AUSTRALIA DAY 2018

I hope you all had a lovely relaxing Australia Day spent with family and or friends.

We had a quiet one at home ion the aircon so I took the opportunity and stitched my "Love Is" BOM Block 2 completing it.  When I took this photo I had the border to finish and I did this last night watching TV. I'm very happy with what I accomplished, now I can start on Block 3.

                                         

Do you have any Australia Day traditions? Mine is to make Damper and we gobble it all up while it is still warm. This is a photo of my damper straight from the oven.

We enjoyed it with Apricot conserve and a lovely home made flat white using my Jura coffee machine. Very delicious.

Today, 27th January is my Dad's Birthday, he would have turned 85 today, this photo was taken of him on his 81st Birthday.  The good Lord took him in May of the same year.

Hugs

Kaylee

AUSTRALIA DAY 2018 BLOG SWAP

The second year running Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches has organised an Australia Day swap, it was so much fun last year, for me it was a no brainer to join again this year. Thank you so much Anthea.

These are the gorgeous gifts I received this year and my gifts came from Susan over at                  Susan's Sewing Space 

The most gorgeous handmade card, lovely Australian fabric, a gorgeous Tilda pin cushion with a cute little pair of scissors, lovely lace, Ice cube tray with Australian shapes and a very handy shopping list pad.  I love it all thank you so much Susan.

                                                  A closer look at the Tilda pin cushion

                                        A closer look at the lovely fabric with Kangaroos

I sent my gifts off to Lyn and she doesn't have a BLOG so I'll post here the gifts I sent to Lyn

A pack of Aussie serviettes, a lace doily, a package of red beads and red buttons, I made a tissue

cover from fabric I received in the Australia Day 2017 swap and a pair or quirky Aussie sunglasses.

I received a lovely email from Lyn saying she loved all of her swap items.

                                             A closer look at the buttons and beads

                                     
                                                            A closer look at the doily

A closer look at the fabric tissue cover

                                     
             
                                                  The fabric is of Australian wild flowers

                                     

                                                     Happy Australia Day everyone.

                                                                  Cheers Kaylee

ZIPPERED POUCHES for GIFTS

Happy Monday everyone, it's now 72 days till I depart Australia for my long awaited trip to Japan.

Last week I made more gifts to take with me, I found this scrap piece of fabric in my stash which had been given to me in  a bulk lot of fabric when a friends Mother passed away.  It was left overs from a dress made from this fabric so I cut it down into rectangles and came up with the four pieces to make these four zippered pouches.  I looked through my stash of zips to coordinate with the fabric and ended up with the 2 black, 1 white and 1 bright pink which really pops, I was wishing I had more pink zips in my stash. I also attached the lace which I think really sets them off nicely.  I only use this gorgeous lace on special items.  My gift giving box is now quite full, however I am going to make 2 aprons as well. One for an ex Manager's wife, she is in her 80's and I think an apron would be more useful for her rather than a zippered pouch or a Lingerie bag.  The other is for my ex "work colleague" who now lives in Tokyo and will be our tour guide for a few days on our trip.

Thank you Lord for a more pleasant day today, we have a slight breeze and the temp is much lower today.  WOW since Friday and over the weekend it was very hot in our part of Australia, we put our aircon on Friday night and it was on non-stop till 2.30pm yesterday afternoon when the change came through bringing gusty winds and sure cooled things down. Saturday I spent all day in the bedroom stitching my second block of the "Love Is" BOM by Rosalie Quinlan. I was most happy what I had achieve by the days end (this is an early morning photo), it's further along than shown in this photo.

                                                          Have a wonderful week everyone.

          Hugs

         Kaylee

TRAVEL JOURNAL COVER

My Aunty-in-Law and travelling companion to Japan in March/April gave me a Travel Diary/Journal for my Birthday last year.  Yesterday I made a fabric cover for it.  I chose this lovely Japanese fabric I had in my stash.  I also want to make a zippered pouch to put it in to which I can add maps and paperwork.

Cheers

Kaylee

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 to all of my bloggy friends, we went out earlier in the day and home by 9pm, then spent a quiet evening at home watching movies went to bed around 1.45am EST. I'm looking forward to 2018 and all the joys it will bring. Wishing you all a healthy and exciting 2018.

My first sewing finishes for 2018 are 3 more shoe bags to take to Japan in March/April, for those of you who don't know much about the Japanese culture they are very big on gift giving.  I have had this lovely old world shoe fabric in my stash for quite a few years and last year I made 6 bags from the fabric and I had a small portion remaining which wasn't enough to make even 1 bag so decided to use it as a portion on the front of 3 bags and used a plain cream fabric for 1/2 of the front and all of the back.

Yesterday I made up these 6 handbag size tissue covers with gorgeous Australian fabric I received from Sue of Kiwikids page in an Australian Day swap organised by the lovely Anthea over at Hibiscus Stitches. It is perfect for this project and to give to non Australians as a gift. Anthea is having the swap again this year, it was so fun last year of course I'm participating again this year. I'm sure the cut off was last Friday 5th January however if you get in quickly Anthea may let you join in too.

Cheers

Kaylee