Christmas crafting craziness!

Well, Christmas Day has passed and I managed to make almost all the projects I'd planned (I'll make a Christmas fairy wall hanging for us and stockings for girls next year!).

Fairy wall hangings for friends & family. I used the Christmas Fairy panels by Michael Miller. I also made Christmas cards out of this fabric.





Moopy Bunny, inspired by my friend Anna's crafting and using a pattern in the book More Softies. I used all fabrics out of my stash. It was for my 6 month old cousin Charlotte.



Babushka dolls for Mia, using the gorgeous Kristen Doran Matryoshka Doll fabric panel.



And a little bag to keep them in:



Bag for Lily. I used the pattern Mermaid's Memory Bag in Homespun magazine, created by their 2008 Young Designer of the Year Emily James. She made it in blues and greys but I knew only pinks would cut it for Lily! The handle can become a necklace and is made out of glass beads, buttons and plastic beads.





I was determined to make a quilt for Paul, even though I only started a week before Christmas! Several months ago I had spied a great design by Linda Roberts in Down Under Quilts magazine. She had been inspired by an optical illusion on the website www.coolopticalillusions.com. Her project featured what reminded me of a football (soccer ball) and used purple and yellow (Paul's West End Partisan's team's colours!). I just had to make it. I machined sewed on the binding for the first time (thanks Sar!) and I am really happy with it. As much as i enjoy the serenity of hand sewing the binding on, I have a feeling I'll be machining from now on! Paul loves it.



And lastly, I was also determined to whip up these two table runners on Christmas Eve, one for us and one for our neighbours. I used precut charm squares in the range Crazy Eight by Sandy Gervais for Moda.





I feel a bit lost now without a project/quilt on the go! However I am already starting to think about a quilt for Mia's birthday next month. She's the only member of our family now who doesn't have a quilt! I'm going to make her one using Michael Miller's Flower Fairy Blossom Fairy panels and the large Apple Blossom Fairy panel. These two fairies sitting on a branch remind me of my girls! There are also new special babies arriving earthside early next year, so I won't be idle for long!

Aqua Azzuri is all mine!

I am the very very lucky winner of the stunning quilt called "Aqua Azzuri", which was raffled by the Endometriosis Association of Qld. The quilt was made by Judi Cogliati and I just LOVE it!!!

Judi came round yesterday and gave us the quilt. She did a stunning job.



I've put the quilt on my Grandma's bed which is downstairs in our guest room where I sew. It will inspire me!



I just love this fabric:



The girls love it too!



I was really amazed and touched to win this quilt. I am so passionate about women's health and quilting!

I'll be taking part in their challenge to create blocks for their next raffle quilts.

Jo's quilt

After much hard work by many people, I finally finished Jo's quilt! I delivered it to her today and saw gorgeous little Otto.

It seems like a long time ago that I was collecting some of the finished blocks at the Maternity Coalition Xmas pizza party at Bruce & Erika's:


These were the washed fabrics for the sashing and binding, which Jo picked out:



Thanks to everyone who gifted some lovely scraps for the posts:



Drum roll please....the front of the finished quilt!:



The back, with all your messages on printable fabric:



I won't upload pics of them all, but these are some of the blocks set in the quilt. Jo's square:



The square Jo made for Hugo:



The square Jo made for Isobel:



Anna's square:



Heather's square:



Alex's square:



Megan's square:



Julie's square:



Corinne's square:



Suz's square:



The quilt label:



Little Otto was asleep when we arrived today. However I got these lovely photos of Jo and Simon with the quilt:





It was an absolute pleasure to coordinate this quilt for Jo, to honour her as a dear friend and fellow activist. I also loved sharing my newfound love of quilting with you all!