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.
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!
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*
I missed last month's post as it crept up on me yet again. Could it be old age? Becoming forgetful? Being too busy? or all of the above!? Anyways, we're back in business!
I've been busy trying to do a bit of a tidy up of my craft room which becomes more disheartening as I get myself into such a muddle once I start as I don't know where I'm headed with it all! I've joined a few Quilting organisation Facebook groups which have given me some inspiration (and a few jealous moments, drooling over some of their rooms!), so I'm going to attempt to tackle things slowly but surely this year. It doesn't help my room is just a small bedroom and I have so much crammed in there. I need to have a good think and plan something out that's going to work for me.
Seriously though, I can see a bit of a destash coming up soon!
I have been busy catching up on my Farmer's Wife blocks. I'm up to number 87 now so on the downhill run. I've started with some French General fabrics and added a few more complementary reds, blues, and beiges to fill it out a bit. I must say, looking back on the blocks I've done, I've surprised myself as I'd never done hand pieced blocks when I'd started and just fluffed along, trying different ways to make them. I thought I'd have to redo some but they seem better than I recalled so I think I only have about 25 blocks to go before I start with the sashing and putting it all together. I'm thinking I may use the machine for that. It's getting to the exciting part, where I'll see it all come together...I can't wait!
Now let's catch up on our past few months of winners, shall we? Firstly I'll begin by saying how much I enjoy your company every month and how you not only inspire me but the motivation is just so valuable to each and every one of us. It never ceases to amaze me how online friendships are so wonderfully special because they start with a common interest that often turns into some of the best relationships you can wish for.
Okie dokie....let's revisit January's FNSI. We had 25 lovely ladies join in with some beautiful work on show. I popped all names into the Wheel and gave it a little spin...
February, we had 27 stitching sisters come together both virtually and face to face as we had the Tilda 25th Anniversary Tour in Brisbane that weekend. It was so good to catch up and then many of our group were lucky enough to travel to the Melbourne leg of the tour and get together the following weekend. I love our quilty get-togethers! After giving the February Wheel a bit of a spin, out popped......
Our March FNSI was a bit of a rush job (my fault)_so we only had 22 friends to stitch along, which isn't a bad thing because it gives you a better chance to win our draw!!! *wink* So here's who's name spun up when the Wheel did its thing....
Congratulations to all our lovely ladies....I just know you'll choose something beautiful!
So now we're all up to date with our draws, I promise to try to keep on track for the rest of the year!!
Remember that our winners have all won a $30 voucher from our wonderful, amazing, extraordinarily generous friend and sponsor, Dawn Hay of Kitty Rose Cottage. If you haven't had the chance to pop over and have a look in the shop lately,
I recommend it...the latest Tilda range, "Creating Memories" is up for pre-order and IT IS DIVINE!
Each month, Dawn sponsors our group and generously donates a $30 voucher to spend in -store . She has the most beautiful heart and if you purchase anything from Kitty Rose Cottage, you're bound to find something special tucked in there to make your day. She regularly pops an extra Tilda fat eighth in her Little Box of Creativity or some other special treat. You will not be disappointed with the service you receive, I can 100% guarantee it.
So you have a chance to be in the draw for the $30 gift voucher this month, make sure you link in below OR head over to the Facebook group page and join in on this month's post.
If you're not a member of our Facebook group, ask to join when you're there or send me a message and I'll send you an invitation. That's where you can follow what everyone's up to on the night....it's so much fun!
I'm looking forward to getting another couple of Farmer's Wife blocks completed....what have you got planned for Friday night? Looking forward to stitching along with you again!
….but before I share, I thought I'd show you my progress on my Farmer's Wife blocks.
Here are the first ones I've done....blocks 1 to 12
...and the next ones that I hadn't shown....blocks 12-28
...along with the two I finished during FNSI....blocks 29 and 30
and the one I finished yesterday evening: block 31
Mine are all hand stitched with templates so a bit of the slow stitching taking place with these, which I'm really enjoying (although some have tested my wits!) Seeing them all together, I'm really loving how they are looking and can't wait to see them sewn together as a top, although this may not be for quite a while as I still have 78 blocks to go! Although piecing one, sometimes two a week, the collection seems to be growing quickly.
Now, for our February Friday Night Sew In Winner. Getting back into the swing of it for 2020, we had 17 of us link in which meant the chance of winner a prize was high!
Mr RNG had the final say and he chose:
Congratulations Karen! If you pop back to Karen's blog post, you can read about how she worked on some paediatric ICU quilts in the midst of being evacuated due to massive storms which blacked out power in her area......Karen, you're a trouper!
Here is this month's prize:
A cute little gingham project bag with some fabric labels and a needle carry card. I can imagine you could have done with these last week too! I'll get them in the post to you ASAP...just drop me a line to let me know your postal address.
I'm off to prepare for our last annual Let's Get Stitched Event in Tasmania next week. I have a badge to make for a very special person (and she can't know!). Our theme is Paris so I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head....we'll see if I can get them onto fabric!
have a wonderful week my friends...
xox big sugary hugs :o)
