Christmas Makes. Table Runners.

 Tilli sleeping while I cut and sew this morning.

 This is what I am making today using this tutorial,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27r6eGwDzXA
I made my own half hexagon and 1/4 hexagon to fit the fabric swatches. The 1/4 hexagon shapes are using the back of the fabric to create white ends and the half hexagons are using the right sides of the fabric.

I will be adding buttons to the finished blocks. What are you making today?

Shopping and Sewing.

 Armed with $40 and thanks to my boys (they give me $10 a week for Savers Shopping trips) I bought this cane thingy for $5, I will turn it into another quilting ruler holder, (a gift for a friend for Christmas).

 This delightful book for my Crafternooners,  for $3. All the wonderful creatures are made from gloves! How utterly charming, and a pair of gloves are available at the $2 shop, perfect!

 Before I went out I made 4 more laundry bags.

Lastly but by no means least, this lot from Savers for $23. The main reason for my trip there today is that I am down to my last couple of balls of T shirt yarn to make cord with. All of this will be used for my charity makes, and from all the research I have at least $140 worth of goods here. A Really good day. Plus the sun is shining! The wool will be scarves, the pencils for the Angels for the Forgotten and the 4 ply cotton will be made into cord.

Crafty Hijinks Photo.

I pinched this picture of us all from http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com.au What a fantastic day we all had. (I am in the top right hand side of the picture).

Charity Makes.

 At Crafty Hijinks I picked up 5 stocking fronts that had all the pieces fused on ready to sew.

 Tilli and Meggie today in the sewing room.

 I have finished doing all the appliques on the stocking front, added a back and lined them. The lining I made longer to look like the tops have been turned over. They will be filled with goodies and placed under the K.Mart Wishing Tree this year.

I have also been making knitted scarves. One ball of 8 ply yarn using 6mm knitting needles with this simple stitch. Cast on 25 stitches, slip 1, k2, p2 to end. All  rows are the same. This creates a stretchy broken rib that is thick, warm and looks the same on both sides. These will be for the Guardian Pharmacy makes.

Angels for the Forgotten Bags.

These are the 27 bags for the Angels for the Forgotten Charity that I have finished sewing this morning before my Crafternooners came. Do you Hijinks Ladies recognise your donated fabrics?

Crafternooners.

 Just a short quickie visit from My Crafternooners today, they had Sports practice this morning and they also have a fair to go to in Diamond Creek. Look at this delightful present from them today,

 This is a really lovely soft rubber tactile pen. I love it! Thank you girls. xxx

 Working on some stitchery, blanket stitch.

 Working on stitchery, back stitch.

 They have started some kitty needlebooks.

Also finishing off their dragons. A really lovely afternoon.

Ballarat Patchwork Closing Down Sale.

It is now one week to go until we close the doors.
Our last day is the 28th of September 2013.
We now have 50% OFF all products storewide!
Get in quick a grab a bargain.
Check out our online shop here or pop into the shop.

We still have a small range of ex-shop samples left for you to purchase,
including softies, bags, clothes, quilts and cushions.

We would also like to thank all our wonderful customers for their
support over the past 10 years, it has been a fabulous experience!

Happy Patching, 

Director
Ballarat Patchwork

PHONE: 61 3 5332 6722
EMAIL: info@ballaratpatchwork.com.au
WEBSITE: http://www.ballaratpatchwork.com.au

Today's Sewing.

This is the fabric I was cutting up yesterday, Almost finished, 27 bags for Angels for the Forgotten Charity using the freebie fabrics from last weekend. Finished sizes are 15 inches by 12 inches. (not including the fabric for the cord to go through). The blank page book is my guide to making the bags big enough for a colouring book and bits. The same principle as the laundry bags. Off to have something to eat before it gets too late.

Polar Fleece Patterns.

 http://www.shinyhappyworld.com/
I wanted to wait until I got permission to use the patterns for charity. Permission Granted! This are the patterns I will be using for the polar fleece fabrics I got from Savers in Greensborough a couple of weeks ago.

 They are just so very very cute!
Today though I have not been sewing, just preparing the fabric to make the draw string bags. I will show them when they are sewn.

This is the reminder of the fabrics in blue, pink and red polar fleece for the softies. (The top blue roll has already been cut up and donated to Crafty Hijinks. The brown heavy weight fabric has been cut up and ready to sew into Laundry bag linings). That leaves the pink, blue and red polar fleece for me to make into softies. What have you been doing today?

Aussie Heroes Stuff.

 Thanks to Jan-Maree I was able to post them onto someone to be used for Aussie Heroes,

These too went to another lady. I have made a card with my details on it and asked for a photo for me to blog about when they are done.

Gift Making.

I forgot to take a picture of the mug bags I made for Melody and Christine so I have pinched it from Christines blog. http://macdonaldspatch.blogspot.com.au/ Melody's was in a different colour combination. The wool is feltable so useable in many different ways. The pattern is a freebie from http://mythoughtsbysonia.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/christmas-gift-giving-tutorial-quilted.html

Crafty Hijinks Freebies.

 Following on from my post yesterday, This is the haul I got from the Freebies section. People bought with them stuff they no longer needed and you were free to take what you needed or wanted from it. Believe me when I say there were boxes of stuff left over that went to a good cause also, the school. The first picture will be turned into quilts for PNG.

 These will be draw string bags for Angels for the Forgotten

 I even got some calico for Trauma dolls.

 This is for laundry bags.

 These will be posted to Jan-Maree for either laundry bags or put into a quilt.

 5 half done fronts for Christmas stockings and fabrics to make them up with. Destination, firstly they will be used as decorations for the Christmas party for ACDA then finally for the K Mart Wishing Tree filled with goodies.

 Heavy weight canvas. Bags for Angels for the Forgotten.

 These delightful fat 1/4s I will give to a quilter to be made into a charity quilt.

 These fat 1/4s will be going into part of the basket of goodies to be raffled at our Christmas party for fundraising.

 Kits to be split up for my Crafternooners to make for their Gift Box Makes.

 For myself, Ric Rac Laundry bag, I just love Jodies stuff, She is just such an amazing person and to make a laundry bag for myself is going to be so much fun! Christmas stitchery to do at the same time as my Crafternooners, the finished item will be a gift for a friend who is mad about Santas. The hat book, Love it! No reason why I cannot make as many as I like, Final destination for the finished projects, Guardian Pharmacy next year.

 This un opened Teddy Bear Kit, How cool is this! I will make and It will go under the K.Mart Wishing Tree.
Each lot has a place in my sewing room for what they are going to be used for. I think I will be happily making now for a couple of months.
In total I spent $30 on raffle tickets for 3 different charities yesterday.

This morning when I went shopping at my local shops, I had to look in Savers and my final $20 went on this lot. 36 metal pencil boxes, a packet of crayons and a packet of drawing pencils. Destination will be the Angels for the Forgotten Charity.

Crafty Hijinks

Crafty Hijinks at Brown Hill Hall in Ballarat was So Much Fun! Organised by Jodie Carleton http://vintagericrac.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/crafty-hijinks.html and Gillian http://sillygillykids.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/crafty-hijinks.html supported by so many people, 20 contributors and 50 something bloggers it was the most fantastic day, a beautiful spread of sandwiches and cakes, tea, coffee and soft drink all day and a visit to the shop that was opened just for us at the end, The Crafty Squirrel  www.thecraftysquirrel.com.au
I was given a lift there by Christine http://macdonaldspatch.blogspot.com.au/ and Melody http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com.au/ 

One of the fun activities is that you had a lucky number on the back of your name tag, a prize was shown then a number drawn. This lovely bag pattern is what I got.

Is this just the cutest thing? We were all able to chat with each other very well, Some I knew by their blogs already and many more I now know to check out. I will show you the fabric I got tomorrow when the lighting is better in my sewing room. It was well worth the wait and did I not say already I had simply the best time? I will be on a high for a long time about this.
If they have the event again I will be really happy to go. They were well thrilled by my contributions too.

Silent Auction.

You can win a voucher for two people (valid for twelve months) for a Square Rig Sailing Adventure and raise funds for AHQ by bidding in our SILENT AUCTION which closes at 1700 hours on Monday 23^rd September 2013.

This is just a snippet of what is posted on the Aussie Hero and Laundry bag page.
 
http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com.au/
 Do take a look if you would like to learn more.

Tough Mudder Completed.

On face book they had this victory picture, Don't they look great! Well done all of you!

Costume Finished.

 5.30am Mark is getting ready for Tough Mudder. Kilt and wig and headwear ready made, belt and shirt from Savers, Sword from Ebay.

 hand made are the vest, sword holder and armbands.

 So many fiddly bits and this is the best that the costume will look, it will be in ruins by the end of the day as he will be going through mud and such and climbing walls etc.

 heaps and heaps of studs used.

 Dining room aftermath!

 Arm close up.

 Chest close up.

belt close up.
As usual, we managed to get it done in time. All he needs is the socks which are at his mates house. There are 5 people in kilts from their dojo. I am looking forward to seeing them in pictures. All the best guys!