Blocks, blocks, blocks...

Homework and a sewing day with the Tuesday girls has resulted in a few more blocks for my sampler quilt

These are 6" blocks and from the book Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

Corn and Beans (48 pieces)

Dove in the Window (49 pieces)

Double Nine Patch (49 pieces)

Bride's Bouquet (24 pieces)

Courthouse Steps (13 pieces)

I am up to 90 blocks (out of 140) now ....and a total of 2225 pieces sewn together....

I couldn't help placing them out to get an idea of how it will look.... 

.... and I love it.... 

Today I ventured out in DD's car (a bit of a heap and with a broken exhaust so I couldn't exactly sneak around quietly!!! haha at least it is transport).. and off I went to The Quilters Angel where I found some perfect paisley backing and lovely fabric for binding for my nine patch....

...it's all pinned now and ready for play...

I sent off a parcel to Christin in Switzerland for the SSCS swap last year

I made a table runner using stars and featuring some 'vintage' style pictures.....

I thought it would look lovely on whatever Christmas setting she might have

I really like the feature print made into stars and think I will do more of that if I can find lovely pictures again 

.. and the ornament I sent was on a little 4" hanger and can go on the tree or a wall

Righto, Gotto Go... I'm deciding on some not too fussy quilting for the nine patch quilt.....

Happy New Year.....

So much good wishes to you for 2016 - it's been so lovely reading blogs and receiving messages from people through the year as well as all the inspiration, encouragement and friendliness from other sewers and bloggers around the world... - don't we live in an exciting generation?

Well, we didn't party all night since we were child minding.... and I am still carless so am at home lots.... Widget doesn't need 24 hour attention any more and neither does Hubz so I have got lots of sewing done...

I showed you HERE the machine embroidery pieces Bev sent me ....

Firstly I made a notebook cover for this year.... I used THIS tutorial which is nice and easy and straight forward except if you are like me and adding a different piece of fabric and can't work things out... I ended up with extra seams and still didn't get the picture central!!  However, it is functional and I love it and there  is no mistaking who it belongs to!  I will be doing more of these.

I added an elastic which holds it closed at the back... I always have odd bits of paper stuck in so this is really useful

Then I made up the other little piece which was looking for a bit of a frame around it....

(Haha... that is so like me just avoiding housework!! and Bev got the 'pewter' hair just right too!!)

It's now a sweet bit of humour on my mini quilt frame....  

Thanks Bev, a bit of fun and challenge to make these fun pieces up into something .... hope you approve!!

The nine patch quilt top has come together even nicer than I thought it was going to be....

I love the blocks and then the diagonal patterns it is making too

I am not adding another border but will get a dark binding to finish it off

There are quite a few blocks left over from the swap  

.. and I found these at the bottom of the box ~ some of the strips I had used when making my blocks for the swap so I have sliced them and made up the rest so I have 49 blocks left

~ enough for a lap quilt at some stage ~ 

Meanwhile.... Widget really took on board this sewing with Nana activity and desperately wanted to make a quilt...

I just happened to have a bunch of large blocks which were passed onto me so I let him have a play on the 'design wall'

.... he did get bored quite quickly so there was a lot of "I'll give you 5 minutes on the ipad if you get this row sewn' happening.  I am a strong believer in bribery to get a job done!!

Good job mate (I have to admit doing a little bit of slicing the edges to straighten up before joining the rows but otherwise it is his work alone....

~ now he wants to quilt it ~ (lovely to be young and just get on and do things isn't it?) and it's going to be for his Mom....

Whilst he had to do the pressing of blocks he discovered he 'loves' ironing.....  now I like to think I am a very indulgent Nana so I gave him the hankies and pillowcases to do!!  (now you must admit that is really kind of me!!) woohooooo

The Tuesday girls haven't been able to meet for a couple of weeks with these holidays and visitors etc messing up our routine but chief whip has given us home work...

Oklahoma Dogwood involved foundation piecing.... a personal challenge I have.  It's a striking block and would look wonderful in repeat ... but I won't be repeating it

Oklahoma Dogwood - 38 pieces

 Dresden plate - why put 20 blades on such a tiny plate I ask???? oh my.... I found the little applique curves particularly hard and they are quite uncurvy!

Dresden Plate - 21 pieces

And we have a new record holder in Odd Fellows Chain with 81 pieces in this 6" block.  it was also challenging and mine has ended up a healthy 1/4" bigger than it should be????  

Odd Fellows Chain - 81 pieces

I won't be repeating that one either!!

Righto, Gotto Go.... we've actually managed to make a big mess in the sewing room which needs sorting!

... end of 2015

It's so hard to believe it is the end of the year .....

My SSCS parcel arrived post Christmas... although I had been anxiously stalking the postie it is rather fun having a parcel after everyones have been and gone!!!

I was sent my pressie from Lyn in New Zealand.....

Firstly I opened my ornament ..

Lyn especially made it to suit me in my new home...isnt it lovely and I will be having it up all year round.  A very cute mobile fob and postcard came with it....

then for the main gift... a project folder 

My picture is not that clear but there is beautiful hand stitching all over the front ... just lovely and so much detail...

Inside are lots of lovely pockets and Lyn included a great magazine and some pretty New Zealand themed fabric... its the NZ Christmas tree I think and we have just planted one in our garden

I have already filled it with my Sampler Block things as its the perfect size and I am always forgetting things when I go to sew....

Thats the pattern book and my note book on one side and my block holder and then various pens and cutters etc in the smaller pockets...

It's just perfect Lyn, I love the fabric, the work done and its already in use.... thanks so much and thanks to Chookyblue for organising this fun swap - it is so appreciated and enjoyed....

A few years ago I joined in with a 9 patch block swap... a bunch of us made blocks and they were sent off and shared around so that we all ended up with an assortment of blocks.  We ended up with a good number of blocks

I have used some of them to start this 'manly' quilt ... here they are with the first line of sashing on... they will be placed with more sashing and blue corner stones to make a single bed size quilt ..

A little while ago I showed off a finished mini quilt I had made using a vintage doily... then I decided it wasn't finished so I added numerous beads... (gosh they take a long time to do!!) and after several evenings of sewing it really is finished!!

A fun project... I really love doing the mini quilting on doilies...  (not so in love with the beading side of it though!)

Widget decided he needs to learn to sew on the machine...  he adores our little dog and wanted to make her a quilt... I persuaded him it's probably a good idea to start with a small project...

we needed a little stool for the pedal (which I put on slow as he likes to drive foot flat!!!)

I was very impressed with his concentration and care...

... he was careful in choosing colours and designs to decorate the edges...

... Tarka gave him big wagging of tail!

A dog mug rug... or bowl mat maybe?

Very sweet ....

Righto, Gotto Go.. those 9 patches aren't going to sew themselves down!

Wishing you a very very Happy New Year... may friendships grow, stitching be done, happy memories made and lots of love spread around....xx

A productive break.....

I can see around in blogland that the fat man in the red suit has been and spoilt so many of us....  

At our house we did our main Christmas feast on Christmas Eve with our youngest daughter and her new squeeze and young widget.... we had some fun and far too much to eat including this lovely pavlova that she put together....

they went off on Christmas morning after breakfast and we feasted on left over ham and pavlova for quite a few more meals!!! haha 

before the feasting started my daughter went to town in my car... somebody didn't look where she was going and Uturned straight into her!

Of course I am very happy both her and widget were unharmed though very shaken up ... but I am so very pissed off about my car which is not driveable (the wheel has collapsed in).  Guilty party has no insurance but her car is still okay to drive!

Grrrrrrrrrr

The very best thing over Christmas is our Facetime and Skype calls,  and facebook messages with family and friends spread all over the world.  As always I am very grateful for technology that enables me to do that.

I was so extremely spoilt with pressies from Marc in the FHFS group that I play with -  I blogged about it HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE .  Thanks my friend - I will be thinking of you lots over the years when I play with all those lovely goodies you sent.

I finished quilting my scrappy quilt before Christmas.... I chose to do fairly loose but still custom quilted focussing on the different shapes in the design

this is how I did the HST squares.... 

... a double orange peel which is a bit like a pomegranate look for the 9 patch squares

and my latest favourite orange peel with a twist in the neutral 4 patch blocks....

.. the quilt is 108" square and the binding is on... just waiting to be hand sewn down .... might take a while!

I didn't have a lot left of this hand sewing to do ... this is one of Rosalie Dekker's Scandanavian designs..... I was lucky enough to be given a set of the linen transfers ...

silly me squirted the steam on the iron and have stained the top left just above the design (I may tea stain the whole thing lightly to hide it???) 

My hero Hubz recut my perspex extension to make it fit onto my new machine... I do like working with the extension table so I'm very pleased to have it fixed up now... thanks Hubz

Done a few bits in the garden, have had some very welcome rain and had to stay indoors a bit... so I have been sewing (SURPRISE!)

A couple of things I had made and sent off at Christmas

This is the main present I sent to Cheryl in the FHFS swap..... (I did make other little things but forgot to take pictures!) I've really got to do some of these Natalie Bird designs for myself!

I couldn't resist making up this ginger flat cat for Toni who loves her ginger cats

I think it's so funny ... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... my addictive personality is in overdrive and I'm still sorting through half done things and am working on my Reproduction 9 patches today ......

Have a great day! xx