Progress on the Bluebirds.....

All the blue bird blocks have been quilted and the marks sprayed off

I do like looking at what it looks like from the back.... 

In the evenings I have been plodding along with this pretty table runner (pattern kindly donated by Susan)  ... I think it's going to be a lovely runner...

... so today is hot again .... still.... I don't like to complain about the weather, I choose to live in Queensland.... so to be positive.. it is very nice to sit near the aircon and sew....

I have got out my curved perspex rulers and working lines in the triangles... (and making new marks of course!!)

... and then playing with feathers in the spaces....

My latest handstitching is some needleturn applique (pattern donated by Marina) 

Haven't done needleturn for a while and I was a bit ham fisted to start with... going along nice and smoothly now... but they are little pieces....

Righto, Gotto Go... back to the bluebirds....  hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Hot, hot, hot....

We are having a bit of a heat wave, not uncommon but I really battle in this kind of heat!!!

So what can I do but stay indoors where the aircon is .... and sew....

Some of my blocks from the Block Swap have been made up into place mats... I added on a bit to the side and practiced some quilting.... 

I have taken out the scrap box and tried to tidy it making these scrappy 9 patches which will be the centres for my blocks.... (ongoing project!!!!)

There was quite a bit of interest in the lace I showed last week... so I thought I'd show more of it...

Not only was it on Mums wedding dress but it was also on mine.... which I happen to still have!

you can see it is actually quite a big piece... 

the front of the dress....  I still fit into it.... well one leg does!!!

I'm still no further in deciding what to do with it...

It's going to be hot all week... I should get quite a bit done!!

I am lucky enough to have a designated sewing room but I have moved into the dining/lounge area where the aircon is and am working on my pretty bluebirds wallhanging...

filling in the sashing with figure 8 lines....

.. the peeper is having to be carefully moved out the way

carefully stitch around the edge of the stitching and then a fairly dense twirly background

takes a while but I think it shows off the stitcheries...

Righto... Gotto Go... there's lots more quilting to do on this one...

Scrap Strips....

In my venture to sort and tidy I found a whole bunch of 'scraps' which had been passed on to me .... so I have cut them all into 2 1/2" strips.....  I think this range was around a few years ago... it's very happy colours

I have some plain white I am going to use with it.... some day ....

Meanwhile.......  TA DA.... 

 I present the Mouse Pincushion

The pattern is by Natalie Bird

I love it

Found a perfect button for the top (as I didn't have a little fluffy ball)

Michelle showed us some lovely lace on her blog, and Teresa also did a little while ago....  (I have included links to their relevant posts should you want to have a look at what they showed)

I have a piece of this lace and I wondered how one gets to know how old it is...  I know it was used in the 1950's (on my mums wedding dress) but sadly never found out anything about it prior to that

there is quite a few tear hole (moths or such like have had a feast I think) in it 

Righto, Gotto Go - there still seems to be so much I want to do ....

A Night in the Big City....

A date was planned to meet these lovely ladies on Monday....

Marina was visiting all the way from Melbourne and so I wasn't going to miss a trip to the city..... Hubz kindly arranged business meetings so he would keep out our way!!!

Here are bloggy friends Teresa, Marina and Michelle at a lovely cafe overlooking Brisbane.... I have on good authority we had a 5 hour lunch!  Chatter, chatter, giggle, chatter, laugh out loud, more chatter..... you get the picture I'm sure.... 

On Saturday morning my daughter called and said she has some tickets for a show in Brisbane Sunday night.... so we made a night of it...

I love the mix of the old and new in the city....

Ferry across the river to South Bank...

This musician is not as widely known as some.... he should be though ...

This is the link to the official website HERE 

At 72 he is amazing... lovely show, lovely music, lovely man... he didn't say much but he did say "Men need to stop violence against women"... I think this just depicts his philosophy

Lots of his music on youtube.... 

There is a documentary "Searching for Sugarman" available... interesting watching

Hubz used to listen to him when he was in college in South Africa in the mid 1970's... 

Ferry back to our lodgings for the night...

I took my stitching... but didn't get much done!!

Righto, Gotto Go.....  just gotta catch up on stuff...

FNSI October....

Thanks again to Wendy for hosting FNSI .... all 49 of us.... good party....

The Friday evening group was meeting again so I went along to that.... a smaller group, some familiar faces and some new ones... it's a lovely time to gently chat and hear about each others lives and what is going on....

... and eat cake.... on pretty plates...with pretty forks...

I was doing some hand sewing on a secret project .....

... this is another side of the mouse pincushion... little hexagons.... 

Christine and I were making them together... sort of... pop over HERE and see hers which she made 2/3rds smaller... it's ultra cute and ultra pretty...

 

My pincushion sides are together now but it needs stuffing to be recognisable.... 

... and my blankie is finished.....

... it's soft, and light, and pretty .....

This is a native tree flowering in my garden at the moment... it is only about 2 metres tall and covered in blossom...

... close up of the bunches of flowers...

Righto, Gotto Go..... the weekend has caught up with me.... and that mouse pincushion needs stuffing...

A new postcard... and sewing progress.....

I recently took part in a postcard swap hosted by Sheila..... and today my card arrived all the way from Lin in France....

This autumn crazy patch has stamped leaves and so beautifully stitched in gold.... its lovely

Lin does amazing art work with her fabric... I love seeing what she is doing and full of admiration with her lovely ideas...  Thank youso much Lin... a lovely addition to my postcards...

The theme was Autumn and I used some autumny coloured batik fabric and added some of my quilting on old doily flowers...

(picture taken from Lin's blog as I forgot to take a picture!!)

I have done the stitchery for the next side of my Mouse Pincushion....

... and actually put in a zip in the Princess's outfit..... (Christine gave me some 'pearls' to go with it - well a princess has to have pearls doesn't she?)

... and placed the label on the Princess's quilt...

Righto, Gotto Go.... I'm almost done with my crochet edging on my blankie...... sudden cool spell so it has been nice to have it over my knee whilst working on it