The Nine Patch .....

The Nine Patch quilt has been quilted now...

I have done each patch the same ... in the dark squares there are curved orange peel which make a whirlygig type shape that I like....

... and in the light shapes which is hard to see there is a ribbon type shape....

... and I have done this joined ribbon look in the sashing... theres a lot of sashing!!! hmmmm

I love the look and feel of a quilted quilt.....

... the binding is acutally on now... I found a piece that has lots of colours in it to go with the quilt...

I've got 2 quilts waiting for me to sew down the binding...  it's just going to have to get a bit cooler for me to do that!

I still had some patches left and Susan has kindly sent me some she had spare after making her quilt.... so I should get another nice size quilt with these.... one day!!!

Thanks so much Susan - it's going to be great having the extra's to play with

I am still working with reproduction fabrics with the sampler quilt and this week we got two blocks done

Dog Tooth Violet - 

Cross and Crown - 

Only got 2 blocks done this week as I had to leave early to do a bit of shopping...

No more moaning about being housebound!! - except I just want to leave it nice and safe inside the garage!! haha

Righto, Gotto Go....  maybe a road trip?

My little red project....

I think I was a bit mean challenging a guess for the little red, green and black project.... not much of a clue...

Anyway... I did foundation piecing with it... and some fiddling...

I've struggled to find some light summer slippers to wear around the house  - now I have some quilted ones!!! 

(and I shaved my legs for this picture too!!! wasn't that good of me?)

If I was clever at changing things I could make them a better fit for my long skinny feet but they work and that's the main thing....

My teapot now has a handle also ... thanks to a bit of sitting yesterday afternoon!

A little wander in the garden and this sweet frangipani has a few flowers.... 

.. and we finished off the warm day with a drinkie and BBQ...

(I've not thought of having 'buttery' wine.... but that's how its described!!!)

I'm no expert but the wine tasted fine and I couldn't notice any butter

Righto, Gotto Go.... I try and do some housekeeping on Mondays (sorry to swear the H word in public)

Have a lovely day/week....xx

FNWF

Our first FNWF of the year... thanks Dory for having us over!

I have revived a UFO from 2013 ..... I did a lovely set of teacup stitcheries but wanted to add some teapots before I put it all together....

It was also the first of our fortnightly sewing with the girls at The Quilters Angel so I went along and worked on the roses teapot..... just the handle to go now...

I must try and pop over HERE and see what everyone else got up to....  everyone is welcome.... see you next time??

There was a nice surprise dropped off by Mr Postie this week from Susan - two design boards (different sizes)

they are made with quilt wadding and binding around the edge and fabric sticks beautifully on them....

... and they fit perfectly inside my new sewing folder I got from Lyn at Christmas which I am using for my Sampler Blocks at the moment....

Thanks Susan, they are just perfect and such a lovely surprise!!

I have started trying to go through UFO's to list what there is.... thus the revisiting of the teacups/pots above....  Wendy and Dawn are getting Sew It's Finished up and running again this year and so I hope this will keep me motivated to finish some of them....  

... wanna come join us and work on those projects hanging around????? ....

I'm also joining up with Narelle's 'One Christmas Item a Month' ....

 I'll be working on a big project so want to get a block done each month at least ... I have the fabric

Righto, Gotto Go... did you notice these fabrics on the board above?  I'm playing with them today and I'm determined they are not going to be a UFO.....

there will be a prize if you can guess what I'm making?

Oh and by the way.... my car is considered a right off!

It doesn't look so bad but the wheel is squashed in and between the panel beating and the wheel shaft it is cheaper to right it off!!!

... so we spent yesterday hunting and test driving..... I fancy this one.... but Hubz is not so keen...

Have a Happy Day whatever you are doing....xx

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!