For my small project in Michelle's book i have made the xmas door hanger,a lovely design that i enjoyed making.
Cheers Shez xx

Getting Ready

Hello my friends.

I live in New Zealand on the east coast of the North Island.

In Central Hawkes Bay.

Our home is in a village but a little mini lifestyle block.

Now what I have put aside for getting ready to start this Christmas Quilt.

I brought the stripe for my binding of this quilt.

I will cut this on the bias.

The mottled red is to be included as well.:)

Thinking of changing some thread colours

to work in with my choice of fabrics.

I tipped out my box of Christmas fabrics to see what would go !!

Tillie decided to be in on the fun. :)

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

In By The Skin Of My Teeth

Just made it by the skin of my teeth. Here is my small May project.  I decided to have a try at needle-turn appliqué.   Took a little getting used to, but I think I will get the hang of it for the quilt, at least, I hope so.  There is plenty of practice involved!

In past projects I have used fusible appliqué,  but felt it was time to try something a little more challenging.  I only hope that I have not bitten off more than I can chew.

I decided to use "Cottage Garden" threads in the stitchery part of this little mat, but alas the red one bled a little, this finished effort is a vast improvement on how it was before I soaked and sponged the run out.

So now my dilemma is whether to use "Cottage Garden" threads in the Holly quilt or my DMC threads.

I am unsure how to link this post back to my blog at Motherdragon's Musings,  so will do just a small post there.

Happy stitching
Sharon.

Confused

Hello, I'm Sammie, AKA Mama Bear from Bears at Home. I live in the United States, Southeast. Although Alabama has its most southern border on the Gulf of Mexico, I live in the northern part of the state near Tennessee and it is more mountainous. We live in what is known as the Tennessee Valley, in Huntsville, home of NASA and the Space Camp. I have participated in SAL from the beginning although I didn't do the year of small projects. My Husband and I are semi-retired after 50 years of marriage, but we're both very active. He now does home health care 3 mornings a week and consults with his former employer in Tennessee. We have 2 grown children, 5 grands and 1 great.

I joined up for this project a little late and just got my book from Michelle. I have read it and am confused. Has anyone sorted out the background squares by measurements and tagged for each applique? Also where do I find the star and heart? There are numerous ones in the book but which is for the quilt? Here are the fabrics I've pulled from my stash and the cream for the background, although I may pick up some more Christmas prints when they come out in the stores.

 Doing the projects with a group has kept me on schedule and enabled me to finish the quilts. I have been blogging since 2006 and now count many of you as friends.
Mama Bear

Finished

Finally have my Gossip in the Garden ready for quilting.

Hi

My name is Sheryl and my friends call me Shez,i live in a very small country town in Victoria ,Australia.
I have been married for 42 1/2 years we have 3 grown up children and 7 beautiful grandies rangeing from 3 years to 16.
I started sewing clothes for myself and the children after our home was burnt down ,that was about 30 years ago and i have been sewing ever since,except now i dont sew clothes i make gifts for friends and family.
I am using my stash of Nancy Halvorsen fabrics for Michelle's quilt.
I am not good at doing quilts,but i have managed to finish 2 from chooky's SAL (usaually they sit around for years) so these SAL's are good in keeping me on track and for motivating me to keep going,plus chooky keeps on my tail,lol and pushes me along.
I love Michelle's design's and i can think of no better way than to stitch this lovely quilt with friends.
Thankyou Fiona,Raewyn,Chooky and Susan for hosting this.

Cheers Shez xx

Small Project

I am Maria from  Life on the Block . Hubby and I live on 5 acres between the bush and sea in a small crayfish/tourist town in Western Australia..

I sewed clothes for many years but started quilting 1999 and find that more enjoyable..

Have blogged since 2009 and made many online friends and have had the pleasure of meeting some in person.

It's so nice to be joining in for my third Stitch-A-Long. Will be fun doing Michelle's " Holly Cottage Christmas Quilt" with Fiona , Raewyn ,Chooky and Susan cracking the whip if we don't get our monthly project done each month...

For May we were asked to choose a small project from  Michelle's book and I made the "Candle Mat"

Didn't have 11 small green buttons to finish it off... Will go to the Op Shop and see what they have..

Hugz Maria :)

Hello from Cloncurry, NW Queensland

Hello,
I'd like to introduce myself.
My name is Sharon, my blog is Motherdragon's Musings.  I have been quilting since 2000, taking a three year break in 2009, when I went back to full-time study.

I was working full-time until recently,  but due to health issues, I have had to give up work, still trying to adjust to this. Apart from health issues, my memory is going.

I am a Mumma to two grown-up kiddos. These kiddos have kiddos of their own.  Daughter has two boys. Son has one daughter and a new bubba due 6 August. Do not know what colour quilt to make, so may wait until it is hatched!!

But I am going to sew like a dervish while I can.

My lovely book arrived the other day, just before I had to go to Brisbane to see a specialist, but when I was down there, I purchased these fabrics for my quilt, the light does not do justice to the colours.

These two are for the outer border.

These are for the applique and patchwork squares.  The blue is actually green.

These ones I found in my stash, never knew I had so many Christmas fabrics.

More from my stash

So now I will be pressing them, it will probably take close to a millennium to iron all these pieces of fabric,  some are good sized scraps, some are fat quarters, some are yardages.

I also purchased some more cream fabric to do the appliqué on.

Still have two weeks of May left to choose a small project, will look into that over a cuppa very soon.

Hello from Susan (oh2sew)

While we are waiting for the real fun to begin - I think it's a great idea to have some introductions.

Like Fiona, I know many of you from previous Stitch-A-Long projects - and you may have seen me cracking the whip on a few occasions in the earlier projects on behalf of Chookyblue.

I couldn't resist supporting Fiona, Raewyn and Michelle, so I am joining in too.
I am only using my Christmas stash.  I will be taking a few short cuts (sorry to Michelle...but there are only so many hours in a day and far too many projects....)
I've included a picture of the Christmas stash here 

- it will be interesting to see if it is any reduced after this quilt is made...I suspect not.

Status:I have the fabrics sorted, I have copied the pages ready for tracing and I'll sort threads as I go.

A brief bio:
Originally from Sydney, now living in Brisbane, Queensland.
(1 DH, 2 DDs, one dog, one cat)
Started on the patchwork trail in about 1984...some of my stash must be that old!!
I have many UFOs - although over a 2 year period I was able to finish off at least 24...the ones left need a fair amount of work, so they are slower to finish.
I am still in paid employment - work seriously hinders my crafting journey....and since I blog, belong to 3 sewing groups and find it hard to say "no"...(to patchwork things)....I have far too many things on the go all at once.   I know that is not unusual.
My blog is here...in case you want to look, but it has been a bit neglected of late.

Welcome to you if you haven't joined in a Stitch-A-Long before - the group motivation is very helpful and the monthly timetable really will help to keep you on track....well that is the plan anyway.

The Countdown is on . . . 16 sleeps....

Hello from Queensland

Hello from my little dot on the map in country Queensland. An empty nester living on a small cattle property and working part time off-farm. Once upon a time I had a lot more time for my love of many things craft and sewing ... now it's just squeezed in.

Groups like the Stitch-A-Long family keep me moving forward instead of getting stuck in procrastination world.  I have only participated once before with Nature's Journey which is a finished flimsy awaiting quilting. I also made Tis The Season the year after it ran here.

This year I challenged myself to stitch Michelle's Calendar Bears by stitching one each month. April was a bit shakey being finished in May and now  after a relaxing Mother's Day, I can share a finished Mumma Bear and cubs for May.

Here she is with her calendar friends.

Now to get into town to add some fabrics ready for A Holly Cottage Christmas. I am looking forward to stitching along with friends and hope I can "squeeze" enough sewing time into my days. 

Introduction: Susan at DesertSky Quilts

I'll plunge in with an intro. I live in Tennessee in the USA, and that means I'm a state away from the Atlantic, and about halfway up the coast. Alas, we have many rivers, and the Great Smoky Mountains, but no ocean beaches! Here's a picture that shows why they are called the Smokies - that's early morning fog coming up.
 

  I'm a widow (7 years), a retired teacher, and a quilter for more years than some of you have lived. LOL I piece, applique, embroider, crazy quilt, and mix them all together, sometimes. I can't pick a favorite. I have several of Michelle's patterns, but I didn't have this book, so I ordered it and it just arrived at the beginning of the week. I have enjoyed looking over it. I doubt I get anything made before we start the stocking, though.

Here's a picture of me with my younger son (see mention below photo) at his work Christmas Party in 2015.

I haven't yet chosen fabrics. I have to find the box with the Christmas fabrics in it. My stash has been displaced by my younger son moving in. The older one already lived here. Both of them are dealing with life issues, and no, not here to take care of me. LOL

Many things are crammed in the last small room I have, so finding them may be problematic. I might be FORCED to go out and buy new ones! The shop hop here in East Tennessee is coming up the first week of June. Very timely, if I have to buy fabric!

Since there are already several varieties of Susan in the labels, I'm using dezertsuz, which is my e-mail addy. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all through your stitching and blogging here. Thanks for letting me join!

Ready...... Steady.....

.... almost time to start!!!!

I enjoyed Raewyn's introduction post and thought I would also.  Many of you who have joined in with the stitchalong I have known for a while, but there's quite a lot who I don't know even though we may have sewn together on some of the other quilts.

My Nature's Journey top is finished - but I still haven't quilted it!!! 

Chookyblue, who as you know started the StitchALongs was one of the first people I met when I entered blogland in 2010 - and she was so supportive and helpful.... since then I have made some amazing online friends and been lucky enough to meet a number of them in real life....

Please feel free to make a short introduction of yourself - we are quite a good size group and it would be lovely to know a bit about you - no pressure of course, say as much or as little as you like.  Even show us what fabrics you are going to use.

I live in Queensland Australia and have been in Australia since 2002 - coming from Zimbabwe.  Of course I have wonderful memories and friends and family there and miss them terribly but I do love it here and have wonderful friends and family here too and we are making new memories.  I also have a lot of family in the UK so the internet is my BFF.....  Just me and Hubz at home, and a dog now and I am addicted to my sewing...

These are the fabrics I have.  I purchased a fat 1/8th pack last year and used a little.  Managed to get a bit of metreage for borders so I'm set to go.... These are Anni Downs fabrics and I think the little prints will look gorgeous...  The beige spot will be my background for the pictures....

For this month we suggested fabric finding and if you felt like it a smaller item from the book.....  this is one I have made previously - I've run out of time to do another but I'm sure you won't mind if I share it anyway.

It is the doorhanger from Page 31 and I used a variegated thread

In June, although I am hosting I will be absent from blogland but Raewyn will be around to crack the whip and answer any questions.....

So lovely to have you all sewing along with us.... not too late to join if you are still thinking about it....

Righto, Gotto Go.... looking forward so sewing with you all.....xx

Playing with Fabric

Well I'm excited to be joining in with you all stitching this wonderful quilt of Michelle's.  I have been playing with fabric and have decided to use Gail Pan's range of Christmas fabrics, along with a few from my stash.

Cheryl