Third week of January 2025

Another busy week but very successful for me...

Introducing my Honeycomb quilt (made using the Field Journal embroideries by Cottage Garden Threads).  I started this in 2020 and it is completely hand sewn.

To be honest I am a little disappointed as I feel the embroideries don't show up and perhaps my teal was too dark.  However it is a finish and it will stay as it is.

Regular readers would have seen heaps of the individual embroideries over the last few years.  For newer readers there are lots under this label field journal

The back - well I love it!

It would fit the top of a queen bed comfortably.  It's not one I want out for the cat to sharpen his claws on so for now it's a cupboard quilt.

The other finish is my KOGO blanket which is done in Torres Strait Island colours...

I love the little mini bobble edging... it was surprisingly easy.  This pattern is the Meadow Blanket by Lucy of Attic24.  (I love her patterns and have done several - she is very generous in sharing free patterns and tutorials on her blog)

Next I will do a cot blanket using another of her patterns.

I had these 4 Bondi tops cut out for some time and over the week managed to get them sewn up.   They are not a complicated pattern and there are no zips and buttons to contend with ...

Several of mine are very faded now so these are replacements.

Righto, Gotto Go and hunt out some yarn for the next crochet project...

Have a lovely rest of the week....xx

2nd week of January

I did finish another quilt last year but as it was being gifted I didn't want to show it on my blog (just in case recipient had a look)

"The Bull' was finished off to give to my eldest brother for his 70th birthday.  Ken continues to live in Zimbabwe and my young brother (I have 3) who lives in Darwin was going for a visit and was able to hand deliver the quilt.

As you can see the background was quite heavily quilted to give it lots of movement

I just wanted the elephant pieces to show texture but not take away from the piecing

It was such fun to do - Foundation Paper Piecing.  I find this technique intriguing.  I cannot visualise sewing in reverse so I have to trust the design.... suddenly a picture gets made.

The pattern is Elephant Abstractions by Violet Craft.... step by step, follow the numbers.  I would use her patterns any day.

I am not consistent with adding labels, unless it is particularly special....

He is delighted as I knew he would be.  I haven't seen him since he dropped me off at the airport in 2002 so I was very pleased to send him something special.

Once the cat had removed himself from this quilt I got it on the frame and quilted this week....

It is made from jelly roll pieces (plus plain metreage).  I went for an all over meander.

Good lap quilt size, binding is made and ready to add....

This small table topper was finished.  I inherited the 15 blocks in a scrap bag and put them together. 

Feathers in each triangle....

A piece of scrap backing was enough for the back....

Otherwise I have been making a mess in my room choosing fabrics, cutting and preparing for a couple of new quilts to make this year.

My 'blackwork' project has started with the weekly fills.  They are really sweet.

I still have a lot of the leaves to do - there are 52 fills and I have completed 10 of the outlines.

At my sewing day with friends I framed my 17 half hexagons and am now beginning to add them to the edges.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... Field Journal is too big to carry to group now so I am going to start working on Caswell so I need to go and prep a block (I swear it takes me longer to choose fabrics than actually sew the block!)

Rain Rain Rain - I'm not complaining at all but there is concern about flooding in other areas.....  

Have a lovely week.....xx

First week of January 2025

Wishing all my blogging friends a Happy New Year - I hope we manage to have a lot of fun together, get to know each other more and create lots of lovely things....

Hand sewing whilst watching cricket has meant the bottom half of Field Journal hexagons is almost done....  I was short one plain hexagon and I want to make half hexagons to straighten the top and bottoms (I need 17)  When those are added on I will join them together for TA DA...   I have to say as much as I have loved doing this one I am glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel

We have a shaded 'fernery' on one side of the house to shield from afternoon sun.  This big Delicious Monster has grown so well but fell over due to all the rain.

You can see here just how big the leaves were....

Chop chop..... all gone (actually there is still a shoot there that might be left to grow????)  A gorgeous big plant but we are worried about those roots

Plenty of time in the Sewing Room between Christmas and New Year........ I agreed to quilt up a raffle quilt for embroidery guild so this was first up on the rack .....

I used rulers with a mix of straight lines and gentle curves....

Except for freehand swirls in the gold border..... 

Someone from Embroidery Guild had started quilting this quilt.... the hearts were done and the plan purple edges and some little hearts.

We had to unpick some quilting done in the sashing as it was pulling too much

I used my sit down machine for this one and did a large meander in the border and then joined hearts in all the sashing....  The biggest time use was dealing with all the tiny safety pins and very close hand basting all over it!

It was the thick puffy polyester wadding which is a bit challenging but gives a nice puffy 'eiderdown' kind of look.

I made up this child size quilt from a charm pack last year....

Big swirl hooks all over - 

Then my Scrappy Houses came out..... 

I did an all over meander which I quite like as it doesn't take away from the house pictures....

Made in a RSC Scrap challenge a few years back.... I had enough of this left over backing from a previous quilt (did need a join).  Lap size quilt.

Colourful binding is already made...

That's 2 quilts added to the binding queue....

Just before Christmas a local woman asked if anyone wanted a bunch of sewing stuff (from her late mother).  I offered to go through it and pass on to whoever.

My car was packed full - sadly most of it needed to be chucked out, packs and packs of rusty needles and pins, old magazine patterns, boxes - general rubbish. There is some fabric and thread which I have put aside for Womens Shed, 

Anyway amongst it all was a Sewing Machine (her Mum still used but it probably needs a service)

It is so heavy - good and solid

Has a lever and turns - the other side is an Overlocker!

I had never heard of such a machine......  

I haven't given it a go yet, there is a manual.  I'm not sure it is worth the cost of a service but I have found a space to store it for a maybe day.....  Anybody know much about these?  I do love the old solid machines.

Righto, Gotto Go....

I have another quilt which I pressed this morning ready to pin on the frame...

Hmmmm.... maybe I'll do some prep work instead.... 

Take care..... xx

End of December 2024

I feel I have only just got used to it being 2024 - and here we are going into the next year!!!

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmastime .... 

My daughters partner has 3 children and they're family never did stockings (Santa left a parcel under the tree) ..... well - she wanted to change that so I had a day of sewing rectifying the situation. (lucky I had some Christmas fabric on hand!)  (Apparently a great hit - they loved waking up to a stocking stuffed with all sorts of goodies)  So a new tradition for them now.

Hubz and I had a walk around a nearby park..... I love looking at our Australian plants... 

Grevillea

Grevillea

Billy Buttons

Kangaroo Paw

Banksia

Some hot days and a week of horrible headache for me has meant I have stayed quietly indoors in the air con.

I am doing a free  Blackwork SAL by The Steady Thread with some of the other girls at Embroidery Guild so I started on my outline.  Each week we will get a little botanical picture to put inside.  There is a number of different borders available.  There is a lot more to do (52 leaf circles)  I am using one strand of Cottage Garden thread throughout.

The Field Journal hexagons have made an appearance too - joining these together whilst I watch the cricket....

And of course planning a few projects for next year!!!!  

Righto, Gotto Go ....... it's going to be another warm one for us so more gentle hand sewing for me..... 

Happy New Year ....... I'm looking forward to another year reading and sharing about the projects we are making....

(I'm excited Hot Cross buns are back in the shops!!!!!)