That time of year....

We've had the beetles playing "Will You still Need me, will you still feed me?"  I turned 64..

There were flowers

and fabric.... this is one metre of fabric but it has 4 different fat quarters printed

Its very hard to show all the work that has gone into this scroll from Michelle....

It's full of stitching with special meaning....

I would never have the imagination for something like this so I feel very privileged....

Also included was this nifty little ring - I have to admit I needed some help working out what it was for

there was a question asked why M sent me a knuckle duster.... 

It is to use to catch yarn when you crochet to stop it twisting up.... 

it works

balloons and chocolate arrived....

Shez visited Brisbane and so kindly brought with her one of her amazing clutches.... they are just the perfect size to hold phone, glasses and the all necessary piece of plastic....

A bunch of these roses were gifted... 

and lovely to hear from friends and family from all over

Lunch and movies enjoyed.  We watched Banshees of Inisherin.  I laughed, I cried, I was surprised. 

Righto, Gotto Go and enjoy the weekend...

4th week of February

Last year I was invited to participate in a sweet 'friends' project..... we all did some foundation pieced friends and shared them around.... in return we got 8 back to join together...

I chose to make a project bag with mine...

It's a good size, will fit a pattern as well as project....

there are names at the sides of the 'friends'....

I chose some fun sewing/quilting themed fabric for a back - a fat quarter was a perfect size...

I had previously done this block for Gossip in the Garden, however I was just not happy with the top blocks...

so I took one off and replaced it with some darker background.... better and the other block can be used later in the quilt....

Pink Scraps have been used... this block is ready and pinned for my February quilting exercise.... hopefully I will get that done this weekend....

... and my collection of little pink buttons....

Handwork in the evening has continued with these little stitcheries......

... and 15 minutes a day of crochet mostly happens..... it's getting a curvy look about it (much like it's maker)

Gossip in the Garden hexagon panels are done now.... these are for later blocks but I wanted to get some of the EPP  done ..... still more to go....

Righto, Gotto Go..... I want to work on some of the old shirts quilt blocks today..... they have been neglected for too long....

 

FNSI - Third week of February

Since I had my big ball of 'yarn' already made I was able to spend a happy afternoon mat making....

I had used 2 1/2" strips of fabric and wadding folded up using THIS tutorial on line.  My only difference is that I didn't join the strip ends straight but on the bias as one would do binding - thus minimising a big lump of seam.

Friends are doing a workshop and their wadding is 1 1/2" and bought ready cut.  It will be interesting to see if there is a difference in the result.  I can't imagine there is.  Their wadding is polyester, mine was cotton cut from scraps off the sides of quilts.

This was the one I wanted to make.... once it got to this size I stopped...

The beginning is the hardest to get round curves at the ends.... almost had to gather the inside so it would lay flat but once a few rounds are done it was easier....

I wide long zig zag stitch and a denim needle in the machine - no problem and the machine is a relatively small one which I carry to workshops.

I like a bit of colour in the laundry.... this large wall-hanging is in there and this is where these bright mats will live...

It got tested out by the visiting cat quite quickly... he really thinks he should be outdoors (he does get taken for regular supervised outings!)

There was plenty of 'yarn' left so I cut strips and made this mat.  Strips are much easier to sew and then I bound the two rough edges.

I did enjoy doing this with the wadding, I have made a bag using rope but I found that too stiff and my machine kept missing stitches.  I think I will make a 'basket' once I get another nice stock of wadding strips.

In the evenings for hand stitching I have made a start on these sweet "Heartstrings" pre-printed stitcheries I found at The Quilters Angel.  I am not going to make the quilt but use them in a couple of other projects.  Even though they are quite small (cut at 2 1/2") they need a couple of evenings each.

And a bit of needle-turn at quilt group on Tuesday..... the big block for Gossip now has a teapot after sewing all those stems!

Friday was FNSI .... well it was really all day with friends.  Marilyn offered me a lift to go to Brisbane to meet up with a group where the FNSI host, Wendy was in town.  Luckily we had Shez on the ball with photographs...

A lovely day of chatting, a couple of people did a few stitches, and lots of laughing as well as a very nice meal.

I took some more Heartstrings to work on.... was tired in the evening so this is how my work stayed....

The sewing was a fail but the time with friends was a great success...

Continuing with my 15 minutes a day crochet - I did manage extra on Friday morning as a passenger in the car to Brisbane...

It is growing nicely....

Of course the cat had to get to it.... just attacked it!  Perhaps he is not keen on the colours!

Righto, Gotto Go.... me and grandson and the cat here today ....  Have a lovely weekend...

show and tell at club

As usual lots to see at club this week...

I thought this was very pretty...

and so was the backing.....

Very effective design...  all HST's placed differently to what you usually see...

a grouping of community quilts...

It was shared morning tea and there was a large spread....

.... much more than we needed...

I took these cheese and herb muffins, they were lovely just after cooking (we had to taste test them) but they were awful and dry the next day.... mustn't do that again....

I took this quilt in for Show and Tell... it is the 5th quilt I made using the Terra Australis fabrics.... all the shapes needle-turned and then stippling in between...

Righto, Gotto Go.... time for the second cup of coffee....