Winter woolies......

I miss Autumn!!! haha... but in order to have magnificent Autumn we have to go through summer and winter!

But I love wood fires, hot soups, casseroles, early sunsets,  flannel PJs ....

..... and cuddly flannel quilts....

These 3 lap size quilts stay in hiding most of the year here... this weekend they came out as Widget was here and we needed some warmth to watch movies!  (that was after he spent all day outside helping Pops dig holes for our new fernery!)

This one is lovely quality flannel - I had actually made a couple of scarves but found them a bit too thick and bulky for me so I unpicked, added some bits and made a quilt....  I love the addition of stars...

This one was a free design from Michelle May some years ago... I used a vintage tablecloth for the background and the applique is wool with some stitching detail. 

When I first started doing applique I found this freebie from Toni of Red Boots Quilt Company.  I used a vintage chenille cover for the backgrounds and all the applique is using wool from blankets which had been heat washed to felt them ..... this has been washed so many times and held up well...

Strangely enough this was Widgets choice of quilt to use..... 

I started a new washcloth... going with moss stitch this time ....  my car trip project

... but I have also taken out some of my crochet to do.... when my hand are cold I find it easier to crochet or knit instead of stitcheries....

This ripple blanket is being made from the left overs of my single bed size one which has been rehomed....  it will be a nice baby size....

... and this one is my easy peasy no thinking one that I like to pick up and do... a variegated yarn and it will be whatever size it turns out.....  I am just going round and round now....

I finished off another set of circle blocks last week.... trying to remember to do at least a few a month so the project grows....

... I have been working on this Angel Story block for a while but it finally got done at the end of last week..... this is Harriet the Homebody....

... the project by my chair at the moment is finishing off this block for Flowerville....  

... and something new!!! ....

A couple of years ago I took part in a Free programme The Splendid Sampler.... well  #2 is starting this week!  100 blocks from various designers.

20 blocks will be given out free to get us going and then the latest book will be out and we go from there.....  6" blocks which I love and even though I have several (unquilted) sampler quilts I am joining in again.... well I have been coerced by the ChooseDay girls...

A couple of years ago I found this bundle of Downton Abbey fabrics at the Quilt Show in Brisbane going for a bargain price.... I love the colours so this will be what I will be using....

Anybody else doing this... starts this Thursday

this is the one I made last time... soft colours

Righto, Gotto Go.....fabric to stroke.......

Sampler quilt

I do enjoy sampler quilts.   I did Sylvia's Bridal Sampler....

... and made a backing with leftovers ....

... and I did the Splendid Sampler....

... and made a scrappy backing with the left overs!!!

And this year the 3 of us who sew together on a Tuesday (we sewed the other samplers together also) are making this one...

My friend Deb was destashing some French General fabrics and these ones are just perfect ...

Here are the first 6 blocks and my choice of cornerstones and sashing and border/binding depending on how I finish it up...

I couldn't resist trying out the sashing and corner stones....

 

This week we got another 4 blocks done...

the blocks are smaller this time and some pieces are hard to hold on to ...

I am using my classic Elna Stella machine (the others are using their vintage Singer featherweights)

I have decided to try and keep up with the sashings and cornerstones on a weekly basis...

Here are all the blocks so far....

I am liking the look ....

I think I like the challenge of a variety of blocks, and the fact that the three of us sew the same blocks together - all our quilts always look completely different...

One day I hope to quilt and finish off mine?????? hmmmmm

Righto, Gotto Go.  I need to photocopy a foundation piecing pattern for next week!

Progress

Earlier this year I put together the top of my Splendid Sampler quilt....

I had various fat quarters of soft pastels so it is scrappy style.  I purchased fabric for the sashing and borders.

I did have lots of scraps left over - including of the sashing and borders... so I chopped and stitched and made a heap of new blocks and strips.  There were 7 of the bonus blocks I had made too which needed using...

This week I joined them together - very haphazhard..... but now I have a matching backing for my quilt.... and almost no scraps left!

Not sure whether it is my brilliance, frugal nature, insanity or just plain stupid!  No comments needed on that thanks!!! 

Wonderful to clear out this Work in Progress drawer in my sewing room... 

I also made a bit more progess on my baby quilt....

Hoping to sew the squares around the edges together this weekend.... then it needs a border ....

How pretty is my cactus outside the front door at the moment...

There is another white one behind it with big fat buds so I hope it will open up this weekend...

Yay, I have hit the triple figures with my Dutch Treat blocks.... 102/196 now...

That one on the top right was the most challenging of these blocks.... those tiny sharp points and I got a lot of frayed edges...

Ooops.. that didn't stay empty for long... giraffes and gardeners journal have taken over the drawer now!!

Righto, Gotto Go..... so many things I want to get done this weekend!  I hope you have a lovely one whatever you do.... 

A Splendid TaDa.........

This last week my machine sewing has concentrated on the sashing and corner stones for my Splendid Sampler....

Finally on Sunday I got all the sashing together.... very pink!!!

I added a 3" border which has more blue and a bit of pink - not easy to see here 

the colours also don't show just how pink it is.... much softer in the pictures...

It's quite a big quilt 84" square......

I love pictures with the sunlight filtering through pieced blocks....

The Splendid Sampler was generously hosted by Jane Davidson and Pat Sloan with input from 80 designers to provide 2 free blocks a week over the last year.  A book is now available for pre-order.

So fun sewing cyberly with people all over the world... and I was lucky enough to sew physically once a week with Lyn and Christine as we all made the quilt blocks together.

As it happens I did a few of the bonus blocks... and I have quite a bit of leftover fabrics - I think another pieced backing may be called for????

In the meantime this kit which I have had for many years has been pulled out.... Gardeners Journal

As much as I am loving doing my Dutch Treat blocks I like a break to do my favourite backstitch stitcheries.....

Righto, Gotto Go.... scraps to cut into blocks!!! hmmmmmm the madness resumes

Progress ......

Shingles....

I am over them now but had my first dose the last few weeks.  Not nice.  And it's meant I have not been doing much commenting of blogs - my favourite part of blogland is the interaction.

At first I thought I had spider bites - which really made me cry that a spider (I am very scared of spiders - even tiny ones) might ravage me in my sleep - so it was actually a bit of a relief that it was shingles and a couple of weeks of gentility would ease it all.

(No pictures - lucky you!)

My small quilt is now a flimsy and in the queue to be quilted...

Some pretty fabric swatches I just cut into squares and gave them some sashing and corner stones.  I was thrilled to find some border fabric which was a perfect match and added a little blue peeper, and with which I will bind the quilt too.

It's simple, but sweet.

I've also been doing some of this Leanne Beasley design stitching - and actually made up a gift - but you can't see it until later this year!  I just hope I don't forget the safe place that I've put it????

Last year I made up a Sampler Quilt using Reproduction prints and I had quite a few left over so I have slowly been making up odd blocks with the pieces....

My design board is growing with them and soon I will be joining them up so this will become my backing for the sampler quilt.....  

I am of course beginning to think it was a silly idea and taking up more time than I have but I know I will enjoy the two sided quilt - and I will have used up loads of left over pieces .....

And I have done the last of the blocks for The Splendid Sampler.... all 100 of them are done and half a dozen bonus blocks...

My sashing is chosen and I will be using some of the left overs from this quilt to make corner stones to go with it... It's all in soft and pretty and will be a totally different look to the other sampler quilt.

Righto, Gotto Go.... before I can cut sashing I need to press the fabric!