This week.....

These are the 6" sampler blocks we sewed this week.....

Jack in the Pulpit (25 pieces)

Jack in the Box (29 pieces)

Grandmothers Pride (25 pieces)

Grandmothers Fan (6 pieces)

... and then we got homework too... this is the start of my Orange Peel block....

...meanwhile I am getting ready for my daughter and grandson to come for an extended stay.... Blue Bob arrived today... he seems to have settled in well.....

... this week I made up the loaf for my Biscotti.... I use the recipe Christine shared a couple of years ago..... lots of egg whites and I used the yolks to make a baked custard which I just love.  The biscotti loaf is sitting wrapped in its cloth waiting for slicing and drying....

I also made boiled fruit cake (my mum's recipe) ... I loooove fruit cake at Christmas

 

... and I have wrapped my parcels to send overseas for my gift in Chookyblue's SSCS ....

... and I'm still handsewing my Christmas ornaments..... we are having a heatwave at the moment so I should get a few of these done hiding indoors with the air con on and watching The Hobbit movies....

Righto, Gotto Go... a very icy glass of water is required...... have a wonderful weekend everyone......x

Block Swap Quilt......

I have participated in the Block Swap hosted by Sue for a couple of years and have a bit of a collection of blocks!!!

I managed to make up the flimsy some time ago (I had requested Wonky Square Eye Spy blocks) and added some rainbow charms to the sides to widen the top and now I have done the quilting and binding... so it is a finished UFO for me.....

People who contributed to this quilt by swapping blocks with me are....

Beatrice, Raelene, Terry

Maria, Bobbi, Maria

Marie, Crafty, Teresa

Anorina, Sue, Sheila

Michell, Jolanda, Sylvia

Thank you to all of you.... a really fun quilt ...

There are a couple more blocks that weren't included in this quilt and I plan to make cushions with them.....

I learnt a new FMQ swirl which I used for on this..... was relatively quick to do  and I like the result...

 ... can see them easier and get an idea of size of the swirls from this picture on the back...

.. what do you think of this fun backing... an almost new doona cover I found in the op shop....

(which also provided the fabric for the binding - and there is still enough for another quilt!!)

The block swap is a great way to start a collection of blocks - thanks Sue for hosting this fun swap

(now to get those Churn Dashes together!!!)

Righto, Gotto Go..... there is fun to be had......

Block party.....

Seems to be a bit of a block party going on at my house....

For the last few years I have been taking part in swapping blocks over HERE where we are allocated a partner and make each other a block according to requirements.... (anyone can join)

These are blocks I collected in my first year and have only now put them together.....  there are a couple more but they are very different so I will include them in something else....and because of the number of blocks it was long and thin so I added some rainbow charms to the sides.....

I'm not sure if I will add borders.. what do you think?

In the meantime I have great organisation going on at my sewing table for my jelly roll sampler quilt.....

perhaps I will just have a slice of cake.... I'm quite famous round these parts for my superior glossy icing....

(sorry I can't share the recipe.... family secret!)

...... back to the blocks - these are my latest towards my Paris Flea Market Jelly Roll Sampler...

Rolling Pinwheel

Union Square

Spiral

just delicious fabrics.. this will be a pretty pretty girly quilt....

I've saved the best set of blocks for last.... this is grandiegirl 3 years old design....

....apparently she wanted to make something like Nana does.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... fine weather outside for sewing inside today.... 

Sew It's Finished.....

I made this little flimsy up last year.... I used a charm pack of Little Apples .... and made blocks using the disappearing 9 patch technique....

... there is a tiny bit of yellow in some of the blocks so I picked that out for the sashing ......

 ... found this pretty minky bobbly fabric at The Quilters Angel for the backing....

I didn't add any wadding but I did use some fine iron on vilene on the minky which helped a lot to stop the minky stretching when I cross hatch quilted to hold it all together

It is a lovely soft and cuddly quilt.... 

Another UFO out the cupboard and a completed project ..... yippee

Righto, gotto Go.... I think there are a few more UFO's skulking in the back shelves....

Dawn and Wendy who co-host the Sew It's Finished Blog have been giving us lovely little stitcheries to make into blocks as incentives to finish our UFO's....
.... these are mine so far ....

maybe I'll do the May stitchery for the next FNSI which is hosted by Heidi this month

Go HERE to link up and sew with us all - I always seem to get lots done... maybe that's because I take part in both the southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere fridays???!!!

Cheese Muffins....

I like to have a little snack when a friend pops around for tea and chats....

These are so easy peasy and yummy scrummy....

Viv's Cheese Muffins (fyi.... I got the recipe from Viv)

1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 cup Grated Cheese
1 cup Milk
1 tsp mustard powder
pinch of salt

Oven at 200 C (390F)
Mix all together... place in little muffin tins... cook for 10 minutes

....... which is an almost exact amount of time needed to sit and have a lovely cup of your favourite tea or coffee... or wine... or gin... it all depends on the time of day and the state of your nerves....

after 10 minutes when the muffins are cooked 

leave for a few minutes to cool a bit

... eat ...

Once full of this vital sustenance sit in a comfortable chair and sew something .....

(after washing hands of course!)

(this is Block 2 from Dawn and Wendy's BOM at Sew It's Finished)

or perhaps you would prefer to do a bit of machine piecing?  

I love to sew a few of my 'leaders and enders' scraps if I have a few minutes... 

the completed and trimmed triangles are beginning to take shape now....

Righto, Gotto Go.... snacks to eat, scraps to sew....

My first house block ....

I made a house block this week....

.... it's little.....

Foundation Paper piecing - 23 pieces....

I loved making it.....

I found the pattern HERE - it is from a freebie from Carol Doak....

also this week Mr Postie came by with a giftie from Michelle....

My picture doesn't show it well but that is some lovely Moda solid in a creamy beige colour - perfect background fabric for stitcheries..

and a special card with a picture of Michelles own orchid... with a lovely bookmark included in there too...

and such a lovely hexagon needle and thread holder

with one of Michelle's own designs on it

done in the neatest tiny stitches - oh my word...

I do love to have several of these so I have needles and threads for any project boxes.... usually I just have a piece of old blanket in there... now it will look very smarty arty....

Thanks Michelle....

Righto Gotto Go.... needles to sort....

New blocks......

Lately I have worked on blocks

These are the four 12" blocks I made for the block swaps

Anvil, Jacob's Ladder and Starflower

I love how the Starflowers look so different with a change of fabrics

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I am behind on my goal of a couple of Japanese blocks each week

the names of these blocks and others I have made are on a separate page HERE

I'm sure some of you will recognise some of the fabrics I am using...

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and another 2 Trapunto blocks done at my Thursday girls stitch 'n bitch ....

There are 3 of us who live nearby and we doing these blocks together.....

I quite like doing different block quilts... give me variety 

(you may have noticed I have a short attention span!!)

but I will suddenly have a bunch of new quilts

Righto - Gotta Go... there's more blocks to prepare....