enough cute things just with your sewing!! Thank you so much for sharing your baby possum picture - it's wonderful!

(and Fee, thanks for letting me know!
xx )

Luv 2 Kreate said...

I just purchased Material Obsession from Barns and Noble. I was there looking for Material Obsession 2, but they didn't have it...gonna have to order it from Amazon. Excited to hear that it is better than the first.

I love the fabrics you are using for your sewing machine cover.

Chookyblue...... said...

lots of pretty sewing here........being amused by your possum stories...........better then ours.........we had one around the house ages ago.....they don't hang around like yours......then I have had this smell in one of the rooms cupboards for ages...........yes well the possum died in the ceiling directly above the cupboard no wonderful it smelt funny.......cute baby possum......

Suzan said...

Hi Jenny,
I just discovered you blog love it! My first question for you how in the world did you tame that possum. The Illinois possum are just plain mean!
Suzan
Ladybug cottage