I forgot to include this photo.  I was looking in the back of a cupboard for some more bits of red that might have escaped the tub when I came across this pile.
Around 1999, I was saving fabrics for 3 quilts in magazines.  I remember it all so well, not much money so bit by bit over time I squirreled away fabrics.  And here they are!  Found still in their own bags with the magazine.  All carefully labelled with many post-it notes.
Well, fashions and tastes change, let me tell you.  Mine certainly have.  Several bits were "What was I thinking?" material!
So, now it's all moved out of the bags, into the tubs for use.  Some very useful neutrals in there.
The reds are already cut into strips and are in my string blocks.
Oh, and the magazines are back on the shelf!

Stitching away madly on Step 4 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt.
I'm just a little behind!

Step 2, 3 1/2 " string blocks, I still have to take the paper off and trim to size.
Skipping Step #3 for the moment, on to Step #4.
5 1/2 " Red string blocks.  Happy to say I'm 2/3 finished stitching these.  I'm prefering not to think about the de-papering and trimming at the moment!

I don't keep strings, so I cut strips from my red fabric bin.  I've made several mystery quilts with Bonnie that need large amounts of reds, so I'm very happy to say that I'm almost to the end of a tub of fabric that has been around since the early 90's!  LOL.
I really enjoyed looking at the selvedges, some early Judie Rothermel and Jinny Beyer.

Happily waiting together for trimming and de-papering.  And then on to Step #3 which involves more cutting of some (so as not to frighten myself- it's actually about 400 I think) black and neutral triangles.

We very nearly had a white Christmas yesterday!
A day full of strange weather patterns- the day started clear, sunny and hot.  About 30 degrees C and quite humid, by lunchtime, it was a very gray day indeed, threatening rain, but still very warm and humid.
Whilst eating our Christmas tea about 5 pm, we had the best thunderstorm with the biggest hail I've ever seen.

This was a smallish one!!  The noise as the hail hit the road and the roof was very loud.

Dessert made the experience so much easier to take!  Especially after we checked the holes in the Laserlight roof over our back verandah.  Oh well, at least no-one was hurt.

Stitching over Christmas....

is a lovely way to spend some quiet time.
I'm moving between projects as my heart desires at the moment.  I've been stitching on the Vignette mystery quilt blocks for a couple of days.

Here's Block #2.
I skipped over Block #1 in the embroidery stakes, and moved onto this block.
Chain stitching my heart out whilst watching "Midsommer Murders".
I'm having trouble maintaining the "flow" of steps with Bonnie's mystery this year.  She has posted step 5, but I'm still on Step 1, maybe has something to do with needing millions of tiny triangles sewn together!
Little by little though......

Whilst I had some spare time yesterday in a very quiet house, I started cutting the foundation papers for the next couple of steps. 
3 1/2" and 5 1/2 " squares to be string pieced.  Can't wait to stitch those, I love little string blocks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

and a very Happy New Year to everyone.
It's 1204 am on Christmas Day here, time now to eat Santa's biscuits, drink his beer, and put the Reindeer's carrots back in the fridge!  The DD's will be up early.

We set off for Adelaide after a lovely few days R and R in the great Australian bush.
A stop in Nhill for lunch produced a lovely surprise- their local patchwork shop was open on a Sunday.  A little shopping to help the local economy was in order.  Jennifer, of Jennifer Meek Giftware  has a lot of lovely fabric in a shop that still boasts 15 ft pressed tin ceilings.  Gorgeous, in a word.

Lovely potential quilting patterns!  No tiled floors though!
 Whilst in Adelaide, The Sewing Sanctuary  in Aldinga Beach was visited and purchases made.  A lovely shop with a little coffee shop attached for after shopping refreshment.  I made some unexpected purchases here.  I've been looking for a fabric for a quilt- but no idea what range or who made it.  Luckily, there it was tucked away on a shelf, languishing.  Well, no more.  One metre came home with me, I was very excited.
A quick trip to Brighton to visit Patchwork By Sea  was also very welcome. 
Lovely ladies in all  three shops, an added bonus to some time away.
Being December, harvest is in full swing in Northern Victoria across to Adelaide.
Trucks and farm machinery everywhere.

Back home again after 9 days away with my family on our Christmas holiday.
We had 2 nights on a farm stay ably hosted by Sally the sheepdog.

A couple of riding lessons went down very well.

Apparently I'm the best mum in the world at the moment!
All I can say is 2 1/2 hours of riding for them equals 2 1/2 hours of stitching in piece and quiet for me! LOL.

The scene of much sewing.  A truly lovely way to spend a few days.
I can wholeheartedly recommend a family getaway at Grelco Run in the Grampians.
Even better, I have something good to show for all my work whilst away-

Somewhere along the way, I've lost a couple of hexagons to finish that lower corner.  Not to worry, on to them next.

The school year is coming to an end soon, so I've been preparing some hand work tor those times sitting waiting to pick-up kids from friends houses, from the pool, etc.
Since I finally succumbed to the Vignette mystery, I've been tracing out the stitchery border patterns.  Hours of waiting time there!

I'm trying out Leanne Beasley's tip of tracing the design with a fine Pigma pen.  I usually use a Pacer pencil, but I often have trouble seeing my lines, and the lead "grabs" at the fabric.  The Pigma was very easy to draw with, gliding over the linen fabric.  Because it's so fine, the embroidery should cover it nicely.

 This is the current disaster on my sewing table.  Not a bad disaster, just a big mess as I cut and piece 1/4 square triangles into cute little hourglass blocks.  These little beauties are 2 1/2" square at the moment.

These little blocks are step 1 in Bonnie K Hunter's new mystery "Orca Bay".

The icing on the cake this week was winning a giveaway on Lurline's blog  Lurline's Place.  How gorgeous are those fabrics?  I've love Aneela Hoey's fabrics for ages, so the layer cake of Sherbet Pips is wonderful.  The charm pack of Meadow Friends is bright and cheery, and a fabulous Melanie Hurlston pattern was also included.  Then there were the little bonus extras.  Sooo happy.  I'm a real sucker for a luscious hand made cake of soap!
Ideas for the fabric are already swirling around my head!
Happy Days.