Second Week of March

We were housebound over a few days with threats of the cyclone.  We had a windy night and a few branches down and no power for most of a day.... and some very welcome rain.

So it was a good time to get out one of those tops from the Quilting Queue and play with it.....

I took this scrappy one (which I really love and it used so many of those little pieces) and also found a bunch of strips to make into binding......  off to the Binding Queue!!!

Girlfriends came round for machine sewing day and I am up to date with Be My Neighbour blocks, I am sewing this one with Susan and our neighbourhoods are looking very different, but I can assure you they are both respectable and good value to live there!!!

this is the first street done (the colours are a bit fresher than the picture shows)

I went to Quilt Group on Tuesday and there were some lovely quilt tops made using strippy scraps

This picture shows how Betty made hers... she backed with some lightweight fabric and after sewing the squares cut smaller strips

then placed them in opposite directions to get this ziggy zaggy effect....

Shirley made a shadow box quilt using her strip blocks....

... and another making diamond shapes with the strips....

Some great ideas ......

I did the binding on this little Charm Pack quilt

soft curly hooks for quilting ... makes a modernish cot quilt, or even a lap quilt....

and of course no scraps left from the charm pack!!!

This weekend I will prep up a few projects though not much will happen for the next 5 weeks, we are going away for a short island break and then children from far away are coming to help celebrate Hubby's 70th birthday at the end of the month.....

Excited is an under-exaggeration!  During this time I will be taking a break from blogging ....... xx

Righto, Gotta Go - I think I will take some yarn and pattern for baby clothes, nice and easy to travel with.....

First Week of March

A few things have been done lately.... I went over to a friends house and we made up some design boards.  We used corflute and cotton wadding, glue spray and velcro strips on the wall..... one of the corflute was black which is why you can see a slight shadow but it works well and is perfect for her needs.  

Hand sewing lately has been finishing off these sweet embroideries (inherited from Marina).  I think I matched up the colours closely enough that it doesn't notice.

In the evenings I have been working on the next KOGO blanket using a mixture of variegated yarns I was given.

It is a bit wavy in places and showing a waist line in other places largely due to the different 8 ply thicknesses, but I think it will go okay with a wash and stretch.  I will still do more to make it rectangular..... it's about a metre squared at the moment....

I have neglected my blackwork for a few weeks so did a catch up yesterday (after an outing was cancelled due to the weather forecast that didn't evenuate)

I new one is out so already I am behind again but this is being put away for a few weeks now

This is where I am up to now - I still have a fair bit of the leafy vines to do

I marked out  half inch lines and quilted the little embroideries - hoping to add the binding today then make up a little box with this piece.....

Hubz and I enjoy watching these Bald Eagles in California.... last year the eggs didn't hatch but this year there are 2 babies and another cracked egg last night.... be lovely if there is 3 successes.  

This is at the end of a feeding time this morning.... we could see some movement at the top of the egg.  The website shows in the pictures where the live cam is if anybody is interested....

Righto, Gotto Go..... I feel like an extra cup of coffee this morning.....

Take care, be safe and keep crafting.....xx

Last week of February......

Summer is supposed to finish now.... hopefully cooling down lots.....

End of February is also a time I get spoilt......

Isn't this a fun panel?  and it arrived with some labels, buttons and a note pad....

As well as this gorgeous zippy pouch hand-made in Queensland (see the zip pulls) from Shez....

And then this lovely artist drawn card (of Frangipani's from my garden) with fabric and ribbon holders as well as a special Needleholder which will go immediately to my Sashiko work bag. Specially made and drawn by Michelle....

Both very special people to me and I love their thoughtful and beautifully made gifts.

There may have been cakes and flowers and dinner etc aswell....

Then of course lots of visits, calls and messages and I love hearing from special friends and family.

I worked on my Cuddle Hearts - I cut up a lot of my smaller pieces of flannel and sewed them up.  These Cuddle Hearts are in sets of 3 (I made 25 sets) go to the Premmie baby units at the hospital.  Mum keeps one on her and passes it to baby so he/she gets the smell of mum.  Rather a sweet idea and I was pleased to find a use for some of that flannel.

I concentrated on this next Caswell block, lots of little pieces to needleturn.  Marina had made a note in the pattern that she was leaving out some leaves in between the 2 birds at the top.  I agreed they weren't needed so left them out too...  

That is 8/30 blocks done!

Some rows have been added to the next KOGO crochet blanket.  I was given a bundle of different variegated left over balls of yarn.... I wasn't sure how it would look together but it's working out quite fun....  I'll keep going....

That's my week, 

Righto, Gotto Go.... out today ... Hope you have a lovely weekend....xx

Third Week of February

I just loved my weekend learning with Lindsay from Sew To Grow and hosted by The Quilters Angel....

Off I went with my nice big pull cart full of all I needed....

All set up in my corner..... there was a nice big bench against the wall (we were in a 100 year old country hall and it was made with bench seats all around the edge.

Of course there was rewards for hard work....

Lindsay taught us how to change patterns to fit size and shape..... This is my end result.  I also used some of Lindsays latest range of fabric, this one in poplin.

The same pattern can be used for a top and also different sleeves....

Last weeks Blackwork flower was done ....

I've had this quilt on the frame for a while now and I finished it off early this week..... I did rows with leaves and curls and swirls.....  I made this top back in 2021.  It is made mostly using a jelly roll.

On Tuesday at a friends house where I can spread over the table I did the binding for my Pies and Tarts quilt....  The top was finished in 2023 after winning a starter kit from Glenrose Patchwork (now closed) in 2021 and I slowly worked through.  

I quilted all the circles using a curved ruler and a small meander in between on the plains...

Straight lines in the borders and a light backing....

Marina was having a clean up and had this sweet pattern leaving her home, of course I put my hand up and then she mentioned she had fabric with stitching on when she started the project... so of course my other hand went up..... I have dug through my threads and found some that match so it's all ready for playing with.... I do love Kathy Schmitz designs..

Thank goodness our evenings have cooled a bit, sleeping is so much nicer.

I found another piece of vintage seersucker which I spritzed to freshen up.... of course someone decided fabric in the yarn bin was an invitation!

Righto, Gotto Go .... embroidery guild today and I need to pack my basket....  I will take my new UFO I inherited....

Have a lovely weekend... and week xx

Second Week of February

The lovely Brisbane Sunday Stitchers invited me to join in with a Group project which is a small quilt called Floral Fun, featured in a Quilters Companion Magazine (No. 127)

These are my blocks for February ....

Susan, who leads me astray sometimes and I are sewing Be My Neighbour together and these are my 2 February blocks .....

I host a 'machine sewing' day at my home once a month with a few friends and these are the main projects I work on .....

It is a free pattern by Fabric Patch (was used for a Moda Sewalong)

I have finished my crochet cot blanket ........

A fairly simple design but gives a nice texture and feel....

I have now started another scrappy adult size one which I am making from a bunch of different variegated yarns..... (I hope it does end up looking ok)

I was given quite a large piece of 'Cheater Quilt' fabric some years ago and in my sorting and clearing made up a tablecloth (I don't have a fancy table but it does scratch when the girls come over with machines, or when I try and cut papers on it!

I did a quick all over meander using an old gifted but never used,  doona cover for the backing and machine sewed the binding (no need to go in the queue this time!)

It suits the room and will not show any tea stains etc!

This year I am trying to keep to a leaders and enders project (I keep forgetting to lead or end and just go straight in!)  Scrappy 9 patch blocks to start with... they will eventually be the centres of stars....

this weeks blackwork flower done today.....

The next Caswell block has been started but I'm moving slowly this week.  I am now of an age where I am eligible for a free Shingles vaccine, "oh yes ok" - I'm there for anything free!!  Well, my arm is so sore, my whole body aches and I just want to sleep....  it will blow over soon I know but then I have the second one to look forward to.... still preferable to a dose of Shingles

Righto, Gotto Go, I am attending a Fit To Flatter 2 day workshop this weekend and hope to learn how to adjust patterns and end up with a new dress ..... I need to go and put my supplies together.

Have a lovely weekend.... and week ....x