New Beginnings.....

I wonder what the year has in store for us... I feel I need to be braced for it!

I have started a new project....

The Schoolgirl Sampler is a book by Kathleen Tracy (A Sentimental Quilter) and she is hosting a Sewalong on a F/B page.  I am sewing along with Sue (Kiwikid)  and a couple of other people and we are sharing our pictures and encouraging one another on Instagram.  

There are so many forums these days to join in with things and get encouragement....

I have large pieces of Tilda fabrics left from a couple of other quilts so I am going to use them in a scrappy style for mine... with a fair bit of white added too.  Aiming for 6 blocks a week... maybe more... maybe less...

I got my book as an e-book and printed it out as there were none in stock when I wanted to start.... (of course they came in stock the day after I got mine!!! haha)  Again, we are lucky to have options...

Naive Melody is the Modern Quilt Sewalong (via Instagram) hosted by Lucy Engels, the designer.

These are the last 20 blocks.... I have done the applique in needleturn and had a lot of fun with this one.... so enjoyed the large bold shapes.....

My quilting machine was cleaned and oiled, new needle etc and we had some play time together.....

The red and cream pineapple quilt was already pinned and I did a fairly close all over design with swirls and sort of flower shapes....

Its hard to show what was done.... I didn't want it to stand out but just give texture...so that worked but it doesn't help trying to show the quilting on it......

This Friday night was the first FNWF, hosted by Cheryll (Gone Stitching) where we get together cyberly once a month .......

... and I sewed the binding down in the afternoon .....

so now it is a finish for OPAM, hosted by Kris (Tag Along Teddies)

It is also a UFO finish - WOOFA is hosted by Cheryll.  This year we are including P for projects we have wanted to do... and I will slowly update my sidebar lists as I sort things.

This quilt measures 50" square and was made using my red and cream scraps (and some extra scraps from friend Maureen as I ran out for the last couple of blocks)

This year I am also joining Narelle in working on a Christmas Item each month.....  I have done this for a few years now with different success rates.....

I bought this kit some years ago and had started it... so it is both a UFO and a Christmas Item....

Blanket stitching around the applique.....

Hubz has still been on holidays this week so we have enjoyed chilling and getting a few things done at the house and garden..... we have had some lovely rain (I can still hear gentle showers on the roof as I type)  The last of the Christmas decorations have been packed away and some clearing and sorting done of stuff that gathers....  We went to see "The Dry" (it is years since we went off on a movie date) .... a movie set in Australia with Eric Bana.  I had not read the book so didn't know what to expect.... it was well done and a great story.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... another cup of tea and some fiddling in the sewing room...

Keep safe