Stale Thrifted Diamonds Give-Away

No it's not a stolen diamonds give-away but an amalgamation of the subtitles in this post.


Stale Stash Swap

I received some lovely fabric in the mail from my Ohio swap buddy this week. Hopefully she has got my parcel too.

Thrifted Thursday


I had 15 mins to wait for the public library to open, so I stepped into the 'Rescue Helicopter Op-Shop' and picked up...


7 zips for 20c each

and an incomplete set of Chinese crockery all for $3!

 Great for the Chinese year of the Water Dragon don't you think?

Diamonds in Squares


I absolutely love the look of this block. It makes a stunning statement. And yet we are not friends at all. After a break I went back to finish another 3 blocks. We have come to an understanding but are not 'friends'.

Easter Fabric Give-Away

Sorry I couldn't post the Random Number Generator gadget but I have forgotten how to import that.


The winner of the Easter Fabric giveaway is #7 Miss Beau Jangles. I will be contacting you for your details and posting this out as soon as the Post Office reopens after the Easter break. Congratulations! 


Thank you to all 10 of you who participated in the give-away. Keep your eye out for another fabric give-away soon when Finding Fifth and Quiet Play reach 50 Followers.


I am linking up with...

Squaring things up

Just a reminder that I still have an Easter fabric give-away happening until Thursday evening (Australian Eastern Time). 


A Published Work


This year my oldest son has taken on a lot more responsibility and is thriving. He has joined the cub scouts and continued to learn violin. He tried his best at the swimming and cross country carnivals and then was the only boy in his class to participate in a field hockey Gala Day (where they are taught the skills and then put into teams to play). 


I encouraged him to also write a piece for the student Newspaper at his school. He and his support teacher worked on it together. It was published today. He is so proud and so am I. This is when Asperger's and Communication kiss nicely.

Diamond in a Square


Today I had lots of time to tackle the Quilt Club Australia Beehive #1 block for April. This block looks so pretty with all sorts of scrappy fabrics. The tutorial was written by the witty Kirsty from Quiet Play and she named it 'Diamond in a Square'. Even if you never make this block, do read the tutorial because it is very funny!

The final quilt, put together by Kirsty, will be given to a great charity called 'Angels for the Forgotten'. She wants to assemble the blocks in colours so as to make a rainbow quilt. I am contributing BLUE blocks because my stash has lots of blues.


So here's my effort for the day.

I cut squares...

and then triangles

and then I had to tame some naughty seams by trimming the blocks.

Then it came together looking all resplendent.

I have one more ready to sew up when I get another chance. I probably have enough leftover fabrics for one or 2 more.


I'm linking up with...

Easter Give-Away

I had no requests for my Easter prints in my Stale Stash Swap last week and so I am putting them up for grabs. I'd rather them being used that languishing in my stash unused. Perhaps someone can make a nice Easter fabric basket - too hard for me.

2 uncut FQs of Spring Tidings - Fabri Quilt
2 uncut FQs of Aqua baskets - Me and My Sister Designs   


All you have to do to receive half a yard of each print is tell me one of your Easter traditions. 


The number generator will pick a number at 8pm (Australian Eastern Time) on Thursday 5th April This give-away is open to Australian and overseas followers of my blog and a valid email address (you can join up if you need to).



Stale Stash Swap Update
                                                           


I also posted off 1.5 yards of fabric to Marian in Idaho today as part of the 'Stale Stash Swap'. 


Eggs, Sugar Bowls and Harlequin Trios


The lovely Rachel, from Nancy's Tea Shop, contacted me last week to say that she had found two Colclough sugar bowls and would I be interested in them before she listed them on her Etsy store. I snapped the both of them up in aqua and buttercup. And yes she included the Easter eggs - what a sweety!

Then she also listed these delicious Harlequin trios.

Here's what she wrote about them...


This lovely trio would look great at a vintage tea party with other china or on its own with your favourite blend of tea and a home made cookie!

Colclough Bone China was founded in Staffordshire in 1890 by Herbert J. Colclough a former mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, England. Herbert Colclough was a china lover and brought fine bone china to ordinary people rather than the rich few, making Colclough an important part of antique bone china history. The brand became part of the Royal Doulton Group in the early 1970s and was discontinued in 1996. This trio is likely to come from 1950s.


How could I resist?

So here is my tea set stash (is that a quilty word making it into mainstream?). It started with 2 tea sets from my mum and the rest is from Rachel's store.

I highly recommend Rachel's store. She photographs her china so beautifully and her prices are soooooo much cheaper than anything I have yet found in Australia at op-shops or antique stores. Not only that but she, or her mum, package everything up so carefully for the journey to the Antipodes.


I have to show some restraint but there are about 10 things in her store right now that are tempting me. Check out the sweet Scotch Thistle creamer and sugar bowl and this stylish 1950s tea pot.


Thrifted Thursday


I am linking up with...


                                               


I had to get an x-ray on my toe in Ballina on Monday and so, even with a broken toe, I managed to hobble into 2 op-shops this afterwards.


My discoveries

$3

too cute to miss at only $4

50c each - for Zakka Projects

pillowcase 50c embroidery $1.50