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What a treat I had on Saturday, when Vince got home from his cycle ride he asked if I would like a day out to visit a quilt shop...needless to say I was changed and ready to go within moments! We decided to go to a shop that I had not visited before but whom I knew stocked my patterns, Thread and Ginger is a very pretty shop with heaps of inspiring samples on display.

Here I am holding one of my very cute bags, its called My Sewing Bag and of course the girls at Thread and Ginger would be more than happy to mail order a copy to you. Just email them.
Thread and Ginger
I bought some gorgeous Ric Rac and some delicious hand painted buttons from Theodora Cleave you can visit her blog here or buy buttons from her website, her buttons and brooches are so inspiring, I can never resist them. I also bought some background fabrics to go with another of the fat quarter bundles that I bought at Spring Market, this one is called Miss Jumps Scrap Bag by Linda Brannock for Moda, due for release into the shops anyday now. I have bought a very dark green to use as a background and although I love what they look like together I am now a bit nervous about my choice....tomorrow I will know how it looks as I shall begin working on this new project.
Miss Jumps Scrap bag
You must also keep your eyes on Pat Sloan's blog as she will be interviewing me a 'certain' someone  in the next couple of days! I wonder what secrets I will reveal, hopefully nothing that you dont already know!
talk soon
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Quilting..

The quilting on 'A Kittens Tale' is truly gorgeous and Belinda has done a wonderful job, thanks Belinda.

As you can see I was getting lots of help this afternoon as I was getting the quilt ready for its binding!
Helping mum
Felix on quilt
The terrible two did not want to share 'their' quilt with Fatcat.
This is our quilt
So, in order that I could admire the quilting better, I draped the quilt on the back of the sofa and poor Hugo thought he had lost Felix! He knows he is somewhere nearby...but where!
Where is Felix
I hope to stitch the binding on this quilt tonight whilst watching a movie, I have hired one called 'Gone Baby Gone', hope its OK!
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So much to show and tell...

Wow, where do the days go?

Today, I thought I would share with you a wonderful photo of two lovely bloggers whom I met when I was in Tasmania earlier this year. Sarah and Christine as you see them here are both proudly showing their completed 'Home Sweet Home' Stitcheries, which is one of my favourite redwork designs, the great thing about this patterns is that the button comes included with the pattern. Sarah has framed hers in a wonderful rustic frame and Christine has made a very pretty border for hers, dont they look just great. Thanks girls.
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Another must see blog is Alda who has made no less that four 'Here Kitty' scissor keepers, well done! if you scroll done her blog you will see just how busy stitching she has been and I just love the way she is colouring her Noahs Ark blocks, they are just gorgeous.
happy stitching
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Announcing....

'A Kittens Tale', my new 9 month BOM, inspired by Hugo and Felix, Fatcat and Freckle. Finished size is approx. 54" x 62" and techniques include simple applique, piecing, the very addictive stitchery and fabulously fun yoyo's.

Whole Quilt
Hope you like it? 
Its official launch will be at Quilt Market in Houston next month but I wanted to give you all special advance viewing and of course the opportunity to be 'the first' to get the patterns. 
There are two quilt shops here in Australia who are more than happy and ready to take advanced bookings, The Patchwork Angel in Queensland ph: 07 5477 0700 and The Patchwork Teahouse in Victoria ph: 03 5966 2400. Penny at the Angel has been very organised and has already got the picture on her website and although Marilyn at the Teahouse does not have a website she can offer the same print fabrics that I have used, background creams will vary.
If you are in the US, the person to contact is Mary from The Rabbits Lair, dont you just love that shop name!
bye for now
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PS. Just to change subject slightly, I found a gorgeous version of the 'Here Kitty' scissor holder on this blog.

'Here Kitty' arrives in Finland

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This cute version of my 'Here Kitty' was sent by Satu all the way from Finland, Satu has put a neat loop on the back of her scissor holder in order to hang if from her very cute basket. Its worth a visit to her blog as she is also showing her Noah's Ark stitcheries.
Many of you have been enquiring about whether my quilt and stitchery patterns are available to buy. Yes, they are, please ask your local quilt shop first, they may already have my products in store and if they dont have the pattern or book that you want its very simple for them to order what you want. I also have a listing in my righthand sidebar of stores that have my products in their online shop. If your local shop is interested in stocking my patterns, please feel free to give them my contact details so I can organise a colour brochure to be sent to them.
New brochure   
Today, I am finalising the list of things to take for the trade show in Houston next month, I wonder how the area is after hurricane Ike, the pictures we have seen on the news here look devastating.
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A couple more arrive in blogland...

Trelly from Spain has sent me this picture of her 'Here Kitty' scissor holder, I wonder if her lovely scissors come from Toledo? Instead of a tassel and cord Trelly had used some rather pretty ribbon, nice touch.
Trelly tells me she is getting married in four days time so how about popping over and wishing her a beautiful day.

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Jo, your stitching looks great to me and as the proud owner of a gorgeous travel writing kit that you made for me as my Autumn swap partner I know how neat that stitching really is! Visit Jo to check out her stitching, dont forget to say hello to both these ladies whilst you there.

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First one in blogland...

Goodness I have just come home from a long lunch with Vince, yummy pear, proscuitto and blue cheese quiche and found an email from Annette to say she has made the scissor keeper, have a look she has done a wonderful job and say hello from me x x thank you Annette. As I said to her in my email back I feel a little tearful at the wonderful support you all give me and the pleasure writing on my blog gives me is immeasurable.

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'Here Kitty'...

I have chosen to do a design on one of the sewing accessories that I use everyday, I love my little scissors and I like to keep them safe when not in use tucked inside this holder. 

Here kitty

Here on my blog you will find lots of extra photos which I hope will help you make your 'Here Kitty' scissor holder. It was such fun taking the pictures as I made my sample, it felt as if you were all here in the room with me having a lesson, it was a bit crowded and quite noisy but lots of fun.

So lets get started....

Requirements:

20cm square (8” sq.) of background fabric, for stitchery

20cm square (8” sq.) of print fabric for back and lining

20cm square (8” sq.) lightweight batting/wadding

20cm square (8”sq.) iron-on stitchery stabilizer, optional

DMC thread, I used #3857 dark country red

Fine tipped fabric marking pen

Lightbox, optional

Craft glue

Template plastic

Thin card, I used a cereal packet

Getting ready

Transferring the Design:

Using a light source such as a light box or a window, trace the design onto your background fabric, remember to leave enough space between the two bits of stitchery to allow for cutting out. I like to use a fine tipped permanent fabric marking pen (such as a Pigma Micron 01) in brown, why brown? Well brown is easily covered by the stitching but black sometimes shows through. If you don’t have one of these pens you can use a very sharp 2B pencil but press lightly.

If you are using an iron-on stitchery stabilizer you will need to iron it on before the stitching can be started, by putting this on the back of your stitchery you will not get shadows from the threads on the back of your work. On close inspection of your iron-on stitchery stabilizer you will see that it is shiny on one side, place the shiny side to the wrong side of your fabric. Following manufactures instructions bond iron-on stitchery stabilizer to wrong side of your fabric.

Stitches used are:

Backstitch (BS), satin stitch (SS), cross stitch (CS), lazy daisy (LD) and French knots (FN). I used two strands of DMC #3857 dark country red, for my scissor holder.

Once all the stitching has been completed, press gently. Place aside for later.

Tassel and Cord:

To make the tassel cut a piece of card 1¼” wide, take six strands of the DMC #3857 and wrap it around the card approx. 20 times. Remember to start counting wraps from the bottom of card. When you have reached desired size tassel, carefully slide off card.

Make tassle

Take two lengths of DMC #3857 approx. 120cm. Anchor one end of the two threads under something heavy or if you have a friend available ask them to hold one end firmly whilst you twist them in a clockwise direction until the cord wants to double back on itself, but don’t let it yet!

Thread twisted cord through top loops of the tassel you just made, centre the tassel on the cord and now let the cord double back on itself. Hold onto the ends whilst it twists, then tie a small knot at the end to secure the twisted cord.

Cut through bottom loops, of the tassel. Take a short length of  DMC and wrap it around the tassel about ¼” from top loop.  Secure with a knot and thread ends out of sight.

Scissors Keeper:

From template plastic make templates for the scissor holder front and back, see pattern sheet. Place the templates onto the wrong side of your stitchery and making sure that you have centred the stitchery draw around the template with a pencil, seam allowance is not included, cut out approx. 3/8th inch beyond the drawn line.

Cutting out

Cut 2 x back and 2 x front from thin card, 1 x back and 1 x front from lightweight batting, 1 x back and 1 x front from print fabric. Take one back and one front piece of scissor holder card and glue the thin wadding onto one side of each of them. 

All cut out

Place card shapes onto wrong sides of appropriate fabric, the shapes with thin wadding on them should be wadding side to wrong side of chosen fabric. Carefully put glue around the edge of the card then bring the ¼” seam allowance over the edge onto the glue.

*Tip. To ensure that stitchery is centred on the card, hold the stitchery up to light with card shape behind, you will easily be able to see if you have it in the correct place.

Glue

Glued onto card

Once the glue has dried you can then take both front pieces of scissor holder and with wrong sides together glue the two corresponding pieces together. Hold together whilst the glue is drying. Repeat process for back but remember to place the end from the twisted cord with its tassel in the centre top between the two back pieces.

Glue tassel

You will now have a back and a front for your scissor holder.

 * Tip. Whilst the glue is drying to ensure that it bonds well around entire edge use washing pegs to hold layers together.

Glue drying

With two strands of embroidery thread and doing herringbone stitch, firstly across the seam of the top front edge of the scissor case and then using the herringbone stitch to join the front to back, stitch all around the edge of your scissor holder. 

I hope that you all enjoy making your scissor holder and pretty please send me some pictures of yours so I can share them with everyone here on my blog.

Have fun

You can download the pattern Here...

Enjoy Lynette
 


Lavender blue...

Blue is one of my favourite colours and the soft mauvey blue of lavender...well, sigh, its my favourite. Mum and Dad were given this bunch of lavender from a friends garden and I thought it looked so pretty their old tea pot. It smelt wonderful, Mum has hung the other half of the bunch up to dry.

Lavender
I also love the blue that you can only get from a sea of bluebells in the woods in England, this picture was taken on a friends farm in Dorset. 
Hoopers woods
Meet Alfie and Biscuit, these two naughty fellows get to play in these woods alot, they are so lucky says Hugo. 
Alfie and Buscuit
Today I am getting my hair cut and coloured and I am a bit nervous as I am trying a new hairdresser....if you hear loud screams after lunch today you know it was a disaster! Wish me luck.
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