Practice

Here is a sneak peak of my practice run for the "Wash the Dishes Tea Towel Swap".

Now that my linen tea towel blanks have finally arrived I can get started on them. I hope that my recipients like them.

My final stitchery of the month project arrived yesterday, designed by Lynette Anderson Designs.

I love the fabrics and stitchery design of this one. I was a bit disappointed however on the overall club, as over half the projects I thought were very similar. There are only so many needle books that a person can use. Even though they were all a little different in design, they are still essentially the same thing.

I don't think I will be joining any more "...of the month" clubs for a while as I now have so many projects to start.

On another note, I have been asked to consider teaching at the next CYC Autumn craft camp. I am a little excited and nervous about the whole thing. My main concern is finding the time for planning as well as choosing what I would offer to teach. I am definitely praying about guidance for this. I need to give an answer in a couple of weeks.

Until next time.....

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Rearranging Complete

Here are the before and after photos of our creative space.

Before


After

I ended up sorting through my magazines and kept all of my Homespuns but only kept the others that had projects in them that I knew I would use. I actually have a notebook that I had written projects in that I have used or knew that I would use so that made the job a little easier. The plastic crate and green shopping bag that you can see in front of my craft table are FULL of the magazines that I am getting rid of. I am not sure how I am going to move them as they are really heavy.

I am so glad that we finally did this as it feels so much roomier and I can even extend my table out now when I am doing paper crafts.

I put one of my magazines to good use and made some of these fabric buckets. The pattern was in Patchwork and Stitching Vol. 7 No. 3. They were actually called Easter Baskets, but I left off the handles as I thought they may get in the way for what I want to use them for.

The January Stitchery of the month arrived last week and it is by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly Designs.

I am not sure what I think of this one. I will probably have to admire it for a little while to get used to it.

Finally, I joined a Tea Towel Swap here and am looking forward to creating something for this. I signed up to do 2 towels and am thinking stitching on one and maybe applique or patchwork on the other. I have until the end of March to complete them.

Until next time

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Crafting my Time Away

Natalie Lymer of Cinerberry Stitches was this months Stitchery of the Month Contributor. She designed a cute little needle book with matching zippered pouch to carry your project and bits and pieces in. This will come in handy when it gets made, for carrying around future stitchery projects. For those wondering about the Stitchery of the Month Club, there is a link over in my sidebar.

I have still been busy making things for to place on the Craft Stall at Carols Alive. I designed and made these little baby bibs that I have backed using towels.

I had a clean out of my linen cupboard and found an abundance of regular sized bath towels that we recived as engagment and wedding gifts (17 years ago). As all members of my family enjoy using bath sheets these towels are all way too small. Some of the more thicker ones I have given to my beautiful sister in law, but the thin ones make great backing fabric for bibs as well as being very good for wiping faces. One towel was used to make all of these so I guess I will be needing to make some more to get rid of the excess.

I received permission from Mellanie Hurlston of Melly & Me to sell the Kokeshi Softies at our Craft Stall so made some more, I will definately be doing these again.

They were so quick to do and I think they look very cute. I really loved picking out colours in the backing fabric to use for the little Kimono and hair ribbons.

I feel it is important to mention that 10% of all sales at the craft stall are going to this charity and also, if you find a pattern that someone has willingly shared on the Internet, you should ask permission before making them to sell. It is their perogative to say yes or no. And by the way, just using a different fabric, doesn't then mean that you can say it is now your design.

Until next time

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November Happenings

Well here we are staring into the eyes of Christmas preparations and wondering how on earth it got here so soon.

This past month has been extremely full so I thought I would just give a quick summary of what has been happening in the world of Riches Stitches.

The start of the month saw this package of loveliness make its way into our letterbox

The November Block of the Month project by Melly & Me which I know I am going to love making when I find some spare minutes ( does anyone know where these can be found?)

I also had the joy of purchasing this wonderful book of inspiration by the lovely Rosalie Quinlan.

There are quite a few pages tagged in here already and once again looking for some spare minutes to attempt them.

We held a craft stall at craft a few weeks ago and I had a few items there to sell. One of which was a peg apron. This was such a hit that I have had a few orders for some more, so have been busy making these. It has been such fun filling orders and then hoping that the recipient will love the colour combinations that I chose.
I will be making more of these to sell at our next craft stall which will be held at the Oakden Carols Alive on the 13th December, with a percentage of sales going to this wonderful organisation.

I also attended the Adelaide Craft & Quilt fair and purchased these beautiful Japanese fabrics

I am looking forward to putting them to good use am thinking that they would look good made into bibs and for applique.

Lastly, I found this great downloadable pattern from Melly and Me and I am hooked.

She is so quick and easy to make and the stitchery is really fun to do. I have colour co-ordinated the stitchery with the backing fabric and I must admit that she looks pretty cute. I am almost finished 3 more and will have to show you pictures next time.

Busy Bee..

Look what I received a couple of weeks ago........

from one of my favourite designers - Leanne Beasley, and it has some Rosalie Quinlin fabric included to make the table runner. I can't wait to get started on this.

I have been very busy over the last couple of weeks making all of this.........

to sell at craft camp which is now only two weeks away, I still have a few things to add and I am hoping that I will not be all crafted out before I get there. I am planning on taking a few different things to do this time as I am not decided on any particular project.

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Spring has Sprung.

Spring is finally here and this is what has started blooming in my garden......

I just love the look of bright pink and yellow roses. They are sitting on my table next to my laptop so that I can gaze on them often.

It seems this has now become a once a month blog, but at least it is better than nothing. I just can't comprehend how fast the weeks go by and before I know it another month is gone.

What have I been up to this month? Well I finished this bag.....

and started this one.....

I found this pattern in the October Better Homes and Gardens magazine and just loved it on site. Fortunately I even had all the right coloured wool so didn't need to buy any more. The whole thing is done in single crochet (or double if you use USA terms). I am thinking of lining it with one of these......

I am still continuing with this....

As you can see I only have one more block to do but it seems to be the one that is taking the longest. I think I have just gotten bored with it but will not start the next stitchery of the month project until it is finished.

I am on holidays for a week so am hoping to do some extra projects as I am planning to make some items to sell at Craft Camp which is coming up in only 4 weeks time. I think a list is in order so that I can keep on track as at the moment my brain seems to be all over the place and am finding it hard to stay focused on one thing at a time. I am also trying to come up with some new things to sell that craft ladies would want to buy.

Will blog again soon or maybe in another month. See you then.

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Hello There!! Missed Me??

Well it has been a while, a whole month in fact since my last post. I know I say this every time, but where has the month gone? And I was informed last night that there is now less than 100 days till Christmas. Christmas! Already!! We are heading into the last week of school for term 3 and gearing up for the last and most hectic term of the year, the one that goes the fastest (if that is possible). I am totally behind in my Stitchery of the Month as this one arrived a couple of weeks ago...

I'm not so sure about this one. It is definitely more country and not necessarily my style. It may end up being a gift for someone special who's birthday is coming up soon.

I have been busy crocheting another bag which is going to fulfill one of my PIF promises I am thinking of doing another one for my other PIF as well but in colours I know that she likes the best. This patterns is really great for using up those left over balls that aren't quite big enough for a project on their own. Just a few more rows to go and some handles.

Craft camp is coming up again at the end of next month and I posted my form off today. Am totally looking forward to a whole weekend dedicated to crafting and hopefully will come home with something to show for it.

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Cosy & Warm

Even though I am a through and through coffee lover, I don't mind a pot of tea every now and then either. I found this cute Maxwell Williams Teapot at Myer during their stocktake sale for only $4. Well, I couldn't pass up a bargain like that and considering I didn't already have a teapot this size I had to bring it home with me.

Well it made a lovely pot of tea but I found that it needed a cosy. It is a 2 cup pot and by the time I was ready for the second cup, the tea had gone a little on the coolish side.
So.... here is what I whipped up, thanks to my new book "200 Crochet Blocks". I altered the pattern slightly to make a couple of Bobble Blocks into a tea cosy. I just love the way it turned out and it now keeps my teapot cosy and warm.

This also arrived in my letterbox yesterday..........

yes, the next stitchery of the month. Boy these do come around rather quickly and I hate to say it but I am still on last months stitchery so can see me once again getting behind. There just is not enough hours in the day to do everything that has to be done and what I want to get done. Any way I will just keep plodding along and I am sure that they will get done eventually. This month is a mug and spoon bag, very cute indeed.

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Some More Colour

This is the new Stitchery of the Month by the lovely Janelle Wind.

I have already started it and I must admit that it is looking very cute. The finished stitcheries are made into a Tea Cosy (which I am in need of) and two pretty coasters which I think I will be a little reluctant to use as I don't think I want any tea staining happening there.

Here is my finished stitchery from last month (I finished it just in time).

I'm really happy with how it turned out and am thinking of using it as a centre piece for a quilt.

I also had a visit to Spotlight last week and purchased these lovelies.....

I just love the spotty fabrics and I found some really nice calico that almost looks a bit like linen. The floral fabric I actually bought a couple of months ago and the spot fabric matches perfectly. I have a project brewing in my mind for these so will wait and see what turns out.

My crochet hexagon blanket is nearing the end and I am hoping to get it finished in the next week or so and will post a final picture soon.

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