Last week of May

This time of year is stunning.... cool/cold nights and glorious days

Late afternoon yesterday we went for a stroll around a nearby park....

Love this spiky grass - in real it is like one of those optical illusions with the round bally of soft spikes

a lovely outlook - it was a clear day and we could see the Bunya mountains in the distance....

One of the silver wattles is full of buds.... I found a few of these earely lovely yellow balls - it will be covered soon...

The grevillea's are in bud - we will go back in a couple of weeks....

There is such an assortment of the grevillea's....

This hibiscus has huge double flowers - very striking...

Kanagaroo paw... only a few with flowers...

... another grevillea version....

We found one little flannel flower - never seen it there before..... the petals are so soft..

... and another grevillea about to blossom

This week at home I finished the stitching on this Santa - which has been around for a long time.  Marina sent me the pattern ages ago and now I need to choose fabrics and finish it off to be a mini quilt ....

I continued with more tarts at stitching with the girls .... and a couple of evenings....

The Sashiko piece is finished.... I do like the look and am learning a bit more each time.

I'm not sure what I will do with this piece .....

I had a quiet morning tis week and cut and sewed 12 more blocks for the old shirts quilt - I have enough now to make a 63" square quilt.... next part is sewing all the blocks together of course...

Some more progress has been made on my Whitework......  I am speeding up - it took me about 2 hours to do one heart yesterday at Guild!!!

Righto, Gotto Go.... an out day today and I need another coffee before I go....

Have a lovely weekend...

Second week of May

It's been a busy week and one of sewing a variety of things... often just finishing off

Last time I mentioned a workshop at Embroidery Guild.... one of the members kindly introduced those of us who wanted to learn to some Ukranian Whitework....

This is what I managed in the 3 hours I was there!!!!

I have done a little bit more since being home but it is slow going - the tutor did say I would 'get my eye in' and it would go a bit quicker.....

I'm planning to sit quietly with a light and magnifier and try and do a bit more today - it is definitely not the sort of thing I can do with any other distractions....

At sewing with the girls on Tuesday I made up a few 'tarts'.....

I am finding these fiddly diddly and not getting nice round curves.... 

I made up a beanie as requested.....  this is quite a nice looking pattern with a bit of a slouch...

I made up a smaller one that fits closer to the skull as well....

These are made in the Zimbabwe flag colours (that centre is a strong green though here it looks teal) .... you can see the difference in size here....

These little stitcheries for the inside of Dresden plates (Gossip in the Garden) were completed....

They really don't take too long....

I did quilt up a couple of my own quilts.... I have two of these same ones (as there was enough fabric in my fat quarter pack to make up 2)

I did a simple ribbon all over... nice and soft and doesn't take away from the lovely shadowed stars....

gorgeous cornflower blue spot backing....

\

Joy has a sweet free BOM going and I have caught up on the stitcheries but still need to make up the blocks....

I can generally get one done in an evening....

Craft Alive was here in Toowoomba this week and some pretty French General fabrics fell in my basket.....

I was helping a friend at her stall but did manage to catch up for coffee with some friends from Brisbane (forgot the photo!)

My favourite there was an exhibition by a couple of textile artists.... amazing - again no photo's (bad bad blogger me).

I had a chat to a stall holder selling beautiful threads and mentioned I mostly do backstitch.... well did she go off at me for cheating and I should be doing her lessons of 5 stitches and not do backstitch... blah blah blah.... I found it very very hard not to be rude to her.  I like backstitch!

Last night was FNSI hosted by Wendy....  I worked on some Sashiko (L plates on)

I want to do a quilt with Sashiko blocks and practicing the motion with some smaller ready marked pieces I have had for a while.  I am using these DMC 5 threads.

Any tips are welcome .....

Righto, Gotto Go -  have a lovely weekend everyone.... the sun is out, the temperature is cool, my stitching awaits....

xxx

First week of May

This week I have completed this Field Journal block 

.... and did this one at Quilt Group ...

A couple of cold evenings saw this crochet blanket finished.... the corners look very squoowiff ... but it is better now it has had a wash.

Made of some odd balls of Pure Wool

Yesterday I had girls over at my place for sewing... we all bring our machines and work on various projects....

I had done the applique and embroidery and had the blocks cut out ready for sewing so this block for Gossip in the Garden got put together 

Then I worked on blocks made from old shirts.....  I will need to cut out some more.....

The next part of Gossip that I am doing is some sweet little stitcheries that will go inside Dresden plates....  they don't take too long to do...

One of our favourite light meals is roasted cherry tomatoes and camembert  - added a few home preserved olives and crispy baguette. I add a bit of garlic, olive oil, thyme and balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes.

Righto, Gotto Go... today I am off to Embroidery Guild to learn something new - hope I get it right!

Have a lovely weekend.....xx

May begins......

There are a few things I really want finished this month....

Get the binding on this quilt....

Knit up this beanie ......

complete the last few balls of wool on this blanket....  the nights are cool and this is perfect to have on my lap to work on.

Two more stitcheries for Field Journal (I think we have a few more to come)

Sew up the next section for Gossip in the Garden...

... and then of course there are the Orange blocks to make for my 3 RSC quilts - houses, QAYG and buttons... and time I did a bit more on Civil War Bride.....

I am up to date with Section 4 of Gossip and the little stars are sewn around the big block on 3 sides

This is how it's looking so far..... still a way to go....

I enjoyed this little one for Field Journal....

... and I got 7 little purple buttons made....

I forgot about this little FJ block last week....

I'm sure I will get distracted by one or two different things but at least there is half a plan in my head...

Righto, Gotto Go..... cuppa tea time.....xx