End of January

Last year I took part in a free weekly blackwork stitchalong by Steady Thread.  A friend at embroidery guild and I did it together which was fun as we encouraged each other.  Different threads and different patterns.

I have mounted mine in the hoop that I showed I had covered with Washi Tape.  I was a bit messy and around the edges you can see where I was a bit generous with the glue!  There is felt on the back.

Hardanger this last week was these two light pink parts.  I did struggle with the fact they are on the diagonal.  

Then on Thursday June taught me the Greek Cross.  I got the hang of it while she was there to guide me...  now I need to do a section on my own.

Sew Day with a friend resulted in hand sewing the binding down for Civil War Bride.

I'm really pleased to have finally finished it... I had forgotten how much fun I had making it

The quilting took a while but it was simply going around the applique with some detail in leaves and larger areas like skirts etc.

Lucky to have had a larger piece of a suitable fabric for binding.

It has been horribly hot and humid, not like some areas.  Some storms have passed through including a microburst in our area which saw trees down and trampolines hurling around (no damage at our place)  

I sewed with the quilt on a table under a fan.

Righto, Gotto Go.  Had friends over the weekend so whilst I catch up on washing and Hubz is out at golf I will try and get some more of that hardanger done, but I expect to be distracted by the quilt on the frame, or the zippy bags ..... !!

Have a lovely rest of the week....

Second half of January

Last Friday Wendy hosted FNSI .....  even though I regularly sew each night its fun to join in and see what others are making.  

I continued with my crochet blanket....

Slowly but surely.  If I get 6 rows (3 colours) done in an evening I'm quite pleased with that.  I actually find my upper arm getting sore and needs a rub - I guess its a form of RSI with the small movements. 

I finished the quilting of my tea cup Table Topper made way back in 2018.  The sweet Crab Apple Hill embroideries were completed prior to that.

 

I did use up an evening hand sewing the binding down on it to avoid another 8 years before it got finished!!

I quilted around the embroideries and their peeper frames then did little curves in the squares.  It does hold it together nicely.

I remember so enjoying doing the tea cups and pots....

The top for Trail Mix is together!  I had a lovely Sunday sorting out those borders....

Can you see who was watching me though the window!!! Cheeky.  Even comes and taps on the window if he/she thinks it's time for some fresh seed!

The pattern called for a peeper under the binding and I liked the look but chose to make a flange binding instead (amount of fabric at my disposal did help motivate that decision)  I'm excited to get it quilted and done now... its a big quilt, will only just squeeze on my frame.  I found a piece of wideback in the bright blue which I will use.

My embroidery progress is this flower!

I want to frame last years black-work (which is purple and green not black) in a frame.  A friend showed me her idea of covering the outside with WAshi tape and lo and behold she had some in the perfect colours.  I'm sure I shouldn't glue the fabric on the inside but I have and it's drying at the moment.

Sewing at a friends house this week including sewing down this binding .....

I had a bit of fun with the quilting in the plain areas, otherwise just going around the applique.

I was given this almost finished, I just love the detail the original person had added, see the embroidery in the birds wing?

.. and the bunnies ear

I blew up this picture of  the leaf.... those lighter parts are chain stitches and there is dark green stem stitch.... all the leaves have this detail and it must have taken ages.

I like to hang a pretty something in the guest loo.  I have a few different ones so they can have a wash and there is a change of view.....

Righto, Gotto Go... today will be a Hardangery day as I have some catch up homework to do!

We have visitors over the weekend, it being Australia Day long weekend, hope you have  a lovely weekend....xx

We've started the 3rd week of January

This week I finished off my going around all the applique quilting on my Civil War Bride Quilt and I have sewed on the binding, but not yet hand sewn it down on the other side.  I will want a cooler day when I can spread it out.

A lot of progress on Trail Mix and all the blocks sewn together and now I am working on borders ....

I had a couple of friends over for sewing and did a load of Half Square Triangles (144).  This next week I hope to press them all and then cut again with the Quick Curve Ruler.....

The next quilt is pinned and started.  This is a smallish table topper which has been sitting in the Quilting Queue since 2018.  Lovely little tea cup embroideries.

Another 10 rows of crochet done... no picture as it's just the same as last week but longer.  At the moment it is manageable in the evening and not too hot.  A nice project to do whilst watching the crime drama's we enjoy.

An update on my daughter is that major surgery will happen in the next few months.  A lot of waiting, worrying and tests and appointments but we are more hopeful about a good outcome than we were at Christmas.  My way of coping is hiding in my room with some sewing to do and a book to listen to.

Righto,  Gotto Go..... try and get a few more of those blocks cut.....

Have a lovely rest of the week xx

2nd week of January 2026

 It's been a gentle start to the new year here.....  a bit of messing in the garden, (including a horrible wasp sting which is still irritating on Day 5 - gardening is dangerous so I will stick to sewing), normal duties of cleaning and shopping and some time playing in the sewing room.

My main focus has been getting the blocks done for my Trail Mix quilt...

Sorting the fabrics and cutting from scraps takes so much time, scraps need to be ironed as they come our of being scrunched up in the scrap baskets, then choosing which fabrics to put in the block and cutting all those little pieces.....

A great sense of satisfaction when little piles of pieces are made into blocks.  All the blocks are 6" square.

24 of these blocks were made

42 of these blocks were made

All the main blocks are made now...

32 x 4 patch blocks (128 pieces)

38 x double 4 patch blocks (380 pieces)

44 x triple 4 patch blocks (968 pieces)

24 x double 9 patch blocks (552 pieces)

42 x 9 patch blocks (378 pieces)

That makes 2406 individual pieces to cut out!!!

It's been a great scrap buster.  There are borders to go on and those need bigger than my scrap pieces so I will dig into larger stash that hasn't got a project.

I'd like to start putting some of the blocks together soon

My comfy sewing chair fabric is coming apart! 

General craft store had a good sale on so I chose this Jocelyn Proust canvas print.  I find the shop a bit of a nightmare so I just order on line and do a click and collect.  So long as the local shop has it and we get a $5 voucher that way - or if they haven't got it can be delivered.

I will need Hubz help with this one

Crochet blanket has had a few rows added - each colour is 2 rows and I'm not doing them in a particular order as I have different amounts of each colour.

Quite a few blocks have been quilted.  I am on Row 3 of 4 rows - 5 blocks in a row plus wide borders

Going around all the applique and a few details in when suitable.  I do find it difficult doing outlines and in retrospect it would have been better on the sit down machine where I find I have better control.....  Saying that I am not unhappy with it.

So that's been my week - groups are not meeting yet, I rather enjoy the quieter life for a bit.

Righto, Gotto Go.... time to think about some food for tonight... Chicken Mornay with veges methinks.

Take care.. have a lovely weekend

First week of January 2026

Getting a quick win with finishing off the binding on this small quilt.

I was lucky enough to be invited to join the Brisbane girls in a sewalong for this quilt called Floral Fun.  (Pattern in Quilters Companion #127) Susan drew up a helpful schedule which was not too much each month.

The original pattern is this and was done in raw edge machine applique...

I chose to do mine mainly using my Tilda scraps (I did need to buy some plain for the flowers) and to needleturn the flowers....

Civil War Bride is finally being quilted.  I finished this top in September 2023 (started January 2021)  I am probably going to stick to outlining the applique and some small detail like leaf veins etc.  Slow and steady.

I finished off my 'looped picots' hardanger square..... I will need to wait for the next class for guidance to a new stitch in a couple of weeks....

A new crochet blanket has started using these colours......

This one was finished last year but I forgot to post about it.

Roughly 1.2m by 1.6m

I do like the look of the shell stitches

Here are a pair of Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's waiting for some seed to be put out.  I do love their cheeky characters and they are beautiful, but destructive and naughty too!  For those not in Australia they are a big bird (about 1/2m in length) and make the most dreadful scary squawk!  

Righto, Gotto Go.... today I plan to get a bit of that quilting done.....

Have a good week everyone....xx