Party Time ....

So... Chookyblue is having a party this weekend... and we are all invited!



her Chookshed is 2 years old... so get some stitching, get some bubbly and find some friends....

Chooky would love to know who is coming so let her know HERE who you are and where you are from

After my bookclub tea we will be having beer and BBQ
(since hubz knows how to cook BBQ)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOOKSHED

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One of my most favourite projects was this fusion blanket I did in 2012....

The picture is dark but it is made of soft pastels and I did embroidery butterflies (from Butterfly Garden quilt) on several of the blocks prior to sewing ....

.. the back is a pretty flannel.... and I crocheted with a bamboo yarn which is very soft and cuddly....

 I wanted to do a similar project but in a light weight version and when a friend gave me some pretty matching fat quarters I decided the time had come....

I am using 4 ply cotton yarn from Bendigo Woolen Mills (their service was wonderful and prompt) .... this one is a lovely rich colour called Pomegranate... and feels as delicious as it looks....

The orginial tutorial I followed was HERE at Sewing Daisies..... and you can follow my process for my first one HERE if you are interested...

.... and I hope to do a bit of binding too....

Righto, Gotto Go... better make sure there is a supply of beer in the fridge for the party......

Before and After .....

A couple of great ideas of non-sewing stuff for the sewing room (via comments on my last post) .......

• Kris keeps some Dental floss... great for closures on softies, buttons and beads.... and I hear the little blade is an acceptable cutting tool if you go on planes and want to stitch!  Of course you can floss your teeth as you stitch if you like????

• Several people use they Hyflex or gardening gloves similar to mine... seems they are quite popular and cheaper than 'quilting gloves'... 

Oh and Marienne, if you are reading this thank you for your comment and question but you came through as a no-reply and I have no way of getting back to you.... sorry!

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I have done some more of my quilting .... the other side of the curves has lines which has given it balance and I've put the circles in the curved spaces...  I think it gives that finishing touch on the border ...

Before

After

 Before

After

I still want to do a fair bit of quilting around the sashing and filling in some of the blocks

Before

After

Hubz and I got stuck into this bed at the weekend... need to keep going next weekend....

Feeling sorry for myself for my aching limbs after the gardening when this perfect panel arrived from Cheryll

thank you so much... my soul in nurtured!
(I wonder how she knows I dance like that in the flowerbeds?)

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I've been sewing some elephants... baby ones...

... just in case you have forgotten there is a new grandie arriving later this year!

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Righto, Gotto Go...... new project.....

Keep Calm and Carry On Quilting......

I have a new blogger to introduce you to....

..... meet Joy ......  I hope you can pop over and say Hi and welcome to the world of blogging....

.... now I know I am a bit star struck with Joy .... you see I just love her quilting and she has taught me loads in the two workshops I have attended.... she is my quiling heroine after all!!

.... although quilting is Joys forte' she also does beautiful stitching.... I am sure you will find lots of inspiration.....   when you look at her work remember it is not computerised... 

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Righto... so now on to what I have been doing.....

I have started another Scandanavian Rose stitchery... this one I wanted to have a bit of the shabby chic look so I am using Cottage Garden lavender..... I think it is so pretty....

... and here is the quilting I have done... the borders.... about 7 hours of work there... I did the curves and straight lines using my new rulers.... and the feathers in the curves were free-hand....  I am learning on the way....

the inside curves (on the green fabric)  were a challenge because I had to fit the whole quilt inside the machine arm - and get out the ironing board on my right hand side to hold the weight.... but it worked...

lots of straight line ruler work does take a long time... but I wanted that bit of formality so it was worth it.... by using the rulers I don't need to do much marking...

.... probably wouldn't do so much intricate work on such busy fabric... you don't really notice the quilting... but as this was a learning experience that's okay....  practice on busy fabric with a thread that doesn't stand out.... mistakes don't show ....

.... now I want to do the lines on the other side and circles in between the curve lines and then work on some of the inside blocks .....

..... I have heard it said to work from the centre of a quilt out..... but as Joy taught me if the blocks have all been stitch in the ditched it's not going to move anywhere ... much easier to do the parts you want first with no pins in the way....

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Hubz had some office stuff to do yesterday so I had a bit of a look around....

found this fold up table ...

.... the legs extend so it becomes a great height for cutting...  (or be short for a great working table for grandies to sit at!)

....  it is a bit wobbly so will need to lean against a wall when doing the cutting ....

Hubz has already tried to hijack it for his beer!  hmmmm... it may just become a multi-purpose table!

... folds away to easily fit under the bed.... great if you are short on space ...

... also found another pair of gloves to try... these are quite snug ... so far I like them....  As I like my hands flat when I am quilting full gloves with the whole base rubberised seem to give me the most control....

 ..... maybe not terribly exciting shopping but they are both things I will get a lot of use out of in the sewing room ... and relatively inexpensively.. 

Do you use 'everyday' non sewing objects to help your sewing?  I'd love to know what....

Righto, back to the quilting today.... it's a beaut of an Autumn day and I will be in the garden later.....

Qu.....Q..... qu.... qu .... quilting.....

I am always a bit nervous when it comes to quilting... whether it is my quilt or someone elses... the only time I am not is when I am quilting on my little tension practice scrap piece....

I think it is because I really hate unpicking ......

I started by lots of stitch in the ditch... around the borders and the applique..... this does take a long time as I go slowly and try and keep neat....  you can't really see much from the front but this is how it is ....

there are a couple of big blocks with no applique in the quilt so I had a bit of fun with that....

my favourite quilting is free form like those feathers .... though I used rulers for the circle and crosshatching 

... looks better from the back... maybe this will be an upside down quilt???

... today I am planning the main border ...... again I am going to use the rulers and do some freeform feathers and circles..... this more formal border is something new to me......

I still love a bit of hand stitching at night and when I meet up with the girls....  this block is finished now (one from Rosalie Quinlans Scandanavian Rose - I am only doing backstitch)

... it reminded me of this lovely little brass bell that I remember adorned my grandparents dining table (we lived in colonial Africa when you rang your bell for the plates to get collected!)

The Dutch settled in South Africa in the early colonisation... I expect that is the origins of this little bell... it has a lovely ring.....

I have been doing this secret project.. in secret of course......

Righto, better stop Procraftinating and get on with that quilting..... wish me luck!

Perhaps I should have a cup of coffee first?

Friday Night Sew In ..........

Thanks Wendy for getting us all together on Friday night.... even though I sew most nights it's still fun to sew knowing that lots of others are sewing at the same time....

I basted a quilt during the morning ....

.. and then in the evening after a nice piece of lamb Hubz watched the footy so I got out and sewed a few leaves.....

today I am doing a bit of quilting (it's still Friday somewhere in the world!)

I treated myself to some of these rulers which guide the free motion foot so I am having a go with them....  I have struggled with tension issues when using the walking foot so this seems a good option for me....

This is a pocket base for a bag.....

.. don't you think I am awfully clever to have both hands there and take a photo at the same time? 

My roses are having their last flourish before winter... have had a bit of wind the last couple of days so my garden is a bit confettified....

Righto, Gotto Go...... bag to make....

I hope you all have a lovely weekend

Feeling human....

I've been in my bed... sick with a cold.... and finally am feeling human again

I haven't done anything useful (I slept for 3 days)

 ...... but I found a few little things I did a while ago......

.... thought I would show you where fairies place their babies...

My friend Christine made and gave me some mushrooms and grass so they went in a thimble....

... they are very cute... and tiny... 

this little thimble will sit in my cupboard... for grandiegirls to come and look for fairies 

(they do live in my house)

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I'm always on the search for good sized storage boxes for various projects

I found a great storage box for those 12 1/2" square blocks I am collecting in block swaps....

the boxes are made for scrapbooking pages .... perfect size for a growing collection and has tidied up a shelf so well

... this is another whole quilt I have done.....

.. bigger than last time... this one is 6" square.....

this time done using a satin type fabric 

a few tension issues - but I'm having fun

Righto, Gotto Go... looking for fairies.....

(maybe time to ease off the lemon and honey... and whisky)