Where have I been and what have I been up to?????

Today is officially the first day of winter here in the southern hemisphere…….not so wintery here in the tropical north of Australia though, we’ve had temps still in the high 20’s and early 30’s up till last week, but it is the official passing of my birthday, which is on the last day of autumn……..yesterday.  And wasn’t I blessed??
Here are some of the gorgeous gifts I received from the girls in my Birthday Club Swap group

some gorgeous fabrics, gifts of chocolates, patterns, coffee and plenty of other goodies, including this gorgeous fest from my birthday swap partner, Melody…..

I certainly do feel like I’ve been showered with blessings this weekend.  Thank you,  just doesn’t do it justice! I AM blessed!



I know I’ve been missing the past couple of weeks….but deadlines have been hitting me headlong and believe me, even the housework’s been suffering!!!!   But I can show you what’s been keeping my head low  (probably should only show you sneakies, but I’m soooo happy with this one) ….

It’s my newest design which I’m calling “I’ll Be Gnome For Christmas”  hee hee……I’m soooo pleased with it, and  it’s going to be released in a little while in an upcoming Australian Patchwork & Stitching magazine….and after I’ve written the pattern (which I AM doing today! (touch of procrastination happening...)) I’ll add it to my Craftsy shop for overseas purchasers and those who just can’t wait!   (If you zoom in on the photo, you’ll see my little mushroom Christmas trees... sooo cute! (but I’m a touch biased on this one! Hope you like it too.

So “Gnome” can go into my OPAM list of finishes for May….along with this one I finished last month but wasn’t added to the count…..another finish for an upcoming  Patchwork & Stitching edition…..

This design was heavily influence by my father-in-law’s recent stay in hospital and was made whilst I sat by his bedside.  The stitchery on the front of butterflies and flowers and some lovely dots, hexies and chevrons…….all feelgood things for me… reminds me to continue to always Love the Life we’ve been gifted.  I’ll add it to the Craftsy shop for you too…

I’ve also been stitching some hexi flowers for a hexi swap……here are the ones I’ve made so far…..

I have a resurgent love for hexies…..how about you??? 
Have you signed up for Chookyblue’s  2nd Birthday Party celebrations???

I have, and I must admit, I’ve been celebrating along with her…really truly!!!!!!!   I even popped the cork on the Riccadonna Ruby last night and got a bit of secret sewing in!!!!  (after my own birthday celebrations!!!)  Not as much as I’d hoped, but I did, I promise……look………….

Why don’t you pop on over and see what everyone got up to over the weekend.
And before I head back to my pattern-writing *eeergh* ……have you signed up for QuiltJane’s Nested Churn Dash QuiltALong???





I know it starts today but I really need to get this pattern done…..I’ll start mine tomorrow??  hee hee……Check it out and then you’ll be able to prompt me along!!!!
Okley Dokely….I MUST go.  There’s a brief catch up…..thank you so much for your concerns, but all is good in Sugarlane World…..my head was just buried under a pile of catchups, I promise.  
Sugary hugs :o) xox

Where have I been and what have I been up to?????

Today is officially the first day of winter here in the southern hemisphere…….not so wintery here in the tropical north of Australia though, we’ve had temps still in the high 20’s and early 30’s up till last week, but it is the official passing of my birthday, which is on the last day of autumn……..yesterday.  And wasn’t I blessed??
Here are some of the gorgeous gifts I received from the girls in my Birthday Club Swap group

some gorgeous fabrics, gifts of chocolates, patterns, coffee and plenty of other goodies, including this gorgeous fest from my birthday swap partner, Melody…..

I certainly do feel like I’ve been showered with blessings this weekend.  Thank you,  just doesn’t do it justice! I AM blessed!



I know I’ve been missing the past couple of weeks….but deadlines have been hitting me headlong and believe me, even the housework’s been suffering!!!!   But I can show you what’s been keeping my head low  (probably should only show you sneakies, but I’m soooo happy with this one) ….

It’s my newest design which I’m calling “I’ll Be Gnome For Christmas”  hee hee……I’m soooo pleased with it, and  it’s going to be released in a little while in an upcoming Australian Patchwork & Stitching magazine….and after I’ve written the pattern (which I AM doing today! (touch of procrastination happening...)) I’ll add it to my Craftsy shop for overseas purchasers and those who just can’t wait!   (If you zoom in on the photo, you’ll see my little mushroom Christmas trees... sooo cute! (but I’m a touch biased on this one! Hope you like it too.

So “Gnome” can go into my OPAM list of finishes for May….along with this one I finished last month but wasn’t added to the count…..another finish for an upcoming  Patchwork & Stitching edition…..

This design was heavily influence by my father-in-law’s recent stay in hospital and was made whilst I sat by his bedside.  The stitchery on the front of butterflies and flowers and some lovely dots, hexies and chevrons…….all feelgood things for me… reminds me to continue to always Love the Life we’ve been gifted.  I’ll add it to the Craftsy shop for you too…

I’ve also been stitching some hexi flowers for a hexi swap……here are the ones I’ve made so far…..

I have a resurgent love for hexies…..how about you??? 
Have you signed up for Chookyblue’s  2nd Birthday Party celebrations???

I have, and I must admit, I’ve been celebrating along with her…really truly!!!!!!!   I even popped the cork on the Riccadonna Ruby last night and got a bit of secret sewing in!!!!  (after my own birthday celebrations!!!)  Not as much as I’d hoped, but I did, I promise……look………….

Why don’t you pop on over and see what everyone got up to over the weekend.
And before I head back to my pattern-writing *eeergh* ……have you signed up for QuiltJane’s Nested Churn Dash QuiltALong???





I know it starts today but I really need to get this pattern done…..I’ll start mine tomorrow??  hee hee……Check it out and then you’ll be able to prompt me along!!!!
Okley Dokely….I MUST go.  There’s a brief catch up…..thank you so much for your concerns, but all is good in Sugarlane World…..my head was just buried under a pile of catchups, I promise.  
Sugary hugs :o) xox

SSCS exposed!

I can’t believe Christmas is over for another year and now we’re looking forward to the New Year and all it has to bring. I was soooo looking forward to Christmas day this year, not only to celebrate the reason for the season, but these special gifties, the ones that came all the way from Josie in Scotland, were sitting there taunting me! Well…..guess which ones I ripped open first????  (I have said, I’m not one for niceties when it comes to opening presents….however…I am keeping all that gorgeous red ribbon for some very special projects!) Yep….these ones!   Don’t know how my family felt but these had been keeping me guessing for weeks!   I opened the ‘jiggly’ one first to reveal……… some yummy jelly jube lollies and the most GINORMOUS jelly beans I’ve ever seen!   They breed them big in Scotland!!! And just to prove it to you, here’s a ‘normal’ sized jelly bean next to them…….could you imagine if I put a jelly belly bean there???…Just like the three bears!!!! hee hee   I haven’t been game to try one yet in case they have magic powers and I grow just like Jack and the Beanstalk!!  Have enough of that problem just with all the Christmas goodies we’ve been eating!!! LOL There were also some beautiful Kirstie Allsopp sewing accessories….a pincushion, thimble and pins pack and a retractable tape measure…..just gorgeous…..and just how did Josie know I love watching Kirstie Allsopp do her ‘handmade’ thing on PayTV!!!! and as if that wasn’t enough……the ‘main’ present just blew me away!!!!   Check out this absolutely GOR-GEEEEEE-ous stitchery bag…… Again….Josie must have a telepathic connection….I had planned to do this Leanne Beasley stitchery ‘one day’ on something special!!!  I’ve collected all the Vignette magazines and drooled over them too!  How on earth did she know!??!!? Look at her stitching….isn’t it just perfect???…….. and the hand quilting just is divine!!!….. ….along with the red spotted lining!!!!!!…my favourite *wink* And now I can reveal what I sent to my SS…..Berit all the way from Norway….   The designs came from this little book.. …an absolute ripper!!!! You can visit Berit HERE to see how she has used it…..her house is just so pretty! A super huge THANK YOU to you Josie and Berit….and to Chooky too, for hosting yet another magnificent SSCS swap this year!  I know I said I couldn’t possibly do another swap this year….but I’m sooo glad Chooky intervened!!!!!   And now I have more bloggy friends in the world that I can visit…..Chooky is just like the e-Harmony matchmaker for bloggers!!!!! Hee hee. Off to start planning some crafty business for 2013! Big sugary hugs xox :O)    

SSCS exposed!

I can’t believe Christmas is over for another year and now we’re looking forward to the New Year and all it has to bring.

I was soooo looking forward to Christmas day this year, not only to celebrate the reason for the season, but these special gifties, the ones that came all the way from Josie in Scotland, were sitting there taunting me!

Well…..guess which ones I ripped open first????  (I have said, I’m not one for niceties when it comes to opening presents….however…I am keeping all that gorgeous red ribbon for some very special projects!)

Yep….these ones!   Don’t know how my family felt but these had been keeping me guessing for weeks!  

I opened the ‘jiggly’ one first to reveal………

some yummy jelly jube lollies and the most GINORMOUS jelly beans I’ve ever seen!   They breed them big in Scotland!!!

And just to prove it to you, here’s a ‘normal’ sized jelly bean next to them…….could you imagine if I put a jelly belly bean there???…Just like the three bears!!!! hee hee   I haven’t been game to try one yet in case they have magic powers and I grow just like Jack and the Beanstalk!!  Have enough of that problem just with all the Christmas goodies we’ve been eating!!! LOL

There were also some beautiful Kirstie Allsopp sewing accessories….a pincushion, thimble and pins pack and a retractable tape measure…..just gorgeous…..and just how did Josie know I love watching Kirstie Allsopp do her ‘handmade’ thing on PayTV!!!!

and as if that wasn’t enough……the ‘main’ present just blew me away!!!!   Check out this absolutely GOR-GEEEEEE-ous stitchery bag……

Again….Josie must have a telepathic connection….I had planned to do this Leanne Beasley stitchery ‘one day’ on something special!!!  I’ve collected all the Vignette magazines and drooled over them too!  How on earth did she know!??!!?

Look at her stitching….isn’t it just perfect???……..

and the hand quilting just is divine!!!…..

….along with the red spotted lining!!!!!!…my favourite *wink*

And now I can reveal what I sent to my SS…..Berit all the way from Norway….

 

The designs came from this little book..

…an absolute ripper!!!!

You can visit Berit HERE to see how she has used it…..her house is just so pretty!

A super huge THANK YOU to you Josie and Berit….and to Chooky too, for hosting yet another magnificent SSCS swap this year!  I know I said I couldn’t possibly do another swap this year….but I’m sooo glad Chooky intervened!!!!!   And now I have more bloggy friends in the world that I can visit…..Chooky is just like the e-Harmony matchmaker for bloggers!!!!! Hee hee.

Off to start planning some crafty business for 2013!

Big sugary hugs xox :O)