A couple of things in the post.....

A couple of things were sent off yesterday in the post.

First, was a couple of tubs of Marshmallow Creme to my cousin in Adelaide, why? Because its fudge making season :)

 



The second parcel was our jelly roll which was won by Hueisei in MALAYSIA! Congratulations Hueisei again, and please let us see what you make with this lovely Jelly Roll.

 

Tomorrow I will put up my progress on my Magic of Christmas BOM by Gail Pan that I am trying to get finished.

 

but until then remember, chocolate really can make the world a better place.

Mrs C xxxx

Time is running out

Time is running out on our latest competition.

Why not try your luck and simply leave a funny story about your sewing on our post HERE!

The competition will come to an end on 31st October.

Even if you are not a quilter you could give this as a Christmas gift this year.

Only 59 days till the gorgeous man in the bright red suit visits.

I wonder what competition I will do next month?

Mrs C xxx



The Magic of Christmas - Gail Pan

 

I have to say I am a bit of a groupie of Gail Pan's work I love her simplicity and just her natural approach to her work and the dedication she shows to her craft.

I have decided just this week, well today actually, that I will be getting in more of her Block of the Months.  I am currently working on The Magic Of Christmas

 

 

 

 - we will be starting this one as soon as I can show you a sample.  I am not doing it in traditional green and reds, but there are greens and red in it.

I am doing it in a mix of country primitive fabrics that are from some of my favourite collections, such as Red Rooster - Whimsicals, Anni Downs, Winterberry Lane, and Sandy Gervais.

Here is a little sneaky peak of the fabrics......

 

 

The full kit will be available for $200, a saving of $26, (plus postage) and that includes the pattern, the fabric for the quilt top and border.

 

A binding and backing kit is available for an additional $68.00 (plus postage)

 

The Block of the Month will be $22 per month (plus postage) and will run for 10 months (does NOT include binding or backing fabric)

 

So register your interest to start this gorgeous quilt NOW!.....

 

Why wait till next year? Have this project to do while you are holidaying this Christmas Season.

 

Love to all, and just think its only 61 days till Santa arrives ....

Mrs C xxx

 

I get by with a little help from my friends.....

OR A LOT in this case.

Remember last week when I shared that I had a challenge set with regard to a quilt for a magazine deadline and I had cut up some fabric and I was just going to go with the flow and see where it took me?

This is where it took me.

 

I was very blessed to have had Pat from A1 quilting spend the afternoon on Saturday with me machine quilting this.  Love Pat's work and her patience with me :)

And I spent an hour this afternoon walking around our Botanical Gardens taking a few snapshots of the quilt......

I like the way it turned out....

 

This weeks challenge



So I thought I had a little more time, but I was talking to the gorgeous Chris yesterday and I am now on a deadline to design a quilt, make a quilt, quilt a quilt, bind a quilt and photograph a quilt before early next week.

 

I am going to be using this in one of our new advertisements in Handmade.

We are really excited about starting up this relationship with this magazine and keep an eye out for many more that are also in the works.....you might even see my little noggin in amongst the photos 'giggle giggle'.

 

I looked around the shop yesterday and came up with these fabrics, they are from Red Rooster and the range is called "Weeds and Tweed's.....let's now get this locomotion on the road and start to get creative.

 

(needless to say some of the quilts and projects I had on the boil are now on simmer till after this quilt is finished)

 

Stay tuned for more progressive photos.

 

Mrs C xxxx

I have started my Christmas List.



Last week we had a flying visit from Santa Claus while 2AY were here doing a radio broadcast.  It was a fantastic afternoon with lots of fun and laughter.

I had a chance, when he wasn't being surrounded by children to have a little word in Santas ear with regard to my very own Christmas List.

I mentioned a little fabric range called 'American Banner Rose', and even though the range has been out for a little while I have only just come across it and I LOVE IT!

Well blow me down, if a fat quarter bundle did not arrive the next day in the store!!!

I am being a good little girl and Im going to wrap it and put it under the Christmas Tree to be lovingly unwrapped this Christmas.

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE HARD :)

I hope you are all starting to put your Christmas List together.

Love and Blessings to all,

Mrs C xxx

Doily Swap

I was also in Fee's doily swap this month.  I have just about finished my little creation for my partner Teresa BUT that didnt stop me from opening my little parcel that also arrived yesterday.

 

What we had to do was send a doily, an embroidered doily and some buttons and some ribbon to our partner who would then make them into something wonderful.

Teresa has really outdone herself in what she has made me.

There was a little purse - for all my patchwork shopping spondoolies for the Adelaide trip in March :)

and there was also a sewing pouch where there was a pair of scissors and some pins added as a little extra touch AND an angel pin for me to wear in the shop.

Teresa I love these thank you for making them for me.

Now I best get back to work so I can get home so I can finish my projects.

Mrs C xxx

It's a day for presents for Mrs Claus

 

 

I was also in the Once a Season Swap and this Season is "Spring" here is my lovely stitchery quilt sent to me by Claire.

 

What a gorgeous quilt this is and one that I will hang with pride in my sewing room.

Thank you so much Claire, I love the colours and the stitchery......just gorgeous.
OH I also got some Chockies.....mmmmmmm

 

Mrs C xx

A package swap just for me :)

 

I joined up to do a swap held by Jos and my partner was Dzintra, and a BIG hello to JoJo who I know helped her mum pick out some of these gifts...

I received my parcel today.  Our brief was to send some fabric ( 1 meter), some ribbon/lace (2 meters), at least 4 buttons, a spool of thread, and a pattern and anything else you think your swap buddy might really love and appreciate.

Here is what Dzintra sent me: 2 ribbon dollies with some gorgeous ribbon wrapped around them, a lovely raspberry cake of soap, a packet of rusty bells (just my thing for some Christmas Stockings), a lovely stitchery kit called Christmas Goodies with fabric and thread, and 2 pieces of Rouenneries Fabric by FRENCH GENERAL - A FAVOURITE!!!

 

 



 

 

A while ago I started making this quilt called In The Woods - A Meme's Quilt Pattern.  We stock a lot of them in our shop, and we get them directly from Sherri - we love Sherri.  Anyway back to the point of this post :)

Today with the weather being really really wet - it left me some time in the shop to start auditioning backings as I finally finished placing the borders on this .....

This is what I came up with, a gorgeous dark blue checked fabric with teeny tiny red stars all over.

 

 

Project this weekend is to now - get the quilt all assembled and pinned ready for some quilting.  I wont be hand quilting this one, I think it will just be an all over random job. Maybe some stars? Who knows where the machine will take me.

I look forward to showing you more of this quilt in the next couple of weeks.  It will then be hung very proudly in our shop.

Have a tremendous weekend,

Love and Blessings to all, Mrs C xx

Sit and Sew on and on and on

This afternoon in the store we are having a sit and sew, I have many plans of what I would like to do. I mean I have great expectations that I will just be on a roll and get a lot done. One of the projects that I want to finish is the Christmas in Italy top.  All I have to do to finish the top is hand stitch on the 4 paper pieced stars. Not a lot really.

So when that's done I hope to finish a little project I have been working on with one of our panels.

I wonder how far I will get, between having a nice hot cup of coffee and a piece of walnut and apple slice.....oh and the chatting of course.

I hope you are all managing some stitching this weekend, only 79 days to go :)

Mrs C xxxxx

Christmas in Italy Complete Pattern Set

We have a full set of this gorgeous pattern on sale at the shop.

Usually $140 for the set of ten patterns but they have now been reduced to $110.

 

Call us, email us or purchase through our website.

 

Mrs C xxxxx

12 Inch Swap - Spring

Today I posted off my 12 inch quilt to my swap buddy.  The theme was 'spring' and to me spring used to mean getting out our beloved beetle, Molly and go for a drive with the top down.

So I hand drew Molly and the appliqued it onto a white background.  I then hand embroidered some flower stems and little daisys.

The next step was to make some yoyo's to be used as the flowers themselves.  Molly is then framed with some hand drawn flowers with yoyo's in the centre.

I hope my swap buddy likes this little quilt and the story behind it.

Mrs C xx

82 Days till Christmas Giveaway

We are in the mood for giveaways here at The Christmas Beetle.

So this months giveaway is a bundle of goodies.

First: this gorgeous pattern by Meme's Quilts called Flower Power.

 

This panel from Sandy Gervais and 5 fat 1/8's from our selection of fabric here in the store.

So what have you got to loose?

All you have to do is share a funny sewing story with us to go into the draw.

Love to all,

Mrs C xxx

 

 

 

 

 





Friendship and Buttons

This past weekend I have been busy working on some projects to make up as little kits.  These kits will be quick and easy and very affordable so keep an eye out.

This one will be a little 12 inch mini quilt.  There is also a satchel bag and a larger quilt on their way. OH and not to forget the pin cushion.

Mrs C xxx

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!

We have a winner to our Love Letters Jelly Roll Competition.

Drum roll please......bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Congratulations to:

HUEISEI......

 

Please send us an email with your postal address so we can get this lovely Jelly Roll out to you as soon as possible.

 

Oh, and I hope your mum loves the quilt you are wanting to make out of this.

 

Stay tuned for more competitions, as it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

 

Love and Blessings to all,

Mrs C xxxxx