Friday Night Sew In sign-ups

 Good evening.....a little late for me but I thought I'd better get this post up and running....after all, it is Tuesday already!  Where do these days go?

I have been managing a little stitching, but not as much as I'd like as I have an avid little attention seeker who loves to sit on my lap or tap my foot with his paw to let me know it's play time! 

Max is 10 months old and, like any 10 month old, he's ready to play from 6am in the morning till bedtime! 

But I have managed to squeeze in a little stitching.....catching up on this....

and finishing my first block of this.....

and finally getting this together and binding it tonight.....

Don't worry.....I have plenty to do this Friday Night!  What about you?  Have you got your Friday Night Sew In project ready yet?   

Make sure you sign up below and block our Friday night on your calendar as it's set aside for you, me and all our wonderful friends around the world!  And follow along on the Facebook page too.

Check back to see what our lovely sponsor Kitty Rose from Kitty Rose Cottage is offering as a prize for this month......she's been rather caught up with packing kits these last couple of days, but I know it's on her agenda.  She has some lovely Tilda Garden Life on pre-order and the coordinating chambrays are to die for!

So what are we waiting for?   Sign ups below!  Have a fabulous week and see you on Friday! 

xox Sugary hugs :o)

An October FNSI Winner

Just a quick one today as I'm keen to get back to the She Cave/Shed/Room/Den!  I've never felt so 'at home' in a sewing room until this one....maybe I'm channelling Nick (as it's his old room)?
I did get another Fig'n'berry Creations stitchery finished on Friday night, which was really rewarding...only two left now before I can put it together....might even get it done for Christmas? *fingers crossed*

I'm loving that it's done in only two variegated  Cottage Garden Thread colours.  I will have to find some  fabric that lends itself to them and complements them rather than takes over.  Maybe a small Christmas print?  That's for tomorrow me to worry about!

How about a draw then?

Thanks to all the ladies who joined with me for FNSI on Friday night....we had a ball.  If you haven't visited to see what we got up to, visit the links HERE...their doors are always open and I know you're always welcome!
Our winner this month will receive some Cosmo threads with a matching Henry Glass fat quarter.  Halloween colours/Indigenous style/summer/sea themed...

...thought it was quite appropriate with our visit from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this past week visiting my old stomping ground of Hervey Bay and Fraser Island!  I grew up there in the late 70's and early 80's and some of my family still live there. A truly beautiful place.

Here goes......Mr RNG says:

Congratulations  \0/  MICHELLE  \0/

I really hope you love that prize. 

Now, I best get back to the She Shed...Lots to catch up on before my boy visits tonight! 

xox Sugary hugs :o)

TWO winners for FNSI

Thanks to all who offered their condolences, sympathies, love and hugs on the passing of my father (in-law).  I truly feel blessed to have a virtual family I can turn to when times get tough and I always know you'll all be there for me......the quilting family really is a unique one, don't you agree?  Love and hugs to you all.....only wish I could reach through the screen and give you big sugary hugs for real.  It really has meant the world to me.

Now, I was planning to post what I did on my FNSI,  BUT.....just my luck, I came down with a head cold - again!  The last time, not so long ago, it was one of the Influenza strains and it hit pretty hard....but this time, it was just a stubborn head cold.

Nothing pleasant about it though, blocked sinuses, ear canals and drippy, sneezy nasal passages don't make it any easier.  So I've mostly stayed home and slept and drank plenty of fluids, trying really hard not to rub my nose red raw (but we all know that doesn't work when you've got a cold!) and spread the lurgy.  So both Saturday afternoon, Sunday and yesterday, when I was going to post, I sat down at the computer and my head said ,"Nope!  Sleep!" so I went and rested a bit.  I'm feeling a fair bit better today, still congested but not as sleepy so I'd say I'm over the uphill battle and on the downhill stretch.

I did manage to get some stitching done on Friday night though.....

A bit more of this UFO  was stitched down.  Now just the windows and doors and stitching the details.....oooh, and the flower bouquet along the bottom to go.
….and then there was a bit more stitching on THIS project.....

Block 6 is nearly complete and only 3 left till I can put this baby together.  With Christmas only 3 months away (today!) *eek*, I'd better get a wriggle on.

I hope you had time to pop over to my last post and visit all my Friday Night stitching friends via their links?  If not, head back and have a look.....some beautiful eye candy there.

Time for a winner to be drawn...in fact, TWO winners.  One from last month and one from this month. Each will receive one of these beauties.....

…..a pack containing 8 gorgeous colours of Cosmo stranded cottons and a piece of beautiful white linen onto which you can stitch whatever your heart desires.  I've stitched on it, it stitches like a knife through butter...the needle just glides through.  I'm sure our winners will love these!

Here goes.....
Our August winner was

Vicki

and our September winner is

Illene

\o/ \o/ Congratulations to both of you!! \o/ \o/

I'll get those prizes off into the mail so you can start your stitchy projects for next month.

Speaking of which - FNSI for October will be on the 19th.  Pop that date in your diaries so you don't miss out.  It will be upcoming Halloween for our Northern friends.  I'm sure there'll be some spooky stitching happening next month - can't wait to see!

Until then, happy stitching and big sugary hugs  :o) 

xox

Can you believe? August FNSI sign-ups are here!

Yes, it's blown me away too!  It seems like only a couple of weeks ago we were tidying up Christmas and now Christmas in July is over and we're headed into the second part of the year, well and truly!
But this week it's time for Friday Night Sew In.....my favourite time of the month, even though it IS August already!

I have been working on my Fig 'n Berry stitcheries and I am up to block 5.  I used to hate satin stitch but it's become one of my favourites now.  It's certainly true what is said about practise, practise, practise making you better, better, better.

I'm really happy with my plump little reindeer in his racy red Cottage Garden Threads.

On Friday I took myself off to the Craft Alive event in Townsville for the day.  We haven't had one for a couple of years up here, mainly due to distance and cost to hold stalls and such, so I was delighted to hear there was one this year.  There was NO way I was missing out.  

It was much smaller than in the past but, it was great to be able to get around to all the stalls without rushing and I was able to attend all the classes I wanted to, including an impromptu one on the Fusamat - a fuseable applique mat designed by Sharon Bradley from New Zealand.  

It's awesome as it holds your applique pieces in place even when you move your mat from the ironing board to the sewing machine, it's easily transparent so you can see your design and it holds onto the surface you're on without slipping...it totally impressed me so I just had to buy one.  Take a look at Sharon explaining the Fusamat on this video: 

So I think on Friday night I might be doing a little bit more stitchery and a little bit of applique, just to try out my new Fusamat (and no, I'm not getting paid to advertise...this product really blew me away as it fixed all the problems I've found with my current applique mat...I'm just so impressed!)

Have you planned what you will be working on this Friday?   Whatever it is, it's always more fun joining in with friends so make sure you sign up below and join with us this Friday.  Everyone is welcome, invite some friends to join in with us and we'll have a ball stitching along together in our jammies with a good movie/music, some nibblies and a sneaky tipple or cosy cuppa.  How could you resist?  

Have a sweet week,

sugary hugs xox :o) 

My Friday night stitching....

....consisted of some relaxing, slow stitching.....working on my Fig'n Berry stitchery for a cute little 'Daisy Chain Needlecase', which I'm sure I will add to my present pile for this year (something I've planned to do in the past but never actually got around to doing - or got wildly distracted!)

I finished the front and began working on the back.....something about birdies that's just so appealing...

I love them, don't you?  They're so cute.

I'm taking my time with this one, just enjoying the needle sliding through the fabric and placing the stitches exactly where I want them to be...there's no rush, no deadline which is really nice in my hectic life at the moment.  And Friday night Sew In's are just perfect for me right now, making me slow down and just 'enjoy' the moment in the serenity of home (somewhere I don't get to spend much time lately).

There were quite a few other ladies that joined with me for FNSI.....why not visit them from HERE, say hi and see what stitching loveliness they created on Friday night?

Update on Dad.....he's been in hospitals since the beginning of December, transferring to a sub acute hospital which focuses on elderly health and dementia while we wait for a place to open in the Aged Home.  In this time, he hasn't had a haircut, what with Christmas in the middle and illness and hairdressers being on holidays, so we organised a haircut for him this week, and boy, what a difference!  

I know how much I love going to the hairdresser but I didn't realise how much of an effect it had on dad!   He woke up in the morning grumpy and argumentative squealing no-one was going to cut his hair and everyone could just ping off (well, it was worse than that but......I'm trying to be ladylike!)   We were so worried how it would go as we had such a time organising a hairdresser to come to the home to cut his hair when it suited and you can probably see how 'unhappy' he was in the first photo.....but that soon changed! 

As the haircut began, Dad promptly fell asleep, and stayed asleep for the whole of the session!  Yep, nothing like a head rub to relax you, that's for sure.   And you can see the 'after' effects......he looks so much brighter and happier and he was too!   The gloominess from before the haircut disappeared and he couldn't stop admiring himself in the mirror.....I'm a bit biased but, he IS an adorable man!

We just need to remind ourselves that often it's the simple things in life that have the greatest effects....so, being well overdue, I've made an appointment for my haircut on Tuesday!  Make sure you look after you too! 

Check back on Monday to see who our winner is for January's FNSI......and I'll have to draw a winner for December too.....seems I missed that one! (oops!) 

xox sugary hugs :o)