Christmas Sewing...

This year I am joining in with Narelle's "1 Christmas Item a Month" as I felt last year I wasn't very organised and didn't do the Christmas sewing I wanted.  (anyone can join anytime....its a great way for motivation and ideas)

I have quite a few Christmas UFO's so I'm starting off finishing them...

I quilted this runner with straight lines and matched the binding with the border....  There is a bit of wiggly quilting in the stitched area...

I love this cheerful runner..... I did the stitchery a few years ago....

.. perfect for on the table at Christmas time.....

I have been stitching up some snowmen when I wanted a short break from my Dutch Treat blocks.... I have always just loved backstitch work...

... and I was thrilled to find exactly the fabric I wanted to finish this one off... which will be next months Christmas project (and also a UFO)

Righto, Gotto Go... I just can't believe it's the end of February already... that means end of 'official' summer here - and I hope brings on some more reasonable temperatures and cooler evenings... and RAIN...

Quilt Backings....

Last years big project was the finish of Sylvia's Bridal sampler which I did in Reproduction Civil War fabrics....

I've done a few quilts in these fabrics so I had gathered up quite a lot of smaller mixed pieces ... so I decided to make a heap of different blocks and use them for the backing....

Gosh - it took ages with no pattern.... measure cut sew trim repeat again and again....

But finally it's done and I love it..... I had some real backing in a green which was perfect to finish off and make it the right size -  

I don't make up all my backings but I do love it when I do....

This is one of my early quilts made from a layer cake..... Marina mentioned she had some pieces from the same range (I've forgotten what it was called but I just love the fabrics in it)

... so I made lots of different size pinwheels and put them together with some cream background....

It makes a lovely summer quilt on this side, and a winter quilt on the other side!

Another of my early quilts I made for practice when I learnt redwork.  This was a free design (Raggedy and Friends) from Kaaren at The Painted Quilt.  Kaaren is no longer blogging but she has generously left her blog and freebies available.....

Again there were pieces left over so I put them together and made up this scrappy backing....

When I am doing it I think I am mad... but when it's done I am thrilled with it....

Here's another view of my latest one....

What about you?  Do you do this?

Righto, Gotto Go...... Quilts to pat.....

Road Trip

Last week Michelle and I met up at our half way spot .... just for coffee which turned out for coffee, and lunch... and afternoon..... lots of giggles  trying to stretch my arms out far enough for pictures....

I got a lovely bundle of pressies from Michelle.... very spoilt.  The kingfisher is a Michelle original and I happened to have a handy frame just the right size at home.....

thank you Michelle - I love all my new goodies....xx

The week began with the end of the Splendid Sampler blocks... here are all of mine together.... in amongst the fallen gum leaves...

I have started sewing some sashing and corner stones....

 ... just waiting for my design board to be freed up so that I can lay the blocks out and see where I want them all to go....

I love doing my hand stitching in front of the TV... so a couple more Dutch Treat blocks have been completed....

I like the way this one is with one side in reverse.... 

Righto, Gotto Go....  coffee time....

Some fun .....

This is how my mornings start!  A not very expensive coffee machine with not very expensive coffee pods .... a yummy cup of coffee then I move out to the veranda and catch up on my social media whilst listening and watching the birds at the feeding table .....

It's a ritual ......

How do you start your day?

Our local library has one a month crafty related activities... I can't always go but this month I went to the book folding.... I did a heart before so this time they gave me one that is a bit more challenging.....

I had to bring it home to finish it off...

The 'patterns' for book folding, and instructions are sold through a very clever lady HERE.  There also is several already made that you can buy or order specially.

I think it's so clever.

Last Sunday was revolting hot here.  I don't manage well in revolting hot.  We sat in our lounge room with the aircon and TV on ALL DAY.... we never to that.  We got into a series and that kept us nicely entertained ... and I got through a fair bit of Dutch Treat so I now have another 4 finished blocks....

That daisy one was really challenging... and close up the soft curves are actually rough chips!!

I have moved on to doing a bit more Boro stitching to take a short break from Dutch Treat .... I am enjoying the informal process of this and it's teaching me that not every stitch needs to be exact!

This is a wee little purse I made.  We had Craft Alive here in Toowoomba and I booked into this little $10 workshop where we got the kit and tuition to make this....

It was a bit fiddly I admit.... but its rather cute?

Righto, Gotto Go.... I think I have some serious stuff to do ......

Progress ......

Shingles....

I am over them now but had my first dose the last few weeks.  Not nice.  And it's meant I have not been doing much commenting of blogs - my favourite part of blogland is the interaction.

At first I thought I had spider bites - which really made me cry that a spider (I am very scared of spiders - even tiny ones) might ravage me in my sleep - so it was actually a bit of a relief that it was shingles and a couple of weeks of gentility would ease it all.

(No pictures - lucky you!)

My small quilt is now a flimsy and in the queue to be quilted...

Some pretty fabric swatches I just cut into squares and gave them some sashing and corner stones.  I was thrilled to find some border fabric which was a perfect match and added a little blue peeper, and with which I will bind the quilt too.

It's simple, but sweet.

I've also been doing some of this Leanne Beasley design stitching - and actually made up a gift - but you can't see it until later this year!  I just hope I don't forget the safe place that I've put it????

Last year I made up a Sampler Quilt using Reproduction prints and I had quite a few left over so I have slowly been making up odd blocks with the pieces....

My design board is growing with them and soon I will be joining them up so this will become my backing for the sampler quilt.....  

I am of course beginning to think it was a silly idea and taking up more time than I have but I know I will enjoy the two sided quilt - and I will have used up loads of left over pieces .....

And I have done the last of the blocks for The Splendid Sampler.... all 100 of them are done and half a dozen bonus blocks...

My sashing is chosen and I will be using some of the left overs from this quilt to make corner stones to go with it... It's all in soft and pretty and will be a totally different look to the other sampler quilt.

Righto, Gotto Go.... before I can cut sashing I need to press the fabric!

Playing with Colour .....

This months colour for the rainbow scrap challenge is sea green, aquamarine, that lovely colour in between blue and green....

First I made my scrap basket with some of the pieces...... it's an easy QAYG way with no waste shown HERE

The bookshelp is beginning to brighten up with the different colour baskets.... (my batik practice one, purple and aqua)

Then a day of sewing with the gals got me a bunch of beach houses.....

these are all 2 3/4" by 3 1/2" so they are pretty cute....

... and on the subject of colour ...

I have a couple of different frangipani's in the garden

one is this beautiful cerise pink

and the other is this yellow and pink blush one....  I love them both and it's so pretty when they are flowering....

.. and again on the subject of colour.... we had a craft show here in Toowoomba over the weekend and I went to a colour class where we played with marbles, fabric, colours and elastic bands...

... and made a fun piece of coloured fabric...

.. this little piece of silk was used to 'mop' up colour from the above piece...

... it's all colour fast and was a fun time.... and I'd love to do more

I'd like to make something with those pieces... hmmmmm

Righto, Gotto go.... colours to work out, fabric to play with...

I've been working on my challenges!!!

This is a UFO that I quilted up last year using a white napkin.... It was working on a smaller scale with those feathers and stippling.....

I decided to make it into a table topper/mini quilt and add lace around the edge .... now I'm not sure I like the lace, but I'll leave it like that for now and have a think..... and see if I get enough energy to make any changes....  open to ideas....

In the meantime it is a UFO finish....

Another UFO finish is these Boro Coasters which I started in 2015 when I went to a workshop at the Craft Fair....

They are a nice size for the coffee mug....

I feel my stitching was a bit too big so I'm going to do smaller and tighter next time....

Carole kindly sent me some scraps so as a reward for my finish I started a new project with the remaining pieces....

The thread I am using is from a nice big bundle of different colours that my DIL gave me - she used to have a business that supported women in Guatamala doing weaving and the thread is from some samples.  It's just perfect for big stitching....

Working on blocks for yet another UFO - I washed pieces of background fabric for my Dutch Treat blocks.  I originally did this to check for colour run as reds can do that ..... however the colour was no problem but I found in the 12" width of fabric I lost 1/2 inch with a wash.  So I'm glad I did as it would have been a shame to have that much shrinkage after all the sewing I am doing on that quilt!

Yet another UFO is my Sylvia's Bridal sampler.. the quilt top is finished but I'm piecing the left overs to make up a backing - or at least a good portion of it...

.. and because of all that good work with UFO's I decided a new project was in order.....

Not too long for this little cot quilt to be sewn together....

I wanted it a bit bigger so I HAD to go shopping.....  That lovely floral which looks almost it was the same range (but it isn't) for a border and that amazing hexagons for the backing from The Quilters Angel ....

This quilt is going to be a donation quilt to raise money for mental illness, specifically helping towards suicide prevention....  A UK project which my nephew is involved in after losing his brother to suicide a few years ago.... 

... and of course I needed a hand stitching reward to so I started up this little stitchery...

I think it's only fair that if there is a finish there can be a new project????

Righto, Gotto Go.... see what other UFO to work on as I definitely have some new ones I want to do....