4th week of June

Oh my goodness, half the year has passed by!!!!

Lost Blogs

I had a message from Julie (thank you so much) noting my blog had not shown up on her list/feed .... and I went to check my feed and so many blogs I had missed (including Julie's).... I don't know what has happened but I am having a lot less feeds to read and having a lot less readers....

I am slowly re-building up a list for on my blog side bar - perhaps this will help.  Anyway if you haven't heard from me, or can't see yourself on the left sidebar,  please give a yell so I can get back to reading your blog!  Thanks

I finished the binding on this quilt at Tuesday girls sewing....  I had a bunch of William Morris scraps and found a suitable WM for the background

I made the top in 2024 and quilted it earlier this year in a fairly loose all over florally design

I do love this William Morris inspired backing....

This pattern is Chandelier quilt - there are a few free and for purchase patterns on-line.  This is the second I have done as it's great for using up coordinating scraps.

After I had sewn the binding down I did a couple of my neglected Sashiko blocks....

I will be more vigilant with them once I have completed the embroidery table runner

Hubz and I went to the local Museum this week, a snack at the cafe and then a stroll around - we haven't been for a number of years and there was a 'secrets' section.

I enjoyed perusing this embroidery. 

The information provided:

STITCHED-IN SECRETS

This piece was embroidered by Jessie Porter in April 1900.  Conservators removed the frame to reveal the original vibrant thread colours at the embroidery's edges.

Jessie lived with her husband Henry (Ernie) and their children Eric, Alan and Dorothy in their home Glenroy in Toowoomba.  When she was creating this embroidery, she hid their names and the name of their property in the design.

here is a close up... what a lot of stitching in there.... slow stitching on steroids!

I can see Jessie in this section but I struggle to find the other names....

The museum also has an extensive collection of Coaches which were fun to see and read about.

Righto, Gotto Go.... it's G&T time here....xx

Hoping you are all well (and that blog reading and commenting can get back on track)

3rd week of June

Progress on the embroidery....... this was last week....

and this is this week.....

I have done a bit of quilting... this is a top I made back in 2019/20 called Bloom

If I remember right it was a free pattern by Lori Holt....and Maria kindly gave me the templates for the shapes?  I did love making it and the fresh pretty colours (I had a layer cake) - it just got forgotten in a box!

I also spent a fair bit of time ironing batik pieces and cutting for the next QCR quilt by Sew Kind of Wonderful.... 

... and there we have my crafting week ... I hope you have had some time to make something too.... xx

Righto, time for getting on with my day..... 

Mid-June

Another week gone by quickly.....  I'm struggling with the cold this year and it hasn't even been that freezing!

Footy season (Rugby League) season is upon us and I have sat frozen at the sidelines watching Widget.  I do enjoy it and now have no worry about how it looks with multiple layers and a quilt on my lap... 

Sick daughter is cautiously on the recovery road and we had a drive out to a bakery this last weekend which included a bit of walking (which she paid for the next day)  It is surprising how such little exercise can be so exhausting.  English daughter is still here till tomorrow evening and it has been lovely to have an extra driver to help with appointments etc. as well as the company.

I sneaked in some easy seams and this quilt top is finished ....... I have other batiks and the left overs from 2 quilts and now practice with the curved ruler and will start an owl quilt.

This quilt is 102" x 80" (too big for my wall)

Some embroidery has been stitched in the evenings...... 

,,,,, which I am thoroughly enjoying...

Righto, Gotto Go, farewell dinner out tonight and I need to get out that warm jacket!!!!

Have a lovely rest of the week...xx

June means Winter has 'started'

We needed to light the fire in May prior to the 'official' start of winter here.  A definite chill in the air,  and soup recipes, jeans and jumpers, electric blankets, hot showers and wood fire season is here......  I do love it when I am not watching footy from the sidelines in the wind!

This weeks machine sewing has been the main blocks for Candy Blossoms (using Quick Curve Ruler), and I have started sewing the sashings on......

This is the pattern from a book by Sew Kind of Wonderful..... looks quite different in my colours

My zig-zag blanket is finished!

Visiting UK grandson will be pleased with this, just in time for the cold weather here.... it's ended up a good size, this is on a double bed.

It actually goes quite well with the picture up in that spare room (perhaps he will forget to pack it????)

I had chosen 15 different balls of yarn some time ago and swapped them for the colours chosen by Attic24 so I could follow her sequence.

I will miss having this blanket on my lap these evenings.  I have taken out my embroidered table runner to work on now ....

Today I managed to go to Embroidery group and continued with the hardanger hearts border..... only to discover after sewing 10 hearts that I had made a mistake... so today I actually did more reversing than progress!  I was going to fudge it but June, the tutor warned me it would come back and bite me if I didn't fix it!

That's my sewing week, hope you have had some fun too.... xx

Righto, Gotto Go, I have boring grocery shopping to do ......

3rd week of May

Another big(ish) week.... DD was back in hospital for a few days with a bowel obstruction (not nice but managed to sort out without more surgery which is a big plus)  Her son (Widget) had a birthday and 2 days later passed his drivers licence so is now independently on P plates.  

Anyway ...... in between some crafting has happened...

I did the machine part of the binding for Wings and Pretty Things, it still needs to be hand sewn down...

Finished the quilting for my Quilting Mice,  stitched and put together some years ago.  It's quite small, would work for a wall hanging.  

The pictures are quite sweet and show mice in various stages of making a quilt..... personally I have no fondness for mice .....

I am focussing on my crochet in the evenings, this blanket is 2/3 of the way through - as you can see quite a few ends to stitch in aswell....

I made up enough blocks to put together this Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt top.....  Last year I had gathered a bunch of strips from Quilt Club and I've been wanting to get this out the way.

I used this tutorial by Bonnie Hunter - it's a great scrap buster for 2 1/2" strips

Another quilt has been put on the frame, this one will be an all over design.  

First fire of the season has been lit, not really that cold but the fire is comforting.

Righto, Gotto Go..... I'll go and get a bit of that quilting done ...

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

Back home

A few intensive weeks in Brisbane.  I discovered the surgery my daughter had has a nickname of MOAS (Mother Of All Surgeries) and I can see why.  It is brutal and tough, I was told it was the largest of the surgeries they do at the hospital.   A few days in ICU and then a couple of weeks on the ward and at the weekend took her home.  Recovery is always better at home isn't it?   Time will tell how effective the HIPEC (chemo) was (and what next for that) ...... as with all cancers regular scans and tests for the next 10 years at least.

I never even opened my box of projects! but I did do a few rows of crochet in the evenings at the unit, and I did alter a couple of her nighties so she could wear them over the PICC lines.... the sleeve needed to be able to open so I cut across the top and applied some velcro - worked a treat.

Before we left to Brisbane I did finish quilting "Wings and Pretty Things" (designed by friend Michelle)

Hard to see the quilting but curls in the background and outlining the applique ....

Straight lines through the EPP pieces.....

Just waiting for the binding to go on now.....

I just wanted a couple of days quietly at home and the best way for me to rest is to sew.....

These two items were already cut and partly sewn...  you will see they are both the same fabric - because there was plenty!

A favourite top of mine.... Bondi top

The back has a pleat ....

And a wrap around dress ......

Now that it is cooling down I'm not sure I will really have a chance to wear them until it warms up again...

The evenings were spent finishing off the blue beanie.... so now these can be posted to the grandieboy brothers in Victoria.

Oh, and I thought I deserved a treat so got the kit of Anni Downs new fabric range

The girls at The Quilters angel have added a coordinating fabric for binding and included a preprint linen for the embroideries....

... and of course the pattern book

I'm holding off starting this as I still have lots of other handwork projects on the go  - it's so tempting especially with the preprints!!!

Righto, Gotto Go..... a quilt is set up on the frame, scrappy blocks are all over the sewing space and yarn is bubbling out the bucket next to my chair!  xx

Middle of April

This week another 5 blocks to Wensleydale/Tuesleydale were done....

And finally after 11 years Sylvia's Bridal Sampler has been bound....

It has a fun backing too as I had used left over fabrics to make up blocks

With pieced front and back it is quite a heavy quilt

Made from this book - I do love a sampler quilt

Jack's beanie is completed, and now I have started another for younger brother....

I joined one block of curved blocks - I think it's going to work!

Crochet blanket has a few more rows and I will keep working at it, and some other handwork over the next few weeks whilst we stay in Brisbane to support my daughter through her surgery.

A few people have asked so just a short update, google will help if you do want more info....it's certainly been a time of learning for me.

She has Jelly Belly/Appendix Cancer or Pseudomyxoma Peritonei and will by having it removed, scraped and take out any non vital organs, HIPEC chemotherapy and a long recovery.  We have decided to stay in the city and be close by for the first few weeks then of course assist at home as much as we can.

As such there'll be a bit of a blog break since I'm not likely to have much to show but I will be having my morning blog reading as often as possible.  

Keep crafting, keep happy and keep blogging..... xx