A Happy FNSI Easter

Well, I can't believe I haven't written a post since January, but in my defense, after the washing machine flooded half of our house and we had to replace flooring, carpets, walls etc, everything was packed away and my computer was inaccessible for the interim. I've only just signed off on the completion of repairs and I must say, it was a HUGE job. We've had people ask us if we were moving in or moving out! Packing boxes were stacked everywhere and half the house contents were moved to the front rooms. Mind you, it's been great for de-cluttering and it's given us the encouragement to start downsizing 'stuff'!

It hasn't made it easy to get into my craft room though as boxes and things from other rooms were stored (aka stacked) in there so sewing has been hand stitching in front of the tv when I can.   I've been working on a secret squirrel swap project which I can't show yet, but I can tell you it's done in Tilda, so very pretty!

I seriously can't believe Easter is over and we're heading into May in the next couple of weeks.  Every year I say the same thing and I'm sure it's not just me, is it?  I hope you've had a beautiful Easter spent reflecting, resting and sharing beautiful moments with family and friends.  

My little man (aka grandson, Ryker) had limited chocolate this year due to his craziness whenever he gets too much sugar so instead my son and daughter in law took him to see one of his favourites......Bluey at Bluey World!  He was over the moon and even got to meet Bluey - you can hardly tell them apart! 

He had such a big day he was exhausted before he got home.  He slept so soundly last night.....so soundly that he fell out of bed and didn't even know it!   Thank goodness for Snapchat and videocalls....the hardest part of living thousands of kilometres away are the experiences you miss out on, don't you think? 

My focus in the past couple of months is to get my Patchwork of the Crosses quilt finished.  I'm at the 'putting the blocks together' stage and constructing the top.  Then I'll go back and do the edging and corner blocks before sandwiching and quilting.  I hadn't looked at it as a whole until I took a progress shot of it on the bed today, complete with cat bump!  

Couldn't get him to move!  Still, I'm so happy with how it looks in Tilda!  I still have a couple of rows to add and I'm happy with how it fits my queen sized bed with plenty of room.

If you're thinking of making your own, take the pressure off and order your blocks from Kitty Rose Cottage.  Dawn will co-ordinate the colours for you and you can choose your own sashing block colours to suit your room's colouring.  I chose a pink grunge fabric as I am making this one for moi!

I hope you get the chance to see what everyone's been creating in our Facebook FNSI Group.  There's been some beautiful and needless to say, inspirational makes over the past few months.  My list of wants is getting longer.  If you haven't joined our group, just click on the "join" button on the group page or message me and I'll invite you in.....easy!

I've drawn our winners for January, February, March and April and without dragging it out, here they are.............

Congratulations ladies!  Dawn has your details and will be sending your prize shortly.

I hope you enjoyed our FNSI together and I look forward to stitching along with you in May for a very special Birthday FNSI celebration! 

Big sugary hugs to you all and chocolatey Easter love xo :o)

Welcome to our first FNSI for 2025

 Isn't it weird that it is already a quarter of the way through the century?  I can remember, what seems like only a month or two ago, preparing for the end of all technology with the Y2K bug and potentially the end of all mankind through a computer-induced apocolypse!!!  Now here we are, 25 years on and we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but technology certainly has changed in that short time - hopefully for the better! 

So, speaking of technology....are you all ready to jump on board with our first FNSI for the year?  For those of you who are new, the FNSI tab above will explain all the details, you can join in by linking your blog below or if you don't have an active blog, sign in on our group Facebook page HERE  This is where all the activity happens on the Friday night and even well into the weekend because we all know, it's always Friday night somewhere in the world.

So join in, be inspired and chat with other like-minded crafty people, maybe meet some new friends and find some more projects to add to that never-ending list of projects we all have, all while having the chance to win a prize from our very lovely and generous sponsor Dawn, from Kitty Rose Cottage.  

Let's start the post with our December 2024 draw.   We had such a varied lot of craft, all very beautiful and all very inspirational.  That's what I love about our little group - the inspiration is always off the charts!  With 26 ladies joining in, some cross stitching, some stitching, some organising. some EPP, a little backing, a little binding and some Christmas decorations completed, we certainly had a busy night.  I took the names to  the Wheel of Names to see who our lucky December winner is and here's who it spun.....

Congratulations De!  Your Christmas isn't over yet!  I'll be in touch! 

I'm looking forward to stitching with you all on Friday night.  Make sure you sign up so you don't miss out on the draw!

Big sugary hugs

Christmas Wishes for FNSI and a few gifts to give away

 Well, welcome back to the blog!   It's been a heck of a year with work, work, work, a husband unable to work, a washing machine that chose not to work (but flooded the house) and a brain overwhelmed so often that I didn't get the blog to work!  I'm hoping that 2025 is a smoother year for all of us and I'd like to end the year on a high!

So with that said, I've managed to catch up on our winners for August, September, October and November....what's that saying....better late than never???  I apologise profusely and please don't expect the prizes before New Year as I've dumped it on our beautiful sponsor, Dawn as a lump sum so please be patient if you're a winner.  Our prizes are generously donated and come straight from Dawn's pocket so I feel awful leaving them all to happen at once....I really think I need to go visit her in 2025 and take her out to dinner and drinks (and stitching of course!).

Here are our winners and I am ever so thankful for each and every one of you who join in to stitch with us each month.  Our Fridays together really are the highlight of my year and I hope they have the same effect on you all too.

August 2024 saw 29 stitchers joining in and our lucky winner randomly drawn by the Wheel of Names is:

    25 stitchers participated in our September 2024 FNSI and the winner is:

October 2024 was a fun Halloween theme with 23 stitchers joining in.  Our Winner for October is:

November 2024 was a bit quieter with 20 stitchers coming together but that only gives each person a better chance of being drawn as a winner!   That lucky stitcher is:

A   H U G E  congratulations to all our winners and here's to a win for all of us in 2025!   

Speaking of wins, I feel like I've had a win with my Farmer's Wife blocks being put together as a flimsy...all I have left to do is add the borders and then sandwich, quilt and bind it.....so close!

That's a 2025 finish......well, maybe it might get a look in before the new year but I'm working with only the public holidays off so I can't see it.  

I'll be working on my Patchwork of the Crosses blocks this Friday night, adding more spacer blocks and sashing blocks.  I'm loving how this is coming together.  

What will you be working on? 

Before I forget, a sincere thank you to our sponsor who always provides such wonderful prizes and encouragement - Dawn from Kitty Rose Cottage. 

Pop over to her online store to grab yourself a bargain...I can honestly say she regularly sells the best priced Tilda fabric, sending it all over the world and if you have any queries, she will bend over backwards to help.  She truly is one in a million and I'm proud to call her one of my very best friends.

Don't forget to sign up either below OR on our Facebook group page.  

If you're not a member of the FNSI Facebook group yet, please join so you can follow along and see what everyone else is up to in real time.  Then post in your blog (if you have one) and we can join you on your page via your link below and join in the fun in more depth!  

Still a week to go, but Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you're blessed with everything you could hope for with lots of stitchy time and more!

I'm really look forward to stitching with you on Friday night....and remember, it's ALWAYS Friday night somewhere in the world!

Sweet sugary hugs xox :o)

 

August already? Let''s sign up for FNSI

 Yep it's time, and I'm late!  Had a very busy week with double shifts all week and tutoring afterwards every afternoon so a bit late to the party I'm afraid!  But I see a lot of you signed up in our Facebook Group which is great.   The advantage of signing up on the blog is, if you have a blog yourself, you can link people to your page so they can learn all about you and maybe create new friends and learn new things!  I'm a lover of blogs for this reason but I don't get much time to indulge myself in them at the moment....life has become soooo hectic! (I know you know what I mean!)

Anyhoo.....sign up below if you can, or in the Facebook group under the sign up post for this month and remember to add some photos there so we can encourage you along!

Catching up on winners from June and July....this time is just running away from me!   I managed to get it organised this morning and in June, we had 31 ladies join together which is awesome!  It's so wonderful to be able to spend some quality time together, even if it is virtually, sharing things we love.  

So I put it to the Wheel for a decision, and our lucky winner for June is: 

Congratulations Dianne!!!!   

In July we had 23 ladies....there was so much inspiration, from stitching to piecing, crocheting....I wish I was as talented as you lot......I can do some things but there's lots I just am NO good at, and I recognise that but love to watch your talents unfold before me each month.

The Wheel decided.....and  July's winner is:

Congratulations Marilyn!!!!

Both lovely ladies have won a $30 voucher from our wonderful sponsor Kitty Rose Cottage to spend on whatever their hearts desire!   Remembering that for the rest of this month there is a sale on 'to celebrate Dawns Birthday Month.  Make sure you send her some birthday love by popping over to the site and buying up whilst there's 30% off some of the fabric ranges and 25 % off kits and patterns, whilst stocks last!

From this month, we've had to change our prize for our winners. Due to the cost of living and expenses constantly rising, we won't be offering our $30 voucher from August as a prize. Instead, Kitty Rose has offered to continue sponsoring our monthly sew in with a prize but instead of the voucher, it will be a current pattern/s that will be posted to you to enjoy! It could be any from the range, whether it be a Kitty Rose pattern, a Gail Pan Pattern or something different, I'm sure you will love it! For overseas winners, your pattern will be in PDF format and whoever is a winner, the prize will be personalised just for you! I'm sure you will understand and can embrace the changes as the prize is still one worth vying for!!! A big thank you to Dawn at Kitty Rose Cottage for constantly and generously supporting us on our crafty journey together. xx

Now I need to get ready for work so I'll leave with sign ups below and sugary love and crafty hugs

See you later today!!

BIIIIIG sugary hugs xox :o)

June already? A May FNSI winner, some finishes and sign-ups for June FNSI

 Wow, chilly weather even here in the north of Queensland, also known as the Tropics, but boy, those 8 degree mornings are proving to be very crisp and "non-tropical"!   Despite that, our days are beautiful, with mid 20 degree temperatures and clear blue skies.....a favourite time of the year.  My job requires me to drive daily to Townsville, an hour trip each way and driving in this weather is just glorious!  

The sunsets and evening skies have been magnificent and as our sugar crushing season has just started, the beautiful smell of  caramelised sugar permeates the air. We really do live in the lucky country. 

I have managed to finish a couple of long term projects which brings joy to my heart (in more ways than one.....you'll see what I mean shortly!)  The only problem is, when I go looking for things, I find so many more that I'd forgotten about.....my list of UFOs and WIPs just keeps getting longer and longer!  You see, I'm a classic Gemini...... I'll focus on something and then something shiny and new will catch my eye and I'm off!   I have FOMO and I've struggled all my life to overcome it.  As I get older, I'm finding I need to reign myself in and focus, focus, FOCUS and I am getting better but boy.....I'm discovering so many projects that either need completing or starting.  A few of you know my list is well over the  *hmfffph* mark (muffled because I don't want to give anyone a medical episode!) and maybe that's why I haven't made a list....but I really do need to!  Can you relate?

Back to those finishes..... Sheryl and I went shopping a couple of years back when she first moved to North Queensland and we went to a quilt shop where we both bought a pattern - Jardin de Poche by Veroniques Quilt Designs.  I bought the kit to go with it and when I travelled to visit family, took it with me as it was a good hand applique and stitchery project.    Well, two years on, I've managed to finish the stitcheries, put it together, learnt to 'tie' quilt using hidden cross stitches (thank goodness for YouTube!) and bound it....my favourite part, and now it sits proudly on our dining room table!  I love this one!

Another finish I treasure is one designed by my beautiful friend Joy Coey, who we tragically lost to cancer a few years ago.  I had started this pattern at a "Let's get Stitched" retreat quite a few years ago and Joy had taught me how to fussy cut. I was so very happy with that effort and proud of what I'd learnt as Joy was a fantastic teacher but when I got home from the retreat I'd left it at that, hidden in a box as I was too 'scared' to ruin it (have you done that?)  After I finished my Jardin de Poche, I was working on something else in my sewing room.  This box kept popping up like it was prodding me to finish it.  So I bit the bullet and once I started I just couldn't wait to finish.  It had techniques, elements and products I hadn't used before which made me a little apprehensive but Joy helped me through!   I found afterwards that I'd missed a couple of paper pieced elements in the design, but that's ok, it made it 'mine'!  I had my first attempt at bullion roses (again - thanks YouTube!) and despite thinking I'd never 'get it', I trudged on, knowing that things get better with practice.   They're definitely not perfect but I'm happy with my first attempts.  

It will be used constantly and loved and treasured because it has so many memories of our gawjus Joy stitched into it.  I know she was prodding me and guiding me all the way through the process and I'm so thankful for knowing and loving her!

Now, on to our FNSI draw for May....we were blessed with sharing the night with 35 fellow stitchers/quilters/crafters and I know I got my fill of inspiration, but there's always room for more!  If you'd like to welcome anyone to join with us, please feel free...the more the merrier...and don't forget to let them know that just by joining in and sharing their crafty progress , they go into the draw to win a $30 voucher to spend on ANYTHING their heart desires at Kitty Rose Cottage, courtesy of our wonderful sponsor Dawn Hay.  If they'd like to know more, direct them to the link at the top of the page where they can find out all about FNSI aka Friday Night Sew In.

Thirty-five names in the Wheel of Names and the person that was randomly drawn for the May prize is.............

                                    \o/ \o/ CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE!!!!! \o/ \o/

We can't wait to see what you choose from all that loveliness over at Kitty Rose Cottage for your prize.

Don't forget to sign up for this month's FNSI.  I've left it a little late as I've had problems with my computer......what should have taken an hour has taken all day!  Doesn't matter though, just sign up below OR over on the sign up post in our Facebook Group.  

I can't wait to stitch with you all tomorrow night!  I'm soooo looking forward to it!

Big sugary sweet hugs :o) xox

May FNSI sign-ups and an April winner

 May!  M-A-Y....the 5th month of the year....out of 12.....nearly halfway!! Can you believe it?   I swear I was saying only yesterday that January was just around the corner and 2024 was going to be savoured!   I think it cheated and has put skates on....with jet propulsion!

Well I know if that's got you floored you'll find it hard to believe it's already FNSI time again! 

 Sign ups are below as usual, or in the Facebook group page HERE.  

If you're not a member yet, please pop over and sign up so you can see what everyone's up to in 'real' time.

Last month we had quite a few people join in.....     30, in fact!  It was a great group and there was lots of inspiration with oohs and aaahs heard all over Facebook!  We have a couple of new members....please welcome them as you browse through their pages.  Don't forget to go and check out my April sign-up blog post as it has the links to some bloggers who are not on Facebook....you wouldn't want to miss out on their beauties!  I can tell you, I'm inspired!

Well without further ado, The Wheel must do its job and pick the April winner of a $30 gift voucher at our wonderful sponsor...Kitty Rose Cottage. 

  I can tell you it will be hard to choose which items you're going to spend your voucher on!   There's so many beauties.   Pop on over ... the list of goodies never stops growing and changing! More Tilda loveliness than you can imagine.

Now for the draw.....

CONGRATULATIONS TO........

I hope you enjoy your prize Dzintra!! 

What will I be working on this Friday night?   I'm not sure yet!  

I've just finished my last blocks for my Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt......101 blocks all traditionally pieced by hand....not sure if I'll do the sashing by hand.... still to decide colours!  maybe navy blue and red for the cornerstones, or maroon and pink?  not sure yet.  I think I'll have to dwell on that, unless you've got any suggestions???  Quilt blocks are mainly red, beige and blue French Generals with splashes of pink and cream. Their suggestion is brown sashing with muslin cornerstones and triangles but I have no brown in it whatsoever...other than the beige and that I think, is a little too light - maybe for cornerstones or setting triangles but not for sashing.  I think I'd need something 'bolder', don't you?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I'm off for a rest....lucky me got Covid as a Mothers' Day gift!  

It's the second time I've got it and this one hit with a vengeance!  I'm ok until I start doing something and then, whammy... it knocks me for a sixer. I haven't even felt like going in the sewing room...now that's something!  

I'm through the worst of it I think, so hopefully I'll be back to work next week and back to civilisation. 

In the meantime, stay well and join us on Friday Night....you're always more than welcome, and you could win the monthly draw of a $30 gift voucher at Kitty Rose Cottage! *yaaay*

 Big sugary (virtually distant) hugs! xox :o)