Happy New Year

So here we are at the beginning of another year and many of us are starting afresh with hopes for a wonderful 2014. I'm hoping for better health and less stress, fingers crossed for a much happier year.  

I've been playing around with my blog in the last day or two.  I've changed my header and background to better co-ordinate with the projects I'll be making this year.  I'm finding more and more I love the retro look that's around. So that's the look I tried to capture using bits and pieces from my sewing room and keeping it bright and happy.

I'm introducing a new feature this year called Let's Share the News and that's exactly what I plan to do under this logo.

If you hear about a bargain, a new swap, a blog hop, a quilt show or you are organising something yourself and would like help to spread the word, please let me know.

I've changed the look of my Fabulous Free Stuff logo but the idea hasn't changed.  Each day I'll share a link to a fabulous free project or tutorial shared by a member of our wonderful creative blogging community.  I plan to list all 2014 links to projects on a Pinterest Board called Links to Fabulous Free Stuff. 

If you click on this logo

in the side bar it should take you straight there.  This should save you from having to go back through old blog posts if you want to find a particular link you know you saw here but can't remember exactly when or where. 

I've been sorting and sifting and giving away some of my stash so that I can be better organised this year.  I've taken the Fabricholics Pledge and so, as Jenny of Elefantz would say, I'll be shopping in my stash to let older fabrics have their turn to shine.  

It's also time to get out some unfinished projects and either finish them, revamp them or give them away. I'm planning a wall of mini quilts this year, so out came a project from 2010. 

It was a round robin kindly shared by Helen of Hugs and Kisses and I made it with some stitching friends. I'd wanted my version to be in red work so that's how I stitched the centre block.  The next person to add a round loves bright colours so she decided to change the theme. 

The third round was perfect and then another friend finished it off with the outer hexie layer and she tried to bring it all together by adding blue, yellow and red hexies.  I know it is really ungrateful but I hated the second round and so into the cupboard this project went and I thought I'd never finish it.  In fact it nearly went to the Op Shop a couple of times.

Ahh but now it's a new year and I've got a new attitude - recycle and reuse - so out it came and I'm changing it to suit my taste.

Off came those ugly little hexies (don't worry this person doesn't read my blog, so she will never know) and I tea dyed the background.  Then I added two strips of beautiful French General hexies.

The fourth round was added by my Mill Rosie friend Rosalie.  The butterflies and snails she stitched are gorgeous.  I left on the red and yellow hexies and plan to add four French General flowers to complete the round. 

The four extra flowers made by Rosalie will go onto a blue and white tea towel so very little wastage at all.

Are you playing along with Cheryll's Heart Swap?  Maybe you are getting ready for Valentine's Day?  Or maybe you are just a romantic at heart? So I thought I'd share a couple of links to beautiful heart projects and there is no better way to start than with a link to delightful Cherry Heart.

This gorgeous heart is shared in a tutorial HERE.  Many thanks to Sandra for sharing with us all.

About.com can always be counted on for good things.

  HERE they share three adorable stitchery heart designs.

And finally there are so many delightful heart printables around.  

Just like this one at Babble

I love the buttons from Theodora Cleave.  There are some amazing bargains at the moment, including buttons reduced from $8 to $2. Go HERE to take a look.

Fabulous Jenny from Elefantz is starting the new year by generously sharing a free and totally adorable stitchery with us.  Just go HERE

Happy New Year

Love